“We went to the place that was offered to us and to which we were led. Regardless of the location, the Romanian trucks and this humanitarian aid offered with generosity to all the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, would shine and it shined indeed,” Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Republic of Moldova Daniel Ioniță stated, referring to the fact that the humanitarian assistance provided by Romania was presented near the bridge in Telecentru quarter of Chisinau, not in the central square of the capital city.

“We are a fully disciplined embassy. What this event implied was diplomatic correspondence, sustained periodical contacts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. All the requests were transmitted through the appropriate channels on time and Romania respected the program that was put at its disposal. Yes, we wanted to stage a public ceremony and this was held in Telecentru as we wanted these 20 trucks to come together with the ministers who came separately from Bucharest. It was normal for these ministers to be there before the trucks for the ceremony to present these donations,” said the Romanian diplomat.

Daniel Ioniță commented also on the presence of citizens at the handover ceremony, saying these should have been organized by those who arranged all the details.

“This ceremony was to be a solemn one, an occasion for high-ranking officials from Romania and the Republic of Moldova to deliver their speeches and to present those who came with that aid. Those in charge of the safety of that area omitted particular expressions, manifestations of joy and we had to intervene and ask them respectfully to observe the solemnity of the moment. It wasn’t a political event and we do not want this event to be associated politically or capitalized on politically by a party. The assistance is from the Government of Romania and is intended for all the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. I do not want this event to be capitalized on politically as this wasn’t the goal,” noted the official.

Daniel Ioniță also said that he has served as a diplomat for over 26 years and in such situations, when the agreed program is respected, those who organize the program should take the necessary measures so as to avoid particular situations.

“It is not the role of an ambassador to go and talk to citizens who came to express their joy, but the context of those events should have been explained to them”.