Romania recognizes Juan Guaidó as interim President of Venezuela

President Klaus Iohannis, as the head of Romania’s foreign policy decisions and as Romania’s foreign representative, has decided to recognize Juan Guaidó as interim President of Venezuela, the Presidential Administration informs on Friday.

“The decision of the President of Romania was made after careful consideration of the situation, including from political, diplomatic and legal points of view, and in the context in which most EU Member States and a number of important allies and partners of our country in the Euro-Atlantic area have recognized the legitimacy of interim President Juan Guaidó,” the Presidency said.

The quoted source states that President Iohannis “believes that, particularly in the context of our country holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and taking into account the increased dynamics of international developments, Romania must have rapid, well-founded and firm reactions in the foreign policy files on major foreign policy priorities it has pursued consistently over long term.”

The Presidential Administration states that it requested, as early as Monday, February 4, following the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers (Gymnich) in Bucharest, the urgent presentation to the Presidential Administration of some elements of assessment on this issue and a clear proposal to position Romania, including from a political-diplomatic and legal perspective, regarding the possibility of recognizing Juan Guaidó as the Interim President of Venezuela and the legitimacy of his actions and of the National Assembly.

“On Friday morning, February 8, the Presidential Administration received the Foreign Ministry’s Memorandum on “Romania’s position on the situation in Venezuela”, endorsed by the Prime Minister of Romania. This document, which provided, among other things, the proposal to recognize the President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, as interim President of Venezuela, was immediately approved by the President of Romania,” the communiqué reads.