Radio România Internațional

Tag: missile

  • Joint NATO-Romania exercises

    Joint NATO-Romania exercises

    Military of the US Army’s 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment in Romania have carried an exercise meant to strengthen the and antimissile integrated capabilities through the rapid deployment of the SHORAD systems. SHORAD have been specially conceived to counter the low-altitude threats and in a bid to secure NATO’s air space.

    Southern Shield 24 has been coordinated by US Army Command in Europe, jointly with the Romanian military structures. According to the US Embassy in Bucharest, the exercise ties in with NATO’s extended objectives, in a bid to promote and provide cohesion among the allied forces, at once ensuring stability and safety of NATO member states.

    Captain Kurt Blumeyer is the commander of the 1st Battalion’s Alpha Company as part of the 57th regiment. Captain Blumeyer thinks the participation, in Romania, in such n exercise is a message proving the US allies’ determination for the defense of NATO space.

    Captain Blumeyer said “We’re in north-eastern Romania for a routine exercise with our Romanian partners as well as with other US army structures, first of all to prove our rapid reaction force, with an anti-aircraft battery, so we can demonstrate this capability to swiftly reach anywhere along the eastern flank and provide feasible anti-aircraft forces in combat.

    Another thing that we do is to assure our allies we are determined to defend their air space, both the Romanians and the other allies taking part in the exercise, together with the rest of NATO alliance. And everybody understands that. “ US Army captain Kurt Blumeyer went on to say.

    Matthew Eickmeyer is a sergeant first class in the US Army. He is a platoon sergeant in are the 1st Battalion’s Alpha battery of the same regiment. At present he is posted in Romania, at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase in the south-east. Jointly with his platoon, sergeant Eickmeyer participates in the Southern Shield exercise for a couple of days.

    Here is what sergeant Eickmeyer said, quote, “We participate in an exercise testing my platoon’s capacity to act as a rapid reaction task force in the case of a threat. This is only a swift and brief exercise testing the abilities of our platoon. I am very proud of my soldiers; from the very moment they wake up when the day begins until the moment they lay their heads on the pillow at the end of the day. I am proud of everything they have achieved, proud of everything they accomplish day by day.

    Ever since this unit has been activated, a year ago, I was very enthused because of everything they have done and how much they have grown and how much they have achieved throughout the year. The eventual aim of this endeavor is to secure the Romanian partners and show them we defend each and every centimeter of NATO territory, not only on the ground, but also in the air. ”

    Also taking part in the Southern Shield exercise carried in Romania was the commander of the 52nd Anti-Aircraft defense Brigade stationed in Sembach, Germany. Colonel Hailey Bairu stated that everything that has been established though partnerships or joint understandings needs to be tested through such exercises. “Our leaders have spoken about how important our allies are, in the defense of Europe and what we do here, in Romania, is the implementation of this alliance.

    A partnership works only when we have proven our interoperability capacity as well as our ability to communicate, personally, tactically, but also at systemic level. Therefore, what we do here, in Romania, is to exert our ability to integrate with our Romanian allies.

    We are here on the eastern flank deploying an anti-aircraft and anti-missile system to make sure we can connect with them when the time comes and when it is needed to defend Europe’s each square centimeter, just as our leaders have said”, colonel Bairu stated.

  • The Week in Review

    The Week in Review

    Amnesty for debtors

     

    The government of Romania Wednesday passed a draft emergency order introducing a tax amnesty for companies and individuals. The document provides for bonuses for those who pay their taxes on time, and for those who agree to pay their back taxes. At the end of August, legal entities and private taxpayers had a total of over EUR 14 billion in debts to the state budget. The government invites taxpayers to cover these amounts by November 25, in exchange for having their interests and penalties written off. On the other hand, the government offers a 3% deduction for the taxpayers who do not fall behind on their taxes. The bill, drafted by the finance ministry, also comprises austerity measures for the public sector, which involve ceilings on the procurement of goods and services.

     

    Donation for Ukraine

     

    The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Thursday signed into law the bill on the donation of a Patriot surface-to-air missile system purchased from the USA to third countries. The legislation, previously endorsed in Parliament, approves a donation agreed on with the American partner to Russia-invaded Ukraine. Also, under the law, “the government of Romania is authorised to take the required measures to rebuild the ground-based air defence capability” by assigning contracts to the US government for the procurement of another Patriot system.

     

    Support for Israel

     

    Romania firmly condemns the terror attacks against Israel and calls on all the parties involved to help restore security and to contribute to a ceasefire agreement. This was the message conveyed on Thursday in Jerusalem by the PM Marcel Ciolacu, at a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, Ciolacu voiced concern with respect to the security situation and the risk of conflict escalation. Accompanied by the ministers of defence, foreign affairs and economy, the PM was on an official working visit to Israel, whose agenda also included a meeting with the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog. This is the second visit by the Romanian PM to Israel in less than a year, after the one on October 17, 2023, ten days after Israel had been attacked by the Hamas Islamist group.

     

    European Commissioner Post for Romania

     

    The Social Democratic MEP Roxana Mînzatu is Romania’s official proposal for the post of European Commissioner. The announcement was made on Monday by Prime Minister Ciolacu, who said that he would discuss with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the portfolio that Romania will manage. The makeup of the future European Executive is to be announced on September 11. Also in Brussels, the Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan (from the European People’s Party Group) was designated by the political groups of the European Parliament as chief negotiator of the future multiannual budget of the European Union post-2027. Covering a period of over 7 years, it has a total value of approximately 1,300 billion Euros, being the pool from which the member states receive the largest part of the non-reimbursable European funds for investments and for agricultural subsidies. The Parliament is to set its priorities regarding the EU’s multiannual budget. They will be forwarded to the European Commission to be included in the draft budget. From the current multi-annual financial year, 2021 – 2027, Romania benefits from around 46 billion Euros, to which the amounts from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan are also added.

     

    Jam on the road to presidency

     

    The Romanian Mircea Geoană resigned on Tuesday from the position of NATO Deputy Secretary General. It is the end of a five-year mandate, marked by the war in Ukraine and the withdrawal of allied troops from Afghanistan. Geoana said, in an interview for Radio Romania, that he would continue to use his influence to promote Romanians in international forums, including NATO, and that he felt the need to return to domestic politics. The press had been anticipating this announcement for more than two years already, and considered Geoană’s candidacy, as an independent, very likely in the presidential election due at the end of the year. A former ambassador to the United States, a former foreign minister and former Social Democratic leader, Geoană also ran for presidency in 2009, when he lost to Traian Băsescu. Other candidates to  Romania’s presidency are all the leaders of the parliamentary parties: Marcel Ciolacu (Social Democratic Party – PSD), Nicolae Ciucă (National Liberal Party – PNL), Elena Lasconi (Save Romania Union – USR), George Simion (The Alliance for the Union for Romanians – AUR) or Kelemen Hunor (The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR). (AMP, LS)

  • September 5, 2024 UPDATE

    September 5, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT Romania supports Israel’s right to self-defence – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said during the meeting he had on Thursday with the head of the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Radio Romania correspondent, Ciolacu voiced concern regarding the security situation and the danger of regional escalation. The Romanian Prime Minister paid a working visit in Israel where he was accompanied by the Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Economy. It was the second visit, Ciolacu paid to Israel since October 17th last year, ten days after Israel had been attacked by the Islamist group Hamas.

     

    DONATION The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday promulgated a law on donating a US surface-to-air Patriot missile system to third parties. The law, which was earlier endorsed by Parliament, refers to the donation, agreed upon with the US partner, of such a system to the neighboring Ukraine, a country currently invaded by the Russian troops. The new law enables the Romanian government to commence the required moves aimed at rebuilding the country’s ground-based air-defence capabilities by submitting the contracts on the purchase of another Patriot missile system to the US government.

     

    TOURISM The total number of tourists who got accommodation in Romania’s travel structures in the first seven months of this year stood at 7.666 million, 3.8% higher than the same period in 2023, data released by the National Institute for Statistics shows. According to official statistics, between January 1 and July 31 2024, Romanian tourists accounted for 82.9 % out of the total number of arrivals, whereas the number of foreign tourists stood at 17.1%. The cities with the largest number of visitors were Bucharest, Constanta in the south-east and Brasov in central Romania. Most of the foreign tourists came from Germany (128,900), Italy (117,800) and Israel (83,100). 81.1 % of the foreign tourists came from EU countries.

     

    MOLDOVA Moldova’s EU accession process would make good progress next year during Poland’s term at the helm of the EU Council, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during his Wednesday’s visit to Chișinău. The Polish official met his Moldovan counterpart, Dorin Recean, and held a speech in Parliament in Romanian, boycotted by the pro-Russian opposition. Donald Tusk then met the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, who argued that Poland is a clear example of how EU integration can transform a country. The presidents of Romania and Baltic States also paid visits to Chișinău last week to express support for Moldova’s EU accession efforts. In October, the Republic of Moldova will host a referendum regarding the country’s EU accession, jointly with the presidential election.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football team is playing its debut match in the 2024-2025 season of Nations League on Friday. In the first group fixture, Romania will play Kosovo away from home, while on September 9 it will take on Lithuania at home. Romania’s group, C2, also includes Cyprus. The top position ensures direct promotion to League 2 in the next season of Nations League, while teams in second place will play promotion playoffs. Teams in last place will be directly relegated to League D, while teams in third position will play in C2 the next season. Nations League standings also impact the European preliminary matches for the 2026 World Cup. Romania’s new headcoach is Mircea Lucescu, who returns to the national squad after 40 years. We recall Edward Iordănescu resigned at the end of EURO 2024, a tournament where Romania reached the round of 16.

    (bill)

     

  • March 18, 2024

    March 18, 2024

    ELECTIONS An emergency order merging the EP and Romania’s local elections on June 9 is discussed as of today in the Romanian Senate committees. The ruling coalition says the decision was made in order to motivate citizens to vote, but the opposition criticised the move. Save Romania Union, the People’s Movement Party and the Force of the Right party argue that the draft order changes essential elements in the elections only a couple of months before the vote date, which is against constitutional and international principles. AUR party, also in opposition, urged the Ombudsman office to challenge the new legislation before the Constitutional Court. Under the document, candidates may run in the local elections on behalf of a different party, provided that they notify the candidacy 45 days before election date.

    AMMUNITION PM Marcel Ciolacu Sunday night announced that Romania would have the most advanced ammunition powder production facility in Europe, in which the EU will also be a partner. Romania is set to receive EUR 47 mln in EU funding for this project implemented by the Romanian state-owned company Romarm jointly with Germany.

    STRIKE In Romania, local administration staff are on two-hour daily warning strike until the end of the week. Protests were also held one month ago, but were suspended after civil servants were promised solutions for their salary problems. Meanwhile, the leaders of the “Solidaritatea Sanitară” Trade Union Federation are meeting today for talks on a prospective all-out strike. Healthcare employees have been consulted online on the issue. Unionists say the 20% pay raise recently approved by the government is insufficient. Unionists in the trade sector, affiliated to the Cartel Alfa bloc, are also picketing the labour ministry headquarters today, to demand decent wages and working conditions.

    RUSSIA Vladimir Putin won the highest election score in the history of post-communist Russia, and secured another 6 years as president of the country he has been leading since late 1999. At midnight he thanked his supporters at his campaign office, where he gave a one-hour press conference saying his main challenge in this new term would be resolving tasks related with what he calls Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. Russia’s elections were criticised around the world. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was obvious for anybody that “there is no evil Vladimir Putin will not commit” in order to extend his rule. In turn, the White House claimed the elections in Russia were neither free nor fair, given Putin’s track record of imprisoning his political opponents. Poland said the vote in Russia, held under extreme pressure, made it impossible for the election to be free and democratic. News agencies mention that under Vladimir Putin Russia was involved in several brutal wars, in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine, and the democratic system introduced after the fall of the Soviet Union has been replaced by a regime in which independent media have been forced out of the country and the opposition has been largely eliminated, with many of Putin’s critics assassinated, arrested or forced to leave the country.

    MISSILE The US today condemned the launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea into the Sea of Japan, during the US state secretary Antony Blinken’s visit to South Korea. The presumed missile launch is the second of this kind by Pyongyang this year, after a hypersonic missile fired on January 14. Antony Blinken reached South Korea on Sunday afternoon, to take part in the 3rd Summit for Democracy conference, an initiative of the US president Joe Biden hosted by Seoul until Wednesday. (AMP)

  • November 15, 2023 UPDATE

    November 15, 2023 UPDATE

    ECONOMY Romania will
    see its economic growth slowing down because of the high inflation, according
    to the European Commission’s autumn economic forecast. Romania’s GDP growth has
    been adjusted to 2.2%, as against 4.6% last year, because of an inflation rate
    above the EU average, of the low foreign demand and limited financing options. The
    inflation rate is expected to drop in the next 2 years, restoring the overall economic
    balance. In spite of the moderate economic growth at year end, the labour
    market remains stable. However, significant increases in salaries and pensions
    and the slight increase in governmental spending support a general rise in
    private consumption, although retail and services are on a downward trend and
    the industrial output is decreasing. On the other hand, tighter monetary policy
    and financing conditions have led to a significant slow-down in private sector
    loans, with a negative impact on investments. Romania’s real GDP growth rate is
    expected to reach 3.1% in 2024 and 3.4% in 2025, while the public deficit is
    predicted to stand at 6.3% of GDP this year, 5.3% in 2024 and 5.1% in 2025, as
    a result of the fiscal consolidation measures to be implemented as of January.


    PENSIONS The new pensions law drafted by the government will next
    Monday be discussed in the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making
    body for this piece of legislation, having already been passed by the Senate on
    Tuesday. The parliamentary majority formed by the Social Democrats and the
    Liberals says the law eliminates the inequalities in the system, while the
    opposition condemns the lack of funding sources to sustain the considerable
    pensions increases planned for next year. The new pensions law favours current
    pensioners and penalises those who are still working, the head of the National
    Trade Union Bloc Dumitru Costin said on Wednesday, after analysing the document.
    Costin also warns that the financial impact will be huge, and the extent to
    which it can be covered is unknown.


    PRESIDENT The
    president of Romania Klaus Iohannis Tuesday began his African tour with an
    official visit to Kenya. The tour, which also includes Tanzania, the Republic
    of Cabo Verde and Senegal, is the first political and diplomatic initiative at
    this level in the past 30 years, and aims to re-launch Romania’s relations with
    the countries on the African continent. At a joint press conference on Tuesday,
    president Iohannis emphasised the need for Romania to have its own medium and
    long term strategy for Africa based on concrete collaboration at government
    level, while Kenya’s president William Ruto spoke about the effects of the war
    in Ukraine for the African continent. Four agreements were signed in the fields
    of environmental protection and climate change, scientific cooperation, food
    safety and diplomatic training. On Wednesday, president Iohannis had a meeting
    with Kenya’s secretary for tourism and wildlife, Alfred Nganga Mutua, as part
    of a visit to the Nairobi National Park.


    REPATRIATION The
    foreign ministry in Bucharest said another 17 Romanian nationals and family
    members left the Gaza Strip via the Rafah checkpoint and are on Egyptian territory, waiting to be
    repatriated. The foreign ministry noted the evacuation was the result of
    complex efforts from an inter-institutional crisis cell, the Romanian embassy
    in Cairo and Romania’s Representation in Ramallah. 220 Romanian citizens and
    family members who have been evacuated from Gaza have arrived in Romania.


    AGEING Romania is one of the top 10 countries in the world in terms
    of population ageing rate, which is likely to put tremendous pressure on the
    country’s entire economic system, particularly on its healthcare and pension systems.
    The statement was made on Wednesday at the opening of a specialised congress in
    Bucharest. Sociological research indicates that 55% of the elderly people in
    Romania feel lonely, more than 30% of them only interact with 3-4 people every
    month, and 3 in 10 elderly people have no one to rely on in if necessary.



    MILITARY
    The Romanian Army Wednesday tested the operation of the Patriot surface-to-air missile
    system acquired by the Romanian Air Forces in 2020. The test was part of the PATRIOT
    SPARK 23 tactical exercise held these days at the Capu Midia shooting range in
    the south-east of the country. The Patriot system purchased by Romania is a
    state-of-the-art one, able to identify, track and neutralise any type of air
    threat. Attending the event were the PM Marcel Ciolacu, the Senate Speaker and
    former PM Nicolae Ciucă, and the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr. The Romanian
    Air Forces have so far acquired 3 other Patriot systems, which will be
    operational by the end of next year. Another 3 systems will be delivered to
    Romania under a USD 4 bln agreement. (AMP)

  • July 27, 2023

    July 27, 2023

    WILDFIRES
    Forty Romanian fire fighters are
    relocated today from Attica region on Greece’s Rhodes Island, heavily affected
    by uncontrolled wildfires, the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergencies
    announced. They travel by sea together with 3 fire engines and a 10-ton fire
    truck, as well as a personnel transport vehicle. According to the Romanian Foreign
    Ministry, high fire risks continue to be reported today in several parts of
    Greece, while the weather is expected to change radically, with strong storms
    forecast especially in Thrace, Macedonia, Khalkidhiki and the north-eastern
    Aegean coast. Romanian citizens who plan on traveling to Greece in this period
    are advised to get fully informed of the situation ahead of leaving, and those
    who are already in the affected areas are urged to comply with the instructions
    issued by local authorities and follow official sources of information.


    NATURAL GAS Romanians will have safe access to natural gas, even in
    the case of lower temperatures than usual in the winter season, as Azerbaijan guaranteed
    Romania access to a capacity of up to 1 billion cubic metres of natural gas if
    necessary. The statement was made by the energy minister, Sebastian Burduja, who
    had a meeting in Bucharest with his counterpart E.S. Parviz Shahbazov. The
    filling level for Romanian storage facilities is over 75.5%, significantly over
    the level promised by Romania to the EU, and nearly 700 million cubic metres
    more than we had at the same time in 2022, the minister said in a social media
    post on Thursday. He added that he discussed with the energy minister of Azerbaijan about ways
    to develop the strategic partnership, bilateral investments and joint projects in the energy sector, including a green corridor to connect the Caspian Sea to
    the Black Sea. The cooperation between Romania and Azerbaijan in the energy
    sector entails major benefits not only for the two countries, but for the
    security of Europe as a whole, Sebastian Burduja pointed out.


    UKRAINE The Russian army hit the port
    infrastructure in the region of Odessa (southern Ukraine) in an overnight
    missile attack that killed a security guard and damaged a cargo terminal, the
    local authorities announced on Thursday morning. The ports in the Odessa region,
    at the Black Sea or the Danube River, have turned into the preferred targets of
    the Russian army, after Moscow recently terminated a deal allowing Ukraine to
    export grains to international markets.


    MOLDOVA The Russian
    Federation will have to downsize its Chişinău Embassy personnel, according to a
    decision made by the Moldovan authorities and already communicated to Russia’s
    ambassador in that country. Russia will keep 10 diplomats and 15 technical and
    support personnel, on a par with the number of staff of the Moldovan embassy in
    Moscow. According to Moldova’s foreign minister Nicu Popescu, Moldova has been
    for decades the target of hostile policies and activities on the part of the
    Russian Federation, and many of the Russian embassy’s activities were aimed to
    destabilize the country. In Moscow, the foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria
    Zaharova, said the decision was ungrounded and a further step taken by Chişinău
    towards deteriorating bilateral relations.


    WEATHER The weather cools
    significantly in Romania, where after a heat wave with temperatures above 40
    degrees Celsius, the highs are expected to range only between 19 and 28
    degrees, with some 25 degrees reported in Bucharest at noon. Thunderstorms
    made victims the previous day, with a 64 year old woman dead as a tree uprooted
    by the wind fell over her car on the Transalpina
    road in Alba County, and two siblings in Botoşani County struck by lightning on
    a field. In Harghita County railroad transport was disrupted after several
    trees fell on the tracks, several localities in Iaşi County were left without
    drinking water and the Black Sea port of Constanţa was closed because of the
    strong wind.



    SPORTS
    The athletes Constantin Popovici and Cătălin Petru Preda won the first medals
    for the Romanian team at the 2023 World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka
    (Japan). Today they ranked first and second in the high diving competition.
    Popovici, 34, is Romania’s first world high diving champion. Twenty-three
    athletes took part in this event. (AMP)

  • January 2, 2023 UPDATE

    January 2, 2023 UPDATE

    FLIGHTS Many flights scheduled to land on or depart from the Avram Iancu International Airport in Cluj-Napoca, north-western Romania have been delayed or cancelled because of the fog. The airport’s normal schedule was completely disrupted, with flights diverted to other airports in the country or in neighbouring Hungary. Hundreds of people are queuing and complaining that the delays or cancellations had not been announced by airlines. Cluj County is subject to an extended code yellow alert for fog, with visibility below 200m and in some cases even below 50m.

    DRUGS Over 1,000 people were arrested for drug trafficking in Romania in the first 11 months of 2022. Many of them formed organised crime groups, and 55 such groups were dismantled. Over one tonne of risk and high-risk substances were seized, the Romanian Police announced on Monday.

    PENSIONS As many as 4,787,920 pensioners were registered in Romania in December 2022, with the average pension benefits standing at roughly EUR 350, according to data centralised by the National Public Pensions Agency (CNPP). Nearly 700,000 of them had worked in agriculture, with pensions only amounting to EUR 100 in their case.

    RECYCLING All traders in Romania that sell bottled water, soft drinks or alcoholic drinks in plastic, glass or metal containers between 100 ml and 3 l are bound to register within 2 months on the platform of a guarantee-return system (SGR). Otherwise, they risk fines between EUR 4,000 and EUR 8,000. The authorities want the system to become operational at the end of November 2023. Shops will also have to arrange packaging return centres. The prices of drinks will include the roughly EUR 0.10 packaging guarantee, which consumers will collect when returning the bottles. Romania will thus have the second-largest such system in Europe, after Germany, the environment minister Tanczos Barna said recently.

    NATO Western countries must be prepared to provide long-term support to Ukraine as Russia shows no signs of relenting, NATO’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said. In an interview to the BBC, Stoltenberg said military support would ensure the survival of Ukraine as a sovereign country and force Russia to sit down and negotiate an end to the war. According to Jens Stoltenberg, Russia’s partial mobilisation programme, ordered in September, indicated that Moscow had no desire to end the war, and NATO must make sure that Ukraine stays in a strong position in the event of negotiation talks between the two sides.

    UKRAINE At least 63 Russian troops were killed in a Ukrainian attack on Makeevka, in the east, the Russian defence ministry announced on Monday, quoted by international media. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Russian defence ministry’s spokesman, said four missiles hit a point of temporary deployment of the Russian army in Makeevka, a town under Russian occupation. Moscow, which very rarely discusses its losses, has never reported such a large number of casualties in one strike since the start of its invasion in Ukraine on February 24 last year. The media had previously released information on the attack in Makeevka, saying it had taken place on New Year’s Eve, and that a building hosting recently mobilised reservists had been affected. The strike was facilitated by the soldiers’ extensive use of mobile phones, which enabled the Ukrainian army to identify their location, Russian sources say.

    POPE Thousands of believers have gathered in Vatican to pay their respects to the former Pope Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday aged 95 and whose body is lying in state at St Peter’s Basilica ahead of the funeral scheduled for Thursday. On Sunday Pope Francis paid tribute to his dearest predecessor, emphasising his sacrifices offered for the good of the Church. Benedict XVI, who announced his resignation from the papacy in 2013 on account of his ill health and age, was a highly praised theologian. The funeral will be presided over by Pope Francis, and it will be the first time in the 2,000-year long history of the Catholic Church that a Pope will be buried by his successor.

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (34WTA) started the year 2023 on the right foot, defeating Shelby Rogers 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, on Monday, in the first round of the WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide (Australia). In the round of 16, Irina Begu will take on the winner of the match between Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia). (AMP)

  • November 18, 2022

    November 18, 2022

    ENERGY Romania will secure its energy independence in 2027 and will even become a provider of security in the region, including for
    the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, said the president of the
    National Energy Regulatory Authority, Dumitru Chiriţă.
    He added that over the past few years Bucharest invested EUR 3 bln in natural
    gas and electricity transport and distribution systems. On the other hand,
    investments in production operations only amounted to EUR 30 mln, but this will
    change as massive funding will be channelled in this sector. According to the Authority, new production
    units will be operational in 3-4 years’ time, with a combined output of over 10,000
    MW, and investors are quite interested in the projects, some of which are
    funded from loans and others from private sources.


    BUDGET The
    government of Romania Thursday approved this year’s second public budget
    adjustment, with approx. EUR 100 million in additional funding. According to
    the government, the budget adjustment covers compulsory spending, operating
    expenses and social assistance expenses. According to the finance minister
    Adrian Câciu, the budget deficit is reduced from 5.84% to 5.74%. A majority of
    funds will be earmarked for the finance, labour, agriculture and economy
    ministries. Also, under the new budget, the energy, transport, public
    healthcare and interior ministries are set to lose part of their funding.


    DEFENCE The
    Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr took part this week in a meeting of
    South Eastern European defence ministers, held in Sofia under the Bulgarian
    presidency of the initiative. The participants analysed the progress in the
    projects organised by this initiative and approved a number of documents
    concerning the planning of SEDM operations. Angel Tîlvăr reiterated Romania’s
    commitment to contribute even more actively to the implementation of the
    initiative’s projects. On the sidelines of the meeting in Sofia, the Romanian
    official had bilateral meetings with his Moldovan, Bulgarian and Georgian
    counterparts.


    UKRAINE
    Over 10 million Ukrainians were left without electricity, especially in the
    Kyiv region, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. Several
    Ukrainian cities, including the capital, were hit by Russian attacks on
    Thursday, concurrently with the first snow in a country affected by blackouts,
    where temperatures may drop to negative 10°C, AFP reports. The resumed shelling
    targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure constantly deprives millions of
    Ukrainians of electricity and water supplies.


    MISSILE The
    missile launched by North Korea on Friday had enough range to hit the US, and a
    range capability of 15,000 km, said Japan’s defence minister Yasukazu Hamada,
    quoted by Reuters. The intercontinental ballistic missile reached an altitude
    of 6,000 km and landed roughly 200 km west of a Japanese island. Over the past
    2 months North Korea has tested over 50 missiles, most of them in the
    short-range class. Medium and long-range missiles are a direct threat to the US,
    as they are designed to carry nuclear warheads to the US mainland, the BBC says.


    FOOTBALL
    Romania’s national football team lost 2-1 a friendly game played last night in
    Cluj-Napoca against Slovenia. On Saturday, Romania is to play another friendly
    against the Republic of Moldova, in Chişinău. Romania has failed to qualify to
    the Qatar World Cup and is training for the Euro 2024. The national team will
    play in Group I against Switzerland, Israel, Kosovo, Belarus and Andorra. Meanwhile,
    Romania’s Under-20 football team was defeated by Italy, 2-1, in a friendly
    match hosted by the Romanian city of Arad. (AMP)

  • 16.11.2022

    16.11.2022

    Réactions – Dans un message sur Twitter, le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus
    Iohannis, a affirmé que la Roumanie était entièrement solidaire avec la
    Pologne, pays ami et allié confronté à des explosions sur son territoire. Pour
    sa part, le Gouvernement de Bucarest a émis un communiqué de presse dans lequel
    il affirme rester en contact avec les alliés pour examiner ensemble la
    situation provoquée par la chute d’un missile en Pologne. Le chef de l’Etat
    majeur de la Défense roumaine, le général Daniel Petrescu a discuté l’incident avec
    son homologue polonais, Rajmund Andrzejczak. Mardi, un missile a touché le
    village polonais de Przewodow, très proche de la frontière ukrainienne, faisant
    deux morts. Cet évènement a suscité la condamnation unanime des dirigeants occidentaux.
    Le pays a immédiatement décidé de relever le niveau d’alerte de certaines
    unités de combat militaires, à l’issue d’une réunion d’urgence du conseil
    national.Les ambassadeurs de l’OTAN se réuniront aujourd’hui à la demande de
    Varsovie, pour discuter de l’article 4 du Traité de l’Alliance qui prévoit que
    les parties se consulteront chaque fois que, de l’avis de l’une d’elles,
    l’intégrité territoriale, l’indépendance politique ou la sécurité de l’une des
    parties sera menacée ».




    Electricité
    – Plusieurs coupures d’électricité ont été enregistrées dans différentes
    parties de la Moldavie après que des bombardements russes ont visé des
    infrastructures énergétiques en Ukraine, pays voisin, ont fait savoir les
    autorités moldaves. Aux dires du ministre moldave de l’Infrastructure et du
    Développement, Andrei Spînu, le réseau national qui assure le transport
    d’électricité n’a pas été endommagé, mais il a été débranché automatiquement
    par mesure de sécurité.


    Schengen– La Commission européenne a annoncé qu’elle allait
    évaluer de nouveau aujourd’hui les mesures prises par la Bulgarie, la Roumanie
    et la Croatie afin de satisfaire aux critères d’admission à l’espace Schengen.
    Selon un porte-parole de l’éxecutif européen, cette évaluation réaffirmera que
    ces pays sont prêts à adhérer à Schengen. La Bulgarie, la Roumanie et la
    Croatie ont déjà reçu l’avis positif de la Commission européenne en vue de leur
    adhésion de plein droit à l’espace Schengen. De plus le Parlement européen
    soutient cette évaluation et a insisté pour que les trois pays puissent
    rejoindre l’espace de libre circulation européen l’année prochaine et que la
    décision soit prise à la fin de cette année. Les problèmes pourraient
    apparaître lors du vote au Conseil de l’Europe au début du mois de décembre,
    l’unanimité étant nécessaire pour que l’adhésion l’emporte.












    Economie – La Roumanie a enregistré au troisième trimestre de
    l’année en cours une croissance d’1,3% par rapport au trimestre précédent et de
    4,7% par rapport au troisième trimestre de 2021, selon l’Institut national de
    la Statistique. C’est la croissance économique la plus significative de l’UE
    par rapport au trimestre précédent. Pourtant, l’INS a révisé à la baisse aussi
    bien la croissance enregistrée au premier trimestre de l’année en cours que
    celle du deuxième trimestre par rapport à la même période de l’année d’avant.


    Justice – Le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis, a promulgué les
    trois lois sur la justice votées au parlement par la coalition formée du
    PSD-PNL-UDMR, au pouvoir en Roumanie, sans prendre en considération la demande
    de l’opposition et de plusieurs ONG d’attendre l’avis de la Commission de
    Venise. Aux dires de celles-ci, les lois, telles qu’elles sont élaborées
    actuellement, portent atteinte à l’indépendance des magistrats et violent les
    avis précédents formulés par la Commission de Venise. Du coup, le Mécanisme de
    coopération et de vérification risque de rester en place ce qui empêcherait le
    pays à adhérer à l’Espace Schengen. Promues par le ministre libéral Catalin
    Predoiu, les lois de la justice ont reçu le vote du Parlement suite à une
    procédure d’urgence.




    Handball – La sélection nationale de handball féminin de Roumanie affronte
    ce mercredi à Skopje, la sélection de l’Allemagne, dans son dernier match du 2e
    groupe principal du Championnat européen EHF Euro 2022, qui se tient en
    Slovénie, en Macédoine du Nord et au Monténégro. Mardi, les Roumaines ont perdu
    par un seul but, sur le score de 34 à 35, leur match contre le Monténégro,
    alors qu’elles avaient besoin d’une victoire pour rester en lice pour la
    demi-finale. A noter que la Roumanie a participé jusqu’ici à toutes les
    éditions du Championnat européen de hanball, à une seule exception près, en
    2006. Le meilleur résultat de la sélection nationale remonte à 2010 lorsque les
    Roumaines ont décroché le bronze. A l’édition précédente de la compétition, en
    2020, notre pays s’est classé 12e.




















    Météo – En Roumanie, les températures
    sont légèrement plus élevées que la normale saisonnière, notamment dans les
    régions méridionales. Le ciel est variable, plutôt couvert et des pluies
    éparses sont signalées dans l’ouest, le nord et le centre du territoire. Des
    précipitations mixtes tombent en altitude. Les températures maximales vont aujourd’hui
    de 7 à 16 degrés. 8 degrés à midi, à Bucarest.



  • 04.10.2022

    04.10.2022

    Justice – Les
    procureurs de la Direction d’investigation des infractions de criminalité
    organisée et de terrorisme de Bucarest ont mis sous accusation quatre personnes
    (citoyens roumains et étrangers) dans un
    dossier d’espionnage qui vise la compagnie serbe NIS Petrol, contrôlée par le groupe russe Gazprom. Les hommes de la loi
    ont opéré neuf perquisitions à Bucarest et à Timisoara, dans l’ouest tant au
    siège central de la compagnie qu’aux domiciles des plusieurs salariés, suite
    auxquels ils ont saisi plusieurs documents et moyens de stockage de données.
    Les quatre personnes sont accusées d’avoir divulgué des informations classées
    secrets de travail ou non – publiques et d’avoir transféré sans autorisation
    des informations sur les réserves minérales de la Roumanie, fait savoir le
    parquet antiterroriste. Le paquet majoritaire d’actions de la société serbe NIS
    a été acheté en 2009 par Gazprom suite à un accord signé entre les
    gouvernements de Belgrade et de Moscou.

    Gaz
    –     L’Europe pourrait se confronter à de très grands problèmes en termes de
    livraisons de gaz naturel cet hiver, avertit l’Agence Internationale de
    l’Energie. Selon cette source, les Etats membres de l’UE devraient réduire leur
    consommation de gaz cet hiver au cas où Moscou arrête totalement les
    livraisons. L’invasion de l’Ukraine par la Russie et la chute des livraisons de
    gaz provoquent des débats importants aux consommateurs, aux entreprises et aux
    économies, non seulement en Europe mais aussi parmi les économies émergeantes
    ou en cours de développement, affirme
    l’AIE. Afin de maintenir les stocks de gaz à un niveau adéquat jusqu’à la fin de la
    saison froide, l’IEA a calculé que la demande devrait être rabaissée de 9 à 13%
    par rapport à la moyenne des 5 dernières années. En Roumanie, le taux de
    remplissage des réservoirs de gaz naturel est de 87% et elle peut aider aussi
    la République de Moldova.







    Ukraine – Russie – Le Conseil de la Fédération de Russie, la chambre supérieure du Parlement russe a approuvé mardi l’annexion des régions ukrainiennes de Louhansk, Donetsk, Zaporijjia et Kherson à la Fédération de Russie. Lundi, la douma d’Etat, la chambre inférieure du Parlement, avait ratifié l’annexion des quatre régions, occupées en grande partie par les forces russies. Suite à la ratification des « traités » par le Conseil de la Fédération, le président Vladimir Poutine peut promulguer la loi fédérale sur ce thème. Le leader de Kremlin a signé dès vendredi dernier les documents sur l’annexion. Rappelons-le, récemment les régions de Louhansk, Donetsk, Zaporijjia et Kherson ont accueilli des référendums non-reconnus à l’internationale. La Russie est l’unique Etats à reconnaitre l’indépendance des soi-disant républiques du territoire de l’Ukraine à la Fédération de Russie formulées par les autorités locales soutenues par Moscou. Les gouvernements occidentaux et celui de Kiev ont déclaré que les deux scrutins avaient transgresse le droit international, étant coercitifs et non-représentatifs.

    Education nationale – Le premier ministre, Nicolae Ciuca affirme qu’il va soutenir Ligia Deca, la nouvelle ministre de l’Education dans la finalisation du projet présidentiel « România Educată », « Roumanie éduquée », afin que les nouvelles lois sur l’éducation arrivent au parlement avant la fin du mois. L’ancienne conseillère présidentielle Ligia Deca a prêter serment lundi en tant que ministre de l’Education. Sa candidature était soutenue par le bureau politique du Parti National Libéral. L’ancien ministre de l’Education, Sorin Cîmpeanu avait démissionné jeudi dernier suite à des accusations de plagiat.

    Rumeur – Les autorités de Chisinau accusent la propagande russe de propager des fausses rumeurs sur une éventuelle mobilisation militaire en République de Moldova, voisine de l’Ukraine. Le ministère moldave de la défense précise dans un communiqué que la mobilisation pourrait être décrétée uniquement durant l’Etat de siège ou de guerre et la République de Moldova ne fait l’objet d’aucune de ces situations. Les responsables de la défense de l’ex république soviétique exhortent aussi la population à s’informer de sources crédibles après l’apparition de cette rumeur sur un réseau de massages mobiles.

    Missile – Les Etats Unis ont consulté le Japon et la Corée du sud en vue de trouver une réponse « adéquate et solide »après le lancement d’un missile balistique nord-coréen qui a survolé aujourd’hui le Japon a annoncé la Maison Blanche. Le commandement américain pour la région Asie Pacifique a condamné le lancement réaffirmant les engagements de Washington à la défense du Japon et de la Corée du sud. Le lancement de ce missile à portée moyenne d’action constitue une escalade dans la campagne intensive de tests déroulée par le régime communiste de Pyong Yang. Le précédent lancement d’un missile nord-coréen à traverser l’espace aérien du Japon date de 2017.








    Météo – Il fait beau malgré des températures assez basses sur la plupart du territoire du pays. Le ciel est variable et quelques nuages seront au rendez-vous durant l’après-midi, lorsque des pluies sont attendues sur le relief, mais aussi sur l’ouest, le nord-ouest et le centre. Des chutes de neige sont également possible en haute montagne. Les maximas iront de 12 à 21 degrés.

  • Romania and the Ukrainian crisis

    Romania and the Ukrainian crisis

    The Russian-Ukrainian crisis has sparked international tensions but Kiev and the Western powers put their hopes in a diplomatic solution and are coordinating their efforts to find it. Russia, on the other hand, says it has no intention to invade Ukraine. Nevertheless, Moscow continues to dispatch troops at the common border, which has prompted the US to send another contingent on NATO’s eastern flank.



    As NATO member and neighbor of Ukraine in the north and east, Romania is concerned with the prospect of war. The head of the Romanian diplomacy, Bogdan Aurescu, said in a TV show that, if Russia invades Ukraine, it will be responded. ˮWe have already prepared for this response and the Russian Federation should be aware that this is not something to be desired. On the one hand, this is a response from NATO, through a proportional but consistent consolidation of its eastern flank and on the other hand, a response from the European Union, through a very robust and substantial set of sanctionsˮ, Aurescu said. According to the Romanian official, these sanctions are economic, are related to the financial and commercial sector and are directed against individuals involved in decision making.



    The Foreign Minister also said that at present Romania is not at risk of being involved in a military conflict with the Russian Federation, in spite of possible evolutions in its vicinity. He explained that ˮthere is a very strong security umbrella in place, which offers all possible guarantees for the security and stability of Romania and of its citizens, namely, the country s NATO membership and its very solid Strategic Partnership with the United States. ˮ



    Aurescu also talked about the anti-missile shield in Deveselu (south), saying is not a threat. According to Aurescu, the Russian Federation has constantly said that the anti-missile shield in Deveselu has an offensive purpose and that Tomahawk offensive missiles have been or could be installed there in no time. ˮIt is a purely defensive system, which has nothing to do with the Russian Federation, because the types of interceptors there are against ballistic missile inbounds from outside the Euro-Atlantic area, from the Middle Eastˮ, Aurescu explained. He also said the missile-defense system in Deveselu is a type that does not allow for offensive missiles to be installed and its interceptors cannot be replaced with other types of missiles. (EE)


  • Tension is mounting along Romania’s neighboring borders

    Tension is mounting along Romania’s neighboring borders


    The build-up of Russian forces
    along Ukrainians borders has been extremely carefully monitored as of late,
    amid fears that Moscow could prepare a sweeping attack, to be launched in January
    next year, most likely. Russia has already strengthened its presence in the
    region with tanks and almost 100,000 military. The military deployment is ongoing,
    and tension is mounting. What we failed to carry through in 2014, we’re now prepared
    to achieve, the White House leader warned his counterpart in Kremlin. The US
    president pointed to the likelihood of Russia invading Ukraine yet again, which
    is quite similar to the invasion that resulted in Russia illegally annexing
    Crimea. As part of a secured video conversation Joe Biden had with Vladimir
    Putin, the US President cautioned that, should Russia invade Ukraine for a second
    time around, the US and the European allies will respond with strong economic
    sanctions. Washington is set to supply Ukraine with more defensive equipment, while the allies’
    position along NATO ‘s eastern flank will be strengthened. On the other side,
    Vladimir Putin stated his army threatened nobody. Putin has also called for guarantees
    to be offered, whereby NATO would not expand to the East, that is to Ukraine. Moscow
    has accused NATO of the swift destruction of Europe’s security architecture, that
    including the anti-missile shield in Romania and Poland. Moscow also accused NATO
    of having deployed its military infrastructure as far as the Russian borders. As
    a guest on a Radio Romania International programme, Professor Alba Popescu of the
    National Defense University gave details on the geo-political context in the
    region.


    Dr Alba Popescu:

    In fact,
    the underlying cause is the localization of this region from a geographical
    perspective, the so-called Ponto-Baltic isthmus some of geography specialists
    say it is Europe’s real border. A strip of land between the Baltic Sea’s southern
    coast and the northern coast of the Black Sea, between the Moravian gate-way
    and the Caucasus Mountains, which, from a geopolitical perspective, make a buffer
    area lying between the power which for centuries has been controlling Eurasia’s
    centrality area and which now bears the name of the Russian Federation, and, on
    the other side, the dominant powers of Atlantic Europe. A space which,
    geographically, is dominated by the flatlands which make the Russian
    Federation’s western frontier. Hence the problem, since it is the federation’s
    most vulnerable frontier. Furthermore, it is a space of a tremendous
    geo-strategic value because it is a territory that can turn into a barrier or
    into a gateway capable of facilitating or, on the contrary, stemming the flows
    between Europe and Asia, between the northern and the southern part of the
    continent. So it is a space, which, in geopolitical and geostrategic terms, is
    called a pivotal space, a hub and a nexus, geoeconomically and geopolitically,
    so it is Eurasia’s most valuable space from a geostrategic perspective.


    In Moscow’s terms, if the
    confrontational drift is to be prevented, the imperious condition is that
    of the long-term security guarantees with a mandatory legal value, whereby, for
    the future, any expansion of NATO towards the east is ruled out, as well as the
    deployment along the Russian borders of weaponry capable of threatening Russia’s
    security. Moscow’s stance to that end is closely linked to Russia’s security
    ring. Here is Professor Alba Popescu once again, explaining all that.


    Dr Alba Popescu:

    The security ring is made of
    those state and aquatic massifs surrounding Russia, that terrestrial colossus which
    is ring-shaped, so to speak. The Russians believes that security ring to be a
    space where their influence is exerted by default, it is a space of a vital and
    strategic importance for them. So everything getting
    closer to their frontier is viewed as a direct threat. Therefore, that security
    ring is the red line. The states of the security ring include Ukraine, then
    there are also the trans-Caucasian states, Moldova, Belarus. All those states are part of the security ring. Consequently,
    whenever Russia detects an advancement or an attempt from those states to stray
    away from the Russian influence and place themselves under the Western influence,
    Russia would take action under such circumstances. And, as we have seen it
    before, it was quick to take action to that effect in the 1990s. After the empire
    was dismantled, it orchestrated all those conflicts, which are frozen and
    reactivated periodically, as we could see. We’ve seen that happening in Ukraine
    as well, we also saw it happening in Georgia, in Nagorno-Karabakh…So things are
    developing on a large scale in the region. And all that has to do with Russia’s
    impending objective, a strategic objective, with a by now historical tradition,
    that of dominance in the region, which, as early as Tsar Peter
    the 1st’s reign, has been one of the eastern power’s set targets and which
    today are materialized in the hybrid action the Russian Federation takes in the
    Ponto-Baltic region. In the Pontic region, where we are, and, of course, in the
    Baltic region, where the targets are different, the Baltic States, then there
    are also Poland and Sweden. So that’s what that type of behaviour is about, a
    type of behaviour which has become increasingly aggressive, actually.


    The
    conflict in Ukraine won’t be sorted out, as far as I’m concerned, says Alba
    Popescu. Russia does not have any interest whatsoever, neither to rekindle it, in
    the coming period, or to sort it out, one way or another, with Ukraine having
    to remain in that grey area, alongside the other states. According to NATO, the
    very idea is unacceptable, whereby Russia can have its own sphere of influence,
    says NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The very idea of bringing up such an issue
    prompts us to enhance our vigilance, such an idea is unacceptable, the idea
    whereby Russia could have its spheres of influence there. That might mean we must
    effectively admit that Russia can control what its neighbouring states can do, despite the fact that those states are sovereign states, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg went on to say.


    (Translation by Eugen Nasta)

  • NATO strengthens response system in the East

    NATO strengthens response system in the East

    The main components of the first High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to be part of the Romanian Army equipment arrived late last week at the Black Sea port of Constanţa.



    Two years ago, Bucharest purchased from the US company Lockheed Martin, for some 1.5 billion US dollars, 3 HIMARS long-range artillery systems. The first one is scheduled to become operational this year.



    Each system has 18 launch units. Romanias order refers to 3 separate types of guided missiles, able to hit ground targets up to 300 km away. The systems include the ammunition, the command and control elements, sensors, logistical support, maintenance, encryption equipment and training programmes for personnel at all levels.



    A major component of the artillery system, the multiple rocket launchers will operate independently or jointly with other systems in order to fulfil missions. They may be made available to NATO, as part of Romanias commitments within the Alliance and of regional initiatives.



    The equipment will be tested in the forthcoming period by the 81st “Maior Gheorghe Șonțu Tactical Missile Battalion in Focșani, the first unit of the Romanian Ground Forces to be using this kind of equipment. The National Defence Ministry said the Ground Forces must be equipped with high-performance support means, providing enhanced capabilities tailored both for classical and unconventional warfare, given the diversity of situations in which the Romanian Army must contribute troops, both on national territory and abroad.



    The Ministry also pointed out that the long-range rocket launch system is able to provide support both during participation in military operations, and during the training process.



    Last week Parliament was updated by president Klaus Iohannis on the National Defence Ministry and Interior Ministry forces available to take part this year in missions abroad, and on the deployment to Romania, if necessary, of NATOs very high readiness forces.



    This year the Romanian Army will take part in NATO, EU, UN, OSCE missions and operations outside Romania, and in the anti-ISIL/DAESH international coalition, as previously undertaken. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 17, 2020

    October 17, 2020

    VOTING The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu called on all Romanians living abroad to vote by mail, and reminded them that October 22 is the deadline for registration for this type of voting for the December 6 parliamentary election. Bogdan Aurescu warned that postal voting is the best way to protect Romanians health in the current pandemic. The foreign minister also says the full list of the documents required for voting is available on the ministrys home page in the section devoted to this years general election. The Foreign Ministry warned several times that some countries have restrictions in place, which will affect the number of polling stations that the Romanian authorities will be allowed to open abroad.



    COVID-19 In Romania, a new record-high number of coronavirus infections in 24 hours has been reported—4026, according to the Strategic Communication Group. The overall number of cases is 172,516. Also, 75 more people died, taking the death toll to 5,749. A new negative record was also reported in terms of ICU patients—726. The authorities are seeking solutions to make sure as many hospitals as possible are involved in the fight against the pandemic. The head of the Department for Emergencies, Raed Arafat, said that according to experts this second wave of the pandemic may last throughout the winter. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, over 1,000 schools in the country operate exclusively online. The Education Ministry says over 11,300 schools still work in the face-to-face teaching system, while 5,235 schools use both in-person and online classes.



    PANDEMIC The World Health Organisation warns that several European cities are facing a surge in the number of COVID-19 patients that require intensive care, and that ICUs may reach their full capacity in the coming weeks. NATO is prepared to provide assistance to Europe. According to the deputy secretary general of the Alliance, Mircea Geoană (Romania), NATO already has a special fund and logistical support plans in place for member and partner states. He explained that NATOs main concern is for the current healthcare crisis not to turn into a security crisis. France Press reports new restrictions introduced across Europe. In London, a ban on households mixing indoors came into force on Saturday, after on Friday 15,000 new infections were confirmed in the UK. In 10 major cities in France, including Paris and its suburbs, a curfew is in place as of Saturday between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM. The measure will be in place for at least 4 weeks, amid a rise in the number of daily new cases to over 25,000. New restrictions are also introduced in Warsaw and other Polish cities included in a “red-zone: high-schools and colleges are switching to the online mode, restaurants will only be open until 9 PM, weddings are banned and the number of people entering shops, churches and public transport will be restricted.



    DATATHON Romania won the first prize in the 4th challenge, “A Europe fit for the digital age, in the EU Datathons online final. The Romanian teams submission, which also won a check for 12,000 euro, is called Digital Dryads, and is designed to protect forests from illegal logging using spectral analysis, machine learning and state-of-the-art satellite imagery produced under the EU Copernicus programme. The EU Datathon is an annual competition inviting original ideas on how to exploit EU Open Data.



    DEFENCE The Romanian Defence Ministry welcomes the approval by the US State Department of Romanias application for purchase of the Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defence Systems. The clearing has been forwarded to the US Congress. The Naval Strike Missile is a sea-skimming, over-the-horizon anti-ship missile, and Romania wants to buy two of the systems under one of the 5 programmes in the Romanian Armys upgrade plan. The proposed sale will improve Romanias capability to meet current and future threats by improving Romanias maritime defence capabilities in the Black Sea.



    LITERATURE A Romanian-British literature festival is held online and in London as of today until November 13. Entitled Romania Rocks, the event brings together Romanian and British authors and translators, and is designed to promote Romanian literature around the world. All events may be accessed free of charge on the communication channels of the Romanian Cultural Institute and the European Literature Network. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • L’OTAN et les nouvelles menaces

    L’OTAN et les nouvelles menaces

    La Roumanie accueille depuis plusieurs années des bases militaires américaines, ainsi que plusieurs éléments du bouclier antimissile que les Etats Unis ont installé en Europe de l’est. Pourtant, cette présence militaire américaine pourrait augmenter, si le pays le souhaite, estime Mircea Geoană, adjoint au secrétaire général de l’OTAN. Ces propos reposent sur le fait que la Russie ne cesse de renforcer ses capacités militaires dans la région de la mer Noire.

    La Roumanie, ajoute le responsable otanien, occupe une position géographique très complexe et possède tous les arguments pour demander une présence alliée ou américaine plus solide dans la région. Ecoutons Mircea Geoană : « A mon sens, il faut présenter une série d’arguments, qui sont évidents. D’un côté, la présence agressive et la consolidation des capacités militaires offensives de la Fédération de Russie en mer Noire et, de l’autre, la base de Mihail Kogalniceanu (dans le sud-est de la Roumanie), qui est parfaitement située du point de vue géographique et stratégique pour accueillir des forces expéditionnaires. Je suis convaincu que nos leaders, nos militaires, nos diplomates connaissent très bien ces arguments et je sais qu’à l’heure où l’on parle, ou dans la période suivante, ils utiliseront leur influence pour faire mettre en avant nos intérêts nationaux », a déclaré Mircea Geoană.

    Ancien ambassadeur de Roumanie à Washington et ministre des Affaires Etrangères dans les années 2000, lorsque la Roumanie a intégré l’OTAN, Mircea Geoană partage les mêmes positions que la diplomatie de Bucarest. Le 12 juin, à l’occasion même de la Fête nationale de la Fédération de Russie, l’actuel ministre roumain des Affaires Etrangères, Bogdan Aurescu, a convoqué l’ambassadeur russe à Bucarest, Valery Kuzmin, pour lui communiquer que la présence de la Fédération de Russie parmi les menaces sécuritaires mentionnées dans la nouvelle stratégie de défense de la Roumanie ne devrait pas constituer « une surprise ». C’est une conséquence du comportement connu de la partie russe dans la région, un comportement qualifié de « déstabilisateur » par les responsables de Bucarest, y compris dans le cadre des prises de position communes au niveau de l’OTAN et de l’UE.

    Par ailleurs, Mircea Geoană affirme que, même si le président Donald Trump vient de décider d’une réduction du nombre de militaires américains déployés en Allemagne, la présence américaine en Europe ne devrait pas baisser, mais qu’elle serait adaptée aux nouvelles réalités stratégiques.

    Pour ce qui est de la Chine, l’adjoint au secrétaire général de l’OTAN a expliqué que l’Alliance analysait l’ascension évidente de Pékin. Il a aussi mentionné le risque représenté par la distorsion de la compétition économique mondiale, lorsqu’un Etat ne fait qu’acheter des idées, des personnes qualifiées et des entreprises entières, des pratiques courantes de la Chine sur la scène mondiale. La pandémie de COVID 19 n’a pas éliminé les risques sécuritaires existants, elle les a même amplifiés, et baisser la garde serait une grave erreur, a conclu le secrétaire général adjoint de l’OTAN, Mircea Geoană.