Radio România Internațional

Tag: Libya

  • September 19, 2023

    September 19, 2023

    UN The president of Romania
    Klaus Iohannis takes part in the UN General Assembly in New York, and is
    to attend the summit on Sustainable Development Goals. In his address, Mr.
    Iohannis will reiterate Romania’s firm support for efficient multilateralism,
    compliance with international law and a rule-based international
    order. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the General Assembly
    session is affected by global divisions, deepened by recurrent crises and in
    particular by Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr
    Zelenskyy will attend the meeting for the first time since the war in his
    country started, and is to address today leaders from around the world present
    in New York. The US president Joe Biden will also give his traditional speech
    before the Assembly and will plead for stronger action to fight global warming,
    and for continuing support to Ukraine for as long as necessary.


    TAXES The
    Romanian finance ministry has released for public review a draft law on new tax
    and budget related measures, after nearly 2 months of negotiations between the
    2 members of the ruling coalition, the Social Democrats and the National
    Liberals. Under the bill, micro-enterprises will have to pay a 1% tax on
    revenues under EUR 60,000, and 3% if their turnover is above this threshold. The
    same tax will be levied on software development companies, judicial activities
    or healthcare assistance firms. The employees in constructions and in the food
    industry will have to pay healthcare insurance contributions, while IT staff
    will pay a tax on revenues for all amounts over EUR 2,000. A minimum tax on
    revenues is also introduced for large companies, while banks will have to pay
    an additional 1% tax. The government will take responsibility for this set of
    measures by the end of this month, so that the bill may take effect on October
    1. According to the authorities, the new provisions will help narrow the budget
    deficit and avoid losing billions of Euros in EU funding.


    CANNABIS The Senate of Romania Tuesday
    voted against a bill to decriminalise possession of up to 3 grams of cannabis
    for personal use, and to replace criminal penalties with fines ranging from EUR
    200 to 600. The bill was tabled by a group of non-affiliated MPs, and is next
    to be voted on in the Chamber of Deputies.


    GRAINS Bulgarian
    farmers carry on protests against resuming the imports of Ukrainian grains,
    accepted by the Bulgarian government after the European Commission decided not
    to extend the ban on such imports. In turn, Bucharest continues to allow the
    transit of Ukrainian grains, but has introduced one-month import restrictions
    until Kyiv comes up with a plan for its exports. The measure persuaded Romanian
    farmers to give up their protests. Poland, Slovakia and Hungary unilaterally
    banned imports of Ukrainian grain, prompting Kyiv to complain against them at
    the World Trade Organisation. We have more on this after the news.


    AID
    Romania has sent a second installment of aid to flood-devastated Libya. Two C-130
    airctaft of the Romanian Air Forces have 6 trips planned to deliver 55 tonnes of
    food products and other emergency aid. Libya will also receive over EUR 5 mln
    for shelters, food, water, and medicines. The death toll so far is over 11,000,
    while another 10,000 people are still missing.


    FESTIVAL
    The George Enescu International Music Festival in Bucharest has reached its
    final week. Until Sunday, the public are invited to attend free of charge
    classical music concerts held in the Festival Square near the Romanian
    Athenaeum, where celebrated orchestras from Romania and the Republic of Moldova
    will accompany famous soloists and instrumentalists. The Radio Romania Big Band
    conducted by Simona Strungaru, will give a concert on Friday. On Sunday, the last
    performance in the Festival will be given by the Camerata Regală orchestra with
    the percussionist Zoli Toth. (AMP)

  • September 16, 2023 UPDATE

    September 16, 2023 UPDATE






    Grains. The European
    Commission has decided not to extend the ban on grain imports from Ukraine, in
    exchange for some commitments assumed by Kyiv. Until September 18, the
    Ukrainian side must present an action plan with effective measures to control
    grain shipments. According to this plan, the Bucharest Government claims that
    it will take the appropriate decisions to protect local farmers. Farmers want
    the Government to make a unilateral decision and extend the restriction for the
    entire duration of the war, even if Brussels has a contrary position. If the
    authorities do not extend the ban, as decided by Poland, the Romanian farmers
    threaten to block the customs in the west of the country, as well as the Black
    Sea port of Constanţa (southeast). Among
    the five countries that initially requested the introduction of this ban, only
    Bulgaria has announced that it does not want to extend the embargo imposed on
    wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower imports from Ukraine.






    Schengen.
    Austria’s opposition to Romania’s accession to the Schengen
    Area is not directed against Bucharest, but against this system of free
    movement – said the Austrian Minister of European Affairs, Karoline Edtstadler.
    The reaction comes at the request of the media, after the Bucharest government
    warned that it would sue Vienna if it kept opposing Romania’s accession.
    Edtstadler has stated that she understands the position of the Romanian
    authorities, but stressed that one cannot turn a blind eye to an already
    defective system. She says that the European Union should ensure a protection
    of the external borders that works. In an interview that appeared in the
    Austrian media on Friday, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says that, in
    the event of a new opposition, he will have to appeal this decision at the
    European Court to demand compensation for the losses caused by Romania’s
    failing to join the Schengen Area.






    Ukraine. The Russian
    anti-aircraft defense shot down two Ukrainian drones over the regions of Kaluga
    and Tver, in the west of the country , the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Saturday. Also on Saturday, the so-called authorities installed by Moscow in
    the annexed Crimea stated that they intended to sell about 100 Ukrainian
    properties, previously nationalized, including one belonging to
    President Volodymyr Zelensky. The president of the Crimean pseudo-parliament,
    Vladimir Konstantinov, claims that the nationalized properties will be sold
    soon and that the authorities have already organized the first
    eight auctions for the assets of Ukrainian businesspeople. The sales contracts
    amounted to more than 815 million rubles (equivalent to about 8.51 million US
    dollars).








    Mourning.
    In the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, predominantly
    Romanian-speaking), Saturday was a day of national mourning, in memory of the
    first president of this state, Mircea Snegur, who died on September 13. He was
    an active supporter of the national revival movement and had an essential role
    in promoting the independence, freedom and sovereignty of the Republic of
    Moldova – reads a press release from the Presidency in Chisinau. Snegur was
    born in 1940, in the old Romanian county of Soroca (east). He was a doctor in
    agricultural sciences and an activist of the single communist party. President
    of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the republic, in August 1989 he
    agreed to support the bills that gave the Romanian language the status of an
    official language and decided to return to the Latin script and the Romanian
    tricolor flag, a fact that amplified his popularity. On August 27, 1991, Mircea
    Snegur was one of the protagonists of the great national assembly in Chisinau,
    where the Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from the Soviet
    Union. He was head of state between 1991 and 1996.










    Libya. An
    aircraft of the Romanian Air Force took off, on Saturday, bound for Benghazi,
    Libya, to transport the first installment of the aid that Romania sends as free
    international assistance to that country, affected by catastrophic floods.
    According to a press release issued by the Ministry of National Defense, the
    Air Force has planned six flights on this route, in which a total of 55 tons of
    goods will be transported, consisting of food products and shelter items. The
    flights are carried out under the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European
    Union, based on the Decision of the National Committee for Emergency
    Situations.








    Rugby. The national rugby
    team of Romania meets, on Sunday, September 17, in the second match they are
    playing at the World Cup in France, the holder of the trophy, South Africa. The
    match takes place in Bordeaux (west). A week ago, also in Bordeaux, in the
    first match of the World Cup, Romania was defeated by the Irish team, with a
    score of 82-8 (33-8). The Romanian rugby players will take on Scotland on
    September 30 and Tonga on October 8, both in Lille (north).






    Tennis. Cezar Cretu
    brought the Romanian men’s tennis team the point of honor in the match against
    Taiwan, won by the Asians 3-1, on Saturday, in the first round of the Davis Cup
    World Group, in Mamaia (southeast). He defeated Tung-Lin Wu 6-4, 6-4 in a
    straight game. Also on Saturday, in the doubles match, the Victor Cornea/Cezar
    Creţu pair was defeated by the Yu Hsiou Hsu/Tsung-Hao Huang couple 6-1, 6-4,
    ensuring Taiwan’s victory. On Friday, in the first singles match, Nicholas
    David Ionel was defeated by Chun-Hsin Tseng, 6-3, 6-0, and Marius Copil was
    defeated in the second by Yu Hsiou Hsu with a score of 7- 6, 7-5. At the
    beginning of next year, Romania will play a play-off to stay in World Group I
    of the Davis Cup. (MI)



  • September 13, 2023 UPDATE

    September 13, 2023 UPDATE


    SCHENGEN – In her state of the union address in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said Bulgaria and Romania proved that they are part of the Schengen area, showcasing best practices on asylum and returns. She urged that the two countries be admitted to the free movement area without further delay. Earlier, European Parliament president Roberta Metsola told the European Parliament that delaying the admission of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen translates into restrictions to their right to freedom of movement and additional costs for their economies. The Romanian government plans to request compensations from the European Union arguing that keeping the country outside Schengen leads to economic losses of up to 2% of GDP. In July, European MPs passed a resolution urging for Romanias and Bulgarias admission into Schengen by the end of the year. Spain, the current holder of the EU presidency, also put this objective on its list of priorities. The decision must be taken by the heads of state and government of the 27 EU member states and Austria is the only country still opposed.



    DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Ministry has begun building shelters for the residents of Plauru, the village in Tulcea county, in south-eastern Romania, near the border with Ukraine, where fragments were found of Russian drones used in strikes on Ukrainian river ports. A detachment of army engineers are building two concrete air-raid shelters, which will be then handed over to the local authorities. The Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that new fragments of a drone similar to the one used by the Russian army were found in Tulcea county. The Ministry reiterated that the Russian federation’s attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube, near the border with Romania, are unjustified and against international law.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep said she would appeal her 4-year ban from professional tennis on doping charges. She was suspended for two separate violations of the anti-doping regulations. Aged 31, Halep has 24 tournament titles to her record, including two Grand Slam trophies, at Roland Garros in 2018 and at Wimbledon one year later. First suspended provisionally in October last year, she has repeatedly denied consciously ingesting the banned substance for which she was charged, and has criticized the delaying of the case.



    EU – MEPs have approved, on Wednesday, the European Council’s decision to increase the number of seats in the European Parliament for the next legislative term from 705 to 720, as a result of the demographic changes in the EU since the 2019 elections. The 15 additional seats will be distributed among 12 countries. Romania, whose population has decreased, will remain with the same number of MEPs – 33.



    LIBYA — The most recent death toll, days after two catastrophic dam collapses on Sunday has exceeded 5,300. Thousands of people are missing and over 30,000 have been left homeless. A number of countries have already sent humanitarian aid and rescue teams to Libya. The European Commission announced on Wednesday that aid offered by Germany, Romania and Finland, under the civil protection mechanism, has been sent to Derna and that a first trench of 500,000 euros has been unblocked, to cover the most urgent needs of the people affected by the disaster. (EE)



  • October 26, 2019 UPDATE

    October 26, 2019 UPDATE

    MILITARY Nearly 1,400 Romanian and foreign troops with 220 vehicles are taking part in the multinational exercise Scorpions Legacy 2019, held between October 25 and November 8 in Cincu, Braşov County, in central Romania, the press office of the Multinational Brigade South-East announced. The goal of the exercise is to train the staff of the multinational brigade headquartered in Craiova and of the affiliated units in Bulgaria, Italy and Portugal, though computer-assisted command drills, field training practice and shooting practice. The Headquarters Multinational Brigade Southeast ensures high-level capability to command forces deployed in the south-east of the Allied territory, with an important contribution to NATOs collective defence.



    MOTORWAY The Romanian Transport Ministry has submitted a funding application to the European Commission, concerning a 122 km-long motorway connecting Sibiu in central Romania to Pitesti in the south. According to the ministry, the first stage, for which funding is requested, consists in the construction of 53 km of motorway. The project amounts to a total 1.3 billion euros, 85% of which will come from the EU budget in non-reimbursable funds, and the balance from the Romanian government. The deadline for completion is December 2023.



    REPATRIATION Three Romanian citizens, 2 of them underage, were repatriated from Libya, via Tunisia and Turkey, the Foreign Ministry announced. The measure is part of the constant assistance and consular protection efforts made by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, via diplomatic offices in countries with major security risks. The Ministrys homepage continues to run a maximum-alert travel warning for Libya, reading “Major threat – leave country or area immediately!.



    MIGRANTS Border police from the Nădlac checkpoint, western Romania, found 20 citizens from Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and India hiding in a truck while attempting to cross the border illegally. The police say they were trying to reach Western Europe. Investigations are now conducted against the truck driver, suspected of human trafficking and against the foreign citizens for attempted illegal border crossing.



    BREXIT The ambassadors of the 27 EU member states have deferred a decision regarding the Brexit postponement period to next week. Recently, they have agreed in principle on a new postponement of Britains exit from the Union, scheduled for October 31, and are now to reach a consensus on a new deadline. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, recommended a 3-month extension, to January 31. The European Parliament also agrees with this date, which would allow Britain to clarify its position and the EP to properly fulfil its duties.



    TENNIS The Romanian Simona Halep, number 5 in the world, landed in the Purple Group of the WTA Finals in Shenzhen (China), held between October 27 and November 3. On Monday she will play against the Romanian-born Canadian Simona Andreescu, no 4 WTA. Halep, winner of this years Wimbledon trophy, takes part in the tournament of the worlds elite 8 for the 6th time in her career. The Purple Group also includes Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) and Elina Svitolina (Ukraine), according to Fridays draw release. This edition has record-high prizes—14 million USD, twice as much as last year.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 25, 2018 UPDATE

    December 25, 2018 UPDATE


    CHRISTMAS – On Tuesday, Christians around the world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. In a message conveyed on the occasion, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, says that this celebration is one of gift-offering, to children, elders, orphans, sick and lonely, and to all the loved ones. “This celebration is our response to the gift of Gods love, shown in Jesus Christ”, Patriarch Daniels message also reads. At the Vatican, Pope Francis firmly criticized what he termed as mankinds consumerist voracity and called on people to reflect on the spiritual meaning of their lives and to share with the poor . “The little body of the Child of Bethlehem is a new model of life: not to devour or to grasp, but to share and to give”, the Pope said, recalling that the name Bethlehem means the house of bread. The Sovereign Pontiff gave the traditional blessing of Urbi et orbi (to the city and the world), before the Christians gathered in St. Peters Square.



    MESSAGES – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has conveyed a Christmas message to all Romanians, saying that the birth of Jesus Christ is a celebration of the miracle of life and of kindness, compassion and generosity. “We need to reconnect to those values that bring us closer to each other and unite us. In the spirit of these holy celebrations, we should take care of each other and of our country”, the presidents message also reads. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has wished all Romanians good health and well being. The custodian of the Romanian Crown, Margareta, has too sent a Christmas message, saying she promised to carry on the work started by her father, King Michael, towards ensuring Romanias prosperity and stability an strengthening its international position.



    JUSTICE – The former Romanian minister Elena Udrea and the former head of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, Alina Bica, who were in custody in Costa Rica since October 3rd, were released after the Bucharest Tribunal revoked the extradition requests issued on their names. The Public Ministry of Costa Rica decided to release them after receiving from the Romanian Justice Ministry the documentation stating that the two requests had been withdrawn. In Romania, Udrea and Bica have received definitive sentences for corruption. Just like them, other high-ranking officials in Romania have benefited from the suspension of the prison sentences they have received for corruption, after the Constitutional Court of Romania ruled that the setting up of the 5-judge panels at the High Court of Cassation and Justice was illegal.



    DEFENSE – A new meeting of Romanias Supreme Council of National Defense will be held on December 28th, focusing on the request made by the Defense Minister Gabriel Les with regard to posts in the armys leadership. On Wednesday, Gabriel Les announced he would not extend the term of the current Chef of Staff Nicolae Ciuca, which expires on December 31st. The previous meeting of the Council was held on December 19th, when the army equipment programme for 2019-2028 was approved, as well as the capabilities to be deployed by Romania next year for missions and operations abroad. 1902 Romanian soldiers will be part of international theaters of operations, 127 more than in 2018. Also, another 759 army and police officers will take part in EU, OSCE, NATO and UN missions. Romania will keep participating in the NATO Resolute Support operation in Afghanistan and will maintain its contribution to the allied operations carried out in the Western Balkans. As a first, a detachment of transport and evacuation helicopters will participate in the UN mission in Mali.



    EMPLOYMENT – Romanias National Employment Agency has committed to integrating into the labour market some 110,000 unemployed registered in their data base, by means of a project co-funded by the Social European Fund, through the Operational Programme Human Capital 2014-2020, covering a period of four years. According to the Agency, the allocated budget stands at around 265 million Euros, of which 226 million non-reimbursable. The project will be implemented with support from the local employment agencies.



    TSUNAMI – The death toll from the tsunami that hit the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra on Saturday has exceeded 400. Also, 1500 people were injured and more than 150 are reported missing, according to a local official quoted by news agencies. The tsunami hit the southern coast of Sumatra and the western side of Java, triggered by an undersea landslide caused by the eruption of Krakatau volcano, some 50 km off the coast.



    ATTACK – At least three people, including a Libyan diplomat, died in a terrorist attack on the headquarters of Libyas Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. The Interior Minister Fathi Agha has admitted that the chaos that the country is facing in terms of security continues to turn it into a fertile ground for the Islamic State and other terrorist groups. Libya has been plunging into havoc since the fall of Muammal Gaddafis regime back in 2011. The country is divided into several rival entities, with a National Union Government in Tripoli, supported by the international community, and a parallel government formed in the east, supported by the National Libyan Army, self-proclaimed by Marshall Khalifa Haftar.


  • December 25, 2018

    December 25, 2018

    CHRISTMAS – Christians are today celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. In a message conveyed on the occasion, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, says that this celebration is one of gift-offering, to children, elders, orphans, sick and lonely, and to all the loved ones. “This celebration is our response to the gift of Gods love, shown in Jesus Christ”, Patriarch Daniels message also reads. At the Vatican, Pope Francis has firmly criticized what he called mankinds consumerist voracity and called on people to reflect on the spiritual meaning of their lives and to share with the poor . “The little body of the Child of Bethlehem is a new model of life: not to devour or to grasp, but to share and to give”, the Pope said, recalling that the name Bethlehem means the house of bread. The Sovereign Pontiff has today given the traditional blessing of Urbi et orbi (to the city and the world), before the Christians gathered in St. Peters Square.



    MESSAGES – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has conveyed a Christmas message to all Romanians, saying that the birth of Jesus Christ is a celebration of the miracle of life and of kindness, compassion and generosity. “We need to reconnect to those values that bring us closer to each other and unite us. In the spirit of these holy celebrations, we should take care of each other and of our country”, the presidents message also reads. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has wished all Romanians good health and well being. The custodian of the Romanian Crown, Margareta, has too sent a Christmas message, saying she promised to carry on the work started by her father, King Michael, towards ensuring Romanias prosperity and stability an strengthening its international position.



    JUSTICE – The former Romanian minister Elena Udrea and the former head of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, Alina Bica, who were in custody in Costa Rica since October 3rd, were released after the Bucharest Tribunal revoked the extradition requests issued on their names. The Public Ministry of Costa Rica decided to release them after receiving from the Romanian Justice Ministry the documentation stating that the two requests had been withdrawn. In Romania, Udrea and Bica have received definitive sentences for corruption. Just like them, other high-ranking officials in Romania have benefited from the suspension of the prison sentences they have received for corruption, after the Constitutional Court of Romania ruled that the setting up of the 5-judge panels at the High Court of Cassation and Justice was illegal.



    EMPLOYMENT – The National Employment Agency has committed to integrating into the labour market some 110,000 unemployed registered in their data base, by means of a project co-funded by the Social European Fund, through the Operational Programme Human Capital 2014-2020, covering a period of four years. According to the Agency, the allocated budget stands at around 265 million Euros, of which 226 million non-reimbursable. The project will be implemented with support from the local employment agencies.



    TSUNAMI – The death toll from the tsunami that hit the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra on Saturday has exceeded 400. Also, 1500 people were injured and more than 150 are reported missing, according to a local official quoted by news agencies. The tsunami hit the southern coast of Sumatra and the western side of Java, triggered by an undersea landslide caused by the eruption of Krakatau volcano, some 50 km off the coast.



    ATTACK – At least three people died in the attack perpetrated on Tuesday against the headquarters of Libyas Foreign Ministry, FP and Reuters report. Gun shots and several explosions were heard inside the building. Libya has been plunging into chaos since the fall of Muammal Gaddafis regime back in 2011. The country is divided into several rival entities, with a National Union Government in Tripoli, supported by the international community, and a parallel government formed in the east, supported by the National Libyan Army, self-proclaimed by Marshall Khalifa Haftar. Political and security chaos has favoured the emergence of jihadist groups, which have committed lots of a attacks in the past years.


  • July 17, 2018 UPDATE

    July 17, 2018 UPDATE

    Meeting — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will meet with the Social Democratic PM Viorica Dancila on Wednesday, upon the request of the president, shows the presidential administration. The meeting takes place in a sensitive context, as the press has written about the likelihood of the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats issuing an emergency decree on amnesty and pardon, a controversial issue that prompted thousands of people to protest in the street one year and a half ago. The previous meeting of the two officials, two months ago, also took place upon the request of the president, after the controversy related to the potential relocation of the Romanian embassy in Israel. At the end of April, President Iohannis asked for the resignation of Mrs. Dancila as he considered she could not comply with the responsibilities required by the prime ministerial position.



    CCR — The Romanian Constitutional Court postponed for Wednesday discussing the notification made by President Klaus Iohannis in relation to modifying and amending the law on the organization and functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy. In the notification, President Iohannis shows that Parliament rejected without any motivation his request for re-examination of the provisions related to the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy, in which the president claimed that the role of the president as a guarantor of the independence of the judiciary and the functioning of the Judicial Inspection was affected. By invoking a decision of the Constitutional Court, the President says that Parliament should re-examine all the aspects he referred to. On Tuesday the Court rejected as inadmissible the notification submitted by the rightwing opposition on the same topic. The notification was signed by 90 deputies from the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Party and also by non-affiliated deputies, who claim that the modification of the law on the organization and functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy was again adopted by violating certain constitutional provisions.



    Free trade — The EU and Japan signed Tuesday in Tokyo a free trade agreement that will eliminate nearly all tariffs on bilateral trade exchanges between the two sides. Attending the signing of the document, the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said that the agreement was a reference point for world trade. Annually, the European companies export to Japan goods and services amounting to more than 100 billion dollars. According to international news agencies, this is a powerful message against the protectionism promoted by the American president Donald Trump.



    Talks — The Romanian minister delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu on Tuesday talked in Bucharest with Michael Roth, minister of state for Europe with Germany’s Foreign Ministry, about the importance of the bilateral partnership. Another major issue on the agenda of talks was Romania’s future mandate as president of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. The two officials also discussed the future of the EU, the Brexit issue and the new community budget.



    Hostages — The crisis cell set up by the Romanian Foreign Ministry in the case of the Romanian engineer abducted in Libya on Tuesday met again. The Romanian embassy in Libya relocated in Tunis urgently contacted the Libyan central and local authorities to deal with the case. The Romanian officials also asked for the support of Romania’s international partners. The Romanian Foreign Ministry set up a maximum alert level for Libya as early as 2015. (translated and updated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • May 16, 2016 UPDATE

    May 16, 2016 UPDATE

    FREE TRADE AGREEMENT – Bulgaria and Romania might veto the EU Free Trade Agreement with Canada, because of the discriminatory treatment applied to the citizens of the two countries as regards the visa regime, New Europe reports. The two countries have issued a common letter, critical of the Canadian government and they sent it to the EU trade ministers, who joined in a meeting in Brussels last Friday. The letter, quoted by EUobserver, is written by the two countries ambassadors to the EU. The document shows that it will be very difficult for both the Bulgarian and Romanian governments to find arguments in support of adopting the Free Trade Agreement in their countries.



    ETHNIC ROMANIANS – A joint program marking the Day of the Romanians Around the World will be developed on May 28 and 29 by the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Bucharest-based “Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi Institute and the Romanian Foreign Ministrys Department of Policies for the Relation with the Romanians Around the World. The events will bring together representatives of the Romanian communities living in Romanias neighbourhood and in the Balkans, as well as prominent personalities of the Romanian Diaspora. The result of a fruitful partnership between the “Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, the “Carol I Central University Library and Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, the program also includes a conference on the issue of national identity abroad and a fair of folk traditions specific to Romanian communities. Romanian traditional music recitals and folk dances will be performed by folk ensembles from Ukraine (the historical Maramures region), Serbia (the Timoc Valley), Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova and Romania. Since 2015, the Day of the Romanians Around the World is celebrated on the last Sunday of May.



    SIMPLE MOTION-The Chamber of Deputies on Monday debated the simple motion against the agriculture minister, entitled “Achim Irimescu- the biggest disaster in the Romanian agriculture after December 1989. The motion was tabled by 84 MPs, members of the Social Democratic Party and of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, ALDE. Signatories to the motion have pointed out the flawed payment to farmers, the blocked investment in the irrigation infrastructure and the defective management in the Agriculture Ministry. A final vote on the aforementioned motion will be cast in a plenary session due on Tuesday, May 17.



    SWABIANS OF BANAT-The community of Transylvanian Saxons and Swabians is a priceless source for consolidating ties with Germany and Europe, Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said on Sunday at the annual meeting of Swabians of Banat, which took place in Ulm, Germany. Ciolos, who paid a two-day visit to Germany, has praised the bilateral relations, which he described as “privileged, excellent relations with a long history. The Saxons came to southern Transylvania back in the 13th century, while the Swabians settled there in the 17th – 18th centuries. The community of ethnic Germans in this region stood at several hundred thousands between the two world wars but it barely numbers several tens of thousands nowadays.



    REACTIONS TO BMD IN EUROPE– Moscow and Minsk have agreed to draft joint measures in response to the installation of elements of the US anti-missile defence system in Europe, Belarusian foreign minister Vladimir Makei said fresh from the talks he had had with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. According to Makei, Moscow and Minsk share concern about the US anti-missile system in Europe. We recall that on Thursday, May 12, the “Aegis Ashore US anti-missile facility was inaugurated at the Deveselu base in Romania, and on May 13, a ceremony laying the foundation of a similar site was held in Redzikowo, Poland.



    DIPLOMACY- Foreign ministers of the EU, the USA and Libyas neighbouring countries convened in Vienna for talks over the situation in the north-African country of Libya, currently facing political divergences and Jihadi threats. According to France Press, the meeting came at a crucial moment, after ISIS Jihadists had extended their influence to the western city of Sirte and the failure of the UN-backed national unity government to impose itself after two months in power. The international community wants an executive capable of fighting the Jihadists and stemming migration towards Europe, France Press reports. Vienna will also be hosting a meeting of the international support group for Syria, agreed upon by US secretary of state John Kerry and the head of the Russian diplomacy Serghei Lavrov.



    CANNES-Romanian director Bogdan Miricas debut film “Dogs was premiered in Cannes, where it is presently running in the festivals “Un Certain Regard section. Another Romanian director, Alexandru Nanau has been awarded the France Culture Cinema prize in Cannes for a documentary entitled “Toto and his Sisters. The award is granted every year to the best production running in cinemas across France. Last week saw the screening of “Sieranevada by Cristi Puiu, a director who in 2005 reaped the “Un Certain Regard award for a feature film entitled “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu. “Sieranevada, which is currently running in the “Palme dOr section, has been well received by critics. Another Romanian film, “Bacalaureate, directed by Cristian Mungiu, a Palme dOr laureate in 2007 and currently at its third participation in the festival, is to be screened on Thursday. Romania is also being represented in Cannes by two short reels.



    TENNIS-Romanian tennis player Irina Begu has climbed up onto the 28th position in the WTA rankings made public today and will be a top-seeded player in Roland Garros, the years second Grand Slam tournament, which kicks off this week. This past Saturday Begu failed to go past the semi-finals, since she was defeated by the worlds number one tennis player Serena Williams. WTA top 100 players includes other Romanians as well. Best-placed is Simona Halep, ranking 6th. Monica Niculescu ranks 35th, while Sorana Carstea comes 100th. In the main draw at Roland Garros, joining Irina Begu are three other Romanians, Simona Halep, Monica Niculescu and Alexandra Dulgheru.



    SUPER MODEL OF THE WORLD – Bianca Nicole Draghiciu of Sibiu, in central Romania, has won the title of “’Super Model of the World, and the special prize of the jury, “’Best of the Best, in the international contest “Little Miss World Universe 2016, held in Bodrum, Turkey. At the end of five years of training in modelling, Bianca now boasts her own fashion show for children, on a Romanian television channel. She was followed in the contest by Elisabeta Titova and Albina Cercaska, both from Ukraine.


    (Translated by Daniel Bilt and Diana Vijeu)

  • European Decisions on Mediterranean Refugee Crisis

    European Decisions on Mediterranean Refugee Crisis

    An Amnesty International report shows that out of 23 refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean into the EU, one dies because of the poor state of the boats used by smugglers



    As the migration issue grows into an acute EU problem, European leaders held an emergency meeting in Brussels to find solutions. The special summit was convened after the week before a boat carrying hundreds of people, mostly illegal migrants from Libya and Syria, sank off the Libyan coast. Over 800 deaths thus added to the 900 ones reported since the beginning of the year during attempts to reach the EU by sea. This is not a new problem, but data indicate that the wave of illegal migrants has considerably increased since last year. Refugee centres in Italy and Greece are overcrowded, and Germany received 173 thousand asylum applications last year.



    Facing a growing number of immigrants, Italy, which has received 25 thousand refugees this year alone, has lately called for a military intervention against Libyan people smugglers. PM Matteo Renzi has requested the agreement of the EU for destroying the boats used by traffickers before these cross the Mediterranean. The suggestion was backed by France, whose Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stressed that those boats did not appear just out of nowhere.



    There are criminals and even terrorists who make profits from the desperation of people. The head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, emphasised that this was a European problem, and not only a problem of the countries in the south of the continent. We have a shared responsibility, he added, and called on all member countries to join efforts to reduce the refugee death toll.



    In his address, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis focused on the need for solidarity with the countries that bear the brunt of receiving these migrants. In the medium and long run, we need to address the roots of this phenomenon, Iohannis said, namely the poverty in the North African areas that these refugees are trying to leave. The President also said Romania is willing to send experts to the area.



    The participants in the summit agreed to triple the funding for Mediterranean search and rescue, with operation Triton set to benefit from 120 million euro per year, as against 36 million at present. The EU will also look at ways to capture and destroy the boats used by smugglers, will step up efforts to prevent prospective sub-Saharan African migrants from reaching Libya and will simplify visa and asylum procedures. Moreover, EU and African countries will hold a special summit this year, focusing on the challenges presented by the illegal migration from Africa to Europe.