Romania paid rent for unused diplomatic premises in Libya for 12 years
A recent audit report conducted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) has revealed an unusual situation regarding the management of public funds. The Romanian state paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the rent of the embassy premises and the diplomatic residence in Libya, even though these spaces have not been used by Romanian diplomatic staff for more than a decade.
According to official documents, Romania has not had an active diplomatic team in Libya for 12 years. Nevertheless, the lease agreements for the respective buildings remained in force, and payments continued to be made throughout this entire period, generating significant costs for the state budget.
This discovery has drawn attention to how Romania's diplomatic properties and contracts abroad are monitored and managed. The audit indicates that the lack of a periodic reassessment of the need for these spaces led to expenses that could have been avoided if the situation had been analyzed more rigorously.
Currently, the authorities are analyzing the report's findings to understand how it was possible for these payments to continue for such a long period. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected to take measures to verify other similar contracts, thereby ensuring that financial resources are used efficiently and in accordance with the current needs of Romanian diplomacy.