Radio România Internațional

Tag: GAS

Weaponising natural gas

The shortage of fuel is spreading around the world and
affecting the global economy, threatening to cause recession and a new wave of
inflation. Under the circumstances, Europe is looking for solutions and is
taking important decisions.

One such decision, was taken on Tuesday by EU member
states, who agreed to ration their gas consumption so as to be able to build
stocks in case Russia halts gas deliveries. According to the latest report by
the European Commission, almost half of EU member states would be affected by a
partial or full cut in gas supplies. In June this year, the amount of gas
supplied by Russia was 30% lower compared with the previous five years’
average.

Under the agreement signed in Brussels, EU countries
will voluntarily reduce their gas consumption by 15% by the end of March next
year. There are some exemptions, namely countries that are not connected to the
gas networks of other EU territories. Also, countries that meet the Union’s
target of filling their gas reserves by August may benefit from lower targets.
This will be Spain’s case, which will voluntarily cut gas use by only 7% on
account of its status as an energy island and its large storage capacity following
major investments to this end.

Germany, which is Europe’s biggest gas user, welcomed
the EU’s coordinated efforts to save gas, emphasising that the EU will remain
united in the face of Russia’s cut in gas supplies. Hungary was the only
country to reject the agreement reached in Brussels, which it views as
unjustifiable, unenforceable and harmful, saying it completely ignores the interests of Hungarians. Hungary believes the security of energy supply is a
matter for the national governments of each individual EU country.

Ukraine said the gas war waged by the Russian
president Vladimir Putin against Europe is a direct continuation of his war
against Ukraine and the only solution is full independence from Russian gas.
Meanwhile, Gazprom has continued to reduce gas deliveries to Europe through the
North Stream pipeline, with Putin saying recently that Russia intends to have its
gas supply. He justified the move invoking the slow pace of repair works.

As far as Romania is concerned, following the
agreement reached in Brussels, the authorities gave assurances that the
additional measures that will be taken in order to reduce gas consumption will
not affect private users, small and medium sized companies, the social services
and the industry. The government says the country already has sufficient gas
stocks and its storage facilities will be filled 80%, as the EU recommends, before
1st November. (CM)

27 July 2022
Nachrichten 22.07.2022

Bukarest: Ministerpräsident Nicolae Ciucă hat am Freitag zugesichert, dass Rumänien über die notwendigen Erdgasvorräte verfügt, um den Bedarf für den kommenden Winter zu decken. Der Premierminister sagte, dass mehr als 1,6 Milliarden Kubikmeter Gas bereits gespeichert sind und der Energieplan vorsieht, dass 80 % der Gesamtkapazität bis zum 1. November erreicht werden. Trotz der Dürre gebe es genügend Weizen, um den Inlandsbedarf und die Exportverpflichtungen zu decken, und es bestehe kein Grund zur Sorge um die Mais- und Sonnenblumenernte, fügte Premier Ciucă hinzu.

Bukarest: Nicolae Ciucă hat am Freitag die Präfekten aufgefordert, Informations- und Präventionskampagnen durchzuführen, um die Bevölkerung über die mit den hohen Temperaturen verbundenen Risiken aufzuklären. Es sei besonders wichtig, dass alle Orte über Kühlhäuser und medizinische Teams verfügen, die Hilfe und kostenloses Wasser bereitstellen. Premier Ciucă forderte die Behörden au‎ßerdem auf, Ma‎ßnahmen zu ergreifen, um die Schiffbarkeit der Donau zu gewährleisten. Der niedrige Wasserstand hat die Schifffahrt auf der Donau fast unmöglich gemacht. Mehrere Schiffe sind im Sand gestrandet, und zahlreiche Kreuzfahrtschiffe haben im vergangenen Monat ihre Aufenthalte im Hafen von Giurgiu abgesagt.

Bukarest: Wie die Behörden am Freitag mitteilten, wurden in den letzten 24 Stunden fast 7.400 neue COVID-Fälle gemeldet, bei insgesamt rund 24.400 Tests. Über 2.600 COVID-19-Patienten befinden sich in Krankenhäusern, 171 davon auf der Intensivstation. Es wurden auch sieben COVID-bedingte Todesfälle gemeldet. Die Krankenhäuser haben begonnen, Ma‎ßnahmen zu ergreifen, darunter die Aufstockung der Betten für COVID-Patienten, regelmä‎ßige Untersuchungen von Personal und Patienten und die Streichung von Besuchszeiten, um das Infektionsrisiko zu verringern.

Bukarest: Die rumänische Grenzpolizei hat am Freitag mitgeteilt, dass am Donnerstag 11.511 ukrainische Staatsangehörige nach Rumänien eingereist sind, 4,5 % weniger als am Vortag. Laut einer Pressemitteilung werden die Grenzkontrollen effizient und im Einklang mit den nationalen und EU-Rechtsvorschriften durchgeführt, und die Grenzpolizeieinheiten arbeiten mit voller Kapazität.

Nach Angaben der türkischen Regierung wollen Moskau und Kiew ein Exportabkommen unterzeichnen, das die Ausfuhr von ukrainischem Getreide über die Schwarzmeerroute zu exportieren. Drei wesentliche Bestimmungen des Abkommens sind bereits bekannt. Erstens muss Russland während der Transporte einen Waffenstillstand garantieren. Zweitens muss die Ukraine Getreideschiffe durch verminte Hafengewässer leiten. Schlie‎ßlich soll die Türkei mit Unterstützung der Vereinten Nationen die Schiffe untersuchen, um russische Befürchtungen über Waffenschmuggel zu zerstreuen. Das ist die erste grö‎ßere Vereinbarung zwischen Russland und der Ukraine seit Beginn der Invasion.

Sport: Der rumänische Fu‎ßballmeister CFR Cluj hat am Donnerstagabend im Hinspiel der zweiten Qualifikationsrunde der Europa Conference League mit 3:0 gegen Inter Club dEscaldes aus Andorra gewonnen. Im gleichen Wettbewerb besiegte der rumänische Pokalsieger Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe zu Hause den slowenischen Verein Olimpija Ljubljana mit 3:1. Die 2 anderen rumänischen Vertreter in der Europa Conference League spielten auswärts. Universitatea Craiova kam gegen den albanischen Verein Vllaznia Shkoder zu einem 1:1-Unentschieden, und Vizemeister FCSB unterlag dem georgischen FC Saburtalo Tiflis.

22 July 2022
July 22, 2022

RESOURCES
PM Nicolae Ciucă promised that Romania will have the necessary natural gas to
cover demand for the coming winter. The PM said more than 1.6 billion cubic
meters of gas is already stored, and the energy plan stipulates 80% of the
total capacity will be reached by November 1. Meanwhile, he said that in spite
of the drought, there is enough wheat to cover the domestic demand and export
commitments and that there are no reasons to worry about the maize and sunflower
crops.

HEAT WAVE The prime minister of Romania
Nicolae Ciucă has today asked prefects to conduct information and prevention
campaigns so that people are aware of the risks entailed by the high
temperatures and that activities to mitigate the effects of the heat wave may
be coordinated. He added that it was important for all localities to have cooling
shelters and medical teams providing assistance and free water. PM Ciucă also requested the
authorities to take steps to ensure navigability on the River Danube. The low
water flow has made it nearly impossible to navigate the Danube, with several
vessels stranded in sand and scores of cruise ships cancelling their stopovers
in the port of Giurgiu over the past month.

COVID-19 Nearly 7,400 new COVID cases
were reported over the past 24 hours, out of around 24,400 tests, the
authorities announced on Friday. Over 2,600 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised,
171 of them in intensive care. Seven COVID-related deaths have also been reported.
Hospitals are beginning to take measures, including increasing the number of
beds set aside for COVID patients, regular staff and patient testing, and
cancelling visiting hours in order to reduce the risk of infection.

REFUGEES The Romanian
Border Police announced today that 11,511 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania
on Thursday, 4.5% fewer than the
previous day.
According to a news release, border checks are conducted efficiently and in
line with the national and EU legislation, and border police units are working
at full capacity.

UKRAINE Turkey announced an agreement was reached,
which would enable Ukraine to export grains via Black Sea routes. The deal is
to be signed in Istanbul today by officials from Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and
the UN. Three main provisions in the agreement are already known. First, Russia
must guarantee ceasefire during the shipments. Secondly, Ukraine must guide grain
ships in and out through mined port waters. Finally, Turkey, supported by the
United Nations, is to inspect ships in order to dispel Russian fears of weapons
smuggling. This is the first major agreement reached by Russia and Ukraine
since the start of the invasion.

FOOTBALL Romanian football champions CFR Cluj won 3-0 against
Inter Club d’Escaldes, of Andorra, played on Thursday night on home turf in the
first leg of the second round of Europa Conference League’s qualifiers. In the
same competition, the winners of
Romania’s Cup, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe defeated 3-1 at home the Slovenian
side Olimpija Ljubljana. Romania’s 2 other representatives in Europa
Conference League played away from home. Universitatea Craiova drew against the
Albanian side Vllaznia Shkoder, 1-1, and vice-champions FCSB were defeated by FC
Saburtalo Tbilisi, of Georgia. (AMP)

22 July 2022
July 20, 2022 UPDATE

NATO. The Parliament of
Romania, convened in a special meeting on Wednesday, ratified the NATO Accession Protocols of Finland and
Sweden. The documents were signed on July 5 in Brussels. Finland’s and
Sweden’s decision to join the North-Atlantic Alliance comes amid security
concerns related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Romanian Foreign Minister
Bogdan Aurescu has informed his Finish and Swedish counterparts about the
ratification. During a phone conversation with the Finish minister Pekka
Haavisto, Bogdan Aurescu tackled Romania’s joining the Schengen agreement, and
his counterpart stressed his country’s support in this endeavor.

Government.
The Romanian government approved, in
Wednesday’s meeting, the substantiation note for the purchase of 12 locomotives
that run on hydrogen, the Minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu, has
announced. The estimated value of the contract, financed under the NRRP and
from the state budget, will be 862.23 million lei (about 175 million euros).
According to a Government communiqué, the investment will be used for a pilot
project regarding their use as an ecological alternative to the transport with
diesel traction on the lines that have not been electrified. The benefits include
time saving for passengers, lower vehicle operating costs, lower maintenance
costs and savings for passenger rail transport operatiors, as well as lower
accident rates and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Report.
The US State Department has raised
Romania’s country rating in the field of combating human trafficking to level
2, in its Annual Report. Among the strategic elements that led to Romania’s
advancement in the rankings are the amendment of the Criminal Code and the
increase in the number of investigations and convictions of human trafficking,
the establishment of the Service for Combating Trafficking in Persons within
DIICOT, equipping the National Police with the best IT forensic system for
detecting sex offenders and pedophiles online and legislative amendments for
the protection of Romanian seasonal workers abroad. The report also comes with
a set of 12 recommendations for Romania, which mainly aim to diversify and
increase the quality of services for victims of human trafficking, improve the
process of identifying potential victims, improve funding mechanisms for
non-governmental organizations providing services to victims, increase the
number of police officers with responsibilities in combating this phenomenon
and the immediate investigation of any suspicions of complicity in trafficking
among public system personnel.

Gas.
The European Commission is proposing a plan
to reduce gas consumption in all Member States by 15% from 1 August to next
spring. The proposal comes as the Union faces the risk of further disruptions
in the supply of Russian gas. The European plan focuses on replacing gas with
other fuels and on general energy savings in all sectors. The new regulation
would give the Commission the possibility to declare, after consulting the
Member States, a Union alert on supply security, imposing a
mandatory reduction in gas demands for all Member States. The alert may be
triggered when there is a substantial risk of a severe gas shortage or an
exceptionally high gas demand. To this end, Member States should update their
national contingency plans by the end of September.

Firefighters.
28 Romanian firefighters are participating,
under a European multinational program, in the efforts to extinguish the wild
fires near the Greek capital. According to Radio Romania’s correspondence, no
casualties were reported, but dozens of houses and shops were burned or
damaged. The fires broke out on Tuesday afternoon, on Penteli Mountain, in the
northeast of the capital, from where the catastrophic fire in Mati started,
three years ago, resulting in the death of 102 people. All suburbs in the
region were evacuated and traffic was banned. About 400 firefighters are
operating in the area. They are helped by the army, but also by air fire
extinguishers, dozens of vehicles and hundreds of volunteers.

Automotive.
Romania has again seen the largest increase
in electric car sales in the region, according to data released by the European
Automobile Manufacturers Association. Between April and June 2022, sales of
battery-powered electric cars in the European Union increased by 11.1% to
233,413 units. Many European markets recorded three-digit percentage increases
(over 100%), but Romania had the strongest percentage advance (412.4%). The
share of electric vehicles in the EU reached 9.9% of registrations in the
second quarter of this year, from 7.5% in the same period last year.

Decorations.
Swimmer David Popovici and coach Adrian
Rădulescu were decorated on Wednesday by President Klaus Iohannis. The head of
state awarded David Popovici the National Order ‘Star of Romania’ in the rank
of Knight, and his coach – the National Order ‘For Merit’ in the rank of
Knight. The decoration decision came after the results obtained at the World
Swimming Championships in Budapest (June 18 – July 3), where David Popovici (17
years old) became double world champion in seniors, in the 100 and 200 m
freestyle events. (MI)

20 July 2022
July 8, 2022 UPDATE

CONDOLENCES President Klaus Iohannis conveyed condolences to the family of Japans former PM, Shinzo Abe, who died on Friday from his injuries after being shot in the street by an attacker. “He was a strong defender of democracy and multilateralism, but also a true friend,” Iohannis posted on Twitter. Japans ex-PM was shot dead by a former member of the Japanese defense forces, the Japanese public broadcaster NHK reports. Abe, 67, was delivering a campaign speech near a train station in the western Japanese city of Nara when he was the target of an armed attack. Armed violence is extremely rare in Japan, where firearms are banned. Shinzo Abe was the longest-serving Japanese prime minister in history. He led the Japanese executive from 2006 to 2007 and then from 2012-2020. He resigned two years ago for health-related reasons.

STATISTICS Romanias economy grew by 5.1% in the first quarter of the year, compared to the previous quarter, according to preliminary data made public today by the National Statistics Institute. Compared to the corresponding period of 2021, Romanias GDP went up 6.4%, the institution said, to over RON 343.5 bln.

GOVERNMENT Petre Daea was sworn in as minister of agriculture and rural development on Friday at the Cotroceni Palace. Attending the ceremony was president Klaus Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă, the interim Senate speaker Alina Gorghiu, the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu, and presidential advisers. President Klaus Iohannis had signed the decree appointing Petre Daea as agriculture minister earlier that day. On Wednesday the leaders of the Social Democratic Party voted unanimously in favour of the appointment. The former agriculture minister, Adrian Chesnoiu, also a parliament member, stepped down and left the party after the National Anti-Corruption Directorate had requested permission to prosecute him for abuse of office.

NATURAL GAS An interconnector between the gas pipelines in Greece and Bulgaria, which became operational on Friday, gives Romania access to other natural gas resources, in an international context in which it becomes increasingly likely that Moscow will suspend deliveries to the European Union. Romania will be able to help other states in the region reduce their dependence on Russian gas, said Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca in Athens, where he paid a working visit and met with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

FORUM Russias war of aggression against Ukraine has generated the most severe security crisis in Europe since WW2, state secretary in Romanias defence ministry Simona Cojocaru said at the “Atlantic – Black Sea” Security Forum held in Bucharest. In her opinion, if Russia reaches its military goals in the east of Ukraine, its operational efforts will most likely focus on the Ukrainian territories north-west of the Black Sea. Therefore, the risk of regional instability might grow significantly, posing a major challenge to Romania. The most dangerous scenario for Ukraine, Romania and NATO would be a land corridor to Odessa and a connection to Transdniester, Simona Cojocaru explained. In a video call, Ukraines defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Russias aggression on his country will continue until countered by strong resistance. Terror cannot be stopped by diplomacy alone, he emphasised.

MEETING The foreign ministers of the worlds 20 most developed economies had a closed-doors meeting, marked by the conflict in Ukraine. The meeting held on the Indonesian island of Bali brought together Moscow and its harshest critics for the first time since Ukraine was attacked. During the talks attended by Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, the EUs High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell urged all participants to help end the war, restore Ukraines sovereignty and guarantee the containment of the global fallout. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that Russia has heard “a strong chorus from around the world… about the need for the aggression to end”. “To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,” Blinken told Lavrov. The latter in fact left the meeting hall where Russia was criticised. According to the German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, this proves Moscows unwillingness to cooperate. The Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi also called for an end to the war in Ukraine.

SWIMMING Romanias David Popovici Friday won another gold medal at the European Junior Swimming Championship held in Otopeni, near Bucharest, in the mens 50m freestyle final, with 22.16 seconds. This is the 4th medal for Popovici, after the gold in the mens 4x100m freestyle relay and the 200m freestyle race, and silver in the 4x100m medley relay. On Thursday, another Romanian athlete, Vlad Stancu, won the 1,500m freestyle final. Romania now has a total of 6 medals, 4 of them gold and 2 silver. David Popovici, 17, is also the defending senior world champion in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, won in Budapest. Taking part in the championship in Otopeni are some 500 athletes from 42 countries. Romania is represented by 26 swimmers, 14 boys and 12 girls. (AMP)

8 July 2022
No natural gas supply problems for Romania

Romania is currently the least dependent country in the European Union on Russian gas, is the second largest producer of oil and gas in the EU and has large quantities of untapped natural gas in the Black Sea. The estimated volume of undersea deposits is 200 billion cubic meters. The largest quantity is in the Neptune Deep perimeter, operated by the Romanian state company Romgaz and OMV Petrom.

From there, the first gas supply could be secured in late 2026 or early 2027. Meanwhile, within the Media perimeter, about 120 kilometers off the coast of Romania, which includes the Ana and Doina deposits, the exploitation works have already started, and the five Black Sea Oil & Gas wells will provide 10% of the country’s consumption.

A subsea well in the Doina field and four in Ana are expected to extract half a billion cubic meters of gas by the end of the year. In total, through this investment, it is possible to extract 1 billion cubic meters of gas annually. In fact, the first quantities of gas have been delivered to the national system. Since June 15, when the extraction from the Ana field began, 3 million cubic meters of gas have entered the national transport system every day. Beforehand, they are brought from the Black Sea, on the coast, to the Vadu treatment plant, where they go through a process of separating the liquid phase from the gaseous one and also through a drying one.

Currently, Romania has 41% total natural gas storage capacity, and Bucharest has committed to the EU to ensure 80% by November 1st, which is the minimum required for winter. The general manager of Transgaz, Ion Sterian, said:

We will not be in the situation of other countries this winter, because we have domestic production, so there is no reason to panic. We can store 10-12 million cubic meters of gas per day. So far, we have stored 1 billion 270 million cubic meters of gas.

On the occasion of a ceremony organized, on Tuesday, in Vadu, marking the start of natural gas exploitation in the Midia perimeter, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă conveyed a message of encouragement to all foreign and Romanian companies wishing to invest in Romania:

The fact that this project will generate 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year means that we will end up covering 90% of Romania’s consumption needs. This is a remarkable leap and proves Romania’s ability to find new resources and solutions at a time when global natural gas supply is threatened by the war in Ukraine.

Romania aims to become energy independent, an energy security provider in region, but also a transport corridor for the gas and green energy in the Caspian Sea. (MI)

29 June 2022
June 15, 2022 UPDATE

Gas. In Romania, the production of natural gas from the Black Sea, part of the Midia development project, has started, and the first quantities have arrived in the national transport system, the Blacksea Oil & Gas Company has announced. The project consists of five production wells, a shore monitored and operated rig and a 126-kilometer submarine pipeline, which connects to the new gas treatment plant in Corbu commune, Constanţa county (southeast). This year, production is estimated at half a billion cubic meters of gas. Midia is the first new project to exploit natural gas in the Romanian continental shelf of the Black Sea in the last 30 years and will cover 10% of the domestic demand.

Visit. Romania and France have increased their security cooperation recently amid the crisis generated by Russias military aggression in Ukraine, said Romanian president Klaus Iohannis after talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base in Constanţa county, in south-eastern Romania. During a joint press briefing, Iohannis again thanked France for the deployment of military and its coordination of NATOs new battle group in Romania. The two presidents talked about the need to consolidate the deterrence and defence posture on the NATO eastern flank, especially in the Black Sea, NATOs new strategic concept and the accession of Finland and Sweden. Emmanuel Macron said Romanian-French relations are based on a friendship that goes back two centuries. He added that the two countries wish to further boost bilateral cooperation and that an ambitious plan is being worked on, at the request of the Romanian authorities, to support the Romanian Navy. The agenda of talks also included Romanias accession to the Schengen free movement area and its active involvement in the protection of the EUs external borders. Emmanuel Macrons next stop was the Republic of Moldova, where he will be received by president Maia Sandu.

Ukraine. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday urged Western countries to step up their arms deliveries to Ukraine to allow it to defend itself against the Russian invading forces. “Ukraine is facing a key moment on the battlefield. Therefore, we need to step up our efforts so that it can defend itself, “Austin said during a meeting at the NATO headquarters of the so-called contact group set up by the US to help Ukraine. Earlier, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it had received only about 10 percent of the weapons it had requested from its Western partners. For his part, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the West to send more weapons and military equipment quickly, because “the Russians have 10, 100 times more”, he said. Russia also announced on Wednesday that it had destroyed a depot housing weapons delivered by NATO countries to western Ukraine with cruise missile fire.

Protest. Some 8,000 members of healthcare unions staged a protest outside the government headquarters on Wednesday. They mainly requested higher pay, bonuses, holiday vouchers and the elimination of the 30% cap on bonuses, compensations and other salary rights for healthcare workers. Protesters say the Romanian government in the last two years has systematically violated the salary law by blocking salary increases. The most impacted have been the employees with the lowest salaries in the system. Members of the Columna Federation, the largest trade union in the welfare sector, also took to the streets asking for bigger salaries and a proper funding of their activities.

Corruption. Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode announced on Wednesday that extradition proceedings from neighboring Bulgaria for the former Tourism Minister Elena Udrea, convicted of corruption, would be completed by June 20. The relevant Romanian bodies will proceed to take over and transfer her to a unit of the National Administration of Penitentiaries, Bode specified. On June 10, the Sofia Court of Appeal admitted the request of the Romanian authorities regarding the extradition of the former minister, who has to execute in Romania a sentence of 6 years of imprisonment in the so-called Gala Bute case. The process lasted seven years, and during this time the former minister fled the country, in 2018, to Costa Rica, where she would have obtained political asylum. By a final decision, the Bulgarian court ordered the execution of the European arrest warrant issued for Elena Udrea and her extradition to Romania. The media in Bucharest considers Elena Udrea (48 years old) the most influential character in the entourage of the former president of Romania between 2004 and 2014, Traian Băsescu (70 years old). Under his protection she had a remarkable political rise, marked by mandates of general councilor in Bucharest, presidential adviser, deputy, minister and, after passing through the National-Liberal and Democratic-Liberal parties, she became the president of the Popular Movement Party (PMP), founded by Basescu. In 2014, Udrea was the PMP candidate for the Romanian presidency and obtained 5.20% of the votes in the first round. Her conviction comes after, on March 23, the High Court of Cassation and Justice finally ruled that former President Basescu collaborated in his youth with the Securitate, the political police of the communist dictatorship.

Production. Ireland (minus 30.9%), Slovakia (minus 9.6%), Malta (minus 9.4%) and Romania (minus 6.9%) registered in April, compared to the same period in 2021 , the most significant decrease in industrial production in the European Union, according to the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). By contrast, the largest increases in industrial production were reported in Lithuania (20.6%), Denmark (17%) and Bulgaria (16.9%). Overall, industrial production fell by 2% in the euro zone and by 0.5% in the European Union.

Tennis. On Wednesday ,Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea qualified for the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 tournament in Birmingham, England, with 251,750 dollars in prize money, after winning 6-1, 6-1 the match against the Serbian Aleksandra Krunic. It took Cirstea an hour and 12 minutes to score the victory, and her next opponent will be Catherine McNally (USA) or Donna Vekic (Croatia). Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Simona Halep, former world leader, won the match with the British Harriet Dart. On Thursday, Gabriela Ruse will take on the Chinese Shuai Zhang.

Football. The three Romanian teams in the Europa Conference League in football will have accessible opponents in the second preliminary round, according to the draw made on Wednesday, in Switzerland, in Nyon. Thus, the vice-champion of Romania, FCSB, from Bucharest, will play against the winner of the match between FC Saburtalo (Georgia) and Partizani Tirana (Albania). Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (center), winner of the Romanian Cup, will face either Olimpja Ljubljana (Slovenia) or Differdange 03 (Luxembourg). The University of Craiova (South) will play against the KF Vllaznia Shkoder team, which won the Albanian Cup. Round-trip matches are scheduled for July. On Tuesday, the draw decided that the holder of the title of champion in Romania, CFR Cluj (northwest), will play in the first preliminary round of the Champions League with Piunik Yerevan from Armenia and, if it qualifies for the second round, with the winner of the match between F91 Dudelange from Luxembourg and KF Tirana from Albania. If eliminated, CFR will play in the second preliminary round of the Europa Conference League with the winner of the qualifying tournament in which Levadia Tallinn (Estonia), Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland), La Fiorita (San Marino) and Inter Club dEscaldes (Andorra) will participate. (MI)

15 June 2022
June 15, 2022 UPDATE

Gas. In Romania, the production of natural gas from the Black Sea, part of the Midia development project, has started, and the first quantities have arrived in the national transport system, the Blacksea Oil & Gas Company has announced. The project consists of five production wells, a shore monitored and operated rig and a 126-kilometer submarine pipeline, which connects to the new gas treatment plant in Corbu commune, Constanţa county (southeast). This year, production is estimated at half a billion cubic meters of gas. Midia is the first new project to exploit natural gas in the Romanian continental shelf of the Black Sea in the last 30 years and will cover 10% of the domestic demand.

Visit. Romania and France have increased their security cooperation recently amid the crisis generated by Russias military aggression in Ukraine, said Romanian president Klaus Iohannis after talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base in Constanţa county, in south-eastern Romania. During a joint press briefing, Iohannis again thanked France for the deployment of military and its coordination of NATOs new battle group in Romania. The two presidents talked about the need to consolidate the deterrence and defence posture on the NATO eastern flank, especially in the Black Sea, NATOs new strategic concept and the accession of Finland and Sweden. Emmanuel Macron said Romanian-French relations are based on a friendship that goes back two centuries. He added that the two countries wish to further boost bilateral cooperation and that an ambitious plan is being worked on, at the request of the Romanian authorities, to support the Romanian Navy. The agenda of talks also included Romanias accession to the Schengen free movement area and its active involvement in the protection of the EUs external borders. Emmanuel Macrons next stop was the Republic of Moldova, where he will be received by president Maia Sandu.

Ukraine. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday urged Western countries to step up their arms deliveries to Ukraine to allow it to defend itself against the Russian invading forces. “Ukraine is facing a key moment on the battlefield. Therefore, we need to step up our efforts so that it can defend itself, “Austin said during a meeting at the NATO headquarters of the so-called contact group set up by the US to help Ukraine. Earlier, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it had received only about 10 percent of the weapons it had requested from its Western partners. For his part, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the West to send more weapons and military equipment quickly, because “the Russians have 10, 100 times more”, he said. Russia also announced on Wednesday that it had destroyed a depot housing weapons delivered by NATO countries to western Ukraine with cruise missile fire.

Protest. Some 8,000 members of healthcare unions staged a protest outside the government headquarters on Wednesday. They mainly requested higher pay, bonuses, holiday vouchers and the elimination of the 30% cap on bonuses, compensations and other salary rights for healthcare workers. Protesters say the Romanian government in the last two years has systematically violated the salary law by blocking salary increases. The most impacted have been the employees with the lowest salaries in the system. Members of the Columna Federation, the largest trade union in the welfare sector, also took to the streets asking for bigger salaries and a proper funding of their activities.

Corruption. Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode announced on Wednesday that extradition proceedings from neighboring Bulgaria for the former Tourism Minister Elena Udrea, convicted of corruption, would be completed by June 20. The relevant Romanian bodies will proceed to take over and transfer her to a unit of the National Administration of Penitentiaries, Bode specified. On June 10, the Sofia Court of Appeal admitted the request of the Romanian authorities regarding the extradition of the former minister, who has to execute in Romania a sentence of 6 years of imprisonment in the so-called Gala Bute case. The process lasted seven years, and during this time the former minister fled the country, in 2018, to Costa Rica, where she would have obtained political asylum. By a final decision, the Bulgarian court ordered the execution of the European arrest warrant issued for Elena Udrea and her extradition to Romania. The media in Bucharest considers Elena Udrea (48 years old) the most influential character in the entourage of the former president of Romania between 2004 and 2014, Traian Băsescu (70 years old). Under his protection she had a remarkable political rise, marked by mandates of general councilor in Bucharest, presidential adviser, deputy, minister and, after passing through the National-Liberal and Democratic-Liberal parties, she became the president of the Popular Movement Party (PMP), founded by Basescu. In 2014, Udrea was the PMP candidate for the Romanian presidency and obtained 5.20% of the votes in the first round. Her conviction comes after, on March 23, the High Court of Cassation and Justice finally ruled that former President Basescu collaborated in his youth with the Securitate, the political police of the communist dictatorship.

Production. Ireland (minus 30.9%), Slovakia (minus 9.6%), Malta (minus 9.4%) and Romania (minus 6.9%) registered in April, compared to the same period in 2021 , the most significant decrease in industrial production in the European Union, according to the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). By contrast, the largest increases in industrial production were reported in Lithuania (20.6%), Denmark (17%) and Bulgaria (16.9%). Overall, industrial production fell by 2% in the euro zone and by 0.5% in the European Union.

Tennis. On Wednesday ,Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea qualified for the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 tournament in Birmingham, England, with 251,750 dollars in prize money, after winning 6-1, 6-1 the match against the Serbian Aleksandra Krunic. It took Cirstea an hour and 12 minutes to score the victory, and her next opponent will be Catherine McNally (USA) or Donna Vekic (Croatia). Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Simona Halep, former world leader, won the match with the British Harriet Dart. On Thursday, Gabriela Ruse will take on the Chinese Shuai Zhang.

Football. The three Romanian teams in the Europa Conference League in football will have accessible opponents in the second preliminary round, according to the draw made on Wednesday, in Switzerland, in Nyon. Thus, the vice-champion of Romania, FCSB, from Bucharest, will play against the winner of the match between FC Saburtalo (Georgia) and Partizani Tirana (Albania). Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (center), winner of the Romanian Cup, will face either Olimpja Ljubljana (Slovenia) or Differdange 03 (Luxembourg). The University of Craiova (South) will play against the KF Vllaznia Shkoder team, which won the Albanian Cup. Round-trip matches are scheduled for July. On Tuesday, the draw decided that the holder of the title of champion in Romania, CFR Cluj (northwest), will play in the first preliminary round of the Champions League with Piunik Yerevan from Armenia and, if it qualifies for the second round, with the winner of the match between F91 Dudelange from Luxembourg and KF Tirana from Albania. If eliminated, CFR will play in the second preliminary round of the Europa Conference League with the winner of the qualifying tournament in which Levadia Tallinn (Estonia), Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland), La Fiorita (San Marino) and Inter Club dEscaldes (Andorra) will participate. (MI)

15 June 2022
OECD: Krieg in der Ukraine setzt Weltwirtschaft schwer zu

RadioRomaniaInternational · OECD: Krieg in der Ukraine setzt Weltwirtschaft schwer zu

In ihrem letzten Bericht zur Lage der Weltwirtschaft schlie‎ßt die OECD eine Verschlimmerung der Situation und weitere Rückschläge nicht aus. Die Organisation, die 38 entwickelte Länder und Staaten mit emergierenden Volkswirtschaften vereint, hatte die Veröffentlichung ihres Jahresberichts aufgrund des Kriegs in der Ukraine aufgeschoben. Die am 24. Februar begonnene russische Invasion hatte die Herausgabe des Berichts im März ins Stocken gebracht — die wirtschaftlichen Folgen des Konflikts waren damals nicht abzusehen.

Nun prognostiziert die OECD für die Weltwirtschaft ein Wachstum von nur noch 3% — vor dem Krieg in der Ukraine war noch die Rede von 4,5%. Kommendes Jahr soll sich das Wachstum noch stärker verlangsamen — von ursprünglich 3,2% hat die OECD ihre Wachstumsprognose auf 2,8% nach unten korrigiert. Die Inflation werde den Volkswirtschaften und der Kaufkraft der Bevölkerung schwer zusetzen — mit weltweit rund 8,5% wird die Inflation doppelt so hoch sein, wie ursprünglich angenommen.

Die humanitäre Krise in der Ukraine — mit Tausenden von Toten und Millionen Flüchtlingen — bedroht den wirtschaftlichen Wiederaufschwung, auf den viele nach zwei Jahren der lähmenden Pandemie Hoffnung gesetzt hatten. Russland und die Ukraine haben als wichtige Lieferanten von Rohstoffen einen gro‎ßen Einfluss in der Weltwirtschaft. Zusammen stellen die beiden Länder nahezu 30% der weltweiten Getreide-Exporte auf, 20% der Ausfuhr von Dünger für die Landwirtschaft, von Mineralgemenge und Erdgas stammen aus diesen beiden Ländern und 11% der weltweiten Rohöl-Lieferungen kommen ebenfalls aus dieser Weltecke.

Auch die internationalen Lieferketten sind auf seltene Metalle und Gase aus Russland und der Ukraine angewiesen. Nach Ausbruch des Invasionskriegs in der Ukraine sind die Preise für diese Rohstoffe in die Höhe geschnellt — mit schwerwiegenden Konsequenzen für die Volkswirtschaften vieler Länder. Ein kompletter Stopp der Weizenausfuhr würde in mehreren Entwicklungsländern zu einer Lebensmittelkrise und zu Hungersnöten führen, was in eine humanitäre Katastrophe ungeahnten Ausma‎ßes münden könnte.

Mit ihrer massiven Energie-Abhängigkeit gegenüber Russland ist auch die EU vom Krieg vor der eigenen Haustür betroffen. Dem OECD-Bericht zufolge werde die Euro-Zone dieses Jahr ein Wachstum von 2,6% und kommendes Jahr in Höhe von 1,6% verzeichnen. Vor Ausbruch des Kriegs waren die Prognosen von doppelt so hohen Zahlen ausgegangen. Eine vollständige Einstellung der Gaslieferungen aus Russland in die EU würde die Energiepreise weiter in die Höhe treiben und zu schwerwiegenden Störungen in den Lieferketten führen. Und schlie‎ßlich würde eine explodierende Inflation die plötzliche Anhebung der von den Notenbanken praktizierten Zinssätze bewirken, was die ohnehin instabile Wiederankurbelung der Volkswirtschaften in der EU langfristig hemmen könnte, hei‎ßt es zum Schluss im Jahresbericht der OECD zur Lage der Weltwirtschaft.

9 June 2022
May 12, 2022 UPDATE

NATO The
president of Romania Klaus Iohannis hailed Finland’s announcement regarding its
intention to join NATO, and says Bucharest supported the decision. Romania is
a firm supporter of NATO’s open door policy and stands ready to support Finland
in the process of NATO accession. Together we are stronger! Iohannis posted on
Twitter on Thursday. The president of Finland Sauli Niinistö and PM Sanna Marin Thursday spoke in favour of the
country’s joining NATO without delay, with the candidacy to be announced on
Sunday, AFP reports. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the Alliance
as a whole, the two officials said in a joint press release. Finland’s
accession will be a threat to Russia, the Kremlin said in response. Three in
four Finnish citizens support the accession. A neutral state during the Cold
War, Finland joined the EU and NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme, but
remained outside the alliance. The decision to join NATO comes against the
background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Finland shares a 1,300-km border
with Russia.

RULING The Bucharest Court of Appeals Thursday passed
its final ruling on the Colectiv case, after several successive
postponements. The former Bucharest District 4 Mayor Cristian Popescu-Piedone, currently
the mayor of District 5 of the capital city, was sentenced to 4 years in prison
for abuse of office. The club owners also received prison sentences ranging
between 6 and 11 years, while the 2 firefighters with the Bucharest
Inspectorate for Emergency Situations who inspected the Colectiv nightclub and
disregarded the workplace security legislation were sentenced to 8 years and 8
months in prison, and 2 pyrotechnics workers will also serve 6 years and 10 months
each. The manager of the fireworks company received a suspended sentence. The
October 2015 fire in Colectiv killed 64 people and injured many others. It
was the most serious accident in Romania since 1989. The tragedy forced the
government at the time to step down.

INFLATION The Romanian Central Bank has updated its
inflation forecast to 12.5% for end-2022 and 6.7% for end-2023, governor Mugur
Isarescu announced on Thursday. In February, the Central Bank estimated
inflation would stand at 9.6% at the end of 2022 and at 3.2% at the end of
2023. Inflationist pressure triggered by production costs is expected to go
down gradually. However, its effects will continue to be felt for around 12
months. Romania sees the highest annual inflation rate in the last 18 years,
nearly 14%, with the steepest price rises reported for natural gas (85%).

POLL One in two Romanians has considered moving to
another country after the start of the war in Ukraine, and the first options
would be Germany, France and Britain, according to data made public by a
recruitment platform. 12% of respondents are waiting to see how things unfold
and 11% believe the war will not affect us. Another 26% say they will not leave
the country irrespective of what happens next. The main reasons for moving
abroad are the wish to change the scenery and the country where they work
(38%), personal and family safety (24%), better incomes (21%), more
opportunities for professional development (14%) and the wish to work in a
safer environment, unaffected by war (4%).

UKRAINE A first Russian soldier will be on trial in
Ukraine for killing a civilian in the Sumy region. International teams of
prosecutors and investigators continue to probe into war crimes committed by
the Russian army, with more than 10,000 such cases pending. According to Radio
Romania’s special correspondent, investigators say the 21-year old Russian
soldier killed a Ukrainian civilian who was walking his bike along the sidewalk.
The soldier and other Russian troops were in a stolen car, after their unit had
been destroyed by the Ukrainian forces. The prosecutor general of Ukraine, Iryna
Venediktova, said there was enough evidence of his involvement in violation of
the laws and customs of war, including premeditated murder, and that he was
facing 10 to 15 years or life in prison. Experts from Poland, Lithuania and
France help the teams of investigators, and the cases documented so far point
to people being killed with no reason. Clashes continued on Thursday in the
north-east and south-east of Ukraine, with both sides announcing local-scale
advances.

NATURAL GAS The Romanian Senate passed amendments to the Offshore
Act, which green lights gas exploitation in the Black Sea. The ruling
coalition, which tabled the bill, says this is a much more balanced version of
the one endorsed four years ago. Tax changes have now been introduced in favour
of the companies concerned, and dependence on Russian gas would be
significantly reduced in a few years’ time. According to estimates, around 80
billion cubic metres of gas are in the Neptune Deep perimeter alone. The
national state-owned company Romgaz-the largest gas producer in Romania-and the
Austrian company OMV will extract gas from the Black Sea in the coming years. (A.M.P.)

12 May 2022
May 11, 2022

INFLATION The year-on-year inflation rate in Romania went up to
13.76% in April this year, as against 10.15% in March, according to data made
public today by the National Statistics Institute. Non-food prices rose by
16.35%, foodstuff prices by 13.54%, and services are 7.11% more expensive.
Yesterday, in order to curb the inflation rise, the central bank announced a
new increase in the key interest rate, which will trigger a rise in consumer
and inter-bank loan interests. The National Bank of Romania expects the
inflation rate to surge this summer more than previously forecast, and says the
rate is not likely to return to under 10% until the second half of next year.

VISIT The Speaker of the Senate of Romania, Florin Cîţu, is on an
official visit to Poland today, at the invitation of his counterpart, Tomasz
Grodzki. The main topics on the agenda are opportunities to consolidate
bilateral relations between the 2 countries, the war in Ukraine and the
economic fallout of the Russian aggression. Florin Citu announced that after
his visit to Poland he will travel to the Republic of Moldova.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister
Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in a ministerial meeting of the Global
Coalition against Daesh, held in Marrakesh, Morocco. According to the ministry,
the meeting will be co-chaired by the USA and Morocco, with over 75
representatives of the member states and international organisations expected
to attend. Most member states are NATO and EU members, partner states in the
Western Balkans, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, as well as the EU, NATO, and
INTERPOL. The main topics will include the security
situation in Iraq and Syria, as well as terrorism-related developments in
Africa and Afghanistan. Bogdan
Aurescu will highlight Romania’s contribution as a Coalition member, including
its participation since 2016 both in the Coalition Forces (as part of Operation
Inherent Resolve and of the NATO mission in Iraq), and in the stabilisation and
reconstruction efforts in the countries affected by ISIS activities.

GOVERNMENT A draft emergency order to prevent
speculation is being discussed today by the government of Romania. The decision
comes after fuel, sunflower oil or masks and disinfectant prices skyrocketed
overnight, in the context of the war in Ukraine or before that, during the
pandemic. Speculation was criminalised before in Romania, shortly after WWII
and after the fall of the communist regime in 1990.

NATURAL
GAS A bill to amend
the Offshore Act, which will green light the development of natural gas
reserves in the Black Sea, is discussed as of today by the Senate of Romania.
According to the ruling coalition, which has tabled the bill, this is a much
more balanced text than the one drafted 4 years ago. Tax facilities have been
introduced for the companies interested in taking part in the development
project, and in a few years’ time Romania’s reliance on Russian gas is expected
to become significantly lower. The energy minister Virgil Popescu emphasised
that by amending the current legislation onshore investments will also be
encouraged, supply security will be ensured in case of an energy crisis and
Romania may become a provider of regional energy security. Under the bill, the
Romanian government will have pre-emptive rights in purchasing the natural gas.
Romania’s biggest public natural gas producer, Romgaz, and the Austrian
company OMV will extract the natural gas in the Black Sea in the coming years.

COVID-19 The 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose will be available on
request in Romania, in vaccination centres and family physician practices, as
of May 16. According to the health ministry, only Pfiser vaccines can be
administered, to people over 18 who have received 3 doses of mRNA vaccines, and
at least 4 months after they have received the 3rd dose. Meanwhile, the
health ministry announced 705 new COVID-19 cases and 7 related deaths in 24
hours. 144 COVID patients are currently in intensive care.

UKRAINE The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
commented on the situation in Kharkiv, emphasising that the Ukrainian forces
are repelling the invaders and freeing the region. Clashes continue on the
Serpent Island as well, 45 km from Romania, with Russia trying to strengthen
its vulnerable garrison on the island. Meanwhile, Ukraine has shut off the
transit of Russian gas to Western Europe in Lugansk region, and says the
occupation of its eastern part by Russian forces makes it impossible to control
the flows. Over 32 million cubic metres of natural gas are halted, accounting
for around one-third of Russia’s daily exports transiting Ukraine. In the US,
the House of Representatives approved an additional 40 billion US dollars in
aid for Ukraine. The act is to be rushed through the Senate and signed by
president Joe Biden. The funds will be used for military support and humanitarian
assistance for the civilians affected by the Russian invasion. (AMP)

11 May 2022
May 3, 2022 UPDATE

GAS — The Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said Tuesday, when the Romanian state-owned company Romgaz purchased 50% of ExxonMobile’s stake in the Neptun Deep Black Sea gas project, that the deposits would be exploited no later than 2026. Ciuca also said that, according to estimates, there is enough gas to also supply countries in the region and in the EU. There is an area in the Black Sea from where around 100 billion cubic meters of gas could be extracted. The American company ExxonMobile held half of the exploitation rights in that area while the Austrian company OMV Petrom holds the other half. Romgaz paid over 1 billion dollars for the transaction. However, before gas exploitation in the Black Sea is initiated, investors are waiting for the offshore law to be modified. The law is currently under debate by the expert committees of the Romanian Senate.

APPOINTMENT — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday signed the decrees for the appointment of Marcel Bolos as Minister of Investment and European Projects and of Sebastian Burduja as Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization. Bolos, who enjoys the support of the Liberals, has been a minister of digitalization since January, when the former minister, Florin Roman, resigned. He has also been an interim minister with the Ministry of European Funds since early April. Bolos also served as minister of European Funds between November 2019 and December 2020. In turn, Liberal Sebastian Burduja is a vice president of the budget, finance and banks committee with the Chamber of Deputies and head of the Bucharest’s Sector 1 branch of the National Liberal Party. In 2019 he was a state secretary with the Finance Ministry. He graduated from Stanford University and attended a joint MA programme in business administration and public policies at Harvard University. He also got a PhD in economy at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest.

JUDGES — The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday elected the current deputy prosecutor general Bogdan Licu, supported by the Social Democrats, as judge with the Romanian Constitutional Court. Also, Iulia Scantei, the head of the Senate’s legal committee, who enjoys the Liberals’ support, was endorsed by the MPs. The two will replace the current head of the Court, Valer Dorneanu and judge Mona Pivniceru, whose mandates expire in June. The Constitutional Court is made up of nine judges appointed for a 9-year mandate. Of them, three are appointed by the Chamber of Deputies, three buy the Senate and three by the country’s President.

FORECAST – The National Strategy and Forecast Commission revised downwards Romania’s economic growth forecast for this year from 4.3% to 2.9%. The Commission says that overlapping shocks such as the geopolitical context, successive energy price increases and disruptions in global supply chains are amplifying risks and economic uncertainty, also impacting short-term expectations and the behaviour of the business sector. The forecast is in line with the estimates made by international financial institutions, which also revised downwards their forecast for Romanias economic growth.

EUROBAROMETER – Three quarters of young Romanians feel optimistic about the future of the European Union, while half of them believe things are headed in the right direction for the EU, according to a Eurobarometer published on Monday. According to the survey, young Romanians have greater support for European policies compared to other age categories and are content with their lives. Their main concerns are related to the education system, the economy, unemployment, housing, the environment and climate change. (EE)

3 May 2022
Nachrichten 02.05.2022

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Ende letzter Woche wurden in Rumänien zehn Organtransplantationen von drei hirntoten Spendern durchgeführt, teilte die Nationale Transplantationsagentur mit. Darunter die erste Herztransplantation in diesem Jahr im Herzinstitut in Târgu Mureș (Mitte), von einem 17-jährigen Spender an ein 16-jähriges Mädchen, und eine Lebertransplantation für ein 5-jähriges Mädchen, bei dem eine aggressive Form der Hepatitis diagnostiziert wurde. An diesen hochkomplexen Operationen waren mehrere medizinische Einheiten im ganzen Land beteiligt. Außerdem gab es sechs Nierentransplantationen – vier wurden von Spezialisten in Cluj (Nordwesten) und zwei in Iași (Nordosten) durchgeführt. Zehn Transplantationen in nur wenigen Tagen sind ein seltenes Ereignis für Rumänien, wo solche Operationen relativ selten sind.

Die US-First-Lady, Jill Biden, wird vom 5. bis 9. Mai Rumänien und die Slowakei besuchen. Die Gattin des US-Präsidenten Joe Biden wird am 6. Mai auf dem Luftwaffenstützpunkt Mihail Kogalniceanu (an der Schwarzmeer-Hafenstadt Constanța) mit US-Soldaten zusammentreffen. Anschließend sind in Bukarest Gespräche mit rumänischen Regierungsvertretern, Mitgliedern der US-Botschaft, Entwicklungshelfern und Lehrerinnen und Lehrer, die mit ukrainischen Flüchtlingskindern arbeiten, angesetzt. Laut einer von Reuters zitierten Erklärung des Büros der First Lady, wird Jill Biden am Sonntag mit ukrainischen Müttern und Kindern zusammentreffen, die aufgrund des russischen Angriffskrieges gegen die Ukraine ihre Heimat verlassen mussten. Mit dem Besuch setzt Jill Biden ein Zeichen der Unterstützung für die Ukraine und die Nachbarländer, die ukrainischen Flüchtlingen helfen. Die Zahl der ukrainischen Flüchtlinge beläuft sich nach UN-Angaben derzeit auf etwa 5,5 Millionen.

Die Energieminister der Europäischen Union kommen am heutigen Montag zu einer Dringlichkeitssitzung zusammen. Sie prüfen, wie sie auf die Forderung des russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin reagieren können, für Gas in russischer Währung zu bezahlen. Letzte Woche stoppte Russland die Gaslieferungen an Polen und Bulgarien, nachdem sich die beiden EU-Länder geweigert hatten, Gas in Rubel zu bezahlen. Medienberichten zufolge ziehen die EU-Minister ein schrittweises Verbot russischer Öleinfuhren in Erwägung, wobei die EU bis Ende des Jahres ganz auf russisches Öl verzichten soll.

In der Ukraine konnten über 100 Zivilisten – Frauen und Kinder – aus dem Stahlwerk Azovstal in Mariupol evakuiert werden. Einige von ihnen werden heute in Saporoschje erwartet, einer Stadt, die von ukrainischen Streitkräften kontrolliert wird, teilte der ukrainische Präsident Wolodymyr Selenskyj mit. In der Evakuierungsaktion, die bereits am Samstagmorgen begann, waren die UN und das Rote Kreuz involviert. Hunderte von Zivilisten halten sich jedoch immer noch in den Bunkern der Anlage auf. Außerdem befinden sich dort die letzten ukrainischen Verteidiger Mariupols, einer Stadt, die von russischen Angriffen weitgehend zerstört wurde. Nach Angaben von CNN nahmen die russischen Streitkräfte nach dem Ende der Evakuierungsaktion den Beschuss des Werkes wieder auf. Auch in der Gegend um Charkow, der zweitgrößten Stadt der Ukraine, wurde der Beschuss fortgesetzt, doch gelang es den ukrainischen Soldaten, vier Dörfer zurückzuerobern. Andererseits gab der ukrainische Sicherheitsdienst bekannt, dass er ein russisches Forschungs- und Sabotageteam neutralisiert habe, das versucht habe, eine Stinger-Rakete zu stehlen, um ein Passagierflugzeug über Russland oder Weißrussland abzuschießen, um später den Angriff der Ukraine zuzuschreiben. Diese Information wurde von einem Berater von Präsident Selenskyj bestätigt, der auch sagte, dass ein russischer Spion im Generalstab der ukrainischen Armee entdeckt worden sei. Kiew ist bisher die einzige Quelle für diese Informationen.

Gestern Abend war die Website des größten rumänischen Flughafens, Otopeni, von einem Cyberangriff betroffen. Der Sondertelekommunikationsdienst wehrte in den letzten Tagen Tausende solcher Angriffe auf die Websites wichtiger rumänischer Institutionen durch die prorussische Gruppe Killnet ab. Die Gruppe griff auch Websites staatlicher Einrichtungen in der benachbarten Republik Moldau sowie in EU- und NATO-Ländern an. Als Reaktion auf die russischen Hackerangriffe gab Anonymous Romania bekannt, dass es die Website des einheitlichen russischen Beschaffungssystems angegriffen und blockiert habe, die daraufhin zwei Tage lang nicht erreichbar war.

In Rumänien lag die Arbeitslosenquote im März bei 5,7 % und ist damit gegenüber dem Vormonat leicht gestiegen, wie das Nationale Institut für Statistik am Montag mitteilte. Die geschätzte Zahl der Arbeitslosen für März lag bei 475.000, 7.000 mehr als im Februar, aber 11.000 weniger als im März 2021. Die Arbeitslosenquote der Frauen lag um 0,1 Prozentpunkte höher als die der Männer (die entsprechenden Werte betrugen 5,8 % für Frauen und 5,7 % für Männer). Die Jugendarbeitslosenquote ist mit 22 % weiterhin hoch. Der 3-Monats-ROBOR-Index, der zur Berechnung der Kosten von Verbraucherkrediten in Lei mit variabler Verzinsung herangezogen wird, stieg dagegen am Montag auf 5,01% pro Jahr, gegenüber 4,95% am Freitag, wie die Rumänische Nationalbank mitteilte. Ein höheres Niveau wurde am 3. April 2013 mit 5,03 % pro Jahr verzeichnet.

Die Zahl der ukrainischen Staatsbürger, die am Sonntag nach Rumänien eingereist sind, sank im Vergleich zum Vortag um 27 % auf fast 7650, heißt es in einer Pressemitteilung der Generalinspektion der Grenzpolizei. Seit dem Ausbruch der russischen Invasion in der Ukraine sind etwa 836 Tausend Ukrainer nach Rumänien eingereist, die meisten von ihnen im Transit in andere Länder. Am Mittwoch findet in Hermannstadt (Sibiu, Mitte) am Sitz der Kreisverwaltung eine Mini-Jobmesse für ukrainische Flüchtlinge statt. Interessierte können sich auch darüber informieren, wie sie ihre Kinder in der Schule anmelden können oder wie sie eine medizinische Versorgung erhalten.

Das Wetter in Rumänien ist am Montag überwiegend heiter. Am Nachmittag und Abend kann im Westen, Norden, in der Landesmitte sowie im Gebirge vereinzelt Bewölkung auftreten. Die Höchsttemperaturen lagen zwischen 14 und 23 Grad Celsius. Am Mittag erreichte die Quecksilbersäule in Bukarest 20 Grad Celsius.

2 May 2022
April 28, 2022

REFUGEES The number of Ukrainian nationals who crossed the border into Romania
went up 30% on Wednesday compared to the previous day, reads a news release
issued by the Romanian Border Police. As many as 8,635 Ukrainian citizens
entered Romania in 24 hours, coming from Ukraine or the R. of Moldova. Since
the start of the crisis over 2 months ago, over 800,000 Ukrainians have come
into Romania. Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced in a
conference in Geneva that over 8 million Ukrainian may leave their country.
According to the UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo, the Agency and its partners
intend to raise USD 1.85 billion to support an estimated 8.3 million refugees
in Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, as well as
in other countries in the region, including Belarus, Bulgaria and the Czech
Republic.

TROOPS The Romanian defence ministry announced
that the Romanian Army currently has no troops deployed in the Rep. of Moldova
to take part in drills or other joint training programmes. The statement comes
after a Russian-language publication released fake news according to which
Romania plans to attack Transnistria with NATO support, and then to
annex the Rep. of Moldova, and claimed that Romanian troops have already been
deployed to the neighbouring country. Disinformation on Russian channels
follows a number of attacks by unknown perpetrators, which took place in the
past few days in Transnistria, a pro-Russian breakaway region in the east
of the Rep. of Moldova.

NATURAL GAS The European Union
told Russia it would not give in to blackmail, after Moscow discontinued
natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, which had refused to pay for
natural gas in rubles. The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen
said the Union had other options to make up for the suspended deliveries, and
warned member states not to breach the sanctions imposed by the EU after
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We have to guarantee alternative supplies and the
best possible storage levels across the EU, Von der Leyen explained. EU member
states have implemented emergency plans for such a scenario and we have worked
together in coordination and solidarity, the EU official added.

ARMY Military ceremonies, concerts and competitions take place in Bucharest
today to mark the Romanian Land Forces Day. Events are announced throughout the
day, including ceremonies, cultural, scientific and educational events, sports
competitions and military drills, book fairs, concerts and documentary
screenings. In Arad (west), a military equipment exhibition opens today on this
occasion, and on Saturday the city will host military and religious ceremonies.

COVID-19 Nearly 1,150 new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were reported in Romania on
Thursday. The authorities have also reported 15 Covid-related deaths. Of the over
1,200 patients in hospitals, 193 are in intensive care, and most of them are
unvaccinated. Meanwhile, as interest in vaccination dropped significantly,
immunisation centres are closing these days across the country. Those who want
to get the vaccine will be able to do so only in family physician offices as of
May.

TENNIS The Romanians Simona Halep, Sorana Cîrstea and Irina Begu take part in
the first round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, which starts today.
Sorana Cîrstea takes on Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain (52 WTA). Simona Halep
plays against Shuai Zhang of China (40 WTA), and Irina Begu faces Belinda
Bencic (13 WTA) of Switzerland. WTA Madrid Open takes place between April 28
and May 7. Simona Halep won the 2016 and 2017 competitions. (AMP)

28 April 2022
April 27, 2022 UPDATE

UKRAINE Romania condemns in the strongest terms Russia’s blatant violation
of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and of its obligations
under international law, the PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă said after Tuesday’s
meeting in Kyiv with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal. Mr. Ciucă announced
on Wednesday that Romania is considering opening new checkpoints on the Ukrainian
border. He emphasised the importance of the opening of the Isaccea-Orlivka
checkpoint in the south-east in 2020, and of deregulating freight transport for
Ukrainian operators on April 5. The number of Ukrainian nationals to enter
Romania was 50% higher on Tuesday than on the previous day, the Border Police
announced on Wednesday.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT The
legal committees in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies Wednesday passed a
favourable opinion on all candidacies for judge posts with the Constitutional
Court of Romania. Parliament is due to vote on the candidacies next week. This
June, the terms in office of 3 judges come to an end: Valer Dorneanu, nominated
by the Chamber of Deputies, Mona Pivniceru, nominated by the Senate, and Daniel
Morar, nominated by the Presidency. The Constitutional Court comprises 9 judges
appointed for non-renewable 9-year terms in office, with one-third of the
members replaced every 3 years.

GOVERNMENT The
finance minister Adrian Câciu stated at the Government Hour debates that the
measures included in the Support for Romania package pave the way for
preserving the country’s economic growth trend. Invited to the talks by USR
party in opposition, Mr. Câciu emphasized that in order to have a high economic
growth rate this year, Romania must primarily encourage the agriculture and
constructions sectors. Adrian Câciu also mentioned that Romania, which relies on imports in many sectors, needs to
increase its domestic output and invest in processing.

NATURAL GAS Russia’s decision to discontinue natural gas supplies to Poland and
Bulgaria is an aggressive and unacceptable move, seen by the EU as a form of
blackmail, said the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. We
will make sure that Gazprom’s decision has the smallest possible impact on
European consumers, she told a press conference on Wednesday. The
European Commission chief advised European energy providers not to give in to
Russia’s request to have natural gas supplies paid for in rubles, and
emphasised that this would most likely be a violation of the EU sanctions
against Russia. After they refused to pay for natural gas in the Russian
currency, Poland and Bulgaria are the first EU member states targeted by a
suspension of Russian gas supplies. In this context, Greece announced it would
assist Bulgaria, while Poland announced current gas supplies cover the
country’s domestic demand.

RECOVERY
Romania has fulfilled all the goals set out in the National Recovery and
Resilience Plan approved by the European Commission, the economy minister
Florin Spătaru said in Bucharest. He emphasised that certain benchmarks related
to the reforms undertaken as part of the plan will have to be revised in the
forthcoming period, and along with the investment element they will contribute
to a major progress of the Romanian economy, which has the potential of growing
up to four-fold by 2030, provided that the principles in the Recovery Plan are
observed and funding is used wisely. According to the economy minister, the
opportunities offered by the Recovery Plan are not only the money, but also the
economic and administrative reform principles, which will lead to reshaping
Romania’s economy in line with the principles of digitisation and green economy.

TENNIS Three Romanian athletes play in the WTA Madrid tournament’s main
draw. Romania’s Irina Begu (62 WTA) Wednesday qualified into the tournament
after defeating Kamila Rakhimova (96 WTA) of Russia, 6-1, 6-0. In the first
round, Simona Halep will play against Shuai Zhang of China, and Sorana Cîrstea
against Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain. WTA Madrid Open takes place between April
28 and May 7. Simona Halep won the 2016 and 2017 tournaments. (AMP)

27 April 2022