Radio România Internațional

Tag: Ankara

May 21, 2024

goVisit – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is paying an official visit to Ankara today, at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The PM is accompanied by a delegation of ministers, in the context of which they will sign a series of agreements in the field of tourism, SMEs and urban planning. A joint meeting of the governments of the two states will also take place. Marcel Ciolacu and Recep Tayyip Erdogan will sign the joint declaration regarding the setting up of the high-level Strategic Cooperation Council between the two countries. According to a press release of the Romanian government, the prime minister’s intention is to increase bilateral trade exchanges to 15 billion dollars through future projects in energy, transport, agriculture, agri-food industry and defense. Last year, bilateral trade amounted to over 10 billion dollars, and Turkey is Romania’s main economic partner outside the European Union. In the context of the visit, the Turkish authorities have today published in the Official Gazette a decree under which the Romanian citizens can enter Turkey for transit or for tourism purposes only with the ID. They can stay in Turkey for 90 days at the most.

Iran – Iran will hold elections on June 28, after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi. Today, the funeral ceremonies for the former president have begun near the place where he died on Sunday, following the crash of the helicopter he was in. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared five days of national mourning on Monday after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and appointed the First Vice President Mohammed Mokhbe as interim president.

Royalty – Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, and His Royal Highness Prince Radu are paying a visit to Luxembourg these days, in order to emphasize “Romania’s role in the European Union and NATO and to support the European aspirations of the Republic of Moldova”. In the presence of His Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Her Majesty Margareta is giving a speech today at the Pierre Werner Institute on the security of the eastern borders of the EU and NATO. In the following days, the Custodian of the Crown and the Prince Consort will visit the University of Luxembourg and meet with students and staff from Romania. A visit is also scheduled to the Notre-Dame Saint-Sophie School, as well as to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, where they will meet the Romanians who work there. The program also includes a meeting with the members of the Romanian community in Luxembourg, as well as the inauguration of the photography exhibition “Contribution of the Royal Family to the consolidation of Romania’s role in NATO and the EU 2002-2023”.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan was voted the winner of the Heart Award, for her contribution in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, according to the competition’s Instagram page. Ana Bogdan won two of the three matches played in April in the meeting with Ukraine, as the Romanian team came back from 0-2 to 3-2. Thus, Romania qualified for the first time to the final tournament of the competition. The Romanian team will face Japan in the round of 16 of the Billie Jean King Cup, and if they win, they will play in the quarterfinals with Italy. The final tournament will take place between November 12-20, in Seville. On the other hand, in Strasbourg, the pair made up of the Romanian player Monica Niculescu and the Spanish Cristina Bucşa qualified, on Monday, to the quarterfinals of the doubles event of the WTA 500 tournament, after defeating the Czech-Slovak pair Marie Bouzkova/Tereza Mihalikova, 6-1, 6-3. In the quarterfinals, Niculescu and Bucşa will play against the Americans Ashlyn Kruger/Sloane Stephens.

Law – Penalties for trafficking in persons and minors, slavery or child pornography will no longer be suspended, according to a draft law that will receive the final vote in the Bucharest Chamber of Deputies. According to the new regulations, an increase in the penalties for these crimes will be applied. Thus, for slavery, child pornography and human trafficking, the prison sentence can reach up to 12 years, and if minors are involved, the sentence will be up to 20 years. We come back to that after the news.

Moldova – The Republic of Moldova signs, today, a security and defense pact with the European Union. Cooperation in this field is intensifying against the background of the war in Ukraine and in the context in which Chişinău accused Russia of waging a hybrid war against it. The security pact will be signed within the Association Council between the two parties and takes place on the sidelines of the General Affairs Council in Brussels. The collaboration thus extends on several security levels, from the military or cyber security to the fight against manipulation and disinformation, from border management to the fight against corruption. According to the Financial Times publication, the partnership with Brussels in the field of security and defense will allow the Republic of Moldova to exchange information and carry out joint military exercises, as well as to be included in the common arms procurement system of the EU. (LS)

21 May 2024
January 26, 2024

Protests – The Romanian government has adopted several measures aimed at solving the problems that have brought farmers and transporters to the streets in recent weeks. Money has been allocated for subsidies for farmers of dairy cows, buffaloes, poultry and pigs, and the subsidy for diesel fuel used in agriculture has also been increased. The money will reach the farmers by the end of June this year. For farmers affected by the drought of 2023, the government adopted an emergency ordinance that allows them to postpone payment of installments to the banks. It was also decided to change the legal framework so that truck drivers will no longer be fined for the expiry of the vignette in the case of long waiting times at customs points, and as regards the healthcare employees, an overall 20% increase in the salaries was agreed in the healthcare field for 2024.

Automobile – The production of vehicles in Romania reported a record increase last year and exceeded by more than 4% the total number of cars in 2019. Adrian Sandu, the general secretary of the Romanian Automobile Manufacturers Association, believes that this increase was possible thanks to the efforts of the two factories, Dacia and Ford, to find solutions to the crisis of electronic components. “Both the Dacia and Ford teams did their best to ensure an optimal supply flow of components, so that, against the background of a consistent demand, we have this increase in production, thus registering in 2023 a new record of production of vehicles in Romania, about 513,000 units”, said Adrian Sandu.

Drugs – The European Union states should focus on the fight against drug trafficking in ports, on an integrated basis at the international level, said the Romanian Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu on Thursday in Brussels. Attending the informal Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, he mentioned that a working group has been organized in Romania that integrates several institutions with attributions in preventing and combating drug trafficking. Cătălin Predoiu showed that, just as drug traffickers work in networks at the international level, the structures to combat this phenomenon must be organized in the same way, and Romania will be in the front line of this fight. At the same time, he welcomed the decision made by the Council last year, to expand the Schengen area with Romania and Bulgaria to include the air and maritime borders.

Flu – 18 people have died of the flu in Romania in the last week, and the total number of deaths caused by flu since the beginning of the cold season is 40. According to the National Public Health Institute, between January 15-21, over 120,000 cases of respiratory viruses and almost 7,000 cases of flu were registered, and hospitals are faced with increasing numbers of patients in the Emergency Outpatient Service Units. The youngest patients are babies only a few days old. Due to a lack of beds, doctors are forced to postpone the hospitalization of some of the patients. A little over 1 million people have been vaccinated against the flu this season, most of whom benefit from the reimbursable drug medicine scheme.

First house – Financiers who did not participate in the previous year can also register for this years edition of the “First House” program in Romania, for which the state will grant a total ceiling of guarantees of one billion lei (approx. 200 million Euros). “First House” 2024, as the program is now called, is granted in lei, for the purchase of a single house, and the maximum value of the loan is 66,500 Euros for houses whose price is a maximum of 70,000 Euros. The requested advance payment is 5%, and 119,000 Euros for homes whose price is a maximum of 140,000 Euros, in this case the requested advance payment being 15%. Since 2009, when this program was launched, over 330,000 Romanians have received loans to buy a home. They were mainly young people between 26 and 35. Most of the financing was requested for apartments with an area between 50 and 100 square meters, at prices between 50,000 and 100,000 Euros. The program directly contributed to the stabilization and maturity of the real estate market and of the mortgage market.

EU – The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, launched a strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in the EU. The initiative does not involve the adoption of decisions, it only focuses on debates about a common vision of the member states regarding agricultural policies. The Group for Strategic Dialogue and for the Future of European Agriculture is a new platform to which all those involved or influenced by agricultural policies in all Member States, all types of farmers, consumers, environmental organizations, scientists or financial institutions have been invited to participate. The discussions take place in the context in which farmers protests are gaining momentum in several European states, such as Romania, Poland, Germany, Spain, Lithuania, the Netherlands and France. The main problems of European farmers are related to the impact of EU environmental policies and the inflow of Ukrainian agricultural products into the EU, which influence farmers productivity and competitiveness.

Ankara — The Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan signed, on Thursday, the parliaments ratification of Swedens candidacy for NATO membership. Parliament ratified the document on Tuesday, eliminating a major hurdle in the way of expanding the Western military alliance after a 20-month delay. At this point, Hungary remains the only country that has yet to ratify the Nordic country’s NATO membership. When Sweden and Finland applied for joining NATO in 2022, Turkey surprised some members by saying the two countries were protecting groups that Ankara considers terrorists. It approved Finlands accession in April 2023 but, along with Hungary, left Sweden to wait. Ankara has called on Stockholm to toughen its stance on local members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which the EU and the US consider a terrorist group. In response, Stockholm introduced a new anti-terrorism bill that makes membership to a terrorist organization illegal. Sweden, Finland, Canada and the Netherlands have also taken steps towards relaxing the arms export policies to Turkey. Tayyip Erdogan linked Swedens accession ratification to the USs approval of the sale of F-16 fighter jets to his country. (LS)

26 January 2024
January 24, 2024

Union – Romanians mark on Wednesday, January 24, the Union of the Romanian Principalities of 1859. Achieved under the leadership of the ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the act of political will of 165 years ago by the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia to unite represented the first stage in the creation of the modern Romanian unitary state. This year as well, the Union of the Principalities, is marked by military and religious ceremonies, shows and exhibitions held in the countrys major cities. In Iasi (east), thousands of people came from the early hours of the morning to witness the events – a Te Deum, a ceremony at the statue of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the parade of over 300 soldiers and a traditional music concert. Alongside the residents of Iasi and the neighboring counties, high-ranking state dignitaries and politicians announced their presence at the ceremonies. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis gave a speech in which he stated that the anniversary of the Union of Principalities is not only a retrospective moment, but also an opportunity to project a better future for the nation. The PM Marcel Ciolacu stated that, 165 years after the Romanians united their efforts and laid the foundations of Romania as a nation, unitary and democratic state, Romania has entered a new stage of its modernization process, which will allow it to develop and grow to reach its real potential.

Chisinau – The Foreign Minister of the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, announced his resignation on Wednesday. He stated that he had fulfilled the objective set when he was appointed, and now he needed a break. Among the main achievements during the 2 and a half years of holding the FM position, Nicu Popescu obtained a certain visibility on the international level and gave a boost to relations with external partners, obtaining for Moldova the status of EU accession candidate country in June 2022 and the opening of negotiations in December 2023. These, despite the Russian aggression in neighboring Ukraine, which affected Moldova from an economic and energy point of view, and Moscows destabilization attempts. The Moldovan official announced that he would continue to support the Moldovan President, Maia Sandu, and the current government in their efforts to bring the Republic of Moldova into the European family.

US – The favorite of the American right, the former US president, Donald Trump, won, on Tuesday evening, the New Hampshire primary against his rival Nikki Haley, opening the way to his nomination by the Republican Party for the November presidential election against the Democrat Joe Biden. Since his November 2020 defeat by President Biden, which he has never acknowledged, and despite facing four criminal trials, Trump is determined to get revenge. To face Joe Biden on November 5, Trump must be nominated by his party at the end of all primaries in the American states. Last week, Donald Trump also won the Iowa primary.

Ambassadors – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, presented, on Tuesday, at the meeting of US ambassadors from the Black Sea region, held in Bucharest, Romanias approach to this area, focusing on its importance for the security of the Euro-Atlantic space and the prosperity of Europe. The head of Romanian diplomacy spoke about the deterioration of the security situation due to Russias war against Ukraine and the need to consolidate the allied presence on the entire Eastern Flank, as shown by a Foreign Ministry press release issued on Wednesday. At the same time, Ms. Odobescu mentioned Romanias constant involvement in supporting Ukraine, including the contribution to facilitating the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products to third markets. The event, hosted by the US Embassy in Bucharest and the US European Command (EUCOM), brought together senior American officials accredited in the states of the region.

NATO – The Turkish Parliament ratified, on Tuesday evening, Swedens accession to NATO, marking the end of 20 months of negotiations that tested the patience of Ankaras Western allies, eager to make a united front against Moscow. To meet Turkeys demands, Sweden has gone to great lengths to reform its constitution and pass a new anti-terrorism law, with Ankara accusing the northern country of leniency towards Kurdish militants who have taken refuge on its territory. The Swedish candidacy now requires the green light from Hungary. Budapest supported, in principle, Sweden’s entry but demands Stockholm to stop its policy of “denigration” of the Hungarian government, accused of authoritarianism. Sweden, one step away from becoming the 32nd member country of the North Atlantic Alliance, announced its candidacy in May 2022, at the same time as Finland, admitted last April. (LS)

24 January 2024
October 1, 2023 UPDATE

ATTACK
The explosion in front of the Parliament building in Ankara
on Sunday morning was a terror attack, the Turkish Interior Ministry has
announced. Two terrorists came with a light commercial vehicle in front of the
entrance gate of the General Directorate of Security of our Ministry of
Internal Affairs and carried out a bomb attack the Turkish Interior Minister
Ali Yerlikaya said adding that two policemen were wounded. The same sources
have announced that one of the terrorists blew himself up and the other was
neutralized. According to the Turkish media, the central district is home to several
ministerial buildings and the nearby Parliament. The country’s president Recep
Erdogan was set to attend the opening of the new session of Parliament, which
is these days expected to validate Sweden’s entry into NATO. During a series of
bloody incidents in 2015 and 2016, Kurdish militants, Islamic State and other
groups either claimed or were blamed for several attacks in major Turkish
cities.

ELECTION Former Prime Minister Robert Fico and his populist, leftist
party, SMER-SD have won the early Parliament election in Slovakia after 99.9%
of the votes cast on Saturday were counted. The result contradicts the exit
polls, which indicated the victory of the pro-European Progressive Slovakia.
SMER-SD, which promoted anti-NATO and EU messages during their campaign and
pledged to cut the military support given to Ukraine, has mustered 23.3% of the
votes, 6% more than the Progressive Slovakia. Radio Romania correspondent in Slovakia
says that a coalition is envisaged involving SMER, Hlas, which is a splinter
group from Fico’s party and the Christian-Democrats, which together have most
of the Parliament seats. Robert Fico was forced to step down in 2018 amid
protests caused by the killing of an investigative journalist.

ART Almost
100 works of art by Romania’s famous sculptor Constantin Brancusi are on
display as of Saturday in Timisoara, western Romania, in the most important
exhibition dedicated to this major artist in the past half a century. The
exhibition includes sculptures, photos, archive documents and film footages on
display at the local National Art Museum until late January. The exhibits’
total insured value stays around half a billion euros. Under the suggestive title,
Brancusi, Romanian sources and universal prospects the exhibition invites the
public to explore the way in which Brancusi managed to cross all geographic,
historical, formal and gender borders in order to ensure that special place
unattached to any artistic current. The exhibition has on view a series of
artefacts borrowed from the National Museum of Modern Art, Pompidou Center, in
Paris, the Tate Gallery in London, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Art
Museum in Bucharest, the Art Museum in Craiova and some private collections.
Among the famous artefacts visitors can admire in Timisoara, there is the Bird
in Space, the Kiss, Mademoiselle Pogany or Sleeping Muse. The aforementioned
exhibition is part of the programme Timisoara – European Capital of Culture.

RUGBY Romania’s national rugby side lost
their third game in group B of the World Cup in France. On Saturday in Lille,
our rugby side came a cropper in their match against Scotland 0-84, the most
dramatic defeat in its history. Our players have so far lost to world leader
Ireland and the en-titre champions South Africa and will be playing their last
game against Tonga on October 8.

TENNIS The
Romanian-Ukrainian pair made up of Monica Niculescu and Nadiia Kichenok on
Sunday qualified for the round of 16 of the doubles contest of the WTA 1000
tournament in Beijing, a competition with more than 8 million dollars in prize
money after a 6-3, 6-3 win against Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara of Japan. In the
eight finals Niculescu and Kichenok will be up against the winners of the match
pitching Ana Danilina of Kazahstan and Alexandra Panova of Russia to Beatriz
Haddad Maia of Brazil and Veronika Kudermetova of Russia. The main draw of the
doubles contest also includes another Romanian, Sorana Cirstea who joined
Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the USA for a match against Hao-ching Chan of Taiwan
and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico.

(bill)

1 October 2023
Explozie la Ankara

Explozia care a avut loc duminică dimineață în apropierea Parlamentului
în centrul capitalei Ankara a fost un atac terorist, a anunțat Ministerul de
Interne turc.

Doi teroriști au apărut la bordul unui vehicul în fața porții de
intrare a Direcției Generale de Securitate a Ministerului nostru de Interne și
au comis un atac cu bombă, a indicat ministerul, raportând doi răniți printre
polițiști. Unul dintre atacatori s-a aruncat în aer, iar
celălalt a deschis focul asupra unei secţii de poliţie, înainte de a fi
lichidat de forţele de ordine. Atacul a avut loc cu câteva ore înainte de
deschiderea noii sesiuni parlamentare. Preşedintele Recep Tayyip Erdogan urma
să se adreseze deputaţilor, care ar trebui să valideze intrarea Suediei în NATO
în cursul acestei sesiuni.

Agentiile de presa amintesc ca Ankara a fost scena
mai multor atentate în anii 2015-2016, asumate de separatiştii kurzii sau de
gruparea Stat Islamic. Turcia s-a opus până acum aderării Suediei la NATO, pe
motiv că găzduieşte militanţi kurzi, pe care Ankara îi acuză de terorism

1 October 2023
October 1, 2023

ATTACK The
explosion in front of the Parliament building in Ankara on Sunday morning was a
terror attack, the Turkish Interior Ministry has announced. Two terrorists
came with a light commercial vehicle in front of the entrance gate of the
General Directorate of Security of our Ministry of Internal Affairs and carried
out a bomb attack the Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya says adding that
two policemen have been wounded. According to the same sources, one of the
terrorists blew himself up and the other was neutralized. According to the
Turkish media, several ministries and the building of Parliament are located in
the aforementioned district. The country’s president Recep Erdogan was set to
attend the opening of Parliament’s new session at 7 hours local time.

BRATISLAVA Former Prime Minister Robert Fico and his populist, leftist
party, SMER-SD have won the early Parliament election in Slovakia after 99.9%
of the votes cast on Saturday were counted. The result contradicts the exit
polls, which indicated the victory of the pro-European Progressive Slovakia.
SMER-SD, which promoted anti-NATO and EU messages during their campaign and
pledged to cut the military support given to Ukraine, has mustered 23.3% of the
votes, 6% more than the Progressive Slovakia. Radio Romania correspondent in
Slovakia says that a coalition is envisaged involving SMER, Hlas, which is a
splinter group from Fico’s party and the Christian-Democrats, which together
have most of the Parliament seats. Robert Fico was forced to step down in 2018
amid protests caused by the killing of an investigative journalist.

ART Almost
100 works of art by Romania’s famous sculptor Constantin Brancusi are on
display as of Saturday in Timisoara, western Romania, in the most important
exhibition dedicated to this major artist in the past half a century. The
exhibition includes sculptures, photos, archive documents and film footages on
display at the local National Art Museum until late January. The exhibits’
total insured value stays around half a billion euros. Under the suggestive
title, Brancusi, Romanian sources and universal prospects the exhibition
invites the public to explore the way in which Brancusi managed to cross all
geographic, historical, formal and gender borders in order to ensure that
special place unattached to any artistic current. The exhibition has on view a
series of artefacts borrowed from the National Museum of Modern Art, Pompidou
Center, in Paris, the Tate Gallery in London, the Guggenheim Foundation, the
National Art Museum in Bucharest, the Art Museum in Craiova and some private
collections. Among the famous artefacts visitors can admire in Timisoara, there
is the Bird in Space, the Kiss, Mademoiselle Pogany or Sleeping Muse. The
aforementioned exhibition is part of the programme Timisoara – European Capital
of Culture.

RUGBY Romania’s
national rugby side lost their third game in group B of the World Cup in
France. On Saturday in Lille, our rugby side came a cropper in their match
against Scotland 0-84, the most dramatic defeat in its history. Our players
have so far lost to world leader Ireland and the en-titre champions South
Africa and will be playing their last game against Tonga on October 8.

WEATHER The
weather is incredibly warm for this time of the year, especially in Romania’s
southern and south-eastern regions. Showers have been reported in the north,
center and east and also in the mountains. The highs of the day are ranging
between 18 and 30 degrees with a noon reading in Bucharest of 30 degrees
Celsius.

(bill)

1 October 2023
Reprezentanțele diplomatice ale României în spațiul turc

Din secolul al 19-lea, treptat, Principatele Române încep să se desprindă de otomanism prin importul masiv de civilizație și cultură din Occident. Astfel, și relațiile diplomatice dintre România și Imperiul otoman și succesoarea lui Turcia vor cunoaște și ele o redimensionare. Pe măsură ce România își câștiga dreptul de stat independent, misiunile diplomatice care să-i găzduiască pe cei care reprezentau interesele române în lumea otomană și turcă erau regândite.

O istorie a reprezentanțelor diplomatice ale României este cel mai nou proiect la care lucrează un grup de istorici români. Vedeta proiectului este, de departe, reprezentanța României de la Paris. Însă și reprezentanțele din Imperiul otoman și Turcia au multe de spus. Silvana Rachieru predă istorie otomană la Universitatea din București și ea a prezentat o schiță pentru o istorie a reședințelor diplomatice ale României în spațiul turc. De la o clădire din apropierea Pieței Taksim, legație, apoi consulat al României, acum sediu al Institutului Cultural Român, pornește această istorie. Silvana Rachieru și-a început cercetarea ascultând poveștile clădirii. Cea mai palpitantă dintre ele era cum că un iubit al prințesei Martha Bibescu pierduse clădirea la poker sau la alte jocuri de noroc, iar după aceea statul român a achiziționat-o și a reușit s-o recupereze. Totul era foarte romanțat, foarte frumos, se potrivea cu spațiul în care ne aflam. Însă informația că edificiul aparținuse Marthei Bibescu apărea în arhive foarte clar.

Pera diplomatica era cartierul european al Istanbulului. Pe La Grand Rue de Pera se aflau, începând din secolul al 17-lea, reședințele diplomatice ale Marilor Puteri. În secolul al 19-lea, noul stat român își trimitea reprezentanții diplomatici în preajma marilor decidenți ai timpului, însă posibilitățile de întreținere în acea zonă erau prea mici pentru statul român. Silvana Rachieru. Agenția diplomatică română ce a funcționat între 1859 și 1878 avea spațiu închiriat. De fapt, era apartamentul agentului diplomatic care funcționa și ca sediu al agenției diplomatice. Acest fapt este menționat în 1878 de Dimitrie Brătianu, primul reprezentant al României la Constantinopol de după independență. El transmite, la câteva săptămâni după ce ajunge în capitala otomană, că sediul legației se afla într-o casă de piatră în cartierul Çukurcuma (pronunță: Ciucurgiuma), tot în zona Pera, unde era și locuința lui. Brătianu scria că nu era cel mai potrivit sediu pentru a marca deschiderea unei legații și că ministerul ar trebui să facă un gest frumos și să acorde finanțare pentru închirierea unui spațiu mai generos și adaptat noilor cerințe.

Abia în 1887 se închiriază primul sediu separat de locuința personală a reprezentantului diplomatic. Iar din 1903 România își manifestă intenția serioasă de a cumpăra o clădire pentru a fi reședință permanentă. Silvana Rachieru. Destinația finală a misiunii diplomatice române în capitala imperiului și în cel mai important oraș al Republicii turce va fi în strada Sıraselviler (pronunță: Sâraselviler), care în turcă înseamnă Șirul de chiparoși. Aici, în 1903, România închiriază un spațiu. În spatele acestei acțiuni este ministrul plenipotențiar de atunci Alexandru Lahovary. În contractul de închiriere se menționează că atunci când proprietarul se va decide să vândă, statul român să fie primul care să-i poată face o ofertă și să achiziționeze spațiul, ceea ce va începe să fie discutat mult mai serios din 1905 și se va finaliza în 1907. Din anul 1907 încoace avem un reper în apropierea Pieței Taksim care este asociat cu România în zilele noastre.

Clădirea era cunoscută cu numele de conacul Musurus Pașa, după numele proprietarului ei, un diplomat otoman de origine greacă. Cartierul era unul grecesc care începe să se dezvolte după marele incendiu din 1870. Era o zonă comercială activă, energică, unde se construiau apartamente după model francez și funcționau birouri. În apropiere se ridică și cea mai importantă biserică ortodoxă greacă de după cucerirea Constantinopolului din 1453. Acolo va fi, până în 1927, sediul legației României.

Urmările primului război mondial asupra Imperiului otoman vor fi tragice. Din 1923, după proclamarea Republicii Turcia, fondarea noii capitale la Ankara a însemnat mutarea centrului de greutate al noului stat. Iar reprezentanțele diplomatice au mers către acesta, deși cu întârziere. România a ezitat și ea să facă pasul mult timp, iar Silvana Rachieru a spus de ce. Ezită fiindcă Ankara, în 1923, era mai mult rurală decât urbană. Primele misini diplomatice primesc din partea lui Mustafa Kemal câte un vagon unde să lucreze. Era greu să pleci de pe Bosfor, mai ales când aveai o reședință impozantă. Drumul dura foarte mult până la Ankara. Nici celelalte puteri nu se grăbeau să se mute, dar treptat se mută. România pierde în acel moment un tren întrucât în primii ani se primea un teren într-o zonă pe care Mustafa Kemal dorea să o transforme în noul cartier diplomatic. Ezitările României fac ca la momentul mutării să nu mai fie terenuri disponibile în acel cartier.

România revine la închirierea de spații pentru legație în cartierul rezidențial Çankaya (pronunță: Ciancaia). Iar în anii 1950, va cumpăra un teren și construi o clădire pentru ambasadă pe strada denumită București.

RadioRomaniaInternational · Enciclopedia RRI – 18.06.2023

18 June 2023
June 3, 2023 UPDATE

Visit – King Charles III of Great Britain is in Romania, on his first trip abroad since the coronation that took place less than a month ago. His five-day visit is private, and the meeting he had with President Klaus Iohannis on Friday was a gesture of courtesy. After the meeting with the head of the Romanian state, the British sovereign confessed that he always felt at home in Romania, which he called, in Romanian, “land of glory, land of longing”, quoting from the poem of Romania’s national poet Mihai Eminescu “What I wish for you, sweet Romania!. President Klaus Iohannis thanked the British sovereign for his involvement in protecting values related to the national identity and emphasized that the Charitable Foundation of King Charles III opened the possibility of rediscovering the Romanian village. It is the first time that a British monarch visits Romania. On Friday evening, the king arrived at his residence in the village of Valea Zălanului (central Romania), where he will spend a few days of vacation. As a Crown Prince, Charles visited Romania several times, the first time in 1998 and declared himself an admirer of the country. He got involved in preserving the Romanian cultural heritage, buying and restoring old houses in the countryside, which he saved from destruction. In 2017, the Presidency granted him the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross.

Turkey — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu participated on Saturday, in Ankara, in the investiture ceremony of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was re-elected on May 28 this year. The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, was among the officials attending the event. According to a NATO press release, Jens Stoltenberg will try, during the two days he will stay in Ankara, to convince Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop opposing Swedens accession to NATO. Ankara has not yet ratified this countrys entry into the Alliance in its Parliament, so only Finland was accepted in the spring. Turkeys claims concern Swedens treatment of entities or persons considered by Ankara to be terrorists. On June 1, however, a new legislation regarding the fight against terrorism entered into force in Sweden, and it includes the elements requested by Turkey. The Hungarian Parliament has not ratified Swedens accession either, but the political world is sure that Budapests ratification will come immediately after Ankaras decision.

Award — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis received, on Saturday, the German Civic Award, granted by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, in Dusseldorf, Germany. In the thank-you speech delivered in German, Klaus Iohannis recalled the efforts made by Romania to contribute to securing the EU borders. Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romanias support for the European values, which gives legitimacy to the citizens desire to benefit from integration into the Schengen Area. He reminded that Romania fully meets the criteria for integration, managing the external borders with responsibility and efficiency. The foundation decided to award the prize based on the evaluation of the entire political career of the Romanian president, emphasizing the support of the harmonious coexistence of different ethnicities, the commitment to freedom, democracy and pluralism, the restoration and modernization of his hometown Sibiu (the center of Romania), the support for the anti-corruption fight and the attachment to the idea of a united Europe. On Sunday, Klaus Iohannis will receive, in Frankfurt am Main, the Franz Werfel prize for human rights, offered by the Center against Expulsions. The granting of this award represents the recognition of his activity in the field of promoting human rights and good coexistence between ethnic groups, throughout his political career.

Timisoara — This years edition of the Romanian Chamber Orchestra Tour began on Saturday, in Timișoara, the European Capital of Culture 2023. Now in its fifth edition, the current tour has the most extensive formula so far – over 50 musicians performing on the worlds great stages will reunite under the baton of Timișoara-born conductor Cristian Măcelaru. “It is a project in which we bring as many Romanians from outside Romania as possible, who want to return and contribute to the cultural life in Romania. Because in all the orchestras in Europe and in America there are Romanians of extraordinary quality, and this orchestra – the Romanian Chamber Orchestra – that was formed is, indeed, a dear project and every time the tour was held in Timişoara. That was my wish”, said the conductor Cristian Măcelaru. Tonights concert program includes works by Mozart, Schubert and Ligeti, the soloist being the clarinetist Carlos Ferreira.

Agriculture — In the last year, Romania was the second largest exporter of wheat to the EU, after France, being followed by Germany and Poland. Eurostat data shows that from July 1, 2022, Romania exported almost 4 million tons of wheat, but European data also shows an increase of over 200% in EU wheat imports. Spain is the largest European importer of wheat, more than 3 million tons, followed by Romania with over 890,000 tons. Data centralized by Eurostat also show that in the last year Romania exported more than half of the total amount of corn sold for export by the EU – 1.64 tons out of a total of almost 3 million tons. According to the provisional data announced by the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest, Romania, which is the largest exporter of corn in the Union, obtained a grain corn production of 8.2 million tons last year, while in 2021 the harvest of grain corn was almost 15 million tons.

Accident – The death toll of the three-train crash in eastern India is hundreds of dead, and the authorities say that the number of victims will increase. Hundreds more people are injured in the worst train accident in India this century. Two passenger trains collided, and a goods train stationed in the area was also involved in the accident. India has seen many railway accidents over time, but safety on the railways has improved significantly in recent years due to massive new investments and technological upgrades.

Paris – The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse qualified, on Saturday, to the round of 16 of the womens doubles in the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, in which she pairs with the Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk. In the second round of the Parisian competition on clay court, the two defeated, in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, the pair made up of the Belgian Kirsten Flipkens and the American Shelby Rogers. In the round of 16, Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk will face the winners of the match between Victoria Azarenka (Belarus)/Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil) and 2nd seeds CoCo Gauff/Jessica Pegula (USA). (LS)

3 June 2023
June 3, 2023

Visit – King Charles III of Great Britain is in Romania, on his first trip abroad since the coronation that took place less than a month ago. His five-day visit is private, and the meeting he had with President Klaus Iohannis on Friday was a gesture of courtesy. After the meeting with the head of the Romanian state, the British sovereign confessed that he always felt at home in Romania, which he called, in Romanian, “land of glory, land of longing”, quoting from the poem of Romania’s national poet Mihai Eminescu “What I wish for you, sweet Romania!. President Klaus Iohannis thanked the British sovereign for his involvement in protecting values related to the national identity and emphasized that the Charitable Foundation of King Charles III opened the possibility of rediscovering the Romanian village. It is the first time that a British monarch visits Romania. On Friday evening, the king arrived at his residence in the village of Valea Zălanului (central Romania), where he will spend a few days of vacation. As a Crown Prince, Charles visited Romania several times, the first time in 1998 and declared himself an admirer of the country. He got involved in preserving the Romanian cultural heritage, buying and restoring old houses in the countryside, which he saved from destruction. In 2017, the Presidency granted him the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross.

Turkey — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is participating, today, in Ankara, in the investiture ceremony of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was re-elected on May 28 this year. The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, is among the officials attending the event. According to a NATO press release, Jens Stoltenberg will try, during the two days he will stay in Ankara, to convince Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop opposing Swedens accession to NATO. Ankara has not yet ratified this countrys entry into the Alliance in its Parliament, so only Finland was accepted in the spring. Turkeys claims concern Swedens treatment of entities or persons considered by Ankara to be terrorists. On June 1, however, a new legislation regarding the fight against terrorism entered into force in Sweden, and it includes the elements requested by Turkey. The Hungarian Parliament has not ratified Swedens accession either, but the political world is sure that Budapests ratification will come immediately after Ankaras decision.

Prize — Today, President Klaus Iohannis receives the German Civic Award, granted by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, as part of a ceremony that will take place in Dusseldorf, Germany. The foundation decided to award the prize based on the evaluation of the entire political career of the Romanian head of state, emphasizing the support for the harmonious coexistence of different ethnicities, the commitment to freedom, democracy and pluralism, the revamping and modernization of his hometown Sibiu (the center of Romania), the support of the anti-corruption fight and the attachment to the idea of a united Europe. On Sunday, President Klaus Iohannis will receive, in Frankfurt on Main, the Franz Werfel prize for human rights, granted by the Center against Expulsions. The Romanian Presidential Administration specifies that the decision to grant this award represents the recognition of his activity in the field of promoting human rights and good coexistence between ethnic groups, throughout his political career.

Timisoara — This years edition of the Romanian Chamber Orchestra Tour begins today, in Timișoara, the European Capital of Culture 2023. Now in its fifth edition, the current tour has the most extensive formula so far – over 50 musicians performing on the worlds great stages will reunite under the baton of Timișoara-born conductor Cristian Măcelaru. “It is a project in which we bring as many Romanians from outside Romania as possible, who want to return and contribute to the cultural life in Romania. Because in all the orchestras in Europe and in America there are Romanians of extraordinary quality, and this orchestra – the Romanian Chamber Orchestra – that was formed is, indeed, a dear project and every time the tour was held in Timişoara. That was my wish”, said the conductor Cristian Măcelaru. Tonights concert program includes works by Mozart, Schubert and Ligeti, the soloist being the clarinetist Carlos Ferreira.

Agriculture — In the last year, Romania was the second largest exporter of wheat to the EU, after France, being followed by Germany and Poland. Eurostat data shows that from July 1, 2022, Romania exported almost 4 million tons of wheat, but European data also shows an increase of over 200% in EU wheat imports. Spain is the largest European importer of wheat, more than 3 million tons, followed by Romania with over 890,000 tons. Data centralized by Eurostat also show that in the last year Romania exported more than half of the total amount of corn sold for export by the EU – 1.64 tons out of a total of almost 3 million tons. According to the provisional data announced by the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest, Romania, which is the largest exporter of corn in the Union, obtained a grain corn production of 8.2 million tons last year, while in 2021 the harvest of grain corn was almost 15 million tons.

Accident – The death toll of the three-train crash in eastern India is hundreds of dead, and the authorities say that the number of victims will increase. Hundreds more people are injured in the worst train accident in India this century. Two passenger trains collided, and a goods train stationed in the area was also involved in the accident. India has seen many railway accidents over time, but safety on the railways has improved significantly in recent years due to massive new investments and technological upgrades. (LS)

3 June 2023
MAE face precizări privind situația generată de seismul din Marea Egee

În contextul situației generate de seismul produs în cursul zilei de 30 octombrie 2020 în Marea Egee, Ambasada României la Ankara, Consulatul General al României la Izmir și Ambasada României la Atena au întreprins, în regim de urgență, demersuri pe lângă autoritățile locale pentru a obține informații cu privire la existența unor cetățeni români printre persoanele afectate.

Până la acest moment, autoritățile turce, respectiv autoritățile elene nu au notificat misiunile diplomatice sau consulare ale României în cele două state cu privire la existența unor cetățeni români printre persoanele afectate, iar la nivelul misiunilor României nu au fost primite solicitări de asistență consulară.

MAE precizează că cetățenii români care se află pe teritoriul Republicii Turcia pot solicita asistență consulară la numărul de telefon al Ambasadei României la Ankara: +90 312 4477940, al Consulatului General al României la Izmir: +90 232 4650579 și ale Consulatului General al României la Istanbul: +90 212 3583541, +90 212 3580516, +90 212 3583537, apelurile fiind redirecționate către Centrul de Contact și Suport al Cetățenilor Români din Străinătate (CCSCRS) și preluate de către operatorii Call Center în regim de urgență sau la numerele de telefon de urgență ale acestora: Ambasada României la Ankara: +90 532 3181726, Consulatul General al României la Izmir: +90 530 4150077 și Consulatul General al României la Istanbul: +90 533 5420695.

Cetățenii români care se află pe teritoriul Republicii Elene pot solicita asistență consulară la numărul de telefon al Ambasadei României la Atena: +30 210 6728879, apelurile fiind redirecționate către Centrul de Contact și Suport al Cetățenilor Români din Străinătate (CCSCRS) și preluate de către operatorii Call Center în regim de urgență sau la numărul de telefon de urgență al ambasadei: +30 6978996222.

Misiunile diplomatice și oficiile consulare ale României în Republica Turcia și în Republica Elenă sunt în dialog cu autoritățile locale din cele două state, fiind pregătite să acorde asistență consulară, conform competențelor legale și cu stricta respectare a măsurilor adoptate de către autoritățile locale în contextul pandemiei de COVID-19.

30 October 2020
19.04.2019 (mise à jour)

Procureur
général – Le président roumain Klaus
Iohannis a signé vendredi le décret permettant au procureur général Augustin
Lazar de prendre sa retraite le 27 avril, à la fin de son mandat. La semaine
dernière, M Lazar s’était porté candidat pour un nouveau mandat de procureur
général. Toutefois, après avoir interviewé les quatre candidats, le ministre de
la Justice, Tudorel Toader, a déclaré qu’aucun n’avait rempli les conditions
nécessaires pour ce poste. Par conséquent, la procédure a été reprise. Notons
aussi qu’Augustin Lazar a été récemment accusé d’avoir refusé la libération
conditionnelle d’un dissident anticommuniste lorsqu’il travaillait au
pénitencier d’Aiud dans les années 80. En réplique, M Lazar a expliqué que ses
attributions étaient de constater si les détenus qui demandaient la libération
conditionnelle avaient effectué une partie de leur peine aux termes de la loi,
mais que la décision de la libération ne lui appartenait pas.

Diplomatie – Le
ministre roumain des affaires étrangères, Teodor Meleşcanu, a participé, jeudi
et vendredi, à Ankara, à une nouvelle séance de consultations trilatérales des
chefs des diplomaties de Roumanie, Pologne et Turquie. Les ministres ont
analysé les évolutions sécuritaires régionales et internationales, ainsi que
les contributions concrètes des trois pays à la réalisation des objectifs de
l’OTAN. Le ministre roumain des affaires étrangères, Teodor Meleşcanu, a
informé ses homologues sur les démarches des autorités roumaines pour gérer
efficacement ces évolutions dans le voisinage oriental de l’Alliance et dans la
région de la mer Noire. M. Meleşcanu a aussi évoqué le soutien accordé par
Bucarest aux partenaires de l’est (la Géorgie, la République de Moldova et
l’Ukraine) et à ceux des Balkans occidentaux, pour faire progresser leurs
relations avec l’OTAN et avec l’UE. Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine a
confirmé à nouveau la contribution de Bucarest aux missions et opérations de
l’Alliance et à la Coalition globale contre l’organisation Etat islamique, précise
un communiqué de presse du MAE roumain.

Marine – Le bâtiment hydrographique HMS ‘Echo’
de la marine britannique fait, à partir de du 21 avril, une escale de quatre
jours dans le port roumain de Constanţa (à la mer Noire), a informé ce vendredi
l’Etat-Major des Forces navales roumaines, dans un communiqué de presse. A
cette occasion, les représentants de l’équipage auront des entretiens avec les
experts de la Direction hydrographique maritime de Constanţa, ainsi qu’avec les
autorités publiques, civiles et militaires de la ville. La présence du navire
britannique HMS ‘Echo’ en mer Noire fait partie des mesures prises par l’OTAN
pour assurer la sécurité des alliés sur le flanc oriental, dans le cadre des
engagements de défense collective, précise encore l’Etat-Major des Forces
navales roumaines.

Frontières – Plus de 20.000 personnes, avec 6000 véhicules
sont entrées en Roumanie ces 24 dernières heures, par le point de frontière Nădlac,
entre la Hongrie et la Roumanie. Selon la Police aux frontières les Roumains
qui travaillent à l’étranger sont en train de rentrer au pays pour les fêtes
pascales. Le temps d’attente pour passer la frontière à Nădlac était de 20
minutes. Dans deux autres points de frontière le trafic se déroulait dans des
conditions normales.

Médaille – L’Université Polytechnique de Timisoara (ouest)
a remporté une médaille d’or au Salon international des inventions de Genève.
Les professeurs Roland Szabo et Aurel Gontean de la Faculté d’Electronique,
Télécommunications et Technologies de l’information ont réalisé une clé usb qui peut être utilisée en la connectant directement au réseau. Son but est
d’accroître la vitesse de transfert des fichiers de petites dimensions. Environ 800 inventeurs
de 40 pays ont participé cette année au Salon international des inventions de
Genève. Ils ont présenté un millier d’inventions, dont une trentaine appartient
à des Roumains.

Rougeole – 102 nouveaux cas de rougeole ont été
confirmés en Roumanie depuis le début de cette semaine. Le Centre national de
surveillance et de contrôle des maladies transmissibles informe que ces cas ont
été dépistés dans 12 départements du pays, le nombre le plus élevé de malades -
40 – se trouvaient dans le département de Mehedinţi (sud-ouest). Le nombre
total de cas de rougeole confirmés est actuellement de 16.552, dont 62 mortels.
La plupart des enfants malades étaient non vaccinés contre cette maladie.

Tennis – L’équipe de Roumanie de tennis féminin
affrontera, ce week-end à Rouen, l’équipe de France, en demi-finale de la Fed
Cup. Le premier match de simple opposera Simona Halep (la numéro 2 mondiale) à Kristina
Mladenovic. Ensuite, Mihaela
Buzărnescu jouera contre Caroline Garcia. Le double roumain, composé d’Irina Begu et de Monica Niculescu, affrontera
le duo Caroline Garcia/ Kristina Mladenovic. C’est pour la 2-e fois
que la Roumanie rencontre la France dans le cadre de la Fed Cup. Leur première
rencontre remonte à 1976.

Météo – Dans les 24 prochaines heures le ciel sera
couvert sur le sud, l’est et le centre, ainsi qu’en montagne. Les températures
maximales iront de 10 à 20 degrés.

19 April 2019
Rumänien reagiert auf Anschläge in Berlin und Ankara

Das Jahresende 2016 ist in Blut getränkt. Die Anschläge von Berlin und das Attentat auf den russischen Botschafter in Ankara haben einmal mehr gezeigt, dass kein europäisches Land vor dem Terrorismus geschützt ist. Am Montagabend war ein LKW absichtlich auf einen Weihnachtsmarkt in der Stadtmitte von Berlin gelenkt worden, dabei starben zwölf Menschen und 49 wurden zum Teil schwer verletzt. Der Berater des rumänischen Präsidenten, Bogdan Aurescu, drückte in einer Beileidsbekundung die Anteilnahme des Präsidialamtes mit den Hinterbliebenen, den Behörden und dem deutschen Volk aus, angesichts der unschuldigen Opfer, der bei dieser unvorstellbaren Tragödie“ verstorbenen und verletzten Menschen.

Ministerpräsident Dacian Cioloş erwähnte in einem Beileidsschreiben an die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel die Solidarität der Rumänen mit dem deutschen Volk in diesem schwierigen Moment. Rumänien verurteile aufs Schärfste jegliche Art von Terror-Anschlägen und plädiere für koordinierte und entschlossene Anstrengungen auf internationaler Ebene für die Bekämpfung des Terrors, hei‎ßt es in der Mitteilung des Regierungschefs noch.

Terroristen könnten jederzeit und überall zuschlagen, einschlie‎ßlich in Rumänien, behaupten Sicherheitsexperten. Allerdings sei die Gefahr eines Attentats auf rumänischem Gebiet kleiner als in den Staaten, die an der vordersten Front im Kampf gegen den IS stünden. Die Zeitung Adevărul zitiert den Experten für externe Sicherheit, Dan Claudiu Degeratu, der die Vorteile Rumäniens im Verhältnis zu anderen europäischen Staaten aufzählt: Das Land nimmt wenige Flüchtlinge auf und erfreut sich noch eines guten Images im Nahen Osten. Darüber hinaus sei die islamische Gemeinschaft in Rumänien nicht radikalisiert. In Deutschland, das im Vergleich dazu mehr als eine Million Flüchtlinge aufgenommen habe, sei die Lage anders, erklärt Universitätsprofessor Ştefan Popescu:

Die Tatsache, dass Deutschland für lange Zeit, das ganze Jahr 2015 und den ersten Teil des Jahres 2016, seine Tore offen hielt, bedeutet nicht gleichzeitig, dass es nicht anfällig ist. Im Gegenteil, das Land war noch mehr ausgesetzt… Jetzt ist es zum ersten Mal zum Ziel eines Terroranschlags geworden, obwohl es nicht mit Streitkräften beteiligt ist, so wie Frankreich in Subsahara-Afrika oder im Nahen und Mittleren Osten.“

Die Lage in Syrien war auch Vorwand für die kaltblütige Ermordung des russischen Botschafters in Ankara, Andrej Karlow. Das Au‎ßenministerium in Moskau bezeichnete den Vorfall als Terroranschlag. Präsidentenberater Aurescu sprach von einem abscheulichen Akt“. Ministerpräsident Cioloş betonte, derartige barbarische Angriffe auf diplomatische Vertreter seien in keinster Weise rechtfertigt und müssten um jeden Preis bekämpft werden“. Au‎ßeminister Lazăr Comănescu verweist in einem Schreiben an seinen russischen Kollegen Sergej Lawrow auf die Bedeutung der Bekämpfung von Terroranschlägen und die Verurteilung der Verantwortlichen vor Gericht. Vergesst Aleppo nicht, vergesst Syrien nicht!“ — rief der Angreifer, während er mehrere Schüsse auf den russischen Botschafter abgab. Solange unsere Ortschaften nicht in Sicherheit sind, werdet ihr euch auch nicht sicher fühlen“, lautete die offenbar gegen Russland gerichtete Drohung, ein Land, das direkt an den Militäraktionen in Syrien beteiligt ist.

21 December 2016
Reactions to Terror Attacks in Europe

Tragedy marks
the end of the year. The attack in Berlin and the assassination in Ankara have
once again proved that no European country stands alone in the face of
terrorism. After a truck ran into the people attending a Christmas street fair
in the German capital city on the night of December 19, the presidential
adviser Bogdan Aurescu sent condolences, on behalf of Romania’s presidency, to
the mourning families, the German authorities and the German people as a whole,
for the innocent victims of this unimaginable tragedy.

In turn, PM Dacian Ciolos
sent a condolence letter to the federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, voicing the
Romanians’ solidarity with the German people at this difficult time. Romania,
reads the letter, firmly condemns any act of terrorism and pleads for
coordinated and determined international efforts to fight them.

Attackers may
strike anywhere, including in Romania, although the risk of violence on
Romanian territory is lower than in the countries standing at the forefront of
the fight against the Islamic State terror group, analysts say. The foreign
security expert Dan Claudiu Degeratu, quoted by the daily Adevarul, emphasises
the advantages that Romania has, compared to other European countries: it
receives fewer refugees and it still has a positive image in the Middle East.
Moreover, the Islamic community in Romania is not radicalised. On the other
hand, in Germany, which has received more than a million refugees, the
situation is different.

Here is Professor Stefan Popescu:

The fact that for so long, throughout 2015 and in the first half of 2016,
Germany had an open door policy with respect to refugees, does not make it less
vulnerable. On the contrary, it is even more exposed… and it was the first time
it had been targeted by violence, although it did not deploy combat forces in
sub-Saharan Africa or the Middle East and Near East, as is the case with
France.

The situation in
Syria was the pretext of the assassination in cold blood of the Russian
Ambassador to Ankara, Andrei Karlov, in a shooting that the Russian Foreign Ministry
has defined as terrorist. The presidential adviser Bogdan Aurescu spoke about
an outrageous act, while PM Dacian Ciolos pointed out that such barbaric
acts targeting diplomatic representatives have no justification and must be
countered at all costs.

In a letter sent
to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, the Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar
Comanescu also emphasised the importance of the efforts to fight terrorism and
to prosecute the perpetrators. Don’t forget Aleppo. Don’t forget Syria. Unless
our towns are secure, you won’t enjoy security, the perpetrator of the attack
in Ankara shouted as he opened fire on the Ambassador of Russia, a country
directly involved in the clashes in that Arab state.

21 December 2016
A la Une de la presse roumaine 20.12.2016

Les sites internet de tous les journaux roumains souvrent sur la tragédie au marché de Noël de Berlin qui a fait au moins 12 morts et une cinquantaine de blessés. Lautre sujet du jour est lassassinat de lambassadeur russe à Ankara, Andrei Karlov. Entre temps, en Roumanie, « la loi qui interdit léducation sexuelle dans les écoles sans laccord des parents a été approuvée par le Sénat » constate la presse roumaine.

20 December 2016
November 4, 2016 UPDATE

GAS PIPELINE — Romania may be able to fully cover the natural gas needs of the Republic of Moldova as of 2020, when the construction of the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline is supposed to be completed. This is one of the conclusions of the Inter-governmental committee for economic cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and Romania. Moldova might get over 2.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas every year, almost double its needs. Also decided by the committee have been the strategic domains in which Romania is ready to invest in order to upgrade and develop the electric power infrastructure in Moldova, which should allow the two country’s energy systems to interconnect. This way, Romania will be able to export cheap electricity to Moldova, after works at the two reactors of the Cernavoda plant are completed.

INFLATION – Inflation in Romania remains negative this year but this situation might improve early next year, the Central Bank Governor, Mugur Isarescu, said on Friday. As for the risks to inflation, Governor Isarescu mentioned Romania’s state budget for next year and the uncertainties regarding the global economic growth and the economic recovery of the Eurozone. The Central Bank’s forecast for the end of this year stands at minus 0.4%.

SUMMIT — Romanian PM Dacian Cioloş will attend on Saturday and Sunday in Riga, Latvia, the 5th meeting of the heads of government of the Central and East European states and China, according to a government press release. The participation of the Romanian PM in this meeting is an opportunity for Romania to reiterate its decision to assume a more important role within this cooperation structure, the press release also says. On the sidelines of the summit, PM Cioloş will hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts participating in the Riga summit.

INVESTMENT — A recent poll commissioned by the Council of Foreign Investors in Romania related to the recent tax cuts passed by Parliament reveals that slightly less than half of foreign investors do not believe it is advantageous, with 38% stating it is. Almost 50% of respondents believe the legislative process has worsened, which affects business planning. The Council believes that loaning rules, which they deemed controversial, may give way to thousands of lawsuits, which may have lasting impact on foreign investor confidence in the Romanian economy.

ANKARA — 8 people, among them 2 police officers lost their lives and more than 100 were injured on Friday morning in a car bomb blast near the police headquarters in a town in the southeast of Turkey, inhabited by a majority Kurdish population. The Turkish PM, Binali Yildirim, blamed the attack on the PKK, an organization that Ankara labels as terrorist. The blast occurred shortly after the Turkish authorities arrested the two co-presidents of the Peoples’ Democratic Party – HDP, the main pro-Kurdish party in Turkey as well as at least 9 members of the Turkish Parliament, as part of a large-scale ‘anti-terrorist ‘operation, the BBC reports. Immediately after the arrest the authorities have blocked social networks. This is an unprecedented action against the HDP, the 3rd largest parliamentary force in Turkey, which is firmly opposed to president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

FOOTBALL — Romanias champion team Astra Giurgiu Thursday night on home turf drew 1-all against Czech contenders Victoria Plzen, in a fixture counting towards Europa League’s E Group. Astra are 3rd placed in a group where AS Roma have the lead, having secured a win against runner-up team Austria Vienna. Also on Thursday Romanian vice-champions Steaua held Swiss opponents FC Zurich to a goalless draw, away from home. Steaua are at the bottom of the table in L Group, where Turkish squad Osmanlispor have a surprising lead. Osmanlispor this past Thursday grabbed a win against Spanish contenders Villareal.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

4 November 2016