Radio România Internațional

Tag: annexation

The Year 1918 and the New Romania

In order to understand the changes
in borders and state structures that the year 1918 brought to the map of
Europe, two realities, one physical and the other utopian, must be considered.
The first was that of World War I, with over 20 million military and civilian
deaths and approximately 23 million wounded. The two opposing military blocs,
the Entente, consisting of France, Great Britain, Russia, Japan, Italy, and the
United States, and the Central Power bloc, consisting of Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria, engaged in an unprecedented struggle to
fulfill their interests. The Great War, as it was called, was the
one that decided the new frontiers, like almost any war in modern history. The
second reality, the utopian one, was also experienced during the war, but one
against it, namely the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Lenin’s great victory
strongly motivated all those who wanted the profound change of the world, not
just the borders, and who believed that the time had come to build a better
world on the ruins of the old one.

Romania paid a heavy tribute in
blood during the years of the Great War. Although it entered the conflict in
1916, two years after its beginning, Romanians paid a heavy toll. Estimates of
Romanian human sacrifices, in percentages, stand between 7.5 and 9% of the
entire population, i.e. between 580,000 and 665,000 dead, half due to the
epidemic of exanthematic typhus. The sacrifice was rewarded with the union of
the provinces of Bessarabia, on March 27, 1918, Bucovina, on November 28, 1918,
Banat, Maramureș and Transylvania, on December 1, 1918, with the Kingdom of
Romania. It was the price paid by all Romanians, and the King and Queen of
Romania, Ferdinand and Maria, as well as the Romanian political class rose to
the occasion, as the historian Ioan Scurtu says:

Ion I. C. Brătianu, the
president of the National Liberal Party, was involved in the events and had an
important role in the realization of the Great Union. Both the Bessarabians,
the Bukovinians and the Transylvanians came to Iasi with emissaries, before the
proclamation of the Union, they discussed with King Ferdinand and Ion I. C.
Brătianu and other politicians regarding the ways to proceed in the
mobilization for the union. Brătianu led the Romanian delegation to the Paris
Peace Conference and there he met with the great politicians of the time, from
American President Wilson to the Prime Minister of Great Britain. King
Ferdinand was German, he had been an officer in the German army. When, in the Crown Council, the
opinion was voiced, for Romania to take sides in the war against his own country,
against his family, his was a deed of personal sacrifice and at once an act of
great importance for Romania. Queen Marie was, right from the start, an
advocate of Romania taking sides with the Entente, in the war. She was English
by birth and played a crucial role, talking King Ferdinand into making that
personal sacrifice for the greater good of the Romanian people. All along, the
king and the queen permanently stood with the Romanians, with the army, with the
main political leaders.

On the day of December 1st,
1918, the National Assembly of the Romanians from Transylvania was summoned in
Alba Iulia. The Great National Romanian Assembly, a representative body having
the role of legislative power, called for 1,228 delegates to convene, with
the purpose of composing the resolution of annexation of then the Kingdom of
Romania. Jointly with the National Romanian Council, holding the executive
position, the Great National Assembly ruled that they could not possible have a new beginning unless the universal suffrage was implemented. The time had come for the
Romanians to fully use their right for universal suffrage, a system of voting that
generated the largest electoral representation. It was a voting system for
which the Romanian parties and the national organizations in Transylvania had
been taking affirmative action beginning 1881.

The voting that sealed
Transylvania’s union with Romania was a voting of the national will. However,
it was also an emergency voting. The end of World War One had sparked the
transformative utopias. According to historian and political science pundit
Daniel Barbu, the democratic practice of the universal suffrage must be seen
through the eyes of those who back then were witnessing the Bolshevik
revolutions and the anarchy that was taking shape, after four years of war.

Were
the participants in the Alba Iulia Assembly democrats, or at least those who actually composed the
resolution and proposed it to the grassroots acclamation? They were, by all
means, Romanian patriots. They were people with a long-standing parliamentary
experience, they possessed the science and practice of politics. What would
happen on December 6? The Romanian army occupied Transylvania. It was extremely
instrumental in the demarcation of borders, furthermore, it once again restored
peace around the country. The testimonies of that are very clear. Ion Lapedatu,
in his memoirs, in the pages of the diary he wrote those very days, actually mentioned the villages were stirring. When we speak about the Soviet commune what we have in mind are Budapest and the Hungary
beyond Tisa alone. Yet the whole Europe, England included, was galvanized by a
revolutionary throb.

Greater Romania
was formed in the year 1918, as the outcome of Romanians’ will and against an auspicious
international backdrop. And in the New Romania, all those people found their
place, who thought the new Romania met their expectations.

4 December 2023
October 2, 2022 UPDATE

Protests – Several thousand people gathered, on Sunday, in the University Square in the center of Bucharest and walked towards the Government headquarters, the line of protesters being led by the leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians AUR, George Simion, and MPs from this political party. The grievances of the protesters, who held the Romanian tricolors and placards and chanted anti-government slogans, are related, among other things, to the increase in electricity and natural gas prices. Law enforcement forces have mobilized in large numbers to prevent possible incidents.

Statement — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, along with seven other presidents of several NATO member states from Central and Eastern Europe, namely the presidents of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland and Slovakia, signed a joint statement reiterating their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. “We firmly support the decision of the NATO Summit in Bucharest of 2008 regarding the future accession of Ukraine,” Klaus Iohannis said in a post on a social network. We remind you that on September 30, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed Ukraines request for an accelerated accession to NATO. The Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, stated that Ukraine has the right to apply for membership, but emphasized that, at the moment, the priority is providing aid to Kyiv. Support for Ukraines accession to NATO has already been expressed by the Baltic States and Canada.

Ukraine – In Moscow, the State Duma announced that on Monday it would ratify the annexation treaties signed with the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. These annexations come after seven months of Russian offensive in Ukraine and emergency “referendums” held in the occupied regions, which were denounced as “shams” by Kyiv and its allies. The news agencies write that the Russian authorities are following exactly the same steps they took when Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014. On Sunday, Pope Francis said that it was completely absurd that the world was currently facing a nuclear threat. The Sovereign Pontiff deeply deplored actions contrary to the principle of international law, referring to the annexation of Ukrainian territories by Moscow. The statement follows that of the Kremlin leader, namely that Russia could use nuclear weapons to defend what it considers to be its own territory, the BBC points out. In the following days, the Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, will travel to Kyiv and Moscow, the visit being part of ongoing efforts for “the implementation as soon as possible of a nuclear safety and security zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”.

Energy – In Romania, the Law for the approval of the Emergency Ordinance that regulates prices on the energy market will be debated in the following days by the specialized committees of the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making body in this case. The document drafted by the Government underwent important changes in the Senate, before receiving the vote of the plenum. Several fields of activity and categories of consumers have been introduced among those that will benefit from the capped energy price: public transportation, churches and medicine manufacturers and traders, as well as patients who use medical devices at home. Another significant change is related to the elimination of charging electricity consumption based on the monthly average of last year.

Football – The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) declared that the incident that took place on Saturday at the stadium in Malang, in East Java, Indonesia, is an unimaginable disaster and represents a black day for the entire world of sports. At least 125 people lost their lives in a stampede at the stadium after the match between a local team and a visiting team. The angry fans of the local team, which lost the match, invaded the pitch, and the police intervened with tear gas grenades to disperse the violent fans. Running for the exits to escape the tear gas, fans trampled on and crushed one another.

2 October 2022
October 1, 2022 UPDATE

Ukraine — The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg denounced Russias “illegal and illegitimate” annexation of four regions of Ukraine and warned Moscow not to use nuclear weapons in this conflict, AFP reports. “Ukraine has of course the right to retake Ukrainian territory which is now occupied by Russian forces. Thats the reason why we support them” he told a press conference in Brussels, after the Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine reacted to the annexation of its four regions by demanding accelerated accession to NATO. Zelenski also accused Russia of redrawing borders through murder, blackmail, mistreatment and lies. The annexation of the Ukrainian territories by Russia was vehemently condemned by the West, and the USA, Great Britain and Canada almost immediately announced new sanctions against Moscow. The European Commission, in turn, demanded the tightening of conditions for the entry of Russian citizens into the EU bloc, and the leaders of the Council of Europe, an organization that guarantees human rights on the continent and to which Russia is no longer affiliated, also condemned Moscows action. A condemnation of the annexation in the UN Security Council was however blocked by Russias veto. China and India, which are its close partners, abstained from the vote. The annexation of the four Ukrainian regions was also firmly condemned by Romania, which does not and will never recognize the referendums illegally orchestrated by Moscow, according to President Klaus Iohannis. In a Facebook post, the Romanian president also recalled the joint statement of the European Council, which rejected and unequivocally condemned the illegal annexation of the Ukrainian regions.

Interconnector – The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, on Saturday participated, in Sofia, together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in the inauguration of the Bulgaria-Greece interconnector, which will allow natural gas imports from Azerbaijan, as an alternative supply source. In his speech, Nicolae Ciucă reminded that the deficiencies in the supply chain, especially with gas, artificially created by Russia, not only have an impact on Europe, but create disturbances on the global energy markets. Romania is ready to play its role as a reliable partner in ensuring Europes energy security, the Romanian Prime Minister gave assurances in Sofia. As for Romania, Nicolae Ciucă stated that the country has the necessary amounts of gas and will not lack gas in the coming winter. Also on Saturday, a new pipeline – Baltic Pipe – was put into operation, which transports gas from Norway to Poland, via Denmark and the Baltic Sea. According to Warsaw, the pipeline is at the heart of Polands strategy of diversifying its gas supply outside of Russia. Having become the main supplier of gas to Europe after the reduction of Russian deliveries, Norway is connected to Europe through a network of underwater gas pipelines that stretches on almost 9,000 km.

Chisinau – The Romanian Defense Minister, Vasile Dincu, has given assurances, in Chisinau, that Romania supports the Republic of Moldova to overcome the current energy crisis. At the same time, together with his Moldovan counterpart, Anatolie Nosatîi, he agreed to cooperate for the improvement of military education and for the modernization of the Moldovan army. “The modernization of the army of the Republic of Moldova needs Romanias support. The Republic of Moldova wants, with the support of Romania, to intensify the participation of the army in other peacekeeping missions too” – the Moldovan minister stated. In turn, the president of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu, thanked Bucharest, during the meeting with the Romanian official, for the support it offers to the army of the neighboring state, including by organizing joint exercises with the participation of the Moldovan military. The two also discussed the security challenges facing Chisinau and the entire region as a result of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The Romanian Defense Minister is on a two-day official visit to Chisinau.

Gas — Gazprom has completely suspended gas supplies to Eni for Saturday, invoking the impossibility of transporting gas through Austria – the Italian hydrocarbons giant announced, AFP reports. Most of the Russian gas delivered to Italy passes through Ukraine, through the TAG gas pipeline that reaches the north of the country, at the border with Austria. Italy consumed 29 billion cubic meters of Russian gas last year, representing approximately 40% of its imports. According to Eni, the country is gradually replacing about 10.5 billion cubic meters of this amount by imports from other countries, starting this winter. Russian gas exports to Europe have been in constant decline since the first sanctions were imposed on Russia. The most affected countries are Germany, Hungary and Austria. The least affected countries are France, Sweden and Great Britain, which have not traditionally relied on Russia, as well as Italy.

Energy – European energy ministers have decided to tax the additional income made by producers in the field that exceed a maximum level of 180 Euros for one Megawatt-hour between December 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. The money will be used to finance the protection measures for final electricity consumers. The European officials also aim at a voluntary reduction in electricity consumption by 10%, with a mandatory component of 5% during peak hours, in the context of the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. The Romanian energy minister, Virgil Popescu, announced that, during the negotiations, Romania obtained the guarantee that the measures already adopted at the national level regarding the consumer protection can be maintained.

Recession — Analysts believe that the world economy is approaching a period of recession. In their opinion, the world is witnessing a new world order and a resettlement of monetary flows and policies that will be negotiated between China and the US. According to Andrei Rădulescu, director of macroeconomic analysis, the recent developments of indicators in the United States and in the euro zone clearly express the state of recession in the second half of this year, so, an economic crisis similar to that of the late 90s will follow. Also a social crisis is expected in Europe, Adrian Rădulescu believes, which will not be felt so acutely in Romania, because the degree of dependence on hydrocarbons imports from Russia is much lower. In his opinion, Romania can enter the top of ten European economies by the end of the decade from the perspective of the nominal gross domestic product, because the country has a younger population compared to the western states, and the investments of the Euro-Atlantic bloc in the national economy will continue.

1 October 2022
October 1, 2022

Ukraine — The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg denounced Russias “illegal and illegitimate” annexation of four regions of Ukraine and warned Moscow not to use nuclear weapons in this conflict, AFP reports. “Ukraine has of course the right to retake Ukrainian territory which is now occupied by Russian forces. Thats the reason why we support them” he told a press conference in Brussels, after the Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine reacted to the annexation of its four regions by demanding accelerated accession to NATO. Zelenski also accused Russia of redrawing borders through murder, blackmail, mistreatment and lies. The annexation of the Ukrainian territories by Russia was vehemently condemned by the West, and the USA, Great Britain and Canada almost immediately announced new sanctions against Moscow. The European Commission, in turn, demanded the tightening of conditions for the entry of Russian citizens into the EU bloc, and the leaders of the Council of Europe, an organization that guarantees human rights on the continent and to which Russia is no longer affiliated, also condemned Moscows action. A condemnation of the annexation in the UN Security Council was however blocked by Russias veto. China and India, which are its close partners, abstained from the vote. The annexation of the four Ukrainian regions was also firmly condemned by Romania, which does not recognize and will never recognize the referendums illegally orchestrated by Moscow, according to President Klaus Iohannis. In a Facebook post, the Romanian president also recalled the joint statement of the European Council, which rejected and unequivocally condemned the illegal annexation of the Ukrainian regions.

Interconnector — The Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă participates Saturday in Sofia, in Bulgaria, in the event launching the commercial operation of the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector. “It is a moment that we are awaiting with great interest and hope, and that will open an important stage in the efforts we are making together at the European level to ensure our energy needs, while reducing, at the same time, dependence on Russian gas. Gas imports from Azerbaijan through this interconnector represent a viable alternative source from now on, which will ensure Romania and other states located on the distribution diagram of this gas network access to the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline”, said the Prime Minister Ciucă. On the occasion of the visit to Sofia, the Romanian PM will meet with the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, with the interim Bulgarian Prime Minister, Galab Donev, as well as with officials from other countries, including the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Visit — The Romanian Defense Minister Vasile Dîncu is paying a two-day official visit to Chisinau as of Saturday. According to a Defense Ministry press release, the Romanian official today has talks with his Moldovan counterpart, Anatolie Nosatîi. The official agenda also includes meetings with Natalia Gavriliţa, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, and with Igor Grosu, the President of the Moldovan Parliament. The agenda of the Romanian delegation also includes a visit to the Agency for Military Science and Memory and to the Military Museum in Chişinău.

Recession — Analysts believe that the world economy is approaching a period of recession. In their opinion, the world is witnessing a new world order and a resettlement of monetary flows and policies that will be negotiated between China and the US. According to Andrei Rădulescu, director of macroeconomic analysis, the recent developments of indicators in the United States and in the euro zone clearly express the state of recession in the second half of this year, so, an economic crisis similar to that of the late 90s will follow. Also a social crisis is expected in Europe, Adrian Rădulescu believes, which will not be felt so acutely in Romania, because the degree of dependence on hydrocarbons imports from Russia is much lower. In his opinion, Romania can enter the top of ten European economies by the end of the decade from the perspective of the nominal gross domestic product, because the country has a younger population compared to the western states, and the investments of the Euro-Atlantic bloc in the national economy will continue.

Energy – European energy ministers have decided to tax the additional income made by producers in the field that exceed a maximum level of 180 Euros for one Megawatt-hour between December 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. The money will be used to finance the protection measures for final electricity consumers. The European officials also aim at a voluntary reduction in electricity consumption by 10%, with a mandatory component of 5% during peak hours, in the context of the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. The Romanian energy minister, Virgil Popescu, announced that, during the negotiations, Romania obtained the guarantee that the measures already adopted at the national level regarding the consumer protection can be maintained. (LS)

1 October 2022
September 29, 2022 UPDATE

ENERGY Romania will not be facing glitches in natural gas and
electricity supplies, the state secretary with the Energy Ministry Dan Drăgan promised
on Thursday. At the time, Romania has 80% of its natural gas storage facilities
full, and hopefully the figure will be close to 90% in early November, he added.
The official also called for solidarity between the authorities, producers and
consumers, in line with the efforts made at EU level.

PRICE CAPS Diesel and petrol prices will
continue to be subsidised by roughly 10 eurocents until the end of the year, PM
Nicolae Ciucă announced on Thursday. He said the measure has already produced
visible results over the past 3 months, and fuel prices have been stabilised
and even decreased. Moreover, the measure has yielded results throughout the
supply chain, from providers to consumers. The PM added that on Saturday he
would take part, alongside several other senior officials, including the
president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, in the opening of
the natural gas interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria, in Sofia.

MONKEYPOX Romania is requesting support in managing a monkeypox
outbreak. The National Committee for Emergency Situations Thursday decided to
resort to the European civil protection mechanism for the medicines needed for
approximately 150 patients. Romania has so far confirmed 40 cases, and in
mid-September the country received from the European Commission 5,000 monkeypox
vaccine doses, to be administered to those who get into contact with infected
people.

NATO NATO’s importance in countries’ national security has greatly
increased in the eyes of the public from 14 European and North-American
countries, according to a survey conducted by the German Marshall Fund made
public on Thursday. The EU is also regarded as very important for the national
security of countries in Europe. 78% of respondents said NATO is very important
for their country’s security, as against only 67% last year. Respondents in
countries near Russia and Ukraine place a particularly high value on NATO: 91%
of Poles, 88% of Romanians and 87% of Lithuanians, the report says. Also, 81%
of the European respondents said the EU is important for national security.

UKRAINE Russia’s president Vladimir Putin is to sign on Friday the
treaties on the annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk,
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the Kremlin announced. The leaders of the 4 breakaway
regions travelled to Moscow on Wednesday night for the ceremony, after the
illegal referendums organised by Russia and described by both Kyiv and Western
capitals as a sham. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is
to hold an emergency meeting of top security and defence officials on Friday. The
US announced plans, jointly with its allies and partners, to impose higher
economic costs on Russia, while the European Commission proposed new sanctions. On the other hand, clashes continue to be reported in all the regions
where the referendums were held, and several Ukrainian localities are being
shelled. According to the Ukrainian defence ministry, the army focuses on
regaining control over the entire Donetsk region. (AMP)

29 September 2022
September 28, 2022

ECONOMY The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has
upgraded its estimates on Romania’s economic performance in 2022 and 2023, but warns that a significant slow-down is expected next year,
according to a report made public on Wednesday. According to the new forecasts,
Romania’s economy is expected to grow by 5.4% this year and 1.9% next year, a
significant improvement from the 2.9% for 2022 and negative 1.1% for 2023,
estimated in May. EBRD is a major institutional investor in Romania, running
nearly 500 projects with a combined budget of close to EUR 10 billion.

TRADE Trade
exchanges between Romania and the US reached USD 5.4 billion last year, as
against USD 2.4 billion in 2011, according to a report released by the American
Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Romania, AmCham, as part of the U.S. -
Romania Economic Forum on Wednesday. Direct and indirect US investment in
Romania went up from USD 6.5 billion in 2019, to USD 7.5 billion in 2020. The
US is Romania’s 5th-largest trade partner, accounting for 6.8% of the country’s
international trade, and the largest outside the EU. The biggest US investments
in Romania by turnover are in manufacturing, agriculture and healthcare. As
many as 900 companies in Romania are running on US capital, ranking 3rd after
Hungary and the Czech Republic.

PLAGIARISM The University of
Bucharest says the plagiarism accusations against the education minister Sorin
Cîmpeanu must be analysed thoroughly, outside any type of pressure, by the
relevant bodies in the university in question and other public institutions. The
University condemns any measure that breaches academic ethics and integrity. In
turn, the National School of Political and Administrative Studies condemns all
forms of plagiarism and highlights that the education minister’s decision to
dismantle the National Council Attesting
University Titles, Diplomas and Certificates is not constructive and does not
contribute to a true reform of the education sector. On the other hand, USR and Force of the Right MPs, in
opposition in Romania, have tabled a simple motion entitled Romania
educated to steal. Sorin Cîmpeanu is a disgrace for education. Plagiarism
allegations against the education minister have been circulated in the media. Cîmpeanu
denied the allegations and argued that they are a move to undermine the
education laws.

JUDICIARY A special parliamentary committee on the justice laws today
carries on talks on the draft statute regulating the judge and prosecutor
professions. On Tuesday, the committee accepted some amendments brought by the
National Liberal Party (in power) and the Higher Council of Magistrates, but
dismissed all the amendments tabled by the opposition. USR and AUR parties
requested changes in judge and prosecutor secondment and delegation procedures,
and in the procedures for dismissing magistrates. The bill is next to be
reviewed by the Chamber of Deputies. This is the 3rd act in the
justice law package to be discussed by the committee, after the ones concerning
the Higher Council of Magistrates and the organisation of courts, which have
already been endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate is the
decision-making parliamentary body in this respect.

UKRAINE Ukraine’s foreign ministry Wednesday called for a substantial
increase of Western military support, one day after the so-called referendums
regarding the annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions by Russia. The ballots have
been criticised by a large part of the international community, France Presse
reports. Kyiv also urged all countries and international organisations to
condemn Kremlin’s illegal actions in the territories occupied in Ukraine. The
pro-Russian authorities in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk,
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Tuesday announced the votes were in favour of the
annexation by Russia. In the next stage, Russia’s parliament is to vote on a
document making the integration of the 4 regions in the Russian Federation
official. The EU announced it would
never recognise the results of the referendums. (A.M.P.)

28 September 2022
World leaders condemn the invasion of Ukraine

Russian
President Vladimir Putin should admit he cannot win the war in Ukraine, German
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said. In his first intervention at the UN General
Assembly, Scholz denounced what he termed Putin’s imperial ambitions and warned
that such ambitions risk destroying Ukraine and Russia. Scholz went on to
say Germany and the international community would not consent to a peace
dictated by Russia.

The German Chancellor also
announced that on October 25 Berlin would play host to a conference
focusing on the reconstruction of Ukraine. As for the intention of the
so-called authorities instated by Moscow in the occupied Ukrainian territories
to stage referendums on the annexation of those territories by Russia, Scholz
called the alleged grassroots consultations fictitious and
unacceptable. In turn, French president Emmanuel Macron labeled the
referendum a parody. Macron accused Russia that, through its
invasion of Ukraine in late February this year, it made possible a lapse back
in time, to the age of imperialism and colonialism. France rejects this
and will steadfastly search for peace, President Macron pledged.

Romania continues to
support the neighboring Ukraine, President Klaus Iohannis said in his
address to the UN General Assembly. Iohannis recalled Romania offered direct
humanitarian assistance to the more than 2.3 million Ukrainian refugees who
have crossed Romania’s borders since the outbreak of the war. The Romanian
president also clearly stated there was no justification for the military
aggression against a sovereign state.

Klaus Iohannis: We know
that our response, especially to this war, will shape our common future.
Our support for peace should be voiced now, louder than ever. In defending our
universal values, it is essential to stay united and bring everyone on board, including
those who are still hesitating. Engagement and dialogue are crucial to
overcoming divisions and, at the same time, to counter the spread of falsehoods
and propaganda.

Russia is rushing to hold sham
referendums in Ukraine, the White House National Security Advisor, Jake
Sullivan, said. The US high-ranking official also reiterated that the
United States will never recognize Russia’s claims to any purportedly annexed parts
of Ukraine. According to Sullivan, such referendums, as well as Moscow’s
intention to amass more military forces in Ukraine, stand proof of the deadlock
Russian troops find themselves in, having no choice other than withdrawing from
several regions they had occupied as early as February this year. In
conclusion, the White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, said these are not actions of
the competent country. These are not acts of strength, quite the opposite. (EN)

21 September 2022
June 26, 2022 UPDATE

FLAG DAY Events were organised in county capitals and in Romanian
localities hosting military units, to celebrate National Flag Day on the 26th
June. The National Flag Day was introduced to mark the day in 1848 when the
revolutionary government proclaimed the red, yellow and blue flag as the
national colours of all Romanians. The National Flag Day was introduced under a
1998 law.

MOLDOVA Russia’s ex-president and PM Dmitri Medvedev threatens that
the Republic of Moldova will see its natural gas supplies cut and exports of
agri-food products to the Russian market banned, if Chişinău joins the West’s
economic sanctions against Moscow. Medvedev, currently the vice-president of
the Security Council, posted on his Telegram channel an extensive article on
the Republic of Moldova, which Thursday was recognised as an EU candidate country.
According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Moscow, Medvedev says the
accession process may take decades, which makes Moldova’s annexation by Romania
an easier option. And, Medvedev argues, both Bucharest and Chişinău are making
efforts in this respect. The Romanian foreign ministry says Dmitri Medvedev’s
statements are part of Kremlin’s already known false rhetoric, disseminated in
the Republic of Moldova both before, and after the illegal, unjustified and
unprovoked aggression of Russia against Ukraine.

FESTIVAL The Sibiu International Theatre Festival continues in central
Romania until the 3rd July. This year’s motto is Beauty. This 29th
edition of the festival brings together artists from around the world in
theatre, dance, cinema, musical, opera and circus performances. Concerts, book
shows and exhibitions are also organized as part of the festival. Some of the
performances taking place in cultural or unconventional venues can be watched
on the Festival’s official website, digital streaming platform www.scena-digitala.ro,
and on the event’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.

INCOMES The average monthly income per household in Romania was
nearly EUR 1,100 in 2021, up 8.9% since the previous year, according to the
National Statistics Institute. The total incomes were 3.6 times higher in
households whose members are higher-education graduates. Also, families in the
35-49 year bracket earned the most, while in terms of geographic regions the
highest incomes were reported in Bucharest-Ilfov (south), and the lowest in the
north-east of the country.

G7 The group of 7 rich democracies announced a ban on Russian gold
imports, during a summit held on Sunday, in the context of the war in Ukraine
and its impact on the energy and grains markets. According to Reuters, this
adds to sanctions already introduced against Moscow after Russia invaded
Ukraine at the end of February. The new measures will directly affect Russian
oligarchs and strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine, the
British PM Boris Johnson said. We need to starve the Putin regime of its
funding. The UK and our allies are doing just that, Mr. Johnson added.

TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep, no 19 WTA and former
world leader, will take on the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova (82 WTA), in
the first round of the Wimbledon tournament. Halep, winner of the Wimbledon trophy
in 2019, is seed no. 16 this year in the competition. Another Romanian player,
Sorana Cîrstea, 32 WTA and seed no. 21, plays against Aleksandra Krunic of
Serbia (53 WTA). Gabriela Ruse (55 WTA) has the most difficult match in the All
England Club first round, against the American Coco Gauff, no. 12 in the world.
Irina Begu (43 WTA) is facing Ekaterine Gorgodze of Georgia (112 WTA), in the
same round, while Ana Bogdan (109 WTA) plays against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska
(74 WTA), and Irina Bara (121 WTA) against Chloe Paquet of France (101 WTA). In
turn, Mihaela Buzărnescu (126 WTA) will play against Natasja Schunk of Germany (156
WTA). This year’s Wimbledon tournament has record-large amounts in prize money
(over GBP 40 million) but the WTA and ATP announced they will not assign any
points, after the British organisers decided to bar Russian and Belarusian
players from taking part, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (AMP)

26 June 2022
June 28, 2020

COVID-19 The number of COVID-19 cases in Romania passes 26.300, with the death toll standing at 1,612. Of those who tested positive for the virus, 18,814 recovered. PM Ludovic Orban requested enhanced mobilisation of the authorities and more inspections. Meanwhile, Romanian researchers say the patients who have recovered from the COVID-19 are unlikely to get infected again. They reached this conclusion after having analysed the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the country, which they traced back to Wuhan, China. Most likely, the virus reached all parts of the country through community spread.

PANDEMIC Today the total number of coronavirus infections worldwide has gone over 10 million, a major benchmark for the pandemic which has so far killed nearly half a million people. According to the World Health Organisation, the number of COVID-19 cases is almost double the number of severe flu cases reported every year. The US, which is the worst hit country, reports more than 2.5 million cases, and states with record-high figures like Florida and Texas reintroduced containment measures, after the authorities had eased restrictions over the past few weeks. In turn, Europeans disagree over the list of countries whose citizens will be allowed to enter the EU as of July 1. According to France Presse sources, talks will continue tomorrow, and the green lighted countries may include Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Serbia, but not the US. The European Union closed all external borders in mid-March, and now the countries that rely heavily on tourism, such as Greece, want the borders reopened as soon as possible. Restrictions will be lifted gradually however, with bimonthly assessments, and countries with decreasing infection figures will be privileged.

COMMEMORATION Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the Romanian diaspora are commemorating today 80 years since the eastern Romanian territories were annexed by the Soviet Union. On June 28, 1940, following an ultimatum, Soviet troops occupied Bessarabia and northern Bucovina, Romanian regions totalling around 55,000 sq km, with a majority ethnic Romanian population. Hundreds of thousands of families sought asylum in Romania, and tens of thousands were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan. The territories annexed by Moscow are currently part of the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Ukraine.

FINLAND The Romanian Foreign Ministry marks today the celebration of 100 years of diplomatic relations with Finland, and voices Romanias desire to further consolidate the cooperation between the 2 states, at bilateral, European and global level. According to the Foreign Ministry, Romania recognised Finlands independence on April 8, 1920. At economic level, bilateral trade has been on an upward trend since 2013, from 267 million euros to 402 million euros in 2019, when a 3.46% increase was reported since the previous year. Finland is the 30th biggest foreign investor in Romania, with over 200 companies incorporated in Romania with Finnish capital and investments of over 70 million euros. The cooperation between Romania and Finland has been strengthened over the past few years, and at EU level the 2 countries were part of the same trio at the EU Council presidendy, alongside Croatia, between January 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.

POLAND Poland is electing its president today, in a ballot postponed over the coronavirus pandemic. The incumbent president Andrzej Duda, supported by the right-wing power, is challenged by the mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, representing the Civic Platform. Polls indicate that none of the candidates is likely to go over the 50% threshold required to win the election in the first round.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

28 June 2020
June 27, 2020 UPDATE

Coronavirus RO — The Romanian authorities on Saturday announced only 325 new cases of coronavirus infection, a lower figure than that reported on Friday, namely 411. The Strategic Communication Group shows that only 10 new deaths have been registered, which takes the death toll to 1,589. The total number of cases of infection on Romania’s territory is 26,022. At present 199 patients are in intensive care. Of the contaminated people, more than 18,530 have recovered. In this context, the Liberal PM Ludovic Orban has asked the authorities to mobilize and undertake more checks. In another development, Romanian researchers say that people who have been contaminated and recovered from COVID-19 infection are quite unlikely to get infected again. They have reached this conclusion after having analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 virus identified in Romania and which was proved to originate in Wuhan, China. Most probably the spread of the virus in Romania occurred at community level, across the country’s regions.

US-Romania relations — The American Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has conveyed to the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu a letter on the occasion of the anniversary, this month, of 140 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and the US. A Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué issued on Saturday writes that the message of the US official focused on bilateral cooperation meant to promote the two countries’ common interests. Mike Pompeo considers that the longstanding relation between Romanian and the US has reached its highest level and he thanked Romania for being a stalwart ally and friend of the United States. In turn, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu says that the celebration of 140 years of diplomatic relations is a good opportunity to reconfirm the durable strategic relation between Romania and the US as well as the two countries’ will to respond together to the current challenges and threats.

Annexation — Romania, the Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population) and the Diaspora are commemorating on Sunday 80 years since the annexation of the Romanian eastern territories by the Soviet Union. On June 28, 1940, following an ultimatum, the Soviet troops occupied Bessarabia and the north of Bukovina, two Romanian provinces that measured about 55 thousand square kilometers and that were inhabited by a majority Romanian ethnic population. Hundreds of thousands of families then took refuge in ‘smaller Romania’ and tens of thousands of other families were deported by the occupying troops to Siberia and Kazakhstan. The territories annexed by Moscow currently belong to the former Soviet Republics of Moldova and Ukraine.

Weather –— Hundreds of people have been evacuated and hundreds of households, plots of land and roads in the southwest of Romania have been flooded by the Jiu River which outburst its banks. In the northeast, on the Prut River, the high flood propagating from Ukraine is now subsiding, after having reached its maximum level on Friday. The weather in Romanian remains warm but unstable in the north, center and east. The highs of the day will range from 28 to 34 degrees C.

Elections — Poland will see the first round of the presidential election on Sunday. Opinion surveys show that the incumbent president Andrzej Duda, supported by the Conservative Party Law and Justice (PiS) is seen as favorite with 41% of the votes. His main challenger, the mayor of Warsaw and a representative of the Liberal Civic Platform Rafal Trzaskowski comes 2nd with 26% of the votes. (tr. L. Simion)

27 June 2020
March 17, 2019 UPDATE

EU — The EU on Sunday reiterated its commitment regarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, 5 years after the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and of Sevastopol by Russia, shows a statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. The EU reiterated that it did not recognize the annexation, which it considers a direct challenge to international security with serious consequences for international legal order which protects the territorial integrity, the unity and sovereignty of all states. The EU equally keeps its commitment to fully implementing the non-recognition policy for Crimea, also through restrictive measures. In Bucharest the Foreign Ministry officials said they supported the statement of the EU foreign policy chief Mogherini. They also condemn the illegal annexation by Russia of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea which they consider a violation of the principles and norms of the international law.

Meeting – Bucharest is hosting, on Sunday and Monday, a ministerial meeting dwelling on Diaspora policies. The meeting is organized by the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU and is taking place in the context of the free movement of labor force and of debates on migration and integration. The Romanian authorities believe that the exchange of good practices, the presentation of and consultation on the national strategies regarding the Diaspora could be useful instruments at both European and national level. The talks will focus on ways through which the European countries could establish relations of economic and cultural cooperation with the Diaspora, the initiatives for supporting its linguistic and cultural development, the policies that contributed to the rapid integration of the Diaspora community members as well as the policies meant to support the return of the members of the Diaspora to the countries of origin.

Brussels — Romania’s rugby team on Sunday defeated the Belgian team in Brussels, 43-17, in the last leg of the 2019 Rugby Europe International Championship (REIC). In the other matches, Georgia defeated Russia and Spain had the upper hand on Germany. Romania comes 3rd in the rankings after Georgia and Spain.

Belgrade — Thousands of people on Sunday gathered in Belgrade in front of the Serbian presidential headquarters to protest against president Aleksandar Vucic, whom they accuse of authoritarianism and subordination of the press, news agencies report. Vucic accuses the protesters of excessive violence after some of them on Saturday evening stormed the public television headquarters. The protesters denounced the bias of the public television and its dependence on the government. Protests against president Vucic started on December 8 last year, and have been held every Saturday in Belgrade and other Serbian cities ever since.

London — The British Labor opposition will force a vote on a motion of censure if the Conservative PM Theresa fails again to obtain a vote on a Brexit deal in Parliament, the leader of the Labor Party Jeremy Corbyn announced on Sunday, according to Reuters. He called on all MPs to work together in order to find an urgent way out of the Brexit deadlock. The British Parliament on Thursday evening approved the motion through which Theresa May’s government is asking for a postponement of Brexit after March 29. The postponement needs to also be accepted by the EU leaders who will gather in Brussels on March 21 and 22. (translation by L. Simion)

17 March 2019
March 18, 2018

WEATHER – More than half of the national territory is affected today by a sharp decrease in temperatures, by up to 15 degrees Celsius compared to the multi-annual average, according to a code yellow alert issued by weather experts. The highs of the day range between minus 8 to 10 degrees C. Until Sunday night, in 32 counties in the centre, east and south, including the capital city Bucharest, heavy raifalls are expected, first rain and then sleet and snow. Strong winds are reported in most of the country, with gusts of 55 – 65 km/h. Meteorologists say the weather will remain unseasonably cold until the end of next week. Several rivers in the north, centre and south are subject to code orange and yellow alerts for flash floods, until Monday at noon.

DEFENCE – This years first meeting of the Supreme Defence Council, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, will be held on Tuesday. According to the presidential administration, the participants will analyse the work conducted by the Council and relevant institutions in the field of national security in 2017, and will set the main goals for this year. Other topics of interest with respect to national security will also be approached.

BOOK FAIR – The Leipzig Book Fair comes to an end in Germany today. Romania was the guest of honour, and under the motto “Zoom in Romania it organised over 70 events to promote contemporary Romanian writers. For 4 days, readers had an opportunity to meet several Romanian authors already present in the German market, such as Mircea Cărtărescu, Norman Manea, Nora Iuga and Filip Florian, as well as young writers like Lavinia Branişte and Bogdan-Alexandru Stănescu. During the event, more than 40 works translated from Romanian were promoted. The Leipzig Book Fair is one of the most important such events in Europe and the world. Meanwhile, Romania is also taking part these days, alongside 45 other countries, in the 38th Paris Book Fair. Romania, as you have never read it is the motto of the Romanian stand, which presents more than 50 recent releases and over 20 events.

BESSARABIA – The “Basarabia National-Cultural Association of Romanians in Odessa region organised this Saturday the 2nd Forum of Romanian Language Teachers in the region of Odessa. The theme of this years forum was “Education in the native language: accomplishments, reality and prospects. Taking part in the event, held in the Romanian Information Centre within the Ismail State University of the Humanities, were teachers from pre-school, secondary school and university-level institutions from the region of Odessa, in Ukraine.

MOSCOW – Russia is holding presidential elections today, precisely 4 years since Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula. The incumbent president Vladimir Putin is seeking a fresh 6-year term in office, and is facing 7 challengers, including a Communist millionaire, Pavel Grudinin, a former TV anchor, Ksenia Sobchak and a nationalist veteran, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The main opponent for Kremlin, Alexey Navalny, was banned from running on account of a criminal sentence that he claims was staged by the authorities. Putin has been heading Russia for the past 18 years, as either president or prime minister.

CRIMEA – The European Union does not recognise the annexation of Crimea by Russia, which took place 4 years ago, and continues to condemn this violation of international law and direct challenge to international security, says the EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini in a news release. The Romanian Foreign Ministry joins in the statement of the EU High Representative on the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia. Romania firmly condemns, once again, the breaching of international law principles and rules. On this occasion, Romania reiterates its support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team, ranking 17 in the world, is playing today against Georgia, in the last stage of Rugby Europe International Championship 2018. Romania is playing for qualification in the 2019 Japan World Cup. So far the national team has defeated Russia, Germany and Belgium and lost to Spain. So far in the competition, Georgia tops the standings and Romania comes second. The winner secures its participation in the 2019 World Cup.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

18 March 2018
March 17, 2018

CRIMEA – The Romanian Foreign Ministry supports and
joins the declaration of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy regarding Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. In
a communiqué issued today, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest states that, 4
years since the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the
city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, Romania is once again firmly
condemning that violation of international law regulations and principles.
Also, Romania is reasserting its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and
territorial integrity.

RIUF – More than 100 universities
and education institutions from 18 countries are attending in Bucharest, on
Saturday and Sunday, the 22nd Romanian International University Fair
(RIUF). According to the organizers, participating in the fair are education
institutions from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, France, Switzerland,
Romania, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the US,
Singapore, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Greece and Bulgaria. Visitors
will find information about free tuition in the Nordic countries, but also
about a scholarship fund of 3,000,000 Euro for bachelor and master degrees in
Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. At the RIUF YouForum there will be
more than 30 workshops, talks and presentations. The topics of discussion
include online marketing, branding, gaming, IT, architecture, non-formal
education and technology.

RUSSIA – The Russian Foreign Ministry has today
announced the imminent expulsion of 23 British diplomats, following a similar
decision announced by London after the poisoning of a former Russian spy and
his daughter in England, blamed on Russia. Also, the British Ambassador to
Moscow has been summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry for the second time
this week. Russia has also decided to stop any activity of the British Council
on Russian soil. The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international
organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities. The measures were announced just one day
before the presidential elections in Russia, as a result of which Vladimir
Putin would get his fourth term. According to France Presse, the Kremlin is
worried that a low turnout would weaken the legitimacy of the otherwise
predictable outcome. Putin has been
heading Russia for 18 years, as president and once as a prime-minister. His
main opponent, Alexei Navalny, has been deemed non-eligible because of a
criminal conviction in a case which, he says, was staged by the Russian
authorities. Navalny has called on the population to boycott Sunday’s
elections.

TENNIS – The Romanian
tennis player Simona Halep, number one in the WTA rankings, has failed to
qualify for the final of the Indian Wells tournament in California, with 8
million dollars in prize money, as she was defeated by the Japanese Naomi Osaka
in two sets: 6-3, 6-0. Halep won the Indian Wells trophy in 2015, but this year
has already sustained two defeats. However, she remains top of the rankings. In
the final, Naomi Osaka will play against the Russian Daria Kasatkina, who has
defeated the American Venus Williams.

RUGBY – Romania’s
national rugby team, ranking 17th in the world, on Sunday will play
against the team of Georgia, away from home, in the last leg of Rugby Europe
International Championship 2018. Romania is hoping for qualification to the
World Cup to be hosted by Japan in 2019. So far, ‘the oaks’, as the Romanian
rugby players are dubbed, have defeated Russia, Germany and Belgium and have
lost to Spain. In the competition’s classification, Georgia ranks first, and
Romania second.

17 March 2018