Radio România Internațional

Tag: Black Sea

  • January 22, 2025

    January 22, 2025

    ECONOMY The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) Tuesday approved Romania’s 7-year fiscal structural plan to reduce the country’s budget deficit. The plan is designed to stabilise public debt as Romania remains among the top EU member states in terms of public investment – over 7% of GDP, bringing the budget deficit below 3% in 2025-2031, the finance minister Tánczos Barna explained. The decision comes as several countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Finland, are facing similar challenges and have requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period from 4 to 7 years, until 2031. Other topics on the ECOFIN meeting agenda include the current impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the priorities of the Polish presidency of the EU Council, the 2025 European Semester and the endorsement of the revised recovery and resilience plans for Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

     

    POLL  90% of Romanians reject the idea of ​​leaving NATO, a record level of approval for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, an INSCOP survey made public on Tuesday indicates. According to the poll, based on data collected at the end of last year, Romanians’ support for the West in terms of political and military alliances has increased by 10% over the past 3 years. The poll also shows that Romania’s European Union membership is seen by almost three-quarters of respondents as an advantage in terms of its effects on economic and social life, on family and personal life. Only 55% of Romanians believed this 3 years ago.

     

    PROTEST The Bucharest metro trade unionists today carry on their protest in front of the Government headquarters, demanding respect for the employees and the collective bargaining agreement. On Tuesday, they picketed the finance ministry, demanding pay raises and proper financing for the company. Metro employees also announced work-to-rule and token strikes, against the ordinance passed by the new government at the end of last year, which no longer allows hiring, promotions and the rights negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement registered in early December 2024.

     

    EARTHQUAKES Romania will have a seismic risk map for each locality, and the authorities in high-risk areas will have access to a governmental programme to consolidate public buildings, the development minister Cseke Attila announced. He added that the programme is fully funded from the state budget and that the priority is to consolidate healthcare units. According to the latest statistics, over 2,500 buildings in Bucharest alone are in danger of collapsing in intensity 7+ earthquakes similar to the one in 1977.

     

    POLLUTION Romanian authorities are closely monitoring the situation in the Black Sea, after 2 Russian oil tankers were badly damaged in the Kerch Strait at the end of last year, causing an environmental disaster in the area. The environment minister Mircea Fechet warned that everyone must be prepared, but stressed that the risks of the pollution wave reaching the Romanian coastline are minimal. Authorities are assessing the situation, after over 2,000 tons of highly toxic oil product spilled in the sea, causing the death of thousands of birds and leaving hundreds of dolphins stranded tens of kilometres from the shore.

     

    TRUMP The US president Donald Trump said new sanctions against Russia are “possible” if Moscow does not negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, AFP reports. He added the United States would consider continuing military aid to Kyiv, which has amounted to tens of billions of dollars since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump had previously said that Russia was heading for disaster if it refused to negotiate and sign a ceasefire or peace agreement with Ukraine. As for the Ukrainian president, Trump expects Zelenskyy to be willing to sign an agreement. (AMP)

  • August 15, 2024 UPDATE

    August 15, 2024 UPDATE

    DAY Speaking in Constanta (the biggest Romanian sea port) during the festivities staged on Navy Day, the country’s president Klaus Iohannis said that Romania is acknowledged and appreciated by allies as a solid pillar of regional security and a major contributor to the process of consolidating NATO’s deterrence posture on the eastern flank. Here on the Black Sea coast, close to the aggression war, Russia is waging on Ukraine, we are clearly seeing more than ever the political, diplomatic and military efforts of Bucharest in the past years, the president went on to say. Thanks to these, Romania is today benefitting from the most solid guarantees of security, and its citizens are defended and protected against any potential threats. Iohannis told the sailors that the devotion, tenacity and the spirit of sacrifice, which define them, are an example of excellence, and the Romanian Naval Forces are a symbol of the national strength and resilience. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also congratulated and thanked the sailors. ‘Many happy returns’ on this holy day of August 15th the day of St. Mary, the protector of sailors all over the world, Ciolacu wrote on a social network. On Thursday, 122 years since the first celebration of Navy Day, Romania’s Naval Forces staged a series of events, such as demonstrative exercises, exhibitions of armament and military equipment, interactive workshops, cultural activities and concerts of military music in the major cities on the Black Sea coast, on the Danube and even in capital city Bucharest.

     

    St. MARY Orthodox believers, who are a majority in Romania, and Catholics, on Thursday celebrated the Assumption of Mary, or St. Mary, an event which marks the Assumption into Heaven of Mary, the Mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ. St. Mary is the most appreciated human being by Christians after the Holy Trinity, whom they frequently invoke in their prayers. St. Mary is the patron saint of the largest number of monasteries in Romania and pilgrims, in large numbers, took to these monasteries, which are renowned for their miracle-working icons and relics.

     

    WEATHER Romania’s Administration of Meteorology on Thursday issued a series of code red, yellow and orange alerts for extremely hot weather in most of the Romanian territory. Temperatures are expected to range between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius in seven counties in the west and south-west. Another orange alert has been issued for the counties in the north-west, center and south with a temperature-humidity index over 80 units. The lows of the day will not go below 18 degrees Celsius in most regions and  Bucharest is in for more hot days and tropical nights, with soaring temperatures up to 39 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists say that the heat wave presently affecting the country is going to be felt for the next several days in most of its territory.

     

    TALKS The Romanian Defence Minister, Angel Tîvăr, on Thursday held talks with Admiral Ercument Ratlioglu, commander of the Turkish Navy, during the latter’s visit in Romania. High on the talks agenda were security in the Black Sea region and opportunities of bilateral, regional and allied cooperation. According to a communiqué by Romania’s Ministry of Defence, Minister Tîlvăr appreciated the good cooperation between the Turkish and Romanian armed forces materialized in large-scale joint drills, air policing missions, naval operations and military presence in the multinational structures deployed on the territories of the two countries. The ‘Operative Group for Combating Mines in the Black Sea represents the outcome of the two countries’ joint efforts being also proof of the cohesion and solidarity of riparian countries: Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. It’s imperative that we work in coordination for strengthening security at the Black Sea and the naval field is one of the main interest points,’ Minister Tîlvăr says.

     

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  • Black Sea – cooperation for neutralizing naval mines in the Black Sea

    Black Sea – cooperation for neutralizing naval mines in the Black Sea

    The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian troops has been causing collateral damage. In almost two years and a half of war, both sides have resorted to the installation of naval mines around their Black Sea ports in order to prevent the other side from attacking them. Many of these mines have left the defensive networks conceived by Ukrainian and Russian strategists and are now adrift around the Black Sea posing a real threat to civilian vessels crossing it.

    In December 2023, a Panamanian ship loaded with Ukrainian grain hit a naval mine, which Kyiv says was of Russian origin, and two sailors were wounded in the incident. In October a Turkish cargo ship was slightly damaged after running into one such mine close to Romania’s coasts.

    The presence of these mines floating around the Black Sea has prevented the Romanian fishermen from taking to the sea and that led to a slump in the local fish harvest.

    According to journalists, restaurants in the area are now mainly relying on imported fish while cruise boats coming down the Danube are now cutting short their trips as neither crew members nor tourists are daring to cross the Black Sea for fear of hitting such a mine.

    So, riparian countries and also NATO allies, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey have decided to set up a joint task force for cleaning the Black Sea of mines and ensuring in this way the safety of the maritime transport, including for the vessels loaded with Ukrainian grain and bound for the world markets.

    Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the naval forces of these three countries have discovered and destroyed numerous naval mines adrift in the Black Sea. But now they are doing it in a coordinated manner.

    During a ceremony staged in Istanbul, Turkey, Romanian vice-admiral Mihai Panait has given assurances the joint initiative of the three countries is crucial in combating the threat posed by these drifting mines and in ensuring the safety of sea traffic.

    The main goal of the MCM Black Sea naval group is to ensure the safety of traffic on the Black Sea through activities of monitoring, reconnaissance and the neutralization of these naval mines, as well as through related search & rescue operations at sea.

    Until July 16, the aforementioned naval group will be operational in the national maritime spaces of the three countries.

    The ships are going to get involved in joint drills, recon and surveillance missions, in removing naval mines and improving interoperability. The command of the operative MCM Black Sea group will be assured in the following six months by Turkey and taken over in the first half of the next year by the Bulgarian partners. Romania will take over command in the second half of 2025.

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  • Cooperation Romania – Bavaria

    Cooperation Romania – Bavaria

    ‘We are supporting Romania’s fully-fledged accession to Schengen’ – Markus Soder, the Prime Minister of the state of Bavaria assured his Romanian counterpart Marcel Ciolacu during the official visit he paid as head of a ministerial delegation that went to Munich on Monday and Tuesday.

    The Bavarian official mentioned the real headway made by Bucharest.

    Markus Soder: “We are seeing the progress Romania made, the security aspects. And we are a support to Romania for its fully-fledged accession to the Schengen zone. The cooperation with Europol, the process of fighting corruption have registered great progress and the authorities are cooperating very well. We have got very important and good information from the Bavarian Interior Ministry. And for this reason it is important for Romania to join Schengen as a fully-fledged member.”

    Munich also saw the first joint session of the Romanian and Bavarian governments, where they tackled ways of consolidating the bilateral, economic, social and security cooperation. The two sides have signed a memorandum on entrepreneurship, SMEs and start-ups. Out of all German states, Bavaria is Romania’s most important investor and trade partner with a volume of trade exchanges of 8.3 billion Euros at the end of last year. Marcel Ciolacu says that he wants that all major Bavarian companies invest in Romania.

    Marcel Ciolacu: “We want the big Bavaria-based companies in the field of car-making, engineering and aero-spatial industry, invest in Romania. We have one of the best growth-rates in Europe.”

    The Bavarian Prime Minister also stood for stepping up the bilateral economic relations adding that one domain that should be given increased attention is that of the defence industry. In fact, the talks between the two high officials also focused on the security situation at the Black Sea against the background of the conflict in Ukraine.

    Marcel Ciolacu reiterated Romania’s support for the neighbouring Ukraine and the intention of Bucharest to actively contribute to its reconstruction process. The officials also tackled the EU’s enlargement process.

    Marcel Ciolacu:  “We have reiterated our staunch support for the European future of the partners in the Western Balkans, as well as the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on the candidates’ own merits in the reform process. We have also mentioned Romania’s appreciation for the sustained efforts of the authorities in Chisinau to implement the needed reforms and have emphasized the fact that we will continue to staunchly support the Republic of Moldova on its way to European integration.”

    The officials also had a meeting with the representatives of the Romanian community in the region. “Romania is also important because more than 213 thousand Romanian nationals are living in Bavaria, the largest foreign community. They have their own contribution and we are happy to have them here – Markus Soder said.

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  • May 19, 2024 UPDATE

    May 19, 2024 UPDATE

     

    CROATIA Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu Sunday congratulated Andrej Plenkovic, who was reconfirmed for a 3rd time as prime minister of Croatia. Marcel Ciolacu voiced his confidence that the Romanian-Croatian relationship will be further strengthened, as will relations within the EU and NATO. Following April’s elections in Croatia, PM Andrej Plenkovic’s party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won 61 out of the 151 seats in Parliament, significantly above the 42 won by the Social Democratic Party. Andrej Plenkovic has been the prime minister of Croatia since October 2016.

     

    FORUM The 8th annual Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum will take place in Bucharest in the coming days. The event is organised by New Strategy Center, a Romanian think tank, with support from the national defence and foreign ministries and from the NATO Public Diplomacy Division. The conference focuses on the situation in Ukraine, as the scope and intensity of Russian attacks threaten the existence of Ukraine as a sovereign state and the security of Europe on the whole. Political leaders, security experts and civil society representatives will try to identify means to help Ukraine withstand the Russian invasion.

     

    OIL Romania’s crude oil output dropped 3.4% in the first quarter of 2024, while imports went down 15.1% compared to the corresponding period in 2023. According to the National Statistics Institute, in Q1 2024 Romania produced over 682,000 tonnes of equivalent oil less than in the corresponding period of 2023, while crude imports exceeded 1.7 mln toe. According to the National Strategy and Forecast Commission, Romania’s crude output will be on a downward trend until 2026, with an average annual drop of 2.2%, as a result of the natural decline in deposits. On the other hand, the Commission predicts an increase in crude imports by an annual 4.1%.

     

    NUCLEAR The Cernavodă nuclear power plant’s Unit 1 has been shut down for regular maintenance works on Sunday, Nuclearelectrica announced. The company promised the works will be safe for the power plant personnel, for citizens and for the environment. The Cernavodă nuclear power plant, the only one in Romania, has 2 operational units with an installed production capacity of 700 MW. The 2 reactors in Cernavoda cover around 20% of Romania’s energy consumption. The plant uses the Canadian technology CANDU 6 (Canadian Deuterium Uranium), using natural uranium as a fuel.

     

    ROWING Romania’s Mihai Chiruţă qualified into the quarter-finals of the men’s skiff event in the last Olympic qualifier regatta held in Lucerne, Switzerland on Sunday. The Romanian rower had the 4th best time in the 5 series. The quarter-finals and the semis are scheduled on Monday, with the final to be held on Tuesday. The final’s top 2 rowers qualify for the 2024 Olympics. Romania, with 11 boats, is already the nation with the most teams qualified for the Paris Olympics.

     

    HANDBALL CS Dinamo Bucharest won Romania’s men’s handball Cup after defeating CSM Constanţa 23-19, on Sunday in the final. Dinamo also won the championship without any matches lost this season. This is the 8th Cup won by Dinamo, as against 2 for CSM Constanţa. (AMP)

  • The port of Constanţa – two new terminals

    The port of Constanţa – two new terminals

    The Romanian Black Sea port of Constanţa has expanded its operation capacity as two new terminals opened on Wednesday. One of them will allow wheel trucks to be unloaded straight from the vessels and will manage up to 80,000 vehicles a year, while a second, cargo terminal will handle heavy equipment for heavy and voluminous goods. The new facilities will help boost connectivity between the existing services of maritime and railroad transport in Romania, also improving the movement of goods between mainland Europe and the Black Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the North Sea.

    The investment, worth some 65 million euros, and developed by the Dubai-based company DP WORLD, “will help make the port of Constanţa into a regional hub”, said prime minister Marcel Ciolacu:

    “These two new terminals will generate an additional one million tonnes of goods annually. This means billions more into the accounts of the companies operating here, revenues which will stimulate Romania’s economic growth. I’m convinced the new projects will bring substantial benefits and will facilitate interconnection at European and international level.”

    Transport minister Sorin Grindeanu said the investment will help transform the port of Constanţa into a hub that will be the basis for future transport routes to Turkey and Georgia. “We can now say that the port of Constanţa is the most efficient commercial transport alternative to the Caspian Sea and the Far East”, Grindeanu said. He added that 2023 saw a record number of goods transiting Constanţa and that in this context, bilateral cooperation also targets other transport sectors such as air, road and rail.

    The investment also marks the Dubai company’s 20-year-long anniversary of operation in Romania and is yet another significant landmark for the development of the partnership between Romania and the United Arab Emirates in the area of transport. The president of the company that made the investment, sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said he was happy to see his company still in Romania after twenty years, and that Constanţa is the most important Black Sea port, with the biggest connectivity and with the best modern links with other ports.

    Constanţa is already the largest container port in the Black Sea and next year will see the opening of a new multi-transport platform following a 50-million-euro investment by the same company.

  • Cooperation for Ukraine

    Cooperation for Ukraine

     

    While on a visit to Bucharest, the British Armed Forces Minister Leo Docherty had talks which he described as “very wide-ranging and positive” with his Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr and with the defence chief of staff, and visited the British troops deployed to the Mihail Kogălniceanu base in the south-east of Romania.

     

    The British official praised the strong relations between the two countries, Romania’s “steadfast contribution” within NATO, and the joint effort to support Ukraine.

     

    “That is not just about Ukraine’s security, but about the Black Sea regional security. And the work that we are doing together to improve and enhance security at the Black Sea is hugely important; it’s not just important for our two countries, it’s not just important to the region, it’s actually important to the world, because a huge proportion of the world’s grain supplies and other economic activity takes place in the Black Sea,” Leo Docherty said, and warned that 2024 is a very important year for the war started by Russia.

     

    Regional security in the context of Russia’s war of aggression was also the topic of discussions held by the Romanian defence minister in Bucharest with his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Chikovani.

     

    “In Central and Eastern Europe, Romania is a role model in many respects, from defence of NATO’s eastern flank to consolidating democracy, the rule of law and human rights,” the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in his turn upon receiving the Distinguished International Leadership award from the Atlantic Council in Washington D.C.

     

    The Romanian official emphasised that most Allied countries in the eastern flank are making progress in raising their budgets for defence and in upgrading their military infrastructure and equipment.

     

    Our countries were able to act together, with determination, and to represent a strong deterring force against Russian expansionism, while at the same time staying true to our fundamental trans-Atlantic democratic values, Klaus Iohannis added. He also said that Romania “was in the front line through its efforts to help Ukraine,” and mentioned that over 7.5 million Ukrainians crossed the border into Romania searching for shelter, safety and free passage.

     

    “Nearly 40 thousand Ukrainian children are now studying in Romanian classrooms. Millions of tonnes of humanitarian aid have reached Ukraine from and through Romania. Romania also helped Ukraine to preserve a vital economic lifeline, using our unique maritime connections and facilitating the transit of close to 40 million tonnes of grains—about 70% of Ukraine’s grain exports, via the Romanian Danube and Black Sea ports,” the Romanian president explained.

     

    And all these efforts “continue for as long as necessary,” because Romania is aware of the key role it plays in helping Ukraine secure its victory and peace, its economic stability and its EU accession, the president of Romania concluded. (AMP)

     

  • Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has talks with US President Joe Biden at the White House

    Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has talks with US President Joe Biden at the White House

    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, who is currently on a working visit to Washington, has had talks with US President, Joe  Biden, at the White House.

    The two leaders have approached topical issues on the bilateral and international agenda and have also celebrated Romania’s 20th year as a member of the NATO Alliance.

    The two presidents  have underscored their continued support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s aggression. They have also reviewed the many areas in which Romania and the United States work together, including energy, economic cooperation and their shared democratic values.

    President Biden has thanked President Iohannis for hosting U.S. servicemembers in Romania, and has recognized the many contributions that Romania, a stalwart NATO Ally, has made to security on NATO’s eastern flank, particularly in the Black Sea region, a White House press release reads.

    In his opening remarks, the U.S. President Joe Biden has praised the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis for his leadership and for providing security assistance during the war in Ukraine.  “We were reminiscing for a moment before you came in that, back when I was a senator, 180 years ago, I fought very hard for Romania’s admission to NATO.  And you, you’ve exceeded every expectation. And 20 years ago, when you joined NATO for real, and every year since, our nations have grown only closer, in my view, closer and closer together.  And we see it in Romania and American troops serving side by side across NATO, and including in your country.  I believe there’s about 1,800 American forces there.  We thank you for that.  And, we see our work in strengthening NATO’s eastern flank. And I want to thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership, especially in the Black Sea.  You’ve been incredible.  You’ve stood up, and the help you’ve provided for Ukraine is real.  It’s significant. The unified support for the people of Ukraine,  you’ve allowed a number of refugees to come across, be in your country, about 8,000, they tell me.  A whole lot.  And that’s really something. And, also, your security assistance to Ukraine, moving Ukrainian grain. And I want you to know the United States is committed to standing with you. Today, we lay the foundation for the next 20 years.  I look forward to our discussions and just say that we’ve got a lot to discuss, so I’m looking forward to it”, President Biden said.

    In his turn, President Iohannis thanked President Biden for the substantial contribution of the United States to ensuring the security of Romania and for strengthening the bilateral relationship:  “We managed not only to be members of NATO, thanks to you and others who really fought for us  20 years since Romania is a proud member of NATO, but we also managed to work on our bilateral relationship, which became stronger and stronger. We have a Strategic Partnership.  And I think by making this partnership strong, we also managed to make the transatlantic link strong.  In my opinion, a transatlantic link is the cornerstone of our democratic way of life, our values.   And so, this is obviously linked to the way we see the future of our nations; how we manage to make our nations work better, live better; how we manage to guarantee the security of our peoples; how we manage to make our economies grow.  And so, we have, really, a lot of issues we can discuss.  But also, sometimes I believe it is important to underline that we managed to move ahead and that we managed to have very positive results.  And, of course, we will discuss things we still have to achieve. And so, maybe just an example: We are working together on a visa waiver for Romania.  If this goes well, hopefully, not before long, we will have results. But unfortunately, the most important issue is to find the way to reinstall peace in Europe.  And helping Ukraine and the Ukrainians,  you set such a huge example how this can be done. Romania is trying its best, and we have some pretty good results.  I think it is decent.  But nevertheless, we have to find ways to prevent Russia to win this war in Ukraine.  And here we have to stay united.  We have to work together.  And we will, as far as I can see.”

    President Biden added: “Let me just say one thing.  I don’t think there’s any NATO partner who has a stronger commitment to the Euro-Atlantic alliance than Romania and the United States.  And it’s a value set.  It’s what we believe (…)  And you’ve stepped up, and you’ve been incredible.  And what you’ve done and what we’re going to continue to do together, I think, is going to be significant, not only for Europe but for the whole world.”

    According to the Romanian Presidential Administration, the top level dialogue represents a good opportunity to raise the profile of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US and to reconfirm the privileged bilateral relations between the US and Romania as well as  their multisectoral cooperation.

    “I had a very consistent discussion today in Washington, D.C., with the President of the US, Joe Biden, at the White House, on the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States🇸, including cooperation on security, economic and energy issues. As we celebrate 20 years since Romania joined NATO, we also discussed our strong collaboration in securing the Eastern Flank of the Alliance, the strategic importance of the Black Sea region, as well as our support for Ukraine and strengthening transatlantic relations”, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis wrote on X, fresh from the talks he had with President Joe Biden, at the White House.  “I talked with President Biden about the Strategic Partnership between our countries, how we can make it stronger and how we can deepen it, so that it meets the challenges we face in this extremely complicated global context. I thanked President Biden for the substantial contribution of the United States to ensuring the security of Romania and of the entire Eastern Flank and, at the same time, for recognizing the strategic role of the Black Sea, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine” the Romanian  head of state told a press conference.

    On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, President Klaus Iohannis will be awarded the 2024 Distinguished Leadership Award by the Atlantic Council,  in token of recognition for his career and  role as a trans-Atlantic and European leader.

  • Romania in mini-holiday

    Romania in mini-holiday

    The Orthodox Easter, celebrated on May 5th, this year happens to be very close to Labour Day and that has offered the Romanians a spring mini-holiday, which ends on Monday, May 6th. Almost two thirds of the Romanians choose to spend this holiday at home, mainly people over 60 years of age and those with small incomes – says a recent survey.

    13.5% of the respondents say they don’t celebrate at all this day, while those who chose to take a trip on this day account for 12.5 %. As Labour Day is considered the beginning of the summer holiday very few of the respondents, 3.4%, say they go to the seaside for this holiday.

    However, over 50 thousand tourists are going to be in the seaside resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast. In the sunny resorts of the south, like Vama Veche and Costinesti, parties have already kicked off. Thousands of young people from Romania and abroad have arrived at Mamaia North for the electronic music festival Sunwaves.

    According to organizers, 100 Romanian and foreign artists are to attend the aforementioned festival, which is to last for seven nights on the beach. Anti-drug enforcers have also arrived in the area in an attempt to convince the participants to stay away from banned substances. The participants are encouraged to be able to identify first-aid centers, refrain from drinking to excess and be cautious regarding strangers who may offer them drugs concealed as food, drinks, medicine or cigarettes. In case of special situations they are encouraged to directly contact anti-drug experts or call the emergency number 112 in case of health-related issues. A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry, Monica Dajbog, has told Radio Romania that measures have been taken to ensure public order and for intervention in emergency situations. Around 25 thousand policemen, gendarmes, border police, firefighters and troops from other structures of the Interior Ministry have been deployed to enforce law and order during this mini-holiday in Romania, with emphasis on travel resorts, churches and other crowded places, such as rail stations and airports.

    Over 200 public events are to be staged in this period, which are expected to bring together roughly 167 thousand people. 2.6 million believers are expected to attend religious services at 12,200 churches on the Holy Night of Easter.

    According to surveys, though, the number of those willing to travel on Easter holidays is around 16%, five percentages higher than last year. However, most of the Romanians, roughly 80%, intend to spend Easter with their families at home, while three quarters of them want to attend religious services on the Holy Night of Easter.

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  • April 20, 2024

    April 20, 2024

    PLANES Three F-16 jet fighters Romania bought from Norway landed at the Air Base 71 in Campia Turzii, central Romania on Friday. This has been the second batch of these multi-role fighters Romania bought from Norway; the first batch arrived in November, last year. According to the National Defence Ministry, the 32 F-16s Romania is going to receive by the end of next year are meant to consolidate the country’s air defence adjusted to the regional security challenges. They are going to play a major role in keeping an allied posture of defence and deterrence on the eastern flank and will ensure transition towards the fifth generation, the F-35 planes Romania is going to get, as minister Angel Tilvar says. The Romanian air forces now boast 20 F-16 jet fighters.

     

    RATING In the past year agencies have reconfirmed Romania’s sovereign rating and stable prospect, but there is room for improvement, such as the lower-cost access to funding on international capital markets and for attracting foreign investment – the country’s Finance Minister Marcel Bolos says in a Facebook post. During a working visit he paid to Washington, the Romanian official held talks with representatives of famous rating agencies, such as Standard&Poor’s and Moody’s on Romania’s economic particularities and the strategies aimed at ensuring macro-economic stability. Bolos also attended the spring proceedings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. According to Bolos, in order to raise economic competitiveness and create an appropriate environment for durable investment, Bucharest is focusing on fiscal consolidation, on raising investment in infrastructure and education, on boosting private investment and the promotion of an effective and transparent economic governance.

     

    HOLIDAY The Romanian Black Sea resorts are stepping up preparations for the upcoming mini-holiday on May 1st and the Orthodox Easter, to be celebrated on May 5th and which actually opens the summer holiday season in Romania. Owners of hotels, restaurants and guest houses in the region are expecting a large number of tourists as many rooms have already been booked. According to Corina Martin, secretary general of the Federation of Employers’ Associations, over 80 thousand people are expected to spend the mini-holiday in the aforementioned seaside resorts. The largest number of tourists is expected in the resort of Mamaia. Between May 1st and 7th the resort will be hosting the International Electronic Music Festival, Sunwaves, which is expected to bring together roughly 6 thousand of tourists from abroad, a gastronomic festival and outdoor concerts given by Romania’s top artists.

     

    WEATHER The weather is getting warmer in Romania with highs between 13 and 19 degrees Celsius and a noon reading in Bucharest of 13 degrees. The sky is overcast and rainshowers are expected in the south-east, in the south, center and to a lower extent in the rest of the territory. Heavy downpours have been forecast for certain regions in the country’s south-east whereas mixed precipitations are going to fall in the mountains. Snowfalls are expected at altitudes over 15 hundred meters. The wind is moderate but expected to intensify in the country’s south-eastern regions including the Black Sea coast.

     

    VISIT Over April 22 and 24, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will be paying a formal visit to the Republic of Korea, upon the invitation of his counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol. The Republic of Korea is the first country in the Asia-Pacific area with which Romania raised its relations at the level of strategic partnership in 2008. On the occasion of Iohannis’ upcoming visit to Seoul, this partnership will be consolidated through a document, which sets the cooperation directions for the next 10 years. Relevant documents are expected to be signed in the field of defence, nuclear energy, investment and foreign trade, cooperation in emergency situations and disaster management, cooperation in the field of culture, mass-media, youth and sports. In the Republic of Korea, the Romanian president will be meeting representatives of the Romanian community and business environment and will be visiting an exhibition of Romanian traditional art.

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  • Foreign Policy Opinion

    Foreign Policy Opinion

    Sharing
    borders with the Black Sea and allied as NATO member states for 2 decades,
    Romania and Turkey are also tied by a strategic partnership which they have
    decided to extend. Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, has recently had
    talks in Bucharest with Romania’s diplomacy chief Luminiţa Odobescu, and
    announced that a high-level Council for strategic cooperation would be
    established to this end.


    The
    defence cooperation is an important component of the two countries’ bilateral
    relations, the Turkish official pointed out. A critical topic approached during
    the recent talks was the current security context and ways for the two
    countries to help consolidate and enhance security at the Black Sea, the Romanian
    foreign minister said in her turn. She thanked Turkey for its participation in
    the NATO air policing missions in Romania, which contributes to strengthening
    the Allied defence and deterrence posture on the eastern flank.


    Luminița
    Odobescu also mentioned the recent decision to set up the Romania-Turkey-Bulgaria
    Naval Group tasked with clearing the mines floating in the Black Sea, which is
    a concrete example of the way in which the three countries are able to work
    together in the region.


    Consolidating
    the economic cooperation between Turkey and Romania was also on the agenda of
    the meeting. Bilateral trade amounted to USD 9.4 bln in the first 11 months of
    last year, and is expected to reach USD 15 bln in 2025.


    The
    two officials also discussed the situation in the Middle East. The Turkish
    foreign minister argued that 2 million people are being bombed by Israel in
    Gaza and are struggling with hunger and infectious diseases. In turn, Luminiţa Odobescu said
    close coordination of international efforts is necessary in order to achieve
    sustainable peace in the Middle East. She argued that the needs of Palestinian
    civilians remain a priority for Romania, even though, like many other partners,
    Romania suspended its financial contribution to the UN agency for Palestinian
    refugees after some of the agency’s employees were found to have been involved
    in the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.


    A
    major concern for the Romanian diplomacy is also the war in neighbouring
    Ukraine, which was invaded by the Russian army nearly 2 years ago. Luminița
    Odobescu emphasised that the situation in Ukraine is in fact a priority for the
    EU as well, and pleaded for continued European support to Kyiv. Since the start
    of the war, more than 7 million Ukrainian nationals have transited Romania to
    seek shelter, and the Romanian port of Constanța has become a vital hub for
    Ukraine’s grain exports. (AMP)

  • January 11, 2024 UPDATE

    January 11, 2024 UPDATE

    Vacancies — More than 7,600 vacancies in the healthcare system were unblocked, on Thursday, by the Romanian government and vacancy-filling contests will be organized in the medical units that have a staff shortage. Of these, 2,500 positions are for doctors. Also, 365 people can be employed in the ambulance services, said the Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila. As a result, all major hospitals that need doctors, nurses and orderlies will be able to quickly hire staff. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that there will be no financial problems, especially since this year the Health Ministry has a budget higher by 40% than in 2023. The Romanian healthcare system is facing a serious shortage of specialized staff, doctors and nurses.



    Ports — The European Commission approved a state aid worth 126 million Euros for investments in Romanian ports through which Ukrainian exports pass. The measure comes against the background of the increase in the transit of goods exported from Ukraine, which poses logistical problems for the activity in the Romanian ports on the Danube and the Black Sea. The financial aid for each company in these ports cannot exceed 10 million Euros or 65% of the eligible costs of the projects. The executive vice-president of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager, says that the 126 million Euros will help Romania eliminate the blockages created in ports by the large volume of goods exported from Ukraine. Since last year, most of the Ukrainian export has been made through Romania, after Russia blocked its transit through the Black Sea.



    STRIKFORNATO – Romania and Lithuania have joined the NATO Striking and Support Force (STRIKFORNATO). Romania thus became the 15th member of the most powerful NATO naval force, the Defense Ministry reports. The accession is “all the more important as this year marks two decades since Romania joined NATO”, Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr says. Cooperation between the Romanian Naval Forces and STRIKFORNATO started over a year ago, as Romanian officers took part in activities and missions carried out by the STRIKFORNATO Command. The NATO Striking and Support Forces Command focuses on high-precision strikes, carrier battle groups, expedition units and strike groups made up of cruisers, destroyers and frigates. Its mission is to ensure security in the Black Sea region, an area of strategic importance to NATO.



    MCM Black Sea — Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria signed, in Istanbul, the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the establishment of a Task Force to Counter the Sea Mines in the Black Sea, MCM Black Sea. The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, emphasized that the aggressiveness and contempt of the Russian Federation towards the norms of international law make the Black Sea not only a regional problem, but also one with global consequences. He also said that it is the responsibility of the three countries, as riparian states and NATO members, to make every effort for the safety of this sea, with the support and involvement of the allies. The establishment of a group was initiated by Turkey last year, in August. The activities are completely peaceful and are not directed against any country.



    Protests — The representatives of the Romanian transporters who protested, on Wednesday, on several roads in the country, were received, on Thursday, at the Government, for discussions. Their grievances are mainly related to the prices of Liability Car Insurance policies and the increase in excise duties for fuel. The protest was not assumed by any professional organization, but the Federation of Romanian Transport Operators offered to mediate the dialogue between truck drivers and the authorities. Farmers also joined the transporters Wednesday protest. Discussions will continue next week.

  • December 21, 2023 UPDATE

    December 21, 2023 UPDATE

    December 1989 — On Thursday, Bucharest venued events commemorating the heroes who died for freedom in the anti-communist uprising 34 years ago. December 21, 1989 is considered the first day of the uprising in Bucharest, after the failed rally called by the dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu, followed by the setting up of barricades in the center of the city and the bloody repression of the anti-communist demonstrators. Launched a week before, in Timisoara (west) and extedned to other big cities, the Uprising culminated in Bucharest, on December 22, with the escape of Ceausescu from the headquarters of the central committee of the Communist party. Captured and tried summarily, Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were shot on December 25. Romania was the only communist country in Europe where the regime change was accompanied by a bloodshed. Over a thousand people were killed in December 1989. Young people must know that the freedom they have today was paid for with the lives of thousands of heroes, the PM Marcel Ciolacu said, emphasizing that the Romanian Revolution of December 1989 was the moment when the ideal of freedom defeated the terror strongly established among the population.



    Wind energy — The Romanian government approved, in Thursdays session, a draft law on the development of investments in the field of offshore wind energy in the Black Sea. According to the law the Energy Ministry is the authority in the field of offshore wind farms. “The adoption of a legislative framework for starting the exploitation of Romanias offshore wind resources is a vital step in ensuring Romanias energy independence and resilience, being, at the same time, something that Romania assumed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan”, shows a press release of the Energy Ministry which also writes that the World Bank data show that Romania has an offshore wind potential of 76 GW of installed power, being a favorable environment for the development of this type of renewable energy. Through this project, Romania is making progress in achieving the desired transition and decarbonization of the energy system, as well as in consolidating its status as a regional leader in the field of energy – the release states.



    Statistics – Romania ranks 1st in the EU in terms of the number of deaths from preventable and treatable causes, shows the EU State of Health report for 2023. In 2020, 358 preventable deaths per 100,000 inhabitants were registered in Romania, almost double the EU average (180 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants) and 235 deaths from treatable causes per 100,000 inhabitants, 2.5 times higher than the EU average of 92 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Expenditure for healthcare per capita in Romania remains the lowest in the EU countries, while numerous categories are exempted from the payment of health insurance. Romania allocates only 6.5% of the GDP to health. Life expectancy at birth in Romania, increasing until 2019 to 75.3 years, decreased by almost 3 years to 72.8 years between 2019 and 2021, currently being the third lowest in the European Union and by 5.4 years lower than the EU average.



    Ukraine – The European Commission has allocated over 65 million Euros so that four member states can provide support to people fleeing the war started by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. The money is made available to Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania and comes from the Community Fund for Asylum, Migration and Integration. The money can be used, for example, to help Ukrainian refugees move from collective accommodation to private housing, for language and vocational training, and to access medical services. Currently, the European Union hosts over four million Ukrainians who benefit from temporary protection. (LS)


  • October 12, 2023 UPDATE

    October 12, 2023 UPDATE

    INITIATIVE Romania has signed the letter
    of intent on joining the Initiative regarding the identification of
    multinational solutions for the use of Cross-Border Airspace by NATO planes.
    Its implementation will ensure the coherence of the measures taken by NATO in
    the Black Sea region and the entire Eastern Flank to deter any hostile actions
    against the security of the allies, a communiqué of the Ministry of Defence
    says. In another development Romania Bulgaria and Greece have established a
    partnership for the creation of a fuel supply corridor to cover NATO needs in times
    of war or peace. According to the Romanian Ministry of Defence, the three
    parties signed a letter of intent in Brussels on Wednesday. The project will be
    funded with support from the Organization of the North Atlantic Treaty and it
    is different from the fuel corridors funded by the European Union. Early this
    week, the city of Varna in Bulgaria hosted a meeting between the Prime
    Ministers of the three states involved and talks focused on both transport
    infrastructure and energy projects unfolding under the umbrella of the European
    Commission.




    CSAT On
    Thursday in Bucharest, Romania’s Higher Defence Council, CSAT, decided the
    setting up of an inter-institutional working group with a view to drawing up a
    joint action plan for the prevention and effective fighting of the risks caused
    by drug trafficking and consumption against individual and collective safety.
    Working groups are also to be set up at county level while the Executive will be
    focusing on amending and completing the legislation in the field of banned
    substances for the elimination of the legislative gaps and limitation of the
    possibilities of the speculative interpretation of the legal provisions. An
    appropriate institutional medical framework is also being considered with a
    view to ensuring the access to treatment and recovery services, certain
    investigations and integrated protection measures against the risks associated
    with the consumption of illegal substances among students and young people.
    Another topical issue was the security situation in the Black Sea region
    against the latest developments in Ukraine. In this context the Defence
    Ministry has presented a series of concrete measures for increasing the air
    surveillance capabilities in the Romanian regions close to the Ukrainian
    objectives targeted by the Russian troops.




    VISIT American Secretary of State
    Antony Blinken on Thursday, while visiting Tel Aviv, said that the United
    States would always support Israel, and emphasized that what he called the
    legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people are not represented by the Hamas
    Islamist movement. In a press conference after his meeting with Israeli PM
    Benjamin Netanyahu, Bliken underlined the fact that 25 Americans had been
    killed in Hamas attacks in Israel, and that Washington is working closely with
    Tel Aviv to secure the release of hostages in Gaza. In turn, Netanyahu said his
    country would crush Hamas, urging the international community to treat the
    members of the movement as they would members of ISIS. On Friday, Secretary
    Blinken is set to meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.




    (bill)

  • Russia has got the opposite effect

    Russia has got the opposite effect

    Romania is the EU and NATO member with the
    longest border with Ukraine and also a Black Sea riparian country, a region
    affected by the present war, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis told the
    students of the prestigious Columbia University where he was attending the
    World Leaders Forum.


    For this reason, Iohannis went on to say,
    Romania’s prospect over the impact of the war in its strategic vicinity and at
    global level is relevant. According to Iohannis, Russia expected a weak international
    community and a Ukraine, which was supposed to comply with Kremlin’s demands. However,
    through their threats and the subsequent use of force, the Russians have got
    the opposite effect. According to Radio Romania special correspondent, president
    Iohannis says that by invading Ukraine, Russia tries to bring back revisionism to
    international relations as well as the spheres of influence in the global and
    regional politics.


    Moscow, he says, is using outdated concepts
    such as the so-called right of the great powers in order to impose the foreign
    policy directives on smaller states and is at the same time attacking
    democratic values and the rule-based world order.


    The Romanian president has also told the
    students that Romania, as a strategic partner of the US and a NATO ally is now
    at the highest security level in its recent history. We are now having a more
    coherent approach focused on several domains concerning defence in the Eastern
    Flank. We have resorted to concrete measures to step up cooperation with other
    Black Sea allies, mainly with the United States of America – Iohannis went on to say.


    However, Ukraine must win the war commenced
    by Russian Federation and no peace can exist without the restoration of the
    independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of this country. All those
    who committed atrocious crimes in Ukraine and against Ukraine must be brought before
    court. And all the countries with the same outlook have agreed that we must carry
    on our support for Ukraine – the Romanian president pointed out. Both Ukraine,
    and the neighboring Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian speaking
    country, must receive complete support for their integration into the European
    Union, Iohannis added. Earlier during the General Assembly of the UN the head
    of the Romanian state said this war proved that the Black Sea needs more
    attention at the global level, being of strategic importance for the
    Transatlantic security. He pledged that Romania would continue to ease the shipments
    of the Ukrainian grain to the world’s markets as they are essential for the
    world food security.


    (bill)