Radio România Internațional

Tag: conference

February 15, 2023

MOLDOVA President Klaus Iohannis says Romania has stood and will
stand by the R. of Moldova and firmly condemns any foreign attempt at destabilising
this country. It is highly alarming to see public signs of attempts by the
Russian Federation to step in illegitimately and upset the democratic and
constitutional order of the R. of Moldova, a sovereign state that has chosen
its political direction through a free vote, the Romanian president said in a statement
issued on Wednesday. Klaus Iohannis reiterated that Moldova is not alone in facing
these challenges, and reconfirmed Romania’s unwavering support for the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country, within its
internationally recognised borders, and for its pro-European future. The
Romanian official also pointed out that Moldova belongs in the EU family, and
that this path is irreversible and must be followed with determination, courage
and ambition. The statement comes after on Monday the pro-Western president of
Moldova Maia Sandu announced Moscow was planning to force a change of the
political power in Moldova, using violence to destabilise the country.

AID Romania is sending further humanitarian
aid to Turkey and Syria in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquakes that
killed some 40,000 people. A new humanitarian flight by 3 Romanian Air Forces
aircraft today takes around 22 tonnes of goods donated by the Romanian
government to the people affected by the tremors in the 2 countries. Another 2
trains with basic necessity products have been already sent to Turkey, and 2
planes with humanitarian aid were sent to Syria on Tuesday. According to the UN,
9 million Syrian and 2.2 million Turkish nationals need aid. The Turkish Confederation
of Enterprises and Businesses says the disaster might cost the country 84 billion
US dollars.

UN The Romanian foreign minister
Bogdan Aurescu Tuesday had talks with the UN secretary general António
Guterres. The Romanian official was at the UN headquarters in New York, where
he was a speaker at the UN Security Council debate on Threats to international peace and
security: Sea-level rise: implications for international peace and security.
According to the foreign ministry, the 2 officials discussed climate change and
its consequences, as well as the situation in Ukraine one year after the start
of Russia’s illegal war of aggression. Bogdan Aurescu pointed out
that Russia’s irresponsible conduct, which violates the core principles of international
order, must end, and that it is particularly serious for a member of the UN
Security Council to have started this war. The Romanian foreign minister also
highlighted Romania’s support efforts, including the receiving of over 3.5
million Ukrainian refugees who have transited Romania. Current developments in
the R. of Moldova were also discussed.

DEFENCE Romania’s defence minister Angel Tîlvăr and the chief of
general staff Daniel Petrescu Tuesday took part in a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, held in Brussels
on the sidelines of the meeting of NATO defence ministers. According to the
Romanian defence ministry, since the start of Russia’s war of aggression
against Ukraine, Romania has provided shelter and aid to over 3.5 million
Ukrainian nationals who have transited the country, and has taken part in facilitating
the transit of nearly 12 million tonnes of grains from Ukraine to global
markets. Romania has stated repeatedly that the scope and regularity of the support
given to Ukraine must be maintained. Also on the sidelines of the meeting of
NATO defence ministers, Angel Tîlvăr had bilateral talks with his counterparts
from the UK, Ben Wallace, and Spain, Margarita Robles Fernandez. They discussed
the security situation in the Black Sea region and emphasised the need for
substantial Allied contribution to ensuring the effectiveness and credibility
of NATO’s defence posture on the eastern flank.

INFLATION The National Bank of Romania has revised its inflation
forecast for the end of this year from 11.2% estimated previously to 7%. According
to the Quarterly Inflation Report made public today by the central bank
governor Mugur Isarescu, at the end of 2024 the indicator will stand at 4.2%. Romania
has consolidated its position in the EU in terms of inflation, with the 9th
highest rate in the Union. Mugur Isărescu also said a balance must be achieved
between fighting inflation and avoiding a possible recession, and added that
the inflation forecast is marked by many uncertainties.

FOOTBALL CFR Cluj, the only Romanian team still
playing in the European competitions, Thursday takes on the Italian side Lazio Rome, away from home, in the
playoffs for the Conference League’s eighth-finals. The second leg of this
round is scheduled next week in Cluj-Napoca. According to a UEFA poll, the
Romanians are most likely to win. This season CFR Cluj finished the group stage 2nd in a group that also
included Sivasspor (Turkey), Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) and Ballkani
(Kosovo), while Lazio ended up in the Conference League playoffs after
finishing 3rd in its group, after Feyenoord (the Netherlands) and
Midtjylland (Denmark). (AMP)

15 February 2023
22.12.2022

Séoul – Les responsables roumains dont le premier ministre Nicolae Ciuca et le président de la Chambre des Députés, Marcel Ciolacu poursuivent leur visite en Corée du sud. La Roumanie est intéressée au développement de projets économiques majeurs, aux côtés des grandes entreprises coréennes, dans des domaines essentiels tels : les transports, l’énergie, la défense, les TICs et les semi-conducteurs. D’ailleurs plusieurs consortiums coréens sont aussi des investisseurs dans le projet américain des réacteurs modulaires, que la Roumanie souhaite installer en quelques années. L’industrie de défense sera le principal thème à l’ordre du jour aujourd’hui alors que mercredi les pourparlers avec les responsables de Séoul ont visé notamment l’énergie. Les deux dignitaires roumains rencontreront aussi de hauts responsables de deux entreprises sud-coréennes : Hanwha Aerospace, producteurs de solutions de défense et Hyundai Rotem, spécialisée dans la production de véhicules, d’équipements militaires et d’ingénierie d’installations. Un échange d’opinions dans le domaine de la défense a également eu lieu hier lors de la rencontre à Séoul entre les deux dignitaires roumains et le premier ministre sud-coréen Han Duck-soo. Les pourparlers ont visé notamment la manière de gérer la situation générée par l’agression russe en Ukraine, la sécurité dans la région et la coopération entre l’Otan et la Corée du sud. Mercredi, Marcel CIolacu et Nicolae Ciuca ont rencontré aussi des représentants de la communauté roumaine, auxquels le premier ministre roumain a transmis l’appréciation pour la manière dont ils ont réussi à s’intégrer dans cette société tout en préservant l’identité, la langue, la culture et les valeurs de leur pays. Vendredi, la délégation roumaine qui inclut aussi plusieurs ministres visitera la zone démilitarisée qui sépare les deux Corées du sud et du nord.

Conférence – La Conférence « La Roumanie au delà des frontières » organisée par l’Alliance pour l’Unité des Roumains se déroule les 22 et 23 décembre à Bucarest. La réunion avec les représentants de la communauté de Roumains se trouvant à l’extérieur des frontières du pays a comme but d’identifier de solutions pratiques, réalistes aux problèmes auxquels se confronte la diaspora en cette période. La conférence vise à débattre d’une série de mesures importantes et de décisions administratives significatives que la Roumanie devrait assumer dans sa relation avec ses ressortissants établis au delà des frontières nationales. Parmi ces mesures figurent l’augmentation du nombre de bureaux de vote à l’extérieur du pays, afin d’offrir de chances réelles à tous les Roumains vivant à l’étranger d’exprimer leur droit de vote. S’y ajoute le lancement de programmes scolaires en langue roumaine, de culture et d’histoire nationale dédiés aux enfants et aux jeunes de la diaspora par la coopération entre les autorités de Bucarest et les Etats où se trouvent les Roumains, la simplification des procédures consulaires pour débloquer l’activité des consulats de la Roumanie à l’étranger et enfin l’inauguration de centres communautaires à l’étranger censés offrir de la consulte juridique et administrative..

Révolution – La commémoration des héros de la Révolution anticommuniste roumaine de 1989 se poursuit aujourd’hui en Roumanie. Des cérémonies religieuses et officielles se déroulent dans plusieurs villes roumaines. Ce fut le 22 décembre 1989 que des dizaines, voire des centaines de milliers de Roumains sont descendus dans la rue et obligé ainsi l’ex dictateur communiste roumain Nicolae Ceausescu de s’enfuir à bord d’un hélicoptère depuis le toit de l’ancien Comité Central du Parti communiste roumain. La révolte qui a mené à la chute du régime communiste a commencé le 21 décembre à Bucarest, suite à un grand meeting organisé par Nicolae Ceausescu, dans l’espoir de pouvoir calmer la population et préserver son pouvoir. Ce rassemblement s’est transformé ensuite en une véritable Révolution. Les héros ont été commémorés mercredi par des cérémonies à Bucarest et dans les principaux endroits où se sont déroulés les événements de 1989. Le président roumain Klaus Iohannis a déposé une couronne de fleurs à la croix installé sur la place de l’Université du centre de Bucarest et une minute de silence a été respectée. Rappelons-le, la révolution anticommuniste roumaine a commencé à Timisoara, dans l’ouest pour se propager ensuite à Bucarest et dans d’autres villes. Les violences qui ont eu lieu durant ces journées de décembre, ont fait un millier de morts et quelque 3 mille blessés. D’ailleurs, la Roumanie a été l’unique Etat de l’Europe de l’est où le changement de régime s’est réalisé par la violence.

Ministère de l’intérieur – Le ministère roumain de l’intérieur a annoncé jeudi des mesures spéciales pour maintenir l’ordre public à Noël et au Nouvel An. Selon cette source, plus de 24 500 policiers, gendarmes, agents de la police aux frontières, pompiers et employés d’autres structures de l’Etat seront mobilisés chaque jour durant les fêtes d’hiver de cette année. Les agents de la police routière seront présents à travers le pays dotés de 290 radars et autres équipements visant à dépister la consommation d’alcool et d’autres substances. Les autorités s’attendent à une nouvelle vague de touristes dans les stations de montagne de la Vallée de la Prahova, dans le centre sud.

22 December 2022
December 13, 2022

Budget — The Romanian Parliament has today resumed debates on the state budget in the committees, and the debate on the state insurance budget for 2023 is also scheduled. Yesterday, after a day of marathon debates, a large part of the budget allocations at the proposed level were approved by the government. Among others, the Ministry of Transport, the Presidential Administration, the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate, The Intelligence Service – SRI, the Foreign Intelligence Service- SIE and the Protection and Guard Service – SPP received approval. Defense will benefit from record sums, 2.5% of the GDP, which will allow the continuation of the programs to equip the Army with Patriot and HIMARS systems. The government estimates that the Gross Domestic Product will increase next year by almost 3%, to over 1,550 billion lei, although economic growth will slow down. However, they count on a better collection of taxes, on the decrease of inflation and unemployment. So the deficit should also decrease to 4.4 % of the GDP.

Schengen – The European Parliament will debate, today, the situation created by the vote against Romanias accession to the Schengen area given by Austria in the JHA Council, a topic added to the agenda on Monday by the vote of the largest political groups in the EP. On Monday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu met in Brussels with Austria’s Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, at the request of the Austrian side. On the occasion, minister Aurescu stated that Bucharest would use all available ways to unblock the situation and added that it was necessary to find a constructive solution. The Romanian minister showed, once again, that the information from the Austrian side regarding a possible involvement of Romania in the flow of illegal migration to Austria did not correspond in any way to the statistics compiled by the European agencies dealing with the borders. The Austrian side mentioned that it approved the work plan proposed by the European Commission regarding the management of migration, which it considers a first step. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis stated, on Monday evening, during his first public appearance after Romania was denied Schengen accession, that the negative vote given by Vienna was undeserved and incomprehensible.

Conference – In Paris, today, two events are taking place in support of Ukraine: an international conference with the participation of official representatives from Kyiv and friendly countries and an economic forum of French companies that want to get involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine. The two conferences, organized at the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron, have distinct objectives. The first, entitled “Solidarity with the Ukrainian people”, wants to respond to the urgent needs of the population this winter: restoring electricity, heat and water supply, food supply and access to health care, after much of the civil infrastructure of the country was destroyed or heavily damaged by the Russian bombings. Officials from 50 countries, as well as the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, have confirmed their presence. Ukraine will be represented by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will via video connection. The second conference will bring together the heads of nearly five hundred French companies interested in investing in the long term and contributing to the reconstruction of Ukraine after the end of the war.

Survey – Romanians currently have three main reasons for concern – inflation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the cost of medical services – according to a survey conducted last month by a management consulting company. In addition, most Romanians expect the prices of basic products to increase throughout the next year. Compared to other European countries, only the British are more worried than the Romanians about the price increases. The citizens of Italy, Spain, France and Germany are less worried about this aspect, the survey shows.

Football – The first semi-final at the World Cup in Qatar will be played this evening by Argentina and Croatia. The French national team, the defending world champion, will face the Moroccan team in the semifinals of the World Cup 2022, on Wednesday, at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor.

Meeting – The President of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis, declared in Bucharest that Romania must be part of the Schengen Area, but he also mentioned that Austria is subject to great migratory pressures, which affects the citizens of this country. This migratory pressure does not occur because of Romania, however, the Swiss official stated, during a press conference held alongside the president Klaus Iohannis. The evolution of the war in Ukraine, humanitarian aid measures for the Ukrainian population and refugees, the consequence of the conflict in terms of energy, as well as in terms of global food security, were on the agenda of the discussions between the two officials. Switzerland calls for strict compliance with the Geneva Convention and supports the efforts of the international community to document and punish war crimes, Ignazio Cassis emphasized on this occasion. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also had a meeting with the president of the Swiss Confederation, together with whom he evaluated the security situation on the eastern front, the support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the economic cooperation with an emphasis on stimulating investments and identifying new areas of collaboration. Nicolae Ciucă conveyed congratulations to the Swiss official and assured him of Romanias support for the Swiss Confederation when it will first hold the mandate of non-permanent member in the UN Security Council for the period 2023-2024. The Romanian-Swiss Framework Agreement was also signed in Bucharest, which will operationalize the second Swiss financial contribution to reduce economic and social disparities in the EU. President Ignazio Cassis was also the guest of Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown. The visit was attended by representatives of the federal authorities from Bern and the Swiss ambassador, HE Mr. Arthur Mattli. After the meeting of her Majesty Margareta and the Prince Consort with President Ignazio Cassis, the distinguished guest signed the Golden Book of the Elisabeta Palace, opened in 1937.

Boycott – The companies subordinated to the Romanian Transport Ministry announced their intention to move their money from the accounts at BCR, owned by the Austrian group Erste. Minister Sorin Gindeanu claims that the numerous companies under his command have found better conditions at CEC Bank. The start was given by the National Road Infrastructure Administration Company, which had account activity at BCR worth at least 12 billion lei (the equivalent of about 2.5 billion Euros) annually. Other companies, such as the Romanian Railways, the Port of Constanţa (south-east, on the Black Sea) or the Bucharest Airport Company will do the same. “I think its a good move, with better conditions,” Grindeanu said, adding that he doesnt have accounts in Austrian banks. After Austria opposed Romanias accession to the Schengen Area, the National Federation of Trade Unions in the Food Industry, Sindalimenta, also decided to close the bank account at BCR. Farmers, unions and businessmen have announced that they will boycott Austrian companies, including OMV Petrom gas stations. (LS)

13 December 2022
November 27, 2022 UPDATE

NATO The president of
Romania Klaus Iohannis will receive the
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, in Bucharest on Monday. Stoltenberg
will chair the meeting of NATO foreign ministers hosted by the Romanian capital city as of Tuesday. Also on this
occasion, the US state secretary Antony Blinken will travel to Bucharest, and
will have meetings with president Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign
minister Bogdan Aurescu. The NATO meeting, the
first of this kind organised in Romania, focuses on
supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion, energy security and
implementing the Alliance’s new strategic concept.

MLM A Munich Leaders
Meeting (MLM) takes place in Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday. The Romanian
foreign ministry is co-hosting this prestigious event, which is part of the Munich
Security Conference (MSC). Attending will be over 75 senior officials from over
25 countries, including current and former officials, experts, analysts and
opinion leaders. The agenda includes relevant topics for international
security, with an emphasis on developments in the Black Sea and Western Balkans
regions. Other topics will be the European security architecture, implementing
the new NATO Strategic Concept, hybrid threats, food security, and the energy
crisis. The conclusions of the meeting in Bucharest will contribute to shaping
the agenda of next year’s Munich Security Conference.

NATIONAL DAY Events
devoted to Romania’s National Day on December 1 begin in Alba Iulia on November
30, with military and wreath laying ceremonies. On December 1, more than 850 troops
will parade in Alba Iulia, including a French unit part of the NATO battlegroup
deployed in Cincu, Braşov County. In Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence
ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special
Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and
40 aircraft will take part in a military parade on December 1. According to a
defence ministry news release, around 150 troops from Belgium, France, North
Macedonia, R. Of Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, will also take
part. Romanian military personnel on missions abroad will also organise special
ceremonies.

ENVIRONMENT The
Romanian environment ministry launched a national forestation programme
financed from EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The
decision was made because forests cover less than 30% of the country’s surface,
as against the European average of 40%. In some counties in the south and
south-east of the country, the ratio is even have less than 5%. Farmers who no
longer want to keep their farmland under crops may turn it into forests or
shelterbelts. The government provides up to EUR 20,000 for a hectare of oak
forest in plains areas and up to EUR 17,000 per hectare of shelterbelts, with
an additional EUR 456 per year for each hectare of forest for 20 years.

UKRAINE Heavy rainfall is expected in
Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv as of Sunday, with sub-zero temperatures both
during the day and at night. Millions of people in the city and the region
around it are still without electricity and heat, after Russian shelling
damaged the country’s energy infrastructure. The region of Dnipropetrovsk, in
central Ukraine, was once again hit by 5 Russian missile strikes and heavy
artillery attacks, the regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said. Homes and
other buildings were destroyed, but no victims were reported. However, in the
southern region of Kherson, where the Russian troops pulled out 2 weeks ago, at
least 32 people were killed in the bombings, the Ukrainian police reported.

ENESCU The George
Enescu International Music Festival was shortlisted for the prestigious International
Opera Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of the opera world, the festival organisers have
announced. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday at Teatro Real (Madrid,
Spain). The 2021 edition was shortlisted in the Festivals section, alongside
other top-level events in the world of international classical music, such as
the Donizetti Festival and Garsington Opera.

HANDBALL The men’s
handball teams of Romania, Egypt, Algeria and Slovakia take part in this year’s
Carpaţi Trophy, on December 28th and 29th in Oradea,
north-western Romania, the Romanian Handball Federation announced. Egypt and
Algeria are qualified to the forthcoming World Championships scheduled for January
2023. Romania’s manager Xavi Pascual invited 24 players to convene for the
competition on December 26th. (AMP)

27 November 2022
November 27, 2022

NATO Bucharest will host on Tuesday and Wednesday a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Attending will also be the foreign ministers of Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine and, for the first time, the Republic of Moldova. The war in Ukraine will be one of the main topics of the meeting. The conference will be co-chaired by the Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, and NATOs secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. This is the first event of this kind organised in Romania since the country joined the Alliance in 2004 and the second NATO formal meeting in Romania since the 2008 summit. NATOs deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană, says the event is a bridge between this summers summit in Madrid and the forthcoming summit in Vilnius, and a contribution made by Romania to the Alliances strategic thinking and response to the complex situation on the continent.

MLM A Munich Leaders Meeting (MLM) takes place in Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday. The Romanian foreign ministry is co-hosting this prestigious event, which is part of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Attending will be over 75 senior officials from over 25 countries, including current and former officials, experts, analysts and opinion leaders. The agenda includes relevant topics for international security, with an emphasis on developments in the Black Sea and Western Balkans regions. Other topics will be the European security architecture, implementing the new NATO Strategic Concept, hybrid threats, food security, and the energy crisis. The conclusions of the meeting in Bucharest will contribute to shaping the agenda of next years Munich Security Conference.

NATIONAL DAY Events devoted to Romanias National Day on December 1 begin in Alba Iulia on November 30, with military and wreath laying ceremonies. On December 1, more than 850 troops will parade in Alba Iulia, including a French unit part of the NATO battlegroup deployed in Cincu, Braşov County. In Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and 40 aircraft will take part in a military parade on December 1. According to a defence ministry news release, around 150 troops from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, R. of Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, will also take part. Romanian military personnel on missions abroad will also organise special ceremonies.

ENVIRONMENT The Romanian environment ministry launched a national forestation programme financed from EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The decision was made because forests cover less than 30% of the countrys surface, as against the European average of 40%. In some counties in the south and south-east of the country, the ratio is even have less than 5%. Farmers who no longer want to keep their farmland under crops may turn it into forests or shelterbelts. The government provides up to EUR 20,000 for a hectare of oak forest in plains areas and up to EUR 17,000 per hectare of shelterbelts, with an additional EUR 456 per year for each hectare of forest for 20 years.

ENESCU The George Enescu International Music Festival was shortlisted for the prestigious International Opera Awards, the Oscars of the opera world, the festival organisers have announced. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday at Teatro Real (Madrid, Spain). The 2021 edition was shortlisted in the Festivals section, alongside other top-level events in the world of international classical music, such as the Donizetti Festival and Garsington Opera. (AMP)

27 November 2022
November 21, 2022

Pensions – The Romanian Labor Minister Marius Budăi, is invited, today, in the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies, to answer the questions of the opposition Save Romanian Union – USR representatives, who want to know the stage of reduction of expenses with the special pensions and the concrete steps taken to fulfill the commitment assumed in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Recently, the European Commission has said that military pensions must be reformed together with the special ones, and that, starting next year, Romania must observe the percentage of 9.4% of the GDP in the pensions chapter, conditions to be met for the approval of the third payment request for European funds. Minister Budăi is expected to come with clarifications regarding the pensions increase percentage, which will be applied as of the beginning of next year. In the governing coalition, opinions remain divided – the Liberals want a 15% increase for all pensions, while the Social Democrats insist that small pensions should be increased by a higher percentage.

Covid — COVID-19 no longer represents, at this moment, a public health issue in our country – the Romanian Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, said on Sunday. In the last period, the authorities have reported between 200 and 400 cases daily and there are also reports that do not include any deaths. Alexandru Rafila emphasized, however, that any virus can be unpredictable from the point of view of its evolution, so the vaccination recommendation for the vulnerable categories is maintained, especially since the vaccine adapted to the Omicron variants of the coronavirus will soon be available in Romania. The anti-COVID-19 vaccination will be performed in the family doctor’ offices and in the vaccination centers opened in several hospitals in Romania.

Conference – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, co-chairs, today, in Paris, the third ministerial conference of the support platform for the Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population), initiated by Romania, Germany and France this spring. The conference focuses on emergency assistance options for the Republic of Moldova, in the context in which it faces major energy, economic and humanitarian challenges, against the backdrop of the brutal war of aggression waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The presidents of France, Emmanuel Macron, and of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, are also participating in the event. At the previous conference, held in Romania’s capital Bucharest, the participants decided to grant financial support for Chişinău worth 615 million Euros.

Drill – In Brasov County (center), at the NATO military base in Cincu, a joint exercise is taking place as of Monday until Friday, in which 600 Romanian infantrymen are participating, together with soldiers from France, Portugal, Poland and the United States. The objectives of the “Black Scorpions” exercise are the joint training of the military and, implicitly, increasing the cohesion of the structures through training on the ground and tactical exercises with combat shooting. The personnel convoys and the more than 70 pieces of technical equipment will withdraw from Cincu on Saturday.

Summit – Romania emphasized, during the La Francophonie Summit in Tunisia, the serious impact on security and stability at the regional and global levels generated by Russias military aggression against Ukraine, as well as the particularly vulnerable situation of the Republic of Moldova in this context. Presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor, the representative of the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, for La Francophonie also highlighted Romanias solid contribution to the promotion of the French language and Francophone values, underlining Bucharests active commitment to international cooperation and assistance for development in the French-speaking area, by financing programs run in the French-speaking Africa or in the member states of Central and Eastern Europe.

Investigation – The Romanian MPs are going to decide, today, by vote, on the request of the Minister Justice regarding the approval of a computer search in a file targeting the former mayor of Bucharest’s Sector 1, Daniel Tudorache. He is being prosecuted for illegal and overprices purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate announced that it had started the criminal investigation of 56 suspects, legal entities and natural persons, including the former mayor Marian Vanghelie, local councilor in Sector 5 until 2020, and the former mayor Daniel Tudorache, currently a Social Democratic deputy, for illegal, overrated purchases. Prosecutors say that the group was founded and coordinated by Marian Vanghelie and that they managed to obtain more than 13.5 million Euros from these contracts. (LS)

21 November 2022
November 20, 2022 UPDATE

Conference — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, will co-chair on Monday, in Paris, the third Ministerial Conference of the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova, a permanent support tool created at the initiative of the foreign ministers of Romania, Germany and France this spring to mobilize the financial contributions of the international community and to support the necessary reforms for EU accession. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry — MAE, Minister Aurescu will co-chair this event together with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Catherine Colonna, and the Foreign Minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock. The conference will enjoy the participation of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. The meeting in Paris takes place in the context in which the Republic of Moldova is facing major energy, economic, humanitarian challenges and challenges to its resilience, against the background of the brutal war of aggression waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

Children’s Rights — A special government meeting will take place on Monday, in Bucharest, when children will take the seats of ministers, as part of an event organized on the occasion of the World Childrens Day. Thus, the government headquarters will become, for one day, the childrens headquarters – shows a Romanian Government’s communiqué. The children will present their vision and aspirations for Romania through a series of projects that they will propose during the simulation of the Executive session. The event is carried out in partnership with UNICEF Romania. The World Childrens Day is marked annually on November 20.

Summit — During the La Francophonie Summit, held in Djerba, in Tunisia, Romania has emphasized the serious impact on security and stability at the regional and global level generated by Russias military aggression against Ukraine, as well as the particularly vulnerable situation of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) in this context. At the Conference of Heads of State and Government from the French-speaking countries, Romania was represented by presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor, the Francophonie representative of Romanias president, Klaus Iohannis. Sergiu Nistor emphasized the need to urgently address the issues of the risk of manipulation and propagation of false information, disinformation and narratives on social networks in the French-speaking digital space. He also highlighted Romanias solid contribution to the promotion of the French language and the values of the Francophonie, underlining Bucharests active commitment to international cooperation and assistance for development in the French-speaking space, by financing programs carried out in French-speaking Africa or in the member states of the International Organization of La Francophonie from Central and Eastern Europe. The representative of the President of Romania for La Francophonie also highlighted the continuation of the main emblematic programs of La Francophonie, run by Romania, such as the “Eugene Ionescu” doctoral and postdoctoral scholarship program or the course intended for officers who will operate within the UN peacekeeping operations carried out in Francophone areas.

COP27 — COP27, the annual UN climate conference, adopted on Sunday a resolution that provides for the creation of a fund to finance climate damage already suffered by “particularly vulnerable” countries, a decision described as historic by its promoters. The decision was adopted by consensus, in the plenary assembly, at the end of the conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The resolution emphasizes the immediate need for new, additional, predictable and adequate financial resources to help developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the economic and non-economic impact of climate change. The ways of implementing the decision are to be developed by a special committee and will be adopted at COP28 at the end of 2023, in the United Arab Emirates.

Kyiv — Ukraines Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was rocked by bombings on Saturday night and on Sunday, drawing criticism from the UN nuclear watchdog, which warned that such attacks risked a major nuclear catastrophe, Reuters reports. More than a dozen explosions rocked the largest nuclear power plant in Europe – the International Atomic Energy Agency said. Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for the bombings. Repeated bombing of the Zaporizhzhia plant, which Russia took control of shortly after invading Ukraine in February, is raising concerns about the possibility of a major accident just 500 km away from the site of the worlds worst nuclear accident that took place in Chernobyl in 1986. (LS)

20 November 2022
November 20, 2022

Conference — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, will co-chair on Monday, in Paris, the third Ministerial Conference of the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova, a permanent support tool created at the initiative of the foreign ministers of Romania, Germany and France this spring to mobilize the financial contributions of the international community and to support the necessary reforms for EU accession. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry — MAE, Minister Aurescu will co-chair this event together with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Catherine Colonna, and the Foreign Minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock. The conference will enjoy the participation of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. The meeting in Paris takes place in the context in which the Republic of Moldova is facing major energy, economic, humanitarian challenges and challenges to its resilience, against the background of the brutal war of aggression waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

Summit — During the Francophonie Summit, held in Djerba, in Tunisia, Romania has emphasized the serious impact on security and stability at the regional and global level generated by Russias military aggression against Ukraine, as well as the particularly vulnerable situation of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) in this context. At the Conference of Heads of State and Government from the French-speaking countries, Romania was represented by presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor, the Francophonie representative of Romanias president, Klaus Iohannis. Sergiu Nistor emphasized the need to urgently address the issues of the risk of manipulation and propagation of false information, disinformation and narratives on social networks in the French-speaking digital space. He also highlighted Romanias solid contribution to the promotion of the French language and the values of the Francophonie, underlining Bucharests active commitment to international cooperation and assistance for development in the French-speaking space, by financing programs carried out in French-speaking Africa or in the member states of the International Organization of La Francophonie from Central and Eastern Europe. The representative of the President of Romania for La Francophonie also highlighted the continuation of the main emblematic programs of La Francophonie, run by Romania, such as the “Eugene Ionescu” doctoral and postdoctoral scholarship program or the course intended for officers who will operate within the UN peacekeeping operations carried out in Francophone areas.

Football — The World Football Cup in Qatar, the first to be held in the Middle East, starts today with the match between the representative of the host country and Ecuador, in Group A. The final tournament in Qatar, with 32 teams, will have 64 matches, which will be hosted by 8 stadiums, and it will end on December 18. This final tournament will be the last with 32 participating teams — as from 2026, 48 countries will participate. The holder of the world title is France. Romania is not participating in this years tournament. Instead, three Romanians will be present on the list of referees – István Kovács, in the center, and Ovidiu Artene and Vasile Marinescu, as assistant referees. Kovacs was appointed the fourth official referee in the opening match. The press agencies note that, since Qatar was designated, at the end of 2010, for the organization of this global event, it has been the constant target of numerous criticisms regarding accusations of corruption, inhuman working conditions for migrants, criticisms related to the respect for the women’s rights and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the impact on the environment. The accusations were categorically rejected by the authorities in Doha, who emphasized that they had reformed labor laws, as well as by the World Cup organizers, who gave assurances that members of the LGBTQ+ community would be accommodated without discrimination, despite laws that criminalize sexual relations between people of the same sex in this country.

COP27 — COP27, the annual UN climate conference, adopted on SUnday a resolution that provides for the creation of a fund to finance climate damage already suffered by “particularly vulnerable” countries, a decision described as historic by its promoters. The decision was adopted by consensus, in the plenary assembly, at the end of the conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The resolution emphasizes the immediate need for new, additional, predictable and adequate financial resources to help developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the economic and non-economic impact of climate change. The ways of implementing the decision are to be developed by a special committee and will be adopted at COP28 at the end of 2023, in the United Arab Emirates.

Statistics – In the last 4 years, more than half of the companies in the EU have carried out innovation activities, according to a Eurostat report. Investing in innovation means investing in the future of Europe, the EU officials say, and most companies in the community space are already implementing strategies based on technology, science and research. According to the latest Eurostat report, 73% of large companies with over 250 employees are the most interested in completely new strategies. They are followed by medium-sized companies, 60% of which have introduced new elements in their production processes. In the top of the countries with the biggest number of enterprises using new technologies are Greece, Belgium and Cyprus, and countries such as Hungary, Spain and Poland register values below the European average of 53%. Romania is ranked on last position, with only 11% of companies interested in innovative activities. (LS)

20 November 2022
La Roumanie, le besoin de numérisation

84 des entreprises de technologie les plus importantes au monde sont venues à Bucarest et présentent pour la première fois des produits et des services dans le cadre du GoTech World. C’est l’événement dédié à l’informatique et à la numérisation le plus important en Europe centrale et de l’est. Hormis la zone d’expositions, l’événement prévoit 122 sessions déroulées sur 11 scènes de conférence. Pas moins de 130 speakers, influenceurs, experts et entrepreneurs des domaines informatiques y sont présents.

A l’inauguration, le Ministre de la Recherche, l’Innovation et la Numérisation, Sebastian Burduja, a souligné que la transformation numérique, la recherche et l’innovation étaient particulièrement importantes, cars elles étaient les moteurs du développement de l’économie. D’ailleurs, la Roumanie en possède l’ingrédient le plus important : la ressource humaine, les cerveaux : « Les spécialistes roumains sont appréciés partout dans le monde et ils peuvent faire face à tout moment aux plus grands spécialistes mondiaux. On doit en profiter. On doit investir dans la productivité, parce qu’en fait la croissance économique est le résultat de la productivité multipliée par la population. La Roumanie ne peut pas compter sur la démographie, mais elle doit compter sur la productivité. C’est-à-dire, il faut investir dans les TIC, dans l’innovation et dans la recherche » a déclaré le Ministre de la Recherche, l’Innovation et la Numérisation, Sebastian Burduja.

Le président Klaus Iohannis s’est lui aussi rendu au GoTech World, où il a rappelé qu’au cours de la dernière décennie, cette industrie a enregistré des flambées annuelles d’au moins 10%, ce qui a favorisé l’avancée technologique et économique de la Roumanie. En même temps, en Roumanie, la numérisation des services publics traine toujours. C’est pourquoi, les autorités publiques doivent faire des pas concrets et rapides, a dit encore le chef de l’Etat.

Le Gouvernement a les instruments et les fonds nécessaires pour implémenter une stratégie de numérisation au niveau national, a déclaré aussi le Premier Ministre Nicolae Ciucă : « La révolution numérique et les nouvelles technologies sont une chance de réduire les décalages entre la Roumanie et les autres pays européens, qui ont compris l’importance des nouvelles technologies pour la modernisation des services publiques. Nous allons agir dans quelques domaines importants, vue les services publiques le secteur privé mais aussi en ce qui concerne la connectivité par des réseaux de grande vitesse. »

Nicolae Ciucă a également évoqué un projet commun avec la République Moldova qui vise à créer un espace numérique sur les deux rives du Prut et dont les résultats sont remarquables. Iurie Ţurcanu, vice-Premier Ministre en charge de la numérisation en République Moldova, a décrit les succès de son équipe soulignant l’importance de l’aide que la Roumanie avait constamment offert. « Avec les partenaires du développement nous avons crée le cloud gouvernemental, une plateforme d’échange de données réunissant les portails des citoyens. Ainsi, aujourd’hui les gens peuvent accéder d’un seul click tous les services de l’Etat, aux services les plus importants. Dans ce parcours, nous avons réussi à créer une bonne synergie avec le Gouvernement de la Roumanie. En début d’année, nous avons signé un mémorandum de collaboration visant le développement de la numérisation et nous avons promis de créer ensemble un espace numérique commun », a transmis Iurie Ţurcanu aux participants à l’événement accueilli par Bucarest. (trad. Andra Juganaru)

4 November 2022
September 7, 2022

FLIGHTS Freezing the accounts of the Romanian air
operator Blue Air does not justify an immediate suspension of flights, says the
Romanian environment minister, Tánczos Barna, who calls on the company to meet
its obligations to passengers and the state budget. Blue Air’s accounts were
frozen by the Environment Fund Agency because the company owes over EUR 5 mln
and is undergoing foreclosure. Three thousand people are affected, after Blue
Air suspended all its domestic and international flights until Monday, 12th
September. According to the company, the decision was made after the
Environment Ministry froze its accounts.

MOTION A simple motion tabled by Save Romania Union (USR) in
opposition against the Liberal energy minister Virgil Popescu was dismissed by
the Chamber of Deputies today, with 191 votes against and 85 votes in favour of the document, coming
from USR, the nationalist party AUR and the Force of the Right, splintered from
the Liberal Party and headed by the ex-PM Ludovic Orban. The opposition
criticised the energy minister for the lack of investments in production
facilities and for his management of the electricity and natural gas price caps.
Minister Virgil Popescu dismissed the accusations and described the USR motion
as a populist move. He also added that the new mechanism related to energy
bills will discourage speculation in the market.

VISIT The president of Hungary, Katalin Novak, was received with
honours in Bucharest today by the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, as part of
her official visit at the invitation of the president of Romania. The talks
will concern the means to diversify and deepen the bilateral dialogue, as well as the current regional, European and global situation, following Russia’s
military aggression against Ukraine. The visit comes as the 2 countries
celebrate 20 years since the governments of Hungary and Romania signed a
Strategic Partnership Declaration for 21st Century Europe. According
to the Romanian Presidency, president Iohannis will highlight Romania’s openness to strengthening bilateral cooperation and dialogue with
Hungary, a very important neighbour of Romania, so as to promote projects of
mutual interest to the benefit of the citizens of the 2 countries. This
afternoon, the Hungarian official will also have meetings with the PM Nicolae
Ciucă and with the speakers of the 2 chambers of Parliament.

ECONOMY Romania’s economy grew 5.3% in the second quarter of
this year compared to the corresponding period of 2021, the National Statistics
Institute announced. In the first half of the year, the GDP went up 5.8%,
compared to the first 6 months of last year. Contributing to this growth were
trade, automotive repairs, transport and storage services, the hospitality and
the IT&C sectors. According to the institution, the areas that hindered
economic growth were industry, where operations dropped in the reference
period, and the negative ratio between imports and exports.

SURVEY A Eurobarometer survey released on Tuesday by the European
Commission points to increased confidence of European citizens in the EU and
continuing strong support for the Union’s response to Russia’s aggression
against Ukraine. An overwhelming majority of EU citizens supports investments
in renewable energy and steps to reduce the bloc’s reliance on Russian energy
sources. Europeans are increasingly concerned with the economic situation in
the Union and in their respective countries.

FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions, CFR Cluj, Thursday play
away from home against FC Ballkani, in Pristina, Kosovo, in their first
match in Group G of the Europa Conference League. The other match in the group
is pitting Sivasspor, of Turkey, against the Czech side Slavia Prague. Romanian
vice-champions FCSB Bucharest also play away from home, in London, against West
Ham United, in Group B of the same competition. The Belgian side Anderlecht
takes on the Danish team Silkeborg IF, also in Group B. Two other Romanian
teams, CS Universitatea Craiova and Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, have lost the
qualifying stage of the Europa Conference League. (AMP)

7 September 2022
August 26, 2022

LAWS Draft laws on the reform of
Romania’s education system could be submitted to the government in early
September – Education Minister Sorin Campeanu has announced. The minister says
that upon public debates over the documents, almost 15 hundred amendments,
which are to be assessed by experts with the ministry. We recall that
representatives of the teaching staff, students, parents and society have
called for the extension of the period of debates, but the ministry turned down
the proposal.

EO The government in Bucharest has endorsed an emergency
ordinance providing for a 30 Euros pay rise for state employees starting August
1st, Labour Minister Marius Budai has announced adding that the
raise is only one fourth of the level stipulated in Law 153 for the year 2022
and it accounts for 2 billion lei of the state budget. According to Budai,
almost one million out of the 1.2 million state employees will benefit from the
new ordinance. The medical personnel and several other categories had already
benefitted the aforementioned pay rise.

TRADE Romania’s exports of drinks have increased by 52 % in the
first five months of 2022 up to 108 million Euros, the National Institute for
Statistics has announced. Between January and May this year Romania’s imports
of beverages grew by 45% up to 251 million Euros, which resulted in a trade
deficit of 143 million Euros. According to papers in Bucharest, the most
sought-after drink is the Romanian version of the French cognac. The demand for
this product has significantly increased on markets in Europe, the USA and
Japan.

FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions CFR Cluj qualified for the
groups of Europa Conference League after a 1-0 home win on Thursday against
Slovenian side NK Maribor in the play-offs. The first game in Slovenia ended in
a goaless draw. FCSB, runner up in the Romanian championship, have also
qualified after a 3-1 away win against their Norwegian opponents. Another
Romanian side Universitatea Craiova was eliminated in the play-offs by the
Israeli side Hapoel Beer-Sheva during the penalty shootout. Lots will be drawn
for the competition’s next stage today in Nyon, France.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player, seventh seeded Simona Halep,
will be up against an opponent from the qualifying round of the US Open, the
year’s last Grand Slam tournament. Halep last year made it to the round of 16
of the aforementioned competition, her best performance being in 2015, when she
played in the semifinals. Another tennis player from Romania, Irina Begu, will
be up against Elise Mertens of Belgium who has so far won all head-to-head
matches. Sorana Cirstea, also from Romania will be up against Laura Siegemund
of Germany while Gabriela Ruse will be playing Daria Saville of Australia.
Another Romanian player Jaqueline Cristian will be up against Anett Kontaveit
of Estonia.

(bill)

26 August 2022
29.07.2022

Visite – La présidente de la République de Moldova entame aujourd’hui une visite officielle en Roumanie à l’invitation de son homologue Klaus Iohannis. Au cours de la conférence de presse qui a suivi les rencontres tête à tête et les réunions officielles, le chef de l’Etat roumain a caractérisé les entretiens de très consistantes, avec un accent particulier sur plusieurs thèmes d’intérêt bilatéral, vu les liens solides et sincères qui existent entre les deux Etats. Il a félicité Maia Sandu pour l’obtention par la République de Moldova du statut de pays candidat à l’adhésion à l’UE à l’occasion du Conseil européen de juin. C’est une réussite historique, un véritable moment décisif pour l’avenir de cet Etat, a affirmé Klaus Iohannis, qui a ajouté que la Roumanie n’abandonnera pas la République de Moldova et continuera à la soutenir par tous les leviers à sa disposition. Il a ajouté avoir décidé avec son homologue de Chisinau d’entreprendre plusieurs pas décisifs en ce qui concerne l’interconnexion des réseaux d’électricité des deux pays. Les deux hommes ont également évoqué le potentiel du gazoduc Iasi – Ungheni – Chisinau en tant qu’élément essentiel dans l’architecture de sécurité énergétique de la République de Moldova. Pour sa part, la présidente Maia Sandu a affirmé que le long des années, Bucarest s’est retrouvé aux côtés de Chisinau, soulignant que la voix de la Roumanie « a fortement résonné » à Bruxelles dans les efforts de soutenir l’ex République soviétique dans l’obtention du statut d’Etat candidat à l’adhésion à l’UE. Maia Sandu est également confiante que le partenariat moldo-roumain aidera à dépasser les difficultés provoquées par la guerre en Ukraine.

Hymne
national – La Roumanie célèbre aujourd’hui son hymne national. Conformément au
ministère de la Défense, des cérémonies militaires se déroulent à travers le
pays. A Bucarest, une messe a eu lieu devant le Palais du Cercle militaire
national, suivi par un concert de l’orchestre de l’armée. A Râmnicu Vâlcea
également, les autorités organisent en cette fin de semaine des événements
consacrés à la chanson « Desteapta-te, române », « Eveille-toi
Roumain », qui a été chantée pour la première fois dans un cadre officiel
dans cette ville du sud de la Roumanie, il y a 174 ans. Aujourd’hui le conseil local de la ville se
réunit dans le cadre d’une réunion festive, alors qu’une parade est prévue sur
un itinéraire symbolique de l’histoire de la ville. La fête de l’hymne
nationale a été proclamée par le Parlement roumain en
1998. « Eveille-toi Roumain ! » a été composé par Antonn
Pan et les paroles ont été écrites par la poète Andrei Muresanu. Le message de
l’hymne national de la Roumanie a un fort impact et évoque l’unité nationale,
le courage, la dignité et la responsabilité, affirme dans un communiqué le
président du pays, Klaus Iohannis. Et au premier ministre roumain, Nicolae
Ciuca d’ajouter que l’hymne, le drapeau et les armoiries définissent l’identité
du peuple roumain et constituent le lien entre le passé, le présent et
l’avenir.

Football – Toutes les équipes roumaines de foot présentes dans la compétition européenne de la Conférence Ligue se sont qualifiés au troisième tour des préliminaires. Jeudi, Universitatea Craiova, dans le sud, a battu à domicile sur le score de 3 à 0 les Albanais de Vllaznia, après une égalité 1 partout dans le match aller. Au troisième tour des préliminaires, Craiova affrontera les ukrainiens de Zaria Lugansk. A Bucarest, sur l’Arène nationale, le FCSB a disposé sur le score de 4 buts à 2 des géorgiens de Saburtalo, équipe vaincue dans le match aller sur le score de 1 but à 0. Ce qui plus est, le FCSB rencontrera les Slovaques de Dunajská Streda. La mission la plus difficile a été celle de la gagnante de la Coupe de Roumanie Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe dans le centre. Elle a été battue 2 buts à 0 par les Slovènes d’Olimpija Ljubljana, après une victoire 3 buts à 1 à domicile. Aux tirs aux buts, les Slovènes ont raté à deux reprises et c’est ainsi que Sepsi s’est qualifié pour rencontrer ensuite les suédois de Djurgården. Enfin, mercredi le CFR Cluj (nord-ouest) a terminé à égalité le match contre l’Inter Club d’Escaldes, d’Andorre – 1 partout – après une victoire 3 buts à 0 durant au match aller. Le CFR Cluj rencontrera ensuite le champion de la Biélorussie Șahtior Soligorsk.

Sports – Les sportifs roumains ont remporté quatre médailles, dont deux d’argent et deux de bronze jeudi à la 16e édition d’été du Festival olympique de la Jeunesse européenne, à Banska Bystrica, en Slovaquie. Deux médailles ont été décrochées à l’athlétisme : Ştefania Alexandra Uţă et Denisa Capotă . Une autre médaille d’argent a été remportée en natation alors qu’au Judo, Rareş Ştefan Arsenie a terminé troisième dans sa catégorie des 90 kilos. A l’issue de quatre jours de compétition, la Roumanie a terminé 19e au classement des médailles avec une médaille d’or, quatre d’argent et trois de bronze.

Sighisoara – C’est à Sighisoara, dans le centre de la Roumanie que se déroule ce weekend la 28e édition du premier festival médiéval de Roumanie. La cité de Sighisoara sera particulièrement animée avec toute sorte de spectacles de théâtre de rue, d’improvisation, de musique et de danse, le tout tournant autour de l’art médiéval. Si durant l’édition précédente le festival a réuni 11 000 visiteurs, les organisateurs s’attendent actuellement à recevoir quelque 16 000 visiteurs. Des feux d’artifices sont prévus dimanche soir à Sighisoara, l’unique cité médiévale habitée dans le sud-est de l’Europe.

Météo – L’administration nationale de météorologie a émis une nouvelle alerte code jaune à la canicule qui vise 12 départements de Roumanie et la capitale Bucarest ces vendredi et samedi. Conformément aux prévisions, sur l’ouest et le sud du pays, la vague de chaleur devrait s’intensifier. Samedi dans l’après midi, l’inconfort thermique sera élevé et l’indicateur Humidex dépassera le seuil critique des 80 unités. Les maximas iront généralement de 33 à 37 degrés. Dimanche la vague de chaleur persistera sur le sud et le sud-est. Une alerte code jaune à l’instabilité est également valable jusqu’à dimanche dans la soirée sur plus de trois quarts du territoire. Les pluies à verse et les orages seront également au rendez-vous.

29 July 2022
July 29, 2022

VISIT The president of the R. of Moldova, Maia Sandu, is today on an
official visit in Romania, at the invitation of her counterpart Klaus Iohannis.
At the press conference following the official meeting, the Romanian president
said the talks were solid and focused on many topics of bilateral interest,
taking into account the long-lasting and sincere connections between the 2
countries. He congratulated Maia Sandu on Moldova’s EU accession candidate
status granted at the European Council meeting on June 23-24. This is a historic
achievement, a landmark in the history of the country, Klaus Iohannis said, and
added that Romania will continue to support Moldova through all the means available
to it. Mr. Iohannis also pointed out that the 2 presidents agreed to take
decisive steps in terms of inter-connecting the electricity networks of their
countries, and discussed the potential of the Iaşi-Ungheni-Chişinău pipeline
as a vital element of Moldova’s energy security. In
turn, the
president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said Bucharest stood by Chisinau over the
years, and Romania’s voice ‘resounded strongly’ in Brussels in support of
Moldova’s EU candidate status. Maia Sandu voiced her confidence that the
Moldovan-Romanian partnership will contribute to overcoming the difficulties
entailed by the war in Ukraine.

ANTHEM Every year on July 29 Romania celebrates National Anthem Day.
According to the defence ministry, ceremonies are held today in all military
units across the country. In Bucharest, a religious service was held in front
of the National Military Palace, while in Râmnicu Vâlcea local authorities
organized events devoted to the song Awaken Thee, Romanian!, which was first
performed officially in this town 174 years ago. National Anthem Day was
proclaimed by Parliament in 1998. The song was written by Anton Pann, on lyrics
by the poet Andrei Mureşanu. The message of the National Anthem has a strong
impact, and calls for national unity, courage, dignity and responsibility,
president Klaus Iohannis said in a news release. In turn, PM Nicolae Ciucă said
the anthem, national colours and the coat of arms define the identity of the
Romanian nation and signify the strong connection between the past, present and
future.

FESTIVAL Sighişoara,
in central Romania, is hosting this weekend the 28th edition of the
first medieval festival in Romania. The Sighişoara citadel will be the stage of
theatre performances, music and dance shows, improvisation, arts and crafts
demonstrations. While the previous edition was attended by some 11,000
visitors, the organisers hope 16,000 people will take part this year. A
spectacular fireworks show is planned for the closing ceremony on Sunday night.
Sighisoara is the only inhabited medieval citadel in south-eastern Europe.

FOOTBALL All the Romanian football teams taking part in the European
Conference League qualifiers have moved into the 3rd preliminary
round. On Thursday Universitatea Craiova defeated the Albanian side
Vllaznia 3-0 on home turf, after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. In the 3rd
preliminary round, Craiova will play against the Ukrainian team Zaria Luhansk. In
Bucharest, FCSB defeated Saburtalo (Georgia) 4-2, and is next to take on the
Slovakian team Dunajská Streda. The Romanian Cup winners Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe had
the most difficult match on Thursday, against Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia, and
lost 2-0, away from home, after having won 3-1 in the first leg. In the penalty
shootouts, the Slovenians missed twice, and Sepsi moved forward in the
competition. Their next opponent is Djurgården (Sweden). And on Wednesday, CFR Cluj drew 1-1 away from home
against Inter Club d’Escaldes, of Andorra, after 3-0 at home, and are pitted
next against Belarusian champions Shahtior Soligorsk. (AMP)

29 July 2022
July 22, 2022

RESOURCES
PM Nicolae Ciucă promised that Romania will have the necessary natural gas to
cover demand for the coming winter. The PM said more than 1.6 billion cubic
meters of gas is already stored, and the energy plan stipulates 80% of the
total capacity will be reached by November 1. Meanwhile, he said that in spite
of the drought, there is enough wheat to cover the domestic demand and export
commitments and that there are no reasons to worry about the maize and sunflower
crops.

HEAT WAVE The prime minister of Romania
Nicolae Ciucă has today asked prefects to conduct information and prevention
campaigns so that people are aware of the risks entailed by the high
temperatures and that activities to mitigate the effects of the heat wave may
be coordinated. He added that it was important for all localities to have cooling
shelters and medical teams providing assistance and free water. PM Ciucă also requested the
authorities to take steps to ensure navigability on the River Danube. The low
water flow has made it nearly impossible to navigate the Danube, with several
vessels stranded in sand and scores of cruise ships cancelling their stopovers
in the port of Giurgiu over the past month.

COVID-19 Nearly 7,400 new COVID cases
were reported over the past 24 hours, out of around 24,400 tests, the
authorities announced on Friday. Over 2,600 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised,
171 of them in intensive care. Seven COVID-related deaths have also been reported.
Hospitals are beginning to take measures, including increasing the number of
beds set aside for COVID patients, regular staff and patient testing, and
cancelling visiting hours in order to reduce the risk of infection.

REFUGEES The Romanian
Border Police announced today that 11,511 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania
on Thursday, 4.5% fewer than the
previous day.
According to a news release, border checks are conducted efficiently and in
line with the national and EU legislation, and border police units are working
at full capacity.

UKRAINE Turkey announced an agreement was reached,
which would enable Ukraine to export grains via Black Sea routes. The deal is
to be signed in Istanbul today by officials from Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and
the UN. Three main provisions in the agreement are already known. First, Russia
must guarantee ceasefire during the shipments. Secondly, Ukraine must guide grain
ships in and out through mined port waters. Finally, Turkey, supported by the
United Nations, is to inspect ships in order to dispel Russian fears of weapons
smuggling. This is the first major agreement reached by Russia and Ukraine
since the start of the invasion.

FOOTBALL Romanian football champions CFR Cluj won 3-0 against
Inter Club d’Escaldes, of Andorra, played on Thursday night on home turf in the
first leg of the second round of Europa Conference League’s qualifiers. In the
same competition, the winners of
Romania’s Cup, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe defeated 3-1 at home the Slovenian
side Olimpija Ljubljana. Romania’s 2 other representatives in Europa
Conference League played away from home. Universitatea Craiova drew against the
Albanian side Vllaznia Shkoder, 1-1, and vice-champions FCSB were defeated by FC
Saburtalo Tbilisi, of Georgia. (AMP)

22 July 2022
18.07.2022

Sècheresse – Le gouvernement de Bucarest commence cette semaine l’élaboration d’une stratégie à long terme pour combattre la sécheresse, dans le contexte de l’impact négatif des changements climatiques sur les cultures agricoles. L’exécutif souhaite utiliser les fonds européens, mais aussi des sources du budget de l’Etat pour développer le système d’irrigations et pour soutenir les fermiers touchés par la sécheresse. Le premier ministre roumain Nicolae Ciuca a annoncé la création d’une commission interministérielle qui devrait commencer son activité dès cette semaine.

CAE – Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine, Bogdan Aurescu, participe ce lundi, à Bruxelles, à la réunion du Conseil Affaires Etrangères de l’UE. Devant ses homologues européens, il plaidera pour un nouvel appui à l’Ukraine, y compris pour l’octroi d’une nouvelle tranche financière par le biais la Facilité européenne pour la paix. Selon un communiqué de la diplomatie roumaine, le ministre Aurescu transmettra le fait que Bucarest est favorable à maintenir la pression sur la Russie à consolider le régime des sanctions à son encontre. Il doit présenter également les mesures les plus récentes prises par la Roumanie pour faciliter les exportations de céréales, dont l’ouverture de nouveaux points de passage de la frontière ou encore l’accord de la Roumanie visant à permettre aux navires transportant des céréales et battant pavillon tiers de transiter les canaux de Chilia et de Bystroe. Le ministre ukrainien des Affaires étrangères, Dmytro Kuleba, devra s’exprimer en visio conférence dans le cadre du Conseil. Par ailleurs, les chefs des diplomaties des 27 doivent approuver un accord politique pour débloquer la 5e tranche, chiffrée à 500 millions d’euros, de la Facilité européenne pour la paix pour financer l’acquisition d’armement à fournir à l’Ukraine en guerre. Tout cela dans le contexte où la Commission Européenne a proposé vendredi de nouvelles sanctions contre la Russie, dont une interdiction sur les exportations d’or russes vers le bloc communautaire.

Visite – Le président palestinien Mahmoud Abbas, fera mardi une visite officielle en Roumanie à l’invitation du président Klaus Iohannis. Les deux leaders évalueront les possibilités de dynamiser et consolider les aspects sectoriels de la coopération bilatérale dans tous les secteurs d’intérêt commun, avec un accent particulier sur le dialogue politique, les affaires intérieures, l’éducation, l’économie et le commerce. Egalement à l’ordre du jour de la réunion : un échange sur les évolutions avec un impact régional au Proche Orient, l’état et les perspectives du processus de paix, la situation sécuritaire et les effets de l’agression russe en Ukraine, selon un communiqué de l’administration présidentielle de Bucarest.

Frontières – Plus de 153 000 voyageurs son passés par les poste-frontières roumains selon l’inspection générale de la police roumaine aux frontières. Sur ce, quelque 11 000 sont des ressortissants ukrainiens. Depuis le début de la guerre en Ukraine voisine, quelque 1,6 millions de citoyens ukrainiens sont entrés en Roumanie, dont la vaste majorité ont seulement transité le pays.

Concours olympique – Les élèves roumains ont décroché quatre médailles d’or et une d’argent au concours olympique de Physique tenue enligne par la Suisse et qui a réuni quelque 369 compétiteurs. Grâce à ces résultats, ils se sont classés en deuxième place dans le classement mondial, aux côtés de la Corée du sud. L’équipe de la Chine s’est classé en première position alors que celle des Etats Unis a terminé la compétition en troisième position. L’équipe de mathématiques de Roumanie a remporté la première place en Europe et la cinquième dans le monde au Concours olympique international de mathématiques d’Oslo, en Norvège, avec deux médailles d’or et quatre d’argent. Cette compétition a réuni des délégations de 105 Etats. Rappelons-le, au mois de mai, le lot olympique de mathématique de Roumanie a décroché six médailles et la 1ere place par équipes à la 39é édition du concours olympique balkanique de mathématiques qui s’est déroulé à Agros à Chypre.

Rugby – La sélection nationale de rugby de Roumanie s’est inclinée face à la sélection de l’Uruguay sur le score de 26 à 20 dimanche, dans un match test déroulé à Montevideo. La Roumanie avait battu l’Uruguay il y a une semaine sur le score de 30 à 22. La sélection de rugby est déjà qualifiée à la coupe du monde de rugby en 2023 qui se déroulera en France. Elle fait partie du groupe B, aux côtés de l’Afrique du sud, de l’Irlande, de l’Ecosse et d’une équipe issue de la région Asie Pacifique.

Incendies – Une partie de l’ouest de l’Europe s’est confronté en cette fin de semaine aux incendies de forêt dévastateurs, une conséquence d’une vague de chaleur qui selon les météorologues pourraient dépasser plusieurs records de températures maximales en début de semaine. Des températures record sont attendues dans plusieurs pays : Portugal, France, Royaume Uni. En France une alerte code rouge a été décrétée aujourd’hui à cause des températures extrêmes dans 15 départements alors que dans 51 autres départements, un code orange est également en vigueur. Le Royaume Uni pourrait enregistrer aujourd’hui son jour le plus chaleureux, avec des maximas qui frôleront les 41 degrés. Une alerte code rouge à la canicule est en vigueur sur plusieurs régions d’Angleterre, de York et Manchester à Londres et dans le sud-est. En Espagne, la vague de chaleur qui touche le pays depuis plusieurs jours a tué jusqu’ici plus de 300 personnes, selon la presse locale.

Météo – Il fait beau en Roumanie, où les températures tournent autour des moyennes pluriannuelles de cette période. Ciel variable sur le nord, le centre, l’est et le sud-est du pays et plutôt bleu sur le reste. Les maxima vont de 23 à 31 degrés .Il fait beau à Bucarest où les maximas frôlent les 30 degrés.

18 July 2022