Radio România Internațional

Tag: GLOBSEC

08.10.2020 (mise à jour)

Coronavirus – Le premier ministre roumain Ludovic Orban a demandé au
ministre de la santé, Nelu Tătaru, d’augmenter la capacité de dépistage de
l’infection au nouveau coronavirus,
ainsi que le nombre de lits de soins intensifs.La Roumanie a rapporté,
jeudi, 3.130 nouveaux cas de Covid-19 enregistrés en 24 heures, le bilan le
plus élevé depuis le début de la pandémie. Dans le même intervalle de temps, 44
personnes infectées par le nouveau coronavirus sont décédées, portant le nombre
total de décès à 5.247.

607 patients sont hospitalisés en unités de soins intensifs.
Depuis le début de la pandémie, 145.700 cas d’infection au nouveau coronavirus
ont été confirmés en Roumanie et 113.112 malades ont guéri. Par ailleurs, 6.770
ressortissants roumains de l’étranger ont été testés positifs et 126 sont
décédés des suites de la maladie. A Bucarest et dans d’autres régions du pays,
où l’incidence des infections a dépassé 1,5 cas pour mille habitants, les
restaurants, ainsi que les salles de spectacle et de jeux ont été fermés et le
port du masque à proximité des établissements scolaires est devenu obligatoire.

HoReCA – Des
employés de l’HoReCA ont protesté à Bucarest, devant le siège du
gouvernement, contre la décision des autorités de fermer, à
nouveau, les restaurants, les bars et les cafés. Les manifestants portaient des
pancartes avec des messages tels que «Nous ne comptons que lorsque nous votons»,
«De la faillite, au dessert», «On ne nous aide pas, on ne nous écoute pas, on
nous ignore, tout simplement» ou bien «400.000 personnes touchées, sans être
infectées». Selon le président de la Fédération de l’industrie hôtelière de
Roumanie, Călin Ile, près de 100.000 travailleurs du secteur HoReCa seront
licenciés d’ici la fin de l’année, et l’industrie de l’hospitalité subira des pertes de 3
milliards d’euros, en raison des restrictions décidées par le gouvernement dans
le contexte de la pandémie de Covid. 19. Il a affirmé que la décision du Comité pour les situations d’urgence de la ville de Bucarest de fermer les restaurants
et les cafés avait été prise sans que les autorités présentent de preuve que ce
secteur a effectivement contribué à la propagation de l’infection.

Forum – Le Bucharest
Forum, le plus important événement politique de la région de la mer Noire et
des Balkans, tient sa 9-e édition en ligne, du 8 au
16 octobre. Au menu des débats, des thèmes tels la résilience des systèmes
financiers, des institutions et des systèmes politiques, ainsi que des sociétés
dans leur ensemble, dans le contexte des changements profonds opérés par la
pandémie de COVID-19 dans le monde. Y sont présents plus de 120 hauts
responsables politiques, des représentants du milieu des affaires et de celui
académique, des experts et des journalistes des continents européen, asiatique
et américain. Dans un message aux participants, le président roumain
Klaus Iohannis a affirmé que la pandémie de COVID-19 était « la période la
plus dramatique » que la Roumanie ait traversée depuis 1989. Il a mis en
exergue le fait que le pays continuerait à s’adapter pour prendre les mesures
nécessaires, afin d’augmenter sa capacité de gérer cette crise au plan médical,
éducationnel, des services publics et de la résilience économique. Le premier
ministre Ludovic Orban a déclaré à son tour que la Roumanie devait consolider
son économie et que pour ce faire elle avait besoin d’investissements et de
création d’emplois, non de stimuler la consommation. Le chef de l’Exécutif a
affirmé que la capacité de la Roumanie, mais aussi celle de l’Europe, de
résister aux vulnérabilités étaient liées à la diversification de l’économie, à
une refonte des chaînes d’approvisionnement, au renforcement des systèmes de
santé et à la décentralisation.

GLOBSEC – Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine, Bogdan Aurescu, a participé,
jeudi, global de sécurité GLOBSEC, organisé à Bratislava, en Slovaquie. Selon
un communiqué de presse du ministère des affaires étrangères de Bucarest, le
ministre y a parlé du rôle global de l’Union européenne dans l’après-pandémie
de COVID-19. Il a souligné que l’UE devait assumer un leadership international,
vu ses caractéristiques et son action à l’étranger. L’UE a réussi à s’adapter à
l’actuelle crise sanitaire en prenant des mesures complexes, avec un impact
majeur, même si la réaction a été plus lente pendant la première étape de la
crise, a dit Bogdan Aurescu. Le ministre roumain des affaires étrangères a
aussi plaidé pour la consolidation de la relation transatlantique essentielle,
car l’UE et l’Amérique du Nord font partie de la même communauté de valeurs et
de sécurité. Le Forum GLOBSEC est un groupe de réflexion global, créé à
Bratislava, qui propose des solutions sur des thèmes de sécurité et de
développement durable en Europe et dans le monde. La conférence annuelle 2020 a
lieu du 7 au 9 octobre, en présentiel et en visioconférence.

Prix Nobel – La
poète américaine Louise Glück est la lauréate du Nobel de littérature
2020, a annoncé, jeudi, l’Académie suédoise qui attribue ce prestigieux prix.

Météo– Le temps est instable et se refroidit
légèrement en Roumanie. Des alertes jaune et orange au mauvais et temps et aux
pluies fortes sont en vigueur dans l’est et le sud-est
du pays jusqu’à samedi matin. Huit bassins de rivières sont concernés par une
alerte jaune aux crues importantes. Les températures maximales se
situeront vendredi entre 15° et 22°.

8 October 2020
May 25, 2017 UPDATE

NATO SUMMIT – Romania stands for a strong, yet well balanced eastern flank of NATO, said Romanias President Klaus Iohannis at the summit of the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels. He also stressed the fact that Romania believes that transatlantic cooperation and, in particular, the ties between the US and Europe must become stronger. The Romanian head of state also pointed out that Romania is interested in a unitary approach to the relation with Russia. On the sidelines of the summit, Klaus Iohannis talked on Thursday with his Polish counterpart Andrezj Duda about the strategic partnership between Romania and Poland and cooperation within NATO.

TRUMP – On Thursday in Brussels, the US President Donald Trump called on the NATO member countries to focus on terrorism, migration and Russias threats. Attending for the first time a NATO Summit, after having been rather critical of the Alliance in the past, the US leader reiterated his call for all the member countries to observe their financial committments. The US has repeatedly called on the NATO members to raise their defence budgets to 2% of the GDP. Also on Thursday, the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the Alliance would join the international coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group, without taking part in combat operations. Belgium is the last but one leg of Trumps first international tour as president, after Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Italy and the Vatican. The US President will next attend the G7 summit in Sicily.

GLOBSEC – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend in Bratislava, on Friday and Saturday, the 12th Global Security Forum. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Melescanu will talk about European security developments, as part of the panel titled “European Force Awakens”. On the occasion, the Romanian Foreign Minister will present Romanias vision with regard to consolidating the EUs role in the field of security and defence and boosting cooperation with NATO.

MANCHESTER ATTACK – On Thursday, the Manchester Police arrested two suspects in connection with Mondays night terror attack, taking the number of arrests to 8. Another woman suspected of having been involved in the attack was released without being indicted. We recall that a blast on Manchester Arena on Monday killed 22 people and injured more than 110, being claimed by the Islamic State terrorist organization. On Tuesday, British authorities identified the suspect as being 22-year-old Salman Abedi, a Lybian-born British national born in Manchester. According to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Abedi was on the British intelligence services list of suspects and most likely did not act alone.

EXERCISE – Four thousand military, heavy equipment and helicopter gunships will be deployed to the Cincu shooting range in central Romania, to take part in one of the biggest NATO military exercises in recent years. The troops are part of NATOs Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. The main aim is defending Romania as part of emergency interventions on the Alliances eastern flank. Joining Romanian troops will be military from Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway, Albania and Bulgaria.

IMF – Romanian economy will report a 4.2% growth rate in 2017, with fiscal relaxation likely to affect market trust, reads an IMF report made public on Thursday. The international lender has hailed the progress Romania has made in reducing economic imbalances, after the financial global crisis, mentioning however that Romania should reorient its policies from boosting consumption towards supporting investors. IMF believes that fiscal relaxation, doubled by growing political tension in Romania, might affect consumption and investment. On the other hand, the unified pay scale bill, currently under debate in Parliament, as well as the latest tax cuts, pose certain risks to the budget deficit, which the IMF expects to stand at 3,7% this year. The report is based on the talks IMF officials had with Bucharest authorities in March.

STRIKE – On May 30th, air traffic controllers in Romania will start an indefinite all-out strike, the president of the Air Traffic Services Trade Union Gabriel Tudorache announced on Thursday. He said that during the strike, at least one third of the planes transiting Romanias air space will be guided, which is some 3,000 planes per day. On May 12th, air traffic controllers held a 2 hour warning strike, and dozens of planes were delayed upon taking off from and landing on the Henri Coanda airport in Bucharest. They are unhappy with the lack of a new collective employment agreement and that employment has been frozen, particularly since, after the conflict in Ukraine, the number of planes flying through Romanias airspace has increased significantly.

ASCENSION DAY – Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman-Catholic believers in Romania on Thursday celebrated the Ascension of Christ. According to Christian beliefs, 40 days after Resurrection, Lord Jesus departed from Earth into the presence of God from the Mount of Olives, telling his disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit. Since 1920, when, after WWI, all Romanian historical provinces united under Bucharests authority, Ascension Day has been celebrated alongside Heroes Day. On Thursday at noon, church bells were rung in all Orthodox churches across Romania to honour the memory of those who gave their lives for the Romanian people, their faith and country, and the names of the soldiers killed in WWI were solemnly read out in most garrisons which also hosted military and religious ceremonies.

FOOTBALL – English giants Manchester United have for the first time won the Europa League Trophy. Wednesday night, in the final hosted by the city of Stockholm in Sweden, Manchester United grabbed a 2-nil win against their Dutch challengers Ajax Amsterdam. The Europa League final was played ahead of the Champions League final, scheduled for June 3 in Cardiff, where Spanish giants Real Madrid will take on the no less famous Italian contenders Juventus FC. This coming Saturday in the town of Ploiesti, southern Romanian team Astra Giurgiu for the first time ever is pitted against FC Voluntari, in Romanian Cup Final. Also as an absolute first, the domestic championship title went to FC Viitorul, a team from south-eastern Romanias Constanta. The team was founded in 2009 by the former great Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi. The League Cup, a competition exclusively created for first-tier teams, went to Dinamo Bucharest. In the final, Dinamo defeated Poli Timisoara 2-nil.

25 May 2017
April 16, 2016

EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN — Tens of people were killed in a powerful earthquake that shook southern Japan on Friday, the second in the last couple of days. Some 70,000 people were evacuated and taken to special shelters. The earthquake raised several buildings to the ground, destroyed roadways and water and electricity grids. International press agencies write that 20,000 soldiers were called to help rescue the survivors. Japanese officials said it was hard to ascertain the scale of the catastrophe, as the most affected areas are in isolated mountain regions.

GLOBSEC — The prospects and importance of intensifying EU support for reforms allowing the Republic of Moldova to continue its European track were on the agenda for talks between Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu and his Molodvan counterpart Andrei Galbur. On this occasion, Comanescu reiterated Bucharest’s firm support for the European integration efforts of Moldova. According to a press release of the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the meeting was held on the sidelines of the Global Security Forum held in Bratislava. An event boasting a tradition spanning over a decade, GLOBSEC has become an important foreign policy and security platform, bringing together high-ranking officials and renowned experts from Europe and North America.

PROTEST — Liberal MEP Cristian Busoi has called on the Foreign Ministry and the authorities in Bucharest to take action with respect to the international conference of the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom, which the French National Front leader Marine Le Pen is expected to attend. Her presence will undermine Romania’s confidence in the EU and will covertly or overtly support Russia in its efforts to divide and conquer Europe, Busoi writes in a press release. Social Democrat MEPs Victor Bostinaru and Ioan Mircea Pascu have also criticized the relevant authorities who sanctioned this conference in Romania. The two MEPs warned that apart from the National Front, MENF is rallying far-right parties such as FPO from Austria, Vlaams Belang of Belgium or Lega Nord of Italy, all of which have taken a hostile stance against the European Union and NATO and expressed their support for the Russian Federation, which Bostinaru and Pascu claim to be financing these political factions.

POPE FRANCIS — Pope Francis on Saturday is paying a symbolic visit to Lesbos Island in Greece, to express solidarity with all migrants, the Vatican has announced. The visit is also an ecumenical effort, as Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople will also be present in Lesbos. The two officials are visiting the refugee camp housing over 3,000 people, currently waiting to be granted asylum or to be deported into Turkey, where they are detained in inhumane conditions. The Pope has repeatedly called for compassion for the people fleeing wars, terror and poverty.

TENNIS — Romania’s Fed Cup team on Saturday and Sunday is taking on Germany, in Cluj in the World Group playoffs. In the first match on Saturday, Irina Begu (WTA’s no 35) will meet Angelique Kerber (WTA’s no. 3), whereas in the second singles tennis match, Simona Halep (WTA’s no 6) will face Andrea Petkovic (WTA’s no.30). On Sunday, Halep is due to meet Kerber, and the last singles tennis match will be played by Begu and Petkovic. In the doubles, the pair Alexandra Dulgheru/Monica Niculescu will meet Annika Beck/Julia Goerges. In February, in the first round of the competition, Romania lost to the Czech Republic, the defending champion, 2-3, and Germany was defeated by Switzerland, with the same score. Germany ranks fourth and Romania ninth in the FED Cup classification.

RALLY — Hundreds of Romanians in Italy today took part in solidarity rally in Rome, Milan and Bologna as a show of solidarity with the mixed Norwegian-Romanian family Ruth and Marius Bodnariu, whose children were taken into custody by Norwegian authorities, claiming the minors had been physically abused. Protesters told Radio Romania’s correspondent in Italy they want Bucharest authorities to get involved in solving the case and contribute to reuniting the Bodnariu family. We recall that the family’s youngest, still a baby, was returned to their parents, while the other four have been entrusted to other families.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

16 April 2016
Nachrichten 15.04.2016

BRATISLAVA: Vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Sicherheitslage gibt es keine Alternative als ein starkes Europa, mit geschützten Außengrenzen und einem konsolidierten Schengener Raum. Das erklärte der rumänische Außenminister Lazar Comanescu am Freitag in Bratislava. Bei einem Treffen mit seinem slowakischen Gegenüber, Miroslav Lajcak, am Rande des Globalen Sicherheitsforums GLOBSEC, präsentierte Comanescu die Position Bukarests über einige aktuelle Themen auf der europäischen Agenda. Vor allem die Migrationskrise und die politischen und Sicherheitsentwicklungen in der Ostnachbarschaft der EU kamen dabei zur Sprache. Comanescu bezog sich auf die Lage im ex-sowjetischen Raum und zwar in der mehrheitlich rumänischsprachigen Republik Moldau und der Ukraine. Seinerseits begrüßte der slowakische Außenminister Lajcak die Entsendung eines Experten aus dem rumänischen Außenministerium, der sich dem slowakischen Team während der slowakischen EU-Ratspräsidentschaft in der zweiten Jahreshälfte anschließen sollte.

BUKAREST: Präsident Iohannis hat den stellvertretenden NATO-Generalsekretär, Botschafter Alexander Versbow, per Dekret ausgezeichnet. Der Staatschef verlieh dem amerikanischen Amtsträger den Nationalorden “Stern Rumäniens im Grad eines Hohen Offiziers. Die Auszeichnung sei ein “Zeichen hoher Wertschätzung für die kontinuierliche Unterstützung Rumäniens, die Vision über die Entwicklung und Erfüllung der euro-atlantischen Sicherheit, sowie die Förderung der internationalen Zusammenarbeit für die Bewältigung der Herausforderungen im neuen Millenium heißt es in der Begründung. Rumänien ist seit 2004 Mitglied der NATO.

BUKAREST: Das Generalinspektorat für Einwanderungsfragen hat die Rücksendung von acht ausländischen Staatsbürgern nach Serbien bestätigt. Sie waren vor knapp zwei Wochen bei dem Versuch eines illegalen Grenzübertritts von der Grenzpolizei aufgegriffen worden. Während des Aufenthalts in der Ausländerunterkunft im westrumänischen Arad wurden sie identifiziert und mit Reisedokumenten von den Botschaften und Konsulaten der jeweiligen Heimatländer versorgt. Zwei der Migranten sind Iraker, einer stammt aus Syrien und die restlichen fünf sind aus Sri-Lanka. Alle wollten laut eigenen Angaben nach Westeuropa gelangen.

CHISINAU: Einer von zehn Moldauern ist auch im Besitz der rumänischen Staatsangehörigkeit. Das wird in mehreren Presseberichten behauptet, die die Landesstelle für Staatsbürgerschaft in Bukarest zitieren. Ab 2002 habe Rumänien 385.000 Einwohnern und damit 10% der Bevölkerung der Moldau die rumänische Staatsangehörigkeit gewährt. Vor einigen Jahren hatte die rumänische Regierung ein Sonderprogramm zur Verschlankung des Einbürgerungsverfahrens für Moldauer gestartet. Die heutige Moldau wurde auf einem Teil der 1940 von der Sowjetunion nach einem Ultimatum annektierten Gebiete gegründet. Laut aktuellen Umfragen seien etwa 70% aller Rumänen sowie 20% der Moldauer für eine Wiedervereinigung der beiden Staaten.

15 April 2016
15.04.2016 (mise à jour)

Forum — Dans le climat sécuritaire actuel, il n’y a pas d’alternative à une Europe puissante, dans laquelle les frontières extérieures soient protégées, et l’espace Schengen — consolidé — a affirmé, vendredi, à Bratislava, le ministre roumain des Affaires étrangères, Lazăr Comănescu. Au cours d’une rencontre avec son homologue slovaque, Miroslav Lajcak, organisée en marge du Forum global de sécurité GLOBSEC, M Comănescu a présenté le point de vue de Bucarest sur des thèmes d’actualité figurant à l’agenda européen, surtout la crise migratoire et les évolutions sécuritaires dans le Voisinage Est. Il s’est référé notamment à la situation dans les anciennes républiques soviétiques de Moldova et d’Ukraine, voisines de la Roumanie. A son tour, M Lajcak a salué l’envoi d’un expert du ministère roumain des Affaires étrangères qui rejoindra l’équipe slovaque pour la période quand Bratislava assurera la présidence du Conseil de l’UE, au second semestre de l’année en cours. Riche d’une tradition de plus de 10 ans en Europe, GLOBSEC est une importante plate-forme centre-européenne de politique étrangère et de sécurité, qui bénéficie de contributions de hauts responsables politiques et d’experts reconnus d’Europe et d’Amérique du Nord.

Décoration — Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, a signé le décret de décoration du secrétaire général adjoint de l’OTAN, l’ambassadeur Alexander Vershbow — apprend-on par un communiqué de l’Administration présidentielle de Bucarest. Le chef de l’Etat a décerné à l’ambassadeur américain l’Ordre national « L’Etoile de la Roumanie », en signe de haute appréciation pour le soutien constant accordé à la Roumanie, pour sa vision pour le développement de la sécurité euro-atlantique, pour promouvoir la coopération au niveau international afin d’aborder à succès les défis du nouveau millénaire », mentionne la source citée. La Roumanie est membre de l’Alliance depuis 2004.

Nationalité — Chaque 10^e ressortissant de la République de Moldova est aussi citoyen de la Roumanie voisine — selon les données officielles du Bureau national pour la nationalité de Bucarest, citées par la presse. A compter de 2002, la Roumanie a accordé sa nationalité à 385.000 habitants de la République de Moldova, soit à 10% de la population de cette dernière. Le gouvernement roumain a lancé voici quelques années un programme spécial de simplification de l’octroi de la nationalité roumaine aux Moldaves, dont l’Etat a été créé sur une partie des territoires roumains de l’Est rattachés, en 1940, par l’ancienne Union Soviétique, suite à un ultimatum. Des sondages récents indiquent que l’idée de la réunification des deux Etats est soutenue par environ 70% des Roumains et par plus de 20% des citoyens de la République de Moldova.

Réunion — Bucarest réaffirme son engagement de contribuer activement aux efforts de la communauté internationale de lutte contre le terrorisme, a déclaré le représentant permanent de la Roumanie à l’ONU, Ion Jinga, lors d’un débat au Conseil de sécurité. L’ambassadeur roumain a affirmé que le terrorisme était une menace constante contre l’humanité et qu’aucun pays n’était épargné par ce fléau. Les Nations Unies occupent une position spéciale dans l’effort de mise en œuvre d’une coalition anti-terroriste universelle, a-t-il ajouté.

Automobile — Les ventes de véhicules de la marque Dacia — le plus important constructeur automobile roumain, appartenant au groupe français Renault — ont progressé de 4,9% en Europe le mois dernier, sa part de marché s’est maintenu à 2,3%, indiquent les chiffres rendus publics ce vendredi par l’Association des constructeurs européens d’automobiles. Les immatriculations de véhicules Dacia neufs étaient de 41.000 en Europe, en mars, en hausse par rapport à mars 2015.

Refoulement — Huit citoyens étrangers, qui avaient été interpellés voici deux semaines, par la Police aux Frontières, lorsqu’ils essayaient de franchir illégalement la frontière roumaine, ont été refoulés, vendredi, vers la Serbie, a annoncé l’Inspection générale aux immigrations. Tant qu’ils ont été au Centre d’accueil d’Arad (ouest), ils ont été identifiés et des documents de voyage ont été obtenus pour eux auprès des ambassades et des consulats de leurs pays. Deux des migrants sont irakiens, l’un est Syrien et les cinq autres, Sri Lankais. Tous ont déclaré qu’ils souhaitaient arriver en Europe Occidentale.

Tennis — L’équipe de Fed Cup de Roumanie affrontera ce week-end l’Allemagne, dans une rencontre accueillie par la ville roumaine de Cluj-Napoca (centre-nord) et qui compte pour le maintien dans le Groupe mondial de la compétition de tennis féminin par équipes. Samedi, dans le premier match, Irina Begu (35e WTA) rencontrera Angelique Kerber, n° 3 mondiale ; le 2e match de l’épreuve de simple opposera Simona Halep, n° 6 mondiale, à Andrea Petkovic (30 WTA). Dimanche est prévu le match entre Halep et Kerber, suivi par le dernier de simple, entre Begu et Petkovic. Dans les épreuves de double on attend l’évolution des paires Alexandra Dulgheru/Monica Niculescu et Annika Beck/Julia Goerges. En février dernier, au premier tour de la compétition, la Roumanie a été dépassée par la République tchèque, titulaire du trophée, par 3-2, alors que l’Allemagne a perdu sur le même score devant la Suisse. L’Allemagne est 4e au classement de la Fed Cup, et la Roumanie — 9e.

15 April 2016
April 15, 2016 UPDATE

GLOBSEC –In the current security climate, there is no alternative to a strong Europe, with tightened security on the external borders and a consolidated Schengen area, Romanian foreign minister Lazar Comanescu said in Bratislava on Friday. During a meeting he had with his Slovakian counterpart, Miroslav Lajcak, organised on the sidelines of the Global Security Summit, GLOBSEC, Comanescu made public Romania’s stand on a series of topical issues on the European agenda, particularly the migration crisis as well as the political and security developments in the Eastern Neighbourhood. He laid emphasis on the situation in the former Soviet Republic of Moldova, with a predominantly Romanian speaking population and in Ukraine, which are both neighbouring Romania. In turn, Lajcak hailed the fact that the Romanian Foreign Ministry will send an expert to join the Slovakian team during Bratislava’s holding the EU Council Presidency, in the second half of the year. An event boasting a tradition spanning over a decade, GLOBSEC has become an important foreign policy and security platform, bringing together high-ranking officials and renowned experts from Europe and North America.

ROMANIAN CITIZENSHIP — Every tenth citizen of the Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet state, with a predominantly Romanian speaking population) is also holding Romanian citizenship, official data issued by the Bucharest-based National Citizenship Bureau show. In 2002, Romania started to grant citizenship to some 385,000 inhabitants of the Republic of Moldova, which account for 10% of that country’s population. A couple of years ago, the Romanian government launched a special program which simplified the process of granting Romanian citizenship to Moldovans, whose country was set up on some of the Romanian eastern territories, annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, following an ultimatum. Recent opinion polls show the idea of the two countries’ reunification is supported by some 70% of the Romanians and by over 20% of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova.

AWARD – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, has signed the decree awarding the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, ambassador Alexander Vershbow, the “Star of Romania” National Order, in rank of Grand Officer, “in token of high appreciation for the constant support provided to Romania, for his vision in developing and achieving Euro-Atlantic security, for promoting cooperation at international level, in an effort to successfully face the challenges of the new millennium”, the Romanian Presidential Administration writes in a communiqué. Romania became a NATO member in 2004.

TERRORISM — Romania reiterates its firm commitment to actively contribute to international efforts to combat terrorism, Romania’s Permanent Representative at the UN Ion Jinga said during a debate of the UN Security Council. The Romanian official added that terrorism is a permanent threat against humanity and that no country is safe from this scourge. The UN is making special efforts to build a universal coalition against terrorism, Jinga went on to say.

RESIGNATION — Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has announced the Government will next week continue talks with civil society with respect to the salaries of public sector employees, so as to come up with a commonly accepted, feasible and legal solution. On Thursday Dacian Ciolos accepted the resignation of Labour Minister Ana Costea, and is expected to make a nomination for this office over the coming period.

DACIA — The sales of the Romanian carmaker Dacia, owned by the French group Renault, reported a 4.9% hike in March at European level, with a market share of 2.3%, according to data made public by the European Carmakers Association on Friday. Registrations of Dacia makes in Europe stood at 41,000 units, up as compared to March 2015. Renault took over Dacia in 1999. Re-branded in 2004 with the release of the Logan make, Dacia has become a major player on the European car market.

POPE FRANCIS — Pope Francis on Saturday is paying a symbolic visit to Lesbos Island in Greece, to express solidarity with all migrants, the Vatican has announced. The visit is also an ecumenical effort, as Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople will also be present in Lesbos. Over 4,000 migrants were rescued last week in the Mediterranean. EU officials are worried Europe might face a new migration wave in the coming months. This time migrants are expected to arrive via Africa, mainly Libya, after the Balkan gateway into Europe was blocked earlier this year. Under these circumstances, Pope Francis says the situation of the refugees in Greece remains dramatic.

TENNIS — Romania’s Fed Cup team on Saturday and Sunday is taking on Germany, in the Romanian City of Cluj, in the World Group playoffs. In the first match on Saturday, Irina Begu (WTA’s no 35) will meet Angelique Kerber (WTA’s no. 3), whereas in the second simple tennis match, Simona Halep (WTA’s no 6) will face Andrea Petkovic (WTA’s no.30). On Sunday, Halep is due to meet Kerber, and the last simple tennis match will be played by Begu and Petkovic. In the doubles, the pair Alexandra Dulgheru/Monica Niculescu will meet Annika Beck/Julia Goerges. In February, in the first round of the competition, Romania lost to the Czech Republic, the defending champion, 2-3, and Germany was defeated by Switzerland, with the same score. Germany ranks fourth and Romania ninth in the FED Cup classification.

(Translated by Vlad Palcu and Diana Vijeu)

15 April 2016
April 15, 2016

GLOBSEC — Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu is today attending the GLOBSEC Global Security Forum held in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Romanian official will address Romania’s priorities ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw of July, with a special focus on NATO’s adjustment process so as to properly deal with the current security challenges. At the same time, Minister Comanescu will also outline Romania’s assessment of the security developments on NATO’s eastern flank. On the sidelines of the event, the Romanian official will hold several bilateral meetings. Having reached its 10th edition, GLOBSEC has become an important foreign policy and security platform for Central Europe, bringing together high-ranking officials and renowned experts from Europe and North America.

TERRORISM — Romania reiterates its firm commitment to actively contribute to international efforts to combat terrorism, Romania’s Permanent Representative at the UN Ion Jinga said during a debate of the UN Security Council. The Romanian official added that terrorism is a permanent threat against humanity and that no country is safe from this scourge. The UN is making special efforts to build a universal coalition against terrorism, Jinga went on to say.

RESIGNATION — Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has announced the Government will next week continue talks with civil society with respect to the salaries of public sector employees, so as to come up with a commonly accepted, feasible and legal solution. On Thursday Dacian Ciolos accepted the resignation of Labour Minister Ana Costea, and is expected to make a nomination for this office over the coming period.

DACIA — The sales of the Romanian carmaker Dacia, owned by the French group Renault, reported a 4.9% hike in March at European level, with a market share of 2.3%, according to data made public by the European Carmakers’ Association on Friday. Registrations of Dacia makes in Europe stood at 41,000 units, up as compared to March 2015. Renault took over Dacia in 1999. Re-branded in 2004 with the release of the Logan make, Dacia has become a major player on the European car market.

POPE FRANCIS — Pope Francis on Saturday is paying a symbolic visit to Lesbos Island in Greece, to express solidarity with all migrants, the Vatican has announced. The visit is also an ecumenical effort, as Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople will also be present in Lesbos. Over 4,000 migrants were rescued last week in the Mediterranean. EU officials are worried Europe might face a new migration wave in the coming months. This time migrants are expected to arrive via Africa, mainly Libya, after the Balkan gateway into Europe was blocked earlier this year. Under these circumstances, Pope Francis says the situation of the refugees in Greece remains dramatic.

OIC — The Organization for Islamic Cooperation meeting continues today in Istanbul, bringing together 30 heads of state. The event is held under extremely tight security measures, after several bloody attacks occurred in Istanbul, Ankara and in the southeast of Turkey in the past seven months. Yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for unity among Muslim states so as to be more effective in combating terrorism. The Turkish official said all OIC states agreed to his proposal to set up a centre for cooperation and coordination of all law enforcement agencies in OIC member states. Moreover, Erdogan condemned the growing racism and Islamophobia in Western countries.

TENNIS — Romania’s Fed Cup team on Saturday and Sunday is taking on Germany, in the World Group playoffs. Romania’s team is made up of Simona Halep, Monica Niculescu, Irina Begu and Alexandra Dulgheru. In other news from tennis, the pair made up of Florin Mergea of Romania and Rohan Bopanna of India is today playing Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Bruno Soares of Brazil, in the doubles quarterfinals of the tournament in Monte Carlo, totalling 3.8 million dollars in prize money. In the same competition, Horia Tecau of Romania and Jean-Julie Rojer of the Netherlands were knocked out in the round of 16, after losing to Henri Kontinen of Finland and John Peers of Australia.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

15 April 2016
Nachrichten 19.06.2015

Der
Bürgermeister des ersten Bukarester Stadtbezirks, der Liberale Andrei Chiliman,
ist am Freitag wegen Korruptionsverdacht vor den Haftrichter am Kassations- und
Justizhof geführt worden. Die Ermittler fordern 30 Tage U- Haft. Chiliman wird
der Bildung einer kriminellen Vereinigung und Bestechlichkeit verdächtigt. Nach
Angaben der Staatsanwälte habe Chiliman als Bürgermeister des ersten Bukarester
Bezirks für die gezielte Vergabe öffentlicher Aufträge Provisionen zwischen 10
und 15 Prozent vom Wert des Auftrags kassiert. Der Schaden beläuft sich auf
rund 9 Millionen Euro.

Der rumänische
Außenminister Bogdan Aurescu hat sich am Freitag in Bratislava in der Slowakei,
an dem internationalen Sicherheitsforum GLOBSEC 2015 (Bratislava Global
Security Forum) beteiligt. Angegangen wurden Themen wie die Bedrohung durch den
islamistischen Terrorismus und durch Russland. Mit dabei waren Staats
und Regierungschefs aus Europa, darunter der britische Premier David Cameron.
Aurescu hat in Bratislava die Haltung Rumäniens zur Entwicklung der Sicherheit
in der östlichen und südlichen Partnerschaft der EU sowie die Erwartungen
hinsichtlich des NATO-Gipfels vom Juli 2016 in Warschau dargelegt. GLOBSEC ist ein
mittel-europäisches Außenpolitik und Sicherheitsforum, das ab 2005 jährlich
Experten und Meinungsbildner aus Bereichen wie Politik, Militär, Wirtschaft und
Medien zusammenbringt.

Die
Liberale Reformpartei und die Konservative Partei, zwei Juniorpartner der
Regierungskoalition in Bukarest, haben am Freitag unter dem Namen
Allianz der Liberalen und Demokraten – kurz ALDE – fusioniert. Die
neue mitte-rechtsgerichtete Partei soll über eine einzige Fraktion im Parlament
verfügen und bei den Kommunal- und Parlamentswahlen im kommenden Jahr
eigenständig antreten. Der neuen Partei gehören unter anderen Senatspräsident Calin Popescu-Tariceanu und Landwirtschaftsminister Daniel Constantin an, die die beiden Ursprungsparteien geführt hatten.

Die
Pipeline Turkish Stream des russischen Staatskonzerns Gazprom soll nach
Griechenland verlängert werden. Das haben Griechenland und Russland beim 19.
Internationalen Wirtschaftsforum in Sankt Petersburg beschlossen. Die
Energieminister Russlands und Griechenlands, Alexander Nowak und Panagiotis
Lafazanis, unterzeichneten eine Absichtserklärung über die Zusammenarbeit für
Bau und Betrieb der Pipeline. Russland werde zum Bau finanziell beitragen,
sagte Nowak. Über die Höhe der Beteiligung gab es keine Angaben. Nach Ansicht
von Experten könnte Russland Griechenland rund zwei Milliarden Euro für die
Pipeline zusagen, die 2019 fertig sein soll.

Die geplante
Pipeline soll durch das Schwarze Meer bis nach Griechenland führen. Außer
Griechenland und der Türkei haben auch Ungarn, Mazedonien und Serbien Interesse
an einem Anschluss an die Pipeline bekundet. Das Vorhaben Gazproms ersetzt
frühere Pläne für die transeuropäische Pipeline South Stream, die über
Bulgarien in die EU führen sollte. Die EU hat am
Freitag die Strafmaßnahmen gegen die von Russland annektierte
Schwarzmeerhalbinsel Krim um ein Jahr verlängert. Bis zum 23. Juni
2016 dürfen demnach keine Kreuzfahrtschiffe aus der Europäischen Union in
Krim-Häfen einlaufen. Neben Tourismusbeschränkungen gelten für das von der
Ukraine abgetrennte Territorium zudem Export- und Investitionsverbote. Sie
sollen vor allem Unternehmen in Bereichen wie Energie, Transport oder
Telekommunikation treffen. Eine deutlich
wichtigere Verlängerung der EU-Wirtschaftssanktionen gegen Russland bis zum 31.
Januar 2016 soll am kommenden Montag bei einem Treffen der EU-Außenminister in
Luxemburg beschlossen werden. Die Staats- und Regierungschefs hatten sich
bereits im März darauf geeinigt, die Handels- und Investitionsbeschränkungen
erst dann aufzuheben, wenn die Vereinbarungen des Minsker Friedensplanes zum
Ukraine-Konflikt erfüllt sind. Russland teilte
seinerseits mit, in Reaktion auf die westliche Sanktionspolitik das seit Anfang
August 2014 geltende Importverbot für Lebensmittel aus der EU und den USA
zeitlich ausdehnen zu wollen.

Die rumänische
Tennisspielerin Simona Halep ist überraschend aus dem Premier-Turnier in
Birmingham ausgeschieden. Die Weltranglistendritte und erste Favoritin unterlag am Freitag im Viertelfinale in
drei Sätze gegen Kristina Mladenovic aus Frankreich, Nr. 43 der WTA.

19 June 2015
Governing and Human Rights

Human Rights Watch has published its annual report, which states that “human rights violations played an important role in fomenting and aggravating” some of the current crises. The organization warns that when taking measures for fighting terrorism and increasing security, governments should not ignore human rights. The report was presented in Beirut by the executive director of the organization, Kenneth Roth; it is 656 pages long, looking at human rights in over 90 countries.

The report shows that the rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State is among the global challenges that resulted right away in human rights abuses. According to the report, “ISIS did not emerge in a vacuum. In part it is a product of the United States-led war and military occupation of Iraq that began in 2003, which produced, among other things, a security vacuum. More recently, the sectarian policies of the Iraqi and Syrian governments, and international indifference to those governments’ serious rights abuses, have been important factors”. Over 200,000 people have been killed in the four years of conflict in Syria, and, according to the document, the United States and its allies have allowed their military operations against ISIS to overshadow efforts aimed at forcing the Assad regime to end abuses.

According to the document, many countries, among them Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and China, have responded to real or presumed terrorist threats with abusive policies that have resulted in crises. Also, the report warns that there is a danger in France for the government’s reaction to the Charlie Hebdo attacks, namely using anti-terrorist legislation to indict free speech that does not incite to violence, to squash freedom of expression and encourage other governments to use such legislation against its opponents.

In its over 600 pages, HRW details human rights violations in all regions of the world where conflicts are underway, and analyses the causes of major crises affecting millions. The head of the organization says that what was once the Arab Spring has degenerated into conflict and repression, Islamists are committing mass murder in the Middle East, parts of Asia and Africa, while in Ukraine the seeds of a new Cold War have started to emerge, and a civilian airliner has been shot our of the sky.

Sometimes it seems that the world is on the verge of unravelling, says Kenneth Roth. Based on developments in 2014, he believes that “Many governments have responded to the turmoil by downplaying or abandoning human rights. Some of these governments continue to raise human rights concerns, but many appear to have concluded that today’s serious security threats must take precedence over human rights. In this difficult moment, they seem to argue, human rights must be put on the back burner, a luxury for less trying times. That subordination of human rights is not only wrong, but also shortsighted and counterproductive.”

As for the eastern Ukraine situation, the report says that civilians bore the brunt of it, and notes the abuses committed by both sides in the conflict. It also points out that the attention grabbed by these events overshadowed the abuses committed by Russia in Crimea, which it took over in 2014, and where the local Tartars, anti-annexation militants and the free press became targets for Russian paramilitary groups.

For Romania, as NATO eastern flank country, the consolidation of this flank is an absolute priority at this time, according to the Romanian authorities. Recently, at the GLOBSEC debate on strategic topics in Bratislava, Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu spoke about the crisis without precedent since WWII, which started last year, in defiance of fundamental international law, and pleaded for a common front in the face of the Ukrainian crisis. In spite of the cease-fire agreements, the conflict continues to produce victims, and future developments are murky. In an interview with Radio Romania, professor Iulian Fota, a former presidential security adviser, talked about the possible impact on Romania of an open conflict so close to its borders:

Iulian Fota: “Our security situation is questioned by the events in Ukraine, as it was by the 2008 Georgia conflict. This Ukrainian crisis and the conflict in the east, as well as the illegal annexation of Crimea, only enhance these uncertainties and worries. The question for us is what to do in this situation. We have no control over the international situation, we are too small a country, but we do have control over our own situation. Hence my message: Romania’s best reaction in a crisis like this is to put our country in order.” Iulian Fota explains that, quote “we don’t know what the future will bring, and I hope we won’t be in the situation we’ve been at other times in our history, such as in 1940, when we were basically given a pop quiz, we had to hand over national territories within 48 hours, and were incapable of reacting.”

20 February 2015