Radio România Internațional

Tag: Aurescu

  • March 30, 2021 UPDATE

    March 30, 2021 UPDATE

    PROTESTS According to Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, protests are normal in
    functional democracies, but he underlined that violence, extremism and
    xenophobia are intolerable and completely unacceptable. The president has said
    that he understands that people are discontented after a year of restrictions
    but has reiterated that these measures are the only ones that can keep the
    Covid-19 pandemic at bay. He made an appeal to the authorities in charge to
    step up their dialogue with the people, explaining to them why such measures
    need to be implemented and which is their effectiveness. The president’s
    statement comes after a second day of protests in Bucharest and several other
    big cities across Romania. Some of these protests turned violent. The country’s
    Prime Minister Florin Citu said that after one year of restrictions, the
    citizens are entitled to protest, but these protests must be done under the
    law. According to Marcel Ciolacu, president of the opposition PSD, people took
    to the streets out of despair, being fed up with poverty and the ongoing
    crisis. In his opinion, a solution might be to reconsider the restrictions
    implemented. Interior Minister Lucian Bode has said that over 12 hundred
    protesters have been fined nationwide. 12 gendarme troops were wounded in the
    protest in Bucharest on Monday. Over 180 people have been investigated by the
    police in relation to the protest.








    VACCINE Over
    6,200 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Tuesday in Romania, out of 30,000
    tests. A record 1,405 patients are in intensive care, and 175 people died. The
    total number of infections since the start of the pandemic in Romania is over
    946,000, and the death toll is 23,400. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout continues in
    Romania, with some 2 million
    people having received at least one dose so far and nearly half of them having
    also got the booster. The coordinator of the vaccination rollout
    programme, physician Valeriu Gheorghita on Tuesday announced the vaccination
    rollout in April would also involve family physicians. Gheorghita also said
    that foreigners residing in Romania would be able to schedule their vaccination
    online after April 10th. Romania is to receive over 3.3 million
    vaccine doses in April, when, according to Prime Minister Florin Citu, the
    vaccination rate is expected to reach 100,000 people per day. New measures are
    in place to contain the epidemic. In areas with infection rates above 4 per
    thousand, a weekend curfew is in place between 8 pm and 5 am, and shops must close
    at 6 pm. Where the infection rate is over 7.5 per thousand, these measures are
    applied throughout the week.






    BSEC Romanian diplomat Lazar Comanescu
    has been appointed Secretary General of the Organisation of the Black Sea
    Economic Cooperation BSEC. According to Romania’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan
    Aurescu, the appointment represents a success of the Romanian diplomacy and a
    proof of Romania’s commitment to the Black Sea cooperation. Comanescu served as
    a Foreign Minister, as Romania’s ambassador in Germany between 2009 and 2015
    and head of Romania’s representation with the EU from 2001 to 2008. At present
    BSEC consists of 13 member states: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria,
    Georgia, Greece, the Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, the Russian
    Federation, Turkey, Ukraine and Serbia. In 2020 Romania assured the BSEC’s
    rotating presidency for the sixth time since its foundation in 1992.








    ASSISTANCE The Romanian government is
    to provide a 150 thousand Euros assistance package to Syrian refugees in 2021
    and will fulfill the multi-annual pledges assumed, Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan
    Aurescu has announced. According to a communiqué issued by the Foreign Ministry
    in Bucharest, Aurescu delivered a speech over the future of Syria and the
    region during a video conference staged by the EU and UNO on Tuesday.






    (bill)



  • שר החוץ הרומני בנושא המזרח התיכון

    שר החוץ הרומני בנושא המזרח התיכון

    שר החוץ הרומני, בוגדן אורשקו, השתתף בפגישת ראשי מערכות הדיפלומטיות מהמדינות החברות באיחוד האירופי, שהתקיימה בבריסל. בין הנקודות שנדונו בפגישה, נרשמו ההתפתחויות ביחסים שבין איחוד האירופי לבין רוסיה והגישה כלפי מערב הבלקנים.



    בין היתר, השר אורסקו שב והדגיש את הרלוונטיות של חידוש ישיבות מועצת האיגוד האירופי-ישראלי. הוא בירך שוב על ההסכמי הנורמליזציה של יחסי ישראל עם מספר מדינות ערביות, מצב שתורם ליציבות ולביטחון המצב ברמה האיזורית.



    הדיפלומט הרומני הזכיר את החשיבות הטיפול בגורמים שיוצרים הגירה בלתי חוקית, כגון הבעיות הקשורות לביטחון ולייציבות האזורים שנפגעו מסיכסוכים. הוא גם בירך על הרעיון לפתח תוכניות כלכליות והשקעות איזוריות והדגיש את החשיבות התמיכה בדור הצעיר.

  • January 27, 2021 UPDATE

    January 27, 2021 UPDATE

    BUDGET The budget deficit target for Romania in 2021 remains 7%, the country’s
    Prime Minister Florin Citu said upon the government meeting on Wednesday. He
    underlined that it is important that the trust of the European Commission, the
    foreign investors and rating agencies be maintained. According to him the
    budget lays the foundation for a strong economy in the coming period 2021-2024.
    Furthermore, the survey on this budget is a little bit different, because we
    begin the first part of a multi-annual budget, Citu went on to say. The
    opposition Social-Democrats on Wednesday night presented their own draft budget
    adding there are enough resources for investment, pay and pension rises as well
    as for increased child benefits. On Tuesday, the PSD leadership held talks with
    representatives of the most important trade union federations in Romania.










    VACCINE Romania’s vaccination campaign is in full swing with more than 570
    thousand people being immunized so far against the novel Coronavirus. The
    country’s Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu said that Romania is presently facing
    a shortage of the vaccine and pledged that sanctions would be applied to some vaccination centers, after many citizens from outside
    the risk categories, had been immunized. Last week, Romania got only half of
    the vaccine doses initially established, 117 thousand less. In the case of
    further delayed supplies, authorities are to resort to worst-case scenario
    strategies and ban immunisation for certain categories. The goal of the first
    stage in the immunization campaign, targeting the medical personnel, has been
    met 90%, campaign coordinator Valeriu Gheorghita says. Over 31 hundred new
    infections and 77 Covid-related fatalities were reported on Wednesday. Since
    the outbreak, over 718 thousand cases have been reported in Romania and more
    than 18 thousand fatalities. 1,025 patients are being treated in IC units.










    HOLOCAUST Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, on Wednesday conveyed a message
    marking the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. President Iohannis said
    remembrance doesn’t just bring back the pain, but also serves to educate us to
    steer clear of inherent traps generated by oblivion. Europe is currently
    facing waves of extremism, populism and anti-Semitism, the President argues,
    and over the last 20 years Romania has developed a series of policies and
    instruments to combat such phenomena. In this context, the President urged the
    Government to swiftly adopt the national strategy on the prevention and
    combating of anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech. A brief
    ceremony honoring the victims of the Holocaust was observed in Bucharest on
    Wednesday. Various events were also staged in other cities across the country.








    RELATIONS Romania’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Wednesday sent a
    letter of congratulations to his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, who took over
    his mandate as US Secretary of State after being confirmed in office by the US
    Congress. According to the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu
    expressed Bucharest’s readiness to continue the expansion of the Strategic
    Partnership with the United States, a key pillar of Romania’s foreign affairs
    and security policy. The Romanian Minister said Romania remains a trusted ally
    and a close partner of the United States, expressing confidence that, over the
    term in office of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the two countries will
    continue close coordination and ensure the security and prosperity of their
    citizens, as well as to promote regional stability, including in the Black Sea
    region. Moreover, Minister Aurescu argued in favor of a strengthened US
    military presence in Romania, underlying the development of a reliable and
    sustainable deterrence capability in the Black Sea region, an area of strategic
    importance to trans-Atlantic security. At the same time, Bogdan Aurescu pointed
    out one of Romania’s priorities is the continuous development of economic
    cooperation with the United States. Also on this occasion, Minister Aurescu
    extended an invitation to Secretary of State Blinken to visit Romania.


    (bill)

  • January 25, 2021 UPDATE

    January 25, 2021 UPDATE

    MEETING Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday attended the EU
    Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Brussels. High on the agenda were strategies
    for distributing vaccines to countries outside the EU, the case of the Russian
    dissident Alexei Navalny and the latest protests in Russia, the transatlantic relations
    and the latest developments in Turkey, the Gulf area, Hong Kong, Venezuela, and
    the EU-Egypt elations. The ministers also tackled climate change and the EU’s
    relations with the UK in the field of foreign policy and security. The Romanian
    Foreign Minister presented the latest developments in the process of setting up
    and hosting by Romania of the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center. The Romanian
    diplomat has reiterated the support for the creation of an assistance mechanism
    to enable the neighbouring countries to get access to anti-Covid vaccines.
    Aurescu condemned the Russian dissident Alexei Navalny’s detention and joined
    the other ministers who had called for his immediate release. In another move
    Aurescu voiced Romania’s strong support for the EU’s objective to deepen
    coordination and dialogue with the USA.










    ECONOMY Investment and healthcare will be key
    priorities in the construction of the new yearly budget, Romania’s Prime
    Minister Florin Citu said on Monday. Citu added that the government would focus
    on amendments to the salary legislation for the personnel in state-owned
    enterprises and the pension law. The head of the Romanian government said that
    investment would be covered from European funds just like last year. Romania’s
    budget is under tremendous pressure to fit within the 7% deficit ceiling agreed
    upon by the European Union, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna said on Monday. The
    Romanian official added that the Executive was working on the Reconstruction
    and Resilience Plan, Romania is to propose to the European Commission. The
    government is presently working on the budget, which it wants passed in the
    first half of the next month. In another development a report of the Moody’s
    rating agency shows that Romania allotted the weakest support package for the
    economy in Central and Eastern Europe, only 4% of the GDP in the context of the
    pandemic.


    SUMMIT World leaders on Monday met online in the first summit devoted to
    protecting the planet against climate change. The summit focuses on the effects
    of climate change. The previous such summits were devoted to combating the
    causes of climate change, carbon gas emissions in particular. The event is
    aimed at reducing the vulnerability of state in the face of rising sea levels,
    a surge in extreme weather phenomena and food shortages all over the world.






    COVID-19 Restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres and gambling outlets reopened in
    Bucharest on Monday. All these venues will work at reduced capacity and with
    limited working hours. The ease in restrictions follows a drop in the infection
    rate in the capital city, to under 3 per thousand inhabitants, thus taking
    Bucharest out of the red zone. Meanwhile the vaccination campaign continues.
    Over 860,000 people have made appointments so far, of whom over half have
    already been immunized. The sixth delivery of over 92,000 Pfizer-BioNTech
    vaccines arrived earlier on Monday in airports in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Timişoara.
    The vaccines will then be taken to regional centers for storing and administration.
    On Monday, the Group for Strategic Communication announced another 1,500 new
    confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 65 related deaths. 1,000 patients are in
    intensive care.






    (bill)

  • January 9, 2021 UPDATE

    January 9, 2021 UPDATE

    DECISION The government in Bucharest is expected to pass an emergency
    ordinance to grant additional money to the medical personnel involved in the
    anti-Covid National Vaccination Campaign. Under the draft, physicians are to
    receive 20 Euros per hour and nurses 10, Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu said.
    Family physicians are also going to get more money as they are considered an
    essential pillar in the immunization campaign. Roughly 100 thousand people have
    been immunized since the onset of the campaign; out of these only 314 reported
    minor side effects. The latest report provided by the Strategic Communication
    Group indicates 44 hundred new infections in the past 24 hours in Romania and
    86 people died, bringing the death toll since the onset of the pandemic to
    roughly 16,600. 11 hundred people are in intensive care. Nearly 670 thousand
    people have been infected in Romania since the beginning of the pandemic and
    90% of them have been cured. The number of the Romanian nationals infected
    abroad is 7145, and the death toll stays at 132.










    HANDBALL Romania’s vice-champions in
    women’s handball, CSM Bucharest lost to Hungarian side Ferencvaros Budapest 31-27
    their first match counting towards the Champions League Group A. The first game
    went to the Romanians 25-19. CSM ranks second in the group with 11 points
    whereas Ferencvaros comes fourth with 8. On Sunday in the Champions League’s
    Group B, Romanian champions, SCM Ramnicu Valcea are taking on another Hungarian
    side, Gyor, in a home match. Another Romanian side Minaur Baia Mare on Saturday
    clinched a 33-29 win against the Norwegians from Storhamar Handball Elite. Dunarea
    Braila also from Romania will be up against French side Fleury Loiret on
    Sunday.










    LIST Bucharest has
    updated its list of high risk countries for Covid infection whose citizens must
    comply with the latest quarantine measures. The new provisions are in force
    starting January 9th. The list comprises 40 countries, including Britain,
    Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the neighboring Republic of Moldova, whose
    citizens must be quarantined for two weeks after their arrival. Those who stay
    in Romania less than three days and can produce a negative test do not have to go
    into isolation. Those who want to stay more can take a test in their 8th day
    and can get out of quarantine in the 10th day of their stay. According to the
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Romania, all the people coming to Germany from
    the risk areas must produce a negative RT-PCR test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus or
    take such a test in Germany, shortly after their arrival.










    REPATRIATION The Romanian sailor kidnapped from the Agisilaos ship off the
    shores of Togo has been released and is to be repatriated in the following
    days, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest announced on Saturday. According to the
    same sources, in order to settle the incident, the Crisis Management Cell set
    up on this occasion, has taken a lot of action working jointly with the company
    which hired the Romanian and other international partners. On November 30th
    2020, sources with the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest announced that Minister
    Aurescu had summoned an inter-institutional crisis management cell to address
    the incident in Togo involving the Agisilaos, where several sailors, including
    a Romanian citizen, had been kidnapped.






    (bill)

  • December 16, 2020

    December 16, 2020

    Negotiations — President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday signed the decree summoning the new Parliament on Monday, December 21. According to the Constitution, the newly elected Parliament meets upon the President’s request 20 days at the most after the elections. The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are considered legally set up after the validation of two thirds of the MP mandates and after the MPs being sworn in. In another development, the negotiations between the PNL, USR-PLUS, UDMR for the formation of a center-right government coalition were again suspended on Tuesday after a failed attempt to re-launch talks. The 3 parties continue to argue over the distribution of the positions of PM and speakers of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The Liberals support the former PM Ludovic Orban as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies while the co-president of the USR-PLUS alliance Dan Barna proposed Catalin Drula for this position. Barna also suggested three positions of deputy prime minister for each party, suggestion that was criticized though by the PNL and UDMR. Against the backdrop of tensions, PSD threatens to boycott Monday’s meeting for the validation of the new Parliament, as they are discontented with the way in which the three aforementioned parties are trying to distribute the key positions in Parliament and the future government. The Social Democrats are convinced that the correct solution in the context of the pandemic would be a national union government which should include all political forces that entered Parliament. Professor Alexandru Rafila is the Social Democrats’ proposal for the position of PM while PNL support the current finance minister Florin Citu for that position. The representatives of AUR – the Alliance for Romanians Union say they will attend the meeting and that a possible boycott will be a gesture of political irresponsibility.



    Consultations — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is today having political consultations with his counterpart from Northern Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, who is paying an official visit to Bucharest. The talks focus on the stage of and the perspectives for consolidating bilateral cooperation in all domains of common interest including in the economic field. During the talks the two officials will also tackle Romania’s support for Northern Macedonia’s European agenda and for the EU’s enlargement policy, the security issue, the relations within NATO, cooperation at regional level as well as within international organizations. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s availability to provide assistance to the Republic of Northern Macedonia in the context of preparations for opening accession negotiations with the EU, the Romanian Foreign Ministry shows.



    Commemoration — The western Romanian city of Timisoara and the revolutionary associations there have today started manifestations to commemorate the 1989 anti-Communist revolution. Manifestations will take place until December 22 and will be restricted in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The festive meeting of the Local Council, to which the US Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman has been invited an an honorary guest, opens the series of manifestations devoted to the revolution heroes from Timisoara. Thursday will be a day of mourning in Timisoara, which back in 1989 became the first city free of Communism in Romania, after 45 years of Communist dictatorship. On Tuesday, the Hungarian Parliament started its session by paying homage to the 1989 people’s uprising in Timisoara which led to the fall of the Ceausescu regime. János Latorcai, the vice-president of the Hungarian Parliament, recalled that hundreds of Hungarians and Romanians tried to prevent the evacuation of the reformed pastor László Tőkés, and when their attempt failed, the extended people’s protest turned into a mass demonstration that led to the fall of the Communist regime. The revolt against Ceausescu broke out in Timisoara on December 16, 1989 and extended as of December 21 to Bucharest and other cities of Romania. More than 1,000 people died and around 3,000 were injured in the fighting that took place at the time in Romania, the only country in the Eastern Bloc where the change of regime occurred violently and the dictators were killed.



    Covid-19 — More than 6,000 new COVID-19 cases and over 200 related deaths were reported on Tuesday in Romania, according to data provided by the Strategic Communication Group. There are more than 565 thousand cases of contamination and the death toll is nearing 13,700. 1,255 people are in ICUs. The National Defense Ministry will make available to the Public Health Directorates across Romania almost 600 military to support the general efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in the coming period. They will work as call-center operators, PC operators to fill in data bases that are being made as part of the actions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and also will undertake contact tracing activities. The authorities have recommended Romanians to limit their travels during the winter holidays in order to contain the spread of the virus. The first vaccines against COVID-19 will arrive in Romania most probably between Christmas and the New Year. (tr. L. Simion)

  • December 14, 2020 UPDATE

    December 14, 2020 UPDATE

    TALKS After a first round of talks on Monday with
    the political groups, which made it to Parliament following the election on
    December 6th, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said the proper conditions for
    the designation of a Prime Minister to form a new government have not been met.
    The Romanian president said that a new round of talks is needed and announced
    he would summon the new Legislature on December 21st. The Social Democrats who
    obtained the largest number of votes in the election, proposed doctor Alexandru
    Rafila for the position of Prime Minister to head a national unity government.
    The National Liberal Party has proposed the incumbent Finance Minister Florin
    Citu, while the USR-PLUS alliance, who came in third, proposed the former
    technocratic Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos. The fourth largest group in
    Parliament AUR, proposed Calin Georgescu, who has been described as an
    international expert in sustainable development.










    THANKS Maia
    Sandu, the pro-Western president elect of the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking
    Republic of Moldova held talks with Romania’s ambassador to Chisinau Daniel
    Ionita whom she thanked for the consistent support Romania offered to the
    Republic of Moldova. The Moldovan official stressed out the need for
    re-establishing bilateral cooperation between Romania and the Republic of
    Moldova for the benefit of their citizens. Sandu said the visit to be paid by
    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis late this year is very important and voiced
    hope that this is the first step in a long term productive cooperation.










    UN Romania has been and will continue to be an active
    member involved in the proper functioning of the United Nations, the Minister
    of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, said at the celebration of 75 years of the
    organization’s existence and 65 years of Romania’s UN membership. The head of
    diplomacy considers that Romania has demonstrated a genuine and lasting
    commitment at all levels: maintaining international peace and security,
    sustainable development and promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of
    law. The official added that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the
    importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges. In this
    context, Bogdan Aurescu stressed that there is a need for an efficient
    Organization, able to respond adequately to pre-existing challenges to peace,
    security and human rights, as well as emerging challenges and trends in the
    context of the current pandemic crisis.








    INVESTMENTS In Romania, the Agency
    for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR) has so far made payments of 7 billion
    Euros through the National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020, the degree of
    absorption on this program exceeding 70%, AFIR announced on Monday.
    Beneficiaries were farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and local public
    authorities. The National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020 provides
    non-reimbursable funds from the European Union and the government for the
    economic and social development of the rural area.






    (bill)

  • December 3, 2020

    December 3, 2020

    Covid-19 Ro — The national anti-COVID-19 vaccination strategy, which was already approved by the government, has been submitted for approval to the country’s Supreme Defense Council (CSAT). The online CSAT meeting is chaired by President Klaus Iohannis. The first stage of the strategy provides for the vaccination of the health care personnel, the staff of residential, medical and social centers and the vulnerable people. The vaccination of the entire population will start in spring at the earliest. The authorities will use only the vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency.



    Covid-19 Romania — 7,661 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours, according to data published today by the Strategic Communication Group. So far 492,211 people have been contaminated with SARS-CoV-2. A record number of people 211 have died in the past 24 hours from COVID-19 and 1,252 patients are in ICUs. The Romanian PM Ludovic Orban has today said that the number of people recovering from Covid-19 is getting higher than the number of people getting contaminated by the day. He visited the first Bucharest-based private hospital that has today entered the COVID-19 support hospital network. The hospital will provide 30 ICU beds and another 30 beds equipped with oxygen generators.



    OSCE – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is participating today in the 27th video-conference session of the OSCE Ministerial Council organized by Albania, the country holding the presidency of the organization. According to a Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) communiqué, the meeting takes place at a moment marked by many crises such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the crisis in Belarus or the security situation in eastern Ukraine. In his speech, the Romanian FM will focus on the developments in the European security domain reported in the past year, highlighting the OSCE’s three domains of competence: the political and military, economic and environmental and human dimensions. Minister Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s firm support for the OSCE’s role in the context of the crises in Ukraine and Belarus as well as in solving the prolonged conflicts in the region.



    Handball — Romania’s national women’s handball team will take on the team of Germany this evening, in the opening of the European Championship final hosted by Denmark. The two teams are in Group D, which takes place in the city of Kolding. With many players contaminated with the new coronavirus, Romania’s team will play next against Poland on December 5 and Norway on December 7. The three best-ranked teams in the group will qualify to the next stage.



    EC – The European Commission has called on member states to rapidly appoint delegated prosecutors to allow the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to start its activity on March 1, 2021. The European Prosecutor’s Office is headed by Romanian Laura Codruţa Kovesi the former head of the National Anticorruption Directorate, and will investigate cases of European funds fraud. Laura Codruţa Kovesi and the 22 prosecutors from the EU member states were already sworn in September, but the institution cannot operate unless participating states appoint delegated prosecutors. (tr. L. Simion)

  • December 2, 2020 UPDATE

    December 2, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19 Ro — The anti-COVID-19 vaccination strategy in Romania will be adopted on Thursday by the country’s Supreme Defense Council headed by President Klaus Iohannis as part of a videoconference. The strategy was approved on Friday by the government and provides for the vaccination, in a first stage, of the health care personnel, the staff of residential, medical and social centers and the vulnerable people. The second stage will include the entire population of Romania. In another move, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday said that later this week the enclosed agri-food markets will be reopened given the drop in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Romania in the past weeks. The enclosed markets had been shut down in early November in a bid to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. According to the latest report published by the National Public Health Institute, the spread rate of the new coronavirus in Romania has dropped last week by almost 10% as against the previous week. Another 4,916 new cases of contamination were reported on Wednesday and 135 deaths from COVID-19. A record number of patients 1,260 is now in ICUs. Since the onset of the pandemic, the total number of cases at national level has exceeded 484 thousand, with 11,665 deaths reported. The authorities are urging the population to continue to strictly observe the health protection rules.



    NATO – The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu participated on Wednesday, the last day of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, in two working sessions, shows a communiqué of the Romanian Foreign Ministry. Bogdan Aurescu highlighted the deterioration of the security situation in the region, caused by an increased Russian military presence and the intensification of hybrid actions. He underlined that implementing the measures meant to consolidate NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in the Black Sea region should continue. In this sense he highlighted the strategic importance of the Black Sea for the euro-Atlantic security and drew attention to the need to boost the coherence of the Eastern Flank. In the other working session talks focused on the consequences of China’s increased role at international level, including in directly relevant domains for NATO and the member states. In the first working session on Tuesday, minister Aurescu pleaded for the consolidation of NATO’s role by reasserting the central role of the transatlantic relation based on the principles of allied cohesion, unity and solidarity as well as for revitalizing partnerships from the perspective of continuing the Alliance’s open doors policy.



    Statistics — In 2018 Romania allotted for health only 580 Euros per capita, the smallest amount reported among EU member states, show data published on Wednesday by Eurostat. At the other end are Denmark and Luxembourg with more than 5,200 Euros per capita. The average amount at community level is almost 3 thousand Euros per capita. Within the EU, expenses allocated for health accounted for 9.9% of the GDP in 2018. Of the EU states, Germany and France reported the highest percentage of health expenses, namely over 11% and Sweden 10.9%. In this respect Romania is also at the bottom of the classification, its heath expenses accounting for 5.6% of the GDP. Only Luxembourg reported a lower percentage than Romania, namely 5.3% of the GDP.



    Funds — Romania has attracted 2.5 billion Euros from external capital markets at attractive costs, the Public Finance Ministry announced on Wednesday. According to a Finance Ministry communiqué, the Eurobonds issued on November 24, 2020 by the Finance Ministry enjoyed a great interest from investors, which reconfirms Romania’s status as an important bond issuer in Central and Eastern Europe. The funds of this transaction were received on Wednesday. (tr. L Simion)

  • November 30, 2020 UPDATE

    November 30, 2020 UPDATE

    National Day — Due to the new coronavirus pandemic, on December 1, Romania’s National Day, a small ceremony will be organized, which will be attended by physicians, other medical staff and foreign ambassadors. Small ceremonies attended only by the local authorities will also be held in other big cities of Romania. The Romanian Foreign Ministry celebrates Romania’s National Day this year through a digital diplomacy project, and also through its diplomatic missions and consular offices. The project is a virtual dialogue and meeting space devoted to Romania’s friends and partners, to the Romanian communities and citizens from abroad and it has a novel form, adapted to the global health situation. The National Day of Romania will be celebrated by the Romanian Cultural Institute through a series of online events aimed at promoting the Romanian culture and civilization. On Romania’s National Day Niagara Falls will be lit up in the colors of the Romanian flag between 9:45 p.m. and 10.00 p.m. local time thanks to an initiative of the Romanian Embassy in Ottawa and to the show “Us Romanians” produced by Raul Dudnicşi from Arad and broadcast all over Canada through the OMNI channel. According to the Romanian Television Corporation, the moment can be watched online at www.cliftonhill.com.



    Covid-19 Romania — Another 3,826 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania out of 10 thousand tests, which points to a contamination rate of over 33%. Since the onset of the pandemic, the number of contaminations countrywide has exceeded 475 thousand, according to data published on Monday by the Strategic Communication Group. 138 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 11,331. Romania reports a record number of Covid-19 patients in ICUs, 1,251. The slight drop in the spread rate of the new coronavirus reported in the past week in Romania is one of the first effects of recent measures taken by the authorities, says President Klaus Iohannis. He urged the population to continue to strictly observe the health protection rules while waiting for the anti-Covid-19 vaccine to arrive. President Iohannis announced that the first immunization phase will include the medical staff and the vulnerable people while mass immunization will most probably take place in spring.



    Meeting – The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu participates on December 1 and 2 in a video conference of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states. The agenda of the meeting includes such topics as the consolidation of NATO’s political dimension, the relations with Russia and China, the situation in Afghanistan and security in the Black Sea region. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate, among others, the Black Sea’s strategic importance for Euro-Atlantic security and will highlight the need to carry on with the efforts of consolidating the allied presence in the region as well as of strengthening coherence on the NATO eastern flank. The foreign ministers will participate in 3 working sessions, one in allied format on December 1, and the other two, on December 2, also involving the participation of some of the NATO partner states.



    Saint Andrew — Christians from around the world, including from Romania, celebrated on November 30 the Saint Apostle Andrew. Considered the patron saint of Romania, the apostle of Jesus Christ preached the Christian faith to and baptized the inhabitants of Dobrogea (southeast). Saint Andrew died a martyr in the town of Patras, Greece, crucified on an X-shaped cross. As many as 700 thousand Romanians are named Andrei — the Romanian for Andrew.



    Ceremonies — The Romanian Defense Ministry organized on Monday, on Saint Andrews’ Day, a military and religious ceremony for the re-consecration of the Heroes’ Cross on Caraiman Peak, in the Bucegi Mountains, also known as The Commemorative Cross to the Romanian Heroes of the First World War. The Cross was renovated with Europeans funds. The monument is located at an altitude of almost 2,300 meters and was included in The Guinness Book of Records as the highest cross located on a mountain peak. It is more than 39 meters high, with the length of the horizontal arm of about 15 meters. The cross was erected between 1926 — 1928 upon order of one of the 4 monarchs of Romania — King Ferdinand and his wife, Marie.



    Film — Conrad Mericoffer, the Romanian actor playing the main character in the film Poppy Field directed by Eugen Jebeleanu won the Best Actor Award in the Retueyos official section of the Gijón International Film Festival hosted by Spain. He also won the Best Actor Award granted by the jury of the 38th edition of the Turin Film Festival, from Italy. The drama Poppy Field, the cinematographic debut of director Eugen Jebeleanu, was first presented at the 24th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights International Festival (PÖFF). Made after a script by Ioana Moraru, the film presents a day in the life of Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer), a young gendarme from Bucharest. (tr. L. Simion)

  • L’Union européenne et son voisinage méridional

    L’Union européenne et son voisinage méridional

    « Les
    défis dans la région euro-méditerranéenne nécessitent une
    réponse dynamique commune, ferme et coordonnée »
    a déclaré le chef de la diplomatie roumaine, Bogdan Aurescu, dans
    le cadre de la réunion ministérielle UE – voisinage sud, déroulée
    en visioconférence.

    Selon un communiqué du Ministère roumain des
    Affaires Étrangères, la réunion des chefs des diplomaties
    européennes avec les homologues du voisinage sud s’est déroulée
    sur la toile de fond du 25e
    anniversaire du Partenariat Euromed, dit aussi processus de
    Barcelone. Celui-ci offre la possibilité de débattre des moyens de
    consolider le partenariat euro-méditerranéen et souligne
    l’engagement soutenu de l’UE à l’égard de la région
    méditerranéenne, une région qui a une importance stratégique
    essentielle tant du point de vue politique qu’économique.

    C’est à
    cette occasion que le ministre Bogdan Aurescu a déclaré que la
    Roumanie « restait
    engagée à promouvoir un dialogue politique consistent, une
    coopération pluridimensionnelle et une intégration dans la région
    euro-méditerranéenne. »     Le
    chef de la diplomatie roumaine a également évoqué une
    interdépendance régionale et internationale forte, confirmée
    notamment par la crise sanitaire déclenchée par la pandémie de
    Covid-19. De l’avis de Bogdan Aurescu, les leçons tirées suite à
    la crise pandémique devraient être appliquées aussi dans d’autres
    domaines qui nécessitent une action collective, comme c’est le cas
    des changements climatiques et de leurs conséquences. D’ailleurs,
    tous les États de la région sont touchés par des phénomènes tels
    la hausse du niveau des mers et des océans et la désertification.

    Le chef de la diplomatie de Bucarest a également souligné le besoin
    de renforcer le dialogue politique entre l’UE et les États du
    voisinage méridional pour réaliser un climat de stabilité et pour
    solutionner les conflits régionaux par des négociations.

    Rappelons-le, par le biais de la Politique européenne de voisinage,
    l’UE offre à ses voisins une relation privilégiée, qui repose sur
    un engagement réciproque en faveur des valeurs communes telles la
    démocratie et les droits de l’Homme, l’État de droit, la bonne
    gouvernance, les principes de l’économie de marché et le
    développement durable et surtout soutenable. La Politique européenne
    de voisinage soutient la coordination politique et
    l’approfondissement de l’intégration économique, l’amélioration de
    la mobilité et les contacts interpersonnels.


    (Daniela
    Budu)

  • November 19, 2020 UPDATE

    November 19, 2020 UPDATE

    Coronavirus. Romania
    on Thursday reported over 10,000 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total number of
    cases so far up to 394,000. Nearly 70% of the people infected have so far
    recovered. The highest number of new cases were reported in Bucharest and the
    counties of Constanţa (south-east) and Cluj (north-west). Another 167
    coronavirus-related deaths were also reported, and the number of patients in
    intensive care is 1,131. The pandemic has put a spotlight on the long-standing
    structural flaws of Romania’s healthcare system, president Klaus Iohannis said.
    He previously had talks with officials and experts involved in the management
    of medical equipment, who presented reports on the infrastructure and failures
    in the national healthcare sector.






    Iohannis-Merkel. Romanian president
    Klaus Iohannis on Thursday had a telephone conversation with German chancellor
    Angela Merkel at the latter’s request to discuss the pandemic and the EU
    multiannual budget. According to a statement from the president’s office, the
    conversation took place ahead of Thursday night’s meeting of the Council of the
    European Union in video format to discuss the coronavirus pandemic. Angela
    Merkel conveyed her condolences to the Romanian president for the victims of
    the recent fire at a hospital in Piatra Neamț and expressed hope that the
    wounded would recover soon. President Iohannis emphasised during the talk that
    the spread of the novel coronavirus across the EU remains worrying and that EU
    states should consolidate their coordination and cooperation in this respect.
    The two officials also discussed the negotiations on the EU multiannual budget
    for the 2021-2027 period and the European economic recovery plan. Iohannis said
    Romania constantly supported the need to finalise these talks as soon as
    possible and that it agreed with the compromise solutions negotiated by the
    German presidency of the EU Council with the European Parliament. He said
    Romania had supported from the very beginning to idea to link EU funding to the
    rule of law and therefore supports the agreement reached by the German presidency
    on this issue.




    EU. The
    Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday attended an informal
    meeting of EU foreign ministers held online. According to the Foreign Ministry,
    Bogdan Aurescu voiced support for strengthening the EU-USA partnership,
    emphasising that only by consolidating trans-Atlantic ties can current and
    future global challenges be managed efficiently. Aurescu also presented an
    assessment of the presidential election in the Republic of Moldova won by the
    pro-European candidate Maia Sandu, highlighting the high turnout, which is a
    victory for democracy and European values. He emphasised the need for European
    institutions and EU states to intensify efforts in the near future to support the
    European and democratic course of the Republic of Moldova and to provide
    support for the ambitious reform programme of the president elect Maia Sandu.




    NATO. Foreign minister Bogdan
    Aurescu on Thursday held a telephone conversation with NATO secretary general
    Jens Stoltenberg about the priorities of the upcoming meeting of NATO foreign
    ministers in December. According to a statement, Jens Stoltenberg thanked
    Romania for its role within NATO, including for spending 2% of its GDP to
    defence and hosting the missile defence system at the base in Deveselu. Aurescu
    reiterated Romania’s firm commitment to NATO and the need for NATO to continue
    to monitor the security situation in the Black Sea area.




    Defence. Romania will be receiving in a few
    months’ time its own HIMARS rocket systems to become the first allied state to
    install these systems on its territory, which were tested successfully in
    theatres of operations, said US ambassador to Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman on
    Thursday. Together with defence minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă and the chief of defence
    staff, lieutenant-general Daniel Petrescu Zuckerman attended the Rapid Falcon
    joint Romanian-American exercise carried out at the 57th Air Base in
    Mihail Kogălniceanu and the Capul Midia air defence training centre, in the
    south-east of the country. Over 130 Romanian and American military took part in
    the exercise. The activity aims to develop and consolidate military cooperation
    between the land forces of Romania and those of the US and is an opportunity to
    develop the partnership between the two artillery units in the run-up to the
    equipping of the Romanian structures with HIMARS equipment as of next year.



  • November 8, 2020 UPDATE

    November 8, 2020 UPDATE

    Coronavirus Ro –New measures to prevent and limit the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus will be enforced in Romania as of Monday for a period of 30 days. Face masks thus become compulsory in all localities irrespective of the number of contaminations. Shops will close at 9 p.m. and enclosed marketplaces will be shut down. Travel during the night will be banned between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. except for those people who go to work, have medical emergencies, or have to take care of children and elderly persons and provide a self declaration in this sense. All public institutions and private and state-owned companies will have to introduce the teleworking and work-from-home systems where possible. All schools will go online, but nurseries and after-school facilities remain open. Parties or meetings for various holidays and anniversaries will be banned. Restrictions occur in the context in which Romania has reported, as of February, more than 300 thousand cases of contamination with the new coronavirus, and the number of cases has increased alarmingly in the past weeks. The total death toll is nearing 7,900 and more than 1 thousand Covid-19 patients are in ICUs. On Sunday evening, hundreds of people protested in front of the government building in Bucharest against the new restrictions.



    Coronavirus world — The number of new coronavirus cases globally exceeds 50 million, with a death toll of more than 1.2 million. Many countries worldwide are introducing new restrictions in a bid to limit the pandemic second wave. In Europe, France, the UK, Ireland, Greece and some regions of Italy are in isolation. Moreover, Italy has adopted a new aid package to support the economy worth 2.9 billion Euros. Italy has reported almost 40 thousand new cases of coronavirus contamination in 24 hours. The French authorities reported on Saturday over 40 thousand COVID-19-associated deaths since the onset of the pandemic. The UK closed its border for those coming from Denmark. Slovakia ends on Sunday the mass testing for coronavirus. In another move, in the US, the country with the biggest number of deaths, 20 of the 50 states have announced new records of contaminations, almost 130 thousand new cases in 24 hours.



    Visit — The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu will pay an official visit to the Hague on Monday, at the invitation of his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok. The visit is part of the effort to intensify bilateral relations, especially in the context of the anniversary of 140 years of diplomatic relations in 2020. According to a Foreign Ministry communiqué, the two officials will review the current bilateral relations and will discuss their consolidation in domains of mutual interest. Minister Aurescu will talk about the management of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, about the Multiannual 2021-2027 Financial Framework and the recovery plan, the future EU-UK partnership agreement, Romania’s accession to the Schengen Space as well as climate change. Also the Romanian FM will underline the importance of deepening the bilateral dialogue on security issues within NATO and the EU, as well as the effort to promote a solid transatlantic relation.



    US election – The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, on Saturday congratulated Joe Biden on his victory in the US presidential election: “I look forward to further consolidating our solid and dynamic Strategic Partnership in all its dimensions” President Iohannis wrote in a social network post. Many world leaders, EU and NATO officials have congratulated the Democrat candidate Joe Biden for his victory against the incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in the November 3 election, international news agencies report. The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg congratulated Joe Biden and expressed hope to consolidate the relations between the US and Europe. The head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, also congratulated Joe Biden insisting on the EU’s wish to rebuild a solid partnership with the US. Partial results and estimates made by the US media show Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential election. The announcement of his victory was received with enthusiasm in the US where thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate. Joe Biden thanked those who voted for him and called on them to stop treating political opponents as enemies. He confessed he entered the presidential race to heal the soul of America.



    Handball — Romania’s handball team CSM Bucharest defeated Slovenia’s team RK Krim Ljubljana 25-23 on Saturday evening in Group A of the Women’s Handball Champions League. After this win, CSM Bucharest returned on top position in the group. CSM Bucharest will play the next match against Krim Ljubljana on November 14, on home ground.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis players Irina Bara 116 WTA), Laura Paar (198 WTA) and Jaqueline Cristian (169 WTA) on Sunday failed to qualify to the main table of the Linz WTA tournament. Bara, 2nd seed in the qualifiers, was defeated in 3 set by Croat Jana Fett (235 WTA). Laura Paar lost to the top seed Oceane Dodin of France (114 WTA) 6-2, 7-5. Jaqueline Cristian 8th seeded abandoned in the first set the match against Harmony Tan of France (239 WTA) at the score 4-1 for the French player. (tr. L. Simion)

  • November 6, 2020 UPDATE

    November 6, 2020 UPDATE

    GRANT The latest protocol on a 100 million Euros non-reimbursable financial
    aid Romania offers the Republic of Moldova is conditioned on the observance of
    the rule of law and the democratic reforms in the neighboring ex-soviet,
    Romanian-speaking country, Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said in
    Bucharest on Friday. At a news conference during which he presented his first
    year in office, Minister Aurescu stood for the protection of Romanian
    investment in the Republic of Moldova and for the consolidation of the
    communion of language, culture and history. The minister has recalled that Romania
    has constantly underlined the EU’s need for rapid action and reaction regarding
    the decisions made by the authorities of Belarus, adding that these decisions
    show no interest in a dialogue with the people and civil society. The head of
    the Romanian diplomacy has recalled that his Ministry has earmarked 100
    thousand euros for the support of the civil society and the independent press
    in Belarus.










    PANDEMIC The total number of people infected with the novel
    coronavirus worldwide has exceeded 49,000,000, according to data centralized by
    worldometers.info. The death toll is above 1,240,000. The USA, India and Brazil
    are the most affected. In Europe, too, the situation is getting worse. France
    is the European country with the highest number of infections, 1.6 million.
    Paris authorities have announced a record number of cases of coronavirus
    infection in 24 hours – more than 58,000. The Minister of Health, Olivier
    Véran, has warned the population that, in the absence of responsible behavior,
    the second wave will be much more violent and longer lasting than the one in
    the spring. In Italy, night traffic will be banned next month, museums are
    closed and shopping malls are only open on weekends. In regions with many cases
    of Covid-19, such as Lombardy, Piedmont and Vale d’Aosta, the population cannot
    leave their localities. Greece will instate a state of national quarantine by
    the end of the month.










    COVID-19 A new pandemic record was reported in Romania in the
    past 24 hours: 10,260 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus reported
    on Friday, mostly in Timis, in the country’s west. Next comes Cluj also in
    western Romania and the country’s capital city Bucharest. Since late February,
    some 287,000 people have tested positive. 123 deaths were reported on Friday,
    raising the death toll to 7,663. 1,001 patients are in intensive care. Outside
    Romania’s borders, 6,853 people have been confirmed as infected, and 126 have
    died of Covid-19.










    RESTRICTIONS New restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic
    will be introduced in Romania on Monday. Thus, at the proposal of the National
    Committee for Emergency Situations, the mask would be mandatory in closed and
    open spaces throughout the country. Traffic restrictions will be imposed
    between 23:00 and 5:00 in the morning. Courses in the pre-university education
    system will be held exclusively online, public or private meetings and parties
    will be banned, and shops will close at 21:00. The measures will be valid for
    30 days and must be approved by government decision. These measures are certainly aimed at containing the spread
    of the virus, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said on Friday adding that
    contacts have been initiated with countries, with which Romania has a special
    relation, for an exchange of patients in severe condition. However the
    president has voiced hope that such a measure will not be needed.








    (bill)

  • October 20, 2020

    October 20, 2020

    PANDEMIC According to worldometers.info, the total
    number of infections with the novel coronavirus has exceeded 40,600,000
    worldwide. The United States is the most affected country with over 8,400,000 cases
    followed by India with roughly 7,600,000. The situation is bad in Europe as
    well. Authorities in Ireland want to impose a period of six-month restrictions
    for the entire population starting on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Micheal
    Martin has announced. The Irish official has said that schools are going to remain
    open but all the other less important activities are to be suspended. Bars and
    restaurants will make only deliveries. The epidemiological situation in Belgium
    is more difficult than in spring while in Brussels and Wallonia, authorities are
    fearing what they described ‘a tsunami of infections’ with the new virus. The
    number of infections has doubled in the past month and new restrictions have
    been imposed to contain the spreading and maintain the hospitals’ capabilities to
    cope with the new situation.










    COVID-19 Authorities in Romania on Monday announced
    2,466 new infections with the novel coronavirus in 24 hours. Since the onset of
    the pandemic, 182 thousand people have been infected and 5,931 people have
    died. 757 patients are currently being treated in intensive care units.
    Bucharest has been placed in the red zone, due to the large number of
    infections, which has exceeded three per one thousand. For two weeks starting
    today, schools, high-schools and kindergartens are providing online course
    while universities are yet to decide how to carry on their activities. Face
    coverings are now compulsory both in outdoor and indoor spaces in Bucharest.
    All indoor activities in restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres and casinos have
    been suspended. The infection rate has also been exceeded in Cluj Napoca, in the
    country’s west, Miercurea Ciuc in the center and Caracal in the south.












    VOTING According to the election bureau for the
    Romanians abroad, the candidacies announced by 8 political groups and two
    independents for a Parliament seat are definitive. Romanians living abroad are
    invited to the polls on December 5th and 6th. The Permanent
    Election Authority has recalled that the deadline for the Romanian residents
    abroad to register for postal voting is October 22nd.










    GROUP Romania and the United States will have a
    joint working group for including Romanians in the Visa Waiver programme,
    Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has announced after his meeting in Washington
    with secretary of state Mike Pompeo. The two officials have also tackled the USA’s
    involvement, including financially, in projects like those connecting the
    region’s north with its south, which also includes Romania, such as Via
    Carpatica and the railway linking Constanta to the city of Gdansk, in northern
    Poland with economic benefits and a strategic impact over military mobility.
    The USA also plans to increase its military presence in Romania.










    RAIDS Police in France have raided houses of
    Islamist radicals after the beheading of a history teacher by an 18-year-old
    Islamist in Paris. 15 people have been taken into custody, including four
    pupils believed to have helped identify the victim to his killer. One of them
    confessed to have received money from the assassin. According to Interior
    Minister Gerald Darmanin, police will continue investigation into the case in
    the following days while authorities have decided to temporarily close down a
    mosque in northern Paris known to be frequented by religious extremists.










    HANDBALL Romania’s handball champions Dinamo Bucharest
    tonight play on their own turf Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon in their debut
    match in Group B of the EHF European League, Europe’s second major competition.
    In the past edition of the Champions League, Dinamo edged Sporting out after a
    26-25 away win and a 26-24 win in Bucharest and qualified for the first time in
    the round of 16 but the rest of the season was postponed due to the Covid-19
    pandemic.






    (bill)