Radio România Internațional

Tag: IAEA

February 14, 2025 UPDATE 2

Munich – The US Vice President, J.D. Vance criticized the cancellation of the presidential election organized in November 2024 in Romania. In a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, J.D. Vance harshly criticized the European leaders, comparing them to the autocrats who led the continent’s repressive regimes during the Cold War. He expressed concern about what he called Europe’s departure from its fundamental values and gave several examples of repressive measures against freedom of expression on the European continent, including the annulment of the recent presidential election in Romania. J. D. Vance said that the biggest danger to Europe comes from within, and this is more worrying than threats from Russia or China. He also asked Europe to invest more in its own defense, given that the US must ‘focus on the regions of the world that are in great danger’. In response, the interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, reassured all Romania’s partners that the country remains a reliable ally, firmly committed to a united European Union, a strong North Atlantic Alliance and a solid transatlantic partnership. At the Security Conference in Munich, heads of state and government and hundreds of defense experts discuss, until Sunday, about the big global files, especially about a possible peace in Ukraine. Romania is represented by the Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu.

Drones – The Romanian diplomacy firmly condemns the irresponsible attack of the Russian forces against Ukraine on February 13, when two drones carrying explosive material violated Romania’s airspace and fell on its territory, near the border with Ukraine, invaded by Moscow’s troops. By order of the Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, the ad interim charge d’affaires of the Russian Federation in Bucharest was urgently summoned to the headquarters of the ministry, to be informed of the firm condemnation of the repeated violation of Romania’s airspace. These illegal and irresponsible attacks must end, Romania having the right to take the necessary response measures, the Foreign Ministry said.

Bank – The Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) decided on Friday to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at the level of 6.5% per year. Also, the BNR decided to maintain the interest rate for the credit facility at 7.50% per year and the interest rate for the deposit facility at 5.50% per year and to maintain the current levels of the minimum statutory reserve ratio for the liabilities in lei and in foreign currency of credit institutions. The central bank in Bucharest decided last year, twice, to lower the key interest rate, in July, from 7% per year to 6.75% per year, and in August to 6.5% per year. The key rate had been unchanged since January 2023.

Appointment – The interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, appointed Cristian Diaconescu, a former foreign minister, to the position of presidential advisor for defense and security, who will also take over the coordination of the presidential chancellery. Also, Bogdan Mazuru will hold the position of presidential adviser for foreign policy, and Simona-Livia Maftei and Bianca-Teodora Firezar were appointed advisers to the interim president’s office. Bolojan declared that ensuring the economic, social and political stability of Romania is the top priority on his agenda during the three months of his mandate. In his first message after replacing the outgoing president Klaus Iohannis at the Cotroceni Palace, Bolojan promised that the presidential election in May will be fair and transparent.

Corruption – The Head of Logistics of the Romanian Army, three-star general Cătălin Zisu, is targeted by an investigation by anti-corruption prosecutors in a case with an estimated damage of 2.4 million Euros. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) is investigating a potential abuse of office in connection with the conclusion of a contract regarding the expansion of the Ghencea Military Cemetery in Bucharest. The contract in question would have been awarded by the general to the company Garden Center Group, owned by the businessman Ionel Olteanu. During the searches carried out on Friday on people close to the general, the prosecutors found luxury watches, designer bags and over 2,000 paintings. 10 people from those targeted by the searches will be heard at the DNA.

IAEA – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that during the night an explosion was heard followed by a fire at the new sarcophagus that protects the remains of reactor four of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Fire security personnel responded in a few minutes and no casualties were reported. The radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable, the IAEA also reports. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, in turn, that Russian drones hit the radiation protection shield at Chernobyl. According to the Ukrainian president, after a first assessment, it was found that the attack substantially damaged the shield. On the other hand, in Bucharest, the National Agency for Environmental Protection announced that the Chernobyl incident does not represent a danger for Romania. They have given assurances that they constantly monitor the evolution of environmental radioactivity at national level, and the values recorded after this event are within the usual limits, specific to this period. (LS)

14 February 2025
April 9, 2024

MEETING – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is today meeting, in Bucharest, with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi. The talks that the latter had on Monday with Romanian officials such as Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu and Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja focused on the close collaboration between Romania and the IAEA in the development of the civil nuclear program and on the prospects for deepening cooperation in the energy field. The foreign official highlighted Romania’s international profile and its responsible and internationally recognized nuclear policy.

DEFICIT – Romania’s trade balance deficit in the first two months of this year was 4.142 billion euros, by 228.4 million euros smaller than the one recorded in the same period in 2023, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics, published on Tuesday. In February, a trade deficit of 2.174 billion euros was registered. Statistical data show that between January 1 and February 29, 2024, exports totaled 15.042 billion euros, and imports – 19.184 billion euros. Compared to the same period of last year, exports decreased by 0.1%, and imports by 1.2%. In the first two months of 2024, important shares in the structure of exports and imports are held by the product groups: machinery and transport equipment (47.3% for export and 36.3% for import) and other manufactured products (29.1% for export and 27.9% for import). The value of intra-EU27 exchanges of goods in the mentioned period was 11.045 billion euros for shipments and 14.111 billion euros for introductions, representing 73.4% of total exports and 73.6% of total imports.

FISHING – The general ban on fishing began on Tuesday in all natural waters in Romania, according to an order approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Environment. Consequently, commercial and recreational activity is to be resumed on June 8, with some exceptions. The ban will last 60 days in the natural fishing habitats, while in the waters that form the state border with Ukraine it will last 45 days, being prohibited from April 16 to May 30. The fishing prohibition period is established depending on the reproduction season of the aquatic fauna, so that it is protected, with a view to sustainable exploitation. During the prohibition period, fishermen can carry out their activity in private lakes.

EU – The European Commission has approved an aid scheme for Romanian businesses of approximately 2.5 billion euros. This is intended to protect companies affected by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The European Commission concluded that the reintroduction of support for Romanian companies remains necessary, adequate and proportionate to remedy the significant disturbances in the economy of a member state. The scheme aims to ensure that the affected companies continue to have enough liquidities.

VISIT – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, announced that he will make official visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He hailed what he called Qatar’s direct involvement in rescuing Romanian citizens from the Gaza Strip, the scene of the war between the Israeli army and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, and said he wanted to reiterate his thanks to the Qatari leaders. In the United Arab Emirates, Ciolacu also said, he will hold talks on possible investments in the development of the Constanţa Port (south-east), the TAROM state owned airline and the Bucharest Airport.

CARS – The number of new car registered in Romania went down by 22% in March compared to the same month last year and by more than 17% compared to the previous month, according to the Automobile Manufacturers and Importers Association. The electric car segment experienced a setback of almost 36% compared to the same period in 2023. As regards the market share depending on the engine, gasoline cars occupy the first place, with over 58%, followed by electric ones, with almost 24%, and Diesel, with almost 18%. In March 2024, the best selling 100% electric cars in Romania were Dacia Spring and Tesla

9 April 2024
March 21, 2024

SUMMITS Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis participates on Thursday and Friday in the Nuclear Energy summit, the European Council proceedings and the extended Euro Summit underway in Brussels. According to a communiqué by the presidential administration in Bucharest, the Nuclear Energy Summit, staged by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Kingdom of Belgium is today offering the heads of state and government the occasion of sharing a vision concerning the key role of the nuclear energy in reaching climate neutrality, energy security and economic development. The European Council is kicking off today with a working visit by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, which also includes an opinion exchange on the geo-political situation and present global challenges, mainly in the Middle East and the situation in Ukraine, a country invaded by the Russian troops. Emphasis will be laid on the continuation of the multidimensional support for Kyiv, including military support. President Iohannis will emphasize the fact that the neighboring Romania remains one of Ukraine’s firm supporters and plead for the continuation of the multidimensional support, including humanitarian, military and concerning the transit of the Ukrainian grain as long as it takes.’

ELECTION Bucharest’s mayor Nicusor Dan has withdrawn the main executive prerogatives of the Liberal deputy mayor Stelian Bujduveanu, after physician Catalin Cirstoiu was announced the joint candidate for the Bucharest mayor seat by the PSD – PNL alliance. With support from the United Right Alliance, Nicusor Dan is running for a second term in office. In another development, the Central Technical Committee for coordinating the election for the local administration and the European Parliament on June 9^th convened for a first session on Wednesday. The vice-president of the Permanent Election Authority, Marian Muhulet said there are no special challenges this year, in which Romania will be seeing all the four types of election, while the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu has made an appeal for transparency and equidistance in the process of staging fair election.

PLAN Romania has two years to accomplish all the objectives assumed in the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience known as PNRR, a financial support package consisting of loans and grants mainly aimed at eliminating the issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The warning was launched in Bucharest by the European Commission officials in charge of PNRR implementation. During the conference aimed at assessing the PNRR implementation in Romania, officials have cautioned against a potential situation that if Romania fails to meet the targets, the country can find itself in the situation of reimbursing the money. The Romanian officials however, have given assurances the Plan has generally achieved headway since last year.

(bill)

21 March 2024
October 28, 2022

POPULATION Between July 2021 and July 2022, Romania lost over
100,000 residents, according to data released today by the National Statistics
Institute. From over 22
million people with permanent residence in Romania, the number dropped to 21.9
million. The urban and female population make up a majority, accounting for 56.2%, and 51.2% of the total,
respectively. The average age was 42.1 years
old, 0.1 years more than on July 1, 2021. Population ageing is also
significant, as the proportion of old people has increased and the share of
youth aged up to 14 has decreased slightly. The NSI data refers to individuals
with Romanian citizenship and permanent residence in Romania, and it may
include migrants as well. According to the Institute, in 2060 Romania may have between 16.3
million inhabitants, in an optimistic scenario, and 12.5 million, in a
pessimistic scenario.

SOCIAL The government of Romania will simplify procedures for the
migrants who work in Romania. A bill discussed in today’s Cabinet meeting
stipulates a reduction in the number of documents required when migrants seek
to change jobs. The government also intends to increase the number of
education units in which students can receive hot meals from 350 to 450. And,
under a separate emergency order, the government plans to create the legal
framework for pensions valid in all EU member states. Based on EU standards,
this kind of pension will primarily benefit citizens with employment contracts
in several EU countries and who want a customised pension product with
identical operation standards in all member states. The government is also
working on a bill allowing Romania to pull out of an international convention
on scientific information exchange, signed in Moscow in 1969.

SCHENGEN PM
Nicolae Ciucă was on an official working visit to Brussels, where he was
promised full support for Romania’s Schengen accession. Positive signals were
also received with respect to the lifting of the Cooperation and Verification
Mechanism. The Romanian PM discussed the topics with the president of the
European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, while the justice minister Cătălin
Predoiu, who accompanied him to Brussels, had talks with the EC vice-president
Vera Jourova and with the EU commissioner for justice, Didier Reynders.
Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession may be included in the agenda of
the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting of December 8-9, 2022.

PENSIONS
Pensions in the Romanian public system may be raised as of January 1, 2023,
with authorities planning the increase to be at least 10%. One of the
obstacles, namely the pension expenditure ceiling stipulated under the National
Recovery and Resilience Plan, would be replaced by an indicator related to
budget capacity and other financial discipline criteria, the PM Nicolae Ciucă
announced in Brussels. He had talks in this respect with the European
Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, with technical details to be defined
by experts.

UKRAINE The International Atomic Energy
Agency is set to visit 2 Ukrainian sites this week at Kyiv’s request, as the
Russian president Vladimir Putin accuses Ukraine of destroying evidence that it
was preparing a dirty bomb. Previously, Putin had requested an IAEA mission as
soon as possible. According to him, Ukraine is planning to use radioactive
weapons and to claim subsequently that Russia had launched a nuclear attack. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is sending Ukraine a new military and aid
package amounting to USD 275 mln, to help efforts to drive Russian forces away
from key areas in the south of the country. On the other hand, the US defence
secretary Lloyd
Austin Thursday warned Vladimir Putin that a nuclear attack would prompt a significant
response from the international community. The US official said Russia using
this type of weapons or even speaking about it was dangerous and irresponsible.
Meanwhile, clashes continue in Ukraine, with Russian forces launching over 30
drones in the past couple of days, and the Ukrainian Army destroying 23 of them,
according to Kyiv. Since February, Russia has launched 4,500 missile attacks
and over 8,000 air raids over Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. (AMP)

28 October 2022
October 5, 2022

FIREWOOD The prices of firewood and
wood derivatives used for heating will be capped in Romania until the end of
March 2023. A draft emergency order in this respect is being discussed by the
Cabinet today. Beneficiaries will include individuals, public and private
education institutions, social service providers, local authorities and places
of worship. The measure is intended to help Romanians cope this winter with the
skyrocketing fuel, energy and natural gas prices. Also today the government is
scheduled to endorse the 2030 National Forest Strategy.

ENERGY A Pact for Clean Energy
Resilience was launched in Romania on Tuesday. The initiative came from Smart
Energy Association and is an invitation to the authorities and private sector
to implement programmes and awareness raising campaigns regarding the need to
cut energy consumption and to use clean energy sources. The president of the
Association, Dumitru Chisăliţă, says cutting consumption should be achieved not
through restrictive measures, but rather by improving efficiency. The
Association also released a guideline for authorities, comprising energy saving
solutions.

SCHENGEN The European Parliament discusses in Strasbourg today
Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. MEPs are expected to call for
the Schengen passport-free travel area to be completed swiftly by extending it
to all EU member states who wish to participate, with a resolution in this
respect to be voted on in the next plenary session. Another topic on the
European Parliament’s agenda concerns the mobilisation of Russian reserve
troops, the illegal referendums in Ukrainian occupied regions and the nuclear
threats voiced by the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. MEPs
will request firm responses from member states to Russia’s preparations to
annex Ukrainian territories and to step up military actions.

CEREMONY The Royal House of Romania last night hosted a ceremony
devoted to the Romanian-British partnership and the rule of Charles III. In her
address, the Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Margareta, sent a message of
hope and confidence to Britain’s new sovereign, King Charles III. In turn, the
British Ambassador to Bucharest, Andrew Noble, pointed out that the British
nationals who live in and love Romania are blessed to have a monarch who knows
Romania so well.

UKRAINE The president of Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced fast and powerful progress for his army in the
south of the country, where scores of localities have been reclaimed this week
from the Russian troops. According to AFP, in his daily address
posted on social networks, Zelenskyy promised that the Ukrainian troops would
not stop and that it was only a matter of time until the Russians would be
driven out of the entire Ukrainian territory. On the other hand, the Ukrainian
president welcomed India’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Ukraine, voiced during a telephone call with PM Narendra Modi. Previously, Kyiv
had criticised New Delhi over its neutrality. Meanwhile, in Brussels, EU
countries Wednesday reached a political agreement on the implementation of an
8th package of sanctions against Russia, this one in response to the illegal
annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions.

IAEA The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
Rafael Grossi, will travel to Kyiv and then to Moscow this week to discuss a
protection zone around the Ukrainian nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhya. Rafael
Grossi will carry on consultations to have the mechanism in place as soon as
possible, the Agency said in a news release. The nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya,
the largest in Europe, is occupied by Russian forces, but is still operated by
Ukrainian personnel. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling the
plant area. (AMP)

5 October 2022
October 2, 2022

Statement — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, along with seven other presidents of several NATO member states from Central and Eastern Europe, namely the presidents of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland and Slovakia, signed a joint statement reiterating their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. “We firmly support the decision of the NATO Summit in Bucharest of 2008 regarding the future accession of Ukraine,” Klaus Iohannis said in a post on a social network. We remind you that on September 30, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed Ukraines request for an accelerated accession to NATO. The Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, stated that Ukraine has the right to apply for membership, but emphasized that, at the moment, the priority is providing aid to Kyiv. Support for Ukraines accession to NATO has already been expressed by the Baltic States and Canada.

Visit — The Romanian Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu, said on Saturday, during his official visit to Chisinau, that NATO was not looking for a confrontation with the Russian Federation and that it unequivocally supported the sovereignty, integrity and independence of neighboring Ukraine. According to a Defense Ministry communiqué, Vasile Dincu analyzed, during the discussions with Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliţa, the state of bilateral cooperation, also in a regional context. The discussions also covered the security situation in the area, highlighting the actions taken by both sides to manage the unprecedented number of refugees from Ukraine, as well as the energy crisis generated by Russia. During the meeting with the President of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu, the Defense Minister stated, among other things, that the war in Ukraine triggered multiple crises. He highlighted the role of the two countries’ Parliaments in creating the legislative framework for strengthening resilience, especially in the energy field. Vasile Dîncu also had a meeting with his counterpart Anatolie Nosatîi with whom he discussed the status and prospects of bilateral cooperation in the military field and the regional security situation. At the same time, he reiterated Romanias full support for Moldova’s advance on the European integration path and the development of its relations with the Euro-Atlantic structures.

IAEA — The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, will travel to Kyiv and Moscow next week. According to an IAEA press release, the visit is part of ongoing efforts to “implement as soon as possible a nuclear safety and security zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”. On the other hand, Germany has announced that it will deliver to Ukraine the first of its four advanced IRIS-T air defense systems to help it repel drone attacks. The announcement was made on Saturday by the German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht during a surprise visit to Odessa. The Black Sea port has been, in recent days, the target of Russian attacks with Iranian-made kamikaze drones. On the ground, Russia announced that it had withdrawn its troops from the strategic Ukrainian city of Liman, amid fears that thousands of Russian soldiers would be surrounded by Ukrainian troops in the city. Retaking the city of Liman is of significant strategic importance for Ukraine, considering that it is located in the Donetsk region, one of the four regions annexed according to the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Nord Stream — Germany announced on Saturday that it would set up a joint team with Denmark and Sweden to investigate the leaks that affected the Nord Stream gas pipelines. According to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, the team will call on the expertise of the “navy, police and intelligence services”, following the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream underwater gas pipelines. The origin of the explosions is not yet known. The Nord Stream 1 (stopped since the end of August) and 2 (not operational) gas pipelines were strategic installations for the direct delivery of Russian gas to Germany. A spokesman for the operator of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, from Russia, said that there were no more gas leaks from it into the Baltic Sea. Huge amounts of methane gas have leaked from the pipeline in recent days. In the context, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced that the EU leaders would discuss the security of the EUs critical infrastructures, on the occasion of the informal summit scheduled for October 7 in Prague, after the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which European officials described as sabotage.

Justice — As of Monday, the MPs from the Special Committee on Justice Laws will resume the debates on the three bills submitted by the Government. This week, the Committee ended the debates on the articles of the bill on the status of magistrates, adopting several amendments. One of them concerns the appointment of high-ranking prosecutors. Therefore, the general prosecutor of Romania could be appointed not only from among prosecutors, but also from among judges. The vote on the report for this bill is scheduled for Monday. As of Tuesday, debates will start in the special committee on the amendments submitted by senators to the draft law on the organization and functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy. The bill on the status of judges and prosecutors is the law from the package of Justice laws debated by the committee, after those related to the Superior Council of Magistracy and the organization of the judiciary, which have already been adopted by the plenum of the Chamber of Deputies. This is the first body referred to in the case of the three laws, with the Senate being the decision-making body. (LS)

2 October 2022
September 4, 2022

School — Almost 3 million Romanian pupils and preschoolers will start school on Monday. Many changes mark the new school year. It will be structured into 5 modules, separated by 5 holidays. Mandatory tests are eliminated and the average mark obtained at the end of the secondary school is eliminated from the calculation of the admission-to-high-school average mark. Starting this year, end-of-module assessments are no longer mandatory, there will be only one average mark for each subject, and at the end of the year students can no longer be expelled. The Education Minister Sorin Cîmpeanu admitted that one of the problems of Romanian schools is the lack of fire safety certificates for many of them. Moreover, more than half of the educational units in the country, about 57%, do not have security services at the beginning of the school year.

Competition — The “George Enescu” International Competition begins today with the concert of the “George Enescu” Philharmonic, conducted by Ainars Rubikis and of soloists who won the 2020-2021 edition, at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. The event, which this year takes place under the motto Music of Hope, marks 64 years since the first edition, opened on September 4, 1958. This year, 34 young musicians from all over the world qualified for the semifinals of the competition, in the sections Cello, Violin and Piano. 22 orchestral and chamber works will enter the competition in the Composition Section, where an Originality Award will also be granted. The winning works will be announced on September 18.

Swimming — The Romanian swimmers David Popovici and Patrick Sebastian Dinu qualified for the 100 m freestyle final at the World Junior Championships in Lima (Peru). David Popovici reached the final with the best time of the semi-finals: 48.17 seconds. So far, at the Junior Swimming Championships in Lima, David Popovici has won the gold medal in the 200m freestyle, the gold medal in the mens 4x100m freestyle relay and the silver medal in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay. Also in Lima, in the womens 50m backstroke, Rebecca Diaconescu ranked fourth in the final, and in the womens 50m freestyle, the Romanian Bianca Costea qualified for the final with the second time from the semifinals.

Air show — Today, the 12th edition of the Bucharest International Air Show – BIAS 2022 is taking place at Baneasa Airport. The air show, originally scheduled for Saturday, was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. Tens of thousands of spectators are expected at the biggest air show in Romania, which will include over ten hours of flight. The organizers announce that the event will include a show of supersonic military planes, parachuting, shows with gliders, with formations and individual acrobatic shows. BIAS is an air force show in which civil and military flying aces from Romania and other NATO member states delight the spectators with aerial acrobatics and elite demonstrations. The show also includes a display of aircraft on the ground. The famous Lithuanian pilot Jurgis Kairys, multiple world champion in aerobatics, who flies a Sukhoi, also participates in this years show.

Zaporozhe – The Zaporozhe nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, occupied by the Russian forces, has “again lost its connection” to the power grid, the experts of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who are on the site, announced in a statement on Saturday, AFP reports. According to the information provided by the Ukrainian authorities to the UN body, this incident occurred “after new bombings in the area”. However, the plant continues to operate thanks to a backup line, the IAEA states. We remind you that the plant was completely disconnected from the grid for the first time on August 25, when it was able to continue operating thanks to a backup generator. On Friday, a day after inspecting the nuclear plant, the IAEA director Rafael Grossi said “military operations are intensifying”, which “worries him a lot”. (LS)

4 September 2022
August 29, 2022 UPDATE

SCHENGEN – President Klaus Iohannis has thanked
Germany’s Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, for his country’s support for Romania’s
Schengen accession efforts. I hail today’s announcement in Prague made by
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz regarding Germany’s support for Romania’s
Schengen accession – a strategic objective for my country, which has fulfilled
all technical accession criteria, president Iohannis wrote on social media.
Similar messages were conveyed by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and Foreign Minister
Bogdan Aurescu. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday said Bulgaria,
Croatia and Romania have complied with Schengen accession criteria, Reuters
reports. In his address, Olaf Scholz noted that Schengen is one the EU’s
greatest achievements, which must be protected and developed. This means
filling up the gaps – Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria have met all technical
criteria. I will take action to make sure they become full members, the German
Chancellor said.

EXAM – The average grade for the secondary cycle
of education in Romania, (grades 5-8) will be discarded as a criterion for
enrolling in high-schools starting the 2022-2023 school year. Education
Minister Sorin Cîmpeanu says students will be ranked based on the average of
the national evaluation exams, taken at the end of the secondary cycle.
Minister Cîmpeanu stated the measure was adopted on the sidelines of the Social
Dialogue Committee meeting. For the first time, 5th graders will
receive social and tuition scholarships from the start of the school year on
September 5. Sorin Cîmpeanu recalled that an additional 60 million EUR has been
added to the scholarship budget this year, which previously totaled over 200
million EUR.

ENERGY – The Romanian energy minister
Virgil Popescu says that the very high profits in the field must be eliminated.
He has announced that the Government is considering an additional tax of the
entire energy production, intermediation and supply chain. The leaders of the
governing coalition have asked the Finance Ministry and the Romanian Energy
Regulatory Authority to make the necessary simulations and present them in the
following days, so that, by September 1, the government should be able to
establish, through an emergency decree, the method and amount of
over-taxation.

IAEA – The mission of the IAEA
(International Atomic Energy Agency) at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
(NPP) is the toughest in the history of the organization due to fighting on the
ground, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. The statement follows
another previous announcement made by the IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi,
who said he would pay a visit to the Zaporozhzhia NPP. G7 countries have
expressed deep concern with the high risk of a nuclear incident at the
biggest nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, calling for guarantees that IAEA
experts are granted full and unrestricted access to the plant. The plant was
disconnected from the power grid on Thursday for the first time in its history,
as a result of shelling. In recent weeks, Russia and Ukraine have been blaming
each other for the shelling targeting this Russian-held objective.

ORIENT EXPRESS – The famous Orient Express, one of
Europe’s best-known rail services, has returned to Romania after a three-year
break owing to the COVID pandemic. On Tuesday, the train will depart for
Istanbul. Totaling 15 cars and driven by two engines to ensure the necessary
power and electrical stability, the train left Paris on August 26 and is
expected to reach Romania on September 3 on its way back. A ticket costs 17,500
pounds for a six-day trip for longer stopovers in Budapest, Bucharest and
Sinaia. (LS & VP)

29 August 2022
August 29, 2022

Energy — The Romanian energy minister Virgil Popescu says that the very high profits in the field must be eliminated. He has announced that the Government is considering an additional taxation of the entire energy production, intermediation and supply chain. The leaders of the governing coalition have asked the Finance Ministry and the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority to make the necessary simulations and present them in the following days, so that, by September 1, the government should be able to establish, through an emergency decree, the method and amount of over-taxation.

Seniors — In Romania, a new edition of the program “Seaside for All” has started today. More than 70 hotels have signed up for the program, and prices are lower than those at the peak of the season by even 75%, the hospitality industry representatives say. Hoteliers wanted to start this program earlier because school will start earlier, on September 5. The “Seaside for all” program runs until the end of September and is completed with special offers for seniors.

Laws — A new parliamentary session begins this week in Romania. High on the agenda are the justice laws, whose adoption is a target assumed by Romania under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification. The bills are related to the status of judges and prosecutors, the judicial organization and the Superior Council of Magistracy and are part of a series of changes assumed before the European partners, with the aim of modernizing the entire justice system. Minister Cătălin Predoiu said that, once this commitment is met, the lifting of the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification could be even considered. The opposition believes, however, that there is no chance for the Mechanism of Cooperation and Verification to be lifted because, in the form approved by the government, the bills would keep intact the political influence on appointing prosecutors.

IAEA — IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Director General Rafael Grossi has today announced that he is on his way to the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporozhe, which has been the target of attacks in recent weeks, France Press reports. “We must protect the security of Ukraine and of the largest power plant in Europe,” Rafael Grossi wrote on Twitter. In the last 24 hours, new bombings have targeted the perimeter of the nuclear power plant in Zaporozhe (south-eastern Ukraine), Russia and Ukraine announced on Saturday, blaming each other for the bombings. The Ukrainian operator Energoatom has announced that the plant has been operating since Saturday at noon with the risk of leaks and fire.

Tennis — Three Romanian tennis players, Simona Halep, Gabriela Ruse and Jaqueline Cristian, are today playing in the first round of the US Open, the last grand slam tournament of the year. Back in the world top 10, Simona Halep meets the Ukrainian Daria Snigur, Jaqueline Cristian faces Anett Kontaveit (Estonia, 2nd place in the world), and Gabriela Ruse plays against Daria Saville (Australia). Another two Romanian tennis players will play at Flushing Meadows: Irina Begu, who will face the Belgian Elise Mertens, and Sorana Cîrstea, who will be up against the German Laura Siegemund. (LS)

29 August 2022
February 10, 2020 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT Romania’s Prime Minister designate Ludovic
Orban has submitted to Parliament a list of the new cabinet’s ministers and the
updated governing programme with a view to launching procedures for their swearing
in. Orban has specified the new cabinet has the same ministers as the one sacked
through a no-confidence motion last week. We recall the motion had been tabled
by the Social Democrats and UDMR in response to the former cabinet’s assuming
responsibility for returning to the two-round voting system in the local election.
The Liberals have announced they are not going to vote for their own executive
hoping this will lead to early election. However, the Social Democrats, who aren’t
in favour of early election, said they are ready for any kind of election. In
the meantime, the Social-Democrats have notified the country’s Constitutional
Court, dissatisfied with Orban’s second nomination as a Prime Minister and are
invoking an institutional conflict between Parliament and the presidency.

HANDBALL Thailand will be Romania’s opponent in the women’s
pre-Olympic handball tournament in Montenegro together with the host country
and Norway, the International Handball Federation has announced. The
tournaments will be held over March 20th and 22nd. The
first two sides in each tournament will qualify for the upcoming Tokyo
Olympics.

MEETING Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday met Rafael
Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the
sidelines of the International Conference on Nuclear Security held under the
presidency of Romania and the Republic of Panama. Aspects related to political
and technical cooperation between Bucharest and IAEA were tackled as well as
topical issues on international agenda with emphasis on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Aurescu mentioned the IAEA designation of the International Institute of
Nuclear Research in Pitesti, southern Romania as an International Centre of
Excellency for Research Reactors. The International Conference on Nuclear
Security is an IAEA major event in the field of nuclear security and takes
place once in three years.

STATISTICS The trade balance deficit deepened in
Romania in 2019, standing at 17.28 billion euros, by 2.16 billion more than in
2018. Exports increased by 1.9% and imports by 4.2%, according to data released
on Monday by the National Statistics Institute. The highest shares in the
structure of exports and imports are represented by automobiles and transport
equipment and other manufactured goods. 6.9% of total exports was represented
by foodstuffs and livestock, while the imports of the same category of goods
stood at 7.8%. According to the Institute, Romania’s exports of raw materials,
non-food products, mineral fuels and lubricants dropped.

(translated by bill)

10 February 2020
February 9, 2020 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT – Prime Minister designate Ludovic Orban announced he would submit, on Monday, in Parliament the list of ministers and an updated governing program with a view to starting procedures for swearing in the new government. The announcement came after President Klaus Iohannis designated the Liberal leader to from a new cabinet. The decision was made after the first Orban government was dismissed on Wednesday through a no confidence motion initiated by the main opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, following the government’s decision to take responsibility for a bill on returning to the two-round voting system for local elections, only a few months ahead of the elections. The Romanian president also reiterated his opinion that holding early elections was the best option for Romania at the moment. Interim Social-Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu announced his party on Monday will notify the Constitutional Court over Orban’s second appointment, after just being removed from office. To call early elections Parliament must reject two consecutive proposals of Prime Minister designate.

MERGER – The leadership of Save Romania Union, the 3rd largest party in the Romanian Parliament and of PLUS, led by the former Prime Minister and European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, met on Saturday in separate meetings to decide on a merger. The two parties will next agree on the conditions. Following internal elections called at the initiative of the Union president Dan Barna, 91% of the Union members voted for their party to be positioned on the center-right side of the political spectrum. Elected on common lists, Save Romania Union and PLUS MEPs are affiliated to the Renew Europe centrist group in the European Parliament.

CURRENCY – Financial experts report an upward end-of-week trend for the national currency, apparently unconnected to the instability caused by the demise of the Government. The Leu has gone up on Thursday and Friday, and it now sells at 4.76 against a Euro. National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu believes investors have grown accustomed to political uncertainty, and the reason beind the appreciation is the lack of market liquidities. At this time of the year, both companies and the population are paying their due taxes, therefore the Finance Ministry accounts report surplus revenues, money which is taken out of circulation. The National Bank on Friday decided to cut back on the minimum reserves for currency liabilities from 8 to 6%. Commercial banks will therefore see their hard currency reserves reduced, the equivalent of a little over half a billion euros, financial experts say.

IAEA – Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday will co-preside the ministerial meeting of the International Conference for Nuclear Security, held under the aegis of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Conference is held every three years. Co-presiding alongside Romania this year is Panama. Both states are managing the negotiation of the Ministerial Declaration to be adopted on this occasion. The Conference, venued in Vienna, will also include a scientific and technical section, where Romania will also be represented. On the sidelines of the conference, Minister Aurescu will hold bilateral meetings with the Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi and the OSCE Secretary General, Thomas Greminger.

TOURISTS – Over 12.8 million foreign tourists crossed Romania’s borders in 2019, up by 9% compared to 2018, the National Statistics Institute reports. Nearly half of them originated from EU Member States, 90% of whom were from continental Europe. The largest share of foreign tourists was represented by tourists from neighboring Moldova. Compared to 2018, Romania reported a growing number of arrivals from Africa, America and Australia. Road transport was the most frequent choice by foreign tourists to reach Romania, although rail and naval transport have also gone up by 10% compared to the previous year.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

9 February 2020
September 16, 2019 UPDATE

IAEA The Romanian Foreign Minister, Ramona Mănescu, took part on Monday in Vienna in the opening of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian official had talks with her new Swedish counterpart, Ann Linde. The discussion focused on ways to strengthen bilateral ties and the cooperation at EU level, considering that the 2 countries have similar concerns regarding the eastern neighbourhood. Both parties emphasised the willingness to use their shared views on a number of topics in order to strengthen bilateral political dialogue. Ramona Mănescu also lobbied for the Romanian candidate for director general of the IAEA, ambassador Cornel Feruţă, the interim director of the Agency. The General Conference is the highest decision making body of the International Atomic Energy Agency and has convened every year, since 1957, to analyse and approve the budget and programme of the institution. Decisions are also made with respect to issues of interest to the member states and the international community.

VESSEL The Romanian training ship Mircea is conducting a training programme on the Danube until September 23, to conclude the series of events devoted to the celebration of 80 years since the vessel became part of the Romanian Navy. Marines are inviting the public in 3 Danube ports on board the ship that has sailed more than 300,000 miles, that is 14 times the length of the Equator. On Sunday, the Mircea was in Tulcea, on Tuesday it will reach Galaţi, and on Thursday it is scheduled to arrive in Brăila.

INCOMES Romania sees the widest gaps in the EU between the smallest and highest incomes of its citizens, with the incomes of the 10% richest Romanians being almost 6 times higher than those of the poorest 10%, reads a recent survey. For the EU as a whole, the ratio is 3.76. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the ratio is 2.83%, in Slovenia – 2.96%, in Finland – 3%, in Bulgaria – 5.22%, in Latvia – 5.29% and in Lithuania – 5.5%. According to the document, the 10% of the Romanians with the highest incomes make over 6,928 euro per year, whereas the 10% with the smallest incomes earn maximum 1,189 euro per year, i.e. 3.25 euro per day.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

16 September 2019
April 21, 2016 UPDATE

Romania supports firmly and constantly the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine – said Thursday in Bucharest the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko. He added that Bucharest supported Kiev in the process of internal reforms necessary for complying with the EU association commitments. Pointing out that the Ukrainians from Romania benefit from considerable support from the Romanian state, namely almost 1.6 million euros per year, President Iohannis showed that Ukraine had to pay more attention to the needs and wishes of the Romanians living in neighboring Ukraine. In turn, Petro Poroshenko, said that Ukraine supported Romania’s initiative on creating a common NATO fleet in the Black Sea. He also said that he talked with the Romanian president about the possibility of setting up a Romanian-Ukrainian-Bulgarian brigade after the model of that set up by Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine. Also on Thursday the Ukrainian president met with the PM Dacian Cioloş who underlined that the formation of a new government in Kiev was a new chance for stability and speeding up internal reforms in Ukraine. On the sidelines of the meeting, two agreements have been signed, one on bilateral cooperation in the military transportation field and another one on common patrolling on the border between the two countries.

Augustin Lazăr, the prosecutor proposed by the Justice Minister for the position of Romanias prosecutor general, was approved unanimously on Thursday by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, CSM. His priorities include the fight against crime in vulnerable sectors, the fight against corruption in local administration, stepping up investigations in cases of money laundering and tax evasion as well as in those cases involving crimes against humanity, such as the file of the anti-communist Revolution of 1989. The prosecutor general is appointed by the Romanian president, upon the proposal of the Justice minister with the approval of the Supreme Council of Magistracy. The prosecutor general has a three-year mandate and is allowed only two mandates.

Romania is seen as one of the members of the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA in which the highest standards regarding nuclear security are being fully observed. The statement was made Thursday by the Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazăr Comănescu, in a joint press conference with the Director General of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, who is visiting Bucharest. The latter was received Thursday by the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. According to a communiqué of the presidential administration, Yukiya Amano appreciated the active role and the significant contribution Romania has made to support the IAEA’s priorities related to the peaceful use of nuclear energy by observing the highest standards of safety, security and nuclear non-proliferation.

Romania ranks 5th among EU countries with the lowest public debt reported in 2015 (38.4%), show the preliminary estimates made public Thursday by the Statistical Office of the European Union, Eurostat. Occupying the first places are Estonia (9.7%), Luxembourg (21.4%), Bulgaria (26.7%) and Latvia (36.4%). According to Eurostat, 17 EU member states reported last year a debt level much higher than the threshold of 60% of the GDP asked by the EU. The highest level of the public debt was reported by Greece (176.9%), Italy (132.7%), Portugal (129%), Cyprus (108.9%) and Belgium (106%).

The French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, has announced that his country will be keeping the terror-threat level high during the European Football Championship over June 10th and July 10th. 2.5 million spectators are expected to attend the tournaments 51 games. France is on high terror alert after the November attacks, which left 130 people dead in Paris. At that time, terrorists tried to enter Stade de France, the stadium that will see the opening game pitting Romania against France. 1,200 security agents will be permanently deployed to the stadium, while 900 security agents, 200 volunteers and 80 doctors are to be deployed to the other stadiums hosting games during this edition of the European Football Championship.

The pair made up of the Romanian tennis players Horia Tecău and Florin Mergea on Thursday qualified for the quarterfinals of the BRD Năstase Ţiriac Trophy, held in Bucharest, which offers prizes of 460 thousand euros. They defeated the pair from New Zealand Marcus Daniell / Artem Sitak. This is the last edition of this Bucharest tournament set up in 1993. In another development, the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no. 6 in the world, lost Thursday the match against Laura Siegemund (Germany) in the eighth finals of the Stuttgart tournament, which has prizes up for grabs worth almost 700 thousand dollars. In the same stage of the tournament, another Romanian, Monica Niculescu, was eliminated Thursday by the Czech Petrei Kvitova.

The Romanian athlete Monica Ungureanu on Thursday won the bronze medal at the European Judo Championships of Kazan, Russia, in the 48 kg category. She defeated the Italian Valentina Moscatt. This is the first medal Ungureanu obtained in a major competition. Also on Thursday, another Romanian athlete, world vice-champion and European en titre champion Andreea Chitu won the bronze medal in the 52 kg category after defeating the Swiss Evelyne Tschopp.

Queen Elisabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland celebrated, on Thursday, her 90th birthday anniversary as part of a private ceremony. Traditionally, official ceremonies marking the Queen’s birthday will be held on the 2nd Saturday of June. Being the Queen of the United Kingdom for more than 60 years, Elisabeth II is the British monarch with the longest reign.

(news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

21 April 2016