Russia’s ambassador to Bucharest, Valery Kuzmin said that the Romanian authorities are not as tough in their relations with Russia as other NATO member states, noting the door for future relationships is still somewhat open, according to Euractiv.
The diplomat made the comments at a press conference on Tuesday, News.ro reported.
Relations between Romania and Russia are “fairer” than with other NATO countries despite them being almost non-existent, the diplomat said.
There is a “door half open for future relationships”, he said, noting that Russia “has always sought good relations with all the countries of the world”.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Romania has expelled 11 Russian diplomats for “the incompatibility of their activities with the provisions of the Vienna Convention”.
Russia responded by expelling 11 diplomats from the Romanian Embassy in Moscow in 2022.
Kuzmin insisted that Moscow supports the development of cultural and humanitarian relations with Romania but expressed uncertainty: “As they say, it takes two to tango”.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry announced in February the suspension of the Russian Culture and Science Centre in Bucharest, claiming it has now become “an instrument of propaganda, disinformation and apologetics of Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine”.