Romania President Calls Steps to Move Embassy to Jerusalem 'Mistake'

CHISINAU (Sputnik) - Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has slammed as a mistake the government’s memorandum on relocating the nation’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

"A mistake has been made and it needs to be corrected… We cannot conduct a foreign policy that runs counter to international laws," he was quoted as saying Friday by Romania’s Agerpres news agency.

The Romanian government has reportedly approved a memorandum to assess the embassy’s relocation from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is not recognized internationally as the Israeli capital due to a rival claim from Palestinians.

The United States is already moving its embassy, and the opening is expected later in May. Similar plans are also being discussed in the Czech Republic and Honduras. Guatemala has already raised its flag over a new diplomatic compound in Jerusalem.

Israel regards the holy city as its undivided capital, while Palestinians lay claims to East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state they want to create in the West Bank.