Radio România Internațional

Tag: Gaza

November 26, 2023 UPDATE

Kyiv. Romania has assumed a role of utmost importance in ensuring the transit of Ukrainian grain to international markets and remains in solidarity with that country, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Saturday, in an online intervention at the Kyiv Summit on world food security. More than 60% of the total Ukrainian exports of agricultural products were made through the transport corridors in Romania, the head of the Bucharest government also said, and in the next period an increase in the transport capacity would follow, with the direct support of the international partners and the European Union. Ciolacu condemned in the strongest terms the illegal and unjustified attacks by Russia in Ukraine, which constitute war crimes, as well as the Russian bombings near the border with Romania, which affect the infrastructure necessary for the transport of grain to international markets.

Abuse of office. The legal Committee of the Romanian Senate must react by Wednesday to the National Anticorruption Directorates request for the prosecution of the former Prime Minister, Liberal Senator Florin Cîțu. Former Health Ministers Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana Mihăilă, members of the Save Romania Union, are also accused of abuse of office, and president Klaus Iohannis would have to green-light the lifting of their immunity. Prosecutors say the three purchased 52 million doses more than necessary, causing a prejudice of 1 billion EUR. The vaccines were purchased at a very difficult time during the pandemic, dominated by uncertainty regarding the evolution of the virus, the availability of mass-production of vaccines and the need for re-vaccination, Vlad Voiculescu explained. The former Health Minister blamed Florin Cîțu for taking the final decision, and in turn the former Liberal Prime Minister said that every decision made during his mandate was in good faith and in compliance with the law. The President of the Save Romania Union, Catalin Drula, claims that the case against Vlad Voiculescu is an alarming evidence of how state institutions are used against the political opposition, given that elections are due next year. In turn, the Liberal Justice Minister Alina Gorghiu has criticized the accusations brought by the leader of SRU.

Gaza. Two hostages with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, are among those released from the Gaza Strip, the Romanian MFA announced on Sunday. Thus, currently, four people with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, are still hostages in the Gaza Strip, a context in which the ministry reiterates the need to release all hostages from Gaza. At the same time, the MFA welcomes the diplomatic efforts of the USA, the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt for the release of the hostages from the Gaza Strip. The Embassy of Romania in Tel Aviv and the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa stay in contact with the Israeli authorities.

Vehicles. The Romanian state offers the biggest subsidies in the European Union for the purchase of electric and hybrid cars, the state secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, Bogdan Balanişcu, said on Friday. These are vouchers that can reach over 10,000 euros, benefiting those Romanian citizens who want to buy an electric car. It is a way to remove 250 thousand cars from the streets and to stop the pollution that these old cars create, the official explained. According to the latest data provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, approximately 8,000 vehicles with zero CO2 emissions were registered in Romania in the first semester of 2023. This past summer, there were some 33 thousand electric vehicles and 154 thousand hybrid vehicles registered in Romania.

Counterfeit. The Romanian Customs Authority will carry out, next month, the “Pinocchio” operation, consisting of extensive controls on the traffic of counterfeit toys. Statistics show that at the end of the year, more than a third of the counterfeit goods that enter Romania are imported to be sold around Christmas. The authorities draw attention to the fact that these products, although they are often valued below the price of the original products, disappoint primarily due to their lower quality and non-compliance with standards.

Gaudeamus. The Gaudeamus Radio Romania book fair, the longest-running event of its kind in the country, closed its doors on Sunday in Bucharest. The Gaudeamus trophies, by public vote, went, in order, to the publishing houses Humanitas, Litera and Polirom. The most coveted book, also determined by the publics vote, was More like the past, by Ana Blandiana, and the Education Award went to the Publishing House of the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. The Excellence Award, awarded by a jury, went to Vellant Publishing for the quality of its presence at the fair and for the long line of literature and arts books, published in refined graphic conditions and for its always attractive stand at the fair. Tens of thousands of people visited the Gaudeamus Book Fair over the course of a week.

Handball. Romanian womens national handball team won, on Saturday, in Bistrita (north), the Carpathian Trophy, after defeating Austria with a score of 41-35, in the last match of the competition. Previously, Romania won against Switzerland 33-28 and Portugal with 32-22. The tournament in Bistrita was a final check before participating in the World Championship in Denmark, Norway and Sweden (November 29-December 17), where Romania will play in Group E. The Romanians will face Chile on December 1, Serbia on December 3 and Denmark on December 5. The top 3 will qualify for the main groups and then, from those, the top two are bound for the quarter-finals. The national team aims to rank among the first 7 places, in order to be able to participate in the pre-Olympic tournament. Romania is the only team that has participated in all 26 editions of the Womens Handball World Championship. (MI)

Tennis. The Romanian womens tennis team will face the Ukrainian team, away from home, in the qualifications for the final tournament of the Billie Jean King Cup competition, according to the draw made on Sunday in London. The match will take place on April 12-13, 2024. This month, Romania beat Serbia 4-0, in Kraljevo, in the play-off to stay in the World Group of the competition, while Ukraine beat Lithuania 3-1, in Vilnius. Romania and Ukraine have met four times so far, and the Romanians lead 3-1. (MI)

26 November 2023
November 26, 2023

Kyiv. Romania has assumed a role of utmost importance in ensuring the transit of Ukrainian grain to international markets and remains in solidarity with that country, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Saturday, in an online intervention at the Kyiv Summit on world food security. More than 60% of the total Ukrainian exports of agricultural products were made through the transport corridors in Romania, the head of the Bucharest government also said, and in the next period an increase in the transport capacity would follow, with the direct support of the international partners and the European Union. Ciolacu condemned in the strongest terms the illegal and unjustified attacks by Russia in Ukraine, which constitute war crimes, as well as the Russian bombings near the border with Romania, which affect the infrastructure necessary for the transport of grain to international markets.

Abuse of office. The legal Committee of the Romanian Senate must react by Wednesday to the National Anticorruption Directorates request for the prosecution of the former Prime Minister, Liberal Senator Florin Cîțu. Former Health Ministers Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana Mihăilă, members of the Save Romania Union, are also accused of abuse of office, and president Klaus Iohannis would have to green-light the lifting of their immunity. Prosecutors say the three purchased 52 million doses more than necessary, causing a prejudice of 1 billion EUR. The vaccines were purchased at a very difficult time during the pandemic, dominated by uncertainty regarding the evolution of the virus, the availability of mass-production of vaccines and the need for re-vaccination, Vlad Voiculescu explained. The former Health Minister blamed Florin Cîțu for taking the final decision, and in turn the former Liberal Prime Minister said that every decision made during his mandate was in good faith and in compliance with the law. The President of the Save Romania Union, Catalin Drula, claims that the case against Vlad Voiculescu is an alarming evidence of how state institutions are used against the political opposition, given that elections are due next year. In turn, the Liberal Justice Minister Alina Gorghiu has criticized the accusations brought by the leader of SRU.

Gaza. Two hostages with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, are among those released from the Gaza Strip, the Romanian MFA announced today. Thus, currently, four people with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, are still hostages in the Gaza Strip, a context in which the ministry reiterates the need to release all hostages from Gaza. At the same time, the MFA welcomes the diplomatic efforts of the USA, the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt for the release of the hostages from the Gaza Strip. The Embassy of Romania in Tel Aviv and the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa stay in contact with the Israeli authorities.

Hostages. A new exchange of Israeli hostages with Palestinian prisoners is planned for today, on the third day of the truce between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas. Saturdays group of hostages was belatedly released, to the dismay of desperate families, following a dispute between Israelis and Palestinian Islamists over the implementation of the four-day ceasefire. It came into force on Friday, when Hamas released a first group of 24 hostages – 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino. In return, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners. On Saturday evening, the Islamist group released a second group – 13 Israeli hostages and 4 Thai citizens. In turn, the Israeli authorities released another 39 Palestinian people from prisons. The ceasefire agreement should lead to the release of a total of 50 Hamas hostages and 150 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. In addition, every day of the truce, trucks with food, medicine and fuel will enter Gaza. The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip was triggered by an attack of unprecedented scale and violence committed by Hamas, on October 7, in southern Israel. According to the authorities, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and about 240 people kidnapped on the day of the attack. In retaliation, Israel has bombed the Gaza Strip ever since, and almost 15,000 people were killed, including over 6,000 children, according to Hamas. At the same time, Israel started a ground operation, in the north of the Gaza Strip, for the total destruction of Hamas.

Vehicles. The Romanian state offers the biggest subsidies in the European Union for the purchase of electric and hybrid cars, the state secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, Bogdan Balanişcu, said on Friday. These are vouchers that can reach over 10,000 euros, benefiting those Romanian citizens who want to buy an electric car. It is a way to remove 250 thousand cars from the streets and to stop the pollution that these old cars create, the official explained. According to the latest data provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, approximately 8,000 vehicles with zero CO2 emissions were registered in Romania in the first semester of 2023. This past summer, there were some 33 thousand electric vehicles and 154 thousand hybrid vehicles registered in Romania.

Gaudeamus. The Gaudeamus Radio Romania fair, the longest-running event of its kind in the country, is coming to an end. Today is the last day of the 30th edition. As usual for the visitors, the organizers prepared over 100 events for all ages: launches, debates or workshops. Despite the bad weather, the visitors came in large numbers to the fair on Saturday as well. In the central pavilion at Romexpo, in Bucharest, the public was attracted by the editorial offer, but also by the significant price reductions. On an area of thousands of square meters, stands and event spaces have accommodated the nearly 200 participants, who have come with an extremely varied range of editorial products, on different supports, suitable for all ages and fields of interest, music and educational games.

Handball. Romanian womens national handball team won, on Saturday, in Bistrita (north), the Carpathian Trophy, after defeating Austria with a score of 41-35, in the last match of the competition. Previously, Romania won against Switzerland 33-28 and Portugal with 32-22. The tournament in Bistrita was a final check before participating in the World Championship in Denmark, Norway and Sweden (November 29-December 17), where Romania will play in Group E. The Romanians will face Chile on December 1, Serbia on December 3 and Denmark on December 5. The top 3 will qualify for the main groups and then, from those, the top two are bound for the quarter-finals. The national team aims to rank among the first 7 places, in order to be able to participate in the pre-Olympic tournament. Romania is the only team that has participated in all 26 editions of the Womens Handball World Championship. (MI)

26 November 2023
24.11.2023 (mise à jour)

Corruption – A Bucarest, les leaders du PSD et du PNL (qui constituent l’alliance gouvernementale) ont fait savoir que les parlementaires de leurs partis voteraient en faveur de la levée de l’immunité de l’ancien premier ministre, actuellement sénateur libéral Florin Cîţu, pour que les procureurs anticorruption puissent mener leur enquête dans le dossier des acquisitions des doses de vaccin anticovid durant la pandémie. Les anciens ministres de la Santé de l’Union Sauvez la Roumanie (USR) – de Vlad Voiculescu et Ioana Mihaila sont accusés d’abus de fonction dans le même dossier. C’est au président Klaus Iohannis de donner son accord en faveur de la levée de leur immunité. Les procureurs estiment que les 3 auraient approuvé l’acquisition d’un nombre trop grand de doses de vaccin, causant un préjudice d’un milliard d’euros à l’Etat. Plus encore, ceux-ci auraient pu refuser les dizaines de millions de doses réservées au niveau de l’UE, sans que la Roumanie se voie obligée de payer des pénalités, précisent encore les procureurs. Les rachats de vaccins ont eu lieu à une période dominée par les incertitudes concernant l’évolution de la pandémie, la disponibilité de la production et la nécessité de refaire vacciner la population, a expliqué de son côté l’ancien ministre de la Santé, Vlad Voiculescu. Néanmoins il tient pour coupable l’ancien premier ministre, Florin Cîţu, pour l’approbation des acquisitions. Ce dernier, affirme pour sa part que l’ensemble de son activité s’est déroulée sous le signe de la bonne foi et dans le respect de la loi.

Gaza – Le ministère des Affaires Etrangères de Bucarest a précisé que suite aux efforts complexes entrepris par la Cellule de crise interinstitutionnelle, par l’Ambassade de Roumanie au Caire et par l’Office de représentation de la Roumanie à Ramallah, 12 ressortissants roumains et membres de leurs familles évacués de la Bande de Gaza ont été transportés en Roumanie à bord d’un vol opéré par la compagnie nationale aérienne Tarom. Le gouvernement de Bucarest a approuvé jeudi l’acte normatif portant sur l’octroi d’une aide financière aux ressortissants roumains rapatriés depuis la Bande de Gaza. Par conséquent, à compter de décembre, les rapatriés recevront de l’argent de la part de l’Etat roumain pour la nourriture, de logement et autre besoins courants. Concrètement, chaque personne rapatriée aura droit à 600 lei (120 euros) pour la nourriture. Une famille comptant entre 1 et 5 membres recevra aussi 2 000 lei (500 euros) pour le logement et les autres dépenses, alors qu’une famille ayant plus de 5 membres bénéficiera de 3000 lei (600 euros). Cette aide financière sera accordée pour une période de quatre mois.

Environnement – L’Etat roumain propose le financement le plus important de l’Union européenne pour l’achat de voitures électriques et hybrides, a déclaré vendredi le secrétaire d’Etat du ministère de l’environnement, des eaux et des forêts, Bogdan Balanişcu. Il s’agit de tickets de valeur qui pourraient dépasser les 10 000 euros, pour un citoyen roumain qui souhaite s’acheter une voiture électrique. Le programme vise à faire sortir des routes quelque 250 mille voitures anciennes, afin de réduire la pollution que ces vieilles voitures créent, a expliqué le dignitaire. Selon les derniers chiffres envoyés par le ministère de l’Intérieur, quelque 8 000 véhicules à zéro émission de carbone ont été immatriculés en Roumanie durant le premier semestre de l’année 2023.

Timisoara – Nadia Murad, Prix Nobel de la Paix en 2018, est désormais membre de la communauté académique de Timişoara, après avoir reçu le titre de Docteur Honoris Causa de l’Université de l’Ouest de Timişoara. Vendue en 2014 par le Daesh en tant qu’esclave et ayant perdu presque l’ensemble de sa famille, Nadia Murad est la première femme qui a eu le courage et la force de caractère de dévoiler les atrocités commises par le Daesh en Irak. Elle a parlé à Timişoara non seulement des souffrances des personnes enlevés par l’Etat Islamique, mais aussi de la manière dont elle tente d’améliore la vie de la communauté des Yazid dont elle fait partie. Nadia Murad, 30 ans, est la 5e lauréate d’un Prix Nobel à se rendre à Timişoara sur invitation de l’Université de l’Ouest, dans le cadre du programme de la Capitale européenne de la culture.

Chisinau – Le Parlement de Chisinau a approuvé vendredi, en deuxième lecture, les modifications législatives sur l’application des mesures restrictives internationales, recommandées par la Commission européenne dans le cadre des négociations d’adhésion du pays à l’Union. Selon le ministre des Affaires Etrangères moldave, Nicu Popescu, la République de Moldova s’est alignée aux quatre paquets de sanctions sur six qui visent d’une manière ou d’une autre des citoyens ou des personnes juridiques de la Fédération de Russie. Il a déclaré que des responsables de Chisinau, avec le soutien des partenaires, continuera à faire des efforts de limiter les tentatives de déstabiliser le pays. La diplomatie russe a dénoncé cette décision et accusé les autorités moldaves de vouloir complètement détruire les relations bilatérales.

Météo – La météo devrait se dégrader dramatiquement ce weekend à travers le pays. Après des maxima de 15 degrés ce vendredi, jusqu’à dimanche les températures ne dépasseront pas les 6 degrés. Des pluies et des chutes de neige sont attendues sur toutes les régions, y compris à Bucarest. D’ailleurs les météorologues ont émis deux alertes l’une code orange et l’autre code jaune valable le long de ce weekend sur le nord, mais aussi sur le sud-est des régions où des tempêtes de neige sont attendues.

24 November 2023
November 24, 2023 UPDATE

Immunity. MPs of the ruling Social-Democratic and Liberal parties announced they would vote to lift the immunity of former Liberal Prime Minister Florin Cîțu, so that anti-corruption prosecutors can launch criminal proceedings against him in an investigation into the purchase of anti-COVID vaccines during the pandemic. Former Health Ministers Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana Mihăilă, members of the Save Romania Union, are also accused of abuse of office, and president Klaus Iohannis needs to green-light the lifting of their immunity. Prosecutors say the three purchased more shots than necessary, causing a prejudice of 1 bln EUR. The three officials could have easily refused the millions of doses allotted to Romania by the EU, without our country having to pay penalties. The vaccines were purchased at a very difficult time during the pandemic, dominated by uncertainty regarding the evolution of the virus, the availability of mass-production of vaccines and the need for re-vaccination, Vlad Voiculescu explained. The former Health Minister blamed Florin Cîțu for taking the final decision, and in turn the former Liberal Prime Minister said every decision made during his mandate was in good faith and in compliance with the law.

Gaza. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that following the complex efforts of the Inter-institutional Crisis Cell, through the Romanian Embassy in Cairo and the Romanian Representative Office in Ramallah, 12 Romanian citizens and their family members, evacuated from the Gaza Strip, have been transported to Romania on board a flight operated by the national company Tarom. The Bucharest government approved, on Thursday, the normative act on the basis of which financial aid is granted to Romanian citizens evacuated from the Gaza Strip. The 249 people, Romanian citizens and their families, will receive, starting next month, financial aid for food, accommodation and other needs. For food, each person, alone or from a family, will receive the sum of 600 lei, the equivalent of 120 euros. Families with up to five members will receive another 2,000 lei (around 400 euros) for accommodation, and those with more than five members will receive 3,000 lei (600 euros) for accommodation. This financial aid will be granted for four months.

Vehicles. The Romanian state offers the biggest subsidies in the European Union for the purchase of electric and hybrid cars, the state secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, Bogdan Balanişcu, said on Friday. These are vouchers that can reach over 10,000 euros, for a Romanian citizen who wants to buy an electric car. It is a way to remove 250 thousand cars from the street and to stop the pollution that these old cars create, the official explained. According to the latest data sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, approximately 8,000 vehicles with zero CO2 emissions were registered in Romania in the first semester of 2023.

Timisoara. The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Nadia Murad, is the newest member of the academic community of Timișoara after being awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa title by the West University of the city of Timișoara, which is a European Capital of Culture in 2023. Nadia Murad is the first woman who had the strength and courage to condemn the atrocities committed by the Islamic State of Iraq. In 2014 she was sold by Daesh as a slave and lost her entire family. In her acceptance speech, Murad referred to the suffering of people abducted by ISIS and her efforts to improve the life of the Yazidi, a community she is a part of. Aged 30, Nadia Murad is the fifth Nobel Prize recipient to visit the city of Timișoara this year.

Visit. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, ended his ten-day tour of African states in Senegal on Thursday. He has stated that the visits marked the beginning of a new approach for Romania towards the African continent and explained that through this tour he put Romania back on the African radar. In the last stage of his travels, Iohannis was received in Dakar by his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall. The Romanian president said that the Bucharest administration is going to intensify collaboration with Senegal in areas such as emergency management, education, research and innovation, cyber security, digital infrastructure, agriculture and food safety. Criticized by the opposition in the country for his tour of Africa, Iohannis stated that neglecting the relationship with African states represented “a strategic error in Romanias foreign policy”, a mistake he decided to rectify. He mentioned that Romania has a new strategy for Africa, which specifically targets traditional partners, including Senegal.

Chisinau. The Chisinau Parliament approved, on Friday, in the second reading, the legislative amendments regarding the application of international restrictive measures, recommended by the European Commission in the framework of the countrys EU accession negotiations. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nicu Popescu, the Republic of Moldova has aligned itself with 4 of the 6 sanctions packages that target citizens or legal entities from the Russian Federation. He also stated that Chisinau officials, together with the support of partners, will continue to make efforts to limit attempts to destabilize the country. The Diplomacy in Moscow has denounced joining the sanctions and accused the Moldovan authorities of wanting to completely destroy bilateral relations. (MI)

24 November 2023
Assistance for the families evacuated from Gaza

About 250 people, Romanian citizens and their families, have been evacuated from Gaza, since the start of the conflict in the region. On Thursday, the Romanian government decided to grant to all of them financial aid from the reserve fund for current expenses. As of December 1, for four months, the repatriated persons will benefit from a support package for reintegration or social integration, i.e. money for food, accommodation and other needs. For food, each person, alone or from a family, will receive 600 lei, the equivalent of 120 euros. For accommodation, families with up to five members will receive 2,000 lei, about 400 euros, and the families with more than five members will receive 3,000 lei (600 euros) for accommodation. Romania repatriated most of the people with Romanian citizenship and their families, who had requested repatriation, although the process was and remains complicated, being hampered by technical problems.

The evacuation was carried out following the complex efforts of the Interinstitutional Crisis Cell, through the Romanian Embassy in Cairo and the Romanian Representative Office in Ramallah. Those who want to leave Gaza, need an approval. Once obtained, they leave Gaza crossing to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing point. According to the Romanian diplomacy, the Romanian citizens and their families are taken from the border between Gaza and Egypt by a team from the Rapid Reaction Unit of the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) Crisis Cell and representatives of the Romanian Embassy in Egypt and are accompanied to Cairo by another mobile team of the MAE Crisis Cell. Afterwards, they are repatriated by plane.

The Romanian authorities have given assurances that none of those who want to leave Gaza will be left there. According to the spokesman for the Romanian Foreign Ministry, quoted by Euronews, the Romanians in Gaza who have not asked, so far, to be evacuated, but could do so if the conflict were to move to the south of the Gaza Strip, will be supported by the authorities from Bucharest.

On the other hand, Romania also gets involved in helping the civilian population in the region. A cargo aircraft made available by the European Commission transported aid offered by the Romanian state to the population of the Gaza Strip. The aid consists of barrack equipment items taken from the state reserves, such as tents, beds, mattresses, pillows and bedding. On October 19, the National Committee for Emergency Situations approved a decision that provided for the granting of free international assistance to the affected civilian population in the Gaza Strip, consisting of food products and barrack equipment. (LS)

24 November 2023
Asistenţă pentru familiile evacuate din Gaza

Circa 250 de persoane, cetăţeni români şi familiile acestora, au fost evacuate din Gaza, de la declanşarea conflictului în regiune. Tuturor acestora, executivul de la Bucureşti a decis, joi, să le acorde ajutoare financiare din fondul de rezervă pentru cheltuieli curente. Persoanele repatriate vor beneficia, începând de la 1 decembrie, timp de patru luni, de un pachet de susţinere pentru reintegrare sau integrare socială, adică de bani pentru hrană, cazare şi alte nevoi. Pentru mâncare, fiecare persoană va primi suma de 600 lei, iar pentru cazare şi pentru alte cheltuieli, lunar, 2.000 lei. Tot 2.000 de lei vor primi şi familiile cu până la cinci membri, iar cele cu mai mult de cinci membri vor primi 3.000 lei.

România a repatriat cele mai multe dintre persoanele cu cetăţenie română şi familiile lor care solicitaseră acest lucru, deşi procesul a fost şi rămâne unul complicat, îngreunat şi de probleme de ordin tehnic. Evacuarea s-a realizat în urma eforturilor complexe ale Celulei de Criză Interinstituţionale, prin intermediul Ambasadei României la Cairo şi al Oficiului de Reprezentare al României la Ramallah. Pentru cei care vor să părăsească Gaza, este nevoie de aprobare. Odată obţinută, aceştia trec din Gaza în Egipt prin punctul de frontieră de la Rafah.

Potrivit diplomaţiei de la Bucureşti, cetăţenii români şi familiile acestora sunt preluaţi de la frontiera dintre Gaza şi Egipt de o echipă din cadrul Unităţii de Reacţie Rapidă a Celulei de Criză MAE şi reprezentanţi ai Ambasadei României în Egipt şi sunt însoţiţi până la Cairo de o altă echipă mobilă a Celulei de Criză MAE. Ulterior, ei sunt repatriaţi pe calea aerului.

Autorităţile române au dat asigurări că nimeni dintre cei care doresc să plece din Gaza nu va fi lăsat acolo. Potrivit purtătorului de cuvânt al MAE, citat de Euronews, românii din Gaza care nu au cerut, până acum, să fie evacuaţi, dar ar putea să facă acest lucru în cazul în care conflictul s-ar muta în sudul Fâşiei, vor fi sprijiniţi de autorităţile de la Bucureşti.

Pe de altă parte, România se implică şi în ajutorarea populaţiei civile din regiune. O aeronavă cargo pusă la dispoziţie de Comisia Europeană a transportat ajutoare oferite de statul român pentru populaţia din Fâşia Gaza. Este vorba despre elemente de cazarmament scoase din rezervele de stat, anume corturi, paturi, saltele, perne şi aşternuturi. Pe 19 octombrie, Comitetul Naţional pentru Situaţii de Urgenţă a aprobat o hotărâre care prevedea acordarea de asistenţă internaţională, cu titlu gratuit, pentru populaţia civilă afectată din Fâşia Gaza, ce constă în produse alimentare şi articole de cazarmament.

RadioRomaniaInternational · Asistenţă pentru familiile evacuate din Gaza

24 November 2023
Alţi 12 cetăţeni români din Fâşia Gaza au ajuns acasă

Alţi 12 cetățeni români și membri de familie ai acestora, evacuați din Fâșia Gaza, au fost transportați în România, vineri, la bordul unei curse operate de către TAROM, informează MAE. Evacuarea a fost posibilă în urma eforturilor Celulei de Criză Interinstituționale, prin intermediul Ambasadei României la Cairo și al Oficiului de Reprezentare al României la Ramallah, mai precizezază diplomaţia de la Bucureşti.

Cei 12 cetățeni români și membri de familie au ajuns miercuri pe teritoriul Republicii Arabe Egipt prin punctul de frontieră Rafah, fiind preluați ulterior de către reprezentanții Ambasadei României în R.A. Egipt. O echipă mobilă a Celulei de Criză a MAE i-a însoțit apoi până la Cairo, de unde au fost îmbarcați spre România.

MAE continuă dialogul cu autoritățile israeliene și egiptene în vederea facilitării evacuării și a celorlalți cetățeni români și membri de familie aflați în Fâșia Gaza care au solicitat sprijin în acest sens, în funcție de evoluțiile din teren și de acordul părților implicate.

Până în prezent, 249 de cetățeni români și membri de familie ai acestora au fost evacuați din Fâșia Gaza

24 November 2023
Ce înţelegem din ce nu se vede

În Ucraina continuă luptele. Sunt oprite pe rând ba ofensiva ucraineană, ba cea rusească. După lupte și pierderi semnificative, beligeranții revin la pozițiile anterioare. Este definiția clasică a războiului de poziții, a luptei încremenite în pământ dar cu foc și sânge curgând peste tot.

În Israel, al doilea război al momentului, peste 200 de cetățeni răpiți la 7 octombrie rămân în mâinile teroriștilor. În același timp, armata israeliană și-a continuat acțiunea în Gaza, a înconjurat un spital sub care ni s-a spus ca se află un întreg orășel subteran, construit de Hamas. Luptele continuă și aici. Oricine ar fi presupus că așa se va întâmpla: atacul din 7 octombrie al militanților veniți din Gaza avea să fie urmat de acțiunea armatei israeliene, pentru care răzbunarea este cea mai puțin importantă intenție. Soldații statului atacat vor să-i salveze pe cei răpiți și să-i distrugă pe atacatori. Populația civilă, neimplicată în atacul declanșator al războiului, a fost sfătuită insistent să plece spre sudul Fâșiei Gaza.

În sud se află o țară arabă, Egiptul, care nu vrea însă nici să-și ia responsabilitatea primirii pe teritoriul său a unor refugiați care ar putea ascunde militanți periculoși, nici să importe fenomene care i-ar afecta activitatea turistică intensă. Nu se vede, dar se înțelege. Israelul nu vrea să scape din mână acest exod, fiind pe urmele celor care au semănat moartea la 7 octombrie. Și nici să riște introducerea unor arme clandestin, printre ajutoarele umanitare atât de necesare în Gaza.

Dacă Israelul le cere civililor palestinieni să plece în sud, militanții nu îi lasă, nefiind nicio îndoială că se ascund în spatele lor sau printre ei. În lumina frontului, așa se văd lucrurile. Dar peste tot se vorbește, nu de cei 200 de ostateci, de fapt, persoane răpite, ci de ecuația mai amplă, mai largă, care ar explica și ce se întâmplă acum, și ce se va întâmpla în lume. Se spune că nu este pentru oricine, aceste ecuații speciale nu sunt la înțelegerea oricărui om de pe pământ.

În valuri consecutive, explicația implică statele vecine, apoi vecini indirecți, se duc spre bazele militare și drumuri comerciale anterioare. Se ajunge până în Rusia și China, cei doi poli care își revendică un loc esențial, dacă nu bipolar, în viitorul planetei. În prezent, acest rol este doar antiamerican, dar se lucrează la o coaliție internațională care să funcționeze cât mai eficient și în mai multe domenii. Mult entuziasm s-a cheltuit la lansarea acestei alianțe de tip tiermondist, dar calculele reale ale situației existente îi îndeamnă la precauție pe cei care ar fi trebuit să evolueze în siajul axei Beijing-Moscova.

Atracțiile rămân tot în lumea occidentală, și știu asta și oligarhii ruși sau puternicii politicieni care și-au trimis familiile acolo, cu tot cu diferitele agoniseli. O știu și oamenii din China, și din Iran, și din Brazilia, și din Africa de Sud, ce nu par dispuși să treacă la războaie economice și să-și reducă semnificativ nivelul de lux și trai. În ultimul timp, atracția strălucitoare a noilor centri internaționali de putere a început să genereze teamă și reținere. Mișcarea migraționistă vizează în continuare Europa și SUA. Nimeni nu se refugiază în Rusia sau China, ci dimpotrivă, de acolo se pleacă.

Promisiunile belicoase au pălit sub presiunea preocupărilor de zi cu zi, schimbările esențiale în echilibrul politic internațional se amână sau se anulează în liniște, fără zgomotul sau emfaza de la început. Asta ar fi trebuit să vedem, o acțiune unită a noilor poli de putere, care ar fi crescut vertiginos în greutate și importanță, suficient să nu mai țină cont de legile și principiile conviețuirii internaționale fără război. Fără îndoială, oamenii merg spre democrație, vor lideri aleși, vor să controleze puterea politică, și nu invers, vor acces la un nivel de viață din ce în ce mai bun și mai modern, vor libertate de exprimare, de opinie, de alegere.

Dictatura nu mai este compatibilă cu societatea omenească de secol XXI. Accesul la informație și comunicarea sunt rapide și ieftine, manipularea de orice fel pierde din eficiență, oamenii vor să fie stăpâni pe propria viață, vor ca viața lor și a semenilor lor să fie respectată și ocrotită de cei care au puterea.

19 November 2023
Retrospectiva săptămânii 12.11 – 18.11.2023

Turneu prezidențial în țări africane

Turneul pe care preşedintele Klaus Iohannis îl face în această perioadă în Africa include vizite de stat în Kenya, Tanzania, Capul Verde şi Senegal. Potrivit Administraţiei prezidențiale de la București, turneul reprezintă primul demers politico-diplomatic la acest nivel din ultimii 30 de ani şi vizează relansarea relaţiilor României cu continentul african, dar și nevoia de revigorare a relaţiilor Uniunii Europene cu Africa, în spiritul unui nou parteneriat. În cadrul discuţiilor cu omologii săi, dar şi cu alţi înalţi demnitari africani, președintele Klaus Iohannis urmărește identificarea măsurilor pentru dezvoltarea relaţiilor comerciale şi creşterea schimburilor economice, impulsionarea cooperării în domenii de interes comun, dar şi consolidarea profilului României ca furnizor de educaţie, pornind de la tradiţia cooperării în acest domeniu cu ţările din regiune.

Noua lege a pensiilor, în Parlament

Senatul de la București a adoptat proiectul de lege al Guvernului privind sistemul public de pensii. Legea a fost examinată în procedură accelerată, deoarece guvernul de coaliţie PSD-PNL doreşte ca aceasta să fie adoptată de Parlament până pe 20 noiembrie, pentru a fi aplicată de la 1 ianuarie. Aceeaşi procedură va fi şi la Camera Deputaţilor, care este for decizional în acest caz. Din opoziție, USR a transmis că situaţia este nemaiîntâlnită şi de neacceptat în cazul unei legi atât de importante, iar Alianţa pentru Unirea Românilor susţine că noua lege vine în beneficiul celor cu pensii mari. Deşi aflată în opoziţie, după ce a guvernat până acum câteva luni alături de PSD şi PNL, UDMR a votat în favoarea documentului. Proiectul prevede două majorări ale veniturilor pensionarilor în 2024: una în ianuarie şi alta în septembrie.

Proteste în România

Circa 2000 de angajaţi din numeroase domenii s-au adunat în faţa sediului guvernului din București, într-o acţiune de protest organizată de Confederaţia Sindicală Naţională Meridian. Principalale nemulţumiri sunt legate de sistemul noii legi a sistemului public de pensii și de unele măsuri fiscal-bugetare. Cererile sindicaliștilor au vizat normele de ieșire la pensie, care, spun ei, le suprimă anumite beneficii în ceea ce privește vârsta de ieșire din sistem și cuantumul pensiilor. De asemenea și legea supranumită a austerității va avea un impact major asupra bugetarilor, mai spun protestatarii. Proteste au avut loc și în țară. Nemulțumiți, în principal de condiţiile şi volumul mare de muncă, au protestat, în această săptămână, și funcţionari de la casele de pensii, de la agenţiile de ocupare a forţei de muncă şi cele pentru plăţi şi inspecţie socială, de la direcţii județene de sănătate publică, angajați de la Ministerul Sănătății și farmaciști.

Date și previziuni economice

În România, rata anuală a inflaţiei a scăzut în octombrie la 8,1%, de la 8,8 procente în septembrie, potrivit datelor prezentate, în această săptămână, de INS. Pe de altă parte, previziunile economice de toamnă ale Comisiei Europene arată că România va înregistra o diminuare a creşterii economice din cauza inflaţiei ridicate. Astfel, creşterea PIB al României este corectată în scădere la 2,2%, din cauza inflaţiei mai ridicate decât media europeană, a cererii externe scăzute şi a condiţiilor restrânse de finanţare. Creşterea reală a PIB-ului României ar putea fi de 3,1% în 2024 şi 3,4% în 2025, iar deficitul public este prognozat că va scădea de la 6,3% din PIB anul acesta, la 5,3% în 2024 şi 5,1% în 2025, ca urmare a măsurilor de consolidare fiscală ce urmează să fie implementate în ianuarie. România este în procedură de deficit excesiv şi, dacă nu reuşeşte să reducă diferenţa dintre cheltuielile publice şi venituri, riscă să piardă fonduri europene de zeci de miliarde.

Centrul European de Instruire F-16

La Baza 86 Aeriană de la Feteşti, în sud-estul României, a fost inaugurat, luni, Centrul European de Instruire F-16, în prezenţa miniştrilor apărării român și olandez. Va fi un hub internaţional pentru pregătirea piloţilor de pe acest tip de aeronave, din statele aliate şi partenere, inclusiv din Ucraina. Totodată, va contribui la accelerarea procesului de formare a piloţilor români, în contextul în care Armata română va primi 32 de aeronave F-16, achiziţionate din Norvegia. Centrul de antrenament are, deja, în dotare cinci avioane F-16, iar alte 18, din Țările de Jos, vor ajunge în România până la sfârșitul anului. Flota aeriană a Armatei Române deține în momentul de faţă 17 F-16, achiziționate din Portugalia. Centrul European de Instruire a fost realizat în baza unui acord de colaborare prin care România pune la dispoziţie baza, facilităţile de instruire şi sprijinul naţiunii-gazdă, Forţele Aeriene Regale Olandeze pun la dispoziţie aeronave F-16, iar compania americană Lockheed Martin, producătoare a aparatelor de zbor, asigură instructorii şi partea de întreţinere.

Noi repatrieri din Gaza

În această săptămână, alți cetăţeni români şi membri de familie ai acestora au fost evacuaţi din Fâşia Gaza și au ajuns în România, la bordul unor curse speciale operate de compania naţională TAROM – a transmis Ministerul de Externe de la Bucureşti. Cei evacuați au ajuns pe teritoriul Egiptului prin punctul de frontieră Rafah fiind preluaţi, ulterior, de reprezentanţii Ambasadei României în Egipt. O echipă mobilă a Celulei de Criză a MAE i-a însoţit, apoi, până la Cairo, de unde au fost îmbarcaţi spre România. MAE precizează că dialogul cu autorităţile israeliene şi egiptene continuă, în vederea facilitării evacuării şi a celorlalţi cetăţeni români şi membri de familie aflaţi în Fâşia Gaza care au solicitat plecarea, în funcţie de evoluţiile din teren şi de acordul părţilor implicate.

18 November 2023
17.11.2023 (mise à jour)

Taxes -
Le premier ministre roumain Marcel Ciolacu a confirmé jeudi que son
gouvernement n’introduira aucune nouvelle taxe dans le courant de l’année
prochaine. Pour encourager les collectes budgétaires, son cabinet luttera contre
l’évasion fiscale, a-t-il précisé. Selon lui, au mois d’octobre, la collecte
des recettes a franchi le seuil record de 8 milliards d’euros. Si le
gouvernement arrive à préserver le même rythme, la cible de déficit budgétaire
agréée avec la Commission européenne sera atteinte d’ici la fin de l’année,
rassure le premier ministre. Cette déclaration intervient après que le
président du PNL, Nicolae Ciuca a récemment affirmé que la Roumanie ne se
permettait pas une majoration de taxes en 2024 et que le gouvernement devrait
donc identifier de nouvelles sources de financement pour soutenir le projet de
la loi des retraites.

Pauvreté
– La pauvreté a touché un Roumain sur cinq, en 2022, soit un total de 4,2 millions
de personnes, a fait savoir l’Institut national de la statistique de Bucarest.
Le taux de pauvreté le plus élevé a été enregistré parmi les jeunes de moins de
24 ans. Selon l’Institut national de la statistique, si l’année dernière l’Etat
n’avait pas versé les retraites et d’autres allocations et indemnités sociales,
près de la moitié de la population roumaine aurait été en situation de
pauvreté, notamment les personnes âgées.

Afrique – La Roumanie et la Tanzanie ont décidé d”accorder
réciproquement des bourses d’études aux jeunes étudiants des deux pays. Arrivé
dans la capitale tanzanienne, le chef de
l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis a rencontré son homologue, Samia Suluhu Hassan
avec laquelle il a discuté des relations entre la Tanzanie et l’UE. La Tanzanie
peut compter sur l’appui de la Roumanie afin de renforcer ses rapports avec la
communauté européenne, a précisé le responsable roumain. Et lui de présenter la
vision de Bucarest sur la relance de ses relations avec les pays africains,
dans le contexte où la Roumanie a adopté récemment la Stratégie nationale pour
l’Afrique. Les pourparlers de vendredi, de Dar es Salaam, ont porté sur un
renforcement des relations bilatérales dans différents domaines tels
l’éducation, la protection civile, l’agriculture, la sylviculture, les
technologies de l’Information et la cybersécurité. Pour sa part, la présidente
tanzanienne a salué la décision de la Roumanie d’accorder dix bourses aux
étudiants de son pays qui, à son tour, offrira cinq bourses aux jeunes roumains
désireux de faire des études en Tanzanie. Deux mémorandums ont été également
signés, l’un sur la gestion du risque de désastres et l’autre sur la
coopération et la recherche dans le domaine agricole. Klaus Iohannis fait une
tournée en Afrique qui, après le Kenya et la Tanzanie, le mènera à Zanzibar, au
Cap vert et au Sénégal.

Gaza -
16 ressortissants roumains et leurs familles, évacués de la Bande de Gaza sont
rentrés vendredi, en Roumanie, à bord d’un vol de la compagnie aérienne TAROM.
Dans un premier temps, 17 Roumains et leurs familles sont arrivés en Egypte par
le poste-frontière de Rafah, accompagnés jusqu’au Caire par les représentants
du ministère roumain des Affaires Etrangères. Jusqu’à présent 237
ressortissants roumains évacués de la Bande de Gaza sont rentrés en Roumanie.

Signature
– Les usines Aérostar de Bacau ont signé vendredi un contrat de collaboration
avec la compagnie américaine, Derco Aérospace, qui fait partie de l’entreprise
de défense et sécurité américaine Lockheed Martin. Le contrat permettra le
transfert des technologies nécessaires aux réparations des trains
d’atterrissage, des roues et des systèmes de freinage des avions F-16 dont la
Roumanie s’est dotée récemment. La signature s’est déroulée en présence de
l’adjoint au secrétaire général de l’OTAN, le roumain Mircea Geoana.Et
lui de préciser que l’OTAN se propose d’atteindre simultanément deux objectifs :
élargir sa base industrielle et technologique de défense dans tous les pays
alliés et développer un écosystème d’innovation pour les industries aussi bien
civiles que militaires dont bénéficient des pays nouvellement intégrés. La
signature de l’accord survient quelques jours après l’inauguration, sur la base
roumaine de Fetesti, du premier centre européen de formation pour les pilotes
des avions F-16.

Podgorica -
La cheffe de la diplomatie de Bucarest, Luminita Odobescu, a fait jeudi une
visite au Monténégro, la première d’un chef de la diplomatie roumaine dans ce
pays, depuis l’installation de l’actuel gouvernement pro-européen. A l’agenda
de la visite : des pourparlers avec le ministre des Affaires Etrangères
Filip Ivanovic, avec le président Jakov Milatovic et le premier ministre
Milojko Spajic. Les discussions ont porté sur la consolidation du dialogue
bilatéral, y compris par l’intensification des relations au sommet. Luminiţa
Odobescu a reconfirmé le soutien ferme de la Roumanie à la poursuite du processus
d’intégration européenne des Etats des Balkans, y compris du Monténégro.

Foot
– La sélection nationale de foot de Roumanie affronte samedi l’équipe d’Israël
au sein du Groupe I des éliminatoires du Championnat d’Europe de football 2024.
Vu la situation dans l’État hébreu, les matchs éliminatoires pour l’Euro de
l’année prochaine auront lieu dans d’autres pays. Le dernier match des
tricolores roumains aura lieu mardi, à Bucarest, contre la sélection suisse.
Après huit victoires, la Roumanie a 16 points et elle se classe juste derrière la
Suisse, leader du groupe. Israël vient derrière la Roumanie avec 11 points, alors
que le Kosovo est en quatrième position avec 10 points. La dernière
participation de la Roumanie à un tournoi final de l’Euro de foot date de 2016.

Météo
– En Roumanie, il fait froid et des pluies tombent sur l’ouest et le
sud-ouest. Il neige à la montagne.

17 November 2023
Nahost: Gaza wird zum globalen Krisenherd

RadioRomaniaInternational · Nahost: Gaza wird zum globalen Krisenherd

Der Raketenbeschuss, die Zerstörung des Grenzzauns, der den Gazastreifen von Israel trennt, das Eindringen in israelisches Hoheitsgebiet — aus der Luft, zu Lande und zu Wasser — und die Massaker in mehreren Kibbuzim und bei einem Musikfestival, das einem jüdischen Feiertag gewidmet war, haben die internationale Gemeinschaft schockiert, denn die Offensive der Terrororganisation Hamas war so hart und überraschend wie nie zuvor. Der 7. Oktober 2023, als die Terroristen bei ihrem Überfall rund 1200 Menschen in Israel töteten, darunter Frauen, Kinder und ältere Menschen, mehrere Tausend verwundeten und mehr als 200 Geiseln nahmen, wird als schwarzer Tag in die Geschichte eingehen. Zudem löste er eine umfassende israelische Reaktion aus, die ihrerseits und zu einer humanitären Krise im Gazastreifen führte.

Israel hat zum ersten Mal seit dem Jom-Kippur-Krieg von 1973 den Kriegszustand erklärt und 300.000 Reservisten einberufen, und Premierminister Benjamin Netanjahu sagte ausdrücklich, das Ziel Israels sei, die Hamas vollständig zu vernichten. Hunderttausende Palästinenser sind aus dem Norden des nur 365 Quadratkilometer langen Gazastreifens in den Süden der Enklave geflohen, während die übrigen entweder auf der Suche nach einer Unterkunft sind, oder unter Strom-, Wasser-, Lebensmittel- und Medikamentenknappheit leiden. Die muslimische Welt ist über das Vorgehen Israels empört und hat in vielen Ländern des Nahen Ostens sowie in Europa und den USA mit zum Teil gewalttätigen Demonstrationen reagiert. Der Antisemitismus in den USA habe nach der Gewalt in Israel und im Gazastreifen historische Ausma‎ße“ erreicht, sagte der Direktor des FBI, während andere Länder, darunter Gro‎ßbritannien und Frankreich, ebenfalls vor einem starken Anstieg antisemitischer Vorfälle gewarnt haben.

Die Krise im Nahen Osten wird als Riss im regionalen Sicherheitsgefüge gesehen, und laut einigen Analysten sei deutlich geworden, dass die EU bei der Bewältigung der geopolitischen Krise in ihrer Nachbarschaft nur begrenzte Einflussmöglichkeiten hat, nicht zuletzt aufgrund der Erschöpfung der Ressourcen nach der russischen Aggression gegen die Ukraine. Nach Ansicht von Ștefan Ciochinaru, Universitätsprofessor für Politikwissenschaft, lie‎ßen sich die beiden Kriege in Bezug auf die Reaktion Europas zwar vergleichen, jedoch nur bis zu einem gewissen Punkt, da die politischen Ziele der Aggressoren unterschiedlich seien:

Im Falle der Ukraine ist das Ziel des Aggressors die Zerstörung der europäischen Ordnung und die Vertreibung der USA aus Europa. Denn das ist der Grund, warum Moskau die Integration der Ukraine in die EU und die NATO ablehnt. Putin will, wie er auch unverhohlen erklärt hat, eine Rückkehr zur Situation von 1994, er will Länder in Europa in seiner Einflusssphäre halten, wie es zu Zeiten der Sowjetunion der Fall war. Im Falle der Aggression gegen Israel hingegen richtet sich das Ziel der Hintermänner des Aggressors Hamas wie beim Billard ebenfalls auch gegen die USA. Daher das riesige Netzwerk der Komplizenschaft, das eine Vielzahl arabischer Staaten mit der antiamerikanischen Linken in Europa, mit Russland, mit dem Iran und seinen Vasallen und nicht zuletzt, wenn auch viel subtiler, mit China verbindet. Sie versuchen einfach, die gesamte muslimische Welt gegen die Vereinigten Staaten, gegen den Westen aufzubringen, denn in der strategischen Konzeption derjenigen, die die Weltordnung um jeden Preis umkrempeln wollen, ist Amerika das Hauptziel. Wenn man Amerika zu Fall bringt, kann man den Rest leicht erledigen. Europa ist, strategisch gesehen, ein Zwerg. Japan, Südkorea und Australien würden isoliert bleiben. Der glorreiche Westen würde dann wie eine Sandburg zusammenfallen. Und die Reaktion Europas ist, wie so oft, sehr, sehr kurzsichtig. Seit einem Jahr erleben wir die Folgen der Inkonsequenz in der Haltung und der Reaktion gegenüber dem Krieg in der Ukraine. Wir dürfen nicht vergessen, dass der Krieg in der Ukraine vor unserer Haustür auf europäischem Territorium geführt wird, und dessen Ausgang wird die Zukunft des europäischen Kontinents mitbestimmen. Was die Reaktion auf den Angriff auf Israel und auf die in unterirdischen Tunnels geplanten Terroraktionen betrifft, so ist die Lage noch schlimmer. Die europäische politische Linke hat sich mit Rechtsextremisten und der eingewanderten muslimischen Bevölkerung verbündet und verurteilt in einer Täter-Opfer-Umkehr den Staat Israel als Aggressor. Währenddessen hat Europa seine eigenen Katakomben, in denen die alte und neue Rhetorik des Antisemitismus, des Antiamerikanismus und der antidemokratischen Gesinnung mehr oder weniger sichtbar weiter schwelt.“

Man könnte sich zu Recht fragen, in was für einer Welt wir heute leben. Vielen Menschen sei klar, führt Professor Ștefan Ciochinaru weiter aus, dass wir in einer Welt leben, die von einem hybriden Krieg heimgesucht wird, der nichts Heiliges an sich hat.

Wir sehen, wie nach dem Flächenbrand im Nahen Osten Lehrer in Frankreich ermordet werden, wie Bahnhöfe und Flughäfen in ganz Europa mit Bomben bedroht werden, wie Davidsterne auf die Häuser von Juden in Berlin gemalt werden, wie jüdische Friedhöfe geschändet werden, wie es in Ländern mit lange bestehenden demokratischen Traditionen zu Kundgebungen kommt, die das Opfer verurteilen und sich mit dem Angreifer solidarisieren. Wir sehen, wie die demokratische Presse in Europa die Verbrechen der Russen auf der Krim, die Verbrechen der Hamas in Israel vergessen zu haben scheint, aber stattdessen sehr besorgt ist über die sogenannten Vergeltungsma‎ßnahmen der israelischen Armee.“

Unter Verweis auf den seit Beginn des Krieges mit der Hamas deutlich gestiegenen Antisemitismus in der Welt riet Ministerpräsident Netanjahu indessen den israelischen Bürgern, nicht ins Ausland zu reisen. Diese Aufforderung ist jedoch nur schwer zu befolgen, da es an vielen Orten der Welt israelische Unternehmen und Betriebe gibt und der wirtschaftliche Faktor eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Zum anderen hat die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) die Zustände in Gaza als unsäglich“ bezeichnet. Es ist zu spät, den Toten zu helfen, aber wir können den Lebenden helfen“, sagte WHO-Chef Tedros Ghebreyesus und rief zu einer humanitären Feuerpause bei den Kämpfen in Gaza auf.

17 November 2023
November 17, 2023

Budget — The PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday that there will be no new taxes next year and that the Romanian government will manage to have money by fighting tax evasion. According to him, in October, revenue collection to the state budget reached the record level of 40 billion lei (about 8 billion Euros) and keeping the same pace and maintaining non-essential expenses under control, the prime minister added, by the end of the year, we will meet the deficit target agreed with the European Commission. The statement comes after, recently, the Liberal leader Nicolae Ciucă argued that Romania cannot afford an increase in taxes next year and that funding sources must be found to support the draft pension law.

Visit – President Klaus Iohannis continues his tour of Africa with a state visit to Tanzania. According to the agenda, today, he will meet his counterpart, Samia Suluhu Hassan, in the capital Dar es Salaam. The two presidents will have private and official talks, followed by joint press statements and an official lunch. On Saturday, Klaus Iohannis will be received by the president of the island of Zanzibar, Hussein Mwinyi. The two will have official talks, followed by an official lunch. On Sunday, a farewell ceremony will be held in Dar es Salaam. President Iohannis began his tour of Africa on Tuesday with a state visit to Kenya. He was received by his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto. Later, he attended a meeting with the Executive Director of UNEP – United Nations Environment Program at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi. On Wednesday, president Iohannis met with Kenyas Minister of Nature Conservation, Alfred Nganga Mutua, and the Director General of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Erustus Kanga, during a visit to Nairobi National Park, and on Thursday he went to Uthiru Girls High School. The tour of President Klaus Iohannis in Africa will continue with the state visit to the Republic of Cape Verde, where he will have consultations with President Jose Maria Neves. According to the Presidential Administration, the official program will also include meetings with the President of the National Assembly, Austelino Tavares Correia, Prime Minister Jose Ulisses Correia e Silva and the Mayor of Praia, Francisco Avelino Carvalho. At the same time, Klaus Iohannis will have a meeting with people from Cape Verde who studied in Romania. The Romanian president will end his visits to Africa on November 23. The last trip of this tour is to the Republic of Senegal, where President Klaus Iohannis will have political consultations with his counterpart Macky Sall. The official program of the visit also includes, among other things, the participation of the two heads of state in the inauguration of the United Nations House in Senegal, which will house the 34 UN agencies present in this country. President Iohannis will also have a meeting with former Senegalese students in Romania.

Football – Romanias national football team is in Hungary, where they will play against Israel on Saturday evening, in a Qualifying Group I match of the 2024 European Championship to be hosted by Germany. Because of the war at home, the Israelis had to postpone their matches from October to November, and to play abroad the matches scheduled at home. The Romanian footballers finish the preliminaries on Tuesday, in Bucharest, with Switzerland. Undefeated in the first eight matches, Romania has 16 points and is ahead of Switzerland, the group leader, on goal difference. Next is Israel, with 11 points, and Kosovo, with 10 points. The two top-ranking teams in the group go to the final tournament. Romania has not reached a Euro since 2016, and a World Cup since 1998.

Gaza – Another 16 Romanian citizens and members of their families, evacuated from the Gaza Strip, arrived in Romania today on board a flight operated by the state-owned company TAROM. Initially, 17 Romanians and their families crossed into Egypt through the Rafah border point, being accompanied to Cairo by representatives of the Romanian Foreign Ministry. There, one of the evacuated Romanians decided to remain in Egypt. So far, 237 Romanian citizens evacuated from Gaza have been transported to Romania.

Montenegro – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, on Thursday paid the first official visit by a foreign minister to Montenegro since the installation of the current pro-European government in that country. The program of the visit included political consultations with the FM Filip Ivanovic, receptions with the President Jakov Milatovic and the Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, as well as meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister for Security, Home Policy, European and Foreign Affairs Aleksa Becic and respectively with the Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorcevic. The agenda of talks included aspects related to the strengthening of bilateral dialogue, including by intensifying high-level contacts. Areas of common interest were addressed, such as economic cooperation and interconnectivity, cyber security, internal affairs and justice, civil protection, education and research. The Romanian Foreign Minister expressed her appreciation for the bilateral collaboration in the field of defense, as well as within NATO. Luminiţa Odobescu reconfirmed Romanias firm position for the continuation of the European integration process of the Western Balkan states, emphasizing Romanias consistent support for Montenegros European path.

Debate–The NATO Deputy Secretary General, the Romanian Mircea Geoană, is today visiting the cities of Iaşi and Bacău, in eastern Romania. In Iasi, he participates in the debate entitled “Economic security and innovation on the eastern flank of NATO and the EU”, organized by the citys Chamber of Commerce. In Bacău, Geoană will visit Aerostar, a company that will sign a collaboration contract with Derco Aerospace (part of the American Lockheed Martin group), for technology transfer for the repair of F-16 aircraft equipment belonging to the Romanian Army. (LS)

17 November 2023
16 cetăţeni evacuaţi din Gaza au ajuns în ţară

16 cetățeni români și membri de familie ai acestora, evacuați din Fâșia Gaza, au fost transportați vineri în România la bordul unei curse operate de către Compania Națională TAROM, informează MAE. Evacuarea acestora a fot posibilă în urma eforturilor Celulei de Criză Interinstituționale, prin intermediul Ambasadei României la Cairo și al Oficiului de Reprezentare al României la Ramallah.

MAE reaminteşte că, pe 14 noiembrie, 17 cetățeni români și membri de familie au ajuns pe teritoriul Republicii Arabe Egipt prin punctul de frontieră Rafah, fiind preluați ulterior de către reprezentanții Ambasadei României în R.A. Egipt. O echipă mobilă a Celulei de Criză a MAE i-a însoțit apoi până la Cairo, de unde 16 persoane au fost îmbarcate spre România, iar o persoană a rămas în Egipt.

MAE continuă dialogul cu autoritățile israeliene și egiptene în vederea facilitării evacuării și a celorlalți cetățeni români și membri de familie aflați în Fâșia Gaza, în funcție de evoluțiile din teren și de acordul părților implicate.

Până în prezent, 237 de cetățeni români și membri de familie ai acestora, evacuați din Fâșia Gaza, au fost transportați în România

17 November 2023
Românii repatriaţi din Gaza

Israelul nu poate lăsa un vid în Gaza şi va trebui să menţină acolo o forţă puternică în viitorul apropiat pentru a preveni reapariţia Hamas în enclava palestiniană. Este declaraţia recentă, pentru Financial Times, a preşedintelui israelian, Isaac Herzog, convins că nimeni nu va dori să transforme acest loc, din nou, într-o bază a terorii. Herzog a mai spus că guvernul israelian discută multe idei despre cum va fi condusă Gaza odată ce războiul dintre Israel şi Hamas se va încheia şi că vede o implicare a Statelor Unite şi a vecinilor Israelului în ordinea post-conflict.

La Washington, preşedintele american Joe Biden a declarat că i-a spus clar prim-ministrului israelian Benjamin Netanyahu că o soluţie cu două state este singurul răspuns pentru a rezolva conflictul israeliano-palestinian şi că ocuparea Gazei ar fi o mare greşeală.

Până la aranjamentele post-război, armata israeliană anunţă că este foarte aproape de a distruge sistemul militar al grupării teroriste Hamas din nordul enclavei. Campania împotriva Hamas a fost declanşată imediat după atacurile, de o amploare şi o duritate fără precedent, ale teroriştilor asupra sudului Israelului. Situaţia umanitară şi de securitate din Gaza este precară şi toate naţiunile care au cetăţeni în zonă încearcă să-i extragă de acolo.

O face, cu succes, şi România, chiar dacă procesul de repatriere este dificil şi complicat. Evacuarea s-a realizat în urma eforturilor complexe ale Celulei de Criză Interinstituţionale, prin intermediul Ambasadei României la Cairo şi al Oficiului de Reprezentare al României la Ramallah. Peste 200 de cetăţeni români şi membri de familie ai acestora au trecut din Fâşia Gaza în Egipt, prin punctul de trecere de la Rafah şi au fost repatriaţi ulterior în România. În cazul altora, autorităţile de la Bucureşti au obţinut aprobarea să părăsească Gaza, dar au intervenit impedimente de ordin tehnic.

Potrivit diplomaţiei de la Bucureşti, cetăţenii români şi familiile acestora sunt preluaţi de la frontiera dintre Gaza şi Egipt de o echipă din cadrul Unităţii de Reacţie Rapidă a Celulei de Criză MAE şi reprezentanţi ai Ambasadei României în Egipt şi sunt însoţiţi până la Cairo de o altă echipă mobilă a Celulei de Criză MAE. Din capitala Egiptului, sunt aduşi pe calea aerului la Bucureşti. Autorităţile române au dat asigurări că nimeni dintre cei care doresc să plece din Gaza nu va fi lăsat acolo.

Pe de altă parte, o aeronavă cargo pusă la dispoziţie de Comisia Europeană a decolat, săptămâna aceasta, de pe Aeroportul Internaţional Henri Coandă Bucureşti, cu ajutoare oferite de statul român pentru populaţia civilă din Fâşia Gaza. Este vorba despre elemente de cazarmament scoase din rezervele de stat – corturi, paturi, saltele, perne şi aşternuturi. Pe 19 octombrie, Comitetul Naţional pentru Situaţii de Urgenţă a aprobat o hotărâre care prevedea acordarea de asistenţă internaţională, cu titlu gratuit, pentru populaţia civilă afectată din Fâşia Gaza, ce constă în produse alimentare şi articole de cazarmament.

RadioRomaniaInternational · Românii repatriaţi din Gaza

17 November 2023
November 16, 2023 UPDATE

Protests – Around 2,000 people gathered Thursday morning in front of the governments headquarters in Bucharest, in a national protest against the public pension system and the recent law on tax-related measures. The rally organized by the Meridian National Trade Union Confederation, brought together representatives of various public sector domains, from local police to civil servants and forestry and agriculture workers around the country. The main source of discontent is the bill on public pensions, passed by the Cabinet on November 9, which according to trade unionists abrogates some retirement rights currently enjoyed by several personnel categories. On Wednesday employees of Romanian public pension houses, healthcare and employment agencies temporarily suspended work and took to the streets. Healthcare ministry staff and pharmacists are also disgruntled and demand solutions from the government.

Visit – President Klaus Iohannis, who is on a state visit to Kenya, presented, on Thursday, Romanias donation to Uthiru Girls High School in Kangemi, underlining that the country will continue projects dedicated to education. “We will continue to focus on the implementation of projects in the field, for inclusive, quality education,” Klaus Iohannis wrote on a social network. On Wednesday, in Kenya, Klaus Iohannis met with the president of this country, William Ruto. On this occasion, four memorandums of understanding were signed in the fields of environmental protection and climate change, scientific cooperation, food safety and diplomatic training. The African tour of the president will continue on Friday in Tanzania, where he will have a meeting with his counterpart, Samia Suluhu Hassan. He will then travel to Cape Verde and Senegal, and according to the Romanian presidency, it is the first political-diplomatic approach at this level in the last 30 years, which aims at relaunching Romanias relations with the African continent.

Football – Romanias national football team has been, since Thursday evening, in Hungary, where they will meet Israel on Saturday in a Qualifying Group I match of the 2024 European Championship, to be hosted by Germany. Because of the war at home, the Israelis had to postpone their matches from October to November, and to play abroad the matches scheduled at home. Romania ends the preliminaries on Tuesday, in Bucharest, with Switzerland. Undefeated in the first eight matches, Romania has 16 points and is ahead of Switzerland, the group leader, in terms of goal difference. Next is Israel, with 11 points, and Kosovo, with 10 points. The two top ranking teams in the group go to the final tournament. Romania has not reached a European Championship since 2016, and a World Cup since 1998.

Israel – The Israeli army announced on Thursday that it had captured the port of Gaza, in the Palestinian enclave of the same name, international press agencies write. They show that it is a small fishing port, whose activity was already limited by the blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza since 2007, when the Islamist movement Hamas took over the Strip. The Israelis claim, however, that the port was a “training center for (Hamas) commando forces to plan and execute naval terrorist attacks.” Earlier, the army had occupied the Parliament, government and military police buildings, until then controlled by the Islamists. Israel also confirmed that its soldiers are still deployed in al-Chifa hospital, where, according to the UN, there are around 2,300 Palestinian civilians: patients, medical staff, and refugees.

Banks – The Romanian prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, stated on Thursday that next year no new taxes will be imposed and that the Executive will approve the establishment of a new bank with state capital. “Today we approve the articles of incorporation for the Investment and Development Bank of Romania. This bank, which exists in all countries, has been talked about for over a decade. Finally, were establishing it too. This bank represents the missing link between the money of international financial institutions and Romanias strategic projects. We will have the appropriate financial instruments for the development of these projects” said the PM. Romania still has two banks with state capital, Eximbank and CEC.

Gaza – The UN Security Council, so far divided, adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian pause of several days in the Gaza Strip, breaking the silence for the first time after more than a month of war between Israel and Hamas, AFP reports. The resolution, drafted by Malta and which was adopted with 12 votes in favor and 3 abstentions (USA, UK, Russia), also calls for “extended and urgent humanitarian aid for a sufficient number of days” to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to civilians from Gaza. The resolution also calls for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, especially children,” without condemning the Palestinian movement’s bloody attack of October 7. Both the Israelis and Palestinians criticized the Council resolution. The Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said that a ceasefire not just a pause should have been asked and that this should have been done a long time ago, while the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, condemned the resolution, labeling it as “insignificant”. On the ground, the Israeli army announced on Thursday that it had taken over operational control of the port of Gaza, a key infrastructure in the north of the Palestinian territory. At the same time, the Israeli army on Thursday continued its raid on the main hospital in the Gaza Strip, Al-Shifa, where thousands of Palestinian civilians are located, causing concern and a wave of criticism at the international level. (LS)

16 November 2023