Dutch Embassy: The Netherlands actively watches developments of the rule of law in Romania

The Netherlands is actively watching the developments in the area of the rule of law in Romania, and Ambassador Stella Ronner-Grubacic New Year's vacation was a "private" one, informs the diplomatic mission on its Facebook page. 

The message came in the context in which, according to the central media, the Dutch Ambassador spent the New Year's vacation with the family of Nelu Iordache, who has recently been sentenced to prison, by the court of first instance, for fraudulent misuse of funds. 

"Mrs Ambassador Stella Ronner-Grubacic and her family spent a private ski vacation in Poiana Brasov. Mrs Ronner-Grubacic did not go their as a Dutch official," reads the message. 

Moreover, the same message mentions that the hotel where the Ambassador's family stayed during the holiday "organized a dinner to celebrate New Year's Eve attended by hundreds of guests" and that "there was no prior consultation with the Ambassador on the seating arrangement." 

"The Netherlands actively pursues the developments of the rule of law in Romania, on which a recent statement was made, together with six other European countries, on 21st of December," says the message of the Dutch Embassy in Bucharest posted on Facebook. 

The Belgian, Danish, Finish, French, German, Dutch and Swedish Embassies in Romania all called on "all the parties involved" in the justice reform process "to avoid any such action that might weaken the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption." 

The representatives of these embassies also brought to mind at the reunion of the Council of December 12 that the European Union adopted certain resolutions regarding the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) having to do with the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption in Romania. "The resolutions underscore the 'need for predictability, full transparency and inclusive consultations' when it comes to justice reform, according to the provisions of the European Commission report under the CVM. Moreover, the Council asks Romania to avoid any backward steps," the embassies pointed out in their message of December 21st.

Agerpres