Radio România Internațional

Tag: Diplomacy

August 30, 2023

Crevedia – 17 of the almost 60 people injured in Saturdays explosion, from Crevedia, in southern Romania, have been discharged from hospital, and the condition of a few others has improved – according to the latest information provided by the Health Ministry. However, 9 of the injured are in a serious condition. Six are being treated in hospitals abroad, and three in Romania. No other deaths were reported besides the two reported immediately after the LPG station blast. Meanwhile the authorities continue the damage assessment. Data so far shows that, following the explosions followed by a fire, 11 houses were affected, 8 of which were completely destroyed. Intervention teams are present at the scene of the disaster, and the firefighters continue to cool some LPG tanks left in the area. The security perimeter was also extended, because two of the tanks have gas leaks. Meanwhile, prosecutors are collecting documents for several open criminal cases.

Diplomacy – The Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy continues today in Bucharest, with thematic plenary sessions, attended by guests from the government apparatus. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the themes to be addressed are: the contribution of Romanian diplomacy to the consolidation of the European project, economic development strategies, climate change, green and digital transition, the organization, abroad, of the three rounds of elections in 2024, with an emphasis on the smooth running of elections in the diaspora, the role of the Romanian missions in promoting cultural diplomacy and scientific cooperation. The theme of this years event is A firm foreign policy of Romania: managing challenges and maximizing opportunities. The Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy is traditionally organized every year, close to the Romanian Diplomacy Day, which, starting from 2005, is marked on September 1.

Fires – Greece is on the 12th day of fighting the fire that broke out in the Dadia National Park, in the northeast of the country, a fire described by the European Union as the worst ever recorded in the community space. The fire is devastating the forest in this park included in the European Natura 2000 network, which shelters numerous birds of prey. 20 people have died so far, and more than 80 hectares of land have burned, France Press new agency writes. A spokesman for the European Commission underlined that 11 planes and a helicopter from the European fleet were mobilized, as well as over 400 firefighters. Romania sent a new 56-strong fire-fighting contingent. They will replace those who intervened in the area in the last nine days. We remind you that Greece has faced numerous wildfires this summer, which the government in Athens attributes to climate change.

Symposium – On September 22, the 21st edition of the “George Enescu” International Musicology Symposium will take place in Bucharest, as part of the “George Enescu” International Festival and Competition, the organizers have announced today. Founded by the Union of Composers and Musicologists from Romania in 1967, the scientific symposium offers, this year, the opportunity to present valuable studies dedicated to Enescu’s creation as part of two sections. We remind you that the 26th edition of the “George Enescu” International Festival takes place, in Romania, between August 27 and September 24. One of the most important international classical music events worldwide, organized in Bucharest since 1958, the festival’s 2023 edition brings to the public over 3,500 of the worlds most famous artists and over 40 orchestras from 16 countries in 90 concerts.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Patricia Ţig has qualified for the second round of the US Open tournament, the last Grand Slam of the year, after defeating the Canadian Rebecca Marino 7-6, 7-6, on Tuesday, at the Flushing Meadows arenas in New York. In the second round, Patricia Ţig will be up against the American Jessica Pegula, world’s number three player. Instead, the Romanians Ana Bogdan and Gabriela Ruse lost in the first round at the US Open. Ana Bogdan was defeated by the American Sofia Kenin 7-6, 6-4, and Gabriela Ruse, coming from the qualifications, was defeated by Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-4. Out of the five Romanian players on the main singles draw – Sorana Cîrstea, Irina Begu, Ana Bogdan, Patricia Ţig and Gabriela Ruse – only Cîrstea and Ţig won in the first round. Sorana Cîrstea, who defeated the American Kayla Day 6-2, 6-3, will face the Russian Ana Kalinskaia in the second round. (LS)

30 August 2023
August 28, 2023 UPDATE

Accident. All fuel and LPG stations in Romania are being checked as of Monday and the activity of those that pose risks to public safety will be suspended, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced. He added that legislative changes were being considered to regulate this area, changes which could be approved this week. The decisions come after Saturday evenings devastating chain blasts at an LPG station in Crevedia (south), that were followed by a fire. Two people lost their lives and around 60, mostly firefighters, as well as gendarmes and policemen, were injured. The interior minister Cătălin Predoiu has given assurances that all those found guilty will be held accountable. Investigations by the Prosecutor Generals Office and the military and anti-corruption prosecutors are currently under way.

Protest. Finance employees resumed their protests on Monday in several cities across Romania, given that negotiations with the relevant minister Marcel Boloş failed. The protests are organized by the “Solidarity: Federation of Trade Unions from Fiscal Administration, affiliated to the National Trade Union Bloc. The trade unionists say they are preparing for a strike in early September. On August 22, they organized a warning strike throughout the country and a protest rally in front of the Ministry of Finance. Also, on August 11, over 15,000 employees from the structures of the Ministry of Finance from all over the country started spontaneous protests, dissatisfied with the measures proposed by the Executive to reduce budget expenses (…). Also on Monday, in Bucharest, over 100 members of the National Trade Union Federation in Welfare and Child Protection, PRO.ASIST, protested in front of the government, demanding that the plan of measures to reduce budget expenses did not apply to welfare. They believe that vulnerable people will suffer, because the system is already understaffed due to low wages.

Visit. The Ministers of Labor, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, of Finance, Marcel Boloş and of European Funds, Adrian Câciu, are currently on a visit to Brussels. The Labor Minister will present to European officials the new amendments to the law on special pensions that are required by the Constitutional Court. Simona Bucura-Oprescu will also inform the Commission about the governments intention to levy a 15% tax on the part of the special pension that exceeds the net average salary. In turn, the ministers of finance and European funds will present the governments intention to exceed the assumed threshold of 4.4% on this years budget deficit. The two ministers will also present the elements of the package of laws for which the government wants to take responsibility before Parliament, regarding the reform of the state administration, fiscal equity and the effective fight against tax dodging.

Diplomacy. Russias war of aggression in Ukraine violates the basic principles of international law, Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren Stork said on Monday. The minister spoke of the historical relationship between Romania and Chile. He is currently on a visit to Bucharest, where he held a joint press statement with his Romanian counterpart, Luminiţa Odobescu. Alberto van Klaveren Stork is a special guest of the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday in Bucharest, under the theme A firm foreign policy of Romania: managing challenges and maximizing opportunities. The special guest of the meeting will be the head of the Lithuanian diplomacy Gabrielius Landsbergis. The main theme of the event is centered on the reaffirmation of foreign policy priorities, in the sense of managing challenges and in the perspective of capitalizing on the opportunities generated by the current international environment. In the context of the most serious security challenge on NATOs Eastern Flank, the theme of security, cohesion and connectivity is the subject of a plenary session. The agenda of the meeting also includes the contribution of Romanian diplomacy to the consolidation of the European project, economic development strategies, the organization, abroad, of the three rounds of elections in 2024, with an emphasis on the smooth running of electoral processes in the diaspora, the role of Romanian missions in the promotion of cultural diplomacy and scientific cooperation.

Survey. Seven out of ten Romanians consider pollution a major problem in Romania, but less than half would be willing to pay more for clean energy sources. These are the data of a survey carried out by one of the most important Romanian companies active in the natural gas industry, CIS Gaz. According to the survey, more than 90% of the subjects believe that more investments should be made to increase the sustainability of the energy system. Thus, over 65% of Romanians believe that among the first targets of these investments should be the transport and distribution network and the installations, followed by the condition of the pipelines (almost 31%). At the same time, over 80% of Romanians believe that renewable energy is very important or quite important for the sustainability of the economy in the years to come. The survey was carried out, nationally, in June 2023, online, on a total sample of 1,383 internet users from Romania.

Trains. The European Commission has allocated over 52 million euros to Romania for the purchase of 37 electric trains for 13 inter-regional routes in the country. The latest generation trains will offer increased comfort to travelers and will contribute to the reduction of emissions generated by transport – said the Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira. With a minimum capacity of 300 passengers per train, this investment will significantly contribute to increasing the quality of services on the main electrified railway corridors. (MI)

28 August 2023
July 26, 2023 UPDATE

HEAT Wednesday was a new day with extreme heat in Romania. The capital
city Bucharest and several counties in the south and south-east were subject to
a code red alert for temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and a
temperature-humidity index above the critical 80 units. Code orange and yellow
alerts were also in place elsewhere in the country. On Tuesday the extreme
temperatures disrupted railway traffic and caused road traffic restrictions. On
the other hand, violent storms were reported in the west, north and centre of
the country, where substantial damages were reported. On
Thursday, the temperature is expected to drop significantly, to highs between
19 and 28 degrees Celsius.

PROTEST Romanian construction workers Wednesday picketed the government
headquarters to protest the Cabinet’s decision to scrap the tax facilities
granted to the employees in this sector. The head of the National Trade Union
Bloc (BNS), Dumitru Costin, said the proposed amendments to the Fiscal Code
affect not only the construction sector, but other categories of employees as
well. The BNS and the Familia General Federation of Trade Unions came up with a
set of measures to avoid the scrapping of tax facilities as of September 1,
including a new collective bargaining agreement for the sector and a gradual
elimination of the fiscal facility, in keeping with the roadmap agreed on under
the National Recovery and Resilience Plan as of 2025. They also suggest adjustments
to budget appropriations for the investment projects funded by the government
or from EU funds, as well as a salary policy for this sector for the
forthcoming years able to ensure balanced salaries, especially in the private
sector.

MEETING The Romanian
foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Wednesday had talks with her French
counterpart, Catherine Colonna, about the security situation at the Black Sea.
In a Twitter post, Odobescu described the dialogue as very good. Bilateral
cooperation was reconfirmed on this occasion. We have emphasised our joint
support for Ukraine and the R. of Moldova, as well as our determination to
consolidate security and resilience at the Black Sea, the Romanian diplomacy
chief said in her post.

DIPLOMACY The foreign
minister of the Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, Wednesday requested a
limitation on the number of Russian diplomats accredited to Chişinău. He said
the country has been for several years the target of hostile policies on
Russia’s part, and that some of them were completed via the Russian Embassy
there. Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry
for explanations, after a media report revealed that the Russian diplomatic
mission had installed high-performance espionage and interception equipment on
its rooftop. The media in Chişinău mentioned 28 satellite dishes and telecoms
devices, while individuals tied to Russian intelligence services were seen on
the buildings. The authorities in Chisinau decided that the two countries’
embassies would have equal numbers of diplomatic personnel, specifically 10 diplomatic
positions and 15 administrative, technical and support posts, Moldpres reports.
Consequently, the staff of Russia’s embassy in Chişinău will be reduced from 84
to 25.

NATO The NATO
secretary general Jens Stoltenberg convened a first NATO – Ukraine Council
meeting at ambassador level on Wednesday, at the request of Kyiv. The meeting
focused on consultations on recent developments, with participants discussing
the transport of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, the NATO spokesperson Oana
Lungescu said. Ukraine’s request came after Russia terminated the so-called
grains deal and started attacking the Ukrainian port infrastructure. Also on
Wednesday, the head of the press office for the southern Ukrainian defence
command, Natalia Humeniuk, said Russia was already using Shahed-type drones
assembled in Russia.

SWIMMING The Romanian swimmer David Popovici Wednesday qualified into
the final of the 100m freestyle race at the World Championships in Fukuoka (Japan). Popovici, the defending world champion in
this event, also holds the world record, set last year at the European
Championships in Rome. The 100m freestyle final is scheduled for Thursday. On
Tuesday, Popovici, also a former world champion in the 200m freestyle event,
finished the competition’s final on the 4th place. (AMP)

26 July 2023
June 9, 2023

STRIKE Disgruntled by the government’s failure to meet their
claims, trade unions in Romania’s education system have today kicked off another
protest in Bucharest. Protests are also taking place in other major cities
across the country. Also today, the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca will
be having a new round of talks with trade union representatives. The government
on Thursday endorsed a memorandum on pay rises granted to the personnel in the
country’s education system under the future salary law – through which the
government guarantees this domain as a priority. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca
has given assurances the salary of the beginner teachers will be based on the
average gross salary as trade unions have requested. The memorandum also mentions
a holiday bonus for the employees according to their salaries as well as other
bonuses. The protesters say though the political statement on Thursday doesn’t
have any legal value, which prompted them to carry on the protests they started
on May 22. They say they don’t trust Romania’s political class as there have
been numerous cases since 2010, when politicians have chosen not to implement
the laws they issued. Field minister
Ligia Deca has announced that applications for the Baccalaureate and the
national assessment exams for 8th graders will be extended until
June 13 and the competency tests from the Baccalaureate exam will take place
over 14 – 23 June.

DIPLOMACY The Russian
Foreign Ministry has deemed a decision by the Romanian authorities to reduce Russia’s
diplomatic presence in Romania as a hostile act, which will not remain
unanswered. Specific measures will be announced in due time, Maria Zakharova,
the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry has said. The Romanian Foreign
Ministry has announced the ambasador of the Russian Federation in Bucharest was
briefed on Thursday upon the decision of the Romanian authorities to reduce the
diplomatic and technical-administrative personnel of the Russian Federation in
Romania by limiting their number to a level close to Romania’s diplomatical
representation in the Russian Federation. Within 30 days, the number of
diplomats must be reduced by 21 and the auxiliary personnel by 30. The measure
has been endorsed according to the 1961 Vienna convention on diplomatic
relations and reflects the present level of the bilateral relations sharply
reduced by Romania after the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Romanian
Foreign Ministry has specified.

TIFF As of today, the city of Cluj in
northwestern Romania, will be the capital of the international cinematography
for the next ten days. The Transylvania Film Festival, known as TIFF, has
kicked off with roughly 200 films to be screened and 12 vying in the official
contest. Famous actors and directors from Romania and abroad, including US
director Oliver Stone, have announced their participation. At TIFF, film goers
will be able to meet Oscar winners or actors who starred in the famous series
‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ or ‘Harry Potter’. Inspired from real events, which
took place in Sibiu, central Romania, back in 1989, ‘Freedom’, the latest film
of Romanian director Tudor Giurgiu will be premiered at TIFF. Romanian actor
Horatiu Malaele, who is going to give a performance at the aforementioned film
festival, will be awarded the excellence award.

WEATHER And now a look at the weather
which is generally unstable in the country’s west, north-west, central regions
as well as in the mountains. The sky is overcast with thunderstorms and heavy
downpours reported in some areas. In the other Romanian regions, the weather is
predominantly warm and even hot with temperatures ranging from 21 to 30 degrees
Celsius and a noon reading in Bucharest of 30 degrees.

(bill)

9 June 2023
May 22, 2023

STRIKE An all-out strike has been initiated today in Romanian public
undergraduate education. According to trade unions, taking part are over 150,000
teachers and 70,000 non-teaching staff, disgruntled with the government’s
salary policies. A two-hour token strike in higher education is also scheduled
for today.

EDUCATION The new undergraduate and higher education bills are discussed and voted on as of today in the Senate, the
decision-making parliamentary body in this respect.
At the end of last week’s talks in the Senate’s committee on education, the
representatives of students and parents said that over 90% of their requests were
answered in the new legislation. In turn, the religious denominations welcomed
the amendments to the new bills. With respect to the undergraduate education,
the National Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, in power, say the bill meets students’
educational needs, supports teachers’ career development and fosters quality and
equity in the education system. The draft law includes measures to enhance
safety in schools and to ensure the access of children with special needs to
regular classes. The opposition, on the other hand, believes these important issues
noted by civil society are not solved.

VISIT The president of Germany, Frank-Walter
Steinmeier, will make an official visit to Romania on the 24th to 26th
May, at the invitation of president Klaus Iohannis. According
to the Romanian presidency, the visit is a major landmark for the excellent
Romanian-German relations. Talks will focus on extending and deepening
bilateral cooperation in political, security and economic areas. The Romanian
presidency also mentions that Germany is a reliable ally of Romania,
contributing to the security in the region, and also the country’s main trade
partner and the second-largest foreign investor in the national economy. The
two heads of state will also exchange opinions on current security developments
and on consolidating the defence posture in NATO’s eastern flank. During
his visit to Romania, the president of Germany will also travel to Sibiu
(centre) and Timisoara (west).

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign
minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in the meeting of the EU Foreign
Affairs Council in Brussels. The EU foreign ministers discuss measures to
mitigate the effects of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. According to the
Romanian foreign ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s firm, multidimensional
and continuing support for Ukraine and will express hopes that an agreement
will be reached as soon as possible on the 8th support package for
the Ukrainian air forces under the EU Peace Facility. Minister Aurescu will
also highlight the importance of keeping pressure on Russia by consolidating
sanctions, and will reiterate the idea of setting up a special international tribunal
for the crime of aggression to prosecute Russian crimes of aggression during
the war in Ukraine.

TECHNOLOGY Bucharest Tech
Week, the largest technology and innovation trade fair in Central and Eastern
Europe, has begun in Bucharest today. The event brings together over 70 speakers,
national and international tech experts, and 1,500 professionals from over 100
companies operating in various fields. The first 5 days are devoted to
conferences on innovation, HR, retail, Java and Software Architecture, under
the heading Business Summits. The largest technology and innovation
exhibition, Tech Expo, will also be open to the public over the weekend of 26 May.

GREECE The right-of-centre party headed by Greece’s incumbent PM,
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has won Sunday’s parliamentary election, but failed to get
absolute majority. New Democracy won over 41% of the votes, and will have 146 seats
in parliament. Its left-of-centre rivals, Syriza party, won 21% of the votes
and 71 seats in parliament. The 3% threshold has been reached by 5 of the 36 parties
that took part in the election. Kyriakos Mitsotakis ruled out a coalition
government. Unless the winning parties manage to form a government, early
elections will be held on 25 June.

FOOTBALL Farul Constanţa
won Romania’s football championships, after defeating FCSB 3-2, on home turf
on Sunday night, in the 9th round of the Super League. Farul managed a spectacular come-back in the championship final,
after FCSB had been leading 2-0. (AMP)

22 May 2023
May 21, 2023 UPDATE

EDUCATION On Monday the staff in Romania’s public undergraduate
education will go on strike, the trade unions in the sector announced after
Sunday’s talks with government officials. The protest will continue until
unions have received a credible solution from the government, the leader of
the Spiru Haret Trade Union Federation, Marius Nistor, said. The government put
forth a clear roadmap for the endorsement of the new salary law and promised pay
raises for non-teaching staff, which according to unionists would only amount
to EUR 20 a month. Financial incentives for entry-level teachers and experienced
staff teaching in underprivileged areas have also been proposed. The higher
education staff will also go on token strikes as of Monday, the head of the Alma
Mater National Trade Union Federation Anton Hadăr announced. Trade unions said
negotiations would continue in the coming days.

MOLDOVA
A large-scale rally was held in Chişinău on Sunday, at the initiative of
president Maia Sandu, in order to prove Moldovans’ support for the country’s EU
accession. Europe is the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova is
Europe. Moldova is not alone, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta
Metsola said in Romanian at the European Moldova National Assembly. Participants
adopted a resolution confirming the support of Moldovan citizens for the
country’s EU accession efforts. The rally takes place as the Republic of
Moldova, an EU accession candidate country, would like to begin accession
negotiations by the end of this year. For this stage to begin, Moldova must
complete 9 recommendations, which will be assessed by this autumn in a European
Commission report. In Bucharest, the Organisation of Moldovan Students
organised a similar rally in front of Moldova’s Embassy. Scores of people
watched the speeches in Chisinau jointly with the Moldovan Ambassador to
Bucharest, Victor Chirila.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part on
Monday in the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The EU
foreign ministers will discuss measures to mitigate the effects of Russia’s
aggression in Ukraine and the situation in the Horn of Africa. The EU officials
will also touch on the bloc’s commitment in Central Asia, developments in Tunisia,
the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the context of high-level EU
diplomatic contacts with both countries. According to the Romanian foreign
ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s firm, multidimensional and
continuing support for Ukraine and will express hopes that an agreement will be
reached as soon as possible on the 8th support package for the
Ukrainian air forces under the EU Peace Facility. Minister Aurescu will also
highlight the importance of keeping pressure on Russia by consolidating
sanctions, and will reiterate the idea of setting up a special international tribunal
for the crime of aggression to prosecute Russian crimes of aggression during
the war in Ukraine.

RAILWAYS The president of Romania’s Competition Council, Bogdan
Chiriţoiu, made statements concerning Carpatica Feroviar, a new company that
will take over the operations of the state-owned railway freight corporation CFR
Marfă. The new company will take over the profitable contracts and the
equipment needed for completing them, while the other assets will be sold in order
to cover as much as possible of the old company’s debts to the state budget
Chiriţoiu explained. He emphasised that current operations will not be
discontinued. The financial performance of CFR Marfă improved slightly in 2022,
but the company still owes some EUR 400 mln to the state budget and social
security budget.

BEEKEEPERS Romanian beekeepers say they are left with large amounts
of unsold honey because of imports of cheaper and poorer-quality honey. The
head of the Romanian Beekeepers Association, Ioan Fetea, says the situation is
particularly serious as last year’s yield was a lot smaller than in previous
years. Last year beekeepers saw modest yields, but they could not even sell those,
precisely because of these dumping practices, obviously explained by the fact
that that honey is not in line with EU regulations. Almost half of the honey
imported into Europe is adulterated, counterfeit, and obviously sold very
cheaply, which puts tremendous pressure on local producers, Fetea explained. Beekeepers
are also struggling with a fall in the number of bee families, because of the
use of insecticides in agriculture.

UKRAINE The US president Joe Biden Sunday announced new military aid
measures for Ukraine, following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. The new aid package will
consist of ammunitions, artillery and armoured vehicles, Joe Biden explained, just
days after approving the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. According
to Reuters, this new package is worth up to USD 375 mln and is designed to
strengthen Ukraine’s defence in the war against Russia. The British PM Rishi
Sunak also announced in Hiroshima that his country would start training
Ukrainian pilots this summer, to support Ukraine’s air forces in the conflict.
Rishi Sunak added that no one wants peace more than Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but
the terms for peace, he added, should be based on Ukraine’s principles. In the
3-day summit in Japan, the G7 nations voiced their willingness to stand by
Ukraine in the long run.

ROWING Romania won 2 gold and 3 silver medals at
the 2023 European Rowing Under 19 Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France,
in which it took part with 11 boats. Romania came out second in the overall nations
tables, behind Italy and ahead of Turkey. In last year’s competition, Romania
had won 5 medals (3 gold, one silver and one bronze), and finished top of the
ranking by nations. (AMP)

21 May 2023
March 19, 2023 UPDATE

VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, currently
on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, Sunday travelled to Masdar
City, a model of sustainable urban development with solutions centered around
energy efficiency and environment protection. The Romanian official was presented
solutions for transport and urban cooling and ventilation, building energy
generation and optimum usage of natural light in schools and research
institutions. The solutions tested in Masdar City may be an inspiration for
other cities increasingly interested in sustainability, including in Romania. Contributions
to these solutions come, among others, from Romanian researchers as well,
affiliated to research institutes in Masdar City, the Romanian presidency said
in a news release. President Iohannis will be in the UAE until Tuesday, at the
invitation of his counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The main
goals of the visit include strengthening the political and diplomatic dialogue
on topics of mutual interest, encouraging bilateral economic relations, which
are already on a significant positive trend, and attracting investments in the
Romanian economy through projects in fields like infrastructure, energy,
climate change, cybersecurity and food security.

REFUGEES The Romanian Border Police Inspectorate General
announced that on Saturday as many as 86,342 people entered Romania using
border checkpoints around the country. Of them, 8,510 were Ukrainian nationals.
Since February 10, 2022, two weeks before the Russian invasion of their
country, nearly 3.8 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. Most of them have
travelled further on to western European countries, but around 100,000 of them
have chosen to stay in Romania, according to the authorities in Bucharest.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian diplomacy chief Bogdan Aurescu takes part on
Monday in the Foreign Affairs Council, a meeting of EU foreign ministers in
Brussels. He will also attend the joint meeting of EU foreign and defence
ministers, as well as in a conference of international donors for Turkey and
Syria, in the aftermath of the February earthquakes. The Foreign Affairs
Council will focus on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the dialogue between
Belgrade and Pristina, the situation in Tunisia and the latest developments in
Iran. Bogdan Aurescu will plead for continuing multidimensional support for Ukraine,
both at EU level and from the member states, with a focus on the quick
provision of military equipment and training for the Ukrainian army. According
to the Romanian foreign ministry, Mr. Aurescu will also support a consolidation
of the sanctions against Russia and a more efficient implementation of current
restrictions.

MILITARY Over 3,000 troops from Romania and 12 Allied and partner
states will take part in the Sea Shield 2023 multinational exercise, the most
complex event planned and spearheaded by the Romanian Navy this year. Taking
part in the event between March 20 and April 2 are forces from Albania,
Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Poland, Portugal, UK, the Netherlands, the Republic
of Moldova, Romania, the US and Turkey. The exercise contributes to promoting
Romania’s interests and initiatives at regional and international level, as
well as to enhancing inter-operability among the participating countries. Sea
Shield, a complex concept designed for the training of NATO forces, was
proposed by Romania at NATO’s summit in Warsaw in 2016, to boost security on
the Eastern flank.

HANDBALL Romania’s women’s handball champions, Rapid Bucharest, were
defeated on Sunday by Slovenia’s Krim Ljubljana, 29-24, in the first leg of the
playoffs for the Champions’ League quarter-finals. The second leg takes place
in Bucharest. This is Rapid’s first presence in the Champions’ League, and the
match against the Slovenian champions is also the team’s first march in European
competitions with the Danish manager Kim Rasmussen, who replaced Carlos Viver (Spain).
If they qualify into the quarter-finals, Rapid will be facing Kristiansand (Norway).
Romania’s vice-champions, CSM Bucharest, have already qualified into the
quarter-finals, where they will take on the winner of the playoff between the
French side Brest and the Danish team Esbjerg. (AMP)

19 March 2023
January 31, 2023

BUDGET In 2022 Romania saw a budget deficit
of roughly EUR 16.5 bln, nearly 1% smaller than in the previous year. According
to the finance ministry, the deficit dropped from 6.73% to 5.68% of GDP. Revenues
amounted to approx.. EUR 94 bln, up 21% since 2021, fuelled by the VAT rise,
growing EU funding and revenues in the energy sector. Expenditure exceeded EUR
110 bln, down 0.8% since the previous year.

DIPLOMACY Lithuania firmly
supports Romania’s Schengen accession and
voices willingness to carry on an active dialogue with the other EU partners in
this respect, especially in today’s extremely difficult security context, the
Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis told his Romanian
counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu, in a telephone discussion. The talks were held as
Romania is set to resume this year its participation in the air policing
missions in the Baltic Sea region. The 2 officials praised the very good
bilateral relations and the efficient coordination as part of the EU, NATO and
regional projects such as the Three Seas Initiative and The Bucharest Nine.

CORRUPTION The former manager of Romania’s national football team, Victor Piţurcă, has
today left the Bucharest Police Detention Centre, where he was held for 24 hours by
anti-corruption prosecutors in an influence peddling investigation. According
to judicial sources, Victor Piţurcă was placed under court supervision, and prosecutors
also initiated criminal proceedings against his son, Alexandru. The case
concerns the procurement of non-compliant production lines and the sale of face
masks to the Defence Ministry during the Covid-19 pandemic.Gabriel
Ţuţu, the head of military producer and exporter Romarm, was also involved in
the operation.

GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is to pass today a
bill authorising 2 loans from the European Investment Bank. The nearly EUR 294
mln will be used for investments, upgrade and rehabilitation works in 26 hospitals in Romania. Another bill on today’s agenda
provides for up to 50% increases of the monthly allowances paid to the county
council chairpersons and deputies and to the mayors and deputy mayors of the
administrative units that implement projects financed from non-reimbursable EU
funds, foreign loans and under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. The
government is also to amend an order regulating energy subsidies and other
support measures for vulnerable citizens.

NATO NATO will continue to strengthen its partnership
with Japan amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens
Stoltenberg said on Tuesday during a visit to Japan, where he had a meeting
with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Jens Stoltenberg’s tour, which included a
stop in South Korea, is designed to strengthen ties with the Asian allies in
the context of the war in Ukraine and rising competition with China. In an
address in Seoul, the NATO official called on South Korea to increase its military
support to Ukraine.

KOREA Also in Seoul, the US defence secretary Lloyd
Austin and his South-Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, promised to extend the
scope of the 2 countries’ joint military exercises, in a move by Washington to
reassure its Asian ally of its support amid growing threats from North Korea. Tensions
in the Korean Peninsula deepened in 2022, following North Korea’s frequent
military tests, including launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. (AMP)

31 January 2023
January 28, 2023 UPDATE

COOPERATION
France and the Netherlands are eagerly waiting
for Romania’s Schengen accession as soon as possible. This is one of the main
elements in a joint statement on security cooperation signed in Bucharest on
Friday by the foreign ministers of the 3 countries. The message was also
highlighted by the Dutch diplomacy chief, Wopke Hoekstra, in the bilateral
talks with his Romanian counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu. The 2 officials, together
with the French foreign minister, Catherine
Colonna,Friday visited the Getica National Joint Training Centre in
Cincu, where French and Dutch troops are deployed as part of the NATO Battle
Group created in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In fact, after the
trilateral talks concerning Moscow’s armed aggression, Catherine Colonna said
Ukraine must be helped to defend itself, to regain its independence and
sovereignty. In Bucharest, the foreign officials were also received by
president Klaus Iohannis and PM
Nicolae Ciucă.

CINEMA Two
Romanian films, ‘Metronome’ by Alexandru Belc and ‘M.R.I.’ by Cristian Mungiu, are
in the competition of the Gothenburg International Film Festival in Sweden, which
started on Friday. According to the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm,
the event brings together around 400 works from around the world every year,
with 160,000 viewers attending. ‘Metronome’, the debut feature of the director Alexandru
Belc, is a love story in 1972 communist Romania, and critics describe it as a
social and historical analysis of a generation forced to live in a society
marred by suspicion and distrust. Cristian Mungiu’s ‘M.R.I.’ is set in a
Transylvanian village, where a small factory hires new workers, troubling the
apparent peace of the locals. The over 40-year old
film festival in Gothenburg is the most important such event in the
region.

SURVEY As many as 80% of Romanian consumers allow the use of their
personal data for advertising purposes, according to a survey conducted on the
European Data Protection Day. The latest data in the Survey on the usage of IT&C
in households and by individuals indicate that 1 of 2 Europeans aged between 16
and 74 do not allow the use of their personal data for advertising purposes
when using the internet. As many as 46% reported having allowed only restricted
access to their location or having denied access to their data altogether. The
countries where the use of personal data for advertising is mostly denied by
users include the Netherlands (73%), Finland (70%), Denmark and Germany (63%
each), Spain (62%). At the opposite pole, the lowest rates were reported in
Bulgaria (10%), Romania (20%), Greece (29%), Slovakia (30%) and Latvia (32%).

ELECTION
The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis Saturday
congratulated the president elect of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, and
pleaded for strengthening the relations between the 2 countries. Petr Pavel, a former
chairman of the NATO Military Committee and supporter of military support for
Ukraine, Saturday won the runoff of the presidential elections in the Czech
Republic, with 57.4% of the votes, according to international news agencies,
after over 90% of the
ballots were counted. His opponent, ex-PM Andrej Babis, got around 42% of the
votes. The turnout was 70%. Petr Pavel, a retired general aged 61, ran as an
independent candidate with the support of the right-of-centre government. He
will replace the controversial Milos Zeman, who had had close ties with Moscow
before changing course during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Petr Pavel vowed to
be an independent president, without political bias, and to continue to support
war-torn Ukraine and Kyiv’s bid for EU membership.

SPORTS The Romanian
athlete Laura Ilie won the bronze in the 10m air rifle women event of the ISSF
World Championship on Saturday in Jakarta, Indonesia. The gold went to Eszter
Meszaros (Hungary), who defeated Poland’s Aneta Stankiewicz in the final. Another
Romanian, Roxana Sidi, came out 28th in the qualifiers. (AMP)

28 January 2023
January 28, 2023

COOPERATION
France and the Netherlands are eagerly waiting
for Romania’s Schengen accession as soon as possible. This is one of the main
elements in a joint statement on security cooperation signed in Bucharest on
Friday by the foreign ministers of the 3 countries. The message was also
highlighted by the Dutch diplomacy chief, Wopke Hoekstra, in the bilateral
talks with his Romanian counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu. The 2 officials, together
with the French foreign minister, Catherine
Colonna,Friday visited the Getica National Joint Training Centre in
Cincu, where French and Dutch troops are deployed as part of the NATO Battle
Group created in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In fact, after the
trilateral talks concerning Moscow’s armed aggression, Catherine Colonna said
Ukraine must be helped to defend itself, to regain its independence and
sovereignty. In Bucharest, the foreign officials were also received by
president Klaus Iohannis and PM
Nicolae Ciucă.

CINEMA Two
Romanian films, ‘Metronome’ by Alexandru Belc and ‘M.R.I.’ by Cristian Mungiu, are
in the competition of the Gothenburg International Film Festival in Sweden, which
started on Friday. According to the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm,
the event brings together around 400 works from around the world every year,
with 160,000 viewers attending. ‘Metronome’, the debut feature of the director Alexandru
Belc, is a love story in 1972 communist Romania, and critics describe it as a
social and historical analysis of a generation forced to live in a society
marred by suspicion and distrust. Cristian Mungiu’s ‘R.M.N.’ is set in a
Transylvanian village, where a small factory hires new workers, troubling the
apparent peace of the locals. The over 40-year old
film festival in Gothenburg is the most important such event in the
region.

SURVEY As many as 80% of Romanian consumers allow the use of their
personal data for advertising purposes, according to a survey conducted on the
European Data Protection Day. The latest data in the Survey on the usage of ITC
in households and by individuals indicate that 1 of 2 Europeans aged between 16
and 74 do not allow the use of their personal data for advertising purposes
when using the internet. As many as 46% reported having allowed only restricted
access to their location or having denied access to their data altogether. The
countries where the use of personal data for advertising is mostly denied by
users include the Netherlands (73%), Finland (70%), Denmark and Germany (63%
each), Spain (62%). At the opposite pole, the lowest rates were reported in
Bulgaria (10%), Romania (20%), Greece (29%), Slovakia (30%) and Latvia (32%).

ELECTION
Petr Pavel looks set
to win the runoff of the presidential elections in the Czech Republic, ahead of
ex-PM Andrej Babis, AFP reports. Polling
stations opened on Friday and close today. Petr
Pavel, 61, a retired general who held a senior NATO post, is running as an
independent candidate and has the support of the right-of-centre government. Billionaire
Andrej Babis, 68, who was the country’s PM between 2017 and 2021, promised to
force the government to help citizens handle the rising inflation. The winner
of the vote will replace the controversial Milos Zeman, who had had close ties
with Moscow before changing course during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

WEATHER In Romania, weather experts issued code orange and yellow alerts
for heavy snowfalls, snowstorms and rainfalls in over 20 counties in the east
and centre of the country. The bad weather left thousands of households without
electricity, road, railway and air traffic was disrupted and several national
and county roads were closed. (AMP)

28 January 2023
January 27, 2023

ECONOMY
Romania reports a record-high GDP increase for last year, from EUR 240 bln in 2021 to nearly
EUR 290 bln, according to the National Strategy and
Forecast Commission. For this year, however, the institution estimates a
slow-down of the economic growth from 4.9% in 2022 to 2.8%. The inflation rate
is also expected to drop significantly by the end of this year, from 16.4% in
2022 to 8%, and consumption growth is also predicted to drop to 2.4%, compared
to 4.6% last year. The figures in the winter forecast, made public on Thursday,
are not different from the ones in the autumn report, released in October.

HEALTHCARE The number of respiratory infections in Romania dropped last
week by almost one-quarter compared to the previous week, to 103,000 cases, the
National Public Health Institute announced. The number is nonetheless 21%
higher than the average weekly rate in 2015-2020. According to statistics,
nearly 5,000 of them were flu cases. Since the start of the cold season, 36
people died from the flu, and nearly 1.5 million people got anti-flu vaccines.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian
foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had a bilateral meeting in Sibiu today with his
Dutch counterpart, Wopke Bastiaan Hoekstra. The talks focused on Romania’s
Schengen accession and the ongoing efforts to further this important goal. Bogdan Aurescu reiterated that Romania’s accession will help strengthen
the security of the EU as a whole and will give credibility to the Union. In
turn, ministrer Hoekstra reiterated the Netherlands’ active support for this
process. Wopke Hoekstra also reconfirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to
consolidating NATO’s deterrence and defence posture on the
eastern flank, in the context of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, by
contributing troops to the NATO Battle Group in Romania. The 2 officials also
discussed the Romanian-Dutch bilateral relations. The meeting took place in the
context of the Dutch official’s visit to Romania for trilateral political
consultations in Bucharest, together with the French diplomacy chief Catherine
Colonna. Ahead of the talks, the 3 ministers made a joint visit to the French
and Dutch troops stationed at the Cincu military base as part of the NATO Battle
Group in Romania. In
Bucharest, Catherine Colonna will be received by president Klaus Iohannis and
PM Nicolae Ciucă.

COMMEMORATION
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory
of the Victims of the Holocaust, is marked every year on January 27, under a
resolution endorsed by the United Nations in 2005. In 1945, on January 27, Allied forces liberated
the largest Nazi extermination camp, in Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland. According
to historians, the Holocaust resulted in the killing of 6 million Jewish people
in Europe and millions of other ethnics by Germany’s Nazi regime. Events and activities are organised on
this day every year at the UN headquarters in New York and UN offices around the world.
This year’s theme is Home and Belonging. In 2022, the UN General Assembly
adopted a resolution tabled by Israel, calling on all countries to condemn Holocaust
denial and anti-Semitism, especially on social networks.

TENNIS Gabriela Ruse (Romania) / Marta
Kostiuk (Ukraine) today lost to the defending champions, Barbora Krejcikova and
Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) 6-2, 6-2, in the doubles semi-finals of the
Australian Open. This is the best performance for Ruse and Kostiuk in a Grand Slam
event. Krejcikova and Siniakova hold a combined 6 Grand Slam doubles titles, 3
of them last year alone, when they only missed the Roland Garros. In the final,
the Czech players take on Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara, of Japan, at their first
presence in a Grand Slam final after defeating Coco Gauff/Jessica Pegula (US). (AMP)

27 January 2023
January 1, 2023 UPDATE

DAY
Orthodox believers, who are a majority in Romania, on January 1 celebrated St.
Basil the Great. 600 thousand Romanians are presently named after St. Basil who
lived in the 4th century and used to be a bishop in Caesarea, a city
in modern-day Turkey. During the 9 years of his mandate as a bishop, St. Basil proved
to be a great theologian, a defender of the Orthodox faith, a good organizer of
the monastic life and the social activity inside the church. It was the first
bishop who built hospitals and asylums for the poor and the underprivileged.

TENNIS Romanian
tennis player Gabriela Ruse has managed to qualify for the main draw of the WTA
250 tournament in Auckland, New Zealand after a 6-4, 6-1 win against Moyuka
Uchijima of Japan in the last qualifying round. The Romanian will next take on
Erin Routliffe of New Zealand. Ruse will be also playing in the competition’s
doubles together with Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic. The
Romanian-Czech pair will be up against Paige Mary Hourigan of New Zealand and
Sachia Vickery of the USA.

WELFARE On January 1
the pension point in Romania increased by 12.5% up to 360 euros. The minimum
wages are also expected to increase up to 375 euros and the lowest wages in the
construction sector will go up to about 800 euros. Starting January 1st, state
employees will get a 10% pay rise and the benefits for children are to be
adjusted to the inflation rate. At the same time the 10 eurocent fuel subsidy
has been eliminated although the government pledges to reintroduce it if price
hikes are going to exceed the purchasing power. Authorities in Bucharest have
maintained the measures of capping and subsidizing electricity and natural gas.

MAE Carrying on the moves for
Romania’s accession to Schengen and the OECD as well as supporting the Republic
of Moldova’s EU accession are some of the priorities of the Romanian diplomacy
in 2023, says the yearly report of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MAE). Romania will continue to support the creation of a mechanism for holding
responsible those who committed the aggression in the illegal war Russia is
presently waging on Ukraine. As for the country’s NATO membership, the Ministry
says it will promote Romania’s strategic priorities inside the alliance
including at the upcoming NATO summit in July in Vilnius where the Romanian
ministry is expected to be pleading for the consolidation of the NATO
deterrence and defence posture on its eastern flank in view of defending
national security and in the Black Sea area, as an area of strategic importance
for the Euro-Atlantic security. The report also mentions the moves to get
Romania into the Visa Waiver programme. As for the states in the region, the
ministry says that Romania will continue to actively provide multidimensional
assistance and support to the neighboring Ukraine and support the European and
Euro-Atlantic orientation of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.

EU On January 1st
Sweden took over from the Czech Republic the presidency of the EU Council and
for six months will be playing a key-role of leader and mediator inside the
bloc. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has reviewed some of the main
issues, which are to be addressed such as the war in Ukraine, the fight against
climate change and Europe’s competitiveness. Sweden’s priorities are focusing
on a ‘greener, safer and more free Europe’, Kristersson says. Ulf Kristersson
and his cabinet are quite unknown on the European stage as his conservative
government came to power more than nine months ago after it had replaced the
Social-Democrats led by Magdalena Andersson.

(bill)

1 January 2023
December 29, 2022

ENERGY The government of Romania passed a bill lifting the
obligation for owners of more than one house to submit sworn statements in
order to benefit from energy price caps. On the other hand, the government also
decided that the 10 Eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will no
longer be applied as of January 1, 2023. PM Nicolae Ciucă promised that the
authorities are prepared to reintroduce this measure in the future, should
prices go up beyond citizens’ spending power.

FOREIGN POLICY In 2023, ‘Romania’s foreign ministry will continue to
give special attention to Romania’s Schengen accession and to joining the
Organisation for Cooperation and Economic Development (OCDE)’. The announcement
was made by the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu in a Report on Romania’s
diplomatic activity released on Thursday. As far as 2022 is concerned, the
Report says the year was marked at both a regional and a global level by the
war of aggression launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The
report also covers the outcomes of the NATO Summit in Madrid in June 2022, and Bucharest’s
successful hosting of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers and of the Munich
Leaders Meeting in November 2022.

COVID The
European Commission organises today a meeting of healthcare officials to
discuss a coordinated EU approach of the surge in Covid cases in China, AFP
reports. After China loosened its strict zero-tolerance rules earlier this
month, which triggered an explosion of cases in the country, states around the
world are worried that new variants of the virus would spread from there. Italy
has already on Wednesday introduced compulsory testing for incoming travellers
from China, a measure also adopted by other countries, including the US and Japan.

UKRAINE Ukraine suffered
‘massive’ attacks involving over 120 Russian missiles on Thursday morning in
several cities including the capital Kyiv, the Ukrainian Army and Presidency announced.
Air raid alerts sounded across the country. According to Ukraine’s head of
intelligence services, the war is currently at a deadlock, as neither Ukraine
nor Russia are able to make significant progress. In an interview to the BBC, Kyrylo
Budanov said Russia was at a dead end, suffering significant losses, but he
admitted that Ukraine lacks the resources to move forward. He added that Kyiv
was waiting for more advanced weapons. Ever since October, Russia has been regularly
hitting Ukraine’s energy and other critical infrastructure. Kremlin warned that
there will be no New Year ceasefire in Ukraine.

SOLIDARITY
In the Republic of Moldova, neighbouring both Romania and Ukraine, lights will
be turned off in the government’s and other public buildings, in solidarity
with the millions of people in Ukraine left without electricity, water supply and
heating. Last week, the Rome Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House, the European
Parliament and the Wembley went dark in solidarity with Ukraine. In Bucharest, the
City Hall discontinued holiday lighting for one hour during the winter solstice
night.

HANDBALL Romania’s
men’s handball team takes on Algeria today in the 3rd place playoff
of the Carpaţi Trophy, a competition
traditionally hosted by Romania and taking place this year in Oradea. On Wednesday, Romania lost to Slovakia, 31-30, and
Algeria was defeated by Egypt 38-27. The trophy
final pits Egypt against Slovakia. (AMP)

29 December 2022
November 22, 2022

PENSIONS The
ruling coalition in Romania has decided to increase public pensions by 12.5%,
as of January 1. The increase applies for all pensions, regardless of level,
but low-income pensioners will also receive additional aid from the government,
provided in 2 instalments. Child allowances and the allowances for war veterans
and widows will be adjusted to inflation, while people with disabilities will
receive a 13th allowance, the ruling coalition also decided.

VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis will make an official visit to Latvia
on Wednesday and to Lithuania on Thursday. On Friday, he will take part in a
summit with his counterparts from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, and in an
international symposium. According to the Presidency, in Latvia Klaus Iohannis will
have talks with his counterpart Egils Levits, with PM Krisjanis Karins, and the
parliament speaker Edvards Smiltens. In Lithuania, the official agenda includes
consultations with president Gitanas Nauseda and the parliament speaker,
Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen.

NATO Romania will host for the first time, on November 29th
and 30th, a meeting of the NATO foreign ministers. The meeting will
have 4 sessions, focusing on the implementation of the Madrid Summit decisions,
on the war in Ukraine, on energy security and partners. Ukraine, the Republic
of Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as Finland and Sweden, were
invited to attend. It is for the first time that the Republic of Moldova takes
part in a NATO ministerial meeting. In fact, in this summer’s summit in Madrid,
NATO leaders announced measures to support Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
in the current security context in Europe. The foreign ministers of the 3
countries are expected to discuss in Bucharest means to strengthen their
defence and resilience capabilities. The foreign minister of Ukraine, Dmytro
Kuleba, is also scheduled to attend the meeting in Bucharest.

AID Romania, France and Germany have agreed
on a new aid instalment to help the Republic of Moldova cope with the energy
crisis this winter. Officials of the 3 countries convened in Paris for the 3rd
ministerial conference of the Moldova Support Platform, initiated by Bucharest,
Berlin and Paris this spring. Moldova is to receive another EUR 100 mln in
international support to handle the consequences of the war in
Ukraine, including the energy crisis and the refugee inflow, and also to carry
on the reforms initiated in order to join the EU, the president of France,
Emmanuel Macron announced. The Romanian foreign minister said Romania intends
to pay a first instalment of EUR 25 mln by the end of this year, intended for
the implementation of projects in education, regional development, and public
utility services.

AUTOMOTIVE Romania is the EU’s six-largest car manufacturer, with an
average of over 40,000 vehicles per month. According to the latest report by
the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), nearly 50 million
cars were produced worldwide in the first 9 months of this year. China comes
first, with 16.3 million, followed by the US with 5.3 million. As many as 7.96 million
cars were produced in the EU during the same period, up 5.8% compared to 2021.
Germany tops the European ranking, with 2.4 million vehicles produced, which is
considerably less than the 3.4 million cars made in 2019. In Romania, the only
country where this year’s output was higher than in 2019, 376,000 cars were
made, of which some 60% were Dacia and 40% Ford. Recently, the Romanian
Carmakers Association announced that the national output went up 27.7% in the
first 10 months of the year, compared to 2021.

EARTHQUAKE Rescue teams in Indonesia
continue to search for survivors of Monday’s earthquake, in which hundreds of
people died or were injured. Many victims were school children. The 5.6 Richter
quake occurred at a depth of 10 km, and destroyed many buildings. According to Reuters,
Indonesia is on the so-called Pacific ring of fire, an area with many active
volcanoes that frequently produce tremors. In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 off the
Indonesian island of Sumatra caused a tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 14 countries,
with almost half of the victims reported in Indonesia.

FOOTBALL Today at
the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the defending champions, France, will play against
Australia, while two-times world champions Argentina take on Saudi Arabia. The
other matches scheduled for today are Denmark vs. Tunisia and Mexico vs.
Poland. On Monday England defeated Iran, 6-2, and in the same group the US and
Wales drew 1-1. Also on Monday, the Netherlands, who have played 3 world cup
finals without winning, defeated Senegal 2-0. (AMP)

22 November 2022
November 17, 2022 UPDATE

BUDGET The
government of Romania Thursday approved this year’s second public budget
adjustment, with an approx. EUR 104 million increase
in revenues and a similar increase in
expenditure. According to the government, the budget adjustment covers
compulsory spending, operating expenses and social assistance expenses. Funds
have also been rechanneled for implementing programmes with an impact on the economy
and which support households and companies. Financing is also ensured for the
state aid provided to the farmers whose crops were affected by drought this
year. According to the autumn macroeconomic forecast on which the adjustment is
based, the government’s news release also reads, Romania’s GDP is expected to
reach RON 1,396.2 bln in 2022 (as compared to RON 1,372.5 bln taken into
account in the first budget adjustment).

INFLATION The annual inflation in the EU continued to grow in October
to reach 11.5%, as against 10.9% in September. The member states with the
highest rates are Estonia (22.5%), Lithuania (22.1%), Hungary (21.9%) and
Latvia (21.7%), according to data made public on Thursday by the Eurostat.
Compared to September, the annual inflation rate dropped in 11 member countries,
remained stable in 3 countries and went up in 13 member states, including in
Romania (from 13.4% to 13.5%). As many as 18 member countries, Romania
included, reported for September an annual inflation rate above 10%. The member
states with the lowest inflation rates in September were France (7.1%) and
Spain (7.3%). In October 2021, the year-on-year inflation rate in the European
Union was 4.4%, and in Romania it was 6.5%. In Romania, the National Statistics
Institute had previously announced that the year-on-year inflation dropped this
October to 15.32%, from 15.88% in September, with a 20.58% rise in foodstuff
prices, non-food prices going up 14.37%, and service prices 8.31% more expensive.
Just days ago, the National Bank of Romania also released its quarterly
inflation report, according to which the rate is expected to reach 16.3% by the
end of this year and 11.2% next year.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu
Thursday had talks with his counterpart, Jean Asselborn, during his visit to
the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The two officials discussed Romania’s Schengen
accession and the security situation at the Black Sea. Bogdan Aurescu also
mentioned, in a joint press conference, the importance of the Republic of
Moldova’s European accession, and said on Monday he would co-chair the third
Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova, in Paris, together with his
French and German counterparts. The Romanian official also thanked Luxembourg
for its plans to deploy a 25-troop unit as part of the NATO Battle Group in
Romania. The decision is pending the approval of Luxembourg’s parliament.

MILITARY A second shipment of French military equipment, specifically Leclerc tanks,
reached Braşov County (central Romania). The equipment is intended to strengthen
the NATO Battle Group (Battle Group Forward Presence-BGFP) stationed in Cincu,
the Romanian ministry of defence (MApN) said. A first convoy of French military
equipment, consisting in armoured vehicles, arrived in Romania on October 23.

ASSESSMENT A mixed team of experts from the European Commission and some member
states, including the Netherlands, will be in Romania this week to assess the
country’s readiness for Schengen accession. According to the Bucharest
government, the visit is voluntary, similar to the one that took place between
October 9 and 11. On Wednesday, the European Commission requested that Romania,
Bulgaria and Croatia be part of the Schengen Area without
delay. The EC points out that Romania has a solid and high-quality border
management and is involved in international cooperation in border police
matters.

HANDBALL Two Romanian players, Cristina Neagu and Crina Pintea, were
nominated for the all-star team of the European Women’s Handball Championship
hosted by North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia and due to conclude this
Sunday. According to the EHF website, Cristina Neagu is nominated for the left
back position, and Crina Pintea for line player. Neagu announced on Thursday that
the EHF Euro 2022 was the last in her career, and that it had not ended as she
had dreamt, after Romania finished only 12th. With 303 goals, Cristina
Neagu is at the top of the combined all-time goal scorers’ list for Women’s and
Men’s EHF EURO events. Romania has taken part in all the EHF Euro editions so
far, with one exception (2006), and its best performance was a bronze medal in 2010. (AMP)

17 November 2022