Radio România Internațional

Tag: NATO Summit

  • November 30, 2019

    November 30, 2019

    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.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • July 13, 2018 UPDATE

    July 13, 2018 UPDATE

    VENICE COMMISSION — The Venice Commission on Friday presented its preliminary report on the modifications brought to the justice laws in Romania, following notifications filed by the Romanian President and the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee. The report urges Bucharest authorities to reexamine the manner in which high-ranking prosecutors are appointed and dismissed, including by revising key provisions in the Constitution, in the sense of ensuring neutral procedures that should maintain the role of the country’s president and the Superior Council of Magistracy to counterbalance the influence of the Justice Ministry. Other recommendations are related to removing or clarifying provisions seen as ungrounded, lifting restrictions regarding the freedom of expression of judges and prosecutors. The Commission will publish a final report in October, when it will also present its opinion on the modifications brought to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes.



    ANALYSIS — Romania’s Prosecutor’s Office on Friday announced it finalized its analysis on the modifications Parliament has brought to the Criminal Code, finding a total of 21 unconstitutional articles, and recommending a referral to the Constitutional Court. According to an official press release, the aforementioned articles include provisions which lack clarity, coherence and predictability or blatantly violate Constitutional stipulations. Some of them refer to influence peddling, abuse of office, extended confiscation, first-degree murder, false testimony or the setup of an organized crime group. The Prosecutor’s Office also states that a series of modifications have been brought to criminal legislation without taking under advisement the observations and recommendations formulated by the Superior Council of Magistracy and judges and prosecutors’ associations, also without consulting and cooperating with the related institutions in the system.



    SUMMIT — Romania has fulfilled its set targets for the NATO summit in Brussels, the most important of which regards Romania hosting a three-star NATO command, whose future structure will be decided by autumn this year, Defense Minister Mihai Fifor announced on Friday. By hosting this NATO structure, Romania proves it is one of the most important players on the NATO eastern flank, Minister Fifor said.



    US SUPPORT – Washington supports the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia and reiterates its support for the democratically elected governments and people of those three countries, shows a US Congress resolution. The document shows the US’s commitment to supporting the three former Soviet republics on their way to European integration, and to obtain energy security and intensify commercial cooperation. The resolution also condemns the Russian aggression in the region, and calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition which are illegally deployed on the territory of these three states. The resolution asks the allies from the EU and the UN to continue to put pressure on Moscow for it to comply with its international commitments and calls on the US Department of State to have a full-fledged and active dialogue against Russia’s interference in the democratic processes of the three sovereign nations. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has recently reiterated the need for a complete withdrawal of foreign armed forces from the territory of the Republic of Moldova, and NATO called for the pullout of Russian troops stationed in the three states, without their consent, in line with international commitments.



    LOANS — The Parliament in Chisinau on Friday ratified a loan agreement with the European Investment Bank worth 80 million euros for the interconnection of Romania and Moldova’s electricity grids. Covering a period of 25 years, the money will be used to build the first link from Isaccea to Vulcanesti, which will provide an alternative energy source to the Republic of Moldova. Construction works are due to complete in 2022. Moldova will receive a second loan, also worth 80 million euros from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, a third loan worth 70 million euros from the World Bank and a 40-million-euro grant from the European Commission.



    REFERRAL — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has referred to the Constitutional Court the latest modifications Parliament has brought to the law on local public administration. The president claims the new law allows the possibility for the transfer of assets with unclear property documents into public domain, through a simple statutory declaration of the secretary of the administrative-territorial unit in question. The president also criticized the instatement of certain procedural exemptions under which the concession of assets from the private domain of local municipalities no longer requires a public tender.



    PROSECUTION — Anticorruption prosecutors have indicted 90 people, including leaders of the National Health Insurance Authority, the Health Insurance Agency of Bucharest and public officials from the two institutions, but also private health providers, in a case of health insurance fraud. According to the National Anticorruption Directorate, some 4,5 million euros were embezzled by illegally refunding home-based medical care services by the Bucharest Health Insurance Agency.



    TRUMP — Great Britain and the United States will try to further post-Brexit cooperation, British Prime Minister Theresa May told a press conference held on Friday jointly with US President Donald Trump. On a visit to London, the White House leader said relations between the two countries are very strong, just hours from harshly criticizing Prime Minister May’s Brexit strategy. The British Government on Thursday outlined its plans on future UK-EU relations after Brexit, which provides for the setup of an area of free trade with the 27 EU Member States. With simplified customs procedures, the accord would also prevent the creation of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The proposals have stirred harsh reactions from Euroskeptics, while Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and Brexit Minister David Davis resigned, unhappy with London’s approach to negotiations.



    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • July 12, 2018

    July 12, 2018


    ANTICORRUPTION DIRECTORATE – The fight against corruption will continue firmly and the legislation in the field will be enforced in keeping with the international efficiency standards, said on Thursday Romanias Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar, upon appointing the interim head of the National Anticorruption Directorate, Anca Jurma. Lazar described Ms Jurma as the right person, a professional with a very good expertise in the field. We recall that president Iohannis dismissed Laura Codruta Kovesi, the former chief prosecutor of the Anticorruption Directorate, to observe a ruling issued by the Constitutional Court. Initially the president had rejected the request for dismissal made by the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, but the latter notified the Constitutional Court, which defended his opinion. Laura Codruta Kovesi has been given a post of prosecutor with the Guidance and Control Service of the Prosecutors Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice.



    NATO SUMMIT – The conflict in Afghanistan is on the agenda of the NATO summit underway in Brussels, where Romania is represented by the head of state Klaus Iohannis. So far, the summit has been dominated by requests made by the US President Donald Trump, who has called on the NATO allies to earmark 4% of the GDP for military expenses. The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has voiced hope that the alliance will make decisions regarding the funding of Afghan security forces until 2024. The British Prime Minister Theresa May has already confirmed that Great Britain will deploy an additional 440 strong contingent for non-combat missions in Afghanistan. The US sent 3,000 soldiers in September 2017, raising to 15,000 the number of US soldiers deployed in that country. Romania has 700 soldiers in Afghanistan.



    EUROSTAT – According to Eurostat, Romania ranks 17th in the European Union with regard to imports from Russia, accounting for 2.48 billion Euros. With 29 billion Euros, in 2017 Germany was the largest importer of products from Russia, followed by the Netherlands and Poland. From 2008 until 2017, the EU registered a trade deficit in the relation with Russia, standing at 59 billion Euros last year. Also last year, the EU exported to the Russian market equipment, vehicles, chemical products and other manufactured goods. On the other hand, more than three quarters of EUs imports from Russia were energy products (oil and natural gas). The Eurostat data were made public against the background of statements made by the US President Donald Trump, who has stated that Germany is fully controlled by Russia because of the agreement existing between the two country on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.



    ECONOMY – The European Commission has maintained estimates regarding Romanias economic growth in 2018 and 2019, at 4.5% and 3.9% respectively. According to mid-term estimates published today by the Commission, the budget deficit would reach 3.4% of the GDP in 2018, to then grow to 3.8% in 2019. The rate of inflation would grow to 4.2% this year, and then go down to 3.4% in 2019. The unemployment rate is expected to stand at 4.5% in 2018 and 4.4% in 2019. The current account deficit will register a 3.6% of the GDP in 2018, and 3.9% in 2019.



    BREXIT – The new British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has stated that the debate in parliament on the British Brexit policy will be a fierce one, but it will help the negotiations with the EU move forward. In turn, the new Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab has voiced hope that the document that is to be published soon by the Government in London will provide further assurances for those in the EU who are concerned about Brexit. The EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier has announced that negotiations are to be resumed on Monday, as planned, with the new British negotiator appointed by Theresa May. Boris Johnson resigned from the office of foreign secretary on Monday, after the resignation of the former Secretary for Brexit David Davis, and only a few days after the Prime Minister May had obtained her ministers endorsement of the Brexit strategy.



    MIGRATION – The EU interior ministers have gathered in Innsbruck, Austria, to analyze in detail the idea of creating new types of centers for migrants. The agreement concluded by the European leaders in June includes the proposal to set up centers in regions such as North Africa for the migrants saved in the Mediterranean, as well as reception centers on European soil. Before the meeting organized by the Austrian presidency of the Council of the EU, the Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini will talk to his German and Austrian counterparts, Horst Seehofer and Herbert Kickl respectively, about means to close the migration route across the Mediterranean. A few weeks ago, Italy decided to no longer authorize the entrance of humanitarian vessels carrying migrants into its ports, and Matteo Salvini wants to extend this blockade to also cover those who take part in EU rescue operations.



    JAZZ – The 22nd Garana Jazz Festival kicks off today, and is expecting guests from all over Europe until Sunday. There will be 25 concerts given by musicians from 16 countries. The festival will be opened by La Classe operaia va in Paradiso, given by musicians Mircea Tiberian (piano), Claudio Puntin (clarinet), Daniel Erdmann (saxophone), Chris Dahlgren (double bass) and Tilo Weber (drums). Besides concerts, the audience can also participate in the presentation of an installation by the painter Gheorghe Fikl, a theater performance with The Farm by the troupe Aualeu, the National Vinyl Fair, a jazz posters exhibition and the launch of the book Instant Stage, signed by Ioana Taut. In the past 20 years, more than 70,000 spectators and lots of international artists have enjoined the experience of listening to vanguard jazz music listened under the clear skies of the small village in western Romania.



    FOOTBALL – FC Viitorul, ranking 4th in the Romanian national football champtionships, is today playing away from home against Racing Union Luxembourg, in the first preliminary round of the Europa League. Also competing will be the winner of the Cup, CSU Craiova and the vice-champion FCSB. The holder of the title, CFR Cluj, will play in the Champions League preliminaries.




  • Romania’s objectives at the NATO summit

    Romania’s objectives at the NATO summit

    The Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be held on July 11 and 12 in Brussels. In the wake of the Summit, Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence has convened in Bucharest to analyze and approve Romania’s objectives at this high level meeting. According to a communiqué issued by the presidency, the Summit will be an opportunity to firmly assert the allied unity and solidarity and the transatlantic determination in the face of increased global threats.



    From Romania’s perspective, the Summit in Brussels will be highly important, aimed to boost the projects of consolidation of the defence and deterrence positions on NATO’s Eastern flank and ensure stability in the eastern neighbourhood, especially in the Black Sea region. Also at the meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defence, the number of armed forces to be made available next year for missions and operations outside Romania’s borders has been approved.



    Thus, the Romanian Army will participate in international missions with 2,098 military and civilians, and the Interior Ministry with 932 military and policemen. Without any connection with the allied summit in Brussels, but with a major impact on the very existence of a historical region of Romania, the “Rosia Montana” topic was also on the meeting’s agenda. The Culture Minister has informed the Council members on the stage of the procedure of including the Rosia Montana mining cultural landscape in the Apuseni Mountains, on UNESCO’s world heritage list.



    The Presidential Administration has pointed out that the issue of Rosia Montana, as part of the national and world cultural heritage, has constantly been in the attention of President Klaus Iohannis, under all its cultural and social aspects. Under the current legal framework, the Government has the necessary tools and the relevant institutions it needs to manage the whole process of including Rosia Montana on the UNESCO world heritage list. Consequently, in keeping with the law, the members of the Supreme Council of National Defence have taken notice of the Culture Minister’s update on the matter, with the procedure to be further managed by the Government.



    We remind you that the steps taken by the Romanian side to bring Rosia Montana under UNESCO protection are unfolding at the same time with the trial between Romania and the Canadian company Gabriel Resources, that would have wanted to exploit the gold deposits in the area by using cyanides.



    Given that the project has been blocked, the Canadians are now asking for damages worth 4 billion dollars. For many Romanians, the century-old and well preserved vestiges in Rosia Montana, unique in the world, are much more valuable than the gold underneath, estimated at around 300 tons. Adding to that are believed to be 16 hundred tons of silver and rare ore deposits.

  • NATO Summit in Brussels

    NATO Summit in Brussels

    The NATO Summit held Thursday in Brussels enjoyed the participation, for the first time, of the new leaders of three key members of the Alliance. The US President Donald Trump, the French President Emmanuel Macron and the British Prime Minister Theresa May have renewed their commitment to the Alliance. President Trump used his first NATO summit to demand European countries to pay more towards their defence.



    Donald Trump: “NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations. Twenty-three of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying for their defence. This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States.”



    Montenegro took part in the summit for the first time. Starting next month, the small former Yugoslav republic will officially be NATO’s 29th member. In its turn, Romania has reached its goals at the summit, President Klaus Iohannis has said, adding that NATO remains the same relevant, strong and united Alliance. Iohannis has hailed the reiteration of America’s firm commitment to collective defense and the consolidation of NATO’s eastern border. The Romanian President has emphasised the importance of a solid transatlantic relationship and the fact that having earmarked 2% of its GDP to defense brought Romania a lot of appreciation from its allies.



    Klaus Iohannis: ” I can safely say that Romania has reached its objectives at this summit. I am convinced that this meeting has contributed to ensuring a solid defense for Romania and a visible role for this country in guaranteeing the security of our region and of the Euro-Atlantic area. In our opinion this has been a successful meeting.”



    On the sidelines of the summit in Brussels, Klaus Iohannis had a meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, with whom he discussed about staging a new regional meeting in Bucharest, in preparation for the NATO summit of 2018. The two presidents have also tackled the Romanian-Polish strategic partnership and joint action within NATO, the two states being regarded by military experts as the most important Alliance members on its eastern flank.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)



  • May 25, 2017 UPDATE

    May 25, 2017 UPDATE


    NATO SUMMIT – Romania stands for a strong, yet well balanced eastern flank of NATO, said Romanias President Klaus Iohannis at the summit of the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels. He also stressed the fact that Romania believes that transatlantic cooperation and, in particular, the ties between the US and Europe must become stronger. The Romanian head of state also pointed out that Romania is interested in a unitary approach to the relation with Russia. On the sidelines of the summit, Klaus Iohannis talked on Thursday with his Polish counterpart Andrezj Duda about the strategic partnership between Romania and Poland and cooperation within NATO.



    TRUMP – On Thursday in Brussels, the US President Donald Trump called on the NATO member countries to focus on terrorism, migration and Russias threats. Attending for the first time a NATO Summit, after having been rather critical of the Alliance in the past, the US leader reiterated his call for all the member countries to observe their financial committments. The US has repeatedly called on the NATO members to raise their defence budgets to 2% of the GDP. Also on Thursday, the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the Alliance would join the international coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group, without taking part in combat operations. Belgium is the last but one leg of Trumps first international tour as president, after Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Italy and the Vatican. The US President will next attend the G7 summit in Sicily.



    GLOBSEC – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend in Bratislava, on Friday and Saturday, the 12th Global Security Forum. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Melescanu will talk about European security developments, as part of the panel titled “European Force Awakens”. On the occasion, the Romanian Foreign Minister will present Romanias vision with regard to consolidating the EUs role in the field of security and defence and boosting cooperation with NATO.



    MANCHESTER ATTACK – On Thursday, the Manchester Police arrested two suspects in connection with Mondays night terror attack, taking the number of arrests to 8. Another woman suspected of having been involved in the attack was released without being indicted. We recall that a blast on Manchester Arena on Monday killed 22 people and injured more than 110, being claimed by the Islamic State terrorist organization. On Tuesday, British authorities identified the suspect as being 22-year-old Salman Abedi, a Lybian-born British national born in Manchester. According to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Abedi was on the British intelligence services list of suspects and most likely did not act alone.



    EXERCISE – Four thousand military, heavy equipment and helicopter gunships will be deployed to the Cincu shooting range in central Romania, to take part in one of the biggest NATO military exercises in recent years. The troops are part of NATOs Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. The main aim is defending Romania as part of emergency interventions on the Alliances eastern flank. Joining Romanian troops will be military from Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway, Albania and Bulgaria.



    IMF – Romanian economy will report a 4.2% growth rate in 2017, with fiscal relaxation likely to affect market trust, reads an IMF report made public on Thursday. The international lender has hailed the progress Romania has made in reducing economic imbalances, after the financial global crisis, mentioning however that Romania should reorient its policies from boosting consumption towards supporting investors. IMF believes that fiscal relaxation, doubled by growing political tension in Romania, might affect consumption and investment. On the other hand, the unified pay scale bill, currently under debate in Parliament, as well as the latest tax cuts, pose certain risks to the budget deficit, which the IMF expects to stand at 3,7% this year. The report is based on the talks IMF officials had with Bucharest authorities in March.



    STRIKE – On May 30th, air traffic controllers in Romania will start an indefinite all-out strike, the president of the Air Traffic Services Trade Union Gabriel Tudorache announced on Thursday. He said that during the strike, at least one third of the planes transiting Romanias air space will be guided, which is some 3,000 planes per day. On May 12th, air traffic controllers held a 2 hour warning strike, and dozens of planes were delayed upon taking off from and landing on the Henri Coanda airport in Bucharest. They are unhappy with the lack of a new collective employment agreement and that employment has been frozen, particularly since, after the conflict in Ukraine, the number of planes flying through Romanias airspace has increased significantly.



    ASCENSION DAY – Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman-Catholic believers in Romania on Thursday celebrated the Ascension of Christ. According to Christian beliefs, 40 days after Resurrection, Lord Jesus departed from Earth into the presence of God from the Mount of Olives, telling his disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit. Since 1920, when, after WWI, all Romanian historical provinces united under Bucharests authority, Ascension Day has been celebrated alongside Heroes Day. On Thursday at noon, church bells were rung in all Orthodox churches across Romania to honour the memory of those who gave their lives for the Romanian people, their faith and country, and the names of the soldiers killed in WWI were solemnly read out in most garrisons which also hosted military and religious ceremonies.



    FOOTBALL – English giants Manchester United have for the first time won the Europa League Trophy. Wednesday night, in the final hosted by the city of Stockholm in Sweden, Manchester United grabbed a 2-nil win against their Dutch challengers Ajax Amsterdam. The Europa League final was played ahead of the Champions League final, scheduled for June 3 in Cardiff, where Spanish giants Real Madrid will take on the no less famous Italian contenders Juventus FC. This coming Saturday in the town of Ploiesti, southern Romanian team Astra Giurgiu for the first time ever is pitted against FC Voluntari, in Romanian Cup Final. Also as an absolute first, the domestic championship title went to FC Viitorul, a team from south-eastern Romanias Constanta. The team was founded in 2009 by the former great Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi. The League Cup, a competition exclusively created for first-tier teams, went to Dinamo Bucharest. In the final, Dinamo defeated Poli Timisoara 2-nil.




  • May 25, 2017

    May 25, 2017

    PRESIDENCY — The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is taking part today in Brussels in the meeting of NATO leaders. According to the Presidency, he will emphasise that Romania is a reliable, predictable and responsible ally, especially after having increased its Defence budget to 2% of the GDP. President Iohannis will also lay emphasis on the importance of strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and will support an enhanced role of the Alliance in fighting terrorism. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian President will have a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda. The main topic of discussion will be the strengthening of the bilateral strategic partnership, the Presidency also announced.



    EXERCISE — Four thousand military, heavy equipment and helicopter gunships will be deployed to the Cincu shooting range in central Romania, to take part in one of the biggest NATO military exercises in recent years. The troops are part of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. The main aim is defending Romania as part of emergency interventions on the Alliance’s eastern flank. Joining Romanian troops will be military from Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway, Albania and Bulgaria.



    IMF — Romanian economy will grow by 4.2% in 2017, with fiscal relaxation slightly likely to affect market confidence, reads an IMF report made public today. The international lender has hailed the progress Romania has made in curbing economic imbalances, after the financial global crisis, recommending however that Romania reorient its policies from boosting consumption towards supporting investors. IMF claims that fiscal relaxation, doubled by the growing political turmoil in Romania, might affect consumption and investment. On the other hand, the unified pay scale law, currently under debate in Parliament, as well as the latest tax cuts, pose certain risks for the budget deficit, which the IMF expects to stand at 3,7% this year. The report is based on the talks IMF officials had with Bucharest authorities in March.



    ASCENSION DAY – Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman-Catholic believers in Romania are today celebrating Ascension Day. According to Christian beliefs, 40 days after Resurrection, Lord Jesus departed from Earth into the presence of God from the Mount of Olives, warning his disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit. Since 1920, when, after WWI, all Romanian historical provinces united under Bucharest’s authority, Ascension Day has been celebrated together with the Heroes’ Day. Today at noon church bells were rung in all Orthodox churches across Romania to honour the memory of those who gave their lives for the Romanian people, faith and country, and the names of the soldiers killed in WWI were solemnly read out in most garrisons which also hosted military and religious ceremonies.



    MOLDOVA — The special envoy of the Austrian presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE, Wolf Dietrich Heim, is today meeting pro-Russian separatist leaders from Transdniestr. On Wednesday, Heim held talks in Chisinau with the Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, Gheorghe Balan, the latter accusing separatists of avoiding dialogue, especially after Chisinau and Kiev authorities have voiced their plans to set up joint border crossing checkpoints on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border with Transdniestr. We recall that Russian troops are still deployed in Transdniestr, a breakaway region east of Moldova, although Moscow pledged to withdraw its troops after the OSCE Summit of 1999 in Istanbul.



    TRUMP –US President Donald Trump is in Brussels, where he takes part for the first time in a NATO Summit, after having been rather critical of the Alliance in the past. The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, announced the Alliance would join the international coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group, although it will not take part in combat operations. The decision has long been called for by the US, which is heading the coalition and which has repeatedly called for NATO members to raise their defence budgets to 2% of the GDP. On Wednesday, his first day in Brussels, Trump had a meeting with King Philippe I of Belgium, while thousands of people were protesting in the Belgian capital city against his presence. Brussels is a stage in Trump’s first international tour as president, after Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Italy and the Vatican. Trump will next head for Taormina, in Sicily, for the G7 summit.



    LONDON ATTACK — The Manchester Police today arrested two suspects in connection with Monday’s night terror attack, taking the number of arrests to 8. Another woman suspected of having been involved in the attack was released without being indicted. We recall that a blast on Manchester Arena on Monday killed 22 people and injured another 60, being claimed by the Islamic State terrorist organization. On Tuesday, British authorities have identified the suspect as being 22-year-old Salman Abedi, a Lybian-born British national born in Manchester. According to Interior Secretary Amber Rudd, Abedi was on the British intelligence’s suspect list and most likely did not act alone.



    MIGRANTS — Tens of migrants, among whom many children, drowned on Wednesday after falling from an overcrowded wooden boat off the Libyan coast. A ship of the Italian coast guard that coordinates rescue services in the area alongside several commercial ships have managed to rescue scores of survivors. Last Friday another 150 migrants were reported missing. According to a report by the International Organization for Migration almost 1,300 people have died on their way to Europe. 50,000 of them have managed to reach Italy, France Press reports.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, 67 WTA, is today playing Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, 28 WTA, in the quarterfinals of the Nurnberg tournament, totalling 230,000 dollars in prize money. In another development, Horia Tecau or Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands have qualified to the semi-finals of the tournament in Geneva, offering 500,000 dollars in prize money. In the quarterfinals, Tecau and Rojer ousted the competition’s first seeds, Philipp Petzschner of Germany and Alexander Peya of Austria in straight sets.



    FOOTBALL — English giants Manchester United have for the first time won the Europa League Trophy. Wednesday night in the final hosted by the city of Stockholm in Sweden, Manchester United grabbed a 2-nil win against their Dutch challengers Ajax Amsterdam. The Europa League final was played ahead of the Champions League final, scheduled on June 3 in Cardiff, where Spanish giants Real Madrid take on the no less famous Italian contenders Juventus FC. This coming Saturday in the town of Ploiesti, southern Romanian team Astra Giurgiu for the first time ever is pitted against FC Voluntari, in Romanian Cup Final. Also as an absolute first, the domestic championship title went to FC Viitorul, a team from south-eastern Romania’s Constanta. The team was founded in 2009 by the former great Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi. The League Cup, a competition exclusively created for first-tier teams, went to Dinamo Bucharest. In the final, Dinamo defeated Poli Timisoara 2-nil. (Translated by V. Palcu, L. Simion, A.M. Popescu & E. Nasta)

  • In the wake of the NATO Summit

    In the wake of the NATO Summit

    Western powers
    have reported a symbolic victory, political pundits argue, by hosting the NATO
    summit in Poland, the very place where the former USSR had forced its satellite
    states to formally become its allies during the Cold War by signing the Warsaw
    Pact. Today, from Estonia to Bulgaria, former communist countries in Eastern
    and Central Europe are part of the free world, members of the European Union
    and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Their concern with Moscow’s resurgence
    is still very much alive though. The 28 NATO member states stand united on
    Russia, which neither poses a necessary threat, nor is a strategic partner,
    NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Warsaw. He added that the
    principles underlying NATO’s relations with Moscow are complementary: strong
    defence and constructive dialogue.




    As part of its
    defensive system, NATO decided to deploy four multinational battalions to
    Poland and the Baltic States, as well as to turn a Romanian brigade into a NATO
    multinational structure. The Allies have also decided to transfer control and
    coordination of the anti-ballistic missile facility in Deveselu, southern
    Romania, from the United States to NATO. Romania is thus consolidating its
    position as a NATO member state and an important regional actor contributing to
    security and stability in an area facing multiple risks, Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis said after the summit.




    The Romanian
    president also argued in favour of sustained increased NATO assistance to
    former Soviet countries aspiring to join the EU and NATO, such as Moldova,
    Ukraine and Georgia. Klaus Iohannis has warned that the crises in Syria, Iraq
    and Libya, on NATO’s southern borders, are posing many challenges, and that the
    Islamic State terrorist organisation poses a real threat to global security.




    On the sidelines
    of the Summit, NATO and the European Union have for the first time signed
    official cooperation agreements in such fields as migration, hybrid threats and
    cyber security. The so-called Warsaw Declaration, signed by all participant
    countries, also includes references to air and maritime security in the Black
    Sea region, a field that might see important decisions being taken at the
    forthcoming NATO Defence meeting in October. These may help address what the
    Bucharest media has labelled as the failure of President Klaus Iohannis,
    whose proposal to create a NATO fleet in the Black Sea was not met with much
    enthusiasm by neighbouring Bulgaria and Romania’s Western partners. The idea
    itself remains topical, analysts have pointed out, given that the Crimean
    Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia two years ago, is only a few hundred
    kilometres away from Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.

  • July 11, 2016 UPDATE

    July 11, 2016 UPDATE

    CANADA VISAS – Canada confirmed on Monday in Brussels its promise to announce early this autumn a decision as concerns lifting visa requirements for Romanians and Bulgarians, the only EU citizens which cannot travel freely to Canada. Also in Brussels, the chief of staff to Romanias PM Dragoş Tudorache said that Romania had clear expectations regarding the removal of visa requirements for Romanian citizens. The Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum discussed the topic with Romanian and Bulgarian officials, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos. Romania and Bulgaria have announced they will not ratify the EU-Canada trade agreement until Canada has lifted visa requirements.



    ASIA VISIT – Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos started on Monday a tour of Asia, beginning with a four-day official visit to Vietnam. On Friday and Saturday he is to attend the 11th Europe-Asia Summit, in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator. The main aims of the visit are resuming political contact with Asian states, as well as recovering traditional markets for Romanian exporters, while encouraging investment in Romania. The agenda in Hanoi includes talks with the PM, President, and other Vietnamese officials. Ciolos will also attend the Romania-Vietnam Economic Forum, with a delegation of over 20 business representatives from Romania, to identify new business opportunities that would fully take advantage of the future EU-Vietnam free trade agreement.



    LAW – President Klaus Iohannis Monday endorsed a law that binds supermarkets to stock their shelves with at least 51% Romanian products, and forbids them from requiring fees and services from suppliers. Retailers with an annual net turnover of below two million Euro are exempt from the new regulations.



    NATO SUMMIT – Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc said on Monday that the Romanian delegation to the recently concluded NATO summit in Warsaw covered all the issues it was mandated to approach by Romania’s Higher Defence Council. He emphasized the fact that NATO’s new deterrence posture, with a strong forward presence, which is of major interest to Romania, is manifest on the eastern flank of the Alliance in the Baltic area, and in the Black Sea region.



    ASSASINATION – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has expressed its deepest regrets after the death of Romanias honorary consul to El Salvador, Emanuel Ricardo Salume Barake, and sent condolences to his family. The Ministry, which stays in touch with the local authorities, has also expressed hopes that the perpetrators of the murder will be brought to justice. Emanuel Ricardo Salume Barake was appointed honorary consul of Romania in 1994. Honorary consuls are not employees of the Romanian Government, nor paid for their services. They are chosen from among the Romanian or foreign citizens living in a particular state, the Romanian Foreign Ministry explains.



    UK Prime Minister – Home Secretary Theresa May is set to be Britains new Prime Minister by Wednesday evening, as David Cameron announced on Monday. May said that under her leadership the UK will stay fully committed to leaving the EU, in spite of her support for the “remain campaign in the referendum. Brexit will be a success, and together we will build a better Britain, May also said. Theresa May was the only candidate left in the race for Tory leadership after her main challenger, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom withdrew. The new PM will have to call Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which regulates the procedure for member countries to leave the European Union, and sets a 2-year deadline for finalising the separation, AFP reports.

  • July 10, 2016 UPDATE

    July 10, 2016 UPDATE

    WARSAW – After taking part on Friday and Saturday in the NATO Summit in Warsaw, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis had talks on Sunday with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda. The talks focused on measures to strengthen and extend the strategic partnership between Romania and Poland, as well as on the best ways to carry on the regional initiatives launched by the two countries. The two presidents also discussed the joint implementation of the decisions made in the NATO summit hosted by Poland, and the means to strengthen the trans-Atlantic cooperation between Romania, Poland and the USA, with an emphasis on security issues, as well as the effects of the Brexit vote, given that nearly one million Polish citizens and half a million Romanians currently live in the UK.



    GOVERNMENT – PM Dacian Cioloş will be on an Asian tour starting on Monday. The tour begins with an official visit to Vietnam, on July 11-14, followed by participation in the 11th Europe-Asia Meeting (ASEM), in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, on July 15 and 16. According to a news release issued by the Government, the visit to Vietnam is intended to restore the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries, with a focus on trade and economic cooperation. Apart from bilateral talks with the Vietnamese PM, President and other officials, PM Cioloş will attend the Romania-Vietnam Economic Forum in Hanoi, jointly with a delegation of over 20 representatives of the Romanian business community, to capitalise on the forthcoming EU-Vietnam free trade agreement. At the ASEM summit, PM Cioloş will present arguments for turning Romania into a key point for projects aimed at connecting Europe and Asia.



    SCHENGEN – The Romanian Foreign Minister Lazăr Comănescu said he hoped Romania to get closer to joining Schengen, after proving that it is able to protect the European Unions external borders. He added that, after its Schengen accession, Romania would contribute to strengthening the Unions capacity to secure its borders, and mentioned that Bucharest was the second largest contributor to FRONTEX, the agency that manages the security of the external borders of the European bloc. The Romanian official also reiterated that Romania fully complied with the technical criteria for accession. Originally scheduled for March 2011, Romanias accession to the border-free European area was repeatedly postponed, as some Member States voiced reserves with respect to the reform of the Romanian judiciary and the efficiency of its fight against corruption.



    VISAS – The Romanian PMs chief of staff, Dragoş Tudorache, will have talks on Monday in Brussels with the Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum, and with European Commission officials. The talks will focus on Canadas waiving visa requirements for Romanians, a field in which, according to PM Dacian Ciolos, there has been progress. Ciolos said however that without a political decision in Ottawa on this topic, Romania, as an EU member state, might, just like Bulgaria, decide not to ratify the EU-Canada trade agreement. In April, Canada and the US were given three more months to come in line with the EU policy on mutual visa regimes, under which the countries whose citizens no dot need EU entry visas must in turn allow the free movement of all EU citizens on their territories. Canada currently requests entry visas for Romanians and Bulgarians, whereas the USA has visa requirements in place for five EU member states, including Romania.



    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry called on the British authorities to clarify the situation and to prevent hostile actions against the Romanians living in the UK, after a Romanian shop was recently set on fire in Norwich. Although this is an isolated incident, Bucharest intends to work with London to prevent the spiralling of anti-Romanian actions. All those who have information on similar incidents are urged to notify both the competent British authorities, and the Romanian embassy in London, reads a news release of the Romanian Foreign Ministry. Violence against immigrants was reported in London after the referendum in which the UK voted to leave the EU.



    UKRAINE – Three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 16 others wounded in clashes in the east of the country, Kiev announced on Sunday. For over two years Ukraine has been facing a conflict between its army and pro-Russian separatist fighters, which, according to Kiev and the West, get military support from Russia. France Presse reports that more than 9,400 people died since the conflict started.

  • July 9, 2016 UPDATE

    July 9, 2016 UPDATE

    NATO SUMMIT — Romania consolidates its position of NATO member state and regional actor, which contributes to maintaining security and stability in an area marked by many risks, Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, said on Saturday, at the NATO Summit in Warsaw. The president who deemed the summit a success for Romania, stood for granting committed NATO support to the Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian speaking population), Georgia and Ukraine. He also said the crises in Syria, Iraq and Libya, on NATO’s southward border, generate multiple challenges and added that the ISIS terrorist group poses a severe threat to international security. In another move, also on Saturday, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said the 28 member states are united in front of Russia, which is neither a threat nor a strategic partner. Strong defence and constructive dialogue are the commitments underlying the Alliance’s relations with Russia, Stoltenberg concluded. On Friday, the first day of the summit, NATO announced the deployment of four multinational battalions to the Baltic States and to Poland and the setting up of a NATO multinational brigade in Romania. A NATO-EU joint declaration on cooperation in such domains as cyber crime and migration has been signed on the sidelines of the summit. The Alliance also decided to further provide support to Afghanistan, by 2020.



    BREXIT EFFECTS — The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Saturday called on the British authorities to prevent any mounting tension and hostile acts against Romanian citizens in the United Kingdom. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian state intends to prevent, through cooperation with the British authorities, any possible spike in acts of intimidation against Romanian citizens. Romanian nationals are urged, in case they are aware of such incidents, to notify the Romanian Embassy in London. The Romanian Foreign Ministry’s reaction comes just a day after a shop belonging to Romanian citizens was set on fire in Norwich, on Friday. On the occasion of the European Council held late last month, British PM David Cameron assured Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, that Romanian citizens will be allowed to stay and work in the UK and expressed regret over the xenophobic incidents which were reported after the Brexit vote.



    TALKS — Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos has held talks with several Romanian MEPs on the impact of the Brexit vote, on Romania, the EU member states and the future of the European Union. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Government, the prime minister said one of Romania’s top priorities, during the forth-coming negotiations, is to make sure the Romanian citizens’ rights are non-discriminatorily observed. Ciolos also underlined how important it is for Romania to pay an active role in re-launching the European project and to show it further embraces and sticks to the fundamental values and principles of the European Union, pleading for a stronger, more inclusive and integrated Union. The focal points of the talks also included the functioning of the Schengen area, external border security, the migration and asylum policy, the visas for Canada, the Republic of Moldova and the relation with the EU, the Juncker Plan, as well as revising the Multi-annual Financial Framework Post 2020.



    VISAS— The Head of the Chancellery of the Romanian PM, Dragos Tudorache, will discuss in Brussels on Monday with Canadian immigration minister, John McCallum, as well as with representatives of the European Commission and of Bulgaria, issues related to the lifting by Canada of travel visas for Romanian citizens. Romanian PM, Dacian Ciolos, has said earlier this week that progress has been made in the visa exemption file, also adding that in the absence of a political decision on the issue in Ottawa, Romania, as a EU member state, might, just like Bulgaria, not ratify the EU-Canada Commercial Agreement. In April, Canada and the US received an additional three-month deadline on the visa regime reciprocity, which stipulates that the countries whose citizens do not need mandatory visas should, in their turn, allow the free movement of all EU citizens. Canada now requires mandatory visas for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, whereas the US imposes visas on five EU member states, Romania included.



    DRILLS – Three Romanian military ships will participate in the multinational exercise BREEZE 16, over July 11- 17. The drills will unfold in Bulgaria’s territorial waters and in the Black Sea international waters. Romania’s ships are Frigate “Regina Maria”, with 240 marines on board, the sea minesweeper “Sublocotenent Alexandru AXENTE” and the “Lastun” Missile Carrier, with 60 military on board. The Romanian military ships are part of the forces and equipment made available by Romania to the North Atlantic Alliance, and the participation of the Romanian military in NATO exercises is meant to strengthen the interoperability of the ships’ crews with similar partner military structures.



    SPORTS — Romania will be represented by 96 athletes and 7 relays at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, between August 5-21, the Romanian Olympic Committee announced on Saturday. According to the Committee, Romania will take part in 16 sport events, with the largest number of athletes participating in rowing and athletics. Romania’s flag will be carried by gymnast Catalina Ponor. 103 Romanian athletes participated in the previous edition of the Olympic Games, hosted by London, in 2012.

  • July 9, 2016

    July 9, 2016

    NATO SUMMIT — The NATO leaders, gathered in Warsaw, decided to further provide assistance to Afghanistan, in spite of the initial decision by several member states to shorten their presence in that country, this year. According to NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, the North Atlantic Alliance will continue to train Afghan forces and to provide financial assistance to Afghanistan, by 2020. The NATO leaders will also discuss today, on the last day of the summit, cooperation with Ukraine, after on Friday, the German Chancellor and the French President analysed, with Vladimir Putin, the situation in eastern Ukraine, which runs the risk of escalating, after a spike in ceasefire violations. Also on Friday, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, announced the deployment to the Baltic States and to Poland of four multinational battalions and the setting up of a NATO multinational brigade in Romania. A NATO-EU joint declaration on cooperation in such domains as cyber crime and migration has been signed on the sidelines of the summit. Romania is represented at the Warsaw Summit by President Klaus Iohannis.



    BREXIT EFFECTS — Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos has held talks with several Romanian MEPs on the impact of the Brexit vote, on Romania, the EU member states and the future of the European Union. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Government, the prime minister said one of Romania’s top priorities, during the forth-coming negotiations, is to make sure the Romanian citizens’ rights are non-discriminatorily observed. Ciolos also underlined how important it is for Romania to pay an active role in re-launching the European project and to show it further embraces and sticks to the fundamental values and principles of the European Union, pleading for a stronger, more inclusive and integrated Union. The focal points of the talks also included the functioning of the Schengen area, external border security, the migration and asylum policy, the visas for Canada, the Republic of Moldova and the relation with the EU, the Juncker Plan, as well as revising the Multi-annual Financial Framework Post 2020.



    VISAS— The Head of the Chancellery of the Romanian PM, Dragos Tudorache, will discuss in Brussels on Monday with Canadian immigration minister, John McCallum, as well as with representatives of the European Commission and of Bulgaria, issues related to the lifting by Canada of travel visas for Romanian citizens. Romanian PM, Dacian Ciolos, has said earlier this week that progress has been made in the visa exemption file, also adding that in the absence of a political decision on the issue in Ottawa, Romania, as a EU member state, might, just like Bulgaria, not ratify the EU-Canada Commercial Agreement. In April, Canada and the US received an additional three-month deadline on the visa regime reciprocity, which stipulates that the countries whose citizens do not need mandatory visas should, in their turn, allow the free movement of all EU citizens. Canada now requires mandatory visas for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, whereas the US imposes visas on five EU member states, Romania included.



    DRILLS – Three Romanian military ships will participate in the multinational exercise BREEZE 16, over July 11- 17. The drills will unfold in Bulgaria’s territorial waters and in the Black Sea international waters. Romania’s ships are Frigate “Regina Maria”, with 240 marines on board, the sea minesweeper “Sublocotenent Alexandru AXENTE” and the “Lastun” Missile Carrier, with 60 military on board. The Romanian military ships are part of the forces and equipment made available by Romania to the North Atlantic Alliance, and the participation of the Romanian military in NATO exercises is meant to strengthen the interoperability of the ships’ crews with similar partner military structures.


    (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • July 7, 2016

    July 7, 2016

    NATO SUMMIT-Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis is today travelling to Warsaw, to attend the NATO summit that starts on Friday. For two days, the NATO leaders will take key-decisions aimed at strengthening NATO’s defence and deterrence capacity, with focus on enhancing the allies’ solidarity and strengthening the Eastern flank. At the summit, Romania will get the development of the contingency plan, namely NATO’s reaction in case one of its members is attacked. A Romanian brigade will be turned into a multi-national force, made up of 3,000-5,000 soldiers, of which 1,000 are to be deployed from the other member states by rotation. Another decision will concern the components of the anti-missile defence shield in Deveselu, southern Romania, which is to be integrated into the NATO system. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has stated that Romania’s stand at the Warsaw summit is in favour of solidarity and cohesion within the Alliance. The President has given assurances that Romania is and shall remain a credible ally and a pillar of stability and security in the region.



    VISAS-The Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has stated that progress has been made with regard to wavering visas for the Romanians who travel to Canada. He has stressed, though, that in the absence of a political decision in Ottawa, Romania, as a EU member state, could, just like Bulgaria, not ratify the EU-Canada Commercial Agreement. On Monday, the chief of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, Dragos Tudorache, will hold talks in Brussels with the Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum and with EC and Bulgarian representatives on the visa waiver issue. In April, Canada and the US got an additional three-month deadline to come in line with the EU policy regarding visa reciprocity, according to which the countries whose citizens do not need visas to travel must in turn allow the free circulation of all the EU citizens. Canada currently requires visas for the Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, and the US asks for visas from the citizens of five EU member countries, including Romania.



    RESHUFFLE — The new ministers nominated on Tuesday by PM Dacian Cioloş, as part of the most extensive reshuffle of his technocratic cabinet will be sworn in today. Mircea Dumitru, the rector of the Bucharest University takes over the education portfolio, Sorin Buşe, a manager boasting an impressive experience in the car industry becomes the new transport minister and Maria Ligor, the incumbent ambassador to Canada takes the helm of the Department for the Relation with the Romanian diaspora. Interim communication minister will be Dragoş Tudorache.



    RULING – Local elected officials having received suspended prison sentences will lose their seats, Romania’s Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday, following a notification filed by President Klaus Iohannis who believes that the law comes against core principles of the rule of law and hinders the fight against corruption. The Constitutional Court’s interim president, Valer Dorneanu, has explained that Parliament’s decision to keep in office the officials subject to suspended sentences was discriminatory and that the solution given by Parliament would have disregarded the lawmakers’ goal, namely to protect the integrity and responsibility of the local elected official position. Find out more about it, after the news.



    LABOUR FORCE — Some 3.7 million citizens from Central and East European EU member states are working in Western Europe, and 40% of them come from Romania, Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Bulgaria- data made available by the Austrian Institute of International Economic Studies show. According to the same source, 15% of the Romanians and 6% of the Poles have jobs in western countries, and Brexit, obviously is a major concern to them. President Klaus Iohannis has recently given assurances that Romania will hold negotiations so as to defend the interest of Romania and of the Romanian citizens in Great Britain.



    VISIT — Romanian PM, Dacian Cioloş, has announced that next week will go to Mongolia, to attend the EU-Asia Summit and to Vietnam, in an effort to identify an economic cooperation potential. The Romanian PM has also said that in Mongolia he will have talks on projects of cooperation between the EU and Asia, as that is a very dynamic continent from an economic standpoint. According to him, the EU is negotiating several free trade exchanges with Asia. Dacian Ciolos has also announced that he has decided to go to Vietnam to boost the bilateral relation with that country. He will be accompanied by a delegation of Romanian business people.



    FOOTBALL – German football manager Christoph Daum has traveled to Bucharest, where he will reportedly be officially appointed Romania’s new football manager. 62-year old Daum is the first foreign manager to have been appointed at the helm of our national squad. Daum is in for Anghel Iordanescu, the Romanian manager who was at the helm of the national team at the ongoing EURO 2016 in France. We recall Romania was ousted as early as the group stage, following a 1-2 defeat by host country France, 1-all in the fixture against Switzerland and a nil-1 defeat from Albania. In Germany, Daum won the title in the Bundesliga and the Supercup with VfB Stuttgart in the early 1990s. Daum’s record also includes the title and the Super Cup in Turkey with Beshiktash Istanbul, as well as two consecutive titles in the same country, with Fenerbahce. Also, Daum won the Championship-Cup event in Austria, at the helm of Austria Vienna. Daum is a respected football manager but also a controversial public figure.



    PARIS — Defending world champion Germany and the team of the EURO 2016 host country, France, are this evening playing in Marseille, the second semi-final of the European Football Championships in France.


    (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • July 6, 2016 UPDATE

    July 6, 2016 UPDATE

    RULING – Romanias Constitutional Court has unanimously endorsed the notification sent by President Klaus Iohannis on the unconstitutional character of a law. According to this law, mayors and local county councillors indicted for corruption deeds, and who got suspended prison sentences, can further be maintained in their public positions. Iohannis challenged this law at the Constitutional Court, on grounds of hindering the fight against corruption. Also on Wednesday, the Court decided to postpone until September 13th issuing a ruling on the bill challenged by almost 100 parliament members. The bill, passed two weeks ago, stipulates that MPs who had hired their relatives at their parliamentary cabinets before August 21, 2013, can no longer be accused of conflict of interests. The MPs who are now challenging this bill say it could create a legal conflict of constitutional nature between Parliament and the High Court of Cassation and Justice, as it introduces a new interpretation of the conflict of interests. Moreover, the signatories to the bill also say that the law applies retroactively, which runs counter to a principle established by the Constitution.



    RESHUFFLE – The new ministers nominated by Romanias technocratic PM, Dacian Ciolos, following the cabinet reshuffle announced on Tuesday, will be sworn in on Thursday, a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration reads. The ministers who have been replaced are transport minister, Dan Costescu, education minister, Adrian Curaj, the minister delegate for the relation with the Romanian diaspora, Dan Stoenescu, and communications minister, Marius Bostan. The names of their successors have already been made public. This is the most extensive government reshuffle made by PM Dacian Ciolos since he took office, in November 2015.



    VISAS – The Canadian migration minister will have talks with members of the European Commission next week on mutual visa exemption. The meeting is held in the context in which Romania and Bulgaria might vote against the EU-Canada Agreement, in response to the Canadian governments refusal to lift visas for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens. The EU intends to endorse the document in October.



    NATO SUMMIT – Polands capital, Warsaw, is preparing to receive over 2,200 participants in the NATO Summit that starts on Friday. Alongside NATO members, European Union officials and leaders of Georgia, Ukraine and Afghanistan are also expected to attend the summit. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the Alliances leaders will be making key decisions for the consolidation of NATOs defence and deterrence capabilities. Also, a Romanian brigade will be turned into a multinational force. Moreover, multinational battalions will be dispatched to the three Baltic states and Poland.



    HUNGARIAN BORDER SECURITY – The Hungarian authorities have stopped over 1,000 people from illegally crossing the border into Hungary as of Tuesday, when the new border security regulations were enforced, on an 8 km wide strip, on the countrys southern frontier. The measures have been criticised by the UNHCR for violating the immigrants rights. Also on Tuesday, Budapest announced that Hungary will organise, on October 2, a referendum on the European plan regarding the refugee distribution quota across the EU.



    THE OSCE – Victor Paul Dobre, a member of the Romanian Parliaments delegation at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been elected vice-president of this organisation, at its 25th annual meeting held in Tbilisi, Georgia, between July 1 and 5. The OSCE addresses a wide range of security-related issues, including arms control, security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratisation, counter-terrorism as well as economic and environmental matters. It is made up of 57 participating states that span the globe, encompassing three continents – North America, Europe and Asia – and more than a billion people. Romanias Parliament has been part of the OSCEs Parliamentary Assembly since its establishment, in 1991, with a standing delegation made up of seven MPs.



    DRILLS- Divers from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the US, Turkey and Ukraine are taking part, until Saturday, in a multinational exercise in Romanias territorial waters. This joint exercise, currently at its 6th edition consists in finding, neutralising and destroying underwater-improvised explosives devices and naval mines. We remind you that also these days the town of Targu-Mures, in central Romania, is playing host to a NATO exercise, enjoying the participation of 17 teams from such countries as Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Serbia, Sweden, the US, Switzerland and Turkey. The exercise was organized by the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre jointly with Romania, and is a computer simulation of an large-scale disaster situation, resulting in multiple victims and the evacuation of thousands of people.


    (Translated by D. Vijeu and E. Enache)

  • July 6, 2016

    July 6, 2016

    OSCE Victor Paul Dobre, a member of the Romanian Parliament’s delegation with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been elected vice-president of this organisation, at its 25th annual meeting held in Tbilisi, Georgia, between July 1st and 5th. The OSCE addresses a wide range of security-related issues, including arms control, security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratisation, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental matters. It is made up of 57 participating states that span the globe, encompassing three continents – North America, Europe and Asia – and more than a billion people. Romania’s Parliament has been part of the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly since its establishment, in 1991, with a permanent delegation made up of seven MPs.




    VISAS Bucharest and Sofia have announced they will not ratify the EU-Canada trade agreement until Canadian authorities decide to regulate the visa policy for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens. Officials with the two European states say that Canada treats Romanian and Bulgarian citizens in a discriminatory manner in terms of visa policy. The European Commission assured Romania and Bulgaria, the only EU countries whose citizens still need entry visas for Canada, of its constant efforts to solve the problem, but pointed out that the two countries should not link the visa issue to the trade agreement.




    GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE The Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has announced the replacement of four of the 22 members of his cabinet, namely the Minister of Education, Adrian Curaj, of Communications, Marius Bostan, of Transportation, Dan Costescu and of the Minister-Delegate for Relations with Romanians Abroad, Dan Stoenescu. The Prime Minister has stated that the four have done their job, generally speaking, but the government team needs some fresh impetus. This is the most extensive government reshuffle made by PM Ciolos since he took over his mandate in November 2015. The new ministers will be sworn in on Thursday. Find out more about it after the news. e its establishment, in 1991, with a standing delegation made up of seven MPs.





    RULING Romania’s Constitutional Court has unanimously ruled today that the law challenged by President Klaus Iohannis is unconstitutional. According to this law, mayors and local county councillors indicted for corruption deeds, and who received suspended prison sentences, can further be maintained in their public position. Iohannis challenged this law at the Constitutional Court, on grounds of hindering the fight against corruption. Also today, the Court has decided to postpone until September 13th a decision on the bill challenged by almost 100 parliament members. The bill, passed two weeks ago, stipulates that MPs who had hired their relatives at their parliamentary cabinets before August 21, 2013, can no longer be accused of conflict of interests. The MPs who are now challenging this bill say it could create a legal conflict of constitutional nature between Parliament and the High Court of Cassation and Justice, as it introduces a new interpretation of the conflict of interests. Moreover, the signatories also say that the law applies retroactively, which is against a principle established by the Constitution.




    SUMMIT Poland’s capital, Warsaw, is preparing to receive over 2,200 participants at the NATO summit that starts on Friday. Alongside NATO members, European Union leaders and leaders of Georgia, Ukraine and Afghanistan are also expected. NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the Alliance’s leaders will be taking crucial decisions for the consolidation of NATO’s defense and discouragement capabilities. Also, a Romanian brigade will be turned into a multinational force. Moreover, multinational battalions will be dispatched in the three Baltic countries and Poland.




    NATO Divers from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the US, Turkey and Ukraine are taking part, until Saturday in a multinational exercise in Romania’s territorial waters. This joint exercise, currently at its 6th edition consists in finding, neutralising and destroying improvised explosives underwater and in fighting against marine mines. We remind you that also these days the town of Targu-Mures, in central Romania, is playing host to a NATO exercise, enjoying the participation of 17 teams from countries such as Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Serbia, Sweden, the US, Switzerland and Turkey. The exercise was organized by the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre and Romania, and is a computer simulation of an large-scale disaster situation, resulting in multiple victims and the evacuation of thousands of people.




    EURO 2016 The French city of Lyon is hosting this evening the first semi-final of EURO 2016, with Wales up against Portugal. On Thursday, in Marseilles, the host-country France will be up against Germany. We remind you that Romania left the competition in the group stage.



    (Translated by Elena Enache)