Radio România Internațional

Tag: ASSASSINATION

  • July 8, 2022 UPDATE

    July 8, 2022 UPDATE


    CONDOLENCES President Klaus Iohannis conveyed condolences to the family of Japans former PM, Shinzo Abe, who died on Friday from his injuries after being shot in the street by an attacker. “He was a strong defender of democracy and multilateralism, but also a true friend,” Iohannis posted on Twitter. Japans ex-PM was shot dead by a former member of the Japanese defense forces, the Japanese public broadcaster NHK reports. Abe, 67, was delivering a campaign speech near a train station in the western Japanese city of Nara when he was the target of an armed attack. Armed violence is extremely rare in Japan, where firearms are banned. Shinzo Abe was the longest-serving Japanese prime minister in history. He led the Japanese executive from 2006 to 2007 and then from 2012-2020. He resigned two years ago for health-related reasons.



    STATISTICS Romanias economy grew by 5.1% in the first quarter of the year, compared to the previous quarter, according to preliminary data made public today by the National Statistics Institute. Compared to the corresponding period of 2021, Romanias GDP went up 6.4%, the institution said, to over RON 343.5 bln.



    GOVERNMENT Petre Daea was sworn in as minister of agriculture and rural development on Friday at the Cotroceni Palace. Attending the ceremony was president Klaus Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă, the interim Senate speaker Alina Gorghiu, the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu, and presidential advisers. President Klaus Iohannis had signed the decree appointing Petre Daea as agriculture minister earlier that day. On Wednesday the leaders of the Social Democratic Party voted unanimously in favour of the appointment. The former agriculture minister, Adrian Chesnoiu, also a parliament member, stepped down and left the party after the National Anti-Corruption Directorate had requested permission to prosecute him for abuse of office.



    NATURAL GAS An interconnector between the gas pipelines in Greece and Bulgaria, which became operational on Friday, gives Romania access to other natural gas resources, in an international context in which it becomes increasingly likely that Moscow will suspend deliveries to the European Union. Romania will be able to help other states in the region reduce their dependence on Russian gas, said Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca in Athens, where he paid a working visit and met with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.




    FORUM Russias war of aggression against Ukraine has generated the most severe security crisis in Europe since WW2, state secretary in Romanias defence ministry Simona Cojocaru said at the “Atlantic – Black Sea” Security Forum held in Bucharest. In her opinion, if Russia reaches its military goals in the east of Ukraine, its operational efforts will most likely focus on the Ukrainian territories north-west of the Black Sea. Therefore, the risk of regional instability might grow significantly, posing a major challenge to Romania. The most dangerous scenario for Ukraine, Romania and NATO would be a land corridor to Odessa and a connection to Transdniester, Simona Cojocaru explained. In a video call, Ukraines defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Russias aggression on his country will continue until countered by strong resistance. Terror cannot be stopped by diplomacy alone, he emphasised.




    MEETING The foreign ministers of the worlds 20 most developed economies had a closed-doors meeting, marked by the conflict in Ukraine. The meeting held on the Indonesian island of Bali brought together Moscow and its harshest critics for the first time since Ukraine was attacked. During the talks attended by Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, the EUs High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell urged all participants to help end the war, restore Ukraines sovereignty and guarantee the containment of the global fallout. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that Russia has heard “a strong chorus from around the world… about the need for the aggression to end”. “To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,” Blinken told Lavrov. The latter in fact left the meeting hall where Russia was criticised. According to the German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, this proves Moscows unwillingness to cooperate. The Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi also called for an end to the war in Ukraine.



    SWIMMING Romanias David Popovici Friday won another gold medal at the European Junior Swimming Championship held in Otopeni, near Bucharest, in the mens 50m freestyle final, with 22.16 seconds. This is the 4th medal for Popovici, after the gold in the mens 4x100m freestyle relay and the 200m freestyle race, and silver in the 4x100m medley relay. On Thursday, another Romanian athlete, Vlad Stancu, won the 1,500m freestyle final. Romania now has a total of 6 medals, 4 of them gold and 2 silver. David Popovici, 17, is also the defending senior world champion in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, won in Budapest. Taking part in the championship in Otopeni are some 500 athletes from 42 countries. Romania is represented by 26 swimmers, 14 boys and 12 girls. (AMP)


  • December 20, 2016

    December 20, 2016

    PARLIAMENT – Senators and Deputies elected at the parliamentary ballot of December 11 are today meeting in separate sessions. Parliament is expected to validate their MP mandates, set up parliamentary groups and decide on the membership of Permanent Bureaus. President Klaus Iohannis has summoned parliamentary groups for consultations as follows: the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania on Wednesday, while the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Peoples Movement Party and the Group of national minorities on Thursday. This week, the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, currently holding 54% of the seats in Parliament, have signed a cooperation protocol and are expected to announce their nomination for the position of Prime Minister. Once appointed by the President, the Prime Minister has 10 days to set up his Cabinet and decide on his governing program, after which time he will receive Parliaments vote of confidence.



    ATTACK IN BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her outrage and grief in the wake of Monday nights attack in the German capital city, promising its perpetrators will be brought to justice. Angela Merkel added that the German people must be confident they can live freely in Germany. In turn, Interior Minister Thomas de Miziere has labeled the attack as an act of terrorism, saying that Christmas fairs will remain open and adequate security measures will be taken. 12 people were killed and another 48 wounded on Monday night after a lorry ploughed into the crowd of shoppers at a Christmas market in Berlin. The attack has some resemblance to the one committed in Nice this summer, when a truck driven by a Tunisian national ploughed in the crowd of people on Promenade des Anglais, killing 86 people. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State at the time. Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu condemned the attack, adding that there were no Romanians among the victims. Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc conveyed a message of condolence to the victims families, saying that terrorism must be dealt with swiftly. Presidential Advisor Bogdan Aurescu also expressed condolences on behalf of the Presidential Administration.



    ASSASSINATION – Six people were detained after Russian Ambassador to Ankara Andrei Karlov was shot dead on Monday while holding a speech at a photo exhibition opening. The perpetrator was killed and identified as a former Turkish police officer. Aged 22, the killer said his gesture is an act of vengeance for Syria and the victims in Aleppo. The assassination has been condemned by the Turkish and Russian presidents, Recep Erdogan and Vladimir Putin respectively, who said the attack was an attempt at destabilizing relations between the two countries and blocking the peacemaking process in Syria. Russian experts will be involved in the investigation. In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Ankara authorities not to make any concessions to terrorists regarding the Syrian crisis.



    FUNDING – The European Union, the European Bank for Investment and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will make available a financial aid package worth 92 million euros for the construction of a natural gas pipeline linking Romania to the Moldovan capital city Chisinau. The European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will each provide 41 million euros, while the remaining 10 million euros will be funded by the EU. The project will thus interconnect the natural gas supply systems of Romania and Moldova, linking Chisinau to the Iasi-Ungheni pipeline built in 2014 and aimed at helping Moldova diversify its energy resources. Over 90% of Moldovas gas consumption relies on imports.



    VICTORY DAY – Victory Day is today marked in Timisoara, western Romania. On December 20, 1989, four days after protests broke out against the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu, Timisoara became the first Romanian city free of communism. It was the day when the Romanian Democratic Front was set up, the first democratic political fraction in Romania that met popular demands. The anti-communist protest quickly spread to Bucharest and the whole country. Romania remains the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was brought down through violence and the communist leaders were executed.



    CONFIRMATION – The Federal Electoral College in the US on Monday voted Donald Trump as president, six weeks after he won the presidential election. Seen as a mere formality, this year the vote has taken place amidst concerns regarding the Russian hackers alleged involvement in the US presidential election, the BBC reports. 40 members of the Electoral College had asked for an official intelligence report on the purported attempt to influence the vote. In early January, the US Congress will take the College vote under advisement and is expected to validate the result of the elections. Donald Trump is to be officially sworn in on January 20.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • July 11, 2016 UPDATE

    July 11, 2016 UPDATE

    CANADA VISAS – Canada confirmed on Monday in Brussels its promise to announce early this autumn a decision as concerns lifting visa requirements for Romanians and Bulgarians, the only EU citizens which cannot travel freely to Canada. Also in Brussels, the chief of staff to Romanias PM Dragoş Tudorache said that Romania had clear expectations regarding the removal of visa requirements for Romanian citizens. The Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum discussed the topic with Romanian and Bulgarian officials, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos. Romania and Bulgaria have announced they will not ratify the EU-Canada trade agreement until Canada has lifted visa requirements.



    ASIA VISIT – Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos started on Monday a tour of Asia, beginning with a four-day official visit to Vietnam. On Friday and Saturday he is to attend the 11th Europe-Asia Summit, in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator. The main aims of the visit are resuming political contact with Asian states, as well as recovering traditional markets for Romanian exporters, while encouraging investment in Romania. The agenda in Hanoi includes talks with the PM, President, and other Vietnamese officials. Ciolos will also attend the Romania-Vietnam Economic Forum, with a delegation of over 20 business representatives from Romania, to identify new business opportunities that would fully take advantage of the future EU-Vietnam free trade agreement.



    LAW – President Klaus Iohannis Monday endorsed a law that binds supermarkets to stock their shelves with at least 51% Romanian products, and forbids them from requiring fees and services from suppliers. Retailers with an annual net turnover of below two million Euro are exempt from the new regulations.



    NATO SUMMIT – Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc said on Monday that the Romanian delegation to the recently concluded NATO summit in Warsaw covered all the issues it was mandated to approach by Romania’s Higher Defence Council. He emphasized the fact that NATO’s new deterrence posture, with a strong forward presence, which is of major interest to Romania, is manifest on the eastern flank of the Alliance in the Baltic area, and in the Black Sea region.



    ASSASINATION – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has expressed its deepest regrets after the death of Romanias honorary consul to El Salvador, Emanuel Ricardo Salume Barake, and sent condolences to his family. The Ministry, which stays in touch with the local authorities, has also expressed hopes that the perpetrators of the murder will be brought to justice. Emanuel Ricardo Salume Barake was appointed honorary consul of Romania in 1994. Honorary consuls are not employees of the Romanian Government, nor paid for their services. They are chosen from among the Romanian or foreign citizens living in a particular state, the Romanian Foreign Ministry explains.



    UK Prime Minister – Home Secretary Theresa May is set to be Britains new Prime Minister by Wednesday evening, as David Cameron announced on Monday. May said that under her leadership the UK will stay fully committed to leaving the EU, in spite of her support for the “remain campaign in the referendum. Brexit will be a success, and together we will build a better Britain, May also said. Theresa May was the only candidate left in the race for Tory leadership after her main challenger, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom withdrew. The new PM will have to call Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which regulates the procedure for member countries to leave the European Union, and sets a 2-year deadline for finalising the separation, AFP reports.

  • 11 July, 2016

    11 July, 2016

    NATO SUMMIT – Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc said today that the Romanian delegation to the recently concluded NATO summit in Warsaw has covered all the issues it was mandated to cover by Romania’s Higher Defense Council. He emphasized the fact that NATO’s new deterrence posture, with a strong forward presence, which is of major interest to Romania, is manifest on the eastern flank of the Alliance in the Baltic area, and in the Black Sea region.



    CANADA VISAS – Dragos Tudorache, Chief of Staff to Romania’s PM, holds talks today in Brussels with the Canadian minister for migration, John McCallum, alongside representatives of the EC, on the issue of removing visa requirements for Romanians traveling to Canada. Romania and Bulgaria announced they would not sign the EU trade treaty with Canada until the visa requirement was removed. In April, Canada and the US got three additional months to comply with EU policies regarding reciprocal visa requirements. According to this principle, countries whose citizens can travel without a visa to any EU member country have to remove that requirement for citizens of the given EU country. Right now, Canada requires visas for Romanians and Bulgarians, while the US requires visas for citizens of five European members, including Romania. PM Dacian Ciolos had previously stated that PM Justin Trudeau, whom he met in Ottawa recently, said he was open to any mutually agreeable political solution.



    ASSASSINATION – Romania’s general honorary consul to El Salvador, Ricardo Emanuel Salume Barake, was assassinated on Sunday in his residence in the capital of that country, according to the authorities in San Salvador. Nothing is yet known about the motives of the killing and the circumstances. This is the second diplomat assassinated in the Central American country this year. On 26 May, Panama’s honorary consul, Carlos Armando Lemus, was found dead in a car on a road in the capital. Violence has erupted once again in El Salvador, claiming the lives of 2,900 people this year alone in what is seen as one of the most violent countries in the world.



    EURO 2016 – Portugal’s national football team on Sunday claimed the title of European champion, defeating France 1-0 after extra time in Paris. This is Portugal’s first such title, after they came very close in 2004, losing in the final played at home. France has two European titles, in 1984 and 2000, and one world title, in 1998. It also made it to the finals in 2006, but lost. The next European championship will be held in 2020 on 13 stadiums in as many countries, among them Romania.



    RETAIL LAW – President Klaus Iohannis endorsed today a law that compels supermarkets to stock their shelves with at least 51% Romanian products, and forbids them from requiring fees and services from suppliers. Retailers with an annual net turnover of below two million Euro are exempt from the new regulations.



    MILITARY EXERCISE – Three Romanian warships take part in a multinational exercise in Bulgaria’s territorial waters and international waters in the Black Sea for a week, starting today. The ships are the Queen Marie, a frigate with a crew of 240, the minesweeper Sublieutenant Alexandru Axente, and the missile ship Lastunul, with a crew of 60. The Romanian ships are part of the package provided by Romania to NATO forces. The exercise is meant to enhance interoperability between NATO partners.