Radio România Internațional

Tag: foreign policy

  • November 18, 2024

    November 18, 2024

     

    VISIT The fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago encouraged Romanians in their fight for freedom, and the removal of the Iron Curtain made it possible for Romania to rejoin the family of European democracies, President Klaus Iohannis said in Germany. While on a visit to that country, the Romanian head of state Sunday addressed the federal Parliament, in a ceremony occasioned by the Day of Commemoration of the Victims of War and Dictatorship. In Germany, president Iohannis had talks with the German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier about security and the support that Romania and Germany will continue to give to Ukraine, while during the consultations with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Romania’s full Schengen accession was also tackled. The Romanian official thanked Germany for its active support and constructive approach, emphasised that Romania fulfills its role as guarantor of security at the EU’s external border – a fact acknowledged by its European partners – and added that Romania’s full Schengen accession will strengthen this area. The agenda of the visit also included meetings with the head of the Bundestag, Barbel Bas, and with the president of the opposition Christian-Democratic Union, Friedrich Merz.

     

     

    EU PM Marcel Ciolacu is in Brussels today, accompanied by a government delegation that includes the foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu, and the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr. The working visit also includes the first meeting of a Romanian official with the new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte. Talks will focus on the security of Romania and the Black Sea region, on strengthening the eastern flank of the Alliance and on the war started by Russia in Ukraine. Marcel Ciolacu will also have meetings with EU officials, including with the president elect of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The topic of Romania’s full Schengen accession will also be approached. The Austrian interior minister, Gerhard Karner, has recently hinted that Austria could withdraw its veto on the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria after the improvement of border protection, and the Romanian PM said that there are good chances for this goal to be reached by the end of the year. A decision is expected at the JHA Council in December, but the actual lifting of border controls could take place a few months later.

     

     

    AGRICULTURE EU agriculture ministers convene in Brussels today for a meeting of the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council. One of the main topics is the situation in the EU market, especially as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The participants will discuss the state of the agricultural market and of basic agrifood products. The Ukrainian minister for agrarian policy and food Vitalii Koval will join the meeting to provide an update on Ukraine’s farming sector. Romania is represented by Violeta Muşat, a state secretary with the ministry of agriculture and rural development.

     

     

    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu takes part today in a Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels. The agenda includes Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the developments in Georgia, the EU-USA relations following the US presidential elections, the situation in the Middle East and the security situation in the Horn of Africa. The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, will propose a freeze on the political dialogue with Israel in the context of the war in Gaza Strip, DPA reports, after ”a year of unheeded pleas by the Israeli authorities regarding respect for international law in the Gaza war”, Borrell wrote ahead of the meeting. On the sidelines of the FAC meeting, an informal working breakfast with Moldova’s foreign minister Mihai Popşoi will also be organised, at the initiative of Romania and Lithuania.

     

     

    FOOTBALL Tonight, in Bucharest, the Romanian national football team takes on Cyprus, in Group C2 of the UEFA Nations League, with over 40,000 fans expected to attend. Romania leads the group with 4 wins in 4 games, and is waiting for a UEFA verdict related to Friday’s match against Kosovo. The match in Bucharest between Romania and Kosovo was suspended after the guests left the field during extra time in the second half, when they heard pro-Serbia chants from the home fans, and refused to resume it. The Kosovo Football Federation denounced the ”unacceptable and unsafe atmosphere” of the match in Romania, and argued that its players left the pitch because of ”persistent racist and anti-Kosovo chants by Romanian fans.” The Romanian Football Federation, for its part, issued a statement dismissing Kosovo’s allegations as unfounded, and said the guest players’ withdrawal shortly before the final whistle was unjustified. (AMP)

  • Foreign Policy Opinion

    Foreign Policy Opinion

    Sharing
    borders with the Black Sea and allied as NATO member states for 2 decades,
    Romania and Turkey are also tied by a strategic partnership which they have
    decided to extend. Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, has recently had
    talks in Bucharest with Romania’s diplomacy chief Luminiţa Odobescu, and
    announced that a high-level Council for strategic cooperation would be
    established to this end.


    The
    defence cooperation is an important component of the two countries’ bilateral
    relations, the Turkish official pointed out. A critical topic approached during
    the recent talks was the current security context and ways for the two
    countries to help consolidate and enhance security at the Black Sea, the Romanian
    foreign minister said in her turn. She thanked Turkey for its participation in
    the NATO air policing missions in Romania, which contributes to strengthening
    the Allied defence and deterrence posture on the eastern flank.


    Luminița
    Odobescu also mentioned the recent decision to set up the Romania-Turkey-Bulgaria
    Naval Group tasked with clearing the mines floating in the Black Sea, which is
    a concrete example of the way in which the three countries are able to work
    together in the region.


    Consolidating
    the economic cooperation between Turkey and Romania was also on the agenda of
    the meeting. Bilateral trade amounted to USD 9.4 bln in the first 11 months of
    last year, and is expected to reach USD 15 bln in 2025.


    The
    two officials also discussed the situation in the Middle East. The Turkish
    foreign minister argued that 2 million people are being bombed by Israel in
    Gaza and are struggling with hunger and infectious diseases. In turn, Luminiţa Odobescu said
    close coordination of international efforts is necessary in order to achieve
    sustainable peace in the Middle East. She argued that the needs of Palestinian
    civilians remain a priority for Romania, even though, like many other partners,
    Romania suspended its financial contribution to the UN agency for Palestinian
    refugees after some of the agency’s employees were found to have been involved
    in the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.


    A
    major concern for the Romanian diplomacy is also the war in neighbouring
    Ukraine, which was invaded by the Russian army nearly 2 years ago. Luminița
    Odobescu emphasised that the situation in Ukraine is in fact a priority for the
    EU as well, and pleaded for continued European support to Kyiv. Since the start
    of the war, more than 7 million Ukrainian nationals have transited Romania to
    seek shelter, and the Romanian port of Constanța has become a vital hub for
    Ukraine’s grain exports. (AMP)

  • Ambasadorul român în SUA, citat de Foreign Policy

    Ambasadorul român în SUA, citat de Foreign Policy


    Publicația Foreign Policy a publicat un articol legat de prezența NATO în Marea Neagră în contextul invaziei rusești din Ucraina. Printre sursele articolului semnat de Robbie Gramer, reporter specializat în securitatea națională și diplomație, se numără ambasadorul României în SUA, Andrei Muraru care declarase într-un alt interviu că “de mult timp putem observa un decalaj în ceea ce privește securitatea părții de nord a flancului estic [al NATO] și partea de sud a flancului estic”. Diplomatul român a mai subliniat că întreaga regiune a Mării Negre este expusă în fața Rusiei.”




    Foreign Policy notează că deși Marea Neagră este o zonă strategică pentru forțele alianței Nord-Atlantice, acestea este mai degrabă o vulnerabilitate a NATO în fața Rusiei:


    “Pentru Washington și aliații săi din cadrul NATO, contracararea influenței Rusiei la Marea Neagră este fundamentală pentru a-și menține influența asupra flancului sud-estic al Europei și pentru a asigura libera circulație a mărfurilor esențiale care circulă din așa-numitul coș de pâine a Europei către piețele vulnerabile din Orientul Mijlociu și Africa. Cu toate acestea, de prea mult timp regiunea Mării Negre s-a regăsit la periferia strategiei Occidentului de a contracara Rusia, în loc să fie o componentă centrală a acesteia, după cum susține un număr tot mai mare de factori de decidenți occidentali și legislatori americani.”



    Traducerea articolului a fost realizată de către Ambasada României la Washington.


  • Foreign policy priorities

    Foreign policy priorities

    In 2023, Romania maintains its general foreign policy coordinates aimed at strengthening its place and role within NATO and the EU and at reinforcing the strategic alliance with the US, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, at the meeting with the accredited foreign ambassadors to Bucharest. The Romanian president stated that Romania will continue to support securing a consolidated posture on NATO’s eastern flank, to promote the strategic importance of the Black Sea and to support the open door policy of the North Atlantic Alliance.



    For the inclusion of Romania into Schengen, important diplomatic resources will be reallocated, and the support given to neighboring Ukraine will be maintained within the same parameters, as long as it is necessary. As regards the free-travel area, president Iohannis emphasized that the success of lifting the CVM in 2022 must be completed this year with Romanias well-deserved accession to the Schengen Area, given that, according to him, Romania is prepared from all points of view.



    Klaus Iohannis: “The place of Romania and its citizens is in Schengen. I reiterate in this context that we will take all the steps that we can take, at all levels, so that Romania should obtain a favorable decision for accession to the Schengen Area.



    Klaus Iohannis also recalled that Romania handled in an exemplary manner the unprecedented situation at the EUs and NATOs border, generated by the war started by Russia in neighboring Ukraine, and pointed out that Romania’s image grew exponentially at the regional, European and global levels. The year that has just begun will not be simple, the president also said, adding that our ability to respond to challenges and remain united will continue to be tested.



    Klaus Iohannis: “Romania’s response to the crisis caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine will continue to be multidimensional and comprehensive. We will continue to support Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, including their European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, as the case may be. I repeat what I said in Kyiv and Chisinau. Romania will provide all the support, as long as it is necessary.



    Besides strengthening security, the European Union needs solutions to ensure competitiveness, a solid industrial basis, the green transition and the digital transition, Klaus Iohannis also said, noting that energy security remains a priority in 2023.



    Klaus Iohannis: “There is an increased interest of the states in the Black Sea region in strengthening connectivity, with beneficial effects both at regional and European levels. An example in this sense is the 4-party agreement between Romania, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Hungary, whose signing we hosted last month, in the presence of the President of the European Commission.



    According to the head of state, this agreement is an important step towards the fulfillment of the project of the submarine power cable meant to carry electricity from renewable sources through the Black Sea. (LS)

  • Foreign policy priorities

    Foreign policy priorities

    In 2023, Romania maintains its general foreign policy coordinates aimed at strengthening its place and role within NATO and the EU and at reinforcing the strategic alliance with the US, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, at the meeting with the accredited foreign ambassadors to Bucharest. The Romanian president stated that Romania will continue to support securing a consolidated posture on NATO’s eastern flank, to promote the strategic importance of the Black Sea and to support the open door policy of the North Atlantic Alliance.



    For the inclusion of Romania into Schengen, important diplomatic resources will be reallocated, and the support given to neighboring Ukraine will be maintained within the same parameters, as long as it is necessary. As regards the free-travel area, president Iohannis emphasized that the success of lifting the CVM in 2022 must be completed this year with Romanias well-deserved accession to the Schengen Area, given that, according to him, Romania is prepared from all points of view.



    Klaus Iohannis: “The place of Romania and its citizens is in Schengen. I reiterate in this context that we will take all the steps that we can take, at all levels, so that Romania should obtain a favorable decision for accession to the Schengen Area.



    Klaus Iohannis also recalled that Romania handled in an exemplary manner the unprecedented situation at the EUs and NATOs border, generated by the war started by Russia in neighboring Ukraine, and pointed out that Romania’s image grew exponentially at the regional, European and global levels. The year that has just begun will not be simple, the president also said, adding that our ability to respond to challenges and remain united will continue to be tested.



    Klaus Iohannis: “Romania’s response to the crisis caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine will continue to be multidimensional and comprehensive. We will continue to support Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, including their European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, as the case may be. I repeat what I said in Kyiv and Chisinau. Romania will provide all the support, as long as it is necessary.



    Besides strengthening security, the European Union needs solutions to ensure competitiveness, a solid industrial basis, the green transition and the digital transition, Klaus Iohannis also said, noting that energy security remains a priority in 2023.



    Klaus Iohannis: “There is an increased interest of the states in the Black Sea region in strengthening connectivity, with beneficial effects both at regional and European levels. An example in this sense is the 4-party agreement between Romania, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Hungary, whose signing we hosted last month, in the presence of the President of the European Commission.



    According to the head of state, this agreement is an important step towards the fulfillment of the project of the submarine power cable meant to carry electricity from renewable sources through the Black Sea. (LS)

  • Romania – the US, 10 years of Strategic Partnership for the XXI century

    Romania – the US, 10 years of Strategic Partnership for the XXI century

    On September 13, Bucharest and Washington marked 10 years since the conclusion of the Strategic Partnership for the XXI century and the signing of the Agreement on the setting up of the United States Ballistic Missile Defense System in Romania. On this occasion, the Romanian Foreign Ministry and the United States Department of State issued a joint statement according to which Romania and the US will continue to be outposts of Euro-Atlantic values ​​and meet the challenges of the future together, as friends and allies. The Romanian Foreign Ministry recalls that, since its launch in 1997, the Strategic Partnership has been an essential landmark of the Romanian foreign policy and one of its basic pillars, along with Romania’s membership in the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union.



    At the same time, the partnership is an effective tool to support domestic efforts in such areas as strengthening security, increasing prosperity, supporting the political, economic, military and administrative reform. Cooperation between Romania and the US has been constantly strengthened and diversified, so that in 2011 it was decided to develop the Partnership by establishing the main dimensions of the bilateral relationship, which include political dialogue, security, economy, people-to-people contacts, science and technology, research, education and culture.



    The Romanian Foreign Ministry recalls that negotiations related to an agreement on the deployment of the United States ballistic missile defense system in Romania began in 2010. In this context, a political text of the Joint Declaration was negotiated, Romania’s chief negotiator at the time being the current Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu. In December 2015, the technical capacity of the Anti-Missile Defense Facility in Deveselu (southern Romania) was confirmed, and the inauguration ceremony was held in May 2016.



    The Romanian Foreign Ministry states that the Agreement proves the United States commitment to European security and represents Romania’s and the US’s joint contribution to collective defense within NATO. NATOs missile defense system is exclusively defensive and targets threats from outside the Euro-Atlantic space. In a message sent on the celebration of 10 years since the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership, the charge daffaires of the US Embassy in Bucharest, David Muniz, highlighted the fact that Romania remained an essential link within NATOs missile defense chain. Romania has fought side by side with America and other Allied forces in some of the toughest and deadliest theaters of operations in the world, and the Romanian military has bravely honored this commitment and paid an incredibly expensive price, David Muniz also said. (LS)


  • Continuity in EU Foreign Policy

    Continuity in EU Foreign Policy

    There is quite a number of recurrent themes on
    the agenda of the EU diplomacy, from post-Brexit ties with London to the
    increasingly complicated relationship with the US. Also, the situation in
    conflict areas in the proximity of the European Union is an equally frequent
    topic for discussion by the member states’ foreign ministers. Monday’s meeting
    of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels was no exception, as Ukraine and
    Syria were high on the agenda of talks.

    According to the Romanian Foreign
    Minister Teodor Melescanu, everybody agreed that the EU must get more actively
    involved in finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis, which has been
    going on for almost ten years and which has a direct impact on Europe, in
    particular through the waves of migrants and the return to Europe of some of the
    combatants there. As regards Ukraine, Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu called
    on the EU to convey once more a very clear message regarding the need for the
    neighboring country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity to be
    respected.

    According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, it was
    likely for the EU to seize the assets and ban the free circulation in the
    community area of the eight Russian citizens involved in last year’s incident
    in the Kerch Strait, which ended in the arrest of several Ukrainian sailors.
    Minister Melescanu explains why these sanctions have not been adopted yet:


    They are currently being analyzed by
    the EU but the main priority that we now have at EU level is taking the
    necessary steps to free the sailors arrested in the Kerch Strait. This has been
    set as the main priority and, of course, discussions are to be held concerning the people believed to be involved in this
    arrest.


    Romania’s other ex-Soviet neighbor, the mostly
    Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, was also on the agenda of the EU Foreign
    Affairs Council meeting. Parliamentary elections are scheduled in Moldova on
    Sunday, and analysts say the stake will be not only political, but also
    geopolitical. Opinion polls show Igor Dodon’s pro-Russian Socialists as
    favorites, with almost 40% of the votes, followed by the ACUM bloc, an
    electoral alliance of the pro-European right wing, with 25% and the centre-left
    Democratic Party, the main party of the current pro-Western government, with
    15%.

    Melescanu has made no secret out of the fact that he hopes the outcome of
    the Moldovan elections will be a majority that would continue its rapprochement
    with Europe. Romania believes that it would be a mistake for the EU to give up
    the financial and political investment it has made so far in the Republic of
    Moldova, Melescanu also said.

  • January 29, 2019

    January 29, 2019

    FLU The Public Healthcare Ministry is to decide whether conditions are met to declare a flu epidemic in Romania. One such condition is that, for 3 weeks, the number of cases confirmed must be higher than the number of cases estimated. The National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control announced that 48 people have died from the flu this season. None of the victims had been immunised against the disease.




    DIPLOMACY President Klaus Iohannis has said today, at a meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions in Bucharest, that he will do everything in his power to ensure that the values of the rule of law, of liberal democracy and of an independent and efficient judiciary are not affected. The president vowed that, regardless of the very dynamic domestic political situation, all decision makers will join efforts to ensure the proper fulfilment of Romanias role as holder of the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. He reiterated that Schengen accession remains a priority for Romania. Also, according to the head of state, Bucharests candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council is quite strong. As for strengthening the strategic partnership with the US, Klaus Iohannis said this remain a foreign policy priority for Romania.




    UN Romanias permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ion Jinga, has chaired the last meeting of the Peace Building Commission held under the Romanian presidency of the commission which started on January 31st, 2018. The PBC 2018 Annual Report was officially adopted on this occasion. The document looks at the efforts made by the PBC Presidency last year in implementing the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions with respect to revising the peace building architecture. The report reflects the fulfilment of the priorities undertaken by Romania upon taking over the PBC presidency, as well as a number of first-time accomplishments of the Commission in 2018. The Romanian Ambassador explained that “the positive results during the Romanian presidency were possible thanks to the joint commitment of all member states, while also complying with the fundamental principle of preserving national decision-making and leadership.




    CORRUPTION Transparency International Tuesday presented its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks 180 countries by their public sector corruption levels as decided by consulting experts and business communities. According to the 2018 report, Romania ranks 61st in the world, with 47 points, down 2 places since 2017. Transparency Internationals index uses a 0 to 100 scale, with 0 standing for extremely high corruption and 100 for no corruption at all. Out of the 28 EU member states, Romania is 24th. The top positions in the global ranking are held by Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.




    BREXIT Britains PM Theresa May appears before Parliament again today, to present the next steps planned in the countrys withdrawal from the European Union. A first draft of the agreement she had suggested was rejected by a large parliamentary majority 2 weeks ago. This time however, British MPs were able to table amendments which, if endorsed, pave the way for various scenarios, from postponing the exit date to holding a second referendum on the topic. More than 10 amendments have been submitted. The Government announced that a second vote on the withdrawal deal would be held shortly, and British media already speak about February 13th as the date of the new vote.




    EUROVISION Romania will compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 16th, alongside Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Denmark and Armenia, according to the drawing held in Tel Aviv. On February 17th, Romania will announce its representative in the 2019 edition of Eurovision, hosted by Israel. Romanias best performances in this competition so far have been 2 third places (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem in Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi in Oslo, 2010) and a fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu in Athens, 2006).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 15, 2018 UPDATE

    May 15, 2018 UPDATE

    CONSULTATIONS – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila held talks on Tuesday on the countrys foreign policy, also on a prospective relocation of the Romanian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A communiqué issued by the Presidency shows the president underlined that it is mandatory for Romanias foreign policy to be pursed solely in the interest of the country and that domestic tensions on foreign policy issues should come to an end immediately, for Bucharest to remain a credible player in the relation with the US, at the level of the European Union and NATO, as well as within the other strategic partnerships it is committed to. In turn, Viorica Dăncilă has said that in her capacity as head of the government, her main responsibility is to implement the governing program, including the chapter devoted to foreign policy. In this context, according to the PM, launching an analysis and assessment process into the possibility of relocating the Romanian Embassy in Israel, a proposal analysed by other countries too, is also part of this chapter. The government has recently adopted a memorandum on the opportunity of relocating the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.



    SOFIA– President Iohannis will attend on Wednesday and Thursday in the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia, the informal meeting of the European Council and the EU-Western Balkans Summit. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration in Bucharest, Wednesdays agenda of the informal meeting of the European Council will cover issues related to such domains as IT, research and innovation. The participants will also tackle the decision made by the US on introducing customs duties on steel and aluminium imports. On Thursday, at the EU-Western Balkans Summit, the heads of state and government will approach such issues as connectivity, security and migration. President Iohannis will underline the importance of projects in the field of connectivity, infrastructure, energy and digital networks, given that they all can enhance the convergence between the EU and the Western Balkans regions, the communiqué also reads.



    RULING – The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest on Tuesday announced that on May 29, it will issue the ruling in the trial in which the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, is facing corruption charges. The anti-corruption prosecutors request a 7 year and five month jail sentence for abuse of office and two years and six months for forgery. They say that when Dragnea was head of the Teleorman County Council, he made several employees of the Social Assistance Directorate fictitiously hire two persons who were members of the Social Democratic Partys local organization. Although the two were working exclusively for the Social Democratic Party, their salaries were paid from public money. We recall that in 2016, the Court found Liviu Dragnea guilty of having local Social Democratic leaders take people to polls illegally, in order to make sure the referendum against the then president was validated, and gave him a 2-year suspended sentence.



    ECONOMIC GROWTH – Latvia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania reported the biggest economic growth in the EU in the first quarter of 2018 as against the same period of 2017, according to preliminary data made public by the Eurostat on Tuesday. Romania has reported a 4.2% economic growth. Also, according to data made public by the Romanian Statistics Institute on Tuesday, Romanias economy in the first quarter of the year went up by 4% on gross terms and by 4.2% on seasonally as against the same period last year.(translated by E. Enache and D. Vijeu)

  • Priorities of the Romanian diplomacy

    Priorities of the Romanian diplomacy

    A number of anniversaries and mandates of great European and international importance are lining up for Romania in the near future, at a time when the global context is more complicated than it has been for a long time. The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu made this statement recently, in an extensive interview given to Radio Romania. In today’s show we look at some of Romania’s top foreign policy priorities, insisting on the 10 years of the country’s EU membership. Other topics, such as Romania’s Schengen accession, its relations with the US, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Moldova, Bucharest’s position on the refugee crisis and terrorism, and Romania’s economic goals will be discussed in future editions.So what are the key foreign policy priorities for Romania in the forthcoming period?



    Teodor Melescanu: “This year we celebrate a decade of European Union membership and nearly one and a half decades since the country joined NATO. Rebuilding our ties with the past, we have returned to our natural place within the Western, European and Euro-Atlantic family. But from this place, which is one of unprecedented prosperity and security, we must remain strategically connected to the core of this community. Our key priorities are very clear: the Great War centennial, the presidency of the European Council in 2019, our candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council in the 2019 elections and a special goal, namely Romania’s joining the OECD. I’ll start with Europe, because this is where we live. We believe our core duty is to move towards firmly and sustainably consolidated integration and convergence. We are particularly concerned with the rights of Romanians in the European Union, including in the context of Brexit, with our Schengen accession, with the security of Europe, with the cohesion policy, the common agricultural policy and the integration of the single market, the completion of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, the management of migration flows, curbing climate change, the social component and many others.”



    Romania’s European interests cannot be separated from its security interests, from a transatlantic and global perspective. At present Romania is not only a beneficiary of NATO but also a relevant participant in deciding and pursuing the alliance’s objectives, whether we talk about consolidating its defense and deterrence capacity on its eastern flank and keeping the balance and coherence between its northern and southern regions, hosting the anti-missile shield, contributing to peace keeping missions in Afghanistan and supporting Ukraine’s cyber security, the Romanian Foreign Minister has also said.



    Referring to the 10 years that have passed since Romania became a EU member, Teodor Melescanu has said there has been a huge transformation at society level: “These years have seen an unprecedented development of Romania, under all aspects, that is consolidating democracy, developing its institutional and administrative capacity and in particular economic growth. Romanian citizens are today enjoying their rights and liberties granted by the European citizenship. The cultural exchange and the access to the European education network for students, are some other examples that I would give. In economic terms, Romania’s GDP has almost doubled during these ten years of European membership, and this happened against the background of the Union having been faced with a rather difficult economic and financial situation. 10 years after joining the EU, Romania plans to develop its capacity to use in an effective manner all instruments provided by the EU to bridge development gaps between regions and to ensure higher living standards for all its citizens.”



    As for bilateral diplomacy, Romania is planning to act on three main directions. The first one is a tighter and more structured cooperation with its neighbours, that are also EU members, such as Bulgaria and Hungary, but also with Moldova and Ukraine. The second direction is the consolidation of the ties with strategic partners such as France, Germany, and also the UK from the Brexit perspective, as well as Poland, Spain and Italy from the perspective of the joint security interests. The third direction is about consolidating bilateral dialogue with the other EU members, such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Baltic states and also with Austria, as holder of the previous 6-month presidency, Finland and Croatia, as Romania’s partners in the presidential triad, as well as the EU members and candidate countries, Teodor Melescanu has also said.


  • Priorities of the Romanian diplomacy

    Priorities of the Romanian diplomacy

    A number of anniversaries and mandates of great European and international importance are lining up for Romania in the near future, at a time when the global context is more complicated than it has been for a long time. The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu made this statement recently, in an extensive interview given to Radio Romania. In today’s show we look at some of Romania’s top foreign policy priorities, insisting on the 10 years of the country’s EU membership. Other topics, such as Romania’s Schengen accession, its relations with the US, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Moldova, Bucharest’s position on the refugee crisis and terrorism, and Romania’s economic goals will be discussed in future editions.So what are the key foreign policy priorities for Romania in the forthcoming period?



    Teodor Melescanu: “This year we celebrate a decade of European Union membership and nearly one and a half decades since the country joined NATO. Rebuilding our ties with the past, we have returned to our natural place within the Western, European and Euro-Atlantic family. But from this place, which is one of unprecedented prosperity and security, we must remain strategically connected to the core of this community. Our key priorities are very clear: the Great War centennial, the presidency of the European Council in 2019, our candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council in the 2019 elections and a special goal, namely Romania’s joining the OECD. I’ll start with Europe, because this is where we live. We believe our core duty is to move towards firmly and sustainably consolidated integration and convergence. We are particularly concerned with the rights of Romanians in the European Union, including in the context of Brexit, with our Schengen accession, with the security of Europe, with the cohesion policy, the common agricultural policy and the integration of the single market, the completion of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, the management of migration flows, curbing climate change, the social component and many others.”



    Romania’s European interests cannot be separated from its security interests, from a transatlantic and global perspective. At present Romania is not only a beneficiary of NATO but also a relevant participant in deciding and pursuing the alliance’s objectives, whether we talk about consolidating its defense and deterrence capacity on its eastern flank and keeping the balance and coherence between its northern and southern regions, hosting the anti-missile shield, contributing to peace keeping missions in Afghanistan and supporting Ukraine’s cyber security, the Romanian Foreign Minister has also said.



    Referring to the 10 years that have passed since Romania became a EU member, Teodor Melescanu has said there has been a huge transformation at society level: “These years have seen an unprecedented development of Romania, under all aspects, that is consolidating democracy, developing its institutional and administrative capacity and in particular economic growth. Romanian citizens are today enjoying their rights and liberties granted by the European citizenship. The cultural exchange and the access to the European education network for students, are some other examples that I would give. In economic terms, Romania’s GDP has almost doubled during these ten years of European membership, and this happened against the background of the Union having been faced with a rather difficult economic and financial situation. 10 years after joining the EU, Romania plans to develop its capacity to use in an effective manner all instruments provided by the EU to bridge development gaps between regions and to ensure higher living standards for all its citizens.”



    As for bilateral diplomacy, Romania is planning to act on three main directions. The first one is a tighter and more structured cooperation with its neighbours, that are also EU members, such as Bulgaria and Hungary, but also with Moldova and Ukraine. The second direction is the consolidation of the ties with strategic partners such as France, Germany, and also the UK from the Brexit perspective, as well as Poland, Spain and Italy from the perspective of the joint security interests. The third direction is about consolidating bilateral dialogue with the other EU members, such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Baltic states and also with Austria, as holder of the previous 6-month presidency, Finland and Croatia, as Romania’s partners in the presidential triad, as well as the EU members and candidate countries, Teodor Melescanu has also said.


  • Romania and cyber-security

    Romania and cyber-security

    A NATO member since 2004 and a EU member since 2007, Romania is fully committed, alongside the other member states, to the security policy and everything related to it. In an interview on Radio Romania, foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu underlined that Bucharest pays special heed to the global foreign policy and security strategy as well as to the cooperation between the EU and the North-Atlantic Alliance.



    Teodor Melescanu: “Romania is nowadays not only a beneficiary of NATO, but also a key player in establishing and reaching the allied goals, if we speak of either consolidating NATO’s defence and deterrence posture on the eastern flank, keeping the balance and coherence between the northern and southern regions, or of hosting the anti-missile defence system, of the very significant contribution it has had in Afghanistan or the support we provide for Ukraine’s cyber-security. Increasing defence spending to 2% of the GDP this year has enhanced our credibility at international level, too. We should establish and certify these capacities in the run up to the 2018 NATO Summit”.



    Having convened this week in Brussels, in a meeting that focused on NATO’s efforts to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century, the NATO defence ministers analysed measures to improve the movement of allied military forces, over the Atlantic and across Europe, ways to tighten cyber defence, North Korea’s arming program as well as supplementing the number of troops in Afghanistan.



    NATO has decided to set up two new commands to boost its capacity to intervene in support of the allied countries, especially the European states, in case of a conflict – “a Command for the Atlantic, to ensure that sea lines of communication between Europe and North America remain free and secure” and “a new Command to improve the movement of military forces across Europe and ways to strengthen the logistical function across the NATO Command Structure”, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.



    The defence ministers decided, on the other hand, to integrate national cyber defence means into those of the Alliance. “We will integrate national cyber capabilities into NATO missions and operations as we integrate their conventional capabilities, being it ships, tanks, planes. It will still be under full national control, it will be national capabilities but they will be integrated into NATO missions and operations,” Jens Stoltenberg has explained.



    The security issue has gained a new dimension and this has to do with cyber security. “No country can fare well on its own and therefore a concrete package of measures has been proposed within the European Commission, one of them being the common framework for the certification of security products”, the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel said in Bucharest. To us, this is a huge step forward, the commissioner has added. On the one hand, consumers should know the exact security level of a product, and on the other hand, we want to bring benefits to the European companies, a certificate which should be recognised all across the European Union, reducing the administrative and financial burden.



    The issue has been debated during an international conference titled “The New Global Challenges in Cyber Security”, an event focussed on the potential of the digital sector. “At present, too much content available online instigates to terrorism or radicalisation. 41% of the content already marked as illegal is not removed, and 28% of it is still available online for more than 24 hours. It is well known that such materials have the highest impact within the first two hours”, the European official has added.



    According to the minister delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, “each year, the costs entailed by the lack of online protection amounts to 400 million dollars. If we fail to achieve, at European and national level, what we intended to do, the costs might amount to 2.1 trillion dollars, which is huge and which will also have an impact on consumers and not only on companies and public administration.” Romania should get more actively involved in setting up a real cyber security market and should consolidate its position of regional leader in the field, Romanian communications minister Lucian Şova has also said. He pointed out that citizens and companies in particular, should be aware of cyber threats and not only of the advantages brought about by a fast exchange of information on the Internet.



    Lucian Şova: “We should encourage the business environment to understand and become aware of the cyber threats which are so frequent, and on the other hand, to actively contribute to setting up a fair and functional market which should enhance cyber-security.”



    Figures show that by 2020 there will be 4.1 billion internet users and over 26 billion network devices, that is three times more than the global population. In economic terms, this brings a significant advantage to the European development and implicitly to the global one. According to estimates, the digital sector might yield over a trillion dollars by 2020, but it will also generate costs. Statistical figures already show that more than half of the European companies have faced one cyber attack so far.


    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)



  • Romania and cyber-security

    Romania and cyber-security

    A NATO member since 2004 and a EU member since 2007, Romania is fully committed, alongside the other member states, to the security policy and everything related to it. In an interview on Radio Romania, foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu underlined that Bucharest pays special heed to the global foreign policy and security strategy as well as to the cooperation between the EU and the North-Atlantic Alliance.



    Teodor Melescanu: “Romania is nowadays not only a beneficiary of NATO, but also a key player in establishing and reaching the allied goals, if we speak of either consolidating NATO’s defence and deterrence posture on the eastern flank, keeping the balance and coherence between the northern and southern regions, or of hosting the anti-missile defence system, of the very significant contribution it has had in Afghanistan or the support we provide for Ukraine’s cyber-security. Increasing defence spending to 2% of the GDP this year has enhanced our credibility at international level, too. We should establish and certify these capacities in the run up to the 2018 NATO Summit”.



    Having convened this week in Brussels, in a meeting that focused on NATO’s efforts to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century, the NATO defence ministers analysed measures to improve the movement of allied military forces, over the Atlantic and across Europe, ways to tighten cyber defence, North Korea’s arming program as well as supplementing the number of troops in Afghanistan.



    NATO has decided to set up two new commands to boost its capacity to intervene in support of the allied countries, especially the European states, in case of a conflict – “a Command for the Atlantic, to ensure that sea lines of communication between Europe and North America remain free and secure” and “a new Command to improve the movement of military forces across Europe and ways to strengthen the logistical function across the NATO Command Structure”, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.



    The defence ministers decided, on the other hand, to integrate national cyber defence means into those of the Alliance. “We will integrate national cyber capabilities into NATO missions and operations as we integrate their conventional capabilities, being it ships, tanks, planes. It will still be under full national control, it will be national capabilities but they will be integrated into NATO missions and operations,” Jens Stoltenberg has explained.



    The security issue has gained a new dimension and this has to do with cyber security. “No country can fare well on its own and therefore a concrete package of measures has been proposed within the European Commission, one of them being the common framework for the certification of security products”, the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel said in Bucharest. To us, this is a huge step forward, the commissioner has added. On the one hand, consumers should know the exact security level of a product, and on the other hand, we want to bring benefits to the European companies, a certificate which should be recognised all across the European Union, reducing the administrative and financial burden.



    The issue has been debated during an international conference titled “The New Global Challenges in Cyber Security”, an event focussed on the potential of the digital sector. “At present, too much content available online instigates to terrorism or radicalisation. 41% of the content already marked as illegal is not removed, and 28% of it is still available online for more than 24 hours. It is well known that such materials have the highest impact within the first two hours”, the European official has added.



    According to the minister delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, “each year, the costs entailed by the lack of online protection amounts to 400 million dollars. If we fail to achieve, at European and national level, what we intended to do, the costs might amount to 2.1 trillion dollars, which is huge and which will also have an impact on consumers and not only on companies and public administration.” Romania should get more actively involved in setting up a real cyber security market and should consolidate its position of regional leader in the field, Romanian communications minister Lucian Şova has also said. He pointed out that citizens and companies in particular, should be aware of cyber threats and not only of the advantages brought about by a fast exchange of information on the Internet.



    Lucian Şova: “We should encourage the business environment to understand and become aware of the cyber threats which are so frequent, and on the other hand, to actively contribute to setting up a fair and functional market which should enhance cyber-security.”



    Figures show that by 2020 there will be 4.1 billion internet users and over 26 billion network devices, that is three times more than the global population. In economic terms, this brings a significant advantage to the European development and implicitly to the global one. According to estimates, the digital sector might yield over a trillion dollars by 2020, but it will also generate costs. Statistical figures already show that more than half of the European companies have faced one cyber attack so far.


    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)



  • Foreign policy priorities in 2017

    Foreign policy priorities in 2017

    Romania’s foreign and security policy will observe the same guidelines as before, President Klaus Iohannis has told foreign ambassadors to Bucharest. The president pointed out that the fundamental pillars of Romania’s foreign policy will remain the same in 2017, namely expanding the Strategic Partnership with the United States and consolidating the EU and NATO.



    According to the Romanian President, combating illegal migration and terrorism remain on the priority list in 2017. On the other hand, the President said Romania is ready to take part in negotiations over Britain leaving the European Union, highlighting the fact that the result of negotiations should fully observe the rights of Romanian people working in Britain.



    Klaus Iohannis said the Romanian-US Strategic Partnership will continue to develop after the swearing in of President Donald Trump, also as regards investment, research, education and, last but not least, lifting travel visas for Romanians. The President also referred to boosting strategic relations with Germany, France and Italy. The Strategic Partnership with Poland must continue to develop, the President argued, particularly with a view to ensuring regional security, but also at EU level, where the two countries share common objectives.



    To an equal extent, the President insisted on expanding the strategic partnership with Turkey, which he sees as an indispensable ally in maintaining stability in the region. Closer cooperation with Baltic states and supporting the European and Euro-Atlantic integration efforts of states in the Western Balkans should also be part of Romania’s foreign policy agenda in 2017, as should be relations with Ukraine.



    Klaus Iohannis also discussed about relations with neighboring Moldova, reiterating Romania’s expectation that the new president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, should observe his constitutional prerogatives.



    The President gave assurances that putting Moldova on an irreversible track towards EU accession remains Romania’s objective: “The Republic of Moldova needs stability and the devoted commitment of all political and institutional decision-making bodies with a view to continuing and consolidating the reform process. Reform is essential for modernizing Moldova and supporting its European accession efforts, to the benefit of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova”.



    Klaus Iohannis believes Romania should focus on economic relations with states in Central Asia and the Middle East, arguing that relations with states in Asia, Latin America and Africa should be fostered more actively.

  • January 18, 2017

    January 18, 2017

    FOREIGN POLICY – The fundamental pillars of Romanias foreign policy continue to be the strengthening of the Partnership with the US and the consolidation of the EU and NATO, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has today said at a meeting with the foreign ambassadors accredited to Bucharest. He has added that Bucharest should further be a pillar of stability and predictability in the region. The Romanian President has also said that Romania should increase defence expenditure of up to 2% of the GDP, according to the commitments it has made. In another move, Klaus Iohannis has reiterated Romanias support for the Republic of Moldovas European path. He stood for a Brexit which should defend the interests of the Romanians living in Great Britain. Other priorities of the Romanian foreign policy will be the fight against terrorism and illegal migration.



    IMF – A delegation of the International Monetary Fund, led by the head of the mission for Romania, Reza Baqir, has today started a one week visit to Romania, to establish contact with the new government in Bucharest. The members of the mission are due to meet high representatives of the Finance Ministry and of the National Bank of Romania, the prime minister and other ministries who hold economy-related portfolios. The agenda of the talks will also cover issues related to the construction of the state budget for 2017. Currently, Romania doesnt have a financing agreement underway with the IMF.



    BORDER POLICE – Romanian border police officers have rescued 52 people, among whom a nine months pregnant woman and an injured man, in the Aegean Sea, as part of a FRONTEX mission. According to a communiqué issued by the General Border Police Inspectorate, those rescued were Syrian, Malian and Nigerian nationals, onboard a drifting vessel. They have been brought to safety and handed over to the Greek authorities. The Romanian policemen, currently on a mission in Greece, as part of Joint Operation “EPN Poseidon Sea, coordinated by the FRONTEX Agency also rescued on January 12, jointly with Greek policemen, 47 foreign citizens, who reached the Greek territorial waters onboard a small vessel.



    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT – Italian conservative Antonio Tajani (63), the candidate of the European Peoples Party, has been elected president of the European Parliament for a mandate of two and a half years. He defeated his compatriot, Socialist Gianni Pitella. Tajani was the spokesperson for the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, and European Commissioner for Industry in the 2010 – 2014 period. He will take over the mandate from the German Socialist-Democrat Martin Schulz, who has withdrawn from the position to be able to return to the German political scene.



    TENNIS – Romanian woman tennis player Sorana Cîrstea has today qualified, in Melbourne, in the third round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after defeating tenth seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. Cîrstea remains the only Romanian tennis player in the competition, after Irina Begu has sustained defeat earlier today. In the doubles, the pair made up of Romanian Monica Niculescu and American Abigail Spears got eliminated in the first round by the pair Lucic-Baroni (Croatia)/Andrea Petkovic (Germany). Two other Romanians will also play in the doubles, Irina Begu alongside Lara Arruabarrena of Spain, against the pair Louisa Chirico (the US/Elise Mertens (Belgium), and Raluca Olaru, alongside the Ukrainian Olga Savciuk, who will play in the first round against the pair Naomi Osaka (Japan) and Monica Puig (Puerto Rico). In the mens competition, Romanian tennis players Horia Tecău and Florin Mergea, playing in different pairs, on Wednesday qualified for Melbourne in the second round of the mens doubles event. (Translated by D. Vijeu)