Radio România Internațional

Tag: Black Sea

NATO and Security at the Black Sea

To the Romanians living in the sparsely populated villages on the Danube, close to the border with Ukraine, the war in the neighboring country has gained an increased and unwanted concreteness after the recent Russian bombing of the Danube ports of Reni and Izmail.

The aforementioned ports have been targeted by Russia, after they became hubs in the transport of the Ukrainian grain towards Western Europe. If until recently the noise made by the explosions used to be the main source of discomfort for the locals, their concern reached new levels after debris from some Russian drones had been discovered nearby. The Ministry of Defence has stepped up its surveillance in the area, in accordance with the NATO plans for strengthening the eastern flank, while the alliance, through the voice of its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has voiced its support for Romania. Just like Stoltenberg, NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, said there were no indications regarding Russias intentions to strike a NATO member state.

However, the concern of the Romanian citizens living close to the Danube border with Ukraine is understandable, Geoana went on to say. “…When you hear the sound of war several hundreds of meters or kilometers away from you, its only natural to feel anxiety and anguish. I understand that, but there is no risk for Romania to be attracted into this conflict or for this conflict to be extended to the area” the NATO official says. “My message, as Romanian, is to try to have confidence in the fact that the North-Atlantic Alliance has taken all the measures needed now and in the future so that it may be able to defend the entire allied space, including Romania, Mircea Geoana explained. He hailed the US decision to beef up air policing in the Black Sea area. In Vilnius, he recalled, allied leaders endorsed a new generation of defence plans tailored for this type of incidents, accidents or more serious situations, even involving deliberate attacks. These defence plans are complete, including among other things, air policing and integrated anti-missile systems. We are speaking about measures specific to the Black Sea, which is an important area for us and very complex, the NATO official added.

In another development, a military drill is taking place in the Black Sea and the Danube Delta until Friday, which brings together troops from Romania, the USA and other allied countries as well as from Ukraine. The Sea Breeze multinational exercise, the United States has staged in Romania for the first time, contributes to increasing stability in the Black Sea region and ensuring the free navigation in the wake of the Russian Federations aggression against Ukraine. It is aimed at raising the training level of the servicemen from the participant countries in the anti-mine combat operations. The drill also comes after Russias withdrawal from the agreement on the transit of the Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.

(bill)

12 September 2023
September 1, 2023 UPDATE

Visit – Romania is a credible and responsible partner, the Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday fresh from the meetings with the heads of the European institutions. In his first official visit to Brussels as head of government, he was received by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, by the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, and by the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The Romanian Prime Minister discussed with the European officials about the budget deficit, saying that he does not agree with an increase in the VAT rate which would also lead to an increase in inflation. Romania, without any exception, will apply the provisions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the PM said. The head of the Romanian government went to Brussels to negotiate with the representatives of the European Commission the increase in the budget deficit, without losing European money. Romania had assumed a deficit target of 4.4%, but now wants to increase it to over 5%. Also, the prime minister wanted the expenses for supporting Ukraine and the defense investments to be deducted from the deficit. In this context, Marcel Ciolacu received thanks from the European officials for the strong support offered to Ukraine and the neighboring Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, they reconfirmed their support for Bucharests accession to the Schengen free travel area.

Schengen — ‘Hungarys national interest is for Romania to accede to Schengen as soon as possible’ says the Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who firmly asked Austria not to block Romanias accession to the free travel area this autumn. According to the Hungarian MTI news agency, the Hungarian official pointed out that the accession decision must be made based on facts. Romania is Hungarys third export market and a popular investment place for Hungarian capital, said Peter Szijjarto, recalling, at the same time, that a Romanian minority lives on the territory of Hungary, and a minority of Hungarians lives on the territory of Romania. Last December, Austria blocked the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area, claiming that it could not support the expansion of the free travel area as long as it is not functional.

Cereals – A European Commission team is visiting Romania on Friday and Saturday to discuss about facilitating the export of Ukrainian grains on the Danube, after Russia left the Initiative on grain shipment through the Black Sea and threatens civil maritime transport. The team of experts will visit the Danube port of Galati (south-east) and will meet with representatives of the Lower Danube River Administration, of the port authorities and of ship pilots. The team of experts will also go to the Black Sea port of Constanta to meet with representatives of the Romanian Government, the port authority and the customs authority. Also, the delegation will meet with representatives of the operators, transporters and grain traders from the port of Constanţa, the European Commission announced.

Diplomacy — The Romanian diplomacy will continue to support and promote solid partnerships and relations, based on democratic values, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, international law and the rules-based international order, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, said on Friday. In her message conveyed on the occasion of the Romanian Diplomacy Day, Mrs. Odobescu recalls that the day is celebrated in a difficult and complex regional context, which, together with accelerated global developments, requires, more than ever, a predictable, coherent, adapted, dynamic and anticipatory foreign policy. Referring to the priorities of the Romanian diplomacy, Luminiţa Odobescu mentioned the growth of Romanias role and influence in the European Union and NATO, as well as the development and deepening of the Strategic Partnership with the USA. The development of consular services for Romanian citizens outside the countrys borders will not be neglected either, the head of the Romanian diplomacy added.

Volleyball — Romania’s national team won its first victory at the European Mens Volleyball Championship – CEV EuroVolley 2023, 3-2 against Turkey, on Friday, in Tel Avi-Yafo, in Group D of the competition. In the first two stages, the Romanian national team lost to Portugal, 0-3, and to Israel, 2-3. They will next play against Greece (on September 3) and France (on September 4). The first four teams qualify for the round of 16. The European Championship takes place in Israel, Italy, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, from August 28 to September 16. Romania ranked 21st in the previous edition of the European Championship in which it participated, in 2019. The record of the Romanian players includes a European title in 1963, two silver medals (1955, 1958) and two bronze medals (1971, 1977). (LS)

1 September 2023
August 19, 2023 UPDATE

OPYMPIAD – Romanian students won five medals at the 15th edition of the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad held in Chorzow, Poland. According to the Romanian Ministry of Education, the gold medal and the highest score in the competition in the theoretical test was won by Andrei Dragomir, a student with the Bucharest International High School of Informatics. Teofil Voicu with the “Emil Racoviţă” National College in Cluj-Napoca and Mendel Mendelsohn and Bogdan Ciocârlan, students with the Bucharest International High School of Informatics won silver medals, while George Vladimir Necula, with the same high school in Bucharest, won a bronze medal. Students from 53 countries took part in the competition.

ECONOMY – One of Romanias objectives in the upcoming period is to win back traditional markets in Asian countries, such as Singapore, Vietnam and Japan, said the Romanian Minister of Economy, Radu Oprea. He emphasized that the Romanian economy must capitalize on the markets and trade agreements signed by the European Union with Asian countries. Oprea also said that in October the joint commission with South Korea will take place, and in November – the one with Vietnam, areas with very high collaboration potential.

SEASIDE – The autumn edition of the “Holiday for all” program on the Romanian Black Sea coast is about to be launched. In September, tourist packages will be up to 70% cheaper compared to peak season rates. So far, 48 hotels have signed up for the program, offering tourists approximately 5,000 accommodation places. Over 100 accommodation units are expected to join the program, so that more than 40,000 tourists can benefit from it. Most hotel units will keep last years rates.

DECISION – Romania plans to ensure the transit of more than 60% of the Ukrainian grain exports to the international market in the future, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said after Friday’s meeting, in Bucharest, with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Şmyhal. The two officials decided that in the upcoming period, the grain transit from Ukraine to the international market, via Romania, to be doubled, from two to four million tons per month, but with the protection of Romanian farmers.

ENERGY – Helleniq Renewables, a Greek subsidiary of one of the main energy groups in South-Eastern Europe, Helleniq Energy Holdings, has signed a contract for the construction of four photovoltaic parks in Romania, with a total capacity of 211 megawatts. The agreement was signed with Mytilineos Energy. The projects will be gradually developed until 2025, and the total annual production of renewable energy will cover the needs of 100,000 households. In parallel, Helleniq Renewables signed another agreement, for the development of a portfolio of photovoltaic parks with a capacity of 600 megawatts, also located in Romania, in the southern part of the country.

EUROSTAT – Romania registered in June the most significant advance in the European Union in the field of construction works, of 3.6%, followed by Sweden and the Czech Republic, according to the European Statistics Office. At the opposite end are Germany, France, Slovakia and Hungary. Eurostat data also shows that construction works decreased in June by 1% in the eurozone and by 0.6% in the European Union, compared to the previous month, when a slight advance was registered. (EE)

19 August 2023
August 13, 2023 UPDATE

DAY Naval forces are these days
staging a series of activities devoted to Navy Day here in Romania, which will
culminate on August 15, when Romanians are celebrating the Christian holiday of
the Dormition of the Mother of God, St. Mary, who is also the protector of
sailors. Various events and activities are being staged on this occasion in
Bucharest and the Romanian port-cities on the Danube – Braila, Tulcea and
Galati. The most important event will take place on Tuesday, August 15th
when, after a pause of four years, the seamen are expected to be presenting a
demonstrative exercise entitled ‘Romanian Naval Forces 2023’. Helicopters and
speed boats carrying the flags of Romania, NATO and the EU will be opening the
exercise, which is to be followed by a parade of the school-vessel ‘Mircea’,
Romania’s honorary ambassador on the world’s seas and oceans.

CARS The number of registered new cars in Romania grew in the first
seven months of this year by a fifth as compared to the same period in 2022.
Green cars, hybrid and electric have registered an increase over 36% with a
market share of nearly 23%, according to data published by the Association of
Car Producers and Importers. Petrol cars have seen a 1.4% drop against the same
period last year while diesel vehicles have dropped almost every year 1% and
presently have a market share of 13%.

DRILL Roughly 250 servicemen from France and Luxembourg and 65
pieces of technical equipment of NATO battle group in Romania are going to
participate starting Monday until August 18th in a joint exercise in
the shooting range of Babadag, south-eastern Romania. The drill’s main aim is
to test the rapid deployment of troops and gear as well as to increase
interoperability among the forces of the NATO battle group. According to
sources with the Defence Ministry in Bucharest, the drill contributes to
raising military cooperation between Romania and the participant countries,
France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg as well as to strengthening
NATO security on its Eastern Flank.

GAUDEAMUS The Radio Romania Gaudeamus book fair is waiting for its
visitors in downtown Sibiu, central Romania with numerous titles, sales and
events. The organizers have prepared book launches and round-table talks for
all ages. The little ones have been invited to attend the launch of a
collection entitled ‘Children Readings from Grandma’, while adults can
participate in various events focusing on self-development. The event, which
remains open until Tuesday, has brought together over 40 participants,
including some of the best known publishing houses, the main suppliers of
books, games, music and educational materials.

HOLIDAY The
Romanians are enjoying a four-day mini-holiday, after Monday, August 14th
has been declared a bank holiday here in Romania right ahead of the St. Mary
holiday on August 15th. Various events are being staged all over the
country and tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Nicula Monastery,
in Cluj county, north-western Romania. Concerts are also taking place, such as
the Summer Well festival, in Buftea, close to Bucharest, while the days of the
city of Braila are also being celebrated. Many Romanians are celebrating these
days in the mountain resorts of the Prahova Valley, in southern Romania, while
the seaside resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast are preparing for their
busiest weekend this summer. According to hotel owners here the tourists’
number is to reach 110 thousand. The Romanian Interior Ministry has deployed
over 8 thousand police and 6 thousand gendarme troops to prevent any criminal
activity during the aforementioned holiday. The border check points at
Romania’s border with Hungary and Bulgaria are also benefiting from additional
personnel.

(bill)

13 August 2023
August 4, 2023 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY The Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu has
officially confirmed that a tour of Africa is being prepared for Romania’s
President Klaus Iohannis. Romania aims to bring ties with Sub-Saharan
Africa to a higher level, adapted to the new Romanian and African realities and
the new strategic interest of each partner. This revival will be done by
pursuing common values and interests, mainly in political and economic terms,
said the Romanian official.

DANUBE Naval traffic is very intense at the exit from the Danube to
the Black Sea, after Russia attacked the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail. Romania’s River Administration of the Lower Danube in Galati
decided to only allow vessels to go out to sea and only then to sail in the
opposite direction. Since Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement that allowed
the safe export of Ukrainian grain to the Black Sea, the Danube has been used
as an export route for agricultural products from Ukraine.

NATURAL GAS PM Marcel Ciolacu says the Black Sea natural gas
extraction project Neptun Deep is a strategic one, which will turn Romania into
the largest natural gas producer in the European Union. The Domino and Pelican
Sud development plans were confirmed by the National Agency for Mineral
Resources, a post on the Government’s Facebook account reads. According to the
government, OMV Petrom and Romgaz will invest up to EUR 4 bln at this stage of
the project, which will generate an output of around 100 billion cubic metres
of natural gas, beginning in 2027.

HOSPITALS Electrical systems in around 300 hospitals in Romania have
been checked, and the estimated budget for revamping them is over EUR 140 mln,
the healthcare minister Alexandru Rafila announced. He said the money would
come from EU funds under regional programmes, and that the electrical and fire
safety systems in 21 hospitals have been completely reconstructed. Rafila also
announced a programme called Good and safe meals for patients, for the revamping
of kitchen and catering units in more than 250 public healthcare institutions,
with a budget of roughly EUR 450 mln.

FIREFIGHTERS PM Marcel Ciolacu congratulated the Romanian rescuers
who Friday completed their mission in Greece, for their altruism, courage and
efforts, and wished good luck to the Romanian fire-fighters that will replace
them in helping the Greek authorities and population struggling with extensive
wildfires. Romania and Europe stand by the Greek nation in need of support,
and we hope that together we will bring things to normal as soon as possible,
Marcel Ciolacu said. On Friday Romania deployed a new wildfire specialist unit
to Greece. Ninety Romanian fire-fighters replaced their colleagues who took
part in a similar mission in the past 2 weeks, under the EU Civil Protection
Mechanism.

BORDERS The Border Police Inspectorate announced that measures to reduce
traffic congestion at checkpoints on the Romanian-Hungarian and
Romanian-Bulgarian borders continue this weekend. The institution announced
that personnel will be increased to the maximum capacity allowed by the
existing infrastructure, and mobile check units will be used. Around 3,800 border
police will be working every day at checkpoints around the country. The border
police also recommend the use of the Trafic On-line app on www.politiadefrontiera.ro,
to check out live estimates on waiting times. (AMP)

4 August 2023
July 28, 2023

WEATHER The PM of Romania Marcel
Ciolacu requested all the institutions in charge to centralise data on the damages
caused by the extreme weather over the past few days in Romania. Measures will
be taken subsequently to address the situation and to avoid similar occurrences
in the future, a government spokesperson said. According to the General
Inspectorate for Emergencies, over 50 localities in 19 counties and the capital
city Bucharest have been affected this week by storms and heavy rainfalls.
Several people died, and houses, buildings and vehicles have been damaged.

CANCER The government endorsed a National Plan on
Cancer Prevention and Treatment. The new programme facilitates quick access to
prevention measures, diagnostic, treatment and palliative services. The
healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, said investments would be made in the
field of oncology, and all services for patients would be free of charge,
including advanced radiation therapy. He added that the government would also
develop an innovation fund, mainly benefiting cancer patients. The plan will be
implemented in several stages over the next 5 years. Representatives of the
Federation of Cancer Patients Associations however are unhappy with the absence
of implementing rules for the plan, without which, they argue, it is impossible
to know how long it would take from diagnosis to the start of the actual
treatment.

DISSIDENT The High Court of Cassation and Justice in
Bucharest Thursday upheld a ruling clearing two former Communist political
police officers, Marin Pîrvulescu and Vasile Hodiş, of the charges related to
the torturing of dissident Gheorghe Ursu.
They were originally tried for crimes against humanity. The construction
engineer, poet and writerGheorghe Ursu was investigated by the Securitate in the ’80s,
after he sent letters to Radio Free Europe and kept a diary of the horrors
of the communist regime. He was arrested in September 1985 and died 2 months
later, after being beaten while in detention. After
Thursday’s ruling of the supreme court, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu said she would have liked not to see
any form of repression and torture validated. The Group for Social
Dialogue, a political and social NGO, says the supreme court’s decision to
acquit the torturers of the dissident Gheorghe Ursu is the most radical form of
rehabilitation of communist totalitarianism. Prosecutors are looking into
exceptional methods to challenge the ruling.

GREECE The Romanian foreign ministry warns the Romanian
nationals who are in Greece or intend to travel there that the local
authorities said the risks of wild fires remains high today in several parts of
that country. The situation is particularly serious in Rhodes, where 92
Romanian fire fighters are also deployed. In order to better respond to this
phenomenon, the European Commission announced plans to create its own firefighting
fleet, and procure an additional 12 aircraft to this end, deployed around the
Mediterranean, where most wildfires are reported.

SECURITY
The US Senate Thursday night endorsed the National Defence Authorisation Act
(NDAA), which included a bill on Black Sea security. With this decision, the US Senate confirms the
status of the Black Sea as a region of critical geo-strategic importance and
paves the way for enhanced US engagement in the region. The US Senate’s
decision also confirms the county’s strong support for a comprehensive US
presence in the Black Sea region, jointly with its allies and partners, in
strategic areas such as security and defence, economy, energy and democratic resilience, the
Romanian Ambassador to Washington Andrei Muraru
said. The bill endorsed by the Senate is to be reconciled in September with the
version of the NDAA already approved by the House of Representatives. A bill
similar to the
Black Sea Security Act is also pending in the House, with good chances to be
included in the reconciliation procedure and in the final text of the NDAA sent
to president Joe Biden.

FOOTBALL Three
Romanian teams played last night in the Europa Conference League qualifiers. Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe won, 2-0
away from home, the match against the Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia. Romanian
champions Farul Constanța also won their home match against FC Urartu, 3-2, while former champions CFR Cluj drew
at home against the Turkish side Adana Demirspor,
1-1. The return leg is scheduled for August 3. (AMP)

28 July 2023
Ukrainian grains transit Romania

Bucharest may decide unilaterally to
create dedicated lanes for the transport of Romanian grains to the port of
Constanţa, the European Commission said after Romanian farmers submitted a
request in this respect.

The Romanian and Ukrainian cereal
export has become even more complicated after Moscow decided to pull out from
the UN deal regarding the export of grains via the Black Sea, which expired on
July 17, and to strike the grain terminals in the Ukrainian port of Odessa.

The Romanian diplomacy chief Luminiţa
Odobescu Thursday took part in a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels,
focusing among others on this decision made by Russia. Odobescu pointed out
that by bombing the Odessa port and threatening the vessels in the Black Sea,
Russia seeks to generate a European food crisis and that, under these
circumstances, the European bloc acknowledges the importance of Romania in the
region.

Luminiţa Odobescu: I’d like to emphasise that Romania’s
efforts have been appreciated and our country’s enhanced role in facilitating
these exports has been acknowledged. So we are supported not only by the
Commission, but also by many member states which are willing to get further
involved in consolidating the port and railway infrastructure on Romanian
territory, to avoid bottlenecks in the transit of grains from Ukraine to the
beneficiary countries.

Turkey may play a particularly
important part in this respect, Luminiţa Odobescu also said, especially since
the deal on grain exports via the Black Sea was signed in Istanbul. She
mentioned that the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is carrying on
the dialogue within the UN and with various partners, in order to persuade
Russia to extend the agreement.

These developments are of major
importance to Bucharest, given that of the 5 countries securing the transit of
Ukrainian grains to Asia and Africa, Romania sees the largest transit figures. Moreover,
this year Romanian farmers expect a 20-25% better harvest than last year, so
the Romanian products, added to the transiting Ukrainian amounts, could choke
the transport infrastructure. There are fears that the port of Constanţa will
not be able to handle the situation, in operational terms, the grain market
analyst Cezar Gheorghe told Radio Romania:

Cezar Gheorghe: We might see the road, railway and barge
flows doubling. Moreover, Constanţa will be subject to extreme operational
pressure, and I honestly tell you there is no chance it could handle it, simply
because in operational terms, Constanţa is able to manage only 25-26 million
tons of grains and oilseeds per year.

Cezar Gheorghe believes that in this
context, Romania should apply as soon as possible for additional EU funding for
investments in the transport infrastructure. (AMP)

21 July 2023
The Week in Review

Romanias Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, visited Chișinău

Romania supports the start of EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday in Chişinău, on his first foreign visit since he took office. He emphasized that the future of the Republic of Moldova is in the community bloc. The Romanian side showed availability to provide expertise to the Moldovan partners. In his turn, the Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean thanked Romania for all the support given to the Republic of Moldova in the process of joining the European Union, as well as in the economic and social fields. He emphasized that the relations on the two banks of the Prut River are increasingly being strengthened through the construction of bridges, roads and energy networks. Dorin Recean mentioned the existence of nine projects for the second installment of the aid provided by the Romanian Government. They are worth 28 million Euros and are aimed at investments for the development of localities in the Republic of Moldova, the Moldovan PM said. Early this week, the Romanian FM, Luminița Odobescu, paid a visit to the Republic of Moldova, her first external visit since taking-over her mandate. She was received by the pro-Western president Maia Sandu and had discussions with her counterpart Nicu Popescu. The two emphasized the support which Romania offered to the Republic of Moldova, consisting in humanitarian aid, energy resources and support for increasing resilience. Last but not least, the Romanian FM said that opening the EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova in the shortest possible time is a priority of Romania’s foreign policy.

Romanian magistrates protested, discontented with the prospect of being left without special pensions

Magistrates from several courts and prosecutor’s offices across Romania suspended their activity on Wednesday, showing discontent with the Governments intention to change the conditions under which they can obtain special pensions. Judges and prosecutors argue that changing the special pension scheme would violate the independence of the judiciary. The ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL wants to gradually increase the retirement age for judges and prosecutors up to 65 years, and for the pension to be calculated based on their income from several years, not just from the last year of activity. The Justice Minister, Alina Gorghiu, said that she respects the magistrates’ right to free expression, but insisted that dialogue, not protest, is the solution to any problem of the judicial system. The reform of the legislative framework regarding the special pensions scheme is a promise made to the European Union by the Romanian authorities under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. On the other hand, on Thursday, the draft law on the abolition of special pensions for senators and deputies received a favorable opinion, gathering a majority of votes, in the specialized Parliament committee. The president of the committee, the Social-Democratic MP Eugen Bejinariu explained that, if unconstitutional elements of the bill are identified, other solutions will be found to reduce or eliminate the special pensions of parliamentarians.

Measures announced by the Romanian Government

The prices of some basic food products may decrease in the next period, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Thursday. He claims that this decrease will not put pressure on Romanian producers. Marcel Ciolacu stated that he received a response from the large store chains regarding the scheme for reducing markup percentages. It is a list that contains basic foodstuffs such as bread, dairy products, meat, eggs, flour, corn flour, oil, vegetables and fruit. Also on Thursday, the Government discussed, in a first reading, the state aid scheme for Romanian producers of construction materials. In principle, the authorities want more materials produced in the country to appear on the internal market at competitive prices, which will lead to a reduced import of construction materials. Now, over 70% of the materials used are imported, and the Government wants to reduce this percentage. This years budget for the aid scheme could be 150 million Euros, but the Finance Ministry will have the final say. The Executive also approved the granting of emergency aid to support the population affected by floods, landslides and dangerous meteorological phenomena, up to the amount of 1.4 million Euros. Households in the center, south-west and south of the country were affected, this month, by heavy rainfalls. The support and intervention of the military firefighters was needed to remove the negative effects generated by the bad weather.

Development plan for gas deposits in the Romanian area of the Black Sea

OMV Petrom and Romgaz have approved the development plan for the Domino and Pelican Sud commercial natural gas fields in the Romanian area of the Black Sea. The National Agency for Mineral Resources is to confirm this plan. The investment amounts to 4 billion Euros for the development phase, and the total production will be 100 billion cubic meters, the equivalent of the annual demand for natural gas for 4.3 million households. According to the management of OMV Petrom, in 2027, the first amounts of gas are to be extracted through the Neptun Deep project, and Romania will become the largest producer of natural gas in the European Union. The project will last approximately two decades, and the revenues brought to the state budget will support Romania’s development. OMV Petrom states that the estimated revenues of the Romanian state would be 20 billion Euros. (LS)

24 June 2023
The Week in Review

Romanias Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, visited Chișinău

Romania supports the start of EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday in Chişinău, on his first foreign visit since he took office. He emphasized that the future of the Republic of Moldova is in the community bloc. The Romanian side showed availability to provide expertise to the Moldovan partners. In his turn, the Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean thanked Romania for all the support given to the Republic of Moldova in the process of joining the European Union, as well as in the economic and social fields. He emphasized that the relations on the two banks of the Prut River are increasingly being strengthened through the construction of bridges, roads and energy networks. Dorin Recean mentioned the existence of nine projects for the second installment of the aid provided by the Romanian Government. They are worth 28 million Euros and are aimed at investments for the development of localities in the Republic of Moldova, the Moldovan PM said. Early this week, the Romanian FM, Luminița Odobescu, paid a visit to the Republic of Moldova, her first external visit since taking-over her mandate. She was received by the pro-Western president Maia Sandu and had discussions with her counterpart Nicu Popescu. The two emphasized the support which Romania offered to the Republic of Moldova, consisting in humanitarian aid, energy resources and support for increasing resilience. Last but not least, the Romanian FM said that opening the EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova in the shortest possible time is a priority of Romania’s foreign policy.

Romanian magistrates protested, discontented with the prospect of being left without special pensions

Magistrates from several courts and prosecutor’s offices across Romania suspended their activity on Wednesday, showing discontent with the Governments intention to change the conditions under which they can obtain special pensions. Judges and prosecutors argue that changing the special pension scheme would violate the independence of the judiciary. The ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL wants to gradually increase the retirement age for judges and prosecutors up to 65 years, and for the pension to be calculated based on their income from several years, not just from the last year of activity. The Justice Minister, Alina Gorghiu, said that she respects the magistrates’ right to free expression, but insisted that dialogue, not protest, is the solution to any problem of the judicial system. The reform of the legislative framework regarding the special pensions scheme is a promise made to the European Union by the Romanian authorities under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. On the other hand, on Thursday, the draft law on the abolition of special pensions for senators and deputies received a favorable opinion, gathering a majority of votes, in the specialized Parliament committee. The president of the committee, the Social-Democratic MP Eugen Bejinariu explained that, if unconstitutional elements of the bill are identified, other solutions will be found to reduce or eliminate the special pensions of parliamentarians.

Measures announced by the Romanian Government

The prices of some basic food products may decrease in the next period, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Thursday. He claims that this decrease will not put pressure on Romanian producers. Marcel Ciolacu stated that he received a response from the large store chains regarding the scheme for reducing markup percentages. It is a list that contains basic foodstuffs such as bread, dairy products, meat, eggs, flour, corn flour, oil, vegetables and fruit. Also on Thursday, the Government discussed, in a first reading, the state aid scheme for Romanian producers of construction materials. In principle, the authorities want more materials produced in the country to appear on the internal market at competitive prices, which will lead to a reduced import of construction materials. Now, over 70% of the materials used are imported, and the Government wants to reduce this percentage. This years budget for the aid scheme could be 150 million Euros, but the Finance Ministry will have the final say. The Executive also approved the granting of emergency aid to support the population affected by floods, landslides and dangerous meteorological phenomena, up to the amount of 1.4 million Euros. Households in the center, south-west and south of the country were affected, this month, by heavy rainfalls. The support and intervention of the military firefighters was needed to remove the negative effects generated by the bad weather.

Development plan for gas deposits in the Romanian area of the Black Sea

OMV Petrom and Romgaz have approved the development plan for the Domino and Pelican Sud commercial natural gas fields in the Romanian area of the Black Sea. The National Agency for Mineral Resources is to confirm this plan. The investment amounts to 4 billion Euros for the development phase, and the total production will be 100 billion cubic meters, the equivalent of the annual demand for natural gas for 4.3 million households. According to the management of OMV Petrom, in 2027, the first amounts of gas are to be extracted through the Neptun Deep project, and Romania will become the largest producer of natural gas in the European Union. The project will last approximately two decades, and the revenues brought to the state budget will support Romania’s development. OMV Petrom states that the estimated revenues of the Romanian state would be 20 billion Euros. (LS)

23 June 2023
A mini-holiday in early June

Mountain resorts and spas, the Danube Delta or
the seaside resorts on the Black Sea coast were top tourist destinations for
many Romanians during the Pentecost mini-holidays, according to data provided
by the employers associations in the hospitality industry in this country. The
most sought after proved to be the three-four star hotels and guesthouses as
many of these accommodation facilities had been completely booked many weeks
ahead.

Romania’s railway company CFR Travelers sold all
its tickets to seaside and mountain resorts on the Prahova Valley and had to supplement
the number of its trains to Suceava, in northern Romania and to Craiova in the
southwest. As expected, tens of thousands of tourists opted for the seaside,
motivated by the fair weather and cheap fees at the beginning of a new summer
season.

According to hotel owners, beaches were
surprisingly full at the beginning of the present holiday season, with the
resort of Mamaia on top of the ranking in terms of the number of tourists. Like
in the past, Mamaia proved to be the resort of the night clubs and of those
willing to party late into the night. Accommodation fees here started from the
equivalent of 27 Euros per night in three-star hotels to 44 Euros bed and
breakfast in four-star hotels and to roughly 100 Euros for all inclusive. The
other resorts which fared well in the ranking were Eforie as well as Venus and
Saturn in the south.

Mountain resorts also reported a higher number of
tourists thanks to the good summer weather. Many tourists preferred the
guesthouses in Bukovina, north-eastern Romania, where rooms had been booked as
early as last winter, in an area, which is also famous for its exquisite
cuisine and traditions. All over the country, the authorities resorted to a
series of measures aimed at ensuring the best conditions for this mini-holiday.

Police troops, gendarmes and firefighters were
deployed in large numbers to many travel destinations and measures to ease
border traffic had been implemented at the country’s main checkpoints. A good
number of Romanians chose to spend their holidays abroad in Bulgaria or Greece,
so Romania’s southern border checkpoints proved to be the busiest of all. Long
queues were also reported at Romania’s western border with Hungary after some
Romanians had opted for travel destinations in the West.

(bill)

6 June 2023
Another step towards exploiting the Black Sea gas

A new important step for Romanias exploitation of the natural gas in the Neptun Deep perimeter, in the Black Sea, was taken on Thursday, with the signing of a declaration by Transgaz, OMV-Petrom and Romgaz regarding the conclusion of the natural gas conveyance contracts, announced the Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu.

The contract represents the firm commitment for the development of a gas pipeline between Tuzla and Podişor, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also showed: “The document that has just been initialed envisages the construction of a natural gas transport pipeline on the Tuzla- Podişor route, which has a length of over 300 km. Estimated at 500 million Euros, this investment will make it possible for the gas from the Black Sea to enter the national transport system in the technological hub of Podişor and thus reach economic operators and households in the localities connected to the system.”

The Prime Minister also said that another benefit of this project is the connection between the new sources of natural gas in the Trans-Balkan corridor and the vertical corridor which the BRUA pipeline is a part of, which connects the entire region of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria. According to a Transgaz press release, the creation of a transport infrastructure to connect the natural gas available on the Black Sea shores and the BRUA corridor is a project of particular importance for Romania in terms of energy security, and the signing of these contracts is the main condition for the development of this infrastructure.

“We are experiencing a historic moment for the region’s and Romania’s energy security. After the successful completion of the BRUA-phase 1 gas pipeline, after the successful completion of the Ungheni- Chişinău gas pipeline, after the completion of the works that allow the international transport of natural gas in the reverse-flow technology at all interconnection points and after the start of gas exploitation from the Black Sea shallow water perimeters, now we are at the start of the construction of the Tuzla-Podişor gas pipeline that will allow the natural gas exploited by OMV Petrom and Romgaz from the Black Sea to reach the National Transport System and, implicitly, each locality from Romania that has access to the natural gas network”, said the general director of Transgaz, Ion Sterian.

Romgaz emphasized that “signing the contract is one of the necessary conditions for the implementation of offshore investments and of those aimed at the development of the transport infrastructure necessary for taking over the gas from the Neptun Deep perimeter”. “We believe that the Black Sea has a significant potential for natural gas production, and Neptun Deep is a strategic project for OMV Petrom and for Romania. It is at the center of our 2030 Strategy and will have an essential role for Romanias energy security. We are planning the final investment decision for the middle of 2023, with production to start in 2027”, the OMV Petrom officials stated. (LS)

17 March 2023
December 7, 2022

BUDGET
The finance ministry has made public the draft state budget of Romania for next
year. The document is based on an estimated GDP growth of 2.8%, an 8% inflation
rate, a growing number of employees and a declining 2.7% unemployment rate. The
ministries set to receive less money include the energy, justice and public
healthcare, whereas the defence, development, transport and education
ministries will receive substantially higher budget appropriations. The ruling
coalition made up of the Social Democrats, and Liberals and the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania intends to endorse the draft budget tomorrow
and send it to Parliament the next day, for discussion next week.

SECURITY Romania has constantly worked to
identify solutions to enhance security at the Black Sea, the Romanian foreign
minister Bogdan Aurescu said in Ankara on Tuesday, when he had
a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mervlut Cavusoglu. The two officials
discussed the best avenues for cooperation, both at bilateral level and within
the NATO framework. They finalised and agreed on the text of the political
declaration setting up the Romania – Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation
Council, organised as a regular meeting of the two countries’ governments and
focusing on strategic areas of mutual interest, which will be launched in 2023.
Another topic approached in the meeting was cooperation in the energy sector,
recognised by both officials as a priority, particularly in light of the recent
challenges. An agreement was reached to strengthen joint efforts to ensure the
security of Romania’s energy supplies by transiting Turkish territory. Also,
the multidimensional effects of the war in Ukraine have been analysed, with
special attention paid to the refugee crisis and food security.

JUSTICE The Romanian justice minister Cătălin Predoiu will
take part in the meetings of the Justice and Home Affair Council and General
Affairs Council of the European Union, between December 7th and 14th.
According to a JHA Council news release, on the sidelines of the two meetings the
justice minister will also have meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg with
counterparts from other member countries and EU officials. At the JHA Council
Mr. Predoiu will present Romania’s position with respect to the EU judicial
instruments and policies in the judiciary currently on the Council’s agenda. The
home affairs section of the Council is scheduled to make a decision regarding
the accession of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia to the Schengen area.

ECONOMY The GDP of the European Union saw a 0.4% growth and
that of the Euro-zone a 0.3% increase in the 3rd quarter of this
year compared to the previous quarter, with the most substantial growth rates
reported for Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and Romania, according to data released on
Wednesday by Eurostat. The economic growth rate in Ireland was 2.3%, and in
Cyprus, Malta and Romania 1.3%. The most substantial decline is reported for Estonia
(negative 1.8%), Latvia (negative 1.7%) and Slovenia (negative 1.4%). Among EU
member countries, the most significant annual growth rate is reported for
Ireland (10.6%), Croatia (5.5%), Cyprus (5.4%), Malta (5.2%), Portugal (4.9%) and
Romania (4.7%), the only negative rates being reported for Estonia (negative 2.3%)
and Latvia (negative 0.4%).

OIL Global oil
prices dropped to the lowest level this year, in spite of the estimates of some
international experts that expected the EU and G7 ban on Russian crude and the
cap on crude prices to trigger market turbulence. In Romania, the lowest petrol
price is EUR 1.3, and diesel is sold for EUR 1.54. On the other hand,
neighbouring Hungary is facing a fuel crisis caused, according to AFP, by the
price cap introduced by Viktor Orbán’s government a year ago. The fuel shortage
comes in the context of a 30% decrease in imports as foreign companies cut down
their sales to Hungary as a result of the price cap, the country’s association
of independent petrol stations said.

GAUDEAMUS The 29th
edition of the ‘Gaudeamus’ Book Fair, organised by Radio Romania, kicked off in
Bucharest today. Until Sunday, 200 participants will be exhibiting releases in
various formats, addressing all age brackets and fields of interests, as well as music and educational games. 600 events have been announced in addition to
various related projects. As a novelty, 2 areas have been arranged within the
Fair, for interactive activities targeting the youngest visitors. Pavilions are
also available online on gaudeamus.ro. The honorary president of this year’s
edition is the writer Ana Blandiana.

FOOTBALL In the FIFA
World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, in the round of 16, Portugal smashed Switzerland
6-1, while Morocco scored a surprising win against Spain 3-0 on penalties. In the
quarter-finals on Friday, the Netherlands will be up against Argentina, and
Croatia takes on Brazil, while on Saturday England will be facing defending
champions France and Morocco will take on Portugal. The semis are scheduled for
December 13 and 14, and the final on December 18. (AMP)

7 December 2022
July 1, 2022 UPDATE

SECURITY
NATO’s deputy secretary general Mircea Geoană said on Friday in Constanţa,
south-eastern Romania, that the Alliance would continue to support Ukraine and
that the Black Sea region remains a strategic one in the current military
context. He took part in the ‘Black Sea Security Summit’, co-chaired by the
Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu and the US Senator Roger Wicker.
Geoana also mentioned that Russia is the greatest threat at present, and that
China’s expansion is a challenge for NATO’s interests, values and security.
In turn, Bogdan Aurescu highlighted that trans-Atlantic coordination in the
face of the Russian aggression was flawless, and that it must remain so. If
president Putin sought to divide us, he failed, the Romanian diplomat pointed
out. Secretary of state Simona Cojocaru said Romania hailed Russian forces’
pull-out from the Serpent Island. Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Oleksandr
Polishchuk said Russia is willing to make compromises when it sees the free
world not only having the means to defeat an aggressor, but also ready to take
action and fight. The event in Constanta was held in Romania for the first
time, and is the first multi-lateral dialogue in this format between regional
allies and partners on the topic of security at the Black Sea.

BACCALAUREATE 75.2% of the
students sitting the Baccalaureate have passed the exam, the education minister
Sorin Cîmpeanu announced in Bucharest, after the appeals stage. This year over
49,000 appeals were submitted, fewer than last year, the education ministry
said. Prior to this stage, the pass rate in this summer’s exam was 73.3%, the
highest in the last 10 years, as minister
Cîmpeanu explained. Eighth-graders have already found out their results
in the national evaluation. The grades in this exam are the main criterion for
high school admission. Over 80% of the participants have passed, again a record for the past 10 years.

FUEL The authorities
in Bucharest Friday hailed the decision of the main oil companies operating in
Romania to lower the price for fuel in their stations by approximately EUR
0.10, in line with the Government’s emergency order. Energy minister Virgil
Popescu thanked the companies that volunteered to lower fuel prices. PM Nicolae
Ciucă also welcomed the decision, calling on fiscal and consumer protection
agencies to monitor fuel prices. Haulers will benefit from a partial subsidy for
fuel. The PM says the measure was designed to avoid the shortage and rationing
of fuel, as reported in other countries. Romania now has one of the lowest fuel
prices in Europe, with stations across the country selling standard diesel for
approximately EUR 1.7 and petrol for approximately EUR 1.6.

EMPLOYMENT Hiring new personnel
in public institutions and authorities in Romania is suspended until the end
of the year, under an emergency order issued recently by the government. However,
employment procedures started before 1 July will be completed. Other exceptions are
also possible, in cases that are thoroughly justified and in compliance with
personnel budgets. The government suspended hiring in the public sector in
order to reduce expenditure and meet the budget deficit target.

TENNIS Romania is left with only one player in the 3rd round of
the Wimbledon tournament: Simona Halep
(30 WTA). Halep will play on Saturday against Magdalena Frech (92 WTA) of
Poland. On Friday, Irina Begu left the competition after being defeated by
Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, in 3 sets. (AMP)

1 July 2022
No natural gas supply problems for Romania

Romania is currently the least dependent country in the European Union on Russian gas, is the second largest producer of oil and gas in the EU and has large quantities of untapped natural gas in the Black Sea. The estimated volume of undersea deposits is 200 billion cubic meters. The largest quantity is in the Neptune Deep perimeter, operated by the Romanian state company Romgaz and OMV Petrom.

From there, the first gas supply could be secured in late 2026 or early 2027. Meanwhile, within the Media perimeter, about 120 kilometers off the coast of Romania, which includes the Ana and Doina deposits, the exploitation works have already started, and the five Black Sea Oil & Gas wells will provide 10% of the country’s consumption.

A subsea well in the Doina field and four in Ana are expected to extract half a billion cubic meters of gas by the end of the year. In total, through this investment, it is possible to extract 1 billion cubic meters of gas annually. In fact, the first quantities of gas have been delivered to the national system. Since June 15, when the extraction from the Ana field began, 3 million cubic meters of gas have entered the national transport system every day. Beforehand, they are brought from the Black Sea, on the coast, to the Vadu treatment plant, where they go through a process of separating the liquid phase from the gaseous one and also through a drying one.

Currently, Romania has 41% total natural gas storage capacity, and Bucharest has committed to the EU to ensure 80% by November 1st, which is the minimum required for winter. The general manager of Transgaz, Ion Sterian, said:

We will not be in the situation of other countries this winter, because we have domestic production, so there is no reason to panic. We can store 10-12 million cubic meters of gas per day. So far, we have stored 1 billion 270 million cubic meters of gas.

On the occasion of a ceremony organized, on Tuesday, in Vadu, marking the start of natural gas exploitation in the Midia perimeter, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă conveyed a message of encouragement to all foreign and Romanian companies wishing to invest in Romania:

The fact that this project will generate 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year means that we will end up covering 90% of Romania’s consumption needs. This is a remarkable leap and proves Romania’s ability to find new resources and solutions at a time when global natural gas supply is threatened by the war in Ukraine.

Romania aims to become energy independent, an energy security provider in region, but also a transport corridor for the gas and green energy in the Caspian Sea. (MI)

29 June 2022
June 15, 2022 UPDATE

Gas. In Romania, the production of natural gas from the Black Sea, part of the Midia development project, has started, and the first quantities have arrived in the national transport system, the Blacksea Oil & Gas Company has announced. The project consists of five production wells, a shore monitored and operated rig and a 126-kilometer submarine pipeline, which connects to the new gas treatment plant in Corbu commune, Constanţa county (southeast). This year, production is estimated at half a billion cubic meters of gas. Midia is the first new project to exploit natural gas in the Romanian continental shelf of the Black Sea in the last 30 years and will cover 10% of the domestic demand.

Visit. Romania and France have increased their security cooperation recently amid the crisis generated by Russias military aggression in Ukraine, said Romanian president Klaus Iohannis after talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base in Constanţa county, in south-eastern Romania. During a joint press briefing, Iohannis again thanked France for the deployment of military and its coordination of NATOs new battle group in Romania. The two presidents talked about the need to consolidate the deterrence and defence posture on the NATO eastern flank, especially in the Black Sea, NATOs new strategic concept and the accession of Finland and Sweden. Emmanuel Macron said Romanian-French relations are based on a friendship that goes back two centuries. He added that the two countries wish to further boost bilateral cooperation and that an ambitious plan is being worked on, at the request of the Romanian authorities, to support the Romanian Navy. The agenda of talks also included Romanias accession to the Schengen free movement area and its active involvement in the protection of the EUs external borders. Emmanuel Macrons next stop was the Republic of Moldova, where he will be received by president Maia Sandu.

Ukraine. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday urged Western countries to step up their arms deliveries to Ukraine to allow it to defend itself against the Russian invading forces. “Ukraine is facing a key moment on the battlefield. Therefore, we need to step up our efforts so that it can defend itself, “Austin said during a meeting at the NATO headquarters of the so-called contact group set up by the US to help Ukraine. Earlier, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it had received only about 10 percent of the weapons it had requested from its Western partners. For his part, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the West to send more weapons and military equipment quickly, because “the Russians have 10, 100 times more”, he said. Russia also announced on Wednesday that it had destroyed a depot housing weapons delivered by NATO countries to western Ukraine with cruise missile fire.

Protest. Some 8,000 members of healthcare unions staged a protest outside the government headquarters on Wednesday. They mainly requested higher pay, bonuses, holiday vouchers and the elimination of the 30% cap on bonuses, compensations and other salary rights for healthcare workers. Protesters say the Romanian government in the last two years has systematically violated the salary law by blocking salary increases. The most impacted have been the employees with the lowest salaries in the system. Members of the Columna Federation, the largest trade union in the welfare sector, also took to the streets asking for bigger salaries and a proper funding of their activities.

Corruption. Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode announced on Wednesday that extradition proceedings from neighboring Bulgaria for the former Tourism Minister Elena Udrea, convicted of corruption, would be completed by June 20. The relevant Romanian bodies will proceed to take over and transfer her to a unit of the National Administration of Penitentiaries, Bode specified. On June 10, the Sofia Court of Appeal admitted the request of the Romanian authorities regarding the extradition of the former minister, who has to execute in Romania a sentence of 6 years of imprisonment in the so-called Gala Bute case. The process lasted seven years, and during this time the former minister fled the country, in 2018, to Costa Rica, where she would have obtained political asylum. By a final decision, the Bulgarian court ordered the execution of the European arrest warrant issued for Elena Udrea and her extradition to Romania. The media in Bucharest considers Elena Udrea (48 years old) the most influential character in the entourage of the former president of Romania between 2004 and 2014, Traian Băsescu (70 years old). Under his protection she had a remarkable political rise, marked by mandates of general councilor in Bucharest, presidential adviser, deputy, minister and, after passing through the National-Liberal and Democratic-Liberal parties, she became the president of the Popular Movement Party (PMP), founded by Basescu. In 2014, Udrea was the PMP candidate for the Romanian presidency and obtained 5.20% of the votes in the first round. Her conviction comes after, on March 23, the High Court of Cassation and Justice finally ruled that former President Basescu collaborated in his youth with the Securitate, the political police of the communist dictatorship.

Production. Ireland (minus 30.9%), Slovakia (minus 9.6%), Malta (minus 9.4%) and Romania (minus 6.9%) registered in April, compared to the same period in 2021 , the most significant decrease in industrial production in the European Union, according to the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). By contrast, the largest increases in industrial production were reported in Lithuania (20.6%), Denmark (17%) and Bulgaria (16.9%). Overall, industrial production fell by 2% in the euro zone and by 0.5% in the European Union.

Tennis. On Wednesday ,Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea qualified for the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 tournament in Birmingham, England, with 251,750 dollars in prize money, after winning 6-1, 6-1 the match against the Serbian Aleksandra Krunic. It took Cirstea an hour and 12 minutes to score the victory, and her next opponent will be Catherine McNally (USA) or Donna Vekic (Croatia). Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Simona Halep, former world leader, won the match with the British Harriet Dart. On Thursday, Gabriela Ruse will take on the Chinese Shuai Zhang.

Football. The three Romanian teams in the Europa Conference League in football will have accessible opponents in the second preliminary round, according to the draw made on Wednesday, in Switzerland, in Nyon. Thus, the vice-champion of Romania, FCSB, from Bucharest, will play against the winner of the match between FC Saburtalo (Georgia) and Partizani Tirana (Albania). Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (center), winner of the Romanian Cup, will face either Olimpja Ljubljana (Slovenia) or Differdange 03 (Luxembourg). The University of Craiova (South) will play against the KF Vllaznia Shkoder team, which won the Albanian Cup. Round-trip matches are scheduled for July. On Tuesday, the draw decided that the holder of the title of champion in Romania, CFR Cluj (northwest), will play in the first preliminary round of the Champions League with Piunik Yerevan from Armenia and, if it qualifies for the second round, with the winner of the match between F91 Dudelange from Luxembourg and KF Tirana from Albania. If eliminated, CFR will play in the second preliminary round of the Europa Conference League with the winner of the qualifying tournament in which Levadia Tallinn (Estonia), Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland), La Fiorita (San Marino) and Inter Club dEscaldes (Andorra) will participate. (MI)

15 June 2022