Radio România Internațional

Tag: Japan

  • February 18, 2025 UPDATE

    February 18, 2025 UPDATE

    DIPLOMACY Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, said on Tuesday at the annual meeting of the heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest that Romania is a democratic state, which continues to take action to strengthen its institutions and people’s confidence in them. He promised a free, fair and transparent election process in the upcoming presidential election. “Romania has a ruling coalition, which ensures the country’s stability”, the president said, and added that Romania’s foreign policy will stay on its normal course as an EU and NATO member with a strategic partnership with the USA, while also being open to cooperation with all the partners that share the same values and principles. According to Bolojan, Russia’s aggression in neighbouring Ukraine must stop, and a ceasefire followed by just and sustainable peace is a goal that must be pursued not only by the parties involved, but also by the entire international community.  Bolojan went on to say that support for the ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova is a duty and this state’s resilience must be strengthened ahead of the parliamentary election due in 2025.

     

    RIYADH The first high-level US-Russia meeting in recent years took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Moscow’s officials said the talks were “serious” and “positive,” while the American side announced that two teams would be set up to initiate negotiations to stop the war in Ukraine, Reuters and AFP report. While the delegations led by Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov were discussing in Riyadh, the Russian foreign ministry announced that it wanted NATO to revoke the decision taken at the 2008 summit in Bucharest regarding Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would not recognise the outcome of Russian-American negotiations held in the absence of Kyiv, and European leaders convening in an emergency meeting in Paris on Monday promised to carry on their military support for Ukraine, while stepping up the strengthening of their own defence. Only a few European leaders were invited to the informal EU summit organised by president Emmanuel Macron, namely the German Chancellor, the Polish, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish and British prime ministers, as well as the president of the European Council, the head of the European Commission and the NATO Secretary General. France plans to host a second meeting on Ukraine and European security on Wednesday, Reuters reports. According to diplomatic sources, Norway, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Romania, Sweden and Belgium are invited to take part.

     

    JUDICIARY The Romanian justice minister Radu Marinescu Tuesday had a meeting with the Japanese ambassador to Bucharest, Takashi Katae. The two officials discussed, among other things, ways to find better solutions for judicial cooperation regarding Romanian nationals imprisoned in Japan. According to a news release issued by the justice ministry, Radu Marinescu appreciates the excellent judicial cooperation between the two states, while at the same time reaffirming Romania’s strong commitment to develop close institutional collaboration in the future. Bilateral relations between Romania and Japan were elevated to a strategic partnership on March 7, 2023. Last year, a Declaration of Cooperation between the justice ministries of the two countries was also signed, making Romania the first European Union member state to sign such a declaration with Japan, the news release also states.

     

    FOOTBALL The former Romanian international player Cristian Chivu was appointed coach of the Italian football team Parma on Tuesday, the club announced on its home page. For Chivu, this will be the first coaching experience at a senior level, after having trained several junior teams at Internazionale Milano, where he played between 2007 and 2014 and where he concluded his career as a footballer at the age of 34 due to recurring injuries. In the 2009-2010 season, under the Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, he won the Italian championship and Cup with Inter, as well as the Champions League. At Parma, Chivu will coach the Romanian international players Dennis Man and Valentin Mihăilă. The team is in 18th place out of 20 (relegation-threatened) and Chivu’s debut as a coach in Serie A will take place on February 22, on home turf, against Bologna. Another Italian team in Serie A, Genoa, is owned by the Romanian businessman Dan Şucu, who is also the major shareholder in Rapid Bucharest. (AMP)

  • Romanian-Japanese Diplomatic Relations

    Romanian-Japanese Diplomatic Relations

    Regardless of physical distances, people, communities and societies come closer because they feel and desire closeness. Until the 20th century, when globalization reduced everything, people had a natural attraction to their more distant peers. They wanted to learn their customs, learn their language, and get to know their mentalities. Romanians and Japanese have known each other formally for approximately 125 years, the writings of the Romanian traveler Nicolae Milescu Spătarul about the Japanese from the second half of the 17th century being from a time when the movement of people was reduced.

    At the beginning of the 20th century, more precisely in 1902, the Japanese ambassador to Vienna initiated contacts with the Romanian side and expressed his desire for bilateral relations to be established between the two countries. A trade treaty was signed that year that would constitute the legal basis for the development of the relationship. At the outbreak of the First World War, Romania and Japan were on the same side of the trenches, in the Entente alliance. In August 1917, Romania opened its diplomatic representation in Tokyo, with Japan doing the same five years later, in 1922. Between 1922 and 1927, the Romanian legation in Tokyo was closed due to budget cuts, but after 1927, when the Romanian legation reopened, relations would operate uninterruptedly until September 1944. During World War II, Romania and Japan were allies again, this time within the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis.

    After the war, relations resumed in 1959, and Ion Datcu was appointed Romania’s ambassador to Japan in 1966. In 1994, interviewed by the Oral History Center of the Romanian Broadcasting Company, Datcu recalled that when he arrived at the post, he did not find many Japanese officials who knew much about the country he came from.

    “Regarding Romania, I was amazed by the little knowledge that existed in parliamentary circles, even among members of the government. They knew very little, and I remember, at that time, when we were discussing certain issues, even European ones, they could not understand the fact that we had different positions from the Soviet Union. They saw this part of Europe as a block of a monolith. In fact, this was not only a Japanese thing, I found the same thing in the USA. But I want to say that businessmen, on the other hand, knew things, had interests. I visited many enterprises, we were already buying ships, building ships, I also christened some ore carriers, fishing vessels were bought. Even the big electronic equipment companies were prospecting the market. I noticed this interesting difference between politicians and businessmen. There was a big discrepancy.”

    But Ion Datcu was going to get a big surprise at the meeting with the Japanese sovereign.

    “Emperor Hirohito was an extraordinarily likable man, beyond his aura of mysticism, he was an extremely warm, approachable man. And I had the incredible surprise that the emperor knew more about Romania than the members of the government at that time. He started talking to me about the Danube Delta and was a great specialist in fauna, especially in fish. And he even showed me this, he had some books, and then I promised him ‘Your Majesty, I’ll do my best’, and when I went on vacation and I brought him some books that I found, with maps of the Danube Delta, and I offered them to him. And he kept asking me, ‘How long will this paradise in Europe last?’ And I came up with the idea, I said ‘Maybe you come once and see the Danube, the Danube Delta and the Black Sea’, this area that he considered to be of great interest for his studies. He had probably studied biology and studied various animals from these waters.”

    Romanian-Japanese relations were dominated by economic issues. Ion Datcu even said that the Japanese had invented a new type of diplomacy, the economic one.

    “My mandate in Bucharest was, indeed, almost entirely economic. At that time, we had the idea of modernizing a series of industrial capacities, including the aluminum factory. I remember doing it with a company, Marubeni, we built a fleet, and we were trying to export as well and we even managed to export billets to a country that produced steel of certain types and sizes, they produced ball bearings and many other products, I even remember an egg paste. It was not a very big political interest from the Romanian government’s point of view. At that time, Japan was an economic interest, and from the Japanese point of view it was the flowering period of the so-called economic diplomacy. They inaugurated economic diplomacy. For me, who had studied these aspects a lot, I had the impression that economic diplomacy could not be done apart from politics, apart from military factors and so on, as is normal. The truth is that the Japanese, indeed, developed and refined economic diplomacy. What did this mean? Their foreign policy and diplomatic priorities were established, apart from the United States of America, in the neighboring area and elsewhere, according to economic interests.”

    Romania and Japan, two countries located at a great distance from each other, already have a century-old tradition of bilateral contacts. It is a tradition that keeps them close through the past, but also through the values of the present.

  • November 24, 2024 NEWS UPDATE

    November 24, 2024 NEWS UPDATE

    Presidential Election – The first round of the presidential election takes place on Sunday in Romania, with over 18 million voters being expected to hit the polls in the nearly 19,000 polling stations organized in the country. According to the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), voter turnout stood at over 45% after the first 11 hours of voting, which means that about 8.2 million voters cast their vote, over 1.4 million voters more in urban centers compared to the rural area. Over 674,000 Romanians have so far voted in the 951 polling stations open abroad. The voting process abroad started on Friday, where voter turnout was subpar, Radio Romania correspondents say. The data provided by AEP show that the number of people who cast their vote in the first two days of the election was 223 thousand, of whom over 4,000 opted for postal voting. The largest mobilization was in Great Britain, where over 42 thousand Romanians have voted. They are followed by Romanians in Germany, Italy and Spain. 13 candidates are enrolled in the presidential race, 9 representing political parties and 4 independents. Most ideological trends are represented in the competition, from Social-Democrats to Liberals, and from pro-Europeans to populist ultra-nationalists and sovereigntists. The second round of the presidential election is scheduled for December 8. The parliamentary election is scheduled on December 1, the National Day of Romania. We recall that on June 9, local and European Parliament elections took place in Romania.

     

    Referendum – The local referendum initiated by the general mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, exceeded the 30% threshold required for validation. According to the data provided in real time by the Permanent Electoral Authority, by 7 p.m. local time, over 37% of Bucharest residents on the electoral lists had voted. They had to answer two questions proposed by the mayor Nicusor Dan, related to the way of distributing the money between the General City Hall and Bucharest’s 6 sectors and the issuance of building permits in the Capital. A third question was added upon the initiative of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) (in the governing coalition) which refers to the fight against drug use in schools.

    COP29 – At the UN climate summit in Azerbaijan, COP29, richer countries pledged to grant a record 300 billion dollars to developing countries to help them prepare for and prevent climate change. The decision was made at the end of negotiations that led to the extension of the summit by 33 hours and that almost collapsed. ‘It has been a difficult road, but we have reached an agreement,’ said the head of the UN climate agency, Simon Stiell. The funding promised until 2035 ‘is too weak, too late and too ambiguous’, the Kenyan Ali Mohamed said, speaking on behalf of the group of African countries. His counterpart from Malawi, which represents the 45 poorest countries on the planet, Evans Njewa, denounced the agreement as ‘lacking ambition’.

     

     

     

     

    ICR – The Romanian Cultural Institute announces the official opening, on November 26, of its representative office in Tokyo, Japan. ‘Japan is a center of interest for cultural operators from Romania and I am convinced that ICR Tokyo will significantly contribute to the Romanian presence on the Japanese cultural scene’, ICR president Liviu Jicman said. In turn, the Romanian ambassador to Japan, Ovidiu Raeţchi, conveyed that the opening of the ICR representative office in the Japanese capital is a strategic initiative that aims to strengthen the cultural relations between Romania and Japan, to support international artistic cooperation and to offer the Japanese public the opportunity to discover and appreciate the richness and diversity of the Romanian cultural heritage. The first cultural actions of the new structure will be the exhibition of works from the collection of the Japanese photographer Kosey Miya, which capture the charm of Maramureş, and a concert of the Japanese artist Fumiko Sakura. With the establishment of the Romanian cultural center in Tokyo, the number of ICR representative offices abroad reaches 19.

     

    Rugby – The Romanian national rugby team was defeated by the Uruguayan national team 23-21 (13-13), on Saturday evening, at the Arch of Triumph National Rugby Stadium in Bucharest. The Romanian national team has met Uruguay 14 times so far. Romania won ten of these matches, one ended in a draw, and three were won by the South Americans. Following Saturday evening’s result, Romania ends the November test matches with two victories, against Tonga (25-15) and Canada (35-27), and with a failure, against Uruguay (21-23). (LS)

  • November 24, 2024

    November 24, 2024

    Presidential Election – The first round of the presidential election is taking place today in Romania, with over 18 million voters being expected to go to the polls in the nearly 19,000 polling stations organized in the country. According to the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), in the first six hours of voting across the country, the turnout was 21%, which means that about 3.8 million voters cast their vote, about 800 thousand voters  more in the urban environment than in villages. Abroad, 951 polling stations are open, and Romanian voters have been able to vote since Friday. Voting in the diaspora during the first two days of the election was rather poor, according to Radio Romania correspondents. The data provided by AEP show that the number of those who cast their vote in the first two days of the election was 223 thousand, of whom over 4,000 opted for the postal vote. The largest mobilization was of the Romanians from Great Britain, with over 42 thousand votes. They are followed by the Romanians from Germany, Italy and Spain. There are 13 candidates in the presidential race, 9 from political parties and 4 independents. Most of the ideological trends are represented in the competition, from social democrats to liberals and from pro-Europeans to populist ultra-nationalists and sovereignists. The second round of the presidential election is scheduled for December 8. On December 1, on the very National Day, the legislative election will take place. We remind you that on June 9, local and European Parliament elections took place in Romania.

     

     

    Referendum – Today, the citizens of Bucharest with the right to vote are expected to also vote in a referendum initiated by the mayor general Nicuşor Dan. They must answer two questions he proposed, which concern the way of distributing the money between the General City Hall and Bucharest’s 6 sectors and the issuance of building permits in Bucharest. A third question refers to combating drug use in schools. For the validation of this referendum, a presence of 30% of the number of voters in Bucharest is required. At the same time, valid ballots must represent at least 25% of the number of people with the right to vote.

     

    COP29 – At the UN climate summit in Azerbaijan, COP29, richer countries pledged to grant a record 300 billion dollars to developing countries to help them prepare for and prevent climate change. The decision was made at the end of negotiations that led to the extension of the summit by 33 hours and that almost collapsed. ‘It has been a difficult road, but we have reached an agreement,’ said the head of the UN climate agency, Simon Stiell. The funding promised until 2035 ‘is too weak, too late and too ambiguous’, the Kenyan Ali Mohamed said, speaking on behalf of the group of African countries. His counterpart from Malawi, which represents the 45 poorest countries on the planet, Evans Njewa, denounced the agreement as ‘lacking ambition’.

     

    ICR – The Romanian Cultural Institute announces the official opening, on November 26, of its representative office in Tokyo, Japan. ‘Japan is a center of interest for cultural operators from Romania and I am convinced that ICR Tokyo will significantly contribute to the Romanian presence on the Japanese cultural scene’, ICR president Liviu Jicman said. In turn, the Romanian ambassador to Japan, Ovidiu Raeţchi, conveyed that the opening of the ICR representative office in the Japanese capital is a strategic initiative that aims to strengthen the cultural relations between Romania and Japan, to support international artistic cooperation and to offer the Japanese public the opportunity to discover and appreciate the richness and diversity of the Romanian cultural heritage. The first cultural actions of the new structure will be the exhibition of works from the collection of the Japanese photographer Kosey Miya, which capture the charm of Maramureş, and a concert of the Japanese artist Fumiko Sakura. With the establishment of the Romanian cultural center in Tokyo, the number of ICR representative offices abroad reaches 19.

     

    Rugby – The Romanian national rugby team was defeated by the Uruguayan national team 23-21 (13-13), on Saturday evening, at the Arch of Triumph National Rugby Stadium in Bucharest. The Romanian national team has met Uruguay 14 times so far. Romania won ten of these matches, one ended in a draw, and three were won by the South Americans. Following Saturday evening’s result, Romania ends the November test matches with two victories, against Tonga (25-15) and Canada (35-27), and with a failure, against Uruguay (21-23). (LS)

  • November 5, 2024

    November 5, 2024

     

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION Roxana Mînzatu, Romania’s nominee for European Commissioner for People, Skills and Preparedness is interviewed today by Parliament’s specialist committees. She is one of the six vice-presidents of the European Commission, headed by Ursula von der Layen. Mînzatu aims to make the teaching career more attractive, given that at least 24 EU member states are facing a shortage of teachers, and at the same time to improve the Erasmus+ programme, viewed as far too expensive by many Romanian students. On November 12, next week, Roxana Mînzatu will be heard in the specialist committees of the European Parliament.

     

    DEFENCE “The Romanian and French military are fully engaged in ensuring security and stability in the Black Sea region,” the Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr said in Paris, at a meeting with his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu. The agenda included current topics related to bilateral cooperation, with an emphasis on strategic defence priorities, in the complex security context of the Black Sea region and of the Russian Federation’s continuing war of aggression in Romania’s neighbor, Ukraine. The 2 officials also discussed aspects related to the collaboration between the two states within NATO, the European Union and bilaterally. Minister Tîlvăr was among the Romanian officials accompanying PM Marcel Ciolacu, who met with his counterpart Michel Barnier on Monday.

     

    FINANCE The Romanian finance minister, Marcel Boloş, took part  in Brussels today in the meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, where they discussed VAT in the digital age, the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the annual reporting, EU statistics, international meetings and financing the climate transition. The Council will also pass two legislative acts in the field of insurance.

     

    FORUM Bucharest is hosting the Romania-Japan Energy Forum, an event that brings together companies and public institutions in the field of energy from both countries. The forum stepped up joint projects in the field of energy, in particular the development of new generation nuclear power, the expansion of renewable energy storage capacities, the production of green hydrogen and the implementation of carbon capture, use and storage technologies. As part of the forum, the Romanian energy ministry and the Japanese company Itochu Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the Tarnița-Lăpuștești investment (central Romania), a project of strategic importance for balancing the energy system in Romania in the context of increasing the share of energy from renewable sources. Relations between Romania and Japan were raised to the strategic partnership level on March 7, 2023.

     

    ELECTION DAY US citizens today elect their president. Running for office are vice-president Kamala Harris, supported by the Democratic Party, and the former White House leader Donald Trump, the candidate of the Republican Party. Both finished their campaign in Pennsylvania, a state that could decide who the next president will be. Over 80 million voters have already cast their early vote by mail, a record number that shows interest in this election, seen by many as critical for the future of American democracy. A staggering USD 2.6 bln has been spent in the last eight months to convince the voters. Opinion polls show that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are practically tied.

     

    GEORGIA Thousands of Georgians gathered in the centre of the capital city Tbilisi on Monday evening, to protest the results of the October 26 legislative elections, won by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, and challenged by the opposition, whose supporters are now announcing protests will continue until the election is repeated. The newly elected opposition MPs refused to enter Parliament, and described the election as illegitimate, while Western observers speak of irregularities during the campaign and the vote. The opposition parties, supported by the pro-Western president Salome Zourabichvili, claim that there have been frauds and demand an international investigation or repeat elections under ‘international administration’. Both ideas are rejected by the government. Attending the protest, Salome Zourabichvili told the demonstrators that the Republic of Moldova won, referring to the victory of her pro-European counterpart Maia Sandu, and that “Georgia must not give up either”. Russia dismissed the Georgian opposition’s accusations of meddling in the election process, and the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation last Wednesday to investigate election fraud allegations. (AMP)

  • September 6, 2024

    September 6, 2024

    EXPO “As strategic partners and as NATO allies we stand together in the face of Russia’s unprovoked and illegal aggression to support Ukraine and strengthen collective deterrence and defence within the Alliance”. The statement belongs to the ambassador of the United States in Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec and was made during the photo exhibition marking 25 years of Strategic Partnership between the two countries inaugurated in Galati, Romania’s biggest port on the Danube. Entitled “We the people” the aforementioned photo exhibit is exploring the security, diplomatic, cultural, economic relations between the two peoples.

     

    RELATIONS Romania’s Chamber of Trade and Industry, also known as CCIRR, has extensively promoted the economic relations with Japan and Romania can represent a business opportunity for Japanese companies given the performances obtained by the Romanian entrepreneurs in the fields of IT&C, green energy and innovative technologies – the CCIRR president Mihai Daraban said. On Thursday he had an official meeting with the Japanese ambassador in Bucharest, Katae Takashi, who underlined the importance and potential of the economic cooperation between the two countries. The diplomat says that Japan sees Romania as a strategic partner in Eastern Europe and encourages the Japanese investors to explore the business and investment opportunities here.

     

    EDUCATION Poverty is severely affecting school performance, training practices are discriminatory, some students end up unmotivated and most of them would like to emigrate – a report drawn up by the Save the Children organization says. According to European data, school dropout is affecting an increasing number of Romanian children. A 16% dropout rate was reported among the students in Romania’s secondary education in the 2022-2023 school year and 25% among high-schoolers. High dropout discrepancies have been reported in various environments, 3% in the big cities, 14% in the country’s smaller cities and 27% in the villages. At national level, two out of five students in the country’s secondary education system have failed to pass their final exams. Their number is 2.5% higher in the rural area.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side is today making its debut in the fresh season of the Nations league. The Romanians will be first taking on Kosovo away, while on September 9 they will be playing Lithuania in a home game. Romania’s group C also includes Cyprus. A first place means direct promotion to the B League whereas the runner-up will play a tie match to get promotion. A fourth position means demotion to the D League, whereas a third position will keep our side in the same C League until the next edition. Our side’s qualification for the Nations League’s group will have a direct effect over the European preliminaries for World Cup 2026. The Romanian national side is being coached by a football and coaching legend, Mircea Lucescu, who comes back at its helm after an absence of almost four decades. The former headcoach, Edward Iordanescu, stepped down after Euro 2024, when Romania had made it to the round of 16.

     

    WEATHER The weather remains warm in Romania, but it’s expected to gradually turn unstable. Showers have been reported in the east, south and south-west and are to extend to the other regions in the next couple of hours. The highs of the day are ranging between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius, with 27 degrees in Bucharest at noon. Hydrologists have today issued a code yellow alert for flooding for six counties in the country’s east and south-east.

    (bill)

     

  • March 11, 2024 UPDATE

    March 11, 2024 UPDATE

    Elections – The Romanian government adopted on Monday, in an extraordinary meeting, a decision that establishes the calendar of the combined elections of June 9, 2024. According to the emergency ordinance on holding the two elections simultaneously, recently adopted by the executive, the local officials will be able to run on behalf of another political party if they announce that 45 days before the date of the elections. The document is criticized by the opposition. The United Right Alliance requested the Ombudsman to notify the Constitutional Court in relation to the emergency ordinance on merging the European Parliament elections with the local ones. The representatives of the Alliance state that they have identified provisions in the law adopted on Friday that violate both the Constitution and some previous decisions of the Court.

     

    Protests – The employees of the Romanian healthcare system protested, on Monday, in front of the headquarters of the Government, the Labor Ministry, the Health Ministry and the Parliament, the main dissatisfaction being related to salary incomes. Several thousand trade unionists, members of the Sanitary Solidarity Federation, participated. People continue to be dissatisfied, although the Government approved, last week, an increase in the healthcare staff’s salaries by 20% in two equal installments, in March and June. The trade union representatives believe that the increase is insufficient and state that the extra amounts do not cover the inflation rate. Moreover, they claim that the government’s emergency ordinance does not include any provision regarding increases or the hourly rate of on-call services.

     

    Tennis – After a year and a half break, the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep will return to the tennis courts, the former world leader leaving, this morning, for Miami. The athlete has not played an official match since August 2022 and will now make her debut at the WTA 1000 tournament in the USA (March 17-31). Outside the WTA ranking, Halep received a wildcard from the organizers, an invitation that allows her to be on the main draw of the tournament. We remind you that Simona Halep received the right to return to the tennis court after the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne has recently reduced her suspension for doping from 4 years to 9 months. The athlete managed to prove that the doping substance she unintentionally ingested came from a contaminated food supplement.

     

    Partnership – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, on Monday had a telephone conversation with her Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, in the context of the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and Japan. The economic, sectoral and cultural projects were reviewed and their development opportunities were highlighted. Starting from the interdependence of security situations, the two ministers addressed the latest developments regarding Europe and the Indo-Pacific area. Both sides highlighted Romania’s and Japan’s firm support for Ukraine and each country’s contribution to the effort to mitigate the multiple negative effects of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including on its neighbors.

     

    Moldova – The Constitutional Court in Chişinău decided on Monday that the phrase “Romanian language” should remain in all the legislation of the Republic of Moldova, including the Constitution, the magistrates rejecting a notification submitted by socialist and communist deputies, Radio Chişinău reports. At the end of March last year, the deputies of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BCS) submitted a notification to the Constitutional Court requesting the verification of the constitutionality of the decision to change the name of the state language, from Moldovan to Romanian, in all the legislation of the Republic of Moldova, including in the Constitution. The main argument of the authors of the complaint was that the parliamentary group of the ruling Action and Solidarity party changed the Constitution with the votes of a simple majority of deputies, and not with two-thirds of the votes. The respective bill was voted by the Moldovan Parliament in the final reading last year, and the president Maia Sandu promulgated the law.

     

    NATO – Romania firmly supports the Open Door Policy of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, and “Sweden’s accession proves that NATO’s door remains open and that together we are stronger”, said the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr. On Monday, the ceremony of raising the flags of Sweden, Romania and NATO took place at the Romanian Defense Ministry headquarters, on the occasion of Sweden’s entry into the North Atlantic Alliance, in the presence of the minister and the ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Romania, Therese Hyden. According to a press release, during the ceremony, Angel Tîlvăr declared that Sweden, as a NATO member, will equally contribute both to the development of the Alliance policies and decisions and to the consolidation of allied forces. In turn, Therese Hyden stated that with Sweden’s joining NATO, the North Atlantic Alliance will be stronger and Sweden will be safer.

     

    EC – Romania received, on Monday, 642 million Euros from the European Commission for the Just Transition Platform – FTJ STEP, representing a single exceptional pre-financing within the ‘Strategic Technologies for Europe’ (STEP) platform – the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Adrian Hat announced. The platform will support the development of European industry and the stimulation of investments in critical technologies in Europe. According to the minister, at present, Romania has received sums worth 1.23 billion Euros within the Cohesion Policy 2021 – 2027, and by the end of this year, it will have in its accounts at least 5 billion Euros from the new Cohesion Policy. (LS)

  • January 2, 2024 UPDATE

    January 2, 2024 UPDATE

    QUAKE Romania stands
    by Japan in these difficult moments, the country’s president, Klaus Iohannis,
    said in a message which he conveyed on Tuesday along with condolences for the
    victims’ families. We recall that authorities in that country are in a
    battle against time in their attempt to find survivors after the 7.6 magnitude
    earthquake on Monday, which was followed by many aftershocks. According to
    provisional tolls, scores have been killed and hundreds of buildings destroyed.
    Numerous fires caused by broken pipelines have been reported in the north of
    the Noto peninsula, close to the quake’s epicenter. With sub-zero temperatures
    at night, rescuers are making great efforts to find survivors.






    WEATHER
    According to sources with the Environment Ministry, 2023 was the hottest year
    in the history of Romania’s weather forecasts. The average temperature stood at
    12.5 degrees centigrade, two degrees above the average of the period between
    1981 and 2010. At the same time, the 2012-2023 interval becomes the hottest
    period in the country’s history of weather forecasts. Last Christmas also
    proved to be the hottest since the beginning of weather monitoring in Romania
    with 21 degrees centigrade at Calafat, in the south. And according to
    Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2023 was also the hottest in Europe, where
    experts have again been cautioning against the ongoing global warming, as the
    greenhouse gas emissions are growing. According to Romania’s Environment
    Minister, Mircea Fechet, this means that the extreme weather phenomena will
    increase in frequency and intensity causing more damage and killing more
    people.




    PRICE HIKES The new year has brought a
    series of fiscal amendments to Romanians, ranging from new VAT rises to other
    majored excises and taxes. Fines have also been raised, and companies reporting
    over 50 million euros in turnover will be paying taxes of at least one percent
    of their turnover. Tobacco excises have been raised and so has the VAT, which
    stands between 9 and 19 % in certain products and services. A special tax has
    been introduced for expensive goods, such as houses or cars, and authorities
    have also raised excises for sweet products. Fuel excises are also getting
    higher while experts believe the new fiscal measures will translate into a
    higher inflation rate and a local currency that depreciates against the Euro.
    Romania’s budget deficit this year has been estimated at 5% of the GDP with an
    economic growth of 3.4%. 7% of the country’s GDP has been earmarked for
    investment.






    GAZA Israel has pulled out its
    tanks from some parts of the Gaza city announcing a new stage in its war
    against the terrorist group Hamas. The new change in Israel’s tactics involves
    the partial pull out of its troops from the Gaza Strip and an increased focus
    on smaller-scale targeted operations. Israel says one of the key objectives is
    the complete elimination of the Hamas threat and the release of the hostages
    still kept by the famous terrorist group. According to Radio Romania
    correspondent in Israel, the attempts to release the Israeli hostages, which
    seemed to be compromised at a certain point, have these days been given a fresh
    impetus thanks to the mediation efforts of Qatar and Egypt. The war in Gaza,
    which broke out after the attack on Israel masterminded and conducted by the
    terrorist group Hamas on October 7, when 12 hundred people were killed and 240
    kidnapped, has so far caused the death of roughly 22 thousand Palestinians in
    the Gaza Strip. At the same time, most of the region’s 2.3 million people
    residents has been displaced.




    (bill)

  • January 2, 2024

    January 2, 2024

    PRICE HIKES The new year has brought a
    series of fiscal amendments to the Romanians, ranging from new VAT rises to other
    majored excises and taxes. Fines have also been raised, and companies reporting
    over 50 million euros in turnover will pay taxes of at least one percent of
    their turnover. Tobacco excises have been raised and there are VAT raises
    between 9 and 19 % for certain products and services. A special tax has been
    introduced for expensive goods, such as houses and cars as well as raised
    excises for sweet products. Fuel excises have also been raised and experts
    believe the new fiscal measures will translate into a higher inflation and a depreciated
    local currency against the Euro. Romania’s budget deficit this year has been
    estimated at 5% of the GDP with an economic growth of 3.4%. 7% of the country’s
    GDP has been earmarked for investment.






    QUAKE Authorities in Japan are in
    a battle against time in their attempt to find survivors after the 7.6
    magnitude earthquake on Monday, which was followed by many aftershocks.
    According to provisional tolls, scores have been killed and hundreds of
    buildings destroyed. Numerous fires caused by broken pipelines have been
    reported in the north of the Noto peninsula, close to the quake’s epicenter. As
    temperatures went below zero at night, rescuers are making great efforts to
    find survivors.






    GAZA Israel has pulled out its
    tanks from some parts of the Gaza city announcing a new stage in its war
    against the terrorist group Hamas. The new change in Israel’s tactics involves
    the partial pull out of its troops from the Gaza Strip and an increased focus
    on smaller-scale targeted operations. Israel says one of the key objectives is
    the complete elimination of the Hamas threat and the release of the hostages
    still kept by the famous terrorist group. According to Radio Romania
    correspondent in Israel, the attempts to release the Israeli hostages, which seemed
    to be compromised at a certain point, have these days been given a fresh
    impetus thanks to the mediation efforts of Qatar and Egypt. The war in Gaza,
    which broke out after the attack on Israel masterminded and conducted by the
    terrorist group Hamas on October 7, when 12 hundred people were killed and 240
    kidnapped, has so far caused the death of roughly 22 thousand Palestinians in
    the Gaza Strip. At the same time, most of the region’s 2.3 million people
    residents has been displaced.






    WEATHER The
    weather remains warm in Romania with temperatures higher than those usually
    registered at this time of the year. Showers have been reported in small areas
    in the country’s south-east. Wind has intensified at higher altitudes in the
    mountainous area of the Eastern and Western Carpathians. The highs of the day
    are ranging between 4 and 12 degrees Celsius while the capital city Bucharest
    reports higher temperatures than usual for the winter season, of at least 10-11
    degrees Celsius.




    (bill)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    Romania finished the 2023 World Rowing Under 23 Championships held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, with 2 wins. On Saturday, the Romanian womens quadruple sculls team comprising Emanuela-Ioana Ciotău, Alexandra Ungureanu, Cristina Drugă and Patricia Cireş, won the gold. The next day, in the double sculls race, Andrada-Maria Moroşanu and Iulia-Liliana Bălăucă also won the gold medals. These results placed Romania on the 6th place in the nations ranking, which was topped by Italy with a total of 9 medals, 5 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze.



    The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan won the WTA 125 tournament in Iaşi, which had EUR 100,000 in total prize money. In the final on Sunday, she defeated another Romanian, Irina Begu, 6-2, 6-3, to win the competition in Iaşi for the second year in a row. Bogdan, 30, seed no. 2 in the tournament and currently no. 49 WTA, won the match in 1 h and 24 minutes. Begu, 32, seed no. 1 and no. 31 in the world, won EUR 6,960 and 95 WTA points. Ana Bogdan takes home EUR 13,040 and 160 WTA points. In the same tournaments doubles final, the Romanians Irina Bara and Monica Niculescu were defeated by Veronika Erjavec and Dalila Jakupovic (Slovenia), 6-4, 6-4.



    The World Swimming Championships continue in Fukuoka, Japan. David Popovici, the defending world champion in the 100 and 200m freestyle events, entered the competition on Monday morning. He qualified into the semifinals of the 200m race, with the final scheduled for Tuesday.



    This weekend also saw matches counting towards the second leg of the Romanian football Super League. On Friday Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe won 1-0 on home turf against FC U Craiova 1948, while CFR Arad defeated the local team UTA 3-1. On Saturday, Farul Constanţa beat FC Voluntari 4-1, and FCSB won the derby against Dinamo, 2-1. On Sunday, Hermannstadt outplayed Poli Iaşi 3-1 away from home, with Rapid Bucharest winning the match against Universitatea Cluj 3-0. Three teams are top of the current ranking, with 6 points each: Farul, CFR and FCSB. (AMP)

  • Rumänien und Japan wollen wirtschaftliche Kooperation vertiefen

    Rumänien und Japan wollen wirtschaftliche Kooperation vertiefen





    Mit der Unterzeichnung der Erklärung über die strategische Partnerschaft zwischen Rumänien und Japan in Tokio anlässlich des Besuchs des rumänischen Staatschefs Klaus Johannis werden auch die bilateralen Wirtschaftsbeziehungen vertieft und die beiden Länder werden in Bereichen wie Energie, Forschung und Investitionen besser zusammenarbeiten. Der Beschluss zur Gründung dieser Partnerschaft wurde vor fünf Jahren während des Dialogs zwischen Präsident Klaus Johannis und dem ehemaligen japanischen Premierminister Shinzo Abe in Bukarest gefasst. Es ist nach der Partnerschaft mit Südkorea die zweite strategische Partnerschaft Rumäniens mit einem asiatischen Land.



    Wie die Präsidialverwaltung in Bukarest betonte, stehen die Ziele Rumäniens in dieser Beziehung im Zusammenhang mit dem Status Japans als einer der wichtigsten und innovativsten Volkswirtschaften der Welt und einem der weltweit führenden Investoren. In Rumänien gibt es knapp 400 Unternehmen mit japanischem Kapital, die derzeit mehr als 40.000 Arbeitsplätze schaffen. Das Wachstumspotenzial ist beträchtlich, auch in den innovativsten Bereichen wie in der Entwicklung der SMR-Technologie in Rumänien, d.h. kleine modulare Reaktoren, die zusammen mit den USA hergestellt werden. Weitere Kooperationsbereiche mit Japan sind die Herstellung und der Vertrieb von grünem Wasserstoff, die Herstellung von Hochleistungsoptik, modernster Infrastruktur und die Fertigstellung der U-Bahnlinie M6 in Bukarest.



    Japan ist der grö‎ßte asiatische Investor in Rumänien. Wir freuen uns auf ein weiteres deutliches Wachstum der japanischen Investitionen in unserem Land. Wir schätzen den konstruktiven Ansatz japanischer Unternehmen, die auf dem rumänischen Markt tätig sind und nach den Prinzipien der Nachhaltigkeit agieren“, sagte das rumänische Staatsoberhaupt nach der Unterzeichnung des Dokuments. Als konkretes Beispiel nannte Klaus Johannis den Beitrag japanischer Unternehmen zu komplexen Infrastrukturprojekten, wie dem Bau der Hängebrücke über die Donau in Brăila (im Südosten des Landes). Wir ermutigen Japan, sich weiterhin an Konnektivitätsprojekten zu beteiligen, die nicht nur für Rumänien, sondern auch für die Nachbarländer von Bedeutung sind“, fügte Präsident Johannis hinzu.



    Der japanische Premierminister Fumio Kishida erklärte seinerseits, sein Land freue sich darauf, mit Rumänien als strategischen Partner zusammenzuarbeiten und kooperative Beziehungen in verschiedenen Bereichen wie Sicherheit, Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, Technologie und Kultur aufzubauen. Während seines Besuchs in Japan besuchte Klaus Johannis auch Kyoto, wo er mit lokalen Behörden zusammentraf. Ich hoffe, dass Kyoto bald eine Städtepartnerschaft mit einer rumänischen Stadt eingehen kann, um das unentdeckte menschliche und wirtschaftliche Potenzial zwischen unseren Gemeinschaften in die Praxis umzusetzen“, sagte Johannis in diesem Zusammenhang.

  • March 8, 2023 UPDATE

    March 8, 2023 UPDATE

    Visit – President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday had meetings with the local authorities of Kyoto. In this context, he said Romania and Japan are closer than ever, and voiced his hope that Kyoto and a city in Romania will soon become twin cities. “It is important that we rely on each other to safeguard the fundamental values that define us-the will for peace and security, freedom, democracy and human rights, and a rule-based international order, the Romanian president said. In turn, the Japanese officials praised Romania as an important partner for Japan, sharing fundamental values like freedom, democracy and the rule of law. The talks were the last stage in the Romanian presidents visit to Japan. The main goal of the Asian tour was to elevate the bilateral relation to a strategic partnership level. A document in this respect, the outcome of 5 years of negotiations and consultations, was signed on Tuesday in Tokyo, during a meeting with the Japanese PM, Fumio Kishida. The Romanian president was also received by Emperor Naruhito. On Thursday and Friday Klaus Iohannis will be on a state visit to Singapore, where he is scheduled to have talks with president Halimah Yacob and the PM Lee Hsien Loong.



    Government – The reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be completed, the finance minister Adrian Câciu promised the Senate. Speaking at the Government Hour on Wednesday, he also said economic performance is good and the budget deficit will be narrowed. According to minister Câciu, Romania has a structural deficiency and permanent expenses that require higher financing. As for interest rates, they are becoming more stable as the inflation rate is also coming under control. The ministers presence in Parliament was requested by the opposition Save Romania Union, which asked minister Câciu to explain why Romanias budget deficit has reached record-high levels, and financing costs are among the highest in the EU. The USR Senator Anca Dragu warned that Romania has borrowed huge amounts, at very high interest rates, which Romanians will have to repay for the next 30 years. The Alliance for the Union of Romania Senator Claudiu Târziu said in his turn that in his opinion the finance ministrys forecasts are empty words, and citizens are still overburdened with taxes.



    Women – Women in public life, including journalists, human rights activists and women in politics, are particularly targeted by intimidation, hate speech and sexual harassment, reads a joint statement signed by over 20 embassies in Bucharest and the representative office of the European Commission in Romania. In their message on International Womens Day on March 8, the signatories say these practices require firm and immediate response, and the perpetrators must be held accountable. The text also reiterates commitment to ensuring gender equality and to fully respecting and safeguarding the rights of women as human rights. We call on all states to do the same: gender equality and equity should benefit not only girls and women, but society as a whole, men and boys included, the embassies and the representative office of the European Commission in Romania point out. The signatories include the embassies of Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Republic of Korea and the US.




    Danube – Ukraine will cease all types of dredging on the Danubes Chilia arm and Bystroe Canal, the Romanian transport ministry announced after the trilateral meeting in Ismail, Ukraine, attended by representatives of Romania, Ukraine and the European Commission. Also, on March 15, measurements will begin on Chilia and Bystroe. The EU officials agreed with Romanias requests and emphasized that the top priority is to improve the capacity of the other Danube arm, Sulina, given that over half of the cargo transport from Ukraine via so-called “solidarity corridors” takes place on the Danube. Ukraine has recently conducted dredging described as legal, maintenance operations, but Romania argues that dredging went significantly over the allowed depth of 3.5m, which would have a major impact on the Danube Delta ecosystem, currently a UNESCO world heritage site.



    Eurostat – Greece (1.4%), Malta (1.2%), Cyprus (1.1%) and Romania (1%) had the most significant economic growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2022, as compared to the previous three months – show data published on Wednesday by Eurostat. The economy of the euro zone stagnated, and the gross domestic product of the European Union contracted in the last three months of last year by 0.1% as compared to the previous quarter. Also on Wednesday, Eurostat announced that the number of employed persons increased by 0.3% both in the euro zone and in the EU during the analyzed period. Romania is among the countries where the number of employed people had an increase similar to the EU average, 0.3%.



    Brussels – The European Commission has approved a contribution of over 160 million Euros, from the Cohesion Fund, for better and larger sewerage networks in Iaşi County in eastern Romania. “The project will improve public health and the quality of life of the population, through clean drinking water and the proper collection and treatment of wastewater, leading to fewer pollutants in the soil, groundwater and rivers,” said Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira. The project mentions hundreds of km of main pipes, distribution network for water supply and sewerage. Water treatment plants, storage tanks, pumping stations, and many more will also be built. The investment will contribute to Romanias compliance with the EU directives on drinking water and urban waste water, and all social groups in the region will benefit from it and jobs will be created, shows a press release from Brussels. (AMP, LS)

  • March 8, 2023

    March 8, 2023

    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis Wednesday had meetings with the local
    authorities of Kyoto. In this context, he said Romania and Japan are closer
    than ever, and voiced his hope that Kyoto and a city in Romania will soon become
    twin towns. It is important that we rely on each other to safeguard the
    fundamental values that define us-the will for peace and security, freedom,
    democracy and human rights, and a rule-based international order, the Romanian
    president said. In turn, the Japanese officials praised Romania as an important
    partner for Japan, sharing fundamental values like freedom, democracy and the
    rule of law. The talks were the last stage in the Romanian president’s visit to
    Japan. The main goal of the Asian tour was to elevate the bilateral relation to
    a strategic partnership level. A document in this respect, the outcome of 5
    years of negotiations and consultations, was signed on Tuesday in Tokyo, during
    a meeting with the Japanese PM, Fumio Kishida. The head of the Romanian state
    was also received by Emperor Naruhito. On Thursday and Friday Klaus Iohannis will
    be on a state visit to Singapore, where he is scheduled to have talks with
    president Halimah Yacob and PM Lee Hsien Loong.


    GOVERNMENT The
    reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be completed, the finance
    minister Adrian Câciu promised the Senate. Speaking at the Government Hour today,
    he also said economic performance is good and the budget deficit will be narrowed.
    According to minister Câciu, Romania has a structural deficiency and permanent
    expenses that require higher financing. As for interest rates, they are becoming
    more stable as the inflation rate is also coming under control. The minister’s
    presence in Parliament was requested by Save Romania Union in opposition, which
    asked minister Câciu to explain why Romania’s budget deficit has reached
    record-high levels, and financing costs are among the highest in the EU. The
    USR Senator Anca Dragu warned that Romania has borrowed huge amounts, at very
    high interest rates, which Romanians will have to repay for the next 30 years.
    The AUR Senator Claudiu Târziu said in his turn that in his opinion the finance
    ministry’s forecasts are empty words, and citizens are still overburdened with
    taxes.


    WOMEN Women in public life, including journalists,
    human rights activists and women in politics, are particularly targeted by
    intimidation, hate speech and sexual harassment, reads a joint statement signed
    by over 20 embassies in Bucharest and the representative office of the European
    Commission in Romania. In their message on International Women’s Day on March
    8, the signatories say these practices require firm and immediate response, and
    the perpetrators must be held accountable. The text also reiterates commitment
    to ensuring gender equality and to fully respecting and safeguarding the rights
    of women as human rights. We call on all states to do the same: gender equality
    and equity benefit not only girls and women, but society as a whole, men and
    boys included, the embassies and the representative office of the European
    Commission in Romania point out. The signatories include the embassies of Austria,
    Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Republic of Korea and the
    US.


    FAIR A Spring Fair has been opened in Bucharest today,
    as part of a larger campaign to promote Romanian produce and to improve
    Romanians’ access to locally-sourced, high-quality foodstuff. Taking part in
    the Fair are over 30 local producers from north-western and central Romania,
    selling meat and dairy products, fruit and vegetables, preserves and drinks. Traditional
    music and dance performances will also be organised during the 5-day long event.


    DANUBE Ukraine will cease all dredging on the Danube’s
    Chilia branch and Bystroe Canal, the Romanian transport ministry announced
    after the trilateral meeting in Ismail, Ukraine, attended by representatives of
    Romania, Ukraine and the European Commission. Also, on March 15, measurements
    will begin on Chilia and Bystroe. The EU officials agreed with Romania’s
    requests and emphasised that the top priority is to improve the capacity of the
    other Danube branch, Sulina, given that over half of the cargo transport from
    Ukraine via so-called solidarity corridors takes place on the Danube. Ukraine
    has recently conducted dredging described as legal, maintenance operations, but
    Romania argues that dredging went significantly over the allowed depth of 3.5m,
    which would have a major impact on the Danube Delta ecosystem, currently a UNESCO
    world heritage site.


    TALKS The Romanian Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken Monday
    discussed over the phone about priority topics for the bilateral Strategic
    Partnership, in the context of the war in Ukraine. The 2 officials
    appreciated the frequency of Romanian-American meetings over the past year as a
    indication of the level and depth of the strategic partnership between the 2
    countries. The agenda of the talks also included the strengthening of NATO’s
    eastern flank, the new US strategy for the Black Sea and the situation in the Republic
    of Moldova. Bogdan Aurescu also reiterated the importance of including Romania
    in the Visa Waiver programme. (AMP)

  • Nachrichten 06.03.2023

    Nachrichten 06.03.2023

    Am Montag, dem ersten Tag seines offiziellen Besuchs in Japan, traf Staatspräsident Klaus Iohannis mit dem Präsidenten des japanischen Abgeordnetenhauses, Hidehisa Otsuji, sowie dem Präsidenten des Repräsentantenhauses, Hiroyuki Hosoda, zusammen. Beide Seiten diskutierten über die strategische Partnerschaft zwischen Rumänien und Japan sowie die regionale Sicherheitslage. Japan betonte, dass die strategische Partnerschaft neue Möglichkeiten für die Zusammenarbeit auf den Gebieten Wirtschaft, Handel, Forschung und Innovation eröffne. Die japanischen Vertreter äußerten ihre Anerkennung für die anhaltenden Bemühungen Rumäniens zur Unterstützung der Ukraine. Sie betonten, dass Japan und Rumänien dieselbe Vision und denselben Ansatz verfolgen. Am Dienstag wird Klaus Iohannis von Japans Kaiser Naruhito empfangen. Anschließend wird er mit dem japanischen Premierminister Fumio Kishida zusammentreffen, um die gemeinsame Erklärung zur Gründung der strategischen Partnerschaft zwischen Rumänien und Japan zu unterzeichnen. Am Mittwoch wird der Präsident mit Vertretern der lokalen Behörden in Kyoto zusammenkommen. Am Donnerstag und Freitag wird Iohannis Singapur einen Staatsbesuch abstatten, den Ersten auf dieser Ebene seit 20 Jahren, wo er offizielle Gespräche mit Präsidentin Halimah Yacob und Premierminister Lee Hsien Loong führen wird.



    Experten aus Rumänien und der Ukraine treffen sich am heutigen Montag, um die Pläne für die Messungen am Bastroe-Kanal, am Chilia-Arm der Donau zu besprechen. Diese werden voraussichtlich am 15. März beginnen und 10 Tage dauern. In Bukarest werden auch europäische Beamte eintreffen, um Informationen von rumänischen und ukrainischen Behörden einzuholen. Die Behörden in Bukarest befürchten, dass die Ukrainer die Fahrrinne des Bastroe-Kanals zu stark vertieft haben könnten, was negative Auswirkungen auf die Ökosysteme des Donaudeltas nach sich ziehen könnte. Die Vertiefung des Bastroe-Kanals würde die Durchfahrt großer Handelsschiffe ermöglichen. Der Sulina-Kanal ist jedoch der einzige Kanal für den Seegüterverkehr im Donaudelta.



    Die Abgeordnetenkammer debattiert über den Antrag gegen Arbeitsminister Marius Budăi, der von den Abgeordneten der ökoliberalen USR und der rechtsorientierten Partei Forta Dreptei eingebracht wurde, und am Dienstag darüber abstimmen. Der einfache Antrag mit dem Titel Marius Budăi – Minister zur Rettung der Sonderrenten sollte ursprünglich letzte Woche debattiert werden. Dem Arbeitsminister wird vorgeworfen, keinen wirklichen Plan zur Abschaffung der Sonderrenten ausgearbeitet zu haben und die Abschaffung dieser Privilegien absichtlich zu verzögern. Das Gesetz über die Sonderrenten liegt bereits seit einiger Zeit im Parlament. In den kommenden Tagen wird das Finanzministerium die Auswirkungen dieser auf den Haushalt erläutern. Im Senat wird Finanzminister Adrian Câciu voraussichtlich erklären, warum das rumänische Haushaltsdefizit Rekordwerte erreicht hat und die Finanzierungskosten zu den höchsten in der EU gehören.



    Die rumänischen Behörden planen, die chinesische Social-Media-App TikTok auf den Diensttelefonen der öffentlichen Angestellten zu verbieten. Die Entscheidung wurde aufgrund von Bedenken hinsichtlich der Cybersicherheit von der Kommission und dem Europäischen Parlament getroffen. Der Minister für Forschung, Innovation und Digitalisierung, Sebastian Burduja, hat angekündigt, dass das Verbot der chinesischen App von allen Behörden in Rumänien in Betracht gezogen wird. Premierminister Nicolae Ciucă und der Vorsitzende der Abgeordnetenkammer, Marcel Ciolacu, erklärten ihrerseits, dass Rumänien den gleichen Ansatz wie die europäischen Institutionen verfolgen solle. TikTok könnte auch in den Vereinigten Staaten verboten werden. Im Kongress wurde ein Gesetzentwurf eingebracht, der dem US-Präsidenten die Befugnis geben würde, die App vollständig zu verbieten.



    In Rumänien ist das Wetter im Süden und Südosten wärmer als normal. Im Norden und Nordwesten werden Normalwerte verzeichnet. Im Westen, in der Mitte und im Norden des Landes ist der Himmel meist bewölkt, und es werden Niederschläge gemeldet, vor allem in der zweiten Hälfte des Tages. Im Norden, in der Mitte und vereinzelt im Osten fallen Niederschläge in Form von Schnee, im Gebirge als Schnee. Der Himmel in den übrigen Landesteilen ist bewölkt und mit Wolken und leichtem Regen im Süden und Südosten. Der Wind weht schwach bis mäßig, mit zeitweiliger Verstärkung im Gebirge, vor allem in höheren Lagen. Die Höchsttemperaturen lagen zwischen 4 und 13 Grad Celsius. In Bukarest wurden am Mittag 9 Grad Celsius gemessen.


  • March 4, 2023

    March 4, 2023

    Earthquake — Today it’s 46 years since the devastating earthquake of March 4, 1977, in Romania. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale, was strongly felt throughout the country, especially in the south and east. More than 1,500 people lost their lives then, most of them in Bucharest. Most of the deaths in Bucharest occurred as a result of the total or partial collapse of dozens of buildings. The 1977 earthquake had its epicenter in the Vrancea area (east), the most active in Romania. However, recent earthquakes in the south, where such phenomena are very rare, prompted the authorities to start a national campaign to evaluate the buildings where schools and hospitals are operating, to see if they are vulnerable to earthquakes. If this is the case, they will be refurbished, after previously identifying the funding sources. In Bucharest, the first rapid visual evaluations of buildings ahead of the consolidation process are to begin by September. Among the buildings that will have priority are the blocks of flats with at least three stories built before 1968, as well as the buildings where educational or medical units are operating. The World Bank estimates that there are 20,000 buildings vulnerable to earthquakes in Bucharest.



    Greece — A Romanian citizen was identified among the people who died following the serious railway accident that took place in Greece, on the night of February 28 to March 1, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced today. The Consulate General of Romania in Thessaloniki has informed the family of the deceased person, with whom they are in direct contact. The repatriation of the body will be carried out after the completion, by the Greek authorities, of all the specific procedures in such special situations, shows a Foreign Ministry press release. On Friday, more than 5,000 people demonstrated in Athens and Thessaloniki in memory of the 57 people who lost their lives in the railway accident on the railway line connecting the two cities. Violence was reported between the demonstrators and the police, who resorted to tear gas. The “Hellenic Train” company is accused of negligence that led to this catastrophe. The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appointed a commission of experts to investigate the causes of the accident.




    Visit – The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will travel to Japan on Monday, where he will pay a three-day official visit, during which he will have meetings with Emperor Naruhito and the Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The main aim of the visit is to raise the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership, by signing a joint declaration in this regard. Also next week, after the visit to Japan, president Klaus Iohannis will also pay a state visit to Singapore, the first at this level in the last 20 years. The visit is aimed at initiating bilateral investment projects, given that Romania has become the third largest supplier of IT services to Singapore from the European Union.



    Gaudeamus — In Craiova (south), the first stage of the Gaudeamus Book Fair Caravan, organized by Radio Romania, is taking place, which marks both the beginning of the national book fair season and of the spring season. Opened on March 1, the Fair is waiting for literature lovers until Sunday with almost 14,000 books published by over 50 of the most prestigious publishing houses in Romania and abroad, with games, teaching aid equipment and music, with debates, book launches and presentations and prize contests. For the first time in the history of almost three decades and 133 editions of the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair, the honorary president of the Craiova Fair is a very young writer – Jonathan Agostino Ottobrino, a student who, up to the age of 12, has already had many achievements, having published two volumes and having won numerous literary prizes. After Craiova, Radio Romania will also organize Gaudeamus Book Fairs in Cluj-Napoca (north-west) in April, Oradea (west) in May, Sibiu (center) in August and Iasi (east) in September. (LS)