Radio România Internațional

Tag: aid

EU assistance for road transport operators

With fuel prices steadily rising recently, the European
Commission has decided to provide support to Romanian road transport operators,
which have repeatedly asked for assistance.

The commission
approved a EUR 60.7 million Romanian scheme to support companies active in road
transport of goods and passengers. The
Commission found that the Romanian scheme is necessary, appropriate and
proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State.

The scheme was
approved as part of the Temporary Crisis Framework for state aid, adopted by the
institution in March this year, in line with the Treaty on the Functioning of
the EU, which admits that the Union’s economy is facing major disruptions.

According to
an EC news release, under this aid scheme Romania will support its road
transport sector, severely affected by the fuel prices increase caused by the
current geopolitical crisis and the related sanctions. This is an important
step to mitigate the economic impact of Putin’s war against Ukraine,ˮ said
Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president in charge of competition policy.

The measure
will be open to companies of all sizes active in road transport of goods and
persons with a valid community license that are affected by the current crisis.
The beneficiaries will be entitled to receive limited amounts of aid in the
form of direct grants of maximum EUR 400,000 per company, paid by the end of
this year.

With a view
to ensuring legal certainty, the Commission will assess before that date if the
scheme needs to be extended. Moreover, during its period of application, the
Commission will keep the content and scope of the Framework under review in the
light of developments regarding the energy markets, other input markets and the
general economic situation.

The
Temporary Crisis Framework includes a number of safeguards, such as proportional
methodology, requiring a link between the amount of aid that can be granted to
businesses and the scale of their economic activity and exposure to the
economic effects of the crisis. Member States are invited to consider, in
a non-discriminatory way, setting up requirements related to environmental
protection or security of supply when granting aid for additional costs due to
exceptionally high gas and electricity prices. (AMP)

29 June 2022
Romania’s president in Kyiv

A historic day for Ukraine; this is how President Volodymyr Zelensky described Thursday’s visit to Kyiv of four European officials: the French and Romanian Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Klaus Iohannis, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. There have been several high-level visits since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine on February 24, including from Romania, but there has never been such a coordination at the level of several European countries.

Ukraine enjoys the support of four strong states in the European Union, Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that his country is now closer to the EU bloc than ever before. Emmanuel Macron, Klaus Iohannis, Olaf Scholz and Mario Draghi announced that they supported the immediate granting of the status of EU candidate for Ukraine and that they would continue to support Kiev with funds and weapons to help it deal with the Russian invasion.

There was also talk of reconstruction efforts after the end of the war. And from a Romanian perspective, President Klaus Iohannis said that Romania will actively participate in facilitating the transit of grain exports from Ukraine. According to him, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the Port of Constanta has ensured the transit of over 1 million tons of grain from Ukraine.

Efforts are being made for the opening of new border crossing points, as well as for the rehabilitation of the broad-gauge railway lines on the Romanian territory. In addition, Romania calls for the involvement of all relevant players in agreeing on a coalition of states to support the international effort to create blue corridors for safe maritime transport through the Black Sea, the Romanian president pointed out.

Romania, as a neighbor and reliable partner, but also as a member state of the European Union and NATO with the longest border with Ukraine, is fully in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, Klaus Iohannis also stressed in Kyiv. Romania’s support for Ukraine – he recalled – has focused on multiple levels. The Romanian government and citizens have come to the aid of more than 1.2 million refugees, mostly women and children. Mechanisms have been put in place to meet the education and labor market needs of those who want them.

An international hub for the distribution of humanitarian assistance operates at maximum capacity in Suceava, northeastern Romania. Russia’s premeditated, unjustified, unprovoked and illegal aggression must stop, said the Romanian president, in whose vision Europe is at a turning point in its history, and extraordinary times require extraordinary strategic and visionary responses. Therefore, granting the status of EU accession candidate to Ukraine, but also to the neighboring Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova and to Georgia is essential in building a strong and lasting shield around the common European values, Klaus Iohannis also said. (MI)

17 June 2022
Social measures in Romania

Although there is a tendency to blame the economic and social situation in Romania exclusively on the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, the causes of the current problems that Romanians have to face are more numerous and go back to the distant past! Lets only remind of the two years of pandemic in which the economy stagnated more than it worked, other obstacles being the extension of the states of emergency or alert once every three months. And of the liberalization of the energy market, considered a hasty decision by some analysts, which had serious negative repercussions, especially on the most disadvantaged citizens. Inflation is breaking new records, and shops and agri-food markets have become, for some people, places for contemplating labels.

Considered one of the silent social strata of Romania, given their impossibility to intervene in any way to correct their material situation after a whole working life, pensioners from the public pension system have nothing to do but accept what the State offers them monthly, which, in many cases, is below the minimum necessary for a decent living. “Pensioners live on their pensions and it seems reasonable that the level of this pension should be adapted to the situation” said recently Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis, who added that it’s totally unfair to make only the pensioners pay the price of some crises.

However, the Romanian Government decided to grant pensioners with cumulated monthly incomes of less than 2,000 lei (about 400 euros) a single aid worth 700 lei (about 140 Euros). This aid will benefit only pensioners residing in the country, not those with a regular residence abroad, the Labor Ministry officials stated. On the other hand, the Senate, as the first notified chamber, adopted a governments emergency ordinance granting meal vouchers to all Romanians with low incomes: namely about 3 million citizens. The vouchers, worth about 50 Euros, will be used only for the purchase of basic food products. The postal distribution of the cards through which the financial aid will be granted will start next week, then the people will receive the promised money on the cards every two months.

If the senators of the ruling coalition welcomed the decision, those in opposition considered the amount as derisory, saying that, through this measure, the executive only gives back to the Romanians too small a part of the money it takes through taxes, prices for utilities, food and fuels. Nevertheless, all the MPs voted in favor of the decision. Finally, the Chamber of Deputies decided to increase the value of a meal ticket for employees from 20 to 30 lei, so as to compensate, at least partially, for the price hikes. The Chamber also agreed that childrens camps in the country may be paid for with the parents holiday vouchers. (LS)

9 June 2022
Social measures in Romania

Although there is a tendency to blame the economic and social situation in Romania exclusively on the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, the causes of the current problems that Romanians have to face are more numerous and go back to the distant past! Lets only remind of the two years of pandemic in which the economy stagnated more than it worked, other obstacles being the extension of the states of emergency or alert once every three months. And of the liberalization of the energy market, considered a hasty decision by some analysts, which had serious negative repercussions, especially on the most disadvantaged citizens. Inflation is breaking new records, and shops and agri-food markets have become, for some people, places for contemplating labels.

Considered one of the silent social strata of Romania, given their impossibility to intervene in any way to correct their material situation after a whole working life, pensioners from the public pension system have nothing to do but accept what the State offers them monthly, which, in many cases, is below the minimum necessary for a decent living. “Pensioners live on their pensions and it seems reasonable that the level of this pension should be adapted to the situation” said recently Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis, who added that it’s totally unfair to make only the pensioners pay the price of some crises.

However, the Romanian Government decided to grant pensioners with cumulated monthly incomes of less than 2,000 lei (about 400 euros) a single aid worth 700 lei (about 140 Euros). This aid will benefit only pensioners residing in the country, not those with a regular residence abroad, the Labor Ministry officials stated. On the other hand, the Senate, as the first notified chamber, adopted a governments emergency ordinance granting meal vouchers to all Romanians with low incomes: namely about 3 million citizens. The vouchers, worth about 50 Euros, will be used only for the purchase of basic food products. The postal distribution of the cards through which the financial aid will be granted will start next week, then the people will receive the promised money on the cards every two months.

If the senators of the ruling coalition welcomed the decision, those in opposition considered the amount as derisory, saying that, through this measure, the executive only gives back to the Romanians too small a part of the money it takes through taxes, prices for utilities, food and fuels. Nevertheless, all the MPs voted in favor of the decision. Finally, the Chamber of Deputies decided to increase the value of a meal ticket for employees from 20 to 30 lei, so as to compensate, at least partially, for the price hikes. The Chamber also agreed that childrens camps in the country may be paid for with the parents holiday vouchers. (LS)

9 June 2022
June 3, 2022

UKRAINE 100 days have passed since the start of the Russian invasion in
Ukraine. Since February 24, Russia has captured a sizeable part of its
neighbouring country’s territory, but the Ukrainian army has put up a tougher
resistance than most experts had expected. Russian forces now control around
20% of the Ukrainian territory, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said
in his midnight address, which has become a tradition since the start of the
war. He added that the entire occupied territory is now a disaster area, and
Moscow is fully responsible for this. Violent clashes continue, especially in eastern
Ukraine, where Russia tries to capture Donbas. The fiercest battles are
currently fought in the town of Severodonetsk, the most important one still
controlled by the Ukrainian forces in Luhansk region. Russian forces have
resorted to intensive shelling, including on civilian targets, having
completely destroyed several Ukrainian cities, such as Mariupol, captured after
3 months’ fighting, and Severodonetsk, where two-thirds of the homes are in
ruins. Russia has suffered substantial losses, over 30,000 dead and thousands
of pieces of equipment according to Ukraine, but it still retains superiority
in the field. Moscow is also superior in terms of heavy weaponry, but as of
recently Ukraine is receiving this type of weapons from its Western supporters.

MILITARY Romanian troops and Allies from 5 European
countries and the USA are taking part in a multinational exercise at the
Smârdan NATO Centre in eastern Romania. As part of the exercise, today a drill
is organised in which NATO military use land and air equipment. Taking part in
the training operation, which started on May 24, are over 1,000 Romanian
troops, joined by military personnel from France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy,
Portugal and the US. The training session is designed to enhance
inter-operability, so as to enable the Multinational Brigade South-East Command
to manage forces deployed to NATO’s south-east region to protect the Alliance,
the national defence ministry explains.

AID The government of Romania will grant
EUR 140 in aid next month to pensioners whose retirement benefits do not exceed
EUR 400. The measure was approved on Thursday and is designed to help the most
vulnerable pensioners cope with the recent price rises. The government is also
working on an emergency order increasing the value of meal vouchers.

JUBILEE Britain is celebrating these days the Platinum Jubilee of Queen
Elizabeth II, the monarch with the longest reign in the history of the country.
The Royal Family convene today for a religious service at St. Paul’s Cathedral,
celebrating the Queen’s 70-year rule,
however the sovereign will not be present after experiencing discomfort while
watching Thursday’s parade at Buckingham Palace. On Thursday London hosted a
large-scale military parade, with 70 aircraft, some of
them used during WWII, flying over the crowds.

FILM The 3rd edition of the Romanian Film
Festival in Washington, the largest event promoting Romanian cinema in the USA,
begins on June 3rd at Miracle Theatre. Organised by the Embassy of
Romania to Washington and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, the festival
is devoted to the 25 years since the signing of the Strategic Partnership
between Romania and the USA. Screened as part of the event, under the heading Reinventing
realism: the Romanian New Wave, are 12 feature films: Blue Moon,
Berliner, The Windseeker, Poppy Field,
Mikado, Unidentified, #dogpoopgirl, Luca,
Man and Dog, Lebensdorf, Otto the Barbarian, and Miracle. The festival
will come to an end on June 19. (AMP)

3 June 2022
June 2, 2022 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT On Thursday the
Government of Romania passed an emergency order under which pensioners with
pension benefits below roughly EUR 400 will benefit in July from financial aid
amounting to EUR 140. The measure is intended to offset the drop in spending
power for vulnerable people, generated by the recent increase in fuel, food and
utility prices. Around 3.3 million people will benefit from the aid. Wednesday
also saw the start of a social voucher distribution programme called ‘Support
for Romania’. The EUR 50 vouchers are intended for over 2.5 million vulnerable
Romanians, and can be used for food purchases.

HOLIDAY Romania, a country
with an Orthodox majority, Thursday celebrated the Ascension of Lord Jesus
Christ, 40 days after his resurrection. Orthodox believers celebrated the event
with painted eggs and traditional Easter meals. Since 1920 Romanians have also
paid homage to their war heroes on Ascension Day. A series of events have been
staged to the memory of Romania’s heroes like religious services as well as
moments of silence in all major institutions across the country. In a message on Heroes Day, the country’s
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said ‘our thoughts of gratitude are today directed
towards those who made the supreme sacrifice for the better destiny of the
generations to come.’

POLL Over 70% of Romanians
blame the war in Ukraine on Russia, according to a poll conducted by INSCOP
Research over May 16th and 21st. Over 87% of the Romanians believe that Russian
leaders must be convicted for war crimes and 65% believe the presence of NATO
and US troops in Romania is a good thing. 50% of the respondents believe
Ukraine will win the war, whereas 26% believe Russia will be the victor.
According to the poll, only 25% of Romanians believe Russia is defending
traditional values against the decadence of the West, as compared to 41% in
February. 67% of the respondents believe that extraction of natural gas from
the Black Sea will significantly reduce the country’s dependence on Russian
gas.

LETTER Romania’s president
Klaus Iohannis has sent a congratulation letter to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on her
anniversary and the platinum jubilee, the presidential administration in
Bucharest has announced. The Romanian president voiced his belief that the
Strategic Partnership between Romania and the UK will continue to be
consolidated in the future, for the mutual benefit of both nations. Starting on
Thursday, Britain is celebrating for 4 days the Queen’s 70 years of rule, the
longest in the kingdom’s history. The government has exceptionally approved a
four-day bank holiday allowing millions to participate in various events staged
on this occasion, such as street parties, concerts and military parades.
According to the BBC, the 96-year-old monarch, who has mobility issues and has
recently cancelled several public appearances, is likely to join members of the
Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch the display.

REFUGEES The government of
Romania Thursday approved the provision of new emergency humanitarian aid
amounting to EUR 185,000 for the management of the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Also
as of Thursday, a governmental information platform is available to Ukrainian
nationals benefiting from temporary protection in Romania. At
protecţieucraina.gov.ro, refugees can find all the necessary information on the
rights and services they can receive, how they can enter Romania or answers to
frequently asked questions in the legal field. The Romanian Border Police
announced that on Wednesday little over 10,000 Ukrainian citizens entered
Romania, down 13% since the previous day. Since the start of the crisis in
Ukraine on February 24, nearly 1.1 million refugees have entered Romania. Most
of them transited the country towards Western Europe, but several tens of
thousands applied for asylum or temporary protection from the Romanian
government. (AMP)

2 June 2022
Record-large number of Ukrainian refugees in the Rep. of Moldova

The Republic of Moldova is Ukraine’s most vulnerable neighbour,
the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu stated after that country’s border
had been crossed by hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian nationals fleeing their
country invaded by Russian troops.

Created
on some of the eastern Romanian territories annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940,
following an ultimatum, and independent from Moscow since 1991, the Republic of
Moldova shared the same disastrous fate with Ukraine and Russia, behind the
Iron Curtain, for over half a century. According to the latest census, dating
back to 2014, apart from ethnic Romanians (some of them self-identified as
Moldovans), who account for roughly 80% of the population, Moldova is also home
to some 180,000 Ukrainians (6.5% of the population) and 110,000 ethnic Russians
(4%).

Since
the start of the war in Ukraine, strange blasts and grenade attacks have
fuelled fears that the conflict might spill over into the east of Moldova,
where the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria has been out of Chişinău’s
control for 3 decades, following an intervention of the Russian Army on the
side of the rebels.

All
these have further deepened the tensions in a Moldovan society already divided between
pro-Europeans and pro-Russians. The authorities banned the display of Russian
militarist symbols, such as the ribbon of St. George and the letters Z and V.
The pro-Russian, communist and socialist opposition however disregarded the regulation
and on Monday they celebrated the 9 May 1945 victory of the Soviet Union against
Nazi Germany.

Amid
all this, the less than 3-million strong Republic of Moldova, confirmed in
relevant surveys as the poorest European country, is grappling with a constant
inflow of Ukrainian refugees, at the largest rate per capita in Europe. The United
Nations commended Moldova on its efforts, and secretary general Antonio Guterres voiced the
organisation’s support for the authorities during a visit to Chişinău. He thanked
the hosts for their generosity and solidarity, and described Moldova’s actions
as a model of compassion. Guterres emphasised that any violation of Moldova’s
territorial integrity is also a violation of international law, condemned by
the UN.

PM Natalia Gavriliţă said in turn that her
government was waiting for the funding offered by the UN to support the
refugees to reach Chişinău as soon as possible. The Moldovan government chief
also said that, in the context of the war in Ukraine, Moldova’s defence system
is on alert, to prevent the situation in the country from destabilising. (A.M.P.)

10 May 2022
May 5, 2022

SANCTIONS The sixth EU sanction package against
Russia is targeting high officials and high-ranking officers, the banking
sector, mass-media and for the first time envisages a complete import ban on Russian
oil. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, cautioned that
it would not be easy for Europe as some EU countries are strongly dependent on
Russian oil.

AID The European Union has a duty to support the
Republic of Moldova, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel
says. According to the EU official, the union will step up aid for Moldova in
the ‘field of logistics, of cyberdefence and is looking at ways of adding ‘more
military-building capacities’. Michel also says the bloc will assist Chisinau
in dealing with the consequences of the spillover from the Russian aggression
in Ukraine. According to the Department of state spokesman Ned Price, the USA
is committed to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of its
important partners, Georgia and Moldova.

REFUGEES The number of Ukrainian nationals who entered the neighboring
Romania on Wednesday rose by 4.9% as compared to the previous day – a border police
communiqué announced on Thursday. According to this data, on May 4th, 71,581
people entered Romania, out of which 8,148 Ukrainian citizens, a 4.9% rise as
compared to the previous day. 4,583 Ukrainian nationals have crossed their
country’s border into Romania, while 1,764 have entered Romania via the
neighboring Republic of Moldova. Since the onset of the Russian invasion,
859,183 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.

VISIT Over May 5th and 9th,
the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, will be visiting Romania and
Slovakia, countries neighboring Ukraine. According to US sources, Jill Biden
will be meeting US diplomats and military personnel, Ukrainian refugees, aid
workers and teachers. On Sunday, which is celebrated in the USA as Mother’s Day,
Jill Biden will be seeing Ukrainian mothers and children who were forced to
leave their homes because of the war Russia is waging on that country. On May 6th,
Joe Biden’s wife will be meeting US servicemen at the airbase in Mihail
Kogalniceanu, southern Romania. She will then go to Bucharest for talks with
the Romanian government officials, members of the US embassy staff, aid workers
and teachers working with the children of the Ukrainian refugees. This tour
will also take Jill Biden to the Slovakian cities of Bratislava, Kosice and
Vysne Nemecke.

UKRAINE Russia announced that its forces would halt
shelling the Azovstal steelworks in the city of Mariupol and starting on
Thursday they would made a humanitarian corridor available for three days to
allow for the evacuation of the civilians who had taken refuge in the plant
together with the last Ukrainian soldiers. Earlier the city mayor Vadim
Boicenko had said that fierce heavy fighting was taking place around the plant,
which was being shelled by the Russian troops with all kind of ordnance.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the UN secretary general
Antonio Guterres to intervene for the evacuation of the wounded in Azovstal. He
earlier announced that 344 people had been evacuated from Mariupol and its
surroundings. Russia on Wednesday said its
forces had practiced simulated nuclear-capable missile strikes in the western
enclave of Kaliningrad, amid Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.

(bill)

5 May 2022
100 million euro for the Republic of Moldova

The parliament of Romania endorsed a law ratifying the
Agreement on the implementation of a technical and financial assistance
programme based on non-reimbursable financial aid amounting to EUR 100 million
provided by Romania to the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.

The Romanian foreign ministry welcomed the decision, emphasising
that the document signed by the PMs of Romania Nicolae Ciucă and of Moldova
Natalia Gavriliţa on February 11 in Chişinău will be a key instrument under
which in the next 7 years Bucharest will support Moldova’s efforts in advancing
reforms and EU accession and towards sustainable development.

With the projects financed under this Agreement, Romania
will contribute to strengthening Moldova’s resilience in vital sectors like
energy, transport and transport infrastructure, environment protection and
climate change, public works and infrastructures, SMEs, mass media
independence, public administration and home affairs, healthcare, education,
culture, research, tourism, competitiveness and industry.

The Romanian foreign ministry also said the document
will take over and reinforce the role of a previous technical and financial assistance
agreement, also worth 100 million euro and signed in April 2010, which came to
a close in March 2021. This agreement enabled Romania to fund major projects,
including the revamping of over 1,000 kindergartens and schools in the Republic
of Moldova and to contribute to the development of the Iaşi-Chişinău natural
gas pipeline, a strategic energy interconnection project for Romania and Moldova.

In recent years, Moldova’s relations with the EU have
grown stronger. The country joined the EU’s Eastern Partnership in 2009, while Moldova’s EU Association Agreement came
into force on July 1, 2016. The EU is also Moldova’s biggest
donor, and Moldova is the biggest beneficiary of EU aid per capita among EU’s
neighbours. The EU assistance goes into key reforms in areas like the
judiciary, education, economic development and energy. In this context and
following Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, Moldova’s president Maia Sandu recently
signed Moldova’s EU accession application. Romania remains the strongest supporter
of Chişinău’s European integration. (AMP)

20 April 2022
No Russian ships in EU ports

Russian vessels are no longer allowed to enter ports in the EU, including Romania. The ban also applies to ships that have replaced the Russian flag with another countrys colours since February 24, when the war in Ukraine started, but not those who need assistance or refuge for safety reasons or those who have rescued lives at sea.

This is one of the EU sanctions against Russia which will be extended. The new measures will also target Russian banks, particularly Sberbank, as well as the oil sector, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told the German paper Bild am Sonntag, quoted by Reuters.

“We are looking further at the banking sector, especially Sberbank, which accounts for 37% of the Russian banking sector. And, of course, there are energy issues,” Ursula von der Leyen detailed. She explained the EU was working on clever mechanisms in order to include the oil sector in the next sanctions.

“What should not happen is that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin collects even higher prices on other markets for supplies that would otherwise go to the EU. The top priority is to shrink Putins revenues,” she emphasised.

Brussels has so far exempted Russias largest bank from the previous sanctions, because Sberbank and Gazprombank are the main payment channels for the oil and natural gas from Russia, which EU member countries continue to buy in spite of the invasion of Ukraine.

On the other hand, on Sunday the Union announced EUR 50 million would be earmarked for humanitarian aid to be sent to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

“As heavy fighting and missile strikes continue to destroy critical civilian infrastructure, humanitarian needs in Ukraine remain extremely high,” reads an EU news release quoted by DPA.

Some EUR 45 million will go into humanitarian programmes in Ukraine, while the Republic of Moldova, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian nationals have taken refuge since the start of the war, is set to receive EUR 5 million.

The money is part of the EUR 1 billion package pledged by the European Commission in a donor conference last week, called Stand Up For Ukraine. So far, the EU said, EUR 143 million of this amount has already been spent in humanitarian aid funding in response to the war. The funding announced on Sunday will address the most pressing humanitarian needs by providing emergency medical services, access to safe drinking water and hygiene, shelter and protection, cash assistance, and support against gender-based violence. (AMP)

18 April 2022
April 11, 2022 UPDATE

Aid – The leaders of the ruling coalition in Romania are to decide the final form of the aid package for the population and the economy, in the context of the recent wave of price hikes. There are measures that have been discussed for several weeks – increasing the amounts allocated to food in hospitals, increasing the value of meal vouchers and granting vouchers to the vulnerable population. The minimum wage is also to be increased, a measure which is optional for companies though, and they might introduce the possibility of loan repayment postponement for the population, as happened during the pandemic. Carriers are also to receive support, as they will have part of the diesel costs reimbursed by the state, and grants are provided for small and medium-sized enterprises. Liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has said the aid package will ensure the functioning of the economy and protect vulnerable citizens. In turn, the Social Democrat leader, Marcel Ciolacu, has pointed out that this is the first time that a Government comes with such an initiative, and the total amount allocated for the application of the aid package is over 17 billion lei (about 3.5 billion Euros), half of which is covered by European funds.

WB – The World Bank has revised downwards the estimate for Romania’s economic growth this year, from 4.3%, as it estimated in January, to 1.9%. According to the international institution, the economic risks have increased significantly, especially as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For next year, the World Bank has improved its estimate of the Romania’s economic growth, to 4.1%, while for 2024 it anticipated an increase in the Gross Domestic Product of 4.3 %.

Schengen — The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament is committed to firmly supporting Romanias accession to the Schengen Area. The statement was made in Bucharest by the groups president, Iratxe García Pérez, who stated that Romania met the technical criteria for inclusion in the European free movement area. “There is no excuse for this not to become a reality as soon as possible,” Perez said. Romania should have joined Schengen in 2011, but several European countries have shown their opposition, saying that the country has problems with corruption and the justice system.

EU accession — The Republic of Moldova and Georgia received on Monday, from the European Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi, the questionnaire for their application for EU accession. The document serves as a basis for accession negotiations, which, however, involve a laborious and lengthy process. The handing over of the questionnaire by the European Commission is an important stage on the European path of the Republic of Moldova, and Romania is by its side and offers its full support, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis wrote on Twitter. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca welcomed the event, noting that the Romanian government was ready to provide support in formulating the response.

Sanctions — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday hailed the adoption of the new package of European sanctions against Russia (the fifth), stressing the importance of their effective implementation and expressed readiness to discuss new sanctions. He attended a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. As for Ukraine, Aurescu expressed concern over the growing number of reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity and underscored Romanias support for the International Criminal Courts efforts to investigate them. The Romanian Foreign Minister said that the unity and solidarity of the EU, as well as the coordination with the USA, NATO and other partners remained fundamental in counteracting the impact of the war in Ukraine.

Visit — Romanias energy security, tougher measures against Russia, the consolidation of NATOs eastern flank and the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Romanian economy were the main topics of discussion at the meeting, in Bucharest, of the Senate Speaker Florin Citu with a delegation led by the leader of the Republican minority in the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McGarry. The two sides highlighted, among other things, that nuclear power projects were a priority for increasing Romanias energy security and reducing its energy dependence on Russia. The importance of the international community adopting a unified and coherent response to the actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was also discussed.

Motion — On Monday, the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament rejected a simple motion submitted by Save Romania Union – USR against the Environment Minister, Tanczos Barna. The opposition party claimed that the minister of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR in the ruling coalition would be the main culprit for illegal deforestation, environmental damage, the states incapacity to take advantage of green economy opportunities and for the contemptuous attitude towards civil society, USR representatives say. Tanczos Barna claimed that the so-called illegal deforestation was untrue, because no one could prove one single case of illegal logging during his term. (LS)

11 April 2022
April 9, 2022 UPDATE

UKRAINE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Ukraine was ready to continue negotiations with Moscow, which have stalled since the discovery of atrocities in Bucha and other areas near Kyiv. “We are ready to fight and to look in parallel to end this war through diplomacy,” Zelensky said in a joint press conference with the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The Austrian official paid a solidarity visit to the capital Kyiv and to Bucha, a town which became, according to France Press, the symbol of the Russian invasion’s atrocities. The Ukrainian authorities have announced that 10 humanitarian corridors were negotiated, to evacuate civilians from the conflict regions. A state of siege was declared in the port city of Odessa, at the Black Sea, during the weekend. According to Radio Romania correspondents, regional authorities fear an attack similar to that in Kramatorsk, where at least 50 civilians were killed in a missile attack on the train station. Moscow has warned western countries, through its ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, that the further delivery of weapons to Ukraine is dangerous and provocative, as it prologues the conflict and, being directed against Russia, can lead to direct confrontation between the US and Russia.

HUMANITARIAN AID – European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised 1 billion euro from the Commission to support Ukraine and the countries taking in refugees who flee war following the Russian invasion of their country. The announcement was made Saturday, at an online fundraising event for the Ukrainian refugees, organized by the US and Canada and hosted by Warsaw. A total of 10.1 billion euro were raised during the event dubbed “Stand up for Ukraine”, to be used for the needs of those 4 million Ukrainian refugees in the EU countries. Moreover, the financing and donations will ensure vital humanitarian assistance to those 6.5 million displaced people in Ukraine, of whom 2.5 million are children.

ELECTION — France holds presidential elections on Sunday. The 49 million eligible voters will pick their favourite from among 12 candidates, four women and eight men. The most likely scenario for the runoff is incumbent president Emmanuel Macron running against Marine Le Pen, a representative of the far right. Opinion polls have recently shown Macron only 3-4 points ahead of Le Pen, from 12 points in mid-February, which means that some 26%-27% of the people would vote for Macron and 23% for his contender. Coming out third in opinion polls, with 16%, is the far left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon.

GAS — The ruling coalition in Bucharest has sped up talks on modifying the offshore law that regulates the exploitation of the natural gas reserves that Romania has in the Black Sea. The National Liberal Party, The Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania have agreed on a final version of the law. The document will be debated by Parliament next week and is to be adopted through emergency procedure. Thus, the Romanian state should receive at least 60% of the profit obtained after the extraction of natural gas, while private companies would get 40%. Energy Minister Virgil Popescu has recently said that as of this year, Romania will benefit an additional 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas by exploiting the deposits in the Black Sea.

RATING – Fitch Ratings has put Romania’s long-term foreign currency issue default rating (IDR) at BBB- with a negative outlook, the agency said in a statement. The negative outlook reflects “continued uncertainty regarding the implementation of policies to address structural fiscal imbalances” over the medium term and the impact of the Ukraine war and energy crisis on Romanias economic, fiscal and external performance, the agency said. Fitch Ratings expects Romania’s GDP growth to slow down to 2.1% in 2022 (from 5.9% in 2021), primarily reflecting a slowdown in private consumption and exports. Investment dynamics is expected to accelerate in 2023, which combined with the assumption of a normalisation of external trade and supply chains, will lift economic growth to 4.8%, the agency also said.

REFUGEES – More than 76 thousand people entered Romania on Friday, through the border checkpoints, of whom 8,623 Ukrainian citizens, down by 5.9% as against the previous day, the Border Police General Inspectorate announced on Saturday. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, almost 660 thousand refugees have entered Romania. Most of them only transited the country, heading for Western Europe. (EE)

9 April 2022
April 8, 2022 UPDATE

Visit — On a visit to Kyiv on Friday the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell strongly condemned the Russian armys “horrible” and “indiscriminate” attack on civilians at the Kramatorsk train station. The European dignitaries have also announced a new 500 million Euro military aid for Ukraine. At the same time, they announced the return of the EU mission to Kyiv. The European delegation also included the Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger. Two Russian missiles hit a train station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, killing at least 50 people among whom children, and injuring about 100. The station, which housed thousands, was used to evacuate areas bombed by the Russian forces. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky says that the destruction of Borodianka (a city northwest of Kyiv and recently taken back by Ukrainians) is “much more terrible” than that in Bucha, where massacres were perpetrated. Moscow denies that its forces have killed civilians. Also on Friday, the EU approved a fifth package of sanctions against Moscow, which provides for a coal embargo and the closure of European ports for Russian ships. This package further expands the blacklist, affecting the incomes of hundreds of oligarchs and political leaders in Russia, Belarus and the pro-Russian separatist areas of Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine.

Refugees — The Romanian government has adopted a decision that establishes how the Romanian citizens hosting refugees from Ukraine will receive money. In the first three working days of each month, for the previous month, they must submit to the local public authorities a request stating the number of persons hosted, their names, the localities which they declare they come from and the time frame for which the disbursement of expenses is requested. The money is transferred within 10 working days since reception of centralized statements. Those who host refugees from Ukraine can receive 70 lei per day (about 14 Euros) for one person. Since the beginning of Russias invasion of neighboring Ukraine, more than 650,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.

Economy – Last year, Romania registered an economic growth rate of 5.9%, compared to 2020 – according to the latest provisional data published by the National Institute of Statistics – INS. The data show a lower contribution of investments to last years economic growth, from 0.9% to 0.6%. The figures announced by the INS also indicate a decrease of 0.1% in the last quarter of 2021 compared to the previous 3 months.

Roma — The civic, social and economic emancipation of the Roma citizens from Romania is a common goal, of great importance, said President Klaus Iohannis in a message conveyed on Friday on the occasion of the International Roma Day. The head of state also hailed the efforts made by this community to make known its past and customs, to make their voice heard and their contribution to the development of society appreciated. A similar message was sent by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca. Mr. Ciuca highlighted the fact that the Roma in our country have brought cultural and economic value over time in the communities in which they lived. International Roma Day is an opportunity to ponder on the persistence, worldwide, of racist and discriminatory attitudes, stereotypes, hate speech and instigation to hostile acts or ethnically motivated violence, which disproportionately affects the Roma community, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said. Romania has taken important steps to condemn and eliminate all forms of discrimination against Roma, including through the adoption of comprehensive legislation in the field, the Foreign Ministry officials emphasize.

Ordinance – Freight transport in Romania will be monitored electronically through a new digital system, designed to reduce both the risk of tax evasion and red tape for operators in the field. The government has approved an emergency ordinance introducing the integrated electronic system RO e-Transport, also known as the Radar of Goods. IT management modules will generate unique registration codes for each transport, and the platform will be interconnected with specific road traffic monitoring devices, such as cameras, and the data will be analyzed in an integrated way. The system covers the transport of goods with a high tax risk, such as alcoholic beverages or food. (LS)

8 April 2022
International aid for Moldova

Until December 2020, the ex-Soviet Republic
of Moldova, led by pro-Russian officials, was constantly in Moscow’s tow. Pro-European
voices were however present, as confirmed by the country’s signing in 2014 an
association agreement with the European Union, providing for cooperation in areas
like trade and culture.

But Moldova categorically broke with Russia less than 2 years ago, with
the election of the pro-European Maia Sandu as head of state, replacing the
pro-Russian Igor Dodon.

Geographically, Moldova stands between the eastern part of the EU (neighbouring
Romania) and Ukraine, with some of its territory occupied by Transnistria, a
small self-proclaimed breakaway republic backed by Moscow.

Quite a few political and military analysts voiced concerns that in the
context of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia might take advantage of its military
presence in Transnistria to launch an offensive in that region as well. Fortunately,
at least for the time being, this is only a hypothetical plan.

Nonetheless, with millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war, the Republic
of Moldova is receiving the largest number of refugees per capita in Europe,
which puts tremendous pressure on Europe’s poorest state.

Under these circumstances, Germany, France and Romania Tuesday
co-chaired an international conference in Berlin, aimed at putting together a
support platform for that country. Around 50 delegations took part,
representing international organisations and some 30 states, including EU
members, the US, Canada and Japan.

Donors pledged with over EUR 695 million in aid for Moldova, 100 million
of which will be non-reimbursable financial assistance. They also agreed to
take over nearly 12,000 of the almost 100,000 Ukrainian refugees currently in
that country.

Our message is clear: the Republic of Moldova is not alone, said Germany’s
foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, alongside her French and Romanian
counterparts, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Bogdan Aurescu, talking to the Moldovan PM
Natalia Gavriliţa.

According to the German official, this assistance will be the start of a
sustainable support platform, with further aid to follow in areas like
diversifying energy sources, border management and political reform. All of
these are designed to help Moldova ease out its dependence on Moscow.

Moldova is the most vulnerable among Ukraine’s neighbours, Natalia
Gavriliţa said, and added that her country has no security umbrella to rely on
and therefore it needs good friends and reliable partners.

The next donor conference for Moldova may be hosted by Bucharest. (A.M.P)

6 April 2022
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.

30 March 2022