Radio România Internațional

Tag: Lukashenko

  • MFA reactions to controversial statements

    MFA reactions to controversial statements

    The
    Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied promptly to the statements made by
    the Belarusian president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, according to which the United
    States is pushing Europe into a military confrontation with Russia on the
    territory of Ukraine and other states, including Romania, are directly involved.
    The Romanian side firmly rejects such inadmissible statements, which feed the
    rhetoric based on the call to force and the threat of force in international
    relations, the Romanian MFA says.





    Bucharest recalls the international role and responsibility of Belarus as an accomplice of Russia in supporting the war of aggression against Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that Romania is a member state of NATO, the strongest alliance in history, and benefits, to the highest degree, from all the security guarantees arising from this status. In power since 1994, Lukashenko is frequently described as the last dictator in Europe. The opposition in Belarus fears that the president could cede part of the national sovereignty to Moscow, in exchange for the protection that Russia provides. Relations have strengthened after Moscow unconditionally supported the Belarusian leader, subject to vehement opposition at home, following his re-election in 2020, most likely rigged. Moreover, bilateral cooperation is considered a way out of the grip of the sanctions imposed by the West on both countries .



    If Lukashenko’s allegations no longer surprise anyone and are of interest to very few, in Romania, the statements made in the public space by the former minister Andrei Marga, regarding the war in Ukraine, are bewildering. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers them unacceptable and in flagrant contradiction with Romania’s official position towards Russia’s illegal, unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, as well as with the fundamental principles of international law.



    A controversial character, a promoter of Western values ​​in the high positions he held, but, later, proven to have been an informant of the communist political police, the Securitate, Marga has stated that Ukraine lies within unnatural borders and it must cede territories to Russia, Hungary, Poland and Romania. His point of view is shared by wider and not necessarily nationalist circles, which consider that Ukraine inherited, without fault, but also without scruples, eastern Romanian territories, annexed in 1940, following an ultimatum, by the Stalinist Soviet Union.



    The Romanian public opinion, however, makes a clear distinction between historical traumas and geopolitical frustrations, on the one hand, and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, on the other. Over 2.3 million Ukrainians, especially women and children, chose to flee through Romania from the path of the invading Russian army. More than 4,300 have applied for and received asylum and benefit from all the rights provided by national legislation. About 70 thousand others have residence permits for temporary protection. (MI)

  • Migrant pressure on the EU

    Migrant pressure on the EU

    As relations between Minsk and the EU deteriorate and Belarus’s
    president Aleksandr Lukashenko strengthens his aggressive rhetoric, the refugee
    crisis at the Union’s eastern border risks turning into a humanitarian disaster.


    This is precisely why, at the request of France,
    Ireland and Estonia, the Security Council decided to convene to look for solutions
    for the thousands of people who are trying to get to Western Europe but are
    kept in inhumane conditions at the border.


    For several months now, Belarus has been encouraging
    Middle East migrants to cross its territory on their way to the EU via Poland
    and the Baltic states, and the crisis has been deepening these past few days, when
    thousands of refugees crowded at the border and tried to cross into Poland
    illegally.


    Poland has deployed troops on the border to push back
    the migrants, and informed its NATO allies of the crisis. The North-Atlantic
    Alliance is monitoring the situation and promises to safeguard the security of
    its members, including Lithuania and Latvia, who are also facing migrant
    pressure from Belarus.


    In fact, this is not the first time that the three EU
    member states see migratory waves, mostly Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan nationals trying
    to get illegally into Germany. The EU has repeatedly accused Belarus of pushing
    these migrants into European territory in retaliation to the sanctions
    triggered by Alexandr Lukashenko’s election fraud last year and by the brutal
    crackdown on the post-election protests.


    To add to the complications, Russia, a supporter of
    the Lukashenko regime, has deployed 2 nuclear-capable bombers to fly over
    Belarus. Media agencies note that a growing number of EU voices blame the
    crisis on Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, but Kremlin dismissed the
    allegations as unacceptable. President Putin, contacted on the phone by the
    German Chancellor Angela Merkel in order to put an end to the crisis, suggested
    direct talks between the EU and Minsk, to discuss the issue.


    The EU border is the scene of a brutal hybrid attack with
    Belarus cynically and shockingly using the desperation of migrants as a weapon,
    said the president of the European Council, Charles Michel. The situation on
    the border between Belarus and Poland is not a migrant crisis, but an attempt
    by Minsk to destabilise its neighbours, the EC president Ursula von der Leyen
    said in her turn, warning that the Union would extend its sanctions against
    individuals and entities in Belarus. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 4, 2020 UPDATE

    October 4, 2020 UPDATE

    MAE Romania’s Foreign Ministry fully
    supports the EU decisions regarding the situation in Belarus, reads a post on
    the Institution’s Twitter page. According to the Ministry, the pressure put by
    the authorities in Minsk on some EU members like Poland and Lithuania to
    withdraw their ambassadors does not help to settle the present crisis, neither
    will it affect solidarity among EU countries. Belarus has recalled its ambassadors
    from Poland and Lithuania and has called on both countries to substantially
    reduce their embassy personnel in Minsk. Brussels has officially adopted sanctions
    against 40 people in Belarus for ‘brutal reprisals against peaceful protesters’
    and election rigging. The list, which provides for asset freezing and travel
    interdictions in the member states, does not include president Alexander
    Lukashenko. Meanwhile, police in Belarus have announced they have operated
    arrests and used water cannons against tens of thousands protesters who took to
    the streets of Minsk on Sunday denounced the rigged election in August.








    PANDEMIC Over 35 million people have been confirmed infected with the
    novel coronavirus worldwide and the death toll stands at more than one million
    people, according to worldometers.
    The US continues to be the most affected with 7.6 million infections and a
    death toll over 214 thousand. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 100
    thousand people in India, which has reported over 6.5 million infections.
    Brazil has a death toll of 146 thousand and 5 million infections. Europe has
    also been affected; Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic have reported a
    growing number of infections, which is also on the rise in Italy, where
    authorities are considering an extended state of emergency until February next
    year.










    COVID-19 1,835 people have tested
    positive for the novel coronavirus in Romania on Sunday; the local authorities
    have also announced 56 fatalities. 598 patients are in intensive care units
    while the death toll since the beginning of the pandemic stands at 5,003.
    Romania has so far reported a total number of 135,900 infections. In spite of
    the growing number of infections, the authorities believe they don’t need to
    impose another state of emergency. They insist on prevention though by
    observing the safety measures already known such as social distancing,
    disinfection and the wearing of masks in public places. According to Raed
    Arafat, head of the Department for Emergency Situations, tougher restriction
    measures could be imposed in certain areas, if the situation worsened.








    ELECTION An election campaign has
    kicked off in the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova for the presidential
    election on November 1st against a recrudescence of the Covid-19
    epidemic. 8 candidates are vying for the presidential seat but only two stand
    chances, the incumbent president, the pro-Russia Socialist Igor Dodon and the
    leader of the Action and Solidarity Party and former Prime Minister Maia Sandu,
    who is seen as pro-Europe. Dodon won the 2016 election by getting a little over
    52% of the votes and experts believe the two candidates are going to be neck
    and neck in the upcoming election.






    RECOUNT The Election Bureau of the city
    of Bucharest (BEM) on Sunday turned down a request for an election recount in
    the city’s District 1. The BEM has deemed the ruling PSD’s decision to contest
    the allegedly rigged local election on September 27th as ungrounded.
    Agerpres news agency recalls the Social Democrats called for an election
    recount after a TV channel had aired footage with people entering a room where ballot
    bags were deposited. Police and the prosecutor’s office have launched
    investigations in two files. The aforementioned institution on Sunday rejected
    a similar request for the city’s District 5, coming from several political
    parties.






    (bill)



  • The Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy

    The Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy


    The essential coordinates of Bucharest’s foreign actions remain
    unchanged: to strengthen the role it plays in the European Union and NATO and
    the Strategic Partnership with the United States. These pillars of the Romanian
    foreign policy have this week been mentioned by the country’s President Klaus Iohannis,
    Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu at the annual
    meeting of the Romanian diplomacy.




    The event has been held as a videoconference to prevent the spread
    of the coronavirus pandemic. In a message conveyed to the participants, NATO
    Deputy Secretary General Romanian Mircea Geoana has underlined that Romania is
    a vital member of the Alliance and plays the role of a ‘regional pivot’ in
    terms of defence and deterring the threats against the alliance.




    He pointed out to the fact that older security risks have been
    amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic including in the Black Sea region. Russia,
    Mircea Geoana went on to say, is continuing the aggressive-behaviour pattern with
    disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks and military actions.




    The former head of the Romanian diplomacy in early 2000, the Deputy
    Secretary General of NATO added that China’s global ascension is changing the
    international balance and the allies must pay attention to this process. The
    guest of honour, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and
    Security policy, Josep Borrell has said that the EU members must continue to
    work together in an integrated manner to give a common response to the new
    geopolitical challenges. Another invitee, the Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha
    Gonzalez Laya has said that ‘Spain doesn’t have any geopolitical ambition in
    Belarus, its support in the context of the tensions in this country being
    solely related to the precious values of the European Union.’




    Viorel Mosanu, Romania’s ambassador in Minsk, conveyed a similar
    message on Wednesday. The Romanian official joined his colleagues from other EU
    countries to pay a visit to a leading figure of the opposition in Belarus,
    writer Svetlana Aleksievich.




    A recipient of the Nobel prize in literature, Alexievich, who has
    been actively opposing president Alexander Lukashenko, has confessed that she
    is afraid of being apprehended by his political police, which has kept the
    dreadful soviet name KGB.




    Romania’s
    Foreign Minister has specified that the goal of Mosanu’s visit was to ensure
    that human rights are being observed. I believe we must put pressure on the
    regime to have an open dialogue with the opposition and stop using repressive
    measures, the head of the Romanian diplomacy went on to say.




    The latest
    abuses by president Lukashenko, who has been in power for the past 26 years,
    and has been described as Europe’s last dictator, have prompted reactions in
    the two chambers of Parliament in Bucharest. The Romanian MPs have recently
    passed two declarations calling on the authorities in Minsk to observe the
    human rights and put an end to reprisals against their own citizens.



    (tr. bill)

  • September 8, 2020 UPDATE

    September 8, 2020 UPDATE

    MEETING The Annual meeting of the Romanian diplomacy continued in a
    digital format in Bucharest on Tuesday. NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea
    Geoana has conveyed a video message to the participants in the event
    underlining that Romania is a vital NATO ally playing the role of a regional
    pivot in terms of defence and deterring the threats against the alliance. On
    the sidelines of the event, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Tuesday held
    talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba. The two officials announced
    the decision to set up a working group on energy issues, pointing out to a
    series of ambitious common projects. The Ukrainian official thanked Romania for
    supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty underlining the
    importance of security at the Black Sea. Also on Tuesday the head of the
    Ukrainian diplomacy met Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban who said that he
    expected the authorities in the neighboring country to protect and promote the
    rights of the Romanian community living in Ukraine.












    DECLARATION The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on
    Tuesday passed a declaration concerning the violation of fundamental rights in
    the Republic of Belarus. Through the document, the Romanian Parliament proves
    its solidarity with the people of Belarus at the same time calling for the
    cessation of violence against peaceful protests and for a more articulated
    response from the international community unless the situation improves. Last
    week, the Romanian Senate passed a similar document. In another development,
    the head of the European diplomacy Josep Borrell has made an appeal to the
    authorities in Belarus to release immediately the people detained for political
    reasons before and after the presidential election of August 9th. He recalled
    the fact that the EU would impose sanctions on those responsible for violence,
    reprisals and the rigged election. More than 100 thousand people took to the
    streets of Minsk on Sunday for the fourth weekend in a row, despite the
    deployment of a significant number of riot police and army troops. According to
    the authorities, over 600 people have been detained. Alexander Lukashenko, 66,
    who has been ruling Belarus for the past 26 years continues to rule out any
    form of dialogue.










    GDP In the second quarter of 2020, still marked by COVID-19
    containment measures in most Member States, seasonally adjusted GDP decreased
    by 11.8% in the euro area and by 11.4% in the EU compared with the previous
    quarter, according to an estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office
    of the European Union. These were by far the sharpest declines observed since
    the time series started in 1995. In the first quarter of 2020, GDP had
    decreased by 3.7% in the euro area and by 3.3% in the EU. Among Member States
    for which data are available for the second quarter of 2020, Spain (-18.5%)
    recorded the sharpest decline of GDP compared to the previous quarter, followed
    by Croatia (-14.9%), Hungary (-14.5%), Greece, Portugal, France, Italy and
    Romania. The lowest declines of GDP were observed in Finland, Lithuania and
    Estonia followed by Ireland, Latvia and Denmark. In Romania, according to the
    national Statistics Institute, the GDP in the second quarter was by 12.3%
    smaller than in the first quarter of the year. Finance Minister Florin Citu has
    reminded that in Q2 economy was severely affected, for almost two months, by
    the state of emergency. However, he said investment had a positive contribution
    to the economic growth.








    COVID-19 Authorities in Romania are making the
    latest assessments of the situation so that they can announce by Thursday how
    the school year begins on September 14 in every school. The National Institute
    of Public Health presented on Monday the epidemiological situation across the
    country for the past 14 days. Results show that in most of Romania, classes can
    be held with the students present at school or a combination of normal school
    attendance and online classes. Health Minister Nelu Tataru has said that the
    next few weeks will be critical due to the beginning of the school year and the
    local elections of September 27th. However, in his opinion, if rules are
    observed, the number of coronavirus infections might decrease as of mid-October.
    The most recent report shows a total number of confirmed infections in Romania
    of 97 thousand and almost 4 thousand deaths. 460 patients are in intensive
    care.

    (translated by bill)