Radio România Internațional

Tag: black sea security

  • Romania and security guarantees

    Romania and security guarantees

    President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday said there is no direct threat to Romania and that there is no signal or indication there is any danger of attacks or other unwanted events targeting Romania. It is very important to understand we are not alone, we are supported by our allies, and we are well prepared for any scenario, the head of state added.

     

     

    “There is no direct threat. From the information I have, I can tell you Romania is a safe country. Romanians should not be afraid, but we must always be prepared for unexpected events. There is no need to panic or think that Romania is somehow under threat. Today, Romania benefits from the most important security guarantees we ever had”.

     

     

    Klaus Iohannis expressed skepticism regarding the possible delivery of a Patriot system to Ukraine, saying it is a matter that must be discussed with army experts and decided in the Supreme Defense Council. The delivery of a Patriot defense system to the Ukrainian Armed Forces is still a delicate issue, far from being resolved. Klaus Iohannis:

     

     

    “It’s not simple. I strongly refute the idea that Romania should remain without anti-missile defenses and without anti-aircraft systems. So, to the extent that in the end, Romania does deliver a system, it should receive something else instead, otherwise no action will be taken”.

     

     

    Also on Wednesday, the Chief of General Defense Staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, said Romania must accelerate its efforts to endow the defense forces in the context of security developments in the region. The Ministry of Defense is considering a possible escalation of current military conflicts, the General said, drawing attention to the need to increase the army’s response capacity by means of new military equipment. Gheorghiţă Vlad explained:

     

     

    “Our estimates account for future developments and scenarios, some of which indicate the possibility of escalation of conflicts, including those of a military nature. To diminish this possibility, we continue to rely on the deterrent effect generated by a robust defensive capacity, both nationwide and within NATO. This is why we will step up our efforts to strengthen national security as well as NATO’s deterrence and defense postures”.

     

     

    We are in a time of peace, but the current reality is marked by complex security challenges, General Gheorghiță Vlad went on to say. In this context, Romania focuses on intensifying multinational and joint training, as well as on increasing the interoperability of structures and capabilities, both in the Black Sea region as well as on the entire allied Eastern Flank. Right now, investments in new technology and equipment remain a top priority for the Romanian Army, the official concluded. (VP)

     

  • New NATO headquarters in Sibiu

    New NATO headquarters in Sibiu

    The new headquarters of the NATO
    Multinational Corps South-East was opened in Sibiu. The structure is tasked
    with coordinating NATO land operations in the region and with defending Romania
    and Bulgaria in times of crisis or war. President Klaus Iohannis hailed the
    opening of the new command center, describing it as a major achievement for
    Romania, which reflects the political, diplomatic and military efforts and
    contributions of Romania and its allies.
    Romania will continue to contribute to improving regional and
    Euro-Atlantic security, including as a pillar of stability in the Black Sea,
    Klaus Iohannis said. At the 2018 NATO summit in Brussels, Romania announced its
    intention of developing NATO’s command structures on its territory by means of
    a land corps, allowing it to consolidate the planning and operation of NATO
    forces and structures in Romania – NATO’s Force Integration Unit (NFIU), the
    Headquarters of the Multinational Division South-East (MNDSEHQ) and the
    Multinational Brigade South-East (MNBDE). The long-term consolidation of NATO’s
    deterrence and defense posture in the Black Sea remains a key priority,
    underlying the historic decisions of the summit in Madrid and the resolutions
    of this year’s summit in Vilnius, president Iohannis also pointed out. The two
    summits laid out a clear direction for accelerated NATO adjustment through measures
    that will strengthen forward defense, anti-air defense and operational scouting
    on NATO’s Eastern Flank, in order to boost the Alliance’s capacity to respond
    to security challenges in the area. This is the 10th NATO
    multinational corps set up in Europe, which is expected to be rendered
    operational one year before schedule, due to the security climate in the
    region, says Romania’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Daniel Petrescu:


    Starting today, we have a new
    command structure in the south-east area, which can contribute to deterring
    hostile intentions targeting NATO and which can ensure the command and control
    of Allied land operations. The Multinational Corps South-East Headquarters can
    take command and control of up to five divisions of NATO forces and allied
    national contributions.


    In turn, the head of the
    Multinational Corps South-East in Sibiu, Major-General Dragoș-Dumitru
    Iacob, said that the main
    mission of this structure is to defend the territories of Romania and Bulgaria.
    In turn, Romania’s Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr believes the new structure will be
    useful in the current international context. (VP)



  • April 13, 2023 UPDATE

    April 13, 2023 UPDATE

    Security Conference. Ukraine thanks Romania and the Republic of Moldova for their support and solidarity in its fight against the Russian aggression, the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in Bucharest on Thursday, after the Trilateral Romania – Ukraine – Republic of Moldova, dedicated to security issues. Thursdays trilateral was a continuation of a meeting in the same format, but on energy security issues, organized in Odessa in 2022. The meeting in Bucharest was held in the context of the first Black Sea Security Conference organized by Romania and Ukraine under the aegis of the International Crimea Platform. The Black Sea region is essential for the collective defense of NATO, for European security and for prosperity, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu said at the conference. He pleaded for a strategic commitment of the EU and NATO in the area and reiterated Romanias support for Ukraine. 250 representatives from 30 countries participated in the event, both physically and online.



    NATO. The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, is on a visit to Romania until Friday. His talks with the Romanian officials focus on the security situation in the Black Sea region, the allied deterrence missions and the defense of the Euro-Atlantic space, as well as the major training events of 2023. The NATO official talked with the Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu about the preparation of the summit in Vilnius due in July and the implementation of the decisions of the NATO summit in Madrid. At the Romanian Defense Ministry the NATO official had talks with the Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, and the Chief of the General Staff, General Daniel Petrescu. Admiral Rob Bauers agenda in Romania also includes visits to the allied commands located in Bucharest (south) and Sibiu (center), to the NATO battle group deployed in the Cincu area (center) and to the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (southeast).



    Alliance. Romania will join the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, which promotes the production and use of wind energy, under the aegis of the International Renewable Energy Agency. The Romanian government has approved the association with this Alliance, which aims to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the final consumption and to gradually abandon coal. According to a World Bank study, Romanias offshore wind potential in the Black Sea region is 76 GW. To become a member of this alliance, Romania must develop a national strategy regarding offshore wind energy, a government press release reads.



    RESS. On Thursday, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, visited the Renewable Energy School of Skills (RESS) in Constanta, south-eastern Romania. The school organizes adult courses for technicians who work in the renewable energy industry, especially the wind and solar energy. RESS has trained, in 14 years, more than 10,000 trainees, from Romania and abroad, who are working in the renewable energy sector all over Europe. “We want to protect the environment, we want to fight climate change, we want to have as much energy as possible from renewable sources”, the head of state stressed.



    Government. All the ministries in Bucharest have submitted to the Government the plans to reduce budget expenses, the Government Spokesperson Dan Cărbunaru has announced. He also said that, at the next meeting of the cabinet, the saving package requested by the prime minister will be analyzed and the necessary decisions will be made. Early this week, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă asked all the ministers to urgently come up with proposals to reduce spending, given that, in the first quarter of this year, budget collection was below estimates. The Prime Minister gave assurances that there would be no layoffs, salary cuts or cuts in investments.



    Smart Diaspora. The Smart Diaspora 2023 international conference ended in Timişoara, western Romania, on Thursday. The event created a space for dialogue and collaboration between Romanian researchers, irrespective of where they live and work. The 4-day event included 38 workshops, with approximately 400 participants from the Diaspora, 550 from Romania and 300 from universities that are members of the Timișoara University Alliance. The workshops were organized on various topics, from education and psychology, to global economy, governance, smart cities, entrepreneurial culture, technological transfer, sustainable food, intercultural communication, Romanian language and literature studies, artificial intelligence, cyber security, migration and mobility. Smart Diaspora is part of a series of events included on the agenda of the Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2023.



    Business. The Serbia – Romania Business Forum was held in Belgrade on Thursday, hosted by the Serbian Economic Chamber. 31 Romanian companies from construction, IT, energy and transport participated, alongside 43 Serbian comanpies. In 2022, the value of trade exchanges between Serbia and Romania stood at 2.3 billion Euro. (MI)


  • April 13, 2023

    April 13, 2023

    NATO – The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, is on a visit to Romania until Friday. His talks with the Romanian officials focus on the security situation in the Black Sea region, the allied deterrence missions and the defense of the Euro-Atlantic space, as well as the major training events of 2023. The NATO official talked with the Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu about the preparation of the summit in Vilnius due in July and the implementation of the decisions of the allied meeting in Madrid. At the Romanian Defense Ministry the NATO official had talks with the Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, and the Chief of the General Staff, General Daniel Petrescu. Admiral Rob Bauer’s agenda in Romania also includes visits to the allied commands located in Bucharest (south) and Sibiu (center), to the NATO battle group deployed in the Cincu area (center) and to the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (southeast).



    Black Sea – Bucharest once again becomes the international capital of diplomacy as it hosts today the first Conference on the security of the Black Sea under the aegis of the International Crimea Platform and a new meeting of the Romania – Republic of Moldova — Ukraine Trilateral, said the Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu. The conference is the first event dedicated to the Black Sea, co-organized by Romania and Ukraine. More than 250 delegates from more than 30 countries and international organizations will attend, along with guests who join the conference online. The discussions focus on the multidimensional impact of Russias war of aggression and on finding solutions to secure the Black Sea region. Issues related to information warfare and cyber attacks will also be addressed. In a press conference, the Romanian foreign minister reiterated that he condemned the war waged by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.



    Smart Diaspora – The Smart Diaspora 2023 international conference comes to an end today in Timişoara, in western Romania. It is an event that creates a space for dialogue and collaboration between Romanian researchers, irrespective of where they live and work. The 4-day event included 38 workshops, with approximately 400 participants from the Diaspora, 550 from Romania and 300 from universities that are members of the Timișoara University Alliance. The workshops were organized on various topics, from education and psychology, to global economy, governance, smart cities, entrepreneurial culture, technological transfer, sustainable food, intercultural communication, Romanian language and literature studies, artificial intelligence, cyber security, migration and mobility. Attending the events of the first day of the conference, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said that the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitization, Sebastian Burduja, should rapidly find solutions for debureaucratization and for managing the grants for research. He also launched the idea for researchers to propose five priority fields in the sciences, that should receive funding first. Smart Diaspora is part of a series of events included on the agenda of the Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2023.



    Inflation – In Romania, the annual inflation rate dropped to 14.53% in March, from 15.5% in February, as the prices of foodstuffs increased by 21.56%, of non-foods by 11.06%, and of services by 10.83%, show data provided by the National Institute of Statistics, published on Thursday. The National Bank of Romania expects the annual inflation rate to drop faster than previously anticipated, especially starting from the third quarter of the current year, against the backdrop of the extension of energy price capping and compensation schemes until March 31, 2025 and of the redefinition of their characteristics as of January 1, 2023.



    Visit – President Klaus Iohannis is visiting, today, the Renewable Energy School of Skills (RESS) – the International School of Competences in Renewable Energy from Constanta (south-east). At this school courses are taught for the training and retraining of adults, being dedicated to technicians working in the renewable energy industry, especially in the wind and photovoltaic solar energy fields. According to the Presidential Administration, acquiring skills for climate transition and international cooperation in relation to climate education are important objectives that are part of the President’s vision for a cleaner environment. RESS has trained more than 10,000 people in 14 years, and thousands of people from Romania and abroad attend the courses every year and end up working in the renewable energy sector all over Europe, shows the aforementioned source.



    Alliance – Romania will join the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, which promotes the production and use of wind energy, under the auspices of the International Renewable Energy Agency. The Romanian government has approved the association with this Alliance, which aims to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the final consumption and to gradually abandon coal. According to a World Bank study, Romanias offshore wind resources potential in the Black Sea region is 76 GW. To become a member of this alliance, Romania must establish a national strategy regarding offshore wind energy — shows a government press release. (LS)

  • First CSCE Summit held in Romania

    First CSCE Summit held in Romania

    The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) held its first ever summit in Constanța, on the shores of the Black Sea, an area that lies at the epicenter of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

    Members of the U.S. Congress, senior-level
    government officials from the region, and key international partners came
    together in a roundtable format to underscore the critical importance of the
    Black Sea region to European peace and security, and to establish a
    sustainable, collective approach to ending Russian aggression and enhancing
    mutual cooperation.

  • 28 March, 2017

    28 March, 2017

    Corruption ruling. The High Court of
    Cassation and Justice in Bucharest may today pass a ruling in what is known as
    the Bute Gala case. The former development minister and MP Elena Udrea was
    indicted in 2015 on three accounts: bribe taking, abuse of office and attempt
    to use false, inaccurate or incomplete documents or statements to unduly obtain
    European funds. The former economy minister Ion Ariton and six other persons
    were also on trial in this case. Prosecutors accuse them of illegally using
    public funds to finance a sports event, namely a boxing gala featuring the former
    world champion Lucian Bute. The event was organised by a private company, but
    under a contract signed with this company, services were bought using European
    funds, which is against the law. Several other criminal cases have been opened
    against Elena Udrea.




    NATO.
    NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations Patrick Turner arrived in
    Bucharest today for a 2-day meeting of experts from NATO and partner countries
    on civil emergency interventions. Participants are looking into ways to improve
    the training of intervention forces in the case of natural disasters and hybrid
    threats.




    Black Sea security. Britain will
    send four Typhoon multirole fighters to Romania to be used in air police
    missions on NATO’s southern flank. The aircraft will be deployed, for four
    months beginning in May, to the Mihail Kogalniceanu military base in
    south-eastern Romania, said Michael Fallon, British secretary of state for
    defence. According to the defence ministry in Bucharest, the British pilots
    will work together with their Romanian counterparts to ensure air security over
    the Black Sea.




    Budget. The execution of the general consolidated budget
    in the first two months of the year ended with a surplus, despite the fact that
    revenues were 1.4% lower than in the similar period last year, according to
    data published on Monday by the finance ministry in Bucharest. Experts say VAT
    and excise revenues dropped significantly following the reduction of the VAT
    standard rate and the excise duty on fuel. However, total budget expenditure
    also decreased by 0.3% following a reduction in the level of investment and the
    funds allocated for the co-financing of European-funded programmes.






    Unemployment. The unemployment rate in Romania in the last quarter of
    last year dropped to 5.5% compared to the third quarter, when it stood at 5.7%,
    according to the figures published on Tuesday by the National Institute for
    Statistics. The highest unemployment rate, of 20.8%, is reported among youth,
    between 15 and 24 years old. The number of pensioners dropped last year to
    5,250,000, but the pensioner-employee ratio is still 9:10.




    Russia protests.
    Russia has rejected calls from the United States and the European Union to
    release the persons detained after a wave of anti-corruption protests held on
    Sunday in Moscow and other Russian cities. Hundreds of people
    were detained, including the initiator of the protests, the anti-corruption
    activist Alexey Navalny, who was sentenced
    by a Moscow court to 15 days in prison. According to Radio Romania’s
    correspondent in Moscow, the sentence may disqualify Navalny’s from the
    presidential race should he decide to run against Putin.




    Tennis. World
    no. 5 Simona Halep of Romania defeated Australia’s Samantha Stosur in three
    sets to reach the quarterfinals of the Miami tennis tournament. Halep will next
    face the British player Johanna Konta, no. 11 in the WTA ranking. The two only
    played each other once before, in the last 16 of the Wuhan tournament in China
    in 2015, when Konta won the match. Halep is the only Romanian player still in
    competition in Miami, a tournament worth 6.9 million dollars in prize money.