Romania: EU head of mission nominated as new foreign minister

Romania's Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu nominated a long-serving diplomat Monday as the country's new foreign minister.

Tariceanu put forward the name of Lazar Comanescu, 59, who has been the country's head of mission to the European Union for the past eight years. Before that he was head of the country's mission to NATO.

Romania joined the European Union in 2007. Comanescu's nomination must be approved by President Traian Basescu, which is seen as likely.

Comanescu was criticized in 2002 for buying a building to serve as Romania's embassy in Brussels at what was said to be an inflated price, the daily Cotidianul newspaper reported Monday.

Former foreign minister Adrian Cioroianu resigned last week over the death of Claudiu Crulic, a Romanian man jailed in Poland. Crulic died after going on a hunger strike to protest his innocence. Romania's diplomatic mission in Poland was accused of failing to assist him.