Radio România Internațional

Tag: humanitarian

  • January 12, 2023 UPDATE

    January 12, 2023 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN Romania’s Schengen accession is a
    major priority for the country, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said
    in Bucharest on Thursday. He mentioned the country counted on the support of the
    Swedish presidency of the EU. At a press conference organised by the Swedish
    Embassy to mark the start of the Swedish presidency of the EU Council on
    January 1, Mr. Aurescu also mentioned Romania’s handling of the situation
    entailed by war in Ukraine, describing Romania as a de facto guardian of EU
    security. In turn, Sweden’s Ambassador to Bucharest, Therese Hyden, pointed
    out that the Schengen file will be on the agenda of an official meeting, when
    conditions are favourable, more precisely when Austria has changed its
    position regarding Romania and Netherlands has changed its view on Bulgaria’s
    accession. Foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also had a telephone conversation on the
    same topic on Wednesday with his Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billstrom. According
    to the Romanian foreign ministry, Tobias Billstrom emphasised that the Swedish
    Presidency was determined to be actively involved and to make all efforts for
    this goal to be met. We remind you that on December 8,
    2022, at the JHA Council, Romania was not accepted into Schengen after Austria
    voted against Romania’s joining the passport-free area, and the Netherlands
    opposed Bulgaria’s accession.


    MINORITIES Romania and Ukraine will
    initiate a consultation process regarding Ukraine’s law on national minorities,
    endorsed recently in Kyiv. The two countries’ foreign ministers, Bogdan Aurescu and
    Dmytro Kuleba, Wednesday had a telephone discussion on the topic, after a
    similar dialogue a week ago between the presidents Klaus Iohannis and Volodymyr
    Zelensky. The law triggered concerns among the Romanian authorities, as
    representatives of the Romanian community in Ukraine have not been consulted in
    drafting the document, which was endorsed without a positive opinion of the Venice
    Commission. Although the law is an improvement from the previous drafts, it
    fails to guarantee, among other things, the Romanian minority’s right to
    education in the mother tongue, the Romanian foreign ministry argues.


    FLU 15 people died from seasonal flu complications this season in
    Romania, the National Public Health Institute announced. During the first week
    of this year almost 40% more respiratory infections than in the previous week
    were reported. Drugstores still face shortages of viral infection and seasonal
    flu medication. Moreover, 7 medicines used by almost half of the cancer
    patients in the country are still not available. The health ministry promises
    Romania is not experiencing a medicine crisis and that storage facilities do
    have the drugs in stock.


    UKRAINE American aid is for the first time to reach Ukraine via the
    Romanian logistics hub in Suceava, the US Embassy in Bucharest announced. The
    shipment comprises 30 trucks with clothing, footwear, blankets, hygiene
    products, diapers and emergency kits, donated as part of a campaign launched
    last March in Utah. So far 40 tonnes of goods worth around USD 1 mln have been
    donated, as well as USD 4 mln in cash.


    TENNIS Romanian
    tennis players found out their opponents in the first round of the Australian
    Open. According to the drawing held on Thursday in Melbourne, Irina Begu will play
    against China’s Saisai Zheng, Sorana Cîrstea will take up the uncomfortable
    Kazakh player Iulia Putinteva, and Ana Bogdan will take on Anna Bondar of
    Hungary. Jaqueline Cristian will have one of the most difficult opponents – the
    American Jessica Pegula, and Patricia Ţig will be up against the Chinese Shuai
    Zhang. Romania has five players at the Australian Open, after Simona Halep was
    provisionally suspended after a positive doping test. (AMP)

  • Romania is better prepared to receive new refugees

    Romania is better prepared to receive new refugees


    More
    than 2.5 million Ukrainians fleeing war in their country have crossed
    the border into the neighbouring Romania since the start of the
    Russian invasion on the 24th February. Most of them have
    travelled to the West, but some have stayed. The Romanian state has
    taken a number of humanitarian, social and economic measures to
    support them. Ordinary citizens, NGOs and hotel and restaurant owners
    have also played a role, helping the newly arrived to adapt to the
    new reality.







    Romania
    is better prepared to take in refugees from Ukraine, but there is no
    indication at the moment that their number will increase, said
    state secretary in the interior ministry Raed Arafat during a trip to
    Suceava, in the north. He attended the distribution of French
    donations to Ukraine at the humanitarian hub in Suceava created in
    the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war and coordinated from
    Brussels. The ceremony was attended by the French and Ukrainian
    ambassadors in Bucharest, Laurence
    Auer and Ihor Prokopchuk, respectively.







    France’s
    humanitarian assistance consists of over 1,000 tonnes of goods and 15
    emergency vehicles. Raed Arafat said he hoped the situation in
    Ukraine will improve, but that there is no certainty as to what comes
    next and that Romania has to stay prepared. He said the
    Romanian
    authorities are now better prepared to cope in the event of a growth
    in the number of refugees, as additional materials have been brought
    in and
    more places are available in accommodation facilities and transit
    centres. Arafat also said there is no security risk with regard to
    the European humanitarian hubs for Ukraine because they contain
    civilian equipment and materials. The hub works under European
    civil protection. We will continue to run it. It has been extended
    until March and can be extended as long as necessary,
    he explained.







    The
    French ambassador Laurence Auer said her country stands by the
    Ukrainian people and the humanitarian assistance distributed from the
    European hub in Suceava is meant to facilitate the economic recovery
    of the Ukrainian cities and
    areas destroyed.
    The
    assistance forms part of the operation A ship for Ukraine
    initiated by the French president and supported by 1,700 communities
    and around 60 enterprises that got involved. (CM)

  • The Week in Review 21 – 27 May 2022

    The Week in Review 21 – 27 May 2022

    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, talked on the phone with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel



    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, on Thursday spoke on the phone with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, before the special proceedings of the aforementioned council in Brussels at the end of the month, which has high on the agenda the humanitarian and financial aid for Ukraine. Food safety, energy, security and defence were the main topics of the discussion between the head of the Romanian state and president of the European Council. In the meantime, the Russian troops are continuing their onslaught on the neighbouring Ukraine where the situation is difficult. According to the General Border Police Inspectorate, since the beginning of the conflict on February 24th, over one million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.



    An offshore law regulating Black Sea gas exploitation has come into effect



    The offshore law regulating gas exploitation in the Black Sea was enacted on Wednesday by Romanias president Klaus Iohannis. In its new form, the law is more investor-friendly and is supposed to benefit both the state and companies, government representatives say. After the endorsement of the draft law in the Chamber of Deputies, Energy Minister, the Liberal Virgil Popescu, has said the new regulations ensure stability, predictability as well as lower gas prices for household consumers. The law stipulates a series of measures on the stability of the fiscal regime and oil royalties as well as the elimination of additional income taxation for selling prices at which investors do not make surplus profits. During the duration of the agreements concerning the deep-sea offshore and onshore perimeters, the holders of the agreements have the right to freely trade the hydrocarbons produced from the respective oil perimeters at the prices and in the quantities determined by them under the provisions of the national and European legislation in force. Under the document, Romania will have priority in exploiting the gas deposits and the profit will be divided between the Romanian state, which is to receive 60% and investors who are to get 40%. The first gas extraction has been scheduled for June, part of a project carried out by the company Black Sea Oil&Gas. According to estimates, over one billion cubic meters would be delivered annually throughout this exploitation thus covering 10% of Romanias needs.



    Prince Charles, heir to the British Crown, is back in Romania



    Currently on a visit to Romania, after a break caused by the pandemic, Prince Charles, heir to the British Crown, on Wednesday met in Bucharest the countrys president Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the custodian of the Romanian crown, Princess Margareta. Talks focused on the Ukrainian refugee crisis and the support granted by Romania to its neighboring country in the context of the Russian invasion. President Iohannis informed Prince Charles on the humanitarian hub in Suceava, north-eastern Romania, and on the coordination of support efforts by a number of states, to Ukraines benefit. Also discussed were the Romanian-British strategic partnership, solutions to limit the impact of climate change and to preserve biodiversity and the need for educational projects on climate change. During the meeting he had with Romanias Prime Minister, Prince Charles was interested in Romanias policies in the field of green and renewable energies. Prime Minister Ciuca voiced support for investment in green energy, the offshore wind power in particular, in which British companies are invited to invest in the upcoming period.



    Together with Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, prince Charles visited a refugee centre in Bucharest, and talked to the refugees and volunteers there. The centre has more than 1 thousand Ukrainian visitors per day, who receive food, hygiene products and clothing, and also benefit social services and counseling during their stay in Romania.



    Prince Charles first visited Romania in 1998 and has returned to the country almost every year ever since. He has been supporting foundations and programs focused on the protection of Transylvanias heritage and biodiversity and, through Prince Charles of Wales Romania Foundation, he supported small farmers and ran a special program for the Romanian military injured in Afghanistan.



    The executive in Bucharest has approved a new package of social and economic measures



    The Bucharest Government on Monday announced a new package of social and economic measures agreed on by the ruling coalition, against the background of unprecedented price hikes affecting the population. The package, worth 1.1 billion euros, takes effect starting July 1st. Among these measures are the postponement, by nine months, of interest rates on loans for citizens and companies facing difficulties triggered by the multiple crises that have emerged lately. Also decided was the granting of a quarter of the salary difference, in keeping with the unitary payment law for public sector employees, and of a single financial aid of 140 euros to all pensioners with pensions smaller than 400 euros.



    At the same time, the Government will take measures for fiscal consolidation and for observing its commitments as regards the public deficit. This means cutting public expenditure by at least 10%, except for expenses with salaries, pensions and social assistance, freezing jobs in the public sector as of July 1st and increasing the collection of revenues to the consolidated general budget by 2 billion euro.



    Also on Monday, the Minister of Investment and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, announced that most vouchers for vulnerable persons will be distributed to the beneficiaries starting in June and the rest of them in the first half of July. He mentioned that the vouchers to be distributed by June 10 will be funded in 2 or 3 days, in keeping with the public payment mechanism.



    We recall that on May 9 the Government adopted the measure regarding social vouchers to be granted to a number of categories of people who are at risk of material deprivation and extreme poverty. Thus, more than 3 million Romanians will receive every two months, social vouchers worth 50 euros each.


    (bill)

  • No Russian ships in EU ports

    No Russian ships in EU ports

    Russian vessels are no longer allowed to enter ports in the EU, including Romania. The ban also applies to ships that have replaced the Russian flag with another countrys colours since February 24, when the war in Ukraine started, but not those who need assistance or refuge for safety reasons or those who have rescued lives at sea.



    This is one of the EU sanctions against Russia which will be extended. The new measures will also target Russian banks, particularly Sberbank, as well as the oil sector, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told the German paper Bild am Sonntag, quoted by Reuters.



    “We are looking further at the banking sector, especially Sberbank, which accounts for 37% of the Russian banking sector. And, of course, there are energy issues,” Ursula von der Leyen detailed. She explained the EU was working on clever mechanisms in order to include the oil sector in the next sanctions.



    “What should not happen is that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin collects even higher prices on other markets for supplies that would otherwise go to the EU. The top priority is to shrink Putins revenues,” she emphasised.



    Brussels has so far exempted Russias largest bank from the previous sanctions, because Sberbank and Gazprombank are the main payment channels for the oil and natural gas from Russia, which EU member countries continue to buy in spite of the invasion of Ukraine.



    On the other hand, on Sunday the Union announced EUR 50 million would be earmarked for humanitarian aid to be sent to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.



    “As heavy fighting and missile strikes continue to destroy critical civilian infrastructure, humanitarian needs in Ukraine remain extremely high,” reads an EU news release quoted by DPA.



    Some EUR 45 million will go into humanitarian programmes in Ukraine, while the Republic of Moldova, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian nationals have taken refuge since the start of the war, is set to receive EUR 5 million.



    The money is part of the EUR 1 billion package pledged by the European Commission in a donor conference last week, called Stand Up For Ukraine. So far, the EU said, EUR 143 million of this amount has already been spent in humanitarian aid funding in response to the war. The funding announced on Sunday will address the most pressing humanitarian needs by providing emergency medical services, access to safe drinking water and hygiene, shelter and protection, cash assistance, and support against gender-based violence. (AMP)

  • Migrant pressure on the EU

    Migrant pressure on the EU

    As relations between Minsk and the EU deteriorate and Belarus’s
    president Aleksandr Lukashenko strengthens his aggressive rhetoric, the refugee
    crisis at the Union’s eastern border risks turning into a humanitarian disaster.


    This is precisely why, at the request of France,
    Ireland and Estonia, the Security Council decided to convene to look for solutions
    for the thousands of people who are trying to get to Western Europe but are
    kept in inhumane conditions at the border.


    For several months now, Belarus has been encouraging
    Middle East migrants to cross its territory on their way to the EU via Poland
    and the Baltic states, and the crisis has been deepening these past few days, when
    thousands of refugees crowded at the border and tried to cross into Poland
    illegally.


    Poland has deployed troops on the border to push back
    the migrants, and informed its NATO allies of the crisis. The North-Atlantic
    Alliance is monitoring the situation and promises to safeguard the security of
    its members, including Lithuania and Latvia, who are also facing migrant
    pressure from Belarus.


    In fact, this is not the first time that the three EU
    member states see migratory waves, mostly Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan nationals trying
    to get illegally into Germany. The EU has repeatedly accused Belarus of pushing
    these migrants into European territory in retaliation to the sanctions
    triggered by Alexandr Lukashenko’s election fraud last year and by the brutal
    crackdown on the post-election protests.


    To add to the complications, Russia, a supporter of
    the Lukashenko regime, has deployed 2 nuclear-capable bombers to fly over
    Belarus. Media agencies note that a growing number of EU voices blame the
    crisis on Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, but Kremlin dismissed the
    allegations as unacceptable. President Putin, contacted on the phone by the
    German Chancellor Angela Merkel in order to put an end to the crisis, suggested
    direct talks between the EU and Minsk, to discuss the issue.


    The EU border is the scene of a brutal hybrid attack with
    Belarus cynically and shockingly using the desperation of migrants as a weapon,
    said the president of the European Council, Charles Michel. The situation on
    the border between Belarus and Poland is not a migrant crisis, but an attempt
    by Minsk to destabilise its neighbours, the EC president Ursula von der Leyen
    said in her turn, warning that the Union would extend its sanctions against
    individuals and entities in Belarus. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Less than 2 weeks were necessary before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, in mid-August, as the foreign military deployed there for the past two decades pulled out.



    Sent to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks in the USA, American and other NATO allied troops completed their mission, and with the withdrawal of the foreign military, celebrated by Islamist militants as a victory, the situation spiralled, raising even more questions regarding the future of that country and more. Was this development predictable at all? Military analyst Radu Tudor tells Radio Romania that it was:



    Radu Tudor: “It was entirely foreseeable, and unfortunately a mission that I personally have seen as a success for over 20 years, a mission originally conducted under American command, Enduring Freedom, and which then also involved NATO and UN participation and coordination, a successful mission that dismantled and drove out of Afghanistan the al-Qaida terror organisation, a mission that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks which killed nearly 3,000 innocent people in the US, well, this successful mission, which brought relative stability to Afghanistan and gave that country struggling with medieval realities a chance of becoming a modern state, hit into a very poorly made pull-out plan. Into decisions that neither the Trump administration nor the Biden administration have analysed thoroughly, which generated very strong emotions. And we can feel these emotions ourselves, when we see the footage broadcast by all television stations and websites in the world. I believe what we see now is the unfortunate ending of a very difficult, very necessary mission, a mission with good results in terms of stabilising Afghanistan. In fact, the concern of the international community with the resurgence of the Taliban and their rise to power proves that what NATO and the US did for the past 20 years in Afghanistan was a good thing. But the mission could not go on, not only because of the huge human, military and financial costs, but also because the idea that Afghanistan should take its fate in its own hands had to prevail.



    “President Joe Biden could have said that by end of September 2022 I want zero troops in Afghanistan. But until that time I want to make sure that we have a political settlement between the government and the Taliban and that we have also evacuated all our employees and local partners, said a former member of the government ousted by the Taliban, Nargis Nehan, who sees the pull-out as “irresponsible. “The US have been in Afghanistan for 20 years, staying one more year longer wouldn’t have made any difference for them, at least financially as well as politically, Nehan told AFP, 6 days after fleeing the country. Nargis Nehan deplored the waste of over 2,000 billion in international investments, as well as the bloodshed: “the sense of abandonment experienced by many Afghans would foster a sense of grievance against the international community. “That’s my fear… we’ll see much more extremism coming from Afghanistan, Nehan said, explaining that it would be fuelled out of poverty, and out of that feeling of betrayal and grievances that they have.



    On the other hand, the US secretary general Antonio Guterres warns against “a humanitarian catastrophe looming, and speaks about a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis and the threat of basic services completely collapsing. The UN chief mentions that “almost half of the population of Afghanistan — 18 million people — need humanitarian assistance to survive. “Now more than ever, Afghan children, women and men need the support and solidarity of the international community, Guterres insisted.



    The Taliban vowed to guarantee the security of the humanitarian teams and the access of aid into Afghanistan, but they also promised a regime that will be acknowledged by the international community and the Afghan people. In their first press conference since taking power, a Taliban spokesman said freedom of the media and the rights of women will be complied with, within the framework of Islamic law, although they provided no details as to what that means in practice.



    After the US deployed troops in Afghanistan in 2001, the restrictions against women relaxed, and even as the war continued, an internationally supported local commitment to improve womens rights led to new protection measures. In 2009, a law aiming to fight violence against women criminalised rape and forced marriages, and made it illegal to prevent women and girls from working or studying. Today, the women and girls of Afghanistan fear that they will lose the rights gained in 20 years and that they will never be regained, in spite of Taliban promises that “schools will be opened, and girls and women will go to school as students and teachers.



    Meanwhile, Europe expects a wave of Afghan migrants that would put pressure on its capacities. The memory of 2015, when Europe faced a huge illegal migration wave triggered by the war in Syria, is still very vivid. And even if the situation will not be exactly the same, Europe needs to be prepared. And to stay alert, amid fears of a possibly high terrorist risk after the Taliban took power. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Less than 2 weeks were necessary before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, in mid-August, as the foreign military deployed there for the past two decades pulled out.



    Sent to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks in the USA, American and other NATO allied troops completed their mission, and with the withdrawal of the foreign military, celebrated by Islamist militants as a victory, the situation spiralled, raising even more questions regarding the future of that country and more. Was this development predictable at all? Military analyst Radu Tudor tells Radio Romania that it was:



    Radu Tudor: “It was entirely foreseeable, and unfortunately a mission that I personally have seen as a success for over 20 years, a mission originally conducted under American command, Enduring Freedom, and which then also involved NATO and UN participation and coordination, a successful mission that dismantled and drove out of Afghanistan the al-Qaida terror organisation, a mission that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks which killed nearly 3,000 innocent people in the US, well, this successful mission, which brought relative stability to Afghanistan and gave that country struggling with medieval realities a chance of becoming a modern state, hit into a very poorly made pull-out plan. Into decisions that neither the Trump administration nor the Biden administration have analysed thoroughly, which generated very strong emotions. And we can feel these emotions ourselves, when we see the footage broadcast by all television stations and websites in the world. I believe what we see now is the unfortunate ending of a very difficult, very necessary mission, a mission with good results in terms of stabilising Afghanistan. In fact, the concern of the international community with the resurgence of the Taliban and their rise to power proves that what NATO and the US did for the past 20 years in Afghanistan was a good thing. But the mission could not go on, not only because of the huge human, military and financial costs, but also because the idea that Afghanistan should take its fate in its own hands had to prevail.



    “President Joe Biden could have said that by end of September 2022 I want zero troops in Afghanistan. But until that time I want to make sure that we have a political settlement between the government and the Taliban and that we have also evacuated all our employees and local partners, said a former member of the government ousted by the Taliban, Nargis Nehan, who sees the pull-out as “irresponsible. “The US have been in Afghanistan for 20 years, staying one more year longer wouldn’t have made any difference for them, at least financially as well as politically, Nehan told AFP, 6 days after fleeing the country. Nargis Nehan deplored the waste of over 2,000 billion in international investments, as well as the bloodshed: “the sense of abandonment experienced by many Afghans would foster a sense of grievance against the international community. “That’s my fear… we’ll see much more extremism coming from Afghanistan, Nehan said, explaining that it would be fuelled out of poverty, and out of that feeling of betrayal and grievances that they have.



    On the other hand, the US secretary general Antonio Guterres warns against “a humanitarian catastrophe looming, and speaks about a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis and the threat of basic services completely collapsing. The UN chief mentions that “almost half of the population of Afghanistan — 18 million people — need humanitarian assistance to survive. “Now more than ever, Afghan children, women and men need the support and solidarity of the international community, Guterres insisted.



    The Taliban vowed to guarantee the security of the humanitarian teams and the access of aid into Afghanistan, but they also promised a regime that will be acknowledged by the international community and the Afghan people. In their first press conference since taking power, a Taliban spokesman said freedom of the media and the rights of women will be complied with, within the framework of Islamic law, although they provided no details as to what that means in practice.



    After the US deployed troops in Afghanistan in 2001, the restrictions against women relaxed, and even as the war continued, an internationally supported local commitment to improve womens rights led to new protection measures. In 2009, a law aiming to fight violence against women criminalised rape and forced marriages, and made it illegal to prevent women and girls from working or studying. Today, the women and girls of Afghanistan fear that they will lose the rights gained in 20 years and that they will never be regained, in spite of Taliban promises that “schools will be opened, and girls and women will go to school as students and teachers.



    Meanwhile, Europe expects a wave of Afghan migrants that would put pressure on its capacities. The memory of 2015, when Europe faced a huge illegal migration wave triggered by the war in Syria, is still very vivid. And even if the situation will not be exactly the same, Europe needs to be prepared. And to stay alert, amid fears of a possibly high terrorist risk after the Taliban took power. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • February 19, 2021 UPDATE

    February 19, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Romania reported 2,712 new SARS-CoV-2 cases in the last 24 hours, and 79 COVID-19 related deaths. Nearly 950 patients are in intensive care. The immunisation programme continues, at a rate of 40,000 vaccine doses daily. According to the National Vaccination Coordination Committee, the total number of doses used stands at roughly 1.3 million, with over 750,000 people immunised since the start of the campaign on 27th December.



    AID The Republic of Moldova Friday received humanitarian aid from Romania, consisting in medical equipment and personal protection equipment to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Moldovan Presidency, the donation is worth around 2.3 million euro. The official reception ceremony was attended by Moldovas president Maia Sandu, interim PM Aureliu Ciocoi, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu and other officials. The EU Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, Peter Michalko, emphasised that Bucharests help is vital.



    BUDGET The Supreme Defence Council convening in Bucharest today in a meeting chaired by president Klaus Iohannis approved the draft 2021 budgets for national security institutions. In order to pass the state budget, the government needed a decision from the Supreme Defence Council with respect to the budget of relevant institutions. Also on Friday the Cabinet held a meeting to approve the state budget and social security budget bills for this year. On Thursday the cabinet had passed an emergency order scrapping a planned pension increase and the holiday vouchers for this year, and granting students a 50% public transport subsidy instead of 100% as it was before. The Liberal PM Florin Cîţu said the budget deficit target remains 7.16%, and that special attention will be paid to investments.



    HEATING Mintia thermal power plant, part of the Hunedoara Power Compound in western Romania, was shut down over a coal shortage, which means that around 4,500 flats in Deva as well as public institutions in that town no longer receive heating. This comes amid protests at the coal mines in the Jiu Valley area, where workers are unhappy with delays in salary payments. It is for the 4th time in 6 months that the thermal power plant is not operational for lack of fuel. The energy minister Virgil Popescu said there are short-term solutions for the problems in Hunedoara, but that a long-term plan is also necessary.



    SENTENCE The businessman Ioan Niculae Friday returned from Italy to Romania and turned himself in, after receiving a final 5-year prison sentence from the Bucharest Court of Appeals, for influence peddling and inciting money laundering and tax evasion. According to prosecutors, in 2008 and 2009, his company declared fictitious financial operations to dodge taxes. The state incurred losses of over 2.2 million euro. Niculae already served another prison sentence in a corruption-related case in 2015.



    SKI The Japanese athlete Ryoyu Kobayashi Friday won the Ski Jumping World Cup leg held in Râşnov (central Romania), after the Norwegian Halvor Egner Granerud, the original winner, was disqualified. Kobayashi won his second competition this season and the 18th in his career, with jumps of 94 m and 98.5 m. Next came Kamil Stoch, of Poland, winner of this years Four Hills Tournament, followed by Karl Geiger (Germany). Granerud tops the overall World Cup standings after 22 legs. Another Japanese athlete, Sara Takanashi, won the womens competition in Râşnov, also held on Friday. A mixed team event is scheduled on Saturday. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • March 18, 2020 UPDATE

    March 18, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19 Romania 260 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Romania by Wednesday. So far, 19 people have recovered. At national level, some 3,400 people are in quarantine facilities and are being tested. Another 23,679 people are self-isolating at home and under medical monitoring. New restrictions took effect in Romania on Wednesday, in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus. All restaurants, coffee shops, bars and other types of public facilities were closed for 30 days, in order to facilitate social distancing. Only drive-in, room-service and home delivery services will be allowed. All indoor activities, including religious and sporting events, are suspended, and so are services provided in beauty shops and spa facilities. The National Bank announced full support for the efforts of the banking system to assist individual and corporate clients affected by the crisis. Measures in this respect include facilities regarding ongoing loan payments and accessing new financing lines, and in case of growing demand, making sure that banks have uninterrupted cash flow for all operations, including ATM withdrawals, the central bank also said.




    Covid-19 world The head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Wednesday called the novel coronavirus an “enemy of mankind, as the virus has killed more than 8,000 people worldwide. The EU has closed its borders for non-EU citizens and has banned non-essential circulation in the Shengen area, in order to curb the spread of the pandemic, while several member countries have locked down cities or regions. The most affected country in Europe, Italy, where nearly 3,000 people died so far, is no longer capable of dealing with the situation in hospitals. The Republic of Moldova Wednesday reported the first death caused by COVID-19. Meanwhile, several countries have announced huge financial aid plans to fight the pandemic.




    Government The Romanian Government convened today for the first time since the president declared a state of national emergency in Romania on Monday. It was the first session of the Liberal Cabinet headed by Ludovic Orban. The meeting was held via conference call and focused on economic decisions, given the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government announced support for companies’ cashflows and for the employees who have been idled. Also, the deadline for local tax payments will be extended, and capacities for the production of sanitary materials and disinfectants will be enhanced. The financial impact of these measures is estimated at some 2% of the country’s GDP for the next three months, the Finance Minister Florin Citu has stated.




    Simulation Romanian MPs Wednesday organised an online voting simulation. It was a test for Thursday’s joint session, which will be held online for the first time. The participants will vote the decree under which a state of national emergency has been declared in Romania, and senators and deputies are to vote online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Constitution, Parliament can only endorse or reject the presidential decree. The debates will be held via conference call.




    Corridor Budapest will allow Romanian citizens to transit Hungary to get to Romania every night between 9pm and 5am, on designated routes set by the Hungarian authorities. The agreement was reached on Wednesday by Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu during a telephone call with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó, after large numbers of Romanians got stranded on Austrias border with Hungary. Thousands of Romanian, Bulgarian and other nationals were unable to transit Hungary, which closed its borders for foreigners. The Romanian foreign ministry also announced that 78 Romanian citizens were repatriated from Jordan on Wednesday.




    EUROVISION The 2020 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled to take place in May in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, was cancelled over the coronavirus pandemic, the organisers announced on Wednesday. Romania was supposed to take part in the competition alongside 40 other countries. Roxen had been chosen to represent Romania with a piece called “Alcohol You. The Eurovision Song Contest is an event watched every year by millions on TV channels around the world.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 17, 2019 UPDATE

    August 17, 2019 UPDATE

    VISIT The head of the Romanian state, Klaus Iohannis, will be on an official visit to Washington D.C. on August 19 and 20, at the invitation of the US president, Donald J. Trump. The 2 leaders will have a meeting on August 20, to discuss ways to strengthen and further develop the strong and dynamic strategic partnership between Romania and the US, in all its components. The Romanian president will emphasise on this occasion that his country will remain a reliable ally and strategic partner of the USA, one of the priorities of Romanias foreign policy being to consolidate the trans-Atlantic relation and Euro-Atlantic security. Klaus Iohannis said he also intended to talk to Donald J. Trump about the American troops in Romania and about the countrys capacity to host more US troops. The issue of US visa requirements for Romanian citizens will also be approached. Meanwhile, according to the White House, the US president looks forward to celebrating the 30th year since the fall of communism and the 15th year of Romanias NATO membership with president Iohannis. Klaus Iohannis and Donald Trump previously met at the White House in 2017, when they discussed the prospects for deepening and broadening the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US.



    CLIMBER One of the best known Romanian climbers, Torok Zsolt, (45) was found dead on Saturday near Negoiu Peak in Fagaras Mountains, central Romania, the Sibiu mountain rescue service announced. Torok Zsolt broke several records in Romanian and world climbing. In 2016, Torok Zsolt climbed 5 Himalayan peaks, 3 of them accompanied by Vlad Căpuşan. They made the first ever ascent of Peak 5, in Makalu region, a 6.421m top that had not been climbed since the opening of the route in 2003. In 2013, Torok Zsolt was the leader of the Romanian team that climbed the 8.126m Nanga Parbat, which is still the most notable achievement in Romanian mountain climbing.



    MIGRANTS The Romanian authorities, alongside several other EU member states, have agreed to receive some of the nearly 150 migrants on board of the Spanish humanitarian vessel Open Arms, off the Italian island of Lampedusa. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the agreement concerns the relocation of 10 people from Malta. The decision proves Romanias willingness to contribute to the solidarity efforts in such situations, and concerns vulnerable people, who need protection. The response poses no pressure on the Romanian asylum system, reads the release. Bucharest says there have been other similar situations this year, and Romania has responded to 3 such calls coming from the European Commission, namely 2 from Italy for 10 people, and one from Malta for 5 people in need of protection. Eleven of these have reached the country so far.



    FILM ‘Ivana the Terrible, Ivana Mladenovics second feature film, has won the special prize of the jury in the Cineasti del Presente section of the Locarno Film Festival, which came to an end on Saturday. The section is devoted to directors at their first, second or third films. ‘Ivana the Terrible, a Romanian-Serbian co-production, is an unconventional story about people and places, based on an event in the directors life. Ivana Mladenovic was born in 1984, in Serbia, she went to law school in Belgrade and then moved to Romania. She made several shorts and documentaries awarded in international festivals, and is best known for her debut feature, ‘Soldiers. A story from Ferentari’.



    ACTOR The American actor Peter Fonda, son of Henry Fonda and brother to Jane Fonda, died at the age of 79, in Los Angeles (USA), after battling lung cancer. He shot to fame after playing in the 1969 cult classic Easy Rider. In 1971 he directed his first film, “The Hired Hand, in which he also played the lead role. He had an Oscar nomination for best actor, in “Ulee’s Gold, 1998, which also won a Golden Globe. His last film, The Last Full Measure, featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman and Laurence Fishburne, is scheduled for release in late October in the US.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)