Radio România Internațional

Tag: NATO

  • October 18, 2024 UPDATE

    October 18, 2024 UPDATE

    DEFENCE Romanian Defence Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, signed in Brussels on Friday a document on Romania’s accession to the letter of intent concerning the European Military Mobility Corridor 8 together with Albania, Bulgaria, Italy and North Macedonia. The document is aimed at simplifying and stepping up the movement of military equipment and forces both in time of peace and in situations of crisis or conflict. According to a communiqué by the Romanian Defence Ministry, Romania’s joining this corridor, besides the other two projects developed within NATO together with Bulgaria and Greece and with Turkey and Bulgaria, respectively, will contribute to the stepped up efforts aimed at ensuring the mobility of troops and military equipment as well as to the consolidation of the response capability in the Black Sea region. On Friday in the second day of the defence ministers meeting in Brussels, the Romanian minister participated in the North-Atlantic Council proceedings dedicated to the assessment and adjustment of NATO’s defence and deterrence posture. According to the same sources, the Romanian Defence Minister highlighted the importance of carrying on efforts aimed at stepping up the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture. The meeting has underlined the firm commitment of the NATO members to ensuring the region’s stability and security.

     

    PLAN The European Commission had published Romania’s National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan for the period 2025-2040, the Energy Ministry announced on Friday. The document comprises 89 policies and additional measures aimed at increasing renewable energy sources, curbing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing some innovative solutions in all economic sectors. ‘This plan reflects our commitment to becoming climate neutral before 2045 and contributing to a safer, more competitive and greener future for Romania and Europe,’ Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja says in a communiqué.

     

    VOTE 3.3 million voters are expected to hit the polls on October 20 in the ex-Soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova for a historic ballot: a presidential election and a referendum on Moldova’s EU accession. According to the Central Election Commission, some 2,219 polls have been set up, and for the first time the ballots are printed in Romanian and 5 minority languages: Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Găgăuz, Russian and Romani. 231 stations are open in 37 countries, 60 in Italy, 26 in Germany, 20 in France and 17 in Great Britain. Moldovans can also vote in one of the 16 stations open in Romania, the same as in the United States. For security reasons, only two stations will be available in Russia, both in Moscow. 2 stations will be made available in Ukraine, in Kyiv and Odessa.

     

    EU On the sidelines of the European Council meeting in Brussels, Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, has called on the EU to convey a strong message of support for Moldova’s EU integration process, particularly ahead of this Sunday’s presidential election in Moldova, condemning Moscow’s interference and destabilization attempts. The list of topics on the two-day summit’s agenda includes the war in Ukraine, developments in the Middle East, EU competitiveness, migration, as well as prospects on Georgia, supporting the multilateral system and international rules-based order and energy tariffs. President Iohannis underlined the importance of ensuring affordable energy prices, the need to boost connectivity and do away with structural gridlocks at the level of energy transport networks.

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  • Romania and regional security

    Romania and regional security

    The consolidation of cooperation in the field of regional security, with an emphasis on the EUFOR Althea mission, in which Romania assumed a significant role, was included in the agenda of talks occasioned by the bilateral meeting of the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, on Wednesday, in Sarajevo, with his counterpart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez. Against the backdrop of increasingly complex security challenges in the Western Balkans region, Minister Tîlvăr reiterated Bucharest’s firm commitment to actively contributing to efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region. “Romania has always been a firm supporter of security in the Western Balkans and the European path of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EUFOR Althea mission, to which we are currently contributing with the most important contingent, represents a central pillar in the international efforts on this level. We are proud of our constant contribution, and we are ready to take over the command of EUFOR in 2025, a commitment that reflects our determination in this regard”, said Angel Tîlvăr.

     

    The bilateral defense cooperation agreement, signed in June 2024, was another important topic on the agenda of the two ministers’ discussions. The document establishes the framework for the deepening of military collaboration between the two states, including aspects of joint training, exchange of experience and logistical support. At the same time, Angel Tîlvăr conveyed a message of solidarity to the people affected by the recent floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina and informed that the aid recently sent by the Romanian Government to this country, as humanitarian support, will be supplemented. Previously, Minister Angel Tîlvăr was in Kosovo, where he met with the command team of the NATO peacekeeping operation KFOR, to which Romania has an important contribution, and with the Romanian soldiers on mission in this theater of operations. The North Atlantic Alliance has been conducting the multinational peacekeeping operation KFOR (Kosovo Force) since 1999, when it was decided to create an international security presence in Kosovo. “As a member of NATO and the European Union, Romania is ready to comply with its obligations and support allied efforts to maintain security and promote peace in the Western Balkans region”, the Romanian minister pointed out.

     

    He also met with the Romanian military working in the Camp Film City and Camp Novo Selo military bases in Pristina. The minister highlighted the excellent cooperation between the Romanian forces and those deployed by the allies in the KFOR Operation. “The lesson learned by Romania in the last three decades in which it has contributed to peace enforcement and peacekeeping missions and operations is that security is obtained by countering challenges where they exist, in order not to allow instability to reach home,” Minister Angel Tîlvăr concluded. (LS)

  • October 1, 2024 UPDATE

    October 1, 2024 UPDATE

    VISAS Romania formally meets all the technical conditions to be part of the Visa Waiver programme, the country’s ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru has announced on a social network. Our assessment, based on the number of visa applications this year as well as the significantly downward trend in recent years, is that Romania went under the 3% ceiling of the rejection rate’, the ambassador also said.  According to him, the first Romanians will be able to travel without visas in the USA most likely in the first part of the next year. If all conditions and preparations are done successfully, the programme could come into effect in 2025’, the US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec said on Tuesday. However, according to the US official, there are still major steps to be taken in the next months in order to see whether Romania is eligible for the Visa Waiver programme. In turn, Prime Minister Ciolacu said during his meeting with the US official in Bucharest that the government would remain involved in everything that means the accomplishment of all procedures needed to have Romania included in the Visa Waiver programme.

     

    NATO The former Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, on Tuesday became the new NATO Secretary General during a ceremony held at the North-Atlantic Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. Rutte, who took over from the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, thanked the allies for trusting him with the role. Rutte detailed the three priorities of his four-year mandate: support for Ukraine, consolidating the collective allied defence and developing the international partnerships NATO already concluded with third countries. From Bucharest, Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, has conveyed a congratulation message to the newly-appointed NATO Secretary General, in which he has also expressed his gratitude for the activity of the former NATO Chief, Jens Stoltenberg.

     

    ME Israeli raids in southern Lebanon on Tuesday triggered a new wave of international concern. Also on Tuesday, the Israeli army announced it had hit several Hezbollah targets in capital Beirut, although it had earlier announced that its troops would limit their operations only to regions close to the common border. Numerous airline companies have cancelled their flights to the area and Western countries have started to evacuate their citizens from Lebanon. Bucharest has announced that over 11 hundred Romanian citizens and family members have registered at Romania’s embassy in Beirut. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a level 8-9 warning for this country in October last year, which translates as ”Avoid any trip to Lebanon”. The warning is still in place due to the major security risks in the area. The Romanian diplomacy has firmly recommended the Romanian citizens on the Lebanese territory to leave the country by means of the flights still available.

     

    PARLIAMENT Convened in a joint session on Tuesday, the Romanian deputies and senators appointed the members of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania. According to political sources, the current governor Mugur Isărescu, who has been holding this position since 1990, is supported for a new mandate at the helm of BNR. Also on Tuesday, the Parliament submitted for approval two requests from President Klaus Iohannis – the participation of the Romanian Army in the NATO Security Assistance and Training Mission for Ukraine and the establishment, on the Romania territory, of a maritime training facility for the Ukrainian personnel. The two Parliament chambers will be informed, on the other hand, about the approval of the transit, through Romania, of equipment and material goods donated by Sweden to Ukraine, but also about the presence on the Romanian territory, for a period of two years, of an American contingent of naval forces for special operations.

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  • NATO, new leadership

    NATO, new leadership

     

    As of Tuesday, October 1, the NATO secretary general is the Dutch ex PM Mark Rutte. He takes over the highest political position in the strongest political and military alliance in history from the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg.

     

    AFP notes that while Stoltenberg refrained from giving any piece of advice to Rutte, he emphasised that the main task for a NATO chief is to keep the Allies together. In such a difficult geopolitical situation, maintaining continuity and a common direction in foreign and security policy is critical, a NATO diplomat was quoted by the French agency as saying.

     

    With a 10-year long tenure as NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg had perhaps the most complicated term in office, which started in 2014, with Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and ended with a full-fledged war against Ukraine.

     

    Stoltenberg steered the Alliance towards stronger support for the former Soviet state, a victim of Russia’s illegal aggression. He suggested and obtained a commitment of at least EUR 40 bln per year for Ukraine from NATO member states and NATO’s involvement in the provision of Western military aid.

     

    NATO members should not be deterred from giving more military aid to Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s “reckless Russian nuclear rhetoric”, Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview to Reuters at the end of his term. “Every time we have stepped up our support with new types of weapons – battle tanks, long-range fires or F-16s – the Russians have tried to prevent us, but they have not succeeded,” the outgoing NATO leader also said.

     

    He added that the biggest risk to NATO would be if Putin wins in Ukraine. “I don’t think we can change President Putin’s mind, but I think we can change his calculus by demonstrating that the cost of continuing the war is so high that it’s better for him to sit down and accept Ukraine as a sovereign independent nation,” Stoltenberg believes.

     

    During his term in office, forced to respond to major geopolitical changes, the Alliance strengthened its eastern flank. In Romania, for instance, the number of Allied troops was increased, and NATO created a battle group here for the first time.

     

    Also under Stoltenberg’s leadership, NATO acceped new members, reaching a total of 32 Allied nations. The last countries to join were Finland and Sweden, pushed out of their decade-long neutrality by Moscow’s militarist and neo-imperialist drive. Russia wanted less of NATO and now it has more, Stoltenberg pointed out.

     

    As for the new secretary general, Mark Rutte, analysts expect him to focus on the coordination between NATO and the European Union, at a time when the latter is getting more involved in security matters. Not least, the Allies count on his negotiation skills in case Donald Trump returns to the White House. (AMP)

  • October 1, 2024

    October 1, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

     

    NATO – A ceremony marking the transition to the new NATO Secretary General is being held in Brussels, in which Jens Soltenberg hands over the mandate to the new chief of the Alliance, Mark Rutte, the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. With 10 years at the helm of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg is the second longest-serving Secretary-General of the Alliance, since its establishment 75 years ago. His mandate began in the context of the annexation of Crimea by Russia, then went through the withdrawal of allies from Afghanistan, the COVID crisis, and now through the war started by Russia. NATO  expanded to 32 members, after the accession of Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland and Sweden.

     

    VISA WAIVER – Romania formally meets all technical criteria in order to be included in the Visa Waiver program, the Romanian ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru, announced on a social network. The fiscal year in the United States ended on Monday, and the last condition that Romania had to fulfill was satisfied. We are waiting for a confirmation from the American partners in the upcoming period, but our assessment, based on the number of visa applications this year, as well as the strong downward trend in recent years, is that Romania has dropped below the 3% rejection rate, Muraru explained. According to the ambassador, the first Romanians will most likely be able to travel without visas to the United States, in the first part of next year.

     

    LAW – The head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Romanian Laura Codruţa Kövesi, has called on the European Parliament to change the institution’s regulations, to allocate a bigger budget and for a better collaboration with the member states. She says that the number of cases of cross-border financial fraud has doubled year on year, and the information collected about organized crime exceeds the analytical power of the Prosecutor’s Office and even Europol. Last year, following the investigations of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, court sentences were given for the recovery of 1.7 billion euros, and 600 million euros have already been returned to the member states, Kövesi explained. At the moment, over 2,000 cases are under investigation, with damages estimated at 23 billion euros. Romania was involved in 260 cases, with a damage of almost 2 billion euros.

     

    INVESTMENT – The net flow of direct foreign investments in Romania in 2023 was almost 6.75 billion euros, down by 36.3% compared to the record value recorded in the previous year, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) has announced. BNR experts say that this development is part of the current international context, marked by economic risks and geopolitical tensions. The main sectors that attracted foreign money in Romania were industry, financial intermediation, insurance and trade.

     

    PARLIAMENT – Convened in joint session, the Romanian deputies and senators are appointing, today, the members of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania. According to political sources, the current governor Mugur Isărescu, who has been holding this position since 1990, is supported for a new mandate at the helm of BNR. Also today, the Parliament submits for approval two requests from President Klaus Iohannis – the participation of the Romanian Army in the NATO Security Assistance and Training Mission for Ukraine and the establishment, on the Romania territory, of a maritime training facility for the Ukrainian personnel. The two Parliament chambers will be informed, on the other hand, about the approval of the transit, through Romania, of equipment and material goods donated by Sweden to Ukraine, but also about the presence on the Romanian territory, for a period of two years, of an American contingent of naval forces for special operations.

     

    ISRAEL – The Israeli military launched a ground operation in a number of villages in southern Lebanon, saying it focused on clearing out militant infrastructure prepared by the elite force of the Hezbollah for the invasion of Israeli territory. The invasion was being supported by the Israeli air force, which targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, an area considered the stronghold of the Shiite movement. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had previously indicated that the army was ready for a ground operation, telling troops near the border with Lebanon that Israel was ready to use air, sea and land forces against Hezbollah targets. In turn, the deputy leader of the Hezbollah said that his militants are prepared for any Israeli operation in Lebanon.

     

     

     

  • September 30, 2024 UPDATE

    September 30, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis received in Bucharest on Monday the Prime Minister of the German state Baden-Wurttemberg, Winfried Kretschmann. The head of the Romanian state described the visit as an excellent opportunity to strengthen the Romanian-German cooperation and dialogue emphasizing the tight political, economic and cultural relations between Romania and Baden Wurttemberg. The social and human relations were high on the talks agenda with emphasis on the essential role played by the German minority in Romania and the Romanians who settled in Germany, in the consolidation of the relations and cooperation including at social and economic levels. The German official was also received on Monday by the country’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Two joint statements were signed on this occasion on strengthening cooperation between the Romanian government and the government of the Baden Wurttemberg state and on bilateral cooperation in the field of civil protection. The trade exchange volume reached 8.32 billion Euros last year.

     

    EDUCATION Most state universities in Romania kicked off courses on Monday, while private universities set their own date for the start of the academic year. 52 state universities offer over 2,200 different degrees and study programmes, and 34 private universities offer 338 degrees and specialisations.

     

    PARLIAMENT Romanian senators and deputies are meeting in a joint parliamentary session on Tuesday to appoint the members of the National Bank’s board of directors. Political sources say the current governor Mugur Isărescu, who has held this post since 1990, has the backing to secure yet a new term. Also on Tuesday, Parliament will discuss two requests from president Klaus Iohannis, one regarding the participation of the Romanian Army in the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine command and another referring to the creation on national territory of a maritime training facility for Ukrainian personnel. The two chambers of Parliament will also be briefed on Romania’s allowing the transition of equipment and material assets donated by Sweden to Ukraine and on its hosting a US naval forces special operations contingent for a period of two years.

     

    COAL The UK ends coal power as it shut down its last coal-fired power plant on Monday. Reuters news agency notes that the UK thus becomes the first G7 country to give up coal power. London announced in 2015 that it intended to phase out its coal-fired power plants, which at the time accounted for 30% of the country’s energy. Phasing out coal power has led to a drop in greenhouses gas emissions in the UK, which intends to completely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector by 2030 and become greenhouse neutral by 2050. The other 6 most industrialised states in the world are also set to close their coal-fired power plants by 2035 at the latest, under an agreement signed in April.

     

    TENNIS Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian lost to Karolina Muchova in straight sets on Monday, 6-1, 6-3, in the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, worth almost 9 million dollars in prize money. Last Saturday, Jaqueline Cristian defeated world no. 10 Barbora Krejcikova in three sets, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

     

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  • Romania. Eastern Flank: Rotation of forces of the French detachment within the NATO Battle Group hosted by Romania

    The Defense ministers from the countries participating in the B9 Initiative met last week in Bucharest, to discuss allied measures to strengthen the deterrence and defense posture. Regarding the security situation in the Black Sea region and NATO’s Eastern Flank, the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, emphasized that the Russian Federation remained the most important threat to the security of the Allies. The B9 format (Bucharest 9) was launched in 2015 by Romania and Poland as a platform for dialogue and cooperation between NATO’s eastern allies. The initiative also includes Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary. Meetings in this format are held periodically, at the level of heads of state, foreign and defense ministers.

     

    Rotation of the forces of the French detachment within the NATO Battle Group hosted by Romania: Colonel Jean Michelin took over the command of the group from his compatriot, Colonel Louis-Marie Levacher, during a ceremony held on September 17 in the Cincu National Training Center (central Romania). The French troops in Romania thus reach the 9th rotation of the Aigle mission, carried out to strengthen the allied deterrence posture in the region. The Allied Battle Group located on the territory of Romania also includes forces from the armies of Belgium and Luxembourg, with a total of one thousand soldiers.

     

    The MAMBA system has recently participated in an air defense exercise planned by NATO’s Allied Air Command. Several aircraft participated, including Romanian, Greek and Turkish F-16s and a Spanish F-18, with the aim of testing their interoperability in space. The medium-range MAMBA surface-to-air defense system deployed in Romania was able to demonstrate its expertise in integrated air defense, working to defend its area of ​​responsibility with air defense fighters from several countries.

     

    The Romanian soldiers deployed within the Tactical Reserve Battalion of the KFOR mission under the auspices of NATO are being trained, together with their Hungarian and Swiss colleagues, in scenario-based exercises for crowd and riots control and for the protection of the force of the Swiss units, as part of their joint training at Camp Novo-Selo, in Kosovo. These periodic activities are essential to guarantee the highest operational standards of KFOR and the readiness to face all possible security scenarios. KFOR continues to implement its mandate based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 to contribute to a secure environment for all individuals and communities living in Kosovo and to ensuring the freedom of movement at all times.

     

    We also inform you that the Romanian Naval Forces are participating with ‘Mine sweeper 30’ in the second activation of the Task Force to combat sea mines in the Black Sea. The naval group also includes a minesweeper and a logistic support ship, both from Turkey, and a minesweeper of the Bulgarian Naval Forces. The mission will run until the end of this month, an interval during which the multinational exercise NUSRET 24 will also take place.  (Constantin Herțanu, LS)

  • September 19, 2024

    September 19, 2024

    B9 NATO has to react to Russia’s incursions into the airspace of the member countries, in the context of the war in Ukraine – Romania’s Defence Minister, Angel Tilvar said at the B9 meeting of the defence ministers of the allied countries in NATO’s Eastern Flank, held in Bucharest on Wednesday. In turn, the Polish representative said that next month, the allied defence ministers would be tackling the destruction of the drones violating the airspace of NATO. Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Slovakia are part of the B9 initiative. Talks on security in the area but also assistance in defending the independence of Ukraine through Romania’s decision to donate a Patriot system to the neighboring Ukraine were also hold by Romania’s Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu, who received in Bucharest her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha.

     

    POLL Most of the Romanians believe the immigrants who come to work in Romania are rather an opportunity than a threat to employment in that country, a recent poll says. Roughly 68%  of the interviewees says the immigrants are actually helping the economy by taking over the vacant jobs whereas 25% believes they are taking the jobs of the Romanians, who have thus to leave the country for a better job. The most tolerant seem to be the young people up to 20 years old, people with higher education and Bucharesters. The poll says that 67% of the interviewees have agreed with the financial incentives aimed at bringing back the Romanians in the Diaspora whereas 31% is against the idea.

     

    HANDBALL On Wednesday night Romanian handball side Dinamo Bucharest clinched a 28-26 away win against Polish side Orlen Wisla Plock in Group A of the Champions League. The Romanian champions have obtained two wins out of the competition’s two legs. Dinamo will be taking on Macedonian side Eurofarm Pelister Bitola in a home match on September 26.

     

    CSAT Romania’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) has been summoned by the country’s president Klaus Iohannis for talks in Bucharest on the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine and its implications for Romania. The CSAT members are also tackling the opportunities offered by the new geopolitical context for the consolidation of the strategic partnership with the ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova in order to ensure the irreversibility of its European roadmap. Last, but not least, the CSAT is expected to tackle the national plan of fitting the Romanian armed forces with proper equipment.

     

    TALKS The government in Bucharest is focusing on the country’s reindustrialization and is working on the national Plan aimed at streamlining the country’s main industry. The plan, which is worth 2 billion Euros, will be centred on three main pillars; support for the strategic investment in the processing industry, state aid for the big companies, with investments aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption and support for the companies producing raw materials. According to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu the Executive wants to strengthen the model of investment-based economic development.

     

    RISK According to the Romanian Institute of Hydrology the Danube’s level on its entry into Romania is expected to rise significantly until September 24thmore than double than the multiannual average of the month of September. However, authorities have given assurances the Iron Gates dam is ready to take over and transit the waters resulted from the heavy rainfalls in central Europe. The risk of flooding in eastern Romania, heavily affected by Cyclone Boris, remains high with orange and yellow alerts in place.

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  • August 23, 2024 UPDATE

    August 23, 2024 UPDATE

     

    EU The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu discussed, on Thursday, in Brussels, with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the future European commissioner from Romania, about the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as about a new agreement on Romania’s budget deficit, which should extend over 7 years. Regarding the position of European commissioner, Marcel Ciolacu announced that he nominated Victor Negrescu, the current vice-president of the European Parliament. During the meeting, they tackled Romania’s accession to Schengen with its land borders, with the Prime Minister stressing that Ursula von der Leyen is the “biggest” supporter of this cause.

     

    DEFENCE The Chief of the defence staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, met on Thursday, in Bucharest, with his counterpart from the French Republic, General Thierry Burkhard, who is on an official visit to Romania. The talks between the two focused on the regional security situation, the progress in achieving full operational capacity of the NATO Battle Group in 2025, and the responsibilities of the French structures deployed to Romania in strengthening the Allied deterrence and defence posture. General Gheorghiţă Vlad emphasised that, in the last two years, the excellent cooperation between the two armies to ensure collective defence were also reflected in the increased interoperability between structures and in the development of training and quartering infrastructure. The visit also included a meeting of the two heads of defence with troops from the NATO Battle Group, at the Getica National Joint Training Center in Cincu. France is the lead nation of the NATO Battle Group.

     

    US ELECTION The Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination as a candidate for the US presidency, at the Democratic National Convention. She told her supporters that the country has a chance to overcome resentment, cynicism and division. Harris promised tax cuts for the middle class. As regards abortions, she accused her opponent, the former Republican President Donald Trump, of wanting to introduce a national ban. In terms of foreign policy, Harris said that dictators around the world support Trump, the BBC reports.

     

    COMMEMORATION The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, in his message on the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Fascism and Communism, says that populism and hate speech are once again present, under various forms. He argues that this is precisely why society as a whole must stay alert to the risk of all the values embraced by Romania being pushed into irrelevance. Iohannis also mentioned the crucial decision made by King Michael I, who acted with responsibility and dignity and changed the fateful course of WWII, saving the country from imminent disaster. In turn, PM Marcel Ciolacu reiterated the government’s firm commitment to fight all forms of extremism, and to strengthen civic engagement, by educating the youth with respect to all the landmarks in recent history.

     

    SCHOOLS Students in secondary schools and high schools in Romania will have more rules to observe in the new academic year. School rules stipulate, among other things, that students cannot hold mobile phones during classes and provide for penalties in case of violations. School operation rules have also been amended. Novelties include conduct grades for each module, separate tests for 9th grade admission, and a teacher in charge of EU-funded projects in each school, as well as online or hybrid classes for students in exceptional situations. On the other hand, secondary school and high school students with final grades above 9.50 will receive merits scholarships. For this academic year, the merit scholarship minimum amount is nearly EUR 90. This amount may be increased by school boards, depending on the budget earmarked by the local authorities.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse managed to reach the singles main draw of the US Open Grand Slam tournament, which starts on Monday in New York, after defeating Alexandra Eala from the Philippines in 3 sets. Ruse will face Julia Grabher from Austria in the inaugural round. She is the third Romanian to reach the singles main draw at the US Open, after Ana Bogdan and Jaqueline Cristian entered the singles draw thanks to ranking. Cristian will play against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, seeded 12, while Ana Bogdan will meet the Dutch Arantxa Rus in the first round. (AMP)

  • August 23, 2024

    August 23, 2024

    Brussels – The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu discussed, on Thursday, in Brussels, with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the future European Commissioner from Romania, about the state of fulfillment of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR, as well as about a new agreement on Romania’s deficit, which should extend over 7 years. Regarding the position of European commissioner, Marcel Ciolacu announced that he proposed Victor Negrescu, the current vice-president of the European Parliament. During the meeting, they tackled Romania’s accession to Schengen also with land borders, with the Prime Minister stressing that Ursula von der Leyen is the “biggest” supporter of this cause.

     

    Defense – The Chief of the Defense Staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, met on Thursday, in Bucharest, with his counterpart from the French Republic, General Thierry Burkhard, who is on an official visit to Romania. The talks between the two focused on the regional security situation, the fulfillment of the conditions for achieving, in 2025, the final operational capacity of the NATO Battle Group, and the responsibilities of the Hexagon structures deployed in Romania in order to strengthen the allied deterrence and defense posture respectively. General Gheorghiţă Vlad emphasized that, in the last two years, the excellent cooperation relations between the two armies to ensure collective defense were also reflected in the increased interoperability between structures and in terms of infrastructure development for training and quartering. The visit schedule included the meeting, in the facilities of the Getica National Joint Training Center in Cincu (centre), of the two heads of Defense with soldiers from the NATO Battle Group. The role of the framework nation of the NATO Battle Group was assumed by France.

     

    Washington – The Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination as a candidate for the US presidency, within the Democratic National Convention. She told supporters that the country has a chance to overcome resentment, cynicism and division. Harris promised tax cuts for the middle class. As regards abortions, she accused her opponent, the former Republican President Donald Trump, of wanting to introduce a national ban. About foreign policy, Harris said that dictators around the world support Trump, the BBC reports.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse managed to reach the main singles draw of the US Open Grand Slam tournament, which starts on Monday, at the Flushing Meadows arenas in New York, after defeating Alexandra Eala from the Philippines in 3 sets. Ruse will face Julia Grabher from Austria in the inaugural round. She is the third Romanian to reach the main singles draw at the US Open, after Ana Bogdan and Jaqueline Cristian entered directly the singles draw, thanks to the ranking. Cristian will play against the Russian Daria Kasatkina, the 12th seed, while Ana Bogdan will meet the Dutch Arantxa Rus in the first round.

     

    Football – The Romanian football champions, FCSB, ended in a draw 1-all the away match with the Austrian team LASK Linz, on Thursday evening, in the first leg of the Europa League play-off. The second leg will be played on August 29, in Bucharest. The vice-champion CFR Cluj (north-west) defeated the Cypriot team FC Pafos 1-0 on home ground, in the first leg of the Conference League football play-off. The decisive second leg will take place in Limassol, on August 29. (LS)

     

  • August 21, 2024 UPDATE

    August 21, 2024 UPDATE

    Visit – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is visiting Brussels, accompanied by the Minister of Investments and European Projects and the Finance Minister. He will discuss with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, including about Romania’s portfolio in the future community executive. Ciolacu said that his option is Victor Negrescu, who is currently the vice-president of the European Parliament. Marcel Ciolacu and Ursula von der Leyen will also discuss the implementation stage of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Romanian prime minister might also present the general principles that he wants to put into practice to reduce the budget deficit.

     

    Drought – The drought has seriously affected cereal production in Romania, especially in the south of the country. The authorities say that an area of ​​approximately 2 million hectares is affected. According to some estimates, approximately 40% of the wheat, corn, rape and sunflower crops are allegedly compromised. It is the fourth year of drought in the last five years, and the losses of farmers are piling up. They put their hopes in the compensation that they can receive from the state. The Romanian Agriculture Minister, Florin Barbu, has recently declared that this year farmers will receive 200 Euros worth of aid per hectare for crops affected by the drought. He added that a unique mechanism in Europe was drawn up by which Romania should ensure 7 million hectares against the drought.

     

    NATO – NATO is strengthening Romania’s defense capacity with the LANZA air defense radar moved from Italy, including the technical team. Located in Tulcea county (southeast), the radar offers a unique capability to NATO’s command and control center, which provides both passive and active radar detection. This state-of-the-art radar is designed for detection, tracking and surveillance in advanced conditions. It is used to provide comprehensive situational awareness and improve the operational capabilities of various platforms, including military ships and submarines. Mobile active radars are highly effective and provide additional protection over airborne and static command and control platforms as they improve interoperability through alliances and partnerships and strengthen NATO’s air and space power readiness.

     

    Program – The Romanian government has decided to continue the program “Hot meals in schools”, for the almost 1.9 million children who go to kindergarten or school. They will receive fruits, vegetables, dairy and bakery products, and the local authorities and directors of the education units will be responsible for the smooth running of the program. Moreover, they will be taught why it is important to eat healthy food, through educational actions. Also during Wednesday’s meeting, the Government set the timetable for the parliamentary elections, scheduled for December 1. The election campaign will start on November 1 and end on November 30. Romanians in the country will vote between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. For the Romanian citizens in the Diaspora, the vote will begin on November 30, at 7:00 a.m. and will end on December 1, at 9:00 p.m..

     

    Washington – The American Democrats officially confirmed Kamala Harris as their candidate for the November 5 presidential election, on Tuesday evening in Chicago, during the party’s national convention. The delegations from all the states and U.S. territories once again cast their votes for Harris, accompanied by music, lighting effects, short speeches and much cheering in the event hall, after she had already been officially elected in an online roll call earlier this month. Vice President Kamala Harris (60 years old) is the second woman nominated by the Democratic Party for the presidential election since its creation in 1828 and could become, if elected, the first female president in US history. She replaces the current US president, Joe Biden (81 years old), who gave up his candidacy for a second term. The Republican counter-candidate in the presidential election is the former president, the billionaire Donald Trump (78 years old).

     

    Air show – The biggest air show in Romania will take place on Saturday, August 31 at the Băneasa Airport near Bucharest. More than 100 civil and military aircraft and more than 150 pilots and paratroopers from 13 countries will participate. The event will mark the 20th anniversary of Romania’s accession to NATO. The pilots of the Romanian Air Force will perform demonstrations with F-16 and IAR-99 Şoim and STANDARD aircraft, among others, as well as with Spartan and Hercules transport aircraft. Special guests this year are the aerial acrobats from the Baltic Bees, the Latvian jet team with a unique in the world style of piloting, performing artistic maneuvers of maximum difficulty. The famous Lithuanian pilot Jurgis Kairys, a multiple world champion in aerobatics, is not missing this year either. (LS)

  • August 7, 2024

    August 7, 2024

    INTEREST RATE – The Central Bank board is today analyzing the possibility of further reducing the monetary policy interest rate, currently standing at 6.75%. According to an internal analysis, consumer loans continue to go up amidst the reduction of interest rates for new loans and the relaxation of loaning terms due to growing competitiveness among banks. According to Eurostat, Romania reported the biggest increase of retail sales at EU level in June 2024 compared to the same period of last year.

     

    NATO – A detachment of the Spanish Air Forces will conduct enhanced air policing missions under NATO command, in partnership with the Romanian Air Forces. Spanish pilots are thus taking over command of the operation from their British and Finnish counterparts at the Air Base in Mihail Kogălniceanu (southeast). For four months, they will be overflying the Black Sea region to ensure the security of Romanian and NATO air space. This is the third rotation for the Spanish Air Forces in Romania, where NATO deployed allied troops in 2014 following the illegal annexation of Crimea, to ensure the security of the Black Sea region, an area facing complex threats in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

     

    MIDDLE EAST – The world’s diplomats are working around the clock to prevent an attack from Iran and its allies on Israel. The United States have called on countries in the region to convince Teheran an attack would not serve its best interests. Foreign Ministers of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are today convening in Teheran to discuss the matter. The situation remains tense, with Israeli authorities on high alert after Iran promised a swift retaliation in response to the recent assassination of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh.

     

    AID FOR UKRAINE – The EU Council has disbursed the first installment worth 4.2 bln EUR as part of the Ukraine Facility financial assistance plan. Kyiv is bound to receive 50 bln EUR in grants and loans to finance the state budget and stimulate investment. According to Radio Romania’s Brussels correspondent, Ukraine must implement reforms in public finance management, the functioning of state-owned enterprises, the business sector and energy, as part of the Ukraine Facility Plan agreed with the European Commission. Economic recovery, reconstruction and modernization in the wake of the Russian aggression are also key points in the Plan.

     

    UNTOLD – The 9th edition of the Untold Music Festival kicks off on Thursday in Cluj-Napoca (west). Some 250 Romanian and international artists will be holding concerts during the four days, including renowned artists and DJs such as Lenny Kravitz, Salvatore Ganacci, Sam Smith and Burna Boy. The latter is the only African artist with two consecutive sold-out events on London Stadium. Burna Boy will perform on the last day of the festival. Untold is the biggest and most popular music festival in Romania, attracting fans from all over the world every year.

     

    OLYMPICS – Romanian athletes are today competing in athletics, weightlifting, canoeing and wrestling at the Paris Olympics. So far, Romania ranks 16th in the medal standings, with 3 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze. On Tuesday, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation announced it has submitted a notification to the International Gymnastics Federation, calling for an investigation into the faulty examination of Sabrina Voinea’s floor routine in the Olympic gymnastics event. Federation officials have also submitted notifications to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) to restore Sabrina Voinea’s bronze medal, who went to Jordan Chiles of the USA following an inquiry at the end of her routine. Voinea’s routine was rated with a penalty deduction due to the gymnast allegedly stepping out of bounds, something video footage fail to confirm, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee wrote. In turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu expressed outrage at the whole affair, announcing he would not attend the closing ceremony as a sign of protest.

     

    FOOTBALL – FCSB and Sparta Prague were tied 1-1 on Tuesday evening in the first leg of the Champions League third preliminary round, played in Prague. The return leg is slated for August 13 in Bucharest. In case of a win, FCSB will play the winner of the match pitting Malmö FF of Sweden against PAOK Thessaloniki of Greece. In case of a loss, FCSB will continue in Europa League, playing against LASK Linz of Austria. (VP)

  • THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    Five NATO leaders, including the American president, Joe Biden, and the Romanian one, Klaus Iohannis, signed, at the allied summit in Washington, a statement in which they commit to deliver Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. Kyiv will thus be able to use Patriot batteries donated by the United States, Germany and Romania, to which are added components provided by the Netherlands and a system donated by Italy. “We do all these things: we support Ukraine, we donate Patriot, we help Moldova, we also help others in the region, because we can, and because we think it’s right,” declared President Iohannis. According to him, Romania has transformed from a state that begged to receive help of any kind to a state that has the strength, energy, and capabilities to export security throughout the region. On a bilateral level, Klaus Iohannis and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed, in Washington, a cooperation agreement in the field of security. It is a political document that systematizes the existing cooperation between the two countries in various fields and includes aspects related to Kyiv’s commitment to continue the necessary reforms on its European and Euro-Atlantic course, respect for the rights of national minorities, as well as cooperation in combating cross-border crime. Aid to Ukraine was the main item on the agenda of the NATO summit. “We intend to release a basic package of at least 40 billion euros for next year, and then maintain security assistance at a sustainable level, so that Ukraine wins,” the member countries pledged.

    Open protest, masked protest

    Internally, the week started with a less usual protest, organized by accountants and economists under the motto “No chaos in tax legislation”. In Bucharest and in other cities, the participants denounced the legislative acts and fiscal measures that they consider oppressive, because they would deeply affect every entrepreneur, economist, accountant, as well as taxpayers in Romania. The protesters say that the introduction of mechanisms such as e-Invoice or e-VAT, in fact, increases the bureaucracy. The accountants’ protest was announced in advance. Things were not the same at Otopeni International Airport, where dozens of internal and external flights of the national company TAROM were canceled after some of the pilots declared themselves unfit to fly. Later, it turned out to be a kind of masked strike, triggered untimely, which affected many passengers and caused new losses to the company. The flights resumed the next day, after TAROM’s management concluded an agreement on salary issues with the flight personnel. The European commissioner for transport, Adina Vălean, said that the problem at TAROM is not auspicious, given that the company benefits from state aid approved by the European Commission. TAROM suffers significant financial losses every year, and analysts question whether the state’s efforts to reorganize and save it are maybe futile.

    Transport problems

    Traffic on the DN7 Valea Oltului, a vital artery that runs through the Carpathians, and ensures the connection with the central-western sections of the highway, was closed for a month, during the day, for clearing works in order to build the Sibiu-Pitesti Highway, expected for over 3 decades. The restrictions give headaches to transporters, and not only them, and the effects did not take long to appear. Several traffic jams formed on the already overloaded DN1 between Ploiesti and Braşov. And that’s not all in terms of transport: the Giurgiu-Ruse Friendship Bridge over the Danube went into repair, on the Bulgarian side, for a period of two years, starting Wednesday. Romanian citizens are advised to use the other border crossing points with Bulgaria, a tourist destination for Romanians, but also a transit country for Greece and Turkey, two major destinations during the summer.

    A controversial ordinance

    On Thursday, the government modified the emergency ordinance regarding drug testing of drivers, after the normative act was intensely criticized by civil society. Drivers who are found positive in the test, or refuse it, have their license suspended, but they get it back in 3 days, if the forensic laboratories do not provide, during this time, the preliminary result of the blood tests. A non-governmental association requested the annulment of the ordinance regarding drug tests, because it would contain abusive provisions, such as the appearance of positive results even in the case of the consumption of common cold medicines.

    Heatwave over Romania

    Romanian meteorologists have issued, for the end of the week, the most extensive red heat code so far, which covers three quarters of the country’s territory. The weekend was preceded by five hot days, with temperatures that rose to 39 degrees and will be followed, according to forecasts, by another three days with extreme temperatures, which will exceed 40 degrees. The government asked the central and local authorities to be prepared to intervene effectively when needed.

    Encouraging debut in interclub football competitions

    After a good European performance by the Romanian national team, the fans’ attention moves to the club teams engaged in the continental competitions. The debut of the season was a successful one: the champion FCSB (Bucharest) outclassed the champion San Marino, Virtus, 7-1, on Tuesday, away, in the first leg of the first preliminary round of the Champions League. The holder of the Cup, Corvinul Hunedoara (center-west), defeated, also away, 4-0, the vice-champion and winner of the Hungarian Cup, Paksi, in the first leg of the first preliminary round of the Europa League. In the case of very likely qualifications, FCSB will meet Maccabi Tel Aviv, from Israel, in the preliminary second round, and Corvinul will face the Croatian team Rijeka.

  • July 9, 2024

    July 9, 2024

    NATO. The NATO summit that begins today in Washington is expected to be dominated by the war in Ukraine and Russia’s threats, especially after the recent massive Russian attack on several Ukrainian cities, resulting in dozens of deaths. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is expected to participate in the summit, has called on the allies to respond more firmly to Russia’s attacks by strengthening his country’s air defense. For his part, US President Joe Biden said that the North Atlantic Alliance will announce new measures to help Ukraine protect its cities and civilians. Romania, represented by President Klaus Iohannis, will reaffirm its firm support for Ukraine, including with regard to NATO accession. Also, the Romanian President will plead for the continuation of support for the Alliance’s vulnerable partners, the Republic of Moldova in particular, and for increasing their capacity to respond to hybrid threats. The summit agenda will include three meetings at the highest level of the North Atlantic Council, including in formats with Ukraine, the European Union and NATO partners in the Indian – Pacific area, as well as an anniversary event on the occasion of NATO’s 75th anniversary.

    TAROM. All internal and external flights of the Romanian airline TAROM were carried out, this morning, according to schedules, after, the day before, several flights had been cancelled, 30 of the company’s 150 pilots declaring themselves unfit for medical reasons. According to the Union of Air Line Pilots, it was, in fact, a protest related to the working and salary conditions, as well as the bad management of the company. Losses of 2.5 million euros were recorded. In the meantime, the management of TAROM and the representatives of the seafaring staff have reached an agreement regarding salaries. TAROM also apologized to its passengers for the inconvenience caused and gave assurances that it is making every effort to reduce the impact this situation had on their travel plans.

    Mourning. The Ukrainian Ambassador to Bucharest, Ihor Prokopciuk, participated, on Monday, in a spontaneous action of mourning for the victims of Monday’s Russian attacks on the cities of the neighboring country, including on a children’s hospital in Kyiv. According to the diplomatic mission in Bucharest, the event was attended by Ukrainian diplomats, Ukrainian citizens who found shelter in Romania and Romanians. Ambassador Prokopciuk has strongly condemned Russian terrorism and stated that despite its brutal attacks, Russia will not succeed in defeating the Ukrainian nation, which will continue to fight for its independence and territorial integrity.


    Commissioner.     The European Commissioner for Transport, the Romanian Adina Vălean, is presenting today her 5-year activity report, focusing on topics such as sustainable and intelligent transport, reducing emissions, connected and automated mobility, accessibility and passenger rights, fair internal market, transport safety, international cooperation and dual mobility. The report also includes the achievements and challenges encountered and offers a perspective on the future of the transport sector in Europe. The event is hosted by the headquarters of the European Commission Representation in Bucharest.


    Education.     The Romanian Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, has announced that the pass rate in the first session of this year’s Baccalaureate exam is 76.4%, an increase of 3.6% compared to last year. According to the minister, it is the best result in the last 10 years. Ligia Deca presented, in a press conference, the results by sector. Thus, for the theoretical stream the pass rate was 91%, for the technological stream 63%, and for the vocational stream 77%. Education experts say, however, that the figures must be seen in the context in which only 79% of the graduates sat for the Baccalaureate exam.


    Weather.     The National Meteorological Administration has issued new warnings for excessive heat and severe thermal discomfort, in place on July 9 and 10, throughout Romania. A Code Yellow warning for extremely hot weather has been issued today for the north, west, southwest, south, southeast and most of the east and center of the country. The maximum temperatures are range between 33 and 37 degrees Celsius and, locally, temperatures have gone up to 39 degrees. The southern regions will continue to be affected by extreme heat and high thermal discomfort, and the temperature-humidity index (ITU) will exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. The noon reading in Bucharest was 35 degrees. At night, the minimums will not drop below 20 degrees Celsius, which is characteristic of tropical weather. During the day of Wednesday, July 10, the heatwave will intensify, and an amber warning will be in place in the west, southwest and south, including Bucharest. Meteorologists say that the wave of excessive heat will persist throughout Romania in the following days of the week. (MI)

  • July 8, 2024 UPDATE

    July 8, 2024 UPDATE

    PROTEST Hundreds of accountants and economists protested in front of the government building in Bucharest on Monday disgruntled by the government decisions regarding the digitalization of the fiscal administration. Similar actions have been taken in Iasi, north-eastern Romania, Timisoara in the west and Bistrita in the north-west. Members of the Employers’ Association of the Romanian Accountant Entrepreneurs say that the introduction of some mechanism such as the e-invoice or the e-VAT will raise bureaucracy as people need to fill in many forms. Furthermore, the accountants have complained that the technical instruments made available by the Finance Ministry aren’t functioning properly. The protest was also supported by travel associations and organisations in the hospitality industry as well as by the family physicians.

     

    TAROM Romania’s air carrier TAROM has announced that 10 of its flights on the Henri Coanda airport have been cancelled after 20 pilots, flight commanders, copilots and other crew members invoked health issues, which prevented them from taking off. The company has announced that some flights are to be rescheduled for tomorrow and that several hundreds of passengers, mostly foreigners, left on the airport terminals will get refunds. The company has refrained from describing the event as a strike but for the time being the reasons behind the action remain unknown. Representatives of the board of directors are expected to provide explanations at the Transport Ministry.  Among the flights cancelled are those to Beirut, Cairo, Budapest, Iasi, Madrid, Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt. In this context, Romania’s delegation, which was supposed to participate in the NATO summit in Washington, had to resort to a military plane.

     

    GROWTH The National Institute for Statistics (the INS) has revised up Romania’s economic growth in the first quarter of the year, to 0.7%, from a prior estimate of 0.4%. Compared to the same quarter of 2023, the GDP registered an increase of 0.5% on the gross series and 2.2% on the seasonally adjusted series, according to provisional data the INS published on Monday. The country’s budget for the current year is based on an economic growth of 3.4%.

     

    CULTURE Romanians and foreign tourists visiting Romania are increasingly interested in culture – said the Minister of Culture, Raluca Turcan. She specified that the number of people visiting museums, public collections, botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums and nature reserves increased in 2023 by more than 3 million, compared to 2022. Mrs. Turcan has appreciated the professionalism and dedication of all those in the cultural sector who manage to increase public interest in cultural events and activities, as confirmed by the latest figures of the National Institute of Statistics.

    (bill)