Radio România Internațional

Tag: Defense Council

  • January 26, 2022

    January 26, 2022

    OECD — The decision of the Council of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to open accession negotiations with Romania is an opportunity to initiate new reforms in favour of the citizens and to bring the society in line with the consolidated democracies, PM Nicolae Ciuca said on Wednesday at the meeting of the OECD Inter-ministerial Committee. The role of the latter is to coordinate negotiations for Romania’s accession to the OECD. Today’s meeting is the signal we give as regards our seriousness in the way we approach preparations of our OECD accession, to be in line with the developed countries which hold more than 70% of the global production and trade and 90% of the global direct foreign investment, PM Ciuca explained. The OECD Council has decided to open accession discussions with six candidates to the membership, namely Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Peru and Romania, following careful deliberation by OECD members and the progress made by the six countries since their first applied for membership. The OECD will now start to prepare a roadmap for the accession of Romania, provided that the country confirms the adherence to the values, vision and priorities of the international organization.



    CORONAVIRUS — More than 34,000 new infections with the Covid-19 virus have been reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, along with 94 deaths, the Group for Strategic Communication has announced today. It is an absolute record number of infections since the onset of the pandemic in Romania. The number of new cases at national level has doubled since yesterday. There are currently around 700 patients in intensive care units. Also today the anti-Covid vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 has started in Romania, but the interest in it is low, just like in the case of other age groups. Only 3,300 children have been scheduled for vaccination on the online platform so far, and little over 3,000 people have received the first dose in the last 24 hours.



    DEFENSE — The situation in Ukraine will be discussed later today in Bucharest, at a meeting of Romania’s Higher Defence Council summoned by President Klaus Iohannis. According to the Presidential Administration, the security situation in the enlarged Black Sea area and on NATO’s eastern flank and measures regarding the response and deterrence capacity to the new challenges are on the meeting’s agenda.



    UKRAINE — The crisis in Ukraine is the Western countries’ focus of attention. Political experts in Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France will hold talks in Paris, in the context of mounting tensions triggered by fears that Moscow could invade Ukraine. In Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have warned that a potential aggression against Ukraine will generate a firm response from NATO and the EU. In Washington, President Joe Biden said there will be “serious economic consequences” for Putin if he does invade Ukraine, saying he would personally sanction the Russian leader. Biden also said that if Putin orders those over 100 thousand Russian troops amassed at the border with Ukraine to invade the country, this would be the largest military operation of its kind since World War II. The White House leader also said more American troops could be deployed on NATO’s eastern flank. The Alliance has 4,000 troops and military equipment in a number of multinational battalions in Poland and the Baltic states.



    ELECTION — Parties have failed to agree on a common candidate in the first two rounds of voting in Italys presidential election. A two-thirds majority is required to win the election during the first three rounds. A third round of voting is set for today but it is unlikely that it will yield a conclusion. However, the current PM, Mario Draghi, is believed to stand most chances to be the next president. The election was triggered by Outgoing President Sergio Mattarella coming to the end of a seven-year mandate. (EE)

  • December 19, 2018 UPDATE

    December 19, 2018 UPDATE

    NO CONFIDENCE MOTION – The Bucharest Parliament on Thursday is debating and voting on the no confidence motion against the cabinet made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, headed by PM Viorica Dancila. The document was introduced and signed by 163 MPs, mainly from the Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party, as well as by independents. 233 votes are needed to bring down the government. Signatories claim that the executive, whom they define as an “organised crime group” destroys the rule of law and undermines the country’s political and economic stability. Liberal leader Ludovic Orban called on Parliament to pass the motion. The head of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, has announced his party members will be present in Parliament but will abstain from voting.




    DEFENSE — The meeting of the Supreme Defense Council of Romania, suspended on December 11 by President Klaus Iohannis at the request of the members, resumed on Wednesday in Bucharest. According to the Presidency, the plan of equipping the armed forces between 2019- 2028 was approved at the meeting as well as the number of troops Romania will send in international missions next year. The agenda of the meeting also included major issues related to the countrys defense and national security, the councils schedule for next year and the National Plan for Informative Priorities.




    STOCK EXCHANGE – The business environment in Romania warned on Wednesday over the negative effects of the new taxes to be introduced by the Bucharest Government as of next year. The Bucharest Stock Exchange opened Wednesday in free fall. The fiscal and budget measures for 2019 presented by Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici sent the market plummeting to minus 7%. Teodorovici announced so called taxes on greed leveled on banks, depending on the evolution of interbanking loans, as well as a package of measures for energy companies — a contribution equal to 3% of turnover, capping natural gas prices, and price controls for electricity prices. Investors’ trust has eroded quickly, in only a few hours after the Government’s announcement, the American Chamber of Commerce in Bucharest has said, asking for the immediate withdrawal of the emergency decree on the newly proposed measures. The Opposition is firmly against the move while the country’s president Klaus Iohannis has warned the Government that its decision has negative effects on economy and Romanians’ revenues.




    PENSIONS – The law regulating pensions passed in the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday. The bill sets a minimum of 15 years of employment in order to qualify for social benefits, with contributions to the system in the 15 years. The only changes that deputies brought to the bill introduced by the executive regards the rights of people with disabilities, who would get benefits for working a third of the mandatory period. This amendment, introduced by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, was initially turned down by the Labor Committee. The bill passed by 193 votes. The novelties in this bill, according to Social Democrat Deputy Olguta Vasilescu, are eliminating inequalities in pensions for people with similar work experience, granting the most advantageous survivor pension to a spouse, and the possibility of retiring six years early for mothers of three children or more. Vasilescu, former Minister of Labor, specified that a gradual rise in pensions until 2020 will bring pensions up to 1,775 lei.




    RULING – Romania’s Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that there is a constitutional conflict between the Government and the country’s President, Klaus Iohannis. The Court debated Wednesday the governments claim regarding a possible constitutional conflict between the government and the president, who delayed the appointment of the ministers for transportation and regional development. The proposals were Lia Olguta Vasilescu for regional development and Mircea Draghici for transportation. According to the claim filed by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila with the high court, the prolonged analysis by President Iohannis of the proposals has no legal basis, and constitutes willful obstruction.




    MEDIA — The Reporters without Frontiers organization accuses Romania of excessive politicization of the press and corrupt financing mechanisms, making editorial compromises under pressure from owners, and the infiltration of intelligence agents in editorial rooms. The 2018 annual report of the organization points out that the use of the press as a political propaganda tool was more visible than ever in the last few years, especially during election campaigns. In Romanias case, the worsening climate in the press is in part due to the activity of small extreme right groups . The organization adds that the bill proposed by majority leader Liviu Dragnea, introducing penalties for denigrating Romania, and reintroducing calumny in the Penal Code, raises fears of political censorship in the media. Romania was ranked 44th in the world in the freedom of the press index for 2018. (Translated by E. Enache)




  • July 4, 2017 UPDATE

    July 4, 2017 UPDATE

    ROMANIA-US RELATIONS — The Strategic Partnership with the US has had a decisive impact on Romania’s development, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday at a cocktail party marking the National Day of the USA, July 4. In turn, Ambassador Hans Klemm said he wants to strengthen cooperation in all fields of the strategic partnership, a document signed over 20 years ago by the then presidents Bill Clinton and Emil Constantinescu. Last month Klaus Iohannis and Donald Trump reasserted the tenets of the partnership during the Romanian president’s visit to Washington. Our shared priorities, Ambassador Klemm argues, are fostering security, democracy, promoting and rule of law and prosperity.



    DEFENSE COUNCIL — The European Union security and defense strategy ranked high on Tuesday’s meeting of the Supreme Defense Council. According to President Klaus Iohannis who chaired the meeting, Romania wants to take part in this project. The president said that in the first phase the strategy focuses on military research, to see how Europe’s defense industry can be improved and how national armies can cooperate more closely. On the other hand, the Council adopted the number of troops and equipment used by the Interior Ministry that can be deployed for missions outside Romania’s territory. Finally, the Council passed the activity report of the Romanian Intelligence Service in 2016.



    MOLDOVA — The European Parliament on Tuesday signed off on a 100-million-euro aid package for the Republic of Moldova, of which 60 million euros will count as a loan, while the remaining 40 million euros will be non-reimbursable. If Moldova meets all the requirements, the money will be transferred in three instalments, in 2017 and 2018. MEPs have called on Moldova for safeguards in terms of the independence of its judiciary, freedom of the press and depoliticizing public administration. According to our Strasbourg correspondent, a report filed by the Romanian Social-Democrat MEP Sorin Moisa, Moldova is asked to renounce its controversial reform of the election law, by means of which half of the MPs are voted in the single-winner system. Criticized by the Venice Commission, opposition parties and civil society, the reform allegedly favours large parties, such as the pro-Russian Socialist Party and the pro-European Democratic Party.



    FUNDS — Between 2007 and 2013, Romania was allocated 18.8 billion Euro by the EU, and absorbed 17 billion of them by the end of last year. This is the lowest rate of absorption, with 90.4%, 5% below other states receiving such funds, according to a report published by the National Bank of Romania. Around two thirds of this money was earmarked for major projects such as infrastructure in transportation, environmental protection, and developing education and vocational training, as well as SMEs. The rest of the funding was directed towards social inclusion and improving the economy.



    NBG — National Bank of Greece, the second largest Greek Bank, will send some of its assets in the Balkans, including its operations from Romania, NBG General Director Leonidas Fragiadakis told Reuters on Tuesday. The move is part of the European Commission’s plan to restructure the main Greek banks by increasing capital and reducing their operations abroad. NBG bought the majority package at the Romanian Bank in 2003. With a primary capital of 155 million euros and a network totalling 110 branches across the country, the Romanian Bank has been operating for 22 years on the Romanian banking market.



    NEVERSEA — The Romanian Black Seacoast is getting ready to host the first edition of the Neversea festival. Taking place Over July 7 and 9 in Constanta, the festival will bring together some 150 artists from the international music industry. Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Jason Derulo, Tiesto, Fatboy Slim and Years&Years are some of the names of artists and bands who will perform live on the stages set up along the coast. Some 150,000 have been sold so far. Neversea is organized by the team behind the prestigious Untold festival, hosted by Cluj in central Romania. Having reached its third edition, Untold will run over August 3-6.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, 63 WTA, qualified on Tuesday to the second round at Wimbledon, the most important Grand Slam tournament of the year, after defeating Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, 7-6, 6-4. Sorana Cirstea will next take on Bethanie Mattek Sands of the US. On Monday, Simona Halep, WTA no. 2, eased past Marina Erakovic of New Zealand, 129 WTA. Halep will next take on Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil. Ana Bogdan, 115 WTA, defeated Ying-Ying Duan of China, WTA no. 62, and will next play Caroline Garcia of France. After defeating Naomi Broady of Great Britain, Irina Begu, 64 WTA, will advance to the second round too, where she will go up against Ana Konjuh of Croatia. Monica Niculescu, 51 WTA and Marius Copil, 85 ATP, were eliminated from the competition. (Translated by V. Palcu)