Foreign Minister to submit his resignation

Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu (photo) has announced he will submit his resignation to Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and will explain to the National Liberal Party government why he is to step down. Ungureanu, 39, took over the foreign affairs position two years ago. Between 1998 and 2001 he was a state secretary within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), and held a senior position in the Stability Pact, between 2001 and 2003. He was also deputy coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), in Vienna. Ungureanu was not a member of the Liberal Party when he was appointed to the ministerial position. He joined the Liberal Party and was introduced in to the party’s top ranks in 2005. The minister’s resignation follows a conflict with Premier Tariceanu, during which the latter accused Ungureanu of not informing him about the fact that two Romanian citizens had been arrested in Iraq. Within the party, the minister was also accused of talking exclusively with president Traian Basescu concerning this issue and deliberately ignoring Premier Tariceanu. Ungureanu explained yesterday that it was a simple case, which was under the MAE jurisdiction. He explained he addressed his concerns to president Traian Basescu, who is also president of the Supreme Council of National Defence, because the two Romanians had been arrested in a conflict area.