Radio România Internațional

Tag: address

  • September 21, 2023

    September 21, 2023

    ACCIDENT A
    criminal investigation was initiated with respect to the blast that occurred last
    night on a gas pipeline on the Moldova Motorway construction site in eastern
    Romania, in which four people died and 5 others were injured. Two men with burn
    wounds affecting 30% and 40% of their bodies, respectively, were transferred to hospitals in
    Bucharest. Prosecutors are investigating manslaughter and bodily harm offences,
    as well as failure to take or observe work safety measures. According to the
    Vrancea Emergency Inspectorate, the blast was caused by the construction works
    conducted in the vicinity of the pipeline, which was also carrying natural gas
    to the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.


    TAXES The
    Cabinet had a first discussion on the set of measures aimed at the long-term
    rebalancing of the state budget and at facilitating the absorption of tens of
    billions in EU funding. Apart from cutting down public
    spending, the bill focuses on fighting tax evasion, introduces taxes on large
    profits and wealth, and eliminates tax privileges. Ahead of the Cabinet meeting,
    the measures were discussed in the three-party Social Dialogue Council, which
    brings together government officials and representatives of employer
    associations and trade unions.


    UN The wider
    Black Sea area must be protected against the effects of Russia’s war against
    Ukraine, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said in his address at the UN
    General Assembly in New York. The Romanian official added that his country
    would not let down its most vulnerable partners, and mentioned the transit of
    Ukrainian grain via Romania, a topic he also approached in talks with the
    president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of the European
    Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Bulgaria’s deputy prime minister, Mariya
    Gabriel. President Iohannis also said Romania was concerned with the effects of
    climate change, of pollution, of energy insecurity, and is making visible
    efforts to fight them. According to him, climate education is a priority for
    Romania, and the climate-security interconnection should rank higher on the UN
    agenda. Stay tuned for more details on the Romanian president’s address at the
    UN after the news.


    WHEAT Egypt’s General
    Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) announced having purchased 120,000
    tonnes of wheat from Romania in an international purchasing tender, Reuters
    reports. GASC also said that since early June Cairo has imported approx. 2.14
    million tonnes of wheat, mainly from Russia (1.5 million tonnes) and Romania
    (420,000 tonnes). Egypt is the world’s largest wheat buyer, mainly for its
    national bread subsidy programme benefiting more than 70 million of its 103
    million citizens.


    BUCHAREST The
    Romanian capital city is celebrating these days 564 years since its first
    mention in official documents. Maps, plans, archive images and 3-dimensional
    scale models showcasing the 19th Century history of the city are
    displayed in an exhibition opened until Sunday at the ARCUB Cultural Centre. On
    Saturday, around 200 arts high school students will dance in front of the
    National History Museum of Romania, and the music of old-time Bucharest will be
    performed in the George Enescu Festival Square in front of the Romanian
    Athenaeum. (AMP)

  • December 31, 2022

    December 31, 2022

    NEW YEAR PM
    Nicolae Ciucă said in his New Year address on Saturday that in 2022 Romanians
    proved their solidarity, handled challenges hard to imagine and managed to do
    more than just endure. He mentioned the crisis facing Romania, with a war at
    its borders, high energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. The PM emphasised
    that the government would continue to protect citizens’ interests, to support
    the economy and take care of the vulnerable. In turn, the Royal House of
    Romania wished A happy new year, with health, hope and peace in their hearts
    to all Romanians in the country, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and
    abroad.


    MEASURES In
    Romania, the pension point value will be raised by 12.5% as of January 1, to
    reach nearly EUR 360, and minimum wages will be increased to EUR 600. On the
    other hand, the 10-eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will be
    discontinued. The government says it is ready to reintroduce it, should fuel
    prices rise beyond citizens’ spending power. As of January 1, fuel excises will
    be cut down, while electricity and natural gas price caps and discounts will
    remain in place.


    JUDICIARY The
    year 2023 must see a crackdown on organised crime and criminal groups, Justice
    Ministry officials posted on Saturday on the institution’s Facebook page. According
    to them, Romania has the legislation, institutions and modern strategies to
    achieve this goal. What it needs is more investment in logistics and leaders
    able to encourage all prosecutors to undertake and accomplish their critical
    social mission of safeguarding the law and protecting citizens and the state
    from all forms of crime, the Justice Ministry emphasised. The message also says
    that the Ministry’s top accomplishment in 2022 was its contribution to Romania
    being issued a last positive report under the Cooperation and Verification
    Mechanism in the judiciary and the lifting of this mechanism.


    POPE Pope emeritus
    Benedict XVI died this morning, aged 95, the Vatican announced. Over the past
    few days his health had deteriorated, AFP reports. The former Pope spent his
    last 9 years of life in the monastery within the small papal state, after
    resigning in 2013, for reasons that are still unclear. Elected on April 19,
    2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, he was the first German leader
    of the Catholic Church in 482 years. On February 11, 2013 Benedict XVI
    announced his resignation from the papacy, on account of his age and ill health.
    Joseph Ratzinger was the first Pope since the Middle Ages to step down
    voluntarily.


    FUNDING
    Romania this year received the green light for the partnership agreement and
    all the 16 programmes under the 2021-2027 cohesion policy, thus avoiding the
    risk of losing EUR 5.2 bln, the ministry for investments and European projects
    announced. According to the institution, these 16 programmes will bring into
    the country EUR 46 bln in strategic investments in safer hospitals, transport
    networks, the water and sewage infrastructure and support for the business
    community. Eight of the 16 programmes are regional. In the previous EU financial
    period, 2014-2020, Romania received EU funds totaling EUR 25.4 bln. (AMP)

  • April 4, 2022 UPDATE

    April 4, 2022 UPDATE

    ADDRESS – Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday evening addressed, by video call, the plenary sitting of Romanias Parliament. He called on the Romanian MPs to close down ports for Russian ships, ban commercial transport to and from Russia, suspend imports of Russian energy and impose new sanctions on that country. Images of the massacre in Bucha were screened in the Parliament hall and, before Zelensky’s address, Romanian deputies and senators held a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Zelensky also mentioned in his address the fight of the Romanian people against communism and against dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. He ended his address by thanking Romania for the support it granted to the Ukrainian refugees.



    UKRAINE – Ukrainian authorities are investigating possible war crimes committed by Russia after hundreds of civilian bodies, some of them tied and shot at close range were found in the towns around the capital Kyiv. The corpses were found after Russian troops had withdrawn to prepare attacks on other parts of Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the images as a “punch in the stomach” while the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, called for an independent investigation into the killing of civilians. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has accused members of the Russian army of war crimes in Ukraine and has said they must be brought to justice together with president Putin. The American official visited on Monday the refugee centre in Bucharest’s Gara de Nord train station and talked with the volunteers. She thanked all Romanians for their generosity towards the Ukrainian refugees. Putin and his supporters will feel the consequences of their actions, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in turn, adding that the western allies will decide on fresh sanctions in the upcoming days. Japan has announced it will also discuss with the allies about new sanctions on Russia.



    REACTIONS – Images from Bucha and other Ukrainian cities must remind the whole world that this illegal aggression must be stopped and those found responsible must pay, said Romanian president Klaus Iohannis in response to what Ukraine described as war crimes committed by the Russian military in towns around the capital Kyiv. Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciuca and foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also called for these crimes to be brought before the international justice system. Ukrainian authorities said hundreds of civilian bodies were recovered and that almost 300 people had been buried in mass graves in Bucha. They accused the Russian army of committing a massacre. Russia denied the accusations saying the images are fake.



    TALKS – Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said Monday that the massacre in Bucha was Russia’s responsibility as the war crime happened during the Russian occupation of that area. The statements were made during debates staged by the think thank New Strategy Centre, attended by the Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets, who travelled to Bucharest at Aurescus invitation. “We must do everything we can to stop this illegal war against Ukraine. And we must do everything we can to bring to justice all those responsible for this massacre”, Aurescu also said. He pleaded for fresh sanctions against Russia and for the consolidation of NATO’s eastern flank. The two ministers are attending a conference to discuss the Russian aggression against Ukraine and how to build a more resilient NATO eastern flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Talks also are looking at ways to further develop bilateral ties, in particular economic and sectoral cooperation and to expand cooperation within regional alliances the two states are both part of, such as the Three Seas Initiatives and the Bucharest Nine. The two officials are also expected to inaugurate an exhibition to celebrate the 100 years of bilateral relations between Romania and Estonia. In turn, the Estonian official said Russia must be further isolated politically and economically, adding that it is important for the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations to be held without military pressure. Eva-Maria Liimets also said that there is no more trust in Russia so NATO’s security, deterrence and defence posture has to be further consolidated.



    SERBIA – Presidential and legislative elections were held on Sunday in Serbia and the counting of 93% of the ballots showed that president Aleksandar Vucic and his populist party scored a landslide victory with the backing of around 60% of the voters. This means no runoff is needed. Vucic is seen as the closest ally of Russia and China in the Western Balkans in spite of the fact that officially his country has European aspirations. His main contender, Zlatko Ponos, won 17% of the votes. (EE)

  • March 30, 2022 UPDATE

    March 30, 2022 UPDATE


    PARLIAMENT The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will address the Parliament of Romania, the Senate speaker Florin Cîțu announced on Wednesday. “As speaker of the Senate, I will make the arrangements for this to happen next week. Ukraine has all my support,” Florin Cîțu added. Also next week, the Ukrainian head of state is scheduled to address the parliaments of Ireland and Greece. Since the start of Russias invasion in Ukraine on February 24, Volodymyr Zelensky has talked by video link to the parliaments of several countries, including the UK, Canada, the US, Germany, Italy, Australia, Israel, Poland, and the European Parliament. He also gave an address in last weeks special NATO summit, also attended by the US president Joe Biden.



    UKRAINE Russian forces have used cluster munitions, prohibited under international law, at least 24 times in populated areas of Ukraine in the 5 weeks since the start of the war, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet announced on Wednesday, according to EFE news agency. “Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,” she also said, referring to the shelling of homes and administrative buildings, hospitals and schools, water stations and electricity systems. Meanwhile, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky said there are positive signals regarding Tuesdays Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Turkey, but that Ukraine does not intend to relax its military efforts. He emphasised there can be no compromise with respect to his countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russias defence ministry said on Wednesday that Russian forces were regrouping near the capital Kyiv and Chernihiv in the north, to focus on other key regions and finalise what it called the freeing of Donbas. However, Reuters and the local authorities in Chernihiv confirmed that Russian attacks continued in both regions on Wednesday. On his first visit to China since his country invaded Ukraine, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov Wednesday announced plans for a new “just and democratic” world order, in a partnership with China.



    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania Wednesday approved the National Strategy on Curbing Poverty, aimed at a 7% reduction of poverty in the country by 2027. The legislative framework is necessary in order for relevant EU funding to be accessed. Funds are also earmarked for the set-up of 100 care centres to send food to the elderly at their homes. The government also decided on a maximum 20% increase in school enrollment capacities, so as to receive child refugees from Ukraine. In related news, the education minister announced that the current school terms will be replaced by 5 education modules alternating with 5 holidays. The next school year is set to begin 2 weeks early, on September 5, and to end on June 16.



    AID Funds raised under a humanitarian campaign for the Ukrainian refugees who arrive in Romania, launched by the Romanian embassy in the USA jointly with the Romanian United Fund, have reached the intended 200,000 US dollars, the Romanian embassy has announced. According to Ambassador Andrei Muraru, this successful campaign is an example of solidarity at a difficult time for the Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war. The funds will be used for buying food, clothes, medicines and hygiene items for the refugees, as well as for providing accommodation, equipment and psychological support. According to UN sources, over 10 million Ukrainians, including more than half of the countrys children, have left their homes since the beginning of the war in their country. Out of the total number, 6.5 million have been relocated inside the country whereas 3.9 million have left it. Out of these, roughly 580,000 have crossed the border into Romania.



    NATO Romania will be taking action to strengthen its defence capabilities, including by allotting 2.5% of its GDP to defence instead of a previous 2.2%, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in a message conveyed on the 18th anniversary of Romanias application for joining NATO. According to Iohannis, Romania will continue to promote the partnership between NATO and the EU, remaining a staunch ally, a security provider in the Black Sea area, dedicated to the fundamental values of the North Atlantic Alliance.



    COVID-19 Over 3,500 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Romania on Wednesday, along with 36 fatalities, 22 of which from an earlier date. Little over 2,500 patients are currently hospitalised, 395 of them in intensive care. The health minister Alexandru Rafila says COVID-19 hospitals will gradually resume their regular operations by the end of September. Meanwhile, the vaccine roll-out continues in family physician practices. So far over 8 million people have been fully vaccinated and 17 million doses of vaccine have been administered.


  • September 16, 2020

    September 16, 2020

    COVID-19 Romania reports over 107,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic in late February. 471 patients are in intensive care, out of nearly 6,900 hospitalised across the country. So far the death toll stands at 4,285. Meanwhile, 2 days after the start of a new school year, several schools in the country went into the so-called red scenario, with all classes held online, after teaching staff tested positive for Covid-19. In Romania the green scenario involves in-person classes, and the yellow scenario is a blend of online and face-to-face teaching. In other news, the Health Ministry announced purchasing double the amount of flu vaccines compared to last year. Three million vaccine doses will be given for free, especially to people over 65, to chronic patients, particularly those with respiratory and heart conditions, to institutionalised children and elderly, to healthcare personnel and pregnant women.



    PANDEMIC Across the world, over 29 million coronavirus infection cases have been reported so far, with the death toll nearing 930,000. The US is the worst hit, with over 6.5 million cases and 194,000 deaths, followed by India, with close to 5 million cases. The situation worsens in Europe as well, with the number of cases on the rise in Hungary and in France, where containment measures are getting stricter. Denmark is also reintroducing restrictions in the capital city Copenhagen.



    BUDGET A bill amending Romanias state budget law is discussed as of today in the budget and finances committees of Parliament. The Social Democrats, in opposition but holding a majority of seats in Parliament, want to schedule the final vote for next week. They have tabled a number of amendments, including the scrapping of a provision that raises public pensions by 14% and the reintroduction of a 40% pension increase as of September 1, as stipulated in the original draft of the Pensions Act. Other amendments concern the doubling of child care allowances and increasing teacher salaries this year instead of 2021 as suggested by the government. The Liberals in power argue that these initiatives would put substantial pressure on the already oversized public spending.



    ELECTIONS President Klaus Iohannis Wednesday signed into law a bill enabling Romanians in the diaspora to vote for 2 days in the parliamentary elections due this December. Other changes to the electoral legislation include an extension of voting hours to midnight for the people already queuing at polling stations at 9 PM. The Romanian foreign ministry urges Romanian citizens living abroad to choose to vote by post, which is a safe and simple option to exercise ones right to vote, especially in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The foreign ministry warns that many states would not allow the opening of polling stations in this context.



    EU The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has today given her first state of the European Union address in the European Parliament in Brussels. The coronavirus pandemic and the uncertainties it has triggered are not over, and Europeans “are still suffering and experiencing a period of profound anxiety, Ursula von der Leyen pointed out. She thanked doctors and nurses as well as other COVID-19 frontline workers. Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU will set up its own biomedical research agency, and will hold a global summit on health next year in Italy. We must tear down the barriers of the Single Market, we must cut red tape, she also said, and added that the EC will come up with a new strategy on the future of the Schengen space and update its strategy on industry. All these will enable Europe to recover, and to prepare for tomorrow, Ursula von der Leyen argued. Every September the president of the EC delivers a State of the EU address before the European Parliament, reviewing the accomplishments of the past year and presenting the Commissions priorities for the near future and its solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the EU.



    TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep (no 2 WTA), today takes on the Italian Jasmine Paolini (99 WTA) in the 2nd round of the WTA tournament in Rome. Another Romanian, Irina Begu (77 WTA) plays on Thursday against Britains Johanna Konta (13 WTA), in the same tournament. In the doubles, Raluca Olaru (Romania) and Anna-Lena Friedsam (Germany), play today against Miyu Kato (Japan) and Sabrina Santamari (USA). Also in the doubles, the Romanians Simona Halep and Monica Niculescu are playing the eighth-finals on Thursday against the Japanese Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara. (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Romania and the Gulf crisis

    Romania and the Gulf crisis

    Awaited with great anticipation, Wednesday nights speech by US president Donald Trump dispelled, to some extent, the worlds worst fears. A military conflict in the Middle East seems to no longer be imminent, and instead the door is open to negotiations for a new deal with Iran, whose nuclear ambitions are hardly a secret. Donald Trumps statement came at a time when the tensions following the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad by an US drone strike had reached a peak.



    On Wednesday, president Trump promised additional economic sanctions against Iran, and pointed out that he will request NATO to get more involved in the region. He also called on the worlds major powers, including Russia and China, to walk out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran and to work towards a new agreement. The White House leader concluded his address with the message “The US is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.



    The attacks against American military bases in Iraq that preceded this address however alarmed the international community, including Romania, which decided to temporarily relocate the 14 troops it had deployed in Iraq. In Bucharest, top-level officials called for a calm, diplomatic approach. Here is the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu:



    Bogdan Aurescu: “Romania reiterates its firm call for de-escalation. What we can tell you is that the Romanian troops that are part of the coalition against DAESH have not been affected, which is good news. Also, given that a number of strikes targeted the region of Erbil, where around 180 Romanian nationals live, the Consulate General of Romania in Erbil confirmed that the Romanian citizens there were not affected by these developments.



    Roxana Diaconescu has been living there for almost a year. She is 35, studying for a Ph.D. in political sciences and working for an NGO that runs humanitarian projects. This is what she told Radio Romania:



    Roxana Diaconescu: “I cant say we have been affected by the Iranian attack, although I live rather close to the military base, which is located within the airport. I havent heard missiles fired. I hadnt realised what was going on until morning, when I saw the news. It was a normal work day, I went to work, I sent my kid to school. Everybody is now worried about what will happen next, whether the US is going to retaliate or not. For the time being no NGOs are sending their expats out of Iraq.



    It is important to ease the fears of the public, to some extent, the Romanian defence minister Nicolae Ciuca said in his turn. He added the situation in the Middle East remains closely monitored, so that relevant institutions may take appropriate measures if necessary.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 2, 2019

    January 2, 2019

    EU The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, congratulated Romania on taking over the EU Council presidency on January 1, for the first time its accession, and wished it good luck. I am confident that you will deliver and I am looking forward to working with you, Donald Tusk posted on his official Twitter account. Between January 1 and June 30, Romania will have to handle a EU agenda filled with political developments and dossiers with a decisive impact on the future of the bloc, including Brexit, the negotiation of the forthcoming EU budget, the European parliament elections due in May. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu says Romania must use all the opportunities entailed by the EU Council presidency, including in terms of the cohesion policy for 2021-2027. In a Facebook post, Creţu adds that both herself and the European Commission as a whole are ready to support the Romanian authorities for a successful presidency.




    EURO Twenty years since the introduction of the single currency, high-ranking EU officials, including the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, emphasised the importance of the European currency. The Euro has become a symbol of unity, sovereignty and stability, said the European Commission chief, who is one of the signatories of the treaty that created the single currency. I know that was the most important signature I ever made, Juncker added in a news release. 20 years on, we have a generation that only knows the Euro as a national currency, the head of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi said in his turn. The Euro became the official currency of 11 EU member states on January 1, 1999, with notes and coins going into circulation in 2002. At present the Euro is used by some 340 million people in 19 of the 28 member countries, and is the second most important currency in the world after the US dollar.




    JAPAN Emperor Akihito, who is to step down in April, sent his hopes for peace for his nation and the entire world, in his last New Years address, delivered before a record number of people who came to see the event, according to Kyodo and dpa. On April 30, at the age of 85, Akihito will be the first Japanese sovereign to relinquish power in the last 200 years. In 2016 he announced his intention to withdraw from power, putting forth concerns that his old age would prevent him from accomplishing his duties. Akihito became the 125th Emperor of Japan on January 7, 1989, at 55 years of age, after the death of his father, Hirohito, in whose name Japan fought in World War 2. Akihitos oldest son, Prince Naruhito, will be crowned on May 1.




    JUSTICE The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said in an interview aired by a private television channel on Tuesday that he would like to close the subject of a government decree regarding amnesty and pardons. He emphasised that the most his ministry can do is to approve a bill initiated in Parliament on this topic. Toader also said that he has never done and will never do something likely to create a situation similar to the one triggered by the 2017 government decree no. 13, which brought hundreds of thousands of Romanians into the streets and prompted criticism from the EU and the USA.




    ELECTIONS The elections for the European Parliament will be held between May 23rd and 26th this year. MEPs are elected every 5 years, and as of this year the Parliament will have 705 members, as compared to 751 at present. This is because of Britains withdrawal from the EU. Of the 73 seats currently held by UK, 46 will be eliminated and the other 27 will be distributed to EU member states that are under-represented in the Unions legislative body. Romania gets 33 seats, 1 more than at present.




    TENNIS The Romanian Monica Niculescu (99 WTA), is playing today against the Czech Kristyna Pliskova (94 WTA) in the 8th-finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China. Tomorrow, in the same tournament, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea (84 WTA) takes on the American Alison Riske (62 WTA) in the quarter-finals.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 31, 2018

    December 31, 2018

    EU COUNCIL Romania takes over on January 1st, for the first time since its accession in 2007, the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The priorities of the Romanian presidency fall into 4 categories: Europe of convergence, a safer Europe, Europe – a stronger global actor and Europe of common values. During its term, Romania will have to manage several complex issues like Brexit, the 2021-2027 budget, a coherent strategy on migration and increasing the Unions global role. The official web page of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council has been launched. The page, available at romania2019.eu, in Romanian, English and French, provides useful information for journalists, the general public and European affairs experts.




    NEW YEARS MESSAGE The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Monday released a New Years address, in which he urges Romanians to capitalise on the presidency of the EU Council in order to prove that “Romania is fully committed to consolidating the European project. PM Viorica Dancila also said today in her New Years address that Romania is prepared for the presidency of the EU Council, which it takes over on January 1. She emphasised that this is a national project that must bring together public institutions, political actors and civil society. Viorica Dancila also said that in 2019 her Cabinet will continue to take “the right decisions for Romania, and added that the Government has a “clear role: sustainable economic growth and major investments able to ensure better living standards for as many citizens as possible.




    POLICE In Romania, over 25,000 Interior Ministry personnel are on duty during the New Years holiday. Special attention will be paid to the protection of the participants in the 125 large-scale public events expected to bring together a total of 300,000 people. Emergency intervention and prevention missions will be conducted these days by over 4,900 fire-fighters. On New Years night, fire-fighting and paramedic teams are deployed in the areas where public events are held. Around 300 emergency medical units are on standby. The largest shows will be organised in Bucharest, Brasov, Sibiu and Cluj Napoca. In Bucharest, the City Hall organises an over 6-hour long outdoor party that also celebrates the 100 years since the Romanian nation state was formed. Romanian artists will be joined by the international DJ Andre Tanneberger, known under the stage name ATB, who will mix live. Impressive fireworks shows are scheduled for midnight.




    RUSSIA The Romanian Foreign Ministry requested the Russian Embassy in Bucharest to update the historical information it uses, and stressed that past bilateral relations must not allow for speculations and unfounded opinions. The message follows a Russian Embassy Facebook post deploring the fact that Romanian and western media regularly publish articles that slander the Red Army troops who freed Central and Eastern Europe from fascism. “Anti-Soviet and anti-Russian critics insist on telling people that the Red Army was a gang of ruthless thieves and rapists, says the Embassy in the post that, the Romanian Foreign Ministry argues, lacks the accuracy required for an academic debate. Bucharest also mentions that a commission of Romanian-Russian historians has been set up, and is best suited to analyse the history of bilateral relations. The Soviet troops that marched into Romania at the end of World War 2 only left this country in 1958, and the communist dictatorship they ushered in lasted until 1989.




    JOURNALISTS The number of journalists and mass media workers killed on the job this year went up to 94, as compared to 82 in 2017, the International Federation of Journalists announced. The victims include 84 journalists, cameramen and technicians, as well as 10 media staff such as drivers and protection officers. They died in targeted killings, bomb attacks and cross fire incidents. The most dangerous place for journalists this year was Afghanistan.




    UKRAINE The presidential election campaign in Ukraine started on Monday and will last until March 31st. candidates have until February 3rd to enrol and until February 8th to register their candidacy with the Central Electoral Commission. According to the latest polls, the former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko, is the frontrunner 16-18% of the vote intentions. The incumbent president, Petro Poroşenko, is gaining ground and ranks second in current polls with 14%, followed by the actor and comedian Vladimir Zelenskiy, with 8-12%.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • President Iohannis at the United Nations

    President Iohannis at the United Nations

    Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who delivered a speech on Wednesday at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, said that the United Nations needs consolidation and increased effectiveness, in order to cope with the present challenges. People around the globe are suffering the brutal effects of war, poverty, inequity and injustice, and tensions related to cultural identity and religion are affecting even the traditionally open and tolerant societies. Moreover, terror attacks make people feel unsafe, while increasingly destructive natural hazards are reported each season.



    Under these circumstances, President Iohannis said, achieving and preserving peace requires not only a quick and adequate reaction of the heads of state and government, but also an understanding of the roots and the causes of conflicts and insecurity, which rarely stem from one source alone. Romania, he said, hails the reform of the UN mechanisms for fighting terrorism and the organizations steps towards making the fight against terror a key element of its prevention agenda. As no country can fight this plague alone, Iohannis went on to say, Romania reaffirms its firm commitment to setting up, alongside Spain, an International Court Against Terrorism.



    Talking about the ongoing conflicts in Romanias vicinity, which are a threat to the security of the Black Sea region, Iohannis emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and of confidence building measures. Bucharest expects an enhanced contribution of the UN to the global efforts in the field of international migration.



    Also, according to President Iohannis, by focusing on education and ensuring prosperity for their people, world leaders can prevent instability and crises. Although some believe that the UN has not been very good at managing the multitude of new crises that have emerged, it is clear that there is no better way of finding viable solutions to current world challenges than the multilateral approach. With that in mind, the UN needs some vital instruments in order to be effective, while member states need to commit themselves more to the organization.



    In this respect, President Iohannis voiced Romanias willingness to contribute substantially to the activity of the UN Security Council, by taking over a new non-permanent member seat in 2020-2021, should its candidacy end successfully.


    (translated by: Elena Enache)

  • President Juncker’s State of the Union address

    President Juncker’s State of the Union address

    In mid-May this year the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker paid a visit to Romania, occasion on which he said he was a friend and fervent supporter of this country. The European official saw Romania, ten years on from its EU accession, as a strong supporter of the European values. “We need this young energy of Romania, that can play a major role in shaping up Europe’s future, the head of the Executive in Brussels said in May.



    In his state-of-the-union address before the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Jean-Claude Juncker proposed that Sibiu, the native city of Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis, where he also served as mayor, should host on March 30th 2019 a special EU summit where country leaders will get together to publicly express their unity shortly after Britain’s leaving the bloc. Juncker has also announced the launch of a European Commission instrument aimed at technically assisting the countries that are not yet in the Euro-zone, which is also the case of Romania. And there is more good news. In order to consolidate its unity, the European Union has to become more inclusive, Juncker also said, adding that the Schengen zone must immediately open to both Romania and its neighbour, Bulgaria.



    The president of the European Commission has also mentioned that next year he will pay personal attention to Romania and the Baltic countries, which are to celebrate a century of existence and without which Europe could not be complete. Last but not least the EU official has described as unacceptable the fact that there are still children in Europe dying of diseases that have long been eradicated. Children in Romania or Italy must have access to measles vaccine just like other children in the member countries.



    The presidency and government in Bucharest have hailed president Juncker’s address. President Klaus Iohannis has appreciated the Commission’s support for Romania’s joining Schengen and the Eurozone, while Prime Minister Mihai Tudose mentioned that it was for the first time when the European Commission did not criticize Bucharest. This is an extraordinary message, which appreciates the efforts made by all Romanians — the Prime Minister went on to say. In an interview to Radio Romania, foreign policy analyst, professor Stefan Popescu, made an appeal to moderation though: “The mandates of Mr. Juncker and of the European Commission are due to end in the spring of 2019. Between these good intentions and the talks that are to follow, there is a difference that must prompt us, Romanians, be moderately optimistic.”



    The world is fully aware that after Britain’s leaving the bloc there is the need for the construction of a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe. Brexit is to come into effect on March 29th 2019, when Romania will be holding the EU’s rotating presidency.



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