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Tag: Aurescu

  • The Week in Review

    The Week in Review

    Repatriations of Romanians from Gaza continue



    Romania will continue the dialogue with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities for the evacuation of the Romanian citizens and their family members in the Gaza Strip, depending on the developments on the ground and the agreement of the parties involved, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. Moreover, a consular team will remain available in the area of ​​the Rafah border-crossing to Egypt to provide further assistance. The first group of almost one hundred Romanian citizens and their family members were evacuated from the Gaza Strip and transported to Romania from Cairo with a TAROM aircraft. There are also other groups of Romanians who requested permission from the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to transit the border crossing point to Egypt. On board the first aircraft were the PM Marcel Ciolacu and the FM Luminiţa Odobescu, who met in Cairo with the evacuated persons. The head of the Romanian diplomacy declared that the security situation is extremely difficult and complex, which requires a permanent updating of the evacuation plans. And Marcel Ciolacu gave assurances that Romanian citizens and family members will continue to be supported by the Romanian Government to reach extended families and integrate into Romanian society.



    Important decisions made by the Romanian Government



    The Romanian government adopted, during Thursday’s meeting, the new pension law, which provides for two increases for 2024. The document also establishes the recalculation of all pensions according to new criteria, so that the inequities in the system should be eliminated. At the end of the government session, the labor minister Simona Bucura-Oprescu said that the pension law is a stable and sustainable law, which will eliminate inequities, and which is based on respect for contributions and work. She expressed confidence that budgetary resources will be found for the implementation of the two expected increases in 2024 and evoked a better collection of revenues and the reduction of tax evasion. The executive wants the pension law to be adopted by Parliament by November 20.



    Klaus Iohannis in Brussels



    The best option is for Romania and Bulgaria to enter the Schengen Area together, and all negotiations and all attempts to convince those who are still reluctant on this issue are converging towards this, President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday in Brussels. The Romanian president talked with the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, and participated in the signing of a memorandum of collaboration in the nuclear field, but the official visit had more stakes. One of them concerned the support for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, all the more so since, on the same day, in Brussels, the European Commission gave the green light to the European Council to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Moreover, Belgium will take over the presidency of the EU Council in January and will manage both the agenda and the framework of these negotiations. Thus, the discussion extended from economic aspects to defense aspects, especially since a contingent of the Belgian army is in Romania to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. At the end of his visit to Brussels, Klaus Iohannis was received by His Majesty Philippe, King of Belgium, at the castle in Laeken.



    F-16 aircraft in Romania



    On Tuesday, the Netherlands sent the first five F-16 fighter planes to Romania, to the air base in Feteşti (south), which will be used to train the Ukrainian pilots. The European F-16 Training Center was established there as a result of the collaboration between the Romanian and Dutch defense ministries. Given the current geopolitical context and Romania’s strategic position in the Black Sea region, this center becomes essential for cross-border collaboration, strengthening security and consolidating solidarity within NATO. The Romanian defense ministry reminds that this center will be an international hub for the training of F-16 aircraft pilots and will facilitate the increase of interoperability between allies. Romania thus joins other allied nations in supporting the training of Ukrainian pilots for the future use of F-16 aircraft. The center will contribute to the creation of common operational standards and to strengthening the capacity of the North Atlantic Alliance to face the complex challenges in the Black Sea region and in Eastern Europe.



    The first Romanian judge at the International Court of Justice



    Romanias former foreign minister, the current presidential adviser Bogdan Aurescu was voted, on Thursday, a judge at the International Court of Justice, thus becoming the first Romanian to occupy this position. This represents a victory of the Romanian diplomacy, says the Romanian Foreign Ministry, pointing out that Romania promotes a foreign policy based on respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as for international law. In a congratulatory message, President Klaus Iohannis writes that this is a success of Romanian diplomacy, which reflects our firm commitment to the international order based on rules. The judges of the International Court of Justice are elected for nine years by the General Assembly and the UN Security Council, from a wider list of candidates. (LS)


  • 10.11.2023 (mise à jour)

    10.11.2023 (mise à jour)

    Evacuations – 41 citoyens roumains et les membres de leurs familles ont quitté la bande de Gaza au poste frontière de Rafah et se trouvent actuellement en Égypte, suite aux mesures prises par la cellule interinstitutionnelle de crise, à travers l’ambassade de Roumanie au Caire et le Bureau du Représentant des Roumains de Ramallah, a annoncé le Ministère des Affères étrangère de Bucarest. L’institution rappelle qu’un groupe de 93 citoyens roumains et membres de leurs familles sont arrivés mercredi en Roumanie. La diplomatie roumaine poursuit le dialogue avec les autorités israéliennes et égyptiennes afin de faciliter l’évacuation des citoyens internationaux, en fonction de l’évolution de la situation et de l’accord des parties impliquées. D’ailleurs, vendredi, une troisième équipe consulaire mobile de l’unité de réaction rapide de réaction rapide de la cellule de crise du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères s’est déplacé au Caire en vue de soutenir les démarches spécifiques sur le terrain.

    Inflation – La prévision la Banque centrale de Roumanie sur l’évolution de l’inflation vers la fin de cette année est de 7,5%, mais l’institution a révisé à la hausse ses estimations pour 2024 dans le contexte de la majoration des taxes et impôts prévue dans la loi adoptée par l’engagement de la responsabilité gouvernementale. L’année prochaine est aussi une année électorale mais ensuite le processus désinflationniste devrait reprendre et le taux d’inflation devrait s’inscrire dans l’intervalle prévu par la Banque centrale vers la fin 2025, a dit le gouverneur Mugur Isarescu ce vendredi dans le cadre de la présentation du rapport trimestriel sur l’inflation. Conformément au document, au début de l’année prochaine, les prix des produits de consommation courante devraient enregistrer une légère majoration, déterminée notamment par les mesures de majoration de la fiscalité. Mugur Isărescu a présenté les risques à l’adresse de la prévision de la Banque centrale. Il a précisé que les autorités devraient redoubler d’efforts et suivre l’évolution de l’inflation déterminée par la majoration des couts avec les salaires dans la période suivante, mais a souligné aussi qu’à cause du niveau relativement bas du prix des services en Roumanie par rapport aux autres Etats, il existent des raisons d’inquiétude à l’avenir. Conformément à la nouvelle prévision, le taux d’inflation devrait se situer dans l’intervalle cible de la Banque nationale de Roumanie de 1,5 à 3,5% durant le troisième trimestre de l’année 2025.

    Vétérans – Ce samedi, 11 novembre, la Roumanie célèbre la Journée des Vétérans des théâtres d’opérations. A cette occasion, à Bucarest et dans les villes qui accueillent des garnisons militaires des cérémonies militaires et religieuses sont organisées. Ce jour a été choisi parce que ce fut le 11 novembre 1918 qu’entrait en vigueur l’armistice entre les Puissances de l’Entente et l’Allemagne, qui mettait fin à la Première Guerre Mondiale. Et ce fut également le 11 novembre 2003 que tombait sur le champ d’honneur le premier soldat Roumain en Afghanistan. De 1992 à 2002, une trentaine de soldats roumains ont perdu la vie dans des missions sur des théâtres d’opérations et plus de 200 ont été blessés.

    Chars – Le Ministère de la Défense roumain a adressé jeudi une notification au Congrès américain concernant la vente à la Roumanie de 54 chars de combat Abrams, de munitions et de simulateurs pour l’entraînement. Les versions dernier cri des machines de combat qui intègreront les forces terrestres roumaines seront prochainement livrées, et la valeur du contrat est estimée à environ 1,07 milliard de dollars, conformément à l’approbation préalable du Parlement roumain. Le ministre de la Défense, Angel Tîlvăr, a souligné que l’entrée directe dans le programme Abrams représente une opportunité majeure pour les forces terrestres roumaines, qui disposent de moyens de combat de pointe, pour s’adapter aux défis de l’environnement de sécurité régional, et démontrer « la solidité et l’excellent niveau de coopération entre la Roumanie et les États-Unis», notamment sur le plan militaire.

    Aurescu – L’ancien ministre roumain des Affaires étrangères Bogdan Aurescu, a obtenu un poste de juge à la Cour internationale de Justice de La Haye, au sein des Nations Unies. C’est la première fois qu’un Roumain obtient un tel poste. C’est aussi la première fois qu’aucun candidat russe n’est élu. Cette première reflète le ferme engagement de la Roumanie en faveur d’un ordre international fondé sur des règles, selon le président roumain Klaus Iohannis. Le Ministère des Affaires étrangères de Bucarest a déclaré que l’élection d’Aurescu représentait une victoire pour la diplomatie roumaine et une reconnaissance du professionnalisme et de l’expertise de Bogdan Aurescu. Agé de 50 ans, ce dernier est membre de la Commission du droit international de l’ONU et conseiller pour les questions de politique étrangère du président roumain. Entre 2004 et 2009, il a été Agent romain auprès de la Cour internationale de Justice et a joué un rôle décisif dans la procédure entre la Roumanie et l’Ukraine concernant la délimitation territoriale de la mer Noire, dans le cadre de laquelle l’Ukraine a restitué 9 700 km² de plateau continental et de zone économique exclusive à son voisin.

    Belgrade – L’équipe féminine de tennis de Roumanie mène la Serbie sur le score de 2 à 0, dans les play-offs de la Billie Jean King Cup, après la victoire de Jaqueline Cristian contre Aleksandra Krunic 7-5, 6-4, vendredi soir à Kraljevo (Serbie). Anterior, Gabriela Ruse a disposé de Mia Ristic 7-6, 6-3. Samedi, dans le premier match de simple, Jaqueline Cristian affrontera pour la première fois Mia Ristic, et puis Gabriela Ruse affrontera Aleksandra Krunic. Le match de double opposera Katarina Kozarov et Natalija Stevanovic à Irina Bara et Monica Niculescu. L’équipe qui gagna évoluera dans la phase des qualifications au tournoi final de la compétition et l’équipe battue évoluera dans le Premier groupe. Au mois d’avril, la Roumanie a été battue par la Slovénie 3 à 2, ratant la qualification au tournoi final.

    Météo – Dans les prochaines 24 heures, en Roumanie les températures s’approcheront des moyennes pluriannuelles. Le ciel sera couvert et des pluies sont attendues sur toutes les régions, avec des orages sur le sud-est. Des chutes de neige sont attendues en haute montagne à plus de 1 500 m d’altitude, notamment sur les Carpates Orientales. Les maxima iront de 9 à quelque 20 degrés.

  • Romania has its first judge at the International Court of Justice

    Romania has its first judge at the International Court of Justice

    The former Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu was elected judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. His appointment was made following a vote held at the UN headquarters in New York, where the current foreign policy advisor of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis outran the Russian Federation’s candidate. Aurescu got 117 votes in the General Assembly, compared to only 77 votes that went to his Russian contender, while in the Security Council he won 9 out of the total 15 votes. Bogdan Aurescu thus becomes the first Romanian to hold such a position.



    President Klaus Iohannis hailed the United Nations decision as a victory for Romania and for the primacy of international law. In a post on the X network, formerly Twitter, President Iohannis pointed out that Aurescus election as judge mirrors Romania’s strong commitment to the rule-based international order. The success at the UN is a victory of the Romanian diplomacy, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, adding that Romania has constantly supported the activity of the International Court of Justice by participating in jurisdictional and consultative procedures and by promoting some initiatives aimed at encouraging states to resort to the jurisdiction of the Court to settle disputes.



    The appointment of Bogdan Aurescu at the International Court of Justice and the absence, for the first time in history, of a Russian representative among the elected judges, has also triggered a reaction from Kyiv. The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the UN has begun to clean itself from Russian influence and that the world now sees who destroys international law instead of protecting it.



    Bogdan Aurescu is a member of the UN International Law Commission and Co-chair of the Study Group of the International Law on sea-level rise in relation to international law. As of September 2004, he was Romanias Agent before the International Court of Justice, tasked with coordinating the activity of the team that represented Romania in the case against Ukraine for delimiting the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zones of the two countries in the Black Sea. The Court ruling was delivered on February 3, 2009 with Romania winning 9700 km² of continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.




    Between 2010 and 2011 Bogdan Aurescu was chief negotiator of the Romanian-American Agreement on missile defense and the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century between Romania and the US. For the position of judge at the International Court of Justice, Aurescu was nominated by the Netherlands, Italy, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and New Zealand. Established in 1945, based on the UN Charter, the prestigious Court is made up of 15 permanent judges, elected for a 9-year term on criteria meant to ensure the representation of the main forms of civilization and legal systems in the world. (EE)



  • June 3, 2023 UPDATE

    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)

  • June 3, 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)

  • May 23, 2023

    May 23, 2023

    STRIKE Romania’s teachers are in the second day of their
    strike and trade unions say they won’t give up their protest until the
    coalition government PNL-PSD-UDMR comes with a credible solution to their
    claims. Although teachers aren’t satisfied with the offer made by the
    authorities, Prime Minister Ciuca has called on them to go back to schools and at
    the same time invited representatives of parent-student associations for a new
    round of talks over the situation in Romania’s education system. In another
    development, the Senate in Bucharest on Monday endorsed the new education laws,
    which are to be promulgated. According to the political parties in the ruling
    coalition, the new measures for the undergraduate and university education are
    going to reform the system. However, the opposition believes the amendments are
    not going to solve the existing problems.








    TALKS
    Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu jointly with his Spanish and Polish
    counterparts, Jose Manuel Albares Bueno and Zbigniew Rau, respectively, is
    inaugurating the trilateral format Romania – Spain – Poland during a meeting to
    take place in the Spanish city of Valencia. According to a communiqué of the
    Romanian Foreign Ministry, the beginning of this trilateral dialogue represents
    a materialization of the close cooperation between the three countries at the
    EU and NATO levels in accordance with the similar and interconnected strategic
    interests, even if they are at different extremities of the European continent.
    Furthermore, each of the three countries has special responsibilities at the EU
    and NATO borders, the sources say. The agenda of the trilateral talks includes
    the top priorities of the Spanish presidency of the European Union Council, the
    upcoming two summits of the European Political Communities in Chisinau on June
    1st and Granada on October 5th, the strategic resilience
    and the EU enlargement, the migration, the consolidation of the Schengen
    region, as well as the cooperation in terms of energy security. In the field of
    security and cooperation inside NATO, the participants will also focus on other
    issues such as the management of the consequences of Russia’s aggression war in
    Ukraine, the support for that country and the other partners affected by the
    Russian aggression, especially the Republic of Moldova, the priorities of the
    NATO summit in Vilnius this year, the challenges facing the eastern and
    southern vicinity of the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean.








    PROTEST Scores of farmers from Romania have gone to Brussels
    to participate today in a protest rally of farmers and associations staged by
    the so-called enlarged Visegrad Group. Farmers are disgruntled by the serious
    problems and imbalances affecting the agrifood sector in Central and Eastern
    Europe against the background of the war in Ukraine. The meeting is being
    attended by 200 participants from six countries, Romania, Poland, Hungary, the
    Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Slovakia. 50 of these participants are coming from
    Romania, representatives of the Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation AAC
    have announced. According to them the situation is serious and farmers in the
    aforementioned countries are presently facing plummeting prices and a sharp
    drop in the demand for cereals and seeds caused by the imports of cheap cereals
    from Ukraine although these shipments have initially been bound for third
    countries or the traditional buyers of Ukrainian products.






    COUNCIL The Romanian Defence Minister Angel Tîlvăr is in Brussels to participate in the
    Foreign Affairs Council in its defence configuration. The Romanian official
    will be also participating in the meeting of the European Defence Agency. High
    of the FAC agenda is the EU support for the invaded Ukraine as well as the
    recent initiatives over the joint defence purchases and the revitalization of
    the industrial capabilities of the member states. The EU High Representative
    for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell is expected to be presenting
    the latest developments in the EU’s operational commitments and the headway in
    the Permanent Structured Cooperation initiative also known as PESCO. NATO
    Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will be participating in a working lunch
    which has high on the agenda the EU-NATO cooperation on various levels,
    especially in the area of providing a joint response to the challenges of the
    present security environment.


    (bill)

  • May 14, 2023

    May 14, 2023

    Commemoration — The wounds caused by communism will never be fully healed, and our duty is to cultivate, every day, the respect for democratic values, as well as for the historical truth, and to educate the younger generations in this sense. This message was conveyed on Sunday by the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă on the occasion of the National Remembrance Day of Martyrs of Communist Prisons. “75 years ago, on the night of May 14/15, 1948, the communist authorities launched a vast repressive operation, marking the beginning of a long series of horrors. For almost half a century, Romania was in the darkness of totalitarianism, all the strongholds of democracy being destroyed, one by one” the prime minister said in his message. According to him, all this ordeal ended in December 1989, through blood sacrifice, when Romanians won the fight for freedom and democracy.



    Education – The draft laws of Education, of higher and pre-university education, will enter, as of Monday, the debate of the Senate in Bucharest, which is the decision-making body in this case. The changes brought in the Chamber of Deputies are supported by the parties in the governing coalition, which state that the new measures will reform the educational system. On the other hand, the opposition representatives believe that the problems in education will not be solved with the adoption of these laws. According to the calendar established by the leadership of the Senate, the specialized committee must give a report by May 19. Save Romania Union – USR requested an extension of the calendar, given that, they claim, a hasty adoption of documents of such complexity would harm education. The deputies substantially modified the two bills compared to the form adopted by the Government, hundreds of amendments being accepted. The laws might equally undergo changes in the Senate as well.



    Museums — More than 300 cultural events took place as part of the European Night of the Museums 2023, which took place on Saturday in a joint edition between Romania and the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population). Of these, about 60 events took place in Bucharest in museums, art galleries, cultural and exhibition centers. The special guest of the Night of Museums 2023 was the world-wide phenomenon museum – War Childhood Museum, for the first time in Romania. The Romanian Athenaeum, the Football Museum and the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry participated in this initiative for the first time this year. The National Art Museum of Romania turned on its lights on Saturday, thus joining museums from dozens of European countries that opened their doors on the same night.



    Forum — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, represented Romania, on Saturday, in the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, organized in Stockholm by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The forum included a series of simultaneous debates organized in the form of round tables dedicated to connectivity, energy and security. Bogdan Aurescu co-moderated the round table on security issues, entitled Joint management of security challenges in the Indo-Pacific. In his speech, the Romanian FM highlighted the interdependence relationship between the EU and the Indo-Pacific in terms of consolidating the prosperity of the two regions, the prospects for intensifying cooperation between the EU and the region, as well as the ways of jointly defining and combating security threats. According to the Romanian official, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has a major impact on global stability and prosperity, being not just a regional conflict, as it has effects at the world level. In this context, Bogdan Aurescu presented Romanias consistent and multidimensional efforts in support of Ukraine, as well as in support of the Ukrainian citizens affected by the war.



    Elections – The first round of the presidential election is taking place in Turkey on Sunday. In power for over two decades, the current head of state, the Islamic-conservative Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is facing what the press calls “the toughest challenge of his career”. His secular opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is leading in opinion polls. He promised to restore democracy and improve Turkeys relations with the West. If none of the candidates gets more than 50% of the votes, a second round of voting will take place in two weeks’ time. (LS)

  • The EU supports the stability of the Republic of Moldova

    The EU supports the stability of the Republic of Moldova

    The head of the Romanian diplomacy, Bogdan Aurescu has
    hailed the political agreement reached by his EU counterparts for setting up a
    sanctions regime in order to counter the destabilization actions against the
    neighboring ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova.




    He said that Romania is already working with the
    authorities in Chisinau on the first list of people to be sanctioned. Created
    on a part of the eastern Romanian territories annexed in 1940 by the Stalinist
    Soviet Union, the little republic, which got its independence in 1991, has been
    described by pundits as the most vulnerable neighbour of the invaded Ukraine. The threat level is on the rise. And causing violent
    events would prove a turning point in the present context, said this month Ana
    Revenco, Foreign Minister in the pro-Western government in Chisinau. According
    to her, ‘it is a certain fact that Russia has stepped up its efforts to
    destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova not without the efforts of
    the fugitive oligarchs.




    All the elements of a hybrid war such
    as false bomb alerts, cyber attacks, illegally funded protests, energy
    blackmail have proved to be a great challenge for the entire Interior Affairs
    system – she told Radio Chisinau. The pro-war propaganda, the incitement to
    hatred and misinformation are parts of the same hybrid war and are aimed at weakening
    the resistance of the citizens.




    Against this background, Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu said that any
    measure taken to bolster the security of the Republic of Moldova is also
    beneficial to Romania, and the EU’s decision to quickly put together a
    sanctions regime will be an instrument very important in the process of strengthening
    the resilience and security of the neighboring state in the context of the
    actions masterminded by Moscow.


    In turn the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep
    Borrell says that the Republic is one of the most affected states by the war in
    Ukraine and Brussels has earmarked 40 million Euros to support its defence
    capabilities.




    Also this month the Budget Commission with the
    European Parliament has endorsed the 145 million euros financial assistance for
    the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian MEP Siegfried
    Mureșan, the head of the delegation of the EU Legislature for the relations
    with Chisinau has underlined that it is necessary that the macro-financial
    assistance be endorsed without delay by the European Parliament and the money
    reach the Republic of Moldova in due time, by the end of the year.




    According to him, the Republic of
    Moldova is an EU-accession candidate and we must help it overcome all the
    challenges it is presently facing and carry on its European integration. The
    final voting on this package in the European Parliament is most likely due next
    week.


    (bill)

  • April 2, 2023 UPDATE

    April 2, 2023 UPDATE

    NATO – Romania will promote the strengthening of the transatlantic relationship and the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU, says President Klaus Iohannis, in the context of the 74-year anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance and NATO Day in Romania marked on April 2. “We will remain involved in allied missions and commitments, and strengthening the national defense capacity will continue to be a priority for Romania, including by allocating, starting this year, 2.5% of the GDP for Defense”, said the Romanian president, according to a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration. “Europe is facing the worst security crisis since the Second World War, and in the face of these challenges, our countrys membership to the Euro-Atlantic community of values ​​is all the more relevant”, the Romania foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also said. He recalled that in the 19 years since Romania became a member of NATO, the Romanian diplomacy has demonstrated its ability to fulfill its obligations based on this fundamental role. “We are constantly and significantly contributing to the consolidation of Romanias position within NATO and to its reputation as a provider of security and stability. We are engaged in complying with our commitments to allies and partners and, equally, we support the strengthening of our military capabilities, in the transatlantic relationship and in the allied solidarity”, said Bogdan Aurescu.



    Visit – Two European commissioners are coming to Romania to launch of national programs financed under the EU cohesion policy. The European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, and Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira will meet on Monday, in Bucharest, with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, with the Minister of European Projects, Marcel Boloş, and with the Labour Minister, Marius Budai, after which they will go to Iaşi (northeast) and Vaslui (east). The two European officials will also visit a center for Ukrainian refugees.



    Catholic Palm Sunday – Pope Francis said, on Sunday, the traditional Angelus prayer in St. Peters Square in the Vatican, after the Catholic Palm Sunday liturgy, which marked the entry into the Holy Week, preceding Easter. The 86-year-old pontiff was discharged from hospital the day before, after being treated for bronchitis during the week. The leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics has been suffering from health problems for several years, including knee pain that forces him to use a wheelchair and cane. Pope Francis celebrated ten years at the helm of the Catholic Church in early March. We remind you that, this year, Catholics and Protestants celebrate Easter a week earlier than the Orthodox and Greek Catholics.



    Paris – Parisians were called to decide, on Sunday, by referendum, whether or not to ban electric scooters for rent. In the five years since they were proposed as a means of transportation in Paris, people have accumulated a lot of dissatisfaction with scooters, considered by many a real danger for pedestrians, cars, as well as for unruly users. Last year alone, scooters were the cause of over 400 road accidents, three of which were fatal. The referendum does not refer to personal electric scooters, which, however, must obey stricter rules which have been recently announced by the Ministry of Transport. Children under 14 are no longer allowed to use scooters, they must be equipped with additional signaling and electronic systems for automatic speed limitation to 25km/h, and the fine for indiscipline in traffic increases from 35 to 135 Euros.



    Moldova – The President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu will have a meeting with the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Margareta, on Monday, during a visit to Romania. At the end of the meeting, Maia Sandu will sign the Golden Book of the Elisabeta Palace, opened in 1937. The visit will be attended by representatives of the Presidency of the Republic of Moldova and the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Bucharest, among whom the ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in Romania, Victor Chirilă. (LS)

  • 23.03.2023

    23.03.2023

    Iohannis à Bruxelles – Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, participe, ces jeudi et vendredi à la réunion du Conseil européen de printemps et au sommet de l’Euro en format élargi, qui se déroule à Bruxelles. Selon l’administration présidentielle, à l’ordre du jour des réunions figurent la situation en Ukraine, et notamment la sécurité alimentaire et le processus de reconstruction, les changements climatiques et les démarches en vue de la réalisation des objectifs de développement durable. « Nous devons être unis de la part de l’Ukraine, nous devons être solidaires avec l’Ukraine avec tout ce que nous pouvons. Il est très important que l’Ukraine aie une position forte et nous pouvons faire beaucoup de choses », a déclaré le chef de l’Etat roumain dans une conférence de presse à la veille du Conseil. Selon lui, d’autres thèmes extrêmement importants figurent également à l’ordre du jour, dont l’économie, le marché unique, la compétitivité, les meilleurs moyens de prévenir la désindustrialisation de l’Europe et l’énergie, mais aussi la République de Moldova, qui recevra une aide supplémentaire consistante de la part de l’UE.

    Ciuca à Chisinau – En visite à Chisinau, accompagné de plusieurs ministres, le chef du gouvernement roumain, Nicolae Ciuca s’est entretenu avec la présidente de la République de Moldova, Maia Sandu et avec le premier ministre moldave Dorin Recean. Les réunion sont ciblé des problématiques liées à l’adhésion de cet Etat à l’UE, de la manière dont l’économie de la République pourrait se développer, de la voie vers les réformes démocratiques et de la situation dans la région dans le contexte du conflit en Ukraine. Le leader de Chisinau a remercié à la Roumanie pour le soutien accordé jusqu’ici pour que la population et l’économie de la République de Moldova puissent dépasser cet hiver compliqué, déterminé par une croissance exponentielle des coûts de l’énergie et du gaz et de la décision de la compagnie russe Gazprom d’interrompre l’alimentation pendant plusieurs mois. Pour sa part, le premier ministre Nicolae Ciuca a remercié pour la décision du Parlement de la République de Moldova d’adapter la législation conformément à la décision de la Cour Constitutionnelle d’accorder à la langue roumaine le statut de langue officielle dans l’ex république soviétique. La consolidation du milieu sécuritaire en République de Moldova et les ressources nécessaires à la lutte contre toute forme de déstabilisation de cet Etat constitue une priorité pour la Roumanie a dit Nicolae Ciuca durant la réunion avec Dorin Recean. La Roumanie est notre avocat dans toutes les institutions européenne, autrement nous ne pouvons pas avancer dans notre parcours européen a déclaré aussi le premier ministre moldave. Les participants aux réunions ont également analyse l’état de la mise en œuvre du programme d’appui à la République de Moldova, qui dispose d’un financement d’une centaine de millions d’euros de la part du gouvernement roumain. Le premier ministre roumain a annoncé le déblocage d’un premier versement de 25 millions d’euros à ce programme.

    Aurescu à Londres – Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine, Bogdan Aurescu, fait une visite officielle au Royaume Uni, à l’invitation de son homologue, James Cleverly. Les deux responsables évoqueront aussi les relations du partenariat stratégique bilatéral, ainsi que des évolutions internationales avec un accent particulier sur la guerre en Ukraine, sur la situation en République de Moldova, les relations entre l’UE et le Royaume Uni et la coopération au sein de l’OTAN. Mercredi, Bogdan Aurescu s’est entretenu avec le secrétaire d’Etat à la défense du Royaume Uni, Ben Wallace. Les deux hommes ont parlé entre autres de la coopération bilatérale dans le domaine de la défense et dans le cadre de l’Alliance de l’Atlantique nord avec un accent sur la stabilité et la sécurité de la mer Noire. En marge de cette visite, les chefs des diplomaties roumaine et britannique signeront aussi une déclaration commune mise à jour du partenariat stratégique entre la Roumanie et le Royaume Uni et inaugureront la première édition d’un forum bilatéral entre les deux Etats.

    Metronom
    –     Metronom, premier long-métrage de fiction du réalisateur roumain
    Alexandru
    Belc sera projeté vendredi au cinéma Muranów de Varsovie. Le film représente la
    Roumanie au Festival du film francophone de Pologne qui se déroule du 22 au 26
    mars dans la Capitale polonaise. Aux côtés du film roumain, le festival inclut
    huit autres productions de fiction de Belgique, du Canada, de Suisse, du
    Luxembourg et du Maroc, proposées par l’Institut français de Pologne qui est
    également le principal organisateur de l’événement. L’édition la plus récente
    du festival du film de Cannes a récompensé « Metronom » du Prix pour
    la réalisation de la section « Un certain regard ».

    Tennis – La joueuse de tennis roumaine Irina Begu, 34e mondiale affronte aujourd’hui au deuxième tour de l’Open de Miami, la Chinoise Qinwen Zheng, 23e WTA. Dans le premier round, Begu a battu la sportive des Phillipines, Alexandra Eala, numéro 219 mondiale, sur le score de 6-2, 7-5. Mercredi, Sorana Cîrstea (32 ans, 74e au classement WTA) a débuté par une victoire au tournoi WTA 1 000 à Miami, alors qu’Ana Bogdan, (60e WTA) a perdu le premier round. Sorana Cîrstea s’est imposée contre Fernanda Contreras Gomez du Mexique, alors qu’Ana Bogdan s’est inclinée face à l’américaine Robin Montgomery (193e WTA).

    Handball – L’équipe de handball Dinamo Bucarest, championne de Roumanie a été battue par l’équipe allemande de THW Kiel, sur le score de 41 à 28 mercredi dans la soirée à domicile lors du premier round du play-off de la Ligue des Champions. Le match retour est prévu pour le 29 mars à Kiel, en Allemagne. Côté handball féminin, les vice-championnes de CSM Bucarest se sont déjà qualifiées dans les quarts de finale de la Ligue des Champions alors que les championnes de Rapid Bucarest reçoivent dimanche à domicile la visite du Krim Ljubljana( de Slovénie), le match décisif pour l’accès dans la même phase de la compétition. Le match aller a été une défaite pour Rapid sur le score de 29 à 24.

  • March 23, 2023

    March 23, 2023

    Brussels — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, on Thursday and Friday, in the spring meeting of the European Council and in the Euro Summit in an extended format, hosted by Brussels. According to the Presidential Administration, they will tackle the situation in Ukraine, especially food security and the reconstruction process, climate change and measures to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. “We must be united on the side of Ukraine, we must be in solidarity with Ukraine, we must help Ukraine with everything we can. It is very important that Ukraine has a strong position and that we can do many things”, said the Romanian president in a press conference before the start of the Council. There will be other extremely important topics, President Iohannis also said, related to the economy, the single market, competitiveness. They will discuss the best methods to prevent the deindustrialization of Europe and the energy issue, as well as the situation of the Republic of Moldova, which will receive substantial additional aid from the EU.



    Chisinau – On a visit to Chisinau, accompanied by several ministers, the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă had talks with the President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu and with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean. The meetings focused on issues related to the accession of this state to the EU, the way in which the republics economy can develop, the path to democratic reforms and the situation in the area in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. The leader from Chisinau thanked Romania for the support provided for the population and the economy of the Republic of Moldova to get through the complicated winter, caused by an exponential increase in energy and gas costs, and through the acute lack of supply of these resources, in particular following the interruption of supply by Gazprom for several months. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă thanked, in turn, for the decision of the Moldovan Parliament to adapt the legislation in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court, respectively to grant the Romanian language the status of official language in the Republic of Moldova. Consolidating the security environment in the Republic of Moldova and ensuring the resources to combat any form of destabilization of this country is a priority for Romania, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also said during the discussions with Dorin Recean. Romania is our advocate in all European institutions, therefore we can advance on our European path, said the Moldovan Prime Minister. During the meetings, the implementation stage of the support program for the Republic of Moldova presented, financed with 100 million Euros by the Government of Romania. In this sense, the Romanian Prime Minister announced the release of the first tranche worth 25 million Euros of this program.



    London – The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is on an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the invitation of his counterpart, James Cleverly. The two officials will discuss bilateral strategic partnership relations, as well as international developments, with an emphasis on the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Republic of Moldova, the relations between the EU and the United Kingdom and cooperation within NATO. On Wednesday, minister Bogdan Aurescu had a meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Defense, Ben Wallace, with whom he discussed, among other things, bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and within the North Atlantic Alliance, with an emphasis on the stability and security of the Black Sea. On the sidelines of the visit, the heads of the Romanian and British diplomacies will sign the updated Joint Declaration of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and will open the first edition of the Romania – United Kingdom Bilateral Forum.



    Protests – France is almost blocked today, on the ninth day of national mobilization against the pension reform. With a general strike in many areas and street demonstrations announced in almost 300 localities, the trade unions and the opposition want to force the French government to withdraw the law it has just adopted, which provides for the increase in the retirement age, from 62 to 64 years old. On Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron said that the reform was an unfortunate necessity to protect the pension system and that he accepted its unpopularity.



    Film – The first feature film of the Romanian director Alexandru Belc – “Metronome” will be screened on Friday at the Muranów cinema in Warsaw. The film represents Romania at the Francophone Film Festival in Poland, which takes place between March 22 and 26 in Warsaw. Along with the Romanian film, the Festival includes eight other fiction films from Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Morocco, proposed by the French Institute in Poland, which is also the main organizer. At the most recent edition of the Cannes Film Festival, “Metronome” was awarded the Best Director Award in the “Un certain regard” section. (LS)

  • 17.03.2023

    17.03.2023

    Langue roumaine – L’expression « langue roumaine » remplacera celle de « langue moldave » dans toute la législation de la République de Moldova, y compris dans la Constitution du pays, après le vote favorable exprimé par le parlement moldave sur un projet législatif. La loi met en pratique une décision de la Cour Constitutionnelle d’il y a une dizaine d’années, selon laquelle la langue roumaine était la langue officielle de la République de Moldova. Les juges constitutionnels décidaient à l’époque que la déclaration d’indépendance de la République de Moldova, adoptée en 1991, qui proclamait la langue roumaine langue d’Etat était un texte constitutionnel et faisait partie de la Loi Fondamentale.

    Francophonie – Le ministre rouamin des Affaires Etrangères, Bogdan Aurescu, a évoqué jeudi à Bucarest dans le cadre d’une soirée de Gala dédié aux 30 ans d’appartenance de la Roumanie à l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, le rôle de celle-ci de mécanisme institutionnel dédié à la coopération politique, éducationnelle, scientifique, économique et culturelle. Bogdan Aurescu a souligné que la Roumanie avait une contribution substantielle aux programmes de l’OIF, une communauté de 88 Etats de cinq continents, constituée autour de la langue française. Il a souligné aussi qu’étant donné aussi de l’impact régional et mondial de la guerre de la Russie contre l’Ukraine, les objectifs de la Francophonie sont plus actuels que jamais : paix, démocratie et respect des droits de l’homme, aux côtés d’éducation pour le développement durable.

    Syndicats – Les syndicalistes roumains de l’Education ont poursuivi ces jours-ci les protestations devant les préfectures du pays. Ils condamnent dans un communiqué l’attitude des membres du gouvernement qui n’ont pas proposé de solution aux revendications exprimées dans la rue. Elles sont liées aux salaires, aux bonus et à la majoration des revenus. Les syndicalistes réclament aussi l’absence de tout dialogue social et accusent le gouvernement de malveillance. Les représentants des salariés de l’Education nationale ont annoncé que leurs manifs devraient se poursuivre tant en ce mois de mars qu’en avril. En cas d’absence de toute réponse, ils menacent de déclencher la grève générale fin mai.

    Gaz – L’exécutif de Bucarest a fait un nouveau pas dans la série des démarches en vue de l’exploitation du gaz naturel en Mer Noire, dans le périmètre Neptun Deep, par la conclusion d’un contrat de réservation signé par les sociétés Romgaz, OMV et Transgaz. Le projet d’une valeur estimée actuellement à quelque 478 millions d’euros prévoit la construction d’un pipe-line de 308,3 km qui reliera les ressources gazières disponibles en Mer Noire et le couloir BRUA, assurant ainsi le transport du gaz naturel via les interconnexions qui existent déjà. Le premier ministre Nicolae Ciuca a participé à la cérémonie de signature du document et rappelé la préoccupation des autorités roumaines pour faire augmenter la sécurité énergétique du pays, respectivement pour assurer l’énergie à des couts accessibles aux citoyens et au milieu des affaires.

    Cyber-sécurité – L’agence de cyber sécurité de l’UE sera inaugurée le 9 mai à l’occasion de la fête de l’Europe, dans le cadre de l’Université polytechnique de Bucarest – a annoncé en exclusivité pour la Radio publique roumaine, Mihnea Costoiu, le président de cette institution d’enseignement. Il a précisé que c’était la première agence européenne basée en Roumanie. L’agence dispose d’un budget d’investissements de 4 milliards et demi d’euros, et Bucarest pourrait devenir ainsi un point d’attraction pour les leaders de l’industrie mondiale du secteur de la sécurité cybernétique, alors que l’Union européenne met un accent particulier sur l’économie numérique et la protection des entreprises et des citoyens dans le milieu enligne.

    Chômage – Le taux de chômage a légèrement augmenté durant le dernier trimestre de l’année 2022 de 0,4 % par rapport aux précédents trois mois pour se chiffrer à 5,8%, selon l’institut national de la statistique de Bucarest. Le taux de chômage le plus élevé est celui des jeunes de 23%. Le taux de chômage des hommes est de 1,2% supérieur à celui des femmes et trois fois supérieur dans le milieu urbain que dans le milieu rural. Il est chiffré à 9,3% dans les villages et à 3,2% en ville. Selon l’INS, quelque 7,8 habitants de la Roumanie ont un emploi. S’y ajoutent quelque 655 400 qui travaillent dans des fermes individuelles. Au total la population active s’est élevée à 8,43 millions de personnes.

    Météo – temps assez frisquet en Roumanie sur la plupart du territoire. Ciel variable avec quelques nuages sur le sud et le sud-est. Les maximas iront de 4 à 13 degrés. 8 degrés en ce moment à Bucarest.

  • February 23, UPDATE

    February 23, UPDATE

    Moldova — The external threats to the democratic order in the Republic of Moldova are particularly worrying, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday, during a joint press conference in Bucharest with his Moldovan counterpart, Maia Sandu. “We are going through a period of crises of historical proportions”, the Romanian president said, evoking Russias war against Ukraine. Iohannis reiterated that Romania firmly condemns Russias attempts to destabilize the Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian speaking population) and assured that the country is not alone in facing these challenges. “Romania will continue to firmly support the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, within its internationally recognized borders”, Klaus Iohnnis also said. For her part, Maia Sandu showed that Moldova is going through unprecedented challenges and thanked Romania for being its friend and advocate. She recalled that, at the beginning of the war, Moldova was Ukraines most vulnerable neighbor. “Now we are more prepared, we are consolidating our defense capacity, we have new sources of energy that we can rely on, we have increased exports to the European Union, we are more resilient and stronger”, said the president of the Republic of Moldova.



    Diplomacy – The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu participates on Thursday and Friday in the events organized by the United Nations to mark one year since the start of Russias war of aggression against Ukraine. On Thursday he was scheduled to speak at the 11th special emergency session of the UN General Assembly, convened in order to adopt a resolution aimed at restoring comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Romania is a co-sponsor of the resolution. On Friday, the Romanian foreign minister will speak at a ministerial round-table of the UN Security Council, with Ukraine again in the focus of attention. The Romanian official will present Bucharests efforts to support the over 3.6 million Ukrainian refugees who have crossed into Romania and to facilitate the transit of nearly 13 million tons of grains from Ukraine. He will also reiterate Romanias firm support for the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and his countrys commitment to an active contribution to international peace and security.



    Meeting — The Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă reiterated, on Thursday, at a meeting with the EU countries ambassadors accredited to Bucharest, that Romanias accession to the Schengen area remained a priority. The PM emphasized that political and diplomatic action will be continued on all channels in order to identify concrete solutions for the successful completion of this objective. According to a Government release, at the meeting held at the Swedish Embassy in Bucharest, in the context in which Sweden holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, Prime Minister Ciucă presented, among other things, the economic developments in Romania over the last 12 months, highlighting the role played by the high rate of investments and the absorption of European funds in maintaining an economic growth of 4.8%, in the complicated context of the war in neighboring Ukraine, the increase in energy prices and the slow recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.



    Travel – Over 151 companies from several countries are taking part in the spring edition of the Romanian Tourism Fair that began in Bucharest on Thursday, offering up to 50% discounts on holiday packages and special promotions for luxury destinations. The event promotes the most interesting and profitable tourist offers in Romania and abroad. The 10 participating countries include Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Hungary.



    Earthquake – A new earthquake measuring 3.9 in magnitude was reported in Gorj County, south-western Romania on Wednesday night, according to the National Institute for Earth Physics. On February 13, a 5.2 magnitude tremor was reported in the same area, followed the next day by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. Seismologists announced that over 800 aftershocks followed the quake on February 13, but their number and magnitude declined in the following period. The region of Oltenia is known for a weak to moderate seismic activity, with very rare events over 5 on the magnitude scale. (LS, AMP)

  • February 19, 2023 UPDATE

    February 19, 2023 UPDATE

    ART On Sunday, the National Day devoted to Romania’s greatest sculptor, Constantin
    Brancusi, Romania’s Art Museum was offering guided tours around a special
    gallery presenting his works of art. The aforementioned gallery boasts the
    largest Brancusi collection in Romania including works such as ‘The Sleep’, ‘Head
    of a Child’ ‘the Prayer’, or a replica of the ‘Gate of the Kiss’. Children were
    invited to attend a workshop entitled ‘Bird hidden in Stone’, a special event
    designed and staged by experts from the Georges-Pompidou Centre in Paris. On
    this occasion, Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca conveyed a message,
    saying that through his works of art, the great sculptor forged his own
    artistic identity revolutionizing sculpture and has left behind a valuable
    heritage, which is impressive through its universality at the same time bearing
    the hallmark of the simplicity and wisdom of the Romanian peasant. Romania
    today celebrates 147 years since the birth of this great artist.






    CULTURE On Sunday, the last day of the
    programme through which the city of Timisoara, in western Romania, launched its
    mandate of the European Capital of Culture, new artistic events took place,
    including a spectacular Puppet Parade staged jointly by the European capitals
    of culture in 2023. So puppeteers from Veszprem, Hungary jointly with the
    artists of the Hungarian State Theatre ‘Csiki Gergely’ in Timisoara presented the
    big puppets especially made for the official launch in Veszprem last month. The
    cities of Timisoara in Western Romania and the Hungarian city of Veszprem are
    sharing the title of the European Capital of Culture in 2023 with the city of
    Elefsina in Greece. One of the main
    highlights of last Saturday was the retrospective exhibition of the great
    surrealist artist Victor Brauner housed by the Art Museum, which was also a
    premiere for Romania. The inaugural programme also included a digital culture
    festival as well as scientific experiments, light shows and ballet performances
    in front of the Opera House in Timisoara. According to the city mayor Dominic
    Fritz, everybody is welcome to Timisoara. There were three days in which we
    showed that all the things that bring us together are more than those that
    separate us. The values that built this city – innovation, multiculturalism,
    diversity – have been seen and heard by the entire Europe, the mayor went on
    to say.






    AID The West must provide more military
    aid to Ukraine and speed up its deliveries, the EU Foreign Policy Chief Joseph
    Borrell said in Munich on Sunday. In a speech he delivered during the Security
    conference underway there, the EU high official said that much more had to be
    done and much quicker. Borrell went on to say that he supported an Estonian
    proposal for the European Union to buy ammunition on behalf of its member
    states to increase its military support to Ukraine. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu held
    talks with a delegation of the US Congress headed by Mike Turner, chief of the
    House Intelligence Committee, on the sidelines of the Security Conference in Munich
    on Saturday. During the talks he had with Mike Turner, who is also co-chair of
    the Friendship Group with Romania, Aurescu hailed the Congress’ support in the
    efforts to strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank and highlighted the importance of
    the US assistance in the transatlantic security, including through the
    beefed-up military presence in Romania. The members of the US delegation have
    highlighted the major role Romania plays among the US allies. Mike Turner has
    thanked Minister Aurescu for the exceptional efforts Romania made as part of
    the multidimensional support granted to Ukraine and for its role as a leader in
    ensuring regional security.








    HANDBALL Romanian
    handball side SCM Ramnicu Valcea has qualified for the quarter finals of the
    women’s competition EHF European League after a 28-26 win against Hungarian
    side Praktiker-Vac in their last match in Group D. SCM has thus ended in the
    second position after the group’s leader Thuringer of Germany. In the Champions
    League, vice-champions CSM Bucharest have qualified for the quarters whereas
    title holder Rapid Bucharest for the play-offs in the round of 16.






    (bill)

  • February 19, 2023

    February 19, 2023

    ART Today on the National Day devoted
    to Romania’s greatest sculptor, Constantin Brancusi, Romania’s Art Museum is
    offering guided tours around a special gallery presenting his works of art. The
    aforementioned gallery boasts the largest Brancusi collection in Romania
    including works such as ‘The Sleep’, ‘Head of a Child’ ‘the Prayer’, or a
    replica of the ‘Gate of the Kiss’. Children are invited to attend a workshop
    entitled ‘Bird hidden in Stone’, a special event designed and staged by experts
    from the Georges-Pompidou Centre in Paris. On this occasion, Romania’s Prime
    Minister Nicolae Ciuca has conveyed a message, saying that through his works of
    art, the great sculptor forged his own artistic identity revolutionizing sculpture
    and has left behind a valuable heritage, which is impressive through its
    universality at the same time bearing the hallmark of the simplicity and wisdom
    of the Romanian peasant. Romania today celebrates 147 years since the birth of
    this great artist.






    CULTURE Today, on the last day of the
    programme through which the city of Timisoara, in western Romania, has launched
    its mandate of the European Capital of Culture, new artistic events are to take
    place, including a spectacular Puppet Parade staged jointly by the European
    capitals of culture in 2023. So puppeteers from Veszprem, Hungary jointly with
    the artists of the Hungarian State Theatre ‘Csiki Gergely’ in Timisoara are presenting
    the big puppets especially created for the official launch in Veszprem last
    month. The cities of Timisoara in Western Romania and the Hungarian city of
    Veszprem are sharing the title of the European Capital of Culture in 2023 with
    the city of Elefsina in Greece. One of
    the main highlights of last Saturday was the retrospective exhibition of the
    great surrealist artist Victor Brauner housed by the Art Museum, which was also
    a premiere for Romania. The inaugural programme also included a digital culture
    festival as well as scientific experiments, light shows and ballet performances
    in front of the Opera House in Timisoara.






    MAE Romanian Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu held talks with a delegation of the US Congress headed
    by Mike Turner, chief of the House Intelligence Committee, on the sidelines of the
    Security Conference in Munich on Saturday. During the talks he had with Mike
    Turner, who is also co-chair of the Friendship Group with Romania, Aurescu
    hailed the Congress’ support in the efforts to strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank and
    highlighted the importance of the US assistance in the transatlantic security,
    including through the beefed-up military presence in Romania. The members of
    the US delegation have highlighted the major role Romania plays among the US
    allies. Mike Turner has thanked Minister Aurescu for the exceptional efforts
    Romania made as part of the multidimensional support granted to Ukraine and for
    its role as a leader in ensuring regional security.






    HANDBALL Romanian
    handball side SCM Ramnicu Valcea has qualified for the quarter finals of the
    women’s competition EHF European League after a 28-26 win against Hungarian
    side Praktiker-Vac in their last match in Group D. SCM has thus ended in the
    second position after the group’s leader Thuringer of Germany. In the Champions
    League, vice-champions CSM Bucharest have qualified for the quarters whereas
    title holder Rapid Bucharest for the play-offs in the round of 16.






    RALLY Over 100 thousand people took to
    the streets of Israel on Saturday night to fight a plan to overhaul the
    country’s court system that the justice minister says he is determined to carry
    out. The Israelis have protested for seven weeks now against the legislation
    that Netanyahu, his right-wing and religious allies hope to pass and which
    would limit the Supreme Court’s powers to rule against the legislature and the
    executive. The reforms would also give the government more influence over the
    committee, which appoints the judges, including to the Supreme Court. According
    to protesters, the plan will weaken the courts, endanger civil liberties and
    harm the economy.




    (bill)