New Head of the Consulate General of Romania in Odesa Appointed: An Important Signal for Ukrainian-Romanian Cooperation in Southern Ukraine

On 29 April, the Government of Romania approved the appointment of diplomat Doru-Gheorghe Liciu as Consul General and Head of the Consulate General of Romania in Odesa. This decision has significance that goes beyond the purely consular dimension. It carries broader political and humanitarian importance for southern Ukraine, the Romanian community in Odesa region, and the development of Ukrainian-Romanian partnership in wartime conditions.

According to BucPress, citing Agerpres and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, the appointment comes after almost six years during which the consular institution was headed by an interim official.

The decision is particularly important given that the activity of the Consulate General of Romania in Odesa was suspended in February 2022 following the beginning of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Consulate resumed its activity in autumn 2025 in a limited format, taking into account the security situation in Ukraine.

The Romanian side notes that the objective is to gradually restore the normal functioning of the consular institution to the extent permitted by security conditions.

Until now, consular activity had largely been carried out in the format of a mobile consular service: a representative of the consular department from Kyiv travelled to Odesa every month for approximately two weeks to provide the necessary services.

The appointment of a permanent head of the Consulate General may become an important step toward strengthening Romania’s institutional presence in Odesa, improving citizens’ access to consular services, and ensuring more systematic communication with the Romanian community in southern Ukraine.

Doru-Gheorghe Liciu is a career diplomat. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania in 2007. From 2008 to 2017, he served as Consul of Romania in Toronto, and later held the position of Head of Service within the Diplomatic Archives Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Before his appointment to Odesa, he served as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the Embassy of Romania in the Republic of Türkiye.

The diplomat also has a strong academic background. He holds a PhD in History, with research focused on international relations, the history of diplomacy, and Romanian-Spanish relations. He has also worked in academia and published studies and collections in the field of diplomatic history and international relations.

Comment by the Institute of Danube Research

For Odesa region, this appointment is important for several reasons. First, the region has historically maintained close humanitarian, cultural, and social ties with Romania. Second, Romanian communities live in southern Ukraine, for whom access to consular services and support for educational, cultural, and civic initiatives remain practical issues of everyday importance.

Third, Odesa and the Ukrainian Danube region currently play a special role in the system of regional security, transport connectivity, Danube logistics, and Ukrainian-Romanian cooperation in the Black Sea-Danube area.

According to the Institute of Danube Research, the appointment of a new Consul General of Romania in Odesa is an important institutional signal of the gradual restoration of Romania’s full diplomatic and consular presence in southern Ukraine.

“For Odesa region, this decision has significance that goes beyond consular matters. It is about restoring a permanent channel of communication between Romania and a region that is key to Ukrainian-Romanian cooperation in the Danube and Black Sea dimensions. In wartime, such a presence strengthens support for citizens, promotes humanitarian and cultural ties, and creates additional opportunities for the development of border and cross-border cooperation,” said Vitaliy Barvinenko, Director of the Institute of Danube Research.

The IDR also emphasizes that the resumption of the Consulate General of Romania’s work in Odesa may have a positive impact on practical cooperation in the areas of citizens’ rights protection, support for the Romanian community, educational and cultural contacts, and the development of partnerships between communities of Odesa region and Romanian municipalities.

The appointment of Doru-Gheorghe Liciu as Consul General of Romania in Odesa can be regarded as an important stage in restoring Romania’s normal consular presence in southern Ukraine. In a broader context, this decision strengthens Ukrainian-Romanian dialogue, supports the Romanian community of Odesa region, and opens additional opportunities for cooperation in the Danube-Black Sea region.