Tag: NATO Summit

  • NATO support of Ukraine

    NATO support of Ukraine

    On the sidelines of the anniversary summit in Washington, NATO decided to continue the integration process of the Ukrainian army and approved an assistance package worth 40 bln EUR for 2025. At the same time, the transfer of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands, long requested by Kyiv, is underway. Also, Ukraine will receive 5 new Patriot systems donated by the United States, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Romania. They will be used to help protect Ukrainian cities, civilians and soldiers. At the same time, NATO announced the establishment of the Security Assistance and Training Mission for Ukraine (NSATU), which will coordinate the supply of military equipment and training for the former Soviet republic by allied and partner states, as well as a new training center in Poland. NATO leaders adopted the final resolution of the summit, according to which Ukraine’s path to NATO is “irreversible”. The document shows that the Alliance supports the NATO accession of Ukraine, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said. “Ukraine’s future is in NATO.  Ukraine has become increasingly interoperable and politically integrated with the Alliance.  We welcome the concrete progress Ukraine has made since the Vilnius Summit on its required democratic, economic, and security reforms.  As Ukraine continues this vital work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership”, the final statement reads. Romania’s president Klaus Johannis in turn called for stepping up support given to Kyiv in the war against Russia and supported the confirmation of the irreversible trans-Atlantic trajectory of Ukraine. The president hailed the fact that negotiations are underway to replace the system donated to Ukraine. Romania wants another Patriot system instead, the Romanian head of state explained. Negotiations are underway in that respect, and some progress has already been achieved.

     

    “We discussed this issue in detail a few days ago in the country’s Supreme Defense Council and we tasked the Ministry of Defense. Negotiations are underway and our desire is to receive another Patriot system in exchange. Of course, not immediately, but in the relatively near future. But to compensate the absence of the system we are giving now, I think we will manage to get systems that will be delivered faster and will ensure better surveillance of the national airspace”.

     

    The President of Romania also referred to the aid that Allies give to Ukraine and emphasized that approximately half of the promised ammunition has been delivered, which is insufficient. In his opinion, Allies must continue to help Kyiv lest it should lose the war. According to experts, without NATO, which provides almost all of its military support, Ukraine risks sustaining defeat on the battlefield. (VP)

  • July 10, 2024 UPDATE

    July 10, 2024 UPDATE

    NATO – On the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington, Allies have reached consensus on the final resolution of the summit. NATO will reassert its commitment to support Ukraine’s irreversible Euro-Atlantic trajectory, once all accession criteria have been met. The war in Ukraine ranked high at the NATO summit, marking 75 years since the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Five Allied presidents and Prime Ministers, including the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, signed a joint statement to donate Patriot missile systems and parts to Ukraine. Italy pledged to deliver an additional system. Denmark and the Netherlands will send F-16 jets to overfly Ukrainian airspace over the summer, Reuters reports. The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, called for increasing assistance for Ukraine, arguing that if Ukraine loses the war, “we all lose”. “Russia remains the biggest threat to European and Euro-Atlantic security. Facing the Kremlin’s hybrid attacks, NATO states need to be ready to defend themselves. Therefore, the decision we will take over the next days will lead to more efficient actions to consolidate our security”, Iohannis pointed out. The summit will spell critical progress for strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, particularly in the Eastern Flank and the Black Sea region, the Romanian official added.

     

     

    FUNDS – Minister of European Funds, Adrian Câciu, said Romania has managed to absorb an additional 4 bln EUR from corresponding Cohesion Policy mechanisms as part of the 2021-2027 financial framework, taking the total value of contracts signed by Romania to 14 bln EUR. Another 6-bln-EUR worth of projects are still pending approval, the Romanian official wrote on social media. This rhythm of absorption will continue, making it the right approach for ensuring Romania’s sustainable development, Adrian Câciu added.

     

     

    OECD – Romania received the formal approval of the OECD for regional development, said the ministry for development, public works and administration. The statement also says that this confirms both the will and capacity of Romania to implement the legal instruments of the OECD and the alignment of Romania’s policies and practices to those of the OECD in matters of regional development. Romania’s efforts are thus recognized in terms of the consolidation of the regional development policy, especially with respect to the drafting of a solid system of territorial statistics, the adoption of a localized approach in the field of regional development and of strategic documents at regional, county and local levels, by means of consolidating governance at a number of levels and improving institutional and fiscal capacity of subnational governments. The formal approval also contains a series of recommendations for improving the policy, governance and financing framework in the field of regional development.

     

     

    TRADE – Romania’s trade balance deficit between January 1 and May 31 2024 stood at 12.288 bln EUR, 1.230 bln EUR more compared to the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Institute. In the first five months of the year, exports dropped by 2.9%, while imports rose by 0.2%. According to the National Statistics Institute, the areas accounting for the largest shares of exports and imports are represented by cars and transport equipment and other manufacture products.

     

     

    REPAIRS – Starting July 10 the Giurgiu-Ruse bridge over the Danube will undergo repair works on the Bulgarian section. Repairs are expected to complete in two years. According to the motorway company in neighboring Bulgaria, the works are divided into six stages, without closing traffic, with vehicles travelling on one lane only. Romanian citizens are advised to use alternative border crossings during the interval.

     

     

    FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions FCSB defeated the San Marino champions Virtus AC 7-1 in an away match on Tuesday evening, in the first leg of the Champions League first preliminary round. The second leg is scheduled for July 16 in Bucharest. If they advance to the second preliminary round, FCSB will play Maccabi Tel Aviv. The other Romanian clubs playing in European competitions are Romanian Cup winners Corvinul Hunedoara, CFR Cluj and Universitatea Craiova. (CM & VP)

  • July 9, 2024 UPDATE

    July 9, 2024 UPDATE

    NATO – The war in Ukraine and Russian security threats rank high on the agenda of the NATO summit underway in Washington, especially after Monday’s massive Russian attack on several Ukrainian cities that left dozens dead. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will attend the meeting, asked the allies to respond more firmly to Russia’s aggressiveness by strengthening his country’s air defenses. For his part, US President Joe Biden said that NATO will announce new measures to help Ukraine protect its cities and civilians. The president will meet Zelenskyy and the new British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. Represented by president Klaus Iohannis, Romania will reaffirm its firm support for Ukraine, including with respect to NATO accession. At the same time, Romania will argue in favor of continuing support to the Alliance’s vulnerable partners, especially for the Republic of Moldova and for increasing their capacity to respond to hybrid threats. The summit’s agenda includes three meetings at the highest level, including in formats with Ukraine, the European Union and NATO partners in the India-Pacific, as well as NATO’s 75th anniversary.

     

     

    ATTACK – Ukraine’s Ambassador to Bucharest, Ihor Prokopchuk on Monday attended a spontaneous action mourning the victims of Monday’s Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, including on a children’s hospital in Kyiv. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, attending the event were Ukrainian diplomats, Ukrainian citizens currently residing in Romania and Romanians. Ambassador Prokopchuk 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.

     

     

    TAROM – All internal and external flights of the Romanian state airliner TAROM are on schedule, after several flights were canceled on Tuesday when 30 of the 150 pilots called in sick. According to the Union of Airline Pilots, Tuesday’s decision was, in fact, a protest related to the working conditions and salaries, as well as what the pilots called poor management. In the meantime, the management of TAROM and the representatives of pilots have reached an agreement regarding the latter’s salary grievances. The pilots’ protest action caused great disturbances for the passengers, who should have been notified in advance to be able to plan their journeys accordingly, EU commissioner for transport, Adina Vălean, says. The situation doesn’t look good considering the company benefits from state aid approved by the European Commission, the EU official added. Tarom apologized and announced it would compensate travelers who purchased tickets directly from the company and who submit a refund request.

     

     

    TRANSPORT – Romania benefited from a new transport corridor during my term in office and a total of 12 biln EUR allotted to transport from various financial instruments, an unprecedented amount, the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean said in Bucharest on Tuesday, presenting a report of her term in office. The new North-South transport corridor connects the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. The European official also said that the port of Constanţa (southeast) on the Black Seacoast benefited from 149 mln EUR in grants from the EU for the improvement of the railway infrastructure and 13 mln EUR for the electrification of the railway connection from the port. According to the EU commissioner, Romania is the 6th country in terms of the allocation of funds in the European Union, after Poland, Italy, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.

     

     

    EDUCATION – Over 300,000 Romanians benefited from activities designed to combat drug abuse, carried out in the first half of the year at national level by National Anti-Drug Agency experts, both in schools as well as at community level. The team of experts provided information regarding the effects of drug consumption, banned in crowded areas, high-attendance events or in tourist resorts. The beneficiaries of these actions were pre-school children, pupils, students, teaching staff, parents, maternity assistants, children in institutional care as well as medical staff and former drug users. (VP)

  • July 12, 2023 UPDATE

    July 12, 2023 UPDATE

    NATO – Romania’s
    president, Klaus Iohannis, said Romania has fulfilled its objectives at the
    NATO summit in Vilnius. The Romanian president argued that the Alliance’s new
    defense plans, preparing for any security threat that could affect Romania,
    provide adequate answers. Our decisions have unequivocally proved the strength
    of trans-Atlantic ties and allied unity. We have adopted new defense plans,
    offering the maximum level of security on the eastern flank of NATO, in the
    Black Sea region, including for Romania, the president said at the end of the
    summit. As a result, Spanish authorities plan on deploying an additional 950
    military to NATO’s eastern flank, 250 of whom will be deployed to Romania,
    Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told a press conference in Vilnius. On the other
    hand, NATO members decided to simplify procedures for Ukraine’s NATO accession
    and increase overall support that the allies will provide to Kyiv’s efforts to
    liberate Russian-held territories.




    TRAINING -
    A coalition made up of 11 states will begin to train Ukrainian pilots to fly
    F-16 fighter jets in August in Denmark, while a training center will also be
    set up in Romania. We hope that we will be able to see results at the
    beginning of next year, Denmark’s interim defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen
    told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital,
    Vilnius. NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands led an international
    coalition effort to train pilots and support staff, maintain aircraft, and
    eventually supply Ukraine with F-16s. Belgium and Luxembourg will also
    participate in this program, supported by the US, while France and Great
    Britain are providing assistance. The air forces of the latter and Luxembourg
    do not own F-16 aircraft. Currently, Romania has 17 F-16 aircraft and will
    acquire another 32 from Norway.




    SCHENGEN – Romania and
    Bulgaria deserve to join the Schengen area by the end of the year, a resolution
    adopted on Wednesday by the European Parliament reads. Adopted with a large
    majority, the document states that both countries have fulfilled criteria to
    join the visa free travel area and exercising the veto right against their
    accession fuels anti-European sentiment and damages the economy. The citizens
    of Bulgaria and Romania are discriminated against, because they face delays,
    bureaucratic difficulties and additional costs when traveling for personal
    reasons or business abroad, MEPs argue. The resolution calls on the European
    Commission to estimate financial losses, lost profits and the damages to the environment
    resulted from Romania and Bulgaria being denied Schengen accession starting
    June 2011, as well as to analyze possible mechanisms to offset financial
    losses. Romania’s latest attempt at joining Schengen was blocked by Austria, a
    country that invoked issues related to illegal migration, dismissed by the
    Romanian authorities, European institutions and most member states.




    STATISTICS -
    The average net salary in Romania fell to 4,543 lei (approx. 915 Euros) in May
    this year, 0.5% less than in April 2023, the National Institute of Statistics
    (INS) announced on Wednesday. The average gross salary was 7,229 lei (approx.
    1,460 Euros), 1.1% lower than in April 2023. The highest values ​​of the
    average net salary were recorded in the IT service-provision field, and the
    smallest values in the hospitality industry. Compared to May 2022, the average
    net salary increased by 15.7%. In May, in most activities in the economic
    sector, the level of the average net salary decreased as a result of the
    granting, in the previous months, of occasional awards, rights in kind and
    money aid, sums from the net profit and from other funds. Also, the decreases
    in the average net salary were caused by production failures or lower receipts
    (depending on contracts/projects), as well as by the employment of personnel
    with lower than average salary earnings, from some economic activities, the
    aforementioned source states. (LS & VP)

  • July 8, 2023 UPDATE

    July 8, 2023 UPDATE

    NATO SUMMIT
    – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will attend the NATO Summit in
    Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. The summit will consist of three
    high-level NATO meetings in the NATO-Ukraine, NATO-EU and NATO-Indo-Pacific
    formats. The president will highlight the importance of implementing the
    decisions of the NATO summit in Madrid regarding the consolidation of NATO’s
    deterrence and defense posture on the eastern flank, the presidency reports.
    Klaus Iohannis will also reiterate robust support for Ukraine, as well as
    support for Ukraine’s bid to join NATO and for more vulnerable partners, in
    particular the Republic of Moldova. President Iohannis will also seek to
    highlight the importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-Atlantic security in
    NATO resolutions and documents. On the sidelines of the summit in Lithuania,
    NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expects most allies to express their
    commitment to increase their defense spending to over 2% of national GDPs
    starting 2024. Secretary Stoltenberg said that 11 NATO members, including
    Romania, have already met this target.




    NURSING
    HOMES SCANDAL – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has called a government
    meeting on Sunday with several members of his cabinet and heads of relevant
    institutions after a scandal broke out regarding abusive treatments applied to
    elderly and people with disabilities in three nursing homes in Ilfov County
    near Bucharest. Prime Minister Ciolacu called on Labor Minister Marius Budăi to sack the directors of the
    National Social Inspection Authority, its Ilfov branch and the National
    Authority for the Protection of People with Disabilities. In turn, Labor
    Minister Marius Budăi said
    prosecutors must establish how the Ilfov Agency for Social Inspection and
    Payments continued to earmark funds to these homes without verifying the
    conditions beforehand. Minister Budăi
    said the Ministry is considering amending the social welfare law, so that each
    nursing home should be monitored by a social auditor. Meanwhile, the police
    have detained, placed on house or pre-trial arrest a number of individuals in
    connection to this case.




    VISIT -
    Ukraine deserves to join NATO, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said
    in Istanbul upon meeting his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kyiv
    wants to join NATO, but the United States have warned Ukraine would not be
    joining NATO at the end of the NATO summit in Vilnius next week. On the other hand,
    Russia and Ukraine should resume peace talks, the Turkish president said,
    also calling for an extension of the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports,
    concluded in July 2022 under the aegis of the UN and Turkey. Previously, Russia
    said it sees no reason to extend the agreement, set to expire on July 17.




    TALKS -
    Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița
    Odobescu had a telephone talk with her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan,
    about consolidating bilateral relations. The two officials exchanged views
    about the security developments generated by Russia’s war in Ukraine ahead of
    the NATO summit in Vilnius. According to a Foreign Ministry release, the two
    ministers analyzed lines of action designed to consolidate strategic
    cooperation, with a focus on setting up a Romania-Turkey strategic cooperation
    council, which will serve as a dialogue platform focusing on key areas of
    mutual interest. Luminița Odobescu
    expressed an interest to continue dialogue on security matters in the
    trilateral Romania-Poland-Turkey format as well.




    NEVERSEA
    – The fifth edition of the Neversea electronic music festival continues this
    weekend in Constanța. The
    biggest beach festival in Europe, Neversea expects a daily number of 70,000
    visitors from Romania and abroad to take part in the event. This year’s special
    guests include American rapper Lil Uzi Vert, the Romanian artist Inna who
    performed alongside internationally-acclaimed DJ Alok Alok, Timmy Trumpet, J
    Balvin and Steve Aoki. (VP)



  • July 8, 2023

    July 8, 2023

    NATO SUMMIT
    – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will attend the NATO Summit in
    Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. The summit will consist of three
    high-level NATO meetings in the NATO-Ukraine, NATO-EU and NATO-Indo-Pacific
    formats. The president will highlight the importance of implementing the
    decisions of the NATO summit in Madrid regarding the consolidation of NATO’s
    deterrence and defense posture on the eastern flank, the presidency reports.
    Klaus Iohannis will also reiterate robust support for Ukraine, as well as
    support for Ukraine’s bid to join NATO and for more vulnerable partners, in
    particular the Republic of Moldova. President Iohannis will also seek to
    highlight the importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-Atlantic security in
    NATO resolutions and documents. On the sidelines of the summit in Lithuania,
    NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expects most allies to express their
    commitment to increase their defense spending to over 2% of national GDPs
    starting 2024. Secretary Stoltenberg said that 11 NATO members, including
    Romania, have already met this target.




    NURSING
    HOMES SCANDAL – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has called a government
    meeting on Sunday with several members of his cabinet and heads of relevant
    institutions after a scandal broke out regarding abusive treatments applied to
    elderly and people with disabilities in three nursing homes in Ilfov County
    near Bucharest. Prime Minister Ciolacu called on Labor Minister Marius Budăi to sack the directors of the
    National Social Inspection Authority, its Ilfov branch and the National
    Authority for the Protection of People with Disabilities. In turn, Labor
    Minister Marius Budăi said
    prosecutors must establish how the Ilfov Agency for Social Inspection and
    Payments continued to earmark funds to these homes without verifying the
    conditions beforehand. Minister Budăi
    said the Ministry is considering amending the social welfare law, so that each
    nursing home should be monitored by a social auditor. Meanwhile, the police
    have detained, placed on house or pre-trial arrest a number of individuals in
    connection to this case.




    VISIT -
    Ukraine deserves to join NATO, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said
    in Istanbul upon meeting his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kyiv
    wants to join NATO, but the United States have warned Ukraine would not be
    joining NATO at the end of the NATO summit in Vilnius next week. On the other hand,
    Russia and Ukraine should resume peace talks, the Turkish president said,
    also calling for an extension of the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports,
    concluded in July 2022 under the aegis of the UN and Turkey. Previously, Russia
    said it sees no reason to extend the agreement, set to expire on July 17.




    NEVERSEA
    – The fifth edition of the Neversea electronic music festival continues this
    weekend in Constanța. The
    biggest beach festival in Europe, Neversea expects a daily number of 70,000
    visitors from Romania and abroad to take part in the event. This year’s special
    guests include American rapper Lil Uzi Vert, the Romanian artist Inna who
    performed alongside internationally-acclaimed DJ Alok Alok, Timmy Trumpet, J
    Balvin and Steve Aoki.




    TENNIS -
    Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea
    (37 WTA) is today playing Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil (13 WTA) in the
    third round of the women’s singles at Wimbledon. On Friday, Cîrstea ousted Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in three
    sets. This is Sorana Cîrstea’s fifth attempt to reach the Wimbledon
    round of 16, after reaching the third round in 2009, 2012, 2017 and 2021. A
    semi-finalist this year at Roland Garros, Haddad on Thursday knocked out
    Jaqueline Cristian of Romania. Another two Romanian tennis players, Ana Bogdan
    and Irina Begu, were eliminated on Friday. (VP)

  • May 27, 2023

    May 27, 2023

    STRIKE – The all-out strike in the education system will continue
    next week as well. Union leaders are preparing a new rally in Bucharest,
    following Friday’s protest actions in a number of cities across the country.
    Education employees are disgruntled with the Government’s offer of €500
    bonuses. The government has accepted to increase salaries for auxiliary staff
    by 9%, also providing them with bonuses of €200. Trade unions have called for a
    25% increase in salaries, raising the entry level salary to some €600. The
    strike action started on May 22, education employees voicing discontentment
    regarding salaries and work conditions. Union leaders have warned that the
    strike will continue unless their demands are met.




    HEALTH – The Government has adopted a new framework agreement for
    health insurances, to take effect starting July 1. The underlying feature of
    the new contract is prevention. Family physicians travelling to rural areas
    will receive bonuses. The agreement for the first time regulates
    performance-related payments. Family physicians will also be provided with new
    instruments to make pre-emptive consultations for patients of various ages. The
    agreement also stipulates the legal framework for employees’ access to
    vocational medicine and outpatient rehabilitation services. In the case of
    hospitals, the agreement introduced some 100 new medical services that can be
    provided in the case of one-day hospital admissions.




    PILGRIMAGE – Some 300,000 Roman-Catholic Christians from all over
    the world, including the president of Hungary, Novak Katalin, on Saturday took
    part in the Catholic Pentecost pilgrimage in Șumuleu Ciuc (central Romania). Organizers expect Catholics from all
    over Europe, particularly Hungary, but also Australia and the USA to attend. Considered
    the largest of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, the pilgrimage has a
    history of over 450 years and is devoted to the miracle-working statue to the
    Virgin Mary in the local Franciscan church. According to legend, in 1567,
    Transylvanian prince John Sigismund tried to forcefully convert the local
    Romanian-Catholic population of Ciuc, Gheorgheni and Cașin to Unitarianism. Only with the help of
    the miracle-working statue were the people able to resist and keep their
    ancestral faith. Since then, every Pentecost Eve, Catholics from all over the
    world go on pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Virgin Mary in Șumuleu Ciuc, home to the miracle-working statue.




    SUMMIT – Germany will be moving its Patriot anti-missile defense
    system currently deployed to Slovakia to Lithuania, to protect the NATO Summit
    of July in Vilnius, the German Defense Minister said. Germany has stationed two
    Patriot units in Slovakia and another three in Poland. Germany’s Chancellor,
    Olaf Scholz, said the summit will be particularly devoted to clear-cut
    assistance to Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg a few days ago
    admitted Allies are divided over Ukraine’s bid to join NATO, a topic which will
    be addressed at the summit in Vilnius. Stoltenberg recalled that all NATO
    decisions need to be unanimous.




    ELECTION – Tens of thousands of supporters of Turkey’s acting
    president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, took part in a support rally in Istanbul,
    ahead of Sunday’s presidential run-off. President Erdoğan called on his
    supporters to vote for a united Parliament and presidency. His opposition
    rival, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu,
    the leader of the People’s Republican Party, addressed his own supporters in
    Istanbul, highlighting the economic problems facing Turkey at present. We
    recall Recep Tayyip Erdoğan obtained nearly 50% of the
    vote in the first round, while Kemal
    Kılıçdaroğlu grabbed 45% of the vote. Kılıçdaroğlu is leading a coalition of
    opposition parties. In power for the last 20 years, Erdoğan appears to be close to securing a new five-year term
    as president, although many expect to be a close call. Over 64 mln Turks are
    expected to hit the polls on Sunday, of which 3.4 mln in the Diaspora. According
    to estimates, voter turnout in the Diaspora is expected to be higher compared
    to the first round. (VP)



  • The Week in Review (27.06 – 03.07.2022)

    The Week in Review (27.06 – 03.07.2022)

    Russia
    is no longer a partner, but a threat

    The
    NATO Summit in Madrid is one of the most significant Allied meetings
    in recent years in terms of results for Romania – said Romania’s
    President Klaus Iohannis. He pointed out that the central theme of
    the discussions held, and of the decisions made at the summit, was
    the military invasion of Romania’s neighbor, Ukraine, by the
    Russian army, and that NATO’s new strategic concept, adopted at the
    summit, adequately reflects the current security situation. Thus,
    Russia is no longer considered a partner, but is labeled as the most
    significant and direct threat to the security and stability of the
    Allies. For the first time, Communist China is accused of using a
    wide range of political, economic and military activities to project
    its power around the world. China’s avowed ambitions and its coercive
    policies pose challenges to our interests, security and values -
    said the NATO member states’ representatives, who also point a
    finger at the strategic partnership between Beijing and Moscow
    against the international order. NATO has also confirmed the
    strengthening of its military presence on the Eastern flank,
    including in Romania. Its reaction force increases from 40 thousand
    to over 300 thousand highly trained soldiers. This is the most
    important reorganization of our collective defense since the Cold
    War NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg unerlined, while US
    President Joe Biden said that we are here and we
    are proving that NATO is more necessary than ever. He announced,
    in turn, a strengthening of the U.S. military presence throughout
    Europe. NATO has also promised to support Ukraine, for as long as
    necessary, to resist the Russian armed invasion. Secretary-General
    Stoltenberg said that support for Kyiv was a moral and
    political obligation.

    Romania
    and the gas crisis

    One
    of the EU Member States least dependent on Russian hydrocarbon
    imports, Romania can become energy independent, a supplier of energy
    security in the region, and a transport corridor for gas and green
    energy from the Caspian Sea – says the Romanian Energy Minister
    Virgil Popescu. He participated on Tuesday, together with the Prime
    Minister Nicolae Ciuca, in the ceremony organized in Vadu, in
    Constanta County (south-east), on the occasion of the launch of the
    natural gas exploitation as part of the Midia project. Minister
    Popescu said that the natural gas reserves in the Romanian Black Sea
    area amount to 200 billion cubic meters. The extraction of natural
    gas from the Midia area is the first project of its kind in the
    Romanian Black Sea area in the last 30 years, and in June the first
    amounts of gas have already entered the domestic market. In turn,
    Prime Minister Ciuca said that 41% of Romania’s gas storage
    facilities is currently filled, and, by November 1, this amount will
    reach 80 %.

    Social
    policies for crisis situations

    Legal
    entities that want to postpone paying their loan installments must
    prove that, in the last three months, they have suffered losses of at
    least 25%, and individuals must show that their monthly expenses
    increased by 25% – shows a government decision made by the governing
    coalition made up of PSD-PNL-UDMR, which thus hopes to mitigate the
    effects of the recent price hikes. The deferral of loan installments
    is valid for a maximum of nine months, and only on loans without
    arrears in the last six months. Postponing the payment of loan
    installments for those affected by the price increase is a temporary
    advantage – warned expert Adrian Mitroi, a professor at the Academy
    of Economic Sciences in Bucharest. He explained, on Radio Romania,
    that the postponement brings, in fact, an additional cost. When the
    debtor resumes payment, the amounts due monthly will be higher, as
    they will also include certain additional bank fees. The government
    also adopted a draft law that will help students and young people to
    receive bank loans, 80% of which will be guaranteed by the state. In
    the case of students, the guarantee is about 10,000 Euros, and in the
    case of young couples, about 15,000 Euros, the equivalent in lei, the
    national currency, at the exchange rate of the day.

    The
    law of silence in Romania

    The
    head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, former chief
    anti-corruption prosecutor in Bucharest, Laura Codruţa Kovesi,
    announced that she is looking into appealing to the European
    Commission for activating the mechanism of conditioning European
    funding in order to defend rule of law in Romania. According to an
    EPPO press release, the reason is the content of a law recently
    passed by Parliament, reflecting a European directive on protecting
    whistleblowers. The main concern is that the bill could discourage
    them in Romania, more specifically with regard to uncovering fraud
    involving European provided funding, according to an EPPO press
    release. Many Romanian civic organizations announced they would file
    complaints with the People’s Ombudsman against the bill on protecting
    whistleblowers, pointing out that Romania risks sanctions,
    considering that the prospective law samples selectively the European
    directive relevant to the issue.

    Florin
    Citu resigns again

    On
    Wednesday, meeting in plenary session, Romanian senators have
    dismissed the speaker of the chamber, after filing Florin Citu’s
    resignation. Previously, Citu had stated that his resignation had
    been requested by Liberal Party chairman, PM Nicolae Ciuca, and by
    party secretary general Lucian Bode, who had informed him that he no
    longer has party support for the position of speaker. He claimed that
    he was blamed for the statements he made for years against the Social
    Democratic Party social and salary policies, a party that is in
    coalition partnership with the Liberals. According to some Romanian
    journalists, Florin Citu is a very competent economist, for others a
    ridiculous character, and he ascended the political ladder as fast as
    he fell off of it. For as long as he was favored by President Klaus
    Iohannis, he was PM and National Liberal Party chairman, then he
    supposedly fell out of grace and lost both positions, in favor of
    Reserve General Ciuca. The interim speaker position will be held by
    Liberal Alina Gorghiu, a former MP with controversial bill proposals,
    also seen as a protege of the head of state. Two years prior, she
    proposed that people with prison sentences of less than seven years
    serve their detention at home, an initiative that sparked waves of
    criticism.

  • June 28, 2022 UPDATE

    June 28, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO. Romania’s President,
    Klaus Iohannis, is attending the NATO summit in Madrid until Thursday. The war
    in Ukraine and the security crisis in the Black Sea region are the main topics
    on the agenda of the summit. According to the Romanian Presidential
    Administration, during the summit, the Romanian president will welcome the fact
    that the current security situation was reflected in the Alliance’s new
    strategic concept, starting from the recognition of Russia as the main threat
    to NATO, and the fact that the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for
    Euro-Atlantic security was mentioned for the first time. Klaus Iohannis will
    emphasize Romania’s significant contribution to supporting Ukraine at
    humanitarian level, as well as the most vulnerable partners, especially those
    in the eastern neighborhood, mainly the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet
    country with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population) and Georgia. Klaus
    Iohannis will reiterate Romania’s firm support for NATO’s open doors policy,
    including the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Alliance.














    Partnership. The two Chambers of
    Romania’s Parliament adopted on Tuesday, in a joint session, a Declaration on
    the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US.
    The two countries, the document states, share common values ​​and interests, a
    deep commitment to democracy and a lasting strategic relationship. We
    particularly welcome the important progress made in the cooperation between the
    two countries in the field of security, in order to strengthen NATO’s eastern
    flank, including in the Black Sea region, reads the document adopted with a
    majority of votes by the Romanian senators and deputies. They welcome the
    intensification of the dialogue to meet the conditions for Romania’s inclusion
    in the Visa Waiver program, a program that would allow Romanian citizens to
    travel to the US for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days, without needing
    a travel visa. During the speeches, both the ruling coalition and the
    opposition representatives underlined the importance of the Strategic
    Partnership between the two countries.







    Gas. The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciuca, stated on Tuesday that the country’s gas storage facilities are currently at a fill rate of 41%, and the capacity is expected to reach 80% by November 1st. A decision has been made at EU level and each member country has to start winter at 80% of its storage capacity, he explained. Romania can become energy independent and an energy security provider in the region, as well as a transport corridor for gas and green energy in the Caspian Sea – said, in turn, the Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu. The two officials participated in the ceremony organized in Vadu, Constanţa County (southeast), to mark the starting of the exploitation of natural gas in the Black Sea, part of the Midia project, operated by the Black Sea Oil & Gas Company. Popescu voiced hope that the investment in the Neptun Deep perimeter of Romgaz and OMV Petrom will be completed, which will lead to Romania’s total energy independence from resources in other countries.




    Moldova. The Republic of
    Moldova on Tuesday marked 82 years since the occupation of Bessarabia by the
    Soviet Union on June 28, 1940. Back then, the Soviet troops annexed Bessarabia,
    northern Bukovina and Hertsa land, regions with a predominantly
    Romanian-speaking population, following an ultimatum to Bucharest. Radio Chisinau
    recalls that the annexation led to the establishment of a totalitarian
    communist regime, which meant forced collectivization, the replacement of the
    Latin alphabet with the Cyrillic one and Russification, political oppression
    and deportations. Tens of thousands of people were deported to Kazakhstan and
    Siberia, many of them dying on the way to or in the USSR camps. Historian Ion
    Varta said that under the Soviet regime forcefully established on the left bank
    of the Prut River, ‘about 400,000 people were victims of organized famine’,
    ‘626,000 people were subject to forced labor’, and between 120,000 and 130,000
    people were deported. It was a true genocide, the historian
    concluded. The territories annexed in 1940 now belong to the former Soviet
    republics of Moldova and Ukraine, which gained their independence from Moscow
    in August 1991, after the failure of the neo-Bolshevik coup against the last Soviet
    leader, the reformer Mikhail Gorbachev.




    Immunity. The Romanian
    Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday lifted the parliamentary immunity of the former
    Social-Democratic minister of agriculture, Adrian Chesnoiu, accused by the
    anti-corruption prosecutors of abuse of office. There were 251 votes ‘for’ and
    25 ‘against’, and 2 were annulled. On Monday, the Chamber’s Legal Commission
    gave a favorable reply to DNA’s request in this regard. The interim office
    of agriculture minister was taken over
    by the Minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu.





    Tennis. Six Romanian tennis player have qualified for the second round of the Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon. Mihaela Buzarnescu defeated Nastasja Schunk of Germany on Tuesday, Ana Bogdan won the match against the Ukrainian Daiana Iastremska, Simona Halep defeated the Czech Karolina Muchova and Irina Bara (the French Chloé Paquet. Irina Begu and Sorana Cirstea had qualified on Monday. (MI)

  • June 27, 2022 UPDATE

    June 27, 2022 UPDATE

    G 7 — The G7 leaders meeting on Monday in Germany reiterated their indestructible support for Ukraine, promising in particular military and financial support for “as long as necessary,” AFP reports. Germany, the US, France, Canada, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom have urged Russia to allow cereal exports from Ukraine, which it invaded on February 24, to avoid exacerbating the global food crisis. The G7 countries have called on Moscow to “unconditionally end attacks on agricultural and transport infrastructure and allow the free passage of agricultural goods from the Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea.” They also expressed “deep concern” over Russias announcement that it could transfer nuclear-fired missiles to Belarus. The heads of state and government held a video conference on Monday morning with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski, who called on them to “do their best” to end the war, which is devastating their country, before the end of the year.



    Reactors – President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca welcomed the announcement made on Sunday by US President Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Germany, according to which the United States will invest 14 million dollars in the preliminary stage of engineering and design studies for the development of small modular reactors in Romania. Ensuring energy security is a common goal of the Romanian-American Strategic Partnership, Klaus Iohannis wrote on social media, while Nicolae Ciuca said in a statement, among other things, that the development of the nuclear program will boost economic growth.



    Partnership – Romanias two-chamber parliament will convene on Tuesday in a joint meeting dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US. The Romanian authorities have underlined that this collaboration has been an essential landmark for the countrys foreign policy over the years, as well as a tool for supporting domestic efforts for Romanias economic, military and administrative reforms. In a Facebook post, Romanias Ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru, says that he was received at the White House by president Joe Biden, to whom he conveyed the message of president Iohannis and the Romanian states will to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. The Romanian official stated that “without President Bidens courage and determination, NATO may not have been as strong and united as it is today”. The White House leader thanked Romania for the invaluable help it has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.



    Baccalaureate – The Romanian Education Minister, Sorin Câmpeanu, said Monday that this years Baccalaureate exams produced the best results in the last 10 years, and this was due to the simplification of the subjects. The pass rate of the Baccalaureate exam was over 73%. 162 students got a final 10, 32 of whom are from Bucharest. The highest pass rate was registered in Cluj county (northwest), Campeanu also said. The results can be seen on the bacalaureat.edu.ro platform and on the schools notice boards. The identity of the students will not be disclosed, their names being replaced by the individual codes received at the first test. More than 126,000 high school graduates sat for the Baccalaureate exam this year, the lowest number since the 1989 anti-communist revolution.



    Champion – The Romanian government approved on Monday a decision under which the swimmer David Popovici will be awarded 200 thousand Euros for the exceptional results obtained at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest. The double world champion was received by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca at Victoria Palace. The PM congratulated him for his extraordinary victory which brought him gold in the 200 and 100 meters freestyle event. Another Romanian, Robert Glinţă came 5th in the 50-meter backstroke final and 8th in the 100-meter backstroke event.



    Summit — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, participates, as of Tuesday until Thursday, in the NATO summit hosted by Madrid. According to the Presidential Administration, the war in Ukraine and the security crisis in the Black Sea region are the main topics on the agenda. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to deliver a video speech in the first part of the meeting in the Spanish capital. During the summit, the Romanian president will welcome the fact that the current security situation was reflected in the Alliance’s new strategic concept, starting from the recognition of Russia as the main threat to NATO, and the fact that the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-Atlantic security was mentioned for the first time. Klaus Iohannis will emphasize Romanias significant contribution to supporting Ukraine at humanitarian level, as well as the most vulnerable partners, especially those in the eastern neighborhood, mainly the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet country with a majority Romanian-speaking population) and Georgia. Klaus Iohannis will reiterate Romanias firm support for NATOs “open door” policy, including the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Alliance.



    Meeting – The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday met in Bucharest with his Serbian counterpart, Nikola Selakovic, on the occasion of the latter’s visit to Romania, at the invitation of the Romanian FM. According to Bogdan Aurescu, the two discussed the importance of Serbias European path, which, from Romanias point of view, must be completed as soon as possible by Serbia joining the European Union as a full member. The talks also focused on the importance of the European Unions partners, including Serbia, aligning to the Unions common foreign and security policy, given the complicated regional context. In his turn, the Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said that Serbia was grateful to Romania for the support granted for its European path. (LS)

  • War in Ukraine – UPDATE

    War in Ukraine – UPDATE

    The Prime
    Ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, Mateusz Morawiecki, Janez
    Janša Petr Fiala respectively, are expected to meet in Kyiv with president
    Volodymyr Zelensky. The EU officials will express the EU’s unequivocal support
    and brief the Ukrainian president with a respect to EU’s planned support
    package.




    Earlier on Tuesday,
    the European Union and the United Kingdom announced new sanctions targeting at
    least 600 Russian nationals. The EU officials have described the move as a historical
    decision.




    Meanwhile the
    situation is getting critical on the ground as airstrikes and shelling
    continues to target the main Ukrainian cities. The civilian death toll is also
    increasing, local authorities say. Evacuation of the population of Mariupol
    started Tuesday, although the humanitarian corridor isn’t working as expected, Minister
    for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk claims.




    According to
    diplomatic sources quoted by Reuters and CNN, a possible NATO emergency summit
    to be held as early as next week in Brussels. Meanwhile, this week’s meeting of
    the Alliance’s Defense Ministers will tackle measures to further consolidate
    NATO’s defensive presence on its eastern flank.

  • War in Ukraine – UPDATE

    War in Ukraine – UPDATE

    The Prime
    Ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, Mateusz Morawiecki, Janez
    Janša Petr Fiala respectively, are expected to meet in Kyiv with president
    Volodymyr Zelensky. The EU officials will express the EU’s unequivocal support
    and brief the Ukrainian president with a respect to EU’s planned support
    package.




    Earlier on Tuesday,
    the European Union and the United Kingdom announced new sanctions targeting at
    least 600 Russian nationals. The EU officials have described the move as a historical
    decision.




    Meanwhile the
    situation is getting critical on the ground as airstrikes and shelling
    continues to target the main Ukrainian cities. The civilian death toll is also
    increasing, local authorities say. Evacuation of the population of Mariupol
    started Tuesday, although the humanitarian corridor isn’t working as expected, Minister
    for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk claims.




    According to
    diplomatic sources quoted by Reuters and CNN, a possible NATO emergency summit
    to be held as early as next week in Brussels. Meanwhile, this week’s meeting of
    the Alliance’s Defense Ministers will tackle measures to further consolidate
    NATO’s defensive presence on its eastern flank.

  • December 4, 2019 UPDATE

    December 4, 2019 UPDATE

    NATO – Wednesday
    marked the close of the NATO summit in London, where the leaders of the 29
    Member States adopted a joint declaration reiterating the solidarity, unity and
    cohesion of the Alliance. The document also shows that Russia’s repeated
    aggressions represent a threat to Euro-Atlantic security. Attending the summit
    President Klaus Iohannis said NATO must clearly identify its threats and
    enemies as well as its position towards the rising powers. President Iohannis
    said after the summit that NATO remains united and strong. NATO wants a fair
    and equitable disbursement or resources for defense, whereas states that have
    so far not allotted 2% of the GDP to defense spending have pledged to
    accelerate procedures to this end, President Iohannis pointed out. According to
    the President, the Alliance wants to kick off a reflection process on the
    establishment of new strategies. On Tuesday evening, Klaus Iohannis attended
    the reception hosted by Queen Elisabeth II at Buckingham Palace.






    LAW – The Romanian
    Chamber of Deputies, a decision making body, on Wednesday adopted the bill for
    the repeal of the compensatory appeal law with 272 votes for and 5 abstentions.
    The law was quite controversial because it allowed for the liberation of
    thousands of detainees ahead of due date. Some of them, who had been convicted
    for serious crimes, retuned to criminal behavior. Justice Minister Catalin
    Predoiu explained recently that he supported the abrogation of the law, given
    that its faulty content endangered Romania’s citizens. He pointed out that the
    justice ministry representatives drafted a document including transitory
    measures to be applied in penitentiaries in the future. The bad conditions
    existing in penitentiaries generated lots of complaints at the European Court
    of Human Rights. The authorities mainly want to improve the quality of
    detention places.






    EBRD – Prime
    Minister Ludovic Orban wants a closer cooperation with the European Bank for
    Reconstruction and Development, which would translate into investment and
    technical assistance projects in such fields as transport, energy, healthcare
    and constructions. Ludovic Orban on Wednesday met in Bucharest with a
    delegation of the EBRD led by Charlotte Ruhe, managing director for Central and
    Eastern Europe. The meeting was meant at presenting the Bank’s strategy for Romania
    for the 2020-2025 period.










    SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC
    PARTY – The Social Democratic Party’s executive committee on Wednesday
    decided the future party leadership would be elected at a special congress on
    February 29. We recall Viorica Dancila resigned from the position of leader
    after her failure in the recent presidential election won by Klaus Iohannis,
    supported by the National Liberal Party. This was the second electoral defeat
    of the Social Democrats after that in the EP elections of May 26.




    OSCE – Foreign Minister
    Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday will attend the 26th meeting of the Ministerial
    Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). On
    this occasion Minister Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s key objectives
    referring to security and cooperation in Europe. Bogdan Aurescu will attend
    debates on the prospects of Europe’s security and will reaffirm Bucharest’s commitment
    to observe the values of multilateralism and to support efforts to consolidate
    the role of the OSCE, the Foreign Ministry reports. On the sidelines of the event,
    Minister Aurescu will have a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts
    from participant states.






    HANDBALL – The
    Romanian national women’s handball team lost 26-27 to Montenegro in Group C at the
    World Championship hosted by Japan. In the previous matches the Romanian
    handballers lost to Spain and won against Senegal and Kazakhstan. To qualify to
    the main groups, Romania needs to defeat Hungary in the last group fixture. In
    the same group, Spain defeated Kazakhstan and advanced to the next phase.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • December 2, 2019

    December 2, 2019

    NATIONAL DAY – The Chamber of Deputies
    and the Senate are today convening in a solemn joint session to mark the
    National Day of Romania. Addressing Parliament will be President Klaus
    Iohannis, Senate Speaker Teodor Melescanu, Chamber of Deputies Speaker Marcel
    Ciolacu, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban as well as representatives of
    parliamentary groups. The list of guests includes former heads of state, the
    Custodian of the Royal Crown, Margareta, Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch
    Daniel, the archbishops of the Roman-Catholic and Eastern-Catholic Churches,
    the presidents of the Constitutional Court, the High Court of Cassation and
    Justice, the Romanian Academy, the Court of Accounts and the Legislative Council.
    Attending will also be National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu, Ombudsman Renate
    Weber, Bucharest City Hall Mayor Gabriela Firea, the directors of the Romanian
    Intelligence Service, the Romanian Foreign Intelligence Service, the Protection
    and Guard Service, the Special Telecommunications Service as well as members of
    the Government. December 1 became Romania’s National Day after the December
    1989 anti-Communist revolution and it marks the completion, at the end of WWI,
    in 1918, of the process of creating the Romanian unitary nation state, when all
    the provinces included in the neighboring multinational empires, with a
    majority Romanian-speaking population, came under the authority of Bucharest.




    JHA – The Justice and Home Affairs
    Council of the European Union is convening in Brussels on December 2-3. High on
    the agenda are topics such as the future EU policies on migration and asylum,
    home security, combating terrorism, environmental crime and alternative
    detention measures. On Tuesday, the new EU chief prosecutor, Romanian Laura
    Codruta Kovesi will present her vision and plans for the European Public
    Prosecutor’s Office. The institution is set to start its activity in November
    2020, by which date the chief prosecutor must coordinate the setup and
    functioning of the new structure. The EPPO will investigate cross-border fraud
    cases at community level. So far 22 Member States have officially adhered to
    the EPPO.




    BILL – Save Romania Union leader Dan
    Barna said the draft law on the organization of local elections in two separate
    rounds should be adopted by the end of Parliament’s current session. Prime
    Minister Ludovic Orban claims the Liberals support the bill, warning however it
    requires the vote of at least 165 MPs, while the Liberal Party is supported by
    a fragile majority in Parliament.




    UNEMPLOYMENT – The unemployment rate in
    Romania stood at 2.98% in October, a slight decrease compared to the same month
    in 2018 and to the previous month this year, the National Employment Agency
    announced on Monday. The total number of unemployed was below 260 thousand,
    most of whom were reported in rural areas. Most of them are aged 40-49,
    followed by those above 55 years of age. Broken down in terms of training,
    unemployed people without any diplomas and those with basic education had the
    largest share of total number of unemployed.




    NATO – London on Tuesday and Wednesday
    is hosting the NATO summit, celebrating 70 years of NATO existence. High on the
    agenda are the fight against terrorism, arms control and relations with Russia
    and China. Representing Romania will be president Klaus Iohannis. According to
    the presidency, Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s contribution as a NATO
    member and the need to continue determent and security efforts on the eastern
    flank and in the Black Sea region.




    HANDBALL -
    Romanian champions Dinamo Bucharest on Sunday defeated GOG Gudme of Denmark
    32-31 in Group D of the men’s Champions League. Dinamo is undefeated at the end
    of the group phase, with 7 wins and 3 draws. They are top of the tables with 17
    points, followed by Orlen Wisla Plock of Poland with 11 points, GOG of Denmark
    with 9 points, IFK Kristianstad of Sweden with 9 points, Cehovskie Medvedi of
    Russia with 8 points and Kadetten Schaffhausen of Switzerland with 6 points. In
    the playoff, Dinamo will play Sporting Lisbon of Portugal. The first leg will
    be played away from home in February, with the return leg scheduled in
    Bucharest. The two teams faced off in last year’s edition of the playoffs as
    well, when Sporting won 32-31 in the first leg and 27-26 in the return leg. In
    women’s handball, at the World Cup in Japan, Romania will play Kazakhstan on
    Tuesday. Romania so far lost 16-31 to Spain and defeated Senegal 29-24.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • November 30, 2019 UPDATE

    November 30, 2019 UPDATE

    NATIONAL DAY – Alba Iulia on Saturday hosted a series of
    ceremonies marking the National Day of Romania and the Great Union. Military
    events, floral tributes, concerts and film screenings were held on this
    occasion. On Sunday, December 1, some 4,000 military and specialists with the
    Defense and Interior Ministries, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the
    National Penitentiary Administration, in addition to 200 pieces of military
    technology, will take part in the national military parade held in Bucharest on
    December 1. According to the Defense Ministry, some 500 military from Romania’s
    21 allied or partner countries will be taking part as well. Depending on the
    weather, over 50 aircraft will be participating in the parade. The public will
    also be able to visit an open-air exhibition. Various events will be held in
    other cities in Romania. The national flag will be displayed on all military
    buildings while all maritime and river ships will be dressed up overall.
    Romanian military in theatres of operations in Afghanistan, the Western
    Balkans, Mali, Iraq and Poland are also organizing military ceremonies and
    specific activities on this occasion. December 1 became Romania’s National Day
    after the December 1989 anti-Communist revolution and it marks the completion,
    at the end of WWI, in 1918, of the process of creating the Romanian unitary
    nation state, when all the provinces included in the neighboring multinational
    empires, with a majority Romanian-speaking population, came under the authority
    of Bucharest.




    PUBLIC ORDER – Over 27,000 employees of the
    Interior Ministry will be working to ensure public order and intervene in case
    of emergency on December 1, the National Day of Romania. According to a press
    release issued by the Interior Ministry, some 660 events will be held to mark
    this day at national level. To ensure public order, law enforcement officers,
    gendarmes, firefighters and paramedics have been mobilized. The measures are
    meant to prevent and combat anti-social behaviors, ease road traffic,
    especially in areas where restrictions are in place, as well as to provide
    emergency medical care, where needed.




    SAINT ANDREW – Christians on Saturday celebrated
    St. Andrew the Apostle’s Feast Day. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of
    Romania, after he preached the word of Jesus Christ in present-day Dobrogea, in
    southeastern Romania. Saint Andrew died in Patras, Greece, crucified on an
    X-shaped cross. President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message to all Romanians at
    home and abroad, to celebrate the spiritual identity of the Romanian people on
    this special day, and use the celebration to strengthen the Romanian people in
    unity and cohesion. Some 700,000 Romanians celebrated their name day.




    NATO – London on Tuesday and
    Wednesday is hosting the NATO summit, celebrating 70 years of NATO existence.
    High on the agenda are the fight against terrorism, arms control and relations
    with Russia and China. Representing Romania will be president Klaus Iohannis.
    According to the presidency, Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s contribution
    as a NATO member and the need to continue determent and security efforts on the
    eastern flank and in the Black Sea region.




    EUROPEAN COMMISSION
    – The new European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen will start its
    activity on December 1. Member States have decided the new Commission will have
    only 27 commissioners, after Great Britain refused to make a nomination.
    Romanian Adina Valean from the European People’s Party has been appointed
    Transport Commissioner. The College of Commissioners will convene on December 4
    to make several administrative decisions.




    HANDBALL – The
    Romanian women’s team lost 31-16 to Spain in the first Group C fixture at the
    World Cup held in Japan. Romania was drawn in Group C alongside Senegal,
    Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Hungary. The top three teams will advance to the
    next phase. From 1957 to 2017, Romania has never missed a World Cup. Our
    country won silver in 2005 in Russia and bronze in 2015 in Denmark.




    EURO 2020 -
    One million tickets will be made available over December 4-18 to the fans of
    the 20 teams qualified to the European Football Championship 2020, the Romanian
    Football Federation reports. The general public will be able to purchase part
    of the tickets. Fans will be able to purchase tickets over December 4-8. The
    fans of the four teams that will qualify after the playoffs, including Romania,
    if our team eventually qualifies, will be able to buy tickets once matches are
    concluded at the end of March, 2020. Over half of these tickets will be in the
    lowest-price category, which is 30 Euros for Baku, Bucharest and Budapest and
    50 Euros for the other host cities. The 2020 edition of the UEFA European
    Championship is the biggest ever held, with over 3 million tickets, 82% of
    which being available to the fans.






    (Translated by V. Palcu)