Radio România Internațional

Tag: Munich Security Conference

  • February 19, 2022 UPDATE

    February 19, 2022 UPDATE


    NATO. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis stressed the
    importance of continuing consultations and maintaining a close collaboration
    and the unity of the Alliance against the background of the current critical
    moments, a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration reads.
    According to the same release, on Friday, the head of state participated, at
    the invitation of the US president Joe Biden, in a new round of consultations
    on the recent security developments, triggered by Russia’s actions, doubled by
    an active campaign of disinformation and intimidation. At the meeting,
    President Iohannis highlighted the need for a complete package of sanctions
    that should be used in case the situation deteriorates further. He also
    stressed the need for strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, in a
    unitary and coherent manner, along the entire Eastern Flank, from the Baltic
    Sea to the Black Sea, as this is the only means to maintain regional stability
    and defend the security of the Alliance as a whole. Iohannis also reiterated
    Romania’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for
    its right to freely decide upon its own foreign policy. Also, the Romanian
    president said, Romania is ready to manage all the implications of the current
    crisis.




    Ukraine. The US President Joe Biden has voiced his conviction
    that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has made the decision to invade
    Ukraine, France Presse reports. We believe they will target Ukraine’s capital
    Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people, the head of the US administration
    said. He added, though, that since the invasion has not started yet, there is
    still time for diplomacy, recalling that the Secretary of State Antony Blinken
    is to meet in Europe with his Russian counterpart Serghey Lavrov.




    Security.
    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia on
    Saturday at the Munich Security Conference to stop the preparations for an
    attack on Ukraine, otherwise it would have to suffer severe consequences. It is
    never too late for Russia to back down, stop preparations for war and start
    engaging in diplomatic negotiations with NATO and for the NATO allies to find a
    political solution, Stoltenberg said. In
    turn, the US Vice President Kamala Harris warned that North Atlantic Alliance
    forces in Eastern Europe would be further strengthened if Russia attacked
    Ukraine. Kamala Harris recalled that the United States had already deployed
    about 6,000 additional troops in Romania, Poland and Germany. (…) Romania is
    represented at the conference by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan
    Aurescu, and by the Minister of Defense, Vasile Dincu. In his speech, Minister
    Aurescu reiterated Romania’s position, stating that the current Black Sea security crisis is
    not just a regional crisis, but one that affects Euro-Atlantic security as a
    whole. He referred both to the acts of aggression and destabilization that the
    region has faced in recent years, of a conventional or hybrid nature, and to
    repeated violations of fundamental principles of international law, such as
    sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of navigation, with negative
    impact on the development opportunities of the region. The Romanian Foreign
    Minister stressed the importance of the states in the region acting
    proactively, constructively and in full cooperation, in order to overcome the challenges.




    Covid.19Ro. 12,319 new cases of coronavirus infection were
    reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, as well as 148 related fatalities, of
    which 2 from a previous reporting period. The largest number of infections
    since the start of the pandemic – 40,018 – was registered on February 1st. There
    are 1,117 patients in intensive care, most of them unvaccinated. The vaccination pace has been slowing down
    considerably, though specialists recommend it in order to avoid severe
    manifestations of the disease.




    Brancusi. On Saturday, Romania
    celebrated the Constantin Brancusi National Day, 146 years since the birth of
    the great sculptor. Events have been organized by the Romanian Cultural
    Institutes around the world. According to the Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca, the
    Constantin Brancusi National Day is a tribute to the exceptional talent of a
    Romanian who, through the mastery of his chisel, radically influenced world
    sculpture. Though a genius, Brancusi lived simply and modestly, which are
    characteristics of the Romanian peasant. Romanian nature, spiritually and
    folklore were his inspiration and turned his workshop in Paris into a little
    corner of Rural Romania, the PM’s message also reads.






    Invictus. The Invictus team, made up of Romanian soldiers
    wounded in theaters of operations, will represent the country at this year’s
    Invictus Games, hosted by the Hague in April, according to a statement from the
    Ministry of National Defense. It will be the Romanian Army’s third
    participation in this international sports competition, which support the
    physical and psychological recovery of the military wounded in war zones. 20
    injured soldiers will participate in seven sports. (MI)



  • February 19, 2022

    February 19, 2022

    NATO. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis stressed the
    importance of continuing consultations and maintaining a close collaboration and
    the unity of the Alliance against the background of the current critical
    moments, a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration reads. According
    to the same release, on Friday, the head of state participated, at the
    invitation of the US president Joe Biden, in a new round of consultations on
    the recent security developments, triggered by Russia’s provocative actions,
    doubled by an active campaign of disinformation and intimidation. At the
    meeting, President Iohannis highlighted the need for a complete package of
    sanctions that should be used in case the situation deteriorates further. He
    also stressed the need for strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense posture,
    in a unitary and coherent manner, along the entire Eastern Flank, from the
    Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, as this is the only means to maintain regional
    stability and defend the security of the Alliance as a whole. Iohannis also
    reiterated Romania’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial
    integrity and for its right to freely decide upon its own foreign policy. Also,
    the Romanian president said, Romania is ready to manage all the implications of
    the current crisis.




    Ukraine. The US President Joe Biden has voiced his conviction
    that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has made the decision to invade
    Ukraine, France Presse reports. We believe they will target Ukraine’s capital
    Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people, the head of the US administration
    said. He added, though, that since the invasion has not started yet, there is
    still time for diplomacy, recalling that the Secretary of State Antony Blinken
    is to meet in Europe with his Russian counterpart Serghey Lavrov.



    Security. Leaders from around the world have gathered in Germany this weekend for the Munich Security Conference, focusing on the Ukrainian crisis, amid Western fears of a Russian military invasion of Ukraine. Romania is represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, and by the Minister of Defense, Vasile Dincu. Minister Aurescu has reiterated Romania’s stand, saying that the current security crisis is not just regional, but one that is affecting the Euro-Atlantic security as a whole. He referred to both the acts of aggression and destabilization that the region has faced in recent years, of a conventional or hybrid nature, and to repeated violations of fundamental principles of international law, such as sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of navigation, with negative impact. on the development opportunities of the region. The Romanian Foreign Minister stressed the importance of the states in the region to act proactively, constructively and to cooperate in order to overcome the challenges, including in established formats, such as Bucharest 9 and the Three Seas Initiative, each with essential security roles, interconnection and cohesion respectively.

    Covid.19Ro. 12,319 new cases of coronavirus infection were
    reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, as well as 148 related fatalities, of
    which 2 from a previous reporting period. The largest number of infections
    since the start of the pandemic – 40,018 – was registered on February 1st. The pandemic
    seems to be following a downward trend. Against this background, the vaccination
    pace is also slowing down significantly, though specialists recommend it in
    order to avoid severe manifestations of the disease.




    Brancusi. Today Romania
    celebrates the Constantin Brancusi National Day, 146 years since the birth of
    the great sculptor. Events have been organized by the Romanian Cultural
    Institutes around the world. According to the Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca, the
    Constantin Brancusi National Day is a tribute to the exceptional talent of a
    Romanian who, through the mastery of his chisel, radically influenced world
    sculpture. Though a genius, Brancusi lived simply and modestly, which are
    characteristics of the Romanian peasant. Romanian nature, spiritually and folklore
    were his inspiration and turned his workshop in Paris into a little corner of
    Rural Romania, the PM’s message also reads.








    Invictus. The Invictus team, made up of Romanian soldiers wounded
    in theaters of operations, will represent the country at this year’s Invictus
    Games, hosted by the Hague in April, according to a statement from the Ministry
    of National Defense. It will be the Romanian Army’s third participation in this
    international sports competition, which support the physical and psychological
    recovery of the military wounded in war zones. 20 injured soldiers will
    participate in seven sports. (MI)

  • February 15, 2019

    February 15, 2019

    BUDGET
    BILL – Parliament today adopted the 2019 budget and social
    security budget bills. The state budget is based on a 5.5% economic growth, a
    2.76% deficit and a GDP of some 200 billion euros. More funds this year will go
    to healthcare, education and investment.

    DEPOSITION -
    The former chief of the National Anticorruption Agency (DNA), Laura Codruta
    Kovesi, will be deposed by the special Magistrates’ Investigation department of
    the Prosecutor General’s Office in Bucharest. The deposition concerns a case
    where Kovesi is suspected of abuse of office, bribe-taking and perjury. Kovesi
    yesterday claimed she was innocent, adding that the timing of the subpoena,
    overlapping with her planned visit to the European Parliament for an interview
    for the position of chief European Prosecutor, is no coincidence. European
    media believe Kovesi is favorite to be awarded this position. Kovesi’s indicter
    is former Social-Democrat MP Sebastian Ghita, himself the subject of several
    corruption investigations, who fled to neighboring Serbia. President Klaus
    Iohannis has called on the special department tasked with investigating
    magistrates to quickly clarify Kovesi’s indictment. The President claims this
    special unit should not be used as a political investigation tool to intimidate
    magistrates and prosecutors. In turn, the right-wing opposition labeled the
    move as a political police operation orchestrated by the power. The European
    Commission announced it is closely monitoring the latest developments, in the
    context of the procedure for selecting the European Chief Prosecutor. The
    Commission has reiterated its message for Romania concerning the independence
    of the judiciary, saying it is of paramount importance that the country should
    have an independent and professional judiciary.

    GOVERNMENT -
    The Romanian Government is today meeting to approve, among other things, a
    decree setting the European Parliament election for May 26. Romania will have
    33 MP seats in the new term, one more than its current number. The Government will
    also discuss draft decree for the setup of the National Environmental Health
    Risks Registry and a memo on approving the de
    minimis scheme for the program aimed at modernizing and developing spa
    resorts.

    FLU
    EPIDEMIC – The number of people who died to the flu virus this
    season has reached 127, the National Center for the Surveillance and Control of
    Communicable Diseases has announced today. Yesterday health authorities
    signaled a slight decrease over the course of last week in the number of
    reported respiratory infections, owing most likely to the inter-semester break.
    According to data made public by the National Institute for Public Health, last
    week some 2,500 confirmed cases of flu and over 103,000 cases of cold were
    reported overall in Romania.

    SECURITY – As
    a high-ranking representative of Romania, the country currently holding the
    six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, President
    Klaus Iohannis is tomorrow opening the series of debates as part of the 55th
    Munich Security Conference, together with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel
    and the President of Egypt, the country currently holding the presidency of the
    African Union. The Romanian official will underline the need to consolidate
    NATO as a warrantor of Euro-Atlantic Security, as well as the fact that
    cooperation and coordination between NATO and the EU guarantees security and
    prosperity. Klaus Iohannis pointed out that the Black Sea region is one of the
    most important strategic landmarks of the current security context, and Romania
    wants to remain a pillar of regional stability and a source of security and
    stability in NATO and the EU. The Munich Security Conference is a major global
    forum for the discussion of security policy.

    AGREEMENT -
    Ambassadors of EU Member States on Friday signed an agreement between the
    Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European
    Parliament regarding a series of revised norms reducing risks in the EU banking
    sector. Measures to reduce risks will guarantee enough capital in the banking
    sector to give loans to natural and legal persons in complete safety. At the
    same time, taxpayers are protected against any potential difficulties the banks
    might experience, Romania’s Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici said earlier
    today. The agreement will also consolidate the capital requirements imposed on
    banks with a view to cutting incentives for excessive risk exposure. The
    banking package also contains a framework for the cooperation and information
    sharing among the various authorities involved in the supervision and
    resolution of cross-border banking groups.

    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep,
    world number 3 and seeded first in the Qatar Total Open in Doha, is today
    playing fourth-seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the competition’s
    semi-finals. Svitolina leads 4-3 in direct encounters with Halep. In the other
    semi-final, Germany’s Angelique Kerber is playing Elise Mertens of Belgium.

    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • February 18, 2018

    February 18, 2018


    Visit – Romanias Prime Minister Viorica Dancila travels to Brussels next week for her first foreign visit. She will have talks with European leaders, including the European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, the European Council President Donald Tusk, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila has recently stated that her immediate plans include boosting foreign policy actions and economic relations with the partner states.



    Visas – As of December 1st 2017, citizens of Romania no longer need a visa to travel to Canada. The decision has triggered a surge in asylum requests, which called for a meeting between the Federal Government and the Romanian diplomats posted in Ottawa, according to the Canadian site La Presse. According to the Immigration Ministry, since December 1st 2017, 232 Romanians have filed for asylum in Canada, as compared to 120 claims in 2016. According to the Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic and Program Policy for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Paul MacKinnon, it is not clear yet whether this is going to be a trend, or just a temporary circumstance, relating to the decision to lift visas for Romanians. The parties have agreed to maintain the programme, but, if asylum claims exceed a certain limit over a period of 12 months, then compulsory visas might be reintroduced, the Canadian official has stated. The changes brought to the Canadian immigration policy were associated with the completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the EU last year.



    Security Conference – The Munich Security Conference has come to an end. The forum brought together officials who talked about the role of the EU in terms of international security and its relations with the US and Russia. On Saturday, the last day of the event, the British Prime Minister Theresa May said that she did not want Brexit to be the end of the cooperation between Great Britain and the EU in fields such as defense and security, and suggested a security cooperation treaty to be concluded with the European partners, next year at the latest. In turn, the EC President Jean Claude Juncker gave assurances that Europeans were not at war with Great Britain and would not give up the security bridge connecting them for ages. The Defense Minister Mihai Fifor represented Romania at the conference. During the working lunch with his German counterpart Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, the Romanian official stressed the importance of bilateral and regional cooperation, especially with regard to military intelligence and defense industry.



    Berlin Film Festival – Romanian productions are screened in almost every important section of the 68th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, which got under way on the 15th of February and comes to an end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina Pintilies feature film debut, runs in the Competition section. A winner of the Golden Bear in 2013 with Childs Pose, the Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer is this year part of the jury. Last year, Dana Bunescu won the Silver Bear for the editing in Calin Peter Netzers Ana, mon amour. Ioana Uricarius Lemonade has been selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic vision and the courage to be different. Corneliu Porumboius documentary Infinite Football will be screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two more Romanian productions are being shown in the Generation Kplus competition for children and young people. Also, the Romanian actress and director Alina Grigore, screen writer Ioan Antoci and film critic Flavia Dima have been selected for the Berlinale Talents, a section devoted to young cinematographers.



    Rugby – Romanias rugby team (The Oaks) is today playing against the Spanish Los Leones in Madrid, in a decisive match in terms of qualification for the 2019 World Cups European Group. Romanias record in the past 60 years has been impressive, with 33 victories, as compared to Spains only 2. The Oaks rank 15th in the World Rugby Rankings, and Leones 19th.




  • 17 February, 2018 UPDATE

    17 February, 2018 UPDATE

    Brussels trip. Romania’s prime minister
    Viorica Dancila next week travels to Brussels for her first foreign visit. She
    will have talks with European leaders, including the head of the European
    Commission Jean Claude Juncker, the president of the European Council Donald
    Tusk, the speaker of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European
    Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila said recently she was
    planning to intensify foreign policy actions and the economic relations with
    the partner states.






    Munich Security Conference. Romania’s
    defence minister Mihai Fifor on Friday and Saturday attended the Munich
    Security Conference, a major forum for the discussion of security policy. On
    Friday, Fifor had a series of bilateral talks where he presented Romania’s
    priorities in the area of defence. According to a defence ministry press
    release, Fifor met the US senator and Chairman
    of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ron
    Johnson for talks on the relations between Romania and the US, with emphasis on
    cooperation within the North Atlantic Alliance. Minister Fifor used the
    opportunity to highlight the good discussions he had with the US Defence
    Secretary James Mattis at a recent NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels. He
    also assured the American partners that Romania is committed to its pledges as
    a NATO member and to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. At a
    meeting with the representatives of the Atlantic Council, retired general James
    Jones and Alexander Vershbow, minister Fifor underlined the importance
    of security in the Black Sea region for the agenda of the forthcoming NATO
    summit in July in Brussels. Talks also focused on the importance of the
    top-level meeting of the Three Seas Initiative to be hosted by Bucharest this
    year.




    Moldova-EU.
    On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the prime minister of the Republic of Moldova Pavel Filip
    on Saturday met the EU Commissioner for European
    Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn. The two
    officials discussed Moldova’s progress in carrying out the required reforms,
    including the requirements for receiving macro-financial assistance from the
    EU. Progress was noted in respect of the reform of the judicial system, the
    implementation of a new money laundering law and the passing of legislation to
    regulate the activity of NGOs. Prime minister Filip said these examples confirm
    the determination of the Moldovan authorities to continue on the path of
    European integration. He also reiterated his country’s commitment to fulfil the
    goals established at the Eastern Partnership summit in November last year. Commissioner
    Hahn welcomed the progress made and the commitment of the Moldovan government
    to the implementation of reforms at a fast pace and maintained the EU’s support
    for its Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova.

    Canada visa waiver. The visa waiver for the Romanian citizens
    travelling to Canada was followed by a significant increase in asylum
    applications for this country, which led to a meeting between the federal
    government and Romanian diplomats in Ottawa, according to the Canadian website
    Le Presse. Immigration officials say 232 Romanian citizens filed asylum
    applications since December 1st 2017 compared with only 120
    throughout 2016. Paul MacKinnon, an official with the
    Department of Citizenship and Immigration, says it has not been established yet
    if this is a trend that will persist or if its link to the visa waiver is
    incidental. The two parties agreed to continue the visa waiver program for Romanian
    citizens, but if asylum applications reach a certain level within a 12-month
    period, it is possible that visas will again be introduced, the Canadian
    official also said. The change in Canada’s policy on immigration was linked to
    the completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the
    European Union last year.


    Sofia. The Romanian foreign minister Teodor
    Melescanu attended an informal meeting of EU
    foreign affairs ministers in the Gymnich format held in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.
    Melescanu welcomed the idea of a new conference on Syria in Brussels and said
    the European Union must play a proactive role in the political process taking
    place under the NATO aegis and later in the post-conflict reconstruction
    process. He also said Romania was in favour of a continuation of the EU
    enlargement process and that this was one of its priorities during its first
    presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year.




    Berlin
    Festival.     Romania has a strong presence this year in the 68th
    edition of the Berlin Film Festival which got under way on the 15th
    of February and comes to an end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina
    Pintilie’s feature film debut, runs in the Competition section. A winner of the
    Golden Bear in 2013 with Child’s Pose, the Romanian helmer Calin Peter Netzer
    will this year be part of the jury. Touch Me Not, which will be shown for the first
    time in Berlin, is a personal exploration that questions our preconceived ideas
    about intimacy as a fundamental aspect of human existence. Ioana Uricariu’s
    Lemonade has been selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic
    vision and the courage to be different. Corneliu Porumboiu’s documentary
    Infinite Football will be screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two
    more Romanian productions are being shown in the Generation Kplus competition for children
    and young people. Last year, Dana Bunescu won the Silver Bear for the editing
    in Calin Peter Netzer’s Ana, mon amour.

  • 17 February, 2018

    17 February, 2018

    Brussels trip. Romania’s prime minister Viorica
    Dancila next week travels to Brussels for her first foreign visit. She will
    have talks with European leaders, including the head of the European Commission
    Jean Claude Juncker, the president of the European Council Donald Tusk, the
    speaker of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Commissioner
    for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila said recently she was planning to
    intensify foreign policy actions and the economic relations with the partner
    states.






    Munich Security Conference. Romania’s
    defence minister Mihai Fifor is attending the Munich Security Conference, a
    major forum for the discussion of security policy. On Friday, Fifor had a
    series of bilateral talks where he presented Romania’s priorities in the area
    of defence. According to a defence ministry press release, Fifor met the US
    senator and Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ron
    Johnson for talks on the relations between Romania and the US, with emphasis on
    cooperation within the North Atlantic Alliance. Minister Fifor used the
    opportunity to highlight the good discussions he had with the US Defence
    Secretary James Mattis at a recent NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels. He
    also assured the American partners that Romania is committed to its pledges as
    a NATO member and to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. At a
    meeting with the representatives of the Atlantic Council, retired general James
    Jones and Alexander Vershbow, minister Fifor underlined the importance
    of security in the Black Sea region for the agenda of the forthcoming NATO
    summit in July in Brussels. Talks also focused on the importance of the
    top-level meeting of the Three Seas Initiative to be hosted by Bucharest this
    year.




    Republic
    of Moldova.     On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the prime minister of the Republic of Moldova Pavel Filip
    today met the EU Commissioner for European
    Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn. The two
    officials discussed Moldova’s progress in carrying out the required reforms,
    including the requirements for receiving macro-financial assistance from the
    EU. Progress was noted in respect of the reform of the judicial system, the
    implementation of a new money laundering law and the passing of legislation to
    regulate the activity of NGOs. Prime minister Filip said these examples confirm
    the determination of the Moldovan authorities to continue on the path of
    European integration. He also reiterated his country’s commitment to fulfil the
    goals established at the Eastern Partnership summit in November last year.
    Commissioner Hahn welcomed the progress made and the commitment of the Moldovan
    government to the implementation of reforms at a fast pace and maintained the
    EU’s support for its Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova.


    Meeting. The Romanian foreign minister
    Teodor Melescanu attended an informal meeting of
    EU foreign affairs ministers in the Gymnich format held in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.
    Melescanu welcomed the idea of a new conference on Syria in Brussels and said
    the European Union must play a proactive role in the political process taking
    place under the NATO aegis and later in the post-conflict reconstruction
    process. He also said Romania was in favour of a continuation of the EU
    enlargement process and that this was one of its priorities during its first
    presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year.




    Berlin Festival. Romania has a
    strong presence this year in the 68th edition of the Berlin Film
    Festival which got under way on the 15th of February and comes to an
    end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina Pintilie’s feature film debut,
    runs in the Competition section. A winner of the Golden Bear in 2013 with
    Child’s Pose, the Romanian helmer Calin Peter Netzer will this year be part of
    the jury. Touch Me Not, which will be shown for the first time in Berlin, is a
    personal exploration that questions our preconceived ideas about intimacy as a
    fundamental aspect of human existence. Ioana Uricariu’s Lemonade has been
    selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic vision and the courage
    to be different. Corneliu Porumboiu’s documentary Infinite Football will be
    screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two more Romanian productions
    are being shown in the Generation
    Kplus competition for children and young people. Last year, Dana Bunescu won
    the Silver Bear for the editing in Calin Peter Netzer’s Ana, mon amour.


    Tennis. The Romanian tennis player
    and world no. 2 Simona Halep pulled out of the WTA tournament in Doha after she
    defeated the American player Catherine Bellis in straight sets on Friday night. Halep
    said she had to pull out because of a leg injury and that she would neither
    play in the Dubai tournament next week. Because of Halep’s withdrawal, Spain’s
    Garbine Muguruza, no. 4 in the world, has automatically qualified for Sunday’s
    final.

  • The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, took part in the 52nd Security Conference in Munich

    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, took part in the 52nd Security Conference in Munich

    The Black Sea area proves crucial in the current
    geopolitical context, both for regional security, and for the entire Euro-Atlantic
    area, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said in his address to the Munich
    Security Conference. The head of state added that Romania remains a pillar of
    democracy and stability in the region and may make a substantial contribution
    to solving the problems that generate instability at the Black Sea.




    Klaus Iohannis said that European officials need to find
    solutions to preserve the strength and unity of the European Union. The
    European project itself is being questioned. The international community needs
    to strengthen NATO as a guarantee of Euro-Atlantic security and to focus on
    collective defence, by means of massive investments in the political and
    strategic field. Romania will remain a pillar of democracy and stability in
    this region, Iohannis also said adding that his country will continue to be a
    source of security on the eastern border of NATO and the EU.




    Klaus Iohannis reminded the world leaders that this year
    Romania increased its defence budget and that an agreement was signed by all
    political parties, to the effect that public spending for national defence is
    to reach at least 2% of the Gross Domestic Product by 2017. He also welcomed
    the decision of the US to increase four times the budget of the European
    Reassurance Initiative, and he noted that the migration crisis changed
    perspectives in Europe.




    As President Iohannis put it, the migration crisis, in
    particular, has proved the prospective frailness of the European project and
    the limited effectiveness of our institutions. Not long ago, the main topic on
    the agenda was enlargement. Today, we must find solutions to preserve the
    strength and unity of the European Union, as the European project itself comes
    under question.




    In Munich, President Iohannis also had a bilateral
    meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, and assured him that
    Romania supports the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the
    neighbouring country. The two heads of state tackled some of the main topics on
    the bilateral agenda, ahead of the official visit that the Ukrainian president
    is to make to Romania this year.




    During his visit to Germany, the President of Romania
    also met with the head of the Bavarian Parliament, Barbara Stamm, and with the
    Bavarian PM Horst Seehofer, with whom he discussed, among others, the EU
    migration crisis. On this occasion, Iohannis said Romania continues to support
    the strengthening of the EU external borders and more efficient regulation with
    respect to the immigrant waves.



  • February 14, 2016

    February 14, 2016

    The Black Sea region proves crucial in the current geopolitical context, both in terms of regional security and for the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region, said President Klaus Iohannis, in his address at the Munich Security Conference. He promised that Romania remains a pillar of democracy and stability in the region and may make a substantial contribution to solving the problems that generate instability in the Black Sea region, remaining a source of security at the eastern border of NATO and the EU. In Munich, President Klaus Iohannis had a meeting on Saturday with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, and told him Romania supported the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The two heads of state tackled some of the main issues on the bilateral agenda, ahead of the official visit that the President of Ukraine will make to Romania this year.



    The international community is facing a moment of truth as regards Syria, said the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, as international leaders are convening today on the last day of the Munich Security Conference. The peace plan designed to secure a ceasefire between the Syrian governmental forces and the rebels within a week may only work if Russia ends its air raids in support of Bashar al-Assads government, the French Defence Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said during the conference. Russia must change its targets in Syria if it is to comply with the agreement designed to put an end to the war in Syria, the US Secretary of State John Kerry also said, adding that the US believes the vast majority of Russian attacks target legitimate Opposition groups. In an address at the same security conference, the Russian PM, Dmitri Medvedev, said there is no proof that the Russian air strikes have affected civilians.



    The President of the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae Timofti, will be on a two-day official visit to Bucharest starting on Tuesday. He will have meetings with his counterpart Klaus Iohannis, with Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş, with the Senate Speaker, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, and other Romanian officials. The main topics to be discussed include the bilateral relations, the European agenda of the Republic of Moldova, as well as the economic, political and social cooperation between the two countries. President Timofti is also to hand out on this occasion the distinctions offered by Moldova to President Iohannis, to State Secretary Raed Arafat, head of the Emergency Department in the Interior Ministry, and to the popular actor Florin Piersic, who has recently turned 80.



    Pope Francis believes the Catholic Church in Mexico must do more than just condemn drug trafficking. In a message on the first day of his five-day visit to Mexico, the Pope said drug trade was a test to the young and a cancer that destroys the Mexican society. On the other hand, on Friday the Pope and the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, called for the restored unity of the two churches. In a joint statement, they also urged the international community to protect the Christians in the Middle East against persecution. The talks were held on the airport in Havana, as Patriarch Kirill was on an official visit to Cuba, the first leg of his Latin American tour. This was the first meeting of a Pope and a leader of the Orthodox Church, after the Eastern and the Western Christian Churches split in the 11th Century.



    The pair Horia Tecau (Romania) and Jean-Julien Rojer (the Netherlands), no. 3 WTA, failed to qualify to the doubles final of the Rotterdam tournament, which has 1.597.155 euros in total prizes. They were defeated by Philipp Petzschner (Germany) / Alexander Peya (Austria), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 11-9. Tecău and Rojer, seeded 1st, won the Rotterdam tournament last year, when they defeated Jamie Murray (UK) and John Peers (Australia) in the final. Tecău and Rojer also played in the doubles final in 2014, but were defeated by the French pair Mickael Llodra/Nicolas Mahut.


    (translation by: Ana Maria Popescu)