Radio România Internațional

Tag: Odobescu

  • November 20, 2023

    November 20, 2023

    Tour – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is paying a state visit to the Republic of Cape Verde today, where he is meeting with his counterpart Jose Maria Neves, the Prime Minister Jose Ulisses Correia e Silva and other officials. Last Tuesday the Romanian president started a tour in Africa that included Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar (autonomous territory belonging to Tanzania). The last stage of the tour is the official visit to Senegal.



    Visit – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, is visiting Paris today, where she is having talks with the head of the French diplomacy, Catherine Colonna. High on the agenda of talks are the bilateral cooperation in the field of Foreign Affairs and Defense, the current international crises, especially the situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the French FM, Catherine Colonna, will emphasize, again, Frances long-term commitment as the framework nation of the NATO Multinational Command in Romania to strengthen the defense on the Eastern Flank of the Alliance. The meeting between the two ministers represents a further opportunity to reaffirm the common decision for a lasting support given to Ukraine in all fields, hailing the efforts made by Romania for the functioning of the corridors for the export of Ukrainian cereals. The discussions also focus on the prospects of expanding the EU with the countries of the Western Balkans, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.



    Exhibition – The exhibition “Dacia – the last frontier of the Roman world” opens in Rome today. It can be visited until the end of April. Hundreds of archaeological objects from the territory of Romania, dating back over a thousand years, are on display. The artefacts come from 47 museums in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Italy, which provide a strong testimony of the Roman civilization. According to Ambassador Gabriela Dancău, the exhibition brings together archeology and technology, allowing access to a universe where the ancestors of the Getae-Dacians evolved. The opening of the exhibition, located in the National Museum Terme di Diocleziano in Rome, is being attended by the ministers of culture from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Italy – Raluca Turcan, Sergiu Prodan, and Gennaro Sangiuliano, respectively.



    Cernavoda – Unit 1 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant has been resynchronized to the national energy system, and today it will operate at nominal power, the Energy Ministry informs. The unit was automatically disconnected from the national electricity distribution network on Saturday night due to winds that blew at over 100 kilometers per hour. In Constanţa county, in the south-east of Romania, the storm over the weekend felled 240 trees, tore off 50 roofs and damaged 60 cars. At the same time, approximately 40,000 consumers from 80 localities in the Dobrogea region were left without electricity. The energy supplier reported that, in the meantime, power has been restored for almost 93% of those affected.



    Pensions – In Romania, the draft public pension system law passed the Senate and reaches, today, the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body. The government has calculated that it needs 5 billion Euros to increase pensioners incomes and it is still not clear where this money will come from. According to the draft law, two increases are scheduled for in 2024: as of January 1,a rise by 13.8% for all the approximately five million pensioners, and in September, a new increase, based on a new calculation formula, which takes into account the seniority, the contribution or the value of the correction index, targeting, this time approximately three million pensioners. Last week, in the Senate, the MPs of the ruling coalition, PSD and PNL, voted in favor of the draft pension law, which, they said, brings balance to the system. The opposition parties Save Romania Union – USR and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR abstained from voting. During the debates, the opposition senators criticized those in power for the lack of data regarding the resources and the budgetary impact regarding this draft law.



    Budget — The drafting of the budget bill for 2024 by the Government is going to be finalized this week. The PSD-PNL coalition has already agreed that, along with funding investments, priority will be attached to education and healthcare, but it seems that even these ministries will not receive as much money as they would like, given the constraints related to the budget deficit. And, meanwhile, there are more and more requests for money at the end of this year from the town halls as well as from the Transport Ministry. The main resource for supporting the future budget will be the fight against tax evasion. The social democratic PM Marcel Ciolacu said that, by eliminating tax evasion, the necessary funds can be obtained for pension increases, education and healthcare.



    Football – Qualified, mathematically, for the Euro 2024 from Germany, the Romanian national football team meets Switzerland, on Tuesday evening, in the last match of the Qualifying Group I. Undefeated, Romania occupies the first position, with 19 points, and can be the winner of the group if it does not lose the match with Switzerland, the team qualified for the 2024 European Championship. The Romanian footballers qualified after a 2-1 victory against Israel on Saturday. It will be the 6thparticipation of the national team in a final continental tournament, after those in 1984, 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2016.



    Handball – The finalist of Romania’s Women’s Handball Cup, CSM Târgu Jiu (south) qualified, for the first time, in the groups of the EHF European League competition, after defeating the Swedish team Onnereds HK, with the score of 26-23, on Sunday, at home, in the second leg of the third preliminary round. HC Dunărea Brăila (south-east) also qualified on Sunday after defeating the German team BV Borussia 09 Dortmund, with the score of 27-22, at home. Another Romanian team that will play in the EHF European League groups is CS Gloria 2018 Bistriţa-Năsăud (north). In the Champions League groups, Romania is represented by the Bucharest teams CSM and Rapid. (LS)

  • Les diplomaties se mobilisent pour libérer les otages du Hamas

    Les diplomaties se mobilisent pour libérer les otages du Hamas

    La ministre
    roumaine des affaires étrangères, Luminiţa Odobescu a déclaré que les responsables
    de la diplomatie de l’Union européenne collaboraient étroitement afin de
    trouver des solutions pour que toutes les personnes retenues en otage par le
    groupe terroriste Hamas suite à son opération commando du 7 octobre soient
    libérées. Luminiţa Odobescu a participé lundi, à Luxembourg, au Conseil des
    affaires externes de l’UE. A cette occasion, elle a déclaré à la presse
    roumaine que, dans le dossier des otages, « les informations sont
    extrêmement sensibles et doivent être gérer avec la plus grande attention. Ce
    sont des vies humaines qui sont en jeu, c’est pourquoi nous sommes très
    prudents, notamment en ce qui concerne les communications publiques, mais nous
    sommes en discussion avec les autorités de tous les pays de la région et
    d’autres encore, et nous sommes dans une coordination étroite afin de
    solliciter de de trouver des solutions pour la libération de tous les otages,
    dont celle de l’otage qui a la nationalité roumaine ».     Cette
    personne fait partie des nombreux israéliens d’origine roumaine ou dont la
    famille était roumaine.


    Le Hamas a enlevé
    au total près de 220 personnes, israéliennes, étrangères ou porteuses une
    double nationalité. Ces otages ont été emmenés dans la bande de Gaza et risquent
    de servir de boucliers humains face aux bombardements continus de l’armée
    israélienne. Dans les premiers jours de guerre, le Hamas a également déclaré
    que des otages seraient exécutés si des civils continuaient à mourir sous les
    bombes israéliennes. Alors que les diplomates européens se rencontraient à
    Luxembourg, le président des Etats-Unis, Joe Biden, a demandé depuis
    Washington au Hamas de libérer tous les otages. Il a déclaré « Les otages doivent être libérés, après nous pourrons discuter ». De son côté, la ministre roumaine des affaire étrangères a
    rappelé que « la Roumanie a condamné avec la plus grande fermeté
    l’attaque atroce subie par Israël et a souligné son droit légitime à se
    défendre »    .

    Les autorités roumaines restent cependant
    également préoccupées par le sort des roumains présents à Gaza, où la guerre
    est d’ores et déjà doublée d’une grave crise humanitaire. Environ 260 personnes
    de nationalité roumaine et les membres de leurs familles ont sollicité leur
    évacuation de la bande de Gaza, selon Luminiţa Odobescu. Celle-ci a
    rappelé que récemment le point de passage entre la bande de Gaza et l’Egypte
    avait été ouvert afin de permettre à l’aide humanitaire de rentrer dans Gaza,
    et qu’il était très important que cette aide humanitaire puisse continuer à
    arriver. Elle a ajouté qu’il était aussi important pour le gouvernement roumain
    que les personnes qui souhaitent quitter la bande de Gaza puissent le faire en
    toute sécurité. Elle assure que des démarches sont effectuées dans ce sens,
    tant au niveau européen qu’avec les autorités israéliennes et égyptiennes.



  • September 29, 2023

    September 29, 2023

    Notification — The Save Romania Union — USR and the Force of the Right, in opposition, intend to notify the Constitutional Court today about the coalition (PSD-PNL) governments taking responsibility for the package of fiscal-budgetary measures. The two parties claim that there are numerous violations of the fundamental law in the government’s document. The USR leader, Cătălin Drula, claims that principles of fiscal responsibility were allegedly violated. Moreover, the notification to the Constitutional Court will also include the observations of the experts of the Justice Ministry regarding the Governments measures, which minister Alina Gorghiu would have ignored when she issued a favorable opinion for the legislative proposal, Catalin Drula said. Initially, the opposition evoked a censure motion, and today is the last day when they could submit it, but it is unlikely that they will be able to collect the required number of signatures.



    Conference — The Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, is participating also today in the Conference of Presidents of Parliaments from the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, organized in Ireland, Dublin. On the eve, he had said that populism harmed democracy and endangered the civil rights of all. According to the Romanian Senate Speaker, in the context of the war on Romania’s border, the role of national parliaments in the reconstruction of Ukraine and the challenges to representative democracy in unstable times are topics of great interest for Romania, as an EU and NATO member country. He also spoke about Romanias role in supporting neighboring Ukraine, from where more than five million refugees came



    Meeting – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, is participating, today, in the meeting of the heads of diplomatic missions from the EU member states accredited to Bucharest, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. On the eve, the Romanian FM took part in the opening of the second edition of the international Euro-Atlantic Forum for Resilience, with the theme Resilience at Sea and its Impact on Land. She emphasized the relevance of the Black Sea region in the context of the Russian Federations war of aggression in Ukraine, a region with a special geopolitical significance, located at the epicenter of this conflict. Minister Odobescu stated that Romania acted and will continue to act in coordination with the neighboring states and strategic partners, so as to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products through the Romanian ports.



    Gas – Natural gas and electricity tariffs on the Romanian market will continue to be subsidized until the end of March 2025, the National Energy Regulatory Authority -ANRE announced. Thus, Romanians will pay 68 bani (13 euro cents) per kilowatt for a monthly consumption of up to 100 kilowatts, 80 bani (16 euro cents) for a consumption range of 100-255 kilowatt, 1.3 lei (26 euro cents) for a consumption between 255 and 300 kilowatts, and for what exceeds 300 kilowatts – 1.3 lei for the entire amount. In the case of gas, the price for one kilowatt/hour will not exceed 31 bani (6 eurocents). The ANRE representative, Valeriu Steriu, stated that this measure brings predictability and is “a safety net” for the population and industrial consumers. He showed that the total amount reimbursed by the Romanian state to the energy companies that applied the capped price scheme, was almost 21 billion lei (about 4.2 billion euros) two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the Transgaz National Company announced that it has already stored an amount of gas that exceeds 96% of the total storage capacity. (LS)

  • August 25, 2023

    August 25, 2023

    LAWS The Romanian
    government will assume responsibility before Parliament for a law package concerning
    the reform of the state apparatus, the measures aimed at attaining fiscal
    balance and avoiding tax evasion. Wasting public money along with fiscal and
    tax evasion is preventing the country’s development, Romania’s Prime Minister
    Marcel Ciolacu has said. The Romanian official will go to Brussels next week
    for a new round of talks with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von
    der Leyen, over changing the budget deficit target, and according to some
    government sources, talks will also be focusing on the fiscal measures package.
    The opposition has announced its intention to table censure motions against the
    PSD-PNL Executive.






    JUSTICE The
    drug-addicted driver who killed two in a seaside resort in south-eastern
    Romania will not be able to avoid prison, says the former Justice Minister and
    present senator, Robert Cazanciuc. In a post on a social network, Cazanciuc explains
    that the so-called Anastasia Law, which he proposed in Parliament, has already
    been in force for one month and it stipulates prison sentences for all who,
    while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, kill people in road
    accidents. The Social-Democratic senator says that additional prevention
    measures are needed, such as the interdiction to drive for a long period of
    time in the case of killer drivers or even the cancellation of driving licenses
    for those caught under the influence, irrespective of having committed a road
    accident or not. We recall that four high officials from the local police have
    stepped down after the accident. Although the aforementioned driver had been
    stopped by road police shortly before the accident, they eventually left him
    alone without testing him for banned substances. A government committee is
    presently investigating the incident in an attempt to discover the faulty
    procedures the police applied in the aforementioned case.






    TALKS Romanian
    Foreign Minister, Luminita Odobescu, on Thursday talked on the phone with the
    Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Mariya Gabriel, who is also the head of the
    Bulgarian diplomacy. According to a communiqué by the Foreign Ministry in
    Bucharest, the two ministers have reiterated the common objective of
    coordination with a view to completing ‘a.s.a.p’ the two countries’ accession
    process to Europe’s border-free area, Schengen. Odobescu has highlighted the
    interest of the Romanian side, also confirmed by her Bulgarian counterpart, in
    stepping up sectoral bilateral contacts with a view to developing joint projects,
    particularly in the field of infrastructure.






    FOOTBALL Romania’s
    football champions, Farul Constanta, on Thursday night secured a 2-1 home win
    against Finnish side HJK Helsinki in the play-offs of Europa Conference League.
    In the same stage of the competition, the winners of Romania’s Cup, Sepsi
    Sfantu Gheorghe, ended in a two-all draw their game against Norwegian side Bodoe/Glimt.
    The decisive matches for qualifying in the groups of Europe’s third football
    competition are to take place on August 31st.


    (bill)





  • Romania supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine

    Romania supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine

    After
    Russia’s withdrawal last month from an agreement allowing Ukraine to export its
    agricultural production, which is crucial for the world food security, the
    repeated Russian bombardments against Ukraine’s maritime and river ports have
    led to the destruction of over 270 thousand tons of grain, authorities in Kyiv have
    announced.




    Only
    the bombing of the Danube port of Ismail on Tuesday night for instance wiped
    out 13 thousand tons of cereals, the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure,
    Oleksandr Kubrakov has said. Several grain terminals and private storehouses
    have been destroyed along with parts of the transport infrastructure. I am
    terrified by Russia’s ongoing attacks over the port of Ismail. The Russian
    troops have been harming Ukrainian civilians and targeting the critical
    infrastructure for the grain transport constantly and deliberately. These are
    war crimes. Romania and the international community will bring to court all
    those involved the head of the Romanian diplomacy, Luminita Odobescu, said on a
    social network.




    Bucharest
    will continue to support Ukraine in its brave fight to completely recover its
    territorial integrity says the Romanian official, who had an online
    intervention on Wednesday during the third Summit of the Crimea International
    Platform, which, according to the Ukrainian authorities, brought together
    representatives of over 60 countries and international organizations. 18
    months have passed since the onset of the invasion, Minister Odobescu went on
    to say, but the Russian aggression didn’t start with the war it commenced on
    February 24th 2022, but with the illegal annexation of the Crimean
    Peninsula back in 2014 The latest reckless attacks against the Ukrainian
    ports on the Danube, very close to the Romanian border, have again shown
    Russia’s desire to step up this conflict Odobescu says. We will stand with the
    Ukrainian people and its sovereign right to freely decide its future without
    interventions from outside, the Romanian Minister went on to say. Donetsk is
    Ukraine, Kherson is Ukraine, Luhansk is Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia is Ukraine,
    Crimea is Ukraine.




    Romania
    will continue to support the independence, sovereignty and territorial
    integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders Odobescu says
    adding that Bucharest has stood with the neighboring country since the first
    day of the war and will continue to do so until the ‘final victory’. The
    Romanian official has also mentioned cases of human rights violation in the
    Ukrainian territories occupied by the Russian forces, describing these actions
    as war crimes.




    (bill)

  • August 23, 2023 UPDATE

    August 23, 2023 UPDATE

    MAE Romania’s
    Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu has accused Russia of intentionally harming
    the Ukrainian civilians and of damaging the infrastructure needed in the
    country’s grain exports. The Romanian official has reacted to the latest
    Russian attack against the Ukrainian port on the Danube, Ismail, and has
    described these actions as war crimes. In a post on the X network, formerly
    known as Twitter, Odobescu says she is terrified by the Russian continuous
    attacks against the aforementioned port close to Romania. Russia’s repeated strikes
    on Ukraine’s maritime and river ports have destroyed 270 thousand tons of grain
    in a month, the Ukrainian Minister of the Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov
    has said.






    FIRE The Romanian
    firefighters deployed to Greece on Wednesday were requested to participate in a
    mission of putting out wild fires close to the highway to Alexandroupolis. 50
    firefighters and 10 fire engines have participated in the mission, says a communique
    issued by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations in Bucharest. The
    situation of wildfires in Greece has been monitored from space by means of the
    European Satellite Programme Copernicus.






    CRASH Four high police officials in
    the county of Constanta, south-eastern Romania, have been dismissed after a
    19-year-old driver under the influence of several types of drugs killed two people
    and wounded three others. The young man was stopped by the road police three
    hours before the accident but they let him alone without having conducted a
    test for banned substances. The policemen have reportedly found drugs in the young
    man’s car whose strange behavior was also reported by a citizen on the Romanian
    emergency number 112. After the accident, the police units are conducting
    searches on several Romanian roads in an attempt to discover all those driving
    under the influence.




    TALKS Romanian Interior Minister, Catalin Predoiu said on
    Wednesday in Vienna at the end of his meeting with his Austrian counterpart,
    Gerhard Karner, the ambition of the Ministry he is heading is to make Romania a
    ‘standard of border protection’. The Romanian official has announced the
    signing of an administrative Dublin agreement simplifying the asylum
    procedures. He underlined that the talks he had are a good beginning for a
    ‘construction road’ on all interest areas. Predoiu said that the migration is a
    serious issue, which is seriously dealt with in Romania. The Austrian Interior
    Minister said the cooperation model agreed upon with Romania in the field of
    fighting the crossborder crime related to migrant smuggling is wanted to be
    promoted at European level as well. According to him, crossborder cooperation
    shows ‘special results’ in a joint operation conducted by the authorities in
    Romania, Hungary and Austria. We recall that Austria is the only EU country
    opposing Romania’s accession to Europe’s border-free area, Schengen, although
    the country has fulfilled all the necessary conditions, a fact also admitted by
    the other EU member countries and institutions. The Schengen system as a whole
    does not function, Gerhard Karner said on Wednesday, adding that an expansion
    isn’t proper at the moment.


    (bill)

  • July 26, 2023 UPDATE

    July 26, 2023 UPDATE

    HEAT Wednesday was a new day with extreme heat in Romania. The capital
    city Bucharest and several counties in the south and south-east were subject to
    a code red alert for temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and a
    temperature-humidity index above the critical 80 units. Code orange and yellow
    alerts were also in place elsewhere in the country. On Tuesday the extreme
    temperatures disrupted railway traffic and caused road traffic restrictions. On
    the other hand, violent storms were reported in the west, north and centre of
    the country, where substantial damages were reported. On
    Thursday, the temperature is expected to drop significantly, to highs between
    19 and 28 degrees Celsius.




    PROTEST Romanian construction workers Wednesday picketed the government
    headquarters to protest the Cabinet’s decision to scrap the tax facilities
    granted to the employees in this sector. The head of the National Trade Union
    Bloc (BNS), Dumitru Costin, said the proposed amendments to the Fiscal Code
    affect not only the construction sector, but other categories of employees as
    well. The BNS and the Familia General Federation of Trade Unions came up with a
    set of measures to avoid the scrapping of tax facilities as of September 1,
    including a new collective bargaining agreement for the sector and a gradual
    elimination of the fiscal facility, in keeping with the roadmap agreed on under
    the National Recovery and Resilience Plan as of 2025. They also suggest adjustments
    to budget appropriations for the investment projects funded by the government
    or from EU funds, as well as a salary policy for this sector for the
    forthcoming years able to ensure balanced salaries, especially in the private
    sector.


    MEETING The Romanian
    foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Wednesday had talks with her French
    counterpart, Catherine Colonna, about the security situation at the Black Sea.
    In a Twitter post, Odobescu described the dialogue as very good. Bilateral
    cooperation was reconfirmed on this occasion. We have emphasised our joint
    support for Ukraine and the R. of Moldova, as well as our determination to
    consolidate security and resilience at the Black Sea, the Romanian diplomacy
    chief said in her post.


    DIPLOMACY The foreign
    minister of the Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, Wednesday requested a
    limitation on the number of Russian diplomats accredited to Chişinău. He said
    the country has been for several years the target of hostile policies on
    Russia’s part, and that some of them were completed via the Russian Embassy
    there. Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry
    for explanations, after a media report revealed that the Russian diplomatic
    mission had installed high-performance espionage and interception equipment on
    its rooftop. The media in Chişinău mentioned 28 satellite dishes and telecoms
    devices, while individuals tied to Russian intelligence services were seen on
    the buildings. The authorities in Chisinau decided that the two countries’
    embassies would have equal numbers of diplomatic personnel, specifically 10 diplomatic
    positions and 15 administrative, technical and support posts, Moldpres reports.
    Consequently, the staff of Russia’s embassy in Chişinău will be reduced from 84
    to 25.


    NATO The NATO
    secretary general Jens Stoltenberg convened a first NATO – Ukraine Council
    meeting at ambassador level on Wednesday, at the request of Kyiv. The meeting
    focused on consultations on recent developments, with participants discussing
    the transport of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, the NATO spokesperson Oana
    Lungescu said. Ukraine’s request came after Russia terminated the so-called
    grains deal and started attacking the Ukrainian port infrastructure. Also on
    Wednesday, the head of the press office for the southern Ukrainian defence
    command, Natalia Humeniuk, said Russia was already using Shahed-type drones
    assembled in Russia.




    SWIMMING The Romanian swimmer David Popovici Wednesday qualified into
    the final of the 100m freestyle race at the World Championships in Fukuoka (Japan). Popovici, the defending world champion in
    this event, also holds the world record, set last year at the European
    Championships in Rome. The 100m freestyle final is scheduled for Thursday. On
    Tuesday, Popovici, also a former world champion in the 200m freestyle event,
    finished the competition’s final on the 4th place. (AMP)

  • Constant support for the Republic of Moldova

    Constant support for the Republic of Moldova

    Top-ranking Romanian officials visited Chișinău this week to reiterate once again that Bucharest fully supports the European accession process of the neighboring Republic of Moldova. Recently installed at the head of the new coalition government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party (PSD-PNL), the Social-Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu, accompanied by the former Liberal prime minister, currently the speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, made their first joint external visit to Chișinău, where they had talks with the president of the Republic, Maia Sandu, with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean and the President of Parliament, Igor Grosu.



    The Government of Romania will remain the guarantor of the security and stability of the Republic of Moldova and will continue to support with all its strength the countrys EU accession process said Marcel Ciolacu. He particularly appreciated the progress that Chișinău has registered in applying the reforms in the field of justice and in fighting corruption. And, equally, he spoke about the continuation of bilateral economic cooperation.



    Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu: We are obliged to put a special emphasis on the economic area together. Trade relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, last year, increased by 50%, standing at almost 3.6 billion dollars and I think this is the right way.



    Since everything must be done for the benefit of the citizens on both banks of the River Prut, the Moldovan Prime Minister, Dorin Recean, invited economic companies from Romania to invest in the Republic of Moldova: Today, we discussed the nine projects for the second installment of the aid provided by the Government of Romania, worth 100 million. These nine projects are worth 28 million Euros and they will go to investments, providing opportunities to our companies, and will develop the localities of the Republic of Moldova.



    In parallel with managing the crises caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, from the immediate vicinity, Bucharest and Chișinău must emphasize the development of infrastructure – bridges, roads and energy networks.



    Marcel Ciolacu has more: I guarantee you that in the next Government meeting, money will be earmarked for projects regarding drinking water and sewage, which are necessary to support the villages in the Republic of Moldova, to be European villages.



    Romania is willing to share its legislative experience in Moldovas European integration project, said the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă. Earlier this week, also in Chișinău, the new Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, pointed out that Bucharest was taking consistent diplomatic steps to advance the EU integration process of Moldova, with particular emphasis on the objective of opening the accession negotiations as soon as possible. (LS)

  • Romania’s FM visits Chișinău

    Romania’s FM visits Chișinău

    Opening the EU accession negotiations of the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible is a priority of Romania’s international policy – said Romanias foreign minister, Luminiţa Odobescu. Early this week she paid her first visit to Chișinău, after taking over her mandate at the Foreign Ministry, which shows the importance that Romania attaches to its Eastern neighbor, to which it is linked by a past based on a common language, history and culture. For many decades under the influence of Moscow, due to the support of the pro-Russian forces in the region, the Republic of Moldova fundamentally reconfigured its national interest after the accession to power, in the not too distant past, of pro-European leaders.



    However, Romania’s support for the return of the small Republic to the West was constant and there was no Romanian official at the highest level who did not emphasize this aspect. So, now it is Luminiţa Odobescu’s turn to have discussions with her counterpart from Chișinău about the support that Romania gives to Moldova through humanitarian aid, energy resources or support in the field of increasing resilience.



    In a joint press statement with Luminița Odobescu, the Moldovan Foreign Minister, Nicu Popescu, also reviewed the constant help that Bucharest offers to Moldovan citizens, regardless of their geopolitical preferences, and hailed the strengthening of the bilateral strategic partnership for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova.



    Nicu Popescu: Thanks to the openness and dialogue that we have had our relations with Romania are the strongest in the last 30 years.



    The Romanian FM Luminiţa Odobescu promised the authorities in Chişinău a robust, priority support from Romania, adapted to the needs of Moldova with a view to preparing the opening of the EU accession negotiations as quickly as possible, possibly by the end of this year, as the Moldovan citizens would like: Granting political-diplomatic support to the Republic of Moldova for the advance of the European agenda is a priority of Romania’s foreign policy. We therefore support obtaining as soon as possible a favorable decision for the Republic of Moldova to start accession negotiations.



    The Romanian Foreign Minister also had talks in Chişinău with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean, with the President of the Parliament, Igor Grosu, and with the Minister of Justice, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru. She was also received by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. There were discussions, among others, about strategic projects in the fields of energy, transport and digitalization, about the intensification of Romanias support for the reform objectives assumed in Chişinău, as well as about Romania’s full and determined support for strengthening the security and stability of Moldova. (LS)


  • June 20, 2023 UPDATE

    June 20, 2023 UPDATE

    Refugee – Romanians have shown unprecedented solidarity, offering a space of safety and peace to the Ukrainian refugees, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in his address on the World Refugee Day. “In March 2022, we got the clear picture of terror, on the cratered streets and destroyed buildings in the cities of Bucha and Irpin. We understood the horror lived by the desperate families forced to flee the war. Over 4.6 million Ukrainians, mostly women and children, have chosen our country as their refuge,” Ciolacu wrote on Facebook. According to him, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Romanians have proven their ‘support and generosity in the face of terror.



    Visit — Romania is a supporter of the European path of the neighboring Republic of Moldova, and this process will be covered together by the two states – said, on Tuesday, in Chisinau, the Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, during a press conference with her counterpart Nicu Popescu. In his turn, the Moldovan FM recalled the Romanian support offered to Chisinau in the energy, political and financial fields, especially in the context of Russias war in Ukraine. Odobescu also had discussions on Tuesday with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean and with the Parliament President Igor Grosu. She said that the Romanian authorities would continue to provide robust, priority support adapted to the needs of the Republic of Moldova. On Monday evening, Luminiţa Odobescu was received by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, the discussions focusing on Chisinaus European agenda and the regional security situation. The Romania FM appreciated the substantial progress of the Moldovan authorities regarding the reforms agenda, in particular following the recommendations made by the European Commission in June 2022, when Moldova was granted the status of European integration candidate state. On Wednesday, Romania’s new PM Marcel Ciolacu will pay a working visit to Chisinau.



    Moldova – The Constitutional Court of Moldova, an ex-soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population has ruled as unconstitutional the SOR party founded and led by the oligarch Ilan Sor. The party has been accused of actions that run against the rule of law, jeopardizing the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, being funded from abroad and backed by the Russian secret services. The party leader fled to Israel after having received a prison sentence for his involvement in the theft of one billion Euros from Moldova’s banking system. From there he initiated jointly with the partys vice-president Marina Tauber a series of anti-government protests.



    Football – Romanias national football team ended in a two-all draw their away game against Switzerland in Group 1 of the Euro 2024 preliminaries. The Romanians were dominated in the match, being led 2-0, but they managed an unexpected comeback and leveled the score towards the end of the match. In the other Group 1 matches, Belarus secured a 2-1 win against Kosovo and Israel also obtained a 2-1 victory against Andorra. Switzerland, the favorite of the group, and Romania, are ranked on the first two positions in the classification, which ensures them qualification for the final tournament in Germany.



    Magistrates – Magistrates from several courts and prosecutors offices in Romania have announced that they are suspending their work as of Wednesday, as they are dissatisfied with the government’s intention to change the conditions for the special pension scheme. Judges and prosecutors argue that changing their special pension schemes violate the independence of the judiciary. The ruling coalition wants, among other things, to gradually increase the retirement age for judges and prosecutors to 65, and to calculate their pensions on the basis of their income from several years, not just from the last year of activity. Currently, judges and prosecutors are retiring after only 25 years of work. The elimination of special pension schemes for several social categories in Romania is a condition for the country to receive the following installments of European money under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Special pensions are not based on contributions, they were granted by law, and are often very high compared to normal pensions in Romania. Magistrates say they will only solve urgent cases.



    Museum – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday approved, with a majority of votes, the setting up of the National Museum of History and Culture of the Roma in Romania – a public institution of national importance, subordinated to the National Agency for Roma. The purpose of the museum is, among other things, to present and promote the history, culture and traditions of this national minority, to know, at national and international levels, its contribution to the evolution and modernization of Romanian society over time, as well as to combat racism and discrimination. The initiator of the proposal, a deputy representing the national minorities, Cătălin Manea, declared that the vote in the Chamber of Deputies – decision-making body in this case – is historic. The National Museum of Roma History and Culture will contribute to revealing historical truths.



    Exams – 8th graders had a day off on Tuesday, after taking the written exam in the Romanian language and literature as part of the National Assessment on Monday. On Wednesday, the next test in mathematics is scheduled and on Thursday the students who belong to national minorities will take the exam in their native language and literature. The first results will be published on June 28, and the final ones, after resolving the appeals, on July 4. From this year, high school enrollment will be based only on the mean obtained at the National Assessment, and the mean of the middle school points will no longer be taken into account as before. Students who did not register for the exam can only attend the courses of a professional or dual school. Almost 10% of those who started the eighth grade in the fall are in this situation. (LS)

  • A review of Romania’s first presidency of the Council of the EU

    A review of Romania’s first presidency of the Council of the EU

    For the first time since its EU accession in January 2007, Romania held the presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2019. It was an energetic and successful presidency, as the president of the European Council Donald Tusk described it, during which Bucharest managed to successfully have 90 pieces of legislation agreed in the last 100 days before the European elections. The first part of Romania’s mandate focused on completing those files, ahead of the campaign for the EP elections held between May 23 and 26, despite the restrictions imposed by a pre-election period.



    Banking union, improving working conditions and social rights, deepening the Single Market, decarbonizing road transport, building a digital Europe and a natural gas directive are some of the pieces of legislation Romania has dealt with. According to the Social Democratic PM Viorica Dancila, these were difficult, complex files that Romania negotiated and brought to completion. Bucharest has been keen on fighting disinformation and on ensuring free and fair elections. Last but not least, Bucharest has contributed to building a safer Europe by promoting pieces of legislation that improve the security of ID cards and reinforce the European border and coast guard. Romania has also been actively involved in the Brexit negotiations, 15 draft laws having been completed and adopted by the Council of the EU which were meant to contain the effects of a possible no deal Brexit in order to protect the citizens and the business environment.



    A special moment of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU was the European summit held on May 9 in Sibiu, in central Romania. According to the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, all the people who have got involved in good faith in this effort have contributed to the success of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU. He also highlighted the special role of Romania’s team who worked in Brussels, which was also underlined by the Romanian ambassador to Brussels, Luminiţa Odobescu.



    Luminiţa Odobescu: “This has been the immense effort of my colleagues in Brussels, of my colleagues in Bucharest, it has been team work, an immense effort. It has been an effort of the Romanian diplomacy and it’s critical to admit that: the Romanian diplomacy has lived up to expectations, and this has been confirmed by others. It is important to acknowledge well-done things and I would like to thank my team in Brussels. They are young people who have approached this presidency with much enthusiasm, pride and stubbornness. I believe it was stubbornness and determination that helped us obtain good results.”



    Ambassador Luminiţa Odobescu also said that at the end of a country’s presidency one could symbolically assess that country’s maturity and that country enters a new stage in its evolution within the Union. She added that the expertise acquired by all the institutions involved in this process for several years needs to be further capitalized on in order to promote Romania’s interests within the EU. (translation by L. Simion)