Radio România Internațional

Tag: Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu

  • December 15, 2024 UPDATE

    December 15, 2024 UPDATE

    FAC – Romania’s Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, is attending the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting hosted by Brussels on Monday. This will be the first meeting presided by the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice-President, Kaja Kallas, since she took office on December 1. The agenda for talks includes Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, developments in Georgia, the Middle East, Syria and Belarus. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will be tackled in light of the recent developments on the ground, amidst growing EU pressure on Russia, including through the adoption of the 15th package of restrictions and the continuation of EU multidimensional support for Ukraine.

     

    INCIDENT – The Romanian Foreign Ministry conducted its own inquiry after a Romanian citizen was detained on the territory of the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia, a Georgian territory current under Russian occupation, whose independence is not currently recognized by the international community. The Romanian national was arrested by security services in the pro-Russian separatist region, and was accused of having tried to film military objectives on this territory. Local authorities claim the Romanian citizen had been forced to make the recordings by Ukrainian military spies, who told him this was the only way he could leave Abkhazia. Romanian authorities are in permanent contact with the citizen’s family and are making efforts to provide consular assistance.

     

    GOVERNMENT – President Klaus Iohannis is expected to convene the new Parliament on December 20. The New Parliament will comprise 7 political parties. The Social-Democratic Party (PSD) will have 122 seats, the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) 91, the National Liberal Party (PNL) 71, the Save Romania Union (USR) 59, the SOS Romania Party 40, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians (UDMR) 32 and the Young People’s Party (POT) 31. The group of national minorities will be represented by 19 MPs. The youngest members of Parliament are aged 34 and are members of USR and AUR, while PSD is at the opposite pole, with the largest number of MPs aged 65 and over. The Social-Democrats and the Liberals have the largest number of women MPs. On Friday, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will each set up special committees to validate the new mandates.

     

    LEGISLATION – Current deputies and senators are expected to end their mandate by the end of next week. The Chamber of Deputies is set to adopt a new Forestry Code, a milestone in the Recovery and Resilience plan and a government priority that needs to be adopted by the end of 2024. Among other things, the law stipulates seizing all vehicles involved in illegal logging, the construction of green belts around large cities, the right to pre-emption and quality raw materials at affordable prices for furniture manufacturers, introducing video surveillance on forestry roads and a ban on root cutting in protected areas. On the other hand, the Senate is expected to vote on projects that introduce penalties for public office aggregation or a reduction in the number of maximum terms held by heads of secrete services. The current legislature ends its mandate on December 20, when the new Parliament is set to convene in its first sitting.

     

    UKRAINE – Romania is a valuable partner of Ukraine, both in terms of the prospective reconstruction of the country, as well as the war effort, Kyiv informs. The opening of new border crossing points is a point in case, the head of the Ukrainian State Agency for Infrastructure Reconstruction and Development, Serhii Sukhomlyn has said. Five new border checkpoints have been opened, while another six are currently being discussed. The Ukrainian official said the new border crossings are of great help to Ukrainian exporters, and that Romania is a valuable partner not just for its assistance in rebuilding infrastructure, but also owing to the military assistance it provides to Ukraine in the conflict against the invading Russian forces.

     

    TIMIȘOARA – The city of Timișoara (west) on Sunday celebrates 35 years since the anti-communist revolution of 1989. Under the motto “35 years of freedom”, the municipality is organizing a large number of commemorative events celebrating the martyrs of the revolution, as well as the moment when Timișoara became the first city in Romania to be declared free of communism. Religious services, wreath-laying ceremonies, exhibitions, film screenings and concerts are all on the agenda. On Monday, the authorities will officially inaugurate the Freedom Portal, a light installation reproducing sounds from the revolution, followed by the traditional march titled “Heroes never die”. Tuesday is an official mourning day, while festivities are expected to end on December 20 with the concert “Rock for revolution”.

     

    HANDBALL – The Romanian women’s handball team will play Italy in the playoffs for the 2025 World Cup, following Sunday’s draw in Vienna. The two matches will be played in April. The 2025 World Cup will be co-hosted by Germany and the Netherlands over November 26 – December 14, 2025. Romania has taken part in every edition, and its best ranking was 12th place in 2023. (VP)

  • November 18, 2024 UPDATE

    November 18, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Monday visited the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation in Berlin on the sidelines on his visit to Germany. “The visit highlights people’s suffering from war, a time when man’s fundamental rights are ignored”, the president said. On Sunday, Klaus Iohannis addressed the Bundestag as part of a ceremony devoted to the Victims of War and Dictatorship Remembrance Day. “The fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago encouraged Romanians to fight for freedom, while the fall of the Iron Curtain allowed Romania to return to the family of European democracies”, the president said. Klaus Iohannis met with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and discussed security topics and the support the two countries provide to Ukraine. His meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz tackled Romania’s full Schengen accession.

     

    ROMANIA AND NATO – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Monday met the European Parliament president, Roberta Metsola, on the sidelines of his visit to Brussels, marking the start of a new Parliament session and the adoption of the 2024-2029 Strategic Agenda. Joint projects highlighted by Prime Minister Ciolacu for the upcoming period include supporting a promising EU budget post-2025 that should foster competitiveness and internal convergence. The Prime Minister also met with the European Council president-elect, Antonio Costa. Also on Monday, Marcel Ciolacu met with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, on whom he called to deploy additional Allied troops to Romania, a decision he has called “vital” for a robust deterrence in the face of Russian challenges, also with a view to consolidating NATO’s presence on the Eastern Flank, in the extended Black Sea region. Romania has already allotted 2.5% of the GDP to defense spending this year and will continue to prioritize investments in defense over the coming period as well, the Prime Minister told the NATO Secretary General. Romania will continue to provide multidimensional support to Ukraine and to the Republic of Moldova, Marcel Ciolacu also said.

     

    SCHENGEN – Romania’s Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, held talks in Vienna with his Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, ahead of the informal meeting that will take place in Budapest at the end of this week, where Romania’s Schengen extension will be discussed. Romania will continue to take action to combat illegal migration and cross-border crime, through a preemptive approach, the Bucharest official said. According to Brussels sources, the Ministers of Internal Affairs from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria will hold preliminary talks in the Hungarian capital regarding the date when Romania and Bulgaria would join Schengen with their land borders as well.

     

    EU-FAC – Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, on Monday attended the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels. On the sidelines of the event, she took part in a working meeting of EU Foreign Ministers with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Popșoi. The meeting occasioned in-depth discussions regarding the results of the presidential election and the referendum for European integration in the Republic of Moldova, with an emphasis on Russia’s hybrid attacks in this context, by means of which it tried to undermine the democratic electoral process and hijack the European course of this country. Minister Odobescu congratulated the authorities of the Republic of Moldova for the very good organization of the presidential election and the constitutional referendum, expressing satisfaction for the new mandate obtained by president Maia Sandu. Minister Odobescu emphasized Romania’s determination to continue the active and consistent support for the Republic of Moldova at all levels of cooperation. (VP)

  • Schengen, not yet

    Schengen, not yet


    In the absence of the unanimity of the EU member states, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area is not yet possible, although both have, for many years, met all the technical criteria required. Moreover, projects are underway that are strengthening the border of the European Union better than ever. Austria and the Netherlands stick to their unfavorable position, at least for now. Last year, at the Justice and Home Affairs Council, Austria voted against the acceptance of both countries in Schengen, while the Netherlands voiced reservations only with regard to Bulgaria.



    Under these conditions, currently, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is waiting to find out what decision the Netherlands will adopt regarding the acceptance of Bulgaria, after the early legislative elections recently held in Romanias neighboring country:


    “First of all, Romania and Bulgaria, as you well know, come together in this. We are first waiting for the decision of the Netherlands regarding Bulgaria and we will see what Romania will do next”.



    As for Austria, Foreign Minister Luminiţa Odobescu says that, recently, communication on this matter has improved, and efforts are continuing to reach a mutually agreed solution. Luminiţa Odobescu:


    “There is a dialogue with the Austrian side, the matter is still being discussed, there are diplomatic steps. We are supported in this by both the European Commission and the other member states. We are working to identify a solution as soon as possible and, obviously, we will see in the next period what are the exact steps to be taken.”



    According to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the moment was not favorable from a political point of view for Romania to ask for a new vote at the JHA Council that took place on Tuesday evening, in Brussels. However, this could happen this month, within an extraordinary council meeting.


    “We could not be on the agenda, unless we wanted to force a vote that we would have known in advance, not necessarily the vote of Austria against Romania, we would have known very clearly the vote of the Netherlands against Bulgaria. The procedure in the Netherlands is more complicated than in Romania, it is first voted on Parliament, and then the Prime Minister goes with a mandate from Parliament to vote in a European Council. The only solution, at this moment, is to wait for the reaction of the Netherlands – and it will come soon. And you know that I also had discussions with Mr. Frans Timmermans regarding Bulgaria and the convening of an extraordinary JHA meeting on this matter.”




    Tuesday evening, at the end of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson, stated that the European Commission still wanted a decision on the enlargement of the Schengen area, by accepting Romania and Bulgaria this year. Spain, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the Union, also wants Romania and Bulgaria to become members of the area of ​​free movement of persons and goods before December 31. (MI)


  • Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy

    Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy


    The 23rd Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy, traditionally held before Diplomacy Day on September 1st, is the first in-person meeting after the previous three online editions.



    The main themes of this years Romanian Diplomacy Meeting are related to the management of challenges in the Black Sea area and maximizing opportunities. At the meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions and directors of the Romanian cultural institutes, president Klaus Iohannis has reiterated the fact that Romania will keep supporting Ukraine as long as necessary. Bucharest will also stay by the side of the Republic of Moldova, helping it with financial assistance, expertise and political support, for an irreversible European path, but also in the building of a safe and prosperous state.



    According to the Romanian head of state, the priority of the moment is obtaining a political decision to start EU accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Also, Iohannis stressed, its Romanias duty to continue to be a genuine provider of security and prosperity in the region, so that the Black Sea becomes a region where peace and prosperity can no longer be subject to any threat. A big issue in the process of full integration into the European Union, Romanias joining the Schengen Agreement remains a priority for the coming period, the president also said. This goal must be achieved, both based on the already recognized performances of our country and as a confirmation of the fact that the EU is able to respond to the need for cohesion, resilience and increased security.



    Romanian diplomacy has managed to place the country among the important regional players, said in turn Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. “We are preparing to create our own contribution to the reconstruction of Ukraine, just as we will continue to strengthen the resilience of the Republic of Moldova”, stressed the head of the Romanian Government. The prime minister also called on the Romanian diplomats to support Romanian companies to enter as many foreign markets as possible. On the other hand, he drew attention to the fact that next year there will be three types of elections for Romanian citizens abroad, which must be organized properly.



    For his part, the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, has stated that Romania has proven that it is a reliable partner in the region, ensuring the transit through the solidarity corridors established at the level of the European Union and through the initiative regarding the export of grains through the Black Sea.



    The Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy is an opportunity to update priorities in a context dominated by Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, an unprecedented threat to peace, security and international order based on rules, believes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu. According to her, citizens must benefit from the opportunities provided by the actions undertaken by the Romanian diplomacy, even in this extremely difficult context. According to the Romanian Foreign Minister, more steps will be taken to strengthen Romanias profile within the European Union, NATO and internationally. (MI)




  • August 4, 2023

    August 4, 2023

    Tour. The Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu has officially confirmed that a tour of Africa is being prepared for Romanias President Klaus Iohannis. “Romania aims to bring ties with Sub-Saharan Africa to a higher level, adapted to the new Romanian and African realities and the new strategic interest of each partner. This revival will be done by pursuing common values ​​and interests, mainly in political and economic terms, of multilateral and international cooperation. The political reconnection to the African space is done through the development and diversification of bilateral relations with African states, including through the revitalization of high-level visits both in Romania and on the African continent”, said the Romanian official.



    Traffic. Naval traffic is very intense at the exit from the Danube to the Black Sea, after Russia attacked the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail. In this situation, the Romanian officials of the River Administration of the Lower Danube in Galati decided, on Thursday, to only allow vessels to go out to sea and only then to sail in the opposite direction. The measure is in force also today. After Russias withdrawal from the agreement that allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain to the Black Sea, the Danube is used as an export route for agricultural products from Ukraine. The grains are loaded on barges that pass through the territorial waters of Romania to the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanța.Neptun Deep. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says the Neptun Deep project, which involves the extraction of gas from the Black Sea, is a strategic one, and Romania will become the largest producer of natural gas in the European Union. The development plan for the Domino and Pelican South deposits in the Neptun Deep perimeter has been confirmed by the National Agency for Mineral Resources, according to a post on the Governments Facebook page. According to the cited source, OMV Petrom and Romgaz will invest up to 4 billion euros in this stage of project development, which will generate a production of about 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The first quantities of gas from the Black Sea would be extracted in 2027.




    Reform. The emergency ordinance regarding the public administration reform would come into force in Romania starting September 1, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has stated. A more flexible state is needed, it is essential to reduce costs and merge institutions whose activities overlap, said the prime minister, who asked the Ministry of Finance to finalize as soon as possible the normative act that must substantially reduce expenses in the budget system. The Prime Minister said that he will not give up on this reform, regardless of pressure. The trade unionists, however, demand that the Government abandon the draft ordinance and start consultations with the stakeholders. They argue that the solution is not to cut employees means of subsistence, namely meal vouchers or food allowances, but rather to significantly reduce the overburdened central government apparatus, to implement the referendum decision to reduce the number of parliamentarians or even to cut public subsidies for political parties . The trade union confederations warn that, in its current form, the normative act will drastically reduce incomes in the budget sector and will trigger large-scale social conflicts.



    Firefighters. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu congratulated the Romanian rescuers who completed their mission in Greece on Friday for their “altruism, courage and efforts”. He wished success to the Romanian firefighters who are replacing them to continue the mission of helping the population and the authorities to put out the fires in other countries. “Romania and Europe stand in solidarity with the Greek people, who are in need of support, and we hope that, together, we can return things to normal as soon as possible!”, stated Marcel Ciolacu. On Friday, Romania sent to Greece a new specialized module for extinguishing forest fires, in the context of the massive vegetation fires that the Greek state has been faced with recently. 90 Romanian firefighters from the Inspectorates for Emergency Situations replaced their colleagues who participated in a similar mission in the last two weeks, within the European Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union.




    Football. The Romanian teams Farul Constanța, FCSB and Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe have qualified for the third preliminary round of the UEFA Conference League. CFR Cluj missed the goal, being eliminated by the Turkish team Adana Demirspor. The Romanian champion Farul Constanta got past the Armenian team Urartu with a double 3-2, at home and away, and is going to take on FC Flora Tallinn from Estonia. The winner of the Romanian Cup, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, won last night 4-0 and got 6-0 on aggregate against ŢSKA Sofia of Bulgaria. Sepsi is now preparing for the two matches against FC Aktobe from Kazakhstan. The vice-champion FCSB defeated the Bulgarian team ŢSKA 1948 3-2 (1-0) and will play against the vice-champion of Denmark, FC Nordsjaelland. The matches in the third preliminary round for the Conference League will be played on August 10 and 17. (MI)