Radio România Internațional

Tag: defence

Cooperation Romania – Bavaria

‘We are supporting Romania’s fully-fledged accession to Schengen’ – Markus Soder, the Prime Minister of the state of Bavaria assured his Romanian counterpart Marcel Ciolacu during the official visit he paid as head of a ministerial delegation that went to Munich on Monday and Tuesday.

The Bavarian official mentioned the real headway made by Bucharest.

Markus Soder: “We are seeing the progress Romania made, the security aspects. And we are a support to Romania for its fully-fledged accession to the Schengen zone. The cooperation with Europol, the process of fighting corruption have registered great progress and the authorities are cooperating very well. We have got very important and good information from the Bavarian Interior Ministry. And for this reason it is important for Romania to join Schengen as a fully-fledged member.”

Munich also saw the first joint session of the Romanian and Bavarian governments, where they tackled ways of consolidating the bilateral, economic, social and security cooperation. The two sides have signed a memorandum on entrepreneurship, SMEs and start-ups. Out of all German states, Bavaria is Romania’s most important investor and trade partner with a volume of trade exchanges of 8.3 billion Euros at the end of last year. Marcel Ciolacu says that he wants that all major Bavarian companies invest in Romania.

Marcel Ciolacu: “We want the big Bavaria-based companies in the field of car-making, engineering and aero-spatial industry, invest in Romania. We have one of the best growth-rates in Europe.”

The Bavarian Prime Minister also stood for stepping up the bilateral economic relations adding that one domain that should be given increased attention is that of the defence industry. In fact, the talks between the two high officials also focused on the security situation at the Black Sea against the background of the conflict in Ukraine.

Marcel Ciolacu reiterated Romania’s support for the neighbouring Ukraine and the intention of Bucharest to actively contribute to its reconstruction process. The officials also tackled the EU’s enlargement process.

Marcel Ciolacu: “We have reiterated our staunch support for the European future of the partners in the Western Balkans, as well as the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on the candidates’ own merits in the reform process. We have also mentioned Romania’s appreciation for the sustained efforts of the authorities in Chisinau to implement the needed reforms and have emphasized the fact that we will continue to staunchly support the Republic of Moldova on its way to European integration.”

The officials also had a meeting with the representatives of the Romanian community in the region. “Romania is also important because more than 213 thousand Romanian nationals are living in Bavaria, the largest foreign community. They have their own contribution and we are happy to have them here – Markus Soder said.

(bill)

19 June 2024
June 4, 2024

INVESTIGATION Scores of house search warrants are enforced today by the Organised Crime Service of the Romanian police and by prosecutors with the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences (DIICOT), as part of a criminal investigation into organised crime and migrant smuggling, the illegal crossing of Romania’s state borders, facilitating illegal stay in Romania and money laundering. The searches are conducted in the west and centre of the country and in Bucharest. An organised crime group is probed into for illegally obtaining work permits for nearly 1,200 foreign nationals, mostly from Pakistan and Bangladesh. DIICOT prosecutors are working together with anti-corruption prosecutors who are investigating corruption-related offences. A former interior ministry employee allegedly initiated and formed an organised crime group using several companies, with one of the group’s operations involving former and current interior ministry staff. The migrants reportedly paid EUR 500 to 1,000 for a work permit, and the group would collect as much as EUR 5,000-6,000 per person to expedite procedures.

BANKING The foreign currency reserves of the National Bank of Romania exceeded EUR 65 bln at the end of May, up 4.1% compared to the previous month. According to the central bank, Romania’s international reserves (foreign currency plus gold) are currently around EUR 72.2 bln.

DEFENCE The Romanian defence minister, Angel Tîlvăr had a meeting on Monday with the interim chief of the European Commission representation in Romania, Mara Roman, on which occasion he pointed out that the EU’s strategic approach to the Black Sea region must include support for the countries in the region, which are facing hybrid threats and the spill-over of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. According to the defence ministry, Angel Tilvar highlighted the support provided by Romania to Ukraine and to the Republic of Moldova. The participants also emphasised the increasingly important role played by the European Commission in supporting EU member states in the defence and security area, and the need to further develop the relations between the EU and NATO.

TEACHERS In Romania, students, teachers and other education staff will have a day off on Wednesday, to celebrate Teachers’ Day. This day is marked every year on June 5, the birthday of the great professor Gheorghe Lazăr, the founder of Romanian modern education. Summer break begins on Friday, June 21.

ATTACK The Syrian national who Monday threw a Molotov cocktail at the entrance of the Israeli Embassy building in Bucharest was arrested. The police say the attack was caused by personal grievances related to his visa application, and not by the Israeli operations in Gaza. The Ambassador of Israel to Bucharest, Reuven Azar, described the incident as a terror attack and praised the prompt response of the Romanian police.

FOOTBALL Romania’s national football team is playing Bulgaria tonight and Liechtenstein on Friday, June 7, in two friendly matches ahead of the European Championship due to kick off on June 14 in Germany. Bucharest will host both matches. Romania was drawn in Group E alongside Ukraine, Belgium and Slovakia. The national team will play Ukraine on June 17 in Munich, Belgium on June 22 in Cologne, and finally Slovakia on June 26, in Frankfurt. Romania last took part in a European Championship in 2016 in France. (AMP)

4 June 2024
May 22, 2024 UPDATE

PAY RAISE The government of Romania intends to raise the salaries of some categories of public sector employees by 10% this year, in 2 equal installments. A draft order in this respect has been put up for debate by the Labour Ministry. Some of the employees targeted by the measure have recently organised protests, but Prime Minister Ciolacu explained on Tuesday that the budget did not allow for more pay raises. The draft order concerns the employees of various cultural institutions, of the trade registry offices, diplomatic staff, defence personnel, town hall staff and employees of other institutions funded from the government’s and Parliament’s own sources.

SECURITY President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday that there is no direct threat against Romania and “no sign or indication” of any attacks or other “undesired events” targeting Romania. “Of the information I have, I can tell you that Romania is a safe country. Romanians have no reason to fear, but obviously we must always be ready for unexpected occurrences,” he explained. According to Iohannis, Romania, thanks to its NATO membership, benefits today from the most important security guarantees in its history. “It is very, very important for us to understand that we are not alone, we are together with our Allies and we can handle any situation quite well,” Klaus Iohannis pointed out.

BSDA The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu Wednesday said there are good prospects for the Romanian defence industry to conclude impressive contracts worth billions of euros. Attending the international exhibition “Black Sea Defense and Aerospace” in Bucharest, the PM said this is the biggest event devoted to the defence industry in the Black Sea region. The presence of 400 companies from 31 countries proves the importance of this event, Ciolacu went on to say. All the five operational fields (land, air, naval, cyber and space) are being represented, and the event’s main attraction is the multi-role F-35 jet fighter that the US Navy has for the first time brought to an exhibition in Europe. The event is aimed to identify opportunities and find production and business cooperation solutions contributing to the promotion of Romania’s defence industry worldwide.

BACCALAUREATE In Romania, the high school graduates who were part of Olympiad teams and international arts or sports competitions Wednesday stood the compulsory speciality test in a special Baccalaureate session. The exam started on Tuesday with the Romanian language and literature test, with the alternate speciality test scheduled for Thursday and the native language and literature test on Friday. Students’ digital and linguistic skills will be tested in the following days, and the final results will be announced on June 4.

FESTIVAL The International Theatre Festival ‘Shakespeare’ continues in Craiova, south-western Romania with a new series of theatre shows, multi-media installations, outdoor film screenings, book launches and round table talks. ‘Macbeth’, produced by the Chisinau-based Teatrul Fără Nume company in the Republic of Moldova, and the ‘Twelfth Night’ directed by Andrei Serban at the State Theatre in Constanta were the festival’s main events on Wednesday. Shakespeare village, a British village from the 1600s built from scratch on the local hippodrome, is the venue for scores of concerts and shows, while the Craiova Promenade is hosting the Shakespeare Dimension cube, providing a virtual immersion into the Shakespearian world. At its 30^th edition this year, the international event consists of 300 shows and events bringing together some of the world’s most famous directors and actors, such as Robert Wilson, Declan Donnellan, Peter Brook or Robert Lepage. (AMP)

22 May 2024
May 22, 2024

BSDA Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Wednesday said there are prospects for the Romanian defence industry to conclude impressive contracts of billions of Euros. Attending the international exhibition Black Sea Defense and Aerospace in Bucharest, the Prime Minister said this is the biggest event devoted to the defence industry in the Black Sea region. The presence of 400 companies from 31 countries here proves the importance of this event, Ciolacu went on to say. All the five operational fields are being represented, the land, air, naval, cyber and space and the event’s main attraction is the multi-role F-35 jet fighter, the US Navy has for the first time brought to an exhibition in Europe. The event is proposing to identify opportunities and find cooperation solutions both in terms of production and the business field contributing to the international promotion of Romania’s Defence industry.

WAGES The government in Bucharest intends to raise the salaries of some categories of state employees by 10 percent this year in two equal installments. A draft ordinance on the issue has been put up for debates by the Labour Ministry. Some of the state employees who are to benefit the measure have recently staged protest rallies, but Prime Minister Ciolacu yesterday explained the budget did not allow for more pay raises. Those to benefit the aforementioned measure are employees from various cultural institutions, of the trade registry, the diplomatic field, the defence industry, of mayor offices and other institutions funded from the government’s and Parliament’s own sources.

FESTIVAL The International Theatre Festival ‘Shakespeare’ continues in Craiova, south-western Romania with a new series of theatre shows, multi-media installations, outdoor film screenings, book launches and round table talks. ‘Macbeth’, brought by the Theatre without Name based in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova, and the ‘Twelfth Night’ directed by Andrei Serban at the state theatre in Constanta are the festival’s main events today. Shakespeare village, a British village from 16 hundred build from scratch on the local hippodrome is the venue for scores of concerts and shows, while the Craiova Promenade is hosting the Shakespeare Dimension cube, providing a virtual immersion into the Shakespearian world. At its thirtieth edition this year, the aforementioned international event consists of 300 shows and events bringing together some of the world’s most famous directors and actors such as Robert Wilson, Declan Donnellan, Peter Brook or Robert Lepage.

VISIT Romanians will be able to travel to Turkey without passports only with their ID cards, Turkish president Tayyip Recep Erdogan decided during the formal visit Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu paid to Ankara. The Romanian Prime Minister participated together with president Erdogan in the first joint session of the two governments, when they decided that Romanian farmers may resume the export and transit of meat through Turkey. Also high on the talks agenda were the extended cooperation in the fields of defence and energy.

(bill)

22 May 2024
March 7, 2024

CONGRESS The congress of the European People’s Party continues in Bucharest today, when the party’s nominee for president of the European Commission is to be chosen. On Tuesday the party’s Political Assembly validated Ursula von der Leyen’s candidacy for a new term in office. On Thursday, president Klaus Iohannis and other EU heads of state and government are scheduled to address the Congress. Over 2,000 delegates from more than 40 countries, including the president of the European Commission, the president of the European Parliament, presidents and prime ministers, party presidents and European commissioners in the EPP have convened in Bucharest for the congress. The main goals of the event are the selection of the EPP president and decisions on the party’s main policy documents and election platforms. The meeting is hosted by the National Liberal Party, a member of the ruling coalition in Romania, jointly with the EPP. Bucharest last hosted an EPP congress in October 2012.

MEETING The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis has a meeting scheduled today with Austria’s federal chancellor, Karl Nehammer, the Romanian Presidency announced. According to Agerpres, the two officials are expected to discuss Romania’s full Schengen accession. The European People’s Party unanimously adopted, during its congress in Bucharest on Wednesday, a manifesto demanding Romania’s accession to the Schengen area as soon as possible, after the Austrian delegation of the People’s Party, in power, renounced voting against. According to the manifesto, “we need full accession to Schengen for Bulgaria and Romania, by lifting as soon as possible not only the air and maritime checks, but also the checks at the land borders”.

ELECTIONS The government of Romania is to analyse today a draft emergency order on merging the local elections and the elections for the European Parliament on June 9. According to an INSCOP poll commissioned by News.ro, the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party, in power in Romania and running on joint lists of candidates, would get 43.7% of the votes. Next in the poll come the nationalist party AUR with little over 20%, and the United Right Alliance, also in Opposition, with 13.7%. As for the local elections, the poll indicates the Social Democrats would get 30.6% of the county and local council seats, the Liberals 25.6%, AUR 17.4%, and the United Right Alliance 9.8%. With respect to merging the two elections, the poll suggests over 57% of citizens are in favour of the idea. More than one-third of the interviewees are in favour of joint candidate lists for the Social Democrats and the Liberals in the European elections and separate lists for the local elections, while 51.3% disagree with the decision. Romania’s presidential elections are scheduled in September, and the general elections are due in December.

MOLDOVA France and the Republic of Moldova are set to sign economic and defence cooperation agreements today. The documents will be signed in Paris by president Emmanuel Macron and president Maia Sandu. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, Macron and the French foreign ministry have repeatedly voiced concern with Russia’s threats against Ukraine’s neighbour, Moldova. A spokesperson for the French foreign ministry, Christophe Lemoine, said Moldova was facing “increasingly aggressive attempts at destabilization” by Russia. This agreement is aimed at supporting the modernization of Moldova’s armed forces, and our support will not be limited to defence. We have mobilized the international community by creating the support platform co-chaired by France, Germany and Romania, launched shortly after the start of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, when Moldova was highly vulnerable to the aftermath of the war, the French official also said.

MINES A sea dredger, a PUMA Naval helicopter and a team of combat divers with the Romanian Naval Forces specialising in the clearing and disposal of explosives are today inspecting the southern part of the Romanian sea coast, to detect a suspected naval mine, the Romanian Defence Ministry announced. A floating item was spotted in the region by the Coast Guard, which requested the intervention of the Naval Forces, in line with relevant national procedures. According to the defence ministry, since the start of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, 95 naval mines have been destroyed in the Black Sea, and this one is the 6^th mine disposal mission during this period. (AMP)

7 March 2024
CSAT takes measures to strengthen the country’s armed forces

The severe situation in the Black Sea region and the implications for Romania of Russia’s aggression war against the neighbouring Ukraine were high on the agenda of Romania’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT), which convened in Bucharest on Wednesday.

“The war situation in the neighbouring country maintains the risks of incidents that might affect Romania’s territory and citizens as well as the safety of navigation because of the mines adrift in the Black Sea and Russia’s hostile actions”, the CSAT members have explained.

In this context they endorsed a series of measures aimed at strengthening the Romanian armed forces. The CSAT members have also decided the continuation of the diplomatic initiatives so that Moscow may cease its military aggression in Ukraine.

CSAT has also approved the report on the progress registered in the field of defence planning whose main aim is to come in line with operational planning and integration of national priorities, including those, which aren’t part of the present capability package. The presidential administration has explained that Romania’s plans for developing capabilities are being reflected properly in the 2023 Defence Planning Directive as well as in the Romanian Army 2040 programme.

Both documents are being supported by a national political commitment, which allows Romania to achieve the goal of earmarking 2.5% of its GDP to Defence, out of which 2% are for fitting the armed forces with the equipment they need.

The CSAT members have also assessed the activity in the field of cybersecurity and endorsed a series of priority actions that the Cybersecurity Operative Council must focus on this year.

These are meant to contribute to the development of the national cybersecurity system and the consolidation of the prevention and deterrence capabilities. Last, but not least, the members have reviewed the CSAT activity last year and decided to submit their activity report for Parliament approval.

(bill)

22 February 2024
February 6, 2024 UPDATE

MOLDOVA Romania will continue to support the Republic of Moldova in its EU accession negotiations, PM Marcel Ciolacu said in a meeting with Moldovas new foreign minister Mihai Popşoi. The latter also had talks in Bucharest with his Romanian counterpart Luminiţa Odobescu, as part of his first foreign visit since taking over the office. The agenda of the talks included, apart from Moldovas EU accession, topics related to energy interconnection and security. “Moldovas reform efforts are visible and appreciated. The authorities in Chişinău proved courage and political determination in tackling reforms in critical areas for the EU integration,” Odobescu said. The Moldovan foreign minister promised the two countries will preserve an active relationship. “The past 2 years were a major challenge for Moldova, but also an opportunity for a positive transformation, towards EU integration. In this process, we benefited from massive assistance from Romania in the development, modernisation and resilience of our state. We appreciate this strong and steady support,” Popsoi added.

HEALTH Healthcare trade unions have been promised a 15% salary increase, which will add to the 5% increase applied to public sector employees at the start of the year. After extensive negotiations with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the leaders of the Sanitas Federation said salaries will increase in two stages, in March and June, although it is unclear which categories of personnel will benefit from the increase and when. Talks with the authorities will continue, trade unions say. Representatives of the Sanitary Solidarity Federation are disgruntled with the governments latest counteroffer, the Federation leader Viorel Rotilă argues, adding that the increase will only affect base salaries, meaning health workers salaries, which also include bonuses, are expected to increase by a little over 14%. Protest actions will thus continue, Viorel Rotilă went on to say.

MILITARY Reintroducing compulsory military service is out of the question, but the defence ministry is interested in regulating voluntary military service, the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr told a television station. He said the Romanian Army has seen its forces reduced from 320,000 to 80,000 troops. Tîlvăr emphasised that there are no risks of Romania going to war. Meanwhile, MPs in the defence, public order and national security committees discussed with Tîlvăr on Tuesday about the security situation at the Black Sea. Special attention was paid to the need to bring the Army procurement programmes in line with the national defence industrys needs for development and consolidation of its production facilities. Another topic was the legislation in the defence sector.

INTERNET Several Romanian lawyers warn that the national legislation must be adjusted in order to tackle online crime, and say children in particular are vulnerable. Experts say the best ways to protect from online scams are to not access links from unknown sources, not to disclose personal and banking data on unauthorised platforms and not click posts promising various immediate substantial profits. The International Safer Internet Day was marked on Tuesday in around 200 countries, at a time when more and more people are victims of cybercrime.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea has advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament in Abu Dhabi (UAE), offering over 920 thousand USD in total prizes. This was the first win of the year for Cîrstea (26 WTA), who ousted Caroline Garcia of France, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4. The Romanian player will next take on third-seed Maria Sakkari of Greece (9 WTA). Cîrstea leads 2-1 head-to-head, the Greek player having won the last match 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the second round at Cincinnati. (AMP, VP)

6 February 2024
NATO, the US and Europe

Born in 1958, a former ambassador to Washington and a former foreign minister in the early 2000s, when Romania was admitted into NATO, Mircea Geană was described as one of the most forefront Atlanticist politicians in Romania.

Between 2005 and 2010, he led the Social Democratic Party, which has been dominating the Romanian political scene for over 3 decades. And, unlike a long line of Social Democratic leaders, from Ion Iliescu to Liviu Dragnea, via Adrian Năstase and Victor Ponta, he was never involved in criminal investigations or subject to allegations of plagiarism.

In 2009, Geoană lost the presidential election to Traian Băsescu, by a small margin. Since October 17, 2019, the Romanian Mircea Geoană has been NATOs deputy secretary general, and as of late the media and political analysts in Bucharest have noticed he has been more often in Romania than in Brussels, which suggests he might be interested in running for president once again, at the end of this year.

Just days ago, the NATO deputy chief came home again, to launch his book, Battle for the future of Romania. Thoughts of a Romanian at the top of NATO in Ploieşti.

On this occasion, speaking about the large-scale NATO exercise due to take place in Poland soon and expected to be the largest since 1988, Mircea Geoană said he wished the exercise to be read as a determent by prospective opponents. 90,000 people, the most diverse equipment, all Allies (…) taking part in this exercise, Romania included (…) You show your strength and your ability to bring additional forces from North America to Europe in a quick and professional manner, and you prove that the entire Alliance is able to mobilise, Geoană said.

He also explained that America needs allies in Europe and elsewhere in the world, and if Donald Trump returns to the White House after this autumns election, there will probably be “shifts in the emphasis” of the US-NATO relationship.

Geoană cited what not only Trump, but all US presidents have said: many of the USs European allies do not invest in defence, and America has to pay for the Allies security while they mind their own economy and get cheap natural gas from the Russians. However, Geoană went on to say, in his last State of the Union address nearly 4 years ago, Trump praised NATO.

Speaking about the extent to which the Romanian army is prepared for a prospective conflict, Geoană emphasised the importance of military drills. When you hear about such exercises, do not be concerned. What I hope for Romania (…) is for this bigger investment (…) to be able to lead to a rebirth of the defence industry (….) It is a pity not to try to create jobs, not to create an innovation ecosystem around the defence sector, the NATO official concluded. (AMP)

22 January 2024
November 30, 2023 UPDATE

COP28 The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis travels to Dubai on Friday, to attend the UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, with 140 heads of state expected to take part. The conference started on Thursday with the adoption of a historic decision to finance losses and damages for the countries affected by global warming. The year 2023 has been the hottest on record, with an average global temperature approx. 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels, the World Meteorological Organization announced.

DEFENCE Romanias new Army Chief of Staff is the general lieutenant Gheorghiţă Vlad. At the swearing in ceremony on Thursday, president Klaus Iohannis said gen. lt. Vlad was entrusted with the responsibility of carrying on the Armys process of adapting to new challenges and of maintaining a high level of battle training for the troops. We need more determined measures to re-launch the national defence industry, the president also said, including through industrial cooperation, so that a larger share of the ammunition and equipment we need may be produced domestically. This and the high level of military training, will ensure a strong and credible defence capacity, adapted to the new security challenges, the head of state added.

RECYCLING In Romania, the deposit and return scheme for beverage containers became operational on Thursday. Romania will run the second-largest programme of this kind in Europe, after the one in Germany, in terms of the number of containes processed. Romanians who pay a 10-Eurocent deposit on purchasing bottled beverages from retailers will be able to return the container to drop-off centres organised by retailers, and will be refunded their deposits without having to produce the receipt for the original purchase. Deposit-carrying containers will be introduced gradually, with a transition period until current stocks in shops are sold out.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu took part on Wednesday in an informal dinner ahead of the OSCE ministerial council in Skopje, organised by the rotating chairmanship holder, North Macedonia. Talks focused on Russias war of aggression against Ukraine and the need for an efficient OSCE in times of conflict. In her address, the Romanian diplomat emphasised the difficult circumstances in which the Organisation operates, in the context of Russias unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. She also reiterated Romanias solidarity with the Ukrainian people, emphasising the multi-dimensional support given to Ukraine. Luminiţa Odobescu also highlighted the negative impact on the Republic of Moldova, the social and economic difficulties facing Moldova as a result of Russias various pressures, as well as the relevance of Moldova in the security dynamics of the region.

UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate in Romania was 5.4% in October, below the 6% EU average, the European Statistics Office announced. According to data released on Thursday, the Eurostat puts the number of unemployed people in the EU at nearly 13 million. The unemployment rate was 14.8% among youth, 6.4% among women and 5.8% among men. The lowest figure in October was reported in Malta – 2.5%, and the highest in Spain – 12%.

HOLIDAY On Thursday Christians celebrated St. Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Romania. Historical records indicate that Saint Andrew preached in Scythia, in the north and west of the Black Sea, including present-day Dobrudja, where he ordained priests and bishops who took the word of Christ to the Dacian population between the Danube and the Carpathians. As such, he is recognised as the patron saint of Romania. He was martyred by crucifixion in the city of Patras, in Greece. (AMP)

30 November 2023
November 30, 2023

DEFENCE Romania’s new Army Chief of Staff is the general lieutenant
Gheorghiţă Vlad. At the swearing in ceremony on Thursday, president Klaus
Iohannis said Vlad was entrusted with the responsibility of carrying on the
Army’s process of adapting to new challenges and of maintaining a high level of
battle training for the troops. We need more determined measures to re-launch
the national defence industry, the president also said, including though
industrial cooperation, so that a larger share of the ammunition and equipment
we need to be produced domestically. This and the high level of military
training, will ensure a strong and credible defence capacity, adapted to the
new security challenges, the head of state added.

RECYCLING In
Romania, the deposit and return scheme for beverage containers became
operational on Thursday. Romania will run the second-largest programme of this
kind in Europe, after the one in Germany, in terms of the number of containes
processed. Romanians who pay a 10-Eurocent deposit on purchasing bottled
beverages from retailers will be able to return the container to drop-off
centres organised by retailers, and will be refunded their deposits without
having to produce the receipt for the original purchase. Deposit-carrying
containers will be introduced gradually, with a transition period until current
stocks in shops are sold out.

DIPLOMACY The
Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu took part on Wednesday in an
informal dinner ahead of the OSCE ministerial council in Skopje, organised by
the rotating chairmanship holder, North Macedonia. Talks focused on Russia’s
war of aggression against Ukraine and the need for an efficient OSCE in times
of conflict. In her address, the Romanian diplomat emphasised the difficult
circumstances in which the Organisation operates, in the context of Russia’s
unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. She also
reiterated Romania’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people, emphasising the
multi-dimensional support given to Ukraine. Luminiţa Odobescu also highlighted
the negative impact on the Republic of Moldova, the social and economic
difficulties facing Moldova as a result of Russia’s various pressures, as well
as the relevance of Moldova in the security dynamics of the region.

KISSINGER The
former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, who played a major role in shaping
the US foreign policy under presidents Nixon and Ford, died on Wednesday aged
100, the BBC announced. Kissinger was a national security adviser and a state
secretary between 1969 and 1977, during which the US ended its involvement in
the Vietnam War, opened its relations with China and saw the end of hostilities
in the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War in the Middle East. He won the Nobel
Peace Prize, although his opponents claiming his role in bombing Cambodia and Laos
amounted to war crime. He pioneered the concept of Realpolitik, which values
pragmatism in international relations, the BBC also said.

HOLIDAY Christians
celebrate today Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Romania. Historical records
indicate that Saint Andrew preached in Scythia, in the north and west of the
Black Sea, including present-day Dobrudja, where he ordained priests and
bishops who took the word of Christ to the Dacian population between the Danube
and the Carpatians. As such, he is recognised as the patron saint of Romania. He
was martyred by crucifixion in the city of Patras, in Greece.

ISRAEL An attack
by 2 Palestinians in western Jerusalem at rush hour killed 3 people and wounded
7 others, 4 of whom are in a serious condition. The attack took place as the
truce between Israel and Hamas was renewed for the 7th consecutive
day, in order to carry on the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian
prisoners. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the attackers were
identified as Hamas supporters and had been formerly imprisoned in Israel. As
for the new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the revised list of hostages to
be freed only includes 8 children. Hamas explained that this was because of the
2 Israelis with dual, Russian and Italian citizenship, who were released
yesterday in a show of goodwill towards the Russian president Vladimir Putin. (AMP)

30 November 2023
US and the Black Sea region

The Black Sea region plays an important role for NATO, and Romania is a very close partner for the United States, the US Ambassador to Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec reiterated, while on a visit to Târgu Mureș (centre).

In an interview to Radio Târgu Mureş, she said that Romania, located next to the conflict in Ukraine, has been suffering from the consequences of the conflict, whether we talk about the Ukrainian refugees who either transit Romania or are staying here, or about the transport of Ukrainian grains via Romanian Danube and Black Sea ports.According to theUS diplomat, adding to all these are the concerns generated by a war taking place at the countrys borders.

Kathleen Kavalec: “In that context, I think our defence and security relations have become even closer. We now have tripled the number of American troops in Romania, so there are now over 3,000 American troops here, and were working more closely with our Romanian partners on defence and deterrence, to defend every inch of NATO territory, should the need arise”.

In fact, Kathleen Kavalec recently stated in a security conference in Bucharest that Romania turned from a beneficiary into an exporter of peace and security, and that today the country is infinitely better prepared to protect its borders, with support from NATO and its partners, than it was just decades ago.

I know that Romanians are not unused to turning points in history, the US Ambassador also said. This is why, she added, more than 2 decades ago, at an equally critical moment in geopolitical terms, Romania made the strategic and wise decision to join NATO and the EU, choosing the path of democratic transformation.

The US diplomat also emphasised that it is vital for is to continue to invest in alliances and partnerships, starting with NATO. As we face Russias aggression against Ukraine, the Hamas attack against Israel or any other instance of global injustice, we are stronger together, Kathleen Kavalec argued.

On the other hand, while in Târgu Mureș the US Ambassador also spoke about her countrys openness to including Romania in the Visa Waiver programme, but she explained that this can only be achieved by strictly complying with the US legislation, which has very specific requirements. In this context, she also mentioned the information exchange agreements that must be completed and signed as part of the Visa Waiver programme. We are making very good progress in this direction, and hopefully we will sign an agreement as soon as possible, the US Ambassador concluded. (AMP)

30 October 2023
October 26, 2023

SUMMIT On Thursday and Friday, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will
be in Brussels to participate in the European Council proceedings and the Euro
Summit in extended format, the presidential administration in Bucharest has
announced. High on the agenda are talks on the situation in Ukraine, a review
of the Multiannual Financial Framework, economic aspects, migration and the EU’s
foreign relations with emphasis on the Middle East situation, the situation in
Southern Caucasus, Kosovo and Serbia and in Sahel. Regarding the situation of Ukraine,
European leaders are expected to endorse among other things, the EU’s
multidimensional support and president Iohannis will underline Romania’s
decision to carry on its support for Ukraine and plead for the continuation of
the EU assistance to this country as long as it needs. The Romanian official is
expected to stand for the opening of EU-accession talks for Ukraine and the
Republic of Moldova by the end of this year. The Euro Summit will include talks
about the economic situation at a European level.

DAY The role of the Romanian army in ensuring national
and regional security is all the more so important against the present
background in which the world peace and the entire security climate are
threatened by regional conflicts with a worsening potential – the highest
Romanian officials said during the events dedicated to Army Day in Romania.
Attending the ceremonies occasioned by the event, Romanian President Klaus
Iohannis said that Romania would continue to pay special attention to fitting
its armed forces with modern equipment and weapons. In turn, Prime Minister
Marcel Ciolacu has underlined that a budget of 2.5% has been earmarked this
year to defence, a decision, which allowed a larger number of programmes to be
run as well as the initiation of an ample process for the modernization and
transformation of the Romanian army. In his message, Defence Minister Angel Tilvar
has underlined the fact that the army has already managed to achieve NATO
standards in many areas, while the deputy secretary general of NATO, Romanian
Mircea Geoana, has mentioned the significance of this day for the entire nation
can be found in the patriotism and sacrifice of the Romanian soldiers of today
and yesterday.

FAIR Bucharest is hosting
INDAGRA 2023 – Romania’s most important International Fair of Products and Equipment
used in agriculture and the food industry. Until October 29th, over
550 companies from 23 countries are displaying here the equipment and technologies
of the future in the agricultural field as well as a series of innovations in
horticulture, winegrowing and animal breeding. If decision makers and professionals
are expected to participate in a series of forums and conferences, visitors are
invited to admire the most beautiful animal breeds or taste traditional
Romanian dishes.

VISIT Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is also in Brussels
for talks with the European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean and that
for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, Paolo Gentiloni. Ciolacu
will also participate in the meeting of the European Socialists Party right
before the European Council. This round of talks with Commisssion
representatives is taking place after the government in Bucharest has submitted
the draft law on the pension system, part of the commitment, Romania has
assumed in the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience. The Prime Minister has
recently said that he wishes the new pension law may come into effect next
year.

(bill)

26 October 2023
September 29, 2023 UPDATE

TAXES USR and the Force of the Right parties in
opposition in Romania Friday notified the Constitutional Court with respect to
the set of fiscal measures for which the Government has recently assumed
responsibility. The 2 parties argue that many
provisions in the bill are against the Constitution. Two members of the
National Liberal Party (in the ruling coalition) have also signed the
notification, the USR floor group leader Ionuţ Moşteanu said. According to him,
the Cabinet has initiated a reform which is not implemented consistently and violates
the principle of judicial security. The move by USR was criticised by another
Opposition party, AUR, which is collecting signatures in Parliament to table a
no-confidence motion. The finance minister, Marcel Boloş, claims however that
the set of fiscal measures endorsed by the government is needed for Romania’s
modernisation process, and a failure to solve the budget deficit issue would
jeopardise the payment of EUR 75 billion in EU funding for Romania’s
development projects.

FUNDING Romania has received from the European Commission EUR 2.7
bln in response to the second disbursement application under the National
Recovery and Resilience Plan, submitted in December. The finance minister
Marcel Boloş says Romania is among the first countries in the Union to complete
the steps required for obtaining a second instalment of the funds. In a social
media post, he said Romania has so far received combined payments of nearly EUR
10 bln in grants and loans, out of the EUR 29 bln earmarked for the country
under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

MOTORWAY The Development Ministry in Bucharest has approved a EUR 6
bln investment for the mountain segment of the A8 Motorway, between Miercurea
Nirajului (centre) and Leghin (north-east). The approx. 160-km segment
includes 47 tunnels and over 250 overpasses. The project is to be approved in a
Cabinet meeting, and then a bid would be initiated for the procurement of
design and construction works. The project is to be finalised in 54 months. The
Union Motorway (Târgu Mureş-Iaşi-Ungheni) will be over 300 km long, but so far contracts
have only been signed for the 30 km between Leghin and Târgu Neamţ.

EXHIBITION Nearly 100 works are included in the most
important exhibition in the past 50 years in Romania devoted to the great
sculptor Constantin Brâncuși. The exhibition opens on Saturday in western
Romania as part of the Timişoara – European Capital of Culture programme.
Sculptures, photos, archive documents and video materials will be on display at
the National Art Museum in the city until the end of January. The works, whose
insured value is half a billion euros, come from public and private collections
in Romania and abroad, including famous galleries such as the Pompidou centre in
Paris and Tate in London.

DEFENCE Romania will procure all the military equipment needed to
enhance the security at the Black Sea, the Romanian defence minister Angel
Tîlvăr said during a visit at a military equipment producer in Timişoara. He
emphasised that Romania is a safe country and not involved in any conflict with
anyone, but that incidents such as the Russian drone falling on Romanian
territory are still possible. We are doing our best and have made public the
additional measures we took after drone pieces were found in Romania, he added.
He also mentioned the Army is still interested in attracting young members,
especially since a large number of military staff have retired recently. (AMP)

29 September 2023
September 27, 2023 UPDATE

EBRD The European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development has revised down its forecast on the development of the
Romanian economy in 2023 and 2024, according to a report made public on
Wednesday by this international financial institution. Thus, Romania’s GDP is
likely to grow only by 1.8% this year, from the 2.5% May forecast. Also,
the country’s economy is expected to see a 3.2% growth next year, as
compared to 3.5% estimated in May, the report also says.

COVID The COVID-19 cases are on the rise in
Romania with over 14,800 infections confirmed in the past week. The number of
cases is four times higher than a month ago. 41.3% of the new infections have
been registered in Bucharest, Timis, in the west of the country, Iasi in the
north-east, Prahova and Ilfov in the south. The number of hospitalized patients
is also on the rise. Out of the 1150 patients reported, 74 are presently in ICU.
27 people died last week after being infected with SARS-COV2. Almost all were
suffering from other diseases.

DEFENCE Romania’s Chief of Staff
has staged an online meeting with the representatives of the local public
authorities in south-eastern Romania in the context of the latest Russian
attacks on the Ukrainian bank of the Danube. According to a communiqué by the Ministry
of Defence, the conference focused on the optimization of the
inter-institutional coordination. High on the agenda were also a presentation
of the security situation, the army’s public communication, issues related to preparing
the population, economy and territory for defence, the legal responsibilities
of various institutions in the national defence system.

SCHENGEN Romania expects and deserves a
positive decision during the Spanish presidency of the EU Council regarding the
Schengen enlargement, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta
Metsola, said in Brussels. She was optimistic about the entry of Romania and
Bulgaria into the free movement area. The accession of the two countries was
blocked by Austria and the Netherlands, at the Justice and Home Affairs Council
last December, for alleged insufficient control of migrant flows. In the case
of Romania, Austria was the only country against the accession.

(bill)

27 September 2023
September 13, 2023 UPDATE

SCHENGEN – In her state of the union address in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said Bulgaria and Romania proved that they are part of the Schengen area, showcasing best practices on asylum and returns. She urged that the two countries be admitted to the free movement area without further delay. Earlier, European Parliament president Roberta Metsola told the European Parliament that delaying the admission of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen translates into restrictions to their right to freedom of movement and additional costs for their economies. The Romanian government plans to request compensations from the European Union arguing that keeping the country outside Schengen leads to economic losses of up to 2% of GDP. In July, European MPs passed a resolution urging for Romanias and Bulgarias admission into Schengen by the end of the year. Spain, the current holder of the EU presidency, also put this objective on its list of priorities. The decision must be taken by the heads of state and government of the 27 EU member states and Austria is the only country still opposed.

DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Ministry has begun building shelters for the residents of Plauru, the village in Tulcea county, in south-eastern Romania, near the border with Ukraine, where fragments were found of Russian drones used in strikes on Ukrainian river ports. A detachment of army engineers are building two concrete air-raid shelters, which will be then handed over to the local authorities. The Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that new fragments of a drone similar to the one used by the Russian army were found in Tulcea county. The Ministry reiterated that the Russian federation’s attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube, near the border with Romania, are unjustified and against international law.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep said she would appeal her 4-year ban from professional tennis on doping charges. She was suspended for two separate violations of the anti-doping regulations. Aged 31, Halep has 24 tournament titles to her record, including two Grand Slam trophies, at Roland Garros in 2018 and at Wimbledon one year later. First suspended provisionally in October last year, she has repeatedly denied consciously ingesting the banned substance for which she was charged, and has criticized the delaying of the case.

EU – MEPs have approved, on Wednesday, the European Council’s decision to increase the number of seats in the European Parliament for the next legislative term from 705 to 720, as a result of the demographic changes in the EU since the 2019 elections. The 15 additional seats will be distributed among 12 countries. Romania, whose population has decreased, will remain with the same number of MEPs – 33.

LIBYA — The most recent death toll, days after two catastrophic dam collapses on Sunday has exceeded 5,300. Thousands of people are missing and over 30,000 have been left homeless. A number of countries have already sent humanitarian aid and rescue teams to Libya. The European Commission announced on Wednesday that aid offered by Germany, Romania and Finland, under the civil protection mechanism, has been sent to Derna and that a first trench of 500,000 euros has been unblocked, to cover the most urgent needs of the people affected by the disaster. (EE)

13 September 2023