Diplomacy on the hosts' dime. Economy Minister's Foreign Visits, Paid for by South Korea and Saudi Arabia, Stir Controversy
The Minister of Economy, Radu Miruță, sent a controversial message after the most recent foreign visits. He announces that he “did not run on Romania's money”, accepting that other states pay the costs and lobbied for private companies, whose representatives accompanied him.
Radu Miruta in South Korea. Source Facebook
Radu Miruță, the Minister of Economy, Digitization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, caused controversy following his last visits to Saudi Arabia and South Korea. He reported on his Facebook page that “he did not travel on Romania's money”, but he accepted that the visited countries pay the costs of transport and the expenses of the delegation.
Visit to Saudi Arabia at the expense of the hosts
Between November 7-11, an official delegation led by Minister Radu Miruţă made a working visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the occasion of participating in the 26th meeting of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization – UN Tourism.
The recent visit of Minister Miruță to Saudi Arabia generated numerous reactions. The minister announced on his Facebook page that he had a long meeting in Riyadh with Faisal bin Fadhil Al-Ibrahim, the Minister of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia, in which investments in graphite, the development of ski areas in Romania and a direct connection between Romanian sheep and cow farmers and the market in Saudi Arabia were discussed.
At the end of the text, Miruță confessed that all the expenses of the meeting were paid by Saudi Arabia, a fact that brought him criticism from those who believe that accepting such a gratuity would put him in a vulnerable position vis-à-vis his hosts.
“And no, I “didn't go for a walk” on Romania's money. Even if going on foreign trips is a necessity, if you don't go for a walk, this time I thank the Kingdom for the invitation and for fully covering the costs!”, noted the minister.
Surprised that Princess Sara Al Saud called him
Radu Miruță also met in Riyadh with Princess Sara Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He reported on Facebook about his astonishment when he found out that he would be called by His Highness, something that once again gave rise to controversies related to the position adopted by the minister during the visit.
Radu Miruta. alongside Princess Sara Al Saud. Photo: Facebook. Radu Miruta
“Our first interaction was by phone, in a context where I could not honor the invitation to participate in the proceedings of the 26th United Nations Tourism Assembly held in Riyadh due to an extremely busy schedule. I admit that when my cabinet colleagues informed me that I would have a telephone conversation with His Highness, I thought it was a joke. It was not. Instead, I discovered a warm, firm voice, extremely well anchored in the economic realities of the region, and very persuasive. I am glad that that phone call opened a channel of direct and productive dialogue”said the Minister of Economy.
Such meetings reconfirm that economic diplomacy is not about symbolic visits, but about genuine dialogue, openness and courageous decisions, in Romania's interest, he added.
Lobby for private companies in South Korea at the expense of the hosts
Like Saudi Arabia, South Korea also paid the travel and accommodation expenses of the delegation led by the Minister of Economy in Seoul from October 17-22, 2025, for the International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition ADEX 2025.
A memorandum sent by the Minister of Economy shows how the official visit, carried out at the invitation of the government of the Republic of Korea, was financed.
“The costs related to this travel will be fully borne by the Korean side for the minister and his cabinet director. For the secretary of state, the relevant ministry will only bear the costs related to the transportation, according to the legal provisions, while the costs related to internal logistics in the Republic of Korea will also be borne by the Korean side.” shows the memorandum published by Romania TV.
Radu Miruță, during his visit to South Korea. Source: Facebook
The purpose of the visit paid for by the South Korean state generated controversy, as the delegation led by Radu Miruță included representatives of some Romanian private companies, to whom the minister facilitated meetings with companies and officials from South Korea.
The delegation led by the minister visited the headquarters of important Korean companies, such as Hanwha Aerospace and Dohwa Engineering, and held meetings with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
“This time, in the official delegation, we also included businessmen from Romania, from various industries, who were facilitated with meetings with partners specific to the object of each activity. Romanian companies from fields such as software, automation, electrical production and cosmetics – UiPath, CargoTrack, East Electric, Farmec, Skinguru Pirios – today analyzed potential collaborations in direct discussions with the owners of some of the largest companies in the world. I know it's only a step, but I'm sure that it is in the right direction, that it is just one of the steps I will take to support Romanian entrepreneurs”, he informed on his Facebook page, on October 22, 2025.
Romania participated in the ADEX 2025 exhibition with a national flag, at the Romanian stand there were representatives of the Romanian companies ALRO, Automecanica SA, Bluespace Technology, CN ROMARM, Nova Modul, Tehnopro Engineering, as exhibitors, and those of PATROMIL (Romanian Employers' Association of Military Equipment Manufacturers), ARICE (Romanian Agency for Investments and Foreign Trade), together with those of the Godmother company, as organizers.
