Radio România Internațional

Tag: dredging

  • March 10, 2023 UPDATE

    March 10, 2023 UPDATE

    ECONOMY Net
    investments in the Romanian economy in 2022 were over EUR 30 bln, up 8.5% since
    the previous year, PM Nicolae Ciucă announced. He says this proves the positive
    impact of the measures taken by his Cabinet on the economy. Investment in
    development, the PM also says in a Facebook post, will preserve jobs and
    generate new ones, and in the long term it will contribute to higher revenues. Other
    data made public by the National Statistics Institute, which the PM says
    confirm the success of the Romanian economy in 2022, are a 4.8% GDP growth, foreign
    direct investments of EUR 11.3 bln, a 73% rate of EU fund absorption and
    exports amounting to EUR 85 bln. On the other hand, Romania’s public debt
    dropped in December 2022 to 47.2% of GDP, from 48.3% in November 2022 and 48.9% in 2021, the finance
    ministry announced. In 2023, expenditure for public investments is expected to
    account for 7.2% of GDP.


    VISIT After his visit to Japan, president Klaus Iohannis travelled
    to Singapore, where he had talks with his counterpart, Halimah Yacob. The Romanian
    president highlighted Romania’s goal to step up bilateral relations with
    Singapore. Additionally, president Iohannis spoke of a set of common goals
    pursued by both presidents, such as inclusion policies, economic and social
    development and green transition. He voiced Romania’s special interest in fully
    tapping the potential of bilateral relations, particularly in the economic and
    investment area, and underscored Bucharest’s objective to attract investment
    from Singapore, especially since Romania is the third-largest EU provider of IT
    services to that country. In turn, the president of Singapore, Halimah Yacob, highlighted
    the importance of the bilateral relation considering Romania’s growing profile
    at EU and NATO levels, particularly in the geopolitical context generated by
    the war in Ukraine. President Yacob also addressed the need to boost investment
    and two-way trade, considering the opportunities provided by such sectors as
    IT&C, cyber security and tourism. The Romanian head of state also had talks
    with Singapore’s PM Lee Hsien Loong, who emphasised the convergence of views and
    interests of the two countries in the current geopolitical context, and the
    importance of respecting the rule-based international order centred on the UN
    Charter.


    BYSTROYE The biodiversity of the Danube Delta is not affected by
    dredging works on the Bystroye Canal, and no significant water flow changes on
    the river Danube have been reported compared to statistics published in recent
    years, says the Environment Minister Tanczos Barna after the first measurements
    conducted by Romanian authorities on the branch of Chilia and Romanian sections
    of the Danube. The Romanian official said Ukrainian authorities must provide a
    written consent before the three ships of the Transport Ministry can finalize
    depth measurements across the entire section of the Chilia branch, run a new
    analysis of water flows and provide their final report. Authorities from
    Romania and Ukraine have agreed to measure the depth of Danube River canals
    after Kyiv started dredging the Bystroye canal. The Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry
    said that, once dredging works were completed, the depth of Bystroye grew from
    3.9 to 6.5 meters. Kyiv has however denied that the works violated any
    agreement. Bucharest wants to make sure Ukraine’s operation does not impact
    ecosystems in the Danube Delta, a protected UNESCO World Heritage site.


    REFUGEES A centre for Ukrainian refugees was opened on Friday within
    the Edmond Nicolau Technical College in Bucharest. The centre is
    the outcome of a partnership between Bucharest’s District 2 Hall, UNICEF and Habitat
    for Humanity. Its 3 floors, totalling 2,000 sq m, can host 100 people. The
    district mayor says refugees may live, cook, socialise here, and that special
    areas are arranged for children to do their homework.


    MOLDOVA The US Administration will provide the Republic of Moldova
    with USD 300 mln in assistance for the energy sector and will share information
    with this country in a move to fight Russia’s attempts to destabilise it, the
    White House announced on Friday. The national security spokesperson John Kirby
    told the media that, although there is no imminent military threat against
    Moldova, the US believes Russia is seeking to weaken this small country and
    bring in a more pro-Russian government. He also said Washington has confidence
    in Moldova’s democratic and economic institutions and in their capacity to
    withstand these threats. We will continue to provide significant support, said Kirby.
    Protests against the government and president Maia Sandu, organised in
    particular by the pro-Russian party Sor, have been a regular occurrence in
    Chişinǎu for several weeks. (AMP)

  • March 8, 2023

    March 8, 2023

    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis Wednesday had meetings with the local
    authorities of Kyoto. In this context, he said Romania and Japan are closer
    than ever, and voiced his hope that Kyoto and a city in Romania will soon become
    twin towns. It is important that we rely on each other to safeguard the
    fundamental values that define us-the will for peace and security, freedom,
    democracy and human rights, and a rule-based international order, the Romanian
    president said. In turn, the Japanese officials praised Romania as an important
    partner for Japan, sharing fundamental values like freedom, democracy and the
    rule of law. The talks were the last stage in the Romanian president’s visit to
    Japan. The main goal of the Asian tour was to elevate the bilateral relation to
    a strategic partnership level. A document in this respect, the outcome of 5
    years of negotiations and consultations, was signed on Tuesday in Tokyo, during
    a meeting with the Japanese PM, Fumio Kishida. The head of the Romanian state
    was also received by Emperor Naruhito. On Thursday and Friday Klaus Iohannis will
    be on a state visit to Singapore, where he is scheduled to have talks with
    president Halimah Yacob and PM Lee Hsien Loong.


    GOVERNMENT The
    reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be completed, the finance
    minister Adrian Câciu promised the Senate. Speaking at the Government Hour today,
    he also said economic performance is good and the budget deficit will be narrowed.
    According to minister Câciu, Romania has a structural deficiency and permanent
    expenses that require higher financing. As for interest rates, they are becoming
    more stable as the inflation rate is also coming under control. The minister’s
    presence in Parliament was requested by Save Romania Union in opposition, which
    asked minister Câciu to explain why Romania’s budget deficit has reached
    record-high levels, and financing costs are among the highest in the EU. The
    USR Senator Anca Dragu warned that Romania has borrowed huge amounts, at very
    high interest rates, which Romanians will have to repay for the next 30 years.
    The AUR Senator Claudiu Târziu said in his turn that in his opinion the finance
    ministry’s forecasts are empty words, and citizens are still overburdened with
    taxes.


    WOMEN Women in public life, including journalists,
    human rights activists and women in politics, are particularly targeted by
    intimidation, hate speech and sexual harassment, reads a joint statement signed
    by over 20 embassies in Bucharest and the representative office of the European
    Commission in Romania. In their message on International Women’s Day on March
    8, the signatories say these practices require firm and immediate response, and
    the perpetrators must be held accountable. The text also reiterates commitment
    to ensuring gender equality and to fully respecting and safeguarding the rights
    of women as human rights. We call on all states to do the same: gender equality
    and equity benefit not only girls and women, but society as a whole, men and
    boys included, the embassies and the representative office of the European
    Commission in Romania point out. The signatories include the embassies of Austria,
    Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Republic of Korea and the
    US.


    FAIR A Spring Fair has been opened in Bucharest today,
    as part of a larger campaign to promote Romanian produce and to improve
    Romanians’ access to locally-sourced, high-quality foodstuff. Taking part in
    the Fair are over 30 local producers from north-western and central Romania,
    selling meat and dairy products, fruit and vegetables, preserves and drinks. Traditional
    music and dance performances will also be organised during the 5-day long event.


    DANUBE Ukraine will cease all dredging on the Danube’s
    Chilia branch and Bystroe Canal, the Romanian transport ministry announced
    after the trilateral meeting in Ismail, Ukraine, attended by representatives of
    Romania, Ukraine and the European Commission. Also, on March 15, measurements
    will begin on Chilia and Bystroe. The EU officials agreed with Romania’s
    requests and emphasised that the top priority is to improve the capacity of the
    other Danube branch, Sulina, given that over half of the cargo transport from
    Ukraine via so-called solidarity corridors takes place on the Danube. Ukraine
    has recently conducted dredging described as legal, maintenance operations, but
    Romania argues that dredging went significantly over the allowed depth of 3.5m,
    which would have a major impact on the Danube Delta ecosystem, currently a UNESCO
    world heritage site.


    TALKS The Romanian Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken Monday
    discussed over the phone about priority topics for the bilateral Strategic
    Partnership, in the context of the war in Ukraine. The 2 officials
    appreciated the frequency of Romanian-American meetings over the past year as a
    indication of the level and depth of the strategic partnership between the 2
    countries. The agenda of the talks also included the strengthening of NATO’s
    eastern flank, the new US strategy for the Black Sea and the situation in the Republic
    of Moldova. Bogdan Aurescu also reiterated the importance of including Romania
    in the Visa Waiver programme. (AMP)