Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has criticised his nation's prime minister for attending the European Games in Baku.

Many political leaders in Europe have avoided the event due to Azerbaijan's human rights history, but Victor Ponta was in Baku for the opening of the Games on Friday, along with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Iohannis called Ponta's attendance at the Games "a foreign policy gaffe" after confirming that he did not know about the visit, which came just hours after the prime minister survived a vote of no confidence in parliament.

Ponta was recently named in a corruption probe in Romania.

Protests against Azerbaijan holding the event had taken place on Friday in cities across Europe.