Tag: Hamas

  • Vizita premierului român în Israel

    Vizita premierului român în Israel

    Nume importante
    ale politicii internaţionale s-au deplasat în Israel sau urmează să o facă
    pentru a-şi exprima solidaritatea cu această ţară, greu lovită de atacurile
    comise de gruparea teroristă Hamas, dar şi pentru a căuta căi de ieşire de pe
    ruta periculoasă ce poate duce spre un război regional.


    Premierul României, Marcel
    Ciolacu, s-a numărat, marţi, printre liderii europeni care au mers în Israel.
    La întâlnirea cu omologul său, Benjamin Netanyahu, şeful Guvernului de la
    Bucureşti a transmis compasiunea societăţii româneşti pentru victimele conflictului
    pornit pe 7 octombrie. Bucureştiul este foarte îngrijorat de consecinţele
    violenţelor teribile asupra populaţiei civile, israeliene şi palestiniene, a
    transmis prim-ministrul. România rămâne un promotor al păcii şi va fi alături
    necondiţionat în aceste momente dificile de aliaţii săi.


    Marcel Ciolacu: Am
    decis să vin astăzi în Israel deoarece, în astfel de momente dificile, precum
    cele trăite în prezent de poporul israelian, partenerii şi prietenii trebuie
    să-şi demonstreze solidaritatea. Societatea românească, comunitatea de
    israelieni din România şi cea de români din Israel deplâng victimele
    nevinovate, femei, copii, tineri în floarea vârstei în urma atacurilor
    teroriste declanşate de Hamas.

    România a condamnat cu fermitate cele întâmplate
    în Israel în ultimele zile, nivelul atrocităţilor comise de Hamas, o grupare
    teroristă care ţine ostatică populaţia palestiniană pentru a satisface
    interesele sale extremiste. Parlamentul României a fost primul for legislativ
    din rândul statelor democratice care a adoptat în şedinţă comună o declaraţie
    de solidaritate cu statul israelian.


    Marcel Ciolacu a cerut eliberarea
    imediată a tuturor ostaticilor şi persoanelor răpite şi abţinerea de la orice
    act de agresiune, mai ales împotriva populaţiei civile. El a insistat asupra
    deschiderii coridoarelor umanitare din Gaza şi oferirii de asistenţă
    refugiaţilor. Marcel Ciolacu a mulţumit pentru implicarea autorităţilor
    israeliene şi pentru sprijinul acordat la repatrierea românilor. Peste 2.000 de
    cetăţeni români au fost repatriaţi din Israel, iar Ministerul român de Externe
    are în atenţie şi 350 de cetăţeni români şi membri de familie care sunt în Gaza,
    dintre care 200 au cerut asistenţă de repatriere.


    Premierul Benjamin Netanyahu
    l-a asigurat pe omologul său român că autorităţile israeliene vor face tot ce
    le stă în putinţă pentru a ajuta la evacuarea românilor din Fâşia Gaza şi a
    mulţumit pentru solidaritatea României.


    Lumea civilizată, a mai
    spus Netanyahu, ar trebui să se unească în spatele Israelului în lupta împotriva grupării Hamas. Nimeni nu ar putea face pace cu Daesh (n.red: Stat Islamic sau
    ISIS), nimeni nu ar putea face pace cu al-Qaida, nimeni nu poate face pace cu
    naziştii, trebuie să fie învinşi şi atunci va fi pace
    , a subliniat premierul
    israelian.


    La reuniunea extraordinară a Consiliului European, în format
    videoconferinţă, preşedintele Klaus Iohannis a condamnat ferm atacurile
    teroriste de pe teritoriul Israelului. România susţine fără echivoc dreptul
    legitim al Israelului la autoapărare, care trebuie exercitat în conformitate cu
    dreptul internaţional umanitar, a mai afirmat liderul român.



  • Reacţia MAE după atacul soldat cu sute de morți de la spitalul din Gaza

    Reacţia MAE după atacul soldat cu sute de morți de la spitalul din Gaza

    Ministerul român de Externe s-a declarat şocat
    şi profund întristat de explozia şi pierderea de vieţi nevinovate, marţi seară, la spitalul Al Ahli din Gaza.

    Într-un mesaj transmis miercuri,
    MAE de la Bucureşti subliniază că toţi
    civilii şi infrastructura civilă trebuie protejaţi mereu şi că
    responsabilitatea pentru atac trebuie să fie stabilită clar. Sute de persoane
    au fost ucise sau rănite în atacul cu rachete asupra spitalului din Gaza,
    pentru care Israelul şi palestinienii se învinovăţesc reciproc.

    Armata israeliană a negat că forţele sale
    ar fi comis atacul, punând incidentul pe seama lansării eşuate, din Gaza, a
    unei rachete a Jihadului Islamic, o altă grupare palestiniană
    armată, care spune, însă, ca acuzaţiile împotriva sa sunt false. Atacul a fost
    condamnat de comunitatea internaţionala, iar mulţi lideri arabi au acuzat
    Israelul de comiterea unei crime de război.

    Liderul american, Joe Biden, aşteptat,
    astăzi, în Israel, pentru o vizită de solidaritate, şi-a exprimat regretul şi
    furia. Iordania a anulat un summit la care Joe Biden trebuia să
    discute despre
    război cu Regele iordanian Abdullah al II-lea, cu Mahmoud Abbas şi cu preşedintele
    egiptean Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

    Pe de alta parte,
    secretarul general al ONU Antonio Guterres se va afla, joi, la Cairo,
    pentru discuţii cu Abdel Fattah al-Sissi în special cu privire la livrarea de
    ajutor umanitar în Fâşia Gaza. Discuţiile
    au loc în contextul în care Egiptul cere Israelului să permită pătrunderea
    ajutoarelor în acest teritoriu.

    Marti, SUA
    au autorizat plecarea personalului său neesenţial de la ambasada lor din Beirut,
    în contextul deteriorării condiţiilor de securitate şi în Liban, pe fondul
    războiului între Israel şi Hamas.

  • October 17, 2023 UPDATE

    October 17, 2023 UPDATE

    ISRAEL — Romania remains a consistent state within its relations in the Middle East and maintains its position as a promoter of peace, but it will unconditionally stand by its allies in difficult moments, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday, at the end a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, in Israel. He pointed out that Romania strongly condemned what happened in Israel in the last few days, and that alongside with the international community it calls for the immediate release of all hostages and persons kidnapped and for refraining from any other act of aggression, especially against civilian targets. At the same time, Ciolacu called for the opening of humanitarian corridors in Gaza. In turn, Benjamin Netanyahu thanked for the solidarity Romania showed to Israel in the face of the Hamas attacks. In this context, Netanyahu assured his counterpart that the Israeli authorities would do everything in their power to help evacuate Romanians from the Gaza Strip. During his visit to Israel, Marcel Ciolacu also met with members of the Romanian community, which he assured of the full support of the government in Bucharest. The Romanian authorities have so far provided support for the safe repatriation of over 2,200 Romanian citizens from Israel and are further making efforts to offer consular assistance to Romanian citizens who ask for support to return to the country.




    COMMEMORATION — The prime ministers of Belgium and Sweden will pay tribute together on Wednesday to victims of Monday’s attack in Brussels, France Presse reports. The Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, wrote a message on a social network saying the two countries “weep together” for the victims – two Swedes, supporters of their national football team, who travelled to Brussels for the qualifying match to the European Championship, against the national team of Belgium. The Swedish PM, Ulf Kristofferson, announced his presence in Brussels for the commemoration. The perpetrator of the attack, a 45-year-old Tunisian, who lived in Belgium illegally, was shot dead by the Belgian police on Tuesday morning. After the “brutal terrorist attack”, as PM Alexander De Croo called it, Belgium raised the state of security alert to the highest level in the countrys capital, Brussels.



    GAS — Romania’s gas deposits are full, so if winter is mild, the country may get through the next period without having to resort to imports, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said. Moreover, Romania can support in this respect, if needed, the neighboring Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, Minister Burduja says the capped prices for energy and gas for consumers should be maintained, given that international markets have felt the effects of the security crisis in the Middle East.




    GRAIN — Ukraine exported 10.5 million tons of grain through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first nine months of the year, the port authority told Reuters on Tuesday. Overall, the port shipped over 25 million tons of grain between January and September 2023, the authority said, matching its previous annual record high. During his visit to Bucharest last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a ‘corridor’ would be soon be established to take Ukrainian grain to Romania via Moldova. The Romanian government has said that, with investment in infrastructure ongoing, it aims to double the monthly transit capacity for Ukrainian grain to 4 million tons, while port operators are also investing in equipment to increase loading speeds. Ukraine’s grain production in 2023 is likely to exceed 56 million tons, but Russia’s blocking its main Black Sea ports has affected deliveries.




    SUPPORT – Convened in a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of further support for Ukraine worth 50 billion euros, for the 2024-2027 period. The funds are aimed for the “reconstruction and modernization” of the country. The Ukraine Facility is part of the Unions long-term budget review, which needs to be adjusted after multiple crises that have taken place since 2021. The EU has so far allocated 30 billion euros from its budget to support Ukraine after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Starting June 2022, Ukraine has the status of candidate country to EU accession.




    TEL AVIV — The U.S. President, Joe Biden, will travel to Israel on Wednesday to hold talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and to make it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced. President Biden will reaffirm his solidarity with Israel, in the context of a ground offensive prepared by Israel against the Hamas militants in Gaza, Blinken has also said. According to the US Secretary of State, Biden will be informed about how Israel will conduct its operations in such a way as to minimize the loss of civilian lives and allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza without Hamas benefiting from it. (EE)

  • Nachrichten 16.10.2023

    Nachrichten 16.10.2023

    Tausende Menschen warten am Grenzübergang Rafah, um aus dem Gazastreifen nach Ägypten zu kommen. Die Verwaltung in Kairo könnte den Kontrollpunkt für einige Stunden wieder öffnen, weil dort eine Waffenruhe herrscht. Israel und die Hamas haben jedoch eine Waffenstillstandsvereinbarung im südlichen Gazastreifen dementiert, die die Evakuierung von Ausländern und die Einreise von humanitärer Hilfe ermöglicht. Der Raketenbeschuss aus dem Gazastreifen auf Israel hat heute Morgen wieder begonnen. Nach wiederholten Schüssen mit der Hisbollah wurde an der Nordgrenze Israels eine Räumung von 28 israelischen Siedlungen, die sich nahe der Grenze zum Libanon befinden, angeordnet und ein 2 km langer Abschnitt als militärisches Sperrgebiet deklariert. Die israelische Armee schätzt die Zahl, der von der Hamas entführten und in den Gazastreifen gebrachten Personen auf 199. Die israelischen Truppen halten sich weiterhin in der Nähe des Gazastreifens auf, um die Boden-, Luft- und Seeoffensive in der palästinensischen Enklave zu beginnen. Der US-Außenminister Antony Blinken ist heute erneut in Tel Aviv eingetroffen. Es besteht sogar die Möglichkeit, dass US-Präsident Joe Biden in den kommenden Tagen in Israel eintrifft.



    Der Präsident des Europäischen Rates, Charles Michel, hat für Dienstag eine außerordentliche Sitzung aller EU-Staats- und Regierungschefs zu der Lage im Nahen Osten einberufen. In einer heute veröffentlichten Erklärung verurteilte Charles Michel erneut das Vorgehen der Hamas als terroristisch und forderte die Freilassung der Geiseln. Er erklärte, dass Israel das Recht habe, sich innerhalb der Grenzen des Völkerrechts und unter Beachtung der humanitären Grundsätze zu verteidigen. Dieser Konflikt könnte auch zu Spannungen auf dem europäischen Kontinent führen und den Extremismus in der Europäischen Union verstärken. Der Rat werde sich mit der Frage nach der Hilfe für die betroffene Zivilbevölkerung, der Auswirkungen der zivilen Migration in der Region und der Vermeidung einer weiteren Eskalation des Konflikts durch die Einbeziehung aller regionalen Akteure befassen. Er meint, dass die Lösung in einem Frieden auf der Grundlage von zwei Staaten: Israel und Palästina liegt.



    Die Abgeordnetenkammer, das Entscheidungsgremium in diesem Fall, hat heute in Bukarest über die Sonderrenten für Richter und andere Kategorien von aus dem Staatshaushalt finanzierten Personen beratet und abgestimmt. Nach einer erneuten Prüfung durch das Plenum des Senats, der als erste Kammer konsultiert wurde, wurde das Dokument mit den vom Verfassungsgericht geforderten Änderungen angenommen. Der Gesetzentwurf sieht vor, dass Richter ein Ruhegehalt in Höhe von 80 % der durchschnittlichen Bruttomonatsbezüge und Zulagen erhalten, die sie in den letzten vier Dienstjahren erhalten haben. Zudem wird das Ruhestandsalter jedes Jahr um vier Monate bis zum Alter von 60 Jahren erhöht. Die USR ist der Ansicht, dass die PSD-PNL-Mehrheit in diesem Bereich lediglich kosmetische Änderungen vorgenommen hat. Die Regierungsparteien betonen, dass die Reform der Sonderrenten ein Meilenstein in den Nationalen Aufbau- und Resilienzplan ist und so schnell wie möglich abgeschlossen werden muss.



    In Rumänien ist der Online-Handel von Gütern und Dienstleistungen stetig gewachsen und erwirtschaftet mittlerweile 3,17 Prozent des BIP. Rumänien dominiert den osteuropäischen Markt und erwirtschaftet fast 60 Prozent des Umsatzes in der Region, wobei der Umsatz bis 2023 auf fast 10 Milliarden Euro geschätzt wird. Im Vergleich zu Mittel- und Osteuropa sind Polen und Tschechien die besten Länder. Auf dem Kontinent stehen wir auf Platz 12“, erklärte der Verband der Online-Shops in Rumänien. Die Online-Preise haben sich im Allgemeinen unterhalb der Inflationsrate entwickelt, wie eine Erhebung des Nationalen Instituts für Statistik im Zeitraum 2020-2023 ergab.



    Die rumänische Fußballnationalmannschaft hat am Sonntagabend in Bukarest mit einem 4:0-Sieg gegen Andorra die Vorrundengruppe I der EURO 2024 erreicht. Die rumänische Elf sicherten sich damit den deutlichsten Sieg in dieser Saison. In einem weiteren Spiel der Gruppe I erzielte die Schweiz im Heimspiel gegen Weißrussland ein 3:3-Unentschieden. Die Spiele, die von Israel ausgetragen werden, wurden verschoben. Rumänien wird seine letzten Gruppenspiele im November bestreiten, und zwar auswärts gegen Israel und zu Hause gegen die Schweiz. Zur Gruppe I gehört auch der Kosovo.



    In Mittel-, Süd- und Ostrumänien sind die Temperaturen deutlich gesunken, sodass es im größten Teil des Landes kälter als üblich ist. Die Höchsttemperaturen liegen zwischen 10 und 19 Grad Celsius. Der Himmel ist wechselhaft. In Höhenlagen über 1400 m ist mit gemischten Niederschlägen zu rechnen. Der Wind ist im Osten, Süden, in der Mitte und in den Bergen stärker. In Bukarest herrscht am Vormittag ebenfalls kaltes Wetter. Die Temperaturen liegen zwischen 18 und 18 Grad.

  • October 15, 2023 UPDATE

    October 15, 2023 UPDATE

    Israel – The Israeli army is deployed along the Gaza Strip for a ground offensive in the north of the Strip, an army spokesman announced on Sunday. Israel has consistently urged Gaza inhabitants living in the north of the territory to leave south as quickly as possible, accusing Hamas, which opposes the evacuation, of preventing civilians from leaving. Israel says it is targeting Gaza City to destroy the operations center of the Palestinian Islamist movement, labeled as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. Over 1,400 people were killed in Israel during the attack launched on October 7 by Hamas commandos, show the latest figures provided by the army on Sunday. The Israeli response to the attack killed over 2,400 people in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened, on Sunday, for the first time, the extended emergency cabinet. The meeting, held at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, began with the ministers holding a moment of silence in memory of the Israelis killed by Hamas on October 7. On the other hand, Israels army blocked the border with Lebanon after pro-Iranian Hezbollah militias, allied with Hamas, attacked an Israeli settlement with rockets, killing one man and wounding three others. On a diplomatic level, the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken returns to Israel on Monday, extending his Middle East tour by one day. On Sunday Antony Blinken had a meeting in Riyadh with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country has suspended talks regarding a possible normalization of relations with Israel.



    MAE — The Romanian Foreign Ministry — MAE announced that, against the backdrop of the deterioration of the security situation in the State of Israel and the Gaza Strip, the Crisis Cell is continuing its ongoing efforts to evacuate, under safe conditions, the Romanian citizens from the Gaza Strip who requested this. There are approximately 200 Romanian citizens in the Gaza Strip who would like to leave the area and have requested the support of the Romanian authorities. The MAE, through the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Romanian Representative Office in Ramallah and the Romanian diplomatic missions in the region, maintains coordination with other states and international organizations that undertake similar measures for their own citizens or officials. On Saturday, 58 Romanian citizens returned from Israel with a private flight. All in all, so far, 2,220 Romanians have been repatriated from Israel. On the other hand, the MAE confirmed the death of two other Romanian-Israeli citizens. The death toll thus rises to four.




    Luxembourg – The Romanian Environment Minister, Mircea Fechet, participates on Monday, in Luxembourg, in the meeting of the Environment Council. According to the data published on the website of the European Council, high on the agenda of the meeting are such issues as the purification of urban waste water and the standards regarding CO2 emissions for new heavy vehicles, among others. The Environment Ministers will try to reach an agreement on a proposal to revise the Directive on the treatment of urban wastewater. The proposal asks member states to draw up plans for large cities to manage urban runoff generated by rainfall.




    Trade – The online sale of goods and services has progressed in Romania and has come to represent 3.17% of the countrys Gross Domestic Product. Thus, Romania dominates the market in Eastern Europe, generating almost 60% of the sales in the region. A turnover of almost 10 billion Euros is estimated for this year. Compared to Central and Eastern Europe, only Poland and the Czech Republic surpass Romania, and, at the level of the continent, the country ranks 12th, the Romanian Association of Online Stores informs on the occasion of the National E-Commerce Day. 94% of Romanian buyers prefer to order online from Romanian stores, while 21% also ordered from foreign websites.



    Handball — Romania’s womens national handball team defeated the Greek team, away from home, score 32-20, on Saturday, in Group 1 of the 2024 European Championship preliminaries. The Romanian players have scored the 2nd outright victory in this stage of the championship, after a score of 49-17 with Bosnia-Herzegovina, at home. In another match, Croatia outperformed Bosnia-Herzegovina, in an away match. Romania takes first place, with 4 points, followed by Croatia, 4 points, Greece, 0 points, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 0 points. The national team will play the next match on February 28, at home, against Croatia. (LS)

  • October 15, 2023

    October 15, 2023

    Israel — The Israeli army announced this morning that residents of the northern part of the Gaza Strip can leave for the south until 13:00 hours local time (10:00 GMT) using a specially designated route, DPA reports. Israel has said that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have already moved to southern Gaza. On the other hand, there have been reports that the terrorist group Hamas is preventing Palestinian civilians from leaving. The large-scale Israeli military operation against the north of the Gaza Strip is imminent, press agencies report. The American publication The New York Times reported that the Israeli ground offensive had to be postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. On October 7, Hamas launched a brutal and large-scale terrorist attack against cities in southern Israel, which triggered a harsh response from the Israeli army, Reuters recalls. The violence has so far resulted in the death of over 1,300 Israelis, most of them civilians, and approximately 2,300 Palestinians. On the other hand, since the beginning of the war, the area of ​​the Israeli-Lebanese border has been the scene of rocket fire between Hezbollah (a Shia organization massively supported by Iran and allied with Hamas) and the Israeli army. Also, there are almost daily attempts to infiltrate some Hamas members into Israel, from Lebanon. On a diplomatic level, the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a regional tour, had a meeting in Riyadh on Sunday with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country has suspended talks, regarding a possible normalization of relations with Israel.



    MAE — The Romanian Foreign Ministry — MAE announced that, against the backdrop of the deterioration of the security situation in the State of Israel and the Gaza Strip, the Crisis Cell is continuing its ongoing efforts to evacuate, under safe conditions, the Romanian citizens from the Gaza Strip who requested this. There are approximately 200 Romanian citizens in the Gaza Strip who would like to leave the area and have requested the support of the Romanian authorities. The MAE, through the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Romanian Representative Office in Ramallah and the Romanian diplomatic missions in the region, maintains coordination with other states and international organizations that undertake similar measures for their own citizens or officials. On Saturday, 58 Romanian citizens returned from Israel with a private flight. All in all, so far, 2,220 Romanians have been repatriated from Israel. On the other hand, the MAE confirmed the death of two other Romanian-Israeli citizens. The death toll thus rises to four.



    Handball — Romania’s womens national handball team defeated the Greek team, away from home, score 32-20, on Saturday, in Group 1 of the 2024 European Championship preliminaries. The Romanian players have scored the 2nd outright victory in this stage of the championship, after a score of 49-17 with Bosnia-Herzegovina, at home. In another match, Croatia outperformed Bosnia-Herzegovina, in an away match. Romania takes first place, with 4 points, followed by Croatia, 4 points, Greece, 0 points, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 0 points. The national team will play the next match on February 28, at home, against Croatia.



    Football — Today, the Romanian national football team meets Andorra, in the Euro 2024 Qualifying Group I. The match takes place in Bucharest, and access is only allowed to children under 14, according to a UEFA decision. In the same group, the match Switzerland – Belarus is played. On Thursday, Romania drew 0-0 in Budapest with Belarus and remains on second position in the group, after Switzerland. Israel, whose games were postponed, and Kosovo also belong to the Euro 2024 Qualifying Group I.



    Elections — Poland sees today parliamentary elections, after a campaign of intense disputes, dominated by issues of sovereignty and security, Reuters reports. Participatin in the elections are the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS), in power since 2015, and a centrist coalition led by the former president of the European Council, Donald Tusk. The Law and Justice Party is trying to get a third mandate, which would be a record in the Polish political environment. Reuters recalls that, since coming to power, this group has repeatedly come into conflict with the EU due to legislative changes that, according to critics, have politicized the judicial system and turned the state media into a propaganda body. The opposition says that the vote could be the last chance to stop what it considers to be Polands departure from the European mainstream and the transition to a semi-authoritarian system. (LS)


  • Rückblick auf die Ereignisse der Woche 09.10.–13.10.2023

    Rückblick auf die Ereignisse der Woche 09.10.–13.10.2023





    Solidarität mit Israel — rumänisches Parlament verurteilt die Terroranschläge der Hamas und bekundet Solidarität mit Israel


    Das rumänische Parlament hat eine Solidaritätserklärung mit Israel verabschiedet und die terroristischen Angriffe der Hamas verurteilt. In dem Dokument hei‎ßt es, dass wirksamere Mechanismen erforderlich sind, um den Schutz von Freiheit, Demokratie und Menschenleben zu gewährleisten. Die Parlamentarier unterstützten das Recht des israelischen Staates, sich gegen den Terrorismus zu verteidigen und alle notwendigen Ma‎ßnahmen zum Schutz seiner Zivilbevölkerung zu ergreifen. Zu Beginn der gemeinsamen Sitzung beider Kammern des Parlaments legten die Senatoren und Abgeordneten eine Schweigeminute zum Gedenken an die Opfer der Terroranschläge gegen Israel ein.



    Vertreter aller Fraktionen verurteilten die Terroranschläge und bekundeten ihre Solidarität mit Israel. Der Fraktionsvorsitzende der regierenden PSD im Senat, Lucian Romașcanu, betonte, dass es absolut schmerzlich sei, in dieser Zeit zwei ungerechte und hasserfüllte Kriege erleben zu müssen, die keine Rechtfertigung haben. Die mitregierende PNL verurteilte ihrerseits die Terroranschläge aufs Schärfste und bekräftigte ihre Unterstützung für das souveräne Recht Israels auf Selbstverteidigung. Die in der Opposition befindliche USR wies darauf hin, dass die Urheber des Angriffs auf Israel um jeden Preis versuchen, die schmerzhaften Tragödien der Geschichte zu wiederholen, und betonte, dass es keine Rechtfertigung für den Terrorismus gibt. Die rechtsnationalistische AUR habe die Angriffe auf Israel seit Anfang an verurteilt, so der Vorsitzende der Partei, George Simion, der zudem sagte, dass die Verpflichtung zu Frieden und Dialog bekräftigt werden müsse. Und schlie‎ßlich bekundete auch der Ungarnverband UDMR seine volle Solidarität mit Israel und dem jüdischen Volk.



    Indessen gab Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu bekannt, dass die überwiegende Mehrheit der rumänischen Staatsbürger, die sich in Israel befanden, nach den blutigen Anschlägen der Hamas ausgeflogen wurden und sicher in Rumänien angekommen sind. Dabei handelte es sich um mehr als 2 000 Personen. Ciolacu dankte den beteiligten Institutionen, dem Au‎ßenministerium und der nationalen Fluggesellschaft TAROM für ihren Einsatz. Laut jüngsten Medienberichten sind bei den Terroranschlägen auch zwei Menschen mit doppelter — rumänischer und israelischer — Staatsbürgerschaft ums Leben gekommen.



    Ukrainischer Präsident Wolodymyr Selenskyj zu Besuch in Bukarest


    Rumänien und die benachbarte Ukraine haben beschlossen, die bilateralen Beziehungen auf den Stand einer strategischen Partnerschaft zu vertiefen, der höchsten Stufe der Zusammenarbeit zwischen zwei Ländern. Eine entsprechende gemeinsame Erklärung wurde von den Präsidenten Klaus Iohannis und Wolodymyr Selenskyj unterzeichnet, der am Dienstag erstmals seit Beginn des Krieges Bukarest besuchte. Dem Kiewer Staatschef wurde zugesichert, dass Rumänien die Ukraine weiterhin unterstützen wird, auch militärisch, und dass ein neuer Getreidekorridor auf dem Schienenweg durch die Republik Moldau nach Rumänien eröffnet werden soll. Die ukrainische Armee werde Flugabwehr- und Artilleriesysteme von Rumänien erhalten, sagte Präsident Selenskyj nach seinen Unterredungen mit hochrangigen Vertretern der Bukarester Politik.



    Rumänien wird die Ukraine so lange unterstützen, wie es nötig ist, sagte seinerseits Präsident Klaus Iohannis, der hinzufügte, dass die Unterstützung des Nachbarlandes von strategischer Bedeutung sei. In Bukarest traf der ukrainische Präsident auch mit den Präsidenten der beiden Parlamentskammern und mit Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu zusammen und legte einen Kranz am Denkmal für den Unbekannten Soldaten nieder. Au‎ßerdem kündigte er an, dass in den kommenden Wochen ein gemeinsames Treffen von ukrainischen und rumänischen Regierungsvertretern vorbereitet werden soll.



    Russische Kampfdrohne erneut auf rumänischem Gebiet im Donaudelta abgestürzt — Verteidigungsminister steht Rede und Antwort im Parlament


    Verteidigungsminister Angel Tîlvăr gab am Mittwoch vor dem Plenum des Senats bekannt, dass die Untersuchung der im Donaudelta gefundenen Drohnenbruchstücke abgeschlossen sei und der Bericht der Generalstaatsanwaltschaft vorgelegt wurde. Dem Minister zufolge sei das rumänische Hoheitsgebiet kein Ziel gewesen, denn der Einschlag sei zufällig erfolgt und die Drohnen haben keinen Sprengstoff enthalten. Die Flugkörper konnten vom Frühwarnsystem nicht erkannt werden, weil sie in sehr geringer Höhe flogen, sagte noch der rumänische Verteidigungsminister.



    Der Minister war von der Fraktion der in der Opposition befindlichen USR-Senatoren aufgefordert worden, im Rahmen der sogenannten Regierungsanhörung“ Rede und Antwort zu diesem Thema zu stehen. Die Regierungsanhörung ist ein Verfahren, das Teil des parlamentarischen Kontrollmechanismus ist, den die Legislative gegenüber der Regierung ausübt. Minister Angel Tîlvăr versicherte, dass Rumänien als NATO-Mitgliedstaat unter Schutz stehe sei und seine Bürger nicht in Gefahr seien. Ferner fügte er hinzu, dass die Luftüberwachungssysteme im Donaudelta in der Nähe der ukrainischen Häfen, die von den russischen Streitkräften verstärkt angegriffen werden, kürzlich aufgerüstet worden seien.



    Oberster Verteidigungsrat veranlasst die Gründung einer interinstitutionellen Gruppe für den Kampf gegen Drogen


    Der Oberste Rat für Nationale Verteidigung hat am Donnerstag in Bukarest die Gründung einer interinstitutionellen Arbeitsgruppe zur wirksamen Vorbeugung und Bekämpfung des Drogenhandels und -konsums beschlossen. Die Arbeitsgruppe wird sich aus Staatssekretären, Vertretern des Nachrichtendienstes SRI, Staatsanwälten und Experten zusammensetzen und soll von der Regierung koordiniert werden.



    Der Vorsto‎ß gilt als Verschärfung der einschlägigen Gesetzgebung. Es ist das erste Mal in der institutionellen Geschichte des Obersten Verteidigungsrates, dass der Drogenhandel und -konsum als gravierende Risiken für die individuelle und nationale Sicherheit behandelt werden. Um den Aktionsplan in die Praxis umzusetzen, wird die Exekutive eine Reihe von Ma‎ßnahmen ergreifen. Dazu gehören die Analyse des rechtlichen Rahmens für den Drogenhandel und -konsum und die Unterbreitung von Vorschlägen zur Änderung und Ergänzung der Rechtsvorschriften, um Schlupflöcher zu schlie‎ßen und den Spielraum für eine spekulative Auslegung der gesetzlichen Bestimmungen zu begrenzen.



    Die Entscheidung kommt im Zusammenhang mit einem tragischen Unfall, der sich im Sommer in der Nähe eines Ferienorts am Schwarzen Meer ereignete. Ein 19-Jähriger Autofahrer unter Drogeneinfluss hatte zwei Jugendliche mit tödlichen Folgen überfahren und drei weitere verletzt. Die Aufsichtsbehörde des Innenministers stellte nachträglich eine Reihe von Unregelmä‎ßigkeiten bei der Verkehrspolizei fest, die den Unfall begünstigt haben sollen. Bei einer Routinekontrolle kurz vor dem Unfall waren im Auto des mutma‎ßlichen Täters Drogen gefunden worden, doch die sich im Einsatz befindenden Verkehrspolizisten hatten keine Drogentests dabei und lie‎ßen den Jugendlichen nach Protokollierung des Fundes weiterfahren.



    Ebenfalls am Donnerstag hat die Regierung eine Erhöhung der Stellenanzahl beim Dezernat für die Bekämpfung der organisierten Kriminalität und des Terrorismus (DIICOT) beschlossen, wie Justizministerin Alina Gorghiu mitteilte. Der Ministerin zufolge soll das Dezernat künftig auf insgesamt 50 Stellen ausgebaut werden, darunter 25 Staatsanwälte allein für die Drogenbekämpfung.

  • October 13, 2023

    October 13, 2023

    ISRAEL In a special session
    on Thursday night the Israeli Parliament endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin
    Netanyahu’s emergency unity government and a cabinet of war. According to
    observers, an enlarged coalition is needed for the adoption of large-scale
    military and political decisions in the following days after the unprecedented bloody
    attacks of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. The attacks resulted in a
    war with Israel which has left thousands of dead, mostly civilians, on both
    sides. Roughly 150 people have been taken hostage by Hamas and are being held
    in captivity in Gaza. In another development, the presidents of the European
    Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, are
    today flying to Israel to express the EU’s solidarity after the bloody Hamas
    attacks. In turn, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken is being expected in
    Qatar for talks with the local leaders including with a view to finding a
    solution to the hostages crisis. The head of the US diplomacy went to Tel Aviv
    on Thursday, where he said that the United States would always support Israel
    and that the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations aren’t being represented by
    Hamas, which presently rules Gaza. The UN has made an emergency appeal for
    donations for the vulnerable residents of the West Bank and Gaza. Over 400
    thousand Palestinians have been relocated in the past days from the besieged
    Strip, which has been constantly under the bombardment of the Israeli army. The
    United Nations says the Israeli military informed it late on Thursday that 1.1
    million Palestinians in Gaza should relocate to the enclave’s south within the
    next 24 hours.






    REPATRIATIONS
    Another 127 Romanian citizens have been safely repatriated from Israel. They
    have been flown to Romania by several airline companies since Thursday night,
    the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced. Over two thousand Romanians have
    been flown home by means of an air bridge involving 22 flights. Out of the 350
    Romanians in Gaza, who have been monitored by the authorities in Bucharest, 50
    have requested assistance to come back to Romania. In the meantime, Romania’s
    Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says the government is considering the
    possibility of covering the transport fees for the families with low incomes.
    He has made an appeal to Romanians to avoid any pilgrimage to the region in
    this period.








    FOOTBALL
    Romania’s national football side ended in a goaless draw their Thursday’s match
    against Belarus in Budapest as part of the EURO 2024 preliminaries. Although
    they managed a good show on Thursday the Romanians failed to defeat a rather
    modest opponent. Belarus is playing their games on neutral ground, upon a UEFA
    decision. In another Group one game, Kosovo defeated Andorra 3-0 while the
    match pitching Israel against Switzerland has been postponed for November 15th.
    After the draw on Thursday, Romania ranks second in the group with 13 points
    after Switzerland with 14. Israel ranks third with 11 points, followed by
    Kosovo with 7, Belarus with 5 and Andorra with 2. On Sunday, Romania will be
    playing Andorra at home in a game, when only children under 14 are granted access
    to the stadium.




    (bill)

  • October 11, 2023

    October 11, 2023

    Visit — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis is visiting Hungary today at the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart, Katalin Novák. It is the first official visit to Budapest by a Romanian president in the last 14 years. Romania’s Presidential Administration explained that the visit takes place in the context of increased dynamics of high-level contacts, after the official visit made by Katalin Novák to Bucharest, in September 2022, and the participation in the 8th Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, hosted by the President of Romania in September 2023. The Strategic Partnership and its development prospects, as well as the concrete ways to deepen the bilateral dialogue, are on the agenda of talks. At the same time, the two presidents will analyze the current situation at the regional, European and global levels, through the lens of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine, with an emphasis on the consequences for security, energy, food and distribution chain. As regards the European agenda, they will discuss the priorities of the Presidency of the EU Council, which Hungary will hold in the second part of 2024.



    Israel – The US has promised Israel all the support it needs to respond to Hamas actions. A first plane loaded with American ammunition has already landed in Israel, and the Secretary of State Antony Blinken is going today to meet with Israeli leaders to find out how they can be better supported, including in the perspective of a ground offensive in Gaza. Last night, the US President Joe Biden strongly condemned the attacks and reiterated that Israel has every right to defend itself against what he called “the absolute evil unleashed by Palestinian terrorists”. The death toll after Saturdays massive attack launched by the Palestinian group Hamas is increasing, the number of Israeli dead reaching 1,200. The Israeli army revealed to the international media the horrors perpetrated by the terrorists in a small Jewish settlement near the border, where entire families, including dozens of children, were killed, and their homes were looted and set on fire.



    Parliament – The two chambers of Romania’s Parliament, gathered in a joint session, adopted today a Declaration regarding the terrorist attacks against Israel and the civilian population. According to the document, the parliamentarians express their full solidarity with the State of Israel, strongly condemn the attacks of the terrorist organization Hamas, the crimes and violence unleashed on the civilian population and express their deep regret for the victims of these attacks. On the other hand, the Romanian ambassador to Israel, Radu Ioanid, stated that the situation of the Romanians in Israel is under control. He pointed out that there are hundreds of repatriation requests per day, and the flights that transport them are operated by the national company TAROM, as well as by other private companies. Radu Ioanid also recalled that Romanian Foreign Ministry teams went to the airport in Tel Aviv to provide assistance to those who have problems.



    Pilgrimage — As of Sunday more than 72,000 people have already passed in front of the shrine with the relics of Saint Parascheva, which was taken out in the yard of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iaşi, the saint being considered the protector of the eastern region of Romania and of the needy. The Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Parascheva on October 14, which is why, every year, around this day, Iasi becomes the largest pilgrimage center in the country and equally in Central and Eastern Europe. Many people from the country and abroad come to pray at the relics of Saint Parascheva and of other relics of saints specially brought for the pilgrimage. This year, it was decided to bring to Iasi the relics of Saint Andrew of Crete.



    Declaration – The presidents of Romania and Ukraine, Klaus Iohannis and Volodimir Zelenski, signed, on Tuesday, in Bucharest, a political declaration according to which they want to raise bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership. The Ukrainian leader, who paid his first visit to Romania since the beginning of the war, thanked for the help given to his country. Klaus Iohannis has assured him that Romania will continue to support Ukraine at all levels, including military.



    IMF – In the latest report published on Tuesday the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates for Romania an economic growth rate of 2.2% this year, compared to 2.4% as previously estimated. Regarding the next year, the IMF anticipates a growth rate of 3.8%. The average annual inflation rate expected by the international financial institution for Romania is 10.7% in 2023 and 5.8% in 2024. An IMF mission in Bucharest recently announced that the deficit is to be 6% this year and 5% next year.



    Pensions – On Wednesday, the Romanian Senate gave a favorable vote for the modification of the law on special pensions, by putting it in agreement with the decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania. The bill will also be re-examined by the Chamber of Deputies, as a decision-making body. The Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has recently stated that the amendments made to this law end the anomalies regarding the payment of pensions higher than the earnings during the period of activity, enjoyed by some professional categories. At the same time, the Speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, stated that the law on special pensions had to be finalized in Parliament within two weeks, pointing that it will be a solution that must be assumed politically so that Romania can benefit from the money from payment request number 3 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. In August, the Constitutional Court decided to send back to Parliament the law amending the special pensions, after declaring some articles unconstitutional. (LS)

  • Comisia Europeană anunță o revizuire a ajutorului financiar acordat Palestinei

    Comisia Europeană anunță o revizuire a ajutorului financiar acordat Palestinei

    Uniunea Europeană anunţase luni seara că va proceda la o reexaminare a programului său de ajutor pentru dezvoltare acordat palestinienilor, după atacul Hamas de sâmbătă asupra Israelului, soldat cu sute de morți de ambele părți. Anunțul venea ca o corectură, la câteva ore după ce comisarul european pentru Vecinătate și Extindere declara pe o rețea de socializare, în numele întregului bloc comunitar, că Uniunea Europeană suspendă toate ajutoarele acordate palestinienilor.

    Amploarea terorii și a brutalității împotriva Israelului și a poporului său este un punct de cotitură. Nu mai pot exista afaceri ca până acum, scria ungurul Oliver Varhelyi, într-o postare făcută pe platforma de socializare X, fostă Twitter.

    Potrivit declarațiilor sale, în calitate de cel mai mare donator pentru Palestina, Comisia Europeană urma să își suspende imediat toate plățile și întregul portofoliu de dezvoltare pentru aceste teritorii, în valoare totală de 691 milioane de euro. Guvernul spaniol a criticat în termeni duri anunțul și și-a exprimat dezacordul cu acesta.

    Potrivit France Presse, șeful diplomaţiei spaniole, José Manuel Albares, a avut o discuţie la telefon cu Oliver Varhelyi, cerând ca subiectul ajutorului financiar pentru Palestina să fie introdus pe ordinea de zi a reuniunii de ieri a miniştrilor de externe din UE, ceea ce s-a și întâmplat.

    La finalul discuțiilor, șeful diplomației europene, Josep Borrell, a anunțat că Uniunea va continua să sprijine financiar Palestina și că ajutorul umanitar ar trebui să crească. În același timp, el a condamnat atacul Hamas asupra Israelului, pe care l-a caracterizat drept barbar și terorist, și a subliniat că Israelul are dreptul să se apere în fața acestor atacuri.

    Tăierea utilităților și a hranei pentru populația palestiniană din Gaza este însă o încălcare a legislației internaționale, a punctat Josep Borrell.

    Cu excepția a două sau trei state comunitare, majoritatea Uniunii s-a pronunțat pentru continuarea programelor de sprijin pentru palestinieni. Uniunea Europeană intenţiona să cheltuiască aproximativ 1,2 miliarde de euro între 2021 şi 2024 pentru a finanţa proiecte, în special în educaţie sau sănătate, în teritoriile palestiniene. Numai anul trecut, Uniunea a oferit aproximativ 300 de milioane de euro ajutor pentru entităţile palestiniene. Banii au contribuit la plata salariilor funcţionarilor publici, la finanţarea de proiecte şi la ajutorarea refugiaţilor.


  • Israel: Knapp 1 000 rumänische Staatsbürger ausgeflogen





    Unmittelbar nach dem Angriff der Hamas-Terrorgruppe auf Israel haben die rumänischen Behörden rumänische Staatsbürger, die in das Land verlassen wollten, unterstützt. Bis Montagabend wurden 900 rumänische Staatsbürger mit Flügen der staatlichen Fluggesellschaft TAROM und eines privaten Unternehmens aus Israel zurückgeführt. Das Au‎ßenministerium teilte mit, dass das mobile Konsularteam der rumänischen Botschaft in Tel Aviv und des rumänischen Vertretungsbüros in Ramallah im Westjordanland sowie der einberufene Krisenstab am Flughafen Ben Gurion im Einsatz bleiben, um den rumänischen Staatsbürgern dort konsularische Hilfe zu leisten.



    In einem Interview mit dem öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunk sagte Au‎ßenministerin Luminița Odobescu, dass weitere Flüge geplant seien, um die noch in Israel verbliebenen rumänischen Staatsbürger in die Heimat zu bringen. Ihre Zahl wurde auf 800 geschätzt, doch die Dunkelziffer könnte höher sein, da immer mehr Landsleute ihre Anwesenheit in der Konfliktzone melden und das Au‎ßenministerium über die rumänische Botschaft in Tel Aviv und das Generalkonsulat in Haifa um Hilfe bitten. Die rumänische Chefdiplomatin mit Einzelheiten über die Lage vor Ort im Gespräch mit Radio Rumänien:



    Die Lage in Israel ist im Moment sehr ernst. Sie haben gesehen, dass Israel am 7. Oktober den Kriegszustand erklärt hat. Die rumänischen Behörden haben die Angriffe auf den Staat Israel und auf die Zivilbevölkerung scharf verurteilt. Es geht auch um Geiselnahmen. Die Bilder sind absolut herzzerrei‎ßend. Rumänien hat seine Solidarität mit dem Staat Israel zum Ausdruck gebracht. Wir haben unsere Unterstützung für das souveräne Recht Israels auf Selbstverteidigung bekräftigt. Wir möchten auch die Gelegenheit nutzen, um den Familien der Opfer dieser Anschläge unser Beileid auszusprechen und den Verletzten eine schnelle Genesung zu wünschen. Rumänien fordert die rasche Freilassung aller Geiseln, und wir verurteilen den Terrorismus in all seinen Formen. Darüber hinaus hat die gesamte internationale Gemeinschaft sehr schnell reagiert, und es gab zahlreiche Solidaritätsbekundungen mit dem Staat Israel.“



    Au‎ßenministerin Odobescu sagte noch, dass der Nationale Verband der Reisebüros und das Rumänische Patriarchat kontaktiert wurden, um rumänische Staatsbürger aufzufinden, die sich als Touristen oder Pilger in Israel aufhalten. Die Chefdiplomatin rät ihnen, sich direkt mit der Botschaft, den konsularischen Vertretungen oder dem Au‎ßenministerium in Verbindung zu setzen und den Anweisungen der örtlichen israelischen Behörden Folge zu leisten, um sich in Sicherheit zu bringen. Aufgrund der ernsten Sicherheitslage empfiehlt sie den rumänischen Staatsbürgern, das Land umgehend zu verlassen. Schlie‎ßlich rät das Auswärtige Amt, gebuchte Reisen nach Israel zu stornieren.

  • October 9, 2023 UPDATE

    October 9, 2023 UPDATE

    Visit — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will receive, on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni Palace, his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, who is paying an official visit to Romania. According to the Romanian Presidential Administration, the visit reconfirms the continuation of Romanias unconditional support for Ukraine, in the context of Russias illegal war against this country, as well as the special nature of the relationship between the two states, its potential and the need to discuss, at the highest level, the projects and themes of common interest. “The in-depth political consultations will allow the analysis of the extensive measures decided and implemented by Romania in support of Ukraine, in order to strengthen them, as well as the discussion of the security situation in the region and at the Black Sea and the steps necessary for its management”, the quoted source also stated. Klaus Iohannis will also focus on “constructive and pragmatic approaches in the priority areas of bilateral cooperation and common interest, especially on the expansion of cross-border connections, the development of economic relations, the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, as well as the full respect of the rights of persons belonging to minorities national”.



    Meeting — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis ended his four-day state visit to Portugal on Monday, with a meeting with Prime Minister Antonio Costa. Two memoranda of understanding in the fields of energy and investments and trade were signed in the presence of the two dignitaries. Also on Monday, Iohannis received the key to the city of Lisbon, in a ceremony that took place at the Municipal Palace. He stated that the successful development of the Portuguese capital remains a source of real inspiration and that the exchange of good practices is fundamental for development at the national level as well as at the level of regions and cities. Klaus Iohannis said that the exemplary relations between Romania and Portugal are strengthened by dynamic exchanges at the local level and by intense cooperation with the Lisbon City Hall. The Romanian president recalled that emblematic figures of Romanian spirituality and culture lived in this city, in the interwar period, such as ‘Mircea Eliade, a well-known historian of religions, and Lucian Blaga, a great poet and philosopher’.



    Trilateral – PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday in Varna, Bulgaria, that during the Romania – Bulgaria – Greece trilateral meeting the 3 countries agreed to implement a joint action plan aimed at significant development in trilateral cooperation in sectors such as transports, energy, trade and security. “In the presence of EC officials, of the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Bulgarian PM Nikolay Denkov, we have reiterated Romanias ambition of quickly becoming a Schengen member state and an influential economic player in the region,” Marcel Ciolacu said. The Romanian official also added that Romania, in a partnership with Bulgaria and Greece, may have a greater influence in the EU, promoting its central role in the reconstruction of Ukraine and its willingness to see the Republic of Moldova and Western Balkans countries joining the European bloc as soon as possible.



    Tel Aviv — The Israeli army has announced that it has taken control of all the cities near the border with the Gaza Strip and is preparing new actions, after the terrorist attacks of Hamas. The authorities in Tel Aviv promise a total siege in the Gaza Strip, from where thousands of rockets have left for Israel. In addition, says the defense minister, a siege is imposed on this territory: no electricity, no water, no gas – everything is closed. On the other hand, Reuters announces that Hamas is negotiating the release of Israeli women and children taken hostage in exchange for 36 Palestinian women and children who are in Israeli prisons. So far, it is not clear how many Israelis were abducted and taken to Gaza. According to the latest data, as a result of the escalation of the conflict, approximately 500 Palestinians were killed and 2,700 were injured. In Israel, over 700 people were killed and over 2,200 injured. Israels security cabinet declared a state of war.



    Repatriation — A 22-year-old Romanian died on Monday in Israel. He had dual citizenship and was part of the Israeli Defense Forces, announced the Romanian Foreign Ministry, firmly condemning the attacks against the Israeli population. On the other hand, another 780 Romanian citizens have announced that they want to leave Israel, said the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. They will be brought by the TAROM airline, and the number of repatriated Romanians will thus rise to 1,600. The Foreign Ministry reiterates the recommendation addressed to Romanian citizens who intend to travel to Israel to reschedule their trip and follow the “Travel Alerts” section on the institutions website. A team of the ministrys Crisis Cell Rapid Response Unit was sent to Israel to support repatriation efforts.



    Commemoration – In Romania, the National Day of Commemoration of the Victims of the Holocaust was marked on Monday. On October 9, 1941, the deportation of Jews from Bessarabia and Bukovina to Transnistria began. The Holocaust was recognized by the Romanian authorities in 2004, based on the conclusions drawn up by the committee led by the Nobel prize winner, Elie Wiesel. The Jews and Roma who died during the Holocaust were commemorated in Bucharest, at the memorial built in their memory. (LS)

  • 09.10.2023 (mise à jour)

    09.10.2023 (mise à jour)

    Visite
    – Le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis, recevra mardi, à Bucarest, son
    homologue ukrainien, Volodimir Zelenski, en visite officielle en Roumanie.
    Selon l’Administration présidentielle à Bucarest, la visite réitère la
    poursuite de l’aide inconditionnelle que la Roumanie offre à son voisin
    ukrainien dans le contexte de l’agression militaire russe et le caractère
    spécial des rapports bilatéraux entre les deux pays. « Les consultations
    politiques de Bucarest porteront sur les mesures de soutien à Kiev, mises en
    place par la Roumanie, tout comme sur les projets et les thèmes d’intérêt
    commun ». La situation de sécurité dans la région de la mer Noire dominera
    également les discussions. Klaus Iohannis insistera sur une approche
    constructive et pragmatique de la coopération bilatérale, notamment en ce qui
    concerne les connexions transfrontalières, le développement des relations
    économiques, l’intégration européenne et euro-atlantique de l’Ukraine et les
    droits des minorités nationales ».









    Lisbonne
    – Le président roumain a fini lundi sa visite de quatre jours au Portugal, par
    une entrevue avec le premier ministre, Antonio Costa. Les deux responsables ont
    assisté à la signature de deux mémorandums, un dans le domaine de l’Energie et
    l’autre dans celui des Investissements et du Commerce. Lundi encore, lors d’une
    cérémonie au Palais de la Municipalité, Klaus Iohannis s’est vu remettre la clé
    de la ville de Lisbonne. Et lui de déclarer que les « relations
    exemplaires » roumano-portugaises sont consolidées par les échanges
    dynamiques au niveau local et par la coopération avec la Municipalité de
    Lisbonne.


    Sofia
    – Le premier ministre roumain, Marcel Ciolacu, a déclaré, lundi, à Varna, que
    dans le cadre des pourparlers organisés durant la réunion trilatérale Roumanie
    – Bulgarie – Grèce, les trois Etats ont agréé l’implémentation d’un plan
    d’action commun pour obtenir des évolutions significatives dans la coopération
    trilatérale dans des domaines tels les transports, l’énergie, le commerce et la
    sécurité. « En présence des représentants de la Commission européenne, du
    premier ministre grec, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, et bulgare, Nikolai Denkov, j’ai
    réitéré l’ambition de la Roumanie de devenir rapidement un Etat membre de
    l’espace Schengen et de devenir un acteur économique influent dans la
    région », a également dit Marcel Ciolacu. Le premier ministre a ajouté que
    la Roumanie en partenariat avec la Bulgarie et de la Grèce, pouvait avoir une
    influence accrue au sein de l’UE, en encourageant la reconstruction de
    l’Ukraine et les efforts de la République de Moldova et des Etats des Balkans
    de l’Ouest d’intégrer le bloc communautaire.


    Israël
    – Un Roumain de 22 ans est mort en Israël. Il avait la double citoyenneté et
    faisait partie des Forces israéliennes de Défense, a annoncé le Ministère
    roumain des Affaires Etrangères de Bucarest, tout en condamnant les attaques
    contre la population israélienne. Par ailleurs, 780 citoyens roumains affirment
    vouloir quitter Israël. Ceux-ci seront rapatriés à bord des avions de la
    compagnie roumaine, Tarom. Par conséquent, le nombre de Roumains rapatriés
    depuis le début de la guerre se montera à 1600. Le ministère des Affaires
    Etrangères recommande aux ressortissants roumains qui envisagent de voyager en
    Israël de reporter leur voyage et de suivre la page « alertes de voyage » sur le site internet de
    l’institution. Une équipe de l’Unité de réaction rapide de la cellule de crise
    du ministère a été envoyée en Israël, pour contribuer aux efforts de rapatriement.


    Holocauste
    – La Roumanie a marqué lundi la Journée nationale de commémoration des victimes
    de l’Holocauste. Ce fut le 9 octobre 1941 que commençait la déportation des
    Juifs de Bessarabie et de Bucovine vers la Transnistrie. L’Holocauste a été
    reconnu par les autorités roumaines en 2004, en vertu des conclusions formulées
    par la commission dirigée par le lauréat du prix Nobel, Elie Wiesel. Les Juifs
    et les Roms décédés durant l’Holocauste ont été commémorés au mémorial de
    Bucarest.





















    Poste
    – Le syndicat des salariés de la Poste roumaine organise cette semaine des protestations
    devant le siège du ministère de la Recherche, de l’Innovation et de la Numérisation.
    Dans un communiqué, le syndicat dénonce l’absence d’un système de rémunération
    transparent, motivant et équitable ce qui fait qu’à l’heure actuelle 80% du
    personnel de la poste, soit 17 mille salariés touchent le salaire minimum. Le
    syndicat souligne aussi le risque immense qu’une fois le salaire minimum majoré
    à compter du 1er janvier 2024, la Poste roumaine entre en procédure
    d’insolvabilité et soit obligée à licencier des milliers de travailleurs. Les
    syndicalistes réclament également l’absence de politiques cohérentes de développement
    et de soutenabilité, le manque de transparence et de prédictibilité dans l’acte
    de management, ainsi que l’absence d’un dialogue social au sein de la Poste
    roumaine.


    Foot
    – Suite à l’offensive du mouvement islamiste Hamas en Israël, l’UEFA a décidé
    de reporter le match entre les sélections nationales d’Israël et de la Suisse,
    prévu pour jeudi dans le Groupe I des préliminaires de l’Euro 2024 de foot,
    dont fait partie la Roumanie. Par ailleurs, la Roumanie se prépare à affronter
    le Belarus jeudi et l’Andorre dimanche à domicile, dans les préliminaires de la
    compétition, dans le cadre de deux matchs joués sans spectateurs. Avec trois
    victoires et trois égalités, la Roumanie est 2e dans son groupe, derrière
    la Suisse.


    Natation
    – Le nageur roumain David Popovici, double champion du monde a remporté les
    quatre épreuves du concours de Nyon en Suisse en bassin court (25 mètres).
    Cette compétition prépare les championnats d’Europe qui auront lieu à Otopeni,
    près de Bucarest, en décembre.




    Rugby
    – La Roumanie s’est inclinée dimanche contre les Tonga lors de son dernier match
    de poule au tableau de la Coupe du Monde de rugby qui a eu lieu en France. La Roumanie
    a enchaîné les défaites, en perdant les matchs contre l’Irlande, l’Afrique du
    sud et l’Ecosse.





    Météo
    – En Roumanie, les météorologues prévoient une chute des températures dans le
    nord, l’est et le centre. Dans le reste des régions, les températures
    continueront à dépasser la moyenne saisonnière. Mardi, nous aurons entre 12 et
    24 degrés en Roumanie et 21 degrés à midi, dans la capitale.

  • Romania condemns the attacks on Israel

    Romania condemns the attacks on Israel

    Many wonder how it was possible
    for a country like Israel, boasting highly-trained intelligence spread across
    an entire network in the Middle East, to actually be so vulnerable. A number of
    questions have started to arise. Some analysts say this vulnerability, which
    few had believed could exist, stems from Israel’s growing weakness amidst the ruling coalition’s efforts to promote a
    controversial judicial reform. The opposition, the civil society and some
    representatives of the army and law enforcement agencies, have challenged this
    law, claiming it undermines the country’s democratic fabric. Beyond the state’s
    responsibility, the hard reality on the ground, the fate of the civilians
    caught in the middle of this conflict, sparks the darkest fears of the
    international democratic community. The attacks of the Hamas terrorist
    organization on Israel have been strongly condemned by Western states.

    US
    President Joe Biden highlighted Israel’s undisputed right to defend itself and
    warned forces hostile to Israel, such as Iran, against taking advantage of the
    current developments. European institutions and states have also harshly
    condemned the attacks, and Bucharest made no exception. We stand with Israel
    in these terrible times. Our thoughts go to the families of the victims and to
    the people who were attacked, president Klaus Iohannis tweeted. The president
    strongly condemned the large-scale terrorist attack on Israel, adding it has a
    highly toxic potential of further destabilizing the security context in the
    Middle East. For a very long time, the international community has been trying
    to identify solutions in this region, and unfortunately today’s events
    backtrack these efforts. This attack could potentially destabilize the Middle
    East, and I hope the situation will be brought under control swiftly and all
    parties will resume diplomatic talks, president Iohannis went on to say.
    According to the Romanian official, Israel has a clear right to defend itself
    in the given situation.

    Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also condemned the
    attacks on Israel, calling for an immediate ceasefire. The head of government
    conveyed his condolences to the victims’ families, also expressing Romania’s
    solidarity with Israel. The Romanian Foreign Ministry also firmly condemned the
    Hamas attacks, including those targeting the civilian population, the
    terrorists who infiltrated the country and took people hostage. The Romanian
    MFA expressed its deep regret for the victims of these attacks and conveyed
    messages of condolence to families in mourning and of solidarity to the
    families of the wounded. The Foreign Ministry underscored Israel’s sovereign
    right to defend itself and in turn condemned terrorism in all its forms. (VP)



  • October 9, 2023

    October 9, 2023

    WAR Clashes were still reported on Monday between the
    Israeli army and Palestinian fighters infiltrated in the south of the country
    from Gaza, after Israel reportedly hit over 500 targets of Hamas and the
    Islamic Jihad organisations during the night. The Israeli defence forces have
    full control over the southern part of the country, attacked by the Palestinian
    Hamas forces, an Israeli military spokesman said on Monday, quoted by AFP and
    Reuters. This is the 3rd day of violent clashes that have so far
    killed around 1,200 people, over 700 of whom Israelis and at least 493
    Palestinians, EFE reported on Monday. Israel’s security cabinet declared war following the attacks of the Palestinian
    organisation Hamas, allowing the government to undertake significant military
    activities, the PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday.


    ISRAEL On Monday 96 Romanian nationals were repatriated from Israel, via
    Jordan, on a Tarom flight, the foreign ministry announced. Another 245 Romanian citizens were repatriated on Sunday, including 2 pilgrim
    groups. The foreign ministry reiterates its recommendation that Romanian
    nationals should reschedule their planned trips to Israel and monitor the Travel
    Alerts section on its home page. Meanwhile, a mobile consular team from the
    Romanian embassy in Israel and from Romania’s representation office in Ramallah is at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv
    to provide assistance to the Romanians there. A unit from the ministry’s emergency
    response team has also been deployed to Israel, to help in the repatriation
    efforts.


    VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis is on a visit to Portugal,
    where he is scheduled to have talks today with PM António Costa, with the president
    of the Assembly of the Republic Augusto Santos Silva, and with Portuguese MPs.
    On Saturday, Iohannis had a meeting with his Portuguese counterpat, Marcelo
    Rebelo de Sousa, discussing the war in neighbouring Ukraine, in which context
    he reiterated thanks for Portugal’s substantial contribution to the defence and
    deterrence posture on NATO’s eastern flank. The presence on Portuguese troops
    in Romania is a strong signal of Portugal’s solidarity and support to
    strengthening Romania’s security, president Iohannis said. On the other hand,
    the president of Portugal said his country was supporting Romania’s Schengen
    and OECD accession.


    MEETING PM Marcel Ciolacu said today in Varna, Bulgaria, that during the
    Romania – Bulgaria – Greece trilateral meeting the 3 countries agreed to
    implement a joint action plan aimed at significant development in trilateral
    cooperation in sectors such as transports, energy, trade and security. In the
    presence of EC officials, of the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Bulgarian
    PM Nikolay Denkov, we have reiterated Romania’s ambition of quickly becoming a
    Schengen member state and an influential economic player in the region, Marcel
    Ciolacu said. The Romanian official also added that Romania, in a partnership
    with Bulgaria and Greece, may have a greater influence in the EU, promoting its
    central role in the reconstruction of Ukraine and its willingness to see the
    Republic of Moldova and Western Balkans countries joining the European bloc as
    soon as possible.


    HOLOCAUST Romania marks today the National Holocaust Remembrance Day. On
    October 9, 1941, the deportation of Jews from Bessarabia and Bukovina to
    Transdniester started. The Holocaust was recognised by the Romanian authorities
    in 2004, based on the conclusions reached by a commission headed by Nobel prize
    winner Elie Wiesel. The Jews and Roma who died during the Holocaust were
    commemorated in Bucharest, while Timişoara is hosting a concert organised by
    the local Jewish community.


    SWIMMING The Romanian athlete David Popovici, the defending European
    champion in the 100 and 200m freestyle races, won all the 4 short course competitions
    in which he took part this weekend in Nyon (Switzerland). On Sunday he finished
    the 100m and 50m freestyle events in the first position, with 47.22s and 21.83s
    respectively, after on Saturday he had won the 400 and 200m freestyle races. The
    competition in Switzerland is training opportunity ahead of the European short
    course championships scheduled in December in Otopeni, near Bucharest. (AMP)