Minister for the Relation with Parliament Dan Sova reiterated in a release sent to Agerpres that he understood the mistake he made when publicly voicing his opinion of the Holocaust, that he assumed the mistake and unreservedly retracted his words.

He says that, starting this year, on his initiative, the Democratic Social Institute will introduce a course of lectures meant for the study of the history of the Holocaust in Romania, a course that will be supported

What I told a TV broadcast about the Holocaust in Romania is absolutely wrong. I have immediately understood it, have publicly assumed my mistake and unreservedly retracted my words. I am a man of culture and a responsible politician and want to emphasize once again the fact that it was an error, not a conviction. A regrettable error caused by my not knowing thoroughly the tragic events the Jewish people was through during the Second World War.'

He mentioned again the fact that, after that 'regrettable' moment, he withdrew from the limelight of the Romanian political life in order to study and supplement his information of this tragic period in the history of the Jewish people.

'I was in Washington and visited the Holocaust Museum, where I had access to very many documents proving and attesting the Holocaust in Romania. Today I am sure of the historical information undoubtedly showing that in Romania, at the time of the regime of Marshal Antonescu (1940-44), there were more than 250,000 victims from among the Jewish community in Romania and that, at the same time, members of the same community were deported to concentration camps and expropriated. I read and saw the shattering evidence of the death trains running from Iasi [eastern Romania] to Calarasi [southern Romania] or from Iasi to Podul Iloaiei [eastern Romania]. I got additional information of the pogrom in Iasi, where over 15,000 were assassinated, and of the concentration camp for Jews in Calarasi,' said Sova.

He said he was aware of his statements causing indignation and dissatisfaction with the Jewish community.

'All this is a reality nobody can deny, which made me grow once again aware of the serious mistake I made,' added Sova.

He also informed that he decided to 'firmly' get involved in the legislative process meant to make the legislation against racism and anti-Semitism more severe.

'I hope that all these specifications will fully clarify the subject and put an end to any attempt to politically speculate that regrettable moment at the beginning of this year,' Sova also says in the press release mentioned above.

Manager of the Elie Wiesel Institute in Bucharest Alexandru Florian recently said that Sova was one of the few politicians to apologize and admit their mistake.AGERPRES

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