Radio România Internațional

Tag: News

  • June 6, 2022 UPDATE

    June 6, 2022 UPDATE

    Visit — The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, on Monday had meetings in Chisinau with the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (mostly Romanian-speaking), Maia Sandu and Natalia Gavriliţa, respectively. ‘I reiterated to President Maia Sandu Romanias commitment to support the Republic of Moldova EU’s integration process and the rapid acquisition of the status of candidate country. Romania is supporting the Republic of Moldova more than ever before, in the current tense security context’, Ciolacu wrote on Twitter. Marcel Ciolacu also stated that Romania ‘strongly’ supports the extension of the European Unions financial assistance for Chisinau. Earlier, the Romanian official met with Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, who said that bilateral relations are excellent, with Romania being Moldova’s best economic partner and closest friend in terms of support for EU membership. The two officials also said that they started taking the steps for the streamlining of the goods traffic at the common border, where thousands of trucks are waiting to transit. Grosu announced that a joint meeting of the two parliaments would take place in Chisinau.



    Weather – In Romania, the weather on Tuesday will be generally beautiful and warmer than normal. The highs of the day range from 21 to 31 degrees Celsius. In Bucharest, the noon temperature is expected to reach 28 degrees C. Last night, the capital and several counties, mostly in the south of the country, were under a code orange alert for unstable weather. Several trees were felled down by the strong storm, and several houses in Constanta County were flooded. In three counties, also in the south of the territory, a code red alert for bad weather was in place, and a code yellow alert for the rest of the country.



    Football – Romania’s national football team will take on Bosnia-Herzegovina, away from home, on Tuesday in their Nations League second match. In their first away game on Saturday night the Romanians conceded a 2-0 defeat to Montenegro, which will be up against Finland on Tuesday. Romania ranks last in its group with no points.



    Ship – Mircea training ship left, on Monday, from the military port of Constanţa, the most important Romanian port on the Black Sea Coast, in the second international training voyage of this year. The mission is dedicated to the anniversary, this year, of 150 years of Romanian naval education. On board the ship are Romanian students from the “Mircea cel Batrân” Naval Academy and foreign students from the naval academies in Great Britain, Poland, Bulgaria and the United States. The voyage will take almost two months, during which time the ship will dock in five Mediterranean ports – Augusta, Genoa, Valencia, Valletta and Alexandria.



    Refugees – According to the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate roughly 7,000 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania on Sunday, 17% less than the previous day. Since the beginning of the conflict in the neighboring country, over 1.1 million Ukrainian nationals have crossed the border into Romania. Out of these, 90 thousand decided to remain but only 2,000 have got jobs in this country. The Romanian government wants to offer support to these refugees to help them get integrated, learn the language, get a job and access to education for their children. A national plan for the social inclusion of these refugees could be approved this week.



    Lavrov– The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has canceled a two-day visit to Serbia after three countries bordering it, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria and Montenegro, decided to close their airspace, the agency said. Interfax news agency, quoted by DPA reports. Lavrov is on the Western sanctions list in the context of Russias war agaist Ukraine, and the European Union has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft following the invasion. Serbia, which has expressed its wish to join the Union, is the only European state that has not adopted the sanctions and is one of Russias closest allies on the Old Continent. In Bucharest, the government spokesman, Dan Cărbunaru, specified that, until Monday at 3:40 p.m., the Romanian authorities had not received any request from Russia for the crossing of the airspace by Sergei Lavrovs aircraft. (LS)

  • June 5, 2022 UPDATE

    June 5, 2022 UPDATE

    Ukraine — The Russian army attacked Kyiv on Sunday morning with rockets fired from strategic bombers flying over the Caspian Sea, the Ukrainian air forces announced. According to an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the target of the attack was the railway infrastructure of the capital. Moscow, on the other hand, claims to have destroyed tanks and other armored vehicles sent to Ukraine by European states. At least one of the missiles allegedly flew a dangerously short distance over a Ukrainian nuclear power plant, the state company operating the unit said. The capital of Ukraine has been the target of numerous Russian bombings since the outbreak of the war, especially until the Russians were forced to withdraw from the area. Meanwhile, fighting continues in the town of Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region, one of the main targets of the Russians at the moment. The Ukrainians announced that they had recaptured part of the town, and the British Ministry of Defense confirmed the success of the Ukrainian counter-offensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that its military will strike even harder if Ukraine is provided with longer-range missiles. The Russian leaders statement comes after the United States and the United Kingdom announced that they would deliver high-performance missile systems to Kyiv. Spain has also announced that it will increase military support for Ukraine and provide it with Leopard tanks and anti-aircraft missiles.




    Environment — World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the theme chosen by the United Nations is “We only have one Earth” and emphasizes the need to bring people and nature back to the balance lost in recent decades. In Romania, several actions took place to draw attention to the urgent problems of the planet, such as climate change, biodiversity, pollution and waste. Pupils, students, teachers, along with professionals in the field of environmental protection and representatives of civil society were involved in these campaigns. This year marks 50 years since the UN General Assembly established Environment Day to make people more aware and responsible for the environment and its condition.



    Baccalaureate – More than 126,000 Romanian high school graduates have registered to take the Baccalaureate exam in the session that begins on Monday. There are over 111,000 young people enrolled in this years edition and more than 15,000 from the previous ones, who can only take certain tests. Three days are scheduled for the assessment of oral communication skills in the Romanian language, then the graduates belonging to national minorities will have the test of communication in their mother tongue. Digital skills will be assessed between June 8 and June 10, and the oral assessment of a foreign language will take place between June 14 and June 16. The written tests will be held in three consecutive days, starting with June 20 with the Romanian language test, and the first results will be announced on June 27, when graduates will be able to contest the results.




    Pentecost — Tens of thousands of Catholic believers from Romania and aboard participated, on the Catholic Pentecost days, in the pilgrimage in Şumuleu Ciuc, in central Romania which is considered the largest of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. Some pilgrims covered impressive distances, on foot or on horse back, to go and pray at the open air altar located between the mountains. The pilgrimage from Şumuleu Ciuc has a history of over 450 years, being based on the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary. The Catholic believers prayed for peace and wellbeing. This years motto of the pilgrimage is Peace and well-being, which is also the motto of the Franciscan Order. The Marian shrine from Şumuleu Ciuc was visited, on June 1, 2019, by Pope Francis, on this occasion the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary being removed from the church, for the first time after the Second World War. The Sovereign Pontiff then held a service dedicated to the Virgin Mary and offered a golden rose to the Marian shrine, as he always does when he goes to the places of pilgrimage dedicated to the Mother of God. (LS)

  • June 5, 2022

    June 5, 2022

    Pentecost — Sunday is the second day of the Catholic Pentecost pilgrimage in Şumuleu Ciuc, in central Romania. It is the first time in the last two years that this event, considered to be the largest of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, has taken place without the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. On Saturday, a large number of Catholic believers prayed for peace and wellbeing. This years motto of the pilgrimage is Peace and well-being, which is also the motto of the Franciscan Order. The pilgrimage from Şumuleu Ciuc has a history of over 450 years, being based on the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary, located in the Franciscan church. In 1567, the prince of Transylvania, Ioan Sigismund, tried to impose the Unitarian religion on the Roman Catholic believers in the Szekler regions of Ciuc, Gheorgheni and Caşin and people say that only with the help of the miracle-working statue did they manage to oppose and keep their ancestral faith. The Marian shrine from Şumuleu Ciuc was visited, on June 1, 2019, by Pope Francis, on this occasion the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary being removed from the church, for the first time after the Second World War. The Sovereign Pontiff then held a service dedicated to the Virgin Mary and offered a golden rose to the Marian shrine, as he always does when he goes to the places of pilgrimage dedicated to the Mother of God.



    Environment — World Environment Day is marked on Sunday. The day is celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the theme chosen by the United Nations is “We only have one Earth” and emphasizes the need to bring people and nature back to the balance lost in recent decades. In Romania, several actions are taking place to draw attention to the urgent problems of the planet, such as climate change, biodiversity, pollution and waste. Pupils, students, teachers, along with professionals in the field of environmental protection and representatives of civil society are involved in these campaigns. This year marks 50 years since the UN General Assembly established Environment Day to make people more aware and responsible for the environment and its condition.



    Bookfest — The Bookfest International Book Fair organized in Bucharest, the largest event of its kind in Romania, closes its doors on Sunday. The guest of honor at the 15th edition of the fair was Japan. During the five days of the book fair, over 500 events were scheduled, 50 of which were dedicated to children and adolescents. A series of debates on the Russian-Ukrainian war, education and childrens health were also scheduled for this year.



    Ukraine –Explosions were heard this morning in Kyiv, but no data are yet available. The capital of Ukraine has been the target of numerous Russian bombings since the outbreak of the war, but has recently been spared any attacks. The most intense fighting is taking place in the east of the country and, especially, in the city of Severodonetsk, where the Ukrainian forces have managed to regain some of the lost ground. A few days ago, the Russians were already in control of 70% of the city, and there were discussions about a withdrawal of the Ukrainian forces, but in the meantime they have launched a counter-offensive. The Severodonetsk counter-offensive is not the first success of the Ukrainian forces, which in the past managed to force the Russians to withdraw from the area of ​​Kyiv and Kharkiv, the second most important Ukrainian city. The Ukrainian defense minister was optimistic about the outcome of the war and said he hoped the war would end this year. On the other hand, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba criticized the French President Emmanuel Macron for saying that a solution must be found so that Russia should not be humiliated in this war.



    Football – The Romanian national football team had a bad start in the new edition of the League of Nations, being defeated by the national team of Montenegro with the score of 2-0, on Saturday evening, on Gradski Stadium in Podgorica, in Group 3 of League B. In the other match of the group, Finland drew 1 all in Helsinki with Bosnia. Romania will play the next match on June 7, in Zenica, with Bosnia-Herzegovina, also in the League of Nations. (LS)


  • June 3, 2022 UPDATE

    June 3, 2022 UPDATE

    Ukraine — On Friday it’s 100 days since Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, during which time the Russian military failed to achieve any of its initial campaign goals, according to the British Military Intelligence Service. The Russians were unable to capture the capital, Kyiv, or the Ukrainian power centers. After losing the battle for Kyiv, Moscow decided to focus its efforts on Donbas, an area made up of ​​two regions of Ukraine where the Russian army has been pressing for weeks. The Russians have resorted to heavy artillery fire there, including on the localities, and have made some tactical progress, the British experts show. The Russian army has advanced not only into eastern Ukraine but also into the southern region. All in all, the attackers managed to occupy about 20% of Ukraines territory, according to the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. He added that the entire Russian-occupied territory was a disaster area and that Moscow was solely responsible for it. The Russians have destroyed cities, bombed homes and civilian targets, and have been charged with numerous war crimes. They have also been subjected to a number of international economic and political sanctions. Ukraine hopes to turn the tide of battle, with the arrival of heavy weapons promised by the West, especially high-performance missile systems.



    Drill – Romanian soldiers and allies from five European countries and the United States are participating in a multinational exercise at the NATO Smârdan Center in eastern Romania. Both ground and air combat equipment is used. The exercise, which has been taking place since May 24, is attended by over 1,000 Romanian soldiers along with comrades-in-arms from France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and the United States. The training aims to increase interoperability through computer-assisted command exercises, field troop training and tactical training with real combat ammunition. Through such training events, the Command of the Southeast Multinational Brigade is being trained to be able to command forces deployed in the NATO Southeast region, in order to ensure the contribution of this structure to the collective defense of the Alliance, the Romanian Defense Ministry says.



    Film – The 3rd edition of the Romanian Film Festival in Washington, the largest event promoting Romanian cinema in the USA, begins on June 3rd at Miracle Theatre. Organised by the Embassy of Romania to Washington and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, the festival is devoted to the 25 years since the signing of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the USA. Screened as part of the event, under the heading “Reinventing realism: the Romanian New Wave,” are 12 feature films: “Blue Moon”, “Berliner”, “The Windseeker”, “Poppy Field”, “Mikado”, “Unidentified”, “#dogpoopgirl”, “Luca”, “Man and Dog”, “Lebensdorf”, “Otto the Barbarian”, and “Miracle”. The festival will come to an end on June 19.



    School — For the Romanian 8th graders, Friday was the last day of school, and also the last day of enrollment for the National Assessment Exam, the high school final exam that is the basis for high school admission. The tests are scheduled for the middle of this month. However, the high school graduates will be the first ones to take the Baccalaureate exam, which starts on Monday with the oral examination in the Romanian language subject. The school year ends on June 10, and the next one, with a radically modified structure, will begin on September 5.



    Prize — On Saturday, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will be awarded the European Charlemagne Prize of the Sudeten German Homeland Association for 2020. The ceremony will take place in Hof, Germany. The association decided to award him the distinction in recognition of his merits in terms of the understanding and cooperation between the peoples and countries of Central Europe. In the context of the pandemic, the ceremony could not be held, being rescheduled for June 4 this year, when the Day of Sudeten Germans is also celebrated. (LS)

  • June 1, 2022 UPDATE

    June 1, 2022 UPDATE

    June 1 — On the International Childrens Day, marked on June 1 special activities such as concerts and flash mobs, treasure hunting parties, sports and creative activities and theater performances were organized throughout Romania. In Bucharest, the Parliament Palace opened its doors, and children and their companions could visit the plenum halls of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and could also participate in outdoor activities in the gardens of the largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. Superheroes and princesses, a flight simulator, a magic show or a military marching band made the day for children. Also in Bucharest, over 500 children celebrated the International Children’s Day by participating in various events held by the Ministry of Sports on the Arch of Triumph Stadium. Entitled “Childrens Sports Day”, the multi-sports event was organized in the form of demonstration workshops, with trainings given by certified athletes, under the guidance of specialized coaches. The children were able to learn the basics of several sports events such as basketball, archery, rugby, football, tennis, fencing, football-tennis, table tennis, wrestling, martial arts, judo, kempo, boxing, historical archery and teqball. In Oradea (west), the State Philharmonic presented a special concert with cartoon music, and in Constanţa (southeast) puppet shows, magic and face painting events were organized.



    Vouchers — The electronic vouchers offered through the government program Support for Romania started being issued and will soon reach their beneficiaries, the Romanian Labor Minister Marius Budai announced. The vouchers have a face value of 250 lei (about 50 Euros), are intended for people in situations of material deprivation or risk of poverty and are part of the most important initiative of this kind carried out, so far, from the perspective of the number of beneficiaries. According to the aforementioned source, over 2.5 million Romanians will receive vouchers for the purchase of food products: pensioners from the public pension system, people with a very severe, severe or moderate disability, families with at least 2 dependent children or single parent families. A first for this social assistance program is the wide range of funding sources, both from the state budget and from European non-reimbursable funds.



    Embargo — The US has hailed the embargo on Russian oil imports decided earlier this week by the European Union, aimed at cutting off funding for Russias war against Ukraine, France Presse reports. The U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price also hailed the European efforts meant to diversify energy supply and develop renewable sources to reduce long-term dependence on Moscow, and pointed out that Washington had already announced a ban on all Russian oil imports. On the other hand, Russia warned that the European sanctions on Russian oil imports would affect the global energy market and underscored that Moscow would redirect exports to limit the damage, Reuters reports. During Monday’s meeting, the European leaders reached an agreement under which Russian oil imports will be reduced by about 90% by the end of the year and also agreed on several other sanctions, including the removal of Russias largest bank, Sberbank, from the SWIFT system. More than a quarter of the oil used by Europe came from Russia last year, with nearly half of Russias oil and oil products exports reaching the EU, according to data provided by the International Energy Agency. Moscow has already begun redirecting deliveries originally intended for Europe, following the sanctions, the Kremlin officials said. India and China are among the countries that have massively bought Russian crude oil, benefiting from a lower price.



    Film – The third edition of the Romanian Film Festival in Washington, the largest national cinema promotion event held in North America, will begin on Friday, June 3, 2022, at Miracle Theater, one of the historic cinema halls in the American capital. This year, the festival is dedicated to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, an important landmark of the relations between the two countries, shows a communiqué of the Romanian Embassy in the US. The festival will run until June 19, under the already established motto: Reinventing Realism – New Cinema from Romania. The American public is expected during the first three weekends of June to watch some of the most valuable recent Romanian films and to meet with the most popular actors and directors of the moment.



    Handball — The Brazilian Raul Nantes Campos and the Spanish Alex Pascual, both handball players at CS Dinamo Bucharest, are nominated in the ideal team of the 2021-2022 season of the EHF Champions League – the most important club handball competition for men’s teams in Europe. The South American was nominated for the left-back position, and the Spanish handballer was nominated for the title of best young player. The vote is open until June 15 on the dedicated EHF application, and the ideal team will be announced on June 17, during the Champions League Final 4 tournament in Cologne, and will be established based on the vote of the fans, and also of a committee of EHF experts. (LS)

  • June 1, 2022

    June 1, 2022

    June 1 — On the International Childrens Day, marked on June 1 special activities are organized throughout Romania. Children are expected at concerts and flash mobs, treasure hunting parties, sports and creative activities and theater performances. In Bucharest, the Palace of Parliament opens its doors, and children and their companions will be able to visit the plenum halls of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and can also participate in outdoor activities in the gardens of the largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. Superheroes and princesses, a flight simulator, a magic show or a military marching band will make the day for children. In Oradea (west), the State Philharmonic presents a special concert with cartoon music, and in Constanţa (southeast) there will be puppet shows, magic and face painting.



    Vouchers — Wednesday sees the start, in Romania, of the process of issuing, distributing and uploading the social vouchers offered through the government program Support for Romania– the Romanian Ministry of Investments and European Projects announced. The vouchers have a face value of 250 lei (about 50 Euros), are intended for people in situations of material deprivation or risk of poverty and are part of the most important initiative of this kind carried out, so far, from the perspective of the number of beneficiaries. According to the aforementioned source, over 2.5 million Romanians will receive vouchers for the purchase of food products: pensioners from the public pension system, people with a very severe, severe or moderate disability, families with at least 2 dependent children or single parents. A first for this social assistance program is the wide range of funding sources, both from the state budget and from European non-reimbursable funds.



    Embargo — The US has welcomed the embargo on Russian oil imports decided earlier this week by the European Union, which thus cuts off funding for Russias war against Ukraine, France Presse reports. The European leaders have reached an agreement under which Russian oil imports will be reduced by about 90% by the end of the year. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the US, which is less dependent than Europeans on Moscows energy, has already announced a ban on all Russian oil imports. He also hailed the European efforts meant to diversify energy supply and develop renewable sources to reduce long-term dependence on Moscow.



    Unemployment — The unemployment rate in the European Union stood at 6.2% in April, a stable figure as compared to the previous month and down from 7.5% in the same period in 2021 – show data released today by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). With an unemployment rate of 5.5% in April, Romania ranks among the EU member states with a low level of unemployment. The lowest rates were reported in the Czech Republic (2.4%), Germany and Poland (both with 3%) and Malta (3.1%). On the other hand, the highest unemployment rates were recorded in April in Spain (13.3%) and Greece (12.7%).



    PPE — The Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, as presdient of the National Liberal Party, has had several bilateral meetings with European officials on the sidelines of the European Peoples Party (EPP) Congress in Rotterdam: with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and with the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, as well as with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. At the same time, Nicolae Ciucă met with the new president of the European Peoples Party, Manfred Weber. During his meeting with Ursula Von der Leyen, the Liberal leader expressed appreciation for the European institutions constant and sustained effort to ensure coordination and unity at EU level. At the same time, the Romanian PM also expressed his support for the rapid implementation of the sixth package of sanctions against the Russian Federation and strongly condemned the war of aggression launched by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine. The future of the EPP, the current EU agenda and the enlargement of the Schengen area were the topics discussed in the meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Prime Minister Ciucă also reiterated on this occasion that Romanias accession to the Schengen area is a priority for the Romanian authorities. (LS)

  • May 24, 2022 UPDATE

    May 24, 2022 UPDATE

    Schengen — The European Commission on Tuesday reiterated its recommendation that three member states, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, should be admitted to the Schengen area after they have complied with the accession criteria, shows the State of Schengen Report 2022, published on the website of the EC. The same is true for Cyprus once that country successfully completes the Schengen evaluation process. It is the first time that the European Commission has presented such a report, following the Schengen Area Strategy adopted last year. The report sets out a list of priority actions for the period 2022-2023 to be addressed at both national and European levels.



    Refugees – The number of Ukrainian nationals entering Romania on Monday was 2.4% smaller than on the previous day, reaching 7,709, the Romanian border police announced. Since the start of the crisis, more than one million refugees crossed the border into Romania. Meanwhile, new checkpoints will be opened on Romania’s border with Ukraine, leaving the Siret checkpoint, in the north-east, where trucks are currently waiting up to 14 hours to leave the country, will give priority to humanitarian assistance shipments. In a first stage, a checkpoint will be opened at Vicovu de Sus (north) for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, and another one at Racovăţ (north-east) for vehicles of up to 7 tonnes. Later on, a new checkpoint will also be operational in Ulma (north-east).



    Chisinau — The former President of Moldova between 2016-2020 Igor Dodon was detained for 72 hours on Tuesday after prosecutors ordered searches of his residences. In the criminal case opened against him, the former leader of the Socialist Party is suspected of passive corruption, acceptance of his political party being financed by a criminal organization, treason and illicit enrichment. The interim chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office, Elena Cazacov, said that law enforcement officers searched 10 buildings and 3 cars, where they found significant amounts of money, contracts and receipts, as well as several luxury goods that were confiscated for checks. The Moldovan authorities on Friday reopened the criminal case of corruption against the pro-Russian politician.




    Reserves — Romania has no problems with the stocks of products from the state reserve, says the president of the National Administration of State Reserves and Special Issues, Georgian Pop. He said, however, that strategic reserves would be increased in the context of the war in Ukraine and of a possible food crisis. In exceptional cases, the Romanian state keeps food, fuel, antibiotics and other products in its warehouses or private ones. Recently goods have been taken out from the national reserve to help the Ukrainian refugees. The stocks are substantial but from the lessons we have learned from the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, we have greatly diversified the products in stock, the Romanian official said.



    Ports — The Romanian authorities have not yet found solutions for the ships waiting in the Black Sea, even for two weeks, to enter the Sulina canal (southeast) and thus reach the Danube ports to load or unload products. Since the beginning of the month, dozens of ships have been in this situation, and the crews of some of them have been left without supplies. The Lower Danube River Administration in Galati, an institution that ensures navigability on the Sulina Canal, says the situation is caused by the inability of the Danube ports, especially of the Ukrainian ones, to rapidly operate the ships docking there. In this context, the navigation of ships heading for destinations other than the Ukrainian ports is also made difficult.(LS)

  • May 23, 2022

    May 23, 2022

    Fiscal code – The Romanian Finance Ministry is analyzing a possible amendment to the Fiscal Code this week, after the National Liberal Party – PNL and the Social Democratic Party – PSD agreed that the collection of funds to the state budget should be improved. The Social Democrats are talking about the opportunity to return to progressive taxation, and the Liberals are defending the flat tax, which they say they are not willing to give up. Both parties give assurances that there will be no new taxes and duties for Romanians.



    Ukraine – The number of people forced to flee the conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecutions has exceeded 100 million for the first time, as a result of the war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts, shows a statement from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The figure of 100 million people is staggering, worrying and should have never been reached, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. By the end of 2021, the number of people displaced worldwide had reached 90 million due to new waves of violence or protracted conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On February 24, the Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of neighboring Ukraine, throwing further millions of people into the streets to flee fighting and reach less exposed regions or other countries. Europe has not seen such a rapid inflow of refugees since the end of World War II, UNHCR points out. Nearly 6.5 million Ukrainians have left the country, mostly women and children, and the UN estimates that their number could exceed 8 million by the end of the year.



    Refugees — The number of Ukrainian citizens who entered Romania on Sunday decreased by 17.4% as compared to the previous day, according to a communiqué of the Border Police General Inspectorate, issued on Monday. Since the onset of the crisis until Sunday, more than a million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. The Interior Ministry also states that the occupancy rate in the accommodation centers of the General Inspectorate for Immigration is almost 47%. Since March 18, the same Inspectorate has issued 27,353 residence permits for beneficiaries of temporary protection. Equally, since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, 4,349 Ukrainian citizens have applied for asylum in Romania, enjoying all the rights provided by national law.



    Cannes — The Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, competing at the Cannes Film Festival, hopes that his film R.M.N., in which a village in Transylvania is like an explosive laboratory of populism, will open the eyes of Europeans to this evil has been gnawing at them, AFP reports. Mungiu is in the race for the second Palme dOr Prize, 15 years after his film 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days. The film title, R.M.N., refers to the medical term MRI – magnetic resonance imaging: Mungiu scans the underbelly of populism, an evil that has metastasized in a still traditional village, on the borders of Europe, AFP reports. I hope that the spectators do not easily shy away from their responsibilities, do not think that this is happening in a remote, wild land. Im afraid thats not the case, said director Mungiu. The film takes place a few days before Christmas, in a village in Transylvania, where the Roma population disappeared, driven away by the inhabitants and the force of prejudice, and where the new cursed people of the Earth appeared, Sri Lankan workers who were brought to work at the local bakery after the Romanians went to work in the west.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse was defeated on Sunday evening by the Belgian Elise Mertens, seed no. 31, in the first round of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament. Also on Sunday, Sorana Cîrstea qualified to the second round, after defeating the German Tatjana Maria. Today, Irina Begu and Ana Bogdan will play at the French Open, and tomorrow three other Romanians Simona Halep, Irina Bara and Mihaela Buzărnescu will play in the inaugural round. Halep, seed no. 19, is a Roland Garros champion in 2018 and a finalist in 2014 and 2017. (LS)

  • May 16, 2022 UPDATE

    May 16, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis hails Swedens decision to apply for NATO membership, following the announcement made on Monday by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. In a Twitter message, president Iohannis states that Romania fully supports a rapid process of Swedens accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. He adds that, once they join the Alliance, Sweden and Finland will make NATO stronger than ever before. The two countries in northern Europe, located near Russia, have decided to go out of neutrality and demand to be admitted into NATO after Russia attacked and invaded Ukraine almost three months ago. NATO currently has 30 member states, 21 of which are part of the EU. The EU member states that have not joined the North Atlantic Alliance are Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta and Sweden.




    Forecast — Romanias Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow by 2.6% this year and by 3.6% in 2023, according to the European Commissions spring economic forecasts. This is a smaller increase than expected in the previous assessments, in February. The situation is valid for the whole of the European Union and is mainly due to the disruptions caused by the war waged by Russia in Ukraine. European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni has announced that the European average inflation rate will be 6.8% this year. He also said that in April European inflation averaged 7.5%, the highest value ever recorded in the monetary union. According to the Commission, inflation in Romania will reach 8.9% this year, double the percentage reported in 2021. Inflation is expected to fall to 5.1% next year, but the Commission warns that there are growing economic risks as the war in Ukraine is prolonged.



    Visit — A delegation of the Romanian Interior Ministry led by minister Lucian Bode pays an official visit to the US between May 16-18, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Romania-US Strategic Partnership. The Romanian official is to have meetings at the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Congress. The discussions with the US officials focus on institutional efforts in line with the State Departments recommendations made in the Trafficking in Persons Report (TiP Report), Romania having the necessary tools for an adequate response to the challenges posed by this type of crime, namely structures, legislation, strategies and action plans, informs the Interior Ministry. The meetings are an opportunity to reconfirm the very good cooperation between the Romanian authorities and the US law enforcement agencies in the field of combating organized crime, with a focus on combating illegal migration and cybercrime, as well as intensifying the exchange of information. During the talks with members of the US Congress, Lucian Bode will discuss the challenges of the current regional context, both in terms of managing the humanitarian crisis generated by Russias aggression against Ukraine and in terms of security.



    Tennis — Polands Iga Swiatek leads the world ranking of professional tennis players (WTA), published on Monday. Next in the ranking are the Czech Barbora Krejcikova and the Spanish Paula Badosa. The Romanian Simona Halep returned to the Top 20, climbing two positions compared to last week, from 21 to 19 position. Romania has six players in the top 100, the other five being Sorana Cîrstea – 27, Gabriela Ruse – 52, Irina Begu – 62, Jaqueline Cristian – 69, Ana Bogdan – 91. In the doubles ranking, Romania has five representatives in the first hundred: Monica Niculescu – 40, Raluca Olaru – 47, Irina Begu – 57, Irina Bara – 59, Gabriela Ruse – 87.



    Football — CFR Cluj (northwest) won its fifth consecutive title as Romania’s football champions, after defeating the Universitatea Craiova (south), score 2-1, at home, in a match from the 9th stage, the penultimate of the First League play-offs. The vice-champion is FCSB, from Bucharest. On Thursday, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (center) and FC Voluntari (south, a satellite city of Bucharest) will play the final of the Romanian Football Cup. At the end of the domestic season, the Romanian national football team will have their first match in a new edition of the League of Nations, at the beginning of June, when it will meet the national teams of Montenegro, Bosnia and Finland. (LS)

  • May 11, 2022 UPDATE

    May 11, 2022 UPDATE

    Chisinau — Two Romanian journalists from the Digi 24 television station were released following diplomatic actions by officials in Bucharest, after being detained by the so-called security forces from the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria, in the east of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population). The two were in the region for professional reasons and, on Tuesday, they could not be contacted by their colleagues. According to the Foreign Ministry, the Romanian embassy in Chisinau urgently undertook multi-channel procedures and obtained, after only a few hours, their release. They were escorted safely to Chisinau, where they are now safe, and from where they will return to Romania. The Foreign Ministry asks journalists interested in going to the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova to contact the ministry in advance and to avoid traveling in the next period. Transnistria de facto went out of the control of the central authorities after an armed conflict that left behind hundreds of dead and that was stopped following the intervention of Russian troops on the side of the separatists in 1992, less than a year after Chisinau had declared its independence. The former Russian President Boris Yeltsin has pledged to withdraw troops from Transnistria since the 1999 OSCE summit in Istanbul. Some 1,500 Russian military and important arsenals are said to still be there.



    Covid-19 – The 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose will be available on request in Romania, in vaccination centers and family physician practices, as of May 16. According to the health ministry, only Pfizer vaccines can be administered, to people over 18 who have received 3 doses of mRNA vaccines, and at least 4 months after they have received the 3rd dose. Meanwhile, the health ministry announced 705 new COVID-19 cases and 7 related deaths in 24 hours. 144 COVID patients are currently in intensive care.



    Eurovision – WRS soloist, with the song “Llamame”, will represent Romania on Thursday in the second semifinal of the Eurovision 2022 contest, organized in Turin, Italy. Romanias best performances at the Eurovision contest were: twice the third place (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem – Kyiv, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi – Oslo, 2010) and once the fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu – Athens, 2006). The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that no Russian artist will take part in this years Eurovision Song Contest, as this would “discredit the competition”. In Turin, the Republic of Moldova is represented by the band Zdob and Zdub, already qualified to the final, with a song about the train that connects Chisinau to Bucharest, the lyrics being about the communion of history, culture and destiny between the two Romanian states.



    Ukraine — Ukraines reconstruction plan, tougher sanctions against Russia and support for Moldova’s, Ukraine’s and Georgias aspirations to join the EU were among the topics addressed by the Romanian Senate Speaker Florin Citu on Wednesday at a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Tomasz Grodzki. The two also discussed in Warsaw the intentions of Sweden and Finland to join NATO. Florin Citu announced that, after his visit to Poland, he will go to the Republic of Moldova.



    Meeting – On Wednesday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu attended a ministerial meeting of the Global Anti-ISIS/Daesh Coalition, hosted by Morocco, in cooperation with the US, in Marrakech. He informed that Romania would launch a Fund for the Future of Africa through Peace, Education and Development and reiterated, in his speech, Romanias commitment to supporting the specific activities of the coalition, both within its Forces and through its national contribution to support efforts for stabilization and assistance for development to those states affected by ISIS/Daesh actions. He reiterated Romanias interest in ensuring the security and stability of the Middle East and Africa, “where there is an increase in the terrorist phenomenon”, and highlighted the “firm” support for the African states in the Sahel region, which are engaged in fighting ISIS / Daesh and other extremist organizations.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse sustained an outright defeated in front of the Polish Iga Swiatek, the world leader, score 6-3, 6-0, on Wednesday, in the second round of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Rome, which has total prizes worth 2,527,250 Euros. Swiatek will play in the Round of 16 against the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka. Ruse will continue in the doubles, together with the Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk, and will play in the Round of 16 against the Russians Veronika Kudermetova/Anastasia Pavliucenkova.



    Offshore Law — The bill amending the Offshore Law, which will green-light gas exploitation in the Black Sea, was adopted on Wednesday by the Romanian senators, with 91 votes for and 13 against. Except for the AUR (Alliancce for the Union of Romanians) senators, all political groups were in favor of the bill, which will next go to the Chamber of Deputies, which is a decision-making body. The representatives of the governing coalition, who proposed it, say the law is a much more balanced option than the one passed four years ago. Tax changes have now been introduced in favor of the companies concerned, and dependence on Russian gas would be significantly reduced in a few years’ time. The Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, underlined that by amending the current law, investments in the area will be unblocked and investments in deep onshore exploitation will be accelerated. Also Romania’s energy security will be ensured in case of an energy crisis, and the country will be able to become a regional energy security provider, after it will produce more than it will consume. According to the project, the Romanian state will have the right of preemption for the acquisition of natural gas. The national state-owned company Romgaz – the largest gas producer in Romania – and the Austrians from OMV will extract gas from the Black Sea in the coming years.



    Corruption – The former head of the Fiscal Anti-Fraud General Directorate in Bucharest, Georgiana Popa, has been sent to court for influence peddling. She is under house arrest after being caught red-handed on March 29 while receiving 100,000 Euros. According to the National Anticorruption Directorate, Georgiana Popa has repeatedly claimed this amount from a former director of the Fiscal Anti-Fraud General Directorate, a witness in the case. She claimed that she would give the money to an anti-corruption prosecutor, who was supposed to give a solution favorable to the witness in a criminal case in which he was being investigated. (LS)

  • May 7, 2022 UPDATE

    May 7, 2022 UPDATE

    Refugees – On May 6, 2022, within 24 hours, at national level, 80,741 people entered Romania through the border points, out of whom 8,072 are Ukrainian citizens (on the rise by 4.3% compared to the previous day) – the Border Police General Inspectorate (IGPF) announces. Through the border crossings with Ukraine, 4,579 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania (by 10.4% more), and through the border with the Republic of Moldova 1,555 (by 3.5% more). Since the onset of the Russian troops’ invasion, on February 24, and until Friday, at midnight, at national level, 874,988 Ukrainian citizens had entered neighboring Romania. As of February 10, 2022, in the run-up to the war, 909,517 Ukrainians had entered the country.



    Trans-Dniester — The so-called authorities in the pro-Russian separatist region of Trans-Dniester, in the east of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), announced on Saturday that four explosions took place, on the eve, near a former airfield in a village of Trans-Dniester on the border with Ukraine, Voronkovo, Râbnița district. No casualties were reported, according to the so-called secessionist Interior Ministry, which added that a team of investigators was on the ground. The village of Voronkovo, Vărăncău in Romanian, is located about five kilometers away from the border with Ukraine. In recent weeks, fears have escalated that the war in Ukraine could extend to Trans-Dniester, especially after a Russian general claimed that Moscows offensive was also aimed at establishing a corridor to the separatist region. In turn, Kyiv has accused Russia of trying to destabilize Trans-Dniester in order to justify military intervention in the area. Trans-Dniester de facto got out of the control of the central authorities after an armed conflict that left behind hundreds of deaths and was ended by the intervention of Moscow’s troops on the side of the secessionist rebels in 1992, less than a year after Chisinau had declared its independence. The former Russian President Boris Yeltsin had pledged to withdraw troops from Trans-Dniester since the 1999 OSCE summit in Istanbul. Some 1,500 Russian soldiers and important arsenals are said to still be there.



    Handball — The Romanian womens handball champions, CSM Bucharest, will play, on Sunday, away from home, against the Danish team Esbjerg, in the decisive leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. In the first match, in Bucharest, the Danish team won 26-25, after a match they led permanently. The winner of the double round will play in the so-called Final Four of the League. Set up in 2007, CSM won the Champions League for the first time in 2016, and was the continents third team in the next two years. Declared four times the best handball player in the world, in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, the left winger of the CSM, Cristina Neagu is also the top scorer of the current edition of the Champions League, with 103 goals.



    Football — Romanian sports celebrated, on Saturday, 36 years since Steaua Bucharest won the European Football Champions Cup. On May 7, 1986, in Seville, Spain, the team, made up exclusively of Romanian players, defeated in the final, score 2-0, after the penalty kicks, the famous FC Barcelona. Steauas goalkeeper, Helmuth Duckadam, then entered the Book of Records, after defending all four shots fired by the Catalans. In February 1987, in Monte Carlo, Steaua also won Europe’s Super Cup, after a 1-0 win against the Soviets from Dinamo Kyiv. Two of the authors of those unique performances in the history of Romanian football, midfielder Lucian Bălan and defender Ilie Bărbulescu, have died in recent years. (LS)


  • May 7, 2022

    May 7, 2022

    Visit – Jill Biden, the wife of U.S. President Joe Biden, continues her visit to Romania today. In Bucharest, she met with Carmen Iohannis, the wife of Romanias President Klaus Iohannis, and she will pay a visit to a school that hosts Ukrainian refugee students. Also today, Jill Biden is to meet with Government members, with the staff of the American Embassy, as well as with humanitarian aid workers. On Friday, the first day of her visit, Jill Biden met with the U.S. and NATO soldiers at Mihail Kogalniceanu base (southeast). The American presidents wife is on a tour which will also include Slovakia, to show the US’s commitment to Ukrainian refugees. She is accompanied by the Deputy Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Karen Donfried. The delegation also includes former U.S. Ambassador to Bucharest between 2009 and 2012 Mark Gitenstein, currently U.S. Ambassador to the EU and his wife Elizabeth Gitenstein.



    Refugees — Ukrainian children refugees in Romania will be able to be registered in a computer application, regardless of whether they are with their family or not. The platform will be developed and adapted by the Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities in collaboration with UNICEF Romania and the non-governmental organization “Save the children”. Since the beginning of the armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine, almost 40,000 children from the neighboring country have arrived in Romania, who have crossed the border with their parents or unaccompanied. The application, which has been successfully used in the case of other states amid the influx of refugees caused by the war, provides that the authorities should know about the location of the Ukrainian children left in Romania, even if they are with their parents or relatives. At least 80,700 people, including more than 8,000 Ukrainian citizens (up by 4.3% compared to the previous day), entered Romania through the border crossings on Friday. Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, over 860 thousand Ukrainians have crossed the Romanian border, most of them transiting to other countries.



    Grants – The Romanian Government has decided to grant non-reimbursable loans worth 300 million Euros to companies operating in agriculture and the food industry. The authorities pre-notified the European Commission about the state aid scheme, and the relevant minister Marcel Boloş is convinced that the community forum will approve the request without any problems. Companies will receive non-reimbursable loans for working capital, in order to buy raw materials or fuels. The measure will support seasonal works in agriculture and will combat the rise in fuel and chemical fertilizer prices.



    Ukraine — The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a declaration giving ‘strong support’ to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ‘in working out a peaceful solution’ to the war between Russia and Ukraine. In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a new security assistance package for Ukraine that will provide additional ammunition consisting in artillery, radars and other equipment, but he warned that the funds earmarked for weapons destined for Kyiv are now ‘virtually depleted.’ On Sunday, the G7 leaders will have a virtual meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine, which will also be attended by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Germany, the country holding the organizations presidency this year, announced. On the ground, Kyiv is still making diplomatic efforts to rescue the remaining fighters in the Azovstal steelworks, the last Ukrainian forces’ stronghold in the port city of Mariupol, after fifty civilians were evacuated on Friday by a new humanitarian convoy. Also on Friday, the Russian troops continued to launch rocket attacks on regions in southern Ukraine. On the other hand, about two and a half months after being recognized by Russia, the self-proclaimed peoples republics of the East, Donetsk and Luhansk, have appointed ambassadors to Moscow. After the failure to conquer Kyiv, Russias war effort is currently focused on supporting and expanding Russian separatist areas in eastern Ukraine.



    Campaign – The Representation of the European Commission in Romania has launched the communication campaign “Faces of European solidarity”, in the context of the anniversary of Europe Day on May 9th, when the signing of the Schuman Declaration of 1950 is marked. It is a photo exhibition by photojournalists documenting the solidarity of Romanians with people who left Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The campaign will run for a month, and the photos will be exhibited in Bucharest in different spaces, at the metro stations, the Henri Coanda Airport, and also in the online environment.



    Paris – Emmanuel Macron was sworn-in on Saturday at the Elysee Palace as President of France for a new five-year term, AFP reports. In a short speech, he called for continued action to make France a more independent and powerful nation. We remind you that Macron won the second round of the presidential elections, on April 24, in front of the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, with 58.55% of the votes. On Sunday, he will take part in the festivities marking the anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945. On Monday, Europe Day, he is expected in Strasbourg to address the European Parliament. Emmanuel Macron will then travel to Berlin on the same day to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, this being his first trip abroad after being re-elected.



    SPP — On the Day of the Protection and Guard Service (SPP), the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă conveyed a message showing his appreciation and respect for the professionalism of the specialists of this essential structure in the national security system. 32 years after its establishment, SPP successfully manages all the missions entrusted to it, benefiting from the trust of the Romanian institutions, as well as of the institutions within NATO and the EU member states. The modernization process and the permanent adaptation to the challenges they have to manage, together with the devotion of the SPP professionals, prepares the ground for strengthening this elite structure of the Romanian state, the prime minister said. SPP ensures the protection of Romanian and foreign dignitaries during their stay in Romania, and also the security of their work offices and residences. (LS)

  • May 5, 2022 UPDATE

    May 5, 2022 UPDATE

    Conference — Thursday’s international donors conference held in Warsaw to raise funds to help Ukraine managed to gather more than 6 billion Euros, the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said. The online event was also attended by the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, who presented a new humanitarian assistance package of Romania worth 3.2 million Euros. Nicolae Ciuca reiterated Bucharests multidimensional support for Kyiv: political and diplomatic, humanitarian and refugee assistance, and economic. Nicolae Ciuca said that Romania was ready to participate in the reconstruction process of Ukraine and reiterated his support for the European path of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. More than 8,000 Ukrainian citizens entered neighboring Romania on Wednesday. Almost 860,000 Ukrainians have crossed the Romanian border since the invasion of Russian troops, most of them transiting to other countries.



    Ukraine — The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday announced the launch of an online crowdfunding platform to help his country fight Russian invaders and rebuild the country’s infrastructure. The platform is called United24, and all funds will be transferred to the National Bank of Ukraine and allocated to the relevant ministries. Zelenski promised that reports on the distribution of donations would be published every 24 hours. “Only together can we stop the war that Russia has started and rebuild what Russia has destroyed. Together we can help freedom overcome tyranny,” Volodymyr Zelensky said. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its army had simulated a nuclear missile launch in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, located between Poland and Lithuania, both members of the European Union and NATO. According to the source, the combat units also carried out “operations in conditions of radiation and chemical contamination”. Russia has placed its nuclear forces on high alert shortly after invading Ukraine on February 24.



    EP — The European Parliament on Thursday approved a resolution calling that the Republic of Moldova should receive the status of a candidate country for EU accession. According to Radio Chisinau, the MEPs appreciated the efforts made by the authorities, and also by Moldovan citizens, while emphasizing the risks which Moldova is running due to the war in Ukraine. The Commission is invited to rapidly complete its assessment and to provide full assistance to Chisinau during the accession process. The European Parliament also calls for a clear and strong political signal to be given at the European Council meeting due in June in relation to the European path chosen by the Republic of Moldova. The European Union has a duty to support the Republic of Moldova, the European Council President Charles Michel said in Chisinau on Wednesday. He said that Brussels was considering additional military support for the Moldovan authorities, which will add to the assistance in the areas of logistics and cyber defense which the Union has already agreed on. At the US State Department, spokesman Ned Price reassured Moldova, a neighbor of Romania and Ukraine, that the US is firm in relation to its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.



    Sanctions – The sixth package of European sanctions against Russia targets senior officials and the military, the banking sector, the media and, for the first time, imposes an embargo on oil imports. The European Commission President Ursula von der Lyen has warned that it will not be easy for Europe without Russian oil, especially as some member states are 100% dependent. Therefore, the package includes exceptions and transitional measures for these countries.



    Meeting — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu received Garry Kasparov, president of the Human Rights Foundation, a former world chess champion and human rights activist in Bucharest on Thursday. According to a Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué, the talks took place “in the context of Russias military aggression and illegal, unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and of the need to counteract the invasion’s profoundly negative effects at the security, economic and humanitarian levels”. Minister Bogdan Aurescu has once again condemned, “in the strongest terms”, the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine and made a presentation of the humanitarian support provided by Bucharest to the neighboring state and to the Ukrainian refugees in Romania. In turn, Garry Kasparov presented a series of assessments of Russias internal situation and possible developments in the war started by Moscow war. He highlighted the need to strengthen support for Ukraine by the entire international community in order to resist aggression. (LS)

  • May 2, 2022

    May 2, 2022

    Visit — The First Lady of the US, Jill Biden, will pay a visit to Romania and Slovakia, between May 5-9. The wife of President Joe Biden will meet on May 6 with American soldiers from the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base (southeastern Romania), after which she will head to Bucharest, where she will meet with Romanian government officials, with members of the US embassy, with humanitarian workers and teachers working with Ukrainian refugee children. According to a statement from the First Ladys office quoted by Reuters, on Sunday, marked in the United States as Mothers Day, Jill Biden will meet with Ukrainian mothers and children who have been forced to leave their homes because of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Jill Bidens visit is the latest signal of support from high-ranking US officials for Ukraine and its neighbors that are helping the Ukrainian refugees. The number of Ukrainian refugees stands currently at about 5.5 million, according to UN figures.



    Energy — The EU energy ministers are meeting urgently today as the bloc is looking into ways to respond to a request from Russian President Vladimir Putin that European countries pay for gas in the Russian currency. Last week Russia stopped gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after the two EU member states refused to pay for gas in rubles. According to news agencies, the European ministers will consider the gradual introduction of a ban on oil imports from Russia, and by the end of the year, the EU is to give up Russian oil permanently. No final decisions have been made in this regard and there may still be opposition from some member states.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep meets, today, the American Cori Gauff in the Round of 16 of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Madrid, which has total prizes of 6,575,560 Euros. The Romanian tennis player has won both games played so far against Gauff. Simona Halep was a champion in Madrid in 2016 and 2017, and a finalist in another two editions.



    Ukraine — In Ukraine, more than 100 civilians, women and children, have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Some of them are expected to arrive in Zaporozhe today, a city controlled by the Ukrainian forces, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said. The UN and the Red Cross were involved in the evacuation operation, which began on Saturday morning. However, hundreds of civilians are still in the plants bunkers. Besides the civilians there are the last remaining Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol, a city largely destroyed in the two months of Russian attacks. According to the CNN, after the evacuation operation ended, the Russian forces resumed bombings on the plant. The bombing continued in the area of ​​the Kharkov city, the second largest one in Ukraine, but in the same region the Ukrainian forces managed to recapture four villages. On the other hand, the Ukrainian Intelligence Service announced that it had neutralized a Russian investigation and sabotage team that allegedly tried to steal a Stinger rocket to shoot down a passenger plane over Russia or Belarus, in order to later blame the attack on Ukraine. The information was confirmed by an adviser to President Zelensky, who also added that a Russian spy had been discovered in the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army. Kyiv is the only source of this information in this respect so far.



    Cyber attack — A cyber attack affected, last night, the website of the most important airport in Romania, Bucharest Otopeni. The site subsequently became operational again. The Special Telecommunications Service has blocked, in recent days, thousands of such attacks launched on the websites of some important institutions in Romania by the pro-Russian group Killnet. The group has also attacked websites of state institutions in neighboring Moldova and in EU and NATO countries. In response to the Russian hackers’ attacks, the Anonymous Romania group announced that it had attacked and blocked the site of the unified public procurement system in Russia, which had been out of order for two days.



    Immigrants – The number of Ukrainian citizens who entered Romania on Sunday decreased by 27.6% compared to the previous day, according to a communiqué of the Border Police General Inspectorate. On Sunday, at national level, 107,432 people entered Romania through the border crossings, of whom 7,648 were Ukrainian citizens. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, about 836 thousand Ukrainians have entered Romania, most of them transiting to other countries.



    Statistics – In Romania, the unemployment rate stood at 5.7% in March, slightly higher than in the previous month, show data published on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics. The estimated number of unemployed for March was 475,000, up by 7,000 persons from February, but down from 11,000 persons as compared to March 2021. By gender, the unemployment rate for women was 0.1% higher than the rate for men (the respective values ​​being 5.8% for women and 5.7% for men). The unemployment rate level among young people remains high, standing at 22%, according to INS. On the other hand, the 3-month ROBOR index, based on which the cost of consumer loans in lei with variable interest rate is calculated, rose on Monday to 5.01% per year, from 4.95% on Friday, as shown by data published by the National Bank of Romania. A higher level than that was recorded on April 3, 2013, when it stood at 5.03% per year. (LS)

  • April 12, 2022

    April 12, 2022

    Measures — The Romanian finance minister, Adrian Câciu, has said that the package of social and economic measures “Support for Romania”, announced on Monday evening by the ruling coalition leaders, mainly targets the economy, maintaining jobs, and supporting vulnerable people. The package agreed upon by the Social Democratic Party – PSD, the National Liberal Party – PNL and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR is worth over 17 billion lei (about 3.5 billion Euros). The measures include the granting of 50-Euro vouchers every two months for the purchase of basic foodstuffs for low-income families and 30 – Euro vouchers for the more than 150,000 students who receive social scholarships. This amount will be used for food, school supplies and clothing. Other measures proposed are a minimum gross salary of 3,000 lei in agriculture and the food industry as well as money for investments.



    Visit — The European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, continues today her visit to Bucharest, where she participates in a video conference with the transport ministers from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The commissioner announced her intention to discuss with the Romanian officials the ways for a better absorption of EU funds for infrastructure and to find solutions for rail, road, river and sea freight transport from Ukraine and Moldova, Romania’s neighbors. On Monday, the PM Nicolae Ciuca and the European Commissioner for Transport agreed to work closely with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to facilitate the transport of goods. The agenda of talks also includes the development of the transport infrastructure in Romania, and the impact of the crisis in Ukraine, respectively.



    Statistics — In Romania, the annual inflation rate rose to 10.15% in March, from 8.53% in February, against the backdrop of higher prices for non-food products, foods and services, according to data published today by National Institute of Statistics (INS). Consumer prices augmented by 1.9% in March compared to February. The inflation rate at the beginning of the year (March 2022 compared to December 2021) stands at 4%. At the same time, the annual inflation rate in March 2022 compared to March 2021 is 10.2%. The central bank forecasts an inflation rate of 11.2% at the end of the second quarter of this year, 10.2% at the end of the third quarter of this year and 9.6% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022.



    Accession — After Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbor, also received the European Commissions questionnaire for EU accession discussions. The document marks a starting point for a membership decision, being a first step in a long process that should bring Moldova the official status of a candidate country for EU accession. Romania insists on the community bloc receiving its two neighboring countries as soon as possible, following Russias invasion of Ukraine.



    Ukraine – The next period is crucial for Ukraine, Western officials say, as the Russian forces are getting re-equipped and redistributed. President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Russia is concentrating tens of thousands of soldiers for the next offensive in eastern Ukraine. About 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were made prisoner by the Russian troops, according to Kyiv Independent. On the other hand, the White House expects even greater atrocities in Ukraine committed by the Russian troops under the command of General Aleksandr Dvornikov, recently appointed commander. He is nicknamed the “Syrian butcher” after being at the command of the Russian forces involved in the Syrian civil war, during which they brutally bombed numerous civilian targets. The US and the UK are looking into reports according to which chemical weapons have been used by Russian forces in attacks on Mariupol, a strategic port city under siege for more than a month. The Ukrainian Azov Battalion, barricaded in Mariupol, claims that a Russian drone dropped a toxic substance on the soldiers and civilians in the area, saying that several people were suffering from respiratory and neurological problems. More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol since the invasion began, Mayor Vadim Boicenko announced.



    Refugees — More than 72,000 people, including 8,350 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Monday, according to the Border Police. 4,924 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania (slightly increase by 0.9%) through the border crossing with Ukraine, and 1,505 (increase by 8.1%) through the border with the Republic of Moldova. Since the start of the crisis, until Monday, more than 685,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. (LS)