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Tag: forestry code

December 20, 2024 UPDATE

PARLIAMENT The two chambers of the Romanian Parliament resulting from the elections on December 1 Friday convened in separate sessions for the first time. The new legislature comprises as many as 465 MPs, 331 Deputies and 134 Senators. Seven political parties have members in the 2 Chambers, of which 4 are pro-European (the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania) and 3 are sovereigntist parties (the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians—AUR, SOS Romania and the Party of Young People—POT). The 19 national minorities are also represented in Parliament. Until a new Senate speaker is elected, the most senior Deputy, the Social Democrat Ioan Stan, an MP since 2000, serves as acting speaker. He said Parliament’s top priorities are citizen safety, economic development and strengthening social balance. In turn, the most senior Deputy, Seres Dénes of the UDMR, who has been an MP since 1992, serves as acting speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. “It is time we worked together to protect the fundamental values of democracy, overcoming any political differences,” Seres Dénes said.

VISIT Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban was received in Bucharest on Friday by his Romanian counterpart, PM Marcel Ciolacu. On this occasion, the Romanian Prime Minister highlighted the “decisive” role that Hungary played in Romania’s full Schengen accession. “It is an excellent result that would not have been possible without the decisive involvement during the Hungarian presidency of the EU”, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised. He added that Hungary is one of Romania’s most important trade partners. In turn, Viktor Orban said he believes that “a new era of cooperation” between Romania and Hungary is beginning. “Hungary wants to continue and deepen its collaboration with Romania,” the Hungarian PM stated. On November 22, the Romanian PM met his Hungarian counterpart in Budapest, for talks, among others, on Romania’s full Schengen accession. The visit to Budapest took place in the context in which Hungary is holding the rotating EU presidency until the end of December.

DEFENCE Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, accompanied by senior defence officials, made a working visit to Romania on Friday, in the Caracal Garrison, where Portuguese troops are currently deployed. According to a news release issued by the Romanian defence ministry, the defence chief of staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, met with the Portuguese officials to discuss the security situation, bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and joint training opportunities. General Vlad highlighted the strengthening of the relations between Romania and Portugal this year, emphasising the valuable contribution of the Portuguese troops to consolidating NATO’s response capacity in Romania.

FORESTRY The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Friday signed into law the Forestry Code, endorsed on December 17 by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. The Code defines the legal framework for the digitised fight against illegal logging. Video surveillance of forest roads with monitoring/recording systems is introduced, which will help detect theft and illegal logging. New forestry offences are also defined, such as falsifying digital forestry data or declarations, which will be punished by imprisonment for up to 5 years. The new Forestry Code provides, among other things, for the establishment of a National Forestry Registry, which will include all forest owners in Romania.

EU SUMMIT The war in Ukraine, the EU’s trade relations with the United States, the situation in the Middle East and Russia’s interference in the elections were some of the topics discussed at the EU winter summit in Brussels. Attending the summit was also Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for unity between the European Union and the United States to obtain peace and save Ukraine. The EU heads of state and government also discussed the supply of military equipment and ways to consolidate Ukraine’s energy sector and other civilian infrastructure that has come under deliberate and increasingly intense attacks by Russia. Talks also looked at the effects of Donald Trump’s return to office on transatlantic trade relations. The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU and the United States should do everything to avoid a trade war, because both economies would be affected and China would be only one standing to gain. Also, European leaders recognised Russia’s meddling in the election process in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia and called for more efficient coordination across the Union to counter Moscow’s hybrid attacks. (AMP)

20 December 2024
A new Forestry Code

The new Forestry Code, a milestone in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, was adopted by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest as the decision-making body, with a large majority of votes. Among other things, the law provides for the inclusion of forests in the green belts around cities, an increase in forested areas, the introduction of the right to pre-emption and quality raw materials at affordable prices for local furniture manufacturers, the obligation to organize professional training courses for forestry personnel and a 25% increase in the basic salary for employees of the National Forest Guard. The law also provides for video surveillance of forest roads, seizing illegal logging transports, including the vehicles, as well as prison sentences of up to 5 years for falsifying forestry computer data. At the same time, the law introduced the concept of “aging islands”, a mechanism by means of which forest areas of at least 1,000 square meters with a role in maintaining biodiversity will be protected from logging. The Code also provides for the establishment of the National Forest Register and the afforestation and state supervision of completely cut down and abandoned forests, even without the owner’s consent. In addition, owners of companies that exploit timber and their relatives can no longer be employees of the forestry sector. Last but not least, access to forests for hiking will be unconditional.

The new law marks a new beginning in forest management in Romania, Environment Minister Mircea Fechet said. He stressed that the measures provided for in the code will ensure the afforestation of deforested lands. “Romania’s forested areas reported a slight growth trend in the last 30 years and this happened especially in the last year, when we managed, using money from the Recovery and Resilience mechanism, to afforest areas that were never included in forested areas. Today we have almost 9,000 hectares ready for contracting, of which over 3,000 have already been afforested this year and last year, and I believe this is a trend that will continue”.

Minister Fechet also pointed out that the forestry sector, the wood industry sector and the related industry account for 3.5% of Romania’s GDP. However, the code was also met with some criticism. From the opposition, AUR deputy Dan Tanasă criticized the fact that the code does not prohibit foreign companies from exploiting wood from Romania’s forests.

“We will truly protect the forests of Romania when we remove foreign companies from Romania to exploit wood at home, and in Romania the forests are exploited by Romanians. Only then can you boast that you have done something for the forests of Romania.”

Over seven months have passed since the new Forestry Code was adopted by the Senate, as the first chamber notified, during which time the document was added with over 200 amendments. Now, law has been submitted to the President of Romania for ratification. (VP)

18 December 2024
December 17, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

GOVERNMENT – The pro-European parties represented in the future Parliament in Bucharest continued, on Tuesday, discussions on the governing program. The meeting was attended by representatives of PSD, PNL, UDMR, but also those of USR, who were absent from Monday’s discussions and who are asking for the measures to be adopted and next year’s budget to be first decided. In their opinion, the distribution of responsibilities and positions in the future Government can only be done after discussions on the governing program. The leaders of PSD, PNL and UDMR announced that they have the necessary votes in Parliament to form a majority and a government, in case USR decides to leave the coalition. On Monday, in the first part of the day, the heads of the four parties discussed the draft budget for 2025 with the Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, but also the budget execution for the current year. The future governing program should include a series of major reforms, which are to be finalized and made public by Friday, December 20, when the new Parliament is to be convened, the coalition leaders said.

AMBASSADOR – “While there is always more work to do, it is clear Romania has chosen the right path – the European and Euro-Atlantic path – towards democracy, peace, security and prosperity – for all its citizens,” said the US ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, on Tuesday, at the Romanian Foreign Ministry offices, where she was conferred the Order of the Star of Romania. Ambassador Kavalec extended her thanks to the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, for the collaboration aimed at strengthening the US-Romania strategic partnership. In this context, the US ambassador to Bucharest mentioned some of the objectives achieved together with the Romanian partners, including the strengthening of Romania’s defense capabilities and its role in promoting regional security, fulfilling the requirements of the Visa Waiver program. She also referred to investments, but also to the development of bilateral relations in the fields of education and culture. At the same time, Kathleen Kavalec also highlighted the joint aid offered to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as the “remarkable” progress that Romania has made as a member of the EU and NATO and as strategic partner of the United States.

ELECTIONS – Four American senators, both Republican and Democrat, have condemned Russia’s interference in the presidential elections in Romania and expressed their support for Bucharest in the fight for the integrity of the electoral process. The senators assured that the United States stands by Romania, as the country urgently takes measures for free and fair presidential elections. The first round of the presidential elections in Romania was cancelled after it was revealed that the voting had not bee not fair due to illegal practices supported by Russia on social media, especially on TikTok. For its part, the European Union announced on Monday that it adopted the first sanctions in response to “hybrid actions” on its territory, against Russian agents accused of “destabilizing” actions in the EU.

FORESTRY – The new Forestry Code, a milestone of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, has been adopted by the Parliament in Bucharest. More than seven months after the normative it passed the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, as the decision-making body, adopted the project. The document, which received over 200 amendments, provides, among other things, for video surveillance of forest roads, imprisonment of up to five years for falsifying forestry computer data and the establishment of the National Forest Registry. The Minister of Environment, Mircea Fechet, said that the measures provided for in the law ensure forest conservation, economic development and new jobs. However, the opposition expressed dissatisfaction with the final form of the project.

PRICES – Romania ranks first in the European price increase rankings. Since the beginning of the year, the country has recorded the largest price increases for food, clothing, footwear, electronics, household appliances and services among all European Union countries. Data from the National Institute of Statistics indicate that food and non-food products increased in price by 5% in November 2024, compared to November 2023, and services by 7.56%. According to Eurostat, over 25% of Romanians’ monthly income is allocated to food, well above the European average, despite the fact that salaries have increased compared to previous years. Romanians spend 30 billion euros annually on consumer goods, such as food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and personal and household care products. In the first nine months of 2024, sales of such items increased by 16%, the increase being covered, in fact, only by price increases, as consumption decreased.

RECESSION – Entrepreneurs are drawing attention to the danger of an economic recession in Romania in 2025 and are calling on the future government in Bucharest to take measures. During the debate “Back to the Economy. How Entrepreneurs See 2025”, staged on Monday by the Coalition for Freedom of Trade and Communication, business people recalled that 2024 was an extremely challenging year and recommended that the future government should avoid measures that would excessively burden the business environment, in an attempt to reduce the budget deficit. They also spoke out in favor of more predictability.

17 December 2024
A new Forestry Code in Romania

On the very International Day of Forests, the Romanian government approved a new Forestry Code, developed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. “It is a balanced Forestry Code, which came to life following an extensive, serious and well-argued dialogue with all the actors in the forestry field”, said the Minister of the Environment, Mircea Fechet. The coming into force of this law is intended to rationalize the legal framework, to combat illegal logging and improve forest management. The document also provides for the establishment of the National Forestry Council, which will bring together all the professional organizations in this field, and the forest owners will be registered in a national forest register.

At the same time, one of the most important provisions prohibits clear-cutting in almost half of the country’s forest area. Until now, clear-cutting was prohibited only in National Parks. Also, the ban will be extended in the Natural Parks. The new Forestry Code will allow the state to reforest those lands that have been deforested and abandoned by the owners, and the Environment Minister, Mircea Fechet, said that there are many such cases. He also mentioned that this bill establishes the legal framework for the digitized fight against illegal forest logging, using satellite images and smart cameras. At the same time, the new Forestry Code entitles forest owners, be they state institutions or private entities or individuals, to alternative security solutions: from specialized structures to security ensured by own means and based on regulations, specifying that forest security is mandatory by law.

Also, the bill establishes the communities dependent on the forest products and prioritizes them in relation to access to forest resources and introduces the phrase “agroforestry use” which means that pastures and agricultural crops will be able to be integrated with trees and shrubs. The bill also establishes the setting up of the National Forestry Council, which monitors and ensures that the forestry personnel operate in conditions of professional ethics, with the observance of professional standards. Ecosystems with high conservation value are defined and the National Catalog of ecosystems with high conservation value – strictly protected – is established. According to another provision, a new concept is introduced, the so-called “aging islands”, which become the mechanism through which forest areas covering at least 0.1 ha, with a great role in maintaining biodiversity, will be protected from cutting. Last but not least, another provision regulates access on foot or by bicycle to the lands of the National Forestry Authority. The new Forestry Code was sent by the government to Parliament, which will analyze and approve it in the form of a law that will replace the old code dating from 2008. (LS)

22 March 2024
March 21, 2024 UPDATE

Forestry – The Romanian government approved the new Forestry Code on Thursday. As a result, clear cutting will be prohibited in almost half of the country’s forest area, as announced by the Minister of Environment, Water and Forests, Mircea Fechet. He added that the law allows the state to intervene and reforest the lands that have been deforested and abandoned by the owners. At the same time, the document gives private or state forest owners the right to alternative security solutions: specialized structures and security provided by own means, specifying that forest security is mandatory by law. Also, the right of access to the SUMAL 2 computer system is suspended whenever there are situations related to the theft of wood. The executive also approved a major investment in the infrastructure of the healthcare system: the construction of a new medical compound in which the Fundeni Clinical Institute from Bucharest should operate, in order to expand and improve the treatment conditions for patients. The building will have 21 modern operating rooms, intensive care units for multidisciplinary surgery and transplant surgery. Also on Thursday, the Romanian Government signed the contract regarding the construction of the Regional Emergency Hospital in Craiova (south). The medical unit will serve the entire Oltenia region and will be able to treat 800 people a day, as stated by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Funds were also allocated for the refurbishment of the Berceni-Pipera highway, the busiest subway route in Bucharest.

Recovery and Resilience – Romania has a little over two years left to achieve all the objectives assumed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – NRRP, the financial support package in the form of grants and loans, mainly intended to eliminate the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The warning was launched in Bucharest by European Commission officials for the implementation of the NRRP. During the assessment conference of the state of implementation of the NRRP in Romania, the officials warned that failure to meet the milestones could put the country in a position to return the money received. The Romanian officials have given assurances that the Plan as a whole is in progress compared to last year.

Summit – The heads of state and government from the European Union gathered in Brussels together with experts, for a summit aimed at giving a new impetus to the production of energy from nuclear sources. This field came back to the attention of Europe, with the war in Ukraine, and also due to the need to reduce the emissions of the classic industry. Nuclear energy is clean and not volatile, as is the case with wind or photovoltaic energy, where production depends on the weather, and Romania is one of the spearheads in terms of new technologies. The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis stated that Romania is determined to develop its nuclear energy program and is collaborating with the US to implement the small modular reactor technology. Iohannis emphasized that Bucharest wants to become a regional leader for nuclear operations, expertise, and also for the supply chain in the field. The trend of returning to energy from nuclear sources is not to the liking of environmental NGOs, which organized protests in Brussels, in parallel with the meeting of European leaders, and demand the concentration of investments strictly on renewable sources. In the capital of Belgium, the Romanian president also participates in the European Council meeting and the extended Euro Summit.

Film – Films from the selections from Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Venice, Toronto and Annecy can be found on the poster of the 28th edition of the French Film Festival in Romania, which takes place from March 21 to 31, in Bucharest and another 12 cities across the country. More than 100 film screenings will take place in cinemas and alternative cultural spaces, the organizers informed. They decided that the festival should be opened, in Bucharest, by the comedy ‘Une Annee Difficile’/’A difficult year’, made by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, the authors of the film ‘Intouchables’ – one of the biggest box office successes in France. (LS)

21 March 2024
A new Forestry Code under debate

A new Forestry Code has been launched for public consultation in Romania, and the Minister of Environment, Water and Forests, Mircea Fechet, has voiced hope that, once submitted to the Romanian Parliament, this autumn, the bill will generate a very good quality normative act , which will not only save Romania from infringements related to forests, but also combat other things, such as the theft of wood.

Together with this bill, the Criminal Code will also be amended, stipulating punishments of up to five years in prison for false declarations regarding the transport of wood material. Among the most important provisions of the new Forestry Code is the fact that clear cutting will be prohibited in almost half of the country’s forest area, after, until now, they were prohibited only in National Parks.

The ban will also be extended in Natural Parks, but also in all Natura 2000 sites.

Mircea Fechet: Today, clear cutting is prohibited in approximately 5% of Romania’s forested area, and under the new Forestry Code bill that we are discussing now, this prohibition will apply to an area that will be close to 50% of the entire forested area in Romania. A second novelty that I would like to present to you refers to the fact that the new Forestry Code will allow the State to take over the afforestation of lands that were, in the past, deforested and later abandoned by the owners.

The new Forestry Code also establishes the legal framework for the digital fight against illegal forest cutting and the perpetrators behind it. At the same time, the forest owner is granted the right to alternative security solutions, given that forest security is mandatory by law. Also, the communities critically dependent on the forest will be established and prioritised in access to forest resources, and between 5 and 20% of the revenues of the state-owned and private forestry companies from the sale of wood will end up in the form of investments in the construction of forest roads and wood stores.The National Forestry Council will be established, with the role of an ethical and technical filter in the forestry field, all forest owners in Romania will be included in the National Forestry Register, and a National Catalog of Ecosystems with high conservation value will be drawn up.

Also, a new concept will be implemented, that of aging islands. These are mechanism by means of which forest areas of at least 0.1 ha, with a great role in maintaining biodiversity, will be protected from cutting. Despite all these advantages, there are, however, voices that claim that the bill risks leading to the liberalisation of cuttings, a fact that would legalise, in the coming years, the exploitation of a volume of wood of over 100 million cubic meters. (MI)

2 August 2023
Romania has a brand new Forestry Code

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis
on Friday promulgated the new Forestry Code, after Parliament had rejected his
request for the law to be reexamined. On May 20th the Chamber of
Deputies, as decision-making body, rejected the President’s request and passed
the law in its initial version.

The President’s request had been
previously met with opposition from the Senate as well. In March, Klaus
Iohannis said in his request for reexamination that the provisions of
this law would arbitrarily limit the activity of companies, which would create
advantages for some and disadvantages for others, have a negative impact on
competition and give rise to situations when the Romanian state, as an EU
member, could be accused of violating its own commitments.

According to president Iohannis, the introduction of the maximum
threshold of 30% upon the purchase or processing wood from Romania’s forests
and the pre-emption right for furniture producers when buying wood will violate
the principles of economic and contractual freedom underlying the market
economy. The Romanian President can send the law
back to Parliament for reexamination only once but he can challenge it at the
Constitutional Court, something he says he does not plan to do.

Unhappy with the fact that they were not allowed
to propose any amendments to the bill after its adoption by Parliament, the
Liberals, in opposition, suggested a project that they wanted included in the
law on national security, stipulating that the illegal deforestation of more
than 1 hectare should be considered a threat to national security. President
Iohannis has recently announced that the issue of illegal deforestation will be
discussed at the meeting of the Supreme Defense Council on Tuesday.

In Bucharest and several other cities, thousands
of people have been protesting lately against the deforestation and illegal
logging of the last years. Protesters are calling on the authorities to pass
laws likely to ensure a transparent exploitation of the natural resources that
need to be preserved and considered national heritage. They are also calling on
decision-makers to carry out more thorough checks at the wood processors, put
an end to illegal deforestation, ban the unprocessed wood exports indefinitely
and strengthen control institutions and the means of monitoring the transports
of logs and timber.

The Government proposed last month that timber
and firewood exports should be suspended until August 31st. As of
this date until the yearend wood trade should be strictly monitored. All these
measures have formed part of two emergency ordinances aimed at regulating the
wood market more strictly.

8 June 2015
A new Forestry Code

The request of the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis regarding the reexamination of the Forestry Code was rejected by the Chamber of Deputies, the MPs passing the law in its initial version. Two months ago, the president said in his request for reexamination that the provisions of this law would arbitrarily limit the activity of companies, which would create advantages for some and disadvantages others, have a negative impact on competition and give rise to situations when the Romanian state, as a EU member, could be accused of violating its own commitments.

According to president Iohannis, the introduction of the maximum threshold of 30% upon the purchase or processing of wood from Romanias forests and the pre-emption right for furniture producers when buying wood will violate the principles of economic and contractual freedom underlying the market economy. Saying they were not allowed to propose any amendments to the bill, the Liberals, in opposition, suggested that the Forestry Code be sent back to the expert committee. However, their suggestion met with opposition from the ruling Social Democrats and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania who supported the initial version of the bill.

The leader of the Liberal group in Parliament Ludovic Orban warned that the provisions of the Codes Article no. 20 may pose a threat to citizens safety:

“We want the reexamination of article 20 of the Code, which in effect allows the destruction of Romanias forests. It allows anyone who owns a forest land to cut as many trees they want, with no commitments or obligations whatsoever.”

The former minister of waters and forests, the Social Democrat MP Doina Pana says the new Forestry Code provides a correct legislative framework that observes the European regulations in the field and that is also in line with Romanias Constitution:

“This is nothing but a desperate attempt to prevent this Forestry Code from being enforced. Those who are opposed to the new Code actually want to perpetuate deforestations, they do not want to promote the national interest but their own party and financial interests!”

The Romanian President cannot send the law back to Parliament but he can challenge it at the Constitutional Court, something he says he does not plan to do.

21 May 2015
Talks on Criminal Procedures

Consistent with the messages he conveyed during last years election campaign, president Klaus Iohannis has reiterated the idea that the fight against corruption must be fought with all engines on, because this is a scourge that prevents Romania from developing. In an interview on the German public television ARD, the head of the Romanian state has recently stated that he is thinking quite seriously to challenge the amendments made lately by Parliament to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code at the Constitutional Court. In his opinion, Romania is now in a stage of fierce fight against corruption, and amending those laws right now is not at all opportune. President Iohannis:

“In a few years time, when I hope the number of cases of corruption will drop, we will be able to talk about amending these laws, provided it is necessary to do so. On the other hand, fighting corruption is not just my or other peoples hobby, it is a must in Romania, if we want this country to keep developing.

The amendments brought by Parliament to the Criminal Code, the Forestry Code and the Law regarding the incompatibility of local officials were criticized by the President on Monday, at a press conference he held in Bucharest. Klaus Iohannis again:

“The Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code are new. They must be left to function for a while, to see if amendments are necessary. I cannot accept the situation in which MPs amend those laws for their own benefit. Therefore, if such laws reach the promulgation stage, they will not be promulgated.

Talking about the Forestry Code, president Klaus Iohannis said he would not notify the Constitutional Court if Parliament did not comply with his request for reexamination, but he also said that, in his opinion, illegal deforestation was a threat to national security, therefore the issue would be discussed at the first meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense.

There has been little talk about the article in the Forestry Code that allows the exploitation of forests smaller than 10 hectares without the obligation to reforest the area, say those who oppose the code. The former minister of waters and forestry, Lucia Varga, has stated that passing the code as it is today, would be a threat to the life of citizens and communities. If this article was not changed, over one million hectares might be deforested without any prior assessment whatsoever. On the other hand, the Competition Council has proposed the elimination from the Forestry Code of the provisions introducing the maximum threshold of 30% for the purchase of wood obtained from national forests and the right of preemption for furniture producers, upon purchasing wood.

19 May 2015
May 12, 2015 UPDATE

PROTESTS-Over 300 members of the two main trade unions in Romanias public administration on Tuesday protested in front of the government building in Bucharest. They demanded better working conditions and higher salaries. The protesters are disgruntled with a government decision under which 60% of these workers will be given minimum wages irrespective of their training, job seniority or the type of work. Public servants also staged protests on Monday. Similar actions are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

THE FORESTRY CODE-The joint environment, agriculture and legal committees with the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday rejected a request made by president Klaus Iohannis for a new assessment of the Forestry Code being made. The voting is to be held in a plenary session of the Chamber on Wednesday. If rejected, the draft law can only be appealed at the Constitutional Court, otherwise the president should promulgate it. The president has called for a reassessment of the document, which, in his opinion, includes provisions aimed at limiting the activity of entrepreneurs and creates the prerequisites for a discriminatory treatment. The Senate rejected the required amendments, given the majority votes cast by the MPs of the ruling coalition and of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, but the Chamber of Deputies is the decision maker in this case. In another move, the government has notified the National Anti-Corruption Directorate on scores of possible cases of corruption in the forestry sector between 2009 and 2012. Illegal deforestation sparked off numerous street protests in several cities across the country at the weekend. Klaus Iohannis has announced the issue will be discussed during the next session of Romanias Higher Defence Council.

CYBER SECURITY SUMMIT-A pilot-project has been launched by the Centre for Innovation in Cyber Security, during the Regional Cyber Security Summit underway in Bucharest. The summit, which is organized by the Romanian field ministry and the US Department of Commerce, brings together representatives and experts from 17 Central and South-East European states and the US, who present the cyber security polices pursued in their countries. Romania has already proved to be an IT leader and stands chances to become a regional cyber security leader, in the current context, marked by the Ukrainian crisis and Russias aggressive policy.

DIPLOMACY-Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is attending the meeting of the NATO foreign ministers held in Antalya, Turkey, on Wednesday and Thursday. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, security challenges in the eastern and southern vicinity are the focal points on the agenda of the talks, to also be attended by the EU
High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. Other issues to be approached at the summit include the political transition process in Afghanistan as well as the security situation in that country and the region. In another move, Ukraines security situation and its impact on Euro-Atlantic security will be other issues to be tackled by the NATO-Ukraine commission. On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, Bogdan Aurescu will have talks with his counterparts from NATO member or partner states.

VISIT– US secretary of state John Kerry on Tuesday met in the famous Black Sea resort of Sochi with Russias president Vladimir Putin and his Russian counterpart, Serghei Lavrov. The focal point of the talks was the conflict with Ukraine, which brought Russian-US relations to their lowest level since the end of the Cold War. This is the first visit paid by John Kerry to Russia after the annexation of Crimea and Moscows involvement in the conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Kiev forces, in eastern Ukraine. After his short visit to Russia, Kerry will leave for Turkey, where he will attend a meeting of the NATO foreign ministers on Wednesday. Later, he will return to Washington, to take part in a landmark summit of Gulf nation leaders, hosted by US president Barack Obama.

ECONOMY-Greece is facing the risk of running out of liquidities in a couple of weeks, the countrys finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said after Athens failure to reach an agreement on another bailout tranche, France Press reports. On Monday, the EU finance ministers hailed the progress Athens had made in talks with its foreign lenders, but said that ‘more work was needed. Lenders are asking for fresh economic reforms but the far-left government, which came to power on pledges to end austerity in the country, insists on finding alternative solutions. Greeces public debt has reached 320 billion euros, which accounts for 175% of the countrys GDP.

EARTHQUAKE– Over 48 people died in Nepal, following Tuesdays quake which measured 7.3 degrees on Richters scale, the authorities in Katmandu have announced. The tremor rocked Nepal just a couple of weeks after the powerful quake of April the 25^th. The quake, whose epicentre was close to the Everest base camp, on the border with China, was reportedly felt in Indias capital city. An aftershock measuring 5.6 degrees was registered just minutes later, the US Geological Service has announced. We recall that on April 25^th a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed 8,000 people and injured 18,000 others in Nepal, being the most devastating tremor to have hit the country in the past 80 years, Reuters reports.

TENNIS– Romanian tennis player Alexandra Dulgheru (72 WTA) on Tuesday qualified for the second round of the Rome tournament with a total of 2.4 million dollars in prize money, after defeating Japanese Misaki Doi, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3. Another Romanian, Irina Begu (31 WTA) defeated Polish Urszula Radwanska (109 WTA), in the first round, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. In the womens double, Romanias best ranked tennis player of the moment, Simona Halep (2 WTA), made a “tour de force alongside Italian Francesca Schiavone, qualifying for the second round of the tournament, after defeating the pair Jurak/Parra-Santonja (Croatia/Spain), 6-2, 6-2.

12 May 2015