Romanian pop group Morandi performed in occupied Abkhazia on Friday as part of a tour that also includes Russia and Belarus.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry criticized the group’s decision to perform in Sukhumi in Georgia (in the Abkhazia separatist region). The ministry said the August 7 performance was unacceptable and stressed that Romania continues to follow its non-recognition policy toward the occupied regions of Georgia.
Ahead of the concert, Georgian opposition figure Giorgi Gakharia shared the Romanian Foreign Ministry’s statement, thanking Romania for its “unwavering commitment to Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The band also faced criticism on social media, responding, “Sukhumi, against all odds – we are coming.” Morandi said the decision was not politically motivated, arguing that “music has only one homeland – the human heart.”
Morandi co-founder Marius Moga did not join the tour and did not explain his absence. In July the other founding member, Andrei ‘Randi’ Ropcea, defended the decision by stating that music possesses no political identity and that performing in these locations is an act of bringing love and tolerance rather than taking sides in geopolitical conflicts. While the band co-founder Marius Moga declined to comment, Randi emphasized that the group aims to avoid labeling audiences and noted they would also perform in Ukraine if invited when the time is appropriate.
After performing in Batumi, Morandi said it had been “unwillingly caught in geopolitical conflicts and national interest” unrelated to its identity, music or message.
Following the Sukhumi concert, the band said on Instagram that it was “simply artists” and hoped humanity could become better.
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