Radio România Internațional

Tag: challenges

  • The Romanian president speaks at the United Nations Organisation

    The Romanian president speaks at the United Nations Organisation

    In the speech he delivered before the UN General Assembly in New York, president Klaus Iohannis pleaded for maintaining dialogue as an essential element for regional and global security. Iohannis also highlighted Romania’s contribution to solving the present global issues from security crises, such as the war in Ukraine or the Middle East conflict, to major challenges for mankind like climate change, the erosion of human rights or cyber threats. Speaking before the world leaders in New York, Klaus Iohannis said that Romania would always support the international world order with the UNO at its core. According to Iohannis, the main challenge of the world organization is to find the much needed solutions for reestablishing and protecting peace. Otherwise, the international order and law are wasted. Romania is fully backing the peace initiative of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky as being the only alternative for obtaining a just and durable peace perfectly in accordance with the UN charter and international law, Iohannis said in New York.

    He underlined that security isn’t regional but global and the war Russia is waging on Ukraine has affected nations and people the world over.

    “This war has caused the biggest security crisis in Europe’s recent history, violating the international law and having implications far beyond Europe.

    In this context, Romania has provided a staunch multidimensional support to Ukraine and its people and pledged to keep it as long as needed” Iohannis went on to say mentioning the essential role played by Romania in easing the export of Ukrainian grain through its Danube and Black Sea ports.

    “If we want to find solutions, we must have a more responsible outlook over the world and understand its challenges. We regrettably notice that insecurity, violence, conflicts and even war have conquered our world”, Iohannis also said.

    The Romanian official also pleaded for more cooperation and solidarity, which would always represent a response to the world issues. Klaus Iohannis also referred to the conflict in Gaza calling for the cessation of violence and standing for the two-state solution. “We are backing all the efforts of resuming the political process based on the two-state solution, coexisting in peace and security within recognized and safe borders, the Romanian president underlined.  And ‘protecting all the civilians must remain our common objective’, Iohannis said in front of the UN General Assembly.

    (bill)

  • May 18, 2023 UPDATE

    May 18, 2023 UPDATE

    FORUM The world has changed and everything in the area of security
    has been rewritten and must be revised in our Black Sea region, where a large
    part of the components of Russia’s large scale war of aggression in Ukraine are
    taking place, said Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciucă in Bucharest at the
    7th edition of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum. Ciucă went on to say
    that the region must cope with a long and high-intensity war that is exhausting
    the resources of both the country in conflict and those of the countries of
    Europe. The two-day forum hosts over 40 sessions. Attending are top civilian
    and military officials, diplomats and experts from the European Union and NATO,
    as well as partner states. The themes discussed include support for the
    European integration of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the reconstruction
    of Ukraine and the European security architecture after the war, as well as the
    food crisis caused by Russia’s invasion, security energy in Europe, the
    security of the Western Balkans and cyber resilience.


    FLOODING Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă said the Romanian authorities
    are ready to provide assistance with rescue operations following the floods in
    Italy. The region of Emilia Romagna in the north of Italy is on high alert as a
    result of heavy rain that caused massive floods and left victims. According to
    Radio Romania’s correspondent, thousands of people have already been evacuated,
    but several tens of thousands are still stranded in areas that have been left
    without electricity. Some trains are still stationary, traffic is disrupted and
    sections of the motorway are closed.


    AGREEMENT The government of Romania and of the UK Thursday
    signed a joint action plan in Bucharest on fighting human trafficking. The
    document is part of the vision and strategy that Bucharest has embraced for the
    past 2 years to turn Romania into a country hostile to people traffickers but
    safe and friendly to the victims of this phenomenon, reads a news release
    issued by the Romanian government. Signing the document also proves our
    government’s concern and care for its more vulnerable citizens, those more
    exposed to the risks of human trafficking, who live either in Romania or in one
    of the largest Romanian diaspora communities, namely in the UK. It is absolutely vital for us to keep our
    firm commitment of fighting this scourge and our capacity and willingness to
    tackle this issue on all three key levels-prevention, combating and victim
    protection. (…) My message is quite clear: trafficking in human beings is a
    form of crime for which the government of Romania has zero tolerance, PM
    Nicolae Ciucă said.



    WB In order to solve external imbalances, Romania
    needs a mix of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms, reads a World Bank
    analysis. Political measures aimed at improving its fiscal situation include
    broadening taxable revenues, improving tax compliance, introducing critical
    reforms in public pensions and salaries and cutting inefficient expenditure. A
    consolidation of public investment management would help release significant EU
    funding and would improve critical sectors lagging behind in Romania, such as
    the public education and healthcare, reforming state-owned enterprises, or
    infrastructure. In turn, the latter would contribute to improved productivity
    and competitiveness, with a positive impact on Romania’s foreign position. Romania’s
    external imbalances have deepened lately. Since 2018, the country has seen
    deepening fiscal and current account deficits, jointly with an expansionary
    fiscal policy. The two major external shocks, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war
    in Ukraine, have strengthened these imbalances. (AMP)

  • The New Year’s Message of the Romanian President

    The New Year’s Message of the Romanian President


    The time between the two years has
    always been a moment filled with significance and emotions because we are
    celebrating the end of a stage and the beginning of a new one, Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis says in his New Year’s message to the Romanians.
    According to him, even if 2022 was a difficult year for all of us, fraught with
    deep crises and a terrible war close to the country’s borders, the Romanians
    are looking towards the year 2023 with hope and confidence. The historical
    challenges we had to deal with have emphasized our force of
    character, our ability
    to stay in solidarity, united and committed to successfully overcoming any
    obstacle, the president says in his message. Let’s us learn how to turn any
    crisis into an opportunity to become a better and stronger nation. Romania,
    Iohannis says, is developing day by day and making visible progress in every
    domain. The president concluded by urging the Romanians to work together for a prosperous
    future in peace and harmony and wished them a Happy New Year!

  • Talks on the reform of the judiciary

    Talks on the reform of the judiciary

    ‘The independence of the justice system is and must remain a principle from which nobody can depart,’ president Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday, at the release of the annual report for 2020 of the High Court of Cassation and Justice. A year ago, the head of state had praised society for standing by magistrates and giving the appropriate response to attempts at making the Romanian justice system subordinated to political interests. But now, the president reiterated that the judiciary needs several reforms, in line with EU guidelines.



    Klaus Iohannis: “In 2020, with their votes, citizens clearly expressed their support for reforms and the strengthening of the rule of law. In this context, revising the Justice Laws cannot be postponed any further. I trust that in the forthcoming period, the framework that regulates the work of Romanias justice system will once again be predictable and in line with the standards of an EU member country.



    Klaus Iohannis pointed out that 2020 was a difficult year for all public institutions, which needed new and innovative ideas, solutions and practices. The crisis entailed by the COVID-19 pandemic required immediate response, including from the judiciary, which is why digitisation processes were stepped up, he explained. He also emphasised:



    Klaus Iohannis: “Large-scale discussions are needed in Parliament, with the participation of not only stakeholders in the judicial system, but also academia and human rights activists. I hope this dialogue will help address the controversial legislative acts passed in recent years and adopt solutions in keeping with the new judicial and social circumstances.



    In turn, the president of Romanias supreme court, judge Corina Corbu, said that in spite of the pandemic and of challenges like excessive workloads, retirement issues and a lack of office space, her colleagues finalised more cases than in 2019.



    Corina Corbu: “Being a supreme court judge is not easy. The emotional toll, the need to maintain the highest level of professionalism at all times, the possibility of criticism—sometimes harsh criticism—coming from the public, all come with the job. The issue of supreme court judge retirement remains for me a reason for sadness. The High Court is now losing judges, through retirement, at an age when everywhere else in the world one is believed to only acquire the wisdom and judicial refinement required in trying last-instance cases, in a supreme court.



    The High Court president also added that this year she would like a supreme court that is more forward-looking, more efficient and more focused on citizens needs, but she also said she wished public institutions were more open to the issues facing the judiciary. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Challenges facing the business sector

    Challenges facing the business sector

    The labor force crisis, soaring
    inflation, the negative prospects of the exchange rate and the prolonged
    financial deadlock will be the biggest challenges facing the business sector in
    Romania in 2020, reads a recent survey conducted by a consultancy firm. Whereas
    inflation and the depreciation of the national currency were the biggest
    concerns for investors in the previous survey conducted in July, 2019, in 2020
    the labor force crisis holds the spotlight, with over 60% of companies pointing
    to this problem. 53% of companies that took part in the survey said the
    prolonged financial deadlock could be a problem, 49% rated inflation as the
    biggest problem while 36% referred to the negative evolution of the exchange
    rate.

    The shortage of workers worsened in 2019, while the import of foreign
    workers offset under 10% of the needed workforce. Moreover, business people
    believe that, beyond boosting consumption, the salary increases in the public
    sector have spiked imbalances on the labor market. In 2020 the development
    plans of several companies are on standby due to the shortage of workers, which
    unfortunately the state is unable to solve. Most investors have called for a
    slash in tax incomes as well as for measures to encourage Romanians to come
    home, especially the youth. The spike in prices adding to the depreciation of
    the national currency has had a significant impact on the economy in 2019, and
    the trend is likely to continue in 2020.

    Considering 2020 will see both
    legislative and local elections, this year could bring about a change of
    government. Reforms will unfortunately be stalled and postponed for 2021, when
    we will witness a new rise in taxes, business people say. Asked what measures
    they deem necessary to develop a stable economic framework, over 73% referred
    to fiscal predictability. A Fiscal Code that should not be modified overnight
    is what business people have been demanding for years, much to the authorities’
    disinterest. The digitization of public administration, investment in
    infrastructure, shrinking the public sector and a national plan for vocational
    requalification are some of the top measures investors mentioned. The survey
    was conducted on a sample of 450 companies from various fields of activity,
    from trade to financial services, agriculture, energy, textiles and IT.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • NATO in the face of novel challenges

    NATO in the face of novel challenges

    The drop in investments in research and development may erode NATO’s technological edge in comparison with Russia and China. This is the conclusion of a document presented by the NATO general rapporteur Thomas Marino at the latest meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly hosted by Bucharest. The document makes a parallel between the situation in Russia and China and that in the NATO member countries.



    Major changes are emerging in the field of science and technology and some tendencies might affect the strategic balance related to production, on short terms, and artificial intelligence on the long term, said Thomas Marino who also claimed that NATO was not ready to face such challenges. One of the main reasons identified is the low level of investments which some Alliance members channel into research and development in the defense industry. On the other hand, Russia and China allot more money for that purpose. For instance Moscow’s budget for research and development in the defense industry doubled as of 2012 until 2015, while Beijing will allot more money by 2022, its budget being set to exceed that of Washington, which at present provides for two thirds of NATO’s total expenses.



    Why is it important to look at these issues carefully? The political committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly mentioned in a report that Russia is strengthening its military capabilities and is enlarging its range of action at the eastern border of NATO, thus putting pressure on the Euro-Atlantic space. Interviewed by Radio Romania, the head of the Romanian delegation at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Vergil Chitac, has tried to draw the area’s geo-strategic picture.



    Vergil Chitac: “It is obvious that after Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in 2014, the so-called geo-strategic holiday that we have had for almost 50 years, namely since the end of the Cold War, has now come to an end. At present, Russia is an actor discontented with the place it was offered at the table of world geopolitics. Russia believes that the great powers must have a say in their areas of hegemony. After Crimea was annexed, all sorts of provocative actions were started against NATO, more precisely Crimea started being militarized. After the Caucasus 2016 Drill, Russian Chief of Staff, General Valery Gerasimov said – and I’m quoting from memory — ‘Russia entirely dominates the Black sea basin and is capable of destroying any target from the moment it leaves its berth.’ The process of militarizing Crimea had the following strategic purpose: Crimea’s military facilities and power reflect Russia’s military might in the eastern Mediterranean. Now we see a very active Russian presence in the conflict zone between Syria and Iraq, and besides militarizing Crimea, destabilizing Ukraine, and staging all sorts of provocative military drills, Russia has also become active in the Western Balkans, doing anything so that these countries may not join the European Union. It grants them loans, energy projects, with a view to raising anti-Western feelings, particularly in countries like Serbia. We should not overlook this asymmetrical warfare, propaganda and the dissemination of false news. Everything that Russia is doing is meant to undermine the North Atlantic Alliance and to divide and even dismantle Europe.”



    Security in the Black Sea area and the Russian threat have been the top issues debated at the latest meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Bucharest. The Alliance’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has thanked Romania for its contribution to collective defence saying that NATO keeps its promises and is adapting to new challenges and security threats. Against the backdrop of Russia’s cyber warfare, Stoltenberg has referred to the freedom of the press, now “when we see attempts of interference and disinformation to try to manipulate the media”. “We are concerned about Russia’s military buildup close to NATO’s border and its lack of transparency when it comes to military exercises”, Stoltenberg went on to say. According to NATO’s Secretary General, the Alliance ‘doesn’t want a new Cold War with Russia”.



    Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has also referred to the Russian threat pleading for strengthening NATO’s eastern flank. He also pleaded for the consolidation of North Atlantic partnership and NATO’s partnership with the European Union, in the context of a worsening security climate. President Iohannis has given assurances that Romania will continue to be a trustworthy ally within the Alliance.

  • Collective Defence, a Challenge Facing NATO

    Collective Defence, a Challenge Facing NATO

    The North Atlantic Alliance is a source of stability in an unpredictable world, and Europe and the US are and work together, said the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the end of the recent Alliance summit held in Warsaw. The leaders of the 28 member countries decided to strengthen security on the eastern flank of NATO, including by deploying a multi-national brigade in Romania, four battalions in the Baltic countries and Poland and by transferring the control and coordination of the anti-missile defence shield in Deveselu from the US to NATO. The Director of the Conflict Prevention Centre in Bucharest Iulian Chifu talked on Radio Romania about the conclusions of the summit.



    Iulian Chifu: It was a summit that conveyed messages of unity, strength, determination, but also concern for the future and for what is happening in the neighbourhoods of the Alliance. For those who had expected a powerful and discouraging message, like a finger pointed at the potential enemies of the Alliance, we can say that such a message was sent in a very firm tone, quite unimaginable a few years ago. Out of the 139 articles of the final declaration, for instance, half are about Russia, including three or four that actually condemn Russia for its actions in the recent past, such as annexing Crimea or the military aggression in the north of Ukraine. It was indeed a summit which reconfirmed the Allies trust in NATO, which committed the Alliance to some very powerful actions at all levels of the allied defence system, and at the same time projected stability and security beyond NATO borders, with clear reference not only to NATOs allies, but also to its partners, namely Georgia, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.



    The presidential advisor on national security, General Nicolae Oprisor, has also stressed the importance of the summit, against the current security background, when the Euro-Atlantic area is faced with multiple and diverse risks and challenges, with roots in NATOs neighbourhood:



    Nicolae Oprisor: “I am talking about terrorism, cybercrime, migration, instability in the Middle East and North Africa, the situation in Ukraine and more. The decisions made by the heads of state and government at the summit covered and approached in a unitary and coherent manner all the challenges that I mentioned earlier, thus reconfirming the role of the Alliance as a responsible player at world level, focused on meeting its fundamental obligations. And these primarily include collective defence, crisis management and providing security through cooperation.



    The Allies agreed in Warsaw to provide enhanced military support to the countries in the Middle East and North Africa, which are targets for Islamic extremism. Focus will be laid, among other things, on the use of NATO surveillance planes in the fight against Daesh, the Islamic State terror group. Also, a new naval mission will be launched in the Mediterranean. The military presence in Afghanistan will be maintained and Afghan security forces will receive financial support until 2020. Radio Romanias correspondent in Jerusalem Dragos Ciocarlan told us more about the decisions made at the NATO summit in Warsaw:



    Dragos Ciocarlan: “NATO will start another mission to help prepare and strengthen the capability of the Iraqi army, which is the central player in the fight against Daesh. Also, a monitoring centre will be set up in Tunisia, a country that has become a major recruiting centre for Daesh. The Tunisian special forces will also benefit from support. NATO surveillance planes will provide the data that the US-led coalition against Daesh in Syria and Iraq needs, which is a clear sign in the fight against terrorism. Also, the Alliance will strengthen its cooperation with Jordan and will provide support to the new Libyan government.



    NATO also called on Russia to stop supporting the separatists in Ukraine, from a military, political and financial point of view. To Romania, the NATO summit was a success, said the Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanscu, who added that Romania had a special contribution to all the decisions made.



    Lazar Comanescu: “The Black Sea area, just like the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic area, is a region of strategic importance to NATO. All the decisions made, be they about an enhanced ground force or concerning the maritime and air space, benefited from a substantial Romanian contribution.



    Bucharest officials say that the recent NATO summit reconfirmed Romanias role as a NATO pillar of security and active player in the region.