Radio România Internațional

Tag: Lazar Comanescu

Romanian – Italian relations reviewed in Rome

Romania and Italy have privileged ties. Bilateral relations over the past two decades, especially after Romania’s NATO and EU accession, have been characterized by intense political dialogue and sustained economic, cultural and scientific cooperation, which have been supported by a Consolidated Strategic Partnership. The Romanian community in Italy, as well as the Italian community in Romania, have acted as solid bridges between the two countries, contributing to the excellent bilateral relations. These were some of the aspects highlighted in Rome on Tuesday by the Romanian and Italian foreign ministers.

The two officials also talked about the future bilateral cooperation, the future of Europe after Brexit, about migration, the situation in the Republic of Moldova after the recent presidential election and the relations with the Russian Federation. Italy and Romania are united by excellent economic and trade relations, and this is due to the great number of Italian companies, almost 25,000, that are operating on the Romanian market, said the Italian foreign minister. Italy considers Romania a very important market as well as a business platform for the area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. However, there is room for more in the two countries’ cooperation. That is why Lazăr Comănescu and Paolo Gentiloni have talked about future cooperation projects in various other economic fields.

According to the Romanian foreign minister, the Italians in Romania and the Romanians in Italy have acted as a catalyst for bilateral relations: “Ten years after Romania’s EU accession we can unhesitatingly say that the Romanians’ presence in Italy just as the Italians’ presence in Romania have contributed to the consolidation of bilateral ties. The Italian business community has had an important role in strengthening cooperation just as the Italian minority that has contributed to the development of cultural values and to the evolution of the Romanian society in general”.

Romania and Italy are equally interested in cooperating on European issues, namely in adopting a common stand on the way in which Great Britain is going to leave the EU and in keeping the EU accession path open for the countries in the Western Balkans.

Minister Lazăr Comănescu thanked his Italian counterpart for the support Italy granted to Romania in its Schengen accession effort: “Given the current context, we can notice that the talks about migration revolve around the importance of consolidating the EU’s external borders. I can say that Romania has already brought its substantial contribution in this regard, and I’m sure that its Schengen accession will contribute even more to the consolidation of the Union’s external borders.”

Referring to the issue of migration, the Romanian foreign minister expressed Romania’s solidarity with the European states most affected by this phenomenon, Italy included.

(Translated by Lacramioara Simion)

23 November 2016
Relaţiile româno-italiene, examinate la Roma

Între România şi Italia există o legătură privilegiată. Relaţiile bilaterale din ultimele două decenii, mai ales de când Bucureştiul a aderat la NATO şi a
devenit parte integrantă a Uniunii Europene, sunt caracterizate printr-un
dialog politic intens şi o colaborare
economică, culturală şi ştiinţifică susţinută, favorizate de un Parteneriat Strategic
Consolidat.

Nu poate fi trecut cu vederea nici rolul important pe care îl au
comunităţile românească din peninsulă – de peste 1 milion de persoane – şi cea
italiană din România, punţi solide între cele două societăţi. Sub aceste
auspicii s-au desfăşurat, marţi, la Roma, discuţiile dintre ministrul român de externe, Lazăr
Comănescu, şi omologul său Paolo Gentiloni despre cooperarea bilaterală,
viitorul Europei după Brexit, despre migraţie, situaţia din Republica Moldova
după alegerile prezidenţiale sau relaţiile cu Federaţia Rusă.

Italia şi România
sunt unite printr-o extraordinară calitate a relaţiilor economice şi
comerciale, datorată în primul rând prezenţei consistente de aproximativ 25.000
de firme italiene în România – a declarat şeful diplomaţiei de la Roma. De
aceea, pentru Italia, România reprezintă o piaţă foarte importantă, dar şi o platformă pentru
afaceri spre regiunea dintre Marea Neagră şi Marea Caspică. Cele două ţări pot
face, însă, şi mai mult! De aceea, Lazăr Comănescu şi Paolo Gentiloni au
discutat despre viitoare colaborări posibile în diferite domenii economice.

Apoi, potrivit ministrului Lazăr Comănescu, italienii din România şi românii
din Peninsulă sunt un factor de consolidare a legăturilor bilaterale: La zece ani de la aderarea României la Uniunea Europeană, putem să
considerăm, fără niciun fel de ezitare, că prezenţa românilor în Italia, ca şi
prezenţa italienilor din România reprezintă un factor de consolidare a
relaţiilor noastre bilaterale. Şi, când spun de italienii din România, nu mă
refer doar la comunitatea de afaceri, ci şi la minoritatea italiană, care, deşi
nu este foarte numeroasă, este un contributor la valorile culturale şi, în
general, la evoluţia societăţii româneşti.

România şi Italia sunt, în
egală măsură, interesate să conlucreze în problematicile europene: să aibă, de
pildă, o poziţie comună
în privinţa modului în care Marea Britanie va părăsi UE şi să menţină deschisă calea spre
aderare la Uniunea Europeană a ţărilor din Balcanii de Vest.

Ministrul Lazăr
Comănescu a mulţumit, totodată, omologului său Paolo Gentiloni pentru
susţinerea acordată României în privinţa aderării la Spaţiul Schengen: Mai ales în contextul actual, când vedem că, atunci când discutăm
despre migraţie, tot mai mult se discută despre importanţa deosebită a
consolidării frontierelor externe ale Uniunii Europene, pot să vă spun un
lucru: că România, deja, contribuie substanţial în această privinţă şi cu
siguranţă aderarea ei la Spaţiul Schengen ar contribui şi mai puternic la
securizarea frontierelor externe ale Uniunii.

În fine, referindu-se la fenomenul
migraţiei, ministrul Comănescu
a exprimat solidaritatea României cu statele europene aflate în prima linie,
iar Italia este unul dintre ele.

23 November 2016
22 November, 2016

Economic
growth. The World Bank has improved its forecast with regard to Romania’s
economic growth rate in 2016 to 5.1% from a previous June estimate of 4%,
according to its economic report for Europe and Central Asia published today.
The World Bank warns, however, that the growth seen by the Romanian economy
this year will slow down to 3.8% in 2017 and 3.4% in 2018. The consolidated
budget deficit is expected to grow, nearing 3% of the GDP, both in 2016 and
2017, from 1.5% in 2015, which will lead to an increase in public debt. The
Romanian government will have to keep in check current spending pressures and
improve tax efficiency to prevent the activation of the excessive deficit
procedure. The International Monetary Fund has also recently estimated that
Romania will see the highest economic growth rate in Europe, with 5%, followed
by Ireland with 4.9%. At the beginning of the month, the European Commission
revised its economic growth forecast for the Romanian economy this year up to
5.2%.

Protests. Public employees from around the country have
staged protests today demanding salary rises. They are unhappy that a
government ordinance on a unitary salary scheme for the public sector has not
been implemented and warn this is only the first step before an all-out strike.
Police officers have also taken to the street to protest against the pension law,
while the members of the Sanitas trade union have picketed the headquarters of
the healthcare ministry in solidarity with their colleagues negotiating the
collective employment contract.

Anticorruption. The permanent bureau of the
Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest today discusses a request by the National
Anticorruption Directorate to begin criminal investigations against MP Eugen
Bejinariu as part of the Microsoft 2 case. Bejinariu served as a government
secretary general in the 2003-2004 period and is investigated for aggravated
abuse of office at the time. The Microsoft 2 case, which led to losses of tens
of millions of euros, refers to the rental of licences for schools starting in
2004.

Visit.
Romania’s foreign minister Lazar Comanescu is in Rome for talks with his
Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni about the future of Europe after Brexit,
migration, the enlargement of the European Union and the Western Balkans. Also
today, Comanescu makes a visit to the Vatican and meets Romanian youth studying
in Rome.

Military drills.
30 military from the Romanian Land Forces are taking part in the Iron Sword 16
multinational exercise under way in Lithuania starting today until the 3rd
of December. Around 2,000 troops from Canada, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania,
Latvia, the UK, Poland, Romania and the US will be carrying out tactical drills
involving all types of weapons and using NATO techniques, tactics and
procedures. Iron Sword 16 forms part of the Black Sea Rotational Force 16
multinational exercise and aims to increase the level of interoperability
through joint training with a view to taking part in peace keeping and
counter-insurgence operations.

Defence industry law. Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis
has signed a decree to promulgate the law regulating the national defence
industry that was passed last month by the Senate, the decision-making body in
this case. The law regulates the organisation of the defence sector into
different strategic areas, aiming to enhance its competitiveness and diversify
its products, as well as the sector’s participation in European defence
industry activities.

Warning.
The US State Department on Monday warned American citizens of increased danger
of terrorist attacks in Europe over the winter holidays. The State Department
said there is credible information indicating that terrorist organisations
such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda and their affiliates continue to plan
such attacks. The travel alert issued by Washington also recalls the terrorist
attacks committed this year in Belgium, France, Germany and Turkey.

Medal.
After 8 years, the Romanian wrestler Gheorghita Stefan will receive the bronze
medal for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, as the Uzbekistan wrestler Soslan
Tigiev, who had defeated him, was stripped of his medal, having failed a drug
test, the International Wrestling Federation has announced. Stefan was defeated
by Tigiev in the eighthfinals of the 74 kg category in the men’s freestyle
wrestling and again by the Belarussian wrestler Murad Gaidarov in the fight for
the bronze medal. According to the new ranking, the Russian wrestler Buvaisar
Saitiev keeps his gold medal, Gaidarov wins the silver, while the Romanian
wrestler Gheorghita Stefan and the Bulgarian wrestler Kiril Terziev win the
bronze. Romania’s medal tally for the Beijing Games now numbers 4 gold medals,
1 silver and 4 bronze. (Trans. by: C. Mateescu)

22 November 2016
November 17, 2016 UPDATE

INCOME Incomes in Romania have seen a 13% rise in the past 12 months, while consumption has increased by 10% against the latest cuts in taxes and prices, shows a balance sheet presented by the country’s technocratic Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos after one year in power. By and large, the economy’s growth pace has increased from 3.8% in 2015 to over 4% in 2016. Pundits have pointed out to the fact that pay rises have caused an unprecedented increase in demand for goods and services, which, in turn, has triggered an almost 7% rise in imports. Because exports went on to a much slower pace of only 4.3%, the trade deficit soared and that might lead to a generalized imbalance in macroeconomic indicators.

SEARCHES Prosecutors with the Bucharest’s Sector One Court announced on Thursday that the hearing of the 11 current and former members of the managing board of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation (SRR) ended, but that investigations in the case continue. The managing board members are being investigated for abuse of office and conflict of interests. Prosecutors say that between July 2011 and January 2014 they alledgedly took some decisions aimed at bringing them illegal benefits. The damage has been estimated at 90 thousand euros. Searches had been carried out earlier on Thursday at the head offices of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, with prosecutors taking up files from several offices.

DEBATE – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday in the city of Cluj-Napoca, that the EU is in a complicated situation and that his main concern is to find the best solutions for the country. Iohannis attended a debate dubbed ”The European Union between dismantling and reform. Romania’s contribution to the consolidation of the European construction”, held at the Babes-Bolyai University in the city. The debate was occasioned by the International Students’ Day, marked on November 17. The date commemorates the anniversary of the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague after demonstrations against the killing of Jan Opletal and the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the execution of nine student leaders, over 1200 students sent to concentration camps, and the closing of all Czech universities and colleges.

EURO In order to join the Eurozone, Romania might need a yearly economic growth of 5% by 2024 — shows a survey carried out by the European Institute. With such a sustained growth, Romania might reach 75 percentages of the EU average in terms of the GDP per capita. According to the survey, the development gap between the states using euros and the others does not recommend it for accession yet. Because Romania’s economic structure is very different from those in the Eurozone, the country would have more to lose if it gave up its independent monetary policy, the report says. We recall the initial term set by the authorities in Bucharest for adopting the single currency was 2015.

VISIT Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu on Thursday, on the second day of his official visit to Jerusalem, had a meeting with the country’s prime minister and foreign minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two officials approached issues such as bilateral cooperation and the evolutions in the Middle East, as well as prospects for the relaunch of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Previously, Lazar Comanescu had paid a two-day official visit to Jordan, to meet with Amman officials.

DECEASED The Romanian football world is in mourning as 44 year old former international Daniel Prodan died of a heart attack on Thursday. A five years champion with the Romanian football side Steaua Bucharest, Prodan also played with Atletico Madrid in Spain and with Scottish side Glasgow Rangers. A member of the so-called Golden Generation of the Romanian football, Prodan, who was described by the sport press as an ‘iron fullback’, won 54 caps for the national football side and participated in the World Cup 1994 and the European Championship of 1996.

GAUDEAMUS The Gaudeamus International Book fair currently underway in Bucharest saw on Thursday numerous book launches, including the bilingual (Romanian-English) anthology of Romanian post-war prose “10.000 de semne/10,000 characters”, launched at the Romanian Cultural Institute’s stand. Until Sunday the fair will have been attended by hundreds of publishing houses, and have seen over 850 events. The largest stand allotted to a participant country is that of China, an honorary guest to the present edition. Gaudeamus Book Fair has been staged by Radio Romania, the world’s single radio station to have initiated and carried such a large-scale project in support of written culture.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

17 November 2016
Jurnal românesc – 15.11.2016

Ministrul de Externe, Lazăr Comănescu, şi al Apărării, Mihnea Motoc, au participat, luni, la Bruxelles, la prima reuniune româno-franceză în format 2+2 pe teme strategice împreună cu omologii de la Paris, Jean-Marc Ayrault, respectiv Jean-Yves Le Drian. Potrivit MAE român, decizia organizării reuniunii ministeriale în acest format a fost luată în septembrie, cu ocazia vizitei de stat în România a preşedintelui francez François Hollande. Aceasta are drept scop intensificarea dialogului strategic bilateral, având în vedere multiplele dosare în care cele două state au poziţii comune şi potenţial de cooperare sporită. MAE de la Bucureşti precizează că discuţiile au reliefat interesul părţilor de a aprofunda cooperarea în plan european şi în cadrul NATO. Ministrul Lazăr Comănescu şi-a exprimat satisfacţia pentru rezultatele obţinute în aplicarea Foii de Parcurs a Parteneriatului Strategic dintre România şi Franţa şi a exprimat intenţia fermă a ţării noastre de a păstra un ritm susţinut în implementarea proiectelor prevăzute în document.

Ministrul delegat pentru relaţiile cu românii de pretutindeni, Maria Ligor, l-a primit, luni, pe ambasadorul Croaţiei în România, Davor Vidis. Discuţiile au evidenţiat interesul Croaţiei pentru experienţa pe care România o are în domeniul asigurării drepturilor minorităţilor naţionale şi în implementarea programelor pentru diaspora. Maria Ligor şi Davor Vidis şi-au exprimat satisfacţia cu privire la proiectele bilaterale privind educaţia în limba maternă, precum înfiinţarea Şcolii de la Susnjevica, în care este studiat dialectul istroromân, şi reţeaua şcolară în limba croată din judeţul Caraş-Severin. Cei doi au vorbit despre aprofundarea cooperării în domeniu, prin organizarea unor reuniuni la nivel de experţi care să discute despre noi proiecte bilaterale în domeniul accesului minorităţilor etnice înrudite din cele două state la educaţie, mass-media şi serviciu religios în limba maternă.

Preşedintele Klaus Iohannis a luat act de votul exprimat de cetăţenii Republicii Moldova în turul al doilea, de duminică, al alegerilor prezidenţiale şi consideră că este necesar ca noul şef al statului vecin să îşi îndeplinească mandatul cu înţelepciune şi echilibru. Klaus Iohannis apreciază că singurul drum care poate oferi prosperitate pe termen lung Republicii Moldova este cel al asigurării stabilităţii politice interne şi al implicării responsabile a tuturor factorilor politici şi instituţionali în continuarea şi consolidarea procesului de reforme destinate modernizării statului şi susţinerii parcursului european, în beneficiul direct al moldovenilor. Şi Guvernul român îşi exprimă speranţa că instituţiile fundamentale din Republica Moldova vor colabora pentru asigurarea stabilităţii politice a ţării, pentru continuarea agendei de reforme şi a procesului de modernizare, menite să suţină parcursul european al Republicii Moldova. Scrutinul prezidenţial a fost câştigat de socialistul Igor Dodon.

Mii de persoane au protestat, luni, la Chişinău şi în România faţă de neregulile înregistrate în timpul alegerilor prezidenţiale din Republica Moldova. Printre neregulile semnalate de observatori se numără votul organizat în localităţile din apropierea Transnistriei, unde alegători ai lui Igor Dodon au fost duşi cu autobuzele, şi faptul că nu au ajuns buletinele de vot pentru alegători din diaspora aflaţi în ţări în care contracandidata pro-europeană a lui Igor Dodon, Maia Sandu, a fost preferată.

15 November 2016
November 13, 2016 UPDATE

FOREIGN POLICY – Romanian foreign minister, Lazar Comanescu, on Monday will attend the Foreign Affairs
Council meeting, alongside his EU counterparts. The agenda of the meeting,
hosted by Brussels, covers such issues as the situation in Turkey, the Eastern
Partnership, the developments in the Southern Neighbourhood, with special
emphasis being laid on the Syrian file. The stage of implementing the EU Global
Strategy for Common Foreign and Security Policy will be approached during a
common session of the EU foreign and defence ministers, on the same day. On the
sidelines of the Council, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, on Sunday initiated an informal talk
between the foreign ministers, including Lazar Comanescu, on the trans-Atlantic
relation.

NATO – NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has launched a warning to
the US President elect, Donald Trump, saying going alone is not an
advantageous option, either for Europe or for the US. In an article carried by
the British paper The Observer, NATO Secretary General, Jens
Stoltenberg, said the West is facing one of the biggest security challenges in
the past decades. During his electoral campaign, Donald Trump argued NATO is
anachronistic and suggested that Washington will think twice whether it helps
or not a NATO ally which comes under attack, if the respective ally hasn’t paid
its contribution. News agencies recall that some 70% of NATO’s current spending
is covered by the US, but the American leaders have always admitted to taking a
high interest in maintaining a stable and safe Europe.

COMMEMORATION– French President Francois Hollande
on Sunday unveiled several commemorative plates in memory of the 130 people
killed in the terror attacks carried out by Islamist militants in Paris, a year
ago. President Hollande and
the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, unveiled a commemorative plate while the name
of the victims were read out. On November 13, 2015 Paris was in shock after gunmen opened fire
randomly in the streets and blew themselves up. The largest number of victims,
90, were registered at Bataclan Concert Hall, and the rest of victims died in cafes,
on sidewalks and restaurant terraces in Paris.

ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN – The electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections
scheduled for December 11, started in Romania on Friday. Some 6,500 people are
running, on behalf of parties or as independent candidates, for the 466 seats
in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. This
election, the list system has been reinstated; the last time it was used was in
the 2004 elections. The parties credited with chances of going past the
required threshold to be represented in parliament are: PSD, PNL, USR, ALDE, UDMR and PMP.

FILM – Romanian films Sieranevada by Cristi Puiu and Baccalaureate by Cristian Mungiu have reaped a lot of awards at the Listapad, International Film Festival hosted by the Belarusian capital, Minsk, between November 4 and 11. They included: the film press award (Sieranevada), the Yury Marukhin memorial award for best cinematography (Barbu Balasoiu/ Sieranevada), the special jury award (Baccalaureate), the award for best actress in a supporting role (Lia Bugnar/ Baccalaureate) and the award for best actor in a leading role (Adrian Titieni/ Baccalaureate).

RUGBY – Romania’s national rugby team on Saturday defeated the US, 23-10, in a test match played in Bucharest. The winner grabbed the Pershing Cup. This is a trophy initiated in 2014 and offered ever since by the Romanian Rugby Federation to the winner of the confrontations between Romania and the US, in remembrance of the match played during the Military Olympics of 1919, the Inter-Allied Games, organised by the commander in chief of the US Expeditionary Force in Europe, General John Joseph Pershing, to mark the end of WWI. The next preparatory game of the Romanian national rugby team is scheduled for Saturday, when Romania meets Canada in Bucharest.

WEATHER -
A wave of cold has taken most Romanian regions in its grip. In the following
period of time, the weather will continue to be particularly cold for this time
of the year. The sky will be overcast and precipitations are likely to fall across
the entire territory. Snowfalls and gusty wind are further forecast in the
mountains and in the north. Meteorologists have issued a code yellow alert
against gale-force wind valid for Eastern Romania until Monday noon.
Temperatures will drop below zero, down to minus 10 degrees Celsius in places.
Gale force wind and snow produced havoc on Sunday, in several regions,
particularly in the mountains and in the northeast. Bad weather conditions
disrupted electricity in several counties, with a considerable impact on air
traffic and the sea and river ports’ activity. (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

13 November 2016
A NATO Ministerial Summit in Bucharest

On Tuesday Bucharest was the venue for a ministerial meeting bringing together Foreign Ministers from countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The event was also attended by Rose Gottemoeller, former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs with the US Department of State, who is considered an expert in the relations with Russia.

Launched at the initiative of Romania and Poland, the forum is meant to be a platform of cooperation on the issues specific to the region and the initiatives the participating states want to promote within the North Atlantic Alliance. The prerequisites for holding such a meeting were the mutual interests in terms of security shared by the states in the region in accordance with the principles of solidarity inside the Alliance.

Before the meeting, ministers from the nine states of the Eastern Flank had been received by Romanian president Klaus Iohannis; he said the meeting came at an important time for the transatlantic relationship — essential for the European security and the security of Central and Eastern Europe. The countries in the region have a special responsibility in terms of security and stability in the Baltic and Black Sea areas.

On her first visit to Bucharest, Rose Gottemoeller appreciated Romania’s contribution to the missions in Afghanistan in recent years. She also referred to the anti-missile defence system in Deveselu, southern Romania and the fact that Romania has activated a multi-national division in the Alliance’s South-Eastern Command. The dialogue of the NATO official with Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu and Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc highlighted the security challenges in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and the need for stability in the region to be strengthened.

The United States remains par excellence the place embodying freedom at its best, Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc said in a TV show while making a connection between the Bucharest meeting and the US presidential election. According to him, there are no reasons why the strategic partnership with the United States should cease and shouldn’t be reinforced. Political analysts say the Romanian-US Strategic Partnership, Romania’s NATO membership and its effective participation in the European Project are the three main pillars of this country’s efforts in building its security and defense.

9 November 2016
Miniștrii de externe român și ucrainean au vizitat Sighetu Marmației

Ministrul afacerilor externe, Lazăr Comănescu, a efectuat sâmbătă o vizită la Sighetu Marmației, împreună cu omologul său ucrainean, Pavlo Klimkin. Cei doi demnitari au participat la dezvelirea bustului poetului ucrainean Taras Șevcenko, în cadrul unui eveniment organizat de Uniunea Ucrainenilor din România și au avut o rundă de consultări bilaterale.

La ceremonia de dezvelire a bustului poetului ucrainean Taras Șevcenko, șeful diplomației române a evidențiat rolul emblematic al acestuia în afirmarea culturii și a limbii ucrainene, precum și importanța minorității ucrainene din România și a celei române din Ucraina ca punți de legătură în relația dintre cele două țări.

În cursul rconsultărilor bilaterale, cei doi miniştri au discutat despre priorităţile de dezvoltare a relaţiei dintre România și Ucraina, aşa cum au fost convenite în cadrul vizitei comune în zonă din 6 mai 2016. Accentul a fost pus în principal pe cooperarea în domeniile economic, infrastructură, cooperare transfrontalieră, puncte de trecere a frontierei, contacte inter-umane și în privința problematicii privind persoanele aparținând minorităților naționale.

Ministrul Comănescu a încurajat totodată consolidarea cadrului juridic bilateral în măsură să susțină schimburile culturale, mobilitățile studențești și cooperarea în materie de educație, inclusiv prin recunoașterea automată a diplomelor de studii. Şeful diplomaţiei române a evidenţiat sprijinul consecvent al României pentru parcursul european al Ucrainei, inclusiv pentru obținerea unei decizii favorabile privind liberalizarea regimului de vize UE pentru cetățenii ucraineni. Totodată, Lazăr Comănescu a confirmat faptul că România rămâne deschisă să acorde asistenţa necesară şi expertiză pe toate palierele pe parcursul procesului complex de reforme desfășurat în Ucraina.

Ministrul român al afacerilor externe a vizitat și Consulatul României de la Solotvino (Slatina), din Ucraina, pentru a marca finalizarea operaționalizării depline a Consulatului. Cu acest prilej, șeful diplomației române a avut o întrevedere cu reprezentanți ai comunității române din regiunea Transcarpatia, la care au participat directori de școli și lideri ai mediului asociativ.

30 October 2016
October 17, 2016

EU – Romanias foreign minister Lazar Comanescu is attending, as of today, a meeting of the EU External Affairs Council in Luxembourg. Talks will focus on the Global Strategy for the European Unions Foreign and Security Policy, the EU-Canada trade agreement, migration and the situation in Tunisia and Syria. On the sidelines of the Council, Comanescu will attend a meeting of the Group of Friends of Ukraine to which the Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin is also invited.

ROYAL HOUSE – King Michael I of Romania is turning 95 on October 25th. The Royal House of Romania has made public the events marking his anniversary, to be held between October 20 and 28 in Bucharest and Sinaia. Among them is the first public broadcast of a radio drama produced by Radio Romania and written in 1960 by King Michael and his wife Ana, who died this summer. Photo exhibitions, gala concerts and book launches will also be held. King Michael I, who is seriously ill, is currently at his home in Switzerland. King Michael of Romania was born in 1921 as the son of Carol II of Romania and Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark. He was King of Romania from July 20th, 1927 to June 8th, 1930 and again from September 6th 1940 to December 30th, 1947. He was forced to abdicate in 1947 by the government controlled by the Communist Party of Romania.

ELECTION – The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the party of Montenegro’s long standing Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic, has won most of the parliament’s seats in Sunday’s legislative elections. The pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists has won, according to initial results, 40% of the votes, twice as much as the pro-Russian opposition alliance, the Democratic Front. If the minority parties, which ran independently in this election, choose to join him, Djukanovic will now be able to form a new government. The election day was overshadowed by the arrest of former Serbia Gendarmerie commander Bratislav Dikic, who was among 20 paramilitaries detained by Montenegrin police on Saturday with an alleged plan to disrupt Sundays election.

MOSUL – Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has today announced the start of the operation of freeing the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. A senior U.N. official says he is “extremely concerned” for the safety of civilians in Mosul in the fight to retake the Iraqi city from Islamic State fighters. Stephen O’Brien, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said in a statement that “depending on the intensity and scope of the fighting, as many as 1 million people may be forced to flee their homes in a worst-case scenario.” The U.S.-led international coalition is providing wide support for the Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the battle for Mosul. Turkey has also offered its support.

JUSTICE – The head of the Higher Council of Magistracy (CSM), Mircea Aron, has today announced that it notified the Judicial Inspection in the case of the Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu having urged parliament members to refuse, until the end of their term, to have their say on the anti-corruption prosecutor’s requests. According to the Higher Council of Magistracy, Tariceanu has thus violated the independence of justice. Tariceanu is prosecuted for false testimony and encouraging the offender. He is the second most important official in the state, given the position he is currently holding, that of Senate Speaker. He is also co-president of the recently set up centre-rightist Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, (ALDE).

HANDBALL – Champions League title holders, Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest grabbed a 24-21 win against Russian contenders Rostov, in their Group C debut game counting towards the ongoing edition of the League. CSM had the lead for the most part of the game and secured their win in the final part, when they scored three times. In the other game of Group C, dubbed “the death group”, Hungarian team Györ Audi ETO trounced FC Midtjylland, 31-19. In the League’s forthcoming stage, CSM Bucharest take on FC Midtjylland, away from home.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

17 October 2016
October 15, 2016 UPDATE

MEETING – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis next week will take part in the European Council meeting held in Brussels, the presidents spokesperson Madalina Dobrovolschi has announced. The agenda of the meeting, scheduled for October 20 and 21, will include such topics as managing migration, trade policies as well as the external relations of the European Union, with a focus on the Russian Federation.

BILATERAL RELATIONS – As part of his participation in the EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting in Bangkok, Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu held bilateral talks with the heads of delegations of other states in the region, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei and Cambodia. The meetings occasioned a review of bilateral relations, with a focus on Romanias interest in developing dialogue and cooperation in a number of fields, while also increasing the frequency of top-level political and sectorial contacts. Lazar Comanescu highlighted the importance Romania gives to boosting economic and trade relations with states in the region, including by stepping up direct contacts between business communities and identifying cooperation opportunities both at bilateral level, as well as at the level of the two regional groups, the EU and the Association of South-East Asian Nations. On Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister expressed his condolences to the Thai authorities following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, saying that the monarch was appreciated internationally for his important role in promoting the modernization and sustainable development of the Kingdom of Thailand.

TRAVEL ALERT – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has issued a travel alert for Turkey, informing Romanian citizens traveling to or transiting Turkey that the Parliament in Ankara has voted to extend the state of emergency nationwide by another three months starting October 19. In this context, given the growing security instability in the region, especially around the capital city Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, the Ministry advises caution and awareness, urging Romanian citizens to avoid getting involved in public manifestations or events that might escalate in violence. The Ministry informs it remains in permanent contact with the Turkish side with respect to providing real-time updates on further developments. On Friday, two missiles were fired on the headquarters of a fishing company in Antalya, southern Turkey, a travel destination favorite among Romanians.

COOPERATION – The excellent level of cooperation between Romania and the state of Bavaria, as well as the interest for developing and expanding it were highlighted during the talks held in Munich between Minister Delegate for Relations with Romanians Worldwide, Maria Ligor, and representatives of the authorities of the State of Bavaria. The agenda of the visit also included meetings with Bavarian Parliaments vice-president Inge Aures and members of the local Government. Maria Ligor suggested the start of a bilateral cooperation with a view to introducing Romanian-language teaching for Romanian students at secondary education level, based on the success models in other European states. Minister Ligor also met with representatives of the Romanian community, including members of the professional associations, such as doctors, lawyers, social integration experts, as well as associations of Romanian-born German ethnics.

EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE – The city of Novi Sad in Serbia has been designated as European Capital of Culture in 2021, the first time a city outside the European Union is awarded this prestigious title. The capital of the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural province of Vojvodina, home to 30,000 Romanian nationals, Novi Sad is located some 150 km from Timisoara, western Romania, which last month was also designated European Capital of Culture in 2021. This is the second Romanian city to receive this award, after Sibiu in 2007.

FOOTBALL – The logo of the city of Bucharest for the 2020 European Championships was launched on Saturday on National Arena Stadium, organized by UEFA, the Romanian Football Federation and the Bucharest City Hall. The 2020 European Championship will mark 60 years since the official launch of this competition. Romania along with 12 other countries will co-host the event. Four matches, three in the group phase and one in the round of 16, will be played in Bucharest.

SYRIA – The United States and Russia are today brokering a new ceasefire in Syria in Switzerland. Washington has stopped bilateral negotiations with Moscow due to the Kremlins decision to support the Bashar al-Assad regime in its assault on the rebel-held eastern Aleppo. President Barack Obama has urged his team to continue diplomatic efforts by holding multilateral talks with key countries in order to put an end to civil war in this country. According to our Moscow correspondent, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he would submit clear-cut proposals to his US counterpart, US Secretary of State John Kerry with respect to a new ceasefire in Syria, saying however his expectations were low for this meeting. Also attending the ceasefire talk in Switzerland will be delegates of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Egypt.

MOLDOVA – Three opposition parties will enlist a common candidate in the presidential election to take place at the end of October in the Republic of Moldova. The leader of the Dignity and Truth Platform, Andrei Nastase, announced he is official withdrawing from the presidential race, saying he is instead backing Maia Sandu. Maia Sandu is the leader of the Action and Solidarity Party founded this spring. A former Education Minister, Maia Sandu has also enlisted the support of the Liberal-Democrats. On October 30 Maia Sandu will take on Socialist Igor Dodon, currently holding 30% of peoples voting preferences in the latest opinion polls. The first ballot is scheduled for October 30, while the second one for November 13. This is the first time in 20 years the president will be elected by citizens directly.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

15 October 2016
October 15, 2016

MEETING – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis next week will take part in the European Council meeting held in Brussels, the presidents spokesperson Madalina Dobrovolschi has announced. The agenda of the meeting, scheduled for October 20 and 21, will include such topics as managing migration, trade policies as well as the external relations of the European Union, with a focus on the Russian Federation.

BILATERAL RELATIONS – As part of his participation in the EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting in Bangkok, Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu held bilateral talks with the heads of delegations of other states in the region, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei and Cambodia. The meetings occasioned a review of bilateral relations, with a focus on Romanias interest in developing dialogue and cooperation in a number of fields, while also increasing the frequency of top-level political and sectorial contacts. Lazar Comanescu highlighted the importance Romania gives to boosting economic and trade relations with states in the region, including by stepping up direct contacts between business communities and identifying cooperation opportunities both at bilateral level, as well as at the level of the two regional groups, the EU and the Association of South-East Asian Nations. On Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister expressed his condolences to the Thai authorities following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, saying that the monarch was appreciated internationally for his important role in promoting the modernization and sustainable development of the Kingdom of Thailand.

TRAVEL ALERT – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has issued a travel alert for Turkey, informing Romanian citizens traveling to or transiting Turkey that the Parliament in Ankara has voted to extend the state of emergency nationwide by another three months starting October 19. In this context, given the growing security instability in the region, especially around the capital city Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, the Ministry advises caution and awareness, urging Romanian citizens to avoid getting involved in public manifestations or events that might escalate in violence. The Ministry informs it remains in permanent contact with the Turkish side with respect to providing real-time updates on further developments. On Friday, two missiles were fired on the headquarters of a fishing company in Antalya, southern Turkey, a travel destination favorite among Romanians.

COOPERATION – The excellent level of cooperation between Romania and the state of Bavaria, as well as the interest for developing and expanding it were highlighted during the talks held in Munich between Minister Delegate for Relations with Romanians Worldwide, Maria Ligor, and representatives of the authorities of the State of Bavaria. The agenda of the visit also included meetings with Bavarian Parliaments vice-president Inge Aures and members of the local Government. Maria Ligor suggested the start of a bilateral cooperation with a view to introducing Romanian-language teaching for Romanian students at secondary education level, based on the success models in other European states. Minister Ligor also met with representatives of the Romanian community, including members of the professional associations, such as doctors, lawyers, social integration experts, as well as associations of Romanian-born German ethnics.

EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE – The city of Novi Sad in Serbia has been designated as European Capital of Culture in 2021, the first time a city outside the European Union is awarded this prestigious title. The capital of the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural province of Vojvodina, home to 30,000 Romanian nationals, Novi Sad is located some 150 km from Timisoara, western Romania, which last month was also designated European Capital of Culture in 2021. This is the second Romanian city to receive this award, after Sibiu in 2007.

SYRIA – The United States and Russia are today brokering a new ceasefire in Syria in Switzerland. Washington has stopped bilateral negotiations with Moscow due to the Kremlins decision to support the Bashar al-Assad regime in its assault on the rebel-held eastern Aleppo. President Barack Obama has urged his team to continue diplomatic efforts by holding multilateral talks with key countries in order to put an end to civil war in this country. According to our Moscow correspondent, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he would submit clear-cut proposals to his US counterpart, US Secretary of State John Kerry with respect to a new ceasefire in Syria, saying however his expectations were low for this meeting. Also attending the ceasefire talk in Switzerland will be delegates of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Egypt.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

15 October 2016
October 14, 2016

LASER – Investment in the laser in Magurele (southern Romania) can generate over 600 million euros in turnover and can create about 6-7 thousand new jobs, Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has today announced upon the presentation of a survey. Ciolos has today participated in a conference on development entitled ‘Laser Valley-Land of Lights’. According to Ciolos, the meeting was aimed at motivating and involving, besides the government and research institutions, the local public authorities and the business environment. The Prime Minister has insisted on the necessity of connecting through infrastructure the commune of Magurele to Bucharest and the Henri Coanda airport to better capitalize on the laser’s potential. On Tuesday, during a visit to Romania, the European Commissioner for development, science and innovation Carlos Moedas pleaded for a better promotion of the world’s largest laser, situated in Magurele, southern Romania.

DOCUMENTS – EU interior ministers, who have convened in Luxembourg for a new session of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, have given the green light to a new type of travel document aimed at easing the repatriation of illegal immigrants from Europe. The decision has been made because the process of returning migrants has so far been hindered by the absence of travel documents. Another issue on the council’s agenda was the implementation of regulations for the new FRONTEX — the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. On this occasion, the Interior Ministry in Bucharest, Dragos Tudorache, has underlined the importance of setting up the new agency, to which Romania is to contribute with 75 police guards.

VISIT – Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu is in Bangkok, Thailand, to participate in the 21st ministerial meeting EU – the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (EU-ASEAN). According to the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, high on the agenda are the latest developments in Europe’s vicinity, the Middle East and North Africa, the phenomenon of migration and fighting international terrorism. On the sidelines of this conference the Romanian Foreign Minister will be having a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from ASEAN countries. As of Tuesday, Comanescu has been going on a diplomatic tour to Asia, which also took him to Indonesia where he held talks with his Indonesian counterpart Retno L.P. Marsudi about stepping up bilateral dialogue in the fields of politics, economy and trade. The two officials have attended the ceremony of signing a memorandum of understanding between the National Trade Chambers of the two countries.

PROSECUTION — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday issued a favourable opinion on and endorsed the National Anti-Corruption Directorate’s request to start prosecution against former deputy prime minister and interior minister, Gabriel Oprea, for manslaughter. The request was submitted two days ago, when Oprea’s mandate of Romanian Senator came to a close, following his resignation, tendered on October 1. Under the Romanian law, the start of prosecution against people who have been or are currently ministers, for acts committed during their term in office, and who were not MPs at the time of the notification, is conditioned by a favourable presidential opinion. Policeman Bogdan Gigina lost his life last year in a motorcycle accident, while he was part of the motorcade of the then interior minister, Gabriel Oprea. Oprea was reportedly on a private trip and consequently he was not entitled to have an official motorcade.

MIGRATION – Border policemen in Giurgiu, southern Romania on Friday discovered seven Turkish citizens and two Syrians with ages between 16 and 51 hidden in a truck with the intention to illegally cross the border into Romania. According to the Romanian-Bulgarian protocol, the migrants have been taken over by the Bulgarian border police for investigation. In the past weeks, the Romanian authorities have taken additional measures to tighten security at its southern and western borders after several smaller groups of migrants tried to illegally cross the border into Romania.

14 October 2016
October 13, 2016 UPDATE

NOBEL – The Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to Bob Dylan “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. Aged 75, Bob Dylan, regarded as the voice of a generation for his influential songs from the 1960s onwards, is the only singer-songwriter to win the award.

PROSECUTION – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on Thursday his intention to green light the prosecution of former deputy prime minister and interior minister Gabriel Oprea, as requested by anti-corruption prosecutors. Oprea is changed with manslaughter. He resigned his position as senator on October 1st. Under Romanian law, the prosecution of former or current ministers, who are not MPs, for deeds committed while in office, requires the President’s approval. Gabriel Oprea is investigated for manslaughter after a police officer escorting him died in a motorcycle accident.

APPOINTMENT – On Thursday, the UN General Assembly officially appointed the former Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Guterres as UN Secretary General. Guterres will replace the South-Korean Ban Ki-moon and his term will last 5 years, as of January 1st. Antonio Guterres is the first head of government to reach this position and, according to diplomatic sources in New York, is very likely to use his leadership skills and expertise in refugee-related issues to take over the initiative of regulating the main current crises, especially the one in Syria.

DOPING – The International Olympic Committee has withdrwn Romanian weightlifter Gabriel Sîncrăian the bronze medal he won at the Olympic Games in Rio, after having failed the doping test as established by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Sincraian, who won the bronze medal at the 85 kg category, was disqualified because he had taken testosterone.

KIDNAPPING – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that the Romanian engineer kidnapped in Nigeria on October 10th has been released. The ministry reiterated its firm recommendation that the Romanian citizens in conflict areas or in security high-risk areas should contact the closest Romanian diplomatic missions and announce their presence in the region, in order to benefit from proper protection and assistance.

COHESION POLICY – A quarter of the total government investments in Romania, in the 2007-2013 period, is the result of the EU cohesion policy, according to an independent evaluation made public by the European Commission. Over 15 billion Euros have been invested in transportation, enterprise support programs, research and environmental protection projects, under the European regional development program. Also, within the same time frame, the cohesion policy helped create 35,000 jobs. At European level, the number of jobs created in that period stood at one million, accounting for one third of the total number of jobs in the whole of the EU created during the same interval. According to the Commission, the cohesion policy has benefited all the EU member countries and has supported them in difficult times from an economic point of view.

EU-ASEA – The Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu is attending in Bangkok, Thailand, the 21st joint EU – Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meeting that started on Thursday. Previously, the Romanian Foreign Minister went to Jakarta, Indonesia, where he talked with his counterpart Retno LP Marsudi about boosting bilateral political, economic and commercial dialogue. The two officials attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries chambers of commerce.

MOLDOVA – According to an opinion poll, in the Republic of Moldova, 34% of the citizens would vote for this former Soviet countrys unification with neighbouring Romania. According to the latest public opinion barometer, quoted by the Radio Romania correspondent in Chisinau, 51% of those questioned would vote for Moldovas EU integration, and 43% for the countrys joining the Russia -Belarus- Kazakhstan Customs Union. 42% of the respondents would vote for Chisinaus accession to NATO. The results of the polls were made public in the run up to the presidential elections due on October 30th. According to political analysts, the stake is not just political, but also geo-political, because the battle will be carried out between pro-Russia and pro-Western candidates.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

13 October 2016
12.10.2016

Diaspora – Ce mercredi est le dernier jour de dépôt des listes de candidats des partis politiques et des candidatures indépendantes aux élections législatives du 11 décembre, dans la circonscription électorale des Roumains de la diaspora. Les partis politiques ont réussi à rassembler un nombre de signatures de soutien à leurs listes largement supérieur au seuil de 200 000 qui leur permet de présenter des listes de candidats complètes. Le Parti national libéral a ramassé plus de 800 000 signatures, le Parti social-démocrate – plus d’un million. Le ministère des affaires étrangères de Bucarest a remis à l’Autorité électorale permanente le nombre de bureaux de vote à ouvrir à l’étranger – 417, c’est-à-dire 111 de plus qu’au scrutin parlementaire de 2012.

Visite – En visite en Indonésie, le ministre roumain des affaires étrangères, Lazăr Comănescu, a eu des pourparlers avec son homologue de Jakarta, Retno L.P. Marsudi, concernant l’intensification du dialogue bilatéral politique, économique et commercial. Les deux dignitaires ont assisté à la signature d’un Mémorandum d’entente entre les Chambres de commerce de leurs deux pays. L’Indonésie est la première étape d’une tournée asiatique de 4 jours du chef de la diplomatie roumaine. Jeudi et vendredi, Lazăr Comănescu se trouvera dans la capitale thaïlandaise, Bangkok, où il participera à la 21e réunion ministérielle Union européenne – Association des nations de l’Asie du Sud-Est (ASEAN).

Militaire – Le général Nicolae Ciucă, chef de l’Etat-major général des Forces armées roumaines, est présent aujourd’hui à la Conférence de l’OTAN « Strategic Direction South », organisée par le Commandement allié Opérations à Naples, en Italie. A l’agenda de la réunion, des sujets liés à la situation sécuritaire dans l’espace euro-atlantique, les défis sur le flanc sud de l’Alliance et la mise en pratique des décisions adoptées au sommet de Varsovie. Les participants se pencheront également sur le développement de la coopération militaire entre les pays de la région, afin de maintenir un climat de sécurité et de bon voisinage, ainsi que sur l’amélioration de l’instruction en commun en vue de l’augmentation de l’interopérabilité des armées et du développement des capacités de réaction en situation de crise.

Enlèvement – Le ministère des affaires étrangères de Bucarest a mis en place une cellule de crise, suite à l’enlèvement d’un ingénieur roumain qui travaillait sur un site pétrolier du Nigéria. L’ambassade de Roumanie à Abuja est en contact avec les autorités fédérales nigérianes ainsi qu’avec l’employeur et la famille du citoyen roumain. La police et les médias locaux affirment qu’il avait été enlevé par des hommes armés, dans l’Etat de Delta, au sud du Nigéria. Cette région est la cible d’une vague d’attaques contre les installations pétrolières et gazières, menées par des bandes armées qui veulent s’approprier, en partie, l’argent obtenu de l’exploitation de ces sites, sachant qu’une grande tranche de la production du Nigéria provient de l’Etat de Delta.

Protestations – Les syndicats roumains des gardiens de prison manifestent aujourd’hui devant le siège de l’Administration nationale pénitentiaire de Bucarest. Ils protestent contre le bas niveau de leurs salaires, les conditions de travail difficiles à cause du manque de personnel et de la surcharge de travail.

Football – L’équipe nationale de football de Roumanie a terminé sur un score blanc le match en déplacement d’hier soir contre le Kazakhstan, comptant pour les qualifications à la Coupe du monde 2018. Egalement hier, dans le même groupe E de la Roumanie, la Pologne s’est imposée (2 à 1) devant l’Arménie, et le Monténégro, en déplacement, a eu raison du Danemark, 1 à 0. La Pologne et le Monténégro, avec 7 points chacun, mènent au classement du groupe E, la Roumanie occupe la troisième position, avec 5 points accumulés jusqu’à présent. Le 11 novembre prochain, la Roumanie accueillera à domicile la Pologne.

Météo – Les pluies abondantes de ces dernières heures ont produit des inondations dans plusieurs régions de la Roumanie, notamment dans des départements de l’est, placés en vigilance orange, et du sud, où une vigilance jaune aux pluies et inondations est en vigueur. Le trafic ferroviaire est perturbé dans le département de Galati, où une alerte rouge aux inondations est en place jusqu’à ce soir. Le temps reste pluvieux et froid pour la saison, notamment dans le nord-est du pays. Il neige en montagne. Les températures maximales de ce mercredi vont de 7 à 17°. 13° à Bucarest à midi.

12 October 2016
October 12, 2016 UPDATE

WISDOM OF THE EARTH — The Romanian government on Wednesday adopted an emergency ordinance which provides for setting up a fund to purchase works of art. The fund will be financed by donations, sponsorships and allotments from the state budget. The Romanian government has decided not to extend the public subscription to purchase the sculpture “Wisdom of the Earth”. The purchasing price of the work of art by the world famous Constantin Brancusi is 11 million Euro, of which the state initially announced it would provide 5 million Euro, also launching a public subscription in order to cover the rest of 6 million Euro. Only 1.2 million Euro has been collected from donations, so the government will pay some 10 million Euro for the work of art, belonging to private persons from Romania, to get into the possession of the Romanian state.

JAKARTA — Romanian foreign minister, Lazar Comanescu, will attend the 21st ministerial meeting of the EU- Association of South East Asian Nations (EU-ASEAN) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday and Friday. Earlier, the Romanian foreign minister had travelled to Jakarta, Indonesia, for talks with his counterpart Retno L.P. Marsudi about ways to boost bilateral dialogue at political, economic and commercial level. The two officials attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Chambers of Commerce of the two countries. Lazar Comanescu and trade minister Enggartiasto Lukita agreed to encourage Romanian and Indonesian companies to participate in economy-advertising events. During the talks with transport minister, Budi Karya Sumadi, the Romanian foreign minister underlined Romania’s capacity to become a sea gateway to Europe for Indonesia.

KIDNAPPING — The Bucharest Foreign Ministry has activated an emergency response centre after a Romanian engineer has been abducted in Nigeria. The ministry said that they follow closely the situation through the embassy in that country, keeping in touch with Nigerian authorities, as well as with the Romanian citizens family and employer. The Nigerian police and media claim the man was abducted as part of the wave of rebel attacks against oil and gas installations.

PENITENCIARIES — The employees of penitentiaries in Romania on Wednesday picketed the headquarters of the National Administration of Penitentiaries. They are discontent about the level of salaries and improper working conditions. Trade unionists denounce the shortage of personnel, prompting them to work extra hours and criticize the delayed procedures to hire personnel.

WEATHER– As of Tuesday evening, heavy downpour has caused flooding in several regions of the country. Counties in eastern, southern and southeastern Romania have been particularly affected. A red code alert against flooding has been instated in the southeastern county of Galati, where, waters have affected hundreds of households. Scores of people have been evacuated and schools have been closed down. Railroad traffic has been disrupted in the same county. Many streets and houses have been flooded in Bucharest, too, where road traffic has also been disrupted.

12 October 2016