Radio România Internațional

Tag: Iohannis

September 21, 2023

ACCIDENT A
criminal investigation was initiated with respect to the blast that occurred last
night on a gas pipeline on the Moldova Motorway construction site in eastern
Romania, in which four people died and 5 others were injured. Two men with burn
wounds affecting 30% and 40% of their bodies, respectively, were transferred to hospitals in
Bucharest. Prosecutors are investigating manslaughter and bodily harm offences,
as well as failure to take or observe work safety measures. According to the
Vrancea Emergency Inspectorate, the blast was caused by the construction works
conducted in the vicinity of the pipeline, which was also carrying natural gas
to the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.

TAXES The
Cabinet had a first discussion on the set of measures aimed at the long-term
rebalancing of the state budget and at facilitating the absorption of tens of
billions in EU funding. Apart from cutting down public
spending, the bill focuses on fighting tax evasion, introduces taxes on large
profits and wealth, and eliminates tax privileges. Ahead of the Cabinet meeting,
the measures were discussed in the three-party Social Dialogue Council, which
brings together government officials and representatives of employer
associations and trade unions.

UN The wider
Black Sea area must be protected against the effects of Russia’s war against
Ukraine, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said in his address at the UN
General Assembly in New York. The Romanian official added that his country
would not let down its most vulnerable partners, and mentioned the transit of
Ukrainian grain via Romania, a topic he also approached in talks with the
president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of the European
Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Bulgaria’s deputy prime minister, Mariya
Gabriel. President Iohannis also said Romania was concerned with the effects of
climate change, of pollution, of energy insecurity, and is making visible
efforts to fight them. According to him, climate education is a priority for
Romania, and the climate-security interconnection should rank higher on the UN
agenda. Stay tuned for more details on the Romanian president’s address at the
UN after the news.

WHEAT Egypt’s General
Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) announced having purchased 120,000
tonnes of wheat from Romania in an international purchasing tender, Reuters
reports. GASC also said that since early June Cairo has imported approx. 2.14
million tonnes of wheat, mainly from Russia (1.5 million tonnes) and Romania
(420,000 tonnes). Egypt is the world’s largest wheat buyer, mainly for its
national bread subsidy programme benefiting more than 70 million of its 103
million citizens.

BUCHAREST The
Romanian capital city is celebrating these days 564 years since its first
mention in official documents. Maps, plans, archive images and 3-dimensional
scale models showcasing the 19th Century history of the city are
displayed in an exhibition opened until Sunday at the ARCUB Cultural Centre. On
Saturday, around 200 arts high school students will dance in front of the
National History Museum of Romania, and the music of old-time Bucharest will be
performed in the George Enescu Festival Square in front of the Romanian
Athenaeum. (AMP)

21 September 2023
September 20, 2023

UN – Romania has achieved 62% of its national targets with respect to the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said at a summit held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. He also said Romania made significant progress in respect of the goals relating to environmental protection and curbing climate change. Iohannis pointed out that in the seven years left until 2030 the international community must intensify cooperation, for actions that generate results are not possible without unity, solidarity and strong multilateral involvement. He also said Romania is a partner “in building a sustainable society and economy.”

GOVERNMENT — Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is today holding talks with trade unions and employers’ associations on the new fiscal measures set to take effect in Romania. The bill is first to be passed by the PSD-PNL Government, and then the ruling coalition will take responsibility for it before Parliament, most likely next week. The document includes new fiscal measures aimed at strengthening the fight against tax evasion and cutting budget spending. The Opposition argues that the proposed measures will have a negative impact on the economy, on entrepreneurs and the liberal professions. Save Romania Union announced it was already discussing with other parliamentary parties the options for a no-confidence motion.

COURT – Romania is participating, today in The Hague, before the International Court of Justice, as an intervening state, in the pleadings in the case initiated by Ukraine against the Russian Federation regarding accusations of genocide. According to a press release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Bucharest, for reasons of efficiency and good administration of justice, considering the extremely close legal positions in this case and the very large number of interveners, Romania, together with Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden, will present a joint plea. The Ministry emphasizes that the participation in these procedures reflects the importance Romania gives to complying with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, as well as the trust in the role of the International Court of Justice, the main judicial body of the UN.

MOTION – The Chamber of Deputies has today rejected the simple motion tabled by Save Romania Union and the Force of the Right, from the centre-right opposition, against the Social-Democratic Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila. The initiators are blaming Rafila, among other things, for the way he managed the health reforms and investment stipulated in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Rafila has rejected the allegations and has deemed the oppositions move as demagogical.

EXPLOSION – An explosion took place on Wednesday morning on a Togo-flagged ship in the Black Sea, near the Romanian port of Sulina. The Regional Port Authority said that, at the request of the ships captain, all 12 crew members were brought to Sulina safely and are undergoing medical investigations. Representatives of the Coast Guard and the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea also participated in the rescue operation of the l ships crew. “The cause of the explosion is unknown for the time being. Whether or not it was due to a mine remains to be established by the Ministry of Defense”, the port authority said. The Naval Forces General Staff decided to send to Sulina a military ship specialized in the detection of sea mines. Sulina is located close to Romanias border with Ukraine.

MEETING – Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, discussed at the UN headquarters in New York, with his Kazakh counterpart, Kasîm-Jomart Tokaev, about boosting bilateral trade and cooperation in the energy sector. Iohannis wrote on X, the former Twitter, that he had fruitful talks with the leader of Romania’s largest economic partner in Central Asia. (EE)

20 September 2023
19.09.2023 (mise à jour)

ONU – Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis participe au sommet de la 78e session de l’Assemblée générale de l’Organisation des nations unies à New York. Il doit s’exprimer mercredi dans le cadre des débats généraux de la session. Mardi, la ministre roumaine des Affaires Etrangères, Luminiţa Odobescu, a participé à la troisième réunion du format trilatéral UE – Arabie – Saudite – Ligue des Etats Arabes, organisée avec la participation de l’Egypte et de la Jordanie, en marge de la 78ème session de l’Assemblée générale de l’ONU. Dans un communiqué du Ministère roumain des Affaires Etrangères, le principal but de ce format porte sur la relance du processus de paix au Moyen Orient et sur la protection de la perspective des deux Etats, israélien et palestinien. La responsable de Bucarest a exprimé le soutien de la Roumanie à ce format trilatéral, tout en soulignant la nécessité de la mise en place d’un horizon politique crédible et d’une série de mesures censées renforcer la confiance et débloquer les négociations de paix. Luminita Odobescu a par ailleurs plaidé pour le maintien du statu quo sur les lieux saints de Jérusalem, tout en mettant en avant le rôle de gardien de la Jordanie.

Fiscalité – Au bout de deux mois de négociations entre le PSD et le PNL, le ministre roumain des Finances a soumis enfin au débat public la proposition de loi concernant les nouvelles mesures fiscales et budgétaires. Au terme du nouveau projet, le taux de cotisation des micro-entreprises dont les recettes ne dépassent pas les 60.000 euros sera de 1%, tandis qu’à partir de cette somme il sera de 3%. Le même taux sera appliqué aux entreprises des domaines du logiciel, du juridique ou de l’assistance médicale. Les salariés du BTT et de l’Industrie alimentaire seront tenus pour payer leur contribution à la Sécurité sociale, tandis que les informaticiens devront payer un impôt sur le revenu pour les sommes dépassant les 10.000 lei, soit 2000 euros. Le gouvernement instaure aussi un taux d’imposition minimal sur le chiffre d’affaires dans le cas des grandes compagnies et une taxe supplémentaire d’1% pour les banques. L’Exécutif doit assumer sa responsabilité pour ce nouveau paquet législatif d’ici la fin du mois afin que les mesures soient mises en place à partir du 1 octobre. Selon les autorités, les nouvelles prévisions arriveront à faire baisser le déficit budgétaire, en écartant le risque que le pays se voit priver de milliards d’euros de fonds européens. Les élus de l’USR, d’opposition, ont déclaré déposer une motion de censure visant le paquet de mesures fiscales a annoncé le leader du parti, le député Cătălin Drulă.

Fermiers – Les
agriculteurs bulgares ont protesté ce mardi encore contre la reprise des
importations de céréales ukrainiennes décidée par le gouvernement de Sofia
suite à la levée de l’embargo par l’UE. Pour sa part, Bucarest a décidé
d’autoriser de nouveau le transit des céréales ukrainiennes, mais il a mis en
place une série de restrictions en vigueur un mois durant, le temps que l’Ukraine
introduise des normes pour contrôler ses exportations. Par conséquent, les
cultivateurs roumains ont suspendu leurs protestations. Rappelons que la
Pologne, la Slovaquie et la Hongrie ont décidé à l’unisson de continuer à
interdire les importations de céréales ukrainiennes en poussant Kiev à dénoncer
la mesure auprès de l’Organisation mondiale du Commerce.

Cannabis – Le Sénat de Bucarest a rejeté une proposition de loi censée autoriser la possession d’une quantité de cannabis de trois grammes tout au plus pour usage personnel. Initié par un groupe de députés non affilié, le projet voudrait remplacer les sanctions pénales par des amendes allant de 200 à 600 euros. La proposition sera soumise au vote de la Chambre des députés qui est la chambre décisionnelle dans cette affaire.

Festival – Le Festival international de musique George Enescu, en est à sa dernière semaine. D’ici et jusqu’à dimanche, le public est attendu à une série de concerts organisés sur la Place du festival, près de l’Athénée roumain. L’entrée est libre et les spectateurs mélomanes pourront écouter des orchestres renommés de Roumanie et de République de Moldavie, accompagnant des solistes célèbres. Le Big Band de la radio sous la baguette de Simona Strungaru sera en concert vendredi soir. Dimanche, le dernier spectacle à l’affiche du festival sera l’orchestre de la Camerata royale qui accompagnera le fameux percussionniste, Zoli Toth.

Météo – Il fait beau en Roumanie ce mercredi, avec des températures particulièrement élevées. Les maximas de mercredi iront de 22 à 31 degrés. 29 degrés et du soleil à Bucarest aussi.

19 September 2023
SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

FORUM At the Business
Forum of the Three Seas Initiative, currently underway in Bucharest, Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis said that the region’s potential is enormous and that
major projects of infrastructure development need to be carried on through the
implication of other countries in the EU and also in the Western Balkans. In
turn, Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, says the Three Seas Initiative
has become a shield to protect the future of the citizens, of economies and especially
the security. Over one thousand business people, decision-makers and civil
society representatives are today attending the Business Forum of the Three
Seas Initiative – a format, which brings together the EU member states situated
between the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Adriatic. Talks have been
structured in four working sessions on priority topics both from the viewpoint
of the EU and the transatlantic relationship. The business forum was preceded
by the Summit of the Three Seas Initiative on Wednesday.

DRONE NATO
does not have any indication that the drone debris found on the Romanian
territory was caused by an intentional attack launched by Moscow, the
Alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said before the European
Parliament on Thursday adding that they are waiting for the outcome of an
ongoing investigation, Reuters reports.
The North-Atlantic Alliance had previously voiced its strong solidarity
with Romania, after being informed on the incident close to this country’s border
with Ukraine. We are going to closely monitor the situation and keep in touch
with our ally, Romania, NATO says. According to Romania’s president Klaus
Iohannis, provided the drone is confirmed as belonging to Russia, the incident
is tantamount to a severe violation of the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Romania. A day before, the Romanian official had said ‘there was
no part of a drone or any other device to have reached Romania’.

CULTURE The
city of Timisoara in western Romania, which is the European Capital of Culture
this year, will this month be staging a series of outdoor events, such as concerts,
exhibitions, the famous festival Plai and a medieval one suggestively entitled
Through Fire and Sword. The latter, which kicks off on Friday at the local
Village Museum, is a time travel through the history of Europe from its ancient
days to the modern time. This reenactment will be brought to life by various
specialized groups of actors from Romania and abroad who are going to don
vintage costumes and carry old weapons, like swords, scimitars, battle axes and
guns in an attempt to recreate with great accuracy the atmosphere of Europe’s
medieval burgs and not only. Visitors will be able to participate in various
workshops of archeology, stone-carving and pottery.

GROWTH According to
provisional data released by the National Institute for Statistics (INS)
Romania’s GDP registered a 0.9% growth in the second semester of the year as
compared to the first quarter and grew by 1.7% against the similar period last
year. Among the economic activities that have contributed to this growth were wholesale
and retail, car and bike repair, transport and storage operations as well as
the hospitality sector. With a limited activity in this period of time, the
country’s industry had a negative impact upon the aforementioned GDP
growth.

(bill)

7 September 2023
September 5, 2023

VICTIM – Another patient severely injured in the explosions in Crevedia (southern Romania) has died this morning, bringing the number of deaths to 5, the Health Ministry announced. The victim was of Nepalese origin and had burns on more than 90% of his body. We remind you that powerful explosions followed by a fire took place, a week ago, at an LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) station in Crevedia, south of Bucharest, which was operating illegally.

SUMMIT – Romania and President Klaus Iohannis are getting ready to host in Bucharest, as of Wednesday, a summit and a business forum of the Three Seas Initiative, a political platform that brings together 12 EU countries bordering the Adriatic, Baltic and Black seas. Talks will focus on the promotion of economic growth and strategic interconnections, but also on redefining the Initiatives relationship with its neighborhood, which has undergone geopolitical reconfiguration. President Klaus Iohannis has announced that at the summit in Bucharest, the Three Seas Initiative will expand with a new member, while two other countries will receive the associate status. The US reaffirmed its support for the objectives of the Three Seas Initiative and also its willingness to collaborate closely with partner countries. The US special presidential envoy for climate, John Kerry, will head the American delegation to the summit in Bucharest.

DECISIONS – The PSD-PNL Government in Bucharest will assume responsibility in Parliament for the measures aimed at reducing the budget deficit. According to PM Marcel Ciolacu, the legislative package will cover the fight against evasion, the reforms in the local administration, and fiscal changes. The Liberals want to maintain the flat tax and do not agree with measures such as increasing the tax on dividends or reducing the ceiling for SMEs. The main opposition parties, however, criticize the Executives intention to assume responsibility and threaten with motions of no-confidence. The Government assuming responsibility for a legislative bill is a procedure that allows the bill to pass without being debated in Parliament.

EXHIBITION — It is less than a month until the opening of the exhibition “Brâncusi: Romanian sources and universal perspectives”. The exhibition, on display between September 30, 2023 and January 28, 2024 will be hosted by the National Art Museum in Timisoara. It will bring together emblematic sculptures from the mature period of the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi, brought from renowned museums such as the Pompidou Center or Tate Gallery, but also works from his youth, who are part of private collections. The exhibition, the largest one dedicated to Brâncusi in the last 50 years, is the peak moment of the programme Timișoara 2023 European Capital of Culture.

MEETING — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is today receiving the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, on the occasion of his visit to Cincu (centre), at the invitation of the Romanian side, the Presidential Administration announced. The two officials will have political consultations and will visit together the troops stationed at the Getica National Joint Training Center in Cincu. They will address the soldiers from Luxembourg who are part of the NATO battle group in Romania. President Iohannis and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel will discuss about the consolidation of the deterrence posture on NATO’s Eastern Flank, the continuation of the multidimensional support offered to Ukraine, as well as about the support for vulnerable partners in the region, with an emphasis on the Republic of Moldova, a country seriously affected by the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea is playing tonight against the Chech Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals of the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year. Cîrstea defeated the Swiss Belinda Bencic in the previous round, 6-3, 6-3. The Romanian athlete, (33 years old, 30 WTA), seed number 30, played only one quarterfinal at a Grand Slam tournament, in 2009, at Roland Garros, when she was 19 years old. (EE)

5 September 2023
September 4, 2023 UPDATE

VISIT – The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, paid an official visit to Berlin on Monday, for talks with her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, and the European policy advisor to the German Chancellor, Undine Ruge. The meetings reconfirmed the complex and strong bilateral relationship between Romania and Germany. The Romanian official firmly condemned once again the Russian Federations attacks on the Ukrainian people and civil infrastructure, including on the Ukrainian ports on the Danube, near the border with Romania. She pointed out that the attacks on the night of September 3 did not generate direct military threats to the Romanian territory or the country’s territorial waters and that the Defense Ministry is closely monitoring the national territory, waters and air space and contributes to strengthening the defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, in keeping with domestic and allied plans. The Romanian minister pleaded, on the other hand, for further European support to the Republic of Moldova, in order to strengthen its resilience in the face of current threats, including through the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova, an initiative launched by Romania, Germany and France.

PARLIAMENT – Romanian senators and deputies on Monday started the second ordinary parliamentary session of the year, which focuses on the special pensions bill and other projects needed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Moreover, a package of fiscal measures that is being discussed at present in the ruling coalition and for which PM Marcel Ciolacu will take responsibility in Parliament, is expected.

LAWS – The National Liberal Party, part of the ruling coalition in Romania, decided by vote to support the Government’s taking responsibility in Parliament for the legislative package of fiscal-budgetary measures. The Liberal leader, Nicolae Ciucă, said however that there are three important conditions that his party will not give up, namely: reducing public spending, tackling fiscal evasion and promoting fiscal measures. Ciucă also referred to other measures that the Liberals want to be adopted by the Executive, such as maintaining the single tax rate.

MEETING — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, will receive, on Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, on the occasion of his visit to Cincu (centre), at the invitation of the Romanian side, the Presidential Administration has informed. The two officials will have political consultations and will visit together the troops stationed at the Getica National Joint Training Center in Cincu. They will address the soldiers from Luxembourg who are part of the NATO battle group in Romania. President Iohannis and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel will discuss about the consolidation of the deterrence posture on NATO’s Eastern Flank, the continuation of the multidimensional support offered to Ukraine, as well as about the support for vulnerable partners in the region, with an emphasis on the Republic of Moldova, a country seriously affected by the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

CREVEDIA – Another patient injured in the explosions that took place in Crevedia (south of Bucharest) died Monday morning, the Romanian Health Ministry announced. According to the source, the man had burns on 95% of his body. This is the fourth person to die after the Crevedia explosions. One person severely injured, treated in a Bucharest and another five people who had been transferred abroad for medical care are intubated and their condition is critical.

OLYMPIAD – Romanian students won three silver and one bronze medal at the International Informatics Olympiad. The Society for Excellence and Performance in Informatics has announced that the awards ceremony of the 35th edition of the Olympiad took place in Szeged, in neighboring Hungary, attended by over 300 competitors from 90 countries. Romania remains in second place in the world ranking of awards obtained over time at the International Informatics Olympiad, with 127 medals: 33 gold, 58 silver and 36 bronze, together with Poland, after China, which ranks first. (EE)

4 September 2023
04.08.2023

Afrique – La cheffe de la diplomatie de Bucarest, Luminița Odobescu, a officiellement confirmé que le ministère des Affaires Etrangères préparait une tournée du président Iohannis en Afrique. «La Roumanie se propose de revigorer les relations avec l’Afrique subsaharienne à un niveau supérieur d’ambition adapté aux nouvelles réalités roumaines et africaines et au nouveau profil stratégique de chaque partenaire. Cette revigoration se fera aussi en suivant les valeurs et les intérêts communs notamment sur les plans politique et économique, de la coopération multilatérale et internationale. La reconnexion politique à l’espace africain se fait par le développement et la diversification des relations bilatérales avec les Etats africains, y compris par la redynamisation des visites à haut niveau tant en Roumanie, que sur le continent africain », a précisé la responsable roumaine.

Gaz – Le premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu affirme que le projet Neptune Deep qui prévoit l’extraction de gaz de la mer Noire a une importance stratégique et que la Roumanie deviendra le plus important producteur de gaz naturel de l’Union européenne. Le plan de développement des gisements Domino et Pelican Sud du périmètre Neptune Deep a été confirmé par l’Agence nationale de ressources minérales, lit-on sur la page Facebook du gouvernement. Selon cette source, OMV Petrom et Romgaz investiront jusqu’à 4 milliards d’euros dans cette étape de développement du projet qui générera une production d’une centaine de milliards de mètres cubes de gaz naturel. Les premières quantités de gaz de la mer Noire seront extraites en 2027.

Administration – Le décret d’urgence portant sur la réforme de l’administration publique devrait s’appliquer en Roumanie à compter du 1er septembre, selon le premier ministre roumain, Marcel Ciolacu. Il est nécessaire d’assouplir l’Etat, il est essentiel de réduire les coûts et de réunir des institutions qui actuellement jouent les mêmes rôles, a dit le premier ministre roumain qui a demandé au ministère des Finances d’achever au plus vite l’acte normatif censé réduire substantiellement les dépenses du système budgétaire. Aux dires du premier ministre, le gouvernement ne renoncera pas à cette réforme, quelles que soient les pressions. Les syndicalistes demandent pourtant au gouvernement de renoncer au projet de décret et de démarrer des consultations avec les partenaires sociaux. Ils affirment que la solution n’est pas de couper les moyens de subsistance des salariés, tels les tickets restaurant, mais plutôt de réduire d’une manière significative l’appareil gouvernemental central surchargé, de mettre en application le référendum visant la réduction du nombre des élus nationaux et même de couper les subventions publiques accordées aux partis politiques. Les confédérations syndicales avertissent que dans la forme actuelle, l’acte normatif réduira dramatiquement les revenus des salariés de la fonction publique et mènera au déclenchement de conflits sociaux d’ampleur.

Danube – Le trafic naval est particulièrement intense à l’embouchure du Danube, vers la mer Noire. Le nombre des navires marchands transitant le delta du Danube a considérablement augmenté ces 10 derniers jours, après les attaques déroulées aux drones russes contre les ports ukrainiens de Reni et d’Ismail. Dans ce contexte, les responsables roumains de l’Administration fluviale du bas Danube Galati ont décidé de permettre jeudi uniquement la sortie des navires en mer Noire et ce n’est qu’après que la navigation en sens inverse sera permise. Cette mesure est maintenue aussi à présent. Après le retrait de la Russie de l’accord qui permettait l’exportation des céréales ukrainiennes en toute sécurité via la mer Noire, le Danube s’est transformée en une route d’exportation pour les produits agricoles d’Ukraine. Les céréales sont chargées sur des barges qui passent par les eaux territoriales de la Roumanie jusqu’au port roumain de Constanta en mer Noire.

Météo – La vague de chaleur s’étend sur presque l’intégralité du territoire de la Roumanie, provoquant un inconfort thermique accentué. La canicule sévit sur les plaines ; où les maximas iront de 33 à 37 degrés. Sur l’ouest les températures iront jusqu’à 39 degrés alors que le sud le mercure des thermomètres dépassera le seuil des 40 degrés. Sur la côte les maximas seront les plus basses puisqu’elles frôleront les 30 degrés. Ciel variable, couvert en après-midi sur le relief, où es pluies à verse et des orages sont attendues. Il fait chaud aussi à Bucarest, où les maximas tourneront autour des 39 degrés.

Foot – Les équipes roumaines de foot Farul Constanța, FCSB et Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe se sont qualifiées au troisième tour des préliminaires de la Conférence League de l’UEFA et le CFR Cluj a raté cet objectif étant éliminée par les turcs d’Adana Demirspor. Le club de foot champion de Roumanie, Farul Constanta a dépassé les arméniens d’Urartu et devra affronter le FC Flora Tallinn d’Estonie. L’équipe qui détient la Coupe de Roumanie, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe a remporté jeudi soir sur le score de 4 buts à 0 le match contre le ŢSKA Sofia de Bulgarie, avec un score général de 6 à 0. Sepsi doit affronter désormais le FC Aktobe du Kazakhstan. Les vice-champions du FCSB a remporté les bulgares de ŢSKA 1948 et doit affronter les vice-champions de Danemark FC Nordsjaelland. Les matchs du troisième tour des préliminaires sont prévues les 10 et 17 août.

4 August 2023
Le soutien roumain à l’Ukraine, une constante pluridimensionnelle

A Bruxelles, au sommet de l’Union européenne – Communauté des Etats latino-américains et des Caraïbes, le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis a confirmé lundi que la Roumanie devrait commencer dès le mois prochain l’entrainement des pilotes ukrainiens pour que ceux-ci puissent piloter des avions de combat américains F16. La Roumanie rejoigne ainsi d’autres alliés de l’OTAN qui ont déjà commencé ce genre d’opération. Mais selon le président roumain, il s’agit d’un processus de longue durée et la date du début des programmes de formation des pilotes ukrainiens est moins importante qu’un résultat positif, a également précisé Klaus Iohannis. « C’est un processus important pour nous et il est important qu’il soit maintenu. Nous n’entrainons pas des pilotes d’août à septembre, mains nous commençons ce processus à la fin de cet été dans le cadre d’un projet de longue durée. Mon intérêt est d’avoir un projet bien mis au point, solide, avec des instructeurs très performants et d’avoir ici un projet à succès pour l’armée roumaine », a précisé le président roumain.

Klaus Iohannis a également annoncé que la moitié des exportations de céréales ukrainiennes ont transité la Roumanie et que ce processus devrait se poursuivre. Ces propos interviennent alors que la Fédération de Russie vient de dénoncer l’accord portant sur les exportations de céréales d’Ukraine via la mer Noire. « Il est regrettable que cette initiative qui a impliqué de nombreux responsables politiques du monde semble ne pas avoir un avenir brillant. » a affirmé le leader de Bucarest. « Selon nous il est important d’être du côté de l’Ukraine et soutenir ces exportations, nous continuerons nos efforts afin de prévenir toute syncope. » a précisé le chef de l’Etat roumain. L’accord qui garantissait depuis une année ces exportations a expiré durant la nuit de lundi à mardi à minuit, deux mois après sa dernière ratification en mai. La Russie a refusé de prolonger l’accord, signé l’année dernière en juillet, en Ukraine sous l’égide des Nations Unies et de la Turquie, dénonçant des obstacles dans le commerce avec des produits agricoles russes.

Le dernier navire qui transportait des céréales a été inspectée lundi dans la soirée à Istanbul. Malgré la guerre, l’accord a permis l’exportation de millions de tonnes de céréales et de produits agricoles ukrainiens, particulièrement importants pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire mondiale. Une conséquence de l’expiration de cet accord est la hausse significative de la cotation du blé. Les analystes sont d’avis que l’expiration de l’accord obligera l’Ukraine à exporter la récolte de 2023 via des routes alternatives vers les ports fluviaux et la frontière de l’Union européenne, le tout avec des coûts logistiques plus élevés.

18 July 2023
July 9, 2023 UPDATE

DIICOT The situation in several old people’s homes close to
Bucharest, where prosecutors had identified organized crime groups who were
exploiting and mistreating old and disabled people was being analyzed by the
Romanian government on Sunday. The country’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu,
has summoned several ministers and officials in the field and has announced
that inspections are to be carried out in all the foster centers for children,
the elderly and disabled people across the country. The Prime Minister has
asked for ‘zero tolerance for the crime groups who robbed those helpless
people’ and has announced that jointly with the Minister of Justice he set the
solution to this issue as a top priority. ‘What was happening in these ‘centers
of horror’ have shown us the total dehumanization of some persons that I cannot
call people.’ No resignations or dismissals have been announced. According to
DIICOT prosecutors, besides the poor conditions offered, the victims were
forced to do the most humiliating works. At the same time the abusers used to
be announced beforehand by their accomplices in various state institutions
about the upcoming inspections, allowing them to keep the abuses secret.
According to DIICOT sources, in two years the crime ring under investigation
managed to siphon off roughly 740 thousand Euros from several social assistance
directions in Ilfov and Bucharest. Some of those involved have been placed in
temporary custody for 30 days, whereas others are under house arrest or judicial
control.

SUMMIT Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will be participating in
the NATO summit in Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday, the presidential
administration in Bucharest has announced. The summit is to include three
high-level meetings of the North-Atlantic Council, in formats, which also
include Ukraine, the European Union as well as NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners. At
the summit, the Romanian president is expected to underline the fundamental
importance of continuing the implementation of the Madrid decisions on
strengthening the allied defence and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank.
Iohannis will also reiterate the robust support for Ukraine, including its
NATO’s accession, as well as for the most vulnerable partners, especially for
the Republic of Moldova. According to the same sources, the head of the
Romanian state will be also referring to the need for having the importance of
the Black Sea region in the Euro-Atlantic security reflected in the allied
documents and decisions. In Vilnius, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is
expecting that most allies announce their commitment to increasing defence
budgets to over 2% of the GDP starting next year. He said in Brussles that 11
member countries, Romania included, had already fulfilled this commitment.

FAIR The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair ended in Brasov,
southern Romania on Sunday. During the five-day event, the almost 40 exhibitors
put on displays thousands of books for all tastes and ages, music, educational
games and self-development books. The event also included book launches,
conferences and debates attended by local writers and not only by them. Adrian
Lesenciuc, poet, prose and essay-writer as well as literary critic was the
honorary president of the present edition.

POLICE Romanian policemen last week enforced 19 European arrest
warrants and 589 people, who are the subject of alerts in the Schengen
Information System, have been located on Romania’s territory. According to a
Romanian police communiqué, 30 documents and 45 vehicles sought by the Schengen
partners have been seized in Romania to be used as evidence within legal
procedures. At the same time, 199 people wanted by the Romanian authorities
have been identified by foreign partners on their territory, the communiqué also
says.

MEDALS Romania won six medals on Sunday in the World Rowing Cup III
in Lucerne, Switzerland: two gold, three silver and one bronze. In the medal
ranking, Romania came third after Britain and the Netherlands. The Romanian
women’s four and double scull became gold medalists in Lucerne.

(bill)

9 July 2023
July 9, 2023

POLICE Romanian policemen last week enforced 19 European arrest
warrants and 589 people, who are the subject of alerts in the Schengen
Information System, have been located on Romania’s territory. According to a
Romanian police communiqué, 30 documents and 45 vehicles sought by the Schengen
partners have been seized in Romania to be used as evidence within legal
procedures. At the same time, 199 people wanted by the Romanian authorities
have been identified by foreign partners on their territory, the communiqué
also says.

DIICOT The situation in several old people’s homes in Ilfov County,
close to Bucharest, where prosecutors have identified organized crime groups
who were exploiting and mistreating old and disabled people is being analyzed
by the government today. The country’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is
having talks with several ministers about the measures needed so that suchlike
situations may not repeat. According to the DIICOT prosecutors, the residents
of the aforementioned institutions were forced to do some of the most
humiliating works and the inspections, which could have ended their suffering,
used to be announced beforehand by the defendants’ accomplices in state
institutions. According to DIICOT prosecutors, the group would have siphoned
off 740 thousand Euros from several social assistance directions in Ilfov and
Bucharest. Some of those involved have been placed in temporary custody for 30
days, whereas other defendants in the same file have been placed under house
arrest or judicial investigation. Prime Minister Ciolacu has called for the
resignation of the boards of the National Agency for Payment and Social
Inspection with the Ilfov County Agency and also for checking in old people’s
homes around the country. Prefect offices have already announced the setting up
of committees to do the checking.

SUMMIT Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will be participating in
the NATO summit in Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday, the presidential
administration in Bucharest has announced. The summit is to include three
high-level meetings of the North-Atlantic Council, in formats, which also include
Ukraine, the European Union as well as NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners. At the
summit, the Romanian president is expected to underline the fundamental
importance of continuing the implementation of the Madrid decisions on
strengthening the allied defence and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank.
Iohannis will also reiterate the robust support for Ukraine, including its
NATO’s accession, as well as for the most vulnerable partners, especially for
the Republic of Moldova. According to the same sources, the head of the
Romanian state will be also referring to the need for having the importance of
the Black Sea region in the Euro-Atlantic security reflected in the allied
documents and decisions. In Vilnius, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is
expecting that most allies announce their commitment to increasing defence
budgets to over 2% of the GDP starting next year. He said in Brussels that 11
member countries, Romania included, had already fulfilled this commitment.

TENNIS The Romanian pair, Ana Bogdan/Jaqueline
Cristian is today taking on Lidia Morozova of Belarus and Ingrid Martins
Gamarra of Brazil in the second round of the Wimbledon doubles after their
Saturday’s win against Danielle Collins and Alison Riske-Amritraj of the USA. The
Romanian-Ukrainian pair, Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk has also qualified for
the second round and will take on Miriam Koloziejova and Marketa Vondrousova of
the Czech Republic on Monday. Romania is no longer represented in the main
draw, after Sorana Cirstea lost to Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia on Saturday.

FAIR The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair is due to end in Brasov,
southern Romania today. During the five-day event, the almost 40 exhibitors have
put on displays thousands of books for all tastes and ages, music, educational
games and self-development books. The event has also included book launches,
conferences and debates attended by local writers and not only by them. Adrian
Lesenciuc, poet, prose and essay-writer as well as literary critic has been the
honorary president of the present edition.

(bill)

9 July 2023
July 6, 2023

BRIDGE Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis has today said that the suspended bridge over the Danube at Braila in
south-eastern Romania, is the biggest construction Romania has seen in the past
tree decades, which proves that major infrastructure projects can be finalised.
Iohannis added that Romania has access to a significant volume of European
funds and a good part of it has been devoted to the development of the
country’s infrastructure. The inauguration ceremony of this bridge, the biggest
ever built in Romania and the third in Europe, has been attended by the
country’s president and by its Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu. This is the last
bridge over the Danube before its flowing into the Black Sea and has been
designed to last 120 years. The almost 2 kilometer bridge will link the
south-eastern counties of Braila and Tulcea and raise the area’s economic
potential. The project’s total value has exceeded 400 million euros, 85% coming
from European funds.

CSAT Romania’s Higher Defence Council
also known as the CSAT is to convene in Bucharest today for talks over the
country’s objectives at the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius. Also high on the
agenda is the number of troops available for missions and operations outside
the country’s borders next year. The council last convened on April 11th when
one of the decisions was the purchase of the state-of-the-art jet fighters
F-35. Other issues on the agenda included the latest security developments in
the Black Sea region, against the background of the Russian aggression in
Ukraine and the external interventions against the democratic process in the Republic
of Moldova.

TENNIS The game pitching Romanian
tennis player Irina Begu and Canadian Rebecca Marino, in the first round of the
Wimbledon tennis tournament, which was interrupted last night in the second set
due to the darkness, is to resume today. Begu won the first set and the game’s
victor will be up against Ana Blinkova of Russia in the second round. Three
Romanians are playing today at Wimbledon: Ana Bogdan, who comes after a win
against Liudmila Samsonova of Russia and will meet US challenger, Alycia Parks,
Jaqueline Cristian who will be playing Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, after her
win against Italian Lucia Bronzetti and Sorana Cirstea, who yesterday defeated
Tatjana Maria of Germany and will be next up against Jelena Ostapenko of
Latvia.

NEVERSEA The city of Constanta, in south-eastern
Romania, is hosting the fifth edition of Neversea, the biggest beach festival
in Europe. The event is expected to bring together music lovers from all over
the world, from Britain, Germany, the United States, Italy, Bulgaria and
Israel. Over one thousand policemen, gendarmes, border police, anti-drug
officers and 700 private security guards are to supervise the festival. Special
emphasis is to be laid on the prevention and fighting drug consumption and
trafficking. Neversea organizers are expecting 260 thousand people to attend this
four-day festival on the Black Sea coast.

VISIT The Prime Minister of
Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, paid a two-day visit to Berlin where he held talks
with the country’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with representatives of the Federal
Parliament, of the business environment and of the Romanian Diaspora.
Chancellor Scholz reiterated his country’s support for Romania’s accession to
the Schengen zone this year. In turn, Prime Minister Ciolacu underlined the
importance of bilateral cooperation and the significant potential of this
country, recalling that Germany is Romania’s most important trade partner.

(bill)

6 July 2023
July 5, 2023

VISIT Today, in the second day of his
visit to Germany, Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is going to have
talks with representatives of the business environment, followed by meetings
with the Vice-president of the German Parliament, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, and
with representatives of the main political groups in the Legislature. The head
of the government in Bucharest will be also having talks with the
representatives of the defence industry in Germany. On Monday, the first day of
his visit, Marcel Ciolacu met Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who reiterated his
country’s all-out support so that Romania may become a Schengen member this
year. Ciolacu has also met with members of the Romanian communities in Germany,
whom he briefed upon the projects of the government in Bucharest dedicated to
the Diaspora, as well as a start-up programme.

FAIR The first holiday edition of the
book fair Gaudeamus Radio Romania has today kicked off in Brasov, central
Romania. The event is part of the Gaudeamus caravan, a nation-wise project that
has been initiated and carried on by Radio Romania for more than 20 years. The present
edition’s offer includes, the book fair itself, graphic and photo art, literary
creation, all brought together into 40 exhibition stands. This edition is
expected to end on Sunday, July 9th.

DIICOT 24 suspects have been
apprehended and two placed under investigation in a case involving the
mistreatment of vulnerable people in three old-peoples’ homes in Romania. On
Tuesday, DIICOT prosecutors kicked off over 30 searches in Bucharest and other
6 counties in southern Romania. Authorities are presently taking care of one
hundred of these vulnerable people. According to the investigators, the
aforementioned people had been exploited for more than two years, being
deprived on proper food, medical treatment and hygiene conditions. Prosecutors
are now investigating cases of human trafficking, fraud, embezzlement of over
one million euros as well as inhuman and degraded treatment.

EDUCATION Romanian president
Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday promulgated the new Education laws. A former high-school
teacher, Iohannis, has been promoting a programme known as ‘Educated Romania’
launched in 2016 and followed by a series of public debates. Solutions have
been proposed for fighting school violence in the country’s pre-university
education, to support the disadvantaged categories of students, curb school
dropout and promote sports. Concerning university education, president Iohannis
says the new legislative measures are going to bring the Romanian education up
to international standards. The education laws have been promulgated after
years of debates and at the end of a critical period in Romania’s education
system, marked by the recent all-out strike of the teachers. In another
development, upon the appeals session for the National Assessment exam counting
towards the candidates’ high-school accession, 76.4% of the students have
obtained passing results while 73% of the candidates have passed the
baccalaureate exam.

(bill)

5 July 2023
July 3, 2023 UPDATE

ACCESSION The Spanish presidency of the European
Union has included on the list of its priorities the issue of EU enlargement.
In the first joint conference of the Spanish government and the European
Commission, staged in Madrid on Monday, the head of the community Executive,
Ursula von der Leyen says the accession of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova
is only a matter of time and there is no question mark on the will of the
Europeans. In another development, the Spanish ambassador in Bucharest, Jose
Antonio Hernandez Perez-Solorzano says his country supports the accession of
Romania to the Schengen area. At the press conference at the European
Commission Representation, which marked the beginning of the Spanish presidency,
the diplomat said the issue of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen
will be included on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council most
likely this autumn. In turn, Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu says the
Schengen zone will be stronger when Romania is a fully-fledged member.

RESIGNATION
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has announced he took note of the resignation
of Eduard Hellvig, the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and he decided he be awarded the ‘Romanian
Star’ National Order in rank of Commander. Hellvig tendered his resignation on
Monday arguing that it isn’t good for democracy to have one person exposed to
classified information for a long period of time. He believes that the Romanian
Intelligence Service has changed significantly during his term in office and is
now able to react more effectively to the present day challenges in order to
protect Romania. According to Catalin Drula, of the opposition USR, Eduard
Hellvig’s mandate has failed since, in his opinion, the civil control over the
institution did not exist. Eduard Hellvig was appointed the SRI director in
2015.

TENNIS
Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan has outperformed Russian Liudmila Samsonova
in two sets in the inaugural round of the Wimbledon tennis competition, the
year’s third Grand Slam tournament. Other three Romanians are on the main draw in
London and will be playing on Tuesday, when Irina Begu will be up against Canadian
player, Rebecca Marino, Sorana Cirstea will be playing Tatjana Maria of Germany
and Jaqueline Cristian will meet Italian Lucia Bonzetti. The Canadian player of
Romanian extraction, Bianca Andreescu, will take on Anna Bondar of Hungary in
the first round.

TRIP The Romanian Navy training brig
the Mircea on Monday set sail from the Constanţa Military Port on
the Black Sea on an international training journey. It has on board 67 cadets of
the Mircea the Old Naval Academy and 12 foreign cadets from
partner academies in Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Latvia, Spain and
Italy. The training trip will last 28 days, during which the brig will moor in
three ports: Piraeus in Greece, Taranto in Italy and Izmir in Turkey. In all
these ports, the sailboat will be open for visits. The brig is to return to Constanta
on July 31.

(bill)

3 July 2023
June 29, 2023

BLACK HAWK A maintenance centre for the
Black Hawk helicopters is about to open in Bacau, eastern Romania; the result
of a partnership between the US aerospace, arms, defence, information security
and technology corporation Lockheed Martin, and Romanian company Aerostar. The
centre is to be completely accredited and operational before the arrival of
seven S-70 Black Hawk helicopters later this year. According to the company’s
vice president Ray Piselli, the centre in Bacau will contribute to the creation
and maintenance of highly qualified jobs in Romania, will curb operational
costs for the Black Hawk helicopters and will have a strong growing potential
in the future.

RIGHTS Trade union leaders in Romania’s
medical system have announced higher salaries for the employees in this sector
starting August 1. On Wednesday, trade union leaders met the country’s
Social-Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and deputy Prime Minister
Marian Neacsu for talks over the new emergency ordinance regulating the
upcoming pay rise. Employment in the field is to be resumed and 4 thousand new
jobs will be created shortly. Another 10 thousand jobs are to be created in the
country’s medical sector in the following period. All normative acts regulating
the aforementioned rights are to be endorsed in a government sitting this week.
If their claims had not been met, employees in the medical field would have
gone on an all-out strike.

UKRAINE The
United States and Romania have taken actions in support of Ukraine and all the
vulnerable partners in the Black Sea region – Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
said on Wednesday night at the reception offered by the US embassy in Bucharest
on Independence Day. The US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec says that
both countries are sharing ‘common values, which are the reason why we remain
united against Russia’s unprovoked and terrible attack on Ukraine.’

SUMMIT The EU’s two-days summit, which
kicks off in Brussels today, has high on the agenda a series of issues as well
as a review of the ending Swedish presidency of the European Union. Spain is
the country to take over the bloc’s half-yearly presidency. Among the issues to
be tackled during the summit, which is also being attended by the Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis, is the situation in Ukraine and the support granted
to Kyiv in the war against Russia, economic security and migration. According
to Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, the talks will be kicked off by
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who will be assessing the situation in
Ukraine, and speak about the arms delivery and the Alliance’s summit in
Vilnius. The talks will also be attended by the president of Ukraine. Other
issues on the agenda are competitiveness, digitization and security.

(bill)

29 June 2023
June 13, 2023 UPDATE

TALKS
Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday designated PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu
as candidate for the position of Prime Minister. On Monday, the PNL leader
Nicolae Ciuca stepped down under the political agreement with the PSD on the
planned rotation of the cabinets and on Tuesday he was elected president of the
Senate. The Prime Minister designate says that he wants the future government
focus on economy and reforms. Romania needs these reforms as well as the
National Programme of Recovery and Resilience. Romania’s place is in the
European Union and NATO. And no matter how much some people would like Romania
to take another direction, the country’s way is sure and with political
stability it becomes a certainty Marcel Ciolacu went on to say. The opposition
USR has criticized the government rotation as this isn’t going to solve the problems
of the citizens.

FRIGATE The Romanian flagship, frigate
‘King Ferdinand’ is to sail back to the Romanian Port of Constanta, on the
Black Sea, after having participated in a six-week operation in the
Mediterranean, the Romanian Navy Chief of Staff has announced. The mission of
the Romanian servicemen consisted of enforcing the UN arms embargo imposed on
Libya and in combating the illegal trafficking in oil, drugs and people through
the close monitoring of maritime traffic and vessels in the area. The ‘King
Ferdinand’ has also carried out various joint activities with partner vessels
from Italy, Germany and Greece, participating in the IRINI Operation.

WEATHER Romanian hydrologists have extended,
until Wednesday, the Code yellow and Code orange alerts for flooding, valid for
rivers in 17 counties in the center and west of the country. The torrential
rain on Monday night affected several localities in the south and south-west of
Romania. The red code alert instituted by meteorologists for this region was
lifted this morning, and dozens of intervention teams were sent to evacuate
water from people’s households, after several streams of water burst their
banks. At the same time, hectares of agricultural land were flooded. The most
affected counties are Caraş-Severin, Vâlcea, Hunedoara and Mehedinţi. Heavy
rainfalls also caused flooding in Timiş and Alba counties on Monday.

(bill)

13 June 2023