The flag of the Russian Federation has been flying for at least 10 months in a central area of Tulcea, near the Art Museum, alongside the flags of Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, Romania, and the European Union.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted on Friday and officially requested the Tulcea City Hall to immediately remove the symbol of the Russian Federation, which it calls an „aggressor country.”
According to an investigation by Libertatea, the Russian flag has been waving in this area since October 2024, as part of a project carried out years ago, aiming at „recognizing the contribution of local communities to promoting the cultural heritage” of the Dobrogea region.
In the park near the museum, busts of prominent personalities from the respective communities were also placed at that time. Paul Tocanie, head of a department within the museum unit, explained that the initiative took place in the context of a project funded through the Regional Operational Program 2007–2013, which aimed to highlight the Art Museum and the Avramide House.
"At that time, the European Union's policy encouraged the recognition of the contribution of local communities to promoting cultural heritage," Tocanie told Libertatea.
MFA: "Unacceptable to fly the flag of an aggressor country"
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted on Friday through a statement in which Minister Oana Țoiu officially conveyed to the Tulcea City Hall the request to remove the flag of the Russian Federation.
"Considering the current legislation regarding the hoisting of the national flag, it is noted that, in this case, none of the conditions allowing the hoisting of flags of other states are met. At the same time, it is unacceptable for national or local authorities to fly the flag of an aggressor country, which is waging a brutal, unprovoked, and unjustified aggression war against a sovereign neighbor," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaction states.
The request comes against the backdrop of heightened sensitivity regarding Russia's official symbols, in the context of the war launched against Ukraine in February 2022.