Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. Romanian PM invites Netanyahu in Bucharest despite ICC...

Romanian PM invites Netanyahu in Bucharest despite ICC warrant

February 19, 2025

*As signatory of the ICC Rome Statute, Romania is obliged to arrest Netanyahu if he sets foot in the country.     Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu's announcement of a meeting between the governments of Romania and Israel in Bucharest and his invitation to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signals they could be the next country to defy the ICC international arrest warrant, www.euractiv.com reads.   As Romania is one of 125 signatories of the International Criminal Court Rome Statute and Netenyahu is subject to an arrest warrant for "crimes against humanity" related to military actions in Gaza, it would be obliged to arrest him when he sets foot in the country.   However, it seems that arresting Netenyahu would not be on the cards. Ciolacu wrote on X that Romania and Israel share a relationship of strategic importance and solidarity, reiterating that the prime minister had been invited to the meeting.   Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in November that the ICC decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant is binding on all member states.   But France said days later it believed Netanyahu had immunity to actions by the ICC, given Israel has not signed up to the court statutes. Poland then said Netanyahu would have immunity from arrest if he attended Auschwitz memorial events, something most Poles disagree with.   Meanwhile, outgoing US President Joe Biden has called the issuing of warrants against Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, "outrageous".   In his message, Ciolacu made no mention of the ICC arrest warrant. Earlier on Sunday, the Romanian prime minister welcomed the release of the first group of three hostages from the Gaza Strip following the entry into force of the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas. Two of the hostages released, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher,  are of Romanian origin.   Ciolacu praised the sustained and substantial efforts of high-level mediators from Qatar, the US, and Egypt to conclude the agreement.   Romania has excellent relations with Israel, and during the Cold War, it was the only communist country not to break its diplomatic ties. In April 2018, Romania announced that it would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.   On 17 October 2023, Ciolacu, during his previous mandate as prime minister, was the first foreign leader to visit Israel after the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel.

The text of this article has been partially taken from the publication:
http://actmedia.eu/daily/romanian-pm-invites-netanyahu-in-bucharest-despite-icc-warrant/112125
Read in full - click here
Sustainability meets Profitability on April 8th

La French Tech Bucharest announces the third edition of its highly anticipated flagship event, Sustainability meets Profitability, set to take place on April 8th, 2025, at the Romanian - American University (1B Expoziției Boulevard, Bucharest), starting at 18:30. Sustainability meets Profitability event will explore the new regulations companies—big or small—must navigate and how they can turn […]

Romania’s Sibiu-Pitești highway to feature largest ecoduct in the country

The builders of Romania’s important A1 Sibiu – Pitești highway are set to start the construction of a bridge over 300 meters long and at least 100 meters wide, allowing the animals of the Southern Carpathians to cross from one side to the other.  The investment will pay off as a corridor for large mammals […]

Report: Romania's business services industry has room to grow but at slower pace

The local business services industry has potential for growth, even if it will see a slower pace because the market is a mature one and given the high regional and global competitiveness, according to a report carried out by the Association of Business Service Leaders in Romania (ABSL) in partnership with Deloitte Romania. Still, the […]

Romanian soldiers on parental leave went to Congo as mercenaries, Defense Ministry finds

Several Romanian military personnel who were on parental leave went to Congo as mercenaries, according to a statement from the Ministry of National Defense.  The issue of active soldiers taking mercenary work first came up on the public agenda after PressOne...

European Investment Bank to finance Ukraine’s railway border crossings with Romania, other neighbors

The European Investment Bank and the government of Ukraine have agreed to allocate EUR 50 million from EIB funding to Ukraine's national railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, for the modernization of key railway border crossings with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.  The project includes repairs to worn-out railway tracks, the relocation of wagon inspections, the reconstruction of […]

Medicover acquires operations of laboratory diagnostic services provider Synlab in Romania, five other countries

Medicover has acquired the operations of the lab tests provider Synlab Group in Romania, Turkey, Cyprus, Slovenia, Croatia, and North Macedonia in a transaction worth EUR 71.3 million, the company announced. The transaction was financed from Medicover's own sources. It was carried out by Medicover for its diagnostic services division, present in Romania under the […]