Tag: foreign

  • Working in Romania

    Working in Romania

    Police
    workers with the General Immigration Inspectorate, jointly with regional
    employment inspectorates, are implementing a campaign between October 16 and
    20, aimed at updating foreigners who study in Romania on the terms for a
    possible employment in the country as well as on their rights and obligations
    as employees here. The campaign takes place in universities across the country.
    According to the General Immigration Inspectorate, as many as 17,615 foreign
    nationals are studying in Romania, most of them from the R. Moldova, Morocco
    and Israel, enrolled mostly in Bucharest, Iaşi, Cluj and Timiş.


    Romania
    has the highest employment rate in the EU in agriculture, forestry and
    fisheries, according to data made public by the EU statistics office, Eurostat.
    The largest employers in this respect are in the counties of Vaslui, 61.7%, and
    Neamţ, 51.4%. Eight out of the 10 regions in the EU with the highest
    employment rates in these sectors are in Romania. Iaşi County, also in the
    north-east of the country, had the highest number of employees in 2020 – 146,200,
    followed by 4 other regions in Romania, with over 100,000 employees each. Only
    2 other regions in the EU were included in the top 10 employers in agriculture,
    forestry and fisheries, namely Sandomiersko-jędrzejowski in Poland and Almería in
    Spain.



    Europe
    is struggling with an acute workforce shortage, and the solution is to improve
    youth skills, said the executive director of the European Labour Authority,
    Cosmin Boiangiu at the European Business Forum held in Timişoara, western
    Romania. Boiangiu emphasized that there are imbalances between countries in
    terms of employment rates, and that workers from third countries are being
    brought into Europe in order to offset this shortage. There is high demand for
    workforce in sectors such as health care, IT, constructions and transports. Manpower
    is much needed and we are seeing this in Romania as well, to a growing extent,
    the ELA chief said. He also added that EU authorities are interested in
    implementing a number of strategies concerning labour mobility and flexibility,
    and one of the solutions is for employment to be based on skills, rather than
    on the work experience or the education level.



    The
    number of foreign employees in Cluj County rose by 3,000 in the first 9 months
    of this year, the General Immigration Inspectorate announced. According to the
    institution, between January 1 and September 30, Cluj immigration police issued
    over 3,400 stay permits, 640 of them for Sri Lanka nationals, 544 for Nepal
    citizens, 363 for Indian nationals, 242 for Bangladesh citizens, and the others
    for citizens from other countries. 806 registration certificates and 96
    permanent residence cards were also issued to EU citizens. During the same
    period, 2,851 documents were issued for permanent and posted workers. As for
    illegal residents, during this period 541 inspections were conducted, with the
    police identifying 44 foreigners staying here illegally. (AMP)

  • March 31, 2023

    March 31, 2023

    DEFENCE The strategic partnership between
    the US and Romania has never been stronger, said the US secretary of defence,
    Lloyd Austin, during the talks with his Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr in
    Washington on Thursday. According to a news release from the Pentagon, the US
    official praised the excellent relations between the two countries’ armed
    forces and thanked Romania for hosting thousands of US and Allied troops to
    bolster deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank, and for its role as a leader in the
    Black Sea region. The two officials condemned Russia’s reckless war of choice
    in Ukraine and reiterated their firm support for Ukraine. The Romanian defence
    minister is on a visit to the US for several days, and has meetings scheduled
    with senior US officials in the following days.

    B9 The meeting of foreign
    ministers in the Bucharest 9 format carries on today in Łódź (Poland),
    co-chaired by the head of the Romanian diplomacy Bogdan Aurescu and his Polish counterpart, Zbigniew Rau. On
    Thursday, the Romanian official announced that the first high-level conference
    on security in the Black Sea region will take place in Bucharest on April 13.
    During the talks in Lodz, B9 ministers focused on the consequences of Russia’s
    war of aggression against Ukraine at regional and Euro-Atlantic level, with an
    emphasis on the need to continue supporting Ukraine and to consolidate
    trans-Atlantic ties, the Romanian foreign ministry said. In his address, Mr.
    Aurescu called on B9 ministers to maintain increased Allied attention and
    involvement in the Black Sea region, which has strategic importance for the
    entire Euro-Atlantic space, as well as to strengthen trans-Atlantic
    coordination. Bogdan Aurescu reiterated Romania’s firm commitment to
    further provide multidimensional support to Ukraine. He also encouraged the
    Allies on the eastern flank to continue supporting Ukraine’s neighbours, which
    are vulnerable to Russia’s aggressive moves, especially Georgia and the
    Republic of Moldova, which is facing hybrid threats designed to destabilise the
    country and to undermine its EU accession efforts.


    VISIT The PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă travels
    to Sweden today, the country that holds the rotating presidency of the EU. His
    agenda includes a meeting with his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson. According
    to Radio Romania’s correspondent, talks will focus on Russia’s aggression
    against Ukraine and its impact on the countries in the region, on the
    enlargement of the Schengen area, on the priorities of the Swedish presidency
    of the EU Council and on bilateral cooperation, which PM Nicolae Ciucă has
    recently described as very good. Nicolae Ciucă will also have a meeting with
    the speaker of the Swedish parliament, Andreas Norlén. Also today, the Romanian
    head of government will attend a public conference on Threats and
    opportunities in the Black Sea region, which will also mark the end of his
    visit to Sweden.


    GREEN ENERGY The European Commission
    vice-president Frans Timmermans travels to Bucharest today, for talks on
    the European Green Deal and the bloc’s strategy to switch to a zero-emission
    economy. The agenda of the visit includes meetings with president Klaus
    Iohannis, with the environment minister Tánczos Barna, and with other
    government officials. Frans Timmermans will also have meetings with civil
    society members, to discuss ways to fight climate change in Romania and the
    role of the European Commission in this respect.


    AGRICULTURE
    The European Commission intends to revise the amount of compensations granted
    to farmers from 5 countries affected by the imports of cheap grains from
    Ukraine. The Commission is to disburse another EUR 75 mln, of which Romania
    might get EUR 15mln, in addition to the EUR 10mln earmarked already. In an open
    letter to the government, Romanian farmers argue however that Romania has lost
    a lot more because of the priority and advantages received by Ukrainian
    producers in the European market.


    TENNIS The Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea
    (74 WTA) today takes on Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic (12 WTA), in the
    semis of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami (Florida). Twice a Wimbledon champion (2011,
    2014), Kvitova qualified into the semifinals on Thursday, when she defeated
    Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in 3 sets. On Wednesday Sorana Cîrstea had outplayed Arina Sabalenka of
    Belarus, no 2 in the world. This will be the 11th direct
    match between Sorana Cîrstea and Petra Kvitova, with
    the Czech athlete winning 6 of them so far. The winner will take on Elena Rybakina
    of Kazakhstan in the final. (AMP)

  • March 20, 2023 UPDATE

    March 20, 2023 UPDATE

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


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


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

  • March 19, 2023 UPDATE

    March 19, 2023 UPDATE

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


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


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


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


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

  • January 27, 2023

    January 27, 2023

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


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


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


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


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

  • December 29, 2022

    December 29, 2022

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


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


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


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


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


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

  • December 12, 2022 UPDATE

    December 12, 2022 UPDATE

    TALKS The vote in the JHA
    Council is very problematic for all of us in Romania. I was disappointed and
    upset following this vote, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on
    Monday, after receiving the president of the Swiss
    Confederation Ignazio Cassis in Bucharest. The Romanian president added that he
    would most certainly raise the issue of Romania’s denied Schengen bid at the
    meeting of the European Council due on December 15. Romania should be a part of
    Schengen, the Swiss president said in his turn. The 2
    officials discussed bilateral relations and economic cooperation, with an emphasis
    on boosting investments and identifying new areas of cooperation, and exchanged
    views on the latest international developments, including the war in Ukraine
    and its implications for the energy market and global security.


    FUNDING Romania’s PM Nicolae Ciucă Monday requested all ministries
    and coordinating institutions to give maximum priority to completing the 51 benchmarks
    and targets in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan related to the second
    payment request, amounting to EUR 2.8 bln, which Romania is scheduled to submit
    to the European Commission this month. This amount adds to the EUR 3.7 bln pre-financing
    amount and to a first EUR 2.6 bln instalment already cashed in by Romania. We
    cannot afford to deviate from our commitments, because a lot of elements
    related to reform processes, investments and even economic stability depend on
    us accessing this money, the PM said at a meeting of the inter-ministry
    Committee Coordinating the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Committee
    also reviewed the progress with respect to the 55 targets and benchmarks due
    for the 3rd and 4th quarters of this year, related to the
    3rd payment request that Romania is scheduled to submit to the EC
    this spring.


    BUDGET In Bucharest, Parliament’s specialist committees Monday approved
    the draft budgets of several ministries. The education, transport, development
    and defence ministries will have higher budgets next year, while the energy,
    justice and healthcare ministries will receive less money in 2023. The ruling
    coalition said the budget bill is based on record high investments and accounts
    for 7.2% of GDP. It takes into account an economic growth rate of 2.8% of GDP,
    an annual inflation rate of 8%, a growing number of people in employment and a
    lower unemployment rate of 2.7%. The opposition has criticised the budget bill.
    Both the power and the opposition have submitted amendments. The final vote is
    due on Thursday.


    MOTION Save Romania Union in
    opposition Monday tabled a simple motion against the interior minister Lucian
    Bode, whom they see as responsible for Romania’s failure to join the Schengen free-movement
    area. According to the party, Bode shares this responsibility with the
    president Klaus Iohannis, with the parliamentary majority and the diplomacy in Bucharest.
    USR also invited the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu to give Parliament
    explanations on this topic. Several EU member states voiced their
    disappointment with the denial of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession bids.
    Moreover, the EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, said this would
    be a priority of her term in office.



    EU European democracy is under attack, the head of the European
    Parliament Roberta Metsola said on Monday, voicing her outrage and sadness following
    allegations of corruption in the European Parliament in relation to Qatar. In
    turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, Monday
    called for EU institutions to be governed by the highest standards of
    independence and integrity. The EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep
    Borrell described the EP corruption allegations as being of the utmost
    concern. Eva Kaili, a vice-president of the European parliament from Greece, and
    3 other individuals were detained and charged in Belgium in an international corruption
    investigation related to Qatar. The 4 were charged with participation in a criminal
    organisation, money laundering and corruption.


    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian diplomacy chief Bogdan Aurescu took part on Monday in Brussels in an informal meeting concerning the future of the Eastern
    Partnership, organised at the initiative of Minister Aurescu and his counterparts
    from Czechia, Sweden and Poland, and in a meeting of the Eastern Partnership
    foreign ministers
    . In
    his addresses, Bogdan Aurescu pleaded for revitalising the Eastern Partnership
    and for adapting it to the new regional context, and reiterated Romania’s firm
    and continuing support for it. He argued that the Eastern Partnership can make
    a significant contribution to strengthening the stability, security and
    prosperity in the Eastern Neighbourhood, by consolidating regional cooperation,
    the security and resilience of partners and through an adequate joint response to
    the challenges facing the region. Mr. Aurescu also emphasised that in the new
    context generated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a more robust
    and more efficient security dimension of the Eastern Partnership is necessary.



    MEETING The Romanian justice minister, Cătălin
    Predoiu, had a meeting on Monday in Luxembourg with the head of the European
    Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Laura Codruţa Kovesi. According to the
    Romanian justice ministry, the 2 officials discussed the protection of the EU’s
    financial interests, the EPPO human resources issue and the broadening of the
    Office’s powers to include the prosecution of breaches of EU sanctions. I am
    confidence that an in-depth dialogue with the EPPO may lead to ideas and
    solutions to make the cooperation between national and EPPO prosecutors more
    efficient. After all, they all fight crime, which affects both the interests of
    the EU and the national interests of member states, Catalin Predoiu said. (AMP)

  • December 2, 2022 UPDATE

    December 2, 2022 UPDATE

    VISIT The president of Romania Klaus
    Iohannis had a meeting in Athens on Friday with his Greek counterpart, Katerina
    Sakellaropoulou, who reiterated Greece’s full support for Romania’s Schengen
    accession. The two officials praised the very good relations between the two
    countries, strengthened by cultural affinities and by a long common history,
    and emphasized the close cooperation at EU, regional and international level. Given
    the current security situation generated by Russia’s illegal military
    aggression against Ukraine, they emphasized the importance of maintaining
    trans-Atlantic unity and solidarity and reiterated the support that their
    respective countries will continue to give to Ukraine and to Ukrainian refugees,
    as well as to the R. of Moldova. The Romanian president is in Greece for a
    2-day official visit.


    COMPANIES The number of new
    companies running on foreign capital set up in Romania in the first 10 months
    of the year is 30.7% higher than in the corresponding period of 2021, according
    to the National Trade Registry Office. The 6,175 new companies have a combined
    share capital of over USD 35 million. At the end of October 2022, 243,022
    companies in Romania had foreign share capital. The largest number of companies
    had Italian investors, but the highest capital value was reported for Dutch
    companies. In related news, Romania’s software industry is growing steadily,
    with the combined turnover in the sector expected to reach a record-high EUR 11
    billion this year. According to a survey, the upward trend has been steady for
    the past 10 years, and the growth rate almost tripled during this period. In
    2021 there were over 30,000 software firms in Romania.


    GAUDEAMUS The 29th edition of the
    Gaudeamus Book Fair hosted by Radio Romania kicks off next week.
    200 publishers will be exhibiting their latest and current releases in various
    formats, addressing all age brackets and fields of interests, music as well as
    educational games. 600 events have been announced in addition to various
    related projects. Pavilions are also available online on gaudeamus.ro. The
    Gaudeamus Book Fair is financed by the Ministry of Culture.


    POLITICS The National Congress of the Alliance for the Unity of
    Romanians (AUR), a nationalist party in opposition in Romania, Friday endorsed
    its political promotion strategy for 2023. It includes building a mobile
    hospital and organising medical caravans which would also present the party’s
    views on the main areas of interest. The party president, George Simion, added
    that some of the subsidies received by the party will be used for purchasing
    school buses. The head of the party’s National Council, Claudiu Târziu, said
    national reunification is AUR’s country project and requested the governments
    of Romania and of the R. of Moldova to initiate immediate consultations in this
    respect.


    SCHENGEN The Dutch government Friday decided to agree with Romania’s
    and Croatia’s Schengen accession, but will oppose the accession of Bulgaria, on
    grounds that the country does not meet the required conditions. The Swedish
    parliament’s committee for European affairs also voted in favour of Romania’s
    accession. The Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign minister Bogdan
    Aurescu hailed the decisions concerning Romania. A possible enlargement of the Schengen
    area is one of the topics on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council
    meeting due on December 8. (AMP)

  • November 29, 2022

    November 29, 2022

    NATO The foreign ministers of NATO member countries, partner countries
    and of the 2 candidate countries are in Bucharest for a 2-day meeting. It is
    the first meeting of this kind hosted by Romania since it joined the Alliance and the
    first event held in a NATO eastern flank country since the start of the war in
    Ukraine, Romania’s foreign ministry highlighted. The meeting comprises 3
    working sessions, 2 of which will be attended by the Allies together with
    Sweden and Finland. Taking part in the third session will also be the foreign
    ministers of Bosnia – Herzegovina, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. The
    first day of the meeting will conclude with a working dinner attended by the
    foreign minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, and the EU foreign policy chief,
    Josep Borrell. The agenda of the meeting in Bucharest includes the
    implementation of the decisions taken at the NATO summit in Madrid. The war in
    Ukraine and the provision of long-term political and practical support from the
    Allies will be the main topic of discussion. Other topics include energy security,
    China, the strategic importance of the Black Sea region. NATO’s secretary
    general Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Bucharest on Monday, and had meetings with
    president Klaus Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign minister Bogdan
    Aurescu.


    MEETING Bucharest is the capital of European and Euro-Atlantic diplomacy
    and even beyond these regions, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu
    said. Apart from the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Romania is hosting
    these days, for the first time ever, a Munich Leaders Meeting. 75 top-level
    governmental officials and foreign policy and security experts are discussing
    the consequences of the war in Ukraine as well as other security issues in the
    region. The 11th Aspen Forum also begins in Bucharest today, with
    participants including the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The 2022 edition
    of the Forum takes place in the context of the war in Ukraine, which has
    affected the entire world both in economic and security terms, and which is not
    expected to come to an end soon, therefore it will only deepen multiple crisis,
    the Aspen Institute says in a news release posted ahead of the meeting. Also in
    Bucharest, a new energy coordination task force is scheduled to convene. The
    group comprises officials of G7 and other Allied countries, and is working to
    mobilise or plan the supply of equipment to Ukraine as soon as possible.


    PARTNERSHIP Ahead of the US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s visit to
    Bucharest to take part in the NATO Council, the US Department of State hailed
    the celebration of 25 years since the Strategic Partnership with Romania was
    signed. A US Department of State news release mentions Bucharest’s contribution
    to NATO and multinational operations, the fact that the country hosts several
    NATO and American military structures, including the missile defence system in Deveselu.
    I am very happy and proud to say that our strategic partnership has reached the
    highest level in its quarter-century history, the Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă
    said in his turn, after the meeting with the US official in Bucharest. Twenty-five
    years is a very important benchmark, which makes us aware that in 1997 a
    generation was born which grew up and reached maturity concurrently with the
    strategic partnership. I am confident that this generation will do everything
    in their power to safeguard the freedom and rights we have secured and
    democratic values, Mr. Ciuca also said. We have an unshakeable alliance, built
    on shared values, and strong relations in the economic sector, including the
    energy sector, Antony Blinken said, and also mentioned the academic and
    cultural exchanges between the 2 countries.


    NATIONAL DAY The Romanian Cultural Institute organises 50 events until December
    10, to celebrate the National Day of Romania in 31 cities abroad. According to
    the president of the Institute, Liviu Jicman, the events held in emblematic
    locations in the respective countries place the works of Romanian artists among
    the most important cultural landmarks of today and contribute to raising
    awareness among foreign cultural and arts communities and the general public
    with respect to the Romanian culture. On December 1, the National Day of Romania, a parade will be
    organised in Bucharest and another one in Alba Iulia. On Monday the Parliament
    celebrated 104 years since the Great Union in a special meeting. (AMP)

  • November 27, 2022 UPDATE

    November 27, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO The president of
    Romania Klaus Iohannis will receive the
    NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, in Bucharest on Monday. Stoltenberg
    will chair the meeting of NATO foreign ministers hosted by the Romanian capital city as of Tuesday. Also on this
    occasion, the US state secretary Antony Blinken will travel to Bucharest, and
    will have meetings with president Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign
    minister Bogdan Aurescu. The NATO meeting, the
    first of this kind organised in Romania, focuses on
    supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion, energy security and
    implementing the Alliance’s new strategic concept.


    MLM A Munich Leaders
    Meeting (MLM) takes place in Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday. The Romanian
    foreign ministry is co-hosting this prestigious event, which is part of the Munich
    Security Conference (MSC). Attending will be over 75 senior officials from over
    25 countries, including current and former officials, experts, analysts and
    opinion leaders. The agenda includes relevant topics for international
    security, with an emphasis on developments in the Black Sea and Western Balkans
    regions. Other topics will be the European security architecture, implementing
    the new NATO Strategic Concept, hybrid threats, food security, and the energy
    crisis. The conclusions of the meeting in Bucharest will contribute to shaping
    the agenda of next year’s Munich Security Conference.


    NATIONAL DAY Events
    devoted to Romania’s National Day on December 1 begin in Alba Iulia on November
    30, with military and wreath laying ceremonies. On December 1, more than 850 troops
    will parade in Alba Iulia, including a French unit part of the NATO battlegroup
    deployed in Cincu, Braşov County. In Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence
    ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special
    Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and
    40 aircraft will take part in a military parade on December 1. According to a
    defence ministry news release, around 150 troops from Belgium, France, North
    Macedonia, R. Of Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, will also take
    part. Romanian military personnel on missions abroad will also organise special
    ceremonies.


    ENVIRONMENT The
    Romanian environment ministry launched a national forestation programme
    financed from EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The
    decision was made because forests cover less than 30% of the country’s surface,
    as against the European average of 40%. In some counties in the south and
    south-east of the country, the ratio is even have less than 5%. Farmers who no
    longer want to keep their farmland under crops may turn it into forests or
    shelterbelts. The government provides up to EUR 20,000 for a hectare of oak
    forest in plains areas and up to EUR 17,000 per hectare of shelterbelts, with
    an additional EUR 456 per year for each hectare of forest for 20 years.


    UKRAINE Heavy rainfall is expected in
    Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv as of Sunday, with sub-zero temperatures both
    during the day and at night. Millions of people in the city and the region
    around it are still without electricity and heat, after Russian shelling
    damaged the country’s energy infrastructure. The region of Dnipropetrovsk, in
    central Ukraine, was once again hit by 5 Russian missile strikes and heavy
    artillery attacks, the regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said. Homes and
    other buildings were destroyed, but no victims were reported. However, in the
    southern region of Kherson, where the Russian troops pulled out 2 weeks ago, at
    least 32 people were killed in the bombings, the Ukrainian police reported.


    ENESCU The George
    Enescu International Music Festival was shortlisted for the prestigious International
    Opera Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of the opera world, the festival organisers have
    announced. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday at Teatro Real (Madrid,
    Spain). The 2021 edition was shortlisted in the Festivals section, alongside
    other top-level events in the world of international classical music, such as
    the Donizetti Festival and Garsington Opera.


    HANDBALL The men’s
    handball teams of Romania, Egypt, Algeria and Slovakia take part in this year’s
    Carpaţi Trophy, on December 28th and 29th in Oradea,
    north-western Romania, the Romanian Handball Federation announced. Egypt and
    Algeria are qualified to the forthcoming World Championships scheduled for January
    2023. Romania’s manager Xavi Pascual invited 24 players to convene for the
    competition on December 26th. (AMP)

  • November 27, 2022

    November 27, 2022


    NATO Bucharest will host on Tuesday and Wednesday a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Attending will also be the foreign ministers of Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine and, for the first time, the Republic of Moldova. The war in Ukraine will be one of the main topics of the meeting. The conference will be co-chaired by the Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, and NATOs secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. This is the first event of this kind organised in Romania since the country joined the Alliance in 2004 and the second NATO formal meeting in Romania since the 2008 summit. NATOs deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană, says the event is a bridge between this summers summit in Madrid and the forthcoming summit in Vilnius, and a contribution made by Romania to the Alliances strategic thinking and response to the complex situation on the continent.



    MLM A Munich Leaders Meeting (MLM) takes place in Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday. The Romanian foreign ministry is co-hosting this prestigious event, which is part of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Attending will be over 75 senior officials from over 25 countries, including current and former officials, experts, analysts and opinion leaders. The agenda includes relevant topics for international security, with an emphasis on developments in the Black Sea and Western Balkans regions. Other topics will be the European security architecture, implementing the new NATO Strategic Concept, hybrid threats, food security, and the energy crisis. The conclusions of the meeting in Bucharest will contribute to shaping the agenda of next years Munich Security Conference.



    NATIONAL DAY Events devoted to Romanias National Day on December 1 begin in Alba Iulia on November 30, with military and wreath laying ceremonies. On December 1, more than 850 troops will parade in Alba Iulia, including a French unit part of the NATO battlegroup deployed in Cincu, Braşov County. In Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and 40 aircraft will take part in a military parade on December 1. According to a defence ministry news release, around 150 troops from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, R. of Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, will also take part. Romanian military personnel on missions abroad will also organise special ceremonies.



    ENVIRONMENT The Romanian environment ministry launched a national forestation programme financed from EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The decision was made because forests cover less than 30% of the countrys surface, as against the European average of 40%. In some counties in the south and south-east of the country, the ratio is even have less than 5%. Farmers who no longer want to keep their farmland under crops may turn it into forests or shelterbelts. The government provides up to EUR 20,000 for a hectare of oak forest in plains areas and up to EUR 17,000 per hectare of shelterbelts, with an additional EUR 456 per year for each hectare of forest for 20 years.



    ENESCU The George Enescu International Music Festival was shortlisted for the prestigious International Opera Awards, the Oscars of the opera world, the festival organisers have announced. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday at Teatro Real (Madrid, Spain). The 2021 edition was shortlisted in the Festivals section, alongside other top-level events in the world of international classical music, such as the Donizetti Festival and Garsington Opera. (AMP)


  • November 22, 2022

    November 22, 2022

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


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


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


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


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


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


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

  • May 28, 2022

    May 28, 2022

    FILM The Romanian
    filmmaker Alexandru Belc Friday night won the award for best director in the Un
    Certain Regard section of the Cannes film festival, for his film ‘Metronome’. This is the first fiction feature of the
    Romanian director, previously known for his documentaries ‘Cinema, mon amour’
    (2015) and ‘8 March’ (2012). The Un Certain Regard section is
    devoted to films with unusual styles by emerging directors seeking
    international recognition. The awards in the official competition of the 75th
    Cannes Film Festival will be presented tonight. Eighteen films compete for the Palme
    d’Or trophy, including R.M.N by the Romanian director Cristian
    Mungiu.




    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu was received
    on Friday by the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the sidelines of
    a trilateral security meeting that brought together the foreign ministers of
    Romania, Poland and Turkey in Istanbul. Erdogan commended Romania’s and
    Poland’s management of the humanitarian crisis entailed by Russia’s aggression
    in Ukraine, while Bogdan Aurescu highlighted Turkey’s role at the Black Sea. The
    Romanian foreign minister also voiced support for NATO’s open door policy and
    for the accession of Sweden and Finland. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bogdan Aurescu also emphasised the relevance
    of the bilateral strategic partnership signed in 2011,
    in the current geopolitical circumstances.




    REFUGEES On Friday 8,730 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania, down 2.6%
    since the previous day. A total of nearly 1,050,000 refugees have crossed the
    border from Ukraine since the start of the conflict on February 24th.
    According to the Romanian border police, measures have been taken to strengthen
    border surveillance and to improve information and data exchanges with other
    relevant institutions, in order to handle possible problems.




    CHURCH The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, previously subordinated to the
    Russian Patriarchy, announced it would separate from the latter as a result of
    the invasion in Ukraine, and declared its independence and autonomy. This
    historic move comes after Russia’s Patriarch Kirill voiced full support for
    president Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Part of the Ukrainian Orthodox
    Church had already splintered from Moscow in 2019. Hundreds of priests have
    recently signed an open letter calling for Kirill to be tried before a
    religious tribunal over his stand regarding the conflict in Ukraine.




    CONCERT London hosted on Friday night the first concert of the
    Swedish group ABBA after 40 years. The show, the first in a series of 7, was
    non-conventional in that it featured digital versions of the 4 artists. The
    group has been preparing the performances since 2016, using state-of-the-art
    technology. The musicians attended the show in London as members of the
    audience. The band separated in 1982, but their music continues to sell, and recently they put out a new album,
    called Voyage.




    TENNIS The Romanian Irina Begu is playing today against Leolia
    Jeanjean of France, in the 3rd round of the Roland Garros. On
    Thursday Begu defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, to be
    the only Romanian player left in the singles competition of the tournament in
    Paris. (AMP)

  • January 13, 2022

    January 13, 2022

    COVID-19 Nearly 10,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported for
    the last 24 hours in Romania, along with 36 related deaths, the authorities
    announced on Thursday. The incidence rate is on the rise around the country,
    including in the capital Bucharest, where it passed 3 cases per 1,000
    inhabitants, the city now being in the red tier. This means that restaurants,
    cinemas, gyms and other venues can open at 30% capacity. Also, schools where
    the vaccine uptake among staff is under 60% will switch to online teaching.
    Some 1.8 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in Romania since the
    start of the pandemic, and around 60,000 COVID patients died. Amid anti-vaccine
    feelings fuelled by certain media outlets, politicians and opinion leaders,
    Romania has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU.


    PROTEST Public education staff are today picketing the headquarters of the
    government and of the Social Democratic Party and National Liberal Party in
    power. Trade unions in the sector are unhappy
    with the government’s failure to increase wages as stipulated by the 2017
    Salary Law. The protest is organised by the 3 major trade union federations in
    the sector, which argue that the teachers’ net pay raise of only 13 euro per
    month as of January 1 triggered overwhelming discontent among employees. The 3
    federations are currently holding a poll to decide whether to go on strike over
    the matter.


    MEETING Europe’s security architecture is being
    discussed today by the EU foreign and defence ministers, convening in a meeting
    in Brest organised by the French presidency of the EU Council. EU defence
    ministers will focus on the situation in Ukraine and the threat posed by
    Russia’s military build-up on the Ukrainian border. Another topic on the agenda
    is the Strategic Compass project, a roadmap for the Union’s security and
    defence by 2030, which stipulates the deployment of 5,000 troops in crisis
    situations by 2025. The talks in Brest will be followed by an
    informal 2-day meeting of the EU foreign ministers, attended by the High Representative of the European Union
    for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borell. Romania
    is represented by Bogdan Aurescu. The agenda includes the security developments
    in the Eastern Neighbourhood, the EU-China relations and the developments in Mali.
    Bogdan Aurescu will present Romania’s assessment of the current security
    situation and will reiterate the importance of preserving the unity of the EU
    and of maintaining firm and credible deterrence measures concerning Russia.


    OSCE The Permanent Council of the OSCE convenes
    in Vienna today to carry on the dialogue between Russia, the US and its
    European allies. After tense discussions in Geneva between the US deputy
    secretary of state Wendy Sherman and Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei
    Ryabkov, on Wednesday in Brussels NATO and Moscow found that deep differences
    remain between their views on security in Europe. The West sees Moscow’s about
    100,000 troops deployed on the Ukrainian border as an indication of an
    impending attack on that country, a plan that Russia denies.NATO’s
    secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said there is a real risk for a new armed
    conflict in Europe, and added that it is up to Russia to de-escalate and
    end the crisis. In turn, the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell accused Russia of
    attempting to rebuild the Soviet bloc in Europe and to divide the US and Europe. Moscow,
    on the other hand, says the military build-up is a response to the perceived
    growing and threatening presence of NATO in its area of influence.


    TENNIS The Romanian players taking part in the Australian
    Open, due to begin on Monday, have found out their opponents. In the first
    round, Simona Halep (15 WTA and 2018 Australian Open finalist) takes on
    Poland’s Magdalena Frech. Sorana Cîrstea (38 WTA) will have a difficult match
    against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic (21 WTA). Irina Begu (58 WTA) plays
    against the French Oceane Dodin (96 WTA), and Jaqueline Cristian (73 WTA) will
    take on Greet Minnen of Belgium (84 WTA), in her first match at the Australian
    Open. Gabriela Ruse (82 WTA), also for the first time in Melbourne, will play
    against the Italian Jasmine Paolini (52 WTA). (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 12, 2022 UPDATE

    January 12, 2022 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Romania reported
    8,600 new Covid cases and 44 related deaths on Wednesday. The incidence rate is
    on the rise around the country, including the capital Bucharest, where it
    passed 3 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, the city now being in the red tier. This
    means that restaurants, cinemas, gyms and other venues can open at 30%
    capacity. Also, schools where the vaccine uptake among staff is under 60% will
    switch to online teaching. The National Public Health Institute confirmed the
    sustained community transmission of the Omicron variant, saying almost half of
    the cases did not have contact with someone infected. In the meantime,
    preparations are being made for opening outpatient Covid evaluation centres
    around the country.


    CORRUPTION The Interior Ministry’s Anti-Corruption Directorate
    Wednesday conducted 25 home searches in the counties of Neamţ and Iaşi (north-east),
    as part of investigations concerning forgery and fraud offences involved in the
    obtaining of COVID vaccination certificates. Physicians and nurses received
    bribes in exchange for fictitious vaccination certificates. Late last year the Anti-Corruption
    Directorate announced that since the start of the pandemic 168 criminal cases
    were initiated with respect to fictitious vaccination and other offences. According
    to the institution, Romania saw the largest-scale frauds in the EU in this
    respect, with over 3,000 fake COVID certificates issued at Petea border
    checkpoint. Some 1.8 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in Romania
    since the start of the pandemic, and around 60,000 COVID patients died. Amid
    anti-vaccine feelings fuelled by certain media outlets, politicians and opinion
    leaders, Romania has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU.


    EU FUNDING Over 1.9 billion euros will be transferred to Romanian
    government accounts on Thursday, as part of the loans given to Romania under
    the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, after the targets for Q4 2021 were
    reached, the Ministry for EU Projects and Investments announced. The funds will
    add to the 1.85 billion euros in grants paid by the European Commission on
    December 2, 2021. Bucharest is to receive over 29 billion euros under the
    National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The loans in the programme will be used
    for the funding of large-scale projects, including motorways, water supply and
    sewage networks, the digitisation of SMEs and reforestation, the Ministry
    explained.


    GROWTH The
    National Institute of Statistics confirmed its 0.4% estimate with regard to the
    growth of the Romanian economy in the third quarter of last year compared with
    the previous quarter, but changes were made to the share of investments and
    consumption in GDP growth. Also, in the third quarter, the net added value saw
    important changes in the sectors of information and communications,
    constructions, financial mediation and insurances and real estate transactions.


    ECONOMY The Romanian economy is expected to grow by 4.3% this year,
    as against a 4.5% growth rate forecast in June 2021, reads the World Bank’s report
    on Global Economic Prospects, released on Wednesday. For 2023, the World Bank
    forecasts a 3.8% GDP growth for Romania, while for last year the institution
    estimates the country’s economic growth rate stood at 6.3%. The institution
    expects the global economy to grow by 4.1% in 2022 and by 3.2% in 2023.


    FOREIGN POLICY
    Romania will continue to develop as an active, trusted, involved and
    respected member of the EU and NATO. Romania’s approach is focused on
    continuity, based on the three essential pillars of its foreign policy:
    consolidating the country’s role and influence in the EU and NATO and
    developing and deepening the strategic partnership with the US, said
    president Klaus Iohannis at his annual meeting with foreign diplomats in
    Bucharest. He also said strengthening the US military presence in Romania is a
    major goal. Given the recent security challenges, it is obvious that we need
    stronger action in terms of defence and deterrence, the Romanian president
    added. Iohannis also said Romania is worried about the security situation in
    Ukraine and its implications for Euro-Atlantic security and added that Romania
    will continue to support the efforts of the Republic of Moldova to join the
    European Union. (tr. A.M. Popescu)