Radio România Internațional

Tag: Ciuca

  • December 15, 2020 UPDATE

    December 15, 2020 UPDATE

    Decoration — Romania’s interim PM Nicolae Ciuca has been decorated, at the US Embassy in Bucharest, with the Legion of Merit in recognition of his merits during his activity as Chief of Defense Staff between January 2015 and December 2019. The US Ambassador to Romania Adrian Zuckerman has pointed out that the Legion of Honor is the highest distinction granted by the US Armed Forces to foreign military personnel. In turn, Nicolae Ciuca said the strategic partnership between Romania and the US is one of the pillars on which Romania’s defense is based and that it has significantly contributed to the development of the Romanian Armed Forces.



    Covid-19 Romania — 6,171 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours, show data provided on Tuesday by the Strategic Communication Group. The total number of cases has exceeded 565 thousand. 204 Covid-19 related deaths have also been reported in the past 24 hours. So far 13,698 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have died. A high number of COVID-19 patients are currently in ICUs. President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday summoned a new meeting dealing with the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic. Attending the meeting were the interim PM Nicolae Ciuca, the health minister Nelu Tataru and the head of the Department for Emergency Situations Raed Arafat. The authorities have recommended Romanians to limit their travels during the winter holidays in order to contain the spread of the virus. According to official reports, the coronavirus transmission rate has dropped as a result of local lockdown.



    Pensions — The Constitutional Court of Romania on Tuesday ruled as unconstitutional the Law on the new system for the taxation of service pensions, which provides for an 85% tax on those pensions exceeding 7 thousand lei, around 1,440 Euros. The decision was made with unanimity of votes, and the entire law was declared unconstitutional. The law was adopted by Parliament in June and was immediately challenged at the Constitutional Court, which considers the law unconstitutional also because it infringes the fiscal equity principle. The Constitutional Court, whose members are also the beneficiaries of special pensions, had previously postponed making a decision in this case 4 times. In early 2020, more than 9 thousand Romanians were receiving special pensions among whom former magistrates, diplomats, MPs, aviators, military, policemen, gendarmes, firefighters and intelligence service employees. We recall that, in the summer, Parliament decided that pensions up to 2,000 lei (around 410 Euros) would be exempted from taxation, while pensions ranging from 2,000 lei to 7,000 lei would be taxed by 10%.



    Handball – Romania’s national women’s handball team on Tuesday ended their adventure at the Euro 2020 losing the match against the Netherlands 24 to 35. They ended the championship hosted by Denmark on 12th position, this being the poorest result obtained by the Romanian team since the change of the system that now includes 16 teams. The Romanian handballers were ranked on last position in the competition’s main Group 2. On Monday, Romania lost to Hungary 26:24, after also losing to Croatia in their first main round match. Next Romania will participate in the pre-Olympic tournament of March hosted by Podgorica, Montenegro, where only the top 2 teams will qualify to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. (tr. L. Simion)

  • Statele Unite mențin 2500 de militari în Afganistan iar militarii români rămân alături de ei

    Statele Unite mențin 2500 de militari în Afganistan iar militarii români rămân alături de ei

    Statele Unite mențin anul viitor 2500 de militari în Afganistan, iar militarii români rămân și ei în Afganistan, a precizat, pentru România liberă, ministrul Apărării Naționale, Nicolae Ciucă.

    Ministrul a făcut această precizare marți, 1 decembrie, în contextul manifestării de la Arcul de Triumf, dedicată Zilei Naționale a României. El a mai spus că România are militari în Afganistan atât într-o misiune condusă de NATO, cât și într-o misiune condusă de SUA.

    Statele Unite nu se vor retrage complet din Afganistan, ci doar își vor reduce contingentul din această țară de la 4500 la 2500 de oameni, a precizat ministrul.

    Conform sursei citate, ministrul Ciucă a mai anunţat că, în privința militarilor români, aceștia își vor respecta angajamentele față de SUA și față de NATO și vor rămâne și ei în Afganistan

    În acest moment, România are 630 de militari în Afganistan. Ei fac parte din Batalionul 191, cu sediul la Arad.

    Sursa România liberă

  • October 22, 2020 UPDATE

    October 22, 2020 UPDATE

    EIB
    Hundreds of Romanian companies are going to benefit from a new funding scheme
    devoted to the private sector, a 190 million euro package made available by the
    European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the most affected sectors during the
    pandemic. According to a communiqué issued by the aforementioned institution,
    the package will be made available immediately and companies can apply at its
    branches across the country. The EIB support to Romania is part of its 20
    billion euro global response aimed at reducing the pandemic’s economic impact.










    NATO
    Romanian Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Thursday attended the North Atlantic
    Council’s proceedings held in a video-conference format on the first day of NATO
    ministers meeting. The Romanian minister highlighted the importance of an effective
    adjustment to the present and future security challenges. The need for
    providing a coherent allied response in terms of security in the Black Sea
    region was also underlined. The meeting is due to continue on Friday as well.










    MILITARY Two Romanian peacekeepers were wounded on Wednesday night in
    Afghanistan, during a patrol mission. According to the Defence Ministry, they are
    stable, under medical supervision at the hospital within the Kandahar Air Base.
    The 2 are members of 191st Golden Lions Force Protection
    Battalion, and were deployed to Afghanistan in August, for a 6-month mission.
    Romanian troops have been present in Afghanistan since 2003, one year before
    Romania was admitted into NATO. Nearly 30 Romanian servicemen have been killed in that country.










    COVID-19 Romania reported on Thursday new record-high figures
    in terms of COVID-19 infections: 4,902 cases out of over 34,000 tests conducted, and 98
    deaths. More than 10,354 people are hospitalised, 778 of them in intensive
    care. Since the start of the epidemic in Romania, the total number of cases has
    reached 196,004and the death toll stands at 6,163. The Government
    will amend the Quarantine Act today, in an emergency order, in view of
    preventing hospital overcrowding. Patients with mild forms of the
    disease and those without symptoms are to be treated at home, unless they
    suffer from previous conditions, the health minister Nelu Tătaru explained. The
    bill has been criticised by family physicians, who say examining patients at
    home is out of the question because physicians would be at risk.






    (bill)

  • October 10, 2020 UPDATE

    October 10, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19 Romania — The Strategic Communication Group announced on Saturday a new record of COVID-19 cases reported in one single day since the onset of the pandemic in late February. 3,517 people have tested positive in 24 hours following the testing of 29,284 people. 59 new deaths have been reported which takes the total death toll to 5,358. So far 152,403 cases of contamination have been reported since the start of the pandemic and almost 117 thousand people have recovered. 629 patients are currently in ICUs. President Klaus Iohannis said he did not want to return to a state of emergency and that restrictive measures should be imposed if there is no other solution left. Also on Saturday several hundred people have responded to an appeal launched on social networks and protested in downtown Bucharest against the measures taken by the authorities to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. The protesters chanted slogans against the government, the president and the head of the Department for Emergency Situations. Most of them did not wear protective masks and did not keep the required physical distance.



    Elections – Sunday sees partial local elections in one city and three communes from Romania where a mayor could not be elected on September 27. In the three communes the candidates on the 1st and 2nd place did not get a majority of votes while in the city of Moldova Noua (southwest) the elections were invalidated due to procedural irregularities. We recall that the Social Democrat Gabriela Firea lost the Bucharest mayoral seat to independent Nicusor Dan, supported by the governing National Liberal Party – PNL and the Save Romania Union – USR. The candidates supported by the PNL and USR have won 3 of Bucharest’s 6 sectors. Across Romania, the Social Democratic Party PSD won 20 county councils, PNL 17 and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania UDMR 4.



    Resignation — The president of the National Office for Prevention and Control of Money Laundering Laurentiu Baranga has resigned, the Romanian Public Finance Ministry announced on Saturday. Appointed to the position last month for a period of 4 years Baranga has been accused of having forged his Baccalaureate diploma, and consequently cashed undue benefits from some of his employers. The investigation is run by the Romanian Police General Inspectorate.



    Cooperation — The Romanian Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuca, who is paying a visit to Washington, met with Mark R. Vandroff, the Deputy Assistant to the US President and Director for Defense Policy and Strategy at National Security Council. Mark Vandroff highlighted Romania’s contribution to NATO’s missions and operations, underlining that it is a model ally in the Black Sea region, with a major strategic relevance. Also in Washington, the Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuca met with the director of Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Heidi Grant, as well as with representatives of Americna defense industry companies. The Romanian official underlined the importance of bilateral cooperation in the defense field and highlighted Romania’s potential in key domains such as cybernetics and IT for developing new military equipment. Minister Ciuca also reiterated Bucharest’s commitment to allot 2% of the GDP for defense and for implementing robust military capabilities able to respond to the national security requirements, in line with the NATO standards.



    Football — Romania’s national football team plays the Norwegian eleven on Sunday evening, away from home, in a new match in the Nations’ League Group 1B. Romania’s team is group leader after in September they drew the match with Northern Ireland and defeated Austria 3-2. On Thursday evening, the Romanian footballers failed to qualify to the continental final tournament due next year after losing 1-2, away from home, the match against Iceland in the playoffs semifinals. (tr. L. Simion)

  • October 7, 2020 UPDATE

    October 7, 2020 UPDATE

    CORONAVIRUS Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on
    Wednesday night launched a new appeal for the strict compliance with the rules
    aimed at containing the novel coronavirus. The appeal comes after 2,958 new
    infections were reported on Wednesday, a record high since the beginning of the
    pandemic. The total number of infections reached 142,570. The death toll of 82
    in a single day is also a record high, which brings the total to 5,203. 612
    patients are in intensive care. Authorities in Bucharest have again decided to
    close down indoor bars, clubs and discotheques as well as cinemas and theatres.








    ECONOMY The World Bank expects Romania’s economic
    output to shrink 5.7% this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and to see a 4.9%
    growth next year. However, these figures may depend on the severity of the
    medical crisis, the response of the authorities, the impact of the economic
    incentives and the measures taken at the EU level. According to the
    aforementioned institution, emerging economies in Europe and Central Asia are
    in for the severest recession since the 2008 crisis and might see a 4.4%
    economic slump by the end of 2020. Last week, the European Bank for
    Reconstruction and Development envisaged a 5% economic drop for Romania and a
    3% growth next year.








    CYBERCRIME Stepping up public sector partnerships in
    the face of increasingly pervasive cybercrime threats was the theme of the 8th
    INTERPOL-Europol Cybercrime Conference held on October 6. Taking place online
    for the first time, the one-day conference saw more than 400 cyber experts from
    law enforcement, private industry, international organizations, CERTs and
    academia tune in to discussions on emerging cyber threats, trends and
    strategies. Recent findings from both Interpol and Europol have made clear that
    cybercriminals around the world have been able to capitalize on the global
    COVID-19 pandemic, turning the health crisis into an opportunity, Europol said
    in a press release after the conference. At the same time, the pandemic has
    accelerated the digital transformation and increased people’s reliance on
    connectivity and digital tools. In a world where more than 4,5 billion people
    are online, more than half of humanity is at risk of falling victim to
    cybercrime at any time, said INTERPOL Secretary General Jurgen Stock.








    DEFENSE – Romanian Defense Minister, Nicolae
    Ciuca, is paying a 5-day official visit to the US starting on Wednesday, upon
    an invitation extended by the US Secretary of Defense Mark Thomas Esper, the
    Romanian Defense Ministry has announced. Minister Ciuca will have a series of
    meetings with high-level officials of the US Department of Defense to discuss
    ways to consolidate the bilateral strategic partnership. The Romanian official
    will reiterate Bucharest’s commitment to develop its defense capacity through
    training programmes and the purchase of modern equipment. Also discussed will
    be Romania’s concerns regarding the security situation at the Black Sea and the
    need for a coherent approach regarding the defense and deterrence strategy on
    NATO’s eastern flank.










    (bill)



  • June 19, 2020

    June 19, 2020

    CONFERENCE
    Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is today
    attending the European Council proceedings in video-conference format. According
    to the presidential administration in Bucharest, high on the agenda are the
    revised 2021-2027 multi-annual financial framework that has been recently
    proposed by the European Commission and Next Generation EU, an economic
    recovery plan adjusted to the new conditions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
    The Romanian president is expected to refer to the fact that the union’s
    multi-annual budget must be substantial, balanced and able to respond to the
    concerns of the member countries. At the same time Iohannis is expected to
    mention the fact that all the member states need financial assistance in the
    process of economic recovery although in various degrees as the national
    instruments and mechanisms prove to be inefficient. In the wake of the
    conference the European Council president Charles Michel is expected to present
    the revised version of the future budget and the economic recovery plan after
    negotiations. Also high on the conference agenda is the negotiation process of
    the relations between the European Union and Great Britain after Brexit. The
    progress obtained so far in the negotiation process is limited












    COVID-19 Another 11 people have been killed by the novel
    coronavirus in the past 24 hours in Romania taking the death toll to 1,484. 320
    new Covid infections were announced by the authorities on Friday, which brings the
    total number of cases up to 23,400. 16,500 patients have been cured and left
    hospitals. 184 people are in intensive
    care, almost 1,400 in quarantine and 86 thousand people are being monitored at
    home. 3,511 Romanian nationals have been infected with the novel coronavirus
    abroad and 115 have died. Several outbreaks have recently been registered in
    areas inhabited by Romanians in Berlin, prompting the authorities to close down
    ten schools and test the population.










    NATO The Multinational Division South-East Command will
    contribute to the deterring and defence capabilities of NATO’s eastern flank,
    Romania’s Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca has said. His statement came after
    Parliament in Bucharest on Thursday endorsed the setting up of this command in
    Sibiu, central Romania. According to Ciuca, Romania’s initiative has been
    appreciated by NATO partners and accepted by the allies thus highlighting the
    strategic importance of the Black Sea for the security of the Euro-Atlantic
    area and the need for increasing allied military presence in the region. The
    new military body will have the statute of international military command
    subordinated to an allied command outside the national structure of command and
    control.










    NOTIFICATION The High Court of
    Cassation and Justice in Bucharest and the Ombudsman have notified the
    Constitutional Court about a law on the progressive taxation up to 85% of all
    special pensions in Romania, a law endorsed by Parliament. The court has criticized
    several aspects such as the fact that its rulings concerning this aspect have
    been repeatedly ignored, the Supreme Council of Magistrates has not been
    consulted and several principles haven’t been observed, such as that of proper
    and equitable taxation and the independence of judges. There are multiple
    reasons of unconstitutionality, the Ombudsman has also pointed out adding that
    under the law the beneficiaries of these special pensions are being
    discriminated against. We recall that on May 6th Romania’s
    Constitutional Court turned down a law on cancelling these special pensions
    upon two notifications by the High Court and the Ombudsman.










    (translated by bill)

  • May 28, 2020

    May 28, 2020

    ASCENSION Orthodox believers who are a majority in Romania and
    Greek Catholics are today celebrating the Ascension of Christ from the Mount of
    Olives in Jerusalem, 40 days after his resurrection. Since 1920, the Ascension has
    also been celebrated as the Heroes’ Day. Religious and military services have
    been held today in front of churches and monuments dedicated to Romania’s
    heroes. In his address on this occasion Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis
    said, quote: This special day in which we celebrate both our heroes and the
    Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ has a special meaning for the Romanian
    people. On this occasion we pay homage to the martyrs of the Romanian people
    who made the supreme sacrifice for our existence. Iohannis has voiced
    gratitude for the Romanian soldiers who died in the line of duty in various
    operation theatres in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Western Balkans.








    TALKS Romania’s Prime Minister Ludovic
    Orban on Thursday talked over the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
    The two high officials have mentioned the special strategic relations between
    Romania and Germany and have agreed to carry on efforts to deepen these
    relations. Also high on the talks agenda was the situation of the Romanian
    temporary workers in Germany. The chancellor has voiced the consistent concern
    of the officials in Berlin regarding the observation and protection of the
    rights of the Romanian workers and has underlined the readiness for maintaining
    a tight contact at all levels between the authorities of the two countries
    following the latest visit paid to Germany by the Romanian Minister of Labour
    and Social protection, Violeta Alexandru. The federal government has recently
    initiated amendments to the domestic legislative framework in order to offer an
    increased degree of protection for the rights of the Romanian employees.








    PANDEMIC According to the John Hopkins
    University the new coronavirus has infected 5.7 million of people worldwide and
    the number of fatalities has exceeded 355 thousand. The situation has worsened in
    Brazil, where the number of infections exceeds 410 thousand and there are 25
    thousand fatalities. Brazil has thus become the world’s second most affected
    country after the United States, which has 1.7 million people infected and 100
    thousand fatalities. In Italy, the third most affected country in Europe, with
    over 33 thousand fatalities, authorities have started to take fresh measures to
    prevent a possible second wave of infections after they learnt that part of the
    population does not comply with the social distancing measures. French Prime
    Minister Edouard Phillipe is expected to present today the situation of the
    pandemic and the measures taken by the government for the second stage of
    relaxation due to begin on June 2nd. Spain is seeing the longest
    period of national mourning in the country’s history to the memory of the 27
    thousand people killed by the pandemic.








    COVID 19 Another 197 Covid infections have been registered in Romania,
    which has reported a total number of 18,791 infected persons, the authorities
    announced on Thursday. 12,629 of those infected have been cured and left
    hospitals, while 182 patients are in intensive care. Romania has so far
    reported 1,229 fatalities. The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has summoned a
    new session of talks over the measures to handle the pandemic in Romania. The
    talks are attended by the country’s Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, Interior
    Minister Marcel Vela, the Health Minister Nelu Tataru, the Minister of the Economy
    Virgil Popescu, Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the head of the Department
    for Emergency Situations Raed Arafat. The authorities are expected to announce
    fresh relaxation measures starting June 1st.






    REPATRIATIONS The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has today announced that
    64 Romanian nationals have been repatriated from France through the combined
    efforts of several Romanian institutions. Among those repatriated are students
    and their families who were unable to extend their stay in France. According to
    the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest these repatriations are part of a measure
    campaign taken by the Romanian authorities to facilitate the return to Romania
    of the Romanian citizens abroad who were affected by the air travel restrictions
    imposed by the efforts to contain the COVID pandemic.




    (translated by bill)

  • April 16, 2020 UPDATE

    April 16, 2020 UPDATE

    EXTENSION
    The Romanian MPs debated
    and approved by a landslide majority on Thursday a presidential decree on
    extending the state of emergency by another 30 days. The Parliament’s approval
    of the state of emergency also contains several recommendations for the government,
    which have been passed by Parliament in plenary session. The opposition has
    called on the Executive to present a weekly report on the measures for fighting
    the COVID pandemic and the reasons behind these measures. Within 30 days from
    the end of the state of emergency, the government must present a complete
    report about the actions taken and their consequences, while the Court of
    Accounts must check on the way in which public resources have been spent. The
    country’s president Klaus Iohannis has criticized the attitude of those MPs who
    conditioned the Parliament voting and has reiterated his appeal to Romanians to
    spend Easter by strictly observing the conditions stipulated by the military
    ordinances. COVID has so far killed 392 people in Romania, where the number of
    infections exceeds 77 hundred. According to the authorities 1357 people have
    been declared cured and released from hospitals.










    NATO The Romanian Defence Minister,
    Nicolae Ciucă, took part on Wednesday in a meeting of the North-Atlantic
    Council defence ministers, convened by the NATO secretary general Jens
    Stoltenberg. The meeting, held by conference call, focused on the implications
    of the COVID-19 for the Alliance. Minister Ciucă presented the efforts made to
    contain the virus in Romania, with support granted by the Army to the national
    authorities. Nicolae Ciucă also reiterated Romania’s commitment to a continuing
    participation in NATO’s operations, missions and activities, where Allied
    troops are facing not only specific threats in theatres of operations, but also
    ones related to the spread of the coronavirus, and in this context he requested
    close monitoring of the situation by the Alliance. The NATO defence ministers
    decided to put together a pandemic response plan, based on the lessons derived
    from the experience and best practices of the Allied states and international
    organisations in the context of the current crisis.


    ORDINANCE Romanian
    Interior Minister Marcel Velea on Thursday announced in the context of the
    cornavirus pandemic the approval of Military Ordinance 9, which is banning
    flights from and to Austria, Britain, the USA, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey and
    Iran. Flights from and to Italy will be banned for another 14 days starting
    April 19th. Flights to France and Germany are also banned for 14 days starting
    April 21st. Under the same ordinance
    workers at the border between Romania and Bulgaria can be exempted from staying
    in quarantine unless they have COVID symptoms. The ordinance lifted the
    interdiction for exports with cereals as food safety has been assured until the
    next harvest. Minister Velea has cautioned those willing to come to Romania for
    Easter that they will be placed in institutionalized quarantine. He urged the
    Romanians to avoid crowded places and interaction with other people and refrain
    from paying visits or receiving guests. We recall that the former agreement
    between the Interior Ministry and the Romanian Orthodox Church, which would
    have allowed citizens to attend outdoor religious services has been amended
    after sharp criticism from the presidency and the medical professionals.
    Believers have been banned from participating in outdoor religious sermons;
    they will be able to watch live transmissions on TV or on the Internet.






    (translated by bill)

  • 15.01.2020

    15.01.2020

    Défense – Les intérêts de la Roumanie et de ses ressortissants n’ont pas été touchés par la situation en Irak et au Moyen Orient, a déclaré aujourd’hui le ministre des Affaires Etrangères, Bogdan Aurescu. Il a ajouté que la Roumanie coordonnait constamment ses actions avec ses partenaires de l’UE et de l’OTAN, ainsi qu’avec ses partenaires stratégiques, dont notamment les Etats-Unis. Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine et le ministre roumain de la Défense, Nicolae Ciuca sont auditionnés aujourd’hui au sujet de la situation au Moyen Orient, dans le cadre d’une réunion commune des Commissions sénatoriales de défense, ordre public et sécurité nationale et respectivement de Politique étrangère. La semaine dernière, le ministre de la défense, Nicolae Ciuca a affirmé que dans les structures spécialisées, le suivi et l’évaluation de la situation au Moyen Orient se poursuivait, pour que les mesures nécessaires puissent être adoptées.

    OTAN – Les forces navales roumaines assument officiellement jeudi le commandement du groupement naval permanent de lutte contre les mines de l’OTAN, qui réunira des bâtiments de guerre de Bulgarie, Allemagne, Italie, Espagne et Turquie. Le capitaine commandeur Valentin Cătălin Vlad sera le commandant du groupement de janvier à juin, alors que le navire de commandement sera le mouilleur de mines « Vice-amiral Constantin Balescu ». Aux côtés des 64 membres d’équipage, à bord du bâtiment se trouvera aussi l’Etat major du groupement, formé de 14 militaires roumains et trois étrangers. Le chef de l’Etat major est un officier espagnol. Le groupement sera actif en Mer Noire et dans la Méditerranée afin d’assurer la capacité de réaction immédiate au niveau de l’OTAN.

    Culture – La Roumanie et la République de Moldova célèbrent aujourd’hui la fête de la culture nationale qui coïncide avec l’anniversaire du grand poète Mihai Eminescu. Cette année c’est pour la première fois que le public de tous les coins du pays participe à des événements culturels simultanés. Le 15 janvier est devenu fête de la culture nationale suite à une loi adoptée par la Chambre des Députés en 2010.

    Grippe aviaire – La Roumanie a rapporté la découverte d’un foyer de grippe aviaire H5N8 dans un élevage du comté de Maramures, dans le nord, premier cas découvert en Roumanie depuis trois ans, a annoncé ce mercredi l’Organisation mondiale de la santé animale. Ce virus a tué plus de 11 mille oiseaux sur les 19 mille qui existaient dans cet élevage, alors que le reste des oiseaux ont été euthanasiés, selon l’organisation qui cite un rapport de l’autorité nationale sanitaire vétérinaire de Roumanie. En 2006, une pandémie de grippe aviaire a frappé la Roumanie, avec comme point de départ un élevage du centre du pays qui commercialisé illégalement des oiseaux vivants dans plusieurs localités.

    Football – L’ancienne star du foot roumain, Adrian Mutu est officiellement le nouveau sélectionneur de l’équipe nationale des moins de 21 ans de Roumanie. Adrian Mutu (44 ans) a joué sous les couleurs de la sélection nationale dans 77 matchs officiels, devenant le meilleur buteur roumain avec 35 buts à égalité avec Gheorghe Hagi. Adrian Mutu a joué pour Inter Milan, Chelsea, Juventus et Fiorentina. Il est l’unique Roumain à avoir inscrit une centaine de buts dans le championnat italien. Il remplace Mirel Radoi, une autre ancienne star du foot roumain, qui a été promu comme coach de la sélection nationale de Roumanie. L’année dernière, sous la baguette de Radoi, les espoirs du foot roumain se sont qualifiés dans les demi-finales du Championnat européen et par conséquent aux JO de Tokyo.

    Tennis – Quatre joueuses roumaines de tennis – Irina Bara, Laura Paar, Patricia Ţig et Elena-Gabriela Ruse participent ce mercredi à Melbourne au premier tour des qualifications à l’Open d’Australie, premier tournoi du Grand Chelem de l’année qui se joue du 20 janvier au 2 février. Trois autres roumaines – Simona Halep (4e mondiale), Sorana Cârstea et Irina Begu participent directement au tableau principal de la compétition. Mardi, la Roumaine Ana Bogdan a battu l’Australienne Ivana Popovic 7-6, 6-4 dans le premier round des qualifications au tableau principal de simple. Monica Niculescu a battu l’ukrainienne Angelina Kalinina 7-6, 6-2 pour affronter au premier tour la Bulgare Viktoria Tomova.

    Météo – Temps morose en Roumanie, malgré des températures assez élevées pour cette mi-janvier. Elles vont de -4 à 12 degrés. Zéro degrés et un ciel couvert en ce moment à Bucarest, où le brouillard vient de se dissiper.

  • Bukarest blickt auf die Krise im Nahen Osten

    Bukarest blickt auf die Krise im Nahen Osten

    Die mit Spannung erwartete Rede des US-Präsidenten Donald Trump am Mittwochabend hat vorerst die grö‎ßten Ängste beschwichtigt. Eine militärische Konfrontation im Nahen Osten steht nicht unmittelbar bevor und die Vereinigten Staaten sagen, dass sie offen für Verhandlungen über ein neues Abkommen mit dem Iran eintretten, einem Land, dessen Atomwaffenprogramm wohlbekannt ist. Diese Aussage des amerikanischen Präsidenten erfolgt zu einem sehr angespannten Zeitpunkt, nachdem die Vereinigten Staaten den iranischen General Qassem Soleimani getötet haben. Am Mittwoch kündigte Donald Trump zudem an, zusätzliche Wirtschaftssanktionen gegen den Iran verhängen zu wollen. Er rief die NATO zu einem stärkeren Engagement im Nahen Osten auf und forderte gleichzeitig China und Russland auf, das 2015 mit Teheran abgeschlossene Atomwaffenabkommen aufzugeben und einer neuen Zusammenarbeit zuzustimmen. Washington will Frieden mit denen machen, die ihn wollen“, sagte der amerikanische Präseine zum Abschlss seiner Rede im Wei‎ßen Haus.



    Die Angriffe auf die amerikanischen Militärstützpunkte im Irak, die vor dieser Rede stattfanden, haben jedoch weltweit die Gemüter aufgewühlt, so auch in Rumänien, wo Bukarest beschlossen hat, 14 rumänischen Soldaten vorübergehend aus diesem Land zu verlegen. Bukarester Beamte riefen zu einem besonnenen und diplomatischen Umgang mit der Krise auf.



    Der rumänische Au‎ßenminister Bogdan Aurescu sagte: “Rumänien bekräftigt nachdrücklich seine Forderung nach Deeskalation. Wir können Ihnen auch mitteilen, dass die rumänischen Soldaten in der Koalition gegen den islamischen Staat nicht betroffen sind, was eine gute Nachricht ist. Da auch die Region Erbil, in der eine Gemeinschaft von etwa 180 Rumänen lebt, mit Raketen beschossen wurde, haben wir über das rumänische Generalkonsulat in Erbil bestätigt bekommen, dass rumänische Staatsangehörige von diesen Entwicklungen nicht betroffen sind.”



    Roxana Diaconescu ist eine Rumänin, die seit fast einem Jahr in der Gegend um Erbil lebt. Sie ist 35 Jahre alt, arbeitet an ihrer Doktorarbeit in Politikwissenschaften und ist Teil einer NGO, die humanitäre Programme umsetzt. Gegenüber Radio Rumänien erklärte sie: Ich habe den iranischen Angriff nicht mitbekommen, obwohl ich nicht weit von der Militärbasis entfernt wohne, die sich im Bereich des Flughafens befindet. Ich habe die Schie‎ßerei nicht gehört. Ich wusste eigentlich nichts, bis ich am Morgen die Nachrichten las. Es war ein normaler Arbeitstag, ich ging ins Büro, mein Kind ging zur Schule. Jeder ist irgendwie besorgt darüber, was passieren könnte, jeder fragt sich, ob die Vereinigten Staaten zurückschie‎ßen werden oder nicht. Bisher haben die NGOs noch nicht mit der Rückführung ihrer ausländischen Experten aus dem Irak begonnen“.



    Es ist wichtig, die öffentliche Meinung zu beruhigen, fügt der rumänische Verteidigungsminister Nicolae Ciucă hinzu. Bukarest beobachtet und analysiert die Situation im Nahen Osten, um die notwendigen Ma‎ßnahmen zu ergreifen, merkte er an.

  • Nicolae – Ionel Ciucă, noul șef al Statului Major General

    Nicolae – Ionel Ciucă, noul șef al Statului Major General

    Generalul — locotenent Nicolae – Ionel Ciucă a fost învestit, marți, în funcția de șef al Statului Major General. Pentru prima oară, înalta funcție în stat este ocupată de un militar instruit în teatrele de operaţii, notează Agerpres. Prezent la ceremonie de învestitură, ministrul Apărării, Mircea Dușa a declarat:


    Aţi preluat astăzi cea mai înaltă funcţie din Armata Română. Sunteţi un om cu experienţă, aţi parcurs toate treptele carierei militare, începând de la comandat de pluton la comandat de batalion de divizie, în această perioadă aţi fost primul militar român, primul comandat care aţi condus un batalion de manevră în teatrele de operaţii în Afganistan în 2002, aţi participat la misiuni şi în alte teatre, în Irak, în Angola, v-aţi evidenţiat ca un militar şi comandat desăvârşit. […]Vă felicit, dar să nu uitaţi că aveţi obiective foarte importante în perioada viitoare.”



    Conform ministrului Apărări Naționale, principalul obiectiv al șefului Statului Major General este programul de modernizare şi înzestrare a armatei, până în 2017, creşterea capacităţii operaţionale şi programul mediu până în 2022. Totodată, sub conducerea generalului-locotenent Nicolae – Ionel Ciucă, trebuie îndeplinite obiectivele stabilite la summitul NATO din Ţara Galilor, din programul de securitate europeană.