The European Parliament (EP) will next week discuss a resolution regarding the Romanian Treasury, appropriated by Russia over a century ago, according to the official agenda of the EP and PMP MEP Eugen Tomac.
In the Strasbourg session on March 14, the resolution “Return of the national treasure of Romania, illegally appropriated by Russia” will be debated and voted on.
“We are in a moment where we have to present the situation clearly, with a lot of conviction,” Eugen Tomac told Digi 24, adding that the goal is for this file to become one of major importance for the EU.
The MEP said he attended a debate in the EP’s foreign affairs committee on Tuesday and that “all political groups support the adoption of a resolution next week” and that the text of the resolution is still under negotiation between the groups in the European Parliament and that the adoption of the resolution would represent a very important political signal sent to Romania by the EU.
The resolution could be an important tool for Romania after the war in Ukraine ends, when the EU resumes relations with Russia. It is the first time that this issue of the Treasury is being discussed at such a level.
The governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, stated in November last year at a specialized symposium that Romania has a fully valid historical and legal claim over its gold deposit evacuated to Moscow in 1916-1917. Joining the Allies in August 1916 within WWI, Romania soon faced an extremely challenging situation due to battles on two fronts in Transylvania and along the Danube. Therefore, as early as September 1916, the National Bank of Romania took the first measures to secure its gold treasury.
A month later, Russia retorted to this statement, through a documentary to Romania’s repeated requests for the return of the treasure from Moscow. The documentary, made by Zvezda, the Russian army television, concludes that Russia must not give any treasure back to Romania, and that in fact Romania owes Russia.
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