Radio România Internațional

Tag: donor

  • March 20, 2023 UPDATE

    March 20, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT – On an official visit to the United Arab
    Emirates, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis Monday had a meeting in Abu Dhabi
    with his counterpart, Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan. There are a lot of bilateral,
    regional and global areas where we can cooperate quite well. There are huge
    opportunities and I believe we both want to capitalize on them,’ the Romanian
    official said during the meeting. President Iohannis suggested the two
    countries may cooperate with a view to promoting environment education and skills
    for the green transition. He also presented the goals of the Three Seas
    Initiative that Romania will host this September in Bucharest, and the
    opportunities it provides to private investments and investment funds,
    encouraging the involvement of UAE investors. In turn, his counterpart pleaded
    for the development of relations with Romania and for Bucharest’s active
    presence at the COP28, a meeting scheduled to take place this year in the UAE. On
    this occasion, the two countries’ relevant ministers and officials signed
    bilateral documents in the fields of energy, cyber-security and education. On
    Sunday president Klaus Iohannis visited Masdar City, a model of sustainable urban
    development focusing on energy efficiency and environment protection.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign
    minister Bogdan Aurescu Monday took part in the meeting of EU foreign ministers
    (Foreign Affairs Council) and in a joint meeting of EU foreign and defence
    ministers. According to the Romanian foreign ministry, the EU officials primarily
    discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the implementation of the EU
    Action Plan on the geopolitical consequences of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
    On this occasion, Bogdan Aurescu highlighted the multifaceted consequences of
    the security crisis generated by Moscow, with an impact beyond Ukraine, and
    warned against destabilizing Russian actions against the pro-European
    authorities in the Rep. Moldova. Mr. Aurescu voiced Romania’s support for
    carrying on the Union’s support efforts for Ukraine, including the provision of
    ammunition, and the need to further isolate Russia internationally and to
    maintain pressure on Kremlin. The Romanian official also announced that this
    April Romania and Ukraine will organise jointly a first high-level conference
    on Black Sea security, under the Crimea International Platform. Also in
    Brussels on Monday, at the international donor conference for Turkey and Syria,
    in the aftermath of the February earthquakes, Minister Aurescu announced a new
    financial assistance package totaling EUR 1.3 mln.


    MOLDOVA The Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă will travel
    to the neighbouring Republic of Moldova this week, for a meeting with his
    counterpart Dorin Recean. On this occasion, PM Ciucă will reiterate Romania’s
    support for that country’s reforms, for consolidating its economy, resilience
    and security and for its EU accession efforts. Meanwhile, in Chisinau, the
    Supreme Security Council announced a number of decisions after Monday’s meeting
    convened by president Maia Sandu in the context of the exceptional situation
    in the judiciary. One of these decisions is to step up the creation of the
    Higher Council of Magistrates, which is to become operational within 30 days. After
    the meeting, Moldova’s president stated that some members of the system oppose the
    cleaning of the judiciary and seek to continue using it to their own benefit. We
    need a judicial system free from corruption, able to uphold justice and rebuild
    people’s trust, Maia Sandu concluded. (AMP)

  • No Russian ships in EU ports

    No Russian ships in EU ports

    Russian vessels are no longer allowed to enter ports in the EU, including Romania. The ban also applies to ships that have replaced the Russian flag with another countrys colours since February 24, when the war in Ukraine started, but not those who need assistance or refuge for safety reasons or those who have rescued lives at sea.



    This is one of the EU sanctions against Russia which will be extended. The new measures will also target Russian banks, particularly Sberbank, as well as the oil sector, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told the German paper Bild am Sonntag, quoted by Reuters.



    “We are looking further at the banking sector, especially Sberbank, which accounts for 37% of the Russian banking sector. And, of course, there are energy issues,” Ursula von der Leyen detailed. She explained the EU was working on clever mechanisms in order to include the oil sector in the next sanctions.



    “What should not happen is that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin collects even higher prices on other markets for supplies that would otherwise go to the EU. The top priority is to shrink Putins revenues,” she emphasised.



    Brussels has so far exempted Russias largest bank from the previous sanctions, because Sberbank and Gazprombank are the main payment channels for the oil and natural gas from Russia, which EU member countries continue to buy in spite of the invasion of Ukraine.



    On the other hand, on Sunday the Union announced EUR 50 million would be earmarked for humanitarian aid to be sent to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.



    “As heavy fighting and missile strikes continue to destroy critical civilian infrastructure, humanitarian needs in Ukraine remain extremely high,” reads an EU news release quoted by DPA.



    Some EUR 45 million will go into humanitarian programmes in Ukraine, while the Republic of Moldova, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian nationals have taken refuge since the start of the war, is set to receive EUR 5 million.



    The money is part of the EUR 1 billion package pledged by the European Commission in a donor conference last week, called Stand Up For Ukraine. So far, the EU said, EUR 143 million of this amount has already been spent in humanitarian aid funding in response to the war. The funding announced on Sunday will address the most pressing humanitarian needs by providing emergency medical services, access to safe drinking water and hygiene, shelter and protection, cash assistance, and support against gender-based violence. (AMP)

  • International aid for Moldova

    International aid for Moldova

    Until December 2020, the ex-Soviet Republic
    of Moldova, led by pro-Russian officials, was constantly in Moscow’s tow. Pro-European
    voices were however present, as confirmed by the country’s signing in 2014 an
    association agreement with the European Union, providing for cooperation in areas
    like trade and culture.


    But Moldova categorically broke with Russia less than 2 years ago, with
    the election of the pro-European Maia Sandu as head of state, replacing the
    pro-Russian Igor Dodon.


    Geographically, Moldova stands between the eastern part of the EU (neighbouring
    Romania) and Ukraine, with some of its territory occupied by Transnistria, a
    small self-proclaimed breakaway republic backed by Moscow.


    Quite a few political and military analysts voiced concerns that in the
    context of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia might take advantage of its military
    presence in Transnistria to launch an offensive in that region as well. Fortunately,
    at least for the time being, this is only a hypothetical plan.


    Nonetheless, with millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war, the Republic
    of Moldova is receiving the largest number of refugees per capita in Europe,
    which puts tremendous pressure on Europe’s poorest state.


    Under these circumstances, Germany, France and Romania Tuesday
    co-chaired an international conference in Berlin, aimed at putting together a
    support platform for that country. Around 50 delegations took part,
    representing international organisations and some 30 states, including EU
    members, the US, Canada and Japan.


    Donors pledged with over EUR 695 million in aid for Moldova, 100 million
    of which will be non-reimbursable financial assistance. They also agreed to
    take over nearly 12,000 of the almost 100,000 Ukrainian refugees currently in
    that country.


    Our message is clear: the Republic of Moldova is not alone, said Germany’s
    foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, alongside her French and Romanian
    counterparts, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Bogdan Aurescu, talking to the Moldovan PM
    Natalia Gavriliţa.


    According to the German official, this assistance will be the start of a
    sustainable support platform, with further aid to follow in areas like
    diversifying energy sources, border management and political reform. All of
    these are designed to help Moldova ease out its dependence on Moscow.


    Moldova is the most vulnerable among Ukraine’s neighbours, Natalia
    Gavriliţa said, and added that her country has no security umbrella to rely on
    and therefore it needs good friends and reliable partners.


    The next donor conference for Moldova may be hosted by Bucharest. (A.M.P)