Radio România Internațional

Tag: bilateral cooperation

  • Cooperation with Balkan states

    Cooperation with Balkan states

    Bilateral and regional cooperation was one of the topics discussed by Bucharest officials and three ministers from the Balkans who paid visit to Romania this week. On Wednesday, president Klaus Iohannis received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković. The president hailed the good reputation enjoyed by Romanian servicemen taking part in the EUFOR ALTHEA Operation of the European Union in Bosnia Herzegovina, Romania being one of the main contributors to ensuring a safe and stable climate in the Western Balkans. Klaus Iohannis reasserted Bucharest’s constant support for the European and Euro-Atlantic integration efforts of states in the Western Balkans, as well as for ensuring the security and stability of the region. In the context of the EU Council’s decision in March to launch accession negotiations, president Iohannis encouraged Bosnia Herzegovina to “continue implementing necessary reforms, including those regarding the strengthening of the rule of law and ensuring fundamental rights through an active and determined attitude, in the spirit of European values”.

     

     

     

    Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, held talks in Bucharest with her Albanian counterpart, Igli Hasani, about supporting the European path of this country, underlining Romania’s willingness to exchange expertise in this field. Luminița Odobescu also mentioned the bilateral agreement on social security and the launch of direct flights between Bucharest and Tirana. At the same time, the Romanian official highlighted “the importance that Romania attaches to the ethnic, cultural and linguistic identity of the Aromanian national minority in Albania”. The two officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding on diplomatic training, which provides an additional framework for exchange of expertise in the field. In turn, Foreign Minister Igli Hasani, recalled that Romania and Albania are NATO members and partners in the area of European integration. European integration is “an important pillar” of the bilateral relationship, the Albanian official added.

     

     

     

    At the start of the week, Luminița Odobescu had consultations with her Montenegrin counterpart, Filip Ivanović, emphasizing that Romania will continue to support this country’s accession to the European Union. The Western Balkans is a region of strategic importance, where political and security developments directly impact the security and prosperity of the whole of Europe, Minister Odobescu said. The two ministers signed an action plan regarding cooperation over 2024-2025. “Montenegro and Romania have traditional friendly relations and are committed to developing these relations in the future through continuous progress”, Filip Ivanović said in turn. (VP)

  • Romania-Japan strategic partnership

    Romania-Japan strategic partnership

    Bucharest and Tokyo want to strengthen bilateral ties, which
    on Tuesday will be elevated to the level of strategic partnership. This is the
    purpose of the three-day official visit paid by Romania’s president, Klaus
    Iohannis, to Japan. On Tuesday, Klaus Iohannis will meet with Japan’s Emperor
    Naruhito and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, with whom he will sign the Joint
    Declaration for the creation of the Strategic Partnership between the two
    states. The head of state had announced earlier this year during his
    traditional meeting with ambassadors accredited in Romania that relations will
    Japan will be improved in 2023.

    The signing of this document is the result of a
    long process of consultations and negotiations, launched five years ago by
    president Klaus Iohannis and the late Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe. This
    will be Romania’s second strategic partnership with an Asian state after South
    Korea. The Strategic Partnership will also mark the transition to a superior
    level of capitalizing on bilateral potential, shared values and principles. The
    document will advance Romanian-Japanese cooperation at multiple levels,
    including foreign policy and security cooperation, development assistance,
    cooperation in the fields of culture, science and technologies, innovation,
    research and development. Japan is Romania’s largest Asian investor. 400
    businesses with Japanese capital operate in Romania, accounting for 40,000
    jobs.

    Growth potential is significant, including in fields with a potential for
    innovation, such as the development of small modular reactor technologies,
    producing and distributing green hydrogen, producing high-power optics,
    state-of-the-art infrastructure or finalizing the M6 subway line in Bucharest.
    From this point of view, the Romanian president’s visit to Japan will have a
    strong economic component, designed to strengthen ties in terms of investments
    and technological innovation cooperation, in addition to political dialogue and
    consolidating cultural exchanges and person-to-person relations. President
    Klaus Iohannis previously visited Japan in 2019, when he attended the
    enthronement of Emperor Naruhito. (VP)

  • May 29, 2018 UPDATE

    May 29, 2018 UPDATE

    Prince Charles – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will have talks Wednesday in Bucharest with Prince Charles, the heir to the British Throne, the presidential administration announced. Last year Prince Charles visited Romania on several occasions both on private and official visits. In 2017 Klaus Iohannis decorated Prince Charles with the Order of the Star of Romania in Rank of Grand Cross in sign of appreciation for his activity in Romania and for promoting Romania’s image in the world. For 20 years the Prince of Wales has come to Romania on an almost annual basis. He holds in Romania several properties and a charity that encourages the preservation of the heritage, agriculture and Romania’s sustainable development.



    Cohesion funds — Romania has been allotted cohesion funds worth 27 billion Euros in the future European draft budget for the period 2021-2027, according to the proposals published Tuesday by the European Commission. The Commission proposed the modernization of the cohesion policy within the future EU multi-annual budget that will have a total amount of funds of 373 billion Euros. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu said that the European body would focus on several key sectors such as innovation, support for small enterprises, infrastructure, Internet access, education and urban areas. According to a EC communiqué the GDP per capita will continue to be the main criterion for the allocation of funds, but they will also take into consideration such criteria as youth unemployment, a low education level, climate changes as well as entry of migrants. The cohesion policy is the EU’s main investment policy.



    Bookfest — Over 150 publishers are participating in the 13th edition of Bookfest International Book Fair to take place in Bucharest between May 30 and June 3. This year the US is a guest of honor. According to organizers, the US’ participation in this year’s fair as a guest of honor will take place under the motto ‘Celebrating the South’ and brings to Romania American authors from various domains. For 5 days the visitors of Bookfest will have the opportunity to participate in hundreds of events among which book launches and film screenings. Readers will be able to choose from more than one million books and discounts will be up to 80% of the original price. The Casa Radio Publishers will present more than 140 titles, audio books, books with CD, illustrated or comic books.



    Brussels — Workers temporarily dispatched to an EU member state have to receive a salary equal to that of a local worker for the same job undertaken in the same conditions, according to the new norms passed Tuesday by the European Parliament. The new directive amends and reforms another European directive adopted in 1996. The purpose of the reform is to guarantee good protection for the dispatched workers and equality between the local companies and those that dispatch workers. The maximum dispatching period was set at 12 months with a possible 6-month extension, after which the rules of the labor market in the host country will apply. After the coming into force of the directive, member states have two years to transpose the norms in their national legislation.



    Motion — The opposition National Liberal Party on Tuesday filed a simple motion against the finance minister Eugen Teodorovici entitled “The fiscal mess caused by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats confiscates your pension money.” The leader of the Liberal MPs, Raluca Turcan, has said that the way in which the minister is managing the finances sector jeopardizes Romanians’ future pensions and affects Romania’s credibility at external level.



    Romania – Japan Cooperation – The Ministry for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship started the procedures for the organization of an economic mission in Bucharest, in November, in partnership with JETRO — Japan External Trade Organization, as part of the efforts to internationalize Romanian companies and attract foreign investments. The Romanian minister for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship Stefan Radu Oprea headed an official delegation on a working visit to Japan between May 23 and 25. He had meetings with Yoji Muto, a secretary of state with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and with the members of the Japan-Romania friendship group in Japan’s National Diet. Japan External Trade Organization is a government organization from Japan whose aim is to promote trade and investments between Japan and the countries of the world. On the sidelines of this visit, two forums were held under the motto “Business Bridge Romania-Japan”. Representatives from 200 Japanese companies took part in these forums, the main topic being the attraction of Japanese investments.(news updated and translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • May 4, 2017

    May 4, 2017

    PARDON BILL — The Senate’s judicial committee today rolled back yesterday’s decision, dismissing all amendments to the Government’s bill on collective pardon, whereby sentences for some acts of corruption could be written off. According to the amendments passed on Wednesday, bribe taking and giving as well as influence peddling were on a list of crimes that would be written off provided the inmate commits to covering the prejudice suffered by the state. Hundreds the people protested in Bucharest and other large cities against these amendments. Protesters vented their anger at politicians, whom they see as deeply corrupt. The Government, who initiated the draft law on collective pardon, as well as the Chamber of Deputies Speaker and Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea have argued against pardoning acts of corruption. Authorities see the bill on collective pardon as a possible solution to prison overcrowding. The European Court of Human Rights has called on Bucharest authorities to come up with a set of measures to improve detention conditions.



    VISIT — Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grideanu today met with Israeli president Reuven Rivlin and his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu as part of his official visit to Israel. The visit also occasioned the signing of two bilateral documents: a declaration on cutting international roaming fees and a joint statement on cooperation in such fields as the transport of electricity and natural gas, research, development and innovation, state-of-the-art technologies and investment. Sorin Grindeanu also visited the Yad Vashem Martyr and Hero Memorial in Jerusalem and reiterated the Romanian Government’s decision to set up a Museum of Jewish and Holocaust History in Romania.



    INVESTIGATION — Prosecutors with the National Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism have arrested 21 people in the investigation regarding the undervalued sale of train cars decommissioned by the Freight division of the Romanian Railway Company CFR. The people under investigation, including the former director Mihut Craciun, employees and the managers of the branches of the Freight division across the country, are being charged with setting up an organized crime group, aggravated embezzlement, forgery of deeds and use of forged documents. According to the anti-crime prosecutors, throughout 2016 the people under investigation allegedly sold some 2,500 train cars below market value on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, causing a prejudice worth six million euros.



    BILATERAL COOPERATION — Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall is on a two day visit to Madrid, Spain. Talks with Spanish officials focus on topics of mutual interest on the European agenda, such as the future of the EU, Brexit negotiations, traditional policies and prospects for the upcoming financial framework, the EU’s internal security and the Schengen Area. At the same time talks will also tackle the status and opportunities of bilateral cooperation on EU matters, with a focus on the Romanian community in Spain. Minister Ana Birchall will reiterate Romania’s commitment and determination to take an active part in talks on the future of the EU and the role of common policies.



    PRESDENTIAL DEBATE — The French presidential election Emmanuel Macron has strengthened his position as favorite to win Sunday’s second presidential ballot after the televised debate he attended jointly with his opponent Marine Le Pen. This was the only debate held for the two rounds, and the two contenders traded harsh words and even insults. For the first time in France’s post-war history, the candidates of the traditional right and left wings failed to qualify to the presidential second round. Defeated in the first round by Macron, Le Pen labeled him “the representative of wild globalization” and criticized him for his superficial approach to terrorism. Macron said Le Pen is a dangerous nationalist feeding on France’s suffering. The French and international media writes the debate was brutal and violent, with the two contenders verbally abusing each other unlike never before in the history of presidential debates in this country.



    HANDBALL — The Romanian men’s handball team is today playing Serbia on home turf in the northwestern city of Baia Mare. The match is counting towards Group 2 of the 2018 European Championship preliminaries. Romania has two wins, 26-23 against Belarus and 28-23 against Poland. Serbia won the first game 37-32 against Poland, but lost surprisingly to Belarus at home, 27-36. (Translated by V. Palcu)