Radio România Internațional

Tag: News

April 11, 2022 UPDATE

Aid – The leaders of the ruling coalition in Romania are to decide the final form of the aid package for the population and the economy, in the context of the recent wave of price hikes. There are measures that have been discussed for several weeks – increasing the amounts allocated to food in hospitals, increasing the value of meal vouchers and granting vouchers to the vulnerable population. The minimum wage is also to be increased, a measure which is optional for companies though, and they might introduce the possibility of loan repayment postponement for the population, as happened during the pandemic. Carriers are also to receive support, as they will have part of the diesel costs reimbursed by the state, and grants are provided for small and medium-sized enterprises. Liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has said the aid package will ensure the functioning of the economy and protect vulnerable citizens. In turn, the Social Democrat leader, Marcel Ciolacu, has pointed out that this is the first time that a Government comes with such an initiative, and the total amount allocated for the application of the aid package is over 17 billion lei (about 3.5 billion Euros), half of which is covered by European funds.

WB – The World Bank has revised downwards the estimate for Romania’s economic growth this year, from 4.3%, as it estimated in January, to 1.9%. According to the international institution, the economic risks have increased significantly, especially as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For next year, the World Bank has improved its estimate of the Romania’s economic growth, to 4.1%, while for 2024 it anticipated an increase in the Gross Domestic Product of 4.3 %.

Schengen — The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament is committed to firmly supporting Romanias accession to the Schengen Area. The statement was made in Bucharest by the groups president, Iratxe García Pérez, who stated that Romania met the technical criteria for inclusion in the European free movement area. “There is no excuse for this not to become a reality as soon as possible,” Perez said. Romania should have joined Schengen in 2011, but several European countries have shown their opposition, saying that the country has problems with corruption and the justice system.

EU accession — The Republic of Moldova and Georgia received on Monday, from the European Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi, the questionnaire for their application for EU accession. The document serves as a basis for accession negotiations, which, however, involve a laborious and lengthy process. The handing over of the questionnaire by the European Commission is an important stage on the European path of the Republic of Moldova, and Romania is by its side and offers its full support, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis wrote on Twitter. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca welcomed the event, noting that the Romanian government was ready to provide support in formulating the response.

Sanctions — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday hailed the adoption of the new package of European sanctions against Russia (the fifth), stressing the importance of their effective implementation and expressed readiness to discuss new sanctions. He attended a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. As for Ukraine, Aurescu expressed concern over the growing number of reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity and underscored Romanias support for the International Criminal Courts efforts to investigate them. The Romanian Foreign Minister said that the unity and solidarity of the EU, as well as the coordination with the USA, NATO and other partners remained fundamental in counteracting the impact of the war in Ukraine.

Visit — Romanias energy security, tougher measures against Russia, the consolidation of NATOs eastern flank and the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Romanian economy were the main topics of discussion at the meeting, in Bucharest, of the Senate Speaker Florin Citu with a delegation led by the leader of the Republican minority in the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McGarry. The two sides highlighted, among other things, that nuclear power projects were a priority for increasing Romanias energy security and reducing its energy dependence on Russia. The importance of the international community adopting a unified and coherent response to the actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was also discussed.

Motion — On Monday, the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament rejected a simple motion submitted by Save Romania Union – USR against the Environment Minister, Tanczos Barna. The opposition party claimed that the minister of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR in the ruling coalition would be the main culprit for illegal deforestation, environmental damage, the states incapacity to take advantage of green economy opportunities and for the contemptuous attitude towards civil society, USR representatives say. Tanczos Barna claimed that the so-called illegal deforestation was untrue, because no one could prove one single case of illegal logging during his term. (LS)

11 April 2022
April 8, 2022 UPDATE

Visit — On a visit to Kyiv on Friday the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell strongly condemned the Russian armys “horrible” and “indiscriminate” attack on civilians at the Kramatorsk train station. The European dignitaries have also announced a new 500 million Euro military aid for Ukraine. At the same time, they announced the return of the EU mission to Kyiv. The European delegation also included the Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger. Two Russian missiles hit a train station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, killing at least 50 people among whom children, and injuring about 100. The station, which housed thousands, was used to evacuate areas bombed by the Russian forces. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky says that the destruction of Borodianka (a city northwest of Kyiv and recently taken back by Ukrainians) is “much more terrible” than that in Bucha, where massacres were perpetrated. Moscow denies that its forces have killed civilians. Also on Friday, the EU approved a fifth package of sanctions against Moscow, which provides for a coal embargo and the closure of European ports for Russian ships. This package further expands the blacklist, affecting the incomes of hundreds of oligarchs and political leaders in Russia, Belarus and the pro-Russian separatist areas of Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine.

Refugees — The Romanian government has adopted a decision that establishes how the Romanian citizens hosting refugees from Ukraine will receive money. In the first three working days of each month, for the previous month, they must submit to the local public authorities a request stating the number of persons hosted, their names, the localities which they declare they come from and the time frame for which the disbursement of expenses is requested. The money is transferred within 10 working days since reception of centralized statements. Those who host refugees from Ukraine can receive 70 lei per day (about 14 Euros) for one person. Since the beginning of Russias invasion of neighboring Ukraine, more than 650,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.

Economy – Last year, Romania registered an economic growth rate of 5.9%, compared to 2020 – according to the latest provisional data published by the National Institute of Statistics – INS. The data show a lower contribution of investments to last years economic growth, from 0.9% to 0.6%. The figures announced by the INS also indicate a decrease of 0.1% in the last quarter of 2021 compared to the previous 3 months.

Roma — The civic, social and economic emancipation of the Roma citizens from Romania is a common goal, of great importance, said President Klaus Iohannis in a message conveyed on Friday on the occasion of the International Roma Day. The head of state also hailed the efforts made by this community to make known its past and customs, to make their voice heard and their contribution to the development of society appreciated. A similar message was sent by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca. Mr. Ciuca highlighted the fact that the Roma in our country have brought cultural and economic value over time in the communities in which they lived. International Roma Day is an opportunity to ponder on the persistence, worldwide, of racist and discriminatory attitudes, stereotypes, hate speech and instigation to hostile acts or ethnically motivated violence, which disproportionately affects the Roma community, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said. Romania has taken important steps to condemn and eliminate all forms of discrimination against Roma, including through the adoption of comprehensive legislation in the field, the Foreign Ministry officials emphasize.

Ordinance – Freight transport in Romania will be monitored electronically through a new digital system, designed to reduce both the risk of tax evasion and red tape for operators in the field. The government has approved an emergency ordinance introducing the integrated electronic system RO e-Transport, also known as the Radar of Goods. IT management modules will generate unique registration codes for each transport, and the platform will be interconnected with specific road traffic monitoring devices, such as cameras, and the data will be analyzed in an integrated way. The system covers the transport of goods with a high tax risk, such as alcoholic beverages or food. (LS)

8 April 2022
April 7, 2022

NATO – In Brussels, the foreign ministers of the NATO member countries, including the Romanian one, Bogdan Aurescu, are discussing, today, the new strategic concept that must be adapted to the current security context. Prior to the meeting, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg estimated that the war in Ukraine could take months or even years. The agenda of the meeting includes the implementation of the decisions of the Extraordinary NATO Summit of March 24, with focus on strengthening the Allied defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, following Russias aggression on Ukraine and its consequences for Euro-Atlantic security. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the NATO officials will also discuss the latest developments on the ground in Ukraine, including the crimes against the civilian population. Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate the importance of the rapid implementation of the decisions of the March NATO Summit, with an emphasis on the establishment of new NATO Combat Groups, one of which is in Romania. He reiterated that Moscow was preparing an offensive in eastern Ukraine to take control of the entire Donbas region and to build a land bridge to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

Ukraine — The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the recent sanctions imposed on Russia, but underlined that they were insufficient. He called on Western democracies to boycott Russian oil, insisting that the failure of a rapid agreement on an embargo would result in the loss of many lives among Ukrainians. The US has imposed new sanctions on two of Russias largest banks, as well as on Vladimir Putins two adult daughters, on Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, on the wife and children of the FM Sergei Lavrov, on members of the Security Council of Russia, including Dimitri Medvedev, a former president and prime minister. On the other hand, the Ukrainian police found new bodies of people shot in Hostomel, near Kyiv, a town recently liberated from the occupation of Russian troops. According to the locals, they were killed by snipers. The Ukrainian military record war crimes cases in every city or town where the Russian soldiers were present. According to the Ukrainian officials, more than 1,200 lawsuits have been opened in the Kyiv region over war crimes committed by the occupiers. The Polish President Andrzej Duda described the Russian militarys actions in Ukraine as “genocide” and called on the West to strengthen sanctions against Moscow. On the ground, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian occupiers are preparing an offensive operation in the east of the country to establish full control over the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Pentagon confirms that the Russian troops have completely withdrawn from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and Cernihiv.

UN — The UN General Assembly is today considering the suspension of Russias membership to the Human Rights Council (HRC) due to the invasion of Ukraine. The move was initiated by the United States and several other countries, including the United Kingdom. Two-thirds of the votes of the General Assembly members, representing 193 countries, are required for a favorable decision. Russias Foreign Ministry has said that Russias failure to participate in UNHRC activities would undermine the universality of that structure. Moscow has also denied allegations in connection with the massacre in Bucha, where hundreds of bodies were found after the withdrawal of Russian troops. In the history of the UN, Libya led by Moammar Gaddafi was suspended from this structure in 2011, but this time it is about a permanent member of the Security Council.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (66 WTA) has qualified to the round of 16 of the WTA 500 tournament in Charleston (South Carolina, USA), with total prizes worth almost 900,000 dollars. On Wednesday, she defeated Australian Ajla Tomljanovic (39 WTA) 6-2, 6-3. In the quarter finals, Irina Begu will face the winner of the match between Ons Jabeur (Tunisia, 10 WTA), 4th seeded, and the American Emma Navarro (201 WTA), a match that was interrupted at the score of 6-3, 5-2 for the Tunisian.

TAROM — The trade unionists of the Romanian state-owned airlines TAROM are organizing a protest rally today in front of the companys headquarters. At the beginning of April, they announced, in a communiqué, that they would protest throughout the month, dissatisfied, among other things, with the lack of a payroll and the staff shortage. Trade unionists are also discontented with the fact that the budget for salary expenses has not been increased by 35%. Protests also took place on Wednesday in Romania.

COVID-19 – More than 2,300 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Romania on Wednesday, less than in the previous day. The authorities also announced 18 COVID-associated deaths. Nearly 2,300 coronavirus patients are hospitalized. 338 of them are in intensive care. On the other hand, the number of flu cases, following confirmation by specific tests, is increasing, doctors have pointed out. In some cases, patients with the flu needed hospitalization. (LS)

7 April 2022
April 6, 2022 UPDATE

Robor – The three-month Robor index, based on which the cost of consumer loans in lei with variable interest rate is calculated, rose to 4.68% per year from 4.62%. According to the National Bank of Romania, it is the highest Robor level in the past 9 years. On Tuesday, the Central Bank decided to increase, as of Wednesday, the key interest rate from 2.5 to 3% per year, which influences the evolution of all bank interest rates and is the main tool in the fight against inflation. The Central Bank warns that the annual inflation rate is expected to rise more sharply in the coming months than anticipated in February. The worsening of the short-term outlook for inflation is caused by the too big increases in fuel and food prices, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and of international sanctions.

Embassy — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has rejected the reaction of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest following the incident at its headquarters this morning and considered the reaction hasty, completely inadequate and inappropriate. Previously, the Russian embassy had stated that “there was no doubt” that the driver who drove his car into the embassy fence “committed that act under the influence of an explosion of anti-Russian hysteria.” We remind you that the driver died after he drove his car into the embassy fence at dawn on Wednesday and then set himself on fire. The investigations in this case are being carried out by the Prosecutors Office of the Bucharest Tribunal and the Homicide Division of the Bucharest Police. The media in Bucharest reports that the perpetrator, Bogdan Drăghici, is a character with some notoriety, who had received a sentence for sexually abusing his daughter. He was also the head of the association called TATA (Anti-Discrimination Alliance of All Dads). On the previous day, he allegedly posted on Facebook a text showing his solidarity with Ukraine which was invaded by Russian troops.

Diplomats – Romania has expelled 10 Russian diplomats from its territory, joining other states such as France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Slovenia and Sweden, which have made similar decisions in protest of the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine. Nearly 200 diplomats have been sent to Moscow in recent days, marking a further deterioration of the West’s relations with Russia. Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko told TASS news agency that his country would respond in the same way. He underlined that the expulsion of diplomatic personnel from the capitals of some European states would damage the diplomatic channels of communication.

Ukraine – The US has imposed new sanctions on Russia, namely against several companies and 18 people, including the daughters of President Vladimir Putin, as well as the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev. Two major Russian financial institutions, SberBank and Alpha Bank, are also targeted. The new round of sanctions also includes a ban on new investments in this country. Russia must be held accountable for the war crimes perpetrated by its forces in Ukraine, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech at the UN Security Council. Moscow has again denied accusations of war crimes. The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Kyiv this week, where she will be accompanied by the foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the “Bucha massacre” and kissed the Ukrainian flag sent from the Ukrainian city where, after the withdrawal of Russian troops, bodies were found tied up and shot in the street, as well as mass graves. On the ground, Ukraine is preparing for an offensive by the Russian forces in the east of the country and is trying to evacuate civilians before Russian forces cut off their retreat routes. Russian bombing continues both there and in other parts of the country. The international organization “Doctors Without Borders” has called for hospitals, patients and medical staff in Ukraine to no longer be targeted. According to the BBC, three hospitals in the city of Mikolaiv, under Russian assault, were bombed in just two days. Previously, other medical centers in Ukraine were the target of Russian bombings.

Sanctions — The employees of the companies that are forced to restrain or suspend their activity due to the conflict in Ukraine will be able to benefit from furlough benefits worth 75% of their salary, the Romanian Government decided on Wednesday. The measure applies both to companies directly affected by the military conflict and to those indirectly affected, announced the Labor Minister, Marius Budai. He pointed out that the government was supporting any measures to sanction Russia, saying that no Romanian citizen should suffer, hence that measure. Also on Wednesday, an emergency decree was approved under which the financial framework for the Anghel Saligny National Investment Program reaches 65.5 billion lei – approximately 13 billion Euros. The program targets investments in water and sewerage, roads and bridges, and natural gas distribution systems.

Trade unions — On Wednesday, the National Trade Union Bloc staged a protest rally in Bucharest, attended by thousands of people. The 35 affiliated trade union federations, both from the private sector and the public system, called for support measures to offset the economic and social effects of the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the National Trade Union Bloc requested urgent measures for Romanias energy and food security, in the context of rising electricity, gas and fuel prices.

Moldova – Germany, France and Romania co-chaired an international conference in Berlin on Tuesday on the creation of a support platform for the Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet republic with a majority Romanian-speaking population. The participants – nearly 50 delegates representing countries and international organizations – pledged to provide more than 695 million Euros in financial aid to Chisinau, as well as political support in the context of the war in neighboring Ukraine. About 12,000 of the nearly 100,000 Ukrainian refugees on the territory of the Republic of Moldova will be taken over by other states.

NATO — The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, participates, for two days, in the meeting of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states hosted by Brussels. The agenda of talks includes the implementation of the decisions of the Extraordinary NATO Summit on March 24, focusing on strengthening the Allied defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, following Russias aggression on Ukraine and its consequences for Euro-Atlantic security. According to a Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué, the officials will also discuss the latest developments on the ground in Ukraine, including the crimes against the civilian population. Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate the importance of the rapid implementation of the decisions of the March NATO Summit, with an emphasis on the establishment of new NATO Combat Groups, one of which is in Romania. “We need to be realistic. The war could last a long time, a few months, even years,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg estimated before the meeting. He reiterated that Moscow was preparing an offensive in eastern Ukraine to take control of the entire Donbas region and to build a land bridge to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. (LS)

6 April 2022
April 3, 2022 UPDATE

NATO — Sunday marked 73 years since the setting up of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – NATO, and according to the national law, Romania also celebrated NATO Day, marking 18 years of membership. On this occasion, a military ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Gemina Infantry Division 4 Command in Cluj-Napoca (northwest), which was attended by the defense minister, Vasile Dîncu. Events were also organized by the Romanian Naval Forces on board the military ships from the ports of Constanţa, Mangalia, Brăila and Tulcea. President Klaus Iohannis said in a message on NATO Day that he would continue to strongly support the consolidation of the transatlantic relationship, which he considers to be the backbone of the Alliance and the community of democratic and security values which Romania is a part of. The PM Nicolae Ciuca said that Bucharest would make every effort to increase and strengthen the Allied and American military presence, in order to guarantee the security of its citizens. In turn, the defense minister, Vasile Dîncu, said that NATO accession brought Romania the strongest security guarantee in the countrys history, and the country now has a professional, experienced army, which has exercised its capabilities in missions in theaters of operations abroad.

Visit — On Monday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu will have political consultations with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Estonia, Eva-Maria Liimets, on the occasion of her visit to Bucharest, at the invitation of the Romanian Foreign Minister. According to a communiqué of the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the two officials will participate in a conference organized by the New Strategy Center think tank, with the theme Russias aggression in Ukraine. How can we build a more resilient NATO Eastern Flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea? Consultations will focus on discussing ways to develop bilateral ties, especially in relation to economic and sectoral cooperation between the two countries, with a view to properly exploring the existing potential.

PNL — The extraordinary congress of the National Liberal Party – PNL, in the ruling coalition in Romania, for the election of a new president of the party, will take place on April 10, the Liberals National Council decided on Sunday. 1,300 delegates will attend. Until the congress, the interim presidency of PNL will be held by the president of the Suceava County Council, Gheorghe Flutur. On Saturday, the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Florin Cîţu, announced his resignation as president of the PNL. Many Liberals had previously called for his departure. They accuse Cîțu of causing tensions within the governing coalition, in its relationship with the Social Democratic Party – PSD, of not communicating with the party members and of having a bad public image, which affects the Liberals score in the polls regarding voting intentions. Cîţus opponents would like the party leadership to be taken over by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, who, according to the media, has a much better image in society and a coherent dialogue with the governing partners. Respected as a full-time professional military, Ciuca is, however, the protagonist of a plagiarism scandal, related to his doctoral thesis. The former Prime Minister Cîţu was elected only half a year ago, at the end of September 2021. At the time, clearly supported by the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, he won, in a tense congress, the elections against another former prime minister, Ludovic Orban, who had led the PNL since 2017.

Academy – The Romanian Academy on Monday celebrates its 156th anniversary. The anniversary is marked in the hall of the Academy by a festive general assembly and by screenings of documentaries, featuring the main moments in the history of the institution. Considered one of the first fundamental institutions for the consolidation of the Romanian modern state, the Romanian Academy initially had the mission to regulate the Romanian language and to study the national history. Subsequently, its activity has diversified to include all fields of science. Opinion surveys show that, along with the Army and the Church, the Academy is the institution which Romanians trust the most.

Covid – In Romania, the number of new COVID cases continues to drop, reaching 1,429 on Sunday. The authorities also reported 11 coronavirus-related deaths. Since the onset of the pandemic two years ago, more than 2.85 million cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in the country and more than 65,000 patients have died. More than 8 million people have been fully vaccinated. We recall that, as of March 9, no anti-Covid restrictions have been in force in Romania.

Ukraine — Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that it has documented numerous cases in which Russian military forces have violated the laws of war against civilians in the occupied areas of the Chernihiv, Kharkov and Kyiv regions of Ukraine. In the period February 27 – March 14, the Russian soldiers are accused of one case of repeated rape, of two summary executions, of violence and threats against civilians. Soldiers were also involved in looting private property, from where they stole food, clothing and firewood. After the withdrawal of Russian troops, a mass grave was found in the northern Ukrainian town of Bucea. Nearly 300 people were reportedly buried there. Tens of bodies lay on the streets, some with their hands tied. “Russia has an international legal obligation to impartially investigate the alleged war crimes committed by its soldiers,” said Hugh Williamson, HRWs Director for Europe and Central Asia. He stressed that all parties involved in the armed conflict in Ukraine are obliged to respect international humanitarian law and the laws of war. (LS)

3 April 2022
April 3, 2022

PNL — Gheorghe Flutur, the first vice-president of the National Liberal Party – PNL (in the governing coalition in Romania), was appointed interim president of the party, after the resignation of Florin Cîţu. The interior minister Lucian Bode will be the partys interim secretary general. Both were elected during Sunday’s meeting of the National Political Bureau and will lead the party until the extraordinary congress when a new president will be elected. The proposed date for the organization of the congress is April 10. Many Liberal leaders have asked for the resignation of Florin Cîțu from the partys leadership. Cîțu holds the position of Speaker of the Senate. He is accused of causing tensions within the governing coalition, in its relationship with the Social Democratic Party – PSD, of not communicating with the party leaders and of having a bad public image, which affects the Liberals score in the polls regarding voting intentions. The PM Nicolae Ciuca would be the favorite to take over the Liberal leadership. Openly supported by President Klaus Iohannis, Cîţu was elected leader of PNL last year, in September, replacing Ludovic Orban, after a tense congress.

NATO — Sunday marks 73 years since the setting up of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – NATO, and according to the national law, Romania is also celebrating NATO Day, marking 18 years of membership. On this occasion, a military ceremony is held at the headquarters of the Gemina Infantry Division 4 Command in Cluj-Napoca (northwest), which is attended by the defense minister, Vasile Dîncu. Events are also organized by the Romanian Naval Forces on board the military ships from the ports of Constanţa, Mangalia, Brăila and Tulcea. President Klaus Iohannis says in a message on NATO Day that he will continue to strongly support the consolidation of the transatlantic relationship, which he considers to be the backbone of the Alliance and the community of democratic and security values which Romania is a part of. The PM Nicolae Ciuca said that Bucharest will make every effort to increase and strengthen the Allied and American military presence, in order to guarantee the security of its citizens. In turn, the defense minister, Vasile Dîncu, says that NATO accession has brought Romania the strongest security guarantee in the countrys history, and the country now has a professional, experienced army, which has exercised its capabilities in missions in theaters of operations abroad.

Ukraine — The war in Ukraine will last longer and an intensification of the war on the eastern flank of the Alliance is expected, said Sunday NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, who attended a ceremony to celebrate NATO Day in Romania, at the headquarters of the Defense Ministry. Russia has said that peace talks with Ukraine have not progressed far enough to allow for a meeting of the two countries leaders, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky wrote on Telegram. He has added that talks will resume on Monday. On the ground, the missile attack this morning on a refinery in the Ukrainian city of Odessa (south) did not cause any casualties. The announcement was made by the Ukrainian military authorities. Odessa is an important Black Sea port and the main base of the Ukrainian naval forces. The British intelligence reports that Russian naval forces continue to blockade the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, preventing Kyiv authorities from resupplying at sea.

Elections Hungary — Parliamentary elections are taking place in Hungary on Sunday. According to opinion polls, the ruling FIDESZ Conservative Party has a slight lead over a cartel made up of si opposition parties. The re-election of the PM Viktor Orban, the leader of FIDESZ, is complicated, analysts say, by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which has shed new light on his close relations with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hungary will not send any weapons to Ukraine and will stay out of the war, Orban said at the rallies of his supporters. Analysts say that this is the first time when Orban, who has been prime minister since 2010, risks losing power to a coalition that includes many forces, from the far right, Jobbik, which has redefined itself as center-right, to the Socialists, successors to the former communist party, the Liberals and the Environmentalists. According to political analysts, beyond the ideological differences between these parties, the key word for the entire opposition is “anything but Orban.” In Romania, according to different survey, 90% of the ethnic Hungarians who also have Hungarian citizenship support the list of the conservative alliance FIDESZ-KDPN (Christian Democratic Peoples Party).

Elections Serbia — On Sunday, Serbians are electing their president, parliamentarians and new local government officials. Eight candidates are running for president, and 19 political parties have submitted lists for the early parliamentary elections. The latest on-time elections, boycotted by the opposition, were held in June 2020 and caused severe criticism from the European Commission, which noted the overwhelming advantage that the Serbian press gave to the power, excessively praising its alleged successes. Even this springs election does not seem to promise major changes to Belgrades top power. Polls credit the ruling Serbian Progressive Party with more than 50 percent of the vote. The presidential election, analysts say, will be a simple formality for the current head of state, Aleksandar Vucic, who is running for a second term. (LS)

3 April 2022
April 2, 2022 UPDATE

Resignation. Senate speaker Florin Cîţu resigned on Saturday as
president of the National Liberal Party in the ruling coalition, following
calls to this end from various local party leaders. The latter accused him of creating
divisions within the government coalition with the Social Democratic Party, of
not communicating with the party base and of a bad public image. They want
current prime minister Nicolae Ciucă to replace him. A respected career
military, Ciucă is, however, involved in a plagiarism scandal in connection to
his doctoral thesis. Cîţu was elected in September last year, when, with the
open backing of president Klaus Iohannis, he defeated Ludovic Orban in internal
elections the latter said were highly irregular. Ludovic Orban went on to form
a new party, the Force of the Right.

Refugees. More than 4.1 million Ukrainians have fled war in their
country following the Russian invasion on 24th February, the biggest
refugee wave in Europe since WWII. 90% of refugees are women and children, as
men eligible for military call-up are banned to leave the country. The UN
International Organisation for Migration said that more than 200,000
non-Ukrainians have also fled, some of them having difficulties returning to
their countries of origin. The UN also estimates that almost 6.5 million people
are displaced within Ukraine, which puts the number of people displaced at more
than a quarter of the country’s population. UNICEF says more than half of
Ukraine’s 7.5 million children have been displaced, either internally or
abroad. Before the conflict, Ukraine had
a population of 37 million in the regions under its control, excluding
Russia-annexed Crimea and the pro-Russian separatist regions in the east.

Hungary.
Parliamentary elections are taking place on Sunday in Hungary. According to
opinion polls, the conservative FIDESZ party has a slight lead over an alliance
of six opposition parties. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put the spotlight
on the relationship between FIDESZ leader and current prime minister Viktor Orban
and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Orban told his supporters Hungary will
send no weapons to Ukraine and will stay out of the war. Commentators say this
is the first time Orban, who has been in power since 2010, faces some threat in
elections, where he is opposed by an alliance of parties from across the
political spectrum. 90% of ethnic Hungarians living in neighbouringRomania and who also
have Hungarian citizenship are supporting Orban.

Serbia. Serb voters are going to polls on Sunday to elect their
president, parliamentarians and local officials. 8 candidates are running for
president. The latest ballot from June 2020 was boycotted by the opposition and
criticised by the European Commission for the disproportionate praise heaped by
the media on the ruling party. Opinion polls credit the Serbian Progressive
Party, in power, with more than 50% of voting intentions,
while a second term in office appears to be a mere formality for incumbent
president Aleksandar
Vucic. (CM)

2 April 2022
March 24, 2022 UPDATE

NATO – Attending the extraordinary NATO
summit on Thursday, in Brussels, the heads of state and government of the 30
member states approved 4 new combat groups in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and
Hungary. These will supplement the already existing 4 groups in the Baltic
countries and Poland. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that
defense at sea and in the air will be strengthened, cyber security will be
strengthened, and the Ukrainian army will be equipped with anti-tank and
anti-missile systems, as well as with equipment for the detection and protection
against nuclear and chemical weapons. He said no troops would be sent to the
former Soviet republic. The allies are doing what they can to support Ukraine
with weapons so that the Ukrainians can defend themselves, but ‘we have a
responsibility to prevent it from becoming a war in Europe’, Jens Stoltenberg
said. On the other hand, NATO has urged China not to support Moscow
economically or militarily. At the same time, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was
condemned in the strongest possible terms, the Alliance calling on the Russian
President Vladimir Putin to end the war immediately, and requesting Belarus to
end its complicity. Present in Brussels, together with Prime Minister Nicolae
Ciuca, President Klaus Iohannis underlined that boosting NATO’s presence in Romania,
the Black Sea and the entire Eastern Flank is a strategic objective of Romania,
in response to the implications of the Russian aggression on the European and
Euro-Atlantic security, and this consolidated presence must be unified,
balanced and coherent, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. US President Joe
Biden was also present at the summit, the second extraordinary summit of the
North Atlantic Alliance this year, after the one on February 25.

European Council – Romania’s president
Klaus Iohannis is attending, on Thursday and Friday, the European Council meeting
in Brussels. The US President Joe Biden has also been invited at the meeting as
a confirmation of the tight Transatlantic coordination against the security
background created by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. High on the agenda are
the latest security developments in Ukraine with emphasis on the EU political,
financial, material and humanitarian assistance to this country. Participants
will also tackle ways of providing assistance to the Ukrainian refugees, as
well as the Strategic Compass, an instrument aimed at providing a roadmap in
terms of security and defense at EU level. The European Council will also approach
the energy prices situation and the measures to support the most vulnerable
categories and the business environment, on short term.

Ukraine – The United States announced further
financial sanctions against Russia on Thursday, targeting the political world,
the oligarchs and the defense industry in response to the invasion of Ukraine,
and is strengthening coordination with Western allies to prevent Moscow from
using its gold reserves, AFP reports. These measures, which mainly involve a
freeze of their assets in the United States, involve more than 300 members of
the State Duma and the institution itself, as well as dozens of ‘large public
companies’ in the defense sector. Also on Thursday, the Russians and Ukrainians
exchanged prisoners, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereşciuk announced
on Facebook. On the ground, almost a month after the start of the Russian
invasion of Ukraine, fighting continues, and the damage is growing, as are the
casualties. Kharkov (northeast), the country’s second most important city, was
bombarded again. In Kherson (south), Makariv and Irpin (near Kyiv), the
Ukrainians regained key positions. Russian bombs continue to fall on Kyiv,
Nikolaev (south) and Chernihiv (center). In Odessa (Black Sea port) barricades
are being erected and aid is being distributed. However, the most dramatic
situation remains in Mariupol (port at the Sea of Azov), a city bombed
incessantly for days on end and 90% destroyed. On the other hand, Ukraine
allegedly managed to hit with a ballistic missile a large landing ship of
Russian forces in the coastal city of Berdyansk (Sea of Azov). Near the
landing ship, two other large Russian ships were allegedly hit and left the
port immediately.

G 7
– The leaders of the world’s most industrialized countries (G7) – US, UK,
Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada – meeting in Brussels on Thursday, warned
Russia not to use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons in its war against
Ukraine, according to a statement released at the end of the meeting. All
countries are ready to receive refugees from Ukraine, the statement read. As
regards energy, leaders are urging oil and gas-producing countries to act
responsibly and increase deliveries to international markets, adding that the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) should get involved.
They also promised that G7 member countries would avoid bans on food exports.

Corruption – The former Romanian
Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu was sentenced, on Thursday, by the High
Court of Cassation and Justice to 8 years and 6 months in prison for bribe
taking and influence peddling, in a case related to the assignment of a
contract for the rehabilitation of some railway sections. In the same case, the
former MP Cristian Boureanu received a sentence of 4 years and 3 months (previously
he had been given a suspended sentence). The decision of the magistrates is not
final. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, in the period 2005-2017, a
foreign company paid approximately 20 million Euros, as commissions, to
Romanian officials or persons with influence over them, in connection with the
conclusion and execution of contracts for railway rehabilitation. According to the
National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Sebastian Vladescu received the amount of
2.2 million Euros, and Cristian Boureanu obtained 2.1 million Euros. (LS)

24 March 2022
Europeans cooperate to help Ukrainian patients

The EU countries will coordinate their actions to provide medical care to the wounded and chronically ill Ukrainian refugees, by setting up field hospitals in Ukraine’s neighboring countries and ensuring the transfer of critically ill patients to hospitals in the west of Europe. This is the conclusion of the video conference of the health ministers convened by France, in its capacity as president of the EU Council. The 27 have decided that medicines and medical supplies will continue to arrive from across the EU to the countries neighboring Ukraine, to reduce the pressure on their hospitals. Preparations are also underway for the setting up of field hospitals in Poland, for the time being.

At the same time, the European Commission has announced that it will set up patient health assessment points at the Union’s borders. The EC considers it crucial that the national health systems, especially of the countries bordering Ukraine, which are facing an unprecedented influx of refugees, should not be overwhelmed. According to European officials, 10,000 beds in hospitals from European countries are ready to receive patients, especially sick children, mothers with babies, people in need of emergency care and resuscitation, such as the injured or severely burned, and also other chronic patients. A first group of sick refugee children has already been sent from Poland to Italy and, according to the ministers, other transfers will follow.

In turn, Paris has announced that the first Ukrainian patients will arrive in France by the end of the week. Moreover, the European ministers have decided to provide refugees with psychological assistance, needed in these situations. Authorities in European countries will soon create conditions, in the refugee reception centers, for the refugees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, given that, according to official figures, only one in three Ukrainians is vaccinated. The Ukrainian children can also be vaccinated, depending on their age, against other diseases, such as tuberculosis, measles or polio, the European officials said, adding that the rate of vaccination in Ukraine has been very low for several diseases which can be prevented by immunization, especially in the case of children.

In this context, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has warned the countries receiving refugees from Ukraine on the large number of infections with dangerous bacteria, resistant to antibiotics, registered in that country and on the risk of their transmission. Estimates by the UN Refugee Agency show that, three weeks after the onset of the Russian invasion, the number of Ukrainians who fled the country neared three million, half of them being children. And their number will certainly increase. In Bucharest, the Romania health minister, Alexandru Rafila, announces that, at present, there are no problems in providing medical assistance to the Ukrainians who are on the territory of Romania. Moreover, a system has been developed through which Ukrainians can benefit from the full range of health services, just like the Romanian patients. (LS)

16 March 2022
March 12, 2022

Ukraine — Romania continues to help the Ukrainian refugees. The emergency number 112 and the special hot line for children, 119, are also available for calls in Ukrainian. Moreover, additional measures have been taken to prevent human trafficking at cross-border points. On Friday, an online platform was created which centralizes aid offers made to support the civilians taking refuge in Romania. The new platform was developed in record time with the support of over 600 volunteers. On the other hand, the Romanian government is discussing today a draft decision on granting free transport and other facilities to foreign citizens or stateless persons in special situations, coming from the armed conflict area in Ukraine. The Border Police informs that since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 380 thousand Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania, of whom over 304 thousand have left the country.

Chisinau — The German government will take directly to Germany 2,500 Ukrainian refugees out of the more than 100,000 Ukrainians currently in the Republic of Moldova, said Saturday, in Chisinau, the German foreign minister Ms. Annalena Baerbock, against the backdrop of the escalating humanitarian crisis. The German official has pointed out that the Moldovan government will receive assistance worth 5 million Euros from the EU and 3 million Euros from the German government, besides the 37 million Euros promised for this year. In turn, the Moldovan vice prime minister and FM Nicu Popescu underlined that the Moldovan authorities would continue to help the refugees from Ukraine, but called for the help of the EU, since Chisinau is hardly coping with the inflow of refugees. AFP reported on Friday that France will also receive 2,500 Ukrainian refugees from Moldova. An ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian–speaking population, of 2.6 million inhabitants, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine’s neighbor, is one of the poorest countries in Europe.

Talks — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, will discuss, on Sunday, in Bucharest, with his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, about how to manage the effects of the Russian aggression on Ukraine. According to a communiqué of the Romanian Foreign Ministry – MAE, the visit of the Israeli official takes place at the invitation of the Romanian FM, against the background of the worsening of the crisis caused by Moscow, but also of the very good Romanian-Israeli cooperation. Talks focus on the ways to evacuate Israeli citizens from Ukraine through Romania. Israel is one of Romanias main partners from the Middle East area, the bilateral relations of a strategic nature, constantly developing in recent years — MAE shows. In fact, Bogdan Aurescu and Yair Lapid will also discuss the development of bilateral relations, with focus on the political, economic and security fields. At the same time, they will assess the stage of preparations for the third Romania-Israel Joint Government Meeting scheduled to take place this year.

Tennis — The American tennis player Cori Gauff will play against the Romanian Simona Halep in the third round of the Indian Wells WTA 1,000 tennis tournament, which has prizes up for grabs worth over 8.5 million dollars. Also in the third round, the Russian Ana Kalinskaia will meet the Romanian Sorana Cirstea. Simona Halep (26 WTA) defeated the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 on Friday, while Sorana Cirstea (27 WTA) defeated Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 7- 5. Also at Indian Wells, the Romanian pair Irina Begu/Monica Niculescu qualified to the round of 16, after beating the Ukrainian pair Daiana/Ivana Iastremska 6-1, 6-1. The Romanians will play the next match against the Japanese pair Eri Hozumi/Makoto Ninomiya.

Concert – We Are One, a charity concert organized in support of Ukrainian refugees, brings together big names in the music industry, today, on the National Arena in Bucharest. Among them: Armin Van Buuren, an internationally known DJ, Tom Odell – the artist who authored the song Another Love, the anthem of the peaceful protesters, Jamala, the Ukrainian singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016, as well as many Romanian artists. According to the organizers, We Are One, which will last eight hours, is the largest humanitarian event ever organized in Romania. (LS)

12 March 2022
March 11, 2022

Visit — The US Vice President, Kamala Harris, arrives today, for the first time, in Romania, on the second stage of a diplomatic tour she has started in Europe. She is present in the region to discuss the war in Ukraine and to assure the allies on NATOs eastern flank that the United States is supporting them. President Klaus Iohannis and the US Vice President will discuss, in Bucharest, the measures to strengthen NATOs defense and deterrence posture the eastern flank. At the same time, they will approach the prospect of increasing the American and allied military presence in Romania, as an additional measure to ensure the security of the country and of the entire region. On the other hand, the two will talk about transatlantic coordination on imposing new sanctions on Russia. The visit takes place in the context of the 25th anniversary, in 2022, of the launch of the bilateral Strategic Partnership. On Thursday, Kamala Harris visited Poland, where she said the US was ready to defend every inch of the North Atlantic Alliance territory. At the same time, she gave assurances that Ukraine would receive all the help it needs and added that Russia would continue to face severe consequences and costs.

Ukraine — On the 16th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian troops are advancing slowly towards Kyiv today, and new bombings have been reported in Mariupol (southeast). Moreover, the Russian troops launched airstrikes on the Ukrainian cities of Dnipro, Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk (west). In turn, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that in the Chernihiv region (north) the Russian troops are suffering serious losses in the fight against Ukrainians, the invaders being demoralized and surrendering. On the other hand, the Russian leader Vladimir Putin is meeting in Moscow with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The two will discuss the conflict, and also economic cooperation, in the context of the Western sanctions. Western countries have also imposed new sanctions on Belarus, which hosted Russian troops on its territory, troops that launched attacks on Ukraine. On Thursday, the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov and Dmitro Kuleba, mediated by Turkey in Antalya, did not report any progress towards a ceasefire in Ukraine. They only discussed the promise to continue the humanitarian efforts to evacuate civilians, without any firm commitment from Moscow though. The G7 countries have announced that they will soon introduce a new package of sanctions against Russia, following one of the largest attacks by one state against another in Europe since World War II. More than 100,000 Ukrainians have been evacuated in the past two days, according to the authorities.

Summit – The war in Ukraine and its consequences on the economies and lives of European citizens are being discussed by the EU heads of state and government also on the 2nd day of the Versailles summit organized by the French presidency of the EU Council. Romania is represented at the summit by President Klaus Iohannis. The EU continues to provide humanitarian, medical and financial assistance to the refugees from Ukraine and to their host countries, European leaders said in a statement today. They reiterated that the EU would provide protection to all Ukrainian refugees. At the same time, the EU is calling on Russia to abide by international humanitarian rules and to ensure the safety of civilians who want to leave the country and to allow humanitarian aid to reach victims and those seeking refuge in Ukraine without any obstacle. On the other hand, the 27 officials continue today to discuss the plan proposed by the European Commission, which provides for the reduction, by two thirds, this year, of the Russian gas imports, so that by 2030 no EU country should buy any more hydrocarbons from Russia. The Russian gas accounts for more than 40% of European consumption and four complementary options are currently being considered: imports from other countries, diversification of energy sources – liquefied gas and shale gas, making consistent gas stocks before each winter and accelerating the development of energy from non-polluting sources.

Talks — The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has had telephone conversations with the Romanian and Bulgarian defense ministers about the situation in Ukraine and the issues related to NATO consolidation, a Pentagon spokesperson said. In a discussion with the Romanian defense minister Vasile Dîncu, the US official underlined the need for permanent coordination between NATO allies in connection with the events in Ukraine. The Pentagon chief welcomed Romanias intentions to host a humanitarian aid logistics center and discussed plans for deploying a French-led multinational fighting group in Romania. Lloyd Austin also spoke with the Bulgarian defense minister Dragomir Zakov about Bulgarias plans to form a NATO-led multinational fighting group on its territory.

Pandemic — Almost 3,000 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours were announced on Friday in Romania. 50 deaths were also reported of which 3 from the previous reference period. Less than 4,000 people are hospitalized, 608 being in intensive care. After almost two years of alert, all the restrictions imposed by the pandemic have been lifted in Romania since March 9. On the other hand, the authorities announce that the vaccination against COVID-19 is moving to the family doctors offices. The vaccination rate is still low, with just over 8.1 million people being fully vaccinated. (LS)

11 March 2022
March 9, 2022

Pandemic ▪ Since March 8, at midnight, Romania has lifted all sanitary restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. After more than two years of state of emergency or alert and at the end of five pandemic waves, the Romanian authorities have decided, among other things, that the sanitary mask is no longer mandatory in both outdoor and indoor spaces, and access to various public spaces is no longer conditioned on the Covid certificate. Hospitals will continue to operate in a combined system, so that all hospitalized Covid-19 patients can be treated. At the same time, upon entering Romania, the passenger location form is no longer required. The heath minister, Alexandru Rafila, pointed out that individuals should be cautious and responsible in the next period, given that the Sars-CoV-2 virus has not disappeared.

Visit ▪ Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, will receive, on Friday, in Bucharest, the US Vice President, Kamala Harris. According to a presidential administration communiqué, Allied measures to strengthen NATOs deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank will be discussed, including the prospect of further increasing the US and allied military presence in Romania. They will also address the coordination of the transatlantic community in relation to adopting new sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The presence of Vice President Kamala Harris in Romania reconfirms the solidity of the bilateral Strategic Partnership, the communiqué also shows.

Ukraine ▪ Ukraine must withstand Russias attacks for the next 7-10 days so that Moscow cannot claim any victory, a senior Ukrainian government official said. According to Vadim Denisenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, the most likely targets are the city of Mariupol and the capital Kyiv. ‘They need at least one victory before they are forced to enter the final negotiations’ Denisenko wrote on Facebook. The statement comes in the context in which more than two million Ukrainians have fled the country to avoid the biggest assault on a European country since World War II, Reuters reports. On the other hand, the International Monetary Fund is to approve today 1.4 billion dollars worth of emergency funding for Ukraine to help the country respond to Russias invasion, according to Kristalina Georgieva, the organizations director general. More and more Western companies are leaving the Russian market under international sanctions. On Tuesday, the American chain McDonalds announced that it was temporarily closing its 850 restaurants in Russia and suspending all operations in that country. In Russia, the sale of foreign currency will be suspended until September 9, the Central Bank announced, as it was hit by unprecedented Western sanctions. Withdrawal of cash from foreign currency accounts opened in Russian banks will be limited to 10,000 dollars, and the rest can be withdrawn only in rubles at the current exchange rate. The ruble has broken new historic depreciation records against Western currencies in recent days. Russias economy suffered another blow on Tuesday after US President Joe Biden announced an embargo on oil and gas imports from the country.

Refugees – Nearly 320,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania since the onset of the Russian invasion until Tuesday, at midnight, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police informed. Of these, about 235,000 have already left Romania. On Tuesday, the inflow of Ukrainian refugees declined slightly. Both the Romanian authorities and the civil society have mobilized quickly and efficiently to provide accommodation, food, clothing and medicines to those fleeing the Russian invasion. The Romanians efforts were appreciated by international political figures and the Western press.

EU directive ▪ Romania is to transpose into national legislation a European directive on whistle-blowing protection. The whistleblower is a person who reports certain illegal, incorrect or unethical practices within the public or private company he or she works in. Today’s government agenda includes a bill in this regard. Another law aims at paying Romania’s contributions to the European Organ Exchange Association and to a program run by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Another decision will set the maximum limit of the reimbursable funding that the administrative-territorial units can make for a period of three years.

Pensions ▪ In Romania, the contribution to the Pension Pillar II will be increased by 1%, to 4.75%, starting with January 2024, according to a draft emergency ordinance put up for debate on the website of the Labor Ministry. The provision is included in the National Resilience and Recovery Plan and in the governing program. An employee currently transfers 25% of the gross salary to the pensions fund in the form of a social insurance contribution, of which 21.25% goes to the public pension system, and the rest to the private Pension Pillar II. (LS)

9 March 2022
March 4, 2022

Ukraine – The second week of Russias invasion of Ukraine began with an alert at Ukraines largest nuclear power plant in the southeast. A fire broke out following Russian bombings, and fighting around the Zaporozhye plant delayed firefighters. Ukrainian officials said that safety at the power plant, which was later occupied by Russian military forces, was guaranteed and that radiation levels had not risen in the area. Also in Bucharest, the authorities announced that they do not detect increased radioactivity. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of resorting to nuclear terror with the intention of repeating the Chernobyl catastrophe of 1986. The Kyiv leader spoke on the phone with the US President Joe Biden and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who urgently asked for summoning the UN Security Council. Also today, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has warned that the Russian army continues preparations for the landing of airborne troops in the Odessa region, and Radio Romania’s envoy to the region reports that a ground and sea offensive is imminent. On the other hand, the second round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations ended with an agreement on the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from the besieged areas, with the parties agreeing to meet next week as well. At least 1 million people have left Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. In Washington, President Biden has announced additional sanctions against Russian billionaires accused of supporting Vladimir Putins regime. At the same time, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting today in Brussels with the NATO foreign ministers, and he will later travel to Eastern Europe.

Meeting – The Romanian FM, Bogdan Aurescu, is participating today in Brussels in the extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states, convened to analyze the latest security developments, in the context of Russias military aggression against Ukraine and to further discuss the Alliances response. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will emphasize the need to strengthen the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank, especially on the Black Sea, by deploying allied forces and by accelerating the establishment of a Fighting Group in Romania. Bogdan Aurescu will also present the measures adopted by Romania in support of Ukraine, including the creation of a logistical facility to coordinate humanitarian aid for this country. On the sidelines of todays meeting, the Romanian FM, Bogdan Aurescu, met with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavuşoglu. Bogdan Aurescu welcomed Turkeys implementation of its war responsibilities under the Montreux Convention (which came into force on November 9, 1936), which regulates the regime of civil and military naval traffic through the Black Sea straits of Bosphorus and Dardanelles. The Turkish Foreign Minister thanked Romania in particular for its support for the evacuation of Turkish citizens from Ukraine, but also for Romanias efforts to evacuate Ukrainian and other citizens. Refugees from Ukraine continue arriving in Romania, as they flee the war. So far, more than 160,000 refugees have come from Ukraine.

OSCE — Romania has joined a group of 44 states within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in activating the so-called Moscow Mechanism for assessing the impact on human rights and the humanitarian situation of Russias assault on Ukraine. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the mechanism facilitates sending experts on the field to collect data to document possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international law, international humanitarian law and OSCE commitments in Ukraine. Romanias decision to support this move comes in the wake of its efforts to firmly condemn Russias military aggression against Ukraine, as well as to support Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, the Romanian Foreign Ministry added.

Covid — President Klaus Iohannis is today hosting a meeting on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is attended by the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and members of the government. This week, the health ministry proposed relaxation measures in the next period, after a constant decrease of all indicators. The latest report from the Strategic Communication Group shows 5,602 new cases of infection in 24 hours and 67 associated deaths, 2 of which are previous to the reference period.

Peace — Today, 150 European public radio stations, including Radio Romania, simultaneously broadcast the song “Give Peace a Chance” written by former Beatles member John Lennon, to ask for an end to the war in Ukraine. The well-known song could be heard in 25 countries, including Ukraine, and also on private radio stations that joined the German public radio’s initiative. (LS)

4 March 2022
February 18, 2022 UPDATE

Coronavirus Ro — In Romania the number of new COVID-19 cases is dropping, while the number of related deaths remains quite high. 14,524 new cases and 135 deaths – of which 10 from the previous days were reported on Friday. The health minister Alexandru Rafila and those in charge of managing the crisis are talking about a gradual relaxation, by fields of activity, which might start in two or three weeks’ time. As to vaccination, more than 8.1 million people have been vaccinated with the first doze, and 2.5 million with the 2nd one.

Brussels – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday met in Brussels with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The two discussed security developments in the EUs Eastern Neighborhood, the support for the Republic of Moldova’ EU accession, energy security, the package of measures to combat climate change and the enlargement of the Schengen area. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Romanian President’s participation in the 6th European Union-African Union Summit, held on Thursday and Friday in Brussels. President Iohannis underlined that for Romania, education is traditionally an important area of cooperation with Africa. He pointed out that thousands of African citizens are using their skills acquired in Romanian universities to serve their countries and to help build bridges. More than 17,500 young Africans have studied at Romanian universities in the last five years alone, and around 3,500 students from at least 40 African countries are getting enrolled in universities each year. Their presence in Romania enriches the academic life and stimulates a better understanding between the people from the two continents, shows a communiqué of the Romanian Presidential Administration.

Berlin – The Romanian defense minister, Vasile Dîncu, participates, between February 18-20, in the Munich Security Conference, where talks will focus on the context created by the massive deployment of Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine. According to a Defense Ministry communiqué, the officials will also address issues related to the importance of nuclear security, risk reduction in this area and transparency in terms of disarmament and non-proliferation, for global and regional stability and security. Topics such as climate change and hybrid threats will also be approached. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Munich on Friday that the escalation of clashes in eastern Ukraine was a “challenging scenario” designed by Russia to justify an attack on Ukraine. ‘Although we are doing everything in our power to make it clear that there is a diplomatic way’, ‘we are deeply concerned that this is not the way Russia has embarked on’ the US Secretary of State said.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has failed to qualify to the final of the WTA 500 tournament in Dubai, which has total prizes worth approximately 800 thousand dollars. She was defeated in the semifinals by Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, in three sets: 6 – 2, 6 – 7, 0 – 6. Halep won the Dubai tournament twice, in 2015 and 2020.

Transports — Three employers organizations of Romanian road haulers are preparing to organize street protests if the Government does not intervene for capping the prices of motor liability insurance (RCA), shows a communiqué issued on Friday by the Confederation of Romanian Authorized Operators and Carriers (COTAR). The president of this confederation, Vasile Ştefănescu, pointed out that the increase in the price of motor liability insurance policies will have the effect of bankrupting the road transport companies, which means that Romania will get blocked. The employers organization recalls that in recent years the Financial Supervisory Authority has identified, on several occasions, violations of the law by insurance companies, increases in tariffs made even after capping, non-transparent tariffs which included all operating costs of insurance companies, although these companies have several business lines. The finance minister, Adrian Câciu, said on Friday that a law that will limit the price of insurance policies for 6 months was put out for public debate, adding that he was convinced that the bill will be adopted by the government as a matter of urgency. (LS)

18 February 2022
February 17, 2022

Covid RO — In Romania, the number of Covid-19 cases is dropping for the 5th consecutive day, while the number of deaths remains quite high, according to partial data announced on Thursday by the authorities. Today, 15,374 cases have been reported alongside 125 deaths, 3 of which are from previous days. Almost 1,120 people are in ICUs. In another move, on Wednesday, almost 7,500 people were vaccinated against Covid in 24 hours, of whom a little over 1,200 with the first dose and almost 4,000 with the booster dose – the National Vaccination Committee announced. The National Public Health Institute reports that between February 7 and 13, 50.6% of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in unvaccinated persons.

Statistics — The National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis has revised downwards to 4.3% Romania’s economic growth forecast for this year, compared to 4.6% as previously estimated, given the inflation shock of the last quarter of last year and the 5th wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The Commission also points out that it did not take into account the outbreak of a conflict caused by geopolitical tensions on the border with Ukraine. At the same time, the agricultural year 2022 does not start under good auspices, but with drought, and with very high prices for fertilizers and energy, the Romanian Corn Producers Association representatives announced. Last year, the Romanian economy grew by 5.6%.

Summit — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis is today participating in Brussels in the 6th EU-African Union Summit (EU-AU), focusing on re-launching Europes relations with Africa. During the two days of the summit, the participants will discuss the way the two continents can generate greater prosperity, the purpose of the meeting being to launch an ambitious Africa-Europe investment package in the context of global challenges. President Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romanias constant efforts aimed at achieving the common EU-AU objectives, focused on peace, security and good governance, support for the private sector and economic integration, sustainable economic development through education, culture and vocational training, climate change and energy transition, health systems and vaccine production. The Romanian president intends to give a new impetus to Romanias traditional ties with the African states, and also to reconsolidate Romanias profile as a development assistance donor, especially in the field of education.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep is playing today against the Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinal of the WTA 500 tournament in Dubai which has total prizes up for grabs worth 770,000 dollars. Halep defeated another Romanian player Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the round of 16, score 6-3, 6-2, and Jabeur passed the American Jessica Pegula, 6-3, 6-1. Halep (23 WTA) and Jabeur (10 WTA) have played against each other twice so far, the score being equal, 1-1. The Romanian is for the 4th time in the quarterfinal of this tournament, which she won in 2015 and 2020.

NATO — The Romanian defense minister Vasile Dîncu is participating today as well in the two-day meeting of his counterparts from NATO member states which is unfolding at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Today, the Allies will have a meeting with their partners from Georgia and Ukraine, when they will express their political support for these two aspiring states. Yesterday, on the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian minister discussed with his counterparts from Turkey and Norway, focusing on the tense security situation in the Black Sea region, in the context of the significant mobilization of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders. The Romanian official underlined the importance of maintaining unity and cohesion at the Alliance level and of continuing efforts to strengthen the deterrence and defense posture on the eastern flank. Minister Vasile Dîncu hailed the excellent relations between Romania and Turkey, a strategic partner of our country, with a special role in the regional security architecture. The agenda of talks with the Norwegian counterpart focused on bilateral military cooperation. (LS)

17 February 2022