Radio România Internațional

Tag: Foreign Affairs

  • January 27, 2025

    January 27, 2025

     

    ART THEFT Recovering the golden helmet of Cotofenesti and the three Dacian bracelets of Sarmizegetusa Regia, stolen on Friday night from the Drents Museum in the Dutch city of Assen, is a priority, the Romanian authorities say. The prime minister’s office is checking the culture ministry’s documents under which the artifacts had been sent to the exhibition, and the culture minister Natalia Intotero will meet with the royal family and the prime minister of the Netherlands to convey Bucharest’s firm message that the heritage pieces be recovered as quickly as possible. Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolcu has set up a task force comprising interior ministry, justice and culture ministry officials as well as Romanian police, to manage the retrieval of these items of immeasurable historical value.

     

    BUDGET The leaders of the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, in the ruling coalition, should meet today for talks on the state budget bill and on means to reduce the deficit to no more than 7% of GDP this year. The original deadline was today, January 27, but the bill could be postponed, as recent trade union protests prompted the ruling parties to announce they are looking for legislative solutions to alter the order underlying the budget law. The alterations, which will be operated in Parliament in the first half of February, concern payment of overtime on weekends or public holidays for employees in the defence, public order and national security system. The coalition would have wanted the budget bill to reach the government this week for approval, and to be sent to Parliament early next month.

     

    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The EU foreign ministers convene today in a Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting, with the main topics on the agenda including the war in Ukraine, the Middle East crisis and relations with the US after Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The FAC meeting in Brussels is the first in this format organised under the Polish EU Council presidency, which began on 1 January, and will be chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. It is also the first such meeting attended by Emil Hurezeanu as head of the Romanian diplomacy. The EU ministers will also have informal conference call with their Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiga.

     

    AGRICULTURE The Romanian minister of agriculture, Florin-Ionuţ Barbu, takes part on Monday in the first AgriFish Council meeting of this year, held in Brussels. According to a news release issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR), the agenda will concern the programme of the Polish presidency, unfair trading practices and strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain, trade and performance verification. The Polish EU Presidency will present its work programme and set out the main priorities in the field of agriculture and fisheries for the next six months. In turn, Member State officials will analyse the necessary revision of the performance verification procedure under the financing rules of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Romanian agriculture ministry explained.

     

    BACCALAUREATE High school senior students in Romania are taking the oral tests in the first session of this year’s Baccalaureate exam starting today. The assessment of communication skills in Romanian takes place until Wednesday, with the oral tests in ethnic minorities’ native languages held over three days, starting on January 29. The foreign language oral tests are scheduled between February 3 and 5, and digital skills will be tested between February 5 and 7. The organisation of these tests during the school year has been criticised by some students, teachers and education experts, especially because high school students must also attend classes during the exam days. The written tests in the Baccalaureate exam begins on May 30 and end on June 30, when the final results are to be announced.

     

    BELARUS The incumbent president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko won the presidential election with 87.6% of the votes, according to an exit poll which also says his 4 opponents received 1-2% of the votes. International media say the elections are intended to give a seventh consecutive term to the authoritarian Lukashenko, in power since 1994 and viewed as the most compliant ally of Putin’s Russia. On the eve of the election, the EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas stated that the regime in Minsk has “no legitimacy” and called the “sham election” an affront to democracy. In turn, MEPs demanded that the results of the Belarus election not be recognized, especially since the previous elections, in 2020, which were very likely rigged, were followed by ruthless repression of protests. According to the UN, more than 300,000 Belarusians out of a total population of nine million have fled their country for political reasons, mainly to neighbouring Poland. There are reportedly over 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus. (AMP)

  • July 23, 2024

    July 23, 2024

    ENERGY – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday in Bucharest that only with energy security, accessible energy for the economy and for the people and economic competitiveness can the decisive step be taken towards the next vital objective, that is obtaining clean, green energy. The Prime Minister attended the Business Forum of  Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation, where high-ranking representatives from the public and private energy sectors discussed energy security and transition, infrastructure projects and how cities apply clean, green strategies. On the other hand, Marcel Ciolacu announced that Romania will negotiate with the new European Commission a seven-year agreement to re-enter the 3% deficit target, saying the country is in a period of ‘accelerated’ development and it is very important that the investments continue.

     

    DROUGHT – Against the background of the severe drought affecting Romania, water supply is restricted in about 450 cities, towns and villages, most of them in the eastern part of the country. Many farmers say that they have lost their crops, especially where irrigation is not possible. In trying to support those affected, the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, had a first meeting on Monday with commercial banks representatives, whom he asked for solutions to cover rates and interests on loans for farmers facing drought. The affected area so far is almost 2 million hectares for corn and sunflower and 100,000 hectares for wheat and rapeseed. Water levels are also dropping. More on this topic, after the news.

     

    STUDENT CAMP – The Prefect’s Office in Harghita County (central Romania) has announced that that the institutions of the Interior Ministry will ensure public order between July 23 and 28, when the ‘Tusványos’ 2024 Summer University and Student Camp are held in the town of Băile Tuşnad, also attended by the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban. 80 police officers from the public order, traffic, criminal investigations and special operations structures will be present daily in the area and in its vicinity.

     

    SUPPORT – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, mentioned, once again, Romania’s support for the neighboring Ukraine, invaded by the Russian troops, and emphasized the need to speed up the European Union’s assistance, including the military one, granted to Kyiv. At Monday’s meeting in Brussels with her European counterparts, Odobescu reaffirmed Romania’s support for the formula for ending the war proposed by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskky, which she believes is capable of guaranteeing sustainable peace, respecting territorial integrity and the principles of the UN Charter.

     

    CONCERT – The Orchestra and Choir of the Bucharest National Opera will hold, on Wednesday, a sacred music concert at the “Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael” Orthodox Cathedral in Paris. The Romanian Opera tour ends on July 25, at the Romanian Embassy in Paris, with another concert, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Romanian House at the Olympic Games. On Monday, Romanian artists performed in the gardens of the Versailles Palace, an event also held in the context of the Summer Olympics. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Paris, the extraordinary concert entitled “Éthos Roumain” is a project financed by the Government of Romania, through the Department for Romanians Everywhere, in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute in Paris. The event aims to increase the visibility of Romanian culture and its promotion abroad, as well as to strengthen the cultural ties between Romania and France.

     

    FOOTBALL – The Romanian football champion, FCSB is up against the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv this evening on home turf, in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the Champions League. The return match is scheduled for July 31, in Budapest, Hungary, because, due to the security situation in the region, the Israeli teams cannot host international matches at home. (EE)

     

  • Euranet Plus 2023 Summit with Josep Borrell

    Euranet Plus 2023 Summit with Josep Borrell

    In the context of the war in Ukraine and some apparent shifts in the bloc’s foreign and defence policies, Euranet Plus invited Josep Borrell Fontelles, the Commission vice-president and the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, into the studio.



    In a multilingual interview, host Beatriz Ríos took questions from journalists in our pan-European network: from BNR in Bulgaria, 100.7 in Luxembourg, Polskie Radio in Poland, Žiniu Radijas in Lithuania and euradio in France.





    For more information you can also follow our in-depth release on the website of the Euranet Plus project.



    Producing and broadcasting in 15 official EU languages, Euranet Plus provides EU-related content through its international, national and regional radio stations in 15 countries of the European Union.

  • Foreign and Defense Ministries present activity reports

    Foreign and Defense Ministries present activity reports

    Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has recently presented her Government’s activity report for the first six months in office. Since then various ministers have stepped forward to present the activity reports of the ministries they represent. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu and Defense Minister Mihai Fifor presented their achievements. At diplomatic level, Minister Melescanu said it was Romania’s interest to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a topic that sparked heated debates in Bucharest.



    Teodor Melescanu says an analysis in this respect has been drafted and will soon be submitted to the country’s president, the Prime Minister and Parliament. Teodor Melescanu: “We tried to separate the pros from the cons and identify any judicial issues such an initiative might entail, given that Security Council’s Resolution 478 stipulates that all countries should base their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv”.



    Teodor Melescanu also tackled relations with Russia: “We are supporting the deterrence policy and dialogue with Russia, which should be based on mutual interests and observing the principles and standards of international law”.



    The Romanian official went on to say that preparations for Romania taking over the presidency of the European Council are on schedule. As an ally of NATO, Bucharest will also seek to increase its role within NATO. At the latest NATO summit, Romania offered to host an army corps command center, a resolution which NATO ratified. On the sidelines of the event a special meeting was devoted to security in the Black Sea region, and Romania succeeded in securing an increased presence of allied navy in the area. Also at military level, Defense Minister Mihai Fifor said Bucharest continued its efforts to modernize the army, grounded on a 2% budget allocation. Among the achievements reported in the last six months is the purchase of Patriot and Hymers missile systems and starting procedures for the purchase of four multi-role corvettes. The main challenge this year, Minister Fifor argues, is the development of the Cantacuzino Military Health Institute.



    Mihai Fifor: “Talks are already underway with a series of well-established vaccine manufacturers in order to identify a potential cooperation in this sector”.



    One of the largest producers of vaccines at global level and center of excellence in research and innovation, the Cantacuzino Institute has been experiencing difficulties in the past 10 years, at times being on the brink of bankruptcy. Last year the Institute has been placed in the subordination of the Defense Ministry, which has rekindled hope for its restoration.

  • June 25, 2018 UPDATE

    June 25, 2018 UPDATE

    PROTEST – Thousands of Romanians have again taken to the street, calling for the resignation of the Government led by Viorica Dancila. They are worried that the current executive, formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, might adopt, under an emergency decree, the changes brought to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, which have been adopted recently. The leader of the Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, has said the changes will not be adopted by an emergency decree, but he stated his wish that parliamentary procedures be stepped up. These changes are also the object of a no-confidence motion filed by the National Liberal Party. The document was read out in a plenary session of Parliament on Monday and will be voted upon on Wednesday. The right wing opposition blames the Government for having destroyed the economy and the justice system. Also on Monday, the Romanian MPs debated a simple motion filed by the Save Romania Union, which calls for the resignation of the Transport Minister Lucian Sova. He is accused of incompetence and of having blocked funding for the building of motorways in Romania.


    CVM – The European Commission is currently conducting a fresh evaluation under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. For three days, a Commission delegation will analyse the impact of the changes brought to the justice laws and the criminal codes on the Romanian justice system. The Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has stated that a document was drawn up, highlighting the progress made by Romania.



    FOREIGN AFFAIRS – Romania was
    represented on Monday at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, in
    the common format of EU     defense and foreign ministers, by the state secretary
    for the     defense policy, planning and international relations, Mircea Duşa. The meeting started with the signing of
    the Declaration of Intention on the PESCO project devoted to cyber     defense, and in
    the first working session the participants assessed the progress made in the
    effort to implement the EU Global Strategy in the field of security and     defense. They have also approved the basic document on military requirements in
    the field of military mobility. Mircea Duşa has
    underlined the importance of the military mobility initiative in the current
    strategic context, in which the response to any security threat resides in fast dispatching forces to the needed location at the right moment. The
    second working session unfolded in the presence of NATO Secretary General,
    Jens Stoltenberg, and     focused on the stage and prospects of the EU-NATO
    process of cooperation. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian state
    secretary has held talks with Frederick Richard Penn Curzon, 7th Earl Howe,
    front bench member of the House of Lords with the British Parliament and Minister of State for     Defense. The two
    officials discussed concrete ways to strengthen the Strategic Partnership
    between Romania and the UK, in the field of security and     defense.



    MIGRATION – The European mini-summit on migration ended on Sunday in Brussels without any concrete measures being adopted. The leaders of the 16 participant countries agreed over the need to curb illegal migration and protect the European frontiers, but there was no consensus as to how that would be achieved. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that, unless solutions were found at the level of the EU, bilateral agreements will be proposed, while the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte proposed the creation of international protection centers in the transit countries and sanctions against the EU countries that do not accept refuges. The Visegrad Group (made up of Hungary, Poland, the Check Republic and Slovakia) boycotted the meeting. New talks will be held at the European Council this week.



    NUCLEAR PHOTONICS – Researchers from across the world are these days in Brasov, in central Romania, attending the International Nuclear Photonics Conference. Romania was chosen to host the second edition of this event, given that it is home to the most powerful laser in the world, which will be rendered operational next year. On Sunday, the participants discussed the applications of this technology, after they had visited the Magurele facility, near Bucharest. The first edition of the Conference was held in California in 2016.



    BACCALAUREATE – The high-school graduation examinations – the Baccalaureate – have started in Romania on Monday. Some 137,000 students are participating, in 440 examination centers across the country. Monday was the day for Romanian language and literature examination. On Tuesday, students belonging to the national ethnic minorities will sit for the examination in their mother tongues, Wednesday is the compulsory specialty examination, and on Thursday students will be tested into a matter of their own choice. For the first time, the oral examinations were taken during the school year. The first results are to be posted on July 4th, and the final ones on July 9th.



    NATIONAL DEFENSE – The meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense will be held on Wednesday, headed by the President Klaus Iohannis. The meetings agenda includes Romanias objectives for the NATO summit in Brussels next week and the Romanian Armed Forces that can be deployed for missions and operations abroad in 2019. A fresh NATO training mission in Iraq will be officially announced at the summit of the Alliance scheduled for July. Also, NATO wants to set up ground forces command units. Romania has already announced its intention to host such a command unit. Bucharests stand on the relation between the EU and NATO, a topic that will be approached at the summit, must also be established at the meeting of Romanias Supreme Council of National Defense.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep remains no.1 in the world, according to the WTA rankings published on Monday. To Halep, its the 34th week as world leader. Next on the podium there come Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Garbine Muguruza of Spain. The top 100 includes another five Romanian tennis players: Mihaela Buzarnescu (28), Irina Begu (33), Sorana Cirstea (47), Monica Niculescu (59) and Ana Bogdan (63).(Translated by M. Ignatescu and D. Vijeu)

  • May 28, 2018 UPDATE

    May 28, 2018 UPDATE

    BLACK SEA – The security situation in the Wider Black Sea Region is currently defined by volatility and marked by a potential for conflict, trends which are likely to continue in the short and medium run, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis believes. In a message conveyed on Monday at the opening of the 2018 edition of an event entitled ‘Security in the Black Sea Region: common challenges, sustainable future, the Romanian President also emphasised that in this complex and dynamic context the use of all international communication means is all the more important. Romania reiterates its goals of stabilising the region through dialogue and the peaceful resolution of divergences, the Presidents message also reads. Taking part in this years edition are representatives of regional, European and Euro-Atlantic decision-makers, academics and civil society leaders from 16 countries. The Programme is an alternative platform for communication and cooperation between diplomatic bodies, the academic environment and the security authorities in the Black Sea region. The 2018 edition, held between May 28 and 31, focuses on “Shaping the future of the Black Sea region: game-changers and predictors.




    POLITICAL – The Social Democratic Party, in power in Romania, organises in Bucharest on June 9 a large-scale Government support rally, the president of a county branch of the party told Agerpress news agency on Monday. According to him, party members and supporters from around the country will be present, but all citizens who have confidence in the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats are invited. President Klaus Iohannis has repeatedly called on the PM Viorica Dăncilă to step down, on grounds that she is unable to run the government. The announcement regarding the Social Democrats rally came on the same day when Pro Romania platform launched its political agenda. The platform is headed by the former PM Victor Ponta, and it was joined by several former Social Democratic members and MPs who are unhappy with what they see as the authoritarian approach of the partys current president, Liviu Dragnea.



    FOREIGN AFFAIRS – The head of the Romanian diplomacy, Teodor Meleşcanu, reiterated, at the Brussels meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, Romanias support for the efforts of France, Germany and the UK to carry on the nuclear deal with Iran, as well as the importance of the dialogue with the US to identify a sustainable solution to the Iranian file. The EU foreign ministers reaffirmed in Brussels their support for keeping the agreement with Iran in place after the withdrawal of the US, and the need for Iran to continue to implement it. The agenda of the meeting also included the recent developments in Venezuela and Congo.



    VISIT – The Minister delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, was on a visit to Helsinki on Monday, and had meetings with Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport Sampo Terho, and with the secretary of state for European affairs Kare Yrjo Halonen. During the talks, the two parties reiterated their commitment to strengthening dialogue and cooperation in the field of European affairs, in the context of the successive presidency of the European Union Council by Romania and Finland in the 2 semesters of 2019. The participants also emphasised the common goal of the 2 presidential terms, namely to contribute to promoting a European agenda based on unity and the cohesion of the European project. Victor Negrescu said Romania and Finland share the goal of making the EU more flexible, more cohesive and more pragmatic in its actions, but, above all, closer to its citizens.



    DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor, is as of Monday on a 3-day official visit to France, at the invitation of his counterpart, Florence Parly. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Defence Ministry, the 2 will discuss, among other things, the security situation at the Black Sea and the development prospects of the bilateral relations in the field of defence, including in the area of military equipment. The Romanian official will also have a meeting with President Emmanuel Macrons diplomatic adviser, Philippe Etienne, the former Ambassador of France to Romania. The agenda also includes visits to the companies MBDA and Airbus Helicopter, the Defence Ministry release reads.



    TENNIS – Two Romanian players have qualified into the second round of this years Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Mihaela Buzărnescu (no 32 WTA) defeated the American Vania King, 2-0 on Monday, while Alexandra Dulgheru (160 WTA) beat the American Christina McHale. In the mens competition, the only Romanian player, Marius Copil (95 ATP), lost to the Italian Marco Cecchinato (72 ATP) in 5 sets. Four Romanians are playing in the French Open on Tuesday. World no 1 and first seeded in the tournament, Simona Halep, takes on Alison Riske (USA, 105 WTA). Halep has so far lost 2 Roland Garros finals. Irina Begu (41 WTA) takes on the Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (no 78), Sorana Cîrstea (45 WTA) faces the Australian Daria Gavrilova (no 24), and Ana Bogdan (no 65 WTA) plays against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova (no 90).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 28, 2018

    May 28, 2018

    BLACK SEA – The security situation in the Wider Black Sea Region is currently defined by volatility and marked by a potential for conflict, trends which are likely to continue in the short and medium run, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis believes. In a message conveyed on Monday at the opening of the 2018 edition of an event entitled ‘Security in the Black Sea Region: common challenges, sustainable future, the Romanian President also emphasised that in this complex and dynamic context the use of all international communication means is all the more important. Romania reiterates its goals of stabilising the region through dialogue and the peaceful resolution of divergences, the Presidents message also reads. Taking part in this years edition are representatives of regional, European and Euro-Atlantic decision-makers, academics and civil society leaders from 16 countries. the Programme is an alternative platform for communication and cooperation between diplomatic bodies, the academic environment and the security authorities in the Black Sea region. The 2018 edition, held between May 28 and 31, focuses on “Shaping the future of the Black Sea region: game-changers and predictors.




    FOREIGN AFFAIRS – The head of the Romanian diplomacy, Teodor Meleşcanu, takes part in Brussels today in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. The agenda includes, among other things, the situation in Venezuela, Iran and Congo. The recent developments in Gaza Strip will also be discussed during an informal working lunch. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Austrian and the Bulgarian foreign ministers will host an informal breakfast with their Macedonian counterpart as the guest of honour.




    DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor, is as of Monday on a 3-day official visit to France, at the invitation of his counterpart, Florence Parly. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Defence Ministry, the 2 will discuss, among other things, the security situation at the Black Sea and the development prospects of the bilateral relations in the field of defence, including in the area of military equipment. The Romanian official will also have a meeting with President Emmanuel Macrons diplomatic adviser, Philippe Etienne, the former Ambassador of France to Romania. The agenda also includes visits to the companies MBDA and Airbus Helicopter, the Defence Ministry release reads.




    AWARDS – Bucharest is hosting tonight the 46th Awards Gala of the Romanian Filmmakers Association. More than 500 guests are expected to take part in the event. According to the organisers, the films “Fixeur by Adrian Sitaru, “Anna, mon amour by Cătălin Peter Netzer and “One step behind the seraphims, by Daniel Sandu have been nominated for the Great Prize and the Romanian Filmmakers Association Trophy. “Anna, mon amour also competes for the Jurys Special Prize, alongside “Perfectly Healthy directed by Anca Damian and Breaking News, by Iulia Rugină. The Awards Gala of the Romanian Filmmakers Association celebrates and supports the values of the film industry by awarding those who have excelled in the field, have represented Romania in international competitions and have made a notable contribution to the film industry.




    STATISTICS – One in 5 Romanians (19,7%) aged between 20 and 64 was residing in another EU member state in 2017, which makes Romania the top EU country in terms of labour mobility, data made public by the Eurostat on Monday show. Next come Lithuania (15%), Croatia (14%), and Portugal (13.9%). Eurostat data also indicate that in 2017 compared to 2007, the share of Romanians who live in other EU countries rose by 12.3%, the highest increase reported in the EU. At the opposite pole, only 1% of Germanys citizens aged between 20 and 64 live in other member states. Germany is followed by the UK, Sweden and France.




    TENNIS – The Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru (160 WTA) continues today the match against the American Christina McHale (no 85 in the world), at the French Open, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. The match is resumed after being suspended yesterday at 1-1. Also today, another Romanian player, Mihaela Buzărnescu (no 32 WTA), plays the first round against the American Vania King (1276 WTA). Four other Romanians are playing in this years Roland Garros. World no 1 and first seeded in the tournament, Simona Halep, takes on Alison Riske (USA, 105 WTA). Halep has so far lost 2 Roland Garros finals. Irina Begu (41 WTA) takes on the Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (no 78), Sorana Cîrstea (45 WTA) faces the Australian Daria Gavrilova (no 24), and Ana Bogdan (no 65 WTA) plays against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova (no 90). In the mens competition, the only Romanian player, Marius Copil (95 ATP), faces today the Italian Marco Cecchinato (72 ATP).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • March 18, 2018 UPDATE

    March 18, 2018 UPDATE

    WEATHER – Several road segments were closed down Sunday afternoon in the south and south-east of Romania, because of the freezing rain and black ice. Traffic was also disrupted in Bucharest. The freezing rain prevented take-offs on the countrys main airport, Otopeni – Henri Coanda, while the airport landing strips were treated with anti-icing substance to enable aircraft to land safely. Until Tuesday, a warning will be in place, against moderate sleet and snow falls, black ice and extremely low temperatures.




    DEFENCE – This years first meeting of the Supreme Defence Council, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, will be held on Tuesday. According to the presidential administration, the participants will analyse the work conducted by the Council and relevant institutions in the field of national security in 2017, and will set the main goals for this year. Other topics of interest with respect to national security will also be approached.




    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu will take part in Brussels on Monday in the monthly meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. The main topics are Ukraine, Syria and Iran, the Romanian foreign ministry announced. On the sidelines of the Council meeting, the participants will have an informal lunch on recent developments in the Korean Peninsula, with the South-Korean Foreign Minister, Kang Kyung-wha, at the invitation of the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini. The FAC will be preceded by an informal meeting over breakfast with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin.




    MOLDOVA – Save Romania Union, the second-largest opposition party in Romania, firmly supports the EU accession of the Republic of Moldova, the party president Dan Barna said on Sunday, after a meeting with several mayors from Moldova. At this stage any other statement would be rushed and strictly aimed at gaining political capital, Barna said, hinting at a possible union of Moldova with Romania. Without support from Moldovan citizens, lobbying for such a scenario at EU and international level would be very hard to do, Dan Barna also stressed. He and the vice-president of Save Romania Union Vlad Alexandrescu met on Sunday with a group of mayors from the Republic of Moldova, who signed a symbolic declaration of union with Romania. A former province with a Romanian majority under Tsarist rule, Bessarabia joined Romania at the end of WW1, on March 27, 1918. The USSR re-annexed the province, following an ultimatum in 1940, and part of this territory is todays Republic of Moldova.




    RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team lost on Sunday in Tbilisi against Georgia, 25-16, in the last stage of Rugby Europe International Championship 2018, but it managed to qualify into the 2019 Japan World Cup thanks to a surprising win by Belgium against Spain, 18-10. The score in Brussels enables Romania to stay as no 2 in the REIC standings, which allows direct access to the 2019 World Cup. Romania has taken part in all rugby World Cup editions so far.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • March 6, 2017 UPDATE

    March 6, 2017 UPDATE


    LABOUR Talks were held on Monday between labour ministry officials and representatives of law enforcement institutions on the unitary pay law in Romania. The police trade union leaders are unhappy with the result of the negotiations and threaten with protests. They say there are more than 80,000 employees of the Interior Ministry who earn less than the national minimum wage, which currently stands at some 320 Euro. The line minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu has stated that the unitary pay system law is to be finalized in July, as provided in the governing program of the Cabinet formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania. She has also stated that by 2020 the salaries of up to 4,000 lei (890 Euro) will double, and those that exceed this cap will benefit from an increase of 45%. Also, as of July 1st the pension point will increase to 1,000 lei (approx. 225 Euro).



    EU POLICY Romania now has the historic opportunity to be part of the relaunch of the European Union, affected by Brexit and the rise of nationalism, said on Monday on Radio Romania the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. She has advised the Romanian authorities to act and make sure Romania gets seriously involved in the reform process recently launched by the EC President Jean-Claude Junker, along with the presentation of the five potential scenarios regarding the future of the Union. Romania stands against the scenario of a multi-speed Europe. In an interview carried by several European newspapers, the French President Francois Hollande has stated that, for many years, the idea of a union with different paces of development has been opposed to, but this solution has now become a must.



    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall will attend in Brussels on Tuesday the proceedings of the General Affairs Council. The Councils draft conclusions regarding the report on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism will be presented at the meeting. The draft acknowledges the major progress made by Romania and stresses the Romanian authorities support for achieving the CVM goals. The General Affairs Council meeting will also approach the latest preparation for the European Council meeting due on March 9-10, attended by heads of state and government. The last preparations were also made on Monday at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, where Romania was represented by the Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu and the Defence Minister Gabriel Les. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the meeting was a good opportunity to reconfirm Romanias firm commitment to consolidating the European project on security and defence.



    HEXI FARMA The Romanian producer of biocides Hexi Pharma, involved in the scandal of diluted disinfectants used in the Romanian hospitals, was sent to court on Monday by prosecutors of the Court of Cassation and Justice for fraud and use of forgery hampering the fight against diseases. The General Manager of the company Flori Dinu and the Manufacturing Manager Mihai Leva were also sent to court for forgery and actions hampering the fight against diseases. The owner of Hexi Pharma Dan Condrea died in a car crash in 2016, shortly after the it was revealed that his company was delivering diluted disinfectants to hospitals.



    NATO EXERCISE The multinational military exercise “Poseidon 2017” organized by the Romanian Navy brought to the Black Sea, on Monday, the NATO Mine Counter Measures Group. The training lasts one week and will be unfolding in the Romanian territorial waters and in the international waters in the west of the Black Sea. Participating are some 1,500 soldiers, military ships from 7 NATO member countries, Romanian and Turkish divers specializing in discovering and neutralizing underwater dangers, chiefs of staff of the Bulgarian and Turkish armies as well as aircraft and a helicopter. This is the 2nd military exercise organized by the Romanian Navy this year.



    EUROVISION Ilinca and Alex Florea will represent Romania at the Eurovision 2017 contest with the song “Yodel It” following their victory in Sunday nights national selection. The 62nd edition of Eurovision will be hosted by Kiev, with the semi-finals being scheduled for May 9 and 11 and the final for May 13. Romania will compete in the second semi-final. Another Romanian will participate in this years Eurovision contest, Miruna Mănescu, with the song “Apollo” but she will represent Switzerland. Romania has participated in the Eurovision contest since 1993, its best results being the 3rd place won at two editions and a 4th place.