Radio România Internațional

Tag: Ambassador

  • H.E. Manika Jain, Ambassador of India to Romania, at the Romanian Travel Fair

    H.E. Manika Jain, Ambassador of India to Romania, at the Romanian Travel Fair

     

    The autumn 2024 edition of the Romanian Travel Fair took place in Bucharest between November 21 and 24, organized by Romexpo and the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The most important event of this kind in the country, the Romanian Travel Fair is an opportunity for tour operators and other stakeholders to launch new products and services, to meet decision makers, to discover new opportunities and build sustainable partnerships.

     

    RRI’s Stefan Baciu took the opportunity to talk to Her Excellency Manika Jain, India’s ambassador to Romania and the Republic of Moldova, who explained why India should be promoted on the Ro market, and listed a number of must-see sites in her country.

     

    Looking beyond tourism, however, the relations between Romania and India, which used to be quite strong in the past, can be improved, H.E. Manika Jain also said. (AMP)

  • Interview with the Ambassador of Greece to Bucharest

    Interview with the Ambassador of Greece to Bucharest

    The Ambassador of Greece to Bucharest, H.E. Evangelia Grammatika, presented her credentials to the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on January 22, 2024.

     

    RRI’s Eugen Cojocariu has discussed with the Ambassador on various aspects of the relations between Greece and Romania, in an exclusive interview for Radio Romania International.

     

  • Farewell interview with Ambassador Reuven Azar

    Farewell interview with Ambassador Reuven Azar

    The mandate of the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Romania, Reuven Azar, has come to an end.

    RRI’s Eugen Cojocariu has spoken with His Excellency about the achievements of his mandate and the relations between Romania and Israel.

  • November 18, 2023 UPDATE

    November 18, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis is in Tanzania, the second stage of
    his African tour which also included Kenya and will take him to the Republic of
    Cabo Verde and Senegal. During talks with top level officials, president Iohannis
    presents Romania’s outlook on reviving its relations with African countries,
    based on the recently adopted national strategy for Africa. On the other hand, the
    Romanian official also set out to present Bucharest’s views on regional and
    international security, given the country’s proximity to Ukraine. We discussed
    ways to manage the multiple consequences of the war, including in terms of
    ensuring the food security of countries in Africa, Mr. Iohannis said after the
    talks with the president of Tanzania, Samia Hassan. I have presented the
    comprehensive political, diplomatic, logistical and administrative measures
    taken by Romania to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports, including to the
    countries in Africa, he added. Klaus Iohannis is to travel on Monday to Cabo
    Verde, to meet with his counterpart José Maria Neves.


    ISRAEL We agree on the principle of
    no forced displacement of Palestinians and a political horizon based on a
    two-state solution, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen
    said at the end of a meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
    in Cairo on Saturday. In turn, the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said in a
    conference at Manama on Saturday that the Palestinian Authority is the only one
    that could govern Gaza after the war between Israel and Hamas. News agencies
    mention that a week ago the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu raised fresh concerns
    with respect to the future of Gaza, stating that the Palestinian Authority in
    its current form should not be taking control of the enclave. The German
    chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meeting in
    Berlin, voiced their strong disagreement with the war in Gaza. Both Germany and
    Turkey are worried about the suffering of the Palestinian people, but while Scholz
    spoke about the need for humanitarian pauses in order to provide aid, Erdogan called
    for a ceasefire, an option rejected by Israel. On site, Palestinian medical
    sources announced that scores of people were killed or wounded on Saturday in Khan
    Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, following Israeli air strikes. On Friday
    Israel had announced it would expand military operations in the south, after handing
    out fliers in Khan Yunis the previous day asking civilians to head for the tent
    camps on the sea coast in order to avoid the massive shelling planned by the
    army. Israel’s ex-PM Ehud Olmert told Euronews that the Hamas underground
    command centre was in Khan Yunis, and not at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.


    TERRORISM A young Romanian national
    from Braşov (central Romania) has been taken into custody for promoting
    terrorist propaganda materials, the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime
    and Terrorism Offences announced. The young man praised terrorist organisations
    from the Middle East on his social media account, and posted instructions for
    the production and use of firearms and explosives.


    CHRISTMAS In the city of Craiova, southern
    Romania, hundreds of people witnessed the nearly 2 million lights of the local
    Christmas Fair being turned on Friday night. This year’s fair is themed around
    the Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, and all the decorations are white
    and turquoise. A giant Christmas tree, a 40m tall merry-go-round and a skating
    rink are the main attractions. Concerts and creative workshops will also be
    held here until the 2nd of January. Sibiu, in central Romania, also
    opened its Christmas Fair in the city’s main square. For the first time this
    year, the Fair includes the courtyard of the Brukenthal Palace, a historical
    monument built between 1778 and 1788.



    AMBASSADOR The foreign minister Luminiţa
    Odobescu Friday received the new British Ambassador to Romania, Giles Portman. On
    this occasion, Mrs. Odobescu highlighted the important role of bilateral
    cooperation in defence and security and the significant potential in the field
    of trade and investments, as well as the substantial contribution of the 1.2
    million Romanians living in UK to strengthening the ties between the two
    countries. In 2024 Romania will host the second Romania-UK Bilateral Forum,
    after the first edition of the event held this March in London. (AMP)

  • November 18, 2023

    November 18, 2023

    WEATHER The National Meteorology Agency issued code yellow and
    orange alerts for wind, heavy snow fall and snow storms valid in most of
    Romania. A code yellow alert is in place until Sunday morning in the eastern
    half of the country and in the mountains. A code orange alert for heavy mixed
    precipitation is also issued for the south-east and the south. Several flood alerts concern rivers in most of
    the country. The highs range between 2 and 11 degrees Celsius today, with 8
    degrees Celsius reported in Bucharest at noon.

    TERRORISM A young Romanian
    national from Braşov (central Romania) has been taken into custody for
    promoting terrorist propaganda materials, the Directorate Investigating
    Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences announced. The young man praised
    terrorist organisations from the Middle East on his social media account, and
    posted instructions for the production and use of firearms and explosives.


    ISRAEL Palestinian medical sources announced that scores of people
    were killed or wounded today in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip,
    following Israeli air strikes. On Friday Israel had announced it would expand
    military operations in the south, after handing out fliers in Khan Yunis the
    previous day asking civilians to head for the tent camps on the sea coast in
    order to avoid the massive shelling planned by the army. Israel’s ex-PM Ehud
    Olmert told Euronews that the Hamas underground command centre was in Khan
    Yunis, and not at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. In related news, Pope
    Francis will have separate meetings on Wednesday with the families of the
    Israeli hostages in Gaza and with relatives of the Palestinians living there,
    the Vatican announced. The Pope previously said that Every human being, of any
    people or religion, every human being is sacred, is precious in the eyes of God
    and has the right to live in peace.


    CHRISTMAS In the city of Craiova, southern Romania, hundreds of
    people witnessed the nearly 2 million lights of the local Christmas Fair being
    turned on Friday night. This year’s fair is themed around Andersen’s fairy
    tale The Snow Queen, and all the decorations are white and turquoise. A giant
    Christmas tree, a 40m tall merry-go-round and a skating rink are the main
    attractions. Concerts and creative workshops will also be held here until the 2nd
    of January. Sibiu, in central Romania, also opened its Christmas Fair in the
    city’s main square. For the first time this year, the Fair includes the courtyard
    of the Brukenthal Palace, a historical monument built between 1778 and 1788.


    AMBASSADOR The foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Friday received
    the new British Ambassador to Romania, Giles Portman. On this occasion, Mrs.
    Odobescu highlighted the important role of bilateral cooperation in defence and
    security and the significant potential in the field of trade and investments,
    as well as the substantial contribution of the 1.2 million Romanians living in
    UK to strengthening the ties between the two countries. In 2024 Romania will
    host the second Romania-UK Bilateral Forum, after the first edition of the
    event held this March in London.


    SPORTS Romania’s national football team takes on Israel tonight in Felcsut (Hungary), in
    Preliminary Group I of the EURO 2024. In women’s handball, CSM Bucharest plays
    against the Hungarian side DVSC Schaeffler, away from home, in the Champions’
    League Group A, while CS Rapid Bucharest are up against Vipers Kristiansand (Norway)
    in the competition’s Group B. In the first leg of the 3rd
    preliminary round of the EHF European League, CSM Târgu Jiu play at home
    against the Swedish side Onnereds HK. (AMP)

  • October 28, 2023 UPDATE

    October 28, 2023 UPDATE

    ISRAEL
    Romania and other countries are
    making joint efforts to help the over 3,000 people in Gaza with dual
    citizenship, including Romanian nationals, to leave that region, PM Marcel
    Ciolacu said. He explained that the situation was not easy to handle, and added
    that 260 applications have been received from Romanian nationals who want to
    leave Gaza, but many Palestinians are trying to do the same. What matters is
    for the situation not to spiral out of control, he also said. The
    Israeli army Saturday announced it entered the north of
    Gaza Strip and expanded military operations in the Palestinian enclave, while
    stepping up attacks against Hamas. The
    army once again asked the locals still in the north of Gaza Strip to move
    immediately to the south, explaining that the north is currently a battlefield.
    According to Israeli army estimates, some 700,000 people have already left the
    area, and the UN says out of the almost 2.2 million people in Gaza Strip, around
    1.4 million have been relocated since the conflict began. In fresh talks with the Israeli defence minister, the Pentagon chief
    Lloyd Austin called
    for the protection of civilians during the operation. On Friday night, the UN
    General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. The
    resolution is not compulsory, but it has political weight. Israel and the US
    voted against, while Romania abstained.




    DIPLOMACY
    The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Friday had a telephone
    conversation with the British foreign secretary James Cleverly, to discuss the
    security situation in Israel and Gaza Strip, focusing on the need to ensure
    close coordination in order to avoid regional spill-over. According to the
    Romanian foreign ministry, the 2 officials emphasised the importance of
    continued humanitarian aid to the population in Gaza and of the immediate and
    unconditional release of all hostages.The
    Romanian diplomacy chief also discussed with her Qatari counterpart, Sheikh
    Mohammed Al Thani, given that Qatar is a mediator in the Hamas hostage crisis.
    Odobescu appreciated Qatar’s diplomatic efforts to mitigate the humanitarian
    crisis, and spoke about the aid Romania has decided to send there.


    AMBASSADOR The Black Sea region plays an important
    role for NATO, and Romania is a very close partner for the USA, the US
    Ambassador to Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec reiterated. In an interview to Radio
    Romania, the US official said that Romania, which is located next to the
    conflict in Ukraine, has faced problems like the Ukrainian refugee crisis and
    the transport of grains via Romanian sea ports, and in this context the
    security and defence relations between the 2 countries have become even closer.
    We have tripled the number of US troops in Romania, so now we have over 3,000 American
    troops here and we are working with our Romanian partners with respect to
    defence and deterrence, to safeguard every piece of NATO territory, Kathleen
    Kavalec pointed out.


    POPULATION The population of Romania on July 1 was
    approx. 21.9 million, down 0.3% since the corresponding month of last year. Almost
    3 million of them are currently living abroad. Romania is also facing
    population ageing, with 125 elderly citizens for each 100 youth. The average
    age is 42.4 years, 0.3 years more than on July 1, 2022. The number of citizens
    in urban communities is nearly 3 million higher than the number of rural
    inhabitants, however urban population dropped by 0.8% over the past year while
    the rural population grew by 0.3%.


    UKRAINE Ukraine is seeking international support for its peace plan,
    in a 2-day meeting held as of today in Malta. As many as 50 countries are
    taking part, but Russia is not among them. According to AFP, this is the 3rd
    meeting of this kind, and organisers hope it would result in a joint
    declaration. The 10-point plan proposed by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr
    Zelenskyy includes, among other things, the pull out of Russian troops from the
    occupied Ukrainian territories, including Donbas, part of which is under
    separatist control since 2014, and Crimea, occupied and annexed by Russia in 2014.
    Last year, Moscow annexed 4 Ukrainian regions, partly occupied by its troops
    after the large-scale invasion of February 24.



    DST
    On Saturday night, Romania switches to winter time, setting clocks back one
    hour from 4 AM to 3 AM. Sunday will thus be 25-hour long. Daylight saving time,
    first suggested by the scientist Benjamin Franklin in 1784, is currently used
    in 70 countries. The concept has come under debate in recent years, with the EU
    asking member states to end seasonal clock changes and choose either winter
    time or summer time, but a decision in this respect is yet to be made. (AMP)

  • Interview with Armenia’s Ambassador to Bucharest

    Interview with Armenia’s Ambassador to Bucharest

    The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Bucharest, Sergey Minasyan, has given an exclusive interview to Radio Romania Internationals Eugen Cojocariu.




  • September 23, 2021 UPDATE

    September 23, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The COVID-19 epidemic stays on an upward
    trend in Romania. Thursday was the second consecutive day with more than 7,000 new
    cases in 24 hours (7,095 new cases out of nearly 54,000 tests). The largest
    number of infections is reported in the capital Bucharest. The number of Covid
    patients in intensive care is now over 1,000, a situation last seen in early
    May in Romania, and the number of coronavirus-related deaths was 113. Over
    300 towns and villages in the country are now on the red list of places where
    the infection rate is over 3 per thousand. Meanwhile, the total number of vaccine doses
    administered to Romanians went over 10 million on Thursday.


    MEASURES The COVID digital certificate remains a requirement for
    access to indoor events in places with infection rates of over 3 per thousand, and
    it will be compulsory for children over 12, instead of over 6 as originally
    stipulated. Another measure allows businesses to stay open after 6pm, in places
    with infection rates between 3 and 6 per thousand. A night curfew will be in
    place over weekends wherever the infection rate is over 6 per thousand, and
    throughout the week in places with infection rates above 7.5 per thousand. PM
    Florin Cîţu also announced today that vaccinated people will be allowed to
    leave their homes without a sworn statement in places under curfew or lockdown.
    Meanwhile, an emergency order on the COVID
    digital certificate has been endorsed by the Senate and is next to be discussed
    in the Chamber of Deputies. The digital certificate was created at EU level to
    facilitate free travel during the pandemic. The document, which includes a QR
    code, certifies that the holder has been vaccinated, recovered from the disease
    or tested negative for COVID.


    AMBASSADOR
    Romania has been a candidate for accession to the Visa Waiver programme for
    almost 15 years, said the new Romanian ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru,
    who mentioned that there are only three EU member states whose citizens need a
    short-stay visa on US territory. According to Andrei Muraru, the visa rejection
    rate is currently at a fairly high level, around 10%, but he pointed out that
    Romanian and US authorities are working to bring it down to the maximum 3% allowed
    for the Visa Waiver. The Romanian ambassador to the US also said that an
    information campaign will be organized in Bucharest for citizens to find out
    how they can apply for a visa, why their applications are turned down and why
    they should not apply if they do not meet the criteria set by the American
    side.


    NAVY The
    Romanian Navy’s Vice-admiral Constantin Bălescu Minelayer will take part in
    the EUNAVFOR MED operation Irini, in the Mediterranean Sea, between
    the 1st of October and the end of this year. Romanian marines will
    ensure compliance with the arms embargo enforced by the UN on Libya. The
    mission also targets illegal trafficking in oil products, drugs and people, by
    monitoring sea traffic and inspections of suspicious vessels in the
    Mediterranean. A combat diver unit is on board, and the 85 crew members have
    been tested, vaccinated against COVID-19 and isolated in Romanian Navy
    facilities prior to the operation.


    INSURANCE The government passed an emergency order enabling drivers who need to
    have their cars repaired under an insurance policy issued by City Insurance to
    receive their claims more quickly under the Insurance Guarantee Fund. They will
    no longer have to wait for a court to declare the company bankrupt. When its
    license was cancelled, City Insurance had 3 million civil liability policies
    issued to car owners. The Prosecutor General’s Office Thursday had documents
    seized from the company headquarters, as part of a criminal investigation
    following a complaint filed by the Financial Supervising Authority.


    INFRINGEMENT The European Commission Thursday sent Romania and Poland letters of
    formal notice for not correctly incorporating certain aspects of the Offshore
    Safety Directive into their legal systems. These letters of formal notice are
    actually the official start of the infringement procedure. Romania and Poland
    have two months to address the shortcomings, otherwise the Commission may decide to
    send a reasoned opinion. Also on Thursday, the
    Commission took measures against 19 member states, Romania included, for
    failing to take the necessary steps to ensure their citizens benefit from the
    EU audio-visual mass media and telecoms legislation. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    The former double Olympic medalist Maricica Puica has
    recently been awarded the Golden Girdle, the highest award given by Romania’s
    Olympic and Sports Committee in recognition of a life dedicated to Sports and
    Olympic ideals. Besides her career in sports, Maricica Puica has constantly
    been involved in the process of supporting children and junior athletes on
    their way to performance.






    Her contribution along the years included prizes and
    equipment for the promising young athletes. In 1997 she was nominated National Ambassador
    for Sports, Tolerance and Fair Play with the Council of Europe. In 2000 she was
    awarded the National Order of Faithful Service in rank of knight and in 2004
    she got the Order of Sports Merit First Class.




    Maricica Puică was born in Iasi on June 29th 1950
    and trained at the Olympia Sports Club in Bucharest. Experts believe that this
    remarkable athlete would have run during training and contests a total over 90
    thousand kilometers, which means double the Earth’s circumference. In a sports
    career spanning over 20 years she mustered 25 gold medals in top competitions,
    21 silver and one bronze.




    At the age of 17 she obtained her first notable performance
    in Istanbul when she became a Balkan champion in a cross country race. She
    became world champion in 1978 with a Romanian team which also included Natalia
    Andrei, Georgeta Gazibara, Antoaneta Iacob and Fiţa Lovin.




    She managed to win the world title in 1982 and 1984 also as
    a cross-country racer. She set 6 world records on various distances, 2 European
    and 15 Balkan.


    In 1984, after she had become the world’s cross country
    champion, she walked away from the Los Angeles Olympics with 2 medals, one gold
    in the 3-thousand-meter race and bronze in the 15-hundred-meter dash.




    At the Los Angeles Olympics, Puica set two records in the
    3-thousand-meter race. Furthermore, she was the only athlete to have obtained a
    world and an Olympic title in the same year. Her last big performance was the
    gold medal she got at the European Championship in The Hague in 1989 at the age
    of 39.

    (bill)

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    The former double Olympic medalist Maricica Puica has
    recently been awarded the Golden Girdle, the highest award given by Romania’s
    Olympic and Sports Committee in recognition of a life dedicated to Sports and
    Olympic ideals. Besides her career in sports, Maricica Puica has constantly
    been involved in the process of supporting children and junior athletes on
    their way to performance.






    Her contribution along the years included prizes and
    equipment for the promising young athletes. In 1997 she was nominated National Ambassador
    for Sports, Tolerance and Fair Play with the Council of Europe. In 2000 she was
    awarded the National Order of Faithful Service in rank of knight and in 2004
    she got the Order of Sports Merit First Class.




    Maricica Puică was born in Iasi on June 29th 1950
    and trained at the Olympia Sports Club in Bucharest. Experts believe that this
    remarkable athlete would have run during training and contests a total over 90
    thousand kilometers, which means double the Earth’s circumference. In a sports
    career spanning over 20 years she mustered 25 gold medals in top competitions,
    21 silver and one bronze.




    At the age of 17 she obtained her first notable performance
    in Istanbul when she became a Balkan champion in a cross country race. She
    became world champion in 1978 with a Romanian team which also included Natalia
    Andrei, Georgeta Gazibara, Antoaneta Iacob and Fiţa Lovin.




    She managed to win the world title in 1982 and 1984 also as
    a cross-country racer. She set 6 world records on various distances, 2 European
    and 15 Balkan.


    In 1984, after she had become the world’s cross country
    champion, she walked away from the Los Angeles Olympics with 2 medals, one gold
    in the 3-thousand-meter race and bronze in the 15-hundred-meter dash.




    At the Los Angeles Olympics, Puica set two records in the
    3-thousand-meter race. Furthermore, she was the only athlete to have obtained a
    world and an Olympic title in the same year. Her last big performance was the
    gold medal she got at the European Championship in The Hague in 1989 at the age
    of 39.

    (bill)

  • October 27, 2020 UPDATE

    October 27, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Another 4,724 new COVID-19 cases were announced in Romania on Tuesday, and a record-high number of deaths, 104—which takes the death toll so far to over 6,500. Over 820 people are in intensive care. On Tuesday, president Klaus Iohannis held a meeting with the health minister, Nelu Tătaru and ICU experts, to assess the crisis. According to the president, the situation is worsening steadily both at European and at national level. He cautioned that sustained effort is needed in order to contain the pandemic. Iohannis added that the authorities strategic plan for the forthcoming period includes, among other things, opening new intensive care units in the country, and increasing the ICU capacity in 7 hospitals in Bucharest. He also said that accessing EU funding would help improve Romanias capacity to handle the crisis by purchasing new hospital equipment. Iohannis explained that at present Romania has over 3,000 beds in ICUs, for both Covid and non-Covid patients, and over 2,200 ventilators, plus 5 mobile ICUs, 2 modular field hospitals and an ICU module. Interior minister Marcel Vela also announced that a new centre will be set up within the Dimitrie Gerota Emergency Hospital in Bucharest, for recovered COVID-19 patients to donate plasma for severe cases.



    VISIT On the last day of his visit to France, the Romanian PM Ludovic Orban Tuesday had a meeting with the secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development José Ángel Gurría, and gave an address in the OECD Council meeting. In his speech, Ludovic Orban reiterated Romanias firm commitment to becoming a member of this structure, and emphasised Bucharests determination to invest in key areas like transport infrastructure, digital connectivity, energy and environmental transition, urban development, healthcare, agriculture, education, social protection and research-innovation. Also on Tuesday the Romanian PM met separately with the speakers of the French Parliaments two chambers, and had a meeting with members of the Romanian community in France. Ludovic Orban also talked to representatives of the
    French business environment, members of France’s largest employers’ union -
    MEDEF, about investment opportunities in Romania. On Monday, following talks with the French PM Jean Castex, important agreements were signed for strengthening political, economic and military ties between Romania and France.



    DEFICIT Romanias budget deficit reached 6.36% of GDP in the first 9 months of this year, as against 2.6% of GDP in the corresponding period of last year, according to the Finance Ministry. More than half of the deficit registered in January – September 2020 is accounted for by amounts channelled into the economy through tax facilities, investments and exceptional expenditure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Official estimates point to an 8.6% deficit this year.



    AMBASSADORS Six nominees for Romanian ambassadors will be interviewed on Wednesday by Parliaments committees on foreign policy and the Romanian diaspora. The new ambassadors will serve in Morocco and Mauritania, North Macedonia, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Uzbekistan and Albania. On October 7 and 19, the relevant committees heard 16 other candidates, all of whom received Parliaments green light for their posts.



    DIPLOMACY In Chişinău, the Russian Embassy and the ruling Socialist Party are accusing the Romanian ambassador of attempting to re-write the history of WW2. The response came after Ambassador Daniel Ioniţă paid tribute to the Romanian soldiers fighting to reunite Romanian regions, during a ceremony on the Romanian Army Day. The Embassy of Romania to Moldova replied it did not want to be dragged into the disputes triggered by the election campaign in that country. The unprecedented attack stirred harsh criticism among historians, academics and civil society. Analyst Nicolae Negru told Radio Chişinău that Russia has no moral right to give humanity lessons, given the persecution suffered by Bessarabian people under the Soviet regime. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • 17 December 2019

    17 December 2019

    Revolution. It’s a day of mourning in the western Romanian city of
    Timisoara, which, 30 years ago, saw the first victims of the anti-communist
    revolution of December 1989. On the 17th of December 30 years ago,
    the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu ordered the use of lethal ammunition.
    Today the flags fly at half mast as a tribute to those shot 30 years ago on the
    streets of Timisoara in the city’s darkest hour. The anti-communist revolution
    broke out on the 16th of December in Timisoara, which, on the 20th
    of December, declared itself the first city free of communism in Romania. The
    uprising spread across the country beginning on the 21st of
    December. More on this subject later in the newsreel.




    Budget. The Country’s Supreme Defence Council on Tuesday gave a positive
    opinion on the proposed budget for the defence and national security
    institutions in 2020. The defence ministry is to receive 2% of the GDP, just
    like in 2019, a percentage agreed through a national political accord on
    boosting defence spending. The sums earmarked for the other institutions with
    responsibilities in the area of national defence and security will ensure that
    they can carry out their missions and objectives, the president’s office said
    in a statement.






    Budget deficit. The
    budget deficit level is to drop by 1.6% between 2020 and 2023, from 3.5% of the
    GDP next year to almost 2% of the GDP in 2023. According to a report on next
    year’s macroeconomic situation and the projection for the 2021-2023 period
    published by the finance ministry, the budget bill for next year is based on a
    4.1% economic growth rate. The figure is significantly higher than the
    estimated EU average of 1.4% for next year according to the European Union’s
    autumn forecast.




    Ambassador. The United States’ new
    ambassador to Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman has officially begun his term after
    being received by president Klaus Iohannis for a presentation of his letters of
    credence. Zuckerman on Saturday met the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, saying
    on this occasion that he is firmly committed to contribute to the strong
    development of the strategic partnership. He recalled that Romania enjoys the
    appreciation of president Donald Trump and the entire US administration and
    that Romania could not have a better friend than the US. On the 20th
    of November, Adrian Zuckerman was voted by the US Senate as US ambassador to
    Romania. He replaced Hans Klemm, who had been serving in this position since
    2015.




    Journalists. 49 journalists were
    killed in different parts of the world in 2019 according to a report by the
    organisation Reporters without Borders, which emphasises that, although
    journalism remains a dangerous profession, this is the lowest figure in the
    last 16 years. This historic low compared with the average of 80 journalists
    killed in the previous two years can be explained, according to France Presse
    news agency, by a decrease in the number of those killed in countries with
    armed conflicts like Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan. The report also shows that
    389 journalists were sent to prison for exercising their profession, up 12%
    compared with 2018. Almost half of the journalists sent behind bars are in three
    countries: China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Also, 57 journalists are held hostage
    at the moment, most of them, like in 2018, in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Ukraine.




    Film. The short film The Christmas Gift by the Romanian director
    Bogdan Muresanu is on the short list of Oscar nominations for 2020. The film is
    one of the most successful Romanian productions, winning over 50 international
    prizes and distinctions. The film is a black comedy about the last day of
    communism, December 20th 1989, when a couple from Bucharest realise
    their 7-year-old son sent a letter by post to Father Frost, the Father Christmas
    at the time, in which he wrote his father’s wish to see the dictator Nicolae
    Ceausescu dead. The film was recently named the best European short film at the
    European Film Awards in Berlin.





  • A new US ambassador to Bucharest

    A new US ambassador to Bucharest

    The United States’ agreed ambassador to
    Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman on Saturday formally presented the Romanian foreign
    minister Bogdan Aurescu with a copy of his letter of credence. The Romanian
    official used the opportunity to highlight the solidity of the bilateral
    strategic partnership, especially after the successful talks last August
    between the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and the White House leader Donald
    Trump. At the time, the areas covered by the strategic partnership were
    expanded, and minister Aurescu says it is necessary to continue to implement
    the strategic decisions taken, including in the area of energy security and 5G.




    The Romanian foreign minister also
    recalled the objective, of great importance for Romanian citizens, to see their
    country included in the Visa Waiver programme, which would allow them to travel
    to the US visa-free for tourism and business, if their stay does not exceed 90
    days. Bogdan Aurescu also spoke about the fact that Romanian society is one of
    the most pro-transatlantic and pro-American in Europe, and that Bucharest is
    acting constantly, within the European Union and NATO, to strengthen the
    transatlantic ties.




    For his part, the agreed ambassador
    Adrian Zuckerman said Romania could not have a better friend than the United
    States and praised the country’s remarkable transformation in the 30 years
    since the anti-communist revolution of 1989. Confirmed by the US Senate on the
    20th of November, Zuckerman, who is a lawyer by profession, was born
    in Romania, speaks fluent Romanian, and emigrated to the US with his family
    when he was ten years old. He is replacing Hans Klemm, who served as US
    ambassador to Romania since September 2015.

  • The Week in Review (17-23 November 2019)

    The Week in Review (17-23 November 2019)

    Romania is holding the second round of the presidential elections


    This was the last week of the election
    campaign for the presidential elections in Romania. On Sunday, November the 24th,
    Romanians will find out who their president will be for the next five years. In
    the race are the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, who is backed by the
    ruling National Liberal Party, and Viorica Dancila, the leader of the Social
    Democratic Party, in power until recently. Just like in the first round of
    voting, Romanian citizens living abroad have three days to cast their ballots.
    This measure and others were taken so as to prevent the long queues seen in the
    previous presidential elections in 2014 and the European elections last May. To
    eliminate the risk of overcrowding at polling stations, their number in the
    diaspora has basically doubled compared with the European elections, to reach
    835. The same number of polling stations has been maintained for the second
    round, but the location of some of them has been moved for objective reasons.
    The countries with the largest number of polling stations are Spain, Italy,
    Germany, the UK and France. In Romania, the voting process only takes place on
    Sunday, on the 24th of November.




    The Romanian currency hits record low against the euro


    The Romanian currency, the leu, has
    this week gone over the psychological threshold to reach 4.78 for one euro,
    hitting a record low against the European single currency. The leu has been
    depreciating for some two and a half months. The exchange rate we’ve seen
    recently is a reflection of the Romanian economy, the spokesman of the National
    Bank of Romania Dan Suciu has told Radio Romania. He has explained that growing
    imports and the trade deficit implicitly are the main cause for the
    depreciation of the leu.
    At the beginning of the month, the governor of the National Bank of Romania
    Mugur Isarescu was saying that these variations are minor compared with those
    of the Hungarian forint and the Polish zloty, which have seen very much bigger
    fluctuations. Specialists expect the national currency to depreciate even
    further next year. A strong euro in relation to the leu means a chain of price
    hikes, from higher interest rates on loans in euros to higher utility bills and
    more expensive homes.




    The hearings of the 27
    Commissioners-designate, officially closed


    The vote on the
    investiture of the new European Commission, headed by Ursula von der Leyen,
    will be held during the plenary session of the European Parliament on November
    27 in Strasbourg, the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli
    announced on Thursday. The Conference of Presidents, made up of the Parliament
    president and the political group leaders, Thursday concluded the hearings of
    the 26 Commissioners-designate and gave the green light for the last procedure
    required before the new Commission can start its work on December 1, one month
    later than originally scheduled. The Commission needs a majority of votes to be
    validated. On Monday, parliament’s committee on foreign affairs approved the
    candidacy of Oliver Varhelyi, put forth by Hungary for the Enlargement
    Commissioner post. On November 14, the relevant specialist committees also
    approved the candidates nominated by Romania and France: Adina Valean for
    Transport Commissioner and Thierry Breton for Internal Market Commissioner.




    New US Ambassador to Romania


    The New
    York-based lawyer Adrian Zuckerman will be the new US Ambassador to Romania,
    replacing Hans Klemm. Zuckerman was confirmed on Wednesday by the US Senate, by
    a 65-30 vote. Zuckerman immigrated to the US from Romania at the age of 10 and
    speaks fluent Romanian. In 1984, he was admitted to the New York Bar. A member
    of the Real Estate Board of New York and also involved in education and charity
    work, Adrian Zuckerman is a member of the Kids Corp Board and of the New York
    Law School alumni association.




    Radio Romania Gaudeamus Book Fair


    The 26th Gaudeamus Book
    fair organised by Radio Romania is coming to an end on Sunday. This year’s
    edition is dedicated to the
    anti-communist revolution of December 1989. Initiated by Radio Romania a
    quarter of a century ago concurrently with the Gaudeamus Book for Learning fair, the Radio
    Romania Gaudeamus project has become a landmark of the local book market. Its
    programme has expanded constantly since its inception, today featuring 116
    exhibition-type events and 13,600 different activities and attracting more than
    3 million visitors. The current edition features 900 editorial and professional
    events and brings together over 250 exhibitors. The poet Mircea Dinescu, an
    outspoken opponent of the dictatorial regime, and the actor Ion Caramitru, both
    of whom were emblematic figures of the Revolution, are the honorary
    co-presidents this year. The fair hands out three Gaudeamus trophies and a book
    of the year award, all of them based on the public’s vote. The excellence prize
    will be awarded to one of the publishing houses taking part in the fair and is
    meant to finance, either fully or partly, an editorial project of national
    importance and with international recognition. Other prizes include a
    translation award and an education award, among others.

  • September 26, 2019

    September 26, 2019

    TALKS The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis had a short meeting in New York on Wednesday with his Moldovan counterpart Igor Dodon, on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. President Klaus Iohannis emphasised during the talks that in Romanias view, the Republic of Moldovas European accession efforts, firmly supported by Bucharest, are the only way to ensure the prosperity of the Moldovan citizens. In turn, Igor Dodon emphasised that he supports the strategic partnership between Romania and Moldova, and added that Moldovas European accession remains a priority. The Romanian President also had a meeting with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter thanked Romania for supporting his countrys European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state. Volodymyr Zelensky and Klaus Iohannis also discussed cooperation opportunities in the economic and energy fields, as well as bilateral business relations.




    CoD Romania is taking over the 2-year presidency of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies, the Foreign Ministry announced. On this occasion, Foreign Minister Ramona Mănescu is taking part in New York today in an extraordinary meeting of this body. The Community of Democracies is a global inter-governmental structure aimed at promoting sustainable development, universal access to justice and efficient, responsible and inclusive institutions at all levels. Romania is one of the 106 UN member states that have signed the Warsaw Declaration, on whose principles the Community of Democracies has been founded.




    HEARING The candidacy of the Romanian Social Democrat Rovana Plumb for the post of European Commissioner for Transport was rejected on Thursday by the European Parliaments judicial committee, political sources in Brussels announced. Only 6 MEPs voted in her favour, 15 voted against and 2 abstained from voting. Without the approval of the judicial committee, the hearing in the Transport Committee cannot be held. The European Parliaments judicial committee had invited Rovana Plumb and Lazslo Trocsanyi, the European Commissioner nominated by Hungary, to a special hearing. Plumb was asked to clarify controversial aspects in her declaration of assets, related to a loan taken out in order to fund an election campaign.




    AMBASSADOR Lawyer Adrian Zuckermans nomination as US ambassador to Romania has been approved by the Foreign Relations Committee in the US Senate. According to the White House, Zuckerman immigrated to the US from Romania at the age of 10, and is fluent in Romanian. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1984, and was a partner in an international law firm. He was previously an arbitrator for the Real Estate Board of New York. He received his undergraduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his law degree from New York Law School.




    UNEMPLOYMENT In Romania, the unemployment rate dropped to 3.8% in the second quarter of the year, with the highest rate (15%) reported among youth 15 to 24 years of age, the National Statistics Institute reports. The data also indicates that unemployed men outnumber the women, and that unemployment is higher in rural communities. During the same period, the employment rate in the 15-66 age bracket was slightly over 66%, up since the previous quarter. Moreover, the employment rate for citizens aged between 20 and 64 was 71.6%, higher than the 70% national target set in the Europa 2020 Strategy. Romanias active population was 9.1 million people, of whom 8.8 million were employed in the second quarter of this year.




    HANDBALL Romanias womens handball team Wednesday night defeated Ukraine, at home, 27-24, in the first match in Group 7 of the 2020 European Championships qualifiers. On Sunday the Romanians will play against Faroe Islands away from home. Group 7 also includes Poland, and the 2 top-ranking teams will qualify in the final tournament. Romanias national team came in 4th in the previous European Championships, losing the bronze medal to the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Romanias champions Dinamo Bucharest won 35-28 against Danish vice-champions GOG Gudme, in Group D of the Champions League. Romania tops the group ranking, having outplayed the Swedish team IFK Kristianstad in Bucharest and drawn against the Swiss side Kadetten Schaffhausen, away from home. Dinamo will play next against Cehovskye Medvedy on October 12, in Russia.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)