Radio România Internațional

Tag: interior minister

  • September 11, 2018 UPDATE

    September 11, 2018 UPDATE

    VISIT – The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, had talks in Bucharest on Tuesday with his Romanian counterpart, Viorica Dăncilă. The latter said that during the Romanian presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year, Romania will pay special attention to the negotiations on the multi-annual financial framework for 2021-2027. PM Dǎncilǎ also added that the goal of strengthening the EU domestic security will be one of Romanias priorities during its presidential term. In turn, the Slovak PM, Peter Pellegrini underlined that Slovakia supports Romania in its effort to join Schengen, adding that an extension of the free movement area is needed to better protect the EU. In terms of bilateral relations, Viorica Dăncilă and Peter Pellegrini discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of defence and energy. A bilateral cooperation protocol was signed, which will benefit the Romanian workers employed in Slovakia, as well as a ministry-level Education Cooperation Programme. Also on Tuesday, PM Peter Pellegrini was received by President Klaus Iohannis, for talks on topical issues.




    ROMANIAN-DUTCH RELATIONS – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, will receive in Bucharest on Wednesday the Dutch PM, Mark Rutte. According to a communiqué released by the Presidential Administration, the stage of bilateral relations and the focal points on the European agenda will be approached during the talks. The Romanian presidency of the Eu Council, in the first half of 2019, the future EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027, ways to tackle migration and Brexit will also be on the agenda of talks, according to the Presidential Administration.



    CONSULTATIONS – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday received the foreign ministers of Poland, Jacek Czaputowicz, and Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu, accompanied by their Romanian counterpart Teodor Meleşcanu, who had taken part in an informal three-party meeting on security-related topics. According to the Presidential Administration, the talks focused on the main means of cooperation in this format, launched in 2012 at Romanias initiative in order to promote the regional and international security agenda, working on the conclusions of the NATO summit in Brussels in July. Jacek Czaputowicz and Mevlut Cavuşoglu pointed out that Romania is a trustworthy ally and partner, with which they share similar security assessments. Also on Tuesday, on the side lines of the consultations, ministers Jacek Czaputowicz and Mevlut Cavuşoglu had talks with PM Viorica Dăncilă. The three-party meeting in Bucharest between Romania, Turkey and Poland is the 5th in this format, the previous one being held in Warsaw last year.



    PARLIAMENT – The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday discussed a simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party, in Opposition, against the Interior Minister Carmen Dan. The motion, entitled “The Social Democratic Partys batons, a slap in the face of Romanian democracy, will be voted upon on Wednesday. The Liberals accuse Carmen Dan of having coordinated the brutal intervention against the participants in the anti-governmental protests of August 10th in Bucharest. On Monday, hundreds of people protested again, in the same place, and demanded the resignation of the Cabinet and of those responsible for the gendarme intervention. More than 400 people were injured a month ago, and the General Prosecutors Office initiated hearings in the case, with the Mayor General of Bucharest Gabriela Firea also heard. She requested the resignation of the Interior Minister, who, Firea claims, is trying to pass responsibility for the brutal gendarme intervention to the prefect of Bucharest. So far 770 victims of the clashes have filed criminal complaints. The Senates defence committee is also holding hearings concerning the protests of August 10th.



    FAMILY-The Romanian Senate, as a decision making forum, on Tuesday adopted a proposal to revise the Constitution in order to redefine the concept of family, with 107 “yeas and 13 “nays. The leader of the Social Democratic Party, the senior member of the ruling coalition, Liviu Dragnea, in his capacity as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, has recently announced the referendum on family will be held on October 7. Several NGOs, grouped into the so-called “Coalition for Family, have collected some three millions signatures, in order to hold a referendum to block same-sex marriages. In its current form, the Constitution stipulates that the family is based on the freely consented marriage between spouses, whereas the “Coalition for Family would like the text to stipulate the marriage between a man and a woman.



    9/11 – Leading politicians in Bucharest have expressed solidarity with the American people, on the day when the country commemorates the tragedy of September 11 2001, and have reiterated Romanias commitment to fighting “against the common threat of terrorism. The entire international community commemorates 17 years since the terrorist attacks in the US, when around 3,000 people were killed, including 5 Romanian nationals.



    RUSSIA – Russia on Tuesday launched the largest-scale military moves in its history, criticised by NATO as a rehearsal for a major conflict. According to the Russian defence ministry, around 300,000 troops will take part, including Chinese and Mongolian forces, 36,000 vehicles, 1,000 aircraft and 80 sea vessels. The large drill, called East-2018, will take place until September 17, in eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. The drills take place in the context of lingering tensions between Russia and the West, marked by the Ukrainian crisis, the conflict in Syria and countless allegations of Russia meddling with the domestic policy of other countries, including the US, international news agencies say. (Translated by AM Popescu and D. Vijeu)

  • September 11, 2018

    September 11, 2018

    VISIT – The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, had talks in Bucharest today with his Romanian counterpart, Viorica Dăncilă. The latter said that during the Romanian presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year, Romania will pay special attention to the negotiations on the multi-annual financial framework for 2021-2027. PM Dǎncilǎ also added that the goal of strengthening the EU domestic security will be one of the pillars on which Romanias priorities in its presidential term will rely. In terms of bilateral relations, Viorica Dăncilă and Peter Pellegrini discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of defence and energy. A bilateral cooperation protocol was signed, which will benefit the Romanian workers employed in Slovakia, as well as a ministry-level Education Cooperation Programme for 2018-2022. Also today, PM Peter Pellegrini was received by President Klaus Iohannis.





    PARLIAMENT – The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest today discusses a simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party, in Opposition, against the Interior Minister Carmen Dan. The motion, entitled “The Social Democratic Partys batons, a slap in the face of Romanian democracy, will be voted on Wednesday. The Liberals accuse Carmen Dan of having coordinated the brutal intervention against the participants in the anti-governmental protests of August 10th in Bucharest. On Monday, hundreds of people protested again, in the same place, and demanded the resignation of the Cabinet and of those responsible for the gendarme intervention. More than 400 people were injured a month ago, and the General Prosecutors Office initiated hearings in the case, with the Mayor General of Bucharest Gabriela Firea also heard. She requested the resignation of the Interior Minister, who, Firea claims, is trying to pass responsibility for the brutal gendarme intervention to the prefect of Bucharest. So far 770 victims of the clashes have filed criminal complaints. The Senates defence committee is also holding hearings concerning the protests of August 10th.




    CONSULTATIONS – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis has today received the foreign ministers of Poland, Jacek Czaputowicz, and Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu, accompanied by their Romanian counterpart Teodor Meleşcanu, who had taken part in an informal 3-party meeting on security-related topics. According to the Presidential Administration, the talks focused on the main means of cooperation in this format, launched in 2012 at Romanias initiative in order to promote the regional and international security agenda, working on the conclusions of the NATO summit in Brussels in July. Jacek Czaputowicz and Mevlut Cavuşoglu pointed out that Romania is a trustworthy ally and partner, which which they share similar security assessments. Also today, on the side lines of the consultations, ministers Jacek Czaputowicz and Mevlut Cavuşoglu had talks with PM Viorica Dăncilă. The 3-party meeting in Bucharest between Romania, Turkey and Poland is the 5th in this format, the previous one being held in Warsaw last year.





    9/11 – Leading politicians in Bucharest have expressed solidarity with the American people, today, when the country commemorates the tragedy of September 11 2001, and have reiterated Romanias commitment to fighting “against the common threat of terrorism. The entire international community commemorates 17 years since the terrorist attacks in the US, when around 3,000 people were killed, including 5 Romanian nationals.




    RUSSIA – Russia has today launched the largest-scale military moves in its history, criticised by NATO as a rehearsal for a major conflict. According to the Russian defence ministry, around 300,000 troops will take part, including Chinese and Mongolian forces, 36,000 vehicles, 1,000 aircraft and 80 sea vessels. The large drill, called East-2018, will take place until September 17, in eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. The drills take place in the context of lingering tensions between Russia and the West, marked by the Ukrainian crisis, the conflict in Syria and countless allegations of Russia meddling with the domestic policy of other countries, including the US, international news agencies say.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Romania has a new interior minister

    Romania has a new interior minister

    Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, who initially considered designating an interim interior minister, has eventually decided to appoint Dragos Tudorache, the Government’s chief of staff, for this position. PM Ciolos explains his reasons: “This is an important ministry, commissioned with important tasks in the forthcoming weeks, such as organising the elections and ensuring public order. Appointing an interim minister would only have prolonged a state of uncertainty which is neither useful nor productive.”



    Romania currently has the lowest crime rate of the past few years, so at least in this respect the new Interior Minister won’t have a lot of work to do. As regards the migration phenomenon, Dragos Tudorache has said that Bucharest plans to discuss with Belgrade the idea of instating common border patrols at the Romanian-Serbian border.



    Dragos Tudorache: “There have been several incidents in the past few weeks, with groups of illegal migrants testing Romania’s western border. We cannot rule out the possibility of new routes being found by the migrants, depending on the evolutions in Turkey and Greece, that’s why the Border Police must be fully prepared for this scenario.”



    For the new interior minister, however, the top priority is the smooth running of the parliamentary election, which has proven a real test for this ministry in the past 20 years. That is why, talking about the December 11th elections, President Klaus Iohannis has said: “It is vital for Romania, for consolidating democracy in Romania and for conferring credibility to the Romanian electoral process that this election unfolds smoothly and safely and that its result is not flawed in any way.”



    The interior minister has already announced that he will set up a new structure within the ministry that will have to make sure the election unfolds without problems, and that will also be neutral and equidistant. Dragos Tudorache: “In the following three months it is essential that we prepare for the election in the best possible manner. The Interior Ministry must support all actions, all activities that are to be conducted as of now until December.”



    In conclusion, even if Dragos Tudorache’s mandate will be relatively short, it will not be a simple one, for the mere reason that the new interior minister is expected to organise an election at the highest standards.



    (Translated by Elena Enache)




  • September 7, 2016 UPDATE

    September 7, 2016 UPDATE

    INTERIOR MINISTER – Dragos Tudorache, the new Interior Minister, was sworn in on Wednesday before president Klaus Iohannis. Dragos Tudorache also announced the priorities of his term in office. The first is preparing the December 11 elections in Romania. Tudorache said he would set up a command cell at Ministry level, to cooperate with the Election Authority, which is in charge of organizing the elections. Another priority is the streamlining of the Department for Intelligence and Domestic Protection, whose former leadership is being investigated for corruption. A former chief of the Government Chancellery, Tudorache is replacing Petre Toba, currently investigated by anti-corruption prosecutors for favoring the offender. According to prosecutors, Toba refused to declassify certain documents necessary to the investigation, involving several Minsitry officials, also accused of embezzlement.



    PHONE TALK – Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has talked with the president of the European Council Donald Tusk about the summit in Bratislava, which has on the agenda, among other things, the EUs future after the Brexit. In the phone call, Iohannis said the EU countries must remain united and committed to winning the citizens trust in the European project adding that for Romania, the consolidation of the EU is a strategic objective. President Iohannis will be having talks in Berlin on Friday with German chancellor Angela Merkel about the preparations for the summit in Bratislava due on September 16th.



    PROCEDURES – The Chamber of Deputies has simplified travel procedures for Romanian minors. The main provision amending the law on the free travel of Romanian citizens is the introduction of a single parental consent for several travels over a period of up to three years, without the stipulation of the destinations. Additionally, exempted from presenting the parental consent are all minors who reside or live in the country of destination. Moreover, the amendment also eliminates the superlegalization or authentication of documents issued by foreign states.



    SCULPTURE – Romanians have been left only this month to raise donations for Constantin Brancusis statue ‘Wisdom of the Earth. The funds raised so far amount to 700 thousand euros. Under these circumstances an amendment has been recently voted on in the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest obliging the government to find money to buy the sculpture irrespective of the sum raised by October 1st. The final vote is to be given by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. Currently part of a private collection, the ‘Wisdom of the Earth is estimated at 11 million euros, out of which the government pledged 5 million. The rest of the money was supposed to come from donations. ‘Wisdom of the earth together with ‘The Kiss and “The Prayer belongs to the artists best period of creation.



    TAX CUT – The Senate in Bucharest has passed a draft law on amending the Fiscal Code so that pensions above 235 euros will be exempted from the 16% tax, while health insurances are to be paid from the state budget. The document is to be submitted to the decision-making Chamber of Deputies shortly. Discussions on the document have been marked by heated debates between the Liberals and the Social Democrats. The latter say the law has been expected by many pensioners and blamed the Liberals for having cut incomes when they were in power. The Liberals response was that the law would favor those with big pensions while the budget impact would be a significant one. The initiative has been frowned upon by the government.



    HOLIDAY – 24th January, a day marking the unification of the Romanian principalities, has been declared a state holiday in Romania, under a decision by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. The unification of the Romanian principalities on January 24th took place in 1859, after ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza had been elected in two of Romanias historical provinces, Wallachia and Moldavia.



    RANKING – Romania is 4th-placed in a ranking of states in the Central and Eastern Europe, with 46 companies exceeding 46 billion dollars in sales in 2015, according to data under the 10th CE Top 500 Deloitte Report made public on Wednesday. Romanian companies in the field of consumer goods reported an 18% growth last year as compared to 2014, with sales standing at 15 billion euros. Dacia is the best-selling Romanian company, ranking 25th, followed by OMV Petrom in 27th place and Rompetrol in 52nd place. The energy and resources industry is best represented in the ranking, with revenues of 17 billion euros. Deloitte CE Top 500 officials have warned that Romania must continue developing its infrastructure, education and health care systems, to be able to provide better services and attract more investments in production.


    (Translated by C. Mateescu and V. Palcu)

  • September 6, 2016 UPDATE

    September 6, 2016 UPDATE

    ELECTIONS – As many as 16 people have announced their intention to run in the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova due on October 30. Opinion polls have shown that no candidate will be able to win most votes in the first round. The favourites to the seat of president are believed to be the head of the pro-Russian socialists, Igor Dodon, a possible candidate for all pro-European factions, the former Education Minister Maia Sandu and the former civil rights militant Andrei Nastase. These will be the first direct presidential elections since 2001 and follow a Constitutional Court ruling in favor of having direct national elections to choose a president rather than a vote in parliament.




    INVESTIGATION – The head of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Liviu Dragnea, was heard by the prosecutors of the High Court of Cassation and Justice on Tuesday in a case in which he is investigated for instigation to abuse of office. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) claims in a statement that between 2006 and 2013, Dragnea, who at the time was the head of Teleorman county council and the leader of the local PSD branch, ordered the executive manager of Teleormans general directorate of social assistance and child protection to violate her duties by keeping two employees on the payroll although they did not come to work. In fact, the two employees worked for the PSDs Teleorman branch. In April Dragnea received a two-year suspended prison sentence for his involvement in voter manipulation in a referendum on the impeachment of former President Traian Basescu back in 2012.




    CORRUPTION — Romania’s former PM and the ex-president of the Social Democratic Party Victor Ponta was placed under Court supervision for 60 days, in a new corruption investigation. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate accuses him of influence peddling and of being accessory to money laundering. Prosecutors say that while a president of the Social Democratic Party, Victor Ponta reportedly requested and received 220,000 euros from a businessman who wanted to run for an MP seat in Prahova County in 2012. This is the second corruption case involving the former PM, after Rovinari-Turceni, which is currently tried in Court.




    APPOINTMENT — The Prime Minister of Romania, Dacian Ciolos, on Tuesday announced that the new Interior Minister will be Dragos Tudorache, currently chief of staff at the Government. Ciolos said Tudorache’s main task is the fair and transparent organisation of the December 11 parliamentary elections. The Prime Minister explained that he appointed a civilian for this position in order to avoid any suspicions regarding the preparations for the ballot. Tudorache takes over the post from outgoing minister Petre Tobă, who is probed into by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for aiding an offender. According to prosecutors, he denied the declassification of documents needed in an investigation into several ministry officials accused of embezzlement.




    ECONOMY — The Romanian economy went up 5.2% in the first half of the year compared to the corresponding period of 2015, and household consumption grew by 10.4%. According to the National Statistics Institute, in the first six months of the year total final consumption accounted for over 80% of the GDP. All economic sectors contributed to the GDP increase, with more substantial influences coming from retail and wholesale, motor repair services, transport and storage, hospitality and restaurants. According to the European Commission’s spring forecast, released in early May, the Romanian economy will likely grow by 4.2% in 2016, whereas most banks and financial institutions operating in Romania estimate a growth rate between 4.4 and 4.8%.




    EU FUNDING — The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, has called on Bucharest to adopt as soon as possible a master plan on the country’s transport infrastructure, which is a prerequisite for a more efficient spending of EU funds. She appreciated Romania’s progress in terms of spending EU funds in the transportation sector, but added that in spite of these efforts nearly half of the more than 30 major projects financed from the EU budget initiated in the previous financial year will not be completed in time. Corina Creţu explained that these projects were re-scheduled, so as to ensure that nearly 2 billion euros from the 2014-2020 budget would cover their co-funding. Corina Creţu had a meeting in Brussels on Monday with the Romanian Transport Minister, Petru Buşe, who assured her that the Romanian authorities would endorse the Transport Infrastructure Master Plan by the end of the month.



    (Translated by Elena Enache)



  • September 6, 2016

    September 6, 2016

    APPOINTMENT – The Prime Minister of Romania, Dacian Ciolos, has announced today that the new Interior Minister will be Dragos Tudorache, currently chief of staff at the Government. Ciolos said Tudoraches main task is the fair and transparent organisation of the December 11 parliamentary elections. The Prime Minister has explained that he appointed a civilian for this position in order to avoid any suspicions regarding the preparations for the ballot. Tudorache takes over the post from outgoing minister Petre Tobă, who is probed into by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for aiding an offender. According to prosecutors, he denied the declassification of documents needed in an investigation into several ministry officials accused of embezzlement.



    CORRUPTION – Romanias former PM and the ex-president of the Social Democratic Party Victor Ponta was placed under Court supervision for 60 days, in a new corruption investigation. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate accuses him of influence peddling and of being accessory to money laundering. Prosecutors say that while a president of the Social Democratic Party, Victor Ponta reportedly requested and received 220,000 euros from a businessman who wanted to run for an MP seat in Prahova County in 2012. This is the second corruption case involving the former PM, after Rovinari-Turceni, which is currently tried in Court.




    ECONOMY – The Romanian economy went up 5.2% in the first half of the year compared to the corresponding period of 2015, and household consumption grew by 10.4%. According to the National Statistics Institute, in the first six months of the year total final consumption accounted for over 80% of the GDP. All economic sectors contributed to the GDP increase, with more substantial influences coming from retail and wholesale, motor repair services, transport and storage, hospitality and restaurants. According to the European Commissions spring forecast, released in early May, the Romanian economy will likely grow by 4.2% in 2016, whereas most banks and financial institutions operating in Romania estimate a growth rate between 4.4 and 4.8%.



    EU FUNDING – The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, has called on Bucharest to adopt as soon as possible a master plan on the countrys transport infrastructure, which is a prerequisite for a more efficient spending of EU funds. She appreciated Romanias progress in terms of spending EU funds in the transportation sector, but added that in spite of these efforts nearly half of the more than 30 major projects financed from the EU budget initiated in the previous financial year will not be completed in time. Corina Creţu explained that these projects were re-scheduled, so as to ensure that nearly 2 billion euros from the 2014-2020 budget would cover their co-funding. Corina Creţu had a meeting in Brussels on Monday with the Romanian Transport Minister, Petru Buşe, who assured her that the Romanian authorities would endorse the Transport Infrastructure Master Plan by the end of the month.



    DIPLOMACY – Slovenias deputy PM Karl Erjavec reiterated his countrys support for Romanias Schengen accession, during a meeting with the Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu. The Slovenian official, who is also the acting Foreign Minister, emphasised that Romanias Schengen membership would improve the protection of the external borders of the EU and implicitly help enhance Europes security. The talks took place on the sidelines of the 11th Bled Strategic Forum. Originally scheduled for March 2011, Romanias Schengen accession has been repeatedly postponed, as various Member States voiced their reserves regarding the reform of the judiciary and the efficiency of the fight against corruption. Bucharest on the other hand has always stated that it complies with the technical criteria for accession.




    PROTEST – The leading road transport associations in Romania have announced a large-scale rally in the capital city Bucharest on September 15. On Monday, thousands of carriers drove at slow speed in several Romanian cities, to protest the high insurance fees that they have been charged. They argue that the insurance policies for freight and passenger transport companies, which are over 300% more expensive than last year and 500% higher than in 2014 would drive them into bankruptcy.



    ENESCU COMPETITION – Tian Tian from China is the winner of the Composition Section of the 2016 George Enescu International Competition, in the Symphonic Music category, with a work entitled “Concerto for orchestra, while Italys Caterina di Cecca won the Chamber Music category with her “Isole per 7 strumentisti. A total of 34 young composers have entered the competition. until September 25, nearly 200 young artists from 38 countries around the world are in Bucharest, living their dream of becoming the worlds greatest musicians. This years Enescu Competition also brings to the same stage established artists, jury members and winners of the previous editions who have made an international career in music.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • September 1, 2016 UPDATE

    September 1, 2016 UPDATE

    ANTI-CORRUPTION – The Romanian Interior Minister, Petre Toba, resigned on Thursday night, after the National Anti-Corruption Directorate asked the Presidents approval to prosecute him for favouring an offender. Tobă allegedly denied a de-classification procedure for documents requested by investigators in a case in which the former interior minister, Gabriel Oprea, and other Ministry officials are accused of embezzlement. Also on Thursday, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate requested that the Senate be notified on the prosecution of Gabriel Oprea, in a separate case of manslaughter. A police officer died last year in a motorcycle crash, while a member of the motorcade accompanying Oprea during his term in office. Oprea was apparently traveling for personal purposes at the time, which did not entitle him to use a motorcade.



    PARLIAMENT – The Parliament of Romania Thursday convened on its second regular session of the year and the last of the 2012-2016 term. According to the leaders of the main floor groups, the list of priorities includes bills in a number of fields, including economy, healthcare and education. Priorities also include a 5% reduction of social security contributions, a law regulating the lawyer profession, a bill allowing indoor smoking and one on prevention in the healthcare sector. Well have details after the news.



    MOURNING – Friday is a day of national mourning in Romania, in memory of the victims of the earthquake in Italy and in solidarity with the Italian people. The national flag will fly at half-mast on all public institution buildings, and national radio and television channels and cultural institutions will adjust their programmes accordingly. On Thursday, the eighth of the 11 Romanians who died in the earthquake was repatriated. Previously, the last Romanian citizen who had been missing was found alive. Five other Romanians are still in hospitals in Italy.



    OSCE – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazăr Comănescu, takes part on Friday in Potsdam, Germany, in an informal meeting of the OSCE foreign ministers. Organised by Germany, which is currently holding the rotating presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the meeting is designed to tackle current security issues, such as the conflict in east Ukraine, migration and terrorism. During the meeting, the head of the Romanian diplomacy will insist on the need to step up the OSCE actions aimed at settling protracted conflicts, and, in the same context, at identifying political solutions to the Transdniester conflict, while observing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.



    EXPULSION – The Iraqi citizen Hamad Raad Salih Hamad has been denied access to Romania for 10 years, for national security reasons, under a ruling passed on Thursday by the Bucharest Court of Appeals. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Iraqi citizen who arrived in Romania in 2013 on a student visa had radical religious views, was disseminating jihadist messages and was intolerant of Westerners and Shia Muslims. On Tuesday, the Court of appeals ruled the Pakistani Shahzad Ahmed as persona non grata. The decision was made after the Romanian Intelligence Service found that he had been involved in online propaganda for terror units operating in Pakistan, which supported the supremacy of extremist Islam. Further to that ruling, the Pakistani citizen, who was married to a Romanian woman, was taken into custody and is to be expelled from the country.



    MIGRATION – Thirteen Afghan citizens, including 8 underage children, and a Pakistani citizen, were caught by Romanian border police trying to cross illegally into Serbia. The migrants had no identity documents. They said they were trying to reach a Western European country. The Romanian authorities have strengthened security measures on the Serbian border, after in August many small groups of migrants attempted to cross it illegally. Meanwhile, illegal migration on Romanias borders has seen a substantial drop in the past seven months of the year compared to the corresponding period of 2015, by over 40%. Illegal entry or exit attempts have been reported, involving both citizens of Middle East or African states, like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan, and from the Republic of Moldova, Russia, Turkey or Albania.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)