Romania minister goes to Netherlands despite row

(BUCHAREST) - Romanian Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu flew to the Netherlands Thursday, a day after cancelling the trip over comments about his government's fight against corruption, his office said.

Diaconescu will attend a session of the Dutch parliament, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The minister had said Wednesday he would cancel the trip because the Dutch foreign ministry published a document lamenting delays by Bucharest in introducing reforms to halt corruption.

Diaconescu had changed his mind after a telephone call with his Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen late Wednesday, his office said.

The visit would also be an opportunity for the minister to defend Romania's interests, the statement added.

Bulgaria and Romania have faced criticism from the European Union over graft since joining the bloc at the start of 2007, and are being monitored by the EU over the concerns.

In a report issued in July, the EU decided the two countries must remain under surveillance for at least another year due to corruption concerns.

In a document published on its website Monday, the Dutch foreign ministry criticised "the absence of systemic and lasting changes" to cut down on corruption in Romania and Bulgaria.

On Wednesday, a Dutch foreign ministry official described Diaconsecu's decision to cancel his visit as "a pity".

"It would be an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations and talk about Romanian efforts to make improvements, notably in the area of corruption," said Ron Korver, spokesman for Frans Timmermans, deputy foreign minister charged with European affairs.