Radio România Internațional

Tag: Blinken

  • June 22, 2024

    June 22, 2024

     

    WEATHER A code red alert for extreme heat is in place today in 5 counties in the south of Romania, with temperatures expected to reach 38-39 degrees Celsius. On Sunday the heat wave is predicted to stay in place and even extend to the capital city Bucharest as well. Later this afternoon, heavy rainfalls and storms are expected in the northern part of the country.

     

    DISINFORMATION The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed in Washington a Memorandum of Understanding on countering information manipulation. Among other things, the document provides for the coordinated development of relevant strategies, as well as for the involvement of independent media, civil society and the academia in fighting disinformation. According to a news release, the two officials have also reviewed the progress made by Romania towards inclusion in the Visa Waiver Programme, and have reconfirmed their commitment to close cooperation in view of reaching this goal as soon as possible. During her visit to the US, organised in the context of celebrating 20 years since Romania joined NATO, the Romanian diplomacy chief also had meetings with the National Security Council senior director for Europe Michael Carpenter, with whom she discussed items on the Romanian-US economic and security agenda, as well as regional developments and preparations for the forthcoming NATO Summit in Washington. Also, during a meeting with Samantha Power, USAID administrator, Luminiţa Odobescu highlighted the two countries’ shared interest in strengthening the resilience of partners in the Black Sea region, with a focus on the Republic of Moldova.

     

    ORGANISED CRIME The Romanian interior minister Cătălin Predoiu had a meeting with the British ambassador to Bucharest, Giles Matthew Portman. The talks focused on measures to be taken in order to curb transnational organised crime. According to the interior ministry, another topic approached by the 2 officials was improving the efficiency of police work, including institutional reforms, so as to handle current challenges. Predoiu highlighted the very good cooperation between the two countries, as well as the opportunities to further develop it under the Romanian-British Strategic Partnership. The Romanian official pointed out that border protection is a priority for Romania, whose goal is to strengthen and protect the Schengen area. Mr. Predoiu also mentioned that the implementation of the Pact on migration and asylum would be both a challenge for the Member States, and an opportunity to improve national migration and asylum management systems.

     

    FESTIVAL Sibiu, in central Romania, is hosting the 31st International Theatre Festival (FITS). For 10 days, the public can choose from as many as 830 events, including theatre performances, music, dance, circus, exhibitions and public reading sessions, which bring together over 5,000 artists from 82 countries. Internationally acclaimed actors, directors and writers such as John Malkovich, Tim Robbins, Pippo delBono and Neil LaBute are also expected to attend. Many of the international productions in FITS may be viewed online this year, on the online platform “Scena Digitală” of the  Sibiu “Radu Stanca” National Theatre, the main organiser of FITS 2024.

     

    SWIMMING The Romanian swimmer David Popovici defended his gold at the 200m freestyle event in the European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, after also winning the 100m freestyle race. The next challenge for the Romanian swimmer is the Olympic competition, in which Romania will be represented by 93 athletes. The latest one to qualify is the wrestler Răzvan Arnăuţ, in the 60kg Greco-Roman category, after the International Olympic Committee disqualified several Russian and Byelorussian athletes.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football team plays against Belgium tonight in Cologne, in Group E of the European Football Championship. A draw against Belgium would give Romania enough reasons to hope for a qualification in the eighth-finals. On Friday, Ukraine, which lost its first match in this tournament, 3-0 to Romania, defeated Slovakia 2-1. Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia have 3 points each in Group E, while Belgium has no points yet. More than 20,000 Romanian fans will support the team in Cologne tonight. This is Romania’s 6th participation in the Euro, after the ones in 1984, 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2016. A team of Romanian referees also takes part in this year’s continental competition. (AMP)

  • May 2, 2024 UPDATE

    May 2, 2024 UPDATE

     

    HOLY THURSDAY Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians in Romania celebrated Holy Thursday, which commemorates the Washing of the Feet and the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. A mass devoted to the 12 Gospels was held during the evening, while the Lamentation at the Tomb, a unique religious service, will be held on Friday night. On Wednesday, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, conveyed a special Easter message, saying that the Resurrection of Christ is a celebration of the pious and merciful love of Christ, who overcame hatred, violence and death and gave people eternal life. This makes Easter a celebration of forgiveness, peace and joy, the Patriarch said, urging people to share the news of the Lord’s Resurrection with everyone around through good deeds, love and peace.

     

    PUBLIC ORDER Over 150,000 Romanians will take part in hundreds of events around the country during Easter break. To ensure public order, the interior ministry has increased the number of staff on duty, including gendarmes, police and fire-fighters. The National Cyber Security Directorate also warns that on holidays people are less careful with e-commerce platforms and they may become victims of online scams.

     

    YOUTH DAY Lawmakers will know their actions were well-inspired when young Romanians at home and abroad choose Romania to build their future, the PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Youth Day. We must provide everyone with equal opportunities and development prospects, including at institutional level, the PM added. Marcel Ciolacu says he believes in young people, with whom he has been in constant dialogue since taking office, via representative associations or through government internship programmes, aimed at familiarising young people with decision-making processes at the level of the Romanian government and subordinated institutions.

     

    AWARD Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, has been designated as one of the recipients of the 2024 Atlantic Council Distinguished Leadership Awards, which will be handed in a special gala held on May 8 in Washington. The Romanian president will be honoured for his remarkable career, exemplary leadership of Romania, and his transatlantic and European leadership role. The other recipients of the award are the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher G. Cavoli, and the Academy Award-winning actress and producer Michelle Yeoh. Each year, the Distinguished Leadership Awards brings together more than six hundred policy, business, military, artistic, and civil-society leaders to celebrate individuals, including policy leaders, business executives, military staff and artistic and humanitarian champions. Past recipients include the US presidents George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and then-Vice President Joe Biden, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, the current and former International Monetary Fund managing directors Kristalina Georgieva and Christine Lagarde. Set up in 1961, the Atlantic Council is a non-profit organisation whose staff must observe high standards of personal and professional integrity, openness and honesty in communications and interactions with one another as well as with other organisations, government officials, the media and the public.

     

    TRANSPLANT Two Romanians have a chance for a new life after having received organs from a Bulgarian donor on Thursday. According to the National Transplant Agency, the organs were sent to Romania because there were no compatible beneficiaries in Bulgaria, and the 2 countries have a cooperation protocol in this field. The surgeries were performed in Iaşi (eastern Romania), and the 2 patients’ condition is good.

     

    GAZA The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on the Palestinian organisation Hamas to accept a truce in Gaza, reiterating the United States’ opposition towards an Israeli offensive on Rafah (south). During his 7th mission to the Middle East since the conflict broke out, Antony Blinken visited Israel, expressing determination to reach a consensus “right now” to free the hostages held by Hamas for the last seven months. The US official met with a number of Israeli officials, including the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Israel, Antony Blinken argued that, while Washington firmly supports Israel’s right to self-defence, it opposes the idea of an all-out attack on Rafah, insisting on continuing to expand humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian population in Gaza. (AMP, VP)

  • March 18, 2024

    March 18, 2024

    ELECTIONS An emergency order merging the EP and Romania’s local elections on June 9 is discussed as of today in the Romanian Senate committees. The ruling coalition says the decision was made in order to motivate citizens to vote, but the opposition criticised the move. Save Romania Union, the People’s Movement Party and the Force of the Right party argue that the draft order changes essential elements in the elections only a couple of months before the vote date, which is against constitutional and international principles. AUR party, also in opposition, urged the Ombudsman office to challenge the new legislation before the Constitutional Court. Under the document, candidates may run in the local elections on behalf of a different party, provided that they notify the candidacy 45 days before election date.

    AMMUNITION PM Marcel Ciolacu Sunday night announced that Romania would have the most advanced ammunition powder production facility in Europe, in which the EU will also be a partner. Romania is set to receive EUR 47 mln in EU funding for this project implemented by the Romanian state-owned company Romarm jointly with Germany.

    STRIKE In Romania, local administration staff are on two-hour daily warning strike until the end of the week. Protests were also held one month ago, but were suspended after civil servants were promised solutions for their salary problems. Meanwhile, the leaders of the “Solidaritatea Sanitară” Trade Union Federation are meeting today for talks on a prospective all-out strike. Healthcare employees have been consulted online on the issue. Unionists say the 20% pay raise recently approved by the government is insufficient. Unionists in the trade sector, affiliated to the Cartel Alfa bloc, are also picketing the labour ministry headquarters today, to demand decent wages and working conditions.

    RUSSIA Vladimir Putin won the highest election score in the history of post-communist Russia, and secured another 6 years as president of the country he has been leading since late 1999. At midnight he thanked his supporters at his campaign office, where he gave a one-hour press conference saying his main challenge in this new term would be resolving tasks related with what he calls Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. Russia’s elections were criticised around the world. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was obvious for anybody that “there is no evil Vladimir Putin will not commit” in order to extend his rule. In turn, the White House claimed the elections in Russia were neither free nor fair, given Putin’s track record of imprisoning his political opponents. Poland said the vote in Russia, held under extreme pressure, made it impossible for the election to be free and democratic. News agencies mention that under Vladimir Putin Russia was involved in several brutal wars, in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine, and the democratic system introduced after the fall of the Soviet Union has been replaced by a regime in which independent media have been forced out of the country and the opposition has been largely eliminated, with many of Putin’s critics assassinated, arrested or forced to leave the country.

    MISSILE The US today condemned the launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea into the Sea of Japan, during the US state secretary Antony Blinken’s visit to South Korea. The presumed missile launch is the second of this kind by Pyongyang this year, after a hypersonic missile fired on January 14. Antony Blinken reached South Korea on Sunday afternoon, to take part in the 3rd Summit for Democracy conference, an initiative of the US president Joe Biden hosted by Seoul until Wednesday. (AMP)

  • February 7, 2024

    February 7, 2024

    EU STRASBOURG The unity of the UE is being
    tested, said the president of Romania in his address before the European
    Parliament on Wednesday, as
    part of a debate in the This is Europe series. According to the Romanian
    official, instability has reached alarming levels in the EU. The European
    Union must improve the efficiency of its decision-making processes, and Romania
    is fully engaged in this effort, he added. As for the war in neighbouring
    Ukraine, Klaus Iohannis said Europeans must stand by Ukraine and its people. Prior to the address, the Romanian official had
    a meeting with the president of the EP, Roberta Metsola, and discussed Romania’s
    Schengen accession, the war in Ukraine and the neighbouring R. of Moldova. Romania’s
    full Schengen accession as soon as possible, with its land borders as well,
    will considerably strengthen the Union and its security and will facilitate
    cohesion and cooperation among member states, the Romanian official argued. In
    turn, Metsola said Europe would be stronger with Romania in the Eurozone and the
    Schengen area, and told Romanians it was important for them to take part in
    June’s elections for the EP and not to take Europe for granted.


    MOLDOVA For the Republic of Moldova, carrying on and
    consolidating strategic relations with neighbouring Romania in all sectors is a
    priority, was the message brought to Bucharest by Chişinău’s new foreign
    minister, Mihai Popşoi. He had talks with his Romanian counterpart, Luminiţa
    Odobescu, and was also received by PM Marcel Ciolacu, who emphasised the interest
    in developing joint projects benefitting the citizens of both states. Romania will
    continue to support Moldova in its EU accession negotiations, the Romanian
    official promised.


    FARMERS
    The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced
    the EC was dropping a proposal to halve the use of pesticides across the EU,
    and explained this had become a symbol of polarisation. The move seems to be a
    concession to the farmers protesting in many EU member states. Meanwhile, the
    EC proposed last week a partial derogation from rules obliging farmers to keep
    certain areas non-productive, and a limitation of Ukrainian imports, while also
    promising to streamline the Common Agricultural Policy.


    NAVAL The Damen Shipyard in Galaţi (south-eastern
    Romania) will build a state-of-the-art multifunctional vessel for the
    Portuguese Navy. The ship will be able to conduct ocean research missions,
    search and rescue as well as emergency aid missions, and will be equipped with a
    UAV launching system. Damen Group was awarded the construction works following
    an EU call for tenders. Funding will be provided under the EU Recovery and Resilience
    Mechanism.


    MIDDLE EAST The US secretary of state
    Antony Blinken is in Israel today, at a time when Tel Aviv is analysing
    the response given by Hamas to a proposed truce, including hostage releases,
    after 4 months of war that have seen countless victims. Blinken, whose country
    is a close ally of Israel, said he would discuss the Hamas answer with the
    Israeli authorities today, as part of his 5th tour in the Middle
    East since October 7. The US secretary of
    state, who has visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt and
    Qatar, is to travel next to the West Bank, an autonomous Palestinian territory
    occupied by Israel since 1967.


    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea plays today in the
    eighth-finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Abu Dhabi (UAE), against third-seed
    Maria Sakkari of Greece (9 WTA). Cîrstea (26 WTA), leads 2-1 head-to-head, the
    Greek player having won the last match 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the second round at
    Cincinnati. (AMP)

  • November 3, 2023

    November 3, 2023


    STRIKE Romanian public health insurance personnel have suspended relations with the public indefinitely, because their salaries have not been increased for over 6 years. The protest disrupts services to patients and it might jeopardise the disbursement of expenses incurred by healthcare service providers, the head of the National Trade Union Bloc Dumitru Costin explained. He said the National Health Insurance Agencys budget can cover the requested pay raises, but that the measure must be endorsed in Parliament, where a bill in this respect has been pending for a long period and is currently stuck in the Chamber of Deputies. The health minister Alexandru Rafila said suspending the provision of healthcare services is unacceptable, and that he hoped for a dialogue between the management and the staff of the National Health Insurance Agency.



    BUDGET The ruling coalition have started talks on next years public budget. The government has approved a memorandum drawn up by the finance ministry, which lists the significant public investment projects on which the budget will be based. The transportation ministry has the largest number of projects in the list, i.e. 108 projects in various implementation stages, which means this ministry will receive the largest appropriations in the 2024 budget.



    HOSTAGES The Romanian foreign ministry announced that checks conducted by the Romanian authorities based on the information provided by Israel indicate that another person with dual (Romanian and Israeli) citizenship and living in Israel is a hostage in the Gaza Strip. The foreign ministry also announced that the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Romanian Consulate in Haifa are in touch with the Israeli authorities. So far 4 people with Romanian and Israeli citizenship are known to be held hostage by the Hamas terrorists.



    ISRAEL The US secretary of state Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday morning to persuade Israel to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. This is Blinkens second trip to the Middle East since the Hamas Islamists attacked Israel on October 7. International mass media report that the US diplomacy chief will have meetings with the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, and with members of his security cabinet. From Israel, Blinken is to travel next to neighbouring Jordan. Meanwhile, Israel announced that its forces have surrounded Gaza City, the largest urban centre in Gaza and previously controlled by Hamas.



    BOOK FAIR The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair invites book lovers to Timişoara, a European Capital of Culture in 2023. The fair takes place until Sunday, and it brings together scores of publishers presenting their most recent releases, best-sellers, special offers and discounts. Todays most eagerly awaited event is the launch of a volume of dialogues between Robert Şerban and the contemporary Romanian poet Şerban Foarţă. Q&A sessions with writers, roundtables and book signing events are also scheduled. The Timisoara-based writer Patricia Lidia released a volume entitled “Adventures in Brancusis World,” an event that complements the exhibition devoted to the great Romanian-born sculptor opened these days at the National Art Museum in Timişoara. (AMP)


  • 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)

  • June 19, 2023

    June 19, 2023

    Exams – In Romania, more than 160,000 8th graders today started the National Assessment with the written exam in Romanian language and literature. On Wednesday, the students will take the math test, and on Thursday, the students who belong to national minorities will be evaluated in their mother tongue. For the first time this year, the national assessment is the only one that counts for high school admission. We remind you that the registration period for the national assessment and the baccalaureate exam has been extended this year, due to the all-out strike in education. The protest lasted three weeks and was suspended after the government met the salary demands of the education system employees.



    Moldova — Romania’s new foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu is paying on Monday and Tuesday a visit to the republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) upon the invitation of her counterpart, Nicu Popescu. This is the first visit that the new Romanian FM pays since taking over her mandate last week. The two ministers will discuss the development of bilateral relations and the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the EU. On Tuesday a joint meeting will be held in Moldova’s Parliament with the members of the committee for human rights from the Romanian Senate.



    Conference – 20 European defense ministers and NATOs Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, are participating, today, in Paris, in the Conference on Joint Air Defense organized at the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting aims at relaunching the strategic issue regarding air defense and long-range missiles. At present, no EU country has weapons capable of firing a missile from its territory to hit a target more than 1,000 km away, while the Russians can hit all European capitals in just a few minutes. President Emmanuel Macron is calling on the partners in the EU to create the conditions to defend themselves and not leave the future of the borders to the whims of the Russians or the Americans, as he declared a few months ago, when he proposed todays conference in Paris. ‘The air defense of our continent is a strategic matter. We cannot limit ourselves to promoting a national defense industry at the expense of European sovereignty’, said Emmanuel Macron. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the remark is aimed directly at Germany. Determined to strengthen the country’s air defense, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz launched last year, within NATO, the European Sky Shield initiative, the American European shield, which 14 of the allies joined, among which Romania, but not France.



    Visit – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet in Beijing with China’s most important foreign policy officials. The US officials first visit to China comes almost five months after a major breakdown in relations over an alleged Chinese spy balloon. His initial trip was abruptly canceled after the balloon, which Beijing says was monitoring the weather, flew over the US territory before being destroyed by US military planes. It is not yet known whether the American Secretary of State will also meet with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. The two global superpowers have a long list of topics on the agenda, including major disagreements as well as potential areas of cooperation.



    Grand Prix Nova — Bucharest saw the start of the ‘Grand Prix Nova’ Radio Drama Festival, an event organized by Radio Romania under the High Patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania. In this years edition, 27 productions from 12 countries are participating. The festival promotes, this year as well, in its three sections, innovation in radio drama. In the 11 years since it has been organized by Radio Romania, this festival has become a cultural context in which the experiment is not only displayed but also awarded at the international level, said the president and director general of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan Ioan Dincă.



    Statistics – Romanias gas imports in the first four months of the year decreased by 45.6%, according to data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics. On the other hand, domestic production increased by almost 7% as compared to the same period of last year. The National Committee for Strategy and Forecast estimated for 2023, in the latest forecast of the energy balance published, a gas production increasing by 2% and a decrease in imports by 6.2% from one year to the next.



    Football – This evening, in Lucerne, the Romanian national football team meets the Swiss national team, in a Group I match of the EURO 2024 preliminaries. On Friday evening, the Romanian national team obtained an important point against Kosovo, away from home. Romania’s national eleven is ranked 2nd in the group, after Switzerland. (LS)

  • January 24, 2023 UPDATE

    January 24, 2023 UPDATE

    UNION Romanians on Tuesday celebrated the union of the historical provinces
    of Moldavia and Wallachia, a political event, which took place 164 years ago,
    in 1859, under the leadership of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The move was the
    first step in the process of creating the Romanian modern state, process
    completed back in 1918. Military and religious services were staged by the
    Ministry of National Defence jointly with central and local authorities at the
    monuments devoted to the union of the Romanian principalities. Wreath laying
    ceremonies were held at the monument of the Unknown Soldier. Present at the
    event, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said that the successes achieved back
    in 1859 are a lesson of responsibility for all those who are building the
    European, modern and democratic Romania. He reiterated the appeal to use all
    the instruments available to complete all the reforms Romania needs and to
    eradicate the malfunctions, which are still affecting this process. Thousands
    of people took to the streets of Iasi, in eastern Romania, to participate in a
    series of events on this occasion. The country’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca
    and the president of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu also participated
    in these events. In his public address on this special occasion, Prime Minister
    Ciuca said the roots of the European Romania can be found in the union
    completed 164 years ago – an authentic example of the unity of the Romanians,
    which paved the way for the emancipation and modernization of the state. In his
    opinion, the responsibility of the political class and the state institutions
    is to honour this act of uniting the Romanian nation. Religious services were
    held in Orthodox churches around the country on this occasion.






    UKRAINE Several high officials in Ukraine on Tuesday announced their
    resignations amid high-level corruption allegations during the war with Russia,
    France Press reports. Deputy Defence Minister, Viacheslav Shapovalov, and the
    deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko are among the
    high officials to have stepped down. Deputy prosecutor General Oleksiy
    Symonenko also resigned amid allegations about a holiday he spent with his
    family in Spain after Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council had banned
    state officials from leaving the country during martial law. Amid all these
    allegations, which threaten to dampen the West’s enthusiasm to help the
    government in Kyiv, president Zelensky has pledged to launch a staff shake-up
    in the central and local administrations including at top level. Ukraine’s
    endemic corruption has been overlooked since the beginning of the Russian
    invasion, but fighting the scourge is one of the key conditions for the country
    to join the European Union.






    EU Security,
    prosperity, the democratic values and the rule of law are the priorities of the
    Swedish presidency of the European Union presented by the country’s Foreign
    Minister Tobias Billstrom before the European Parliament on Tuesday. Billstrom
    has condemned the unprovoked, brutal and unjustified aggression of Russia
    against Ukraine and has mentioned the EU’s Swedish presidency will have as one
    of the objectives to carry on the political, military, economic and
    humanitarian support for Kyiv in spite of the Moscow’s attempts to cause
    division among the Europeans. Billstrom believes that sanctions are an
    extremely effective instrument through which the bloc can help Ukraine win the
    war. The programme of the EU’s Swedish presidency includes roughly two thousand
    formal meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg as well as 150 informal meetings
    hosted by Sweden.






    G7+ Romania’s Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Tuesday participated in the G7+ videoconference
    where he stood for an increased assistance for Ukraine in the context of the
    present winter challenges. Aurescu said that Romania would continue to support
    Ukraine jointly with the partners sharing the same visions and objectives. The
    G7+ conference was co-chaired by the US secretary of state Antony Blinken and
    the Foreign Minister of Japan Hayashi Yoshimasa. High on the agenda was the
    situation of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which suffered massive and
    repeated attacks from the Russian Federation as well as the stage and prospects
    of the support granted to Ukraine by the international community to handle the
    results of these attacks and increase its resilience at society level.
    According to Foreign Ministry sources, the head of the Romanian diplomacy mentioned
    the success of this format launched in Bucharest in November 2022 on the
    sidelines of the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting. Aurescu says that the repeated
    large-scale attacks against the Ukrainian civilian infrastructure is a blatant
    violation of the international humanitarian law and their aim is to break the
    resilience of the Ukrainian society, something the international democratic
    community cannot allow to happen.






    HOLIDAY Students are going back to school on Wednesday after the mini-holiday
    celebrating the union of the Romanian principalities. State employees also had
    a four-day holiday, which most of them decided to spend on the mountain resorts
    of the Prahova Valley. Brasov and Sibiu in central Romania as well as Oradea in
    the north-west were the cities, which reported most of the reservations.




    (bill)

  • Prospects of the US-Romania strategic partnership

    Prospects of the US-Romania strategic partnership

    Romania has no better friend than the USA, US Secretary of State
    Antony Blinken has said 25 years on from the time when Bucharest and Washington
    concluded their Strategic Partnership. Twenty-five years ago, the United
    States and Romania launched our Strategic Partnership. Since then, we have strengthened
    ties on defense, energy, and economic cooperation. Romania has no better friend
    and we share a commitment to pushing back Russia’s aggression in the region Blinken
    said in a twitter message.




    In a common letter on this occasion, eight former US ambassadors
    to Romania said the Strategic Partnership between the two countries has proven to
    be one of the best US investments in Europe. According to the diplomats, the partnership
    helped the building of a stronger and prosperous Romania, which today is one of
    the closest and most capable US allies in Central and Eastern Europe. In their
    opinion, including Romania in the Visa Waiver programme ‘would stimulate trade,
    tourism, educational exchanges, as well as human relations, which are the
    foundation of Romanian-American friendship’.




    According to the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis the Strategic
    Partnership with the USA played an essential role in the democratic
    transformation of the country and led to the expansion of bilateral cooperation
    and also at international level it led to the strengthening of Transatlantic
    relation tightening the connections between the two peoples. A quarter of a century on from its launch,
    Romania and the USA are committed to extending and deepening all the dimensions
    of the Strategic Partnership, from the excellent bilateral cooperation in terms
    of security and defence to the fields of economy, energy security, education
    and human relations, a communiqué by the Presidential Administration says.




    According to the same sources, the solidity of the Strategic
    Partnership with the USA has been recently proved by the latest announcement of
    President Biden on beefing up the US military presence in Romania. The war
    Russia is presently waging on Ukraine and its severe consequences at
    international level and in key sectors has made us to take action together,
    more united than ever, in order to find solutions at the bilateral or the Euro-Atlantic
    level in order to consolidate and protect the values, security and the
    resilience of our societies, the head of the Romanian state has also said.




    Developing the Strategic Partnership with the USA in all its cooperation
    domains has become a priority of Romania’s, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has
    said. The tight and significant cooperation in the field of security and
    defence has been permanently consolidated being a vital component of the
    Strategic Partnership between the USA and Romania and its relevance has been
    highlighted more significantly against the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified
    Russian invasion in Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest said in a
    message.


    (bill)

  • Romanian-American consultations in Washington

    Romanian-American consultations in Washington

    Romania and the US reconfirmed on Monday in Washington
    their commitment to consolidating the Strategic Partnership, covering areas
    from military and security cooperation to political cooperation, economy,
    energy and grassroots relations.


    The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised,
    during the meeting with the Romanian diplomacy chief Bogdan Aurescu, that Romania
    is a stalwart
    NATO Ally and the 2 countries work
    closely together on many topics. We stand united in the face of the challenges
    posed by Russia in various places, by China. We stand united as regards Europe’s
    security and stability, the US Secretary of State also pointed out. According to
    a press release by the US State Department, the 2 officials agreed
    to collaborate on Black Sea security issues, among others.


    In turn, Bogdan Aurescu told Radio Romania that all
    the dimensions of the Strategic Partnership were discussed during the bilateral
    talks:


    Bogdan Aurescu: We discussed first of all our
    cooperation within NATO, the need to consolidate defence and deterrence on the
    Eastern Flank, especially at the Black Sea, in the context of the latest
    security developments in the region, and we also discussed the importance of an
    enhanced military presence of the US in the region and obviously in Romania.


    The Romanian foreign minister also pointed out the
    importance of developing some major strategic interconnection projects,
    Rail2Sea and Via Carpathia. These projects will have a direct positive impact both
    on the region’s economic development, and on military mobility. As regards
    bilateral economic cooperation, Bogdan Aurescu stressed the need for increasing
    American investments in the region.


    He also reiterated Romania’s interest in concrete
    progress with respect to Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver programme, so
    as to scrap visa requirements for the Romanians traveling to the US. He called
    for the involvement of the American side in meeting this goal, among others by
    supporting an adequate communication campaign to help lower the visa refusal
    rate, which is the last criterion yet to be met by Romania.


    Bogdan Aurescu: Obviously, at present we are dealing
    with a refusal rate standing at 10.14%, as against the 3% ceiling stipulated by
    the American legislation. This is why we need common goals, so as to find out
    precisely the reasons that lead to this visa refusal rate and to be able to
    calibrate a public information campaign.


    The Romanian foreign minister’s visit to Washington
    marks, among other things, the official opening of the 7th Strategic
    Dialogue exchange. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Imprescriptible crimes in the Criminal Code

    Imprescriptible crimes in the Criminal Code

    The COVID-19 pandemic has generated the ‘ideal circumstances’ for human trafficking to develop globally. Governments have channelled their resources on the health crisis and human traffickers have taken advantage of the most vulnerable persons — shows an annual report of the US State Department that looks into the human trafficking situation from 188 countries of the world.



    US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, estimates that 25 million people, including minors, are victims of this type of trafficking, which includes prostitution and forced labor. There are lots of examples from all over the world. In India and Nepal, young girls from poor rural areas have been forced to marry to help their families.



    In the United States, the United Kingdom and Uruguay, there were landlords who forced their tenants unable to pay their rent to have sexual relations with them. For the first time for a NATO member country, Turkey has been accused of having recruited and used child soldiers in Syria and Libya. 11 countries are accused of directly trafficking people: Afghanistan, Myanmar, China, Cuba, Eritrea, North Korea, Iran, Russia, South Sudan, Syria and Turkmenistan. “Governments should protect and serve their citizens, not terrorize and subjugate them for profit” said Antony Blinken.



    Although a member of the European Union, Romania is not immune to similar horrors. In 2018, 14 individuals from Berevoieşti-Argeş (south) received prison sentences between 4 and 18 years, because they had literally reduced to slavery 40 young people and children. Cases of child sexual abuse, forced prostitution, torture frequently go to court and make the headlines on news TV stations. On Thursday, the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, promulgated the law amending the Criminal Code according to which the criminal liability of aggressors will not be prescribed in the case of crimes of slavery, human trafficking, sexual assault and torture of children.



    The law also provides for increasing punishments in case of failure to report the respective crimes. The law equally stipulates an increase by one third of the special length of sentences in cases of child pornography perpetrated by a person who had previously committed a crime against the freedom and sexual integrity of a child, a child pornography crime or the crime of pimping a child or if the offence endangered the child’s life.



    Also this week, the Romanian Police made operational the digital National Register including individuals who have committed sexual crimes, have exploited people or children. According to the authorities, this register provides information on and allows for the supervision and rapid identification of persons involved in the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable persons, in crimes against one’s sexual freedom and integrity. (LS)

  • May 10, 2021

    May 10, 2021

    COVID-19 620 new infections
    with the SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours after
    more than 10,700 tests have been carried out across the country, says the
    Strategic Communication Group. Another 68 people have died bringing the death
    toll to 29,034. 1,066,731 infections have been confirmed in Romania since the
    beginning of the pandemic and 1,015,092 patients have been cured. 962 patients
    are presently in intensive care. The regions with the highest infection rates
    in the past 14 days have been capital city Bucharest and Cluj in western
    Romania. These two regions are the only ones still in the so-called yellow zone
    in terms of infections. No more fatalities have been reported among the
    Romanians abroad in the past 24 hours. Romania’s vaccine rollout continues with
    a series of vaccination marathons and 3.6 million people have so far got the
    second jab in this country.






    PANDEMIC About 159 million people have
    got infected with the novel coronavirus since the onset of the pandemic the
    world over and more than 3.3 million have died, the latest data published by
    worldometers.info says. Against the backdrop of a diminished number of
    infections Europe announces new relaxation measures. After more than six months
    of severe restrictions, Italy gives up the quarantine imposed on foreign
    tourists, while Germany has eased up a series of restrictions in the case of
    the people who got both doses. A series of relaxation measures have been
    adopted in Spain, although only 12% of its population has been vaccinated. British
    Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today confirmed relaxed measures in Britain
    where more than two thirds of the adults have got the first jab. The number of
    infections in India has dropped under 400 thousand a day and the number of
    deaths has also started to decrease after two days with more than 4 thousand
    fatalities.








    PLAN Romanian Prime Minister Florin
    Citu is this week going to Brussels to present the development projects
    included in the latest version of the country’s Recovery and Resilience Plan
    (RRP). Upon the latest talks with the European Commission representatives, authorities
    in Bucharest say that none of the projects included in the plan have been
    scrapped but the sums allotted have been seriously trimmed. The initial version
    of the plan had a budget of 42 billion euros, over 12 billion more than it can
    get from the EU. The RRP presently boasts a 3.7 billion euro budget for
    education as well as for other projects, such as the A7 motorway section
    linking the cities of Ploiesti to Buzau in the country’s south-east.








    SUMMIT US president Joe Biden and
    secretary of state Antony Blinken are today attending a video conference of the
    Bucharest Format Summit B9 hosted by Romanian president Klaus Iohannis jointly
    with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda. The event involves the participation of
    the other heads of state of the Bucharest Format as well as the NATO Secretary
    General Jens Stoltenberg. According to the presidential administration in
    Bucharest high on the agenda are preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in
    Brussels on June 14th with special emphasis on strengthening the
    transatlantic relation and the alliance’s defence and deterrence posture on the
    Eastern Flank. The event is also expected to focus on the dialogue and
    cooperation with partners in the eastern neighbourhood, the support given for strengthening
    their defence capabilities as well as raising the resilience of NATO, its
    allies and partners to face the present defence challenges. The Bucharest
    Format Summit B9 is an initiative launched by Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
    and the president of the Polish Republic Andrzej Duda, which brings together
    NATO members on the alliance’s eastern flank like Bulgaria, the Czech Republic,
    Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary.


    (bill)



  • March 31, 2021

    March 31, 2021

    WB Romania’s economy is supposed to
    witness a 4.3% growth this year after last year’s contraction of 3.9% says the
    latest World Bank report published on Wednesday. According to the same report,
    the economic growth would be supported by the improved economic activity in the
    second half of 2021. This economic growth will also depend on the success of
    the vaccination rollout, the political response to the medical crisis as well
    as by the EU performances. World Bank also expects a 4.1% economic growth for
    the next year with an inflation rate around 3% in 2021 and of 3.2% in 2022.
    Inflation is expected to go down to 2.9% in 2023.








    COVID-19 Authorities in Bucharest have
    again pointed out that only through vaccination and observance of the
    prevention rules will Romania be able to get rid of the pandemic. According to
    physician Andreea Moldovan, state secretary with the Health Ministry, the third
    wave is different than the others, with a higher number of cases and increased gravity.
    In her opinion, if the prevention measures are relaxed and ignored by the
    people, they should remain in force for a longer period of time. Over 62
    hundred fresh Covid-19 infections were reported in Romania on Tuesday out of
    the roughly 30 thousand tests conducted. The total number of infections since
    the outbreak in Romania exceeds 946 thousand with a death toll of 23,400. 175
    new fatalities were reported on Tuesday and a record number of 1,405 people
    were in intensive care. In another development, the national vaccination
    rollout is in full swing in Romania with over 2 million vaccinated; half of
    them with the booster dose. The coordinator of the national vaccination rollout
    programme, physician Valeriu Gheorghita on Tuesday announced that over 3.3
    million doses are expected in Romania in April, including the first batch of
    160 thousand Johnson & Johnson single-shot jabs. The vaccination
    capabilities are also to increase in the next month with another 156 centers
    and mobile units. Family physicians are also expected to join the vaccination
    efforts.








    PROTESTS For the third time in a row, Bucharest
    and several big cities across Romania on Tuesday saw large-scale protests
    against the anti-Covid measures imposed by the authorities. Chanting
    anti-government slogans, the protesters called on the authorities to cancel the
    compulsory wear of masks and reopen gyms and fitness facilities. Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday said that he understands the discontent of
    the Romanians after a year of restrictions, adding these measures are the only
    means that can help Romania to contain the pandemic. The Romanian president
    also said that protests are normal in a functional democracy but violence,
    extremism and xenophobia are intolerable and completely unacceptable. The
    president’s statement came after some violent protests in some of Romania’s
    cities. Opposition leader Marcel Ciolacu said that people took to the streets out
    of poverty and despair caused by the ongoing medical crisis.








    TALKS The Foreign Ministers of the USA
    and Romania, Antony Blinken and Bogdan Aurescu respectively on Tuesday talked
    on the phone over Romania’s contribution to NATO, energy security and the rule
    of law. Washington praised Romania for being a staunch NATO ally and for its
    commitment to strengthening security at the Black Sea, while Bucharest gave
    assurances these approaches would continue. The two officials also tackled the
    developing bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy and the efforts
    of diversifying gas supplies in Europe. Minister Aurescu mentioned the priority
    of Romania’s government concerning the country’s OECD accession and voiced his
    conviction that the US would support Romania’s intention. He also highlighted
    the interest for the rapid advance in the Visa Waiver programme and an
    increased US military presence in Romania.






    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side will be up against Armenia in Yerevan
    today in a game counting towards Group J of the World Cup 2022 preliminaries.
    The Romanians so far lost to Germany 1-0 but secured a 3-2 win against North
    Macedonia. Romania’s group also includes Lichtenstein and Iceland. The first
    sides in every group are to qualify for the final tournament, while the sides
    on the second position will be playing tie matches. Romania’s latest
    participation in a World Cup was in France in 1998. Unfortunately last night in
    Budapest, Romania’s Under 21 side failed to qualify for the quarter finals of
    the European Under-21 Championship after a nil-all with Germany in Group A. The
    Romanians left the competition with their heads held high and no defeat in a
    group with Germany, the Netherlands and Hungary.






    (bill)



  • May 6, 2016 UPDATE

    May 6, 2016 UPDATE

    INAUGURATION The head of the diplomacy in Bucharest, Lazar Comanescu, on Friday inaugurated Romania’s consulate in Solotvino a town in Ukraine connected with the Romanian city of Sighetul Marmatiei through a historical bridge over the Tisa River. Comanescu says that the new consulate will contribute to the further consolidation of the relations between Romania and Ukraine and will ease the enforcement of an agreement on the cross-border trade. The Romanian Foreign Minister held talks with representatives of the Romanian community in TransCarpathia, which included headmasters and members of various associations. The Romanian community in Ukraine is estimated at more than 400 thousand people.



    VISIT Antony Blinken, the United States Deputy Secretary of State will be paying a visit to Romania over Saturday and Sunday, says a communiqué issued by the US Department of State. Blinken is expected to hold talks with Romanian officials about the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw, the bilateral cooperation in the field of security, the Romanian-US economic partnership, the rule of law and reforms in Romania. The US official will be meeting representatives of the business community and civil society. Romania is the third leg of Blinken’s diplomatic tour, which is also taking him to Poland and Bulgaria. On Monday and Tuesday, the US official is expected in France, the last leg of this tour, which has high on the agenda various issues concerning bilateral and regional cooperation.



    ALL STAR Romanian handballer Cristina Neagu of the Montenegrin side Buducnost Podgorica has been selected for the All Star Team of the 2015/2016 Champions League edition in women’s handball. Neagu became part of the team following the 28 thousand votes registered in an online poll the European Handball Federation had conducted among fans. All Star also includes three Norwegians, two Hungarians and one player from Romania, Montenegro, the Netherlands and Brazil. Coach Ambrod Martin is from Spain.



    CONCERT The National Radio Orchestra on Friday gave a royal concert honouring the day of May 10th, which is Royalty Day in Romania. Conducting was Nicolae Moldoveanu, and the soloist was violinist Gabriel Croitoru. The event enjoyed the attendance of their Royal Highnesses Prince Radu, Princess Elena and Princess Maria. Before the beginning of the concert, a volume titled “the Royal Year” was launched at the Radio Hall, a journal recollecting the 150 years since the establishment of the Royal House of Romania and the promulgation of the 1866 Constitution. A number of events dedicated to May 10th will be held in Bucharest and the mountain resort of Sinaia until next Tuesday. Before the communists came to power in Romania, in 1947, May 10th was Romania’s National Day. Later, the celebration was erased from the Romanians’ collective memory. On May 10th, 1866, Carol 1st became the ruler of Romania. 11 years later, the Romanian state gained its independence, and on May 10th, 1881, Romania became a kingdom.



    EUROVISION EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre on Friday said it was regrettable to be forced to take the extreme measure of not allowing Romania to participate in the Eurovision music contest. The EBU official talked in Bucharest with representatives of the Finance Ministry, Parliament, the Council of Competition and the public television broadcaster TVR. The measure, which is a first, was taken in response to the record high debt (roughly 10 million euros) the Romanian broadcaster has to EBU (the European Broadcasting Union). This year the Eurovision contest will be held in Stockholm over May 10th-14th and Romania was to be represented by Ovidiu Anton with a song entitled ‘A Moment of Silence. At the same time, if the Romanian broadcaster is excluded from EBU it will lose the rights of broadcasting specific international sporting events such as the European Football Championship in France or the Olympics in Rio as well as access to News Services.