Radio România Internațional

Tag: G7 Summit

  • June 13, 2024

    June 13, 2024

    ELECTIONS – The process of centralizing votes and validating Sunday’s European Parliament and local ballots is expected to end today, the Permanent Election Authority says. After counting votes from over 97% of polling stations, PSD and PNL have jointly won over 70% of mayor seats. PSD ranks first in terms of the number of county councils won, followed by PNL, AUR and UDMR. The PSD-PNL alliance has also won the largest number of MEP seats having grabbed 48.57% of the vote, followed by AUR, the United Right Alliance and the SOS Romania party. The Central Election Bureau has dismissed a few hundred requests calling for a recount or the invalidation of the round of elections. The acting USR mayors of Bucharest Districts 1 and 2 have invoked election fraud and other irregularities, which their opponents from PNL and PSD respectively, who’ve won the election to the former’s detriment, have denied.

     

     

     

    CELEBRATIONS – Romania’s Defense Ministry is today marking the National Day of Romanian Heroes by hosting military and religious ceremonies in garrisons across the country, hero monuments and cemeteries. The ceremonies commemorated the heroes who gave their lives in the line of duty fighting in wars, missions or theatres of operation. Bells were rung today at noon in churches across the country. “We express our gratitude to the heroes who survived the horrors of World War II, those who opposed communist dictatorship and fought for freedom in the 1989 anti-communist revolution, playing a key role in toppling the totalitarian regime in Romania”, president Klaus Iohannis said in a message. The head of state also expressed recognition for everyone who is today part of Romania’s defense system. Paying homage to the heroes of the Great War, Romanian authorities declared the National Day of Romanian Heroes on the feast day of the Ascension of Christ in 1920. After 1990, this interwar tradition was resumed. Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians are today celebrating the Ascension of Christ, marking the ascension of Jesus to Heaven from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem 40 days following his Resurrection.

     

     

     

    DEFENSE – The EU Defense Ministers summit kicks off today in Brussels, the last such meeting ahead of the NATO summit in Washington. NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said the meeting will address allied measures and initiatives designed to support Ukraine, as well as Russia’s sabotage and disinformation activities in EU states. NATO wants to agree on the final details of the multiannual assistance plan for Ukraine, as well as on a second plan meant to boost the predictability and sustainability of arms industries in the long term. EU Defense Ministers will also hold talks as part of the Nuclear Planning Group. Russia has a dangerous rhetoric in this regard, has transferred nuclear capabilities from Belarus and has undertaken a number of exercises, Secretary Stoltenberg said. Regarding Russa’s hybrid actions, Jens Stoltenberg said we are witnessing an increasing number of coordinated actions. Some attacks were prevented by Member States by exchanging information, while arrests have been made in countries such as England, Germany, Poland or the Baltic States.

     

     

     

    GOVERNMENT – The Romanian Government is today expected to pass an emergency decree on creating a special environment budget designed to fund projects aimed at developing integrated waste management infrastructure. The government will also vote the administrative accord between the relevant Romanian and US authorities, signed in March 2023 in Bucharest, designed to implement the Social Security Agreement between Romania and the USA. Today’s agenda also includes a vote on Romania’s voluntary payment to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for 2024 and negotiations concerning a loan agreement on development policies for fiscal management and green economic growth between Romania and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

     

     

     

    G7 – G7 leaders are today convening in Italy to discuss ways of increasing economic pressure on Russia in response to its aggression in Ukraine. US president Joe Biden is expected to sign a new security agreement with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to support Kyiv in the long term, the BBC reports. On Wednesday, the USA extended existing economic sanctions in order to further hamper Russia’s war effort. A new plan is in the making, meant to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, although some EU states have expressed concern regarding the possible risks entailed by this plan. (VP)

  • Support for Ukraine

    Support for Ukraine

    With the number of casualties on the rise, ammunition and troops in short supply, with US financial aid stalled and the prospect of Donald Trump’s presidency on the horizon, Ukrainians are fearful, after two years of war, of what the future may have in store for them. Kyiv recognizes that the situation is extremely difficult for its forces but remains equally determined to win. “Ukraine will succeed” President Volodymyr Zelensky stated, on February 24, with the same conviction as in the first days of the conflict, from Hostomel airport, captured by the Russian troops in the first hours of the invasion and the scene of violent fights. The EU remains just as determined in its support for Kyiv. More than ever, we strongly support Ukraine – financially, economically, militarily, and morally. Until the country is finally free, said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who welcomed the extraordinary resistance of the Ukrainian people. Going to Kyiv together with the Italina Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, and the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, the head of the EC announced the transfer to Ukraine, in March, of a first tranche of the macro-financial aid worth 50 billion Euros offered to Kyiv from the EU budget until 2027.

     

    At the end of a G7 video conference summit led from Kyiv by the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the leaders of the seven most developed countries promised on Saturday that they would support Ukraine as long as needed, adding that they would look for ways to make Russia pay for the damage caused by the invasion. The G7 countries also committed “to act against third parties that materially support Russia’s war, including by imposing new measures against entities in third countries”. ‘We urge the approval of additional aid to cover Ukraine’s outstanding budget needs in 2024’ the G7 statement also said, alluding to the blocking by the Republicans in the US Congress of the additional 61.4 billion dollars financial assistance package requested by the Democrat President Joe Biden.

     

    On Saturday, in Kyiv, President Zelenski signed, on the other hand, bilateral security agreements with the Italian and Canadian prime ministers. Italy and Canada thus joined Great Britain, Germany, France and Denmark in concluding a 10-year security agreement with Kyiv – agreements meant to strengthen Ukraine’s security until it becomes a NATO member. Also on Saturday, one day after the EU approved its 13th package of sanctions against Russia, Britain announced a 245-million-pound-sterling worth of financial package to help Ukraine rebuild its ammunition stocks. (LS)

  • August 26, 2019 UPDATE

    August 26, 2019 UPDATE

    POLITICS – The Alliance of Liberals and
    Democrats will withdraw from the governing coalition, its leader Calin
    Popescu-Tariceanu announced on Monday. The decision follows after the
    Social-Democratic Party, the Alliance’s ruling coalition partners, did not
    support their claim to reshuffle the government and present a new governing
    program, Tariceanu says. Tariceanu will also withdraw from the presidential
    race, while his party will support the candidacy of Mircea Diaconu, who has
    also rallied the support of the Pro Romania Party. Calin Popescu-Tariceanu will
    also resign from the position of Senate Speaker. In turn, Prime Minister and
    Social Democrat leader Viorica Dancila said her party will stay in power. The Prime Minister on Tuesday will make new nominations to replace the outgoing ministers from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats.




    ELECTIONS – The
    Romanian Government’s decisions regarding the presidential election in November
    enter into force this week. The document includes information and regulations
    regarding the vote in Romania and abroad. The deadline for the submission of
    candidacies is September 22. The election campaign will start on October 12.
    The first round of elections will be held on November 10 and the second one on
    November 24.




    DIPLOMACY -
    Bucharest is hosting for four days the annual meeting of Romanian diplomacy,
    staged by the Romanian Foreign Ministry. Approached at the meeting will be the
    future of the EU and its global role, the trans-Atlantic ties, the ties with
    the eastern neighbors, European affairs, Romania’s political and economic ties
    with countries in the Asia-Pacific area, the Middle East, Africa and Latin
    America, humanitarian aid and the contribution to world peace and security.
    Attending the event are Foreign Minister Ramona Manescu, minister-delegate for
    European affairs George Ciamba and heads of Romania’s consular and diplomatic missions
    abroad. The special guests of this year’s meeting are the foreign ministers of
    Bulgaria and Moldova and the Croatian state secretary for European affairs. On
    Monday, the Foreign Ministry and the UN Development Program signed a
    cooperation memorandum.




    MILITARY – A new
    detachment of the Romanian Gendarmerie is leaving on Tuesday to Afghanistan for
    a six-month NATO mission. The 16 officers and agents will provide training,
    counseling and assistance to Afghan security forces and institutions. Attending
    the departure ceremony on Monday, Inspector General with the Romanian
    Gendarmerie Constantin Florea said the participation of Romanian gendarmes in
    missions in Afghanistan started in 2011, with notable results prompting
    international bodies to call on Romania to contribute special forces to
    training and counseling missions. So far Romanian gendarmes have helped train
    over 17,000 Afghan soldiers and police officers.




    MINISTERS – Prime
    Minister Viorica Dancila on Monday submitted the proposals for new ministers
    decided at Saturday’s National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic
    Party to President Klaus Iohannis. The party’s secretary general, Mihai Fifor
    will be heading the Interior Ministry, Ana Birchall will become Deputy Prime
    Minister for Strategic Partnerships while MP Iulian Iancu will be Deputy Prime
    Minister in charge of economic affairs. Dana Girbovan was nominated for the
    Justice Ministry, but the move has been harshly criticized by the opposition
    who emphasized the fact that Girbovan was a staunch supporter of the justice
    reforms that had been proposed by PSD and ALDE with the alleged intention to
    gain control over the magistrates and hinder the anti-graft fight.




    G7 – World
    leaders gathered in Biarritz for the last day of the G7 Summit on Monday. UN
    Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on the international community to
    take action to protect the Amazon region, swept by wildfire. French president Emmanuel
    Macron said the industrialized states of G7 have agreed on a 20-million-dollar
    fund which states in the Amazon can use to combat wildfire. President Macron also
    said an international initiative for the Amazon at UN level will be launched,
    looking into ways to reforest the affected areas.




    VOLEYBALL – The
    Romanian national women’s volleyball team defeated Estonia 3-1 on Sunday in
    Budapest, Hungary, in Group C of the European Championship. This is the second
    consecutive win of the Romanians, after defeating the host country’s team on
    Saturday, 3-1. The Netherlands is first in the group, with 6 points in 2
    matches, followed by Romania, with 6 points in 3 matches, Croatia, Hungary,
    Azerbaijan and Estonia. On Tuesday Romania will take on Croatia and on Thursday
    it will play Azerbaijan.


    (Translated by V.
    Palcu)

  • June 8, 2018

    June 8, 2018

    Warsaw — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda are today participating in Warsaw in the Bucharest 9 meeting, which includes NATO members from central and Eastern Europe. The participants will tackle ways to consolidate the NATO military presence on the eastern flank of the Alliance, to extend dialogue on security and strengthening cooperation between NATO and the EU, including military mobility. On Thursday, on the first day of his visit to Poland, President Iohannis stated, after talks with his Polish counterpart, that Romania and Poland had a common interest in defending NATO’s eastern flank, given the threats and difficult situation in the region. The two heads of state also talked about the excellent bilateral relations, especially in the economic and military fields.



    High Court – The High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania might give its verdict today in the case in which the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea is accused of corruption. Last month, the prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate asked the court for a sentence of 7 years and 5 months in prison for abuse of office and of 2 years and 6 months for intellectual forgery. They accuse Liviu Dragnea that, when he held the position of president of the Teleorman county council, he ordered the fictitious employment of two Social Democratic party members at the Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection. The two were paid from public money although they worked exclusively for the Social Democratic Party. Dragnea claimed he was innocent and denied prosecutors’ accusations. In 2016 Dragnea received a definitive, suspended 2-year prison sentence for attempted electoral fraud.



    Sibiu — Almost 13 million Euros is the budget of this year’s edition of the Sibiu International Theater Festival, which kicks off today. Until June 17 the participants in the festival will be able to see 524 shows. The 25th edition of the Sibiu festival will bring to Sibiu 3,300 artists from 73 countries. This is the first year when the festival has two honorary patrons: the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, a former mayor of Sibiu and Prince Charles, the Heir to the British Crown, who is famous for his passion for the region of Transylvania, in central Romania.



    ASEF — The 38th ASEF Board of Governors’ Meeting continues in Bucharest. ASEF – Asia- Europe Foundation is the only institution within the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) cooperation format and the main platform for the consolidation of inter-human cooperation between Europe and Asia in the fields of culture, education, durable development and good governance. Romania became a member of ASEF and ASEM on January 1, 2007, when it joined the EU. This meeting currently held in Bucharest announces future meetings to be held in Bucharest in the first 6 months of 2019, namely the Forum of Students, the Conference of ASEF rectors and the Meeting of ASEM education ministers. The meetings will unfold under the auspices of the Romanian presidency of the EU.



    G 7 — The German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that she expected controversies at the G7 summit to take place on Friday and Saturday in Canada, given the current context of differences between Washington and its partners, France press reports. We’ll have controversies mainly in relation to international trade, environmental protection and development and foreign polices, Mrs. Merkel warned. According to France press, the biggest differences are related to the Iranian nuclear deal, from which Donald Trump has recently withdrawn the US, and to Washington’s decision to impose heavier taxes on aluminum and steel imports for all G7 members.



    Brussels — At the defense ministers’ meeting of the NATO member states held in Brussels, the Romanian defense minister Mihai Fifor evoked the importance of the full implementation of decisions adopted at NATO level. He referred mainly to the need for a coherent approach, at strategic level, of an advanced presence on the entire eastern flank, including in the Black Sea region, from the perspective of planning, training, drills as well as command. Minister Fifor also reiterated Romania’s commitment to developing military capabilities necessary for NATO’s missions and operations, and underscored the importance of the allied forces’ interoperability. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • May 26, 2017 UPDATE

    May 26, 2017 UPDATE

    GHITA MAKES BAIL — The Supreme Court in Serbia on Friday agreed to release former Romanian MP Sebastian Ghita on bail. Ghita paid the 200-thousand-euro bail and is forbidden to leave Belgrade without court approval. Sebastian Ghita must also check in with the local police twice every month. Wanted in a corruption investigation, Ghita fled Romania at the end of 2016, one day before his parliamentary immunity expired as he was supposed to be deposed by anti-corruption investigators. After an international arrest warrant was issued in his name, Ghita was last month arrested in Belgrade after presenting a fake Slovenian ID, an offense punishable by up to three years in prison in Serbia, a non-EU member state.



    CAIRO ATTACK — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has condemned Friday’s terrorist attack close to Minya, Egypt, expressing regret and solidarity with the Egyptian people and the Coptic Christian community, also reiterating our country’s full support to international efforts to combat all forms of terrorism. At least 28 people were killed after masked individuals opened fire on a bus carrying members of the Coptic Christian minority. The Islamic State has recently claimed the suicide bomb attacks targeting Coptic churches. Coptic Christians account for the largest Christian community in the Middle East and the oldest in Egypt, considered a beacon of Sunni Islam.



    DRILL 4 thousand troops from Romania and other NATO countries are participating until June 16th in ‘Noble Jump 2017’, the biggest multinational NATO exercise this year on the territories of Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. The Romanian troops will be joining their counterparts from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway, Albania and Bulgaria and will make use of 500 technical means, the Romanian Defence Ministry informs. The drill will culminate with the artillery fire in the shooting range of Cincu, in central Romania. ‘Noble Jump 2017’ is aimed at testing the operational capabilities of the elements of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force and the level of implementing the action plan for increasing the Alliance’s Response in Bulgaria and Romania.



    SUMMIT Heads of government from the world’s most industrialized countries have convened in Sicily for a G7 summit. This is the first G7 summit attended by the president of the United States, Donald Trump. The summit will be the most difficult of recent years, European Council president Donald Tusk has said, calling for solidarity among G7 states, saying that without determination and unity, things might get out of control at global level. According to the BBC, agreements on fighting extremist violence and talks with the Japanese Prime Minister on threats posed by North Korea are high on the agenda. The summit is also expected to see divergent opinions regarding the climate change or trade. The crisis in Ukraine, the sanctions on Moscow and migration will also be tackled during talks.



    MEASLES — Romanian Health Minister Florian Bodog on Friday said that 110 thousand shots of MMR vaccine have been delivered to county healthcare authorities. The Romanian official added that the vaccination law will be debated by Parliament, saying that vaccination is the only way to prevent measles. Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu has called into attention the fact that the vaccination rate in Romania stays around 60% instead of a desired 95% and in order to stop these outbreaks the country might need compulsory vaccination. On Friday a four-month girl died of measles complications, a disease she got from her underage mother in Romania’s rural area. This is the sixth death caused by the disease in the county of Dolj, southwestern Romania and the 27th around Romania in the past months. Since 2016 Romania has seen a series of measles outbreaks mainly in children under fifteen; 6 thousand cases of infection have been reported so far.



    MAYOR The mayor general of Chisinau, the capital of the neighboring Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country, the pro-Western Liberal Dorin Chirtoaca was placed under 30-day house arrest on Friday by anti-corruption prosecutors for influence peddling. Deputy mayor Nistor Grozavu, a head of department and several other persons had been arrested in the same file. Upon Chirtoaca’s direction they had allegedly forged a public bid for paid parking lots around the capital. Chirtoaca got elected in 2007 to become at the age of 39, the youngest mayor of a European capital city. Chirtoaca is one of the most prominent leaders of the Liberal Party supporting the country’s EU and NATO accession and the union with Romania at the same time categorically opposing the pro-Russia direction promoted by socialist president Igor Dodon. As a sign of protest against Chirtoaca’s arrest, representatives of the Liberal Party have withdrawn from power, claiming that the investigations targeting several members of their party are politically instrumented, favouring pro-Russian parties.



    MEDIA Mass-media in Romania cannot accomplish its main responsibility, namely to inform the public and is repeatedly acting as a mouthpiece for various political and trade interests violating journalistic norms of unbiased, balanced and complete information. This is the main conclusion of the report Media Pluralism Monitor 2016, an instrument monitoring the risks of the media pluralism in the EU and outside set up by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom with EU support. According to the report, although legislative provisions in Romania are offering a solid framework, the inconsistent implementation of these provisions and practices are leading to these risks. The report also says that the development of Romania’s mass-media market is dominated by televison; the Internet use is on the rise and the printed press users are diminishing. Rapid Internet development and the availability of free content is making the survival of traditional publications very difficult in a country where people aren’t used to reading and paying for the news, the report also says.



    FOOTBALL — The Romanian Football Federation’s Board of Directors on Friday voted against a request filed by the Professional Football League to ratify the rankings of the First Football League before the end of the football season. The decision gives little chances to FSCB, the former Steaua Bucharest, to challenge the title won by FC Viitorul at the Lausanne Court of Arbitration for Sport. The First League standings for the 2016-2017 football season will be ratified in a board meeting scheduled for June 5. FCSB ended the season with the same number of points as Viitorul and claims it should have been the winner, given it has favourable results in the last 4 direct encounters with Viitorul. In another development, Dinamo Bucharest won the League Cup, while the Romanian Cup final is pitting FC Voluntari against Astra Giurgiu on Saturday.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, 67 WTA, on Friday lost to Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. On the same day Cirstea defeated Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, 28 WTA. The match was interrupted on Thursday, with Cirstea leading 2-1 in sets and 4-all in games. In another development, Marius Copil has qualified to the Roland Garros main graw after defeating Peter Gojowczyk of Germany. This is the first time Marius Copil qualifies to the Roland Garros main draw. (Translated by D. Bilt & V. Palcu)


  • Conclusions of the G7 Summit

    Conclusions of the G7 Summit

    The crisis in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia by the international community, as well as other hot topics, such as the developments in Greece, climate change and the war on terror ranked high on the agenda of the two-day G7 summit held in Germany. Leaders of the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Germany and Japan agreed to maintain sanctions imposed on Russia until the ceasefire agreement signed in Minsk is fully observed. German Chancellor Angela Merkel explained the terms of the final declaration, saying that the conflict could only by solved through political channels and under the Minsk agreement.



    Lifting the sanctions on Russia is directly linked to observing the Minsk agreements, Merkel went on to say, adding that G7 leaders were ready to tighten sanctions while doing everything possible to encourage political dialogue.



    Vladimir Putin is trying to recreate the glories of the Soviet Empire by means of his ingressions in Ukraine, US president Barack Obama said in turn at the end of the summit. The US president believes that despite all denials, Moscow continues to support the separatists in the east of Ukraine, thus violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity. For months the US administration has pressured the EU to extend sanctions on Russia beyond July, the set deadline. The conclusions of the summit are therefore regarded as a victory for Obama, given that some European states were calling for an end to the sanction regime.



    On the other hand, the White House leader admitted that the US did not have a fully-fledged strategy as regards the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organization, and that the recent actions of that terrorist group called for a change of strategy. Barack Obama called on the Pentagon to draft a plan to move up the timetable for training and equipping Iraqi security forces fighting ISIS and said additional efforts were necessary to put an end to the flow of jihadist fighters traveling to Syria via Turkey to join the Islamic State. The United States is currently leading an international coalition of 60 states against the Islamic State, a jihadist organization controlling large areas in Syria and western Iraq, supported by foreign combatants, including from Europe.