Radio România Internațional

Tag: July 14

  • July 14, 2018 UPDATE

    July 14, 2018 UPDATE

    France — The French ambassador to Romania, Mrs. Michele Ramis, said Saturday at the reception given on the occasion of France’s National Day that France needed a Europe that protects citizens, and Romania is a visible partner in this project. Mrs. Ramis recalled that 2018 marks the 10th anniversary of the two countries’ strategic partnership. The French official hailed the Romanian people’s European spirit and their resilience in front of nationalism and euro-skepticism. Michele Ramis talked about the success of the Romanian presidency, next year, in the direction of a Europe of convergence, protective and stronger in the world, based on common values. Attending the reception at the French embassy, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said that at end of November he would open, in Paris, together with the French President Emmanuel Macron, the season France-Romania. President Iohannis expressed conviction that, in the spirit of their historic fraternity, Romania and France will contribute to the success of re-launching the project of a stronger Union. In another development, trade exchanges between France and Romania increased by 4.4% in 2017 as compared to 2016, reaching 7.8 billion Euros, showed the French Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Romania. There are almost 3 thousand French companies operating in Romania, with a total of direct investments of 4.2 billion Euros.



    Venice Commission — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, believes that the preliminary opinion of the Venice Commission related to the changes made to the justice laws is an extremely worrying signal regarding the independence of the judiciary and calls on Parliament not to ignore these recommendations. According to the Presidential Administration, the Venice Commission confirms the points of view expressed by civil society in Romania, by the Supreme Council of Magistracy, by judges and prosecutors as well as by the Romanian president, including through notifications related to the unconstitutional character of these modifications and the requests for re-examination of these laws. The Venice Commission recommends the Romanian authorities to reconsider the modifications to the justice laws mainly in relation to the appointment and dismissal of chief prosecutors of the main prosecutors’ offices. According to these modifications, the Romanian president can refuse the appointment made by the justice minister only once and providing solid arguments. The European experts also recommend the authorities to give up the scheme for the early retirement of magistrates which would entail a massive depopulation of courts and also to give up the idea of setting up a special section for investigating magistrates. The opposition National Liberal Party has called on the Constitutional Court to take note of the preliminary report on the justice laws. Social Democrat MP Eugen Nicolicea, the president of the legal commission in the Chamber of Deputies, claims the Venice Commission’s preliminary report runs counter to a previous report related to European standards regarding the independence of the judiciary.



    Football – Belgium defeated England, Saturday, 2-0, in the third-place playoff of the World Football Championship hosted by Russia, thus obtaining the bronze. Belgium already played in a third-place playoff at the 1986 World Cup, when it was defeated by France. A world champion in 1966 England fought for bronze in 1990 but it was defeated by Italy. Sunday will see the final that will pit France against Croatia for which qualification to the final is a premier. France won the world title in 1998, when it organized the final tournament, and Croatia won the bronze.



    Fitch Ratings — The Fitch Rating agency has confirmed the ratings for Bucharest’s long term credits in hard currency and local currency at BBB-stable, shows a communiqué of the rating agency. Fitch ratings has also confirmed the F3 rating for currency on short term. The confirmation of the ratings reflects Bucharest’s robust operational performance, the moderate level of debt in relation to its operational balance and current revenues. The rating also includes the solid taxation base, due to Bucharest’s welfare level, which is substantially higher than the national average. The negative side of it is that the rating reflects the dependence of operational revenues on economic cycles and the uncertainties related to contingent debt, shows the Fitch Ratings. Following the 2016 local elections, an ambitious and modern plan for investments was adopted, with the leftist government willing to further develop the city infrastructure, mainly the road infrastructure, Fitch Ratings reports.



    Kidnapping — The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Saturday activated a crisis cell to deal with the situation of the Romanian citizen who, according to the international press, ws abducted in Libya. According to a foreign ministry communiqué, the crisis cell started the urgent verification to assess the situation. The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said that the top priority was to verify whether a Romanian citizen was indeed taken hostage, what his situation was and what group is involved in the kidnapping. The case is being managed by the Romanian Embassy to Libya relocated in Tunis. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry officials the maximum alert level was set up for Libya in 2015. According to international news agencies at least two people, among whom a Romanian engineer, were abducted Saturday by an armed group in an attack on an oilfield in the southwest of Libya.



    Pollution — Between 2015-2016 Romania, Poland, Spain and Great Britain reported the biggest reduction of sulfur oxides emissions, a high reduction being operated in the energy sector, shows a report of the European Environment Agency. Nevertheless Romania still reports the 6th highest level of sulfur oxides emissions in the EU, after the levels reported by Poland, Great Britain, Spain, France and Germany. Also Romania reports the 11th highest level of NOx nitrogen oxides emissions, which is on a downward trend, oxides that contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain. (news translated and updated by L. Simion)

  • July 14, 2017 UPDATE

    July 14, 2017 UPDATE


    SABER GUARDIAN– The Romanian Foreign Ministry has hailed the 2017 Saber Guardian multinational military exercise, held on Romanias territory by the United States Ground and Service Forces Europe. According to a Ministry press release, the exercise brings together over 20 NATO and partner states, with a significant number of troops and technical equipment, being the largest and most comprehensive military exercise hosted by Romania in recent years. Saber Guardian is a key military exercise, contributing to consolidating defense and deterrence capabilities on NATOs eastern flank and to developing interoperability between participant countries. The exercise is also a sign of solidarity, highlighting the robust trans-Atlantic relation and the bilateral strategic partnership between Romania and the United States, signed 20 years ago.



    NATO – Romania is a constant and reliable partner, said in Bucharest on Friday the chairman of the NATO military committee General Petr Pavel. He appreciated Romanias contribution to sharing responsibilities within NATO, both by allocating 2% of the GDP to defense and by participating in military missions and operations. General Petr Pavel mentioned the presence of Romanian soldiers in missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, but also in the standing NATO maritime groups. Also, Romania plays host to the missile defense shield in Deveselu, in the south. The NATO official also mentioned Romanian soldiers participation in numerous drills and exercises, such as the one that is unfolding these days under the name of Saber Guardian.



    JULY 14 – The National Day of France was celebrated on Friday at the French Embassy in Bucharest. The theme of the event was sport, and guests of honour were big Romanian and French athletes. The reception was attended by the new Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose. He stated that, for two hundred years, Romania and France had overcome many obstacles thanks to the values they shared and the solid friendship between them. The Romanian Prime Minister extended an invitation to his French counterpart Edouard Phillipe to come and visit Bucharest. In turn, the French ambassador Michel Ramis said that the strategic partnership between France and Romania, concluded in 2008, was based on three pillars: proximity, the European family and the economic-industrial partnership. According to the Ambassador, there are some 2,400 French companies active in Romania, which circulate 4 billion Euros worth of direct investments. Thus France is the 5th largest foreign investor in Romania. Michel Ramis also said that Bucharest could count on Frances full support in its preparation for taking over the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019.



    SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – The Romanian Minister of the Environment Gratiela Gavrilescu will attend the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development hosted by New York between the 17th and the 21st of July. The event is organised under the aegis of the UN Economic and Social Council. The main issue on the agenda is eradication of poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world. According to a communiqué issued by the Ministry of the Environment, at the event in New York 44 states will present national reports on the implementation of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development. The ministers meeting will be held on July 19-20, and the participants will sign a joint declaration.



    WORLD EXHIBITION– Romanias pavilion at the World Exhibition hosted by Astana, Kazakhstan, is visited on average by 1,500 visitors per day, Mihail Dediu, the head of the Romanian delegation told Radio Romania. The theme this year is the energy of tomorrow. Romanias pavilion is devoted to the high-power laser in Magurele, southern Romania, the largest research project in Romania in the last 50 years. Romania thus wants to promote Romanias potential for innovation in the field of research, Mihail Dediu said.



    CLIMATE CHANGE– Climate change will prompt a swift temperature spike, intensifying extreme meteorological phenomena and heavy downpours, causing crop failures and coral loss in the Asia-Pacific area, climate experts have warned. These developments are the result of the failure to observe the Paris Accord on Climate Change. Signed in 2015 and enacted in November 2016, the agreement provides for keeping a global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius as compared to pre-industrial levels. To reach this target, swifter and harsher measures are needed, climate experts argue. If the worlds population keeps emitting greenhouse gases fueling global warming, the average global temperature will rise by at least 4 degrees by the end of the century, and even by 6 degrees Celsius in some regions.



    FOOTBALL– Romanias champion FC Viitorul Constanta will play against the winner of the match between APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus and F19 Dudelange of Luxembourg, in the third preliminary round of the Champions League. Vice-champion FCSB (former Steaua Bucharest) will also play in the third round against the Czechs from FC Viktoria Plzen. In Europa Leauge, CS Universitatea Craiova will taken on the Italian AC Milan and FC Dinamo Bucharest will play against Athletic Bilbao. On Thursday, the Romanian football club Astra Giurgiu defeated 3-1 Zira FK of Azerbaijan in the first leg of the Europa League second preliminary round. The return leg will be played on July 20 in Baku.



    WIMBLEDON — The pair made up of Monica Niculescu of Romania and Hao-Ching Chan of Taiwan on Friday qualified for the Wimbledon doubles final, after defeating Markota Ninomiya of Japan and Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic 2-1. Niculescu and Chan will play the final against the Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. This is Niculescu’s best performance in a Grand Slam doubles competition, after reaching the Roland Garros quarterfinals in 2010 and the Australian Open quarterfinals in 2012. The best-rated player from Romania right now, Simona Halep, WTA no. 2, was knocked out in the quarterfinals after losing to Johanna Konta of Great Britain.



  • July 14, 2017

    July 14, 2017

    SABER GUARDIAN — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has hailed the 2017 Saber Guardian multinational military exercise, held on Romania’s territory by the United States Ground and Service Forces Europe. According to a Ministry press release, the exercise brings together over 20 NATO and partner states, with a significant number of troops and technical equipment, being the largest and most comprehensive military drill hosted by Romania in recent years. Saber Guardian is a key military exercise, contributing to consolidating defense and deterrence capabilities on NATO’s eastern flank and to developing interoperability between participant countries. The exercise is also a sign of solidarity, highlighting the robust trans-Atlantic relation and the bilateral strategic partnership between Romania and the United States, signed 20 years ago.



    JULY 14 — The National Day of France is today marked at the French Embassy in Bucharest. The theme at this year’s cocktail party is sports, with famous Romanian and French athletes among the guests of honor. Attending the event will be Prime Minister Mihai Tudose. Last week former Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu met in Paris with his counterpart, Edouard Philippe. It was the first official meeting for Philippe after taking over as Prime Minister in May. Romania currently has a strategic bilateral partnership with France, signed in 2008.



    ROMANIAN-FRENCH RELATIONS — Romania plays a key role in Central and Eastern Europe, promoting fundamental European values, French Ambassador to Bucharest Michele Ramis said. In an interview to RFI, Ramis said she wants to strengthen bilateral economic relations, which are good right now against the backdrop of economic growth in Romania. On the other hand, France will support Romania in preparing its term at the helm of the European Council in the first semester of 2019, Michele Ramis said.



    WORLD EXHIBITION — Romania’s pavilion at the World Exhibition hosted by Astana, Kazakhstan, has a daily average number of 1,500 visitors, Mihail Dediu, the head of the Romanian delegation told Radio Romania. The theme this year is the energy of tomorrow. Romania’s pavilion is devoted to the high-power laser in Magurele, southern Romania, the largest research project in Romania in the last 50 years. Romania thus wants to promote Romania’s potential for innovation in the field of research, Mihail Dediu said.



    CLIMATE CHANGE — Climate change will prompt a swift temperature spike, intensifying extreme meteorological phenomena and heavy downpours, causing crop failures and coral loss in the Asia-Pacific area, climatologists have warned. These developments are the result of the failure to observe the Paris Accord on Climate Change. Signed in 2015 and enacted in November 2016, the agreement provides for keeping a global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius as compared to pre-industrial levels. To reach this target, swifter and harsher measures are needed, climate experts argue. If the world’s population keeps emitting greenhouse gases fueling global warming, the average global temperature will rise by at least 4 degrees by the end of the century, and even by 6 degrees Celsius in some regions.



    WIMBLEDON — The pair made up of Monica Niculescu of Romania and Hao-Ching Chan of Taiwan is today playing Markota Ninomiya of Japan and Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic in the women’s doubles semi-finals at Wimbledon. Niculescu and Chan previously knocked out Catherine Bellis of the United States and Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic. This is Niculescu’s best performance in a Grand Slam doubles competition, after reaching the Roland Garros quarterfinals in 2010 and the Australian Open quarterfinals in 2012. The best-rated player from Romania right now, Simona Halep, WTA no. 2, was knocked out in the quarterfinals after losing to Johanna Konta of Great Britain.



    FOOTBALL — Romanian football club Astra Giurgiu defeated 3-1 Zira FK of Azerbaijan in the first leg of the Europa League second preliminary round. The return leg will be played on July 20 in Baku. The other teams representing Romania in Europa League are Dinamo Bucharest and CSU Craiova. Playing in the Champions League preliminaries will be Viitorul Constanta and FCSB. (Translated by V. Palcu)