Radio România Internațional

Tag: Moldova- Romania relations

  • Maia Sandu begins second term as president

    Maia Sandu begins second term as president

    Maia Sandu has begun her second mandate as president of the Republic of Moldova, which she obtained following the autumn election. Sandu was sworn in during a solemn joint session of the Parliament and the Constitutional Court. In her inauguration speech, she said that she receives her second mandate “first and foremost with humility and determination” and that her legacy should be “Moldova in the European Union”. The president warned, however, that European integration should not be seen as a “business class ticket to paradise”. Maia Sandu took stock of the achievements of her first mandate and highlighted that the Republic of Moldova has managed to become more energy-independent and respected by Western leaders. The head of state urged Moldovan society to mobilize with a view to ensuring Moldova’s EU accession. The Republic of Moldova is viewed with respect by Western leaders due to the achievements of her previous term, Maia Sandu added:

     

    “Moldova is more respected now than ever. The world looks at us with love and interest and supports us in our dream. The rest is up to us. We have begun to free ourselves from energy reliance. Even if prices are still high, no one can hold us back. We have managed to open the door wide to the EU, which is no small thing as a national priority. There is still much to do, but the path we are on is the right one. I urge you to move forward with confidence.”

     

    The president stated that, during her second term, she will continue to insist on implementing justice reforms, which she said, have been “delayed for decades.” “The government will have in me a serious and dedicated partner, but also a harsh critic in case of underperformance”, Maia Sandu added. Romania and the Republic of Moldova will continue to work together to achieve welfare, stability, European values, resilience and democracy, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis said in turn, congratulating his Moldovan counterpart on her second term. Maia Sandu is the first female head of state and the sixth president of the Republic of Moldova. She obtained her second term as president by direct vote – a premier for Moldovan politics – following the second round of the presidential election on November 3. Sandu won the election mainly thanks to the vote abroad, grabbing 940,000 votes, while her opponent supported by the Socialists, Alexandr Stoianoglo, obtained just over 750,000 votes. Although she won the election overall, President Sandu narrowly lost in the country’s precincts to Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor general. A national referendum was held on the same day as the election regarding the inclusion of the country’s strategic objective of EU integration in the Constitution, which passed with a score of 51.4%. 2024 was an important year for the Republic of Moldova, when the country consolidated its pro-European course as a result of the referendum and presidential election, but also highlighted once again the deep polarization of society. Both elections ended with borderline scores. During the campaign, the authorities and civil society documented a series of actions of interference from Russia, which triggered a genuine hybrid war, concerted and financed by the group of Ilan Shor, the Moldovan oligarch who fled to Moscow to elude a prison sentence. Moldovan authorities uncovered several schemes for organizing and buying votes, as well as genuine smear and disinformation campaigns. (VP)

  • August 29, 2021 UPDATE

    August 29, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 – Romania remains
    in the green zone, although the number of COVID-19 patients requiring medical
    treatment is on the rise. There are 1,115 people now being treated for
    coronavirus in hospitals across Romania, the highest number reported in the
    last three months, while 269 people are in intensive care. 868 new cases of
    infection and 19 related fatalities were reported on Sunday by the Group for
    Strategic Communication, most new cases being signaled in Bucharest and in
    Cluj, Timiş and Iaşi counties. Since
    the start of the vaccination campaign, 5.1 million people have completed the
    full vaccination scheme. Health Minister Ioana Mihăilă said that if the
    epidemiological context worsens, travel restrictions may target only people who
    haven’t taken the vaccine, and that schools will stay open for as long as
    possible. The Romanian official also said the authorities shouldn’t cover the
    costs entailed by testing as long as the vaccine is free of charge and widely
    available.




    PANDEMIC – The list of
    countries with a high epidemiological risk will come into force on Sunday at
    midnight. Greece, Turkey, North Macedonia, Spain and Switzerland are in the red
    zone, which means all arrivals from these countries will be exempted from
    quarantine only if people provide proof of vaccination. The yellow zone now
    includes Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Slovenia, Japan, Palestine and the
    Philippines. Romanians returning from the yellow zone will not enter quarantine
    if they have the vaccine, had the disease of provide a PCR negative test. The
    United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the British Virgin Islands are now in the
    green zone.




    EXHIBITION – A Romanian Air
    Force aircraft on Sunday transported to Spain artifacts to be presented in the
    exhibition Archeological Treasures of Romania – Dacian and Roman Roots.
    Bringing together 835 exceptional exhibits from the collections of 39 museums in
    Romania, the exhibition will be opened to the general public at the National
    Museum of Archaeology in Madrid, and is being coordinated by Romania’s History
    Museum. The exhibition will open on September 30 and will close at the end of
    January, 2022. It is organized under the aegis of the Romanian Ministries of
    Culture and Foreign Affairs, with support from the Defense Ministry, and is
    part of the Agenda of Public and Cultural Diplomacy devoted in 2021 to marking
    140 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Spain. The exhibition
    also enjoys the high patronage of His Majesty, King Felipe 6th of
    Spain and of Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis.




    MOLDOVA – Moldovan
    Parliament speaker Igor Grosu on September 1 will be attending the opening of
    the second session of the Romanian Parliament. Over August 31 – September 2 the
    Moldovan official will pay an official visit to Bucharest, invited by his
    Romanian counterpart, Liberal Ludovic Orban. Romania reiterates its firm and
    wide support for the processes of reform and European integration of the
    Republic of Moldova, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis on Friday said in
    Chişinău. The Romanian official pointed out Romania and Moldova are bound by a
    solid relationship: a communion of language, culture and history. The president
    said the people of Moldova have expressed their firm option in the latest
    election for the pro-reform trajectory and irreversible European accession of
    their country, offering a worthy example to follow by other states in the
    region. The president gave assurances Romania will remain Moldova’s trusted
    partner in the future as well. The president attended festivities marking 30
    years since the proclamation of independence of neighboring Moldova.




    FESTIVAL – A new edition
    of the George Enescu International Festival has started. This year the Festival
    has reached its 25th, edition, marking 140 years since the birth of
    the great Romanian composer. Over 3,500 artists will take part over August 28 -
    September 26 in the festival. Concerts will be held in Bucharest, Sibiu,
    Timişoara, Iaşi and Constanţa, and will be divided in four sections: Great
    World Orchestras, Concerts and Recitals, Music of the 21st Century and Enescu
    and his Contemporaries. Russian conductor Vladimir Jurowski, this year’s
    artistic director, says the event will bring together the most important musicians
    from all over the world, helping promote the values of united Europe. Radio
    Romania is co-producer of the Festival.




    TENNIS – 4 of the 5
    Romanian tennis players who qualified to the main draw at the US Open will play
    in the opening round on Monday. Simona Halep (13 WTA) will play Camila Giorgi
    of Italy (36 WTA). Irina Begu (74 WTA) will go up against Andrea Petkovic of
    Germany (66 WTA). Ana Bogdan (106 WTA) will play Rebeka Masarova of Spain (231
    WTA). Gabriela Ruse (108 WTA) will take on Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech
    Republic (40 WTA). Finally, Sorana Cîrstea (38 WTA) will play
    Veronika Kudermetova of Russia (31 WTA) on Tuesday. (VP)





  • July 21, 2017 UPDATE

    July 21, 2017 UPDATE

    Chisinau — The Moldovan PM, Pavel Filip, thanked neighboring Romania for the consistent support provided to this ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population. He made this statement after his meeting in Chisinau with his Romanian counterpart Mihai Tudose, with whom he talked about intensifying bilateral cooperation. In turn, PM Tudose said the relationship between Romania and the Republic of Moldova was more than special. The Romanian PM did not have any meeting scheduled with the pro-Russian Socialist president Igor Dodon. Mihai Tudose’s visit to Chisinau was the second visit abroad in his capacity as PM, in which he was designated at the end of June. Last week Tudose went to Brussels where he told the EU officials that Romania had the huge task of making sure that Moldova was on a pro-European path.



    Transdniester — The Moldovan Parliament on Friday passed a declaration through which they ask for the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Transdniester (a pro-Russian separatist region in the east of Moldova). According to the declaration, 25 years after the end of hostilities in Transdniester, the sides still do not observe the provisions of the Agreement on the peaceful resolution of the conflict. The Moldovan Parliament says the Russian troops still stationed in Transdniester represent an infringement of the constitutional provisions regarding Moldova’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and neutrality as well as a violation of the international law. The document calls on Russia to resume and finalize the withdrawal of its troops. Transdniseter de facto went out of the control of the Moldovan authorities in 1992, after an armed conflict that killed hundreds of people and that was ended following the Russian troops’ intervention on the side of the separatists.



    Measles epidemic — In Romania, the number of deaths caused by measles reached 32, the National Center for Monitoring and Control of Communicable Diseases announced on Friday. The Health Ministry officials this week started a public information campaign meant to encourage vaccination. Also the line minister, Florian Bodog, announced that a package of measures would be applied in partnership with the Interior Ministry aimed at curbing the effects of the measles epidemic. Romania has been facing the biggest measles epidemic of the past years. So far, more than 8 thousand cases have been reported.



    International Tennis Federation — The coach of Romania’s Fed Cup team, the former tennis player Ilie Năstase, has been suspended from any official position he was holding until 2021, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Friday. According to this organization, at a match held in Romania against the UK, in April, he used insulting words against Romania’s adversaries, against a referee and a journalist. Also Ilie Năstase received a fine worth 10 thousand dollars. According to the president of the Romanian Tennis Federation, George Cosac, the ITF’s decision is too tough and the accusations leveled against Năstase exaggerated. Năstase and the Romanian Tennis Federation can appeal the decision in an independent court in 3 weeks time. Ilie Năstase, 71, won 2 Grand Slam titles in the 1970s, being the first world leader in the tennis history. (translation by L. Simion)