Iohannis: Nobody from the outside can tell Israel, Palestine how to divide Jerusalem

President Klaus Iohannis on Monday evening said that an exploratory discussion on the topic of relocating the embassy of Romania in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is not wrong, but stressed that the international legislation on this matter must be observed and if anybody would push for such a move, all sides would loose confidence in the Romanian diplomacy. 

"Nobody on the outside can come and tell the State of Israel or the Palestinian Authority how they should divide Jerusalem. It is obviously a matter that must be discussed between the parties involved and when matters become clear, this impediment no longer exists and only then can we talk concretely about moving our embassy to Jerusalem," Iohannis said. 

"I had quite a long talk [with Prime minister Viorica Dancila, ed. n.] and I have talked with many other people. Now I understand that the gov't wanted in fact to set up a platform of discussion around this topic. An exploratory talk is not wrong, but from there to actually relocating [the embassy, ed. n.] it is a long way. We are in the situation to observe the international legislation, or the international legislation is not a law or an international Constitution, there is no such thing, there are the international treaties. We are part, we are UN members and the UN is tackling this matter very, very clearly and seriously. Numerous UN resolutions exist, resolutions of the Security Council which say very clearly that until the two sides do not come to an agreement, no embassies will relocate to Jerusalem," Iohannis told the journalists who accompanied him in northern Herastrau public garden, where he made a halt from his cycling to talk to them. 

The President maintained that the logistic argument has no grounds whatsoever and added that the European Union has a clear-cut stance on this matter, respectively that no member state moves their embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem until the sides in that area come to an understanding on the status of Jerusalem. 

Iohannis emphasised that the US too has an approach that is theirs regarding this matter, and yet "We have an approach which for more than half a century has characterised the Romanian diplomacy and we have done there, in the Middle East, a very good job. We have had a balanced, respected diplomatic approach, and the people there trusted us. If we make such a move, all the parties would lose confidence in the Romanian diplomacy. Basically, he who forces such a move would simply trow away over one half of century of important, successful diplomacy in the Middle East." 

The President mentioned that the Memorandum by the Romanian Government on moving the embassy of Romania in Israel has not been sent to the Presidency yet, but that it would probably get there in the coming days.