Radio România Internațional

Tag: Moldova

15.05.2023

Education – A Bucarest, les propositions des lois de l’Education
nationale sont soumises aujourd’hui aux débats des commissions spécialisées du
Sénat roumain. Demain, des discussions à ce sujet auront lieu au sein de la
Commission chargée de l’éducation avant que le Sénat ne donne son vote final,
le 22 mai. Aux dires de la ministre, Ligia Deca, les lois se proposent de
lutter contre l’abandon scolaire et l’illettrisme fonctionnel, tout en
contribuant à la mise en place d’une éducation centrée sur l’élève, d’un plus
de sécurité dans les écoles, d’une formation approfondie des enseignants et du
respect du code éthique et de déontologie. Aux dires des représentants des partis
de la coalition au pouvoir, les nouvelles mesures réformeront le système de l’Education
nationale. En revanche, l’opposition considère que les propositions
législatives ne répondent pas aux problèmes auxquels le système se confronte et
représentent un échec du projet présidentiel « La Roumanie éduquée ».

Avions – Les derniers vols des appareils MiG 21 LanceR des
Forces aériennes roumaines se déroulent aujourd’hui, dans le cadre de
cérémonies sur plusieurs bases aériennes du pays. Les appareils seront
acheminés à la Base aérienne 95 de Bacau dans l’est qui organise aujourd’hui
une journée des portes ouvertes. Le retrait des avions Mig 21 se fait aux
termes d’une décision du Conseil suprême de défense de la Roumanie datant de
l’année dernière qui vise à accélérer la transition vers les avions de combat
américains F16.

Visite – Le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis,
participera mardi et mercredi au quatrième Sommet du Conseil de l’Europe qui se
déroule à Reykjavik, en Islande. Selon un communiqué de la présidence roumaine,
la réunion se propose de mettre en lumière le rôle du Conseil dans l’actuel
contexte géopolitique marqué par l’agression russe en Ukraine. Responsable de
la démocratie, des droits de l’Homme et de l’Etat de droit, l’organisation figure
parmi les premières structures internationales ayant réagi d’une manière
concrète à l’invasion militaire en Ukraine, en décidant d’exclure la Russie de
ses structures.

Moldova – La République de Moldova lancera une procédure
de retrait de l’Accord visant l’Assemblée interparlementaire de la Communauté
des Etats indépendants, a annoncé lundi le président du Parlement de Chisinau,
Igor Grosu, cité par Radio Chisinau. « Au bout de 30 ans, il est évident
que la présence de notre pays au sein de cette structure n’a contribué ni au
règlement du conflit de Transnistrie, ni au retrait des troupes russes, ni à
lutter contre les embargos économiques ou les chantages énergétiques » a
souligné Igor Grosu. Et lui d’ajouter que la Communauté des Etats indépendants
ne protège pas les pays des attaques militaires, de la guerre et de l’occupation
illégale. Créée le 8 décembre 1991, la
CEI a pour objectif d’acter la fin de l’existence de l’URSS en tant que « sujet
du droit international et de la réalité géopolitique » et de préserver les
liens entre les futurs nouveaux États. La République de Moldova est membre de
cette Communauté depuis 1994.

Festival – Coup d’envoie
ce lundi, à Bucarest, du Festival du Film européen. Après les éditions
déroulées à Timisoara et Oravita, le festival s’ouvre ce soir dans la capitale
roumaine par la projection du film The Pod
Generation. Réalisée par Sophie Barthes, le film a été primé au Festival
Sundance. Jusqu’au 23 mai, le public bucarestois est attendu en salle de cinéma
pour découvrir des productions primées aux plus importants festivals du film
tels Berlin, Venise, Sundance ou Locarno.

Météo – Ce lundi, les températures approchent la moyenne de la
saison, avec des valeurs allant de 18 à 25 degrés. Le ciel est couvert et le
brouillard persiste dans l’ouest, le nord-ouest et le sud-ouest du pays et des
pluies éparses risquent de tomber sur le relief. Le vent souffle légèrement sur
l’ensemble du territoire et plus fort en altitude, sur les sommets des Carpates
méridionales. A Bucarest, nous avons un ciel morose et 25 degrés à midi.

15 May 2023
09.05.2023

Cybersécurité
– Le Centre européen de compétences en matière de cybersécurité a ouvert ses
portes mardi 9 mai, à Bucarest, en présence du premier ministre roumain,
Nicolae Ciuca et d’autres hauts responsables européens.L’objectif
de ce Centre est d’appuyer l’innovation et la politique industrielle dans le
domaine de la cybersécurité, ainsi que de développer et de coordonner les projets
de l’UE en la matière. Aux dires de Nicolae Ciuca, la présence d’un tel centre
dans cette partie de l’Europe reconfirme l’attention que l’UE prête aux efforts
communs de protéger l’économie, les citoyens et les institutions publiques.
Pour sa part, le directeur général des réseaux de communication, du contenu et
des technologies de la Commission européenne, Robert Viola, a affirmé que
Bucarest a été préféré à cinq autres villes européennes en raison des
compétences des chercheurs roumains en matière de cybersécurité.

Moldova – La commissaire européenne des Transports,
la roumaine, Adina Valean, visite la République de Moldova et la Roumanie du 9
au 11 mai. A Chisinau, Mme Valean et la ministre de l’Infrastructure et du
Développement régional, Lilia Dabija, ont signé mardi, en présence du premier
ministre moldave, Dorin Recean, un accord par lequel Chisinau rejoint le
Mécanisme européen pour l’interconnexion en Europe (MIE). Suite à cette
signature, la République de Moldova se verra faciliter l’accès aux fonds
européens censés lui permettre la mise en place des projets majeurs
d’infrastructure pour une interconnexion améliorée aussi bien avec l’Europe,
qu’à l’intérieur du pays. Mardi encore, à Chisinau, la Roumanie a signé avec
son voisin moldave des accords de modernisation des trois ponts sur la rivière
de Prut. Les 10 et 11 mai, la commissaire européenne se rendra en Roumanie pour
visiter le port de Constanta et offrir aux bénéficiaires roumains deux
subventions du Mécanisme européen pour l’interconnexion en Europe de
financement des actions de mobilité militaire. L’un des projets porte sur la
modernisation de l’infrastructure ferroviaire du port de Constanta, un point de
passage essentiel des corridors de solidarité entre l’Ukraine et l’UE.

Dépenses – Le ministère des Finances de Bucarest a publié sur son
site le projet du décret d’urgence par lequel le gouvernement tente de faire
des économies de plus de 5 milliards de lei (1 milliard d’euros) au budget de
l’Etat. Parmi les mesures envisagées mentionnons la réduction de 10% des
dépenses des institutions publiques en matière de biens et de services et le
gel des embauches au sein des mêmes institutions. De même, le nombre des postes
des cabinets et des chancelleries des dignitaires de l’administration publique
centrale devrait se réduire de moitié. Le document devrait être adopté cette
semaine par l’Exécutif.

9 Mai – Dans son message à l’occasion
de la Journée de l’Europe, le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis a affirmé que
cette célébration survenait à un moment de profonds changements au niveau
global. « Les conséquences de la guerre menée par la Fédération de Russie
contre l’Ukraine se sont multipliées et les principes, les valeurs et le
système multilatéral sur lesquels reposait la paix mondiale depuis la fin de la
Seconde guerre mondiale, sont toujours menacés, alors qu’au niveau global la
tendance de fragmentation et de reconstruction géographique est de plus en plus
visible », a-t-il affirmé. « Dans ce contexte global parsemé de
défis, l’Europe – symbole des valeurs de la paix, de la liberté, de la
démocratie et des droits de l’homme – joue un rôle d’autant plus important.
Défendre ces valeurs – c’est une responsabilité qui déterminera le monde où se
développeront les futures générations. La Roumanie, a ajouté encore le
président Iohannis, participe activement aux efforts et aux initiatives
européennes de mise en place des priorités communes, au bénéfice des citoyens.
L’unité et la solidarité restent notre principal atout, et ces dernières années
nous ont montré que ce n’est qu’à force de rester unis et solidaires qu’on
pourra être plus forts » a conclu le chef d l’Etat roumain

Lait – En Roumanie, les négociations
entre les commerçants et les fabricants de lait se sont terminées et le prix du
lait enregistre une réduction de 20% par litre dans la plupart des commerces.
Selon le Conseil de la Concurrence, la réduction pourrait être de 34% pour
certains produits laitiers. Aux dires du chef du Conseil, une telle mesure ne
devrait pas impacter les fermiers, tout au contraire, elle devrait stimuler la
consommation de lait autochtone ce qui permettra aux producteurs roumains d’en
vendre davantage. L’accord est en place depuis le 1er mai pour une
période de six mois.

Météo – Il fait assez frisquet pour cette période de l’année en Roumanie, avec
des températures inférieures aux moyennes saisonnières. Il pleut par endroits
sur l’est, le sud-est et les montagnes.

9 May 2023
05.05.2023 (mise à jour)

Couronnement – Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, participe, à Londres, aux festivités déroulées à l’occasion du couronnement du roi Charles III. Y seront également présents la Princesse Margarita, Gardienne de la couronne de Roumanie, et son époux, le prince consort Radu, qui sont arrivés jeudi à Londres. Samedi matin, le jour du couronnement, le roi Charles III et la reine consort Camilla partiront du Palais de Buckingam dans le cadre d’une procession vers l’abbaye de Westminster. A noter aussi que le Roi Charles III est considéré par la presse roumaine comme un ami très proche de la Roumanie, étant donné ses visites périodiques ces deux dernières décennies. Fasciné par les traditions de Transylvanie (centre), il a contribué constamment au maintien et à la popularisation de ces coutumes. D’ailleurs, le futur monarque britannique détient plusieurs maisons traditionnelles et terrains en Roumanie.

Carburants – En Roumanie, les prix de l’essence et du diesel sont à la baisse, ayant atteint une valeur moyenne de 6,55 lei (1,30 euros) le litre, pour les deux carburants. A Bucarest, un litre d’essence varie de 6,40 à 6,62 lei et celui du diesel – de 6,42 à 6,60 lei. A l’heure actuelle, la Roumanie se classe 2e en UE parmi les pays ayant l’essence la moins chère et 3e parmi les Etats-membres dont le prix du diesel est le plus bas.

Education nationale – Le ministère de l’Education nationale de Roumanie a lancé ce vendredi le programme de financement de la construction et du développement d’un réseau pilote d’écoles vertes, une composante du Plan national de relance et de résilience. 225 millions d’euros sont destinés à ce programme qui se déroulera en deux directions. La majorité des fonds sont destinés à des travaux de rénovation par le biais desquels les immeubles devront fonctionner avec une consommation d’énergie plus basse et devenir plus vertes – isolations thermiques, panneaux solaires, facilités pour le tri sélectif des déchets. De nouvelles écoles devraient être construites avec des matériaux écologiques, une meilleure ventilation, des émissions réduites de dioxyde de carbone et une consommation d’eau plus basse.

Théâtre – Une quarantaine de spectacles participent l’édition de cette année du festival de théâtre de Bacău (dans le nord-est de la Roumanie) Fest Monodrame, un évènement culturel à tradition du théâtre Bacovia de la ville. 11 comédiens roumains et un artiste émérite de l’Ukraine sont en lice pour le trophée du festival. La pièce d’ouverture est « Amalia respire profondément », une production indépendante de l’Association Anti-théâtre de Brasov. Deux autres spectacles extraordinaires figurent à l’affiche du festival avec la participation de comédiens de renom du théâtre roumain : Marcel Iureş, Marius Bodochi, Florin Piersic junior. Le 10 mai, lors du dernier jour du festival le théâtre Bacovia présente sa production la plus récente, le spectacle « L’Usine des artistes ». L’entrée du public est gratuite, avec une inscription préalable sur le site du théâtre de Bacau.

Santé – Le gouvernement de Bucarest a approuvé jeudi le calendrier des procédures portant sur la signature d’ici la fin de l’année des contrats de financement de plusieurs investissements dans le secteur sanitaire. Il s’agit entre autres de faire construire et équiper 7 nouveaux hôpitaux départementaux et 20 hôpitaux publics dans des villes ou des municipalités. La somme totale prévue en ce sens approche les 2 milliards d’euros, alloués de fonds européens et par la Banque européenne d’investissement. Par ailleurs, l’Exécutif roumain a aussi décidé d’allouer cette année aussi une aide financière aux élèves et aux étudiants issus de familles à bas revenus qui souhaitent s’acheter des ordinateurs.

Moldova – Les chefs des diplomaties européennes ont approuvé jeudi une aide de 40 millions d’euros à la République de Moldova et de 30 millions d’euros à la Géorgie pour soutenir leurs secteurs de la défense nationale. L’argent sera alloué à Chisinau via le fonds de l’Instrument européen pour la paix, qui finance aussi l’aide militaire pour l’Ukraine. Ce financement sera utilisé pour des mesures et acquisitions non-létales censées renforcer la capacité du pays à se défendre.

Sommet – Par ailleurs, la même la République de Moldova fermera sont espace aérien pour les aéronefs civils à compter du 1er juin prochain, pour des raisons de sécurité, dans le contexte où sa capitale, Chisianu, accueillera un sommet des leaders européens, a fait savoir l’Autorité moldave pour l’aviation civile. Seuls les vols des avions officiels seront permis, a-t-il été précisé. L’interdiction pour la circulation des drones entrera en vigueur, elle, au 31 mai. Tout cela, en vue du Sommet de la Communauté Politique européenne qui réunira à Chisinau une cinquantaine de chefs d’Etat, de gouvernement et d’institutions de l’UE et de 17 autres pays d’Europe. Pour rappel, sise entre l’Ukraine et la Roumanie, la République de Moldova est le pays le plus touché par les conséquences de la guerre en Ukraine.

Météo – Le temps se réchauffe en cette fin de semaine en Roumanie, notamment dans le sud, l’est et le centre du territoire. Il pleut quand même par endroits sur les collines et les montagnes. Les maxima dépasseront les 20 degrés pour arriver à 23 degrés à Bucarest.

5 May 2023
La vocation européenne de la République de Moldova

« L’avenir de la
République de Moldova n’est pas garanti si la guerre en Ukraine ne s’achève de
la manière que l’on souhaite tous, et cela même qu’une invasion russe de cet
Etat soit de toute façon hautement improbable. Car si l’Ukraine cédait, la
vocation européenne de la république de Moldova serait compromise, ce qui
équivaudrait en termes d’effets à une occupation de facto de cet Etat par
la Russie », appréciait sur les ondes de Radio Roumanie Dan Dungaciu, le directeur de l’Institut des Sciences politiques et des Relations Internationales de l’Académie roumaine. dans une récente analyse de la
situation internationale de l’ex-république soviétique, habitée par une
majorité de roumanophones. La sécurité de cette république demeure la clé de
voûte de sa vocation européenne, rappelle Dan Dungaciu, qui croit savoir que le
précédent de l’intégration européenne de la république de Chypre ne saura être
répliqué par Bruxelles dans le cas de la république de Moldova. Dan Dungaciu:

« Quoi qu’il en soit,
la voie la plus directe pour l’intégration européenne de la république de
Moldova passe encore et toujours par la Roumanie. La Roumanie demeurera la seule
voie de recours de la république de Moldova, fut-ce dans le pire scénario. La
Roumanie demeurera à ses côtés, prête à assumer son rôle, son partenariat, en
dépit des aléas de l’histoire, fit-elle tragique. Et, de fait, passer par la
Roumanie constitue la voie la plus directe de l’intégration européenne de la
république de Moldova, cela relève de l’évidence. Cet Etat s’est retrouvé jeté malgré
lui dans un contexte d’incertitudes, provoqué par la guerre menée par la Russie
en Ukraine. Et nous ne pouvons qu’espérer que la ligne de front demeure aussi
éloignée que possible des frontières de la république de Moldova. La présidente
moldave, Maia Sandu, l’avait d’ailleurs rappelé : si les troupes russes
parviennent toucher Odessa et le pourtour de la mer Noire, la défense de la
république de Moldova deviendrait hasardeuse. Cet Etat se voit donc confronté à
un souci major pour parvenir à assurer sa sécurité ».

La
position de neutralité de la république de Moldova, qui demeure à mi-chemin
entre l’Est et l’Ouest, n’est effectivement pas en mesure de la protéger,
affirme encore le directeur de l’Institut des Sciences politiques et des
Relations internationales de l’Académie roumaine Dan Dungaciu. La Russie n’est
sans doute pas prête de relâcher la pression, considérant toujours la
république de Moldova comme faisant partie de sa zone d’influence, et tentant d’imposer
une direction politique pro-russe à Chisinau. Selon la présidente
pro-européenne Maia Sandu, si l’héroïsme des défenseurs ukrainiens a pu tenir
les troupes russes loin de la frontière moldave, son pays fait malgré tout face
à ce qu’elle a appelé une guerre hybride. Même son de cloche de la part d’Anatol Şalaru, analyste politique et ancien membre du gouvernement de
Chisinau :

« La république de Moldova fait face à des formes
de guerre hybride de la part de la Russie. Il s’agit notamment de tentatives de
déstabilisation du pouvoir légitime. Regardez ces manifestations téléguidées,
organisées toutes les semaines par le parti Sor, et qui ne poursuivent aucun objectif
sinon purement politique. Il s’agit des manifestations bidon, les gens sont
payés pour y prendre part, cela peut aller de 20 euros à plusieurs milliers d’euros,
en fonction des responsabilités dont sont chargés les manifestants par leurs sponsors
indélicats. Malheureusement, le gouvernement légitime a été lent à réagir. Il y
a quelques mois encore, le pouvoir se refusait de dénoncer de tels agissements,
tout comme le rôle endossé par la Russie dans cette provocation. »

Ce genre de pressions pilotées depuis Moscou peuvent déstabiliser aisément
la situation à Chisinau, d’autant que les institutions censées défendre les
intérêts de la petite république roumanophone demeurent fragiles. L’issue de la
guerre en Ukraine demeure donc d’une importance capitale pour assurer la sécurité
de la république de Moldova, alors que ladite sécurité demeure un élément
essentiel pour préserver ses chances européennes. Anatol Şalaru :

« Vous savez, une fois actée la victoire
ukrainienne, l’armée russe stationnée dans la république séparatiste de
Transnistrie n’aura rien à faire que de plier armes et bagages. Plus personne
ne permettra le maintien de ce cap de pont russe, dans cette enclave illégale
située entre l’Ukraine et la république de Moldova. Qui plus est, Moscou ne
sera plus en mesure de financer et de soutenir logistiquement les séparatistes pro-russes
de cette enclave. Les séparatistes, qui vivent aujourd’hui des retombées du gaz
russe et de l’aide financière assurée par Moscou, vont se retrouver à court de
ressources. Le gaz russe, traverse d’abord l’Ukraine avant de rejoindre la Transnistrie.
Ces ressources disparaîtront au grand dam des séparatistes ».

Il n’en va pas moins que la république de Moldova
traverse aujourd’hui une période trouble, et qu’elle serait en de bien mauvais
draps sans le soutien que lui assure la Roumanie, note encore Anatol Șalaru. Par ailleurs, affirme le commentateur, la
Roumanie s’est toujours érigé en l’avocat des intérêts moldaves devant les
institutions européennes, défendant bec et ongles, à chaque occasion, le
soutien apporté par Bruxelles à la petite république voisine. C’est que la république
de Moldova risque de constituer le maillon faible de la zone, et qu’en l’absence
du soutien consenti par la Roumanie et par l’UE à son égard, la république de
Moldova risquerait de se retrouver dans de bien mauvais draps, achève son
analyse Anatol Şalaru. (Trad. Ionut Jugureanu)

5 May 2023
The EU supports the Republic of Moldova and Georgia

The Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union has approved a 40 million euro worth of aid for the defense sector of the Republic of Moldova and a similar 30 million dollar aid for Georgia. The amount earmarked for the Republic of Moldova comes from the European Peace Facility, from which the military support for Ukraine is also financed, and the money will be used for non-lethal measures and acquisitions, which, however, strengthen the country’s defense capacity. Among them are various equipment for aerial surveillance, for transport or for defense against cyber-attacks.

The financed services cover technical training for the Army of the Republic of Moldova. They increase the interoperability of this country’s army and bring it closer to the standards used in the European Union in the military field. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, says that Europe continues to help countries like the Republic of Moldova or Georgia to modernize their defense capabilities and participate in the Union’s military missions. It is the third similar aid in the last 2 years, through which the Union partners these two countries to ensure stability and security in the region, against the background of the Russian threat.

In another development, Bucharest has hosted this week a trilateral meeting Romania-US – Moldova on defense. Representatives of the British Ministry of Defense have also participated. The Secretary of State for Defense Policy, Planning and International Relations, Simona Cojocaru, has stated that, in the current security context, generated by the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova is exposed to hybrid threats and Russian propaganda and disinformation campaigns. For Romania, it is a strategic priority to support the neighboring country in strengthening its resilience and defense capabilities, and the support shown by Romania, the United States and Great Britain clearly shows that the Republic of Moldova is not alone in this process, Simona Cojocaru stressed.

Bilateral cooperation in terms of security and defense was also high on the agenda of the visit paid, this week, to Chisinau by the Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr. He had meetings with his Moldovan counterpart, Anatolie Nosatîi, and was received by President Maia Sandu. Minister Tîlvăr stated once more that Romania stood by the Republic of Moldova in the process of reforming the Army and increasing defense resilience in the face of a wide spectrum of threats. Maia Sandu said that Romania remains a strategic partner for strengthening the national defense and security capabilities. The Moldovan President thanked Bucharest for supporting Moldova in its European journey, including through the donation offered to improve the Army’s logistic system. (MI)

5 May 2023
May 4, 2023 UPDATE

COURT After an
unexpected visit to the headquarters of the International Criminal Court in the
Hague on Thursday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for
setting up a special court to deal with ‘crimes of aggression’. Zelensky has
delivered a speech entitled ‘There is no peace without Justice’ during which he
says that Russian president Vladimir Putin will have to appear before an
international war crimes tribunal after Ukraine wins the war. The International
Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes charges in
March. On Wednesday, Zelensky attended a summit of the Nordic countries in
Helsinki.

MEETING A two-day trilateral meeting
Romania -The USA – the Republic of Moldova on defence issues was held in
Bucharest. The event was also attended by representatives of the British
Ministry of Defence. The Romanian State Secretary for Defence Policy and
International Relations, Simona Cojocaru says that under the present security
context, the Republic of Moldova has been exposed to hybrid threats and to
Russia’s propaganda and misinformation campaigns and supporting the neighboring
country in strengthening its resilience and defence capabilities is a strategic
priority for Romania. The support proved today by Romania, the USA and the UK
shows very clearly the Republic of Moldova is not alone in this process, Simona
Cojocaru went on to say. In another development, the European Foreign Ministers
on Thursday approved a support package for the Republic of Moldova’s defence
sector of 40 million Euros and also 30 million for Georgia.

MOURNING Serbia
declared three-day mourning in memory of the victims of the massacre committed on
Wednesday at a school in Belgrade, where a 14-year-old schoolboy shot dead
eight children and the school’s security guard and wounded six other classmates
and a teacher. He is believed to have stolen the gun of his father, who
admitted he had trained him at a shooting range. The minor’s father was
arrested. The incident caused immense shock in Serbia, where, despite the large
number of weapons owned by the population, gun incidents are rare. In the wake
of the massacre, president Aleksandar Vučić announced a number of measures,
including lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 and tougher
arms and ammunitions regulations.

IMPORTS Romanian
agriculture minister Petre Daea on Wednesday briefed his visiting Ukrainian
counterpart Mykola Solskyi on a European Commission decision from 2nd
May to introduce exceptional and temporary preventive measures on imports of a
limited number of products from Ukraine. These involve wheat, maize, rapeseed
and sunflower seeds and are aimed at easing the logistical blockages involving
these products in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The new
European Commission regulations will be in place in all member states until 5th
June. The first meeting between the two ministers took place in Bucharest on 21st
April. They agreed to hold weekly talks on the amounts of products leaving
Ukraine for transit, to provide Romania with complete and accurate data.

(bill)

4 May 2023
Iași, destinație unică

Cu o istorie de
peste 600 de ani, Iașiul este un oraș al premierelor culturale și educaționale
românești, dar și unul dintre cele mai mari centre universitare și IT din
România. Descoperim, așadar, un oraș în care istoria și prezentul se împletesc
armonios într-un produs turistic unic.

Mihai Bulai este
președintele Asociației Destination Iași și lector la Facultatea de Geografie
și Geologie din cadrul Universității Alexandru Ioan Cuza. După șase ani petrecuți
în vestul Europei, Mihai Bulai și-a dat seama că lucra la diverse acțiuni care,
în orașul pe care-l iubește de mic copil, încă nu fuseseră demarate. Astfel,
s-a întors în România și a început să construiască de la zero proiectele despre
care spune că acum îi aduc împlinirea. În prezent, spune că Iașul este o
destinație foarte frumoasă, un oraș cu o cultură bogată, care se pretează
foarte bine pentru conceptul de city break, de cel puțin trei zile. Aeroportul
Iași se află pe locul trei în România și face legătura cu cele mai importante
orașe din Europa. Iar călătoria noastră începe chiar de la Universitate.

Aș începe cu un tur al Sălii Pașilor Pierduți, Este cel mai lung coridor al
unei instituții din România, de peste 120 de metri, unde pictorul oltean Sabin
Bălașa a realizat în anii 1960 cea mai frumoasă galerie de picturi murale. Sunt
prezentate istoria românilor, miturile românești într-un mod foarte creativ. În
loc să vorbesc despre trecutul nostru doar prin povești, i-aș aduce pe turiști la
ilustrații. Sunt enorme, au înălțimi de patru metri. Aș continua apoi cu
biblioteca veche, care se află în aceeași clădire, pe care oaspeții
internaționali au votat-o ca fiind una dintre cele mai frumoase biblioteci din
lume. Dacă o să intrați pe internet să căutați Top Majestic Libraries of the
World, o să vedeți că, din cele 60 din lume, a noastră se găsește în primele
30. Apoi, aș merge la ceea ce BBC-ul, de data aceasta, a reținut ca fiind cea
mai frumoasă clădire din Iași și top șapte teatre din lume. Pe site-ul BBC,
topul se numește Seven Breathtaling Theatres of the World. Teatrul din Iași
este pe locul al doilea. Are o fațadă foarte interesantă, pe care se combină
stilurile neoclasic și Belle Epoque de sfârșit de secol XIX, însă sala este în
stil baroc. Este un baroc cu stucaturi de aur, cu picturi de pereți, pe cortina
istorică. Este o experiență deosebită și nu doar vizita în sine, ci și
participarea la o piesă sau la o operă. Piesele sunt în limba română, de aceea
le-aș recomanda mai degrabă oaspeților români din România sau străinătate. Pentru
oaspetele care nu știe limba română, ideală este opera. Opera Națională Română
Iași se desfășoară tot în sala mare a teatrului și sunt niște spectacole
extraordinare. Imaginați-vă 700 de oameni în sală și vreo 200 de oameni pe
scenă. Deci, sunt niște spectacole incredibile de operă și operetă.

Mihai Bulai, președintele
Asociației Destination Iași, ne propune în continuare un obiectiv mai nou, numit
Casa Muzeelor, cu mai puțină istorie în sensul expozițiilor, însă foarte
interesant.

Este despre comunism, despre copilărie în
comunism, un subiect mai fragil, mai greu de abordat în România
post-decembristă. Este despre poezie și despre literatură într-un mod creativ
și contemporan. Ne-am obișnuit, poate, să vorbim doar despre Eminescu, Junimea,
și despre perioada secolului al XIX-lea. Dar, de fapt, Iașiul are o grămadă de
noi poeți și scriitori foarte apreciați și îi regăsim în acest muzeu. Același
muzeu, numit Casa Muzeelor, ne oferă și o reconciliere cu trecutul nostru. Iașiul
a fost scena unui episod mai puțin fericit. În cel de-Al Doilea Război Mondial,
a existat un moment atașat holocaustului european. Vorbim despre progromul de
la Iași. A fost o săptămână în care
evreii din Iași au fost măcelăriți. Iată, după atâția ani, Iașiul reușește o
reconciliere cu trecutul și creează o expoziție specială despre aceste momente.
Apoi, foarte important, recomand o plimbare pe jos, o drumeție pietonală. Avem
la Iași foarte multe inițiative de acest gen. Sunt foarte mulți ghizi care
propun plecarea din Piața Unirii, care este centrul fizic al orașului. Ei
propun trasee, chiar tematice uneori, trasee exterioare în care se admiră
arhitectura, poziția geografică a fiecărui obiectiv, se vorbește despre funcția
actuală, despre cum trăiesc ieșenii, care este gastronomia locală. Nu în
ultimul rând, aș menționa bogăția religioasă a orașului. Iașiul este o capitală
a pelerinajului ortodox, la catedrala mitropolitană existând moaștele Sfintei
Parascheva, o sfântă care a trăit acum 1.000 de ani în Constantinopol sau în
apropierea acestuia. Avem mănăstiri urbane, mănăstiri cu ziduri. Spre exemplu,
Golia, Bărboi sau chiar biserici cum ar fi Sfântul Spiridon sunt împrejmuite de
ziduri și arată ca niște fortărețe. Pe dealuri, mănăstirile Galata și Cetățuia
arată iarăși ca niște fortărețe. De altfel, ele au fost și niște palate
domnești.

Vizitând aceste
mănăstiri și biserici veți descoperi necropole boierești, picturi murale
deosebite, dar și un patrimoniu deosebit de bogat, care atestă trecutul
cultural efervescent al Iașiului. Prezentul se remarcă și el printr-o agendă
bogată de evenimente, spune Mihai Bulai, președintele Asociației Destination
Iași.

Literatura fiind în mijlocul vieții Iașului, avem un
festival numit Filit, Festivalul Internațional de Literatură și Traducere.
Anul acesta va fi între 18 și 22 octombrie și reunește invitați internaționali
de limbă străină și foarte mulți creatori contemporani. De asemenea, Iașiul are
un festival important, Festivalul de teatru pentru publicul tânăr, la început
de octombrie. Regiunea Moldovei a fost tot timpul păstrătoare a tradițiilor,
mai ales în privința portului și a dansurilor. Festivalul Internațional de folclor
pentru copii și tineret Cătălina are loc anul acesta în 4-7 iulie și aduce
copiii din aproape toată lumea: din Anzi, Chile, Coreea și până în Ucraina. În
fiecare an avem și festivaluri de muzică cum ar fi Hangariada sau Rocanotherworld.
Festivalul Getodava ne amintește de geți, care au fost prezenți pe teritoriul
Moldovei și de daci. Veți vedea niște actori care se îmbracă în daci, romani și
fac diverse demonstrații. Nu în ultimul rând, Romanian Creative Week. La Iași s-au
născut mari creatori de modă și avem o săptămână a modei la final de mai. În
mod excepțional, anul acesta, în 24 august începe Campionatul Mondial de
Sporturi Electronice, E-sports, sporturi pe calculator, jocuri video, și o să
avem peste 2.000 de invitați din toată lumea care se vor întrece pe calculator
timp de două săptămâni.

Brandul orașului Iași, Orașul Creatorilor, a câștigat primul
loc în cadrul Transform Awards, cea mai mare competiție de brand din Europa.
Din cele 3.000 de proiecte depuse, cel al Asociației Destination Iași a
câștigat aurul pentru cel mai bun proiect de brand de oraș din Europa.

RadioRomaniaInternational · RADIO TOUR 04.05.2023

4 May 2023
April 29, 2023 UPDATE

UDMR — Deputy Prime Minister in the Romanian government, Kelemen Hunor, was re-elected, on Saturday, to the position of president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR, for a fourth term. At the Congress of the Union, which took place in Timisoara (west), he was the only candidate for that position. Of the 835 delegates attending, 653 voted for his re-election, seven votes were invalid, and the rest did not vote. Kelemen said that he wanted to keep UDMR in the government coalition with the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the Liberal Party — PNL. The liberal leader, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, and the Social Democrat leader and speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, who attended the congress, expressed their support for continuing this partnership. Present, for 33 years, in all the post-communist Romanian Parliaments, since 1996 UDMR has been part of numerous coalition governments in Bucharest, either right-wing or left-wing.

Drugs – 11 people who were participating in a festival in the resort of Mamaia, on the Black Sea Coast (south-eastern Romania) are being investigated for drug trafficking, as various banned substances were found on them. According to the police, the 11 persons were caught red-handed while selling such substances. They also promoted the sale of drugs through messaging applications, specifying the prices for each type of drug. Six of the persons, foreign citizens, were held on remand for 30 days.

Handball — Romania’s mens national handball team meets, on Sunday evening, in Gummersbach, Germany, the Ukrainian national team, in its last match in Group 4 of the preliminaries of the European Mens Handball Championship – EHF EURO 2024. The hosts are the Ukrainians, who, after their country was invaded, last year, by the Russian troops, play their home matches abroad. In the same group, the match Austria — the Faroe Islands is also played. In the ranking, Austria is on first place, with 10 points, followed by Romania, 4 points (goal average +5), the Faroe Islands, 4 points (-5), and Ukraine, 2 points (-21). The top two ranking teams in the eight preliminary groups qualify for the final tournament, together with the four best teams on third place. The European Mens Handball Championship will take place in Germany, between January 10 and 28, 2024. World champion four times in the 1960-70s, Romania has not qualified for a European Championship since 1996, when it ranked 9th.

Book – Romania is attending the Leipzig Book Fair, in Germany, with over 150 new titles: fiction, childrens literature and non-fiction, as well as numerous events hosted at the national stand, with the direct participation of famous writers, such as Gabriela Adameșteanu, Ioana Pârvulescu and Mircea Cărtărescu. The 2023 edition is enjoying great success, as the event has not been organized since 2019, due to the pandemic, and the public is particularly interested in meeting the world of books and their authors – writer Ioana Pârvulescu told Radio Romania.

Moldova – The Moldovan Foreign Ministry officials say they will not comment on what they call the absolutely unacceptable language used in their statements by some Russian officials, but announce that the ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet republic with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Oleg Vasnetsov, will be summoned to the ministry to give explanations. The former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev, today the vice-president of the Security Council in Moscow, said that the Republic of Moldova does not even exist as a state anymore, because “it was sold” to Romania. And the spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov, states that the Republic of Moldova is about to be “absorbed” by Romania. They made these statements after the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, the pro-Western Dorin Recean, announced that several Russian officials, responsible for the invasion of neighboring Ukraine, including President Vladimir Putin, have been denied entry into Moldova. Created on part of the eastern Romanian territories annexed by Stalin’s Soviet Union, following an ultimatum, the Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from Moscow in 1991.

Veterans — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on the occasion of War Veterans Day, emphasizing that love of the country, belonging to the nation and courage guided their deeds of arms on the battlefield. Romania currently benefits from “the most solid security guarantees in history”, and the unity and solidarity within NATO “increase the strength of the collective defense”. The “substantial” presence of the allies on the national territory is proof thereof, the president added. “Romania owes its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity to the war veterans and it remembers their heroism” the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also said. The PM stated, in his message, that it is an act of national conscience to honor the people on whose bravery Romania relied in difficult times for the entire world. (LS)

29 April 2023
April 25, 2023

VISIT The
president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is on an official visit to Argentina
today, the last stage of his south-American tour which also included Brazil and
Chile. He will be received by his Argentinian counterpart, Alberto Fernandez. President
Iohannis will affirm Romania’s willingness to work with Argentina in promoting shared
foreign policy goals, including the two countries’ position on Russia’s war of
aggression against Ukraine, and on its consequences at various levels. The
talks will also touch on the need to work together to mitigate the negative
effects of the pandemic on sustainable development, the challenges and
opportunities of cooperation in various regional formats, the importance of
consolidating democracy in Latin America and of strengthening the bi-regional
partnership with the EU. The two leaders will also discuss concrete avenues to
consolidate and broaden cooperation in key sectors such as energy, trade, IT&C,
cyber security, agriculture, education, the environment, emergency situations
and maritime security. A memorandum of agreement will be signed on this
occasion between the Department for Emergency Situations within the Romanian
Interior Ministry and the White Helmets, the Argentinian agency in charge of international
cooperation and humanitarian assistance. A bilateral cooperation document will
also be signed in the field of agriculture research. This visit by president Iohannis
in Argentina is the first at this level in 30 years.

FILM Bucharest is
hosting today the Gopo Awards Gala, celebrating the Romanian film industry achievements
this past year. The 17th edition of the even brings together over 900
Romanian film personalities. The nominations for the best fiction feature
include ‘Metronome’, ‘Immaculate’, ‘Men of Deeds’, ‘Miracle’, ‘Blue Moon’, ‘You
Are Ceauşescu to Me’. Alina Grigorei (‘Blue Moon’), Monica Stan and George
Chiper-Lillemark (‘Immaculate’), Alexandru Belc (‘Metronome’), Bogdan George
Apetri (‘Miracle’) and Paul Negoescu (‘Men of Deeds’) are nominated for best
director. The audience award, granted to the Romanian production with the best
box office performance, will go this year to ‘Teambuilding’, directed by Matei
Dima, Cosmin Nedelcu and Alex Coteţ. Actor Mircea Andreescu and actress Ioana
Crăciunescu will receive Gopo lifetime achievement awards.

SANCTIONS A political agreement on sanctions against actors
that work to destabilise the constitutional order in the Republic of Moldova
was adopted in Luxembourg on Monday by the EU foreign ministers. The Romanian
diplomacy chief, Bogdan Aurescu, emphasised that any measure designed to
improve security in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova would also benefit
Romania. Bucharest, he added, is already working with the authorities in Chişinău
on a first list of people to be subject to these sanctions.

MIGRANTS
Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, will be on an official visit to
Romania on Wednesday for bilateral talks with his Romanian counterpart Lucian
Bode, the Austrian mass media report. The main topic of discussion will be
migration in the EU, with a focus on fighting migrant smuggling and asylum
abuses, as well as protecting the EU borders. Last year the Austrian official
opposed Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession, on grounds that Romania was
on the Balkan illegal migration route. The allegation was denied at the time by
the Romanian government and by EU institutions, including the EUROPOL.

TENNIS Two
Romanian players, Ana Bogdan and Sorana Cirstea, are playing today in the first
round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid. Another Romanian Irina Begu (seed
no 31), will play straight in the second round, against the winner of the match
pitting Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) against Karolina Muchova (the Czech Republic).
Also in Madrid, Jaqueline Cristian will take on Sloane Stephens (US), while Gabriela
Ruse faces Leolia Jeanjean (France) today, in the last qualifier round of the
Madrid tournament. (AMP)

25 April 2023
The EU supports the stability of the Republic of Moldova

The head of the Romanian diplomacy, Bogdan Aurescu has
hailed the political agreement reached by his EU counterparts for setting up a
sanctions regime in order to counter the destabilization actions against the
neighboring ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova.

He said that Romania is already working with the
authorities in Chisinau on the first list of people to be sanctioned. Created
on a part of the eastern Romanian territories annexed in 1940 by the Stalinist
Soviet Union, the little republic, which got its independence in 1991, has been
described by pundits as the most vulnerable neighbour of the invaded Ukraine. The threat level is on the rise. And causing violent
events would prove a turning point in the present context, said this month Ana
Revenco, Foreign Minister in the pro-Western government in Chisinau. According
to her, ‘it is a certain fact that Russia has stepped up its efforts to
destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova not without the efforts of
the fugitive oligarchs.

All the elements of a hybrid war such
as false bomb alerts, cyber attacks, illegally funded protests, energy
blackmail have proved to be a great challenge for the entire Interior Affairs
system – she told Radio Chisinau. The pro-war propaganda, the incitement to
hatred and misinformation are parts of the same hybrid war and are aimed at weakening
the resistance of the citizens.

Against this background, Foreign
Minister Bogdan Aurescu said that any
measure taken to bolster the security of the Republic of Moldova is also
beneficial to Romania, and the EU’s decision to quickly put together a
sanctions regime will be an instrument very important in the process of strengthening
the resilience and security of the neighboring state in the context of the
actions masterminded by Moscow.

In turn the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep
Borrell says that the Republic is one of the most affected states by the war in
Ukraine and Brussels has earmarked 40 million Euros to support its defence
capabilities.

Also this month the Budget Commission with the
European Parliament has endorsed the 145 million euros financial assistance for
the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian MEP Siegfried
Mureșan, the head of the delegation of the EU Legislature for the relations
with Chisinau has underlined that it is necessary that the macro-financial
assistance be endorsed without delay by the European Parliament and the money
reach the Republic of Moldova in due time, by the end of the year.

According to him, the Republic of
Moldova is an EU-accession candidate and we must help it overcome all the
challenges it is presently facing and carry on its European integration. The
final voting on this package in the European Parliament is most likely due next
week.

(bill)

25 April 2023
April 20, 2023

Aid. The Romanian Government is preparing to provide its own support to farmers who grow cereals, in addition to the compensation offered by the European Commission in the context of the cereal crisis in Ukraine. A draft decision in this regard is on the agenda of todays meeting, when the executive would discuss other measures related to the situation created by the import and transit of grain from the neighboring country at war. Yesterday, Romania decided to continue allowing the transit of grains from Ukraine, but introduced additional control measures to protect farmers. The decisions were announced after the discussions that the relevant Romanian minister Petre Daea had with his Ukrainian counterpart, Mikola Solski. On the same day, the ministers responsible for trade and agriculture from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania analyzed the situation together with the vice-president of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, and the European commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski. The head of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced that integrated measures will be taken and promised a new financial aid of 100 million euros for farmers affected by the facilities offered to grain producers in Ukraine.

Moldova. The European Parliament adopted, on Wednesday, in Strasbourg, with a large majority, a resolution stating that the accession of the Republic of Moldova would represent a strategic investment in a united and strong Europe and pleading for the start of accession negotiations with Chisinau by the end of the year. The document states that Moldova remains exposed to Russian pressure and energy blackmail, the economic turmoil caused by the war in neighboring Ukraine, as well as the attempts supported by the Kremlin to destabilize the countrys pro-European government.

Expulsion. The Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking) has expelled a Russian diplomat who was accompanying the president of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnihanov, in his attempt to enter the territory of the republic. The diplomat, declared persona non grata, and another employee of the Russian embassy were accused of inappropriate behavior towards the border police, who did not allow the Tatarstan leader to enter the Republic of Moldova. Tatarstan is an autonomous Russian republic, and its president is a supporter of Russias war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Dorin Recean has stated that those who help to kill children and women in Ukraine have no business in the Republic of Moldova. The head of government also stated that the Chisinau authorities will not accept any association between the Republic of Moldova and the atrocities of the war in Ukraine.

Visit. On a formal visit to Brazil, the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, met with the vice-governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro and the vice-mayor of the city and signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at cooperation in the field of environment. Radio Romania reports that in the discussions with the local authorities in Rio de Janeiro, President Iohannis presented the economic opportunities offered by Romania and invited investors from the region to come here, mentioning the fact that joint projects can be developed in several fields. The head of state appreciated the intense involvement of the authorities in aspects related to environmental protection and encouraged the intensification of collaboration in this field, which can become one of the pillars of sectoral cooperation between the two countries. This was the last item on the agenda of the Romanian presidents visit to Brazil. His South American tour will continue with official visits to Chile and Argentina.

Ukraine. A Ukrainian military spokesman accused Moscow of “provocation” after its allied separatist forces it said the Ukrainian military blew up four buildings in the eastern mining town of Bakhmut, killing 20 civilians. He has stated that the Ukrainian troops never target civilians. Russia also denies involvement in the explosions. The Russian invasion army has been besieging Bakhmut for more than half a year. Ukraine sees the fighting there as essential to block the Russian forces on the entire eastern front, while military analysts say the citys strategic importance is limited.

Navy. The maritime surveillance vessel MAI 1106 of the Romanian Border Police participates in Italian waters in the joint operation “THEMIS” 2023, organized by the FRONTEX Agency. The Romanian crew, made up of 28 members, performs patrol, search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea, as the ships commander, police commissioner Nicolae Stignei, told the Radio Romania correspondent in Italy.

Dance. The Sibiu Ballet Theater (central Romania) was invited to participate in the third edition of the Poznan International Theater-Dance Festival called ” Poland – The boundaries of nature – The boundaries of culture”, organized by the Polish Dance Theater . The Sibiu Ballet will present in Poznan on April 25 for the general public and on April 26 in a closed-circuit event, the newest contemporary dance production made in Sibiu – the show “One way ticket”, created by choreographer Sandra Mavhima. The show is a choreographic essay about the challenges faced by Eastern Europeans who choose to emigrate to the West in search of a better life. Guest performances juxtapose different styles and understandings of the border concept. Along with the Sibiu Ballet Theatre, artists and dance companies from Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Poland will perform on the stage of the festival. (MI)

20 April 2023
European Parliament supports the Republic of Moldova

The Republic of Moldova is going through what is probably the most troubled chapter since it proclaimed its independence in 1991 and since the 1992 armed conflict in Transnistria, which generated a frozen conflict with this Russian-speaking breakaway region. Since then, Transnistria has been permanently hosting Russian troops. With a vulnerable economy and political class divided between pro-Europeans and pro-Russians, Moldova is now a collateral victim in Russias war. The country remains exposed to Russian pressure and energy blackmail, to the economic fallout from the war as well as to the Kremlins attempts at destabilizing the pro-European administration, the European Parliament said in a resolution passed on Wednesday. The document also hails the leadership of the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and the countries authorities in tackling these serious challenges. Moldovas EU accession would represent a strategic investment in a united and strong Europe, the resolution also states, calling for accession negotiations to start by the end of the year, once Moldova has complied with the nine steps identified by the European Commission. Wanted oligarchs must be extradited to Moldova, and the EU must continue its support to help Moldova attain energy independence, MEPs argue.

Moldovas president, Maia Sandu, has recently urged Moldovans to express their support for Moldovas European track publicly as part of a rally scheduled for May 21 in the Great National Assembly Square in Chișinău. Maia Sandus appeal follows repeated attempts from Russia to destabilize Moldova, from street protests funded by pro-Russians to attempts at toppling the pro-European administration. “I call on you to stand together as a nation and express a clear option to become part of the European family, a decision based on respect, stability and economic cooperation. Let us tell everyone who still has doubts that decisions regarding Moldovas future are taken in Moldova”, Maia Sandu said. The Moldovan official accused pro-Russian factions of using the war in neighboring Ukraine to try to destabilize their own country and taking over the power reins. The economic, energy and security crises facing Moldova could serve as the tipping point for deciding on the geopolitical path the Republic of Moldova should take. A staunch and consistent advocate of Moldovas EU accession and a close supporter of this country in times of dire economic need, Romania has succeeded in drawing support for Moldovas EU aspirations from the most important European countries. (VP)

20 April 2023
20.04.2023

Céréales – Le gouvernement de Bucarest se prépare à accorder son propre soutien aux fermiers qui cultivent des céréales, qui devrait s’ajouter aux compensations proposées par la Commission européenne dans le contexte de la crise des céréales d’Ukraine. Un projet de décret gouvernemental figure à l’ordre du jour de la réunion d’aujourd’hui, lorsque l’exécutif devrait évoquer aussi d’autres mesures liées à la situation créé par l’importation et le transit de céréales de l’Etat voisin en guerre actuellement. Hier, la Roumanie a décidé de continuer à permettre le transit des céréales d’Ukraine, mais a introduit des mesures supplémentaires de contrôle afin de protéger les fermiers. Les décisions ont été annoncées à l’issue des pourparlers entre le ministre roumain de tutelle, Petre Daea avec son homologue ukrainien, Mikola Solski. Le même jour, les ministres en charge du commerce et respectivement de l’agriculture de cinq Etats : Pologne, Hongrie, Slovaquie, Bulgarie et Roumanie ont analysé la situation avec le vice-président de la Commission européenne, Valdis Dombrovskis, et avec le commissaire européen à l’agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski. Et la cheffe de l’exécutif communautaire, Ursula von der Leyen, a annoncé des mesures intégrées et promis une nouvelle aide financière d’une centaine de millions d’euros aux fermiers touchés par les facilités offertes aux producteurs de céréales d’Ukraine.

Brésil – En visite officielle au Brésil, le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis a rencontré le vice-gouverneur de l’Etat de Rio de Janeiro et avec le vice – maire de la ville et signé un mémorandum qui vise la coopération dans le domaine de l’environnement. Selon l’envoyée spéciale de la Radio publique roumaine, durant les entretiens avec les autorités locales de la métropole Rio de Janeiro, le président Iohannis a présenté les opportunités économiques offertes par la Roumanie et a invité les investisseurs de la région d’y venir, soulignant le fait que des projets communs dans plusieurs domaines pourraient être déroulés. Le chef de l’Etat a apprécié l’implication intense des autorités dans des aspects liés à la protection de l’environnement et a encouragé l’intensification de la collaboration dans ce domaine qui pourrait devenir un des piliers de la coopération sectorielle entre les deux Etats. Ce fut le dernier point à l’agenda de la visite du président roumain au Brésil. Sa tournée en Amérique du Sud se poursuivra par des visites officielles au Chili et en Argentine.

Chisinau/expulsion – La République de Moldova a expulsé un diplomate russe qui accompagnait le président du Tatarstan, Rustam Minnihanov, dans sa tentative d’arriver sur le territoire de la Moldavie. Le diplomate, déclaré persona non grata et un autre employé de l’ambassade de Russie ont été accusés de comportement inapproprié envers les agents de la police aux frontières, qui n’ont pas permis au leader du Tatarstan d’entrer en République de Moldova. Le Tatarstan est une république autonome russe et son président est un partisan de la guerre que la Russie mène en Ukraine. Aux dires du premier ministre moldave, Dorin Recean tous ceux qui contribuent au meurtre des enfants et des femmes en Ukraine, n’ont rien à chercher sur le territoire de la République de Moldova. Le chef du gouvernement a également déclaré que les autorités de Chisinau n’accepteraient point que la République de Moldova soit associée aux autorités de la guerre en Ukraine.

Moldavie/UE – Le Parlement européen a adopté mercredi à Strasbourg, avec une large majorité une résolution qui affirme que l’adhésion de la République de Moldova constituerait un investissement stratégique dans une Europe unie et puissante et plaide pour le déclenchement des négociations d’adhésion avant la fin de l’année. Le document précise aussi que la République de Moldova est toujours exposée à la pression russe et à son chantage énergétique, aux troubles économiques causées par la guerre en Ukraine voisine ainsi qu’aux tentatives soutenues par le Kremlin de déstabiliser le gouvernement pro-européen du pays.

Navire – Un navire maritime de surveillance de la Police roumaine aux frontières participe dans les eaux de l’Italie à l’opération commune « Themis 2003 » organisée par l’agence Frontex de l’UE. L’équipage roumain constitué de 28 membres réalise des missions de patrouille, de recherche et sauvetage en mer Méditerranée, selon les déclarations faites au micro de la correspondante de la radio publique roumaine en Italie par le commandant du navire, le commissaire de police Nicolae Stignei.

Ballet – Le théâtre de ballet de Sibiu, dans le centre de la Roumanie a été invité à la troisième édition du Festival international de théâtre et danse de Poznan en Pologne, appelé « les frontières de la nature – les frontières de la culture », organisé par le théâtre de danse polonais. Le ballet de Sibiu présentera à Poznan le 23 avril pour le grand public et le 26 avril dans le cadre d’un événement restreint, la production de danse contemporaine la plus récente réalisée à Sibiu – le spectacle « One way ticket » / « Un billet aller », créée par la chorégraphe Sandra Mavhima. Le spectacle est un essai chorégraphique sur les défis auxquels se confrontent les européens qui choisissent d’émigrer en Occident à la recherche d’une vie meilleure. Les spécytacles invitées superposent différents styles et compréhensions du concept de frontière. Des artistes et des compagnies de danse d’Ukraine, de République Tchèque et de Pologne se produiront sur la scène du festival aux côtés du théâtre de ballet de Sibiu.

Météo – Météo toujours instable en Roumanie avec des pluies sur le sud, l’est, sur le relief ainsi que dans une moindre mesure sur le centre. Les maxima iront de 12 à 21 degrés. 11 degrés en ce moment à Bucarest.

Ukraine – Un porte-parole de l’armée ukrainienne a accusé Moscou de « provocation » après les déclarations faites par les forces séparatistes qui lui sont alliés conformément auxquelles les militaires ukrainiens auraient fait sauter quatre immeubles de la ville minière de Bakhmout, dans l’est du pays tuant aussi une vingtaine de civils. Il a précisé que les troupes ukrainiennes ne ciblaient jamais des civils. La Russie nie avoir été impliquée dans ces explosions. L’armée russe d’invasion assiège la ville de Bakmout depuis plus de six mois. Selon l’Ukraine, les combats menées dans la région sont essentiels pour bloquer les forces russes sur l’intégralité du front est, alors que les analystes militaires sont d’avis que l’importance stratégique de la ville était assez limitée.

20 April 2023
April 11, 2023 UPDATE

NATO
Romania’s National Defence
Minister Angel Tîlvăr and
Chief of Staff, General Daniel Petrescu will be meeting in Bucharest on
Wednesday Admiral Robert Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, who is
paying a visit to Romania over April 11th and 14th . According to a communiqué
by the Ministry of Defence, talks will be focusing on the security situation in
the Black Sea area as well as on NATO’s missions and operations. On Tuesday,
the Defence Ministry and the Chief of Staff talked to the commands of the
structures deployed to various operation theaters in Kosovo and
Bosnia-Herzegovina and with the Romanian troops currently doing missions in
Bulgaria, Lithuania and Poland. The Romanian troops presented the assessment of
the security situation in their areas and the stage of their missions. Your
efforts are contributing to our peace, to everybody’s peace actually,
particularly at this time when our region has been deeply troubled by the
Russian invasion in the neighboring Ukraine, the Defence Minister says.

VISIT The European Commissioner for internal market Thierry Breton will
be paying a visit to Bucharest on Wednesday, the European Commission
Representation to Bucharest has announced. The European Commissioner will be
having talks with Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciuca and the president of the
Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu. The EU official will be also visiting the
future headquarters of the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre jointly
with the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitization, Sebastian Burduja.
Also on Wednesday, Breton will be visiting two major plants specialized in
equipment and gears for the defence industry in southern Romania.

DEFENCE
Romania continues to act firmly, united and efficiently alongside its allies
and partners to promote security and stability in the Black Sea region, an area
of strategic importance for Euro-Atlantic security. The announcement was made
by president Klaus Iohannis in a statement released after a meeting of the
Country’s Supreme Defence Council which he chaired today in Bucharest. The
fundamental aspect remains national security and supporting Ukraine and the
Republic of Moldova contributes directly to the consolidation of Romania’s
security, the statement also writes. Maintaining a consistent and
multidimensional support for the neighbouring Ukraine, as part of NATO and the
European Union, is of critical importance for ensuring the success of efforts
to defend this state. The meeting also analysed the development of Romania’s air
force. According to the statement, the modernisation of the air force will
continue with the purchase of latest generation F-35 aircraft. The achievement
of robust, credible, interoperable, flexible and efficient air defence
operational capabilities aimed both at fulfilling the commitments deriving from
the NATO and EU membership and at discouraging possible aggression, is an
essential condition for fulfilling Romania’s defence policy objectives, the
statement also reads.

IMF The IMF has revised the forecast for
Romania’s economic growth this year from an initial estimate of 3% down to
2.4%. According to the new IMF calculations published on Tuesday, Romania is
expected to register a 3.7% growth next year. The IMF believes that inflation
in Romania will this year stay around 10.5% after a 13.8% last year and price
hikes will significantly slow down only in 2024, when the inflation rate is
expected to be under 6%.

(bill)

11 April 2023
April 5, 2023 UPDATE

Law. The Romanian Chamber of Deputies has adopted with 191 votes in favor, 66 against and 12 abstentions the bill amending the Criminal Code and focusing on office abuse and negligence in the service. The law eliminates all the amendments previously adopted by the Senate, including the introduction of a money threshold for offenses that constitute abuse of office, as requested by the Constitutional Court. The Senate had previously introduced a €50,000 threshold, which the Justice Ministry subsequently reduced to €1,800. The legal committee on Tuesday discarded this amendment as well as the introduction of a threshold for offenses that constitute negligence in the service. The Chamber of Deputies is the decision-making forum in this matter.

Tanks. In Bucharest, the Ministry of National Defense requested the Parliaments prior approval for the purchase of 54 modernized Abrams tanks from the American army, including the related ammunition and training simulators. The purchase will take place through a “Government to Government” agreement. The increase in the defense budget to 2.5% of the GDP starting this year created the conditions for the initiation of endowment programs strictly necessary to accelerate the modernization of the Romanian Army, the request states.

Aid. Romania will contribute another 750,000 dollars to the Voluntary Fund for Strengthening the Defense Capacity of the Republic of Moldova addition to the contribution of 600,000 dollars granted last year. The announcement was made on Wednesday, by the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, at the North Atlantic Council in Brussels. According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the sum adds to a new contribution of 830,000 dollars for the Voluntary Fund for the Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine, announced on the first day of the NATO meeting. Wednesdays discussions in Brussels focused on the implementation of the decisions made at the Madrid Summit, support for Ukraine and strengthening cooperation with other partner states, NATOs “Open Doors” policy and the allied commitment to fair sharing of responsibilities – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

Moldova. The European Commission has approved the second tranche of 50 million euros for the Republic of Moldova, out of the total aid of 150 million intended to maintain the macroeconomic stability of the country. The financial support is intended to help the Republic of Moldova, which is directly affected by the consequences of Russias aggression against Ukraine. The European executive specified that the Republic of Moldova has fulfilled the conditions to which it committed itself in order to receive the financial aid: it has strengthened the governance of the public administration and met the conditions regarding public investments. Also, the Chisinau government has made progress in the financial sector, by adopting a new public strategy. Another positive development was observed in the field of compliance with the law and the fight against corruption.

Car insurance. The Romanian Government has passed the draft decision on capping the mandatory car insurance fees for six months at the level of February 28th, 2023. Already postponed twice in the last eight weeks, the document is needed to stop the rampant increase in civil liability car insurances, the government argues. The measure was taken after the Financial Supervisory Authority decided to withdraw the license of Euroins, the company that held one third of the car insurance market in Romania. The decision to cap the fees was made to protected drivers from an experience similar to that two years ago, when another leader on the market, City Insurance, went bankrupt and the fees rocketed.

Inflation. The National Bank has decided to maintain its monetary policy interest rate at 7% per year, also preserving the reference interest rate for Central Bank loans at 8% per year, and for deposits at 6% per year. The decision reflects the latest macroeconomic developments. The Bank forecasts an increase in the annual inflation rate over the coming period. The inflation rate dropped from 16.37% in December 2022 to 15.52% in February 2023, which largely corresponds to the Banks forecast. (MI)

5 April 2023