Radio România Internațional

Tag: national

June 17, 2023

TALKS The government in Bucharest and trade unions in the
country’s education system have set up a schedule for the implementation of the
amendments in the Salary Law as pledged by the Executive with a view to putting
an end to the teachers’ all-out strike, which lasted for three weeks. According
to the new Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, Education Minister Ligia Deca and
trade union representatives, the salary of a beginner teacher would be based on
the average salary in Romania. Trade union leaders will be having a new round
of talks with the Ministers of Education, Labour and Finances in an attempt to
draw up the new salary scale. After an agreement has been reached, it will be
presented to the ruling coalition and the first shape of the future salary law
is to be announced by the Labour Minister until July 15. After the government
endorsement, the project will be forwarded to Parliament in its autumn session.

RAIN Torrential rains have in the past days affected
several towns and villages in the country’s southwest, where numerous households
and scores of hectares of farmland have been flooded. Teams of firefighters and
gendarmes have intervened to pump the water out of the affected households.
Road and rail traffic has been temporarily disrupted while the National
Committee for Emergency Situations summoned by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on
Friday night, has approved food and water supplies to the families affected by
the latest floods.

FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side ended in a goalless draw their
game against the selection of Kosovo in Pristina on Friday night. The match was
counting towards the Group 1 of the EURO 2024 qualifiers, with Romania still
unbeaten after three games: two wins and a draw. Kosovo has three points and
the Romanian football team coached by Edward Iordanescu will play their next
game against Switzerland in Lucerne on Monday. The first two sides in the group
will qualify for the final tournament.

OPERA The second edition of Bucharest Opera Festival kicked off at the
National Opera in Bucharest (ONB) on Friday night. The event brings together
for nine days 15 hundred artists, nine different productions, which aren’t
normally performed on the ONB stage, and a programme, which covers nearly 300
years of music history. I am convinced this festival remains an example about
the fact that art has to unite people, that artists are free spirits practicing
cultural diplomacy, and setting up bridges of communication between peoples,
countries, between various teams of artists and managers in Romania and
abroad, says Daniel Jinga, director general with the National Opera in
Bucharest. The present edition has kicked off with a premiere of The Marriage
of Figaro by Mozart, directed by maestro Sir David Pountney, a coproduction
with the Tel Aviv Opera. According to Director Pountney, the show has been
built on a world of contrasts.

RELATIONS Between June 14-16, the Romanian city of Timisoara, which is also
European capital of culture this year, played venue for the 26th
session of the Romanian-German government commission for the problematic of the
ethnic Germans in Romania. State Secretary Daniela Gitman has emphasized the
excellent level of the Romanian-German relations based on mutual trust,
stepped-up political dialogue, growing economic dynamics, and very tight
inter-human relations. The Romanian official has mentioned the significant
contribution of the German minority in Romania and the Romanian community in
Germany to the consolidation of the bilateral dialogue and their role as a
catalyst in the cooperation between the two countries. Gitman has also voiced
appreciation for the decision of the German government to carry on its 5.4
million Euro support for the ethnic Germans in Romania.

(bill)

17 June 2023
December 1, 2022 UPDATE

NATIONAL DAY Romania celebrated on Thursday 104 years since the Great
Union of December 1, 1918. In the capital city Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and
staff of the defence ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence
Service, the Special Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as
well as vehicles and 40 aircraft took part in a military parade. Ceremonies were
also organised abroad, where Romanian troops are deployed. National Day events were
also held elsewhere in the country and abroad. The Romanian Cultural Institute
organises 50 events until December 10, to celebrate National
Day in 31 cities in the world. Romania’s national day has been celebrated on December 1 since 1990.
On this day in 1918, the National Assembly in Alba Iulia adopted a resolution
regarding the union of all provinces inhabited by Romanians.

MESSAGES Romanians need tangible and immediate progress to improve
their living standards and wellbeing, president Klaus Iohannis said, and urged
the authorities to use all the instruments they have available to this goal. At
a reception given on National Day, he also emphasised that Romania is a pillar
of security in a geopolitical area marked by uncertainty, and a stable country
that has made significant progress in recent years. Let us prove that December
1 is truly the day of our unity, the PM Nicolae Ciucă said in a message on
National Day. Today, just like at the end of the First World War, the main
topics on the national agenda are security, stability and the modernisation of
Romania. Unlike in 1918, today we have European funds for reforms and
development and the protection provided by NATO, the most powerful military
alliance in history, the PM posted on Facebook on Thursday. On behalf of the
United States of America, I congratulate the people of Romania as you celebrate
Great Union Day, and I wish them a very happy national day, the US
secretary of state Antony Blinken also said in a message on this occasion. The
US official emphasised that 2022 is a special year, as it marks the
25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the U.S. and Romania. The
Ukrainian foreign ministry also sent a message congratulating the Romanian
people and calling for unity for peace and solidarity in Europe.

VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis will be on an official
visit to Greece on Friday and Saturday. He will have meetings with his Greek
counterpart, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and with the PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
According to the Presidency, the agenda will include talks about the potential
for development of the two countries’ relations in the economic and investment
sectors, as well as in culture, education, civil protection and tourism.
Special attention will be paid to infrastructure and inter-connection projects,
including in the energy sector, in order to minimize the dependence on Russian
natural gas and to improve Romania’s and Greece’s energy security.

SCHENGEN The Justice and Home Affairs Council included on the agenda of its
December 8-9 meeting topics related to the Schengen area. Specifically, the EU
justice and interior ministers will discuss the full application of the
Schengen acquis in Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, which seek admission in the
passport-free travel area. Romania has been trying to join Schengen for more than 10 years. European
Commission experts found that Bucharest meets all EU border security standards.
Romania’s accession will increase Europe’s security, rather than be a danger
for the member states, Bucharest has repeatedly assured the few countries that
are still reluctant to the idea.

UNESCO The Inter-Governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage, convening in Rabat, Morocco, decided to
include the file The Art of the Traditional Blouse with Embroidery on the
Shoulder (Altiță) – an Element of Cultural Identity of Romania and the Republic
of Moldova in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity. The announcement was made on Thursday by the MP Ana-Maria
Cătăuţă, chair of the parliament’s special committee for UNESCO. The Romanian
blouse, as everybody knows it, […] is one of the identity elements that give us
strength and power, the Deputy Ana-Maria Cătăuţă said in a news release.

OSCE The Romanian
foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu took part on Thursday in a meeting of the
Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
held in Lodz, Poland. The Romanian diplomacy chief condemned the atrocities
committed by Russia against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The Romanian official reiterated the call for Moscow to immediately and
unconditionally end its military aggression and to pull out its troops and
equipment from Ukraine. Mr. Aurescu also spoke about the bilateral and
international support for the R. of Moldova, heavily affected by the war in Ukraine. (AMP)

1 December 2022
December 1, 2022

NATIONAL DAY Romania celebrates
today 104 years since the Great Union of December 1, 1918. In the capital city
Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence ministry, interior
ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications
Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and 40 aircraft will
take part in a military parade. According to the defence ministry, foreign
troops from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Portugal,
USA and the Netherlands, as well as representatives of Allied countries
contributing to NATO structures deployed in Romania will also be attending. All
military institutions in the country and all vessels are flying the national
flag. Ceremonies are also organised abroad, where Romanian troops are deployed.
In the 2 world wars alone, the Romanian Army lost over 1,230,000 troops and
officers. National Day events are also held elsewhere in the country and
abroad. The Romanian Cultural Institute organises 50 events until December 10, to celebrate National
Day in 31 cities in the world. Romania’s national day has been celebrated on December 1 since 1990.
On this day in 1918, the National Assembly in Alba Iulia adopted a resolution
regarding the union of all provinces inhabited by Romanians.

MESSAGES Let us prove
that December 1 is truly the day of our unity, a day of all those whose hearts tremble
before the national colours, the PM Nicolae Ciucă says in a message on National
Day. Today, just like at the end of the First World War, the main topics on
the national agenda are security, stability and the modernisation of Romania.
Unlike in 1918, today we have European funds for reforms and development and
the protection provided by NATO, the most powerful military alliance in
history, the PM posted on Facebook on Thursday. On behalf of the United
States of America, I congratulate the people of Romania as you celebrate Great
Union Day, and I wish them a very happy national day, the US secretary of
state Antony Blinken also says in a message on this occasion. The US official
emphasises that 2022 is a special year, as it marks the 25th
anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the U.S. and Romania. The
Ukrainian foreign ministry also sent a message congratulating the Romanian
people and calling for unity for peace and solidarity in Europe.

SURVEY For 9 out of
10 Romanians in the Diaspora it is important to stay connected to their home
country through Romanian or Romanian-language media, says a survey by Google concerning
the use of technology by the Romanians living abroad. Over 70% of them follow
Romanian content frequently (at least 2 or 3 times a week). According to the
survey, 57% of the Romanians living abroad listen to Romanian music, 56% use
social network, 53% watch Romanian TV channels, 51% read Romanian online
publications and 26% listen to Romanian radio stations. The survey involved
Romanian internet users aged over 18, living in Germany, Spain, Italy and the
UK, between November 11 and 16, 2022.

OSCE The Romanian
foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in a meeting of the
Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
held in Lodz, Poland, the country that holds the rotating presidency of the organisation.
The meeting takes place in the context of the biggest security crisis in Europe
since World War II, caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Romanian
diplomacy chief will condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s unjustified and
unprovoked military aggression, and will highlight Romania’s support for the
international efforts to bring the culprits to justice. Romania’s full
solidarity with Ukraine and its people was also reiterated by Bogdan Aurescu at
the meeting of NATO foreign ministers which concluded in Bucharest on Wednesday.
Aurescu also mentioned Romania’s multidimensional support, with an emphasis on
the humanitarian aid provided to the more than 2.9 million Ukrainian nationals
that crossed Romania’s borders, as well as the facilitation of grain and
foodstuff transit from Ukraine.

ASPEN Romania has all
the resources, particularly the human resources necessary for creating the new
technologies of the future, the Romanian minister for research Sebastian
Burduja said. He added that progress in the right direction depends on
regulation and funding, particularly in early stages, and that many start-ups
fail not because they lack ideas, but access to capital. Minister Sebastian
Burduja Wednesday took part in the Aspen Forum held in Bucharest. The 11th
edition of the event was organised by the Aspen Institute Romania and the
German Marshall Fund, with NATO support and co-financing from the EU and the US
Agency for International Development.

UNESCO The
Inter-Governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage, convening in Rabat, Morocco, decided to include the file The Art of
the Traditional Blouse with Embroidery on the Shoulder (Altiță) – an Element of
Cultural Identity of Romania and the Republic of Moldova in the UNESCO
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The announcement
was made today by the MP Ana-Maria Cătăuţă, chair of the parliament’s special
committee for UNESCO. The Romanian blouse, as everybody knows it, […] is one
of the identity elements that give us strength and power, the Deputy Ana-Maria
Cătăuţă said in a news release. (AMP)

1 December 2022
November 29, 2022

NATO The foreign ministers of NATO member countries, partner countries
and of the 2 candidate countries are in Bucharest for a 2-day meeting. It is
the first meeting of this kind hosted by Romania since it joined the Alliance and the
first event held in a NATO eastern flank country since the start of the war in
Ukraine, Romania’s foreign ministry highlighted. The meeting comprises 3
working sessions, 2 of which will be attended by the Allies together with
Sweden and Finland. Taking part in the third session will also be the foreign
ministers of Bosnia – Herzegovina, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. The
first day of the meeting will conclude with a working dinner attended by the
foreign minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, and the EU foreign policy chief,
Josep Borrell. The agenda of the meeting in Bucharest includes the
implementation of the decisions taken at the NATO summit in Madrid. The war in
Ukraine and the provision of long-term political and practical support from the
Allies will be the main topic of discussion. Other topics include energy security,
China, the strategic importance of the Black Sea region. NATO’s secretary
general Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Bucharest on Monday, and had meetings with
president Klaus Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign minister Bogdan
Aurescu.

MEETING Bucharest is the capital of European and Euro-Atlantic diplomacy
and even beyond these regions, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu
said. Apart from the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Romania is hosting
these days, for the first time ever, a Munich Leaders Meeting. 75 top-level
governmental officials and foreign policy and security experts are discussing
the consequences of the war in Ukraine as well as other security issues in the
region. The 11th Aspen Forum also begins in Bucharest today, with
participants including the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The 2022 edition
of the Forum takes place in the context of the war in Ukraine, which has
affected the entire world both in economic and security terms, and which is not
expected to come to an end soon, therefore it will only deepen multiple crisis,
the Aspen Institute says in a news release posted ahead of the meeting. Also in
Bucharest, a new energy coordination task force is scheduled to convene. The
group comprises officials of G7 and other Allied countries, and is working to
mobilise or plan the supply of equipment to Ukraine as soon as possible.

PARTNERSHIP Ahead of the US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s visit to
Bucharest to take part in the NATO Council, the US Department of State hailed
the celebration of 25 years since the Strategic Partnership with Romania was
signed. A US Department of State news release mentions Bucharest’s contribution
to NATO and multinational operations, the fact that the country hosts several
NATO and American military structures, including the missile defence system in Deveselu.
I am very happy and proud to say that our strategic partnership has reached the
highest level in its quarter-century history, the Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă
said in his turn, after the meeting with the US official in Bucharest. Twenty-five
years is a very important benchmark, which makes us aware that in 1997 a
generation was born which grew up and reached maturity concurrently with the
strategic partnership. I am confident that this generation will do everything
in their power to safeguard the freedom and rights we have secured and
democratic values, Mr. Ciuca also said. We have an unshakeable alliance, built
on shared values, and strong relations in the economic sector, including the
energy sector, Antony Blinken said, and also mentioned the academic and
cultural exchanges between the 2 countries.

NATIONAL DAY The Romanian Cultural Institute organises 50 events until December
10, to celebrate the National Day of Romania in 31 cities abroad. According to
the president of the Institute, Liviu Jicman, the events held in emblematic
locations in the respective countries place the works of Romanian artists among
the most important cultural landmarks of today and contribute to raising
awareness among foreign cultural and arts communities and the general public
with respect to the Romanian culture. On December 1, the National Day of Romania, a parade will be
organised in Bucharest and another one in Alba Iulia. On Monday the Parliament
celebrated 104 years since the Great Union in a special meeting. (AMP)

29 November 2022
Preparations for National Day

Every year on December 1, the National Day of Romania is celebrated across the country as well as abroad, in theatres of operations where Romanian troops are deployed or in the Romanian communities abroad.

In Bucharest, the traditional Triumphal Arch parade is scheduled, which this year will see the most extensive participation of Allied troops. For the first time since the Covid pandemic, there will be no restrictions for the public. In addition to the previous years, the military parade will showcase the latest equipment purchased by the Romanian Army.

Apart from Romanian troops, the parade will include around 150 foreign servicemen from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Portugal, the US and the Netherlands, as well as troops representing the countries contributing to the NATO structures in Romania, and military equipment, including fighter jets from Canada, Italy, Spain and the US.

National Day celebrations will also be held in Alba Iulia, where messages for Romania will be sent out on November 29 as part of an educational programme hosted by the Principia Museum. On November 30, when St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania is celebrated, Alba Iulia will host military ceremonies and wreath laying ceremonies. On the same day, a festival of traditions and customs is scheduled to begin, entitled Traditional Romania.

On December 1, the Union March will take place, and a military parade will be held in Alba Iulia, with around 850 troops and military equipment taking part, including land vehicles, helicopters and F-16 fighters. A unit of French troops, part of the NATO battle group in Cincu, Braşov County, will also take part in the parade.

The events also celebrate 100 years since the coronation of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie in Alba Iulia, where in 1600 the Wallachian prince Michael the Brave entered with his troops in what was later seen as the first political union of the Romanian territories.

Nicknamed “The Unifier,” Ferdinand I was the first king of all Romanians, the sovereign under whose reign the great union of 1918 was achieved. Ferdinand I was the one who introduced a land reform and an election reform, who worked to strengthen the Romanian nation state, and whose reign was the most prosperous period in the modern history of the Romanian state.

Standing by his side was an exceptional personality: Queen Marie of Romania, who worked as a battlefield nurse during the First World War and as a diplomat in European capitals, the one without whom, historians agree, Ferdinands success would not have been the same and Greater Romania would have been a goal even harder to achieve. (AMP)

28 November 2022
November 27, 2022

NATO Bucharest will host on Tuesday and Wednesday a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Attending will also be the foreign ministers of Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine and, for the first time, the Republic of Moldova. The war in Ukraine will be one of the main topics of the meeting. The conference will be co-chaired by the Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, and NATOs secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. This is the first event of this kind organised in Romania since the country joined the Alliance in 2004 and the second NATO formal meeting in Romania since the 2008 summit. NATOs deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană, says the event is a bridge between this summers summit in Madrid and the forthcoming summit in Vilnius, and a contribution made by Romania to the Alliances strategic thinking and response to the complex situation on the continent.

MLM A Munich Leaders Meeting (MLM) takes place in Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday. The Romanian foreign ministry is co-hosting this prestigious event, which is part of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Attending will be over 75 senior officials from over 25 countries, including current and former officials, experts, analysts and opinion leaders. The agenda includes relevant topics for international security, with an emphasis on developments in the Black Sea and Western Balkans regions. Other topics will be the European security architecture, implementing the new NATO Strategic Concept, hybrid threats, food security, and the energy crisis. The conclusions of the meeting in Bucharest will contribute to shaping the agenda of next years Munich Security Conference.

NATIONAL DAY Events devoted to Romanias National Day on December 1 begin in Alba Iulia on November 30, with military and wreath laying ceremonies. On December 1, more than 850 troops will parade in Alba Iulia, including a French unit part of the NATO battlegroup deployed in Cincu, Braşov County. In Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and 40 aircraft will take part in a military parade on December 1. According to a defence ministry news release, around 150 troops from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, R. of Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, will also take part. Romanian military personnel on missions abroad will also organise special ceremonies.

ENVIRONMENT The Romanian environment ministry launched a national forestation programme financed from EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The decision was made because forests cover less than 30% of the countrys surface, as against the European average of 40%. In some counties in the south and south-east of the country, the ratio is even have less than 5%. Farmers who no longer want to keep their farmland under crops may turn it into forests or shelterbelts. The government provides up to EUR 20,000 for a hectare of oak forest in plains areas and up to EUR 17,000 per hectare of shelterbelts, with an additional EUR 456 per year for each hectare of forest for 20 years.

ENESCU The George Enescu International Music Festival was shortlisted for the prestigious International Opera Awards, the Oscars of the opera world, the festival organisers have announced. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday at Teatro Real (Madrid, Spain). The 2021 edition was shortlisted in the Festivals section, alongside other top-level events in the world of international classical music, such as the Donizetti Festival and Garsington Opera. (AMP)

27 November 2022
RRI Sports Club

Romania’s women’s
tennis team defeated Hungary, 4-0, in the play-offs of the Billie Jean King cup.
The event was hosted by the Oradea Arena, the 5,000-seat sports hall of the
city of Oradea, in northern Romania.

In the first match,
played on Friday, Ana Bogdan defeated Dalma Galfi 6-1, 6-4, winning Romania’s
first point. The second came from Jaqueline Cristian, who won the second
singles match 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 against Anna Bondar.

On Saturday, the overall
score went to 3-0 for Romania, after Ana Bogdan beat Panna Udvardy 6-0, 6-2.
The doubles match, pitting Jaqueline Cristian and Monica Niculescu from Romania
against Hungary’s Reka Jani and Panna Udvardy, ended with a 5-7, 6-4, 10-4
victory for Romania.

The 2 teams, Romania and
Hungary, had previously played against each other 9 times in the Fed Cup. Romania
boasts 8 wins, with Hungary’s only victory coming in 1993 in a match in England.

The winner of this year’s
Billie Jean King Cup is Switzerland, which defeated Australia in the final 2-0.

In the 2023 Billie
Jean King Cup qualifiers, Romania will take on Slovenia, away from home,
according to this Sunday’s draw. Slovenia defeated China 3-1 and is scheduled to
play against Romania on April 14 and 15 next year. Romania and Slovenia only
played against each other in the Fed Cup in Murcia, Spain in 2000, when
Slovenia won 3-0. (AMP)

16 November 2022
RRI Sports Club

Romania’s women’s
tennis team defeated Hungary, 4-0, in the play-offs of the Billie Jean King cup.
The event was hosted by the Oradea Arena, the 5,000-seat sports hall of the
city of Oradea, in northern Romania.

In the first match,
played on Friday, Ana Bogdan defeated Dalma Galfi 6-1, 6-4, winning Romania’s
first point. The second came from Jaqueline Cristian, who won the second
singles match 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 against Anna Bondar.

On Saturday, the overall
score went to 3-0 for Romania, after Ana Bogdan beat Panna Udvardy 6-0, 6-2.
The doubles match, pitting Jaqueline Cristian and Monica Niculescu from Romania
against Hungary’s Reka Jani and Panna Udvardy, ended with a 5-7, 6-4, 10-4
victory for Romania.

The 2 teams, Romania and
Hungary, had previously played against each other 9 times in the Fed Cup. Romania
boasts 8 wins, with Hungary’s only victory coming in 1993 in a match in England.

The winner of this year’s
Billie Jean King Cup is Switzerland, which defeated Australia in the final 2-0.

In the 2023 Billie
Jean King Cup qualifiers, Romania will take on Slovenia, away from home,
according to this Sunday’s draw. Slovenia defeated China 3-1 and is scheduled to
play against Romania on April 14 and 15 next year. Romania and Slovenia only
played against each other in the Fed Cup in Murcia, Spain in 2000, when
Slovenia won 3-0. (AMP)

16 November 2022
November 7, 2022 – UPDATE

DROUGHT In Romania, the total area affected by drought is more than
one million hectares. According to the agriculture ministry, losses have been
reported in most counties. The most affected crops include wheat, barley, oats,
rye, rape, corn and sunflower.

ENVIRONMENT Romania fully supports the EU in spearheading the
efforts to limit climate change and the joint commitment of EU member states to
reducing net greenhouse gas emissions, president Klaus Iohannis said on Monday
at the Climate Implementation Summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt as part of
the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27). We must ensure an orderly climate
transition, with multiple benefits, including investments in research-development-innovation,
green economy and job creation, the Romanian official also said. He emphasised
that access to affordable energy can be secured through investments in low-carbon production capacities, in resilient energy networks and
by creating a regulatory framework tailored for renewable energy. The cost of
climate inaction is much higher than the cost of action. Climate change
generates loss and economic as well as non-economic damages throughout the
world, Klaus Iohannis pointed out.

MOLDOVA Romania covers at present more than 90% of Moldova’s
electricity needs, Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, said at a TV
station. He also said the situation is serious in the neighbouring country,
given its full dependency on foreign natural gas and electricity resources.
According to Aurescu, Romania has also supported Moldova by supplying it with
fuel oil and firewood. Bucharest has called on the international community to provide
grants to Chisinau, so as the latter may purchase energy from the free market.

ANI Romania’s National Integrity Agency (ANI) has found that the mayor
of the capital city’s District 1, Clotilde Armand, has breached conflict of
interest rules. According to a news release issued by the institution, Armand
appointed herself as the manager of an EU-funded project, from which she
obtained material gains. ANI has also announced it notified the Prosecutor’s
Office and the Bucharest Prefect Office in this respect. A French citizen born
in 1973, Clotilde Armand settled in Bucharest in 1999, after marrying a
Romanian citizen. She was one of the founders of the current Save Romania Union
(USR) in 2015, which she represented at the local elections of 2020 when she
won the mayor seat of one of the capital’s richest districts.

REACTION The Romanian Foreign Ministry denies the allegations made by
Russian President Vladimir Putin in a recent Unity Day speech, which falsely
induce the idea that Romania would have territorial claims in Ukraine. In a news
release, the Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Romania’s firm commitment to the
independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its
internationally recognized borders. In his speech, Putin talked about
territories forcibly seized by Ukraine from Hungary, Romania and Poland.

THEATRE The National Theatre Festival (NTF) continues in Romania
until November 13. Theatre performances during this event will have in-person
attendance, after two years of pandemic with online performances. The NTF
includes over 60 theatre shows staged by public and independent companies from
Romania and abroad. The festival, held this year under the motto, ‘Fragile
borders. Fluid histories’ also includes an on-air section comprising a number
of exquisite radio drama shows. (AMP)

7 November 2022
A National Anti-cancer Plan

According to centralized
data, cancer remains a major health issue at world level being among the main causes
of premature deaths in people with ages between 30 and 69 in 134 countries,
Romania included. However, authorities in this country have decided to do more
for the prevention and treatment of this dreadful disease. An outcome of the
cooperation between healthcare authorities, physicians – including in the
private field – and patient associations, the National Plan for the Prevention
and Combating Cancer is an initiative the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis kicked
off eleven months ago.

After passing through all
the necessary stages, the law endorsing this plan, which is being implemented
for the period between 2023 and 2030 has been promulgated by president Klaus
Iohannis.

Klaus Iohannis: We have the obligation to take action now on behalf
of those who lost the battle with the illness and those who have been diagnosed
with this terrible disease. There is remarkable medical progress,
state-of-the-art technologies, which can turn cancer into a treatable disease.
And the Romanians have a right to these present day innovations.

Under the law, all the
Romanian citizens, residing in Romania, citizens of the EU member countries as
well as the foreigners and stateless individuals living or residing in Romania
have a state-guaranteed right to medical and social services comprised by the
National Plan for Preventing and Combating Cancer. These services include the
prevention, investigation and treatment of cancer, access to care services,
including palliative care, psycho-oncology and social services as well as to food
subsidies.

Romania is actually
lining up to the European standards in the field. The move was all the more so
necessary because statistical figures for Romania were quite alarming, as physician
Dana Paun, presidential healthcare advisor told Radio Romania.

Dana Paun: Cancer represents a major
healthcare issue after cardiovascular diseases and for this reason we needed
this plan, which comprises very clear objectives. For instance, national
screening programmes have become operational. We have so far benefitted for
funding from the Healthcare Ministry only for the uterine cancer, but they want
to implement screening programmes for other types of cancer. At the same time
there are plans for a national cancer registry for all the types of cancer
affecting the Romanians. An inter-disciplinary approach is also under
discussion as one patient cannot be treated by only one physician. You need a
team of doctors to study the case and prescribe the treatment, surgery,
radio-therapy, chemotherapy, so that the patient may benefit from the right
treatment.

And since a series of expensive
innovative therapies have emerged
and the National Insurance House is unable to cover these new types of
treatment, there are plans for a healthcare innovation fund to provide the Romanian
patients access to them.

(bill)

3 November 2022
EU money for Romania’s infrastructure

Romania is set to receive the first payments under the
Recovery and Resilience Facility, intended for the country’s economic recovery. The European Commission has authorized
the first disbursements in the grant and the loan components of the plan. The
decision means EUR 2.6 bln coming Romania’s way.

Bucharest had applied for
these first payments in May, after meeting the 21 targets and milestones
related to the 4th quarter of 2021. In September, the European
Commission’s assessment of these targets was endorsed and forwarded to the
Economic and Financial Committee, which also approved it.

At the time, the
president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the positive
assessment had been prompted by good and quick progress in implementing the
first set of reforms and investments under the Plan.

This is a moment that
confirms the government’s consolidated effort, which translated into the
meeting of the targets and milestones undertaken by Romania for the last
quarter of 2021 and into reforms of major importance for our country,ˮ the
minister for European projects and investments, Marcel Boloş, said.
Realistically speaking, it is only the beginning of a long road ahead of us,
but one which, if key aspects in the Plan are completed, will result in
boosting the economy and in generating a solid multiplier effect for
investments in motorways, railway infrastructure, schools, hospital
infrastructure and everything related to the strengthening of the Romanian
economy,ˮ Marcel Boloş added.

The next payment
application will amount to a total EUR 3.2 bln, for which over 50 targets will
have to be met, related to the first half of this year.

Under the Recovery and
Resilience Facility, Romania can benefit from nearly EUR 30 bln. For the
implementation of its national plan, Bucharest has already cashed in 2
pre-financing instalments totalling around EUR 3.8 bln.

In related news, the
minister for European projects and investments stated last week that he hoped
the European Commission would endorse all the 8 regional operational programmes
by November, which would be a turning point in that it would be for the first time that local
authorities will make independent decisions on how to spend these EU funds. Marcel Boloș pointed out that half
of the 8 programmes for the 2021-2027 financial cycle have been approved, and
that they amount to a combined EUR 11 bln. The EU money for the regional
programmes may be used up until 2030. (AMP)

24 October 2022
July 31, 2022

TAXATION On 1 August, some of the fiscal measures introduced
recently by the coalition government made up of the National Liberal Party,
Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
Romania take effect. On Monday the tobacco excise duty is to increase, as is
the tax on gambling gains. Changes are also operated as regards salaries in the
construction industry, agriculture and foodstuffs, where the ceiling for
certain tax rebates will be lowered. Further changes to the Fiscal Code will
take effect early next year. For example, in the hospitality industry VAT will
be raised from 5 to 9%, while the VAT for non-alcoholic beer and for sugary
drinks will be raised to 19%. Sales of houses bigger than 120 sq.m. or for prices
of over EUR 120,000 will also carry increased VAT. According
to government estimates, these changes will bring the state budget an
additional EUR 243 million this year and some EUR 2.1 billion in 2023.

FESTIVAL Medieval
Sighişoara Festival in central Romania comes to a close today with a
concert by the rock band Cargo and a spectacular fireworks show. Currently in
its 28th year, the festival recreated the medieval feel with the
help of the over 100 participating artists. Events included medieval music and
dance performances, theatre plays, animation, and arts and crafts workshops. The
festival was organized under the patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, custodian of the Crown of Romania. Sighişoara is the
only inhabited medieval citadel in south-eastern Europe.

MILITARY The world’s
strongest air assault force, the US 101st Airborne Division, started
its mission in Romania, following a decision in this respect taken at the
recent NATO summit in Madrid. PM Nicolae Ciucă Saturday took part in the
ceremony in which the US unit presented its colours at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase
57 and welcomed the presence of this force, which contributes to strengthening
NATO’s eastern flank. The Romanian official thanked the US troops deployed to
Romania for their effort and contribution to the country’s security. Civilians,
airport personnel and their families then watched an impressive demonstration
showcasing the firepower of the Romanian and US armed forces. Created in 1942 to free Europe from the Nazi
occupation, the US 101st Airborne Division has 2,400 troops
deployed in Romania, 4,700 in Europe and nearly 20,000 around the world. In one
night alone, it can mobilise a brigade of 4,000 troops and hundreds of military
vehicles, equipment and weapon systems, an assault force able to overwhelm any opponent.

CENSUS Sunday is the
last day of the official population and housing census in Romania, after
several extensions. According to the National Statistics Institute, over 90% of
the process had been completed by early this week. The purpose of the census is to
establish the number of people living on Romanian territory, as well as the
living standards in each locality. Based on the data collected, the
authorities will create public policies and earmark funding for each town or
village. At EU level, the number of people
living in Romania is a criterion in the distribution of EU funds. The census is
compulsory for all Romanian citizens.

COVID More than 4,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections out of over 13,000
tests, as well as 13 COVID-related deaths were reported on Sunday in Romania, the
authorities announced. The number of COVID patients in hospitals is over 3,900,
of whom more than 260 are in intensive care. The authorities estimate that next
week Romania could see 10,000 new cases per day. Although spreading very
quickly, this variant of the virus causes less severe forms of the disease.

TENNIS
The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan (108 WTA) plays today against Caroline
Garcia of France (45 WTA), in the Warsaw WTA tournament finals. They only
played against each other once before, at Wimbledon
in 2017, when the French player won. On Saturday, Ana Bogdan, currently
at her first WTA final in her career, defeated Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine (190
WTA), 7-5, 7-5. (AMP)

31 July 2022
July 29, 2022

VISIT The president of the R. of Moldova, Maia Sandu, is today on an
official visit in Romania, at the invitation of her counterpart Klaus Iohannis.
At the press conference following the official meeting, the Romanian president
said the talks were solid and focused on many topics of bilateral interest,
taking into account the long-lasting and sincere connections between the 2
countries. He congratulated Maia Sandu on Moldova’s EU accession candidate
status granted at the European Council meeting on June 23-24. This is a historic
achievement, a landmark in the history of the country, Klaus Iohannis said, and
added that Romania will continue to support Moldova through all the means available
to it. Mr. Iohannis also pointed out that the 2 presidents agreed to take
decisive steps in terms of inter-connecting the electricity networks of their
countries, and discussed the potential of the Iaşi-Ungheni-Chişinău pipeline
as a vital element of Moldova’s energy security. In
turn, the
president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said Bucharest stood by Chisinau over the
years, and Romania’s voice ‘resounded strongly’ in Brussels in support of
Moldova’s EU candidate status. Maia Sandu voiced her confidence that the
Moldovan-Romanian partnership will contribute to overcoming the difficulties
entailed by the war in Ukraine.

ANTHEM Every year on July 29 Romania celebrates National Anthem Day.
According to the defence ministry, ceremonies are held today in all military
units across the country. In Bucharest, a religious service was held in front
of the National Military Palace, while in Râmnicu Vâlcea local authorities
organized events devoted to the song Awaken Thee, Romanian!, which was first
performed officially in this town 174 years ago. National Anthem Day was
proclaimed by Parliament in 1998. The song was written by Anton Pann, on lyrics
by the poet Andrei Mureşanu. The message of the National Anthem has a strong
impact, and calls for national unity, courage, dignity and responsibility,
president Klaus Iohannis said in a news release. In turn, PM Nicolae Ciucă said
the anthem, national colours and the coat of arms define the identity of the
Romanian nation and signify the strong connection between the past, present and
future.

FESTIVAL Sighişoara,
in central Romania, is hosting this weekend the 28th edition of the
first medieval festival in Romania. The Sighişoara citadel will be the stage of
theatre performances, music and dance shows, improvisation, arts and crafts
demonstrations. While the previous edition was attended by some 11,000
visitors, the organisers hope 16,000 people will take part this year. A
spectacular fireworks show is planned for the closing ceremony on Sunday night.
Sighisoara is the only inhabited medieval citadel in south-eastern Europe.

FOOTBALL All the Romanian football teams taking part in the European
Conference League qualifiers have moved into the 3rd preliminary
round. On Thursday Universitatea Craiova defeated the Albanian side
Vllaznia 3-0 on home turf, after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. In the 3rd
preliminary round, Craiova will play against the Ukrainian team Zaria Luhansk. In
Bucharest, FCSB defeated Saburtalo (Georgia) 4-2, and is next to take on the
Slovakian team Dunajská Streda. The Romanian Cup winners Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe had
the most difficult match on Thursday, against Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia, and
lost 2-0, away from home, after having won 3-1 in the first leg. In the penalty
shootouts, the Slovenians missed twice, and Sepsi moved forward in the
competition. Their next opponent is Djurgården (Sweden). And on Wednesday, CFR Cluj drew 1-1 away from home
against Inter Club d’Escaldes, of Andorra, after 3-0 at home, and are pitted
next against Belarusian champions Shahtior Soligorsk. (AMP)

29 July 2022
July 14, 2022 UPDATE

PARADE The National Day parade in France was marked this year by the
war in Ukraine. Troops from 9 countries on NATO’s eastern flank, including 12
from Romania, paraded jointly with French military as a token of the unity of
NATO Allies and of solidarity with Ukraine, Radio Romania’s correspondent in
Paris reports. According to her, this year’s celebrations unfolded under the
motto ‘Partager la flame’ (Divide the Flame), with a dual meaning: to pay
homage to Hubert Germain, the last member of the French resistance against the
Nazi occupation, who died this year, and to hail the Olympic flame ahead the
Olympic Games Paris is due to stage in 2024. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis Thursday
sent president Macron a letter of congratulations and wishes of prosperity for
the French people. Iohannis highlighted the solidity and consistency of the
Strategic Partnership between Romania and France, built on common values and
excellent cooperation both at bilateral level and within the EU and other
international bodies. Bucharest celebrated France’s national day with a
reception at the French Embassy, attended by Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae
Ciuca and by senior French officials.

ECONOMY Thanks to a
surprising 5.2% growth rate in Q1, the European Commission decided to update
its estimates on Romania’s economic growth this year, from 2.6% forecast in
March to 3.9% in its summer economic forecast made public on Thursday. The Commission
also operated a downward adjustment of its forecast for 2023, from 3.6% to 2.9%,
given that the growth trend is expected to slow down both globally and at EU
level. Private consumption and investments are expected to be the main growth
engines both this year and the next, whereas net exports will lead to a deeper
trade deficit, the Commission says.

VISIT Germany’s
foreign minister Annalena Baerbock will be on an official visit to Bucharest
and Constanţa on Friday, the German embassy in Bucharest announced. Annalena
Baerbock will co-chair the second ministerial conference of the Support
Platform for the Republic of Moldova together with her Romanian counterpart,
Bogdan Aurescu and the French state secretary for development, Francophonie, and international partnerships Chrysoula
Zacharopoulou. Also on Friday Annalena Baerbock will have meetings with PM Nicolae
Ciucă and foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, focusing on bilateral and European
policy topics. In the Black Sea port of Constanţa the German official will
discuss with local officials and representatives of German companies about
Ukraine’s grain exports via Constanţa.

CENSUS The deadline for finalising the national population
and housing census has been extended by a week, from July 17 to 24, as the
current completion rate is below 90%. The organisers are hoping to bring the
rate up to 100% using fixed census locations and door-to-door operators. For the
first time in Romania, a first stage of the national census was conducted
online, with 11 million respondents registered, which is little under half of
the estimated resident population of Romania.

DRILL Over July 14 and 25 three Romanian warships take part in the
international exercise ‘Breeze 22’ staged and coordinated by the Bulgarian Navy
in the country’s territorial and the international waters of the Black Sea and
the Bulgarian port of Burgas. This year’s edition of the exercise has brought
together navy and air forces from Albania, Belgium, France, Georgia, Italy,
Latvia, Poland, Turkey and the USA. The drill is aimed at strengthening
tactical interoperability between the navy personnel and participating units
and at practicing conventional and non-conventional war procedures.

UKRAINE Addressing an international conference on the war crimes in
Ukraine held in The Hague, the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Thursday requested the creation of a special tribunal to investigate Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine. The country’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba also asked
for a special court trying the crime of aggression, defined as an attack by one
state against another. All we want is for the crime of aggression to not go
unpunished, Dmytro Kuleba said during the same conference. Political,
diplomatic and judicial leaders from around the world convened on Thursday for
a conference on the crimes committed in Ukraine since February 24. The European
Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders mentioned that 20,000 investigations
concerning war crimes in Ukraine have been opened. Around 14 European countries
are investigating these crimes, and a European Joint Investigation Team has
been set up, he added. Russia denies the abuses of which its troops are being
accused, which include shelling civilians, executions, and rapes, and in
exchange accuses Ukraine of crime wars. Meanwhile, scores of civilians were
killed or wounded on Thursday in a Russian missile attack on the town of Vinnytsia,
in central Ukraine. (AMP)

14 July 2022
Between stagflation and economic growth

Romania’s economic status is growing ever more disquieting,
amid pessimistic forecasts by the central bank and the European Commission’s
economic report, which estimates that central and eastern European countries
will have higher inflation rates this year than the rest of the EU. According to
Brussels, after a strong, 5.9% growth rate in 2021, Romania’s economy is likely
to slow down to 2.6% this year, as inflation erodes people’s incomes and Russia’s
aggression in Ukraine affects economies, supply chains and investments.

For next year, the European Commission expects economic
growth to pick up slightly, to 3.6%, following a possible drop in inflation. Unemployment
is predicted to stay at around 5.5 %, with prices likely to reach a peak this
year and gradually go down in 2023. Meanwhile, the public deficit will reach 7.5%
of GDP this year, possibly dropping to 6.3 % in 2023.

According to EU officials, this year’s inflation will
get to a record-high 8.9% in Romania, almost double the 4.1% rate in 2021, and
will slow down to 5.1% in 2023.

In turn, the National Bank confirms the rise in
inflation and does not expect it to go below 10% until the second half of next
year. Meanwhile, the National Statistics Institute confirms that in the first
quarter of this year the economic growth rate stood at over 5% compared to the
previous quarter and 6.5% compared to the first quarter of last year. Nonetheless,
the central bank adviser Lucian Croitoru believes that in the forthcoming
period Romania might be facing stagflation. This is more dangerous than extended
inflation, in that it also involves stagnant economic output.

Lucian Croitoru: The first half of the word comes from stagnation.
Which is not necessarily the same as recession, it might only be a slow, 1.5-2.5%
growth, which is not something we are used to in Romania. So I think this is
very possible. On the one hand, short-term inflation encourages production, even
stimulates a rise in budget revenues, but mind you, this is fuelled by
inflation and is not going to last. On the other hand, the war may entail lots
of challenges, it is unpredictable, we have no forecasts on how a conflict like
this may end, with so many factors involved. But, as Hemingway put it, inflation
and war are always solutions to policies lacking principles.

If the Romanian economy
enters the predicted stagflation period, prices and unemployment will rise,
expenditure will be low, life will be ever more expensive and economic
difficulties will deepen. (AMP)

18 May 2022