Radio România Internațional

Tag: crisis in Ukraine

  • February 23, 2022 UPDATE

    February 23, 2022 UPDATE

    ROMANIA AND UKRAINE -
    Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă has assured his fellow Romanians, in the context of the
    Ukrainian crisis, that all necessary institutional measures have been taken, in
    keeping with the decisions of the Supreme Defense Council. He explained that
    these steps were taken in coordination with the NATO allies and EU member
    states. Prime Minister Ciucă
    called on the relevant ministers to keep monitoring the situation, coordinate and
    remain vigilant. In another development, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies
    in Bucharest will convene in a joint session on March 1, to adopt a political
    declaration in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and
    independence. On Tuesday, Cristian Chirteş,
    chairman of the Joint Standing Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the
    Senate for the exercise of parliamentary control over the activity of the
    Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), said that Romania’s security situation
    from the perspective of the legal attributions of the Romanian Intelligence
    Service (SRI) is stable. He also said that, in the context of the Ukrainian
    crisis, cyber-attacks targeting critical infrastructure, Romanian ministries
    and agencies, has increased.


    CRISIS IN UKRAINE -
    On Wednesday, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed a decree calling
    up reservists aged 18 to 60. Kiev has also urged the West to impose additional
    sanctions against Russia, which should target the economy and president Vladimir
    Putin’s inner circle. The USA adopted what president Joe Biden has called a
    first series of sanctions in response to Moscow recognizing the separatist
    republics in Ukraine. We’ve cut off Russia’s government from Western funding,
    the White House leader said, adding that additional sanctions will target the
    Russian elites and members of their families. The US president described the
    latest developments as the beginning of a Russian invasion, saying that an
    American battalion and several F-35 state-of-the-art jets will be deployed this
    week to the Baltic region and in Eastern Europe. Troops will be sent to
    reinforce NATO’s eastern flank, not to fight Russia, president Biden also
    argued.


    ROMANIA-GREECE RELATIONS -
    President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday met in Bucharest Greece’s Prime Minister,
    Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The two officials reiterated their strong support for the
    territorial integrity of Ukraine, condemning the actions of the Russian
    Federation as violations of international law. The two also underscored the importance
    of maintaining close cooperation at both EU and NATO levels. The meeting also
    highlighted the excellent relations between the two countries, boosted by a
    series of factors such as strong economic cooperation, an interest in expanding
    sectorial cooperation, stepping up mutual investment and implementing energy
    and infrastructure interconnection projects. President Iohannis hailed the
    signing of a Joint Declaration on strengthening bilateral cooperation, a
    document signed by the prime ministers of Romania and Greece on this occasion.
    Prime Minister Mitsotakis expressed his gratitude for the support Romania provided
    in extinguishing last summer’s wildfires.


    COVID-19 – Romania reported on Wednesday 11,477 new
    cases of Covid-19 and 119 related deaths, of which 9 from a previous date. Of the
    nearly 9,000 Covid patients treated in hospital, a little over 1,000 are in
    intensive care. In terms of vaccination, about 1,000 people had the first shot
    in the last 24 hours. The Omicron variant becomes quasi-dominant in Romania,
    with over 95% of the results indicating infection with this strain of the
    virus, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said. In his opinion, in about three
    weeks the number of infections nation-wide could go down, with hundreds of new
    daily cases being expected instead of thousands, as is the case now. Minister Rafila
    also said a 6th wave of the pandemic is out of the question right
    now.


    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in the EU
    increased in January up to 5.6%, from 5.3% in December 2021, according to data
    made public by the Eurostat on Wednesday. The member states with the highest
    inflation rates are Lithuania (12.3%), Estonia (11%) and the Czech Republic
    (8.8%). As compared to the situation in December 2021, the annual inflation
    rate in the first month of 2022 went down in 8 member states and increased in
    19 countries, Romania included, from 6.7% to 7.2%. Romania ranks 11th
    among the countries with the highest annual inflation rates. The countries with
    the smallest annual inflation rates are France (3.3%), Portugal (3.4%) and
    Sweden (3.9%).


    FUEL – Ruling coalition parties have agreed to temporarily
    cut the fuel excise by 50%. The measure reduces by 1 RON the retail price of
    petrol and diesel, Finance Minister Adrian Câciu has said. The proposal was supported by the
    Social Democrats, while their leader, Marcel Ciolacu, said the solution is
    aimed at preventing prices from going up. In turn, Liberal leader Florin Cîțusaid his
    party agrees, in principle, with any measure that reduces the fiscal burden,
    but added that, if the retail price of fuel does not go down, somebody will
    have to take responsibility. The National Liberal Party (PNL), the Social
    Democratic Party (PSD) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania
    (UDMR) have also agreed to further subsidize electricity and natural gas bills
    in the month of April. (EE & VP)

  • February 21, 2022 UPDATE

    February 21, 2022 UPDATE

    COVID-19 – The number of Covid-19 infections in Romania is going down significantly, with 30% fewer cases than last week being reported. The number of infections per one thousand inhabitants is also on the wane, but it still is above 3/1,000 in Romanias counties. The infection rate in the capital Bucharest is 32.8/1,000. Almost 7,700 new cases have been reported in Romania on Monday, by 4,000 less than a week ago. This is the smallest daily number of new infections since the beginning of the 5th wave, more than a month ago. Some 85 related deaths have also been announced. 1,100 people are treated in intensive care units. The biggest number of daily infections in Romania was reported on February 1st – 40,018.



    CRISIS IN UKRAINE – Russias president, Vladimir Putin, on Monday said he is looking into the request of pro-Moscow separatists in Eastern Ukraine to recognize the independence of the two self-proclaimed peoples republics in Donbas. Putin said this topic will be raised on the sidelines of the countrys Security Council, which experts say convenes on special occasions. The Russian president also said the peacemaking process in the region has no prospect of success. Previously, the leaders of the two separatist territories in Eastern Ukraine called on Vladimir Putin to recognize the independence of these territories and to enforce a so-called defense cooperation strategy. In December, 2021 the president of the DNR and LNR republics, Leonid Pasenchnik and Denis Pushilin, became members of the United Russian presidential party. This year, they called on the Kremlin leader to recognize the unilaterally proclaimed independence of the two breakaway republics. In other news, on Monday Ukraine official dismissed of having sent saboteurs to Russia. Previously, the Russian army claimed to have killed five Ukrainian saboteurs in the borderland region of Rostov, accusing Ukrainian military vehicles of forcing to cross the border. The incident, which analysts say is the most serious since the crisis broke out, follows after the United States earlier this month said it holds evidence proving that Russia plans on filming false Ukrainian attacks as a pretext to invade this country. Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, said Russia could also produce a propaganda film depicting bodies and pretended families in mourning, buildings destroyed by Ukrainian and Western armies, either in Russia or in Eastern Ukraine.



    ROMANIA AND UKRAINE – Romanias Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, argued in favor of continuing efforts to come up with a diplomatic solution to the current crisis in Ukraine, while at the same time finalizing a comprehensive set of sanctions against Russia, as a firm and reliable response of the European Union, in close coordination with the United States, Great Britain and Canada. Attending Mondays meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels, Minister Aurescu underscored the importance of cooperation between the EU and NATO regarding the developments in Ukraine. Bucharest has expressed its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbor. As an EU and NATO member state, Romania has rallied to all the sanctions introduced against the Russian Federation. The Romanian media writes that, should Russia invade Ukraine, Bucharest authorities have also considered receiving a steady flow of migrants from Ukraine. The Romanian community in Ukraine totals over 400 thousand people, mostly clustered in northern Bukovina, northern and southern Bessarabia and in the Hertsa region. These territories were annexed by the USSR in 1940 and then taken over by Ukraine in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.



    SIIJ – The Chamber of Deputies on Monday adopted a draft law for the dismantling of the Section Investigating Crime in Justice (SIIJ). According to the law, the prerogatives of the Section will be transferred to the Prosecution and Forensics Department with the High Court of Cassation and Justice. The investigations will be handled by prosecutors nominated by the Superior Council of Magistracy and appointed by the Prosecutor General for a period of four years. Justice Minister Cătălin Predoiu says the dismantling of SIIJ had a clear deadline for implementation in the governing program and might contribute to Romanias Schengen accession. Minister Predoiu went on to say the bill is the result of transparent consultations, including with Romanias foreign partners. Set up under the former Social-Democrat administration controlled by Liviu Dragnea, who in the meantime was sentenced for corruption, the Section Investigating Crime in Justice was considered by many analysts an instrument to strong-arm magistrates.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep went down four spots in the WTA standings and is now ranked 27th. This is the lowest ranking since July 2013 (30 WTA) for Halep, a former world no. 1, despite the semi-final played last week in Dubai. Ashleigh Barty of Australia is in top position, followed by Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. Romania has six players in WTA Top 100, Simona Halep, Sorana Cîrstea (31 WTA), Irina-Camelia Begu (55 WTA), Elena-Gabriela Ruse (56 WTA), Jaqueline Cristian (71 WTA) and Ana Bogdan (99 WTA). Additionally, there are six Romanian players also represented in the doubles standings: Raluca Olaru (36 WTA), Monica Niculescu (40 WTA), Irina-Camelia Begu (52 WTA), Irina Bara (70 WTA), Elena-Gabriela Ruse (97 WTA) and Andreea Mitu (98 WTA). In other news from tennis, on Monday, at the WTA tournament in Doha, Simona Halep was ousted by Frances Caroline Garcia in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round. Another Romanian, Irina-Camelia Begu, was also knocked out by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-1. (EE & VP)


  • Romanian authorities and the crisis in Ukraine

    Romanian authorities and the crisis in Ukraine


    The crisis generated by the threat of a Russian invasion in Ukraine is a test for the unity and solidarity of European states, which has so far been successfully passed. On the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU leaders, Romanias president, Klaus Iohannis said that EU states should remain united and this unity should be expressed both by diplomatic efforts and in economic terms. The risks facing European security are critical, and there needs to be an efficient coordination and unity in times of crises, that should boost the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic space, president Iohannis argues. The Romanian official also highlighted the need to continue dialogue and come up with a diplomatic solution to the crisis. The EU has a well-prepared series of responses in case the situation escalates, and EU states will act together. Romania is ready for the worst-case scenario, president Klaus Iohannis said.




    “We have over 600 km of borders with Ukraine and its possible we might see a flow of migrants. But yes, we are prepared for that. We are also ready in economic terms, we have prepared a series of specific measures. But let me make one thing clear – we want a diplomatic solution. No one wants sanctions, and we want the situation on the eastern flank to be de-escalated by means of appeasing tensions”.




    Romania also reiterated its firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as for this countrys right to freely decide its European and Euro-Atlantic path, president Iohannis tweeted. On the other hand, in an interview for CNN, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu disavowed Russias demands that NATO should withdraw its equipment and troops from its eastern flank and hailed the allies firm response in this matter. “We cant afford to have two types of allies, first-rate and second-rate, allies on the eastern flank, without any sort of troops and real equipment and the others. This is unacceptable, and NATO has dismissed this scenario, expressing its unity and solidarity right now”, Bogdan Aurescu argued. The Romanian Foreign Minister also expressed hope that NATOs tactical battlegroups to be set up in Romania will be comparable in structure and size to other battlegroups that are operational in Poland and the Baltic states. Referring to Frances plans to reorganize the European security framework, Bogdan Aurescu says this should be an effort complementary to NATOs actions. No one can replace the Alliance in terms of ensuring the collective defense and security of Europe and NATO as a whole, Aurescu also pointed out. (VP)



  • January 29, 2022 UPDATE

    January 29, 2022 UPDATE

    COVID-19 – Saturday was the fourth consecutive day when Romania
    reported over 30,000 daily Covid infections. Romania on Wednesday reported a
    record-high number of new infections since the start of the pandemic – 34,255.
    In Bucharest, the incidence rate has exceeded 16 per thousand inhabitants. The
    rate has increased steadily since January 1, when it stood at 0.72. Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, said the
    number of daily infections is expected to exceed 40 thousand next week, and
    that the pandemic will start to slow down in approximately 10 days. Against the
    backdrop of the growing infection rate and the swift spread of the Omicron
    strain, the Romanian authorities are looking for ways to facilitate access to
    testing and treatment, in order to relieve the burden on hospitals and
    ambulance services. People can get a rapid test for Covid free of charge in
    over 4,000 family physician practices across the country, or by paying a small
    fee in some 138 drug stores. At national level, the Covid bed occupation rate
    stands at some 30%, although there are significant differences between
    counties. Some 8 million people have completed the full anti-Covid vaccination
    scheme.




    JETS – The German Air Forces will deploy three Eurofighter jets to
    Romania in February and March, in the context of NATO consolidating its
    military presence in Eastern Europe, amidst growing tensions on the Ukrainian
    border. The jets will be integrated in the Italian squadron that was deployed
    to Romania last month. The Italian unit comprises 140 military, including
    pilots and technical staff, operating four Eurofighter Typhoon jets and
    carrying out air policing missions. On the other hand, Washington will soon be
    deploying troops to Eastern Europe, US president Joe Biden has announced. The
    United States has already put 8,500 troops on high alert in order to supplement
    NATO’s rapid response force in case of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. President
    Biden said, however, that no American troops will be dispatched to Ukraine,
    which is not a member of NATO. In turn, France’s Defense Minister, Florence
    Parly, told France Inter that Paris is willing to send hundreds of troops to
    Romania, a NATO member and a neighbor of Ukraine. France is also ready to take
    responsibility for building an international defense force to defend Romania,
    in the event such a decision is taken at NATO level.




    ARREST – Romanian businessman Ioan Neculaie, who was handed a final
    two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for weapons and munitions crimes, has been
    apprehended in Greece, according to the Romanian Police Inspectorate. An arrest
    warned was issued in the name of the former owner of FC Brașov football club
    last week when he didn’t show up to carry out his sentence. Neculaie has been
    previously sentenced for similar crimes as well as for manslaughter, and was
    released on parole in 2018.




    UKRAINE – The European Union has condemned Russia’s decision to ban
    the entry to Russia of several European officials, a decision that continues to
    deepen the crisis in Ukraine. The Russian diplomacy on Friday announced that
    the heads of several European private military companies, members of security
    agencies and certain MEPs and other European officials will be henceforth
    banned from entering Russia. According to the Russian Ministry for Foreign
    Affairs, these people are personally responsible for promoting anti-Russian
    policies. In response, Brussels says this decision lacks any legal
    justification and transparency, and is bound to generate an adequate response.
    In other new, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, had a telephone conversation
    with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. According to the French
    presidency, Putin made no mention of any aggressive intensions and specifically
    pointed out he seeks no armed confrontation with Ukraine. Additionally, the
    Kremlin leader insisted on resuming Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, moderated
    by France and Germany in the so-called Normandy format. In turn, Ukraine’s
    president, Volodymyr Zelensky, urged Western leaders not to spread panic
    regarding tensions with Russia, considering that diplomatic efforts have
    intensified with a view to solving this crisis.




    HANDBALL – The Romanian men’s handball
    team will play North Macedonia in the first round of the 2023 World Cup
    playoffs following Saturday’s draw hosted by Budapest. If it wins, Romania will
    next play the Czech Republic in the second round in April. In other news, Romanian
    handball club CS Măgura Cisnădie on
    Saturday defeated HC Lada Togliatti of Russia, scored 27-24 on home turf, in an
    EHF European League match. Ranking first in Group C is Herning-Ikast Handbold
    of Denmark with 4 points in two matches, followed by CS Măgura Cisnădie with 4
    points in 3 matches. The top two teams will advance to the quarterfinals. In
    the next group fixture, CS Măgura Cisnădie will take on Lada Togliatti away
    from home on February 6. (VP)

  • January 29, 2022

    January 29, 2022

    COVID-19 – 30,168 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 were reported in the last
    24 hours in Romania in addition to 75 related fatalities, of which three were
    prior to the reference period, the Group for Strategic Communication announced
    on Saturday. Romania on Wednesday reported a record-high number of new
    infections since the start of the pandemic – 34,255. In Bucharest, the
    incidence rate has exceeded 16 per thousand inhabitants. The rate has increased
    steadily since January 1, when it stood at 0.72. Against the backdrop of the growing infection
    rate and the swift spread of the Omicron strain, the Romanian authorities are
    looking for ways to facilitate access to testing and treatment, in order to
    relieve the burden on hospitals and ambulance services. People can get a rapid
    test for Covid free of charge in over 4,000 family physician practices across
    the country, or by paying a small fee in some 138 drug stores. At national
    level, the Covid bed occupation rate stands at some 30%, although there are
    significant differences between counties. For the time being, the occupation
    rate has not exceeded 75% in any county. If this rate is exceeded, classes will
    move online. For the time being, however, pupils in nearly all schooling units
    will continue classes with full physical attendance starting Monday. The
    Education Ministry announced, however, that pupils in some 108 units will
    attend classes online due to high numbers of infection reported in these
    schools.




    JETS – The German Air Forces will deploy three Eurofighter jets to
    Romania in February and March, in the context of NATO consolidating its
    military presence in Eastern Europe, amidst growing tensions on the Ukrainian
    border. The jets will be integrated in the Italian squadron that was deployed
    to Romania last month. The Italian unit comprises 140 military, including
    pilots and technical staff, operating four Eurofighter Typhoon jets and
    carrying out air policing missions. On the other hand, Washington will soon be
    deploying troops to Eastern Europe, US president Joe Biden has announced. The
    United States has already put 8,500 troops on high alert in order to supplement
    NATO’s rapid response force in case of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. President
    Biden said, however, that no American troops will be dispatched to Ukraine,
    which is not a member of NATO. In turn, France’s Defense Minister, Florence
    Parly, told France Inter that Paris is willing to send hundreds of troops to
    Romania, a NATO member and a neighbor of Ukraine. France is also ready to take
    responsibility for building an international defense force to defend Romania,
    in the event such a decision is taken at NATO level.




    UKRAINE – The European Union has condemned Russia’s decision to ban
    the entry to Russia of several European officials, a decision that continues to
    deepen the crisis in Ukraine. The Russian diplomacy on Friday announced that
    the heads of several European private military companies, members of security
    agencies and certain MEPs and other European officials will be henceforth
    banned from entering Russia. According to the Russian Ministry for Foreign
    Affairs, these people are personally responsible for promoting anti-Russian
    policies. In response, Brussels says this decision lacks any legal
    justification and transparency, and is bound to generate an adequate response.
    In other new, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, had a telephone conversation
    with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. According to the French
    presidency, Putin made no mention of any aggressive intensions and specifically
    pointed out he seeks no armed confrontation with Ukraine. Additionally, the
    Kremlin leader insisted on resuming Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, moderated
    by France and Germany in the so-called Normandy format. In turn, Ukraine’s
    president, Volodymyr Zelensky, urged Western leaders not to spread panic
    regarding tensions with Russia, considering that diplomatic efforts have
    intensified with a view to solving this crisis.




    EXPO 2020 DUBAI – Romania’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai on Friday
    played host to a special event aimed at raising public awareness regarding the
    importance of water as a key and indispensable nutrient for the human body.
    Water sommelier Claudia Benea talked about the benefits of mineral waters.
    Participants were invited to sample a wide variety of Romanian mineral waters.
    Romania is one of countries home to rich sources of underground water, with thousands
    of pristine springs containing mineral salts. We recall that the Expo 2020
    Dubai is running from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. (VP)

  • January 19, 2022

    January 19, 2022


    COVID-19 ROMANIA – 16,610 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported on Wednesday in Romania in addition to 58 related fatalities, of which 2 were prior to the reference period, the Group for Strategic Communication has announced. Half of Romanias counties are in the so-called red zone with a high incidence rate. Since the start of the pandemic, over 1.9 million Romanians got infected with COVID-19 and some 60,000 died to the virus. Against the backdrop of the anti-vaxx campaign fuelled by part of the media, a number of politicians and other public figures, Romania has the second-lowest national vaccination rates at EU level after Bulgaria.




    COVID-19 WORLD – The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has warned global leaders that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over. The WHO official warned against the misleading assumption that the Omicron strain is mild and thus less threatening. “An exponential rise in cases, regardless of the severity of the individual variants, leads to inevitable increase in hospitalizations and deaths,” Dr. Ghebreyesus argues. The warning comes amidst an alarming surge in the number of infections across Europe. Today, Bulgaria reported nearly 11,200 new COVID-19 infections over the course of 24 hours. The Czech Republic too reported 28 thousand new infections, a daily record since the pandemic began. In turn, France reported nearly 500 thousand infections yesterday.




    PLAGIARISM – The “Carol I” National University in Bucharest has launched a process examining the observance of quality and academic standards in the case of Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucăs PhD thesis, defended in 2003. The decision follows revelations and plagiarism allegations from the media. The Prime Minister has denied the allegations, claiming he observed all legal and academic requirements. Ciucă is the third head of government facing plagiarism allegations after Social-Democrats Victor Ponta and Mihai Tudose. Last month Research Minister Florin Roman resigned after facing similar accusations regarding his MA thesis.




    STRIKE – Education trade unions have today staged a two-hour warning strike. During the interval, all teaching activities were suspended, although pupils remained under their teachers supervision. Teachers demand an increase in their base salaries stipulated in a law passed in 2017, as well as bonuses for specific work conditions and the payment of extra hours. Trade unions also call on the authorities to earmark 6% of the GDP to education spending and to increase the number of teaching staff positions. Also today, law enforcement and National Statistics Institute trade unions staged actions protesting the Governments salary policies.




    PROGRAM – The authorities have today launched the National Program for Combating Cancer in an event attended by president Klaus Iohannis. In February 2021, the European Commission launched the Europes Beating Cancer Plan, allotting €4 billion to finance cancer prevention, research and treatment programs across the community bloc. Meanwhile, the Romanian Parliament set up a special task force charged with transposing the Commissions plan into national law. Right now, part of the cancer treatments, lab tests and prevention programs are funded under a nationwide program.




    UKRAINE – US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is today paying a visit to Kiev, as part of a new effort to deescalate the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border. Antony Blinken will meet with Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. According to the US State Department, the purpose of the visit is to reiterate Washingtons commitment to safeguarding Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. On Tuesday, Blinken talked on the phone to Russias Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, ahead of their meeting on Friday in Geneva. Russia has built up a sizable military force on the Ukrainian border, although it has denied allegations over its planned invasion. Last weeks talks between Moscow and Washington over the future European security framework yielded no result, the Americans having dismissed Russias requests as unacceptable. Moscow has called on NATO to rule out any eastward enlargement, to cease all cooperation with ex-Soviet countries and to cancel all maneuvers and troop deployments in Eastern Europe.




    TENNIS – Three Romanian tennis players are competing in the second round at the Australian Open. On Thursday, Simona Halep (15 WTA) will take on Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil (83 WTA). Sorana Cîrstea (38 WTA) will take on Kristina Kucova of Slovakia (96 WTA), while Irina Begu (64 WTA) will play Elise Mertens of Belgium (26 WTA). Another Romanian, Jaqueline Cristian, was knocked out today in the second round by Madison Keys of the United States, 6-2, 7-5. In the womens doubles, Raluca Olaru of Romania and Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany have advanced to the second round after ousting Alizé Cornet and Diane Parry of France, 6-4, 6-4.




    HANDBALL – Romanian handball champions, CSM Bucharest, are today playing Brest Bretagne of France in a Champions League Group A fixture. On Saturday, CSM defeated Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro 28-20 away from home. The team is ranked 4th in the group tables with 10 points. The next fixture for CSM is the home match against BV Borussia 09 Dortmund of Germany on January 22. (VP)




  • Top-level European Talks

    Top-level European Talks

    Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has attended his first European Council meeting since taking office against a complicated geo-political background. Speaking about the tense situation in the neighbouring Ukraine and the recent agreement in Minsk, the president said Romania was aware of the enhanced danger of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine and would contribute to finding a political solution.



    Klaus Iohannis: “I reiterate my conviction that the only way to resolve the Ukrainian crisis is to find a political solution based on dialogue and seeking to end bloodshed. We are optimistic about the new agreement, but were are also aware that there are still tensions and sensitive issues that cannot be resolved without political will and without being united.”



    According to Iohannis, many European leaders, including himself, are under no illusion that all the terms of the new agreement will be respected, given that some of its provisions were also part of a previous agreement signed in September. On the sidelines of the European Council meeting, Iohannis had talks with his counterpart in Kiev, Petro Poroshenko at the latter’s request to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.



    Poroshenko thanked Iohannis for Romania’s firm support for Ukraine and extended an invitation to visit Kiev, which the Romanian president accepted. Another major theme dominating the agenda of the European Council summit was the fight against terrorism. President Iohannis said anti-terrorist measures had acquired a new dimension and political relevance after the latest attack in France. He warned, however, that such measures should not create new barriers, but should be applied within the European Union without discriminating between the countries that are part of the Schengen area and those who aren’t. He said a declaration was adopted on anti-terrorist measures to increase the security of EU citizens, prevent radicalisation and boost cooperation with international partners.



    Bucharest is in favour of cooperation with partners from outside the European Union to counteract these threats, making use of the already existing framework. A third major subject discussed at the EU summit was Greece’s debt, with the European leaders and the Greek authorities failing to reach an agreement. Euro zone finance ministers and Athens’ representatives will resume talks on Monday to reschedule Greece’s immense debt before the expiry of the Greek bailout programme at the end of the month.