Radio România Internațional

Tag: December 1st

  • Parliament session on National Day

    Parliament session on National Day




    December 1st is Romania’s National Day: in 2022, Romanians
    celebrate 104 years since the completion of the plebiscite process through
    which the Romanian state gathered Romanians and the provinces where they lived
    between the same borders. A military parade, impressive speeches and the famous
    smoked beans, these are the staples of this special day. Already, on Monday,
    the Romanian Parliament gathered in a solemn meeting dedicated to this day.


    The prime minister, the presidents of the Chamber of
    Deputies and the Senate, as well as representatives of the parliamentary groups
    held speeches on the occasion. They talked about patriotism, about country
    projects and solutions proposed by parties for the well-being of Romanians, but
    also about the crisis generated by the war in Ukraine. Liberal Prime Minister
    Nicolae Ciucă appealed to the political class, civil society and the media for
    a moratorium and, together, to try to use the year 2023 as an electoral
    respite.


    He also urged the Power and the Opposition to sit down at
    the table for rational discussions on the future of Romania, because – Prime
    Minister Ciucă said – the politicians of the moment have the historical duty to
    place Romania among the great European democracies, through an increased
    integration in the Western space of freedom and prosperity, which also means
    joining Schenen:


    The accession to the Schengen Area is not only an
    expression of the reforms and investments that Romania has made so far, it is
    also an expression of trust and the surest guarantee from our European partners
    that Romania is and will remain firmly anchored in the western development
    axis.




    In turn, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, the
    social democrat Marcel Ciolacu, stated that December 1 represents an example of
    the way in which the Romanian people have always found, in the most difficult
    moments, a huge internal force to overcome borderline situations. That is
    precisely why, now, when Romania is going through several overlapping crises,
    Romanians must be in solidarity with those who need support the most – he
    added.


    Over the past year, Romania has gained a stable government
    and the appreciation of international partners as a provider of security and
    stability in the region – the interim president of the Senate, the liberal
    Alina Gorghiu, also stressed. From the Opposition, the USR leader, Cătălin
    Drula, spoke from the rostrum of the Parliament about the patriotism that must
    characterize every politician in Romania, meaning the defense of democracy,
    civil rights and fundamental freedoms. As for the leader of the Alliance for
    the Union of Romanians, George Simion, also in the opposition, he wished Happy
    National Day to the Romanians working abroad. (MI)



  • November 26, 2022 UPDATE

    November 26, 2022 UPDATE

    National Day. Over 1,500 soldiers and specialists from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service and the National Penitentiary Administration, as well as approximately 120 pieces of equipment, including 40 aircraft, will participate on 1 December in the military parade organized in Bucharest on the occasion of Romanias National Day. According to a press release from the Ministry of Defense, approximately 150 foreign soldiers from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Portugal, the United States of America and the Netherlands will march in the parade, as well as soldiers representing the allies contributing to the NATO structures on the territory of Romania. On Romanias National Day, representatives of the Romanian Army will participate, at the request and with the support of the local authorities, in the preparation, organization and holding of ceremonies in some garrisons where military units are deployed. The Romania. soldiers on mission abroad will also organize events on the occasion.



    NATO. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will arrive in Bucharest on Monday to participate in the meeting of the NATO foreign ministers, the US State Department has announced. Together with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, Blinken will visit the photo exhibition “We, the people – 25 years of strategic partnership”, which recalls the key moments of the partnership between Romania and the United States, since 1997. The US Secretary of State will have separate meetings with President Klaus Iohannis, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The meeting of the foreign ministers of the allied states will focus, among other things, on the war waged by Russia against Ukraine, on the implementation of the new NATO strategic concept and on energy security.



    Ukraine. Approximately 130,000 people in Kyiv, a city with three million inhabitants, were still without electricity on Saturday, according to local authorities. Repairs to restore the entire network would be completed within 24 hours, the military administration in Kyiv said, by which time all heating systems should be operational again. On Wednesday, Russia launched dozens of missiles at Ukraines energy infrastructure, causing severe damage. Electricity, water and heating have been cut in many areas of the country, with major fears that such crucial services are at risk of not working properly in the cold months ahead. The Ukrainian authorities are gradually restoring the electricity supply, helped by the reconnection of the countrys four nuclear power plants, but millions of people are still without heat and electricity after these Russian airstrikes, the most devastating since the beginning of the war .



    Agriculture. The Romanian Minister of Agriculture, Petre Daea, has announced that the national strategic plan for agriculture will be endorsed by the European Commission in December. He said that the document allows the allocation of almost 16 billion euros for agriculture and for the development of the Romanian countryside. Minister Daea has also stated that he has the confirmation of the European Commission regarding the aid of 365 million lei (equivalent to more than 70 million euros) approved by the government for farmers who suffered due to the drought, and the money is due to arrive soon.



    Visit. The State Secretary for Romanians Abroad, Gheorghe Cârciu, is on a working visit to the United States, until November 30. He will participate in a series of events organized by the Consulate General of Romania in Chicago and the Romanian community, devoted to the programs and actions developed to support the activity of Romanians in this area, as well as the celebration of Romanias National Day. The Secretarys agenda also includes meetings with local authorities and representatives of religious denominations, i the Department for Romanians Abroad has announced.



    Concert. More than 600 Italians and Romanians participated, on Friday evening, in the concert held by the ConTempo quartet in Venice, to celebrate 160 years of diplomatic relations with Italy, as well as Romanias National Day, December 1. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Rome, the National Day will be celebrated on Sunday in most Romanian churches in Italy, as well as through numerous events organized by Romanian associations. Over one million Romanians live in Italy. (MI)


  • November 30, 2016 UPDATE

    November 30, 2016 UPDATE

    NATIONAL DAY – On December 1st Romania’s National Day will be celebrated across the country and abroad, including in theatres of operation, with parades, religious ceremonies, exhibitions of combat military technology and weapons, and cultural events. The date of 1st of December 1918 remains a symbol for the union of all Romanians. Declared an official holiday after the anti-communist revolution of 1989, 1st of December marks the completion, at the end of World War I, of the creation of the Romanian nation state following the union of all provinces with majority Romanian populations, that had been part of multinational empires. More than 3,000 military and experts from the defence and interior ministries and the Romanian Intelligence Service made the final rehearsals for the National Day parade in Bucharest. The parade route will again pass underneath the Arch of Triumph after being hosted by the Constitution Square for the last two years as the Arch was undergoing restoration works. The Romanian military will be joined by their counterparts from other allied and partner states such as the UK, Italy, Germany, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and the US. The list of cultural events dedicated to the National Day celebrations include a host of traditional music concerts and performances organised by the Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi Institute for Romanians Abroad and the Romanian Cultural Institute between the 27th of November and 4th of December for the large Romanian communities in Spain and Italy.




    ST. ANDREW’S DAY — Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic believers from all over the world, Romania included, celebrated on Tuesday St. Apostle Andrew. He is the first of Jesus Christ apostles who preached Christianity in the south of Romania, in Dobrudgea. He also preached the Gospel in Greece died as a martyr in the Greek town of Patras, being crucified on an X shaped cross. Over 700 thousand Romanians named after St. Andrew celebrated their name day on Tuesday.




    MESSAGE — The United States has congratulated Romanians on their National Day. A message posted on the Internet page of the US State Department, signed by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, says “On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I offer my sincerest congratulations to the people of Romania as you celebrate the 98th anniversary of your nation’s Unification Day on December 1.” The message also says that the US Government places a high value on its strategic partnership with Romania, a trusted NATO Ally and a major contributor to international peace, security, and the rule of law.




    ROYAL TRAIN – The royal train started on Wednesday its annual journey dedicated this time to the anniversary of 150 years since Romania’s Royal House was established and to the promulgation of the 1866 Constitution. Accompanying princess Margarita, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Prince Radu and Princess Maria on this two-day trip will be representatives of the royal families of Belgium and Bulgaria and also students with notable results, professors and personalities of the civil society. On Wednesday the train reached the mountain resort of Sinaia. The journey will be resumed on December 1st, on Romania’s National Day. Its final destination is the city of Sibiu.




    SECURITY — The security of the European Union and that of the Western Balkans are inseparable, so solution can only emerge from a close cooperation among the countries in this region and the EU, Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu said on Monday in Warsaw, where he attended the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Visegrad Group and the Western Balkans. The meeting was also attended by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission Federica Mogherini and by Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Romania, and Slovenia. The V4 Ministers reiterated, among other things, their continued interest in and support for the Western Balkan countries on their EU path.




    FUNERALS – Thousands of Cubans have lined the streets of Havana to see a caravan carrying the ashes of the former president Fidel Castro, from Havana to the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, 800-km away. The ashes will retrace the route taken by Fidel Castro from Santiago to the capital after his victory over Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, only in reverse. The ashes will be interred Sunday, ending the nine-day mourning period for the man who ruled the country for nearly 50 years. Fidel Castro died on Friday, aged 90. State funerals will be held on Sunday in Santiago.




    DEBT — Romania has to pay over 1.26 billion euros in 2017 to the EU and the World Bank of the stand-by loan taken out in 2009, according to the Romanian finance Ministry. Over 1.25 billion euros are to be paid back to the EU and only 9 million euros to the World Bank. This year Romania has paid 113 million euros to the EU and the World Bank, covering interests rate and commissions. Romania has to pay, until 2023, over 4.77 billion euros worth of debt to the two international bodies.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)





  • December 1, 2015 UPDATE

    December 1, 2015 UPDATE

    Over 2,600 troops and
    military specialists, with 360 technical devices, paraded in Bucharest on
    December 1st, Romania’s National Day. As a first, the parade was joined by a
    detachment from the theater of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Some of the
    attractions of the parade were the armored vehicles, the Hercules and Spartan
    fighters and the helicopters. Also, this year the traditional parade of the
    Romanian army was joined by troops from the Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria, the
    US, Poland and Turkey. Romania’s national day was celebrated not only in
    Bucharest, but everywhere in the country, and also at the Romanian diplomatic
    missions around the world, through concerts, exhibitions, film screenings and
    receptions. December 1st became Romania’s National Day after the anti-communist
    Revolution of 1989, and marks the completion in 1918 of the process of setting
    up the Romanian unitary state, by aggregating under Bucharest’s authority all
    the provinces with predominantly Romanian-speaking populations from the neighboring
    multi-national empires.






    This year’s December 1st
    could mark a new beginning for Romania, with regard to its common practices,
    behaviors and mentalities, said in a message to Romanians President Klaus Iohannis, who also stressed
    the fact that a new beginning was necessary in Romanian politics. According to
    the Romanian head of state, a new beginning would entail new ideas, new
    approaches and new behaviors, while at the same time maintaining the stability
    and balance of the Romanian political system. December 1st is not
    just a celebration of the past, it’s an opportunity for Romania to focus more
    on the present, on its place in Europe and the world, Iohannis went on saying.
    In a world in which war and terror seem to have gained significant ground,
    Romania is a provider of certainty and predictability, thanks to its democratic
    values and its solid partnerships within the EU and NATO, the president also
    said in his message. After the parade, Iohannis had a videoconference with the
    soldiers deployed in theatres of operations abroad and attended several
    ceremonies devoted to Romania’s National Day. Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos too
    sent a message to all Romanians, both in the country and abroad, urging them to
    join efforts and help make Romania a better country, a country ruled on the
    basis of such principles as decency and transparency.




    The US Secretary of State,
    John Kerry, congratulated the Romanian people, on behalf of President Barack
    Obama, on their National Day, pleading at the same time for even tighter
    relations between Romania and the US. In a communiqué issued by the US
    Department of State, John Kerry recalls that 2015 marks the celebration of 135
    years since the beginning of diplomatic relations between the US and Romania,
    countries united by a friendship built on their joint commitment to promoting
    democracy and the rule of law, to ensuring citizens’ prosperity, through solid
    trading relations and investments, as well as to securing a free and united
    Europe. The US Secretary of State has stated that the US is proud its soldiers
    have participated in missions alongside their Romanian mates, driven by the
    same goal of defending freedom and justice in various parts of the world.




















    Romanian
    Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu attended in Brussels on Tuesday the Resolute
    Support meeting, organized as part of the summit of the NATO Foreign
    Ministers. The participants discussed security in Afghanistan, NATO’ s support to
    the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and means of carrying on NATO’s commitment
    to Afghanistan. The importance of NATO’s cooperation with other international
    organizations, the UN and the EU in particular, was also stressed at the
    meeting. On the sidelines of the event, Lazar Comanescu had a meeting with his
    Polish counterpart Witold Waszczykowski.














    The Command unit of the NATO
    Multinational Division Southeast was officially activated in Bucharest on
    Tuesday. The setting up of this NATO control structure follows the activation
    in September of the NATO Force Integration Unit. The two structures will ensure
    a visible and consistent NATO presence in Romania and will play a key-role in
    ensuring the connection between the national and the allied forces. In another
    move, the Pentagon has announced that some 70 US military pieces of equipment
    arrived in Romania on Tuesday, from Germany. Other pieces will be shipped in
    late December to Bulgaria and Lithuania. Early this year, during a visit to
    Estonia, the US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced that the US would
    temporary station vehicles and pieces of equipment in Central and Eastern
    Europe, sufficient to support an armored brigade. Their deployment would
    facilitate the rotation of the US forces in the region and their participation
    in exercises and training missions.








    On Tuesday, the Royal Train took a
    symbolical trip along the Drobeta -Turnu Severin – Bucharest route, as did King
    Carol 1st of Romania 150 years ago. The train passed through the
    counties of Mehedinti, Dolj, Olt and Dambovita, and thousands of people saluted
    Princess Margareta, Princes Maria and Prince Radu, who were on the train. On
    May 8th, 1866, Carol stepped for the first time on Romanian soil in
    Turnu Severin. On the 10th of May he entered Bucharest and the
    Romanian Constitution was adopted on June 29th. The Royal Train,
    made in Italy, started serving the Royal House of Romania in 1928, during the
    first reign of Mihai 1st. It was used by both King Carol 2nd
    and Mihai 1st, and during the communist period it was used as a
    presidential train.