Radio România Internațional

Tag: Kim Jong Un

  • February 26, 2019 UPDATE

    February 26, 2019 UPDATE

    MEETING – US President Donald Trump arrived on Tuesday in Hanoi, to meet with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The latter has traveled to Hanoi by train. The journey from Pyongyang to Vietnam took more than two days and traversed about 4,000 km. Kim Jong-un will meet the US president for a brief one-on-one conversation, followed by a social dinner. The two leaders’ meeting comes eight months after the historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, which failed to produce concrete results on a path to denuclearisation.



    B9 – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday will attend the Bucharest Format (B9) Summit to take place in Kosice, Slovakia, the Presidential Administration has announced. Attending the event will also be heads of state from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia, as well as the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Approached at the meeting will be major topics on the NATO agenda, with a focus on security situation in the Alliance’s vicinity, including in the Black Sea area, on combating hybrid threats and strengthening resilience, in the current international context.



    JUDICIARY-The Romanian Judge Forum and the “Movement for Safeguarding the Status of Prosecutors” believe the Justice Minister’s proposal to pass a memorandum giving the Higher Council of Magistracy reasonable time to issue advisory opinions is not enough. Judges and prosecutors stress that magistrates are also disgruntled with the newly set up special division investigating offences in the justice system. On Monday, after a meeting of representatives of judges and prosecutors with PM Viorica Dancila, Minister Toader announced that a dialogue mechanism would be in place to ensure that the bills drafted by the government reach the Council at least 5 days ahead, so that they may be analysed, discussed and approved. He also said the Cabinet would scrap an article in the recent emergency decree, which allowed judges to become chiefs of prosecutor’s offices and which gave the Council plenum, rather than its prosecutor division, the authority to approve the appointment of senior prosecutors. Also on Monday President Klaus Iohannis asked the Cabinet to cancel the decree. Previously, magistrates in several major cities had protested against the new changes in the justice laws, and some prosecutor’s offices suspended work this week. The Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and terrorism also decided, for the first time ever, to suspend its activity until March 8, and to only deal with emergencies in this period. Civil society also rallied on Sunday night, in the capital Bucharest and other important cities.



    EPPO – The former chief of Romania’s National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruţa Kovesi was heard on Tuesday by the Committee on Civil Liberties and the Committee on Budgetary Control in the European Parliament, as part of the selection of the first-ever European Chief Prosecutor. A French and a German prosecutor have also been shortlisted for this position. The new European Chief Prosecutor is appointed by the European Parliament and the Council. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office will be an independent body in charge with investigating and prosecuting crimes involving EU funds, including fraud, corruption and cross-border VAT fraud of over 100 million euros. The list of offences may be broadened in the future to include terrorism. The EPPO is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2020.



    ELECTIONS-The pro-Russian Socialist president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, warned that unless parties agreed to form a government coalition after the inconclusive ballot on Sunday, he would call for early elections. His party came first, with 35 out of 101 seats in Parliament, followed by the ruling Democratic Party with 30 seats, and the pro-European Opposition with 26. OSCE observers noticed cases of vote buying, abusive use of administrative resources and obstruction of the voting process in the diaspora, but say that overall the election respected fundamental rights.



    ENERGY – Romania’s National Energy Regulatory Authority has decided to keep the current regulated electricity tariffs in place for household end-users after March 1. Following the enforcement of Decree 114, only the distribution tariffs are to be raised, by an average 2.5%. The Energy Minister Anton Anton explained that the Authority had been consulted prior to the adoption of the Decree last year, so as to make sure that household users are not affected by prospective price hikes.



    BORDER– Over 60 million people and more than 16 million vehicles entered and left Romanian territory last year, with a substantial increase in transit over the border with the Republic of Moldova as well. According to a report made public by the Border Police Inspectorate General, in 2018, over 25% of the total number of crimes reported in Romanian checkpoints took place on the Moldovan border. Checks identified nearly 3,000 Romanian and foreign citizens subject to APBs, the report also says. (Translated by Elena Enache)


  • January 8, 2019

    January 8, 2019

    EU COUNCIL The Romanian minister delegate for European Affairs is taking part in Brussels in the meeting of the General Affairs Council presided for the first time by Romania. Bucharest will present on this occasion its priorities as holder of the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The agenda of the meeting also includes the 2021-2027 financial framework, as well as measures to fight online manipulation, in the context of the elections for the European Parliament due in May. The visit of the College of European Commissioners to Bucharest on January 10th and 11th, marks the official launch of the Romanian Presidency in Bucharest, minister Ciamba added. The 4 pillars of the Romanian presidency are “Europe of convergence, “A safer Europe, “Europa – a stronger regional actor, and “Europe of shared values. Bucharest has earmarked a budget of 60-80 million euros for its EU Council presidency.




    CHILD ALLOWANCES The Romanians working in Austria whose child allowances for the children left in their home country were cut down further to legislative changes in the host country may request support from SOLVIT Romania, which is subordinated to the Foreign Ministry. SOLVIT is a network set up and coordinated by the European Commission in the field of the internal market, which relies on the cooperation of the 31 Centres that are part of the public administration of the countries affiliated to the European Economic Area. Specifically, where a violation is identified, SOLVIT Romania will contact SOLVIT Austria, which is in charge with contacting the relevant national authority in order to identify a solution to the problem. Moreover, Romanian authorities are also currently working with the European Commission with respect to the Austrian legislative measures that lower the child allowances paid to Romanian workers in Austria to the level of the child allowances paid in Romania.




    COHESION Romania will be earmarked 31 billion euro under the Cohesion Policy, in 2021 – 2027, which is 8% more than in the 2014 – 2020 period, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu announced. The cohesion policy has the largest budget for the post-2020 period, namely 373 billion euro, and Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Italy and Finland will receive higher amounts than in the current period, the European official said. According to Corina Cretu, the European Commission wants 3-party negotiations with the European Parliament and Council to be initiated as soon as possible and the procedures for accessing EU funds simplified. This will prevent delays in implementing projects in all EU member states. Corina Creţu added that she will talk about this during the visit that the EC president Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and the College of Commissioners will make to Bucharest on January 10th and 11th.




    PROTESTS The French PM Édouard Philippe announced plans to ban participation in unauthorised protests, after 8 consecutive weekends of “yellow vest rallies. He said the government would draft a bill punishing those who fail to declare the organisation of a protest, those who take part in one and those who wear masks to cover their faces. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Paris and other cities last weekend, but the number of protesters was lower than in previous weekends, and so was the extent of violent clashes. Anti-government protesters are disgruntled with the fuel taxes and the low living standards. They also want to make sure that citizens initiative referendums will be introduced as a guarantee of democracy.




    VISIT North-Korean president Kim Jong-un is on a visit to Beijing, where he will have talks with Xi Jinping, the president of China, which is North Koreas main diplomatic and trade ally. Kim visited the country 3 times in 2018, 2 of the trips taking place ahead of the historic meeting with the US president Donald Trump, which many commentators saw as an opportunity to coordinate strategies. The current 3-day visit fuels speculations regarding a second USA – North Korea summit to be held soon. Trump has recently said the place of the meeting will be announced in the near future.




    INTERNET While waiting for the results of the recent presidential elections, the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have cut internet access and text messaging services and have blocked the French radio station RFI, news agencies announce. The government said this was a measure meant to preserve public order and to stop the dissemination of fictitious election results. Meanwhile, the EU and the African Union Monday denounced the coup attempt in Gabon, a former French colony in Africa. Here too, the internet was shut down and power was cut in several areas. Internet shutdowns were also reported in Sudan and Cameroon over the past few months. In Uganda, in 2016, internet access was blocked around election time, with the authorities claiming that this was the only way to prevent the dissemination of fake news inciting violence.




    TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, is playing her first match this year against the Australian Ashleigh Barty (15 WTA), in the 8th-finals of the WTA tournament in Sydney. Barty Tuesday defeated the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (22 WTA) 6-3, 6-3. Last year, Halep won both her matches against Barty without losing a set, in the Montreal semi-finals and in the 8th-finals of the Cincinnati tournament. Simona, who had to cut her 2018 season short because of a herniated disc, last won a match in August, against Arina Sabalenka of Belarus, in the Cincinnati semi-finals, lost the following 3 matches and withdrew in the fourth.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • UN-Gipfel: Spannungen im Sicherheitsrat

    UN-Gipfel: Spannungen im Sicherheitsrat

    Mit seiner Rekordrede war Venezuelas Präsident Maduro jedoch noch weit entfernt von den absoluten Rekorden: etwa der Ansprache des kubanischen Anführers Fidel Castro, der einmal knapp viereinhalb Stunden geredet hatte, oder der des indischen Vertreters, der 1957 acht Stunden gesprochen hatte.



    Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Staaten sei immer unsicherer und schwieriger geworden, und die Spannungen innerhalb des Sicherheitsrats seien ernst, warnte der UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres derweil in seiner Ansprache. Er bedauere die zunehmend chaotische Welt“. In der am meisten erwarteten Rede drohte der Anführer aus dem Wei‎ßen Haus in harten Tönen dem Iran, den er als den grö‎ßten Sponsor des Terrorismus bezeichnete. Der Iran würde die Konflikte in und au‎ßerhalb der Region anheizen, so Donald Trump.



    Das vom syrischen Regime begangene Massaker wird von Russland und dem Iran unterstützt. Das iranische Regime exportiert Gewalt, Terror und Chaos, indem es illegale Substanzen für das Voranbringen seines Raketenprogramms erwirbt und diese Raketen im gesamten Nahen Osten verbreitet. Alle US-Sanktionen im Zusammenhang mit dem Nuklearprogramm werden ab Anfang November vollständig greifen. Danach werden die USA neue Sanktionen verhängen, die härter denn je ausfallen werden, um der ganzen Bandbreite der feindseligen Aktionen des Iran entgegenzuwirken.“




    Donald Trump verglich die Beziehungen zwischen den USA und dem Iran mit den verbesserten“ Beziehungen zum nordkoreanischen Führer Kim Jong-un. Diesen lobte er für die Aussetzung ballistischer und nuklearer Tests. Der US-Präsident forderte dennoch die strikte Einhaltung der internationalen Sanktionen gegen Nordkorea bis zu dessen Entnuklearisierung. Trump nutzte ferner die diesjährige Redezeit bei den UN, um für internationale Handelsreformen zu plädieren, die OPEC dazu aufzufordern, die Ölpreise nicht zu erhöhen, um China wegen seiner Handelspraktiken zu kritisieren, aber auch um die europäischen Staaten vor der Abhängigkeit von russischen Energiequellen zu warnen.



    Russland kritisierte im Gegenzug vor den Vereinten Nationen den einseitigen Rückzug der USA aus dem Nuklearabkommen mit dem Iran und sagte, dass diese Ma‎ßnahme zu erhöhten Spannungen im Nahen Osten führen könnte. Gleichzeitig würde der Beschluss Risiken für das Nichtverbreitungsregime erzeugen und gleichzeitig äu‎ßerst kontraproduktiv aus der Perspektive der laufenden Bemühungen zur Entnuklearisierung der koreanische Halbinsel sein. Ein weiteres Diskussionsthema in den russischen Stellungnahmen war Syrien, wie Radio Rumänien Korrespondent Alexandru Beleavschi berichtet.



    Der russische Au‎ßenminister Sergej Lawrow hat die westlichen Länder vor neuen militärischen Angriffen auf Syrien unter irgend einem ‚neuen Vorwand‘ gewarnt. Die Warnung kommt kurz nach der Entscheidung Russlands, die S-300-Boden-Luft-Raketen und weiteres Militärgerät nach Syrien zu verlegen, das de facto eine Luftverbotszone im Mittelmeerraum nahe Syrien schafft. Israel erklärte, dass diese Entscheidung die Risiken in der Region erhöhe, und die USA bezeichneten sie als Fehler. Der russische Chefdiplomat sagte vor dem UN-Sicherheitsrat, dass die syrischen Terroristen über giftige Kampfstoffe verfügten, dass sie gelernt hätten, sie herzustellen und über Produktionsstätten verfügten, was auch von den US-Geheimdiensten bestätigt wird. Gleichzeitig habe die syrische Regierung gemä‎ß dem russisch-amerikanischen Abkommen von 2013 sein gesamtes chemisches Arsenal zerstört, so Sergej Lawrow.“




    Die Iran-Krise könne nicht auf eine Sanktionspolitik reduziert werden, behauptete unterdessen der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron, der sich für die Entwicklung einer langfristigen Strategie in diesem Dossier einsetzte. Wir werden an diesem Tisch am gleichen Ziel festhalten: den Iran daran zu hindern, sich mit Atomwaffen auszurüsten“, betonte Macron und begrü‎ßte Donald Trumps Bemühungen, das nordkoreanische Regime zur nuklearen Abrüstung zu überreden. Allerdings sollte der Sicherheitsrat zu keiner Zeit eines aus den Augen verlieren: Nordkorea stellt weiterhin eine nukleare und ballistische Bedrohung für die Region und die Welt dar“ — fügte der französische Staatschef hinzu.



    Rumäniens Präsident Klaus Iohannis hielt vor der UN-Generalversammlung eine Ansprache über den Standpunkt Bukarests zum aktuellen internationalen Kontext sowie über mögliche Lösungen aus seiner Sicht. Der rumänische Staatschef betonte, dass von den grö‎ßten globalen Bedrohungen vor allem der Terrorismus eine koordinierte globale Antwort erhalten müsse. Die Verbreitung von Massenvernichtungswaffen und deren Liefersysteme stellten zudem weiterhin existenzielle Bedrohungen für die globale Sicherheit dar. Der Klimawandel habe sich inzwischen zu einer der grö‎ßten Herausforderungen für die Menschheit entwickelt, betonte Klaus Iohannis. Er beharrte dabei auf der Rolle der Vereinten Nationen und erinnerte daran, dass Rumänien im nächsten Jahr während der EU-Ratspräsidentschaft im April 2019 eine Klima-Konferenz veranstalten wird. Deren Thema wird die Erhöhung der Widerstandsfähigkeit gegenüber Naturkatastrophen“ sein.

  • June 19, 2018 UPDATE

    June 19, 2018 UPDATE


    JUSTICE LAWS – The Public Ministry has voiced concern over the way in which the Romanian Parliament endorsed a number of amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure. According to the Public Ministry, the observations and proposals made by the Higher Council of the Magistracy and magistrates professional associations were not taken into consideration. The changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure were endorsed on Monday by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making chamber of parliament on this matter, after the Senate had passed it as well. 175 Deputies voted in favour and 78 against.



    CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court of Romania rejected as ungrounded the notifications filed by the opposition National Liberal Party and the High Court of Cassation and Justice concerning changes to the law on the status of judges and prosecutors. In its notification, the High Court had stated that the phrasing was general and imprecise, leading in turn to the impossibility of applying the law. The Constitutional Court also rejected president Klaus Iohannis notification concerning changes to the referendum law. One of the claims was that the document included provisions concerning the initiation and procedural steps in revising the Constitution, which fall outside its competence.



    PRESIDENCY– President Klaus Iohannis had a meeting on Tuesday with the EU ambassadors to Bucharest, to discuss the forthcoming Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2019. According to a news release issued by the Presidency, Klaus Iohannis stated that a compromise solution for the multi-annual budget must be balanced and meet the new priorities of the Union, such as border protection, migration, the ERASMUS programme, innovation and defense, and keep a substantial level of funding for traditional policies such as cohesion and the common agricultural policy. The President also stressed Bucharests determination to support the efforts to resume the full implementation of the Schengen system, adding that the consolidation of the visa-free area cannot be completed without the full integration of Romania and Bulgaria.



    US-ROMANIA– Romanias deputy PM for strategic partnerships Ana Birchall had a meeting on Tuesday with the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell, as part of the 6th annual political meeting for Romania-US Strategic Dialogue. Ana Birchall emphasized Romanias interest in identifying and implementing new joint projects contributing to the development and strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the US. She pointed out the huge potential in the fields of energy, IT and film industry. On the other hand, she requested the support of the American side for Romanias Visa Waiver application and thanked the US for its support to Romanias efforts to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. On Monday, in an address at the University of Bucharest, the American official said Romania made progress towards a strong judicial system and must not backtrack on it. The US official added that the US appreciated the resilience of the Black Sea countries, but also warned against the danger posed by the influence of Russia and China in the region.



    TALKS – The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu held talks in Brussels on Tuesday with the European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Gunther Oettinger and with the Commissioner for Research Carlos Moedas. During the meeting with Oettinger, Negrescu said that the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in the first half of 2019, will make efforts to conclude in the best of conditions several European files. Also, the Romanian official assured Commissioner Moedas that Romania will pay special attention to research and innovation.



    CHINA – At a meeting in Beijing with the North-Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the Chinese President Xi Jinping voiced hope that North Korea and the US would implement the conclusions of last weeks summit in Singapore. International agencies report that the Pyongyang regime wants Chinas support to have international economic sanctions eased, in exchange for promises of denuclearization. The visit is Kims third to China since March.



    FOOTBALL – Romanian football champions CFR Cluj on Tuesday found out their potential opponents in the second preliminary round of the Champions League, following the UEFA draw in Nyon, Switzerland. CFR Cluj will play against the winner of the match between the Swedish squad Malmo FF and the winner of the competitions qualifiers. On Wednesday, vice champion FCSB (former Steaua Bucharest) and Viitorul Constanta will find out their opponents in the Europa League. The Romanian cup winners CSU Craiova will play straight into the third preliminary round.




  • June 12, 2018 UPDATE

    June 12, 2018 UPDATE


    VENICE COMMISSION – On Tuesday, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis met with a delegation of the Venice Commission, which is in Romania for talks on the modifications brought to the justice laws. At the end of the meeting, the head of state said he was looking forward to the specialists opinion. Also on Tuesday, the delegation held talks with members of the Special Parliamentary Committee in charge with the laws. Previously, the experts had met with judges of the Constitutional Court and asked for clarifications about the letter sent by the Court to several European institutions concerning the pressures that the court is allegedly subject to. On Monday, the delegation talked to the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader and the Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar. We recall that president Iohannis and the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have requested the opinion of the Venice Commission regarding the changes brought to the justice laws. The request was made against accusations launched by the right-wing opposition, part of the press and civic organizations according to which the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats are trying to stop the fight against corruption and get control over the magistrates. In another move, the Venice Commission has also been notified by the Constitutional Court of Romania about what the court magistrates say are attacks against the institution, following the courts opinion, which says that there is a legal constitutional conflict between the justice minister and the president of the country. The latter has rejected as ungrounded the request made by the justice minister regarding the removal from office of the head of the National Anticorruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi.



    RULING – Judges with the High Court of Cassation and Justice have postponed for June 29th the verdict in the case involving the former head of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism Alina Bica, businessman Dorin Cocos and his son. Bica is accused of aggravated abuse of office while employed as a secretary of state and representing the Justice Ministry in the Central Commission for Compensation Settlement within the National Authority for Property Restitution. The former chief of the anti-mafia prosecutors office is in Costa Rica, together with Dorin Cocos ex-wife, Elena Udrea, herself a former minister and tried for corruption. For a very long time, Elena Udrea was dubbed the most influential member of the ex-President Traian Basescus circle. The 2 have requested political asylum in Costa Rica.



    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in Romania went up to 5.4% in May, the highest level registered in the past five years. The increase occurred against the background of prices going up for foodstuffs, by almost 4%, for non-food products by almost 8% and for services by almost 3%. The National Bank of Romania has recently revised upwards, to 3.6%, the inflation rate forecast for the end of the year, and to 3% the inflation rate for the end of 2019.



    CONFERENCE– At a conference held on Tuesday under the title “We are inventing the future! Our bet on science!”, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis said that there is still a gap between Romania and Western Europe in economic and social terms and pointed out that Romanias modernisation in the future depends a great deal on its investment in innovation. Iohannis said that special attention needs to be paid to the development of major projects in strategic fields and that research is the key of any sustainable economic growth strategy. “Increased European funds absorption and private investment are a must for Romania to be able to develop its research infrastructure,” the head of state also said.



    SUMMIT– The US President Donald Trump has stated he is very proud of the outcome of his historic meeting with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The latter has in turn promised that the world will see a major change. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have pledged to work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The American leader has given assurances that this process will start very soon and that the relationship with North Korea will be very different. According to Reuters, although the summit in Singapore marks only the beginning of a diplomatic process, it could fundamentally change the security landscape of Northeast Asia, just as former U.S. President Richard Nixons visit to Beijing in 1972 led to the transformation of China.



    THEATRE – The 25th International Theatre Festival continues in Sibiu (central Romania). This is the largest performing arts event in Romania and one of the most important in Europe. Some 60 events were held on Tuesday, the 5th day of the festival, including 14 street performances, 5 dance shows and 8 theatre performances. Thousands of artists from over 70 countries are performing every day both in theatre halls and in unconventional venues.



    HANDBALL– Romanias national womens handball team will play against Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic in group D of this years European Championships, according to the drawing of lots held on Tuesday in Paris. The final tour will take place between 29 November – 16 December. At the previous edition of the championships, two years ago, the Romanian squad came in 5th. On Wednesday, Romanias mens squad will play in Cluj, north-western Romania, against the Macedonian team, a decisive match in the qualifiers for the 2019 World Championship, to be hosted by Denmark and Germany. In the first game hosted by Skopje on Sunday, the Romanian handball players were defeated 24 – 32.


  • June 10, 2018 UPDATE

    June 10, 2018 UPDATE

    PROTEST – A fresh anti-government protest was organized in Bucharest on Sunday evening. Under the slogan “The Country is on fire! Light for democracy, the civic organizations which initiated the rally want to express their disagreement with the policies pursued by the ruling coalition in such domains as justice, the environment and the economy. The protest is staged just a day after the Social Democrats and Liberals-Democrats on Saturday organized the biggest rally since taking over power, a year and a half ago. The over 100,000 participants protested against what they called abuses and the infringement of the principles of the rule of law. They denounced the existence of an illegitimate and underground structure, which they generically deem as “the parallel state and which allegedly influences the state institutions and decision-making in the justice field. On Friday, the High Court of Cassation and Justice postponed issuing a verdict, for a third time, in a lawsuit in which the leader of the Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, is accused of corruption offences. The anti-corruption prosecutors called on the court to issue a seven year and five month jail sentence for abuse of office on Dragneas name, in addition to two years and six months for forgery. In 2016, Dragnea got a final, suspended two year sentence, for attempted rigging.



    JUSTICE – A delegation of the Venice Commission pays a two-day visit to Romania as of Monday, for consultations on the modifications brought to the justice laws. The delegation is due to have talks with President Klaus Iohannis, with other officials at the Romanian Parliament, the Justice Ministry, the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Constitutional Court, the Prosecutor Generals Office, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the Superior Council of Magistracy, associations of judges and prosecutors and civil society organisations. Both President Iohannis and the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) have requested the opinion of this consultative body, made up of independent experts on constitutional law, on the laws on judicial organisation, the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy and the status of judges and prosecutors. The requests were made amidst accusations launched by the right-of-centre opposition, civic organisations and part of a press, according to whom by modifying these laws, the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania is allegedly trying to halt the fight against corruption and to subordinate magistrates.



    ADMINISTRATIVE CODE – The Romanian Senate will debate on Monday the draft Administrative Code, after it has been debated and adopted by the relevant parliamentary committee. The Senate is the first notified chamber in this case. The document regulates the organisation and functioning of authorities and institutions in the public administration: the government, ministries, prefects offices, county councils, city halls, defines the status of those working in these institutions and sets the guidelines for decentralisation and local autonomy.



    HALEP – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has congratulated the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep on her victory at the Roland Garros tennis tournament. In a message posted on a social network, the head of state has underlined that Haleps first Grand Slam trophy in her career comes at the end of a final in which she fought for every ball, without giving up any moment. In turn, PM Viorica Dăncilă has praised, in a message, the way in which Halep fought on court, saying her performance was a further confirmation that she deserved the trophy. Both the Romanian and international press has hailed Simona Haleps win in Paris. The no.1 WTA tennis player defeated the American Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Her success at Roland Garros comes 45 years since Romanian Ilie Năstase won the tournament hosted by the French capital city for the second time in a row and 40 years since her current manager, Virginia Ruzici, won the French Open.



    SINGAPORE – The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has arrived in Singapore, ahead of a historic summit with the US President, Donald Trump. In turn, the White House leader comes from Quebec, where he attended the G7 summit. The Kim-Trump Summit scheduled for Tuesday morning will be a first meeting between the Kim dynasty heir and an acting US President. The discussions which are likely to produce uncertain, unclear results, will be aimed at reaching an agreement on North Koreas complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation, in exchange for an easing of economic and diplomatic sanctions.



    CANOEING – Romanians Leonid Carp and Victor Mihalachi on Sunday won gold in the 500m double canoe race, at the European Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia. On Saturday they grabbed a silver medal in the 1,000 m double canoe race. Romanian Mihaela Lulea also got silver in the 200m paracanoe race.



    THEATRE FESTIVAL – The Sibiu International Theatre Festival, one of the largest festivals of its kind in the world continues in Sibiu, central Romania. Sundays highlights included 50 events organised not only in halls but also in unconventional places: theatre and dance shows, contemporary circus, concerts, exhibitions, theatre workshops and street parades. We recall that over 3,300 artists from 73 countries are participating in the 25th edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, which runs until next Sunday.

  • June 10, 2018

    June 10, 2018

    HALEP – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has congratulated the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep on her victory at the Roland Garros tennis tournament. In a message posted on a social network, the head of state has underlined that Haleps first Grand Slam trophy in her career comes at the end of a final in which she fought for every ball, without giving up any moment. In turn, PM Viorica Dăncilă has praised, in a message, the way in which Halep fought on court, saying her performance was a further confirmation that she deserved the trophy. Both the Romanian and international press has hailed Simona Haleps win in Paris. The no.1 WTA tennis player defeated the American Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Her success at Roland Garros comes 45 years since Romanian Ilie Năstase won the tournament hosted by the French capital city for the second time in a row and 40 years since her current manager, Virginia Ruzici, won the French Open.



    JUSTICE – A delegation of the Venice Commission pays a two-day visit to Romania as of Monday, for consultations on the modifications brought to the justice laws. The delegation is due to have talks with President Klaus Iohannis, with other officials at the Romanian Parliament, the Justice Ministry, the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Constitutional Court, the Prosecutor Generals Office, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the Superior Council of Magistracy, associations of judges and prosecutors and civil society organisations. Both President Iohannis and the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) have requested the opinion of this consultative body, made up of independent experts on constitutional law, on the laws on judicial organisation, the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy and the status of judges and prosecutors. The requests were made amidst accusations launched by the right-of-centre opposition, civic organisations and part of a press, according to whom by modifying these laws, the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania is allegedly trying to halt the fight against corruption and to subordinate magistrates.



    RALLY – Over 100,000 Romanians coming from all across the country on Saturday took part in a rally in Victory Square in Bucharest, organised by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania. They protested against what the Social Democrats and their junior partners in the ruling coalition called abuses and the infringement of the principles of the rule of law. They denounced what they called the existence of a illegitimate and underground structure, which they generically deem as “the parallel state which influence the state institutions and decision-making in the justice field. The Liberals, in the parliamentary opposition, claim the rally was a deeply undemocratic action to intimidate magistrates, civil servants and the public sector employees who do not listen to political command or journalists who are critical of the Social Democratic Party.



    ADMINISTRATIVE CODE – The Romanian Senate will debate on Monday the draft Administrative Code, after it has been debated and adopted by the relevant parliamentary committee. The Senate is the first notified chamber in this case. The document regulates the organisation and functioning of authorities and institutions in the public administration: the government, ministries, prefects offices, county councils, city halls, defines the status of those working in these institutions and sets the guidelines for decentralisation and local autonomy.



    SINGAPORE – The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has arrived in Singapore, ahead of a historic summit with the US President, Donald Trump. In turn, the White House leader comes from Quebec, where he attended the G7 summit. The Kim-Trump Summit scheduled for Tuesday morning will be a first meeting between the Kim dynasty heir and an acting US President. The discussions which are likely to produce uncertain, unclear results, will be aimed at reaching an agreement on North Koreas complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation, in exchange for an easing of economic and diplomatic sanctions.



    THEATRE FESTIVAL – The Sibiu International Theatre Festival, one of the largest festivals of its kind in the world continues in Sibiu, central Romania. Sundays highlights include 50 events organised not only in halls but also in unconventional places: theatre and dance shows, contemporary circus, concerts, exhibitions, theatre workshops and street parades. We recall that over 3,300 artists from 73 countries are participating in the 25th edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, which runs until next Sunday.

  • June 2, 2018 UPDATE

    June 2, 2018 UPDATE

    MUNICH The Romanians strongly believe
    in the European project, in its ability to ensure democracy and prosperity for
    the citizens of Europe, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in Munich on
    Saturday. President Iohannis was given the ‘Franz Josef
    Strauss 2018’ award from the prestigious foundation ‘Hanns Seidel’. The
    president has been awarded the prize for having promoted in a constructive and
    visionary way along his entire political career the democratic values of a
    united society and trust in the European project. The ‘Franz Josef Strauss’
    prize has been awarded since 1996 and among its recipients there are the former
    German chancellor Helmut Kohl, the former US president George H. W. Bush and
    the incumbent president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. On
    Friday, the Romanian president presented Barbara Stamm, president of the
    Landtag of Bavaria, with the national order Star of Romania in rank of
    commander for her attachment to Romania, where she paid over 100 visits.






    DRILL Until June 17th,
    30 Romanian marines and two staff officers are participating in the
    multinational drill BALTOPS 18, one of the biggest joint drills in northern
    Europe. The maneuvers are to be held in Lithuania, Poland, Germany and the
    international waters of the Baltic Sea. BALTOPS 18 is an annual drill staged
    and funded by the United States European Command (EUCOM). The participation of
    the Romanian troops in these maneuvers significantly increase their training
    level at the same time boosting the image of Romania and its naval forces in
    terms of cooperation with NATO structures, the Chief of Staff of the Romanian
    Navy has pointed out.






    SUMMIT South Korea has
    hailed the announcement made by US president Donald Trump regarding the
    upcoming summit with the north-Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The United States had
    cancelled the meeting last week but after a couple of days, the US president
    announced he would meet the north Korean leader on June 12th for
    talks over a peaceful solution to North Korea’s nuclear programme. He added
    that also high on the agenda are talks over the official end of the Korean war.
    The statement came after a round of talks president Trump had had at the White
    House with general Kim Yong Chol, who is considered Kim Jon Un’s right hand.






    CONFERENCE The security situation at the Black Sea has not climbed at a very
    high level, but there are potential issues, George Friedman, one of the most
    reputed US analysts, told an international conference on security at the Black
    Sea, which was hosted by Sibiu, in central Romania. According to Friedman,
    Romania should firstly enhance its own military response capacities in this
    area, develop its own fleet, alongside the naval and air response
    capacities. The conference in Sibiu for two days brought together over 60 experts in the field of security and defence, diplomats, analysts
    in geopolitics from the USA, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova
    and Romania. In a message to the participants, Romanian president Klaus
    Iohannis has underlined that the Black Sea region has a special relevance in
    the construction of the European and Euro-Atlantic security.

    (translated by bill)

  • May 10, 2018 UPDATE

    May 10, 2018 UPDATE

    VISIT – The Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă is on a visit to the Vatican until Sunday. On Friday the PM will be received by Pope Francis, followed by a meeting with his Holiness Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The chief of the Romanian government will also hold meetings with the Grand master of the Sovereign Order of Malta and with the president of the Community of SantEgidio. According to a news release issued by the Government of Romania, the PMs visit to Vatican comes against the backdrop of very good bilateral relations, in a year when Romania celebrates the Centennial of the Great Union, which will be marked at the Holy See through a number of academic and cultural events. The agenda of the visit also includes a meeting with the Romanian students attending the programmes of the “Pio Romeno Pontifical Romanian College.




    JUDICIARY – The High Court of Cassation and Justice Thursday ruled to drop charges against the former PM and president of the Social Democratic Party Victor Ponta in the Turceni-Rovinari case, in which he was tried for forgery, aiding tax evasion and money laundering. The former transport minister Dan Şova, who was charged in the same case with aiding abuse of office, forgery, tax evasion and money laundering, was also acquitted. Thursdays ruling is not final, and it can be challenged by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. In the last hearing of the trial, the Anti-Corruption Directorate requested that the former PM Victor Ponta and former Senator Dan Şova, both of them accused of corruption-related offences, should serve time in prison. The prosecutors said that in 2007 – 2008, Victor Pontas law practice received from another law firm, ”Şova şi Asociaţii”, around 39,000 euro, allegedly for work performed jointly, which in fact had never been performed. According to prosecutors, this was a form of repaying Victor Ponta for contracts awarded by the state-owned energy companies Turceni and Rovinari to “Şova şi Asociaţii.




    SUMMIT – The historic summit between the US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un will take place on June 12 in Singapore, Trump confirmed on Twitter. “We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace, the US President wrote. The 2 are expected to discuss the North-Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, which have further deepened the decade-long tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. Trumps announcement comes just hours after 3 American citizens detained in North Korea were released. The three arrived at a military base near Washington.




    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, was defeated by the Czech Karolina Pliskova (6 WTA), in the quarter-finals of the WTA tournament in Madrid, which has 6.7 million euros in total prize money. The 2 players had faced each other 7 times before, with the Romanian winning 6 times and Pliskovas only win coming in the 2016 Fed Cup. Simona Halep won the last 2 editions of the Madrid tournament.




    HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball team SCM Craiova is playing at home on Friday against the Norwegian side Vipers Kristiansand, in the second leg of the EHF Cup finals. In the first leg, last Saturday, the Norwegians won 26-22. Meanwhile, Romanian champions, CSM Bucharest, will face on Saturday the Hungarian team Gyor ETO, in the so-called Final Four, the Champions League semi-finals. If they get into the final, CSM will play on Sunday against the winner of the match pitting HC Vardar, of Macedonia, against Rostov-Don, of Russia. CSM Bucharest won the Final Four in 2016.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • March 10, 2018 UPDATE

    March 10, 2018 UPDATE

    CONGRESS — Bucharest on Saturday played host to an extraordinary congress of the main ruling coalition party in Romania, the Social-Democratic Party. The Congress occasioned elections for the positions of executive president, secretary general and vice-presidents. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila was elected executive president after two other candidates, former Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu and former Healthcare Minister, Nicolae Banicioiu, pulled out of the race. 16 vice-presidents were elected, 8 men and 8 women for the 8 regions of the country. The congress also tackled the issue of strengthening the strategic partnership with the USA, continuing judicial reforms and financial support for the Republic of Moldova. Some 4,000 delegates from all over the country attended the congress.



    MILITARY – Over 1,700 Romanian and foreign troops are taking part until March 15, in a large-scale multinational exercise, organized by the Romanian Navy, in Dobrogea (south-eastern Romania) and in the international waters of the Black Sea. Spring Storm 18 is based on a unique training concept which brings together the navy, air and land forces, as part of a NATO immediate assurance action plan adopted at the 2016 Summit. Romanian troops are training jointly with fellow military from the US, France and Bulgaria, and from partner countries like Georgia and Ukraine.



    FLU — The Romanian National Public Health Institute announced another two people died to the flu virus, raising the death toll to 90 across Romania. Health Minister Sorina Pintea says there is no reason to declare an epidemic at this stage.



    STUDY — One in three Romanian teenagers is barely literate in reading and mathematics, reads a recent World Bank report. The document points out that the expanse of technology risks sinking Europe’s poorest countries further in poverty, deepening economic gaps between states. Another factor of concern is the fact that young people are not interested in learning a trade. In the last 15 years the number of jobs involving physical labour has dropped by 15% at EU level, while the number of jobs requiring analysis and creativity has gone up, the report further reveals.



    BOOK FAIR — Romania is guest of honor at the International Book Trade Fair in Leipzig, Germany. Attending the events are writers Mircea Cartarescu, Nora Iuga, Andrei Plesu and Varujan Vosganian. The Ministry of Culture and National Identity is organizing some 60 events at Romania’s pavilion under the motto “Romania. Zoom In”, including a concert by Ada Milea, with lyrics translated into German by Herta Muller, the Romanian-born winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2009. The International Book Fair in Leipzig started on Friday and will close on Sunday and is aimed at promoting contemporary literature.



    WHITE HOUSE — The White House has announced President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North-Korean leader Kim Jong-Un only if Pyongyang will undertake concrete action. Previously the White House leader said sanctions on North Korea stand until an agreement is reached. Additionally, President Trump said military operations with South Korea won’t be cancelled. On the other hand, Kim Jong-Un expressed commitment to work towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and promised to renounce testing further nuclear missiles.



    HANDBALL — Romanian champions CSM Bucharest on Saturday lost narrowly 24-25 away from home to Rostov-Don of Russia in the last fixture of Champions League Group 1. CSM ranks third in the group tables and will play Ferencvaros of Hungary or Metz of France. Also on Saturday SCM Craiova qualified to the EHF Cup semi-finals after winning 26-23 away from home against Lada Togliatti of Russia. In the first leg the Russian side won 25-23. On Sunday, also in the EHF Cup, HC Zalau is playing Kastamonu Belediyesi of Turkey. In the first leg, Zalau won 29-28.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • March 9, 2018 UPDATE

    March 9, 2018 UPDATE

    FLU — The Romanian National Public Health Institute announced on Friday that another person infected with the flu virus died. The death toll has reached 88 in Romania. The last victim is a 17-year old with pre-existing health problems who had not been vaccinated against the flu. Health Minister Sorina Pintea says that we cannot speak of a flue epidemic yet.




    VISIT – Romania’s Foreign Minister, Teodor Melescanu on Friday, during his formal visit to Croatia, met with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and with the head of Parliament, Gordan Jandrokovic. Highlighted at these meetings were the good bilateral ties, the similar opinion on regional, European and international matters and the wish to consolidate and diversify Romanian-Croatian cooperation. The Romanian and Croatian officials hailed the role that the Romanian community in Croatia and the Croatian community in Romania have in strengthening the bilateral ties. Minister Melescanu visited the Romanian Orthodox Church in Zagreb, a building the local Catholic Church has made available for the Romanian community.




    DEFENCE – Romania’s Defence Minister Mihai Fifor and his Greek counterpart Panos Kammenos signed on Friday in Bucharest a cooperation agreement in the field of defence. Minister Fifor said that Greece is Romania’s major ally in the region. According to the Greek official, Romania and Greece have stepped up their relations both in bilateral terms and as partners within NATO and the EU. The two officials also tackled, among other things, the situation in the Western Balkans, the extended Black Sea area and the agenda of the EU summit in July.




    MEETING – US President Donald Trump has accepted to meet his North-Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un in May, South-Korean authorities have announced. According to the White House leader, “great progress” had been made but there would be no prospect of lifting sanctions until a deal was reached. Trump has also said that the ample military manoeuvres with South Korea will not be suspended. In turn, the North-Korean leader has pledged to get involved in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and to put and end to nuclear or missile tests. Japan’s Premier Shinzo Abe has hailed the change in North Korea’s attitude but specified that Washington and Tokyo will maintain maximum pressure on Pyongyang until concrete action is taken so that it may irreversibly scrap its nuclear programme.




    BOOK FAIR — Romania is this year a guest of honour of the Leipzig Book Fair, the most important such event in Europe and one of the oldest in the world. The book fair kicks off on March 15. According to a release by the Culture Ministry, Romania’s participation in this event as a guest of honour mirrors not only the good Romanian-German cultural ties but also the prospects for the development of long-term projects in the cultural and academic fields. The Romanian-born German writer Herta Muller, a Nobel laureate for literature in 2009, will attend the event.




    DRILL – Over 17 hundred Romanian and foreign servicemen are participating until March 15 in one of the biggest multinational drills staged by the Romanian Armed Forces in Dobrogea, south-eastern Romania, as well as in the Black Sea’s international waters. Spring Storm 18 exercise is based on a unique training concept during which naval, air and ground forces are carrying out amphibious and minesweeping operations in a landing area. The Romanian soldiers are training together with their counterparts from the allied and partner countries such as the US, France, Bulgaria, Georgia and Ukraine. (Translated by Elena Enache)



















  • Brennpunkt Nordkorea: Gelingt der UN eine Deeskalation des Atomkonflikts?

    Brennpunkt Nordkorea: Gelingt der UN eine Deeskalation des Atomkonflikts?

    Im Atomkonflikt mit Nordkorea hat der UN-Sicherheitsrat neue Sanktionen gegen Pjöngjang verhängt. Der Beschluss wurde in Stra‎ßburg von der Hohen Vertreterin der EU in Fragen der Au‎ßen- und Sicherheitspolitik Federica Mogherini begrü‎ßt. Die Ma‎ßnahmen seien kein Selbstzweck, sondern würden den Weg zum Dialog und zu politischen Verhandlungen öffnen. Brüssel nehme für diese Krise keine militärische Antwort in Aussicht, jeder Angriff auf Nordkorea würde sich als nutzlos erweisen und könne nur negative Folgen haben, sagte Mogherini. Im Anschluss lobte die Hohe Vertreterin der EU die einheitliche Position aller EU-Staaten, die ebenfalls Mitglieder des Sicherheitsrates sind und in diesem Konflikt eine einzige Stimme besitzen. Der US-Präsident Donald Trump hält hingegen die UN-Sanktionen gegen Nordkorea nur für einen sehr kleinen Schritt. Das sei keine gro‎ße Sache, sagte Trump im Wei‎ßen Haus und fügte hinzu: Diese Sanktionen sind nichts im Vergleich dazu, was letztlich geschehen wird müssen.“



    Die verschärften Sanktionen gegen Pjöngjang, laut denen die Öllieferungen an das kommunistische Land eingeschränkt und Textilexporte verboten werden sollen, erfolgen nach dem Atomtest Nordkoreas am 3. September. Mitte August hatte Pjöngjang zudem eine Rakete über Japan abgeschossen. Der Militär- und Politikanalyst Iulian Chifu sagte über die Politik des kommunistischen Landes und die mögliche Antwort der internationalen Gemeinschaft:



    Man kann von einem Krieg, eigentlich von einem andauernden Krieg nicht sprechen. Meiner Ansicht nach können wir einen chirurgischen Angriff der USA erwarten, die in einer einzigen Nacht die Kernwaffen- und Raketenkapazität Nordkoreas vernichten können. Sollte es eine Militärantwort seitens Washingtons geben, so könnte sie in dieser Art aussehen. Das könnte im Nachhinein eine Instabilität Nordkoreas hervorrufen. Eine chinesische Invasion in den Norden des Landes wäre auch nicht ausgeschlossen, damit die Situation stabilisiert und eine Pufferzone geschaffen wird. Darüber hinaus rechne ich weder mit einer Angriffsformel noch mit einer Einmischung des Westens. Zweifelsohne wird man sich letztendlich an den Verhandlungstisch setzen. Es ist nicht weniger wahr, dass bei politischen Verhandlungen die entsprechende Situation vor Ort ausschlaggebend sein wird. Ich bin der Meinung, dass Südkorea nach Verhandlungen für eine koreanische Wiedervereinigung bereit sein soll. Südkorea könnte zu jedem Zeitpunkt einen Raketenangriff oder irgendeinen Machtbeweis als zuvorkommenden Angriff erwarten. Ich bin mir dessen sicher, dass die Konfliktparteien jedoch vernünftig handeln werden, damit es zu keiner kriegerischen Auseinandersetzung kommt.“




    Die NATO bezeichnet das nordkoreanische Nuklearprogramm als globale Bedrohung, die eine globale Antwort dringend benötigt“, sagte der Generalsekretär der Organisation, Jens Stoltenberg, in einem Interview mit der BBC. Ob bei einem Angriff auf das US-Au‎ßengebiet Guam die NATO das System der kollektiven Verteidigung aktivieren werde, wollte Stoltenberg vorerst nicht sagen. Auf der strategisch wertvollen Pazifikinsel liegt ein Militärstützpunkt mit zentraler Bedeutung für die NATO. Man kann nicht darüber spekulieren, ob der Artikel 5 des NATO-Vertrags (laut dem ein bewaffneter Angriff gegen einen oder mehrere NATO-Staaten als Angriff gegen alle angesehen wird) umgesetzt wird oder nicht, sollte Nordkorea seine Drohung mit einem Angriff auf die Insel wahrmachen. Das einzige, was ich sagen kann, ist, dass wir uns derzeit völlig darauf konzentrieren, eine friedliche Lösung zu finden und Druck auf Nordkorea auszuüben, damit Pjöngjang sein Atomwaffenprogramm beendet“, sagte im Anschluss Jens Stoltenberg.



    Im andauernden Atomkonflikt bewahren China und Russland einen besonderen Status. Die neuen Sanktionen des Europäischen Rates sind dennoch nicht so drastisch verschärft worden, wie von den USA vorgeschlagen. Die Diskussionen zwischen Washington und Moskau bzw. zwischen Washington und Peking haben den Weg für Kompromisse freigemacht. Nach der Abstimmung über die neuen Sanktionen appellierte China, das sich für die Entnuklearisierung der Halbinsel sowie für Stabilität in der Region einsetzt, erneut zum Dialog. Moskau bekräftigte den Mangel an politischen und diplomatischen Lösungen im Atomkonflikt. Ein Militärkonflikt habe sowohl für Pjöngjang als auch für Südkorea verwüstende Folgen, behaupten einige Kommentatoren, andere sind hingegen der Ansicht, dass der koreanische Führer Kim Jong-un eher eine Atomwaffen-Verteidigung als einen offenen Krieg anstrebt.

  • January 10, 2016 UPDATE

    January 10, 2016 UPDATE

    CHILD WELFARE- The Romanian and Norwegian authorities will continue talks next week on the five children of the Bodnariu family, who have been taken into custody by the Norwegian child welfare services, Barnevernet, after reportedly having been physically disciplined by their parents. Romanias Ambassador to Oslo is due to meet representatives of the Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion on January 13. Also, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that, at its initiative, the Romanian Child Protection Authority has issued a proposal for the Norwegian side to agree with the childrens integration into their uncles family in Romania and is waiting for an answer in the coming days. In turn, the Bodnariu family have contested in court the measures taken by the Norwegian local authorities. Meanwhile, rallies of support for the Bodnariu couple have been staged in several cities across Romania and abroad.



    HEAVY PRECIPITATION-The National Meteorological Authority has issued a warning against heavy precipitation valid for western, northern and central Romania until Tuesday morning. Meteorologists forecast very heavy rainfalls in the north, where 25-30 litres are likely to fall per square meter, and even 40-50 litres per square meter, in isolated places. Sleet is expected to fall in the mountains. On Monday, the sky will continue to be overcast in most regions, but temperatures will be higher than usual for this time of the year. The lowest temperatures will range between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, whereas the highs will vary from 6 to 14 degrees Celsius.



    EXPULSION– A Jordanian national, Jamal Khalil, was expelled from Romania on Saturday, for national security reasons. The High Court of Cassation and Justice has dismissed the defences appeal against a ruling issued by the Court of Appeals in Bucharest in late 2015. Jamal Khalil has been declared undesirable for 15 years, after the relevant authorities have discovered solid evidence leading to the conclusion that the Jordanian citizen carried out activities which put in jeopardy Romanias national security. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Jamal A. Abdel Jabbar Khalil Shalash, who has been living in Romania since 1991, was monitored by the Service since 2014. The intelligence agency said the Jordanian national was unconditionally supporting the Islamic State terrorist group, for which he was conducting online propaganda campaigns, being willing to get involved in prospective actions targeting Romanias security.


    TOUGHER ASYLUM LAWS -
    German Justice Minister, Heiko Maas, has said he
    believes the sexual assaults and street muggings against women in Cologne on
    New Year’s Eve were coordinated and
    prepared ahead of time. In an interview with the German newspaper Bild
    am Sonntag, Maas has said his suspicion is that a specific date was
    picked up, and a certain number of people expected, which adds a whole new
    dimension to the investigation. He accused xenophobic organisations of using
    these crimes in order to stir up hatred against immigrants. The New Year’s
    string of attacks created a shock wave in Germany and magnified criticism
    against the openness policy towards migrants, pursued by German chancellor     Angela
    Merkel. On Saturday, at the end of a political meeting, Merkel stood for
    toughening laws to expedite deportation for asylum seekers who commit crimes.


    EU-UKRAINE – The EC President, Jean Claude Juncker, stood in favour of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine, ahead of a referendum in the Netherlands, set for April 6, that might block the ratification of the document. In an interview to the Dutch media, the President of the European Commission urged Dutch voters to say “yes in the referendum on the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine. A negative vote is tantamount to a victory scored by Russia and could open the doors to a continental crisis. The Dutch should go to the polls on April 6 and should vote in the referendum as a European strategist, being aware that the agreement is also to the benefit of the Netherlands, says Jean Claude Juncker. The initiators of the referendum say however that a rejection of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine will help stabilise the relations with Russia and calm things down



    H-BOMB TEST– North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said the hydrogen bomb test carried by his country is a self-defensive step against a U.S. threat of nuclear war. Kim Jong Un has also said his country has “the legitimate right of a sovereign state to do that and deemed it “a fair action that nobody can criticize, the Korean state news agency has reported. A fourth nuclear test carried out by North Korea on Wednesday angered both China, its main ally, and the United States, who hadn’t been earlier notified of the test, although the U.S. government and weapons experts doubt North Koreas claim that the device was actually a hydrogen bomb, Reuters reports. Analysts believe the test, which produced an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 degrees, too weak for a real hydrogen bomb test, was meant to open the stage for a rare congress of the ruling Workers Party, the first such meeting since 1980. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern, saying it is a provocation to peace and security.


    FIRE -
    Three people who sustained severe burn injuries in a fire which broke out in a
    coffee shop in the capital city of the Republic of Moldova, Chishinau, on
    Sunday were flown over to Bucharest by a specially equipped aircraft of the
    Romanian Air Forces. 17 people, among whom children, with burns and smoke
    inhalation injuries were taken to various hospitals in Chishinau. The authorities
    say the fire might have been caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder, but the
    circumstances of the accident should still be investigated.


    BUCHAREST ON VOGUES “MUST-TRAVEL LIST– Romanias capital city, Bucharest, has been added by the US Vogue Magazine on the “Must-Travel List. In an article posted on the Vogue website, the American journalists present seven urban attractions, to help tourists “discover all of the newness this old city has to offer, as “while the historic wartime architecture remains, Bucharest also upholds a modern, cosmopolitan vibe. These include several bars, coffee shops and stores in the city centre, apart from well-known tourist objectives such as the Romanian Athenaeum or the National Contemporary Art Museum, hosted by the Peoples Palace. One such attraction is considered to be a bar with “an industrial design and an urban vibe, boasting a delicious Italian menu and a club downstairs, “one of the coolest nightclubs and concert venues in the city. Other locations include a coffee shop where they roast their own coffee, “a slightly concealed storefront in an old typography building, that houses some of the worlds coolest fashion labels, or a store which is “the place to visit for exclusive fragrances, niche colognes and obscure scents.

    TENNIS– Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, WTA’s no.2, on Tuesday will meet French Caroline Garcia in
    the second round of the Sydney Tournament, with 753,000 dollars in prize money
    up for grabs. The two tennis
    players will be meeting for the first time, with Halep being first seeded. Last week, the Romanian tennis player withdrew
    from the Brisbane International, after suffering injuries ahead of a second round
    match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who won the tournament.


    (Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)

  • January 10, 2016

    January 10, 2016

    CHILD WELFARE- The Romanian and Norwegian authorities will continue talks next week on the five children of the Bodnariu family, who have been taken into custody by the Norwegian child welfare services, Barnevernet, after reportedly having been physically disciplined by their parents. Romanias Ambassador to Oslo is due to meet representatives of the Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion on January 13. Also, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that, at its initiative, the Romanian Child Protection Authority has issued a proposal for the Norwegian side to agree with the childrens integration into their uncles family in Romania and is waiting for an answer in the coming days. In turn, the Bodnariu family have contested in court the measures taken by the Norwegian local authorities. Meanwhile, rallies of support for the Bodnariu couple have been staged in several cities across Romania and abroad.



    EXPULSION– A Jordanian national, Jamal Khalil, was expelled from Romania on
    Saturday, for national security reasons. The High Court of Cassation and
    Justice has dismissed the defence’s appeal against a ruling issued by the Court
    of Appeal in Bucharest, in late 2015. Jamal Khalil has been declared undesirable
    for 15 years, after the relevant authorities have discovered solid evidence
    leading to the conclusion that the Jordanian citizen carried out activities
    which put in jeopardy Romania’s national security. According to the Romanian
    Intelligence Service, Jamal A.
    Abdel Jabbar Khalil Shalash, who has been living in Romania since 1991, was
    monitored by the Service since 2014. The intelligence agency said the Jordanian
    national was unconditionally supporting the Islamic State terrorist group, for
    which he was conducting online propaganda campaigns, being willing to get
    involved in prospective actions targeting Romania’s security.



    HEAVY PRECIPITATION-The National Meteorological Authority has issued a warning against heavy rainfall and precipitation valid for western, northern and central Romania until Tuesday morning. 25- 30 litres per square meter are likely to be registered in the north and even 40-50 litres per square meter in places. Mixed precipitation is expected in the mountains. The sky is overcast in most regions, but it is warmer than usual for this time of the year in all regions of the country. The highs of the day range between 2 and 12 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 5 degrees.



    EU-UKRAINE – The EC President, Jean Claude Juncker, stood in favour of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine, ahead of a referendum in the Netherlands, set for April 6, that might block the ratification of the document. In an interview to the Dutch media, the President of the European Commission urged Dutch voters to say “yes in the referendum on the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine. A negative vote is tantamount to a victory scored by Russia and could open the doors to a continental crisis. The Dutch should go to the polls on April 6 and should vote in the referendum as a European strategist, being aware that the agreement is also to the benefit of the Netherlands, says Jean Claude Juncker. The initiators of the referendum say however that a rejection of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine will help stabilise the relations with Russia and calm things down



    H-BOMB TEST– North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said the hydrogen bomb test carried by his country is a self-defensive step against a U.S. threat of nuclear war. Kim Jong Un has also said his country has “the legitimate right of a sovereign state to do that and deemed it “a fair action that nobody can criticize, the Korean state news agency has today reported. A fourth nuclear test carried out by North Korea on Wednesday angered both China, its main ally, and the United States, who hadnt been earlier notified of the test, although the U.S. government and weapons experts doubt North Koreas claim that the device was actually a hydrogen bomb, Reuters reports. Analysts believe the test, which produced an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 degrees, too weak for a real hydrogen bomb test, was meant to open the stage for a rare congress of the ruling Workers Party, the first such meeting since 1980. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern, saying it is a provocation to peace and security.



    SPORTS – Romanias national mens handball team is today meeting Finland, on home soil, in a fourth match for the 2017 World Championship qualification. In the first match, played away from home, in Vantaa, Romania won 34-21 to Finland. Sports commentators say this return match seems to be more like an official training game, open to the public, ahead of the real test, the match with Austria, due in Romania, on January 14. The Romanian handball players will have to secure a victory, after having lost a match in Vienna, 24-27. If they manage to secure a net victory, they will qualify for the World Championship Play-offs.

    (Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)