Radio România Internațional

Tag: military drills

  • September 11, 2018 UPDATE

    September 11, 2018 UPDATE

    VISIT – The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, had talks in Bucharest on Tuesday with his Romanian counterpart, Viorica Dăncilă. The latter said that during the Romanian presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year, Romania will pay special attention to the negotiations on the multi-annual financial framework for 2021-2027. PM Dǎncilǎ also added that the goal of strengthening the EU domestic security will be one of Romanias priorities during its presidential term. In turn, the Slovak PM, Peter Pellegrini underlined that Slovakia supports Romania in its effort to join Schengen, adding that an extension of the free movement area is needed to better protect the EU. In terms of bilateral relations, Viorica Dăncilă and Peter Pellegrini discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of defence and energy. A bilateral cooperation protocol was signed, which will benefit the Romanian workers employed in Slovakia, as well as a ministry-level Education Cooperation Programme. Also on Tuesday, PM Peter Pellegrini was received by President Klaus Iohannis, for talks on topical issues.




    ROMANIAN-DUTCH RELATIONS – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, will receive in Bucharest on Wednesday the Dutch PM, Mark Rutte. According to a communiqué released by the Presidential Administration, the stage of bilateral relations and the focal points on the European agenda will be approached during the talks. The Romanian presidency of the Eu Council, in the first half of 2019, the future EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027, ways to tackle migration and Brexit will also be on the agenda of talks, according to the Presidential Administration.



    CONSULTATIONS – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday received the foreign ministers of Poland, Jacek Czaputowicz, and Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu, accompanied by their Romanian counterpart Teodor Meleşcanu, who had taken part in an informal three-party meeting on security-related topics. According to the Presidential Administration, the talks focused on the main means of cooperation in this format, launched in 2012 at Romanias initiative in order to promote the regional and international security agenda, working on the conclusions of the NATO summit in Brussels in July. Jacek Czaputowicz and Mevlut Cavuşoglu pointed out that Romania is a trustworthy ally and partner, with which they share similar security assessments. Also on Tuesday, on the side lines of the consultations, ministers Jacek Czaputowicz and Mevlut Cavuşoglu had talks with PM Viorica Dăncilă. The three-party meeting in Bucharest between Romania, Turkey and Poland is the 5th in this format, the previous one being held in Warsaw last year.



    PARLIAMENT – The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday discussed a simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party, in Opposition, against the Interior Minister Carmen Dan. The motion, entitled “The Social Democratic Partys batons, a slap in the face of Romanian democracy, will be voted upon on Wednesday. The Liberals accuse Carmen Dan of having coordinated the brutal intervention against the participants in the anti-governmental protests of August 10th in Bucharest. On Monday, hundreds of people protested again, in the same place, and demanded the resignation of the Cabinet and of those responsible for the gendarme intervention. More than 400 people were injured a month ago, and the General Prosecutors Office initiated hearings in the case, with the Mayor General of Bucharest Gabriela Firea also heard. She requested the resignation of the Interior Minister, who, Firea claims, is trying to pass responsibility for the brutal gendarme intervention to the prefect of Bucharest. So far 770 victims of the clashes have filed criminal complaints. The Senates defence committee is also holding hearings concerning the protests of August 10th.



    FAMILY-The Romanian Senate, as a decision making forum, on Tuesday adopted a proposal to revise the Constitution in order to redefine the concept of family, with 107 “yeas and 13 “nays. The leader of the Social Democratic Party, the senior member of the ruling coalition, Liviu Dragnea, in his capacity as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, has recently announced the referendum on family will be held on October 7. Several NGOs, grouped into the so-called “Coalition for Family, have collected some three millions signatures, in order to hold a referendum to block same-sex marriages. In its current form, the Constitution stipulates that the family is based on the freely consented marriage between spouses, whereas the “Coalition for Family would like the text to stipulate the marriage between a man and a woman.



    9/11 – Leading politicians in Bucharest have expressed solidarity with the American people, on the day when the country commemorates the tragedy of September 11 2001, and have reiterated Romanias commitment to fighting “against the common threat of terrorism. The entire international community commemorates 17 years since the terrorist attacks in the US, when around 3,000 people were killed, including 5 Romanian nationals.



    RUSSIA – Russia on Tuesday launched the largest-scale military moves in its history, criticised by NATO as a rehearsal for a major conflict. According to the Russian defence ministry, around 300,000 troops will take part, including Chinese and Mongolian forces, 36,000 vehicles, 1,000 aircraft and 80 sea vessels. The large drill, called East-2018, will take place until September 17, in eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. The drills take place in the context of lingering tensions between Russia and the West, marked by the Ukrainian crisis, the conflict in Syria and countless allegations of Russia meddling with the domestic policy of other countries, including the US, international news agencies say. (Translated by AM Popescu and D. Vijeu)

  • September 11, 2018

    September 11, 2018

    VISIT – The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, had talks in Bucharest today with his Romanian counterpart, Viorica Dăncilă. The latter said that during the Romanian presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year, Romania will pay special attention to the negotiations on the multi-annual financial framework for 2021-2027. PM Dǎncilǎ also added that the goal of strengthening the EU domestic security will be one of the pillars on which Romanias priorities in its presidential term will rely. In terms of bilateral relations, Viorica Dăncilă and Peter Pellegrini discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of defence and energy. A bilateral cooperation protocol was signed, which will benefit the Romanian workers employed in Slovakia, as well as a ministry-level Education Cooperation Programme for 2018-2022. Also today, PM Peter Pellegrini was received by President Klaus Iohannis.





    PARLIAMENT – The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest today discusses a simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party, in Opposition, against the Interior Minister Carmen Dan. The motion, entitled “The Social Democratic Partys batons, a slap in the face of Romanian democracy, will be voted on Wednesday. The Liberals accuse Carmen Dan of having coordinated the brutal intervention against the participants in the anti-governmental protests of August 10th in Bucharest. On Monday, hundreds of people protested again, in the same place, and demanded the resignation of the Cabinet and of those responsible for the gendarme intervention. More than 400 people were injured a month ago, and the General Prosecutors Office initiated hearings in the case, with the Mayor General of Bucharest Gabriela Firea also heard. She requested the resignation of the Interior Minister, who, Firea claims, is trying to pass responsibility for the brutal gendarme intervention to the prefect of Bucharest. So far 770 victims of the clashes have filed criminal complaints. The Senates defence committee is also holding hearings concerning the protests of August 10th.




    CONSULTATIONS – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis has today received the foreign ministers of Poland, Jacek Czaputowicz, and Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu, accompanied by their Romanian counterpart Teodor Meleşcanu, who had taken part in an informal 3-party meeting on security-related topics. According to the Presidential Administration, the talks focused on the main means of cooperation in this format, launched in 2012 at Romanias initiative in order to promote the regional and international security agenda, working on the conclusions of the NATO summit in Brussels in July. Jacek Czaputowicz and Mevlut Cavuşoglu pointed out that Romania is a trustworthy ally and partner, which which they share similar security assessments. Also today, on the side lines of the consultations, ministers Jacek Czaputowicz and Mevlut Cavuşoglu had talks with PM Viorica Dăncilă. The 3-party meeting in Bucharest between Romania, Turkey and Poland is the 5th in this format, the previous one being held in Warsaw last year.





    9/11 – Leading politicians in Bucharest have expressed solidarity with the American people, today, when the country commemorates the tragedy of September 11 2001, and have reiterated Romanias commitment to fighting “against the common threat of terrorism. The entire international community commemorates 17 years since the terrorist attacks in the US, when around 3,000 people were killed, including 5 Romanian nationals.




    RUSSIA – Russia has today launched the largest-scale military moves in its history, criticised by NATO as a rehearsal for a major conflict. According to the Russian defence ministry, around 300,000 troops will take part, including Chinese and Mongolian forces, 36,000 vehicles, 1,000 aircraft and 80 sea vessels. The large drill, called East-2018, will take place until September 17, in eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. The drills take place in the context of lingering tensions between Russia and the West, marked by the Ukrainian crisis, the conflict in Syria and countless allegations of Russia meddling with the domestic policy of other countries, including the US, international news agencies say.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 12, 2018

    February 12, 2018

    Military drills — 100 Romanian soldiers will be training, starting on Monday until Friday, together with around 200 soldiers from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and the USA in the Babadag shooting range (in southeastern Romania) as part of the “Black Sea Rotational Force” multinational drill. Participating in the drill from the Romanian Army are soldiers from the ground and naval forces as well as from the air forces.



    Chisinau — The Audiovisual Coordinating Council in the Republic of Moldova is monitoring, as of today, whether radio and television stations observe the so-called ‘anti-propaganda’ law, which came into force on February 11. The law is aimed at eliminating the propagandistic messages from the Russian Federation and at protecting information consumers from possible attempts of disinformation or manipulation from the outside. At the same time, the law is meant to eliminate media provocation against the Republic of Moldova, by rejecting TV and radio programs that provide information, analyses, military and political content that are not produced in EU member states, the US, Canada and other states which are members of the European Convention on Cross-Border Television.



    Baccalaureate– In Romania, as many as 177,000 high school students and graduates from the previous graduating classes are today taking the exams assessing their linguistic and digital competences as part of the national Baccalaureate exam. Exams include oral examination in the Romanian language, and in the mother tongue for the students belonging to national minorities, assessment of digital competences and of linguistic competences in a language of international circulation. This is the first time when these exams are scheduled during the school year, several months ahead of high school graduation. The written examinations of the national Baccalaureate exam are scheduled for June.



    Flu — The National Public Health Institute on Monday announced that the number of deaths caused by the flu virus in Romania reached 21. More than 300 people have got the flu so far and over 800 thousand people have been vaccinated against the flu. Doctors have reiterated recommendations to the population to get vaccinated against the backdrop of a surge in flu cases. According to health minister Sorina Pintea Romania is not currently facing a flu epidemic, adding that prevention measures are very important and hospitals and public health institutions should take the necessary measures in this respect. aureate exam are scheduled for June.



    Tennis — 5 tennis players from Romania, among whom world’s no. 2 Simona Halep, are participating in the Doha tournament, in Qatar, which has prizes up for grabs worth a total of 3.1 million dollars. On Monday, in the first round, Monica Niculescu (92 WTA) will play against Russian Maria Sharapova (41 WTA) and Mihaela Buzărnescu (43 WTA) will be up against Ukrainian Lesia Ţurenko (40 WTA). On Tuesday, after the inaugural round, Irina Begu (37 WTA) will take on the Australian Samantha Stosur (44 WTA), and Sorana Cîrstea (38 WTA) will play against Greek Maria Sakkari (60 WTA). Simona Halep, who qualified directly to the 2nd round, will face the winner of the match between Russian Ekaterina Makarova (36 WTA) and Chinese Shuai Zhang (34 WTA). Halep won the Doha tournament in 2014.



    Handball — Romania’s women’s handball champions CSM Bucharest on Sunday grabbed a 22-all draw with title holder Rostov on Don on home ground, in a match of main group 1 of the Champions League. On Saturday, in the same group, Gyori Audi ETO KC of Hungary, the trophy holder, defeated in an away match RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana of Slovenia. CSM and Gyori are ranked 1st and 2nd in the group with 11 and 10 points respectively. Rostov comes 3rd with 9 points. CSM won the Champions League in 2016 upon its debut in the competition. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • February 10, 2018

    February 10, 2018

    INFLATION — The National Bank of Romania has revised upward, to 3.5%, the inflation rate forecast for the end of the year, the governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu, has announced. According to an earlier forecast, the inflation rate was estimated at 3.1%. Isarescu explained the main engine of economic growth is consumption, a situation which has had negative effects on the trade deficit which increased by 30% in 2017. Mugur Isărescu has also mentioned some structural problems with a significant impact on the economy, among which tensions on the labour market, the growing difference between the level of imports and exports, the fiscal and income policy which is currently being pursued and whose effects are likely to disappear only as of next year.



    MEDICINES — The process of introducing the European Medicines Verification System (EMVS) has officially been launched in Romania. The system will become operational in all EU member states next. Consequently, as of February 9, 2019, only the medicines which respect the new security regulations in the field will circulate across the EU. The relevant authorities, representatives of the line industry and pharmacists say the initiative is essential in ensuring the patients’ safety and health, given that there is a growing risk of fake products entering the commercial chain. According to the new regulations, pharmacists will no longer be allowed to open medicine boxes and to sell only a few tablets, if patients make such a request.



    TOURISM — The most exquisite Romanian tourist project, the ice hotel at Bâlea Lac is being officially inaugurated today, in the presence of the Canadian ambassador to Bucharest, Kevin Hamilton. The theme of the ice hotel this year is music. The 14 rooms and igloos are decorated with ice statues featuring such famous artists as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. Tourists had the opportunity to get accommodation in the ice hotel as early as December 2017. A double room costs 100 Euros. Those who want to only visit the hotel should pay a ticket worth 3 Euros for adults and 2 Euros for children. Tourists can reach Bâlea Lac, at an altitude of over 2,000 m, by cable car, which covers a distance of 3,700m, over Balea Valley. The ice hotel is the only of its kind in Romania.



    JOINT DRILLS — One hundred Romanian troops will take part, as of Monday in joint military exercises alongside some 200 military from the United States, Moldova, Bulgaria and Ukraine. The exercises will be unfolding for five days, at a military base in Babadag, in Tulcea County, south-eastern Romania.



    WINTER OLYMIC GAMES– The first of the 28 Romanian athletes taking part in the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, which come to a close on February 25, are today running in the first competitions. The Romanian athletes will take part in the cross-country skiing, luge and biathlon events. PyeongChang in the Taebaek Mountains got the right to organise the Winter Olympic Games after having submitted its candidacy three times, in 2010, 2014 and 2018. It is the first edition of the Winter Olympic Games and the second edition of the Olympic Games hosted by South Korea. PyeongChang is also the third Asian city to host the Winter Olympic Games, after Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998, both in Japan. Over a period of more than two weeks, PyeongChang will host 102 sports events. This edition of the Olympic Games is attended by over 2,900 athletes from 95 countries.

  • December 14, 2017

    December 14, 2017

    National mourning — Starting today Romania will observe three days of national mourning to honor the memory of its former sovereign, King Michael I. King Michael’s coffin is now lying in state in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace in Bucharest until Saturday, when the funeral is scheduled. The body of King Michael was brought to Romania on Wednesday, and the coffin was taken for a few hours to the Royal Peles Castle in Sinaia mountain resort, where Romanian and Moldovan officials paid their last respects to the King. Many people lined the route of the funeral procession between the airport and the mountain resort of Sinaia to bid farewell to the last King of Romania who ruled between 1940 and 1947. King Michael died on December 5 in Switzerland at the age of 96. He will be laid to rest at the royal necropolis in Curtea de Arges (in the south). The funerals will be attended by personalities from all over the world. According to the site romaniaregala.ro, attending the funerals, besides the Royal Family of Romania, will be representatives of the Royal Families from Great Britain, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Jordan, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Albania, France, Prussia and Portugal. Also attending the funerals will be representatives of the Imperial Families of Russia, Austria and Germany, the Grand Duchy of Baden and the Princely House de Ligne.



    Brexit — The developments in the Brexit process and the issues caused by migration are the main topics on the agenda of the winter European Council which starts Thursday in Brussels. Romania is represented by President Klaus Iohannis. The EU leaders will look at the progress made in the negotiations with London in three specific domains, namely the rights of citizens, the dialogue with Ireland and the financial commitments of Great Britain to the EU budget. The participants will also adopt the guidelines that will facilitate the passing to the 2nd stage of Brexit negotiations, in the context in which the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier confirmed that enough progress was reported in the 1st stage. On the sidelines of the European Council, President Iohannis will participate in the Euro+ Summit, which will also be attended by EU countries that are not in the Euro zone. As regards security and defense, the summit will discuss the instrument of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). President Iohannis will reiterate Bucharest’s commitment to making PESCO operational and will show that the implementation of this instrument should lead to a more efficient development of military capabilities and to an increased cohesion among EU states. President Iohannis will also advocate the deepening and extension of EU-NATO cooperation, the presidential administration reports.



    Controversial amendments — The Romanian Chamber of Deputies has passed the amendments modifying the justice laws that refer to the organization of the judiciary and the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy. The bill on the organization of the judiciary provides, among other things, for the setting up of a section for investigating prosecutors and judges and for the possibility of solutions adopted by prosecutors being rejected by their superiors, if the latter consider them illegal or ungrounded. The second bill that was passed, related to the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy, states that the Judicial Inspection, which will remain a part of the institution, is the only body to be able to take disciplinary actions against a magistrate, eliminating from this procedure the justice minister and the president of the High Court of Cassation and Justice. The two bills will be sent to the Senate, which is currently analyzing, in emergency procedure, the bill on the status of magistrates.



    Budget — The joint budget and finance committees in the Romanian Parliament are today continuing debates on the budgets to be allotted in 2018 to the main public institutions, among which the justice, defense and interior ministries. The majority coalition wants to finalize debates and the joint committees’ report by Saturday, so as to be able to debate the draft budget law during Monday’s plenum session. The final vote on the budget and social security bills for 2018 is scheduled for December 21. The budget was based on a 5.5% economic growth rate, with supplementary revenues being distributed among the healthcare, education and investments ministries. The government has also allotted resources for the rise in the minimum salary and pensions. The opposition has contested the budget, claiming that revenues are overestimated. . The two bills will be sent to the Senate, which is currently analyzing, in emergency procedure, the bill on the status of magistrates.



    Drills — Canadian pilots at the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in the southeast of Romania are today participating alongside Romanian pilots in an Air Policing drill, which is part of the NATO Plan to strengthen the eastern flank of the Alliance. MiG-21 LanceR and CF-18 Hornet planes carrying missiles are prepared to intercept potential unidentified aircraft nearing Romania’s airspace. The drill is meant for the joint training of military, with a view to meeting NATO’s specific inter-operability requirements and boosting the level of cooperation with the allies. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • March 24, 2017

    March 24, 2017

    THE FUTURE OF THE EU– Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday is attending the EU Summit in Rome, where a Declaration on the future of the EU will be adopted. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration, Romania will plead for a stronger, more consolidated Europe. Early this month, Bucharest sent a document to the EU member states, expressing its stand on the issue. “The fact that there is no alternative to a European solution, which places the stability of our economies and societies and the prosperity of our citizens at the centre of the Union’s actions, should be clearly expressed”, the document also writes. Another stated principle is “no step back.” The document sent to Brussels also states it is essential to preserve and build on the fundamental accomplishments of the EU- the Internal Market, Schengen, Euro, the cohesion policy and enlargement.



    DEATH TOLL — The latest death toll of Wednesday’s terror attack in London, issued by the British Police earlier today, takes the number of fatalities to four. 50 other people, of 12 nationalities have been injured in the attack. Two Romanian tourists, a man and a woman are among those injured. The man has been released from hospital, whereas his partner is still in critical condition in hospital. She fell off the Westminster Bridge into the Thames River, after the attacker rammed the car into people crossing the bridge. According to the British Police, the terrorist, who was shot dead, is Khalid Masood, 52, born in Great Britain and who embraced radical Islam. Actually, the attack has been claimed by the Islamic State group. Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, has firmly condemned the attack and, in a phone conversation with the British PM Theresa May, he expressed full solidarity with the United Kingdom. Klaus Iohannis has also sent a message of condolence to the families of the victims and wished a fast recovery to those injured. In turn, PM Sorin Grindeanu has said the government, through the Romanian Embassy in London, is monitoring the health condition of the two Romanian nationals who sustained injuries. In a message on Twitter, the British ambassador to Bucharest, Paul Brummel, has sent a message to the Romanians, thanking them for their reaction to the attack.




    SUMMER TIME — On March 26, the last Sunday of March, Romania will switch to summertime or daylight saving time (DST). This is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that evening daylight lasts an hour longer. In Romania clocks will be advanced by one hour, from 03.00 to 04.00, local time. Consequently, this will be the shortest day of the year, with only 23 instead of 24 hours. This practice is aimed at saving electricity, using instead sunlight for a longer period of the day. Natural light is also a booster of people’s mental and physical health. DST is currently used by over 100 countries the world over.



    EXERCISES– The French frigate “La Fayette” is today arriving in the Port of Constanta, in south-eastern Romania, to take part in military exercises alongside similar Romanian ships, in the Black Sea. French and Romanian marines will work together to put into practice NATO standard operation practices, according to scenarios of ensuring free navigation and a maritime traffic flow. On Monday, the frigate “La Fayette” will take part in an exercise meant to consolidate interoperability with the Romanian Navy. There will be a busy timetable, including live fire exercises. Becoming militarily operational in 1996, “La Fayette” is equipped with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles and has a self-defence arsenal. A Panther helicopter is also onboard the ship, which increases the frigate’s action range.



    TENNIS — Four Romanian women tennis players are today trying to qualify for the third round of the “Premier Mandatory” in Miami(the US), with 6.8 million dollars in prize money up for grabs. Sorana Carstea (no. 64 WTA) will meet Anastasija Sevastova (of Latvia, no. 25 WTA). Patricia Tig (no. 95 WTA) will play against the French Kristina Mladenovici, no. 18 WTA. No.5 WTA, Simona Halep will face Naomi Osaka( no. 48 WTA), and 28th seeded Irina Begu, will meet Lara Arruabarrena of Spain, no. 48 WTA. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • March 8, 2017 UPDATE

    March 8, 2017 UPDATE

    EUROPEAN COUNCIL – A “multi-speed Europe as a solution to give fresh impetus to the European project after Brexit will be the focus of talks at the European Council meeting due on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, where Romania will be represented by President Klaus Iohannis. The idea, backed by Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, is also strongly supported by France and Germany, which were joined on Monday in Versailles by Italy and Spain. Romania will oppose this plan, as the President pointed out once again on Tuesday in Bucharest. Other countries are also concerned with the prospect of becoming second-level member states. These include the members of the Visegrad Group (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia), who have already opposed Brussels policy on migration.



    PARLIAMENT – The political declaration adopted on Wednesday by the Romanian Parliament, in which judgements by the Romanian President, the Higher Council of Magistracy and representatives of the Public Ministry are deemed as “unconstitutional and unacceptable, can be considered a form of pressure, a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration shows. According to the same source, this declaration comes as a disquieting signal as to Parliaments vision of the way in which it relates to the other state authorities and institutions, as well as to civil society. On Wednesday, Parliament adopted a declaration aimed to strengthen the role played by this institution and which also denounces interference by the Higher Council of Magistracy and of the force institutions with the governmental and legislative activity. The draft was initiated by the Senate Speaker, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, after the Constitutional Court rejected in February the notifications made by the Higher Council of Magistracy and President Klaus Iohannis, on the controversial emergency decree no.13, through which the Government tried to amend the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. The MPs in the opposition did not agree with the initiative, which they deemed inappropriate.



    MILITARY DRILLS – The Atlantic Resolve and Poseidon 2017 multinational military exercises continued on Wednesday at the “Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in south-eastern Romania and in the Black Sea. For the first time, 8 American helicopters are taking part in the drills. They were deployed from several European countries, as part of the US commitment to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO. This is the first such unit deployed to Eastern Europe, as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which brings together over 2,200 troops, 86 helicopters and over 700 pieces of military equipment sent from several American ports to Germany, Latvia and Romania. Also on Wednesday, a hydrographical survey vessel, Căpitan comandor Alexandru Cătuneanu conducted research training at sea.



    UNIFIED PAY LAW – Representatives of the Romanian teaching staff and auxiliary educational personnel are invited at the Labour Ministry on Thursday for talks on the unified pay law. The line minister, Lia Olguta Vasilescu, has said the law will be adopted by July 1, the pay rises will be made gradually until 2021 and the first raises will take effect as of January 1, 2018. The minister made the clarifications after the talks she held on Tuesday with trade unions in the healthcare system. Trade unionists in healthcare have said the unified pay law is a good one and the raises to be applied next year for the largest part of the medical personnel will stand at 60%, in some cases.



    SOCIAL-DEMOCRATS – The former prime minister of Romania, MP Victor Ponta, on Wednesday made public his decision to tender his undated resignation from the Social Democratic Party, and leaving it to the party president Liviu Dragnea to make a decision in this respect. Ponta added that he and Dragnea can no longer work together. In response, Dragnea has said he does not want the former Prime Minister to leave the party, adding that he will never sign his resignation. The declarations come after many speculations in the media regarding the cold relations between the two leading Social Democrats. In 2015, Ponta became the first PM in office to be subject to criminal investigations for corruption offences, and in the same year he stepped down as head of the party and of the government, amid massive street protests. Dragnea took over the presidency of the Social Democratic Party. In 2016, Dragnea himself received a suspended 2-year prison sentence, for attempted election fraud, and is currently on trial in a separate corruption case.



    TRAVEL SHOW – 40 tour-operators from Romania are taking part until Sunday in the Berlin Travel Trade Show, the largest such fair in the world. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Tourism Ministry, destinations from around the country will be presented. Romanias stand will also host egg painting demonstrations, and folk costume design and traditional jewellery workshops. During a Romanian-themed evening, traditional Romanian music, dance and cuisine will be introduced to visitors. The Tourism Minister, Mircea-Titus Dobre, is taking part today, on the first day of the trade show, in the Silk Road Ministers Meeting, an event organised by the World Tourism Organisation. Tomorrow, the Romanian official will have meetings with his counterparts from Poland, Serbia, and Ukraine, and then he will give an address at the Danube Salon, a conference devoted to joint projects by Danube riparian countries in the field of tourism. Romania has been taking part in this trade show since 1970.



    INTL WOMENS DAY – The International Womens Day was celebrated on March 8, in many countries. In Romania, where according to the latest data made public by the National Statistics Institute more than 10 million women live, women were celebrated in a series of debates, exhibitions, concerts, book launches and other events. The European Parliament hosted a meeting of the Committee on Womens Rights and Gender Equality, with the theme Womens Economic Empowerment: Lets Act Together! the International Womens Day was first marked in the early 20th Century, after an organisation sponsored a meeting on womens rights in New York.(Translated by AM Popescu and D. Vijeu)

  • November 14, 2016 UPDATE

    November 14, 2016 UPDATE

    CHISINAU — The leader of the pro-Russian Socialist Party Igor Dodon won, Sunday, with 52% of the votes, the second round of the presidential election held in the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population). His opponent, pro-European Maia Sandu, the leader of the Action and Solidarity Party got only 48% of the vote, show the results provided on Monday by the Central Electoral Committee. Also on Monday Maia Sandu announced she would challenge the result of the election at the Constitutional Court, as, according to her, there is evidence that the vote was rigged. The election was marked by protests after ballots in various polling stations in the Diaspora ran out. This election was the first after 20 years when Moldovans voted for their president through direct vote. So far the president was elected by Parliament. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romania’s firm support for the Republic of Moldova’s European accession and for the continuation of bilateral projects.



    ELECTION BULGARIA— Sunday’s presidential election in Bulgaria was won by the candidate of the Socialist opposition, General Rumen Radev, a former air force commander and a Russia-friendly political novice. He obtained 58.1% of the votes while his challenger, centre-right speaker of parliament, Tsetska Tsacheva, won just over 35% of the vote. Following the result, the PM Boyko Borisov has tendered his resignation, after the Socialist candidate defeated his nominee in the presidential election.



    MILITARY DRILL – Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian and Georgian soldiers are participating, as of Monday, in a multinational exercise meant to improve the activity of military engineers during operations in hostile environments under NATO command. Until November 18 the drills will take place on shooting ranges in southeastern Romania. This is an annual rotating exercise held in the 4 countries. It is meant to improve the capacity of the Integrated Logistic Support Multifunctional Unit with focus on military engineering, which participates in various missions under NATO command in several conflict areas.



    OBAMA – The American President Barack Obama started on Monday his last tour abroad ahead of the end of his term in office. He will first visit Greece and then will meet with the German chancellor Angela Merkel, the French president Francois Hollande and the British and Italian prime ministers, Theresa May and Matteo Renzi. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Washington, the last leg of the tour will be Peru where Obama will participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Obama will also have talks with the Chinese president Xi Jinping. The American President Elect, Republican Donald Trump, will take office on January 2017. (translation by L. Simion)

  • NATO and Romania

    NATO and Romania

    Consolidating NATO’s collective defense and reinforcing its eastern border also by ensuring a robust and credible presence of the Alliance in the region are two of the objectives of the Romanian diplomacy at the forthcoming summit in Warsaw, due on July 8 and 9. Bucharest believes in the strategic importance of the Black Sea for the Euro-Atlantic security and in boosting cooperation and coordination between NATO and the EU on the one hand, and NATO and its eastern partners on the other.



    In the run up to the Warsaw summit, a meeting of the NATO defense ministers has been scheduled in Brussels these days, to also be attended by Romania’s Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc. The debates will focus, among other things, on increasing the amounts earmarked for defense in each NATO member country. In 2014, NATO members decided not to cut those budgets, but to increase them so as to account for 2% of the GDP in the next ten years, given that defensive military capabilities are more expensive than the offensive ones. The news is good in this respect, as NATO estimates indicate an average of 1.5% of the GDP so far.



    Another important issue to be tackled in Brussels is getting NATO involved, through the AWACS aircraft, that is an airborne warning and control aircraft, in the fight against ISIS. Moreover, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, told a press conference that, in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, the alliance would deploy four multinational battalions, on a rotational basis in the Baltic States and Poland, to boost those countries’ defence against Russia. According to Stoltenberg, NATO’s defence and deterrence force is not exclusively based on those four battalions. Seeing things in a broader perspective, those battalions are part of a more comprehensive change in NATO’s stand, in response to the challenges facing it.



    The message is clear — NATO is prepared to protect all its members, if necessary. Bucharest has received assurances in this respect from the United States too, through the voice of Ambassador Douglas Lute, the US Permanent Representative to NATO. The North Atlantic Alliance will stand by Romania in case of a concrete threat, Lute said in a teleconference referring to Russian President Putin’s recent statements. Moscow has not become more aggressive, but, in fact, it continues the irresponsible behaviour it started two years ago with the illegal annexation of Crimea, Douglas Lute also said. Bothered by the deployment of some elements of the anti-missile shield in Deveselu, southern Romania, Russia has an interesting rhetoric, but NATO will focus on facts, the American official went on to say.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)


  • June 11, 2016 UPDATE

    June 11, 2016 UPDATE

    FOREIGN AFFAIRS – Romanian Foreign Minster Lazar Comanescu attended on Saturday the opening of European Forum Wachau, in Austria. On this occasion, the Romanian official said the EU finds itself in a difficult moment of its history and Romania constantly supports the promotion of the idea of a stronger and more united Europe. In this context, Comanescu reminded the importance of supporting policies and initiatives aimed at consolidating the EU and preventing fragmentation tendencies within it. Currently at its 21st edition, the European Forum Wachau, held on June 11 and 12, brings together government representatives, people of science and culture and also media representatives from the EU countries, Central and Eastern Europe in particular.




    SENTENCE – The newly elected mayor of the county capital Deva, in south-western Romania, Mircia Muntean, has been sentenced to six years in prison. He was initially sentenced to two years in prison for driving under the influence of alcohol but this sentence was cumulated with a 4-year suspended sentence for abuse of public office. Muntean had been Deva mayor for 16 years, between 1996 and 2012, after which he became an MP. On Sunday he was re-elected mayor of the city with 35% of the votes. Since he entered politics he has been a member of five political parties.




    OFFICIAL VISIT – French President Francois Hollande will come to Romania in September, Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has announced. Ciolos, who paid a visit to Paris, attended, together with President François Hollande, the opening ceremony of the European Football Championship and the opening game, between the host country and Romania. Earlier on Friday the Romanian PM and his French counterpart Manuel Valls signed an updated roadmap for the strategic partnership between Romania and France. A day before Dacian Ciolos had taken part in a special meeting of the Council of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which Romania intends to join.




    MILITARY DRILL – Romanian and American Navy Forces will carry out, as of Monday, joint military drills in the Black Sea, to practice standard procedures, with a view to developing interoperability between the two countries’ fleets. The Romanian side participates in the drill with the frigate Queen Mary, one corvette, two minesweepers and a Puma Naval helicopter, while the American partner will participate with the USS Porter destroyer.




    COMMEMORATION – The Romanian Cultural Institute commemorates, in the Cernauti region in Western Ukraine, at the border with Romania, 75 years since the first deportations carried out by the Soviets in the eastern Romanian territories annexed by Moscow in 1940 following an ultimatum. To mark this event, the play “20 Years in Siberia”, will be performed on Saturday and Sunday at the National Theatre in Bucharest. The play was written after a book by Anita Nandris-Cudla, a Romanian peasant from Bukovina, who described the terrible years she had spent in the Soviet Gulag. Once Bessarabia, northern Bukovina and the Herta region annexed by the Soviets, the Romanian population was subjected to deportations, arrests and forced relocations, which lasted until 1956. The first wave of deportations took place on the night of June 12, 1941 and affected over 32 thousand people, among whom personalities of the political, cultural and economic life of that time.




    STRIKE – Air France pilots are on a 4-day strike as of Saturday, which may disrupt plans for thousands of football fans travelling to France for the Euro 2016 competition. Air France has already cancelled around 30% of the flights, but has announced it would prioritise journeys to cities that were hosting tournament matches. The pilots union wants the government to scrap new labour laws that will make it easier to hire and fire people. Also, rubbish will not be collected in Paris until Wednesday, while train services have only recently resumed after a nine-day strike. Strikes have also been announced in neighbouring Belgium.




    THEATER FESTIVAL – The Romanian city of Sibiu is hosting, as of Friday, the International Theatre Festival, one of the biggest events in the world devoted to performing arts. The 23rd edition of the festival has brought together over 2800 artists from 70 countries, who will participate in some 450 shows and cultural events. The manager of the theatre in Sibiu and also the festival’s director, Constantin Chiriac, has announced that nine million euros have been made available for this year’s edition. The Grand Square in Sibiu has turned into a huge stage for acrobats, performing on platforms suspended above the square by means of a huge crane. The theatre marathon starts with actors from England, Spain, Poland, the Republic of Moldova and Romania, while street performances are the attraction of the pedestrian area in the citys historical centre.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)



  • February 11, 2016 UPDATE

    February 11, 2016 UPDATE

    CORRUPTION — Daniel Diaconescu will take over as interim President of the National Fiscal Administration Agency in Romania, ANAF. The announcement was made after Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Thursday sacked Gelu Stefan Diaconu from the helm of the institution. Diaconu and ANAF’s Vice-President, Mihai Gogancea Vatasoiu, who has also been sacked, are prosecuted in the same corruption file, in which MPs Madalin Voicu, of the Social Democratic Party, and Nicolae Paun, the representative of the Roma community in Parliament, are also investigated. For the two MPs, the anti-corruption prosecutors have requested approval for preventive arrest. Madalin Voicu and Nicolae Paun are accused of getting and incorrectly using European funds in a series of projects destined for the Roma community. According to the prosecutors, between 2010 and 2015, under the pretence of helping thousands of ethnic Roma find a job or become entrepreneurs, the two MPs crafted a plan to divert over 6 million Euros, to their personal benefit. Voicu is accused of influence peddling, false statements and money laundering in continued form, whereas Paun faces charges of false statements, changing the destination of European funds, embezzlement and making financial operations incompatible with his position.



    VISIT — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, held talks in Munich with the President of the Bavarian State Parliament, Barbara Stamm. The two officials hailed the continuous development of bilateral relations between Bucharest and Munich, underlining the importance of the Romanian community in Bavaria and of the ethnic Germans coming from Romania, as a solid bridge of cooperation. They also approached European issues, laying emphasis on the challenges generated by the migration flow. President Klaus Iohannis, who is on a working visit to the German State of Bavaria, will attend the Munich Security Conference, which starts on Friday and comes to a close on Sunday.



    DRILLS – The joined Permanent Bureaus of the Romanian Parliament have endorsed a request made by president Klaus Iohannis on Romania’s contributing up to 50 military staff, in 2016, for the training of the Iraqi security forces, as part of the anti-ISIS international coalition. The Romanian Defence Ministry is to sign a memorandum of understanding with the American partner and other members of the coalition, which express their wish to support Romanian forces on the theatre of operations. In another move, military ships from Romania, Bulgaria, Italy and Turkey are participating in the Black Sea, in NATO military drills of maritime traffic surveillance, which will also include joint activities with ships of Georgia’s Coast Guard.



    DEFENSE -The NATO Defence Ministers have agreed in Brussels to back and to participate in a surveillance mission on the Aegean Sea, between Turkey and Greece, to help them contain migration and human trafficking. The announcement was made by the US Secretary of Defence, Ashton Carter, following a request made by Germany, Turkey and Greece. On Wednesday, NATO made public its decision to boost its presence on the eastern flank. The measure is meant to deter a potential aggression by Russia and was made against the backdrop of the US’ announced four-fold increase in its budget, to strengthen a “robust military posture in Europe”. The details of the NATO plan, including the number of troops and each country’s contribution will be established ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw, in July. NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has announced that NATO has increased its presence in the Black Sea area and is closely following the developments in the region. Romania was represented at the Brussels meeting by defence minister, Mihnea Motoc.



    MIGRATION – Romanian foreign minister Lazar Comanescu has said that solving migration issues entails a very tight cooperation between the EU and the partner countries, with Turkey being one of the key-actors in this case. Comanescu made this statement in a press conference, given jointly with the visiting Turkish minister for European Affairs, Volkan Bozkir. In another move, Romania has reiterated its firm support for Turkey, in its effort to join the EU. As regards the stage of bilateral relations, Comanescu deems them excellent, saying that Turkey is one of Romania’s main economic partners and its largest non-EU trading partner. In turn, Volkan Bozkir said that Romanian-Turkish relations could serve as an example for other regions.



    ARTS – The painting “The Sunflowers in 1937” by Adrian Ghenie, a prominent representative of the new wave of Romanian visual art, was sold for 4 million Euros at Sothebys on Wednesday evening. This is a new personal record for Adrian Ghenie, after another work of his sold for 1.77 million Euros, back in 2014. A painting of an impressive size, “The Sunflowers in 1937”, is inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s famous “Tournesols” (Sunflowers). Born in the northern Romanian city of Baia Mare, in 1977, Adrian Ghenie is currently living in Berlin, where he owns an art gallery. He has won international acclaim, his works being included in the collections of important galleries and museums the world over.



    FILM – 18 long reels are running for the Golden Bear, in the 66th Berlin Film Festival, the first cinematographic competition of the year, unfolding between February 11 and 21. Romania is represented at the Berlinale this year, too, by Adrian Sitaru’s “Illegitimate”, and Roxana Stroe’s short reel “A Night in Tokoriki”. Actress Iulia Ciochina and scriptwriter Ruxandra Ghitescu are present in the “Berlinale Talents” Section. Romania is also represented by Razvan Radulescu, one of the scriptwriters of the German-French-Mexican film Soy Nero”, directed by Rafi Pitts, as well as by the Romanian-German co-production “A Quiet Place”, directed by Ronny Dörfler. We recall that last year, the Silver Bear for Best Director went to Romanian Radu Jude, for the long reel “Aferim!”.


    (Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)

  • September 16, 2015 UPDATE

    September 16, 2015 UPDATE

    ROMANIAN PRIORITIES – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis, who attended a joint session of Parliament on Wednesday, expressed his wish for Romania to have a strong and reliable Parliament, an institution which should enjoy the Romanians confidence. Iohannis underlined that in order to reach this goal, Romania should have good quality laws and the legislature should have functional relations with the other structures of power. Romanias president pointed to some existing problems with respect to the quality and coherence of laws, adding that 80% of the Romanians are dissatisfied with a series of clumsy laws. Iohannis criticized the repeated changes made to some key laws, such as the Fiscal Code, the Education Law and the law on the reform of the healthcare system, delivering a pointed warning over the fact that the way laws change has a negative impact on the efficiency of the public systems, eventually undermining peoples confidence in Parliament. Klaus Iohannis stood for a stable, coherent and predictable legislation, also launching a national debate on education. As regards the refugee crisis, Klaus Iohannis expressed Romanias full support for the countries affected by this crisis, saying our country takes action in the spirit of human rights observance. Iohannis pleaded for a realistic approach, based on dialogue and consultations with the EU countries, also openly opposing a bureaucratic approach. Romanias President also said the next steps Romania should further take with respect to the refugee crisis will be agreed upon during Thursdays meeting of the Countrys Supreme Defence Council.



    REFUGEE CRISIS – Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic has announced he will meet his Austrian counterpart Werner Faymann on Thursday, for talks on the refugee issue. He has expressed his countrys readiness to receive refugees, most of whom having the intention to reach Germany and the Nordic countries. Some 300 immigrants crossed the border into Croatia, from Serbia, on Tuesday to Wednesday night, the Croatian Interior Ministry has announced. These are the first refugees to take this alternative route, after Hungary closed its border with Serbia. Hundreds of immigrants protested against the closure of the Serbian-Hungarian border, with Hungary using water cannons to spread the protesting refugees. Meanwhile, the flow of migrants on the Hungarian-Austrian border has almost stopped after the enforcement of the new anti-immigration law adopted by Budapest. Reuters quotes Hungarian police sources as saying the number of refugees has been reduced significantly, to several hundred people, as compared to the record high of some 9,400 people registered on Monday.



    IMMIGRATION STRATEGY – The Romanian Government on Wednesday endorsed the National Strategy on Immigration for the 2015-2018 period and the Action Plan for the current year. The strategy is aimed at managing more efficiently the phenomenon of immigration and includes general and specific strategic objectives and action guidelines which mirror the policies established at European level and adjusted to national realities. Referring to the Action Plan for 2015, the Government says it represents “a means to establish concrete activities to lead to the setting up of a flexible system to curb the phenomenon of migration which is gaining ground.



    MILITARY DRILLS – The “Histria 2015 military drills got underway in several firing grounds across Romania. Some 7,000 employees of the countrys defence, public order and national security institutions took part in the exercise. For the first time ever, live rounds sessions were performed in a firing ground in the western county of Arad, with Europe-based US marines taking part in the exercise. Underlying the joint military undertaking was a complex scenario, tailored for todays security environment, so that Romanian military can accomplish their missions under war conditions and in crisis situations.



    FINANCIAL – The European Commission has decided to resume payments to Romania under two programs, “Economic Competitiveness and “Environment, both suspended in late April. Following this decision, around 120 million Euros will be transferred to the Romanian authorities in the ensuing period of time. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, has hailed the efforts made by the Romanian authorities to improve the two programs management and control systems. The European Commission announced in April 2015 that it had found indicators of fraud in the management of the two programs.



    MUSIC – The George Enescu International Festival, one of Europes most prestigious classical music festivals continues in Bucharest and in other cultural centres across the country. For the first time ever, a performance tailored for children and youngsters, “Munchhasusen, the Master of Lies was presented to the public during this edition of the festival. The show is a production of the Comic Opera for Children. It was composed by Dan Dediu and stage-directed by Cristian Mihailescu. On Tuesday, the famous violinist David Garrett gave a concert in Bucharest, being accompanied by the Monte Carlo Philharmonic, conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti. Garrett performed George Enescus Ballad for violin and orchestra, a work he also took on concert stages worldwide.



    SPORTS – Romanias national rugby team on Wednesday left for England, where it is scheduled to play the World Cup fixtures. Romania joins France, Ireland, Canada and Italy in Group D of the competition that kick-starts on Friday. Also known as the Oak Leaf Knights, the Romanian rugby players have taken part in all the seven previous editions of the World Cup, yet they failed to go past the competitions group stage.