The MFA refutes the “blunders” of Minister Oana Țoiu in London: “A false communication error”/ The remark about joining the EU, in a country that left the Union: “A diplomatic joke”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent, on Wednesday evening, a series of clarifications, after the minister Oana Ţoiu was accused of diplomatic blunders committed in London, where she stated, in an official statement, that she has nothing new to say, but also that all countries either want to be part of the European Union, or to remain in it, realizing that they are in a country that has left the EU bloc. MAE officials claim that the first statement was meant to draw attention to the main message, that of consistency in statements, and the second statement was a demonstration of “conscious diplomatic humor”, informs News.ro.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent, on Wednesday, official clarifications, “as a result of the propagation in the public space of some short video fragments from the speech delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Ţoiu, in London”.
“In several media montages, the recording stops exactly after the second in which Minister Oana Ţoiu mentions that she has nothing new to say. In reality, this construction was the opening of a figure of speech specific to the British debate space, an introduction intended to draw attention to the main message, that of perseverance. The statement “I have nothing new to say” was immediately followed by an explanation, with the aim of reaffirming known positions (solidarity), not the delivery of news for the sake of the show,” the MAE officials said.
“Let's restate what we already know”
The MFA is making available the full transcript of the statement, to show the “logical continuation”: “Thank you. It is a great honor to be here with you today, although I have nothing new to say. I know that sounds like a disastrous start to a conversation, but it is true. I think the power of this conversation is not necessarily to say anything new, but rather to reaffirm what we already know, which is that we are here together as a community international, we are here together, in my case as a representative of Romania.”
According to the MAE, Oana Ţoiu continued with the statement that “we have been in a war for 1,500 days that Russia had announced that it would win in three days and that the resistance was possible thanks to the courage of the Ukrainians, but also the fact that nothing has changed in the unwavering decision of Romania and the international community, of states that think the same, including the United Kingdom, to be on the good side of history”.
“Omitting the explanation behind a polite introduction turns a gesture of diplomatic elegance and a colloquial framing of the theme of perseverance into a false communication error,” the MAE officials said.
Another tense moment, considered a political blunder, was when Oana Ţoiu stated that “everyone wants to join the EU” and, realizing that she is in a country that has chosen to leave the Union, she added “or to remain in the EU”, specifying that she did not want to take the discussion towards that area.
The MAE claims that it was “a reaction of conscious diplomatic humor”. “In a room located in the heart of post-Brexit London, the minister recognized through that pause and through the empathetic reply “I didn't mean it (in that way)” the contrast between the desire for membership of our neighbors (the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine) and the current position of the country that hosted the debate, but also the implicit recognition of the fact that some British experts in the room tried to argue in their careers for remaining in the EU”, he also transmitted MFA.
Full recordings of the talks
The institution, which provides video from that moment, claims that, “far from being a confusion, it was a moment of connection with the British audience, which responded with applause and amusement to this recognition of the “elephant in the room”.
The institution specifies that “it takes this step considering the interest of public opinion to have access to the entire substance of the discourse in a recognized space for debates on foreign policy topics, which included vital topics: security in the Black Sea, energy resilience and the strategic partnership with the United Kingdom”.
“To eliminate any doubt created by selective editing, the MAE provides the full recording of the speech for a complete reading, to allow the distinction between a diplomatic joke, in a setting with an audience prepared to recognize the nuances, and false labels of blunders”, the MFA transmitted.
The MFA conveys that Chatham House, officially the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, is one of the most influential think-tanks in the world, being the place where global strategies are defined and where leaders can speak openly, under a unique confidentiality rule that encourages honesty and unfiltered diplomatic solutions.
The event benefited from an extensive participation and exposure, over 200 experts and diplomats in physical format. Contrary to the famous Chatham House format, through which the discussions enjoy a confidential and non-attributable character, the intervention of the Romanian minister and the subsequent discussions were public, the decision being part of an effort to raise awareness and popularize Romania's role in the region.
