Tag: Mihnea Motoc

  • Jurnal românesc – 23.09.2016 UPDATE

    Jurnal românesc – 23.09.2016 UPDATE

    România
    continuă să susţină ideea combaterii migraţiei ilegale printr-un
    control riguros la frontierele externe ale UE, a declarat premierul Dacian
    Cioloş, la finalul vizitei pe care a făcut-o la New York, cu ocazia Adunarii
    Generale a ONU. În interviul acordat AGERPRES, el a mai spus că, în cadrul
    Adunării Generale, Bucureştiul nu şi-a luat noi angajamente, în afara celor
    care sunt asumate, deja, la nivel european. Pe de altă parte, Cioloş a
    apreciat că principala modalitate prin care Europa poate pune capăt valului de
    refugiaţi este implicarea în stingerea conflictelor din Orientul Mijlociu şi
    din nordul Africii. România este
    pregătită să contribuie, cu contactele pe care le are, la identificarea unor
    soluţii pentru încetarea conflictelor, a mai declarat Cioloş, în interviul
    pentru AGERPRES.




    Reprezentanţii Ligii Studenţilor Români
    din Străinătate s-au întâlnit cu ministrul Apărării Naţionale, Mihnea Motoc,
    pentru a încheia un acord strategic de colaborare, ce reprezintă un pas
    important pentru implementarea propunerilor Ligii de încurajare a întoarcerii
    spre ţară a tinerilor cu studii peste hotare. LSRS şi MApN vor avea iniţiative
    comune prin care vor oferi stagii de practică celor interesaţi, facilitând,
    totodată, schimburi de bune practici între instituţiile academice româneşti şi
    cele din străinătate. Potrivit unui comunicat de presa, incă de la înfiinţare,
    Liga Studenţilor Români din Străinătate a avut printre obiectivele sale
    principale facilitarea întoarcerii în şi spre România a tinerilor români cu
    pregătire academică în străinătate. Acordul cu MApN întăreşte speranţa că
    propunerile de atragere a ‘creierelor’ româneşti de peste hotare vor deveni
    realitate şi vor fi parte a unei strategii naţionale care să recunoască
    importanţa strategică a studenţilor şi absolvenţilor români de la cele mai
    prestigioase universităţi ale lumii, se mai menţionează în comunicat.






    Peste 70 de instituţii de învăţământ din întreaga lume îşi vor prezenta, la
    acest sfârşit de săptămână, oferta de studii către tinerii români care doresc
    să studieze în afara ţării, la cel mai important târg educaţional din România,
    organizat la Bucureşti. În cadrul World
    Education Fair, tinerii vor putea să discute cu reprezentanţii universităţilor,
    colegiilor şi liceelor internaţionale de prestigiu, din Europa şi America de
    Nord. Topul ţărilor în care tinerii români au ales să plece pentru a-şi face
    studiile liceale este format din Marea Britanie, Elveţia şi Germania. În cadrul târgului vor fi prezentate peste 300 programe de tabere în
    străinătate. De asemenea, cei interesaţi de burse de studii şi împrumuturi
    studenţeşti, vor găsi la târg toate informaţiile necesare.




    Avocatul Poporului s-a sesizat din oficiu, vineri, în cazul
    epidemiei de rujeolă şi solicită Ministerului Sănătăţii să comunice motivele
    pentru care, din aprilie, proiectul actului normativ privind vaccinarea
    obligatorie a copiilor nu a parcurs nicio etapă prevăzută de lege. La
    rându-i, tot vineri, Ministerul a anunţat că legea vaccinării se
    află în proces de avizare şi a criticat în termeni duri campaniile împotriva
    vaccinării copiilor. Trei minori au murit din cauza rujeolei, iar medicii spun
    că imunizarea ar fi putut împiedica declanşarea epidemiei care afecteaza
    aproape jumătate din ţară. Medicii de familie atrag
    atenţia că scăderea acoperirii vaccinale împotriva rujeolei s-a produs din
    cauza refuzului părinţilor.



  • Jurnal românesc – 23.09.2016

    Jurnal românesc – 23.09.2016

    Reprezentanţii Ligii Studenţilor Români din Străinătate s-au întâlnit cu
    ministrul Apărării Naţionale, Mihnea Motoc, pentru a încheia un acord strategic
    de colaborare, ce reprezintă un pas important pentru implementarea propunerilor
    Ligii de încurajare a întoarcerii spre ţară a tinerilor cu studii peste hotare.
    LSRS şi MApN vor avea iniţiative comune prin care vor oferi stagii de practică
    celor interesaţi, facilitând, totodată, schimburi de bune practici între
    instituţiile academice româneşti şi cele din străinătate. Potrivit unui
    comunicat de presa, incă de la înfiinţare, Liga Studenţilor Români din
    Străinătate a avut printre obiectivele sale principale facilitarea întoarcerii
    în şi spre România a tinerilor români cu pregătire academică în străinătate. Acordul
    cu MApN întăreşte speranţa că propunerile de atragere a ‘creierelor’ româneşti
    de peste hotare vor deveni realitate şi vor fi parte a unei strategii naţionale
    care să recunoască importanţa strategică a studenţilor şi absolvenţilor români
    de la cele mai prestigioase universităţi ale lumii, se mai menţionează în
    comunicat.




    Peste 70 de
    instituţii de învăţământ din întreaga lume îşi vor prezenta, în acest week-end,
    oferta de studii către tinerii români care doresc să studieze în afara ţării,
    la cel mai important târg educaţional din România organizat în Bucureşti. În
    cadrul World Education Fair, tinerii vor putea să discute cu reprezentanţii
    universităţilor, colegiilor şi liceelor internaţionale de prestigiu, din Europa
    şi America de Nord. Topul ţărilor în care tinerii români au ales să plece
    pentru a-şi face studiile liceale este format din Marea Britanie, Elveţia şi
    Germania. În cadrul târgului vor fi prezentate peste 300 programe de tabere în
    străinătate. De asemenea, cei interesaţi de burse de studii şi împrumuturi
    studenţeşti, vor găsi la targ toate informaţiile necesare.




    In
    Romania, legea vaccinării se află în proces de avizare, a anunţat Ministerul
    Sănătăţii, care a criticat în termeni duri campaniile împotriva vaccinării
    copiilor. Trei minori au murit din cauza rujeolei, iar medicii spun că
    imunizarea ar fi putut împiedica declanşarea epidemiei care afecteaza aproape
    jumătate din ţară. Potrivit Ministerului Sănătăţii, în primele opt luni ale
    anului în România s-au înregistrat sute de cazuri în 23 de judeţe. Medicii de
    familie atrag atenţia că scăderea acoperirii vaccinale împotriva rujeolei s-a
    produs din cauza refuzului părinţilor. Pericolul a fost amplificat, spun ei, de
    faptul că minorii sub un an nu se vaccinează contra virusului pe care-l pot lua
    cu uşurinţă dacă intră în contact cu cei bolnavi. Medicii fac apel la
    populaţie, căreia îi cer să înţeleagă că vaccinurile din programul naţional se
    fac pentru eradicarea unor afecţiuni care pot fi grave şi chiar mortale.




    Piaţa de birouri din
    Bucureşti este în continuare atractivă pentru companiile de IT, telecom şi
    outsourcing, scrie Ziarul Financiar. Livrările s-au ridicat, în 2016, la
    370.000 de metri pătraţi, în timp ce Iaşiul se clasează pe a doua poziţie. În
    Bucureşti, în anul 2016, livrările în domeniul pieţei de birouri s-au ridicat
    la 370.000 de metri pătraţi, stocul total fiind de aproape 2,7 milioane de
    metri pătraţi, în timp ce rata de neocupare a stagnat la 15% în ultimele 12
    luni. Pentru următorul an tendinţa va fi descrescătoare, cererea netă fiind de
    160.000 de metri pătraţi. Chiria prime în Capitală a stagnat şi ea la 18,5 euro
    pe metru pătrat, pe lună.

  • 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)


  • July 28, 2016

    July 28, 2016

    IMPLEMENTATION The Romanian authorities have started taking the necessary steps to implement the decisions made at the recent NATO summit in Warsaw including the setting up of a brigade on the Romanian territory. Romanian Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc has today said that at least six allies, including Bulgaria and Poland, have shown signs of interest in the new brigade. Poland has announced it can send a company to join the brigade while Bulgaria can participate with 400 soldiers. In another development, Romania announced on Wednesday it would contribute to the anti-daesh coalition in Iraq and Syria with 50 soldiers who are to be assigned a counseling mission in early autumn. The announcement was made in the opening of a large-scale drill in Cincu, central Romania, where 27 hundred troops from 10 countries are training between July 27th and August 7th.



    DROUGHT Deputy Prime Minister Vasile Dancu has today held talks with the local authorities over fighting drought effects in several counties in southern, eastern and central Romania. Vegetable and corn crops, sunflower, soy and fodder crops are bearing the brunt of the scorching weather. Furthermore, the irrigation system is still not operational while weather forecasts for August show scarce rains and high temperatures for the Romanian regions. According to Agriculture minister Achim Irimescu, it’s preferable that farmers were given subsidies in advance than paid damages later. Irimescu went on to say that farmers would need 6.7 million euros to irrigate their crops.




    FOOTBALL Two Romanian football teams Pandurii Târgu-Jiu and Viitorul Constanta are today playing their first leg of Europa League’s third preliminary round. On home turf, Pandurii take on Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, while away from home Viitorul go up against Belgian side Gent. In the Champions League’s third preliminary round, Astra Giurgiu managed a 1-all draw in their fixture against FC Copenhagen of Denmark, and Steaua Bucharst ended their away fixture against Czech contenders Sparta Prague, also 1-all. The other Romanian squad CSMS Iasi was knocked out of the Champions League’s second preliminary round by Croatian side Hajduk Split.




    TENNIS The world’s fifth tennis player Simona Halep of Romania will today be playing Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the eighth finals of the tournament in Canada with 2.4 million dollars up for grab. If she qualified, Halep, the finalist of the last year’s edition of the tournament, would be playing the winner of the match pitting Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Another Romanian, Monica Niculescu has been eliminated in the second round by Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. In the doubles contest, Halep and Niculescu lost nil-two to Ukrainian pair Katerina Bodnarenko / Olga Savchuk.

  • July 26, 2016 UPDATE

    July 26, 2016 UPDATE

    DEFENCE Romania’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) convened in Bucharest on Tuesday to assess the consequences for Romania of the decisions made at the recent NATO summit in Poland, over July 8th and 9th. Measures and actions for the implementation of these decisions were also tackled. At the end of the CSAT session, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis announced that a multinational brigade, whose formation was decided in the summit, would be set up in March-April 2017. At least six allies voiced readiness to participate in this brigade, including Poland and Bulgaria. President Iohannis said the participants had been briefed on the country’s security situation from the viewpoint of terror threats against the background of multiplying attacks in Europe. According to Iohannis, there are no reasons for raising the terror alert in Romania now. Also high on the CSAT agenda were the situations In Turkey and the Middle East. Giving the green light to a draft law on integrating Romania’s railway system into the Single European Railway Area was also high on the CSAT agenda.



    DRILL Over July 27th and August 7th 27 hundred soldiers from 10 countries are participating in a large-scale exercise in Cincu, central Romania. Five NATO members are to join the drill: Romania, the USA, Canada, Poland and Bulgaria. They will join five members of the Partnership for Peace: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The opening ceremony will be attended by Romanian Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc.



    ZIKA The first case in Europe of a baby born with Zika-related microcephaly has been confirmed in Barcelona, Spain. The child’s mother got infected in Latin America but wanted to keep the baby. Roughly 200 people have been infected with the Zika virus in Spain. First identified in Uganda back in 1947, the virus causes a viral infectious disease in humans called the Zika fever. No vaccin against the virus has been discovered yet and according to the World Health Organisation, the Zika outbreak meets the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.



    ATTACK French president Francoise Hollande announced the Tuesday’s attack against a church in the north of the country had been carried out by two IS terrorists. After describing the attack as a ‘cowardly assassination’, president Hollande has given assurances that France will continue to fight daesh terrorism. A priest was killed in the attack and the assailants were neutralized by the police. The attack, also condemned by the Vatican, came within two weeks since the attack in Nice, which left 84 people dead.


  • Nachrichten 26.06.2016

    Nachrichten 26.06.2016

    BUKAREST: Das Ergebnis des Referendums über den Austritt Großbritanniens aus der EU stellt die Staatengemeinschaft vor eine beispiellose Situation. Das erklärte Rumäniens EU-Kommissarin für regionale Politik, Corina Creţu. Dennoch würden die Mitgliedsstaaten vereint bleiben und nach der Bewältigung dieser erneuten Herausforderung noch stärker auftreten, hieß es in einer Mitteilung Creţus vom Sonntag. Es sei ein schwieriger Moment für die EU und einen Großteil der britischen Bevölkerung. Die Londoner Regierung müsse das Ergebnis des Referendums schnellstens formell umsetzen, denn jegliche Verzögerung würde das Gefühl der Ungewissheit vertiefen, glaubt die Rumänin. Auch sie erwähnte Artikel 50 des EU-Vertrags: Sollten die Austrittsverhandlungen nach Aktivierung der Klausel nach 2 Jahren noch nicht abgeschlossen sein, würde Großbritannien automatisch die Union verlassen, ohne die Unterzeichnung eines neuen Vertrags.



    BUKAREST: Die militärische Zusammenarbeit und die Zusammenarbeit im Sicherheitsbereich zwischen Rumänien und Großbritannien werden fortgesetzt. Das erklärte am Sonntag Rumäniens Verteidigungsminister Mihnea Motoc vor dem Hintergrund des Brexit-Votums. Großbritannien werde außerdem innerhalb der NATO dieselbe Rolle spielen wie bisher. Am Samstagabend hatte Rumäniens Finanzministerin Anca Dragu bekräftigt, dass der Austritt Großbritanniens aus der EU keine Folgen für die rumänischen Finanzen haben werde. Die Devisenreserven des Landes seien beachtlich, ebenso die Finanzierungsquellen. Außerdem sei die Wirtschaft des Landes solide und könne jegliche Schocks bis zur Umsetzung des Referendums überwinden, so Dragu.



    SPORT: Rumäniens Degendamen haben bei der diesjährigen Europameisterschaft im polnischen Torun die Bronzemedaille gewonnen. Sie bezwangen Ungarn im kleinen Endspiel mit dem Gesamtergebnis von 27:19. Auch die Säbel-Herren holten Bronze, ebenfalls dank einem Sieg über Ungarn im Spiel um Platz 3. Das Endergebnis lautete 45:32 aus rumänischer Sicht. Bei der EM im schweizerischen Montreux vergangenes Jahr hatten Rumäniens Degendamen noch Gold geholt.

  • June 26, 2016 UPDATE

    June 26, 2016 UPDATE

    BREXIT European Parliament President Martin Schulz on Sunday called on Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron to commence the process of leaving the EU at the European Summit due on Tuesday. In an interview to German paper Bild, Schulz said that hesistating would lead to even more insecurity. On Saturday, foreign ministers from the EUs six founding states issued a joint statement in Berlin urging Britain to start the process of leaving as soon as possible. In another development, the US secretary of state, John Kerry will travel to Brussels and London for talks with EU and British officials about the Brexit effects.



    COUNCIL Patriarchs of the Orthodox churches that convened in Cyprus for a Council that hadn’t been held for more than 1000 years but was marked by the absence of the Russian patriarch, on Sunday made an appeal for the protection of Christian minorities persecuted in the Middle East. The council has also voiced the church’s concern about moral dilemmas sparked off by the rapid progress in sciences like genetics and biotechnology. The meeting, which was aimed at strengthening Orthodox unity, was boycotted by the Georgian and Bulgarian churches, considered close to Moscow. The Orthodox community, which numbers about 250 million believers, consists of 14 autocephalous churches, including that in Romania.



    COOPERATION Military cooperation on security issues between Romania and Great Britain will continue, Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc has said shortly after Britain’s recent decision to get out of the European Union. Motoc has also said that neither will Britain’s role inside NATO change. In another development Finance Minister Anca Dragu on Saturday said that Britain’s leaving the EU would not affect Romania from the financial point of view. According to Dragu, Romania can rely on significant currency and funding reserves. Furthermore, the country’s economy is robust and can take such a shock irrespective of the period of time needed for the implementation of such a referendum.



    MEDAL Romania’s female saber team on Saturday won bronze at the 2016 edition of the European Fencing Championships in Torun, Poland, after beating Hungary. Romania’s male sabre team has also walked away with bronze after a win against the similar side of Hungary. We recall that last year the Romanian women fencers reaped gold in the sabre event of the European Championships in Montreux, Switzerland.



    FLAG Every year on June 26th Romanians celebrate the Day of the National Flag. Ceremonies dedicated to this event are to be staged in Bucharest and all over the country. In his address on the occasion, president Iohannis has underlined that the flag is the most important symbol of national identity as it represents a modern Romania, a sovereign, independent, unitary and undivided country, a staunch ally of the USA and fully-fledged NATO and EU member. In turn, Romania’s Foreign Minister says the national flag is the supreme symbol of the Romanian unity and identity.



    COMMISSIONER Brexit results have put the EU in an unprecedented situation but EU members will remain united and be strong after having overcome this new challenge, the European commissioner for regional policy, Romanian Corina Cretu has said. In a communique issued today, the European official said it is a difficult moment for the EU, but also for part of the Britons. Corina Cretu believes the government in London has to implement the referendum’s results as soon as possible because any delay leads to prolonged uncertainty. She explained there are clear rules for this process. The procedures of article 50 of the Maastricht Treaty must be launched first, and unless an agreement concerning Britain’s leaving of the EU winthin 2 years since the activation of the article is reached, the country leaves the Union without any new agreement in place.


  • Jurnal românesc – 22.06.2016

    Jurnal românesc – 22.06.2016

    Vicepreşedintele Autorităţii Electorale
    Permanente (AEP), Marian Muhuleţ, a declarat că, până în prezent, s-au
    înregistrat puţin peste o mie de solicitări de vot prin corespondenţă şi 334 de
    cereri pentru înfiinţarea de secţii de votare la alegerile parlamentare. El îi
    încurajează pe cetăţenii români să facă astfel de solicitări, pentru ca dreptul
    lor constituţional să fie exercitat în condiţiile optime. Potrivit acestuia,
    românii din străinatate pot cere informaţii la misiunile diplomatice ale
    României, la consulate, ambasade sau ICR-uri. Muhuleţ a precizat că vor fi
    organizate secţii de votare atât în misiunile diplomatice, cât şi acolo unde
    cetăţenii solicită acest lucru, fiind necesar un număr de minim 100 de cetăţeni
    români cu domiciliul sau reşedinţa în străinatate. Atât vicepreşedintele AEP,
    cât şi reprezentanţii MAE au cerut Guvernului emiterea cât mai urgentă a unei
    hotărâri care să stabilească data alegerilor parlamentare. La rândul său,
    ministrul delegat pentru relaţiile cu românii de pretutindeni, Dan Stoenescu, a
    făcut apel la cetăţenii din diaspora să se înscrie în Registrul Electoral.
    Ministrul a precizat că românii din străinătate pot depune aceste solicitări
    până la sfârşitul lunii august, începutul lunii septembrie.






    Eurodeputata Monica Macovei începe,
    săptămâna aceasta, negocierile cu Consiliul format din statele membre şi cu
    Executivul comunitar pentru varianta finală a Regulamentului Schengen. Aceasta
    după ce, la Bruxelles, Comisia de Libertăţi Civile a Parlamentului European a
    aprobat, cu majoritate de voturi, raportul europarlamentarului român. Ea a
    propus, între altele, ca verificarea persoanelor în bazele de date să se facă
    la graniţa externă a Uniunii Europene, nu la intrarea în Spaţiul Schengen.
    Potrivit acesteia, în acest fel, siguranţa şi viaţa românilor sunt protejate
    în mod egal cu cele ale persoanelor care locuiesc în statele membre Schengen.
    Altfel, România riscă să devină o zonă
    tampon, în care o să stea diverşi terorişti sau criminali care vor să se ducă
    în Spaţiul Schengen, a mai spus Macovei. Odată adoptat, noul Regulament
    Schengen intră în vigoare imediat, fără să fie nevoie de transpunerea în
    legislaţiile interne.






    Ministrul român al apărării, Mihnea
    Motoc, l-a primit, la Bucuresti, pe secretarul Forţelor Navale ale SUA, Ray
    Mabus. Potrivit unui comunicat al MAPN, acesta a reiterat angajamentul SUA
    pentru consolidarea cooperării între forţele navale ale celor două state,
    inclusiv prin creşterea prezenţei americane în zona Mării Negre. Pe agenda
    discuţiilor s-au mai aflat dimensiunea de apărare a Parteneriatului strategic
    bilateral şi apropiatul summit NATO de la Varşovia, precizează comunicatul
    MAPN.






    Coaliţia România Respiră i-a
    solicitat preşedintelui interimar al Camerei Deputaţilor, Florin Iordache,
    respingerea amendamentelor care modifică Legea pentru prevenirea şi combaterea
    consumului produselor din tutun. Cele 250 de organizaţii membre ale Coaliţiei
    România Respiră amintesc că Senatul a transmis Camerei Deputaţilor amendamente
    prin care se doreşte modificarea definiţiei spaţiului închis şi crearea de
    spaţii special amenajate pentru fumători în interior. Coaliţia şi-a exprimat şi
    în luna mai nemulţumirea faţă de aceste amendamente, printr-o scrisoare
    deschisă adresată Parlamentului, Guvernului, Preşedinţiei şi reprezentanţelor
    diplomatice în România.

  • Jens Stoltenberg: NATO bereit zur Verteidigung der Mitglieder im Osten

    Jens Stoltenberg: NATO bereit zur Verteidigung der Mitglieder im Osten

    Bei dem anstehendem NATO-Gipfel am 8. und 9. Juli im Warschau wird Rumänien für die Verstärkung der NATO-Präsenz in Osteuropa plädieren. Bukarest glaubt zudem an die strategische Bedeutung des Schwarzmeeres für die euro-atlantische Sicherheit. Eine ausschlaggebende Rolle spiele im aktuellen Kontext, laut den rumänischen Behörden, die Konsolidierung der Kooperation zwischen NATO und der Europäischen Union sowie zwischen NATO und ihren Ostpartnern.



    Zum Auftakt des Gipfels kommen diese Tag die Verteidigungsminister des Bündnisses in Brüssel zusammen. Rumänien wird dabei durch Minister Mircea Motoc vertreten. Einen Themenschwerpunkt dürfte die Aufstockung des Militärhaushalts jedes Mitgliedstaates bilden. 2014 beschlossen die Verbündeten, den Verteidigungsetat nicht mehr zu kürzen, damit das Budget in diesem Sektor in zehn Jahren 2% des BIP erreicht. Laut NATO-Einschätzungen sei der Verteidigungshaushalt bislang im Durchschnitt bereits auf 1,5% des BIP gestiegen. Beim zweitägigen Verteidigungsministertreffen werden außerdem Gespräche über den Kampf gegen die Dschihadistenmiliz IS in Syrien und im Irak erwartet.



    Die USA haben schon vor Monaten eine Unterstützung durch AWACS-Aufklärungsflugzeuge der Nato angefragt. Auf einer Pressekonferenz, die zum Auftakt des Verteidigungsministertreffens stattfand, kündigte außerdem der NATO-Generalsekräter Jens Stoltenberg an, dass die Allianz grünes Licht für die Stationierung von vier Nato-Bataillonen in den drei Baltischen Staaten und Polen geben wird. Laut Stoltenberg, will die Allianz somit angesichts des Ukraine-Konflikts und der Annexion der Krim durch Russland zeigen, dass sie zur Verteidigung ihrer Mitglieder im Osten bereit ist.



    Die USA versicherten diesbezüglich Bukarest durch NATO-Botschafter Douglas Lute ihrer vollen Unterstüzung. In der Situation einer konkreten Bedrohung, werde die Nordatlantische Allianz Rumänien zur Seite stehen, sagte der ständige Vertreter der USA bei der NATO in einer Telekonferenz. Somit wies Douglas Lute auf die jüngste Erklärung des russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin angesichts der Inetriebnahme des US-Raketenschutzschirms im südrumänischen Deveselu hin. Putin warnte Rumänien davor, ins Fadenkreuz seines Landes zu geraten. Moskau sei nicht aggressiver geworden, sondern halte an seiner unvernünftigen Haltung fest, die vor zwei Jahren mit der illegalen Annexion der Krim anfing, fügte Douglas Lute hinzu.Russland rüge die Inbetriebnahme des US-Raketenschutzschirms in Rumänien, seine Rhetorik sei interessant, für die Allianz seien jedoch nur die Taten wichtig, fügte Douglas Lute hinzu.

  • June 14, 2016

    June 14, 2016

    TALKS Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has today held talks with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella in Bucharest. High on the agenda were ways of stepping up the bilateral strategic partnership between the two countries, the challenges currently facing the European Union and the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw. President Iohannis has referred to the over 1,200,000 Romanians living in Italy and underlined the need for stepping up joint efforts to increase their involvement in Italy’s political and social life. In turn president Mattarella said the Romanian community in Italy is large, appreciated and has become increasingly integrated adding that the level of cooperation between Italy and Romania is truly exemplary.



    VISIT Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos will be in Canada until Thursday, which is the first visit paid by a high-ranking Romanian official in the past 15 years. The Romanian Prime Minister will be holding talks with the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other authorities, about a visa waiver for the Romanian citizens. Romania and Bulgaria are the only EU countries, whose citizens still need visas to enter Canada. Last week the two EU members signed a joint letter calling on Canada to lift visas for their citizens. On the other hand, Canada has staunchly supported Romania’s integration into NATO, being the first country to have ratified the accession protocols of the candidate countries that were accepted at the NATO summit in Prague on March 28th 2003.



    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side is bracing up for the game against Switzerland due on Wednesday as part of the European Championships underway in France. Last week, in the tournament’s opening match Romania lost to France two-one, while Switzerland clinched a one-nil win against Albania also in Group A. Today will see the first matches in Group F: Austria is playing Hungary while Portugal will be taking on Iceland. On Monday in Group E, Italy outperformed Belgium two-nil, while Sweden held Ireland to a one-all draw. Also on Monday in Group D, Spain obtained a one-nil win against the Czech Republic.



    MEETING On Tuesday and Wednesday Romania’s Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc will be joining his NATO counterparts for a meeting in Brussels. High on the agenda are the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw, the allied presence in the Eastern flank and the situation in Afghanistan. On the event’s sidelines, Minister Motoc will be meeting his counterparts from Italy, Britain, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and Bulgaria. Before the meeting, the US permanent representative to NATO, Douglas Lute, has said that the North-Atlantic Alliance is with Romania and appreciates the fact that Romania is hosting the anti-missile shield in Deveselu. The US official has also said that if there are actions from any state that threaten not only Deveselu or any other part of Romanian sovereignty then the Alliance will take defending measures.



    COMMEMORATION Bucharest is commemorating 26 years since the 1990 miners’ raid on Bucharest, which stifled a large-scale protest rally against the leftist government that came to power after the fall of the communist dictatorship in 1989. Against the background of a series of violent events the army had already managed to contain, the then president of Romania, Ion Iliescu invoked a coup attempt by the far right political groups and called on the population to defend democratic institutions. The miners who arrived in Bucharest killed 6 people, wounded hundreds and caused over 1,000 abusive arrests. In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Romania asking it to continue investigation in the file of the miners’ raid in June 1990.


  • May 19, 2016 UPDATE

    May 19, 2016 UPDATE

    PRESIDENCY – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis told a press conference on Thursday that the Supreme Defence Council, due to convene on May 27, would discuss the public healthcare issue. The head of state explained this decision was made following the most recent public scandal, involving diluted disinfectants, which revealed the extent of the damages caused by the carelessness and corruption in the public healthcare system. Iohannis also mentioned that healthcare was included in the National Defence Strategy. In another development, the President announced on Thursday having signed into law a legislative package on public procurement, which was recently endorsed by Parliament. Iohannis also said he would send back to the Government the Ph.D. bill, because he intended to put an end to the scourge of plagiarism, and the text endorsed by Parliament fails to define a proper legislative framework to encourage excellence.



    DIPLOMACY – While on an official visit to London, the Romanian Defence Minister, Mihnea Motoc, had a meeting on Thursday with the British Secretary for Defence, Michael Fallon. The talks focused on strengthening the bilateral military cooperation as well as cooperation in preparing the agenda for the forthcoming NATO Summit due in July. The two officials emphasised the critical role of the strategic partnership between the UK and Romania in the current security context. The Romanian Defence Minister also highlighted the strategic important of the Black Sea, as an integral part of Euro-Atlantic security, and the need for a stronger NATO presence along the eastern flank of the Alliance.



    CULTURE – The Government of Romania and the Culture Ministry Thursday officially launched the support campaign for the national subscription for purchasing Constantin Brancusis famous work “Wisdom of the Earth. The campaign will run until September 30. The work, currently in a private collection, costs 11 million euros, of which the Government announced it would pay 5 million euros, with the balance to be raised through this public campaign. The “Wisdom of the Earth, dating back to 1907, alongside works like “The Kiss and “Prayer, is representative of Brancusis most creative years.



    PLANE CRASH – A terror attack is a more likely explanation than technical failure in the case of the airliner that went missing on Thursday in the Mediterranean, says the Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister, Sherif Fatih. Previously the President of France had confirmed that the EgyptAir plane had crashed into the sea. The aircraft, which was flying from Paris to Cairo, carried 66 passengers and crew, mostly Egyptians and French people. A spokesperson for the Greek Army announced that pieces of debris were spotted in the search area around 370 km from the Greek island of Crete. Originally the presumed crash area was off the Karpathos Island, east of Crete. According to the Greek authorities, the aircraft lost contact with the radar little after leaving the Greek airspace and entering Egypts.



    TENNIS – Two more Romanians, Sorana Cîrstea (99 WTA) and Andreea Mitu (114 WTA) have reached the main draw of the Roland Garros tournament, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, totalling 32 million dollars in prize money. Cîrstea defeated Jana Cepelova (Slovakia, 134 WTA) and Mitu outplayed Chinas Jia – Jing Lu (208 WTA). Marius Copil, 190th ranked in ATP rankings, will play Roberto Carballes Baena (115 ATP), while Adrian Ungur, 204th ranked in
    ATP standings, defeated Frances Tiafoe of the United States, 188 ATP. Simona Halep, Irina Begu, Monica Niculescu and Alexandra Dulgheru have already secured qualification to the main draw.

  • March 23, 2016 UPDATE

    March 23, 2016 UPDATE

    MOURNING – Belgium observes three days of national mourning. One minute of silence was kept in downtown Brussels on Wednesday, in the wake of Tuesdays attacks which left over 30 people dead and some 270 injured. The IS Jihadist group claimed responsibility for the suicide attacks that have been firmly condemned by the international community. The perpetrators have reportedly been previously involved in the Paris attacks in November, which claimed 130 lives and which were coordinated by the French Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested in Brussels on Friday. Experts and officials see the recent attacks as proof that the Jihadist networks in Belgium and other European countries are still able to organise large-scale operations, in spite of the pressure coming from security and police forces. The Dutch Justice Minister, Ard van der Steur, has announced an emergency meeting of the EU ministers will be held on Thursday in Brussels, at the request of Belgium. The anti-terrorist alert across that country remains at maximum levels, and the Brussels airport will still be closed on Thursday, while security around the EU institutions and Belgian nuclear power plants was stepped up.



    SOLIDARITY – The Romanian Government decided that Thursday, March 24, be declared day of national mourning, in memory of the victims of the Brussels attacks. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that four Romanian citizens were wounded in the Brussels attacks. A mobile unit of the Romanian Embassy in Belgium travelled to the hospitals in Brussels to provide consular assistance. Another diplomatic team was deployed to Brussels to give additional support to the Romanian citizens in that country. In Romania, the terrorist alert remains at the so-called level “Blue (Guarded), but security around diplomatic missions and airports has been strengthened.



    DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Minister, Mihnea Motoc, pays an official visit to France until Thursday, at the invitation of his French counterpart Jean-Yves le Drian. According to the Romanian Ministry, the two officials will discuss the recent regional and international security developments and ways to boost bilateral cooperation as well as cooperation between the two countries within the EU and NATO, and will exchange information on key European security and defence policy aspects. The agenda of talks will also include the preparations for the Summit due in Warsaw this July. The Romanian Defence Minister will also make fact-finding visits to a number of military sites.



    COOPERATION – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said on Wednesday in Ankara that the EU is currently facing a series of challenges, in the context in which Turkey is an important partner. The Romanian President said that Turkey is hosting a very large number of refugees, plays a key role in solving the migrant crisis, both in terms of humanitarian assistance, the control of the migration flow and the fight against human trafficking networks. The statements were made fresh from the talks he had with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Regional security and bilateral economic cooperation were also high on the agenda of the talks. In an interview with the Turkish news agency Anadolu, ahead of the meeting, President Iohannis reiterated Romanias support for Turkeys EU accession. He deplored again Russias interference in Ukraine and Syria and expressed hope that at the NATO summit due in Warsaw in July, measures will be taken to boost security in the Black Sea Area. The visit by Romanias president to Turkey comes to an end on Thursday.



    CORRUPTION– Romania loses an annual 15% of its GDP because of corruption, reads a survey commissioned by the European Parliament. According to the report, the figure includes both direct losses, e.g. rigged public procurement bids, and indirect losses, in that other companies are no longer interested in such procedures and competition is therefore distorted. Apart from Romania, the black list of EU corruption also includes Bulgaria, Croatia and Latvia. The survey indicates that the price of corruption at EU level ranges between 179 billion to 990 billion euros per year. The document recommends the extension of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, which Romania would like to see lifted as soon as possible, or the establishment of an EU-level online public procurement system that may reduce the annual losses caused by corruption by some 900 million euros. Another 200 million euros could be saved through the establishment of a European Public Prosecutors Office, the report also says.



    DETENTION – The mayor of Bucharest‘s District 2, Neculai Ontanu, was taken into custody on Wednesday evening by the prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, in a file in which he is accused of bribe taking. On Thursday, he will be taken to the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, the prosecutors calling for 30-day preventive arrest, pending trial. According to the prosecutors, in 2006 and 2007, Ontanu reportedly received a plot of land in Bucharest, as bribe. This is Ontanus fourth term in office as district mayor, and is the interim president of the National Union for the Progress of Romania.


    (Translated by Ana-Maria Popescu and Diana Vijeu)

  • Motoc: Militarii români ar putea participa la instruirea forţelor irakiene

    Motoc: Militarii români ar putea participa la instruirea forţelor irakiene

    Ministrul Apărării Naţionale, Mihnea Motoc, a declarat
    vineri, la Târgu Mureş, că 50 de militari români care vor lua parte la
    activităţi de instruire a forţelor de securitate irakiene ar putea să îşi
    înceapă misiunea din a doua jumătate a acestui an. Mihnea Motoc a precizat că
    această misiune de consiliere limitată în teatrul de operaţii din Irak este o
    continuare şi o adaptare la anumite ajustări strategice făcute de către
    partenerii României din cadrul coaliţiei internaţionale împotriva Daesh (Stat
    Islamic).

    ‘În esenţă este vorba despre o misiune de consiliere pe care o va
    executa un grup de 50 de instructori, formatori militari români, o misiune de
    mentorat pentru forţele speciale, forţele de informaţii şi terestre irakiene.
    Deci este o misiune de consiliere limitată la teatrul din Irak (…) Este un
    proces care va lua ceva timp pentru că se pune problema de formare pe plan
    intern, ei (militarii, n.red.) nu pot să plece de pe o zi pe alta, după cum
    vedeţi, e nevoie de pregătire specifică foarte serioasă, pe de altă parte
    trebuie văzut cum se prind ei în dispozitivul internaţional, care va fi de
    pildă tipul de aranjament de suport logistic de care avem nevoie acolo. Deci va
    mai lua ceva timp până când aceste precizări se vor degaja cu mai multă
    claritate, vorbim despre o posibilă dislocare pe undeva după jumătatea anului’,
    a arătat Mihnea Motoc.

    Ministrul a precizat că România a fost invitată să se
    alăture miniştrilor apărării din ţările coaliţiei internaţionale la o reuniune
    pe această temă prezidată de secretarul american al apărării, la care a fost
    prezentată o informare despre planurile şi obiectivele generale de campanie,
    ‘care sunt foarte clare şi, respectiv, despre rolul pe care îl va juca
    contribuţia’ României.




    Generalul de brigadă Mircea-Dan Şuta, comandantul Brigăzii 6
    Operaţii Speciale ‘Mihai Viteazul’ Târgu Mureş, a arătat vineri că printre
    cei 50 de militari care vor pleca în Irak s-ar putea regăsi şi membri ai
    forţelor speciale din Târgu Mureş. ‘Irakul nu este ceva nou pentru noi, am fost
    şi în Irak, chiar dacă doar pe perioada unei rotaţii. Cu certitudine vorbim de
    cu totul altceva din punct de vedere al mediului de securitate, a situaţiei
    care este la momentul de faţă. Rămâne să ne facem o analiză, cum spunem noi,
    militarii, a misiunii pe baza a ceea ce vom primi ca ordin şi implicit să putem
    să generăm structura care cu certitudine va fi construită pe baza misiunii care
    ne va fi încredinţată. Vom începe, probabil, foarte curând’, a arătat generalul
    Mircea-Dan Şuta.


    Birourile permanente reunite ale Parlamentului au aprobat, în
    11 februarie, solicitarea preşedintelui Klaus Iohannis privind participarea
    Armatei României, în anul 2016, cu un efectiv total de până la 50 de militari,
    la activităţi de instruire a forţelor de securitate irakiene, în cadrul
    Coaliţiei internaţionale anti-ISIL/Daesh. Ministrul apărării naţionale,

    Mihnea
    Motoc, a participat vineri la ceremonia de plecare în teatrul de operaţii din
    Afganistan a Grupului Românesc de Operaţii Speciale ROU SOAG-3 din cadrul
    Brigăzii 6 Operaţii Speciale ‘Mihai Viteazul’ Târgu Mureş.

    Sursa: Agerpres

  • February 10, 2016

    February 10, 2016

    VISIT– Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, has today started a working visit to the German state of Bavaria and will attend the Security Conference in Munich, scheduled for February 12-14. The Romanian President is due to meet with the President of the Bavarian State Parliament, Barbara Stamm, on Thursday, and with the Bavarian Prime Minister, Horst Seehofer, on Friday. On Saturday, Klaus Iohannis will be among the key speakers of the Security Conference in Munich, at the panel devoted to the future of the North Atlantic Alliance. Some of the focal points of the conference will be the stand on Russia, the refugee crisis, the future of the North Atlantic Alliance, terrorism, the situation in Syria, Ukraine and Africa, as well as climate change. Attending the conference will be heads of state and government, European commissioners and ministers.



    CONDOLENCES– The Romanian Foreign Ministry has today announced that a Romanian national, a woman, is among those injured in Tuesdays train crash in Germany. She is severely injured, but stable. Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, has sent a message of condolences to the prime minister of the German state of Bavaria, for the victims of the accident, which occurred near the Bavarian town of Bad Aibling. At least 10 people died and over 80 got injured in a head-on collision between two passenger trains. According to the German media, the accident was caused by human error.



    NATO MEETING– The two-day meeting of the NATO defence ministers is underway in Brussels. Romania is represented by the line minister, Mihnea Motoc. The focal points of the meeting are related to NATOs adjusting its strategies to the new security situation, in preparation for the decisions to be made by heads of state and government at the NATO Summit due in Warsaw in June. The defence ministers are also expected to make a decision on strengthening NATOs eastern flank, to deter any possible threat, following Russias actions in Ukraine. NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said NATO is “establishing eight force integration units or small headquarters in the eastern part of the Alliance, to “support planning, training and reinforcements, if needed. Also, decisions will be made on the alliances response to hybrid wars, which combine the conventional military might with cyber attacks and propaganda. Other issues to be approached are NATOs involvement in managing the refugee crisis and the participation of surveillance aircraft, as part of the international coalition, against the Islamic State terrorist group.



    ELECTIONS– The way local elections will be held is today high on the agenda of the Romanian cabinet, which is expected to set both the date and timetable of the actions to unfold in the electoral period. Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said on Monday, in Parliament, that elections will unfold according to the existing legislation, against the backdrop of the heated debates between the parliamentary parties on electing mayors in one or two rounds of voting. According to a proposal by the Permanent Electoral Authority, the election campaign will start on May 6 and will come to a close on June 4, and the ballot will be held on June 5. Candidacies in the local elections can be submitted by April 26. This springs local elections will be followed by the legislative elections, in autumn.



    SENTENCE – The former head warden of the Penitentiary in Ramnicu Sarat, south-eastern Romania, Alexandru Visinescu, has been sentenced today by the High Court of Cassation and Justice to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity. The sentence is final. According to the prosecutors, between 1956 and 1963, when he was at the helm of the penitentiary, political detainees, who opposed the communist regime, were subjected to an abominable treatment, in extremely poor conditions, meant to destroy them physically. According to the prosecutors, the detainees thus died following a slow but efficient process of physical and psychological torture. 138 detainees who were imprisoned in the penitentiary run by Alexandru Visinescu have been identified so far. He is the first head warden from the communist period to be brought to court.



    ECONOMY – The Romanian authorities intend to ask the European Investment Bank, EIB, to get involved in developing projects under public-private partnerships. The issue was approached yesterday in Bucharest by the visiting EIB President Werner Hoyer, with Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister, Dacian Ciolos. The president of the European Investment Bank pays this visit against the backdrop of the constant support granted by the financial institution he runs, to Romania. Last year, the loans granted by EIB to Romania amounted to 228 million Euro. In the same line, two loans worth 1.3 billion Euro, co-financing EU grants, are at an advanced state of preparation. Over the past 25 years, Romania benefited from over 20 billion Euro worth of long term investments from the European Investment Bank, which were instrumental to creating new jobs, consolidating economic growth and improving the Romanians living standards.


    (Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)

  • February 3, 2016 UPDATE

    February 3, 2016 UPDATE

    PROSECUTION – The Romanian Senate has complied with the request of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate regarding the prosecution of the senator of the National Union for the Progress of Romania, Gabriel Oprea, former deputy prime minister for national security and interior minister. The decision was passed with 102 ayes and 31 nays. Oprea is facing two charges of abuse in office and is accused of obtaining undue benefits for himself or for another person during his term in office. One of the offences is the use of the Interior Ministrys human and material resources to illegally ensure the ministers police escort. The second offence is related to the conclusion of an agreement under which the Prosecutor General, Tiberiu Nitu, allegedly benefited from a motorcade. Prosecutors say that Tiberiu Nitu, who resigned on Tuesday, is not under investigation. The law stipulates that only the president, the prime minister and the two speakers of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, respectively, have the right to a motorcade, whereas ministers can use it only in emergencies.



    CORRUPTION– The mayor of the south-eastern Romanian city of Braila, Social Democrat Aurel Simionescu, was taken into custody on Wednesday by the anti-corruption prosecutors who accuse him of having favoured a consortium of firms, at a tender to modernize a boulevard. The facts, assimilated to corruption deeds, were reportedly made with the assistance of civil servants subordinated to the mayor, as well as with the complicity of the representatives of the firms interested in getting the public works contracts. According to judicial sources, the prejudice brought to the local administration stands at some 9 million Euros.



    JUSTICE– The Romanian government on Wednesday decided to suspend until September 1, 2016, under an emergency ordinance, the enforcement of the legal provision reducing the sentences of detainees publishing alleged scientific works. The decision comes after justice minister, Raluca Pruna, has justified her calls for the repealing of this legal provision, laid down in the Romanian law since 1969, through the fact that in the last couple of years, abuses have been reported entailing intellectual imposture in penitentiaries. The phenomenon has gained momentum: whereas 90 works were written in 2014, as many as 340 works were published in 2015, minister Pruna explained.



    SECURITY IN EUROPE–The Romanian Foreign Ministry hails the United States announcement on a four-fold increase in the budget destined for the European Reassurance Initiative/ERI for 2017, as well on its determination to assure a robust American military presence in Europe. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the announcement comes as a confirmation of the United States strong commitment to Europes security, tightening NATOs collective defense measures and discouraging risk factors. The implementation of the measures announced by the US will contribute significantly to consolidating Romanias and the other allies security in the face of security provocations in our region, a press release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday shows. The Pentagon has announced it increases its budget for Europe, up to 3.4 billion dollars, in the new security strategic context, marked by Russias actions and the ascension of the Islamic State terrorist group. Allied within NATO, Bucharest and Washington are tied by a bilateral strategic partnership.



    DEFENSE – Romania and France are supporting each others efforts to fight international terrorism, and the Romanian authorities reiterate their solidarity with France, in the difficult context generated by the recent terror attacks in Paris. This was the conclusion of the talks held in Bucharest on Wednesday by Romanian defense minister, Mihnea Motoc, and the Chief of Staff of the French Army, general Pierre de Villiers. A focal point on the agenda of the talks was the future NATO Summit in Warsaw, against the backdrop of the strategic adjustment process carried out by the North Atlantic Alliance. The French military official also met with his Romanian counterpart, general Nicolae Ciuca, together with whom he approached the security development situation in the Black Sea area and the participation of Romanian military in theatres of operations.



    ROMANIAN ECONOMY – The French credit insurance company Coface has maintained the B country risk rating for Romania, which is indicative of an unstable macroeconomic environment, the companys 2015 macroeconomic Report says. “Despite the macroeconomic balance, the setback in the transition to the Euro and the compliance with the nominal convergence criteria, Romania is still vulnerable because of the structural character of domestic microeconomic imbalance, the Report shows. According to the Report, the factors of the imbalance are the very high level of the trade credit, the great interdependence between companies, the speedy interruption of the activity of many companies as compared to the recently registered companies and the high level of instruments that were refused upon payment. According to Coface, the strengths are the relatively large domestic market, qualified and cheap work force, a significance currency reserve and the relatively stable national currency as against the Euro, the public debt level below the EU average and a low energy dependence. Coface estimates a 4.2% economic growth for Romania this year.



    ADOPTIONS – The Commission for labour and social protection of the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday passed the draft law shortening the adoption time and simplifying the adoption procedures, so that a child could be adopted more quickly. To facilitate a better relationship between children and their new family, the Commission increased the accommodation leave granted to parents from 3 to 12 months. If within a year, parents failed to adopt a child, they are now given one more year to do it.



    TOURIST INDUSTRY – According to the National Institute for Statistics, 9.8 million tourists were accommodated in various units in Romania in 2015, by 17.2% more than in 2014. 77.4% of the total number of tourists were Romanian and 22.6% were foreign, the figures being similar to the ones in 2014. Three quarters of the foreign tourists came from Europe. The average stay of Romanian tourists was 2.5 days and that of foreign tourists was 2 days. 36.3% of the tourists stayed in hotels, 21.8% in villas and 20.4% in hostels.


    (Translated by Diana Vijeu and Ana-Maria Palcu)