Radio România Internațional

Tag: equipment

October 23, 2022

MILITARY The
first shipment of French military equipment to join the NATO battle group deployed
to Cincu, in central Romania, reaches the country on Sunday, the defence
ministry announced. A second convoy, comprising a Leclerc main battle tank
company, is set to arrive in November. The NATO Battle Group Forward Presence
in Romania (BGFP) was created in May by transforming the Allied multinational
elements of the NATO Response Force deployed to our country. Upon France’s
proposal to take over the framework-nation role, the French battalion deployed
to Romania, considered the Spearhead of the Very High Readiness Joint Task
Force (VJTF), built up the BGFP on our national territory by integrating, on
rotational basis, Belgian and Dutch troops. BGFP contributes to the increase of
the Romanian military cooperation with France and, implicitly, to the consolidation
of the Euro-Atlantic space security on the Eastern Flank. Cooperation with the
strategic partners and the deployment of relevant combat structures on national
territory contribute to the increase of defence and deterrence capacity in the
context of the Ukraine war and the Black Sea region crisis, the defence
ministry explains.

BORDER Romania’s
border police announced that over 97,000 people entered Romania on Saturday, of
whom more than 9,500 were Ukrainian nationals, up 15.6% since the previous day.
According to current data, over 2.6 million Ukrainian citizens have entered
Romania since February 10, and nearly 4,400 of them have applied for asylum
here.

NRRP Romania is
set to receive EUR 2.6 bln in the coming days under the National Recovery and
Resilience Plan, to be channelled into the country’s economic recovery. The
funds are transferred after the European Commission authorised the payment of
the first instalments of the non-reimbursable aid and loan components. Romania submitted
the first payment request in May, after meeting the targets and benchmarks for
the 4th quarter of 2021. In September, the European Commission’s assessment of
these targets was approved and submitted to the Economic and Financial
Committee, which also approved it. The Romanian minister for investment and
European projects Marcel Boloş believes this is just the beginning of a long
road, which, if successfully completed, will translate into investments in
motorways, railways, schools and hospitals. The next payment request will
amount to EUR 3.2 bln, for which over 50 targets will have to be met, related
to the first half of this year. Romania may access a total of nearly EUR 30 bln
under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, of which it has already
received 2 pre-financing instalments amounting to a rough EUR 3.8 bln.

COAL Romania has
increased its coal output to mitigate the energy crunch. The amounts extracted
in the first 8 months of the year went up 1.7% and imports rose by 13.5%, the
National Statistics Institute reports. The National Strategy and Forecast
Commission estimates for this year a coal output 10% higher than in 2021 and a
2.8% rise in imports. For 2023, the Commission forecasts an 8% increase in
output.

CHINA The Chinese
president Xi Jinping was re-elected on Sunday as leader of the ruling Communist
Party, thus becoming China’s strongest leader since Mao Zedong, the founder of
the Chinese communist regime, international news agencies report. Xi Jinping was
appointed for a 3rd five-year term in office by a largely reshuffled Central
Committee, and is very likely to be re-elected president as well in March. ‘China cannot develop without the world, and the world also
needs China,’ he said, and praised what he called the two miracles achieved
by his country-rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Xi
Jinping appointed many of his close allies in the Standing Committee, a 7-member
group in power in China. The all-powerful Politburo includes no women among its
members for the first time in 25 years.

HANDBALL The
Romanian women’s handball champions, Rapid Bucharest, play at home today
against Storhamar, of Norway, in a Champions’ League Group B match. Rapid is
3rd in the ranking, after the Hungarian side Gyor and the French side Metz. On Saturday, vice-champions CSM Bucharest
lost their first game in the group, away from home, to defending champions
Vipers Kristiansand of Norway, 35-29. CSM ranks 3rd in Group A, after the
German side Bietigheim and Kristiansand. (AMP)

23 October 2022
March 28, 2020

Pandemic measures — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has stated today that Romania is ready to cope with the pandemic after he visited the mobile military hospital set up near Bucharest. He underlined that after this crisis, which is going to last and get worse, the authorities will rigorously assess the situation of the entire hospital system in Romania and will take all the measures needed to equip hospitals so as to be able to face any situation, from epidemics to disasters. The president reiterated his appeal to the citizens to observe the measures adopted by the authorities. In another development, the plane of the Romanian Defense Ministry that made the 2nd transport of medical materials from South Korea has landed today in Bucharest. It brought 100 thousand pieces of protection equipment that was purchased by the Romanian state as part of the effort to combat the effects of the pandemic.

COVID-19 Romania — Latest figures regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania show 1452 infected people and 29 deaths. 139 people have recovered and have been discharged from hospital. The National Public Health Institute has updated the COVID-19 testing algorithm. Therefore, tests will be made with priority on the people who travelled abroad, close contacts of the confirmed cases who show symptoms, the medical and sanitary staff and the cases of pneumonia without other etiology. All parks in Bucharest have been closed as of Saturday, in a move of the municipality to contain the spreading of the coronavirus pandemic. In Romania, which is in a state of emergency, traffic restrictions are imposed both during the day and night, with a few exceptions.

Repatriation — 365 Romanian citizens who were temporarily in Italy returned to Romania on Friday evening, the Romanian Foreign Ministry — MAE announced on Saturday. They were transported from Venice in two charter planes operated by a private airline. MAE and the Transport Ministry continue efforts to facilitate the return to Romania of non-resident Romanian citizens who are seasonal workers affected by the closing down of companies in Italy as well as of the Romanian citizens from Italy who are in special situations. Bucharest authorities have renewed appeals to the citizens to avoid trips abroad that are not essential and to the Romanian citizens residing or having their domicile abroad to strictly observe the recommendations of the authorities from those states.

COVID -19 world — Over 600 thousand cases of COVID-19 infection have so far been reported in the world, with the number of deaths exceeding 27 thousand. 133 thousand of the people diagnosed with the new coronavirus have been cured. The US is the only country of the world where the number of contaminations exceeded 100 thousand. The US is followed by Italy with almost 90 thousand cases and more than 9 thousand deaths, the most numerous at global level. Other European states that have been severely affected by the new virus are Spain, Germany, France, Great Britain and Switzerland.

Daylight Saving Time – Romania will switch to summer time on Saturday night. 3.00 hours local time will become 4.00 hours and Sunday will be the year’s shortest day. During the daylight saving time period, the difference between Romania’s official time and GMT is 3 hours, as compared to 2 hours at present. Switching to winter time will take place in the last weekend of October 2020 when clocks will be set back one hour. The European Commission has proposed giving up the daylight saving time in Europe, allowing member states the freedom to decide on their own if they want to continue switching to summer or winter time. The states that decide to permanently maintain the summer time will make the last switch in the last Sunday of March 2021, and those that prefer sticking to the winter time (the standard time) will make the final switch on the last Sunday of October 2021. (translation by L. Simion)

28 March 2020
Decisions of the Supreme Defence Council

The Supreme Defence Council convened on Wednesday for its first meeting attended by the members of the new Cabinet headed by PM Ludovic Orban. The members approved the appointment of Lieutenant Gen. Daniel Petrescu as Chief of the Defence Staff, replacing Gen. Nicolae Ciuca, who stepped down after being appointed defence minister. “He is a well-known, respected, eminent army man, President Iohannis said about the new Chief of Staff. He also emphasised that Daniel Petrescus professional background includes tactical, operational and strategic positions in the Romanian Land Forces, under NATO command, and participation in missions in the theatres of operations in Angola, Albania, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Supreme Defence Council also decided on Wednesday to strengthen Romanias participation in missions abroad in 2020. The number of Defence Ministry employees will be increased by over 200, to exceed 2,100 civilian and military staff, of whom over 800 will continue to take part in the NATO mission in Afghanistan. Another over 790 troops and police officers from the Interior Ministry will also be deployed in international missions.

Klaus Iohannis: “This impressive number from both the Defence and the Interior Ministry proves that Romania takes very seriously its mission to provide security, to export security to regions where this is a goal still to be attained. We take part in many missions, and our military are highly appreciated everywhere they go.

The head of state also emphasised that the Supreme Defence Council members discussed public procurement for the Army:

Klaus Iohannis: “We discussed the purchase of 6 more F16 aircraft. The Government presented the Defence Council with a draft law that has been approved, but I remind you that purchases in excess of 100 million euros also require the endorsement of Parliament.

The Council also analysed and approved a bill concerning adjustments in the state budget with respect to the institutions in the national defence and security field for 2019. In addition, Romanias objectives for the NATO leaders meeting due on December 3 and 4 in London have been approved. In this meeting, the head of state Klaus Iohannis will insist on the importance of the Black Sea region for the eastern flank, and will reassure the Allies that Romania will continue to earmark 2% of its GDP to the defence sector. The meeting in London takes place in the context of NATOs 70th anniversary, and is aimed at reconfirming the unity of the Allies and the strength of the trans-Atlantic relation.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

28 November 2019
New investments in Romanian hospitals

Massive investments will be made this year in Romanian hospitals, so as to enable physicians to provide high-quality care to patients, the Healthcare Minister Sorina Pintea announced. She explained that the investments consist in construction, extension and revamping, and equipment procurement, and will target both the hospitals run by the Ministry, and the ones managed by local authorities. This means that the money will be channelled not only into emergency hospitals, but also in the smaller, town and city hospitals, which must be able to provide support to the big healthcare units.

The Ministrys investment budget this year is around 210 million euros, as against a rough 200 million euros earmarked last year. The Healthcare Minister also added that, under an agreement with the World Bank, Romania benefits from a total amount of 79 million euros, over half of which already earmarked in 2018, with another 63 million euro worth of investments scheduled for this year.

Sorina Pintea: “In 2019, 2 emergency care units will be built, one in Oradea, worth 2.8 million euros, and another one in Brasov, worth 2.2 million euros. Also this year, we will have the radiotherapy bunker ready at the Cluj Oncology Institute, following a 1.1-million euro investment. Partnerships with local authorities will also help finance the design and construction works for further developing the radiotherapy network in Targu Mures, Timisoara, Iasi, and Bucharest, in a total investment of 8 million euros.

The Healthcare Minister also added that modern radiation therapy equipment worth 20 million euros will be purchased for several oncology institutes in the country. Four centres using high-quality equipment for the treatment of severe burns are also scheduled to become operational as of 2020. Sorina Pintea went on to say that 2 of them will be located in Bucharest, and one each in Timisoara and Targu Mures. Feasibility contracts have also been signed for these projects.

On the other hand, Pintea spoke about the authorities lack of involvement in setting up units for major burns treatment since the Colectiv tragedy in Bucharest. On October 30, 2015, during a rock concert, a fire caused by a fireworks show led to the death of 64 people and left nearly 200 others injured.

Sorina Pintea: “Of course the authorities should have been more involved, since the Colectiv incident. All I can tell you at this point is that, according to the architects, we do have state-of-the-art centres, with high-quality equipment, but we dont have the staff to work there.

According to Sorina Pintea, under the same agreement with the World Bank, a team of Romanian physicians and nurses are in France these days, for training in major burns treatment.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

19 April 2019
July 28, 2018 UPDATE

AIR SHOW – Baneasa International Airport Saturday hosted the 10th edition of the most impressive aviation event in Romania, Bucharest International Air Show & General Aviation Exhibition (BIAS). This years edition was devoted to the centennial of the Romanian nation state. Attending BIAS were 150 military and civilian aircraft, over 100 pilots and parachute jumpers from 13 countries – Romania, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Britain, Germany, USA, Greece, Austria, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. Visitors were invited to watch elite demonstrations and air stunts, and to see the aircraft on display as part of the exhibition. The special guests were the aerobatics demonstration team of the Turkish Air Forces, the Turkish Stars, the only such team in the world using 8 supersonic fighter jets.

NAVY – Three NATO military vessels are docked between July 28th and 31st at the Constanta military port at the Black Sea. After having stopped at the Burgas port in Bulgaria and Odessa in Ukraine, the Romanian dredger ‘Lt. Lupu Dinescu’, the Turkish mine sweeper ‘TCG Anamur’ and the German tender ‘FGS Rhein’ are in the third port these days, taking part in the multinational exercise BREEZE 18 in Bulgarian waters and in international Black Sea waters, as well as in joint naval exercises with Ukrainian vessels. On Sunday, the Romanian, German and Turkish ships will be open to the general public.

JUDICIARY – Serbia denied Romanias request for the extradition of its former MP Sebastian Ghiţă. The High Court of Justice in Belgrade also ruled that Ghita was eligible for asylum. Subject to several criminal cases pending in Romania, Sebastian Ghiţă left the country in December 2016. He was apprehended in April 2017 in Belgrade, while trying to use a forged Slovenian passport, and was subsequently released on bail.

ANTHEM DAY – National Anthem Day will be celebrated on Sunday in all military units around the country, the Romanian Defence Ministry announced. Bucharests Tricolour Square will host a religious service and an anthem related music show. July 29th was proclaimed the National Anthem Day in 1998. The current anthem is called “Wake up, ye, Romanian and was chosen after the fall of the communist regime in December 1989. The anthem is based on a patriotic poem written and published by Andrei Muresanu in 1848.

ARMY – The Romanian Defence Ministry carries on an army equipment upgrade programme, for which over one-third of this years total defence budget will be allotted, the line minister Mihai Fifor has announced. He added that a system of anti-ship missile launchers will be purchased. “We want any major equipment upgrade project of the Romanian Army to be able to channel as much money as possible back into the national defence industry, Mihai Fifor said. For example, he added, of the 36 Piranha 5 armoured vehicles to be delivered to the Army this year, 6 will be produced at an industrial facility in Bucharest.

GREECE – The 2 Romanian military planes, one fitted with fire-extinguishing equipment and another to provide logistic support, which were sent to wildfire-ravaged Greece this week, have completed their mission and returned to the country on Saturday. According to a news release issued by the National Defence Ministry, the planes sent to Athens on Wednesday conducted fire extinguishing missions on mainland Greece and on the island of Crete. The Romanian aircraft were serviced by around 20 military staff. Meanwhile in Athens, PM Alexis Tsipras has taken full political responsibility for the tragedy caused by the devastating fires east of Athens, which killed at least 88 people last week. Amid accusations of utter failure to protect the citizens, Alexis Tsipras promised a national plan to fight decade-long building code violations.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

28 July 2018
New measures in the healthcare system

The Romanian healthcare system needs shock treatment of its medical infrastructure, modern equipment and motivating its specialist staff, says the Social Democratic prime minister Mihai Tudose. In his opinion, considerable investment is needed in infrastructure to solve the problems that have not been addressed in this sector. He says the government is considering building the eight regional hospitals and the republican hospital laid down in the government’s programme. Mihai Tudose has also spoken about the need to have motivated medical staff who has to be well-paid in order to be highly performing.

The prime minister recalls that in the first eight months of 2017, the average income in the healthcare sector grew by more than 35%. He says salaries in the medical sector will continue to grow following the application of a new salary law on January 1st 2018. He also believes modern and highly performing equipment is needed for correct diagnosis and implicitly for efficient treatment. To this end, Tudose has announced the signing of contracts to purchase new imaging equipment worth around 20 million euros for 34 hospitals around the country and in Bucharest. In his opinion, this is an important step towards ensuring quality medical services.

Mihai Tudose: “It’s a step towards normality so that everyone in Romania who goes to the nearest hospital or who has an emergency can benefit from everything he or she is entitled to.”

The healthcare minister Florian Bodog says the signing of these contracts is part of a goal set out at the start of his term to make sure that every hospital in Romania possesses imaging equipment.

Florian Bodog: “Under the governing programme, all county hospitals in Romania lacking a CT scanner and an MRI scanner must be equipped with them. We will start providing these hospitals with such equipment so that they won’t have to rely on private providers.”

The purchasing contracts are financed under a loan agreement worth a total of 250 million euros signed by Romania with the World Bank, which was accessed in 2014 and unblocked in 2017. Apart from purchasing imaging equipment, the agreement also provides for the building of new emergency rooms, anaesthesia and intensive care units, burns units and operating rooms, the upgrading of existing specialist centres and the purchase of the necessary equipment for these centres.

10 January 2018
October 25, 2017 UPDATE

ARMY DAY – It is essential to ensure the necessary equipment for the Romanian Army, and the funds earmarked to this end must be spent efficiently, President Klaus Iohannis said on Romanian Army Day celebrated on Wednesday. He pointed out that at present Romania looks more confidently towards the future thanks to its NATO and EU membership and to the strength of its partnership with the US, which he described as valuable, efficient and pragmatic. On Romanian Army Day, the national flag was flown at the headquarters of military institutions and on board Romanian vessels, and ceremonies and commemorations were held in all garrisons in the country and in the countries were Romania has accredited military attaches. Special ceremonies were organized in Carei (north-west), the last Romanian town freed from Hungarian occupation in World War II, 73 years ago. According to historians, the Romanian troops deliberately waited for the day of October 25 to launch the final attack, so as to dedicate the victory to King Mihai I on his birthday.

JUDICIARY – The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader Wednesday presented the bill modifying the laws on the judiciary to the special committee in Parliament. He emphasised that as far as the appointment of high-ranking prosecutors is concerned, the Ministry expected an opinion from the Venice Commission on this aspect. Minister Toader also announced his proposal to make the judicial inspection corps an autonomous institution, subordinated to neither the Higher Council of Magistrates not to the Justice Ministry, and mentioned that a special law must be endorsed within 6 months, to regulate the status of that institution. Also, in terms of the liability of magistrates, the Justice Minister said judges would be subject to pecuniary liability for errors made in bad faith. The ruling coalition decided last week that the bill modifying the laws on the judiciary should be tabled as a parliamentary initiative rather than a government draft law. Next week the bill will be discussed by the special parliamentary committee, and then it will be send to the Chamber of Deputies. The decision-making body for this law is the Senate.

KING MIHAI I – King Mihai I of Romania turned 96 on Wednesday, and had a private birthday celebration at his residence in Switzerland. On behalf of Romanias former sovereign, Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown, decorated Romanian and foreign personalities and collaborators of the Romanian Royal House, in a ceremony in Bucharest. On Wednesday evening the Romanian Athenaeum hosted the 10th annual concert organised by the charity Princess Margareta of Romania. King Mihai I is suffering from two severe forms of cancer, and last spring he withdrew from public life. In 1947, only 7 years after taking the throne, Mihai I was forced by the communist regime to abdicate and to leave the country. He was only able to return to Romania after the 1989 anti-communist Revolution, and he regained his Romanian citizenship and some of his estate. King Mihai I lobbied for Romanias NATO and EU accession, as a special ambassador.

OLYMPIAD – The city of Cluj-Napoca, in north-western Romania, will host between July 3rd and 14th next year the International Mathematical Olympiad, the Romanian Education Ministry has announced. Expected to take part in the prestigious competition organized for the 4th time in Romania, are around 600 students from more than 100 countries. The International Mathematical Olympiad was launched by Romania in 1959, and the first editions only involved participants from the former Communist bloc countries. The first Western country took part in the 1969 edition, and since the 1970s the number of Western participants has increased. Romania holds the record as a host country, having organized the 1969, 1979 and 1999 editions. Romania and Bulgaria are the only countries to have taken part in all editions so far, and in an unofficial ranking of nations, Romania comes third.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, was defeated on Wednesday by the Danish player Caroline Wozniacki (6 WTA), 6-0, 6-2, in her second Red Group match in the WTA Finals in Singapore. Wozniacki has secured her spot in the semi-finals, whereas Halep has to win the last match in the group, against Elina Svitolina (Ukraine, 4 WTA), to move on in the competition. In the White Group, the Czech Karolina Pliskova (3 WTA) has 2 wins and has already qualified into the semi-finals.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

25 October 2017
Military Equipment and the National Defence Industry

The Supreme Defence Council Tuesday approved the Plan for military equipment procurement in the next 10 years, amounting to roughly 10 billion euros. The document had been withdrawn from the agenda of the previous meeting of the Council, held on July 4, because it was not in line with the national political agreement to earmark 2% of the GDP for the defence sector. This agreement was signed in early 2015, at the initiative of President Klaus Iohannis, by all political parties in Romania.

According to a news release issued by the Presidential Administration, the revised Plan is a multiannual schedule of procurement projects, in line with the Strategy on equipment procurement for the Romanian Army and with the Programme for restructuring, developing and equipping the Romanian Army until 2026. The Romanian Army needs a consistent and sustained allocation of resources, because the underfinancing of the defence sector would severely affect the fulfilment of core missions and the Armys operational capacity, the document also reads.

The Presidency also mentions that in May this year Parliament approved the start of contract awarding procedures under 8 major military equipment procurement projects, exceeding 100 million euros each. In the implementation of these programmes with planned multiannual funding, the national defence industry will also be involved. According to the Defence Minister Adrian Tutuianu, these programmes include the purchase of Patriot missile systems from the USA and of another 36 F16 multirole fighters. Tutuianu recently said that these purchases will strengthen Romanias defence capacity, consolidate NATOs eastern flank and reinforce the 20-year long strategic partnership between Romania and the USA.

The estimated cost of the Patriot missiles, including technical support and the related equipment to be bought by Bucharest stands at 3.9 billion US dollars. According to the Defence Minister, the other programmes are related to the purchase of multi-role corvettes, of systems of mobile anti-vessel missile launchers, of 8×8 and 4×4 armoured personnel carriers, of long range surface-to-air missiles, of a short range air defence system, of a multiple long range rocket launcher, as well as the upgrading of combat vehicles.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

2 August 2017
July 30, 2017 UPDATE

DEFENCE – The Supreme Defence Council is to convene in Bucharest on Tuesday. The agenda of the meeting, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, includes a presentation of the Plan of equipment procurement for the Romanian Army in 2017-2026. The plan provides for the implementation of a commitment made in 2015 by all political parties, with respect to earmarking 2% of the GDP for the defence sector for 10 years, starting in 2017. The latest Defence Council meeting was held on July 4, but at that time the Plan for army equipment procurement was withdrawn from the agenda of the meeting, in order to be adjusted to the politically agreed target of earmarking 2% of the GDP to this sector.

HEALTHCARE – The Romanian Healthcare Minister, Florian Bodog, hopes Parliament will pass the new vaccination law quickly. He also welcomed the decision of Ludovic Orban, president of the National Liberal Party in opposition, to support compulsory vaccination. In turn, PM Mihai Tudose said in an interview on the public radio that the current situation requires the introduction of compulsory vaccination. On Thursday, the Cabinet discussed a draft law on vaccination, laying down responsibilities both for the authorities and healthcare staff, and for parents. The bill is designed to regulate the organisation and funding of vaccination in Romania, as well as to raise awareness on the benefits, safety, quality and possible adverse reactions to immunisation. The bill also provides for a national reserve stock covering at least the annual vaccine needs, with doses valid for at least one and a half years. The bill was drafted after the large number of measles cases and deaths caused by this disease prompted the World Health Organisation to include Romania in the 5 countries that total over 80% of the number of cases reported worldwide.

TRAFFICKING – July 30 was the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, proclaimed by the UN 4 years ago in order to put an end to this crime and protect its victims. Statistics show that millions of people around the world, particularly vulnerable women and girls, are sold every year in modern slavery. The victims are recruited from poverty-striken countries and become subject to various forms of exploitation. This week alone, the authorities in Italy and Spain have found scores of Romanians exploited by their employers in those countries. The Romanian PM Mihai Tudose said the Minister for the Romanians living abroad Andreea Păstârnac would receive increased powers, so as to make sure that no Romanian citizen living abroad would be discriminated against. In this context, Mihai Tudose is to have a meeting in Bucharest on Monday with the Ambassador of Spain to Bucharest, Ramiro Fernandez Bachiller, and with Minister Andreea Păstîrnac.

SECURITY – The security challenges currently facing Romania and NATO member states will be discussed in an event taking place in Bucharest between July 31 and August 5 and entitled ‘Defence and Dialogue in Eastern Europe’ (DDEE). International experts and Romanian officials will talk about hybrid threats, recent misinformation campaigns and large-scale cyber-attacks. Attending the event organised by Euro Atlantic Diplomacy Society will be around 200 young people from 36 countries.

NATO – A British destroyer and a Turkish frigate are in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta for 2 days. They are part of the standing NATO group which, together with Ferdinand frigate of the Romanian Navy have taken part in joint training sessions and in sea traffic monitoring missions. On board the British destroyer, the commander of the standing NATO maritime group James Borley said the Alliance has a constant presence at the Black Sea because some riparian countries are also members of the Organisation.

TERRORIST PLOT – The Australian security forces have foiled a presumably Islamist terror plan to detonate a bomb targeting an airplane, and four individuals have been arrested, PM Malcolm Turnbull has announced, according to AFP. He added that security was tightened in Australian airports. A total of 12 terrorist plots have been foiled in Australia and some 60 people have been sent to court since the alert level was raised in September 2014. Australia is taking part in the US-led international coalition conducting air raids against the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria since the summer of 2014.

SPORTS – Romania won 8 medals, 5 silver and 3 bronze, at the 2017 summer edition of the European Youth Olympics Festival, which came to an end on Saturday in Gyor (Hungary). On the last day of the competition the Romanian athletes won 3 more silver medals. The womens handball team lost the final to the host team, Hungary, 30-23, the tennis player Nicholas David Ionel was defeated in the final by the Italian Lorenzo Rottoli, and athlete Cristian Gabriel Voicu won the silver in the 800 m race. Romanias delegation in this edition of the Festival was made up of 77 athletes, competing in athletics, cycling, gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, rowing and tennis.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

30 July 2017