ANNIVERSARY – Security challenges in the region and
across the world have evolved in a direction that confirms the need to tighten
NATO’s conflict deterrence and defence capacity, on the eastern flank, too,
Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said in a message launched on NATO Day in
Romania. Earlier, in a similar message, President Klaus Iohannis said NATO accession
is one of the most remarkable successes of Romania’s contemporary foreign
policy. Bucharest, to which NATO’s increasing relevance and efficiency as a
fundamental pillar of Euro-Atlantic security is a major goal, capitalises on
its well-defined strategic profile and actively contributes to NATO’s missions
and operations, the president also said. On Sunday, Romania celebrated 12 years
since it became a full-fledged NATO member.
BRUSSELS – Flights were resumed on Sunday, on the
Zaventem international airport in Brussels, 12 days since the bloody attacks
which hit Belgium’s airport and subway, killing 32 people. The resumption of
flights was possible after the airport police officers’ trade unions reached an
agreement with the government. Trade unionists had threatened to go on strike
in the absence of additional security measures in the wake of the attacks. Over
23 million people transit Zaventem airport every year. The airport’s closure
following the March 22 attacks incurred daily losses of 5 million Euros.
CONFLICT –
Azerbaijan on Sunday announced a unilateral but conditional cease-fire in
Nagorno Karabakh, a region which re-became, on Friday and Saturday, the stage
of violent clashes between the Azeri and Armenian forces since the conflict was
frozen, back in 1994. Armenia announced, however, the clashes continued. The
two sides point an accusatory finger to each other for the resumption of
hostilities. The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh will be high on the agenda of
next week’s meeting of the OSCE’s Minsk group for solving the separatist
conflict in the region, a group co-chaired by Russia, the United States and
France. Since the late 1980’s Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought for
the region of Nagorno-Karabah, with a predominantly Armenian population, but
annexed to Azerbaijan. The area was the stage of a war, which killed over
30,000 people and left hundreds of thousands destitute, between 1988 and 1994.
NAVAL EXERCISE – Three warships belonging to the Turkish Fleet,
which are taking part in a naval exercise in the Black Sea, on Sunday arrived
in the port of Constanta. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the
Turkish commander will meet with representatives of the Romanian Naval Forces
and the local authorities. The Turkish military, who will stay in Constanta
until Monday, will visit the Romanian Navy Museum and other tourist objectives
in the region. Also, a cooperation protocol will be signed between Turkish and
Romanian firms active in the defence industry.
SPORTS – The women’s volleyball
team CSM Bucharest on Sunday won the Challenge Cup, after outperforming the
Turkish team Trabzon Idman Ocagi. After a 3-1 win secured on Wednesday on home
turf, in the first leg of the finals, the Romanian volleyball players managed a
3-1 win in the away match, too. It is for the first time that a Romanian
women’s volleyball team wins a European trophy.