Romanian Foreign Minister Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu on Sunday told a press conference that he has decided to resign and will hand in his resignation on Monday.

Ungureanu said there is a "difference of opinion" between him and the head of the government on the issue of not informing Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu about the situation of the two Romanians detained in Iraq.

The two workers were detained on Oct. 31 after they had allegedly taken pictures without permission in a US military base in Iraq.

The prime minister on Friday asked Ungureanu to quit for not informing the government about the detention. He said defending the interests of Romanian citizens, no matter where they are, is one of the government's tasks.

Ungureanu said he assumes any responsibility validated or not in regard to the activity of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

"When the prime minister requests the resignation of a minister, it is normal, logical and moral that he hands in the resignation," Ungureanu said.

Ungureanu reaffirmed MAE's stand stated this week, stressing that Traian Basescu was informed in November 2006 about the situation of the two Romanians detained in Iraq as he is the head of the Supreme Council for the Country's Defense.

At the same time, Ungureanu said after the Romanian Foreign Intelligence Service declared that Adrian Gancean and Nelu Ilie are not members of intelligence services, the case became a low-proportion case of consular assistance, with a simple procedure in which the responsibility fell to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "There was no doubt the responsibility was ours, although it was not considered unimportant," said Ungureanu.

At present, there are 7,291 cases of Romanians with similar problems outside the country, Ungureanu said, adding that it is not proper to overload the president or the prime minister with so much work.

The two Romanians had been working at the base for a US contractor since May 2006. US military authorities in Iraq decided on Friday to release the two men.
 
(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2007)