Radio România Internațional

Tag: Lazar Comanescu

  • October 11, 2016 UPDATE

    October 11, 2016 UPDATE

    VISIT Romania’s technocratic Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos received the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas in Bucharest on Tuesday. On this occasion, Ciolos has underlined Romania’s commitment to carrying on the implementation of the European programmes in terms of research, development and innovation. The latest developments in Romania’s research and innovation sector have also been tackled as well as the main measures the executive has taken to support activity in this domain. Commissioner Moedas had earlier pleaded for a better promotion of the laser project in Magurele, southern Romania, the world’s biggest laser.



    MOTION The Chamber of Deputies’ Tuesday session in which a simple motion targeting Justice Minister Raluca Pruna was to be tackled and voted upon has been suspended due to a lack of quorum. The motion entitled “A lie can also kill” calls for the resignation of Minister Pruna after she admitted of having lied to judges from the European Court of Human Rights that she had close to a one billion euro budget for seven penitentiaries in Romania. The information was based upon official documents, but the money mentioned does not exist, Raluca Pruna has said. Her statement came against an acute investment shortage for courts, the need for such investment and for ‘multi-annual budget planning’ the Justice Minister explained. The government does not have to sack the minister, even if the motion gets Parliament’s approval.



    CELL The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest on Tuesday announced it had activated a Crisis Cell to deal with the case of the Romanian engineer kidnapped in Nigeria on Monday. According to Ministry sources, the case is being monitored by the Romanian embassy in Abuja, which is in permanent contact with competent federal authorities in Nigeria, with the employer and the family of the Romanian citizen. The Nigerian police and media say the Romanian has been kidnapped by gunmen in the southern Nigerian state of Delta, a region, which has lately seen a wave of attacks against oil and gas installations. Militants in this region fight for getting a bigger part of the oil revenues for the Delta state, which accounts for a large part of Nigeria’s crude production.



    TOUR On Tuesday the Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu started a four-day tour of Asia. According to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the tour includes an official visit to Indonesia, aimed at boosting diplomatic bilateral dialogue and consolidating economic cooperation with this country. On Thursday and Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister will attend the 21st Ministerial Meeting of the European Union — Association of South-East Asian Nations (EU-ASEAN) in Thailand. On the sidelines of the meeting, Lazar Comanescu will hold a series of bilateral talks with his counterparts from ASEAN countries.



  • 10.10.2016 (mise à jour)

    10.10.2016 (mise à jour)

    Visite — Le président roumain Klaus Iohannis et son homologue slovaque, Andrej Kiska, ont discuté, ce lundi à Bucarest, de la consolidation de la relation bilatérale au plan politique, culturel et économique, ainsi que des thèmes de l’agenda européen, vu que la Slovaquie assure la présidence du Conseil de l’UE au second semestre de cette année. Les deux chefs d’Etat ont abordé la politique de l’UE en matière d’élargissement et le voisinage oriental, mais aussi l’avenir de l’Europe, une réflexion lancée au sommet informel accueilli, le mois dernier, par la capitale slovaque, Bratislava. Pour ce qui est de la coopération au sein de l’OTAN, le président Iohannis a réitéré l’importance accordée par la Roumanie au renforcement de la capacité de l’Alliance de répondre aux défis sécuritaires actuels, dans le contexte des évolutions dans la région de la mer Noire. Par ailleurs, Klaus Iohannis et Andrej Kiska ont souligné le fait que la minorité slovaque de Roumanie et la minorité roumaine de Slovaquie avaient une contribution substantielle au développement des relations entre les deux pays.



    Commémoration — Les Juifs et les Roms tués pendant l’Holocauste en Roumanie et dans le monde ont été commémorés ce lundi au Mémorial des victimes de l’Holocauste de Bucarest. Le 9 octobre est marquée la Journée nationale de commémoration des victimes de l’Holocauste en Roumanie. A cette occasion, le chef de l’Etat, Klaus Iohannis, a souligné, dans un message, que l’hommage rendu aux victimes de l’Holocauste était un devoir d’honneur de l’Etat roumain. A son tour, le premier ministre, Dacian Ciolos, a affirmé que la commémoration des victimes de l’Holocauste était un moment de réflexion sur les épisodes sombres de l’histoire nationale, d’assimilation des leçons du passé pour que de telles tragédies ne se reproduisent. C’est le 9 octobre 1941 que fut déclenchée la déportation des Juifs de l’est de la Roumanie dans les territoires soviétiques occupés. L’Holocauste a été reconnu par les autorités roumaines en 2004, sur la base des conclusions formulées par une commission dirigée par Elie Wiesel, prix Nobel de la Paix.



    Motion — En Roumanie, le Parti social-démocrate a déposé, ce lundi, à la Chambre des députés, une motion simple contre la ministre de la justice, Raluca Prună, suite aux affirmations de celle-ci qu’elle avait menti à la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme (CEDH), au sujet des dons alloués aux pénitenciers. Les élus sociaux-démocrates signataires du document demandent la démission de la ministre. Raluca Prună affirmé, la semaine dernière, au Conseil supérieur de la magistrature, qu’elle avait menti quand elle avait dit, à la CEDH, que la Roumanie allouait un budget de près d’un milliard d’euros à sept pénitenciers. La ministre a expliqué que l’information présentée aux juges européens était extraite de documents officiels, mais, mais qu’en réalité l’enveloppe ne se retrouvait pas dans le budget. Selon le Règlement de la Chambre des députés, si la motion simple est approuvée par les élus, le gouvernement n’est pas obligé à démettre la ministre.



    Commissaire — Le commissaire européen à la recherche, la science et l’innovation, Carlos Moedas, fera une visite officielle à Bucarest, ce mardi. A l’agenda, des rencontres avec le chef du gouvernement roumain, Dacian Ciolos, avec le ministre de l’éducation, Mircea Dumitru, avec le président de l’Autorité nationale pour la recherche scientifique et l’innovation, Mihai Robert Dima, et avec le président de l’Académie roumaine, Ionel Valentin Vlad. Le commissaire européen se rendra également à Magurele, dans la proche banlieue de Bucarest, pour visiter le site du laser ELI-NP.



    Diplomatie — Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine, Lazăr Comănescu, commencera ce mardi une tournée de 4 jours en Asie. Au programme, une visite officielle en Indonésie, consacrée à l’intensification du dialogue politique et diplomatique bilatéral et à la consolidation de la coopération économique entre la Roumanie et l’Indonésie. Jeudi et vendredi, le ministre roumain des affaires étrangères participera, à Bangkok, en Thaïlande, à la 21e réunion ministérielle Union européenne — Association des nations de l’Asie du Sud-Est (ASEAN). En marge de cette réunion, Lazăr Comănescu aura des entretiens avec des homologues des pays membres de l’ASEAN.



    Météo — Le mauvais temps est de retour partout en Roumanie ; mardi, il pleuvra et les températures seront en dessous des normales de saison, se situant entre 6 et 18° en milieu de journée.


  • October 10, 201 UPDATE

    October 10, 201 UPDATE

    COMMEMORATION – The Jewish and Roma victims in Nazi extermination camps were commemorated on Monday at the Holocaust Memorial in Bucharest. The National Holocaust Victim Commemoration Day is celebrated on October 9 in Romania. In a message delivered on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis said honoring the victims of the Holocaust is a fundamental duty of the Romanian state. In turn, Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said commemorating the victims of the Holocaust calls for a moment of reflection over some of our national historys dark chapters, learning the lessons of the past so that such tragedies may never happen again. On this day in 1941, the deportation to Transdniester of the Jewish population of Bukovina and Bessarabia began. The Romanian authorities officially accepted responsibility for the Holocaust in Romania in 2004, based on the conclusions of a commission headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ellie Wiesel.



    TALKS – President Klaus Iohannis and his Slovakian counterpart Andrej Kiska discussed the consolidation of bilateral relations at political, economic and cultural level in Bucharest. Talks also tackled hot topics on the European agenda, given that Slovakia is holding the six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council. The two presidents also exchanged views referring to the EU Enlargement Policy and the Eastern Partnership, as well as regarding the future of the EU, a topic approached last month at the informal EU Summit in Bratislava. As part of NATO cooperation, president Iohannis reasserted the importance Romania gives to boosting NATOs capability of responding to current security challenges, against the backdrop of the recent developments in the Black Sea region. On the other hand, Iohannis and Kiska highlighted that the Slovakian minority in Romania and the Romanian community in Slovakia have a substantial contribution to the development of ties between the two states. On Tuesday, President Andrej Kiska will meet with representatives of the Slovakian minority in Romania in Nadlac, western Romania.



    MOTION – The Social-Democratic Party on Monday filed a simple motion against Justice Minister Raluca Pruna, who publicly admitted she lied at the European Court of Human Rights regarding funding allotted to the prison system. Last week at the Supreme Defence Council meeting Raluca Pruna said she lied when saying that Romania allots a 1-billion-euro budget to seven prisons. The information provided to ECHR judges was based on official documents, whereas in fact the money was not stipulated in the budget. According to the Chamber of Deputies regulations, the Government is not compelled to sack the Justice Minister, even is Parliament votes for the motion.



    VISIT – EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas is on Tuesday paying an official visit to Bucharest. He will meet with Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, Education Minister Mircea Dumitru, the president of the National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, Mihai Robert Dima, and with Romanian Academy president Ionel Valentin Vlad. Additionally, Commissioner Moedas will visit the ELI-NP laser project in Magurele.



    TOUR – As of Tuesday the Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu will go on a four-day tour of Asia. According to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the tour includes an official visit to Indonesia, aimed at boosting diplomatic bilateral dialogue and consolidating economic cooperation with this country. On Thursday and Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister will attend the 21st Ministerial Meeting of the European Union – Association of South-East Asian Nations (EU-ASEAN) in Thailand. On the sidelines of the meeting, Lazar Comanescu will hold a series of bilateral relations with his counterparts from ASEAN countries.



    NOBEL PRIZE – The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Monday announced the names of the winners of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Professor Oliver Hart and Professor Bengt Holmstrom of the Massachusets Institute of Technology were awarded the prize, for their insights into how best to write contracts. Their work paved the way for institutions and policies in many fields, from bankruptcy legislation to constitutional policies, the jury explained. The winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was the American professor Angus Deaton, for his analysis of consumption, poverty and welfare. The Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences has been awarded since 1968 by the Central Bank of Sweden, unlike the other prizes which are financed by the Nobel Foundation. The 2016 Nobel Prize season concludes this week with the award for literature.



    US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE – The nominees of the Republican and Democratic parties in the US election, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, Sunday night clashed in the second presidential debate. According to a CNN poll, 57% of the American viewers believe the debate was won by Hillary Clinton, while 34% say the winner was Trump. Also, 39% of the respondents said Hillary Clinton did better than in the first debate. Donald Trump attacked ex-President Bill Clinton, Hillarys husband, and accused her of having “deleted 35,000 emails that had allegedly ruined peoples lives. In turn, Hillary Clinton claimed Russia was getting involved in the US election in order to have Donald Trump win the race. The two candidates also disagreed over the way to handle the crisis in Syria, but according to commentators none of them suggested a concrete solution.



    FOOTBALL – Romanias football team is playing on Tuesday in Astana against the national team of Kazakhstan, in its third preliminary game in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. On Saturday, in Erevan, Romania defeated Armenia, 5-0. In the same group E, Poland won 3-2 against Denmark, and Montenegro beat Kazakhstan 5-0. With 4 points each, Romania, Montenegro and Poland top the group table. Last month the national team drew at home against Montenegro, 1-1, in the first game with the German Cristoph Daum as the first foreign manager of the Romanian team. This autumn Romania is to also play at home against Poland, on November 11.



    TENNIS – The best-ranking Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, is as of Monday no. 4 in the WTA standings, one place up since last week. Halep is already qualified into the WTA Finals, a tournament that brings together the best 8 players of the world and held this year in Singapore, between October 23 and 30. Angelique Kerber, of Germany, is the WTA leader, followed by American Serena Williams and Polands Agnieskza Radwanska. Four other Romanian players are in the WTA Top 100: Irina Camelia Begu (no. 28), Monica Niculescu (no. 50), and Sorana Carstea (no. 83).



    (Translated by A.M. Popescu and V. Palcu)

  • 07.10.2016 (mise à jour)

    07.10.2016 (mise à jour)

    Pourparlers — Le président roumain Klaus Iohannis a eu ce vendredi à Bucarest une entrevue avec la Haute représentante de l’UE pour la politique étrangère, Federica Mogherini. Les pourparlers ont principalement porté sur la Syrie et la République de Moldova, mais aussi sur le partenariat oriental, la situation dans le sud de l’UE et la défense européenne. Pour ce qui est de la Syrie, les deux ont convenu que l’option militaire n’était pas une solution acceptable et que l’UE souhaitait être un partenaire qui facilite et participe aux négociations. Concernant la République de Moldova, le chef de l’Etat roumain a précisé que l’UE entendait l’intérêt particulier Bucarest pour que Chisinau reste tourné vers l’Europe. Les deux hauts responsables ont été d’accord qu’il fallait appuyer la République de Moldova dans ses efforts.



    Entretien — Le ministre roumain des affaires étrangères Lazar Comanescu s’est entretenu vendredi à Bucarest avec la Haute représentante de l’UE pour la politique étrangère, Federica Mogherini. L’occasion pour le chef de la diplomatie roumaine de plaider à nouveau en faveur de l’entrée de la Roumanie dans l’espace de libre circulation Schengen. Il a souligné le fait que Bucarest était préparé à défendre les frontières européennes dans le nouveau contexte sécuritaire international. Initialement prévue pour 2011, l’adhésion de la Roumanie à l’espace Schengen a été constamment reportée. Tous les partenaires occidentaux reconnaissent que Bucarest remplit tous les critères techniques, mais certains d’entre eux s’opposent à son admission en raison de la corruption qui existe dans les institutions roumaines.



    Déclaration — Promouvoir la sécurité, la démocratie et une gouvernance transparente en Roumanie et dans l’espace transatlantique comptent parmi les priorités de l’ambassade des Etats Unis en Roumanie, a précisé l’ambassadeur Hans Klemm, devant les participants à une conférence sur l’innovation dans le domaine de la technologie, organisée à Cluj-Napoca (nord-ouest). Le diplomate américain a ajouté que la prospérité des citoyens devait être un objectif des autorités, et pour cela il était important de soutenir le développement des entreprises. Bucarest et Washington ont conclu un partenariat stratégique en 2011.



    Plagiat — L’ancien ministre roumain de l’Intérieur, Petre Toba, et le maire de la ville de Voluntari, dans la proche banlieue de Bucarest, Florin Pandele, ont massivement plagié leurs thèses de doctorat (c’est la conclusion formulée par la commission d’experts qui a examiné les deux thèses, conclusion confirmée par le ministre de l’éducation nationale. Le verdict final sera annoncé la semaine prochaine. De vifs débats se déroulent à Bucarest au sujet des thèses de doctorat, supposément plagiées, dont les auteurs sont des personnages publics, tels l’ancien premier ministre Victor Ponta, ou la chef du Parquet anti-corruption Laura Codruta Kövesi.



    Météo — Il continuera à faire très froid en Roumanie, pour cette époque de l’année et des pluies seront signalées sur l’ensemble du territoire. La neige continuera à tomber dans les Carpates du sud et de l’est. Samedi, en milieu de journée, les températures ne dépasseront pas les 17°.

  • Jurnal românesc – 7.10.2016 UPDATE

    Jurnal românesc – 7.10.2016 UPDATE

    ‘Uniunea Europeană înţelege că România are un
    interes special şi legitim ca Republica Moldova să rămână cu faţa către Europa’
    – a declarat preşedintele Klaus Iohannis, după discuţiile de vineri, de la
    Bucureşti, cu vicepreşedintele Comisiei Europene, Federica Mogherini. El a
    adăugat că Bucureştiul şi Bruxellesul au convenit să aibă o abordare comună şi
    să sprijine Chişinăul să-şi consolideze instituţiile publice şi sistemul
    democratic. În privinţa apropiatelor alegeri prezidenţiale din Republica
    Moldova, cei doi oficiali au căzut de acord că Uniunea Europeană şi România nu
    pot interveni în procesul electoral, însă vor monitoriza cu atenţie evoluţiile
    din statul vecin. Sondajele privind intenţiile de vot îl cotează drept favorit
    pe liderul socialiştilor rusofili, Igor Dodon, un românofob şi antioccidental
    virulent.


    Ministrul de Externe, Lazăr Comănescu, a
    pledat, din nou, vineri, pentru admiterea României în Spaţiul Schenghen. La
    discuţiile cu înaltul reprezentant pentru politică externă al Uniunii Europene,
    Federica Mogherini, şeful diplomaţiei a subliniat că România este pregătită să
    apere frontierele europene în noul context de securitate. Prevăzută iniţial
    pentru 2011, intrarea Romaniei în spaţiul unic de circulaţie a fost mereu
    amânată. Deşi partenerii occidentali recunosc că Bucureştiul îndeplineşte toate
    criteriile tehnice, unii dintre ei continuă să se opună admiterii, reclamând
    corupţia din instituţiile romaneşti.


    Agenţia Naţională de Administrare Fiscală (ANAF) propune (…) o actualizare a procedurii de
    rambursare a TVA achitate în România de persoanele impozabile stabilite în alte
    state membre ale Uniunii Europene. Potrivit procedurii actualizate, persoana
    impozabilă poate adresa pe cale electronică o cerere de rambursare pe care o
    înaintează statului membru în care este stabilită, prin intermediul portalului
    electronic pus la dispoziţie de către acesta, solicitarea urmând să fie
    analizată de Administraţia fiscală pentru contribuabili nerezidenţi din
    Bucureşti. Potrivit reprezentanţilor ANAF, comunicarea deciziei de
    aprobare/respingere a cererii de rambursare se face în termen de cel mult 4
    luni de la data primirii cererii de rambursare, în situaţia în care nu sunt
    necesare informaţii suplimentare pentru soluţionarea acesteia. În ipoteza în
    care organul fiscal solicită informaţii suplimentare, termenul de soluţionare
    se poate prelungi până la cel mult 8 luni de la data primirii cererii, în
    condiţiile legislaţiei fiscale europene.


    Autoritatea Electorală Permanentă a informat că, la data de 6 octombrie,
    numărul alegătorilor înscrişi în Registrul electoral, inclusiv cetăţenii care
    vor împlini 18 ani până la data alegerilor parlamentare, este de 18.924.220.
    AEP precizează că datele referitoare la numărul total de cetăţeni cu drept de
    vot înscrişi în Registrul electoral sunt într-o continuă modificare, fiind
    actualizate prin operaţiuni curente efectuate de primari, prin importuri de
    date de la Direcţia pentru Evidenţa Persoanelor şi Administrarea Bazelor de
    Date şi de la Direcţia Generală de Paşapoarte. Anterior, Autoritatea Electorală
    Permanentă a transmis Ministerului de Externe lista cu cele şapte localităţi
    din străinătate în care trebuie înfiinţate secţii de votare pentru alegerile
    parlamentare din 11 decembrie. Potrivit AEP, din aceste localităţi au fost înregistrate
    cel puţin 100 de solicitări pentru înfiinţarea unei secţii de votare. AEP
    anunţă că, pentru corecta informare a opiniei publice, va comunica periodic
    situaţia privind numărul total de cetăţeni cu drept de vot înscrişi în
    Registrul electoral.

  • October 7, 2016 UPDATE

    October 7, 2016 UPDATE

    FOREIGN POLICY – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday held talks in Bucharest with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, mainly on Syria and the Republic of Moldova. As regards Syria, the two agreed that the military option is not a solution and that the EU wants to be a partner which fosters and takes part in the negotiations. Referring to the Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet country with a Romanian speaking population), the president said the EU understands that Romania takes a special and legitimate interest for the Republic of Moldova to stay oriented towards Europe-president Klaus Iohannis said. The two agreed on a common stance that goes towards supporting Moldova, the president also said. Other issues on the agenda of talks are the Eastern Partnership, the situation of the European Union in the southern area as well as a better organisation and coordination of the European defence.



    SCHENGEN ACCESSION – Romanian foreign minister Lazar Comanescu on Friday pleaded again for Romanias Schenghen accession. In a meeting he had in Bucharest with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, the Romanian foreign minister underlined that Romania is ready to defend Europes borders in the new security context. Initially scheduled for 2011, Romanias accession to the free circulation movement area has been repeatedly delayed. Although western partners recognise that Bucharest meets all technical criteria, some of them continue to oppose the accession, pointing to corruption in Romanian institutions.



    DIPLOMACY – Promoting security, democracy and transparent governance in Romania and in the transatlantic area is among the priorities of the US Embassy in Bucharest, says US ambassador Hans Klemm. On Friday, at a conference on innovation and technology in Cluj-Napoca, western Romania, he also said that one of the authorities main concerns should be the citizens prosperity. Developing and supporting the business sector are key elements in the effort to achieve this goal. We recall that, allied within NATO, Romania and the US are tied by a strategic partnership.



    F-16 – Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos went to an airbase in southeastern Romania to participate in a ceremony occasioned by the arrival of the first six F-16 Fighting Falcons out of the total 12 bought from Portugal. The six fighters were taken over in late September from the Portuguese airbase of Monte Real. Romania decided to upgrade its air fleet and replace the ageing MiG 21s.



    POUND –The pound has dropped to a 31-year low against the US $ and to a 7-year low against the euro. International press agencies believe the fall takes place amid fears of the ‘hard Brexit. According to a survey published by Reuters, Britain’s financial industry might lose up to 38 billion pounds ($48.34 billion) in revenue in a so-called ‘hard Brexit’ that would leave it with restricted access to the European Union’s single market. Prime Minister Theresa May last Sunday confirmed that Britain would trigger the article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in the first quarter of 2017.



    EXODUS – Millions are fleeing the coastal regions of Florida and South Carolina before the arrival of hurricane Matthew, thought to be the strongest in the United States in the past decade. With gusts as high as 215 kilometer per hour, Matthew, which killed 340 people in Haiti, is a category 4, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm could have a disastrous impact in the two states, where president Obama has already declared the state of emergency.



    NOBEL PEACE PRIZE – The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country’s more than 50-year-long civil war to an end, a war that has cost the lives of at least 220 000 Colombians and displaced close to six million people. Last year the prize went to the National Dialog Quartet in Tunisia for having built a pluralistic democracy in that country. The Nobel Prize in Economics is to be awarded next Monday and that for Literature on Thursday October 13th.



    FOOTBALL – Romanias national football squad this coming Saturday take on Armenia in an away fixture counting towards the World Cup preliminaries in 2018. Three days after the match in Yerevan, Romania face Kazakhstan, also away from home. Last month the national team were held to a 1-all draw by Montenegro on home turf, in what counts as the debut game for the newly-appointed manager of the national team, the German Christoph Daum, the first foreign manager to have been appointed at the helm of the national team. In the same group, E, Denmark grabbed a 1-nil home win against Armenia, while Poland were held to a 2-all draw by Kazakhstan, away from home. This autumn, Romania also takes on Poland on home turf, on November 11th. (Translated by D. Bilt and D. Vijeu)

  • Michel Barnier hat Rumänienbesuch unternommen

    Michel Barnier hat Rumänienbesuch unternommen

    Die Trennung Großbritanniens von der EU ist kompliziert und schmerzhaft und kommt in einem für die EU sehr schweren Moment. Die Union steckt in der schwersten Krise seit ihrer Gründung. Michel Barnier, ehemaliger Minister und EU-Kommissar, will die Meinungen aller 27 Mitgliedstaaten zum Thema Brexit kennen. Zu diesem Zweck hielt er sich in seinem Heimatland Frankreich, Deutschland und den Niederlanden auf. Michel Barnier besuchte am Mittwoch Rumänien und führte Gespräche mit dem rumänischen Premierminister Dacian Cioloş, ehemaliger Eu-Kommissar, und mit dem Außenminister Lazăr Comănescu. Bukarest wünscht, dass die Verhandlungen, so stattfinden sollen, dass alle Seiten eingeschlossen werden und die gemeinsame Stellung der 27 EU-Staaten und der europäischen Institutionen über die verhandelten Elemente wiedergegeben wird, erklärte Dacian Cioloş. Dieser hob hervor, dass Rumänien in der ersten Hälfte des Jahres 2019, wenn die Austrittsverhandlungen finalisiert werden, die EU Ratspräsidentschaft inne haben werde. Rumäniens Verantwortung sei riesig. Brüssel meint, jedwelche Art von Verhandlung sei ausgeschlossen so lange London den Artikel 50 des Vertrags von Lisabon, der den Ablauf des Austiegs regelt, nicht aktiviert. Das soll erst im kommenden Frühling stattfinden.




    Danach soll Michel Barnier, Brexit- Chefunterhändler für die Beziehungen mit dem künftigen Ex-EU-Mitgliedsland, seine Gespräche mit London auf drei bedeutende Themen konzentrieren: Wegfall des Beitrags Großbritanniens zum EU-Haushalt, Außenhandel und Außenpolitik, sowie gemeinsamer Markt, der auch das sensible Thema des freien Arbeitskraftverkehrs, eines der Grundprinzipien der EU beinhaltet.




    Im Hinblick auf dieses Thema hat Rumänien schon bekanntgegeben, es werde keine Kompromisse machen. Bukarest hat sich zu keinem anderen Thema des Brexits geäußert. Die offizielle Nachricht ist, dass Bukarest sich auch in der Zukunft eine besondere Partnerschaft mit Großbritannien wünsche. Michel Barnier, ein überzeugter Europäer, behauptet das Gleiche. In dem euroskpetischen Umfeld in London gilt er als ein bekannter Anti-Brite. Obwohl er harte Verhandlungen erwartet, hat er keine Absicht dem Vereinigten Königreich Krieg zu erklären. Seiner Meinung nach, haben Europa und Großbritannien gemeinsame Interessen besonders in Bereichen wie Sicherheit und Verteidigung, wo eine kräftige bilaterale Zusammenarbeit nötig ist.

  • România la Europalia Bruxelles

    România la Europalia Bruxelles

    România se pregăteşte, încă de pe acum, să participe, în Belgia, la cea
    de-a 27-a ediţie a
    Festivalului Internaţional de Arte Europalia. Va fi invitata de onoare a
    acestui mare eveniment care prezintă, o dată la doi ani, elementele esenţiale
    ale patrimoniului cultural al unei ţări. Din octombrie 2019 până în ianuarie
    2020, la Bruxelles şi în mai multe oraşe belgiene, dar şi limitrofe, Festivalul
    va aduce în scenă toate formele de manifestare artistică românească: muzică, arte plastice,
    cinema, teatru, dans, literatură, arhitectură, design, modă şi gastronomie.

    Bazele participării României au fost puse, marţi, prin semnarea, la Bucureşti,
    a memorandumului de înţelegere pentru organizarea Festivalului Europalia
    România. Potrivit autorităţilor naţionale, Festivalul va fi o oportunitate
    majoră – cum altfel? – pentru
    promovarea patrimoniului cultural, a tradiţiilor, a potenţialului creator şi a
    industriilor creative din România.

    Ministrul Culturii, Corina Şuteu: Acum, când Europa este cu atât mai tulburată de întregul context
    geopolitic şi când încercăm cu toţii să ne redefinim identitatea europeană,
    cred că un proiect ca Europalia, la care România, ca ţară candidată, a obţinut
    marele privilegiu de a fi prezentă la Bruxelles, este poate momentul ideal pentru
    a reafirma valorile în care, ca europeni, credem şi a le reafirma prin
    creativitate, comunicare şi identitatea pe care nu o permite decât cultura.

    La rândul său, şeful diplomaţiei de la Bucureşti, Lazăr Comănescu, a menţionat
    că, prin diversitatea şi valoarea programului pe care îl va propune, Festivalul
    Europalia România va amplifica, spre finalul anului 2019, mesajul preşedinţiei
    Consiliului Uniunii Europene, pe care România o va deţine în prima jumătate a
    aceluiaşi an. Lazăr Comănescu: Este una dintre cele de mai înaltă calitate manifestări culturale, care
    reprezintă o oportunitate excepţională pentru orice ţară să se poată prezenta,
    să se poată face cunoscută, să poată să fie cât mai bine înţeleasă. Şi, în mod
    deosebit, în domeniul culturii.

    Festivalul Internaţional de Arte Europalia
    a fost creat acum aproximativ 50 de ani pentru a le permite membrilor, care
    iniţial erau doar şase, să se cunoască mai bine. Devenită cea mai mare
    manifestare culturală din Belgia, aceasta beneficiază, la ora actuală, de un
    aflux mare de turişti, reprezentând un excelent instrument în prezentarea unei
    ţări şi unei culturi publicului european şi internaţional. Printre statele
    invitate de onoare la ediţiile precedente s-au numărat Italia, Franţa, Spania,
    Portugalia, Cehia, Polonia, Rusia, China, Brazilia, India şi Turcia. Anul
    acesta, în prim-plan
    este Indonezia.

  • The migrant issue

    The migrant issue

    Humanitarian crises caused by conflicts in the Middle East are deepening and causing increasing concern worldwide. Such conflicts have triggered mass migration such as that towards Europe, which in 2015 saw over one million refugees and migrants. Romania has so far been spared that extreme phenomenon.



    This country has not been on the refugees’ route towards the West, neither has it been a favourite destination. Things are changing though, because, on the one hand, some of those routes have been closed and on the other hand, countries in Europe have agreed to share the burden and take over some of the refugees who made it to the West.



    Anyway, the border police and the General Inspectorate for Immigration have cautioned against the mounting pressure at Romania’s borders, particularly on the Danube, a river that has unfortunately turned into a death trap for some of those refugees.



    Incidents involving groups of refugees brought in by Serbian guides have been reported almost on a daily basis at Romania’s western borders. But who are those immigrants and what is their new route towards the West? Here is Petre Nicola, spokesman for the Territorial Inspectorate of the Border Police in Timisoara.




    Petre Nicola: “Migrants are generally of Afro-Asian descent and their main destinations are countries in Western Europe, via Serbia-Romania-Hungary. According to their statements, they are seeking a better standard of living in those countries and are only transiting Romania.”




    Either using the Bulgarian or the Serbian route, those migrants are trying to make it to Hungary via Romania in order to avoid border barriers set up by Hungary, says Catalin Bercaru, project manager with the International Organisation for Migration.



    Catalin Bercaru: “Figures have started to increase in terms of illegal migration, which is only natural, because when a wall is set up in a place, migrants will obviously try to find another route to avoid it.”



    Under the circumstances the latest immigration statistics have caused increased concern with the authorities in Bucharest, as Fabian Badila, spokesman for the Border Police admits.




    Fabian Badila: “Since the beginning of the year until now, surveillance and control operations carried out by my colleagues from the border police have revealed that 670 foreign nationals have been involved in the phenomenon of illegal migration.”




    These days migration is also high on the agenda of the UN General Assembly, which has convened in its first session on that issue. Donald Tusk, president of the European Council is to address the Assembly on behalf of the EU on Wednesday and will be participating in a series of sessions on the refugee and migrant issue.




    Romania is represented by Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos accompanied by Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu. The Romanian Foreign Minister on Sunday delivered a speech during a UN session underscoring the importance of international cooperation in managing that phenomenon, arguing that emphasis must be laid on addressing the causes of the phenomenon.

  • 15 ani după 11 septembrie

    15 ani după 11 septembrie

    Statele Unite ale Americii au comemorat, în weekend, împlinirea a 15 ani de la atacurile jihadiste din 11 septembrie 2001, care au ucis aproape trei mii de persoane şi au condus la ani de război şi teroare pentru alte câteva milioane de oameni, din toată lumea.


    La Casa Albă, preşedintele Barack Obama a marcat, duminica, la ora 08:46, momentul când un avion deturnat a lovit turnul de nord al World Trade Center, din New York, anunţând începutul celui mai sângeros atac terorist din Statele Unite.



    Pompierii din New York au adus un omagiu celor 343 de colegi ai lor, care au murit în urma atacurilor de acum 15 ani. Ulterior, numele tuturor celor aproape trei mii de victime au fost citite la un serviciu de comemorare, care a avut loc la Ground Zero, pe locul unde s-au aflat turnurile gemene ale World Trade Center.



    Majoritatea covârșitoare a celor morți erau civili, inclusiv cetățeni din 90 de țări. Între victime, se numără şi cinci cetăţeni americani de origine română: Eugen Gabriel Lazăr, Corina şi Alexandru Liviu Stan, Joshua Poptean şi Ana Fosteris. Alături de aceştia, a murit şi cetățeanul moldovean de origine română, Arkady Zaltsman, arhitect celebru, după planurile căruia a fost construit Palatul Parlamentului din Chişinău-Republica Moldova.



    Potrivit corespondentului Radio România la Washington, nimeni nu a uitat momentele de teroare din urmă cu 15 ani. 75.000 de oameni suferă, încă, de tulburări mintale şi fizice, inclusiv membri ai echipelor de urgenţă, care au inspirat particule cancerigene în încercarea de a salva vieţi.



    În discursul său săptamânal la postul naţional de radio, preşedintele Barack Obama a lansat un apel la respectarea valorilor democratice şi la evitarea răspunsurilor simpliste la provocarea pe care o reprezintă terorismul, făcând aluzie la declaraţiile anti-imigraţie ale candidatului republican la preşedinţia Statelor Unite, Donald Trump.



    Şi în Romania au fost înregistrate reacţii oficiale în legătură cu evenimentele de la 11 septembrie 2001. Ministrul Afacerilor Externe, Lazăr Comănescu a adresat un mesaj secretarului de stat al Statelor Unite ale Americii, John Kerry. Şeful diplomaţiei române îşi exprimă, în mesaj, solidaritatea cu victimele atentatelor, familiile acestora şi cu toţi cei afectaţi de tragicele evenimente de acum 15 ani.



    Recent, Camera Reprezentanţilor din Congresul Statelor Unite a votat în favoarea legislaţiei care va permite familiilor victimelor atacurilor din 11 septembrie 2001 să dea în judecată guvernul Arabiei Saudite, în ciuda ameninţării unui veto prezidenţial. Dintre cei 19 atacatori, 15 erau saudiţi, cu toate că guvernul de la Ryadh a negat constant că cetăţeni saudiţi ar fi implicaţi în atacuri, iar cercetările ulterioare nu au descoperit o legătură între atacuri şi statul saudit.

  • Apărarea colectivă, provocarea NATO

    Apărarea colectivă, provocarea NATO

    Alianţa Nord-Atlantică reprezintă o sursă de stabilitate
    într-o lume imprevizibilă, iar Europa şi SUA sunt şi lucrează împreună –     este
    afirmaţia secretarului general al Alianţei, Jens Stoltenberg, la finalul
    recentului summit de la Varşovia. Un summit la care liderii celor 28 de state
    membre au decis să întărească securitatea flancului estic al NATO, inclusiv
    prin amplasarea unei brigăzi multinaţionale în România, prin desfăşurarea a
    patru batalioane în statele baltice şi Polonia, precum şi prin transferarea
    controlului şi coordonării scutului antirachetă de la Deveselu dinspre Statele
    Unite către NATO.

    Invitat la Radio România, directorul Centrului pentru Prevenirea
    Conflictelor de la Bucureşti, Iulian Chifu, despre concluziile acestui summit: Ne aflăm în faţa unui summit care a transmis unitate, forţă,
    determinare, dar în egală măsură şi foarte multă preocupare pentru viitor şi
    pentru ceea ce se întâmplă în vecinătăţile Alianţei. Aici trebuie spus foarte
    clar că, dacă voiam un mesaj extrem de puternic, descurajant, dacă vreţi, o
    arătare din deget către toţi inamicii posibili ai Alianţei, o avem pe un ton
    extrem de ferm, extrem de puternic, poate de neimaginat în urmă cu alţi ani şi
    în orice caz într-o formă extrem de dură. Din cele 139 de articole ale
    Declaraţiei finale, de exemplu, jumătate dintre ele se referă la Rusia,
    inclusiv trei-patru articole în care este condamnată chiar în aceşti termeni
    Rusia pentru diferitele acţiuni: anexarea Crimeii, agresiunea militară din
    estul Ucrainei, ş.a.m.d. Este într-adevăr un summit care transmite tuturor
    aliaţilor încrederea în Alianţă, asumă nişte angajamente extrem de puternice pe
    toate dimensiunile apărării aliate, proiectează stabilitate şi securitate
    dincolo de frontiere, se raportează în mod direct la parteneri, nu numai la
    aliaţi. Şi aici Georgia, Ucraina şi Republica Moldova sunt numite ca atare.

    Consilierul prezidenţial pentru securitate naţională, generalul Ion Oprişor, a
    punctat, de asemenea, importanţa acestui summit, în actualul context de
    securitate, când spaţiul euro-atlantic se confruntă cu riscuri şi provocări
    multiple şi diverse, care îşi au originea în vecinătatea Alianţei
    Nord-Atlantice: Mă refer la terorism, mă refer la riscul de
    securitate cibernetică, mă refer la migraţie, instabilitatea din regiunea
    Orientului Mijlociu şi Nordul Africii, situaţia din Ucraina şi exemplele ar
    putea continua. Prin deciziile pe care şefii de stat şi guvern le-au adoptat la
    acest summit au fost atinse şi abordate de o manieră unitară şi coerentă
    provocările pe care le-am amintit mai adineauri, reconfirmându-se, de altfel,
    calitatea Alianţei Nord-Atlantice de actor responsabil global care îşi
    îndeplineşte sarcinile fundamentale. Şi mă refer aici la apărarea colectivă, la
    gestionarea crizelor şi la securitatea prin cooperare.

    Aliaţii NATO au
    convenit la Varşovia să funizeze sprijin militar sporit ţărilor din Orientul
    Mijlociu şi în Africa de Nord, care sunt ţinte ale extremismului islamic. Se va
    pune accent inclusiv pe avioane de supraveghere ale Alianţei Nord-Atlantice în
    lupta împotriva Daesh – organizaţia teroristă Stat Islamic. De asemenea, va fi
    lansată o nouă misiune navală în Mediterana. Va fi menţinută prezenţa militară
    în Afganistan şi forţele de securitate afgane vor fi sprijinite financiar până
    în 2020.

    Din Ierusalim, corespondentul Radio România, Dragoş Ciocârlan, despre
    alte măsuri decise la summit: NATO va începe o nouă misiune de
    pregătire şi întărire a capacităţilor armatei irakiene, o ţară aflată în plan
    central în lupta împotriva Daesh. De asemenea, se va înfiinţa un centru de
    monitorizare în Tunisia, care reprezintă un teritoriu major de recrutare pentru
    Daesh. Se va acorda sprijin forţelor speciale tunisiene. Avioanele de
    supraveghere ale NATO vor furniza datele necesare coaliţiei conduse de
    americani în lupta împotriva Daesh în Siria şi Irak, un semnal clar în lupta
    pentru combaterea terorismului. Aceste zboruri de monitorizare vor începe în
    toamnă. Totodată, Alianţa îşi va întări cooperarea cu Iordania şi va ajuta noul
    guvern din Libia.

    Totodată, NATO a cerut Rusiei să pună capăt sprjinului
    militar, politic şi financiar pentru separatiştii din Ucraina.

    Pentru România,
    summitul NATO a fost un succes, a apreciat ministrul de externe, Lazăr
    Comănescu, amintind că la toate aceste decizii România a avut o contribuţie
    semnificativă: Lazăr Comănescu: Zona Mării Negre, ca şi zona Mării
    Baltice şi a Atlanticului de Nord, sunt considerate regiuni de interes strategic
    ale Alianţei Nord-Atlantice. Că vorbim de prezenţă înaintată terestră, de
    prezenţă şi atenţie sporită acordată spaţiului maritim, că vorbim de spaţiul
    aerian – toate aceste lucruri sunt decise cu o contribuţie românească
    substanţială.

    Bucureştiul consideră că acest summit a reconfirmat rolul
    României de pilon de securitate şi actor activ al Alianţei Nord-Atlantice în
    regiune.

  • 08.09.2016 (mise à jour)

    08.09.2016 (mise à jour)

    Economie – Le premier ministre roumain Dacian Ciolos viendra devant les élus parlementaires de Bucarest pour présenter la situation économique du pays, a fait savoir jeudi le porte-parole du gouvernement Liviu Iolu. Le premier ministre répond ainsi à la demande formulée toujours jeudi, dans une lettre ouverte, par le président du PSD, Liviu Dragnea. Le leader social-démocrate affirme entre autres quil est nécessaire que lExécutif présente dans les plus brefs délais sa position officielle en ce qui concerne plusieurs mesures annoncées, dont celle qui vise à limiter les allocations familiales ou à majorer les taxes sur les activités indépendantes et autres.



    Visite – Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine Lazar Comanescu sest entretenu jeudi à Bucarest avec le vice premier ministre turc Veysi Kaynak. Loccasion pour le ministre roumain de réitérer louverture de la Roumanie pour le renforcement des relations bilatérales, notamment dans le domaine du commerce. En même temps, Lazar Comanescu a reconfirmé lintérêt de la Roumanie pour que la Turquie, membre de lOTAN et partenaire clé de lUE, maintienne sa stabilité. La Roumanie souhaite que la Turque adhère à lUE, a-t-il encore ajouté. Selon le ministère roumain des AE la visite du vice premier ministre turc témoigne de la dynamique du dialogue politique entre les deux pays.



    Météo – Il fera beau en Roumanie dans les 24 prochaines heures. Le ciel sera couvert temporairement sur le sud et le sud-ouest. Les températures maximales iront jusquà 33 degrés.

  • September 8, 2016 UPDATE

    September 8, 2016 UPDATE

    THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY– Romanias technocratic Prime Minister, Dacian Ciolos, will go to Parliament to present the economic situation of the country, the government spokesperson, Liviu Iolu announced on Thursday. The spokesman said the Prime Minister is thus answering the request made on Thursday, too, in an open letter, by the president of the leftist Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea. The Social Democrats leader claims, among others, it is high time the cabinet presented its official stand on such measures as establishing a ceiling for child rearing benefits and increasing taxes on incomes from independent activities.



    ANTI-CORRUPTION – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday approved a request by the National Anti-corruption Directorate to start prosecuting former interior minister Petre Toba. The latter is suspected of aiding some of his staff accused of embezzlement. As a result of the scandal, Toba resigned and was replaced by Dragos Tudorache. The priorities of the new minister include the good organisation of the parliamentary elections on December 11.



    DIPLOMACY – Romanian foreign minister, Lazar Comanescu, on Thursday met in Bucharest with Turkish deputy prime minister, Veysi Kaynak. On this occasion, Comanescu reiterated Romanias openness towards boosting bilateral ties, particularly trade relations. In another move, the Romanian foreign minister reiterated Romanias interest in maintaining stability in Turkey, a NATO member and a key partner of the EU. Comanescu also gave assurances that Romania would like Turkey to join the EU. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the visit by the Turkish deputy prime minister is proof of the dynamic and fast pace of the political dialogue between the two countries.



    ROMANIAN-UKRAINIAN RELATIONS – Romania is one of the most important supporters of Ukraines independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, said the Ukrainian charge daffaires in Bucharest, Teofil Rendiuk at a reception to celebrate Ukraines National Day. Rendiuk also said Romania may become Ukraines new strategic partner and that the two countries have an excellent dialogue adapted to the current geopolitical and geostrategic situation. Bucharest was a firm critic of Russias annexation of the Crimean peninsula and voiced its support for Ukraines sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within this countrys internationally recognised borders.



    REP. OF MOLDOVA – Nicolae Timofti, the president of the ex-Soviet Republic of Moldova, with a majority Romanian-speaking population, has refused to travel to the meeting of heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States to be held next week in the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The Moldovan delegation may thus be headed by Prime Minister Pavel Filip. Moldovas pro-western president Nicolae Timofti, who is nearing the end of his term in office, did not attend the summit last year, either, following a tough exchange with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in 2014 most likely over Moldovas signing the association agreement with the European Union and Russias embargo as a result.



    CHRISTIAN HOLY DAY – Christians across the world, including the majority Orthodox Romania, on Thursday celebrated the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, which is known as Little Mary in the traditional calendar. According to Christian tradition, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was born through a miracle. She is believed to be the greatest of all saints and is dedicated four days in the Christian calendar: Nativity, Entry into the Temple, Annunciation and Assumption. Around 2.2 million people are named after Mary in Romania.



    SAILING – An international regatta of large sailboats began on Thursday in the Romanian port of Constanta. 13 sailboats from five different countries will be docked for four days in the passenger harbour, where they can be visited free of charge. Romania is represented in the race by the Mircea training ship and the countrys largest civilian sailboat, Adornate. Romanian navy personnel will take part in various sports competitions and a crew parade on Friday. (Translated by D. Vijeu)


  • September 6, 2016 UPDATE

    September 6, 2016 UPDATE

    ELECTIONS – As many as 16 people have announced their intention to run in the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova due on October 30. Opinion polls have shown that no candidate will be able to win most votes in the first round. The favourites to the seat of president are believed to be the head of the pro-Russian socialists, Igor Dodon, a possible candidate for all pro-European factions, the former Education Minister Maia Sandu and the former civil rights militant Andrei Nastase. These will be the first direct presidential elections since 2001 and follow a Constitutional Court ruling in favor of having direct national elections to choose a president rather than a vote in parliament.




    INVESTIGATION – The head of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Liviu Dragnea, was heard by the prosecutors of the High Court of Cassation and Justice on Tuesday in a case in which he is investigated for instigation to abuse of office. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) claims in a statement that between 2006 and 2013, Dragnea, who at the time was the head of Teleorman county council and the leader of the local PSD branch, ordered the executive manager of Teleormans general directorate of social assistance and child protection to violate her duties by keeping two employees on the payroll although they did not come to work. In fact, the two employees worked for the PSDs Teleorman branch. In April Dragnea received a two-year suspended prison sentence for his involvement in voter manipulation in a referendum on the impeachment of former President Traian Basescu back in 2012.




    CORRUPTION — Romania’s former PM and the ex-president of the Social Democratic Party Victor Ponta was placed under Court supervision for 60 days, in a new corruption investigation. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate accuses him of influence peddling and of being accessory to money laundering. Prosecutors say that while a president of the Social Democratic Party, Victor Ponta reportedly requested and received 220,000 euros from a businessman who wanted to run for an MP seat in Prahova County in 2012. This is the second corruption case involving the former PM, after Rovinari-Turceni, which is currently tried in Court.




    APPOINTMENT — The Prime Minister of Romania, Dacian Ciolos, on Tuesday announced that the new Interior Minister will be Dragos Tudorache, currently chief of staff at the Government. Ciolos said Tudorache’s main task is the fair and transparent organisation of the December 11 parliamentary elections. The Prime Minister explained that he appointed a civilian for this position in order to avoid any suspicions regarding the preparations for the ballot. Tudorache takes over the post from outgoing minister Petre Tobă, who is probed into by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for aiding an offender. According to prosecutors, he denied the declassification of documents needed in an investigation into several ministry officials accused of embezzlement.




    ECONOMY — The Romanian economy went up 5.2% in the first half of the year compared to the corresponding period of 2015, and household consumption grew by 10.4%. According to the National Statistics Institute, in the first six months of the year total final consumption accounted for over 80% of the GDP. All economic sectors contributed to the GDP increase, with more substantial influences coming from retail and wholesale, motor repair services, transport and storage, hospitality and restaurants. According to the European Commission’s spring forecast, released in early May, the Romanian economy will likely grow by 4.2% in 2016, whereas most banks and financial institutions operating in Romania estimate a growth rate between 4.4 and 4.8%.




    EU FUNDING — The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, has called on Bucharest to adopt as soon as possible a master plan on the country’s transport infrastructure, which is a prerequisite for a more efficient spending of EU funds. She appreciated Romania’s progress in terms of spending EU funds in the transportation sector, but added that in spite of these efforts nearly half of the more than 30 major projects financed from the EU budget initiated in the previous financial year will not be completed in time. Corina Creţu explained that these projects were re-scheduled, so as to ensure that nearly 2 billion euros from the 2014-2020 budget would cover their co-funding. Corina Creţu had a meeting in Brussels on Monday with the Romanian Transport Minister, Petru Buşe, who assured her that the Romanian authorities would endorse the Transport Infrastructure Master Plan by the end of the month.



    (Translated by Elena Enache)



  • 3 September, 2016

    3 September, 2016


    European Union. The Romanian foreign minister Lazar Comanescu is today attending an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Gymnich format held in Bratislava. Talks look at the recent developments in Turkey, the situation in Ukraine, with emphasis on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and the global strategy for the EUs external and security policy. The EU foreign ministers will also hold talks with their counterparts from the EU candidate countries about counter-terrorism and ways to prevent and combat radicalisation.



    Spain government. Spains parliament on Friday night rejected a new attempt by prime minister Mariano Rajoy to form a new government, making the possibility of fresh elections for the third time within a year increasingly likely, international news agencies note. Rajoy, the leader of the centre-right Peoples Party, obtained 170 votes in Parliament, but he needed a simple majority from Spains 350 MPs. Political parties have two months to reach a compromise before King Philip VI calls early elections. In this event, the vote would be held by the end of the year.



    G20. US president Barack Obama arrived in China to attend the G20 summit that gets under way on Sunday in the south-eastern city of Hangzhou. Today, Obama will have talks with his counterpart Xi Jinping about trade, investments, the North-Korean nuclear case and the territorial disputes involving China. The G20 summit is Obamas last international conference as president of the United States.



    Russia-Japan. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to put an end to the 70 years of tensions between their countries and build a new era in bilateral relations. Abe, who attended an economic forum in Vladivostok, described as “abnormal” the absence of a peace treaty between Japan and Russia. Putin said it was extremely difficult to find a solution. The tension in the relations between the two countries is caused by a dispute over four islands in the Kuril archipelago that were incorporated into the former USSR at the end of World War II. The talks on the status of these volcanic islands, referred to as the Northern Territories by Japan, have reached a dead end after the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia in March 2014, an action which Tokyo joined the West in condemning.



    US Open. World no. 5 Simona Halep of Romania today faces the Hungarian player Timea Babos for a place in the fourth round at the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year worth over 22 million dollars in prize money. Earlier, the Romanian player Monica Niculescu lost in straight sets to Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the third round. In the mens doubles, the Romanian-Dutch pair Horia Tecau and Jean Julien Rojer today face the Croatia-New Zealand pair Mate Pavic and Michael Venus in the second round.



    Football. Romanias football side face Montenegro on Sunday in their first match as part of the 2018 World Cup preliminaries. Group E also includes Poland, Denmark, Armenia and Kazakhstan. The match on Sunday is Romanias first with the German coach Cristoph Daum at the helm, the first foreign national to hold this position. He was appointed coach of the national team after the European Championships this summer, when Romania, coached at the time by Anghel Iordanescu, finished last in their group, with only one point, having drawn against Switzerland and lost to France and Albania. (Translated by: C. Mateescu)