The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces the declassification of over 5,000 diplomatic files from the early years of the transition period, focusing on key moments such as the May 1990 elections, the miners’ riots, King Michael’s visit, and relations with the USSR. The announcement was made on Thursday evening by the Foreign Minister, Oana Țoiu.
„We are declassifying over 5,000 diplomatic files from the early years of the transition period from the MAE archives. The May 1990 elections, the miners’ riots, King Michael’s visit, correspondence with the USSR – all of these are coming out of the drawers where they have been stored for over 30 years and will be made public,” Oana Țoiu conveyed.
The Minister emphasized that these are documents covering a crucial period for the reconfiguration of Romania’s foreign policy after 1989.
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### „Transparency is the Foundation of Trust”
The head of Romanian diplomacy argues that public access to these archives is necessary for a correct understanding of recent history.
„Romanians have the right to truly know Romania’s transition history,” Ţoiu stated, adding that the lack of information has fueled mistrust and conspiracy theories over time.
„Too many things have remained unsaid and unclear for too long, and in the stifling air of information scarcity, conspiracies and mistrust grow. Transparency is no longer just about the past but about lessons learned and the collective memory foundation on which we can build the future,” the Minister explained.
### What Do the Declassified Archives Contain
According to the presented data, the package includes **5,376 files**, organized in **768 archive folders**, occupying approximately 100 linear meters of shelf space.
Among the file titles are sensitive and relevant topics for the post-Revolution period:
– „Reactions in the USSR to the December 22, 1989 Revolution”
– „German Reunification (1990)”
– „Bilateral Relations related to former King Michael”
– „Treaty of Cooperation, Good Neighborliness, and Amity with the USSR”
„**This is the most substantial batch of diplomatic documents declassified since those before 1989 and covers a turning point period in our recent history**,” the Minister specified.
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### Documents without State Secret Status for Over a Decade
Oana Ţoiu pointed out that the documents have not had the status of „state secret” for over a decade, but have remained inaccessible to the public, being classified as service secrets.
„These documents have not had the classification of state secret for over a decade. However, they have been kept away from the public as service secrets. We are changing this year by year and will continue the process, including future steps for digitization and publication,” she conveyed.
The Minister stressed that opening the archives is a sign of democratic maturity: „A mature democracy is not afraid of its own history. It publishes it for citizens to consult and study.”
According to the head of the MAE, the government decision project underlying the declassification has been made transparent on the institution’s website and will be subject to public consultation.