Radio România Internațional

Tag: drone

  • September 16, 2023

    September 16, 2023

    Grains. The European Commission has decided not to extend the ban on grain imports from Ukraine, in exchange for some commitments assumed by Kyiv. Until September 18, the Ukrainian side must present an action plan with effective measures to control grain shipments. According to this plan, the Bucharest Government claims that it will take the appropriate decisions to protect local farmers. Farmers want the Government to make a unilateral decision and extend the restriction for the entire duration of the war, even if Brussels has a contrary position. If the authorities do not extend the ban, as decided by Poland, the Romanian farmers threaten to block the customs in the west of the country, as well as the Black Sea port of Constanţa (southeast). Among the five countries that initially requested the introduction of this ban, only Bulgaria has announced that it does not want to extend the embargo imposed on wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower imports from Ukraine.



    Ukraine. The Russian anti-aircraft defense shot down two Ukrainian drones over the regions of Kaluga and Tver, in the west of the country , the Russian Defense Ministry has announced today. Also today, the so-called authorities installed by Moscow in the annexed Crimea have stated that they intend to sell about 100 Ukrainian properties, previously “nationalized”, including one belonging to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The president of the Crimean pseudo-parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, claims that the nationalized properties will be sold “soon” and that the authorities have already organized the first eight auctions for the assets of Ukrainian businesspeople. The sales contracts amounted to more than 815 million rubles (equivalent to about 8.51 million US dollars).



    Mourning. In the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking), today is a day of national mourning, in memory of the first president of this state, Mircea Snegur, who died on September 13. He was an active supporter of the national revival movement and had an essential role in promoting the independence, freedom and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova – reads a press release from the Presidency in Chisinau. In all localities, as well as at diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Moldova abroad, the state flag has been lowered to half mast. Snegur was born in 1940, in the old Romanian county of Soroca (east). He was a doctor in agricultural sciences and an activist of the single communist party. President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the republic, in August 1989 he agreed to support the bills that gave the Romanian language the status of an official language and decided to return to the Latin script and the Romanian tricolor flag, a fact that amplified his popularity. On August 27, 1991, Mircea Snegur was one of the protagonists of the great national assembly in Chisinau, where the Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union. He was head of state between 1991 and 1996.



    Libya. An aircraft of the Romanian Air Force took off, on Saturday, bound for Benghazi, Libya, to transport the first installment of the aid that Romania sends as free international assistance to that country, affected by catastrophic floods. According to a press release issued by the Ministry of National Defense, the Air Force has planned six flights on this route, in which a total of 55 tons of goods will be transported, consisting of food products and shelter items. The flights are carried out under the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union, based on the Decision of the National Committee for Emergency Situations.



    Rugby. The national rugby team of Romania meets, on Sunday, September 17, in the second match they are playing at the World Cup in France, the holder of the trophy, South Africa. The match takes place in Bordeaux (west). A week ago, also in Bordeaux, in the first match of the World Cup, Romania was beaten by the Irish team, with a score of 82-8 (33-8). The Romanian rugby players will take on Scotland on September 30 and Tonga on October 8, both in Lille (north).



    Tennis. The Romanian mens tennis team was defeated by the Taiwan team 3-0, in the first round of the World Group I of the Davis Cup, after the pair Victor Cornea/Cezar Creţu was defeated by the pair Yu Hsiou Hsu/Tsung-Hao Huang with 6-1, 6-4, today, in the Black Sea resort of Mamaia (south-east). On Friday, in the singles matches, Nicholas David Ionel was defeated by Chun-Hsin Tseng, 6-3, 6-0, and Marius Copil by Yu Hsiou Hsu 7-6 (7/5), 7-5. At the beginning of next year, Romania will play a play-off to stay in World Group I of the Davis Cup. (MI)


  • Delta and Drones

    Delta and Drones


    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest has informed and is consulting with NATO allies on the developments on the border between Romania and Ukraine, after the discovery of new fragments of a drone, most likely Russian, on Romanian territory. It is the third such incident in recent days, and the Charge Daffaires of the Embassy of the Russian Federation was summoned to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Romanian diplomacy has once again firmly demanded “the cessation of repeated attacks against the Ukrainian population and civil infrastructure and the irresponsible escalation by the Russian Federation of the security situation, including at the border between Romania and Ukraine”.



    At the same time, Bucharest insists on “respecting the norms of international law, including the inviolability of Romanias airspace”. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense has specified that “there are no elements to indicate that it was an intentional attack on Romania”, and there were no unauthorized flights or violations of the countrys airspace. The official announcements do not diminish, however, the anguish of the people living near the border. Locals from the Danube Delta (Tulcea county, southeast) have already received RO-ALERT messages, in which they are warned about the possibility of objects falling from the airspace, amid Russian attacks on Ukraine.



    The message was sent according to a decision of the National Committee for Emergency Situations. People are advised to keep calm and protect themselves in basements or civil protection shelters. In parallel, a detachment of sappers have installed in a village two shelters made of prefabricated concrete elements, which they handed over to the local authorities. Everyone seems to expect such incidents to happen again. The Russians frequently target the river ports of Ismail and Reni, in southern Bessarabia, the eastern Romanian territory annexed by the Stalinist Soviet Union in 1940, following an ultimatum, and taken over by Ukraine in 1991, as a successor state. These ports are an important outlet for Ukrainian exports after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal in July.



    Essential for the transport of goods on the Danube, Reni is about 13 kilometers in a straight line from the Romanian city of Galati, and Izmail is on the Chilia arm of the Delta, which has become the border between Romania and Ukraine. The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, also said, last week, that there was no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia. He recalled that similar incidents had taken place in Poland. But the events in Romania, warns Stoltenberg, “demonstrate the risk of an accident” caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The opinion is also shared by the military analysts in Bucharest, who are stressing that the Russian army is not famous for rigor or scruples, especially in times of war. (MI)




  • NATO and Security at the Black Sea

    NATO and Security at the Black Sea

    To the Romanians living in the sparsely populated villages on the Danube, close to the border with Ukraine, the war in the neighboring country has gained an increased and unwanted concreteness after the recent Russian bombing of the Danube ports of Reni and Izmail.



    The aforementioned ports have been targeted by Russia, after they became hubs in the transport of the Ukrainian grain towards Western Europe. If until recently the noise made by the explosions used to be the main source of discomfort for the locals, their concern reached new levels after debris from some Russian drones had been discovered nearby. The Ministry of Defence has stepped up its surveillance in the area, in accordance with the NATO plans for strengthening the eastern flank, while the alliance, through the voice of its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has voiced its support for Romania. Just like Stoltenberg, NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, said there were no indications regarding Russias intentions to strike a NATO member state.



    However, the concern of the Romanian citizens living close to the Danube border with Ukraine is understandable, Geoana went on to say. “…When you hear the sound of war several hundreds of meters or kilometers away from you, its only natural to feel anxiety and anguish. I understand that, but there is no risk for Romania to be attracted into this conflict or for this conflict to be extended to the area” the NATO official says. “My message, as Romanian, is to try to have confidence in the fact that the North-Atlantic Alliance has taken all the measures needed now and in the future so that it may be able to defend the entire allied space, including Romania, Mircea Geoana explained. He hailed the US decision to beef up air policing in the Black Sea area. In Vilnius, he recalled, allied leaders endorsed a new generation of defence plans tailored for this type of incidents, accidents or more serious situations, even involving deliberate attacks. These defence plans are complete, including among other things, air policing and integrated anti-missile systems. We are speaking about measures specific to the Black Sea, which is an important area for us and very complex, the NATO official added.



    In another development, a military drill is taking place in the Black Sea and the Danube Delta until Friday, which brings together troops from Romania, the USA and other allied countries as well as from Ukraine. The Sea Breeze multinational exercise, the United States has staged in Romania for the first time, contributes to increasing stability in the Black Sea region and ensuring the free navigation in the wake of the Russian Federations aggression against Ukraine. It is aimed at raising the training level of the servicemen from the participant countries in the anti-mine combat operations. The drill also comes after Russias withdrawal from the agreement on the transit of the Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.


    (bill)

  • September 11, 2023

    September 11, 2023

    School — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced that the issue of drug consumption among young people will be included on the agenda of the next meeting of the country’s Supreme Council of National Defense. Attending today the opening of the new pre-university year at a school in Bucharest, he has emphasized that this phenomenon represents a serious challenge to national security. Klaus Iohannis has also said that he continues to support the increase in teachers salaries as of January 1, 2024. He has given assurances that he remains firm and will support all measures to make the commitments made by the Government this summer come true. The new school year started, today, in Romania, for approximately 3 million pupils and preschoolers. It will have 36 weeks of courses, and it is organized in five modules, just like the previous one. “The Green Week” and “Doing School Differently” will take place between September 11, 2023 – April 26, 2024 and can be set by schools in any of modules 1, 2, 3 or 4, in intervals of 5 consecutive working days. The school year will end on June 21, 2024. The pupils entering the 5th grade will be the first to take an additional high school entrance exam in the summer of 2027.



    Drone — The Romanian Defense Ministry announced that the presence of drone fragments in a different area than those investigated previously was not confirmed. The armed forces remain on alert and will continue investigations in the areas of the national territory located in the vicinity of the areas where the Russians are carrying out attacks on the Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube, the Defense Ministry announced on Sunday. According to the quoted source, in the last 48 hours, forces and equipment of the Naval Forces, the Land Forces and other structures acted with research teams in the field and with aerial surveillance devices on an area of ​​more than 80 square kilometers in three localities of Tulcea and Galati counties, on the Romanian bank of the Danube, near the port of Reni in Ukraine. On the other hand, the Defense Ministry strongly condemns the attacks carried out by the Russian Federation against some objectives and elements of civil infrastructure in the Ukrainian ports on the Danube. These attacks are unjustified and in serious violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, being war crimes, the Defense Ministry emphasizes. Previously, the chargé daffaires of the Russian Federation Embassy in Bucharest was urgently summoned to the Foreign Ministry where he was informed that Romania protests the violation of Romanias airspace. NATO, through Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, expressed its solidarity with Romania. The official stated that there are no indications of Russia’s intention to attack NATO, but that the attacks are destabilizing.



    Volleyball — Today, the Romanian national team faces France, the defending Olympic champion, in the quarter-finals of the European Mens Volleyball Championship. The Romanians reached this stage after a dramatic victory over Croatia. Romania also met France in the groups stage, managing to defeat it surprisingly, score 3-1. The national volleyball team has not been among the top eight teams of the continent for 40 years, after finishing on 8th place in 1983. The European Championship takes place in Israel, Italy, Bulgaria and North Macedonia. The record of the Romanian players includes a European title, two silver and two bronze medals.



    Exercise — The Romanian and US Naval Forces are jointly organizing, as of Monday until Friday, September 15, a multinational exercise called Sea Breeze. It will take place in the area of ​​responsibility of the Romanian Naval Forces in the Black Sea and the Danube Delta and aims to develop teamwork between the participating countries in the field of combating explosive devices, especially sea mines, so that navigation can take place freely. Soldiers from Bulgaria, Turkey, Ukraine, France and the UK are also taking part in the exercise.



    Rowing – Romania won five medals, of which two gold, at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, and finished the competition on fourth place in the overall ranking. The gold was won by the womens double scull team and the women’s eight plus one. The Romanian rowers won one silver and two bronze medals. Also, 11 of the 13 Romanian crews that participated in the world championships in Serbia qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.



    Earthquake – Rescue teams from Morocco, supported by colleagues abroad, continue to race against time to find survivors and provide aid to hundreds of people left homeless after Friday nights earthquake, which killed more than 2,100 people and wounded more than 2,400, according to the most recent official toll. Four countries received favorable answers to their aid offers: Great Britain, Spain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that, from the information it has, there are no Romanians among the victims of the earthquake in Morocco. (LS)

  • La semaine du 4 au 10 août 2023

    La semaine du 4 au 10 août 2023

    Hypothèse : un drone russe est tombé
    sur le territoire de la Roumanie




    L’OTAN
    réaffirme sa forte solidarité avec la Roumanie, après avoir été informée de
    l’incident produit près de la frontière avec l’Ukraine, où des fragments de
    drone russe ont été identifiés. Nous continuerons à suivre de près la situation
    et resterons en contact avec notre alliée, la Roumanie – ont déclaré les
    représentants de l’OTAN dans un communiqué. Selon le secrétaire général de
    l’Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, il n’y a pas d’indication que les éventuels
    débris de drone russe trouvés en Roumanie soient le signe d’une attaque russe
    délibérée contre ce pays membre de l’Otan. Qui plus est, l’événement
    « prouve le risque d’un accident » provoqué par le conflit en
    Ukraine. Le secrétaire général a rappelé aussi des incidents similaires qui
    avaient eu lieu en Pologne. Aux dires du ministre roumain de la Défense, Angel
    Tîlvăr, les spécialistes du Ministère roumain de la Défense ont collecté des
    preuves près du village de Plauru, dans le département de Tulcea (sud-est), à seulement
    70 mètres du Danube, fleuve qui sépare la Roumanie et l’Ukraine. Selon le
    porte-parole du ministère « des mesures ont été établies pour renforcer
    les capacités techniques de surveillance et de sécurisation de l’espace
    aérien ». Selon le président roumain Klaus Iohannis, s’il s’avère que le
    drone appartenait bien à la Russie, l’incident représente une grave violation
    de la souveraineté et de l’intégrité territoriale de la Roumanie. La veille, le
    chef de l’Etat avait déclaré « qu’aucune pièce, qu’aucun drone, ni aucun
    autre dispositif n’était arrivé en Roumanie ». D’ailleurs, les russes
    ciblent fréquemment les ports fluviaux Ismail et Reni. Ces ports sont des
    points de transit importants pour les exportations ukrainiennes après qu’en
    juillet dernier, la Russie s’était retirée de l’accord concernant le transit
    des céréales de la mer Noire. Essentielles pour le transport des marchandises
    sur le Danube, Reni est situé à 13 km de la ville roumaine de Galati, tandis
    qu’Ismail est sis sur le bras de Chilia du delta du Danube, soit la frontière
    entre la Roumanie et l’Ukraine.





    Sommet régional à Bucarest


    Mercredi, Bucarest
    a accueilli le Sommet de l’Initiative des Trois Mers, réunissant les
    Etats-membres de l’UE riverains des mers Adriatique, Baltique et Noire. A cette
    occasion, la Grèce deviendra le 13ème pays participant, tandis que l’Ukraine et
    la République de Moldova, voisines de la Roumanie, recevront le statut d’États
    associés. Lors de la déclaration finale commune, les leaders des états
    participants ont réaffirmé leur appui pour l’Ukraine et ont condamné de nouveau
    l’invasion russe déclenchée il y a un an et demi. En marge du Sommet, jeudi a
    eu lieu un Forum des affaires de l’Initiative des Trois Mers, réunissant plus
    d’un millier de représentants du milieu des affaires, de la politique ainsi que
    des représentants de la société civile. Les autorités roumaines ont exprimé de
    nouveau leur intérêt de réaliser des projets censés renforces l’interconnexion
    dans la région.


    Le
    gouvernement assume sa responsabilité pour réduire le déficit fiscal




    Le chef social-démocrate du cabinet de la coalition PSD-PNL, Marcel
    Ciolacu, a annoncé mardi que jusqu’à la fin de ce mois son équipe exécutive
    devrait engager la responsabilité gouvernementale devant le Parlement pour les
    mesures censées réduire le déficit budgétaire. Sans donner trop de détails, le
    premier ministre roumain a déclaré que le paquet de mesures visera la lutte
    contre l’évasion fiscale – quasi-généralisée dans certains secteurs, selon les
    experts – des réformes dans le système administratif central et local, dont
    tous les experts affirment qu’il est surdimensionné, ainsi qu’une réforme de la
    fiscalité, qui figure parmi les jalons du Plan national de relance et de
    résilience, négocié avec les autorités de Bruxelles. Les sociaux-démocrates et
    les libéraux dominent confortablement le Parlement, et par conséquent les
    réformes promises par M Ciolacu devraient passer et le gouvernement de Bucarest
    continuera son mandat. Les deux pôles de l’opposition, l’USR et l’AUR qui se déclarent
    incompatibles du point de vue idéologique, annoncent que dans l’actuelle
    législature, ils comptent initier séparément des motions de censure contre le
    cabinet. Pourtant, selon la presse roumaine ces initiatives n’auront aucune
    chance de succès.


    Dans arrestations dans le dossier de
    Crevedia




    Les
    propriétaires de la compagnie qui possède la station de Gaz de pétrole liquéfié
    de Crevedia (dans le sud de la Roumanie, pas loin de Bucarest), où deux
    explosions ont fait de nombreuses victimes le 26 août dernier, ont été mis en
    détention provisoire pour 30 jours. Les procureurs ont saisi plusieurs
    immeubles et comptes bancaires des deux patrons afin que l’Etat puisse dédommager
    les victimes. Selon les autorités, cinq personnes sont mortes et plus d’une cinquantaine
    ont été blessées, à la suite des explosions. Six maisons ont été entièrement
    détruites et presque 80 ont été endommagées. Les patrons sont accusés d’avoir enfreint
    systématiquement, au moins depuis 3 ans, la législation concernant le
    déroulement des opérations d’alimentation, de transport, de transfert et de
    stockage du GPL.




    Première à l’US Open





    La
    joueuse de tennis roumaine Sorana Cîrstea s’est qualifiée en première dans les
    quarts de finale de l’US Open, le dernier tournoi du Grand Chelem de l’année.
    Pourtant elle n’est pas parvenue à se qualifier pour les demi-finales et s’est
    en effet inclinée mercredi face à la Tchèque Karolina Muchova. C’est la
    première fois que Cîrstea arrive cette année jusqu’en quarts de finale de la
    compétition new-yorkaise. Elle a joué un seul quart de finale dans un tournoi
    du Grand Chelem, en 2009 à Roland Garros, lorsqu’elle était âgée de 19
    ans. Grâce aux points remportés par
    Flushing Meadows, elle grimpera quatre places dans la hiérarchie mondiale, pour
    occuper la 26e place dès lundi. En l’absence de l’ex numéro une mondiale,
    Simona Halep, suspendue depuis une année déjà pour un dopage présumé, Sorana
    Cîrstea semble devenir déjà la leader de facto du tennis roumain, affirme la
    presse sportive roumaine.

  • September 10, 2023

    September 10, 2023

    Drone. The Romanian foreign ministry
    summoned the Russian charge d’affaires in Bucharest
    to convey the protest of the Romanian side over the violation of
    Romania’s air space, as new drone fragments were found on Saturday on Romanian
    soil, close to the border with Ukraine, and similar to those used by the
    Russian army. State secretary Iulian Fota firmly called on the Russian side to
    cease attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including those that could pose any
    threat to the safety and security of Romanian citizens living in the region. On
    Saturday, president Klaus Iohannis said the identification of new drone fragments on the
    Romanian territory indicates that an absolutely unacceptable violation has
    taken place of the sovereign air space of NATO member Romania. NATO secretary
    general Jens Stoltenberg, who had a phone conversation with Iohannis,
    expressed full solidarity with Romania.
    He also said there was no indication of Russia’s intent to strike NATO, but
    that these attacks are destabilising.






    Earthquake.
    Morocco declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the
    powerful quake that hit this country on Friday night. More than 2,000 people
    have been killed and another 2,000 injured. The tremor measured 6.8 on the
    Richter scale and caused a lot of panic. Searches for survivors carried out by
    the army, using drones and helicopters, continue in the Atlas mountains region
    and the old city of Marrakesh, which were the worst hit areas. The leaders of
    the 27 EU member states together signed a joint letter to King Mohammed VI of
    Morocco stating their full solidarity with the Moroccan people: as close
    friends and partners of Morocco, we are ready to assist in any way You may seem
    useful, the letter said. The foreign ministry in Bucharest said that according
    to the information available so far to the Romanian embassy in Rabat, there are
    no Romanian citizens among the victims. The embassy is in constant contact with
    the local authorities in charge of managing the consequences of the quake and
    with the Romanian citizens living in Morocco.




    School. Almost 3
    million pupils and pre-school children will begin school on Monday in Romania.
    The new school year is made up of five modules and will end on 22nd
    June next year. Classes will end on 7th June for 12th
    year pupils and on 14th June for 8th year pupils to be
    able to take their baccalaureate and national evaluation exams, respectively. As
    a result of recent changes to education laws, pupils can only be expelled under
    serious circumstances. Another change refers to the introduction of new
    subjects: the study of the history of the Jewish people and the Holocaust,
    which will be taught in 11th grade beginning this year, and the
    study of the history of communism, which will taught as of next year. The
    criteria for granting scholarships have also changed, with fewer pupils to
    benefit. The authorities are also considering measures to prevent and reduce
    drug use in schools, with emphasis on information and education. Education
    minister Ligia Deca said recently
    that a school safety action plan was signed and a legislative framework would
    be drafted to allow for the drug testing of pupils where there is suspicion of
    drug use.


    Sports. CSM
    Bucharest defeated the Danish side Odense Handbold 28-24 on Saturday evening at
    home, in their opening match in Group A of the women’s handball Champions
    League. CSM will next play the German side SG BBM Bietigheim. Another Romanian
    side in this competition, Rapid Bucharest are today playing their first match
    in Group B, against Team Esbjerg if Denmark. And in football, Romania’s
    national side drew 1-all against Israel on Saturday evening at home in
    qualifying Group I in the run-up to Euro 2024. Romania will next face Kosovo at
    home.

  • Increased NATO attention to the eastern flank

    Increased NATO attention to the eastern flank

    Following Russia’s repeated attacks on the Ukrainian
    ports on the Danube river, pieces of a Russian drone were found a few days ago
    on Romanian territory as well, in a village in Tulcea County near the Ukrainian
    border. Officials from Ukraine’s foreign ministry were actually the first to
    report the incident, but the Romanian defence ministry initially denied the
    information.


    Later on, however, the institution revised its
    position, but added that the intelligence provided by electronic surveillance
    and other monitoring systems did not reveal direct military threats against our
    national territory or against Romania’s territorial waters. The defence
    ministry also announced that it appointed field research teams, including on
    the Danube, for additional inquiries.


    Romania has been in permanent contact with NATO,
    Bucharest also said. In fact, the Alliance’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg
    announced that Romanian authorities had notified the Allies about the drone
    pieces found in the country and that an investigation was on-going, pointing
    out however that there was no evidence of a deliberate move by Moscow, but
    rather that it was an accident.


    On Wednesday, during talks with the foreign affairs
    and defence committees in the European Parliament, Stoltenberg mentioned that
    NATO has a stronger than ever presence on the eastern flank and that all member
    states are defended under the new military plans.


    In the context of this situation on the
    Romanian-Ukrainian border, the Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr, talking
    in Bucharest with the US Ambassador to Romania Kathleen Kavalec,appreciated the Allies’ strong solidarity. The two
    officials discussed the situation entailed by the Russian Federation’s recent
    attacks against Ukraine’s Danube ports, close to the Romanian border.


    The case was also approached during a telephone
    discussion between Romania’s foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu and the US
    Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They also discussed means to strengthen
    bilateral cooperation in order to protect airspace security and, in this
    context, mention was made of the deployment by the US Air Forces of F-16 aircraft
    on Romanian territory.


    According to a news release issued by the foreign
    ministry, the Romanian diplomacy chief also welcomed the US and the Allies’
    support and solidarity with Romania and emphasised the importance of NATO staying
    alert to the developments at the Black Sea and in the region.


    In turn, the US Secretary of State highlighted the US
    solidarity with Romania and thanked Bucharest for its support for Ukraine and
    for the additional measures taken in order to facilitate the transit of
    Ukrainian grains. According to the Romanian foreign ministry, the US official
    appreciated Romania’s interest and involvement in identifying efficient
    solutions in this context, jointly with the US, the European Commission and
    Ukraine. (AMP)

  • September 6, 2023 UPDATE

    September 6, 2023 UPDATE

    Drone — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, said that he was informed “in real time” by the Defense Ministry about the discovery on Romanian territory of some components that appear to be of a drone. At the opening of the Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, which is taking place in Bucharest, Iohannis said that he requested an urgent and professional investigation of the origin of these components, as well as the moment and circumstances in which they arrived on Romanian territory. If it is confirmed that these elements belong to a Russian drone, the Romanian president said, then the situation is “unacceptable” and is “a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a NATO ally state”. He showed that the Romanian authorities are in permanent contact with the other NATO allies and emphasized that Romania benefits from extremely strong security guarantees, the strongest in its entire history. Previously, the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, stated that in Tulcea county (south-east) fragments were found of a piece of equipment “that could be assimilated to a drone”. The elements in question were identified near the village of Plauru, at a distance of 70-80 meters from the Danube, in an area very difficult to access, with abundant vegetation.



    Summit — The Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, a political platform of the member countries of the European Union from Central and Eastern Europe, started in Bucharest. At this 8th edition, Greece will become the 13th participating country, while Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, neighbors of Romania, will receive the status of associated states. In the opening of the proceedings, when the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski also spoke via video conference, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said that granting the status of an associated participating state to the Three Seas Initiative will allow Ukraine to get involved in all the tools of the organization, respectively to access investments for strategic interconnection projects. The Romanian president believes that, in this way, “Ukraine will be closer to the EU and will prepare better for reconstruction and recovery”. Currently, the Three Seas Initiative includes 12 member states of the European Union between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Seas. The organization also benefits from the support of the United States, whose delegation in Bucharest is led by the White House special envoy for climate, former Secretary of State John Kerry.



    Schools – With school starting in Romania on 11th September, the authorities are planning tougher measures to prevent trafficking in and consumption of psychoactive substances among pupils. They also aim to crack down on bullying and reduce the risk of pupils exposure to crime, especially violence. These are some of the most important elements of a national safety plan signed on Tuesday by a number of cabinet ministers. Referring to the controversial issue of pupils drug testing, education minister Ligia Deca said a system would be devised to provide and finance such tests in the event of reasonable suspicion, but only with parental approval and avoiding the stigmatization of children.



    IT – Romanians have been waiting for modern and efficient public services for a long time, and the digital reform is the most important component of the administrative reform that the Romanian Government intends to undertake, the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday during the meeting with the representatives of the Apple, Amazon and IBM companies. The three American giants in the technology industry will participate in the Business Forum organized on Thursday, on the sidelines of the Summit of the Three Seas Initiative. Besides the digitization of the administrative system, the discussions also focused on the development of research and innovation projects in fields such as artificial intelligence, data analysis and cyber security. Present at the meeting, the Romanian Minister of Research, Bogdan Ivan, said that the future collaborations with the three companies will make a real difference in the daily life of Romanians, allowing the development of the IT sector in Romania and bringing the citizen to one click away from the public administration. (LS)


  • 06.09.2023 (mise à jour)

    06.09.2023 (mise à jour)

    Drone – Le chef de l’Etat roumain,
    Klaus Iohannis, a déclaré avoir été informé en temps réel par le Ministère de
    la Défense nationale de l’existence sur le territoire roumain des débris de ce
    qui pourrait être un drone. En ouverture du sommet de l’Initiative des Trois
    mers qui a lieu à Bucarest, Iohannis a précisé avoir solliciter en toute
    urgence une enquête censée établir la provenance des débris et les circonstances
    dans lesquelles ils sont arrivés sur le territoire roumain. Si l’enquête
    confirme que les débris appartiennent à un drone russe, alors la situation
    devient inadmissible puisqu’il s’agit d’une violation grave de la
    souveraineté et l’intégrité territoriale d’un pays membre de l’OTAN. Le
    président roumain a ajouté que les autorités roumaines restent en contact
    permanent avec les responsables alliés. La Roumanie bénéficie des garanties de
    sécurité extrémement puissantes, les plus importantes qu’elle a jamais eues, a
    encore précisé Klaus Iohannis. Antérieurement, le ministre roumain de la
    Défense, Angel Tîlvar, a déclaré que des débris d’un dispositif ressemblant à
    un drone ont été retrouvés dans le département de Tulcea, dans le village de
    Plauru, à 70 mètres du Danube, dans une zone difficilement accessible e raison
    de la végétation abondantante.




    Sommet – Ce mercredi a débuté le sommet et le forum de
    l’Initiative des Trois Mers, une plateforme politique réunissant 12 Etats-membres
    de l’UE riverains des mers Adriatique, Baltique et Noire. A cette occasion, la Grèce deviendra le 13ème pays
    participant, tandis que l’Ukraine et la République de Moldova, voisines de la
    Roumanie, recevront le statut d’États associés. En ouverture
    des débats auxquels le leader ukrainien, Volodymir Zelenski s’est exprimé par
    visioconférence, le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis, a déclaré que le
    statut de pays associé permettra à l’Ukraine de s’impliquer dans tous les
    instruments de l’organisation et d’avoir accès à des investissements pour des
    projets d’interconnexion énergétique. « De cette manière, Kiev sera encore
    plus proche de l’UE et se préparera mieux pour sa reconstruction et son
    redressement » a ajouté M. Iohannis. L’organisation bénéficie aussi
    du soutien des États-Unis dont la délégation à Bucarest a à sa tête le
    représentant spécial pour les questions climatiques, John Kerry, ancien
    secrétaire d’Etat.




    Numérique – Les Roumains attendent
    depuis longtemps des services modernes et efficaces et la réforme du numérique
    s’avère l’aspect le plus important de la réforme administrative que le
    Gouvernement de Bucarest prépare. C’est ce qu’a déclaré mercredi le premier
    ministre roumain, Marcel Ciolacu, lors de la rencontre avec les représentants
    des compagnies Apple, Amazon et IBM. Les trois géants américains du domaine des
    Technologies de l’Information participeront au Forum des Affaires organisé
    jeudi, à Bucarest, en marge du Sommet de l’Initiative des Trois mers. A part la
    numérisation du système administratif, les discussions ont porté aussi sur le
    développement des projets de recherche et d’innovation dans des domaines tels
    l’intelligence artificielle ou la cybersécurité. Présent aux débats, le
    ministre roumain de la Recherche, Bogdan Ivan, a affirmé que les futures
    collaborations avec les trois compagnies déboucheront sur le développement du
    secteur informatique en Roumanie et permettront aux Roumains d’avoir accès au
    système administratif en deux clicks.
















    Rentrée
    scolaire     – À
    l’occasion de la rentrée scolaire en Roumanie, le 11 septembre, les autorités veulent
    prévenir et combattre le trafic et la consommation de substances psychoactives chez
    les élèves. Dans le même temps, l’objectif est de réduire les cas de harcèlement
    et le risque d’exposer les élèves à la violence. Ce sont les éléments les plus
    importants du Plan sur la sécurité nationale, signé mardi par plusieurs
    ministres. Selon la ministre de l’Éducation, Ligia Deca, à propos de la
    question controversée du dépistage des drogues chez les étudiants, un système
    sera conçu pour qu’en cas de soupçons raisonnables, d’éventuels tests puissent
    être effectués et réglés uniquement avec le consentement des parents, en
    évitant la stigmatisation.


    Tennis – La joueuse de tennis roumaine Sorana
    Cîrstea n’est pas parvenue à se qualifier pour les demi-finales de l’US Open,
    le dernier tournoi du Grand Chelem de l’année. Elle s’est en effet inclinée
    mercredi face à la Tchèque Karolina Muchova. C’est la première fois que Cîrstea
    arrive cette année jusqu’en quarts de finale de la compétition new-yorkaise. La
    Roumaine n’avait disputé qu’un seul quart de finale d’un tournoi du Grand
    Chelem, en 2009, à Roland-Garros. Dès lundi, elle occupera la 26ème place du
    classement WTA et elle reste actuellement la joueuse roumaine la mieux classée.







  • August 16, 2023 UPDATE

    August 16, 2023 UPDATE


    SECURITY Romanias security has been consolidated and the efforts to strengthen NATO structures on national territory, especially the NATO battle group established in 2022, will carry on, said President Klaus Iohannis, who attended the Navy Day ceremonies in Constanta on Tuesday. In turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu promised that the government would earmark the resources required for equipping and modernising the Romanian Naval Forces. Security at the Black Sea ensures the stability of the entire region and turns Romania into an important security provider, the speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, also said.



    ECONOMY The EU economy grew 0.5% and the Eurozone economy went up 0.6% in Q2 2023, compared to the corresponding period in 2022, with Ireland and Romania reporting the most significant growth rates, according to preliminary data released on Wednesday by the European Statistics Office (Eurostat). Among the EU member countries for which data are available, the highest growth rates in April-June 2023 are reported in Ireland (2.8%), Romania (2.7%), Cyprus and Portugal (2.3%), while the most important negative rates were in Estonia (-3%), Sweden (-2.4%), Hungary (-2.3%) and Poland (-1.3%). Across the ocean, the US GDP went up 0.6% compared to the previous 3 months and 2.6% against the corresponding quarter last year.



    BACCALAUREATE Nearly 34,000 high school graduates in Romania, sitting the second session of this years Baccalaureate exam, Wednesday had the Romanian language and literature test, with papers graded digitally for the first time. The tests are scanned and uploaded on a platform, where they are assigned for grading to teachers in any part of the country except for the county where the student went to high school. The two tests in students major subjects are scheduled for August 17th and 18th. In order to pass the exam, candidates need an overall grade of at least 6 in their written tests. In the first Baccalaureate session, 75% of the candidates passed the exam.



    TRAFFIC Over 2.2 million Romanians and foreigners crossed Romanias borders during the Assumption of Mary holiday period, up 24% compared to the corresponding period of last year, the Romanian Border Police announced. The most crowded checkpoints were those on the Hungarian and Bulgarian borders, and those in airports. During the same period, border police issued fines totalling over EUR 60,000 and seized assets of over EUR 600,000. More than 100 Romanian nationals were denied exit and 90 foreign nationals were not allowed to enter the country for various reasons.



    UKRAINE The Romanian Defence Ministry strongly condemns the repeated strikes by Russian armed forces targeting critical infrastructure in Ukraine and regions inhabited by civilians in that country. The statement comes after on Wednesday morning the Danube River ports in Izmail and Reni, near the border with Romania, were hit by drone strikes. The war of aggression started by Russia against Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law, says the Defence Ministry, also adding that it has enhanced the monitoring of Romanias national territory and its maritime and airspace, jointly with NATO forces, to strengthen defence on the entire eastern flank and to deter possible aggressions against NATO member countries. (AMP)


  • August 2, 2023

    August 2, 2023

    BUDGET The ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party carry on talks on the fiscal measures that must be implemented in order to reduce the state budget deficit. Overall public expenditure cuts of some EUR 1.2 bln are targeted, concurrently with tax increases by a similar amount. Public institution mergers, the scrapping of 200,000 public sector jobs that are currently vacant, personnel downsizing and cuts in the management allowances paid by public companies are some of the measures considered by the government. The 2 parties have also agreed on 2 VAT rates, 9% and 19%, although a 5% VAT rate will be in place as an exception for books alone. The Social Democrats and the Liberals however differ as regards a proposed additional 1% tax on luxury homes and on the profits of companies with more than EUR 100 mln in turnover.



    E-COMMERCE Last year Romanians spent nearly EUR 7 bln online, one-quarter of the amount on clothes and footwear alone. According to a survey, the Romanian e-commerce market comprises a rough 100 online stores reporting over 1,000 orders per day. One in 5 Romanians regularly order online, and 50% of them do so twice every 3 months. In Europe, the share of online shopping rose from 55% in 2012 to 75% in 2022, with the highest increases reported in Estonia, the Czech Republic and Romania.



    FORESTRY A new draft Forestry Code was released for public consultation on Tuesday in Romania. The surface areas where forest clearing is banned will be increased approx. 10 fold, and the vehicles that carry wood illegally will be seized. The bill will also enable the government to take over the task of reforesting land that has been cleared and subsequently abandoned by its owners. The measures come after the European Commission initiated an infringement procedure against Romania for failure to implement several environment-related directives.



    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian foreign ministry warns citizens who are traveling or intend to travel to the Italian island of Sardinia that local authorities there have issued a code orange alert for wildfire risks. On the other hand, the ministry also announced it was taking steps to repatriate 4 Romanian nationals from Niger, as the security situation in that country is worsening.



    UKRAINE Russia’s continued attacks against the Ukrainian civilian infrastructure on Danube, in the proximity of Romania, are unacceptable. These are war crimes and they further affect Ukraine’s capacity to transfer their food products towards those in need in the world, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis posted on Wednesday on social media. A Russian drone attack hit Ukrainian port infrastructure in Izmail, on the Danube, close to NATO-member Romania. According to Kyiv, the attack caused fires at the port and industrial infrastructure and damaged the elevator there. Russia started targeting Ukraine’s ports after terminating a UN deal enabling the country’s grain exports via the Black Sea.



    UNTOLD Thousands of gendarmes, firefighters, anti-drug and local police officers, as well as 800 private security guards, have been mobilized for the 4-day music festival UNTOLD in Cluj-Napoca, which begins on Thursday, to make sure that safety measures are complied with by all participants. Two mobile hospitals and 3 first-aid stations will be located near the festival site. The line-up for the 8th edition of UNTOLD, one of the largest music festivals in Europe, includes over 250 artists from Romania and abroad. Tens of thousands of music lovers from around the world are expected to attend. (AMP)


  • July 30, 2023

    July 30, 2023

    GOVERNMENT The government
    prepares to pass a set of fiscal measures in the coming days, designed to bring
    more money into the state budget and to keep the deficit close to this year’s
    target of 4.4% of GDP. As of this autumn, employees in agriculture,
    constructions and IT may have to contribute 10% of their incomes to the public
    healthcare fund. The government also intends to keep only 2 VAT rates, 9% for
    foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and hospitality services, and 19% for all other
    sectors. Governmental sources say the ruling coalition are also discussing a
    reorganization of the public sector, by scrapping 200,000 posts which are
    currently vacant. At the same time, the Cabinet is working on measures to support
    citizens cope with the rising inflation. The government is considering an
    increase in minimum wages in 2 stages: to roughly 670 euro in September and to
    750 euro as of January next year. But the plan is opposed by private
    entrepreneurs, who say they cannot afford to raise minimum wages for employees.
    According to a recent poll, should this measure be introduced, more than half
    of the private entrepreneurs in the country said they would raise prices for
    their products and services or downsize their staff.


    FIRE A Romanian fire fighter unit specialising in
    wildfires is leaving for France today, as part of a redeployment programme
    organised by the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and
    Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). As many as 40 Romanian fire fighters
    with fire engines, water tanks and other equipment will be stationed in
    Marseilles, on the Mediterranean Coast.


    TRIBUTE The Bucharest National
    Opera orchestra performs tonight for the first time at the Musikverein hall in
    Vienna, in a tribute concert to the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu. The
    year 2023 was declared the year of Ciprian Porumbescu, to mark 170 years since
    the birth and 140 years since the death of the famous composer. The concert
    will consist exclusively of works by Ciprian Porumbescu: New Moon, the first
    Romanian operetta, the Ballad, the Romanian Rhapsody. The soloists, choir
    and orchestra of the National Opera House in Bucharest are conducted by Daniel
    Jinga, with special guests including maestro Gheorghe Zamfir and the soloist
    Maria Coman.


    UKRAINE A Ukrainian drone
    attack on Moscow hit 2 office buildings last night, the mayor of Russia’s
    capital city Sergei Sobyanin said, according to France Presse. According to the
    Russian defence ministry, a drone was shot down and 2 others were neutralized but
    crashed into a building compound. This was the latest in a string of attacks
    that Moscow blames on Kyiv, while also claiming the US and their NATO allies
    have provided assistance to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities say
    at least 2 were killed and 1 wounded in a Russian missile attack on the city of
    Zaporizhzhia.


    SPORTS Romania finished 4th
    at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in Maribor (Slovenia), with 9
    gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals. This is the best performance for Romania in
    this competition, after the ones in 1995 (Bath) and 2003 (Paris), when it came
    out 3rd. On Saturday, the last day of the event, Romania won 2 gold medals,
    thanks to Alin Şavlovschi, in the men’s 2,000 m hurdles race and Bianca Maria
    Tiţa, Ştefania Balint, Maria Denisa Capotă and Alexandra Ştefania Uţă, who won
    the women’s relay race with a new competition record (2’06”13). Romania’s
    women’s handball team won the silver after losing the final to France, 32-27. Three other
    medals were won in the tennis competition, by Giulia Safina Popa in the women’s
    singles, Giulia Popa and Alexia Tatu in women’s doubles and Yannick Theodor
    Nicolas Alexandrescou/Alejandro Mateo Berge Vega Nourescu in the men’s doubles.
    In the gymnastics competition, Alexia Gabriela Vânoagă won the silver in the
    beam final. Romania participated in the Festival with a team of 92 athletes. (AMP)

  • Russia attacks port on Danube river

    Russia attacks port on Danube river



    The Romanian defence ministry says at the moment there are no direct military threats against the countrys national territory or its territorial waters. In turn, the foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu says that, as a NATO and EU member country, Romania has the most important and strongest security guarantees in its history. She had a phone conversation with the US State Secretary Antony Blinken, and together they condemned Moscows recent attacks on Ukrainian civilians and river and maritime infrastructure, as well as Russias cynical undermining of the worlds food security.





    The statements come after a Russian drone attack hit a Ukrainian port near Odessa and destroyed a grain hangar. Ukraines southern operational command says the Russian attack targeted particularly the ports on the Ukrainian side of the Danube River, seen as alternative routes for the countrys grain exports.





    Specifically, the Russians targeted the river ports in Ismail and Reni, in the south of Bessarabia, a former Romanian territory annexed by Stalins Soviet Union following an ultimatum in 1940, and taken over by Ukraine after the USSR collapsed in 1991.





    The port of Reni, vital to the transport of commodities on the Danube, is just 13 km across the river from the Romanian city of Galați. At least 3 drones were destroyed by the Ukrainian defence, but a fourth one managed to strike a grain hangar. In turn, the head of the administration of the port city of Ismail, Rodion Abashev, confirmed in a Facebook post that Russias attack left 6 people wounded.





    The week before, Russia terminated a deal adopted in July 2022 under the UN aegis and brokered by Turkey, which enabled Ukraine to export 33 million tonnes of agricultural products in spite of the war. According to Kyiv, more than 400 million people around the world rely on the food products exported by Ukraine.





    The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, firmly condemned Russias attack on the Ukrainian civilian infrastructure on the Danube. “This recent escalation poses serious risks to the security in the Black Sea. It also affects the transit of grain from Ukraine, and implicitly global food security in the near future,” the Romanian official said on Twitter. Also in Bucharest, PM Marcel Ciolacu said targeting port infrastructure is yet another proof of Russias intention to undermine Ukrainian grain exports to global markets, which severely destabilises global food security. (AMP)


  • March 16, 2023

    March 16, 2023

    VISIT Upon the invitation of Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis, Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of the
    International Organisation of Francophony, is today paying a formal visit to
    Bucharest against the background of marking this year, 30 years of Romania’s
    belonging in the Institutional Francophony. After meeting the head of the
    Romanian state, Louise Mushikiwabo will be attending jointly with president
    Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca the formal opening of the International
    conference The Francophony of Future: education for sustainable development. In
    the evening, the Secretary General of the International Organisation of
    Francophony will join the country’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, and
    Culture Minister Lucian Romascanu for a concert given by the Violoncellissimo
    Ensemble on the occasion of celebrating 30 years of Romania’s Francophony
    membership. Events devoted to this anniversary will be staged throughout the
    year by various Romanian institutions involved in Francophony-related
    activities.








    CANAL As of today Romania is conducting
    a series of depth measurements on the Danube’s branch Chilia and will soon
    commence similar procedures on the Bystroye Canal in Ukraine, official sources
    have told Radio Romania. The transport Ministry is doing research to clarify
    whether dredging and maintenance works have been conducted and to what extent
    these works can put the delta’s biodiversity at risk. The measurements will be
    taking 10 days and three Romanian ships are to be granted access to the area. Authorities
    in Romania and Ukraine have agreed to check the depth of the Danube canals,
    after the neighboring Ukraine conducted a series of dredging works on the
    Bystroye Canal. According to the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry, after the
    so-called cleaning works on the canal, its depth has almost doubled. Kyiv
    denied that the dredging works it had carried out on the aforementioned canal,
    would have violated any agreement. Bucharest wants to make sure the works conducted
    by Ukraine do not jeopardize the Danube Delta ecosystem, a unique area in
    Europe, included on the UNESCO world heritage.






    DOHA Seven Romanian companies are
    participating in the 10th edition of the AGRITECH 2023 exhibition
    due over March 15th and 19th in Doha, Qatar. According to
    a communiqué by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR),
    ‘participation in this event represents an opportunity for the Ministry to
    promote its own policies and strategies in this field, being at the same time beneficial
    to all the economic operators in Romania’s Agrifood sector, allowing it to make
    its own product offer known and visible, explore the Qatar market as well as
    make connections with the business environment in this state. AGRITEQ has
    brought together 650 exhibitors from 52 countries.










    DRONE The downing of a U.S. drone by a Russian
    jet is part of a pattern of military behavior by Russia that is becoming more
    aggressive, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said on
    Wednesday. Milley and Defence Secretary Austin Lloyd held talks with their
    Russian counterparts regarding the incident. The MQ Reaper drone was on a
    surveillance mission in the Black Sea international waters, when it was
    intercepted by two Russian fighters Su-27. The two planes allegedly crossed the
    drone’s trajectory a couple of times in an attempt to spray fuel on it. The
    planes eventually struck the drone’s propeller causing it to crash. Russia
    denies having struck the drone’s propeller and Ned Price, spokesman for the
    State Department said that the incident was likely an unintentional act from
    Russia’s side.






    (bill)

  • July 16, 2022

    July 16, 2022

    SUPPORT ‘The Republic of Moldova doesn’t have to be and won’t be
    alone in its efforts to implement the reforms it needs’, Romania’s Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Friday at the end of the second edition of the
    Ministerial Conference of the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova.
    According to the head of the Romanian diplomacy this platform is ‘a permanent
    instrument’ and is useful for Chisinau’s efforts to join the European Union. Financial
    assistance pledges of up to 600 million euros were issued during the conference
    for the support of this ex-soviet republic with a Romanian-speaking majority.
    The event in Bucharest brought together delegations from 33 countries, members
    of the EU, G7, the European Free Trade Association, international bodies,
    financial institutions and UN agencies. German Foreign Minister Annalena
    Baerbock announced a financial assistance package for this state of up to 77
    million euros. On the sidelines of the conference Minister Aurescu held talks
    with the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Schmid on the security crises triggered
    by the Russian aggression against Ukraine.








    WEATHER Britain is bracing up for a hot weekend
    with very high temperatures. A national emergency has been declared after a red
    extreme heat warning was issued for a first time. Temperatures are expected to
    hit 40 degrees Celsius and hot weather warnings have been issued in France
    as well. In only three days in Spain the heatwave caused 84 deaths mostly
    among the elderly. Weathermen have cautioned that temperatures will remain high
    for another 10 days.










    GREECE A second contingent of 28
    Romanian firefighters has left for Greece to replace their colleagues who in
    the past two weeks have assisted the local authorities in monitoring and
    extinguishing forest fires in areas north of Athens. Several fire engines, a
    tanker as well as command and control vehicles have been deployed to the
    affected areas. In the past 15 days, firefighters from Romania have
    participated in various missions in the regions of Schimatari and Porto
    Germeno. Last year Romania also helped Greece in its fight against devastating
    forest fires.








    WAR Ukraine has accused the Russian army of
    using the platform of the nuclear power plant they occupied in Zaporozhe to
    launch attacks in the southern region of Nikopol, an industrial area on the
    Dnieper River. Ukraine has lashed out at the International Atomic Energy Agency
    for not putting enough pressure on Moscow to pull out its troops from the
    plant. According to Ukraine’s security service, on Friday night, the Ukrainian
    army managed to bring down two Russian warplanes. The Russians shelled the city
    of Kramatorsk in Donbas while in Donetsk, several Russian rockets have
    destroyed the railway infrastructure and also hit civilian targets. The
    anti-aircraft defence system of Ukrainian capital Kyiv last night managed to
    shoot down a Russian missile and in Mykolaiv an Orlan-10 Russian drone has been
    shot down by the Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has
    appointed a fresh regional government in Cernauti, close to the NATO border.








    COVID-19 Romanian authorities on Saturday have reported 3,718 new
    SARS-CoV-2 infections. 103 patients are being treated in ICUs and 7 related
    fatalities have been registered. Since the beginning of the pandemic in
    Romania, authorities have reported 65,800 related fatalities.








    AMENDMENTS The government in Bucharest on
    Friday endorsed the final amendments to tax legislation. Some changes are set
    to come into effect on August 1, while others on January 1 next year. After
    consultations with social partners, with employers’ associations, trade unions,
    and local elected representatives, the Finance Ministry made several changes to
    the initial bill. They accepted the proposal by hospitality industry employers
    for companies to choose between specific taxes and tax on profits. According to
    the changes, VAT would go up from 5 to 9% for restaurants, hotels, and catering
    firms, while VAT for soft drinks would go up from 9 to 19%. Starting on August
    1, tax incentives in construction and the food industry are granted for
    salaries of up to 10,000 lei, about 2,000 Euro, and not up to 30,000 lei, about
    6,000 Euro, as it is at present. Also next month, excises will go up for
    alcohol and tobacco products. The tax on dividends goes up from 5 to 8 percent.
    At the same time, people with salaries of up to 4,550 lei, about 900 Euro,
    young people below 26, and people providing child care would get deductions.






    (bill)