Radio România Internațional

Tag: Paris attacks

  • November 27, 2015 UPDATE

    November 27, 2015 UPDATE

    The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis Friday received the Chief of the US National Guard Bureau, General Frank Grass. According to the Presidency, the two discussed means to carry on bilateral security and defence cooperation by promoting and broadening the current projects. The agenda of talks also included recent developments in Afghanistan and the Western Balkans, as well as the strategic importance of good relations between Romania and the USA in the current security context in south-eastern Europe.



    Sergei Naryshkin, the speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of Russias Parliament, said in Bucharest on Friday that the choice of hosting elements of the missile shield in Deveselu belongs to Romania and Russia respects this decision. Naryshkin travelled to Bucharest for the handover of the chairmanship of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. Representatives of Ukraine at the meeting protested in the hall of the Senate of Romania, as Naryshkin was giving his address. The Romanian foreign ministry said the Senate in Bucharest was able to invite Naryshkin, who is on a EU travel ban list, because Romania is obliged under international law to respect a multilateral agreement allowing entry to persons who enjoy certain privileges and immunities. The Romanian ministry also said it notified its European Union partners about this case.



    France paid tribute on Friday to the 130 victims of the November 13 attacks, in a ceremony presided over by the head of state, François Hollande. In an address given on this occasion, the French President promised to crush the “army of fanatics behind the attacks. François Hollande ended his diplomatic tour aimed at establishing a broad coalition against the IS group, which claimed the attacks. After talks with the British PM, David Cameron, the US President Barack Obama, and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Hollande travelled to Moscow to meet with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. Russia joining the anti-terror organisation is a difficult issue, given the different approaches to the topic. Moscow wants an international coalition under the UN aegis, whereas the US claims a coalition already exists, which Russia is free to join. Putin and Hollande have agreed that the two countries may nonetheless exchange intelligence and coordinate actions so as to increase the efficiency of the anti-terror operations.



    Russia has decided to suspend the visa-free arrangement with Turkey as of 2016, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced. He added that Moscow was concerned with the rise of terrorist threats in Turkey. Turkeys Foreign Ministry has called the Russian Ambassador to Ankara, for talks over a number of incidents involving Turkish companies in Russia, which were subject to “attacks disguised as protests, AFP reports. Tensions deepened between Moscow and Ankara after on Tuesday the Turkish Air Forces downed a Russian warplane. Ankara says the aircraft violated its air space, whereas Moscow says the plane was hit in Syrian air space.




    The President of the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae Timofti, Friday had meetings with three of the five parties in the Moldovan Parliament, with a view to reaching an agreement on the nomination of a new prime minister. Timofti talked to the leaders of the pro-European parties, the Liberal Democrats, the Democrats and the Liberals. The Cabinet headed by the Liberal Democrat Valeriu Strelet was dismissed a month ago under a no-confidence motion tabled by the Socialists and Communists in opposition and backed by the Democrats, which led to the dismantling of the pro-European alliance. On Wednesday the head of the Foreign Policy Committee in the European Parliament, Elmar Brok, called for the re-creation of the three-party alliance and a new government focusing on in-depth reform. The Constitutional Court announced that unless a new government is validated by the end of January 2016, Moldovas Parliament may be dissolved.

    (translation by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Measures against Terror

    Measures against Terror

    Army units
    deployed on Brussels’s streets, where the level of terror alert is at its
    highest…..tight controls on the borders of the EU….France in a state of emergency … Europe is now
    trying to adapt following the bloody
    terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13th.

    Late last week, the EU
    Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs held an emergency meeting in Brussels and
    agreed upon several priority actions, such as the creation of a European
    Passenger Name Record, tightening controls on the EU’s external borders, not
    only for third-country citizens, but also for the EU ones, increased attention
    paid to arms and the commitment to fund all priority measures. Attending the
    summit in Brussels, the newly appointed Romanian Ministers of Justice and Home
    affairs, Raluca Pruna and Petre Toba respectively, reiterated Bucharest’s
    stand, which supports the measures aimed at ensuring the European citizens’
    security and protecting European values and principles.

    Justice Minister
    Raluca Pruna: What
    is important on the justice agenda is the fight against terror and Romania will
    support this fight without hesitation. Together with the other EU member
    countries, Romania will help find a rule of law response to terrorism in the
    EU. The means by which this can be achieved is by updating the framework
    decision on fighting terrorism, by including in the EU legislation provisions
    that clearly incriminate such acts, just like the Council of Europe
    legislation.


    Many fear that jihadists may be
    hiding among the refugees coming from Africa and the Middle East. Also
    worrying, however, is the radicalization among those Europeans who are drawn to
    the Islamist doctrine, some of them even choosing to fight alongside
    extremists. One such example is that of several citizens of the neighboring
    Republic of Moldova who, upon their return from Syria, have tried to illegally
    cross the border with Romania, to then further advance towards France.

    In
    situations like this, the only solution is cooperation, believes the former
    Romanian Justice Minister and head of Romanian diplomacy Cristian Diaconescu: A
    confrontation with a form of terrorism that is so insidious and determined
    cannot be successful if we leave it up to the individual member states, in the
    absence of a clear form of cooperation between these states. So, in the coming
    days, not weeks, Brussels will have to decide the direction that Europe will
    take.


    In the meantime, the French
    president Francois Holland has started an intense diplomatic activity aimed at
    rallying support for the fight against Islamic State, ten days after the attack
    on his country. He is looking for support not only in Europe, but also in the
    US and Russia.

  • The Week, November 16-22

    The Week, November 16-22

    The Priorities of the New Government


    The new Government of Romania, headed by Dacian Ciolos, started working after receiving the confidence vote of a large Parliamentary majority. In the medium and long run, the Government is to draw up the 2016 budget bill and to organise the parliamentary and local elections due next year. The priorities also include a 10-year investment plan, a national development strategy, reforms in public education and healthcare.



    The Government also wants to strengthen the role of the country in the EU and NATO, to consolidate and extend the strategic partnership with the USA, and to support the European accession efforts of the neighbouring Republic of Moldova. Romanians expect quite a lot from the new Cabinet, made up of experts from the private sector or European institutions. President Klaus Iohannis has briefly presented these expectations:



    Klaus Iohannis: “This is your chance to prove how to govern Romania properly, in a very complicated year and with high expectations from the society and from the people. But you must also be aware of the expectations of politicians. I firmly believe that everybody wants everything to run like clockwork, and for this to happen we need an efficient government



    The Social Democratic Party Reviews Its Position


    Monday was a moment of review and reflection for the Social Democratic Party, whose former head, Victor Ponta, led a succession of coalitions with his party at the forefront for the last 4 years. The new chairman, Liviu Dragnea, did the accounting for his partys period of leadership, saying that the successive Ponta cabinets took over in 2012 an economy struggling out of crisis, managing to set economic growth to 3.8%, one of the highest in the EU. Right now the budget deficit is 1.5% of the GDP, as compared to 5.4% in 2011. Liviu Dragnea went on to provide more detail:



    Liviu Dragnea: “Romania borrowed little from abroad and the domestic market, because the economy went well. The GDP went from 133 billion Euro to 158 billion Euro in 2015. In this way, the Ponta Government managed to have money for two things that are fundamental: to increase purchasing power for most Romanians, by boosting income and reducing taxation, and to bolster business by correct measures included in the Fiscal Code.“



    Many, however, blame Ponta for a perpetually conflicting relationship with former president Traian Basescu, to the detriment of the country, for alleged corruption, and for losing the run for the presidency in 2014.




    Postal Voting for Romanians Living Abroad

    Romanias Constitutional Court ruled unanimously that the new law on postal voting is in conformity with the countrys Constitution, and President Klaus Iohannis endorsed it on Thursday. The document provides for the voters with their residence abroad wishing to cast their votes to register with the Election Registry by means of an application filed personally or sent by mail to the diplomatic mission or consulate in their country of residence. Registration is not available on-line.



    The alternative offered by postal voting aims to fix the irregularities marring the November 2014 presidential elections, and to allow thousands of Romanians to express their option. The first application of the law comes in next years parliamentary elections. If it proves itself, it may be broadened to apply to the presidential and European Parliament elections as well.



    Romania and the Fight against Corruption


    Terrorism is effective only when it strikes fear into the hearts of people, says president Klaus Iohannis, referring to last weeks tragic terrorist attacks in the French capital city, which also killed two Romanians.



    Klaus Iohannis: “If we were to let ourselves be overwhelmed by fear, only then would terrorists achieve their true goal, and we shouldnt let this happen. We should not let xenophobia, ultra-nationalism and chauvinism govern our societies. On no account must we allow this fear to breed hate speech against a religious community that was in no way related to the attacks.



    An ally and friend of France at NATO and EU level, Romania has joined in the measures adopted by the international community in an attempt to prevent such tragic events from happening. The president said that no special measures will be taken concerning the Muslim population in Romania, out of respect for ethnic and religious minorities. Most Tartar and Turkish ethnics are clustered in the south-east, and the 70,000 Muslims residing in Romania are a model of integration and loyalty towards the Romanian state.



    Colectiv Fire Death Toll Rises


    Three weeks after the Colectiv nightclub fire in Bucharest, the death toll continues to rise, closing in to the 60 mark. Of the 40 patients with burn injuries being treated in hospitals in Bucharest, over 10 are in critical care. Another 30 patients were transfered to medical units abroad. The fire at the Colectiv nightclub broke out during a rock concert attended by several hundred people. A large number of people died from their burn injuries, while many others after becoming intoxicated with a deadly mix of gases resulted from the fire.

  • Romania and the anti-terror fight

    Romania and the anti-terror fight

    Less than a year after the massacre perpetrated by Jihadists on the journalists of the satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo, terrorists hit Paris again, leaving behind many dead and wounded. Among the dead there are two Romanians, parents of two children.



    An ally of France within NATO and a partner within the European Union, Romania has promptly adopted the measures taken by the international community to prevent such horrendous attacks from happening again. Against the backdrop of debates in Bucharest regarding the quotas of refugees coming from the Middle East and Northern Africa, among whom many Jihadists can infiltrate, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis underlined that, just like other central-European states, Romania is not a favorite destination for the migrants.



    Terrorism works only if it causes fear, the Romanian President said. Klaus Iohannis: “If we allow fear to permeate all social strata of our countries, then the terrorists can say they have reached their true objective, and we are not allowed to let something like this happen. We are not allowed to let Xenophobia, ultra nationalism and Chauvinism become relevant in our societies. We are not allowed to let this fear stigmatize certain religious communities that have no guilt in this matter”.



    Out of respect for ethnic and religious minorities, the Muslim population in Romania will not be subject to special measures, President Iohannis added. Made up mostly of ethnic Tartars and Turks, the largest Muslim community in Romania is located in Dobrogea (in the south east), a province that for hundreds of years was under the Ottoman rule. The almost 70 thousand Muslims in Romania are both a model of integration and loyalty to the Romanian state.



    Both communities are represented, just like the other ethnic minorities, in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies. In the early 2000, when the Army participated in the antiterrorist campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, the spokesperson for the Romanian Defense Ministry was a very popular officer of Turkish origin. And the head of the Muslim denomination in Romania, Mufti Murat Iusuf, unequivocally condemned the acts of cruelty committed in Paris as well as the masterminds of such attacks.



    Mufti Murat Iusuf: “First of all, these acts are crimes against humanity. These crimes have nothing to do with Islam, and the fact that these people consider themselves followers of Islam is not relevant. I have called once again on all religious leaders to work out solutions so as to do away with such groups from our religious communities! We no longer want to have within our communities people who wrongly interpret the Holy Quran. There is a very clear verse in chapter 5 that reads: whoever kills a person, it is as though he has killed all mankind. “



    The Mufti Office in Romania also expressed deep compassion for the families of those killed in Paris and extended condolences to the French Embassy in Bucharest.


    (translated by Lacramioara Simion; edited by Diana Vijeu)

  • November 19, 2015 UPDATE

    November 19, 2015 UPDATE

    CEREMONY – The Slovakian town of Zvolen, which is home to the largest Romanian Armed Forces Cemetery abroad and where over 11,000 Romanian soldiers are buried, on Thursday hosted paying tribute to the Romanian military who contributed to the liberation of Czechoslovakia in the Second World War. The presidents of Romania and Slovakia, Klaus Iohannis and Andrej Kiska respectively, brought floral tributes and awarded decorations to a number of war veterans. On Wednesday in Bratislava, Iohannis said Romania and Slovakia are not destinations for refugees. The Slovakian president said the European states must be united and take measures to prevent events like those in Paris from happening again. Romanias president also had talks with Slovakias Prime Minister Robert Fico and representatives of young Romanian professionals working in Bratislava.



    CABINET – The first session of the new Government led by Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Thursday focused on the draft budget for 2016, administrative reforms and the rate of absorbing EU funds. As regards the structure of the ministries, Ciolos said that only five of them would be affected by minor changes. The Labour Ministry will also have social dialogue competences, while the new Ministry for Public Consultations will have a structure of its own, being aimed at opening up a dialogue with civil society. Dacian Ciolos is a former European commissioner for agriculture and his ministers are mostly people with no political affiliations and with experience working in the private sector, European institutions and civil society.



    JHA – Romanias Interior Minister Petre Toba on Friday is attending the emergency meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, which convenes to address the tragic terrorist attacks in France last week. According to the Romanian Interior Ministry, talks will approach ways of consolidating EU response to the attacks and such topics as strengthening external border controls, weapon trafficking, the European Passenger Name Record (PNR) and terrorism financing.



    DEFICIT – Romania had the largest VAT collection deficit in Central and Eastern Europe, standing at 41.1% in 2013, reads a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers release. The smallest deficit at EU level was reported in the Czech Republic, 22.4%. Low collection rates were also reported in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, informs PwC. According to the consultancy company, in recent years countries like Romania, Slovakia and Poland carried out reforms of their taxation systems and modernization projects aimed at curbing the VAT collection deficit, which accounts for 27 billion euros every year in this region.



    PARIS ATTACKS – French MPs on Thursday voted a draft law providing for a 3-month extension of the state of emergency declared shortly after last Fridays terrorist attacks in Paris. Giving increased liberty of action to the riot police, the bill will be debated in the Senate on Friday. The Prosecutor General of Paris on Thursday confirmed the death of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the alleged mastermind behind the Paris attacks, who was killed in Wednesdays anti-terrorist swoop in Saint-Denis, a northern Paris suburb. Two people were killed and eight were arrested in the operation. The Islamic State has warned it had other targets in countries involved in the offensive in areas controlled by the terrorist group in Syria and Iraq.



    CORRUPTION – The Chief Prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania on Thursday called on the Senate the greenlight the pre-trial detention and arrest of Senator Dan Sova in a new corruption case for influence peddling. Prosecutors say in the 2011-2014 period, Sova, a former Transport Minister in the Victor Ponta Cabinet, demanded and recieved 100,000 euros in bribes for striking a deal between CET Govora and a law firm. CET Govora Director Miha Balan was also arrested on Thursday by anti-corruption prosecutors. We recall that in March too the Directorate called on the Senate to greenlight the detention and arrest of Sova in a corruption investigation involving the Turceni and Rovinari energy companies. Sova was indicted for corruption alongside former Prime Minister Victor Ponta.



    COLECTIV – Another patient who suffered burn injuries in the Colectiv nightclub fire on October 30 in Bucharest died on Thursday in a hospital in the capital city, raising the death toll to 57. The Romanian health minister on Thursday announced that another 44 patients are still receiving specialized treatment in hospitals in Bucharest, of whom 11 are critical and 33 stable. Another 33 patients were transferred to hospitals abroad.



    GAUDEAMUS – The Gaudeamus International Book Fair organised by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation is under way in Bucharest. Held until Sunday, the fair brings together over 300 publishing houses and hosts 700 different events. This years guest of honour is the Group of Francophone Embassies, Delegations and Institutions in Romania (GADIF).



    TENNIS – The pair made up of Romanian Florin Mergea and Rohan Bopanna of India sustained their first defeat at the ATP World Tour Finals underway in London. The two lost to Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fogninia of Italy in the last group fixture. Mergea and Bopanna have already qualified to the semi-finals, after winning their first two games. In turn, the pair made up of Horia Tecau of Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands have also made headway to the semi-finals. On Friday, the two will play their last group fixture against Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut of France. Romania for the first time has two representatives at the ATP World Tour Finals, totalling prizes worth 7 million dollars and bringing together the best performing eight players and eight doubles pairs of the 2015 season.


    (translated by V. Palcu)

  • French police swoop on attacks suspects in Paris suburb

    French police swoop on attacks suspects in Paris suburb

    A deadly standoff between French police special forces and two suspects wanted in connection with Fridays terror attacks in the French capital city began in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the northern Paris suburb of Saint Denis.



    Two suspects are reported to have been killed, including a woman who blew herself up using a suicide belt. Another three suspects are now in police custody, according to the French media reports. According to the French police, four officers have been injured during the swoop. Several blasts were also reported during the raid.



    The operation is allegedly targeting Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the person believed to be behind the terrorist attacks on Friday that killed 129 people and left more than 350 wounded. Abaaoud, who was originally reported to have fled to Syria, was seen getting holed up in a flat in the Saint Denis area, close to one of the Paris districts where suicide attackers detonated bombs on Friday.



    SWAT Teams are now on the scene in an attempt to close all the exits. The French army is also securing a perimeter around the operation. Local residents have been evacuated and a large area around Jean Jaures Square has been sealed off.

  • November 17, 2015 UPDATE

    November 17, 2015 UPDATE

    The Parliament of Romania Tuesday validated the technocratic cabinet proposed by the PM designate Dacian Cioloş. The new Cabinet members were sworn in at Cotroceni Palace on Tuesday night, in
    the presence of President Klaus Iohannis. Cioloş, a former European Commissioner for Agriculture, nominated candidates from diplomacy, the private sector, European institutions and civil society. The governing programme includes, among others, goals such as the revision of major investment projects, reforms in education and healthcare, strengthening the rule of law and the proper organisation of the legislative and local elections due next year. The head of state, Klaus Iohannis, designated Cioloş for the PM post after early this month the Social Democrat Victor Ponta stepped down further to large-scale street protests.



    The Romanian Foreign Ministry notifies the Romanian citizens who travel to or transit France that a state of emergency is still valid throughout that country and border checks are still in place. The state of emergency enables the French authorities to control the movement of people and establish protected and high-security areas. Airports and railway stations remain open across the country. The Romanian Embassy in Paris reiterates that those who have information regarding Romanian citizens experiencing difficulties or emergencies may contact the diplomatic mission.



    The EU Member states will support France in its fight against the IS group by all means available, including their military. A political decision to this effect was made on Tuesday in Brussels, where Member States unanimously approved Frances request for the activation of the Lisbon Treatys mutual defence clause. It is for the first time that this EU Treaty clause is invoked. While in Paris on Monday the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, promised that France and the US will fight together and defeat together the jihadist group. In turn, the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Francois Hollande have agreed on the coordination of the two countries military forces. The investigations conducted in the wake of the attacks indicate that a Moroccan-born Belgian citizen is the mastermind of the attack. Many individuals have been arrested and weapons seized in searches conducted on French territory. As many as 129 people died and more than 350 were wounded in Fridays attacks in Paris.



    The head of the Muslim cult in Romania, mufti Murat Iusuf, once again condemned on Tuesday the barbaric attack in Paris and its perpetrators. In an interview to Radio Romania, he called on all Muslim families in Romania to make sure their children receive religious education only in the mosques with authorised imams. More than 80 mosques are located in Romania at present. Most of the countrys Muslim population, totalling over 67 thousand people, live in the counties of Constanţa and Tulcea in the south-east.

  • November 17, 2015

    November 17, 2015

    GOVERNMENT – The government of technocrats named by Romanian prime minister designate, Dacian Ciolos received Parliament’s vote of confidence on Tuesday. Former European Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian Ciolos nominated experienced people from diplomacy, the private sector, European institutions and civil society. The government programme provides among other things for the revision of big investment projects, education and healthcare reforms, the consolidation of the rule of law and the organization of next year’s parliamentary and local elections in conditions that should not give rise to suspicions, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has designated Ciolos as prime minister after in early November, Social Democrat prime minister Victor Ponta handed in his resignation against the backdrop of large-scale protest rallies.



    COLECTIV – 52 people, 12 of whom are in a critical condition, are still hospitalized and some 40 patients undergo treatment abroad in the wake of the tragedy at a Bucharest nightclub in late October. On Monday, the authorities reported the 56th dead person at a hospital in Bucharest. We recall that the tragedy occurred during a rock concert attended by a few hundred people. Scores of people had severe burns caused by the fire sparked by a pyrotechnical show, but the large number of dead is due to the mix of toxic substances people had inhaled.



    MOLDOVA – Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis said that when the neighbouring ex-Soviet Republic of Moldova with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population had a new government with a guaranteed pro-European orientation, the talks on the loan to be granted by Romania to that country would be resumed. The Romanian president explained that submitting again the law on granting a reimbursable loan of 150 million euros to Chisinau to Parliament was the most adequate solution for negotiations to be held by the next Romanian and Moldovan governments. Consultations on designating a prime minister continue in Chisinau. The former cabinet of Liberal Democrat Valeriu Strelet was dismissed following the no-confidence motion filed by the socialist and communist opposition, also voted by the Democratic Party.



    PARIS ATTACKS – US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who had arrived in Paris on Monday evening to prove the powerful relationship between the USA and France, said that the USA would stand “shoulder- to- shoulder” with France in determination to defeat the Islamic State, that had claimed responsibility for Friday’s attacks in Paris. In turn, NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO and the EU must cooperate more closely to prevent such attacks as those perpetrated in France. The investigations made so far reveal that a Moroccan-born Belgian citizen is the mastermind of the terrorist attacks. Lots of people have been arrested and dozens of guns have been seized following the searches made on French soil. The latest toll indicates that Friday’s attacks left 129 dead and over 350 wounded.



    CRASH – The crash of the Russian passenger jet over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt on October 31st was a terrorist bomb attack without a shadow of a doubt, Russian president Vladimir Putin said today. Moscow has announced a reward of 50 million dollars for information about the authors of the attack, claimed by the Islamic State. The hypothesis of a bomb attack advanced by US president, Barack Obama and British Prime Minister, David Camerron had so far been rejected by Russia. 224 people died in the crash of the jet bound from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, the biggest air disaster in the history of Russia.



    FOOTBALL – In Bologna, Romania’s national football squad are tonight taking on the Italian team in a training match. Described by the media in Bucharest as a friendly match to be played by the Romanian team with a strong team that was world champion four times, the match is prior to the two teams’ participation in the European Championship due in France in 2016. Romania won five matches and ended five matches in a draw, ranking second in Group F, thus qualifying to the European Championship, along with the group leader, Northern Ireland.



    TENNIS – The pair made up of Romanian Florin Mergea and Indian Rohan Bopanna is today taking on the British-Australian pair Jamie Murray-John Peers in the second match in the ATP World Tour Finals in London. On Sunday, in their first match, Mergea and Bopanna beat the American pair Bob and Mike Bryan 6-4, 6-3. On Monday, the pair made up of Romanian Horia Tecau and Dutch Jean Julien Rojer defeated the pair made up of Polish Marcin Matkowski and Serbian Nenad Zimonjic. Romania for the first time has two representatives in that tournament with prize money of seven million dollars.




  • November 16, 2015 UPDATE

    November 16, 2015 UPDATE

    France is not engaged in a war of civilizations because those assassins don’t represent any civilization- said Monday the French President François Hollande before the joint chambers of Parliament. President Hollande has called on the French people to show unity after Friday’s attacks that killed about 130 people, among whom two Romanian citizens, and wounded 350. Previously, the prime minister Manuel Valls warned that France had to be prepared for further attacks, that could take place in other European countries as well, in the coming days and weeks. The investigations undertaken in the wake of the attacks show that a Belgian citizen of Moroccan origin is the mastermind of the terrorist attack. Investigators say the suspect, Abdulhamid Abaaoud, aged 27, is now in Syria, with the Islamic state group. Many people have been arrested and tens of firearms confiscated following searches made across France. Another operation took place in Belgium, Brussels, where explosions and gunfire could be heard in a district with a majority Muslim population.



    European countries and EU officials on Monday launched in Brussels an appeal to unity in order to fight terrorism after Friday’s attacks in Paris. Attending a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels, the EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini called on Europeans to join forces in front of the terrorist threat. The European officials also talked about plans to set up, by the end of 2015, along the so-called refugee route through the Western Balkans, in Macedonia and Serbia, 50 thousand camps to temporarily accommodate the immigrants. An equal number of camps is supposed to be set up in Greece.



    The Romanian Parliament will vote on Tuesday for the new government formed by the prime minister designate Dacian Ciolos and for his governing program. A former European Commissioner for Agriculture, Ciolos formed a government team dominated by technocrats, with no political affiliation, who have experience in the private sector, the European institutions and civil society. His governing program includes the revision of investment programs and reforms in the education and healthcare systems. The designation of Dacian Ciolos by President Klaus Iohannis to form a new government follows the resignation, early this month, of the government led by Social Democrat Victor Ponta.



    The former Social-Democrat minister of finance, Darius Vâlcov, on Monday was subject to legal restrictions pending trial for 60 days, in a corruption case in which the National Anti-Corruption Directorate prosecutors accuse him of bribe taking and influence peddling. Vâlcov is supposed to have committed the illegal acts when he was mayor of Slatina (a town in the south) and also afterwards. Between 2012- 2014 he allegedly received almost 1 million euros accounting for 10-15% of the value of some public services contracts. Vâlcov is also being investigated by the anti-corruption prosecutors in another 2 cases on similar charges. Also on Monday the state secretary with the Health Ministry Alin Tucmeanu was heard by the anti-corruption prosecutors in a corruption case. According to judicial sources he is supposed to have taken bribe in exchange for granting certain contracts. In this case prosecutors have searched both the Health Ministry headquarters and the state secretary’s house.



    Another patient injured in the October 30th fire in the “Colectiv” nightclub in Bucharest died Monday in a Bucharest hospital, raising the death toll to 56. The Health Ministry announced 55 people injured in the fire are still in hospital in the capital Bucharest. 12 of them are in a critical and serious condition. Another 28 wounded are being treated in hospitals from abroad. We recall that the fire broke out during a rock concert attended by hundreds of people. The fire started from the fireworks used during the concert. Many of the people in the concert hall sustained burns but most of them died of poisoning with toxic fumes.



    The Romanian –Dutch pair Horia Tecău/ Jean-Julien Rojer on Monday won their opening match of the 2015 London ATP World Tour Finals defeating 6-2, 6-4 the pair Marcin Matkowski (Poland)/Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia). On Sunday in the other group of the tournament the duo made up of Romanian Florin Mergea and Indian Rohan Bopanna won 6-4, 6-3 the match against the American pair Bob and Mike Bryan. On Tuesday Mergea and Bopanna will play against the British-Australian pair Jamie Murray/ John Peers. The World Tour Finals, which has prizes up for grabs worth 7 million dollars, lines up the best 8 players of the 2015 season, as well as the best 8 men’s pairs in the doubles competition.



    Romania’s national football team will take on the Italian eleven on Tuesday evening, in Bologna, in an away training match. The friendly match is part of a series of matches played before the two teams’ participation in the finals of the European Championships, scheduled for the summer of 2016 in France. With 5 victories and 5 draws in 10 matches Romania’s team ended 2nd, last month, in the preliminary group F and directly qualified to the Euro 2016 alongside Northern Ireland. The group also included Hungary, Finland, the Faeroe Islands and Greece.

  • November 14, 2015 UPDATE

    November 14, 2015 UPDATE

    The French President Francois Hollande on Saturday announced three days of national mourning following Friday night’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed almost 130 people, according to a provisional death toll. According to the French prosecutor, François Molins, over 350 people have been wounded, of whom almost 100 are in a serious condition. The Romanian Foreign Ministry informed that two Romanian citizens are among the dead. Another two Romanians have been slightly injured: one is in hospital and the other has already been discharged. The Jihadist group the Islamic State has claimed the attacks. “France will have no pity” said the French president who asked the French people to be united and keep a cold head. Following the tragedy, a state of emergency was declared in France and temporary customs controls have been reintroduced. 6 near-simultaneous attacks took place in various locations in Paris. Tens of people were taken hostage and killed in the famous Bataclan concert hall where a rock concert was under way. Explosions were heard in the “Stade de France” area in the north, and also in the east and center, where the terrorists opened fire on crowded places. According to the French prosecutor, François Molins, there were three teams of attackers involved in the assault on Paris, some of them being from Syria and Iraq. 7 terrorists died during the attacks.



    The French ambassador to Bucharest, François Saint-Paul, on Saturday thanked the Romanian authorities for the support provided after Friday night’s terrorist attacks in Paris and for the solidarity messages received. According to the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis these attacks should be a signal for the entire international community that should become more determined to fight terrorism and defend human values. A book of condolence has been placed at the French embassy in Bucharest in which various public personalities from Romania recorded their condolence messages. On Sunday afternoon a meeting for solidarity and unity will be held in front of the French embassy in Bucharest for all the French citizens who want to express their support and show solidarity, a meeting at which Romanian citizens are also expected. In Paris, in sign of solidarity with the French people, the Romanian embassy lowered the national flag at half-mast. In another development, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has activated a crisis unit and the Romanian Intelligence Service pointed out that the level of terrorist alert would not be changed.



    13 people who were injured in the October 30th fire in the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest continue to be in a critical state. According to data provided by the Health Ministry, on Saturday morning 56 people were still in the care of Bucharest hospitals and around 30 are being treated in Great Britain, Belgium, Austria, Israel and the Netherlands. So far 55 young people have died following the terrible fire. The fire at the rock concert that was attended by several hundreds people started from the fireworks used in the show. Many of the people who were in the club on October 30th sustained burns but the great number of deaths was due to poisoning with toxic fumes.



    The unprecedented attacks in Paris marked Saturday’s meeting in Vienna focusing on the situation in Syria. The meeting was attended by representatives from 20 countries and international organizations. More determined than ever to fight terrorism, the participants agreed on a concrete timetable regarding the formation of a Syrian transition government in the next 6 months and the organization of elections in the next 18 months. In spite of all that, there are still divergent opinions on the situation in Syria. While Russia and Iran support Damascus, the US and its European and Arab allies support certain groups in opposition and ask for the resignation of the Syrian president Bashar al Assad. Another international meeting on the Syrian issue will take place in about one month.



    The structure of the new Romanian government and the governing program are expected to be presented by Sunday. The hearing of the future ministers is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday when Parliament is expected to vote for the new ministers. The prime minister designate Dacian Ciolos has not ruled out a new round of negotiations with some parliamentary parties ahead of presenting the list of ministers. We recall that in the wake of the devastating fire in the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, the Social Democrat PM Victor Ponta resigned following the pressure of the street protests in which tens of thousands of Romanians participated. The protesters denounced the corruption of the central and local authorities.

  • November 14, 2015

    November 14, 2015

    The French President Francois Hollande on Saturday announced three days of national mourning following Friday night’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 128 people, among whom 2 Romanian citizens, and wounded more than 250. The Jihadist group the Islamic State has claimed the attacks. “France will have not pity” said the French president who asked the French people to be united and keep a cold head. Following the tragedy the state of emergency was declared in France and temporary customs controls have been reintroduced. The 6 near-simultaneous attacks took place in various locations in Paris. Tens of people were taken hostage and killed in a concert hall where a rock concert was under way. Explosions were heard in the “Stade de France” area in the north, in the east and center, where the terrorists opened fire in crowded places. The 8 attackers were killed, seven being suicide bombers. In Bucharest the Romanian Foreign Ministry has activated a crisis unit, pointing out that a Romanian citizen was slightly wounded in the attacks. The Romanian Intelligence Service announced the level of terror alert would not be changed. The international community condemned the attacks in Paris labeled as cowardly and barbaric acts. The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said these attacks that killed innocent people should be a signal for the entire international community that should prove more determined to fight terrorism and defend human values.



    The structure of the new Romanian government and the governing program will be presented Saturday or Sunday at the latest. The hearing of the future ministers is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday when Parliament is expected to vote for the new ministers. The prime minister designate Dacian Ciolos has not ruled out a new round of negotiations with some parliamentary parties ahead of presenting the list of ministers. After the first talks the National Liberal Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the national minorities group have announced their unconditional support for the new government. The Social Democratic Party, the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania are waiting to see the new ministers and the governing program before announcing their support.



    14 people who were injured in the October 30th fire in a Bucharest nightclub continue to be in a critical state. So far 55 young people have died following the terrible fire. At present over 60 patients are in hospitals in Bucharest and around 30 are being treated in Great Britain, Belgium, Austria, Israel and the Netherlands. The fire started from the fireworks used in the show. Many of the people who were in the club on October 30th died due to poisoning with toxic fumes.



    As many as 20 countries and international organizations are meeting today in Vienna in an attempt to reach an agreement over the ways to ensure the political transition and Syria and over a possible truce between the regime in Damascus and the different factions in opposition. Washington and Moscow have different viewpoints on the Syrian crisis. Russia and Iran support Damascus while the US and its European and Arab allies support certain groups in opposition and ask for the resignation of the Syrian president Bashar al Assad. A first round of negotiations regarding the situation in Syria took place in Vienna at the end of October. Then, Moscow proposed a plan, which includes, among others, an 18- month process of constitutional reform followed by elections. The plan was rejected by the West, though.

  • November 14, 2015

    November 14, 2015

    The French President Francois Hollande on Saturday announced three days of national mourning following Friday night’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 128 people, among whom 2 Romanian citizens, and wounded more than 250. The Jihadist group the Islamic State has claimed the attacks. “France will have not pity” said the French president who asked the French people to be united and keep a cold head. Following the tragedy the state of emergency was declared in France and temporary customs controls have been reintroduced. The 6 near-simultaneous attacks took place in various locations in Paris. Tens of people were taken hostage and killed in a concert hall where a rock concert was under way. Explosions were heard in the “Stade de France” area in the north, in the east and center, where the terrorists opened fire in crowded places. The 8 attackers were killed, seven being suicide bombers. In Bucharest the Romanian Foreign Ministry has activated a crisis unit, pointing out that a Romanian citizen was slightly wounded in the attacks. The Romanian Intelligence Service announced the level of terror alert would not be changed. The international community condemned the attacks in Paris labeled as cowardly and barbaric acts. The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said these attacks that killed innocent people should be a signal for the entire international community that should prove more determined to fight terrorism and defend human values.



    The structure of the new Romanian government and the governing program will be presented Saturday or Sunday at the latest. The hearing of the future ministers is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday when Parliament is expected to vote for the new ministers. The prime minister designate Dacian Ciolos has not ruled out a new round of negotiations with some parliamentary parties ahead of presenting the list of ministers. After the first talks the National Liberal Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the national minorities group have announced their unconditional support for the new government. The Social Democratic Party, the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania are waiting to see the new ministers and the governing program before announcing their support.



    14 people who were injured in the October 30th fire in a Bucharest nightclub continue to be in a critical state. So far 55 young people have died following the terrible fire. At present over 60 patients are in hospitals in Bucharest and around 30 are being treated in Great Britain, Belgium, Austria, Israel and the Netherlands. The fire started from the fireworks used in the show. Many of the people who were in the club on October 30th died due to poisoning with toxic fumes.



    As many as 20 countries and international organizations are meeting today in Vienna in an attempt to reach an agreement over the ways to ensure the political transition and Syria and over a possible truce between the regime in Damascus and the different factions in opposition. Washington and Moscow have different viewpoints on the Syrian crisis. Russia and Iran support Damascus while the US and its European and Arab allies support certain groups in opposition and ask for the resignation of the Syrian president Bashar al Assad. A first round of negotiations regarding the situation in Syria took place in Vienna at the end of October. Then, Moscow proposed a plan, which includes, among others, an 18- month process of constitutional reform followed by elections. The plan was rejected by the West, though.

  • Paris attacks: Death toll rise to 129

    Paris attacks: Death toll rise to 129

    UPDATE (21.00): Death toll rise to 129, with 352 others injured. 99 victims have serious injuries. Several people were arrested in Brussels, in connection with the Paris attacks.



    UPDATE (16.30): Two Romanian nationals died in the Fridays night terror attacks in Paris, Romanias Foreign Ministry (MAE) reported on Saturday. “MAE is hereby informing that the Romanian Embassy in Paris is in contact with the families of the deceased to provide them the necessary consular assistance”, reads a press statement released by Romanias Foreign Ministry.



    Over 140 people were killed and more than 200 others injured in a string of deadly terror attacks in Paris on Friday evening. Gunmen and suicide bombers targeted the national sports stadium, Stade de France, Bataclan Concert Hall and several bars and restaurants in key locations in downtown Paris. Most fatalities were reported at Bataclan Concert Hall, where gunmen shot at hostages.





    President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency throughout the country. Meanwhile the French authorities have tightened border controls and called on Paris residents to stay indoors pending the apprehension of all gunmen and their accomplices. Some 1,500 French troops have been mobilised to help the police in Paris.



    Romanias president Klaus Iohannis expressed his shock at the news of the bloody terrorist attacks that shook Paris on Friday. “On behalf of the Romanian people, I express solidarity with the authorities in Paris and with the French nation. These barbaric attacks that ended the life of scores of innocent people must be a signal for the entire international community, so may show more resolve in combating terrorism and defending human values”, the president said.



    Prime Minister designate Dacian Ciolos posted a similar message on his Facebook profile.



    Meanwhile, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has recommended all Romanians to observe the safety regulations and protocols enforced by French authorities and to avoid traveling to the affected areas.