Radio România Internațional

Tag: ceasefire in Gaza

  • November 28, 2023

    November 28, 2023

    TALKS – Prime Minister
    Marcel Ciolacu today met EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa
    Ferreira, who is paying an official visit to Romania. Romania has absorbed 90%
    of EU funds over the 2014-2020 financial framework and is thus ranked 4th
    at EU level, the Romanian Prime Minister said. Marcel Ciolacu added that EU
    Commissioner Ferreira also hailed this historic premiere. The EU official
    encouraged Bucharest to continue to develop its administrative capacities and
    develop long-term programs of economic advancement and sophisticated
    technologies, so as to move from the development phase to becoming an economy
    that produces added-value. Following talks with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu
    in Bucharest, the EU official will deliver a keynote speech on the sidelines of
    the conference titled Green and digital transformation backed by EU funds: the
    cohesion policy of the future and reconciling industrial transition with
    territorial challenges, hosted by the Romanian Parliament.




    NATO – Foreign Minister
    Luminița Odobescu is attending the two-day meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers
    held in Brussels. The event is held against the backdrop of a deteriorating
    security climate, impacting multiple areas of increased interest for the
    Alliance – the Russian aggression in Ukraine, tensions in the Western Balkans, the
    military conflict pitting Israel against Hamas. The NATO meeting also marks a
    key milestone ahead of the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington. According to the
    Romanian MFA, Minister Odobescu will express solidarity with the Alliance and
    refer to NATO’s efficiency in promoting security and stability. The Romanian
    Minister will also highlight the strategic importance of the Black Sea region
    to Euro-Atlantic security and will encourage the development of a structured
    approach to this region, as per the Allied resolutions adopted in Madrid and
    Vilnius. At the same time, Minister Odobescu will underline the need to fully
    implement the decisions to consolidate NATO’s deterrence posture. With respect
    to the Western Balkans, Luminița Odobescu will call on NATO to continue its
    support for this region by closely cooperating with the EU.




    CEASEFIRE – The ceasefire
    between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has been extended for 48 hours. On the fifth
    day of the break in hostilities, another 10 Israeli hostages are expected to be
    released, while essential humanitarian aid should reach Gaza. Approximately 170
    people are still held hostage in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack, the
    Israeli army says. In turn, Hamas claims it is not holding all these people,
    which could complicate efforts to release the most vulnerable of them. A group of
    Israeli hostages arrived last night in Israel, after Hamas released them in
    exchange for 33 Palestinian prisoners.




    EU-UK RELATIONS – Romania’s Defense
    Minister Angel Tîlvăr on Monday met his British counterpart, Grant Shapps,
    during his visit to London. The two officials discussed prospects of
    consolidating and developing the strategic partnership between Romania and the
    UK, the security context in the Black Sea region, the Russian Federation’s
    aggression in Ukraine and topics on the NATO agenda. We discussed ways to
    consolidate cooperation with regard to consolidating NATO’s defense and
    deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, implementing the NATO Strategic
    Concept and the need to continue exchanges with a view to better understand the
    specific challenges of each region, Minister Tîlvăr said. In his talks with
    Grant Shapps, the Romanian Defense Minister also expressed concern regarding
    the security of the Black Sea region, generated by a dangerous escalations
    caused by Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. On the other
    hand, Minister Tîlvăr hailed the UK’s contribution to consolidating Allied
    postures on the Eastern Flank, particularly in the Black Sea region, which he
    described as a clear expression of Allied solidarity and unity. The UK’s
    participation in air policing missions in Romania, its future engagements and
    exercises at bilateral and multilateral level are but a few examples of this
    contribution, the Romanian official said. (VP)

  • November 24, 2023

    November 24, 2023


    IMMUNITY – MPs of the ruling Social-Democratic and Liberal parties announced they would vote to lift the immunity of former Liberal Prime Minister Florin Cîțu, so that anti-corruption prosecutors can launch criminal proceedings against him in an investigation into the purchase of anti-COVID vaccines during the pandemic. Former USR Health Ministers Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana Mihăilă are also accused of abuse of office, and president Klaus Iohannis needs to green-light the lifting of their immunity. Prosecutors say the three purchased more anti-vaccine shots than necessary, causing a prejudice of 1 bln EUR. The three officials could have easily refused the millions of doses allotted to Romania by the EU, without our country having to pay penalties. The vaccines were purchased at a very difficult time during the pandemic, dominated by uncertainty regarding the evolution of the virus, the availability of mass-production of vaccines and the need for re-vaccination, Vlad Voiculescu explained. The former Health Minister blamed Florin Cîțu for taking the final decision, and in turn the former Liberal Prime Minister said every decision taken during his mandate was taken in good faith and in compliance with the law.




    CEASEFIRE – A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect in the Gaza Strip on Friday morning, and later today Hamas is expected to release 13 hostages. Qatars contribution was key to securing this ceasefire, in addition to the efforts of Egypt and the USA. Under the agreement, the four-day ceasefire can be extended. 50 Israeli hostages can be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian hostages detained in Israeli prisons. Hostilities between Israel and Hamas broke out after the large-scale October 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel which, authorities say, killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and led to the abduction of another 240 people on the day of the attack. In retaliation, Israel promise to obliterate Hamas and has since bombed Gaza uninterruptedly. According to Hamas, the Israeli attacks have killed 15,000 people, including 6,000 children.




    AID – A group of 12 Romanian citizens and members of their families who were evacuated from Gaza into Egypt have been flown back home today onboard a special flight operated by the national airline TAROM, in a complex operation carried out by the Government Task Force, with support from the Romanian Embassy in Cairo and the Representative Office in Ramallah. The government further announced it will provide emergency aid consisting of accommodation and warm meals to the families evacuated from Gaza, irrespective of citizenship. 400 EUR will be provided to a single person or to a family of five every month, while families with more than five members will receive 600 EUR for accommodation expenses. An additional food allowance worth 120 EUR will be paid to every individual. The aid will be provided over a maximum period of four months starting November.




    NADIA MURAD – The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Nadia Murad, is the newest member of the academic community of Timișoara after being awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa title from the West University of the city of Timișoara, which is the European Capital of Culture in 2023. Nadia Murad is the first woman who had the strength and courage to condemn the atrocities committed by the Islamic State of Iraq. In 2014 she was sold by Daesh as a slave and lost her entire family. In her acceptance speech, Murad referred to the suffering of people abducted by ISIS and her efforts to improve the life of the Yazidi, a community she is a part of. Aged 30, Nadia Murad is the fifth Nobel Prize recipient to visit the city of Timișoara this year. (VP)