Radio România Internațional

Tag: NATO cooperation

  • Romania and security guarantees

    Romania and security guarantees

    President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday said there is no direct threat to Romania and that there is no signal or indication there is any danger of attacks or other unwanted events targeting Romania. It is very important to understand we are not alone, we are supported by our allies, and we are well prepared for any scenario, the head of state added.

     

     

    “There is no direct threat. From the information I have, I can tell you Romania is a safe country. Romanians should not be afraid, but we must always be prepared for unexpected events. There is no need to panic or think that Romania is somehow under threat. Today, Romania benefits from the most important security guarantees we ever had”.

     

     

    Klaus Iohannis expressed skepticism regarding the possible delivery of a Patriot system to Ukraine, saying it is a matter that must be discussed with army experts and decided in the Supreme Defense Council. The delivery of a Patriot defense system to the Ukrainian Armed Forces is still a delicate issue, far from being resolved. Klaus Iohannis:

     

     

    “It’s not simple. I strongly refute the idea that Romania should remain without anti-missile defenses and without anti-aircraft systems. So, to the extent that in the end, Romania does deliver a system, it should receive something else instead, otherwise no action will be taken”.

     

     

    Also on Wednesday, the Chief of General Defense Staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, said Romania must accelerate its efforts to endow the defense forces in the context of security developments in the region. The Ministry of Defense is considering a possible escalation of current military conflicts, the General said, drawing attention to the need to increase the army’s response capacity by means of new military equipment. Gheorghiţă Vlad explained:

     

     

    “Our estimates account for future developments and scenarios, some of which indicate the possibility of escalation of conflicts, including those of a military nature. To diminish this possibility, we continue to rely on the deterrent effect generated by a robust defensive capacity, both nationwide and within NATO. This is why we will step up our efforts to strengthen national security as well as NATO’s deterrence and defense postures”.

     

     

    We are in a time of peace, but the current reality is marked by complex security challenges, General Gheorghiță Vlad went on to say. In this context, Romania focuses on intensifying multinational and joint training, as well as on increasing the interoperability of structures and capabilities, both in the Black Sea region as well as on the entire allied Eastern Flank. Right now, investments in new technology and equipment remain a top priority for the Romanian Army, the official concluded. (VP)

     

  • Romania – a key partner supporting NATO’s deterrence and defense efforts

    Romania – a key partner supporting NATO’s deterrence and defense efforts

    Stepping up NATO’s military presence on the Eastern Flank is a key element of Allied deterrence. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its subsequent invasion of Ukraine in 2022 are events that have prompted NATO leaders to rethink their defense strategies. Romania holds an important place within the Alliance, a true anchor in the southern part of the allied eastern flank and a riparian of the Black Sea, a region with strategic relevance for European and Euro-Atlantic security. At the NATO summits of Madrid and Vilnius, in 2022 and 2023 respectively, Romania raised the issue of consolidating NATO’s presence in the Black Sea region.

     

     

    NATO’s advanced posture currently includes 8 multinational battle groups, provided by framework nations and supplemented by other allies. They are deployed in the 3 Baltic States, in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, thus covering the entire eastern flank. In Romania, the battle group is led by France, whereas the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are contributing troops. Currently, the group is at battalion level, but it is expected that, starting next year, it will grow to a brigade totaling 4,000 soldiers. Also in Romania, NATO also has several command structures: the South-East Multinational Corps in Sibiu (center) and the South-East Multinational Division in Bucharest, but also the South-East Multinational Brigade in Craiova (south) and the NATO Forces Integration Unit in Bucharest.

     

     

    Romania is a key partner in the development of the Alliance’s deterrence and defense efforts on the Eastern Flank by operationalizing the anti-missile shield at Deveselu (south) and by strengthening security in the Black Sea, jointly with its allies. A good example in that regard is the beginning of construction works for the expansion of the “Mihail Kogălniceanu” military base in Constanța County (southeast), which will be able to accommodate 10,000 NATO soldiers. The Romanian government pledged to invest 2.5 bln EUR in this project. Romania currently hosts around 5,000 foreign troops.

     

     

    The need to establish a permanent NATO naval group in the Black Sea region has been increasingly discussed of late. Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey must identify a common solution for ensuring security in the Black Sea. The model of the Baltic Sea, which practically became a so-called ‘NATO lake’ after the accession of Sweden and Finland, can be a good example in that respect. Strengthening relations between NATO and Ukraine or even accepting Ukraine as a NATO member can open up new possibilities for strengthening the Black Sea region.

     

     

    The fact that our country has the largest land border with Ukraine has impacted Romania’s role and position at NATO level. With respect to support for the neighboring country, Romania might offer Ukraine one of its Patriot air defense systems. It is a hypothesis advanced by president Klaus Iohannis following his visit to the USA. The decision can only be taken after consulting the Supreme Defense Council. Romania has four such Patriot systems, one of which has already been field-tested, and the other three are in advanced stages of operationalization. Should Romania press forward in that direction, it would be on these three systems that would reach Ukraine. “It is a rather intense discussion about who can provide Ukraine with Patriot systems. Romania has such systems at its disposal and Ukraine has approached us. President Joe Biden brought this up and I said I’m open to it. I will have to further discuss this back home, in the Supreme Defense Council, to see how we can solve the problem, what we can offer and, obviously, what we can receive in return because it is unacceptable that Romania remains without anti-aircraft defense”, president Iohannis said. (VP)

  • NATO and the Black Sea Region

    NATO and the Black Sea Region

    According to military experts, the Black Sea region is a hot zone right now.
    Since the launch of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24,
    2022, fighter jets and drones of the two warring sides constantly overfly the
    area. In the annexed Crimean Peninsula, or a little further to the west,
    Ukrainian territories are under the control of Russian occupation forces. Not
    far from Odessa, the biggest port on the Black Sea, the pro-Russian Transnistria
    has been de facto a breakaway region in the Republic of Moldova, self-proclaiming
    its autonomy in the wake of an armed conflict which killed hundreds of people, that
    ended with the intervention of Russian troops on the side of the rebels. Also
    on the Black Sea and also following a Russian invasion, Georgia in turn lost control
    over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Pundits say Western powers are uncomfortable
    with the conflict in Ukraine and the frozen conflicts in the Republic of
    Moldova and Georgia, all fueled by Moscow.

    For this reason, the Black Sea
    region is of great strategic importance for NATO, the NATO deputy Secretary
    General, Mircea Geoană said in Constanța, the biggest Romanian port on the Black
    Sea. A former ambassador in Washington and Foreign Minister two decades ago,
    when Romania was allowed to join NATO, Deputy Secretary Geoană pays frequent
    visits to Romania, where according to opinion polls he holds good chances of
    winning next year’s presidential election. Goeană never leaves before addressing
    the media and giving assurances that NATO will continue to pay special
    attention to this area and take measures to protect the interests, citizens and
    economies of Allied states. More recently, Mircea Geoană visited the Mircea
    cel Bătrân Naval Forces Academy. Previously, he visited neighboring Bulgaria
    where he had a meeting with Prime Minister Nikolai Denko and the army
    leadership. The NATO official also visited the NATO multinational battle group.
    According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Bulgaria, Mircea Geoană
    insisted that assistance for Ukraine must continue. Russia will use the upcoming
    winter as a weapon, which is why we have to continue to provide Ukrainians with
    everything they need to stay strong on teh battlefield and have a stronger
    position at the negotiations table, Mircea Geoană said. Part of this assistance
    is the inauguration of the F-16 European Training Center at the 86 Air Base in
    Fetești (south). The center will be an international hub F-16 training
    addressing pilots from Romania, allied and partner states, including Ukraine. (VP).



  • August 26, 2020

    August 26, 2020

    DECISION – Bucharest authorities today might decide on the possible
    re-opening of theatres, cinemas and restaurants, during a meeting of the
    National Committee for Emergency Situations. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban on
    Tuesday said keeping these venues closed in areas where the virus is spreading
    rapidly is still a possibility. Attending today’s meeting are also
    representatives of the hospitality sector in Romania. The Government will also
    discuss health safety measures linked to the election campaign.






    COVID-19
    IN ROMANIA – 1.256 new infections with SARS CoV-2
    were reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, taking the total number of infections
    to some 81.600, the Group for Strategic Communication has informed. Over 3.400
    people have died to the virus so far, while the number of patients in intensive
    care stands at 500. According to the latest report of the National Center for
    Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases, the number of infections
    dropped slightly over August 17-23 compared to previous weeks, but remains high
    compared to the March-June period.




    ELECTION – The Bucharest Election Bureau has validated 18 candidacies for the
    position of Mayor General in the upcoming local election of September 27.
    According to the Bureau, 22 lists of candidates were submitted by political
    parties or alliances, as well as independent candidacies, for the General
    Council and the six district councils in the capital city. The order of
    appearance on the voting ballots will be drawn on Friday, when the official
    campaign is also due to kick off. The campaign will end on September 26 at 7
    AM, 24 hours before the voting process is set to start. Originally slated for
    June, the election was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.






    DEFENSE
    – Romania’s Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuca on
    Wednesday had a bilateral meeting with his German counterpart, Annegret
    Kramp-Karrenbauer, on the sidelines of the EU Defense Ministers meeting, held
    in Berlin. Talks focused on the development of defense cooperation with NATO,
    the EU and the UN. Minister Ciuca expressed Romania’s readiness to support the
    German presidency of the EU Council and highlighted the importance of
    consolidating cooperation between NATO and the European Union. The two
    officials also tackled a series of elements on NATO’s defense and deterrence
    capabilities, as well as the security context in the Eastern Mediterranean and
    in the Black Sea. The two ministers also agreed on intensifying bilateral
    cooperation in the field of defense. The agenda of the meeting in Berlin
    includes debates on the EU’s operational commitments, developing cooperation
    with partners, the Strategic Compass – the EU’s upcoming instrument in the
    field of security and defense, and debates on the concept of European Defense
    and Security Culture post-COVID.




    BACCALAUREATE – The autumn session
    of the Romanian Baccalaureate exam continues today with the test in the
    optional subject. On Thursday, graduates representing national minorities will
    take their mother tongue test. Scheduled for next week is the validation of
    linguistic and digital skills. Initial results will be made public on September
    2. On the same day, candidates are free to file for re-examination. The final
    results will be listed on September 5. Over 42.700 students are sitting the
    autumn session of the Baccalaureate, accounting for nearly 60% of the total
    number of graduates this year.




    FOOTBALL – Romanian champions CFR Cluj is today playing Dinamo Zagreb of
    Croatia in the one-leg second preliminary round of Champions League. In the
    first round, CFR defeated FC Floriana of Malta 2-nil away from home. Tomorrow,
    in the first preliminary round, FC Botosani will take on FC Ordabasy of
    Kazakhstan away from home, FCSB will play FC Shirak of Armenia at home.
    Finally, CS Universitatea Craiova will play FC Locomotive Tbilisi of Georgia.




    TENNIS – The Romanian-Dutch pair Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Royer is
    toadying taking on Steve Johnson and Austin Krajicek of the United States in
    the doubles quarterfinals at the ATP tournament in Cincinnati, hosted by New
    York and totaling some $4.2 million in prize money. On Monday Tecau and Rojer
    ousted Raven Klaasen of South Africa and Oliver Marach of Austria, 6-3, 6-4.
    Their upcoming opponents, Johnson and Krajicek, knocked out second-seeds Lukasz
    Kubot of Poland and Marcelo Melo of Brazil, 6-3, 7-6.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)





  • Romanian military in international operations

    Romanian military in international operations

    President Klaus Iohannis decided to
    award the post-mortem Romanian Star National Order to the Romanian military who
    was killed in Thursday’s car bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. Corporal
    Cirprian-Stefan Polschi was 38 years old, married with two children. He had
    been an employee of the National Ministry of Defense since 2004, and this was
    his third tour in Afghanistan. Early this week, an assault of Taliban rebels
    targeted the Romanian Embassy in Kabul. A Romanian embassy employee died in the
    attack, sacrificing his life to save the others, Foreign Ministry Ramona
    Manescu said. He was born in 1976 and was part of the embassy’s security team.
    Coincidently enough, this Friday the city of Galati in southeastern Romania
    hosted a ceremony marking the safe return of the 480 Romanian military who have
    been taking part in a NATO support mission in Afghanistan since February. Their
    job was to ensure the security of Kandahar airport as well as the protection of
    counterterrorist NATO troops deployed on the ground.

    Most are part of a
    mechanized infantry battalion, together with troops from artillery, tank and
    marine units, which marked a first for the history of Romanian military navy.
    We are grateful to our military stationed in Afghanistan and other theatres of
    operations, who are doing their job, putting their lives on the line, together
    with our allies. By deploying military to conflict areas, our country is
    actively taking part in maintaining international peace and security, which is
    an important element of our NATO membership, President Klaus Iohannis said.

    After nearly half a century of Soviet membership, Romanians finally found their
    Western aspirations confirmed in 2000, at the end of post-communist transition.
    Romania joined NATO in March 2004 with the biggest wave of NATO enlargement
    recorded in history. Three years later our country joined the European Union.
    Our troops were deployed to Afghanistan even before NATO accession. Since 2003,
    nearly 30 Romanians have been killed in the line of duty, with scores of others
    being killed in other international missions. Defense Minister Gabriel Les
    recently stated that nearly a 1,000 Romanians are deployed in international
    missions, although their number exceeded 2,500 in recent years. Of them, over
    700 are deployed to Afghanistan. A few dozen are taking part in the UN mission
    in Kosovo, an anti-air defense unit totaling 120 soldiers is stationed in
    Poland, while 21 military are part of the general staff tasked with liaising
    with NATO.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • Romanian military in international operations

    Romanian military in international operations

    President Klaus Iohannis decided to
    award the post-mortem Romanian Star National Order to the Romanian military who
    was killed in Thursday’s car bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. Corporal
    Cirprian-Stefan Polschi was 38 years old, married with two children. He had
    been an employee of the National Ministry of Defense since 2004, and this was
    his third tour in Afghanistan. Early this week, an assault of Taliban rebels
    targeted the Romanian Embassy in Kabul. A Romanian embassy employee died in the
    attack, sacrificing his life to save the others, Foreign Ministry Ramona
    Manescu said. He was born in 1976 and was part of the embassy’s security team.
    Coincidently enough, this Friday the city of Galati in southeastern Romania
    hosted a ceremony marking the safe return of the 480 Romanian military who have
    been taking part in a NATO support mission in Afghanistan since February. Their
    job was to ensure the security of Kandahar airport as well as the protection of
    counterterrorist NATO troops deployed on the ground.

    Most are part of a
    mechanized infantry battalion, together with troops from artillery, tank and
    marine units, which marked a first for the history of Romanian military navy.
    We are grateful to our military stationed in Afghanistan and other theatres of
    operations, who are doing their job, putting their lives on the line, together
    with our allies. By deploying military to conflict areas, our country is
    actively taking part in maintaining international peace and security, which is
    an important element of our NATO membership, President Klaus Iohannis said.

    After nearly half a century of Soviet membership, Romanians finally found their
    Western aspirations confirmed in 2000, at the end of post-communist transition.
    Romania joined NATO in March 2004 with the biggest wave of NATO enlargement
    recorded in history. Three years later our country joined the European Union.
    Our troops were deployed to Afghanistan even before NATO accession. Since 2003,
    nearly 30 Romanians have been killed in the line of duty, with scores of others
    being killed in other international missions. Defense Minister Gabriel Les
    recently stated that nearly a 1,000 Romanians are deployed in international
    missions, although their number exceeded 2,500 in recent years. Of them, over
    700 are deployed to Afghanistan. A few dozen are taking part in the UN mission
    in Kosovo, an anti-air defense unit totaling 120 soldiers is stationed in
    Poland, while 21 military are part of the general staff tasked with liaising
    with NATO.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • April 3, 2019

    April 3, 2019

    ROMANIA-MONTENEGRO – Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica
    Dancila hailed progress reported by Montenegro in the negotiation process with
    the EU at the end of a meeting she had in Bucharest with her Montenegrin
    counterpart, Dusko Markovic. Dancila reiterated Bucharest’s commitment to
    continue to support the EU enlargement process based on individual merit. The
    agenda for talks included defense cooperation at NATO level, energy security in
    the region and agriculture. The Romanian Prime Minister said a
    Romania-Montenegro business forum will be held later this year. In turn, Prime
    Minister Dusko Markovic said Romania is not just a friend, but a partner for
    Montenegro, able to help based on its experience as EU member. Also today, Dusko Markovic will meet President
    Klaus Iohannis.

    JUDICIARY -
    The College of EU Commissioners is today discussing the rule of law in Romania.
    The Commission has repeatedly expressed concern over the latest developments
    tied to the rule of law in Romania. The Commission believes both the content
    and the procedures used to operate recent changes in the field, by using
    emergency decrees and without consulting stakeholders, go against the
    recommendations issued under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, which
    has been monitoring Romania’s progress in reforming its judiciary and combating
    corruption since its EU accession in 2007.

    NATO
    – Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Wednesday and Thursday is
    taking part in the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting held in Washington. The event
    is symbolic, marking 70 years since NATO was founded. A joint Declaration will
    be adopted at the end of the meeting. The North-Atlantic Treaty was signed in
    Washington on April 4, 1949 by the United States, Canada and 10 European
    states. NATO currently comprises 29 states from Europe and North America.
    Romania joined NATO in 2004.

    CONFERENCE -
    Romanian Minister for Tourism, Bogdan Gheorghe Trif is in Bucharest today
    attending the conference titled Sustainable Tourism – Common Policies of EU
    Member States, organized on the sidelines of the Romanian Presidency of the
    Council of the EU. Attending are experts from European institutions and travel
    specialists from EU member states. The Romanian Presidency’s priorities in the
    field are digitizing the sector, collaborative economy (sharing physical and
    human resources) and the sustainable development of tourism at EU level.

    INVESTIGATION -
    The Social-Democratic Party’s treasurer, Mircea Draghici, has challenged the
    decree whereby the National Anticorruption Directorate is investigating him in
    a case linked to spending subsidized party funds, claiming the case lacks any
    legal basis. Prosecutors say Draghici was tasked with managing the party’s
    assets and funds and had allegedly pocketed 380 thousand euros pursuant to
    signing a real estate rental contract. The subsidized money was given to
    Draghici to cover the partial payment accounting for two thirds of a
    building.

    FUNDS -
    The European Investment Fund (EIF) today signed four financing agreements with
    Romania, whereby granting Bucharest over 170 million euros for the development
    of SMEs as well as to be able to provide loans for students who want to further
    their studies abroad. Some 450 students will benefit from advantageous loans to
    study in another EU country, such as Iceland, Lichtenstein, North Macedonia,
    Norway and Turkey. Under the new agreements, a total of 3,000 SMEs will benefit
    from improved terms for financing. EIF is part of the Group of the European
    Investment Bank, its main mission being to support European SMEs by
    facilitating their access to financing.

    MOTION -
    The simple motion filed by the Liberal Party and the People’s Movement Party in
    opposition against Transport Minister Razvan Cuc was today debated and rejected
    by the Chamber of Deputies. The two parties called on Minister Cuc to step
    down, saying that the ruling coalition has pledged to build 350 kilometers of
    motorway by 2020, of which only 58 kilometers have been completed in the year
    and three months that have since passed. The two parties also said that in
    spite of the EU funds specially allotted for large infrastructure projects,
    only four financing requests have been submitted in nearly five years. The
    opposition also claimed the situation spells disaster in terms of rail
    infrastructure, while the national airliner Tarom is on the verge of
    bankruptcy.

    TENNIS -
    Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu (30 WTA) is today playing Lauren
    Davis of the United States (184 WTA) in the second round of the WTA tournament
    in Charleston, South Carolina, totaling 800,000 dollars in prize money. This
    will be the first direct match between the two players. Buzarnescu previously
    ousted Poland’s Magdalena Frech (182 WTA) in the first round at Charleston.
    (translated by V. Palcu)

  • Romanian-American military cooperation

    Romanian-American military cooperation

    Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, has promulgated the law on the purchase of seven Patriot US missile systems. The normative act was adopted last week by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body on this issue, after having previously been endorsed by the Senate. According to the defence minister, Mihai Fifor, the Romanian Army might soon use the new systems, which haven been deemed by experts as state-of-the art. “The first system will arrive in Romania in the second half of 2019, and it will be rendered fully operational in the first half of 2020. The program is practically spanning seven years, and the systems will be ready to use at the end of this time span”- the minister has explained.



    The Defence Ministry’s procurement plan also includes the purchase of Piranha 8×8 armoured vehicles. The first 30 such vehicles will be purchased also from the US, and the next ones might be manufactured at the Bucharest Mechanical Plant. The money earmarked for these purchases come from the state budget. Thanks to a political pact backed by all parliamentary parties, both in Power and in Opposition, of right or left wing orientation, two percentage points of Romania’s GDP have been allocated for defence.



    This is what both the US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, have wanted from all the NATO member states. Just as experts have pointed out, after tens of years under NATO’s safety umbrella, the Europeans have expected the Americans to defend and protect them from foreign threats. And, against the backdrop of rising threats in the East and the South, there is high time for Europe to invest more consistently into its own security. Romania is considered to be one of the best-performing countries from this standpoint and its military cooperation with the US is deemed excellent, the more so as the two countries boast a 20-year Strategic Partnership.



    As the US ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, has underlined, Romania is currently the fourth largest contributor as part of the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, exceeding for instance Great Britain. Hans Klemm also says the US military consider the over 620 Romanian colleagues deployed to that Central-Asian country to fight terrorism to be very valuable. Actually, although it was not a member of NATO, an alliance which it joined as late as 2004, Bucharest rallied, from the very first moment, the international anti-terror coalition set up in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Furthermore, Romania is hosting NATO-led multinational exercises, military bases and elements of the US missile defence shield, which makes it one of the US’ most important partners in the region. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • Romanian-Croatian high level talks

    Romanian-Croatian high level talks

    Croatia will support Romania’s efforts to join the Schengen area, said Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic who met with her Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis during her official visit to Bucharest. Croatia, itself a candidate to joining Schengen, has been encouraged in its bid by the recent statements of the European Commission President, Jean Claude Junker. “It’s high time to bring Romania and Croatia into the Schengen area. Croatia too deserves full membership in the Schengen area as soon as all criteria are met.




    The EU must offer credible membership prospects to Western Balkans,” Juncker said in mid-September, adding that that was a must if the purpose of the EU was to unite Europe rather than divide it. Unlike Croatia, Bucharest met all technical criteria for accession a long time ago. There are, however, several members of the community bloc that have chosen to ignore this perspective and set the elimination of the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification as a condition for Romania’s joining Schengen.




    The Croatian President favours the lifting of this instrument that monitors the reforms in the judicial system. On the other hand, Bucharest and Zagreb are willing to consolidate bilateral ties and work together better within the EU and NATO. Also, the economic relations between the two countries can be improved considerably and next year’s “Tree Seas Initiatives” summit, is a good opportunity to do just that. President Klaus Iohannis:



    “I will propose to try and draw up a short list of feasible infrastructure projects that all participants agree on, which can be presented to the European Commission for instance, as an application for cohesion funds, given that it is something that applies to this category.”



    In her turn, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has insisted on infrastructure development in the region. “This is crucial for our countries, so as not to develop a multi-speed Europe, but a Europe that wants to consolidate its position and ensure economic development for all member states,” the Croatian official said during a joint press conference with President Iohannis. In support of her ideas, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic gave a suggestive example. She explained that if someone tried to travel from Romania to Poland by car, via Bulgaria, it would see that the trip is quite difficult and takes a lot of time. This is also the case if someone took the train. Also, in the energy sector there are many initiatives connecting East and West, and very few connecting North and South. Hence, the purpose of the “Three Seas Initiative” to build road, rail and energy corridors able to connect the Adriatic, Black and Baltic seas. (Translated by E. Enache)