The question of the southern Bessarabia comes again to the attention of the Great Powers during the time of the russo-turkish war of 1877-1878, which had as a result the achievement of Romania's independence. Unfortunately, Romania lost the southern Bessarabia to the detriment of Imperial Russia. However, during the year of 1878, Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania's foreign minister led a diplomatic battle for this territory. He wrote the memoirs addressed to the European Chancelleries, demanding that southern Bessarabia be retained in the patrimony of Roumania.  Kogalniceanu represented alongside I.C Bratianu, Romania at the Berlin Congress in July 1878. His speech was a touching one, saying that Bessarabia was abusively annexed in 1812, and in 1856 the Great Powers decided to return only the southern Bessarabia, for to allow free navigation on the Danube. He also criticized Russia, which guaranteed territorial integrity through the 1877 Convention. Even Romania had lost the southern Bessarabia, Mihail Kogalniceanu has made tremendous efforts to keep this important part of roumanian territory