Romania’s Foreign Ministry (MAE) has issued a negative opinion on the dissolution of the Romanian Diplomatic Institute, Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said on Thursday.

„At this moment, we have an objective aligned at the level of the government to reduce the number of institutions in order to ensure better coordination, but also to respond to the pressure we have at the moment in the budget. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a negative opinion about the bill that you mention in Parliament, but we are exploring alternatives to reduce the number of institutions, so as to preserve their international reputation and the objectives to which they respond,” Toiu told a news conference at the Government House.

Social Democratic Party (PSD) MP Mihai Ghigiu has submitted to Parliament a bill establishing the National Institute for Training in the Public Sector, by merging four public bodies.

The ensuing body would take over the activity, following the merger by absorption, of the National Institute of Administration, the Romanian Diplomatic Institute, the European Institute of Romania and the Training Centre for Industrial Workers at Busteni, which is being abolished.

Among the attributions that this body will have are holding training and professional development programmes for the public sector personnel, and also approving pieces of legislation with an impact on the areas in which the institute exercises its attributions. AGERPRES