Radio România Internațional

Tag: military

  • Allied support for Ukraine

    Allied support for Ukraine

    EU member states have managed to supply, in just the
    past few days, one-quarter of the artillery shells promised to Ukraine for the
    entire year. In Tuesday’s meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels,the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said the European
    bloc provided Ukraine with some 220,000 shells and 1,300 missiles. He also said
    the Union mobilised EUR 10 bln to be able to provide military support to
    Ukraine, of which EUR 5.6 bln under the European Peace Facility and the balance
    from the military industry and member states.




    NATO also carries on ammunition deliveries. Attending
    the EU meeting, the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg pointed out that,
    over the past few months, Ukraine received Leopard, Challenger and Abrams heavy
    tanks. The UK has sent modern long-range missiles, while other Allies, including
    the US, Germany, Poland and the UK have started training Ukrainian pilots for
    the F-16 aircraft to be supplied to Kyiv.




    Also attending Tuesday’s meeting in Brussels, the
    Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr said the current context proved that the
    defence budget must be increased. In this sector, there are no expenses, but
    investments, and Romania has understood this, Angel Tîlvăr said:




    Angel Tîlvăr: Romania’s reputation is improving
    steadily, thanks to its consistency and to the fact that it understands that in
    defence it’s not about spending, but about investing. And the situation today
    proves that we have made the right decision when we increased the budget to 2% over
    the past 6 years. And the 2.5% of GDP earmarked this year for defence enables
    us to purchase or produce further equipment and high-tech capabilities able to
    meet citizens’ expectations that the Army must ensure peace, predictability and
    stability.




    According to the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr, the
    talks in Brussels revealed enhanced cohesion between the EU and NATO:




    Angel Tîlvăr: The NATO secretary general taking part
    in the EU meeting was important, because the discussions we had and the fact
    that there were nuances in our solidarity led to enhanced cohesion in terms of
    the cooperation between the European Union and NATO.




    On Monday, one day before the meeting of EU defence
    ministers, Brussels also hosted a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers. For
    Romania’s diplomacy chief, Bogdan Aurescu, this was an opportunity to point out
    that Romania supports uninterrupted support for Ukraine at all levels,
    concurrently with further sanctions and international isolation for Russia. (AMP)

  • May 21, 2023 UPDATE

    May 21, 2023 UPDATE

    EDUCATION On Monday the staff in Romania’s public undergraduate
    education will go on strike, the trade unions in the sector announced after
    Sunday’s talks with government officials. The protest will continue until
    unions have received a credible solution from the government, the leader of
    the Spiru Haret Trade Union Federation, Marius Nistor, said. The government put
    forth a clear roadmap for the endorsement of the new salary law and promised pay
    raises for non-teaching staff, which according to unionists would only amount
    to EUR 20 a month. Financial incentives for entry-level teachers and experienced
    staff teaching in underprivileged areas have also been proposed. The higher
    education staff will also go on token strikes as of Monday, the head of the Alma
    Mater National Trade Union Federation Anton Hadăr announced. Trade unions said
    negotiations would continue in the coming days.


    MOLDOVA
    A large-scale rally was held in Chişinău on Sunday, at the initiative of
    president Maia Sandu, in order to prove Moldovans’ support for the country’s EU
    accession. Europe is the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova is
    Europe. Moldova is not alone, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta
    Metsola said in Romanian at the European Moldova National Assembly. Participants
    adopted a resolution confirming the support of Moldovan citizens for the
    country’s EU accession efforts. The rally takes place as the Republic of
    Moldova, an EU accession candidate country, would like to begin accession
    negotiations by the end of this year. For this stage to begin, Moldova must
    complete 9 recommendations, which will be assessed by this autumn in a European
    Commission report. In Bucharest, the Organisation of Moldovan Students
    organised a similar rally in front of Moldova’s Embassy. Scores of people
    watched the speeches in Chisinau jointly with the Moldovan Ambassador to
    Bucharest, Victor Chirila.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part on
    Monday in the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The EU
    foreign ministers will discuss measures to mitigate the effects of Russia’s
    aggression in Ukraine and the situation in the Horn of Africa. The EU officials
    will also touch on the bloc’s commitment in Central Asia, developments in Tunisia,
    the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the context of high-level EU
    diplomatic contacts with both countries. According to the Romanian foreign
    ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s firm, multidimensional and
    continuing support for Ukraine and will express hopes that an agreement will be
    reached as soon as possible on the 8th support package for the
    Ukrainian air forces under the EU Peace Facility. Minister Aurescu will also
    highlight the importance of keeping pressure on Russia by consolidating
    sanctions, and will reiterate the idea of setting up a special international tribunal
    for the crime of aggression to prosecute Russian crimes of aggression during
    the war in Ukraine.


    RAILWAYS The president of Romania’s Competition Council, Bogdan
    Chiriţoiu, made statements concerning Carpatica Feroviar, a new company that
    will take over the operations of the state-owned railway freight corporation CFR
    Marfă. The new company will take over the profitable contracts and the
    equipment needed for completing them, while the other assets will be sold in order
    to cover as much as possible of the old company’s debts to the state budget
    Chiriţoiu explained. He emphasised that current operations will not be
    discontinued. The financial performance of CFR Marfă improved slightly in 2022,
    but the company still owes some EUR 400 mln to the state budget and social
    security budget.


    BEEKEEPERS Romanian beekeepers say they are left with large amounts
    of unsold honey because of imports of cheaper and poorer-quality honey. The
    head of the Romanian Beekeepers Association, Ioan Fetea, says the situation is
    particularly serious as last year’s yield was a lot smaller than in previous
    years. Last year beekeepers saw modest yields, but they could not even sell those,
    precisely because of these dumping practices, obviously explained by the fact
    that that honey is not in line with EU regulations. Almost half of the honey
    imported into Europe is adulterated, counterfeit, and obviously sold very
    cheaply, which puts tremendous pressure on local producers, Fetea explained. Beekeepers
    are also struggling with a fall in the number of bee families, because of the
    use of insecticides in agriculture.


    UKRAINE The US president Joe Biden Sunday announced new military aid
    measures for Ukraine, following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
    on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. The new aid package will
    consist of ammunitions, artillery and armoured vehicles, Joe Biden explained, just
    days after approving the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. According
    to Reuters, this new package is worth up to USD 375 mln and is designed to
    strengthen Ukraine’s defence in the war against Russia. The British PM Rishi
    Sunak also announced in Hiroshima that his country would start training
    Ukrainian pilots this summer, to support Ukraine’s air forces in the conflict.
    Rishi Sunak added that no one wants peace more than Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but
    the terms for peace, he added, should be based on Ukraine’s principles. In the
    3-day summit in Japan, the G7 nations voiced their willingness to stand by
    Ukraine in the long run.



    ROWING Romania won 2 gold and 3 silver medals at
    the 2023 European Rowing Under 19 Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France,
    in which it took part with 11 boats. Romania came out second in the overall nations
    tables, behind Italy and ahead of Turkey. In last year’s competition, Romania
    had won 5 medals (3 gold, one silver and one bronze), and finished top of the
    ranking by nations. (AMP)

  • May 21, 2023

    May 21, 2023

    EDUCATION
    In Bucharest, the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă, the Social Democratic leader Marcel
    Ciolacu and the labour minister Marius Budăi invited trade unions in public
    education to talks in order to avoid an all-out strike announced for tomorrow. Unionists
    said protests could only end when the solutions to their demands, particularly
    concerning salaries, were introduced in officially endorsed legislation. The
    finance minister Adrian Câciu said the teaching staff’s demands could have been
    solved, if Romania had received the money in the second disbursement round
    under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which is currently suspended
    because of targets that have not been met in the field of energy, for which the
    National Liberal Party is responsible. On the other hand, PM Nicolae Ciucă said
    the solution to the unions’ demands has to do with the unified salary law that
    the labour ministry headed by the Social Democrats has failed to finalise in
    spite of the support of the entire ruling coalition. Amid these disagreements, the
    president of the Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu, demanded that
    negotiations on the new cabinet make-up following the PM rotation should be
    suspended until the issue in the education sector has been solved, and the Democratic
    Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, a junior partner in the ruling
    coalition, agreed. The Liberals on the other hand argue that the government
    transition should be completed quickly in order to maintain stability and
    balance. Under a protocol signed by the 2 parties, on 26 May the Social
    Democrats should take over the prime minister post from the Liberals, for the
    next 1,5 years, until the next general elections.


    MOLDOVA
    A large-scale rally is held in Chişinău today, at the
    initiative of president Maia Sandu, in order to prove Moldovans’ support for
    the country’s EU accession. Europe is the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of
    Moldova is Europe. Moldova is not alone, the president of the European
    Parliament, Roberta Metsola said in Romanian at the European Moldova National
    Assembly. Participants adopted a resolution confirming the support of Moldovan
    citizens for the country’s EU accession efforts. The rally takes place as the Republic
    of Moldova, an EU accession candidate country, would like to begin accession
    negotiations by the end of this year. For this stage to begin, Moldova must
    complete 9 recommendations, which will be assessed by this autumn in a European
    Commission report. In Bucharest, the Organisation of Moldovan Students
    organised a similar rally in front of Moldova’s Embassy. Scores of people
    watched the speeches in Chisinau jointly with the Moldovan Ambassador to
    Bucharest, Victor Chirila.


    UKRAINE The US president Joe Biden Sunday announced new military aid
    measures for Ukraine, following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
    on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. The new aid package will
    consist of ammunitions, artillery and armoured vehicles, Joe Biden explained, just
    days after approving the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. According
    to Reuters, this new package is worth up to USD 375 mln and is designed to
    strengthen Ukraine’s defence in the war against Russia. The British PM Rishi
    Sunak also announced in Hiroshima that his country would start training
    Ukrainian pilots this summer, to support Ukraine’s air forces in the conflict.
    Rishi Sunak added that no one wants peace more than Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but
    the terms for peace, he added, should be based on Ukraine’s principles. In the
    3-day summit in Japan, the G7 nations voiced their willingness to stand by
    Ukraine in the long run.


    FLOODING
    In Italy, code red alerts for heavy rainfalls with landslide risks are valid
    today as well, in the Emilia Romagna region in the north of the country, already
    affected by unprecedented flash floods. Fourteen people died and 36,000 others
    were evacuated by the authorities. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent
    in Italy, in Ravenna province alone, the most severely hit by the floods, over 16%
    of the territory has been evacuated. A preliminary estimate by Confagricoltura,
    the association of Italian farmers, indicates that the flooding in Emilia
    Romagna caused crop damages of over EUR 1.5 bln.


    GREECE
    Greece is holding elections today for its single-chamber 300-seat parliament, with
    around 9.5 million people expected to take part in the vote. As many as 36 parties
    and political associations are running for parliamentary seats, for which they
    need at least 3% of the votes. The most likely to win is incumbent PM Kyriakos
    Mitsotakis’s party, New Democracy, with 33% of the voting intentions in polls. The
    left-of-centre Syriza party, headed by Alexis Tsipras, is predicted to carry
    26% of the votes. A novelty in this election is the scrapping of the 50-seat
    bonus for the winning party. Unless the parties manage to form a new
    government, early elections will be held in July, with a return to the previous
    bonus system. (AMP)

  • May 10, 2023

    May 10, 2023

    EDUCATION Trade
    unions in Romanian public education organise a protest rally in Bucharest today, as a way to sound
    the alarm on the problems facing the Romanian education sector. The unions demand pay raises in the sector, as well as an
    annual increase in investments in order to improve the relevant infrastructure
    and equipment. Unionists also warn that a poll
    is under way among education staff, with respect to an all-out strike starting
    on May 22. Meanwhile, new draft
    education laws are being discussed in the Chamber of Deputies for a first vote,
    after the specialist committee introduced a number of amendments to the
    original bills, including a national plan to curb violence in schools.


    VISIT The PM of the Republic of Korea, Han
    Duck-Soo, is on a visit to Bucharest today, and is scheduled to have meetings
    with president Klaus Iohannis and with PM Nicolae Ciucă. The 2 prime ministers
    are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Romanian Maritime Port
    Authority and the Busan Port Authority. The Korean official is also scheduled
    to have a meeting with the Chamber of Deputies speaker, Marcel Ciolacu.


    DEFENCE The Romanian chief of defence,
    general Daniel Petrescu, is taking part today and tomorrow in the meetings of
    the NATO Military Committee and the EU Military Committee, respectively. Defence
    chiefs from the 31 Allied states, with the Swedish chief of defence as a guest,
    will look at the dynamics of the war in Ukraine. Talks will focus on analysing
    the implementation of measures aimed at strengthening NATO’s defence and deterrence
    posture, ahead of the decisions to be made at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The
    participants will also look at ways to continue supporting Ukraine. Another
    major topic of the meeting is the analysis of member and partner states’
    participation in EU missions and operations.


    INDEPENDENCE Romania celebrates its
    National Independence Day today. On May 10, 1877, Prince Carol I, who would
    subsequently become the first king of Romania, signed the country’s
    Proclamation of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. The document had been
    read in Parliament the day before by the foreign minister Mihail Kogălniceanu, and
    endorsed by Parliament’s two chambers. The occasion is celebrated in Bucharest
    with a ceremony at the Heroes Monument in front of the National Defence
    University, while military and religious ceremonies are also held in cities
    across the country.


    EUROPE In a message on Europe Day, celebrated on May
    9, president Klaus Iohannis said Romania is a mature and responsible member
    state, with a solid and credible European profile, recognised and appreciated
    by our partners. In turn, PM Nicolae Ciucă said Romania is part of the
    solution to the security challenges that the EU is facing, and that now is the
    time for Romania to be acknowledged as a full Schengen member.




    TRANSPORT The European Commission for
    Transport, Adina Vălean, is in Romania today and tomorrow, to hand over to
    Romanian beneficiaries 2 grants for military mobility, in Constanta, in the presence of the
    Romanian transport minister Sorin Grindeanu, the European Commission announced.
    The two projects concern the design and building of the Ungheni bridge and
    upgrading the railway infrastructure in the port of Constanţa, a critical
    element of the EU – Ukraine solidarity lanes. (AMP)

  • March 19, 2023 UPDATE

    March 19, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, currently
    on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, Sunday travelled to Masdar
    City, a model of sustainable urban development with solutions centered around
    energy efficiency and environment protection. The Romanian official was presented
    solutions for transport and urban cooling and ventilation, building energy
    generation and optimum usage of natural light in schools and research
    institutions. The solutions tested in Masdar City may be an inspiration for
    other cities increasingly interested in sustainability, including in Romania. Contributions
    to these solutions come, among others, from Romanian researchers as well,
    affiliated to research institutes in Masdar City, the Romanian presidency said
    in a news release. President Iohannis will be in the UAE until Tuesday, at the
    invitation of his counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The main
    goals of the visit include strengthening the political and diplomatic dialogue
    on topics of mutual interest, encouraging bilateral economic relations, which
    are already on a significant positive trend, and attracting investments in the
    Romanian economy through projects in fields like infrastructure, energy,
    climate change, cybersecurity and food security.


    REFUGEES The Romanian Border Police Inspectorate General
    announced that on Saturday as many as 86,342 people entered Romania using
    border checkpoints around the country. Of them, 8,510 were Ukrainian nationals.
    Since February 10, 2022, two weeks before the Russian invasion of their
    country, nearly 3.8 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. Most of them have
    travelled further on to western European countries, but around 100,000 of them
    have chosen to stay in Romania, according to the authorities in Bucharest.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian diplomacy chief Bogdan Aurescu takes part on
    Monday in the Foreign Affairs Council, a meeting of EU foreign ministers in
    Brussels. He will also attend the joint meeting of EU foreign and defence
    ministers, as well as in a conference of international donors for Turkey and
    Syria, in the aftermath of the February earthquakes. The Foreign Affairs
    Council will focus on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the dialogue between
    Belgrade and Pristina, the situation in Tunisia and the latest developments in
    Iran. Bogdan Aurescu will plead for continuing multidimensional support for Ukraine,
    both at EU level and from the member states, with a focus on the quick
    provision of military equipment and training for the Ukrainian army. According
    to the Romanian foreign ministry, Mr. Aurescu will also support a consolidation
    of the sanctions against Russia and a more efficient implementation of current
    restrictions.


    MILITARY Over 3,000 troops from Romania and 12 Allied and partner
    states will take part in the Sea Shield 2023 multinational exercise, the most
    complex event planned and spearheaded by the Romanian Navy this year. Taking
    part in the event between March 20 and April 2 are forces from Albania,
    Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Poland, Portugal, UK, the Netherlands, the Republic
    of Moldova, Romania, the US and Turkey. The exercise contributes to promoting
    Romania’s interests and initiatives at regional and international level, as
    well as to enhancing inter-operability among the participating countries. Sea
    Shield, a complex concept designed for the training of NATO forces, was
    proposed by Romania at NATO’s summit in Warsaw in 2016, to boost security on
    the Eastern flank.


    HANDBALL Romania’s women’s handball champions, Rapid Bucharest, were
    defeated on Sunday by Slovenia’s Krim Ljubljana, 29-24, in the first leg of the
    playoffs for the Champions’ League quarter-finals. The second leg takes place
    in Bucharest. This is Rapid’s first presence in the Champions’ League, and the
    match against the Slovenian champions is also the team’s first march in European
    competitions with the Danish manager Kim Rasmussen, who replaced Carlos Viver (Spain).
    If they qualify into the quarter-finals, Rapid will be facing Kristiansand (Norway).
    Romania’s vice-champions, CSM Bucharest, have already qualified into the
    quarter-finals, where they will take on the winner of the playoff between the
    French side Brest and the Danish team Esbjerg. (AMP)

  • Romanian-North Korean relations

    Romanian-North Korean relations

    The relation Socialist Romania had with North Korea,
    from the 1970s to 1989, was quite good. There are two explanations for the
    positive trend of the relations between two countries that were so far away
    from one another. The first explanation has to do with the two communist
    leaders, Nicolae Ceaușescu and Kim Ir Sen, being in mutual harmony in terms of
    opinions and personality. The second explanation pertains to the two communist
    countries’ economic interest. Romania had to expand its economic relations beyond
    Europe, while North Korea sought to approach a European country.


    Colonel Emil
    Burghelea was appointed military attaché in 1970 and spent a couple of years
    in North Korea. In 2000, Colonel Burghelea was interviewed by Radio Romania’s
    Oral History Centre. Back then he gave an account of what the level had been,
    of the economic exchange between Romania and North Korea, prior to the departure to his position in North Korea. In the Asian country, Romania mainly exported Bucegi
    trucks, made in the Steagul Rosu/The Red Flag plants in Brasov, spare parts and
    information on the service. North Korea was hungry for any kind of technology
    and intended to set up a national industry. Colonel Burghelea reminisced Koreans’
    performances, carried in primitive conditions, but also their unfair commercial
    practices.     Emil Burghelea:




    They made special steels for their heavy
    weaponry, and we were taken aback because of that: how in God’s name something
    like that could come along, while we, back home, were required expertise from
    the West, all the time, which meant investments and a lot of money. The second
    issue was about the Koreans’ mobilization, they were caught fourfold between a
    rock and a hard place, they were caught between the four empires: the Russian,
    the Chinese, the Japanese and the American one. From us, they received
    automatic lathes, made in Arad or Brasov. And we saw them removing the
    Romanian-language labels from the lathe, reading Made in…., they replaced
    them with other labels, in Korean, they shipped them to South Korea saying they
    had been made by them. And we didn’t object to that in any way. They were
    trying to mobilize their forces, to create. There they had many cement lines,
    made by us.




    North Koreans’ interest was largely in the military and
    the military capabilities, while their economy was subordinated to the doctrine
    of militarization. Emil Burghelea:




    They took an interest in anything, they even
    visited our shipyards in Mangalia. In aviation, in tanks, artillery, they were
    very interested in that. They structured their coastal artillery and your hair stood
    on end as to when and how they took it out. You couldn’t see anything from the
    shore, neither could you see where it was hidden. They managed to put up a very
    advanced defense system, which was even nuke-proof. At a certain time, we,
    Romanians, were a step ahead so to say. We had a tradition in terms of military
    technology and equipment that we were building at our Plants in Resita, such as
    the formidable 75 anti-tank gun or the device made by inventor Bungescu. We had
    the aircraft plant in Brasov, which was building helicopters and ran a contract
    with the USSR for building a Katyusha-type rocket launcher. For this reason,
    they used to visit us a lot back then and whenever they went to Ceausescu they
    usually asked for another type of weapon. And Ceausescu gave them everything
    they asked for. We took them on tours around our weapon factories and whenever
    they get there, officers would pull out their notebooks and start taking notes.
    They came to study the Army House in Brasov, and when they started building
    their own, we sent them experts.




    But you need more than weapons to build a strong army,
    you also need training. North Koreans started training their troops at a very
    early age. Emil Burghelea:




    They took the training of their soldiers very
    seriously, under the motto ‘One against one hundred’. They believed their
    enemies had more troops and they wanted their soldiers to be able to stand up
    to more enemy soldiers. They laid emphasis on martial arts and trained their
    troops extensively. They provided weapon training to children with ages between
    12 and 14, like boy-scouts, you know. Their boy scouts were called pioneers at
    that time and the Pioneer House in Pyong Yang as well as in other cities were
    fitted with special classes and workshops providing military training, teaching
    children how to use infantry weapons like machine guns and rocket
    launchers.

    The high level of mutual trust was benefitting both sides and
    Romania gained access to North Korea’s raw materials. Emil Burghelea:




    We didn’t give them technology for free, you
    know. Their country had great deposits of anthracite and we needed their
    anthracite. They exported many things to Romania, like tobacco, anthracite,
    fish and Ceausescu wasn’t that generous without a purpose, apart from the
    political ones. We even imported iron ore from them, because we had developed
    our plants and we were in need of iron ore. So, it wasn’t only the military
    field.




    The bilateral relations diminished considerably after
    the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s regime back in 1989, when Romania
    discarded communism to embrace democracy. (EN&bill)

  • February 8, 2023 UPDATE

    February 8, 2023 UPDATE

    EARTHQUAKE The massive earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday killed around
    12,000 people, according to the latest reports. Two-thirds of the total
    casualties are reported in Turkey. Tens of thousands of people were injured. In
    spite of the freezing cold, rescuers are struggling to find survivors. President Tayyip Erdogan declared
    disaster areas in the 10 provinces affected by the quakes, and introduced a
    3-month state of emergency. Seventy countries have so far provided support in
    the search and rescue operations. Romania joined the international aid efforts
    and sent nearly 120 search and
    rescue specialists, doctors and nurses, as well as search and rescue dogs.
    Many Romanian nationals have contacted the Embassy in Ankara to report the situation there, but few of them
    requested to be repatriated. Turkey is located in one of the world’s
    main seismic areas. In 1999, an
    earthquake occurring in Düzce, in the north of the country, killed over 17,000 people. As regards Syria, Romania is going to provide mostly humanitarian aid,
    following that country’s request to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.


    PATRIOT Romania has received a second Patriot system, out of the total
    four, that were contracted for the first stage of the country’s Air Force
    equipping programme. According to the defence minister Angel Tilvar, the four
    systems represent the first stage in achieving state-of-the-art ground-based
    air defence capability, which can be fully integrated into the NATO system.
    Patriot systems were first delivered to Romania in 2020, and 2023 is the year
    when the first stage of the equipping programme is to be fully completed,
    according to the Defence Ministry. The Patriot system is one of the most
    advanced air protection systems of the US military arsenal. It is a mobile
    system that usually includes a powerful radar, a control station, a power
    generator, launch stations and support vehicles.


    EU The European Council on Thursday will hold a summit in Brussels to
    discuss the war in Ukraine, the EU economy and migration. A video-conference
    chaired by the European Council President, Charles Michel, was held on Tuesday
    and was also attended by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who said talks
    focused on the support granted to Ukraine, consolidating the competitiveness of
    the EU economy and implementing concrete measures of combating illegal
    migration. Although Schengen enlargement is not officially on the agenda,
    President Iohannis might approach it informally in the plenary or during
    bilateral meetings with his counterparts.


    MOTION The Chamber of
    Deputies Wednesday dismissed the simple motion tabled by the opposition against
    the interior minister Lucian Bode. The document signatories accuse Bode of plagiarism
    and blame him for Romania’s failure to join the Schengen area. In Monday’s
    debates on the motion, Lucian Bode argued that the opposition’s claims were
    untrue and prompted by the forthcoming elections.This is the
    second failed motion against minister Bode, after the one in October.


    PROTESTS Members of the Sanitas Trade Union Federation Wednesday held
    protest rallies in Bucharest, for the 3rd consecutive day, picketing
    political party offices. Several hundred unionists from around the country
    protested against the Salaries Law and the under-financing of healthcare
    institutions and social assistance in Romania. The list of demands includes a
    minimum 15% pay raise. The unionists warned that unless the authorities meet
    their demands, further protests may be planned. (E.E., A.M.P.)

  • January 31, 2023

    January 31, 2023

    BUDGET In 2022 Romania saw a budget deficit
    of roughly EUR 16.5 bln, nearly 1% smaller than in the previous year. According
    to the finance ministry, the deficit dropped from 6.73% to 5.68% of GDP. Revenues
    amounted to approx.. EUR 94 bln, up 21% since 2021, fuelled by the VAT rise,
    growing EU funding and revenues in the energy sector. Expenditure exceeded EUR
    110 bln, down 0.8% since the previous year.


    DIPLOMACY Lithuania firmly
    supports Romania’s Schengen accession and
    voices willingness to carry on an active dialogue with the other EU partners in
    this respect, especially in today’s extremely difficult security context, the
    Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis told his Romanian
    counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu, in a telephone discussion. The talks were held as
    Romania is set to resume this year its participation in the air policing
    missions in the Baltic Sea region. The 2 officials praised the very good
    bilateral relations and the efficient coordination as part of the EU, NATO and
    regional projects such as the Three Seas Initiative and The Bucharest Nine.


    CORRUPTION The former manager of Romania’s national football team, Victor Piţurcă, has
    today left the Bucharest Police Detention Centre, where he was held for 24 hours by
    anti-corruption prosecutors in an influence peddling investigation. According
    to judicial sources, Victor Piţurcă was placed under court supervision, and prosecutors
    also initiated criminal proceedings against his son, Alexandru. The case
    concerns the procurement of non-compliant production lines and the sale of face
    masks to the Defence Ministry during the Covid-19 pandemic.Gabriel
    Ţuţu, the head of military producer and exporter Romarm, was also involved in
    the operation.


    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is to pass today a
    bill authorising 2 loans from the European Investment Bank. The nearly EUR 294
    mln will be used for investments, upgrade and rehabilitation works in 26 hospitals in Romania. Another bill on today’s agenda
    provides for up to 50% increases of the monthly allowances paid to the county
    council chairpersons and deputies and to the mayors and deputy mayors of the
    administrative units that implement projects financed from non-reimbursable EU
    funds, foreign loans and under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. The
    government is also to amend an order regulating energy subsidies and other
    support measures for vulnerable citizens.


    NATO NATO will continue to strengthen its partnership
    with Japan amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens
    Stoltenberg said on Tuesday during a visit to Japan, where he had a meeting
    with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Jens Stoltenberg’s tour, which included a
    stop in South Korea, is designed to strengthen ties with the Asian allies in
    the context of the war in Ukraine and rising competition with China. In an
    address in Seoul, the NATO official called on South Korea to increase its military
    support to Ukraine.


    KOREA Also in Seoul, the US defence secretary Lloyd
    Austin and his South-Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, promised to extend the
    scope of the 2 countries’ joint military exercises, in a move by Washington to
    reassure its Asian ally of its support amid growing threats from North Korea. Tensions
    in the Korean Peninsula deepened in 2022, following North Korea’s frequent
    military tests, including launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. (AMP)

  • January 20, 2023 UPDATE

    January 20, 2023 UPDATE

    ECONOMY
    Romania’s economy will be, this year as well, influenced by global
    uncertainties triggered by inflation, the escalation of the war in Ukraine, the
    energy crisis and problems in supply chains. This is one of the conclusions of
    a report on financial stability, made public by the National Bank of Romania. The
    report also mentions a systemic risk entailed by delays in reforms and in
    spending EU funds. On the other hand, the central bank calls on Romanians to be
    cautious with respect to residential real estate loans, as the high inflation
    triggers risks of default.


    PHARMACEUTICALS Romania obtained from Brussels a 3-month suspension of
    exports for certain drugs, particularly in the antibiotics and oral antipyretic
    categories. According to Bucharest, the measure is designed to ensure the
    availability of such medication for Romanian patients, as the country is
    struggling with a wave of viral respiratory infections.


    MILITARY Over 100
    troops from the US 1-26 Infantry Battalion are training with Romanian troops
    from the Sf. Andrei 300 Infantry Battalion in Galaţi until March this year. According
    to the Romanian defence ministry, the US troops were deployed late last year to
    the Mihai Kogălniceanu air base, and as of this week they were relocated to Galaţi.
    The goal of the joint training scheme is to practice working techniques,
    tactics and procedures, and to enhance interoperability in line with NATO
    requirements.


    DAVOS The international community cannot afford a strategic
    ambiguity regarding the war in Ukraine, the Romanian foreign minister said at
    the World Economic Forum in Davos. He mentioned the seriousness of the security
    crisis and the main risks and challenges for the international system, and
    emphasised the need to maintain a world order based on rules, supporting peace
    and facilitating solutions to global problems. The Romanian official also
    highlighted Romania’s efforts to support Ukraine, such as receiving over 3.3 million
    refugees and the transit of over 11 tonnes of Ukrainian grains and agricultural
    products, as well as the need to continue supporting this country. Mr. Aurescu had
    a number of meetings with representatives of the business communities in Canada
    and Portugal, with whom he discussed issues related to the energy sector in
    particular. (AMP)

  • Preparations for National Day

    Preparations for National Day


    Every year on December 1, the National Day of Romania is celebrated across the country as well as abroad, in theatres of operations where Romanian troops are deployed or in the Romanian communities abroad.



    In Bucharest, the traditional Triumphal Arch parade is scheduled, which this year will see the most extensive participation of Allied troops. For the first time since the Covid pandemic, there will be no restrictions for the public. In addition to the previous years, the military parade will showcase the latest equipment purchased by the Romanian Army.



    Apart from Romanian troops, the parade will include around 150 foreign servicemen from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Portugal, the US and the Netherlands, as well as troops representing the countries contributing to the NATO structures in Romania, and military equipment, including fighter jets from Canada, Italy, Spain and the US.



    National Day celebrations will also be held in Alba Iulia, where messages for Romania will be sent out on November 29 as part of an educational programme hosted by the Principia Museum. On November 30, when St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania is celebrated, Alba Iulia will host military ceremonies and wreath laying ceremonies. On the same day, a festival of traditions and customs is scheduled to begin, entitled Traditional Romania.



    On December 1, the Union March will take place, and a military parade will be held in Alba Iulia, with around 850 troops and military equipment taking part, including land vehicles, helicopters and F-16 fighters. A unit of French troops, part of the NATO battle group in Cincu, Braşov County, will also take part in the parade.



    The events also celebrate 100 years since the coronation of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie in Alba Iulia, where in 1600 the Wallachian prince Michael the Brave entered with his troops in what was later seen as the first political union of the Romanian territories.



    Nicknamed “The Unifier,” Ferdinand I was the first king of all Romanians, the sovereign under whose reign the great union of 1918 was achieved. Ferdinand I was the one who introduced a land reform and an election reform, who worked to strengthen the Romanian nation state, and whose reign was the most prosperous period in the modern history of the Romanian state.



    Standing by his side was an exceptional personality: Queen Marie of Romania, who worked as a battlefield nurse during the First World War and as a diplomat in European capitals, the one without whom, historians agree, Ferdinands success would not have been the same and Greater Romania would have been a goal even harder to achieve. (AMP)




  • November 17, 2022 UPDATE

    November 17, 2022 UPDATE

    BUDGET The
    government of Romania Thursday approved this year’s second public budget
    adjustment, with an approx. EUR 104 million increase
    in revenues and a similar increase in
    expenditure. According to the government, the budget adjustment covers
    compulsory spending, operating expenses and social assistance expenses. Funds
    have also been rechanneled for implementing programmes with an impact on the economy
    and which support households and companies. Financing is also ensured for the
    state aid provided to the farmers whose crops were affected by drought this
    year. According to the autumn macroeconomic forecast on which the adjustment is
    based, the government’s news release also reads, Romania’s GDP is expected to
    reach RON 1,396.2 bln in 2022 (as compared to RON 1,372.5 bln taken into
    account in the first budget adjustment).


    INFLATION The annual inflation in the EU continued to grow in October
    to reach 11.5%, as against 10.9% in September. The member states with the
    highest rates are Estonia (22.5%), Lithuania (22.1%), Hungary (21.9%) and
    Latvia (21.7%), according to data made public on Thursday by the Eurostat.
    Compared to September, the annual inflation rate dropped in 11 member countries,
    remained stable in 3 countries and went up in 13 member states, including in
    Romania (from 13.4% to 13.5%). As many as 18 member countries, Romania
    included, reported for September an annual inflation rate above 10%. The member
    states with the lowest inflation rates in September were France (7.1%) and
    Spain (7.3%). In October 2021, the year-on-year inflation rate in the European
    Union was 4.4%, and in Romania it was 6.5%. In Romania, the National Statistics
    Institute had previously announced that the year-on-year inflation dropped this
    October to 15.32%, from 15.88% in September, with a 20.58% rise in foodstuff
    prices, non-food prices going up 14.37%, and service prices 8.31% more expensive.
    Just days ago, the National Bank of Romania also released its quarterly
    inflation report, according to which the rate is expected to reach 16.3% by the
    end of this year and 11.2% next year.

    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu
    Thursday had talks with his counterpart, Jean Asselborn, during his visit to
    the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The two officials discussed Romania’s Schengen
    accession and the security situation at the Black Sea. Bogdan Aurescu also
    mentioned, in a joint press conference, the importance of the Republic of
    Moldova’s European accession, and said on Monday he would co-chair the third
    Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova, in Paris, together with his
    French and German counterparts. The Romanian official also thanked Luxembourg
    for its plans to deploy a 25-troop unit as part of the NATO Battle Group in
    Romania. The decision is pending the approval of Luxembourg’s parliament.


    MILITARY A second shipment of French military equipment, specifically Leclerc tanks,
    reached Braşov County (central Romania). The equipment is intended to strengthen
    the NATO Battle Group (Battle Group Forward Presence-BGFP) stationed in Cincu,
    the Romanian ministry of defence (MApN) said. A first convoy of French military
    equipment, consisting in armoured vehicles, arrived in Romania on October 23.


    ASSESSMENT A mixed team of experts from the European Commission and some member
    states, including the Netherlands, will be in Romania this week to assess the
    country’s readiness for Schengen accession. According to the Bucharest
    government, the visit is voluntary, similar to the one that took place between
    October 9 and 11. On Wednesday, the European Commission requested that Romania,
    Bulgaria and Croatia be part of the Schengen Area without
    delay. The EC points out that Romania has a solid and high-quality border
    management and is involved in international cooperation in border police
    matters.


    HANDBALL Two Romanian players, Cristina Neagu and Crina Pintea, were
    nominated for the all-star team of the European Women’s Handball Championship
    hosted by North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia and due to conclude this
    Sunday. According to the EHF website, Cristina Neagu is nominated for the left
    back position, and Crina Pintea for line player. Neagu announced on Thursday that
    the EHF Euro 2022 was the last in her career, and that it had not ended as she
    had dreamt, after Romania finished only 12th. With 303 goals, Cristina
    Neagu is at the top of the combined all-time goal scorers’ list for Women’s and
    Men’s EHF EURO events. Romania has taken part in all the EHF Euro editions so
    far, with one exception (2006), and its best performance was a bronze medal in 2010. (AMP)

  • November 3, 2022

    November 3, 2022

    EARTHQUAKE A 5.4
    magnitude earthquake hit Romania on Thursday morning in the Buzău area in the
    south-east of the country. The earthquake was felt in several cities, including
    the capital Bucharest, but no emergency calls were received and no damages or
    victims were reported. This was the strongest earthquake in the last 2 and a
    half years. A 5.2 quake occurred on January 31, 2020 in Vrancea, Romania’s main
    seismic area. A bigger, 5.8 magnitude tremor was also reported in October 2018,
    in Buzău County.


    MILITARY
    The
    French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sebastien Lecornu, is on
    an official visit to Romania today, the Romanian Defence Ministry announced. Lecornuwill have meetings with the Romanian Defence Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, with
    President Klaus Iohannis and PM Nicolae Ciucă. The French delegation’s agenda
    also includes a visit to the ‘Getica’ Joint National Training Centre in Cincu,
    central Romania, and a wreath-laying ceremony at the French Heroes Monument in
    Bucharest. France has been leading the NATO battle group in Romania set up in
    May. The battle groups created in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary are
    part of the borader set of measures taken by NATO to bolster its medium and
    long-term deterrence and defence posture, following the war initiated by the
    Russian Federation in Ukraine.


    VISIT
    The president of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis postponed his official
    visit to Romania scheduled for Thursday, for unforeseen and unavoidable
    reasons, the Swiss Embassy in Bucharest announced. President Cassis and
    president Klaus Iohannis will try to find an alternative date for the meetings
    scheduled as part of the visit. According to the Swiss Embassy, the two parties
    will sign in the near future the Romanian-Swiss framework agreement concerning
    the implementation of a second financial instalment aimed at reducing economic
    and social disparities within the EU. Under the agreement, Switzerland will
    provide 221.5 million Swiss francs for projects to be implemented in Romania
    until 2029.


    PENSIONS Government spokesman Dan Cărbunaru announced that a
    task force has been set up within the Labour Ministry in Bucharest, to analyse
    the issue of the so-called special pensions, which are not based on
    contributions during employment. The beneficiaries of such pensions include
    magistrates, among other categories, and scores of them applied for retirement
    after the World Bank requested the Romanian authorities to reform the system. This
    was also a requirement in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, agreed on
    by Romania with the European Commission.


    AUTOMOTIVE The number
    of new automobiles registered in Romania in the first 10 months of the year
    went up over 8% compared to the corresponding period of last year, to nearly 106,000
    units. Car registration numbers also increased by 10% this October compared to
    October 2021. Most of the new automobiles registered during this period, i.e.
    31,000, were local brand Dacia. As for
    second hand car registrations in the first 10 months of the year, the number
    dropped 20% compared to 2021, to 270,000.


    HANDBALL
    Romania’s women’s handball team drew against Germany, 29-29, last night in
    Tatabanya (Hungary), in the last test match ahead of the European
    Championships. In the first test match, Romania lost to Hungary, 28-33. The European Championships (EHF EURO 2022) will
    take place between November 4th and 20th, in Slovenia, North Macedonia and
    Montenegro. Romania plays in Group C, together with France, the Netherlands and
    North Macedonia, and its first game is scheduled for Saturday, November 5th,
    against the Netherlands. Romania has taken part in all the European
    Championships editions except for 2006, and its best performance was a bronze
    medal in 2010. In the last edition, held in 2020, Romania came out 12th. (AMP)

  • October 23, 2022

    October 23, 2022

    MILITARY The
    first shipment of French military equipment to join the NATO battle group deployed
    to Cincu, in central Romania, reaches the country on Sunday, the defence
    ministry announced. A second convoy, comprising a Leclerc main battle tank
    company, is set to arrive in November. The NATO Battle Group Forward Presence
    in Romania (BGFP) was created in May by transforming the Allied multinational
    elements of the NATO Response Force deployed to our country. Upon France’s
    proposal to take over the framework-nation role, the French battalion deployed
    to Romania, considered the Spearhead of the Very High Readiness Joint Task
    Force (VJTF), built up the BGFP on our national territory by integrating, on
    rotational basis, Belgian and Dutch troops. BGFP contributes to the increase of
    the Romanian military cooperation with France and, implicitly, to the consolidation
    of the Euro-Atlantic space security on the Eastern Flank. Cooperation with the
    strategic partners and the deployment of relevant combat structures on national
    territory contribute to the increase of defence and deterrence capacity in the
    context of the Ukraine war and the Black Sea region crisis, the defence
    ministry explains.


    BORDER Romania’s
    border police announced that over 97,000 people entered Romania on Saturday, of
    whom more than 9,500 were Ukrainian nationals, up 15.6% since the previous day.
    According to current data, over 2.6 million Ukrainian citizens have entered
    Romania since February 10, and nearly 4,400 of them have applied for asylum
    here.


    NRRP Romania is
    set to receive EUR 2.6 bln in the coming days under the National Recovery and
    Resilience Plan, to be channelled into the country’s economic recovery. The
    funds are transferred after the European Commission authorised the payment of
    the first instalments of the non-reimbursable aid and loan components. Romania submitted
    the first payment request in May, after meeting the targets and benchmarks for
    the 4th quarter of 2021. In September, the European Commission’s assessment of
    these targets was approved and submitted to the Economic and Financial
    Committee, which also approved it. The Romanian minister for investment and
    European projects Marcel Boloş believes this is just the beginning of a long
    road, which, if successfully completed, will translate into investments in
    motorways, railways, schools and hospitals. The next payment request will
    amount to EUR 3.2 bln, for which over 50 targets will have to be met, related
    to the first half of this year. Romania may access a total of nearly EUR 30 bln
    under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, of which it has already
    received 2 pre-financing instalments amounting to a rough EUR 3.8 bln.


    COAL Romania has
    increased its coal output to mitigate the energy crunch. The amounts extracted
    in the first 8 months of the year went up 1.7% and imports rose by 13.5%, the
    National Statistics Institute reports. The National Strategy and Forecast
    Commission estimates for this year a coal output 10% higher than in 2021 and a
    2.8% rise in imports. For 2023, the Commission forecasts an 8% increase in
    output.


    CHINA The Chinese
    president Xi Jinping was re-elected on Sunday as leader of the ruling Communist
    Party, thus becoming China’s strongest leader since Mao Zedong, the founder of
    the Chinese communist regime, international news agencies report. Xi Jinping was
    appointed for a 3rd five-year term in office by a largely reshuffled Central
    Committee, and is very likely to be re-elected president as well in March. ‘China cannot develop without the world, and the world also
    needs China,’ he said, and praised what he called the two miracles achieved
    by his country-rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Xi
    Jinping appointed many of his close allies in the Standing Committee, a 7-member
    group in power in China. The all-powerful Politburo includes no women among its
    members for the first time in 25 years.


    HANDBALL The
    Romanian women’s handball champions, Rapid Bucharest, play at home today
    against Storhamar, of Norway, in a Champions’ League Group B match. Rapid is
    3rd in the ranking, after the Hungarian side Gyor and the French side Metz. On Saturday, vice-champions CSM Bucharest
    lost their first game in the group, away from home, to defending champions
    Vipers Kristiansand of Norway, 35-29. CSM ranks 3rd in Group A, after the
    German side Bietigheim and Kristiansand. (AMP)

  • July 31, 2022

    July 31, 2022

    TAXATION On 1 August, some of the fiscal measures introduced
    recently by the coalition government made up of the National Liberal Party,
    Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
    Romania take effect. On Monday the tobacco excise duty is to increase, as is
    the tax on gambling gains. Changes are also operated as regards salaries in the
    construction industry, agriculture and foodstuffs, where the ceiling for
    certain tax rebates will be lowered. Further changes to the Fiscal Code will
    take effect early next year. For example, in the hospitality industry VAT will
    be raised from 5 to 9%, while the VAT for non-alcoholic beer and for sugary
    drinks will be raised to 19%. Sales of houses bigger than 120 sq.m. or for prices
    of over EUR 120,000 will also carry increased VAT. According
    to government estimates, these changes will bring the state budget an
    additional EUR 243 million this year and some EUR 2.1 billion in 2023.



    FESTIVAL Medieval
    Sighişoara Festival in central Romania comes to a close today with a
    concert by the rock band Cargo and a spectacular fireworks show. Currently in
    its 28th year, the festival recreated the medieval feel with the
    help of the over 100 participating artists. Events included medieval music and
    dance performances, theatre plays, animation, and arts and crafts workshops. The
    festival was organized under the patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, custodian of the Crown of Romania. Sighişoara is the
    only inhabited medieval citadel in south-eastern Europe.


    MILITARY The world’s
    strongest air assault force, the US 101st Airborne Division, started
    its mission in Romania, following a decision in this respect taken at the
    recent NATO summit in Madrid. PM Nicolae Ciucă Saturday took part in the
    ceremony in which the US unit presented its colours at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase
    57 and welcomed the presence of this force, which contributes to strengthening
    NATO’s eastern flank. The Romanian official thanked the US troops deployed to
    Romania for their effort and contribution to the country’s security. Civilians,
    airport personnel and their families then watched an impressive demonstration
    showcasing the firepower of the Romanian and US armed forces. Created in 1942 to free Europe from the Nazi
    occupation, the US 101st Airborne Division has 2,400 troops
    deployed in Romania, 4,700 in Europe and nearly 20,000 around the world. In one
    night alone, it can mobilise a brigade of 4,000 troops and hundreds of military
    vehicles, equipment and weapon systems, an assault force able to overwhelm any opponent.


    CENSUS Sunday is the
    last day of the official population and housing census in Romania, after
    several extensions. According to the National Statistics Institute, over 90% of
    the process had been completed by early this week. The purpose of the census is to
    establish the number of people living on Romanian territory, as well as the
    living standards in each locality. Based on the data collected, the
    authorities will create public policies and earmark funding for each town or
    village. At EU level, the number of people
    living in Romania is a criterion in the distribution of EU funds. The census is
    compulsory for all Romanian citizens.


    COVID More than 4,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections out of over 13,000
    tests, as well as 13 COVID-related deaths were reported on Sunday in Romania, the
    authorities announced. The number of COVID patients in hospitals is over 3,900,
    of whom more than 260 are in intensive care. The authorities estimate that next
    week Romania could see 10,000 new cases per day. Although spreading very
    quickly, this variant of the virus causes less severe forms of the disease.


    TENNIS
    The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan (108 WTA) plays today against Caroline
    Garcia of France (45 WTA), in the Warsaw WTA tournament finals. They only
    played against each other once before, at Wimbledon
    in 2017, when the French player won. On Saturday, Ana Bogdan, currently
    at her first WTA final in her career, defeated Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine (190
    WTA), 7-5, 7-5. (AMP)

  • June 3, 2022 UPDATE

    June 3, 2022 UPDATE

    Ukraine — On Friday it’s 100 days since Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, during which time the Russian military failed to achieve any of its initial campaign goals, according to the British Military Intelligence Service. The Russians were unable to capture the capital, Kyiv, or the Ukrainian power centers. After losing the battle for Kyiv, Moscow decided to focus its efforts on Donbas, an area made up of ​​two regions of Ukraine where the Russian army has been pressing for weeks. The Russians have resorted to heavy artillery fire there, including on the localities, and have made some tactical progress, the British experts show. The Russian army has advanced not only into eastern Ukraine but also into the southern region. All in all, the attackers managed to occupy about 20% of Ukraines territory, according to the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. He added that the entire Russian-occupied territory was a disaster area and that Moscow was solely responsible for it. The Russians have destroyed cities, bombed homes and civilian targets, and have been charged with numerous war crimes. They have also been subjected to a number of international economic and political sanctions. Ukraine hopes to turn the tide of battle, with the arrival of heavy weapons promised by the West, especially high-performance missile systems.



    Drill – Romanian soldiers and allies from five European countries and the United States are participating in a multinational exercise at the NATO Smârdan Center in eastern Romania. Both ground and air combat equipment is used. The exercise, which has been taking place since May 24, is attended by over 1,000 Romanian soldiers along with comrades-in-arms from France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and the United States. The training aims to increase interoperability through computer-assisted command exercises, field troop training and tactical training with real combat ammunition. Through such training events, the Command of the Southeast Multinational Brigade is being trained to be able to command forces deployed in the NATO Southeast region, in order to ensure the contribution of this structure to the collective defense of the Alliance, the Romanian Defense Ministry says.



    Film – The 3rd edition of the Romanian Film Festival in Washington, the largest event promoting Romanian cinema in the USA, begins on June 3rd at Miracle Theatre. Organised by the Embassy of Romania to Washington and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, the festival is devoted to the 25 years since the signing of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the USA. Screened as part of the event, under the heading “Reinventing realism: the Romanian New Wave,” are 12 feature films: “Blue Moon”, “Berliner”, “The Windseeker”, “Poppy Field”, “Mikado”, “Unidentified”, “#dogpoopgirl”, “Luca”, “Man and Dog”, “Lebensdorf”, “Otto the Barbarian”, and “Miracle”. The festival will come to an end on June 19.



    School — For the Romanian 8th graders, Friday was the last day of school, and also the last day of enrollment for the National Assessment Exam, the high school final exam that is the basis for high school admission. The tests are scheduled for the middle of this month. However, the high school graduates will be the first ones to take the Baccalaureate exam, which starts on Monday with the oral examination in the Romanian language subject. The school year ends on June 10, and the next one, with a radically modified structure, will begin on September 5.



    Prize — On Saturday, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will be awarded the European Charlemagne Prize of the Sudeten German Homeland Association for 2020. The ceremony will take place in Hof, Germany. The association decided to award him the distinction in recognition of his merits in terms of the understanding and cooperation between the peoples and countries of Central Europe. In the context of the pandemic, the ceremony could not be held, being rescheduled for June 4 this year, when the Day of Sudeten Germans is also celebrated. (LS)