Radio România Internațional

Tag: partnership

  • The Ratiu family, an important Romanian family in Transylvania

    The Ratiu family, an important Romanian family in Transylvania

    The Rațiu family (Rațiu of Noșlac in Turda) is one of the oldest and most respectable aristocratic families in Transylvania with a history spanning several centuries and roots dating back to the 14th century.

    The existence of this family was first documented during the reign of Sigismund of Luxemburg (1368-1437), with origins in the locality of Noșlac, Alba County (central Romania). Along the centuries, the family received several aristocratic titles, having as ancestor Stefan Rácz of Nagylak (Noșlac), who was made a nobleman by the Transylvanian prince in Alba Iulia in 1625. The Rațius remained the only noble Romanian family in Turda, a city ruled at that time by the Hungarian aristocracy and situated in north-eastern Romania. The other Romanian families had been subjected to the process of Hungarization, and gradually disappeared.

    Out of the leading figures of the Rațiu family, we’d like to mention: Basiliu Rațiu, a Greek-Catholic Archpriest or Ioan Rațiu, one of the main political figures of the 1848 revolution, lawyer and politician, chair of the Romanian National Party and one of the main authors of the “Transylvanian Memorandum”. Along the centuries, the Rațiu family gave lawyers, scholars, politicians and clergymen. The name is strongly related to the fight for the rights of the Romanians in Transylvania and the preservation of the national identity against the assimilation policies.

    A leading figure of the family’s recent history was also Ion Rațiu (1917-2000). Born in Turda, the Cluj County, he was a politician, lawyer, diplomat, businessman, writer and Romanian journalist representative of the inter-war National Peasant Party, which later turned into the Christian-Democratic National Peasants Party. Between 1940 and 1990 he lived in the UK, where together with his wife Elisabeth he founded The Rațiu Family Charitable Foundation back in 1979, which is promoting and supporting projects of education and research into Romania’s culture and history, both in Romania and the UK. The foundation offers scholarships on an annual basis.

    After his return to Romania in 1990, Ion Rațiu got directly involved in the process of rebuilding the National Peasants Party, jointly with another leading political figure after the anti-communist revolution of 1989, Corneliu Coposu. Ion Rațiu ran for the presidential seat during the 1990 election, when he got roughly 5% of the votes, ranking third. He later became an MP. In 1991, Ion Rațiu founded the Cotidianul newspaper, the first private publication after 1989. Pamela Rațiu, a descendant of the family and president of the Rațiu Foundation told us the following about Ion Rațiu’s legacy and his candidature to Romania’s presidency.

    ” You know when you meet people that have given so much of their life in the positive directions and for the country or for the people, it’s really just an honour to sit with them and listen to them and try to take some of them in. I understand why people were taken by him and I take it’s incredible to see in demonstrations today people holding placards with his photograph. And there is a great deal to be said in that he was the best president Romania never had, I do believe and that has become a legacy. I think it was a plus, because I do believe if he had succeeded to becoming president he would have been held back and not allowed to do anything that he could have done. He could have made really serious changes, but he would have had his hands tied as many leaders are by all those around him. So, by not becoming the president he became a role model, which has a legacy, a positive legacy as opposed to those who were in place at that particular time.“

    The Ratiu Foundation has a partnership with the London School of Economics IDEAS ThinkTank. The Ratiu forum focuses on programs for Romania or the Balkan region. It is a platform for free discussion on democracy and the democratic challenges in the Balkan region. The forum brings together academicians, practitioners, and Romanian citizens who share ideas and knowledge about the promotion and support of the democratic values in Romania and its neighbouring states. Also, Ion Ratiu’s cultural heritage includes the Rațiu Democracy Centre, which promotes the democratic values among youngsters, through various initiatives for pupils and students. These initiatives include legislative education programs meant to stimulate youngsters to understand and exert their civic rights and responsibilities.
    Here is what Pamela Ratiu told us, about these educational initiatives

    ” What we do, also, is try to follow in Ion’s footsteps. I mean, everything is about the family, we’re moving forward, we’re taking different steps with our partnerships and the work that we do, that, again, it goes back to the values of the family and where we see a possibility, of bringing…you know…we have the good fortune to bring in this expertise to Romania from around Central-Eastern Europe and the Balkans.”

    Ion Rațiu was one of the most conspicuous democratic figureheads in Romania after December 1989.

  • Loan for modernizing the Army

    Loan for modernizing the Army

    Romania signed a loan agreement with the United States for the modernization of the Army. The signing ceremony took place on Wednesday at the Government headquarters, in the presence of the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the US ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, as well as the director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Michael Miller. 920 million dollars will allow both the strengthening of the defense capacity, by equipping the army with modern technology, and the development of the relevant national industry, said Prime Minister Ciolacu, underlining that this significant loan shows, at the same time, the trust and the status that Romania enjoys in the relationship with its strategic partner, the United States.

     

    Marcel Ciolacu: ʺToday Romania joins a very small group of key partner states of the United States that have so far benefited from this program developed through the US Fund for financing and I am glad that we will use this money both to strengthen Romania’s defense capacity by equipping it with modern technology, and to develop the local defense industry. We will develop new production capacities in Romania, we will create jobs for Romanians and we will become relevant again in terms of the production of military equipment at the regional level. At the same time, we will have access to state-of-the-art military equipment, which will help us work together with the United States and our NATO allies to strengthen collective defense and deter threats to Romania and the countries on the Eastern flank of the Alliance.ʺ

     

    In turn, Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec believes that the signed agreement is more than a financial one, it represents the strength and resilience of the bilateral partnership, as well as the joint commitment of the United States and Romania to ensuring peace, stability and security in the region. According to Mrs. Kavalec, in the 20 years of NATO membership, Romania has demonstrated countless times that it is a reliable ally and a pillar of stability along the eastern flank of the Alliance and in the Black Sea region. By offering American funds, Washington’s goal is to ensure that Romania remains at the forefront of innovation and military equipment for many years to come, which will equally strengthen bilateral economic relations, Kathleen Kavalec added. She also mentioned, in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Romania’s exemplary response, from hosting thousands of Ukrainian refugees to facilitating grain transit and training the Ukrainian pilots on F-16s. (LS)

  • The Week in Review 16-20.09.2024

    The Week in Review 16-20.09.2024

    Aid for victims

     

    Like the authorities in several European states, the Romanian authorities have also been on alert this week, after the severe floods that hit eastern Romania. Refugee camps have been set up and rescue operations have been organized following the floods that killed seven people and destroyed thousands of homes. A crisis cell was organized at the Health Ministry to provide medical assistance to the residents of Galaţi and Vaslui counties, the most affected by the floods. The Interior and Defense Ministries have mobilized hundreds of firefighters, gendarmes, soldiers, as well as equipment to help evacuate the victims and intervene in the restoration of the infrastructure destroyed by the waters. Camps with capacities of hundreds of places were set up in the most affected localities. And the Romanian Red Cross launched a disaster relief campaign and sent trucks with water and food to the area. The Romanian Government also allocated food and water and approved the removal from state reserves of some modular buildings where children can learn. It also approved, in the special meeting on Monday, emergency aid for the affected families. The Romanian authorities continue to promise support for the affected population. And the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a 10-billion-Euro worth of aid from the EU Cohesion Fund for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania, affected by floods.

     

    Supreme Council for National Defense meeting in Bucharest

     

    A meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT) took place in Bucharest on Thursday. The war in neighboring Ukraine, the endowment of the Army in the next ten years, as well as the strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the Republic of Moldova were among the main topics of discussion. The CSAT members stated that Romania is directly interested in having industrial capacities on its territory that can ensure both the production of modern military equipment for equipping the force structure in peacetime, as well as the development of new equipment for multiplying military capabilities in crisis or war situations. Given the recent developments in the neighboring country, the CSAT members discussed additional measures to deter and combat security threats, to be implemented at the national level, as well as with the support of NATO allies. On the other hand, Romania reiterated its support for Moldova’s European path by supporting the implementation of reforms and the necessary public policies.

     

    B9 meeting in Bucharest

     

    NATO must react to Russia’s incursions into the airspace of its member countries, in the context of the war in Ukraine, says the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr. At the B9 meeting in Bucharest of the defense ministers from the allied states on NATO’s eastern flank, the Romanian official said that the security situation in the Black Sea region remains worrying due to the threats generated by the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, including through disinformation and cyber-attacks.

    Angel Tîlvăr: “The B9 states are deeply concerned about the repeated incursions of the Russian Federation drones and missiles into the NATO airspace in Poland, Romania, Latvia, as well as about the escalation of tensions along NATO’s borders. That is why a robust and coordinated response at the allied level is necessary, as well as the implementation as soon as possible of the rotational model of NATO’s integrated air and anti-missile defense”.

    Also on Wednesday, in Bucharest, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha asked Romania to analyze the possibility of shooting down the Russian drones and missiles near the Romanian airspace. During the meeting with his counterpart Luminiţa Odobescu, he appreciated the support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence through Romania’s decision to donate a Patriot system. The Romanian FM reaffirmed Romania’s full support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

     

    Roxana Mânzatu, vice-president of the European Commission

     

    Romania has, for the first time, a position of vice-president of the European Commission, which will be occupied by the social-democratic MEP Roxana Mînzatu, a former minister of investments and European projects in Bucharest. The announcement was made by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who presented, on Tuesday, the makeup of the new EC. Roxana Mînzatu will also hold, in Brussels, the position of commissioner for Skills and Education, Jobs, Social Rights and Demography. She declared that the field received by Romania, in this case the labor market, is essential for the competitiveness of the EU. After the nomination, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has said that, in this way, Romania becomes part of decision-making in the European Union.

     

    National plan for large industry

     

    The governing coalition in Bucharest decided on Tuesday to complete as quickly as possible the support scheme for the large strategic investments in the manufacturing industry and in metallurgy, steel and the chemical industry. According to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the plan has three main components: a state aid of 500 million Euros and tax facilities for investments of over 150 million Euros, another state aid of one billion Euros for six years for the decarbonization of production processes and energy efficiency and a third aid of about 250 million Euros for 15 companies that implement investments in the production of industrial raw materials.

     

    Partnership for the prevention of child trafficking

     

    The Romanian and American governments have signed a framework partnership in the field of child protection, intended to unfold over a period of five years. The US Ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, has given assurances that the United States will support Romania in its efforts to develop a victim-centered prevention strategy, to increase protection for children who are victims of trafficking and to improve its investigations. In turn, the Romanian Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, has said that the signing of the partnership is a continuation of other collaborations and shows the determination of the Romanian authorities to combat child abuse in any form. Romania is the first country in Europe that will benefit from American financial support worth 10 million dollars for the improvement of the national system for preventing and combating child trafficking. (LS)

  • CSAT and Regional Security

    CSAT and Regional Security

    Romania is directly interested in having on its own territory industrial capabilities that can ensure the output of modern military equipment to fit its armed forces in times of peace as well as in developing new equipment to contribute to the multiplication of its military capabilities in situations of crises and war – this is one of the conclusion of the country’s Higher Defence Council, also known as CSAT. Summoned on Thursday by the country’s president, Klaus Iohannis, the CSAT members held talks over the plan of fitting the Romanian armed forces with the right type of equipment and technologies for the following 10 years – 2025-2034 after the major changes in the regional security situation prompted by the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

    According to the CSAT members, raising budget funds for defence is also going to have an effect over Romania’s field industry, which has the opportunity of initiating a process of transformation, streamlining and adjustment by attracting new, state-of-the-art technologies as well as cooperation with field companies of international repute.

    Against the latest developments in Ukraine, the Council also tackled additional measures of deterring and combating security threats to be implemented at national level with support from NATO allies.

    Consolidating the strategic partnership with the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova was also high on the agenda. Romania again reiterated its support for the European headway made by the small ex-Soviet republic by assisting it in implementing reforms and the required public policies, without neglecting the challenges Chisinau is presently facing against the background of the hybrid threats mounted by the Russian Federation and the war against Ukraine.

    These threats and risks are also having, in most of the cases, implications for Romania. And for this reason, the main objective of Bucharest’s foreign policy, concerning the Republic of Moldova, is supporting and ensuring the irreversibility of its European roadmap on the basis of the bilateral Consolidated Partnership, the Presidential Administration has announced. .

    Last, but not least, the CSAT members analyzed and approved the National Plan of Implementing the Civil Pact in the field of Common Security Policy and Defence as a new one had been endorsed at EU level.

    The pact is aimed at increasing the flexibility and robustness of the civil missions at community level, as well as their reaction speed in the process of handling crises in spite of limited resources.

    According to the Presidential Administration, the document will ease the effectiveness of Romania’s involvement in civil missions in the field of Common Security and Defence Policy, and better capitalize on the Romanian expertise in the field.

    (bill)

  • Romania gets $ 10 million to fight human and child trafficking

    Romania gets $ 10 million to fight human and child trafficking

     

     

  • September 6, 2024

    September 6, 2024

    EXPO “As strategic partners and as NATO allies we stand together in the face of Russia’s unprovoked and illegal aggression to support Ukraine and strengthen collective deterrence and defence within the Alliance”. The statement belongs to the ambassador of the United States in Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec and was made during the photo exhibition marking 25 years of Strategic Partnership between the two countries inaugurated in Galati, Romania’s biggest port on the Danube. Entitled “We the people” the aforementioned photo exhibit is exploring the security, diplomatic, cultural, economic relations between the two peoples.

     

    RELATIONS Romania’s Chamber of Trade and Industry, also known as CCIRR, has extensively promoted the economic relations with Japan and Romania can represent a business opportunity for Japanese companies given the performances obtained by the Romanian entrepreneurs in the fields of IT&C, green energy and innovative technologies – the CCIRR president Mihai Daraban said. On Thursday he had an official meeting with the Japanese ambassador in Bucharest, Katae Takashi, who underlined the importance and potential of the economic cooperation between the two countries. The diplomat says that Japan sees Romania as a strategic partner in Eastern Europe and encourages the Japanese investors to explore the business and investment opportunities here.

     

    EDUCATION Poverty is severely affecting school performance, training practices are discriminatory, some students end up unmotivated and most of them would like to emigrate – a report drawn up by the Save the Children organization says. According to European data, school dropout is affecting an increasing number of Romanian children. A 16% dropout rate was reported among the students in Romania’s secondary education in the 2022-2023 school year and 25% among high-schoolers. High dropout discrepancies have been reported in various environments, 3% in the big cities, 14% in the country’s smaller cities and 27% in the villages. At national level, two out of five students in the country’s secondary education system have failed to pass their final exams. Their number is 2.5% higher in the rural area.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side is today making its debut in the fresh season of the Nations league. The Romanians will be first taking on Kosovo away, while on September 9 they will be playing Lithuania in a home game. Romania’s group C also includes Cyprus. A first place means direct promotion to the B League whereas the runner-up will play a tie match to get promotion. A fourth position means demotion to the D League, whereas a third position will keep our side in the same C League until the next edition. Our side’s qualification for the Nations League’s group will have a direct effect over the European preliminaries for World Cup 2026. The Romanian national side is being coached by a football and coaching legend, Mircea Lucescu, who comes back at its helm after an absence of almost four decades. The former headcoach, Edward Iordanescu, stepped down after Euro 2024, when Romania had made it to the round of 16.

     

    WEATHER The weather remains warm in Romania, but it’s expected to gradually turn unstable. Showers have been reported in the east, south and south-west and are to extend to the other regions in the next couple of hours. The highs of the day are ranging between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius, with 27 degrees in Bucharest at noon. Hydrologists have today issued a code yellow alert for flooding for six counties in the country’s east and south-east.

    (bill)

     

  • January 10, 2024

    January 10, 2024

    Economy – The Romanian economy grew by 1.8% last year, by 0.8 % less than previously estimated, shows a World Bank report. The report also revised downwards the estimates regarding the evolution of the Romanian economy in 2024 and 2025, when the growth rate of the Gross Domestic Product would be 3.3% and 3.8%, respectively. According to the World Bank, the world economy will slow down for the third consecutive year, up to 2.4%.



    Partnership – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, congratulated Gabriel Attal on his nomination to the position of Prime Minister of France. The Romanian PM states that he is ready to work together with his new counterpart to strengthen the Romanian – French strategic partnership. Attal, a former Education Minister, was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron to form the new government of France, after the former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned. At 34, Gabriel Attal, with studies in political sciences, becomes the youngest prime minister in the history of France, according to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris.



    Free travel – Almost 2,000 young Romanians aged 18 will receive a free travel permit to explore the diversity of Europe, as part of the DiscoverEU initiative, a program funded by Erasmus+. They will travel mainly by train between March 2024 and May 2025, to learn new things about the history and cultural heritage of Europe and meet people from all over the continent. So far, over 11,600 young Romanians have benefited from such a travel permit.



    Water polo — Romania’s national mens water polo team won Group D of the European Championship in Croatia, after defeating the Slovakian team, score 8-7, on Tuesday evening, in Dubrovnik. In the previous matches, the Romanians defeated the Netherlands and Slovenia. They will play a play-off match for qualification for the quarterfinals against Group B bottom-placed team, Georgia, in Zagreb, on Thursday. At the European Womens Championship, organized in the Netherlands simultaneously with the mens, Romania ranked 14thout of 16 participating teams.



    Flu – At least nine people sick with the flu have died since the beginning of this cold season in Romania. The Romanian Health Ministry announces that there is currently no flu epidemic in the country, but medical units are facing an accelerated increase in the number of respiratory viruses’ cases, especially flu. The situation is also complicated by the acute lack of doctors, the expert in health policies, Emilian Imbri, told Radio Romania News and Current Affairs Channel.



    Under financing – Family doctors in Romania point out that their budget allocation has been reduced by 25% in 2024, compared to 2022. They argue that the system is already underfunded and that the decrease in income will further deepen the already existing shortage of family doctors. The president of the national family doctors’ society, Dina Mergeani, states that the permanent centers operate with the doctors’ own money, they have not yet been paid for the October – December period, and the suspension of their activity would block the emergency rooms. (LS)

  • עשרים ושש שנים של שותפות אסטרטגית רומניה-ארה”ב

    עשרים ושש שנים של שותפות אסטרטגית רומניה-ארה”ב

    יום השנה ה-26 לחתימת השותפות האסטרטגית רומניה-ארה”ב צוין באירועי יום שנה שאורגנו בוושינגטון. אלכסנדרו מורארו לשעבר הנציג המיוחד של ממשלת רומניה למדיניות זיכרון ומאבק באנטישמיות השתתף בארוחת הערב שהוקדשה לשותפות האסטרטגית בין שתי המדינות, יחד עם משלחת הפרלמנט הרומני שערך ביקור בארצות הברית. באירוע השתתפו נציגי הממשל, הקונגרס, סביבת צוות החשיבה, ארגונים יהודים אמריקאים והקהילה הרומנית בארה”ב.



    אלכסנדרו מורארו הצהיר כי הוא תמיד עסק בהתקדמותה של רומניה בכל הנוגע לקבלת האחראיות של רומניה על מעשי העבר, במדיניות הזיכרון, במאבק באנטישמיות ובזיכרון השואה: הדגשתי את העובדה ש השלטונות הרומניים ביצעו מסעות פרסום וארגנו אירועים לקידום סובלנות ומאבק בדעות קדומות ואנטישמיות. הראיתי שבשנתיים האחרונות הצליחה רומניה ליישם את האסטרטגיה הלאומית הראשונה למלחמה באנטישמיות, המנוהלת על ידי קבוצת עבודה בין-ממשלתית שהבטיחה את יישום המטרות והצעדים שנוקטת ארצנו, אמר מורארו.



    הוא הוסיף כי לרומניה יש מקצוע לימודי חדש לתולדות היהודים והשואה, שתיצור בקרב תלמידי התיכון בכל רומניה, את התודעה האזרחית הדרושה לדחיית דעות קדומות , תעמולה והפצת עיוותים , שהם חיידקים של אפליה והנוסטלגיה על משטרים טוטליטריים.



    חזרנו על הצעדים שאנו נוקטים ברומניה עבור תשתית ההנצחה כגון המוזיאון הלאומי לתולדות היהודים והשואה וכלא השתיקה ברמניקו סראט (מזרח רומניה) וכן התמיכה רומניה מציעה ל הקמת המוזיאון לקורבנות הקומוניזם מוושינגטון הבירה, אמר גם אלכסנדרו מורארו.

  • April 2, 2023 UPDATE

    April 2, 2023 UPDATE

    NATO – Romania will promote the strengthening of the transatlantic relationship and the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU, says President Klaus Iohannis, in the context of the 74-year anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance and NATO Day in Romania marked on April 2. “We will remain involved in allied missions and commitments, and strengthening the national defense capacity will continue to be a priority for Romania, including by allocating, starting this year, 2.5% of the GDP for Defense”, said the Romanian president, according to a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration. “Europe is facing the worst security crisis since the Second World War, and in the face of these challenges, our countrys membership to the Euro-Atlantic community of values ​​is all the more relevant”, the Romania foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also said. He recalled that in the 19 years since Romania became a member of NATO, the Romanian diplomacy has demonstrated its ability to fulfill its obligations based on this fundamental role. “We are constantly and significantly contributing to the consolidation of Romanias position within NATO and to its reputation as a provider of security and stability. We are engaged in complying with our commitments to allies and partners and, equally, we support the strengthening of our military capabilities, in the transatlantic relationship and in the allied solidarity”, said Bogdan Aurescu.



    Visit – Two European commissioners are coming to Romania to launch of national programs financed under the EU cohesion policy. The European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, and Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira will meet on Monday, in Bucharest, with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, with the Minister of European Projects, Marcel Boloş, and with the Labour Minister, Marius Budai, after which they will go to Iaşi (northeast) and Vaslui (east). The two European officials will also visit a center for Ukrainian refugees.



    Catholic Palm Sunday – Pope Francis said, on Sunday, the traditional Angelus prayer in St. Peters Square in the Vatican, after the Catholic Palm Sunday liturgy, which marked the entry into the Holy Week, preceding Easter. The 86-year-old pontiff was discharged from hospital the day before, after being treated for bronchitis during the week. The leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics has been suffering from health problems for several years, including knee pain that forces him to use a wheelchair and cane. Pope Francis celebrated ten years at the helm of the Catholic Church in early March. We remind you that, this year, Catholics and Protestants celebrate Easter a week earlier than the Orthodox and Greek Catholics.



    Paris – Parisians were called to decide, on Sunday, by referendum, whether or not to ban electric scooters for rent. In the five years since they were proposed as a means of transportation in Paris, people have accumulated a lot of dissatisfaction with scooters, considered by many a real danger for pedestrians, cars, as well as for unruly users. Last year alone, scooters were the cause of over 400 road accidents, three of which were fatal. The referendum does not refer to personal electric scooters, which, however, must obey stricter rules which have been recently announced by the Ministry of Transport. Children under 14 are no longer allowed to use scooters, they must be equipped with additional signaling and electronic systems for automatic speed limitation to 25km/h, and the fine for indiscipline in traffic increases from 35 to 135 Euros.



    Moldova – The President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu will have a meeting with the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Margareta, on Monday, during a visit to Romania. At the end of the meeting, Maia Sandu will sign the Golden Book of the Elisabeta Palace, opened in 1937. The visit will be attended by representatives of the Presidency of the Republic of Moldova and the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Bucharest, among whom the ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in Romania, Victor Chirilă. (LS)

  • April 2, 2023

    April 2, 2023

    NATO – Romania will promote the strengthening of the transatlantic relationship and the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU, says President Klaus Iohannis, in the context of the 74-year anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance and NATO Day in Romania marked on April 2. “We will remain involved in allied missions and commitments, and strengthening the national defense capacity will continue to be a priority for Romania, including by allocating, starting this year, 2.5% of the GDP for Defense”, said the Romanian president, according to a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration. “Europe is facing the worst security crisis since the Second World War, and in the face of these challenges, our countrys membership to the Euro-Atlantic community of values ​​is all the more relevant”, the Romania foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also said. He recalled that in the 19 years since Romania became a member of NATO, the Romanian diplomacy has demonstrated its ability to fulfill its obligations based on this fundamental role. “We are constantly and significantly contributing to the consolidation of Romanias position within NATO and to its reputation as a provider of security and stability. We are engaged in complying with our commitments to allies and partners and, equally, we support the strengthening of our military capabilities, in the transatlantic relationship and in the allied solidarity”, said Bogdan Aurescu.



    Visit – Two European commissioners are coming to Romania early next week for the launch of national programs financed under the EU cohesion policy. The European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, and Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira will meet on Monday, in Bucharest, with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, with the Minister of European Projects, Marcel Boloş, and with the Labour Minister, Marius Budai, after which they will go to Iaşi (northeast) and Vaslui (east). The two European officials will also visit a center for Ukrainian refugees.



    Palm Sunday — The Roman Catholic Christians are celebrating today Palm Sunday or Jesus Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. This marks the entry into the Holy Week, the last until Easter. In the Roman Catholic Church, the day of Palm Sunday also marks Youth Day, when public processions with flowers and branches are organized in memory of the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, almost 2,000 years ago. Such a procession is also organized in Bucharest. This year, the Catholics and Protestants celebrate Easter a week earlier than the Orthodox and Greek Catholics.



    Elections – Today, the Bulgarians elect their representatives in Parliament for the fifth time in two years. The massive anti-corruption protests of 2020 led to the fall of the Borisov Government, and since then no political party could obtain a parliamentary majority for the stability of the government. Opinion polls suggest that the GERB party of the former prime minister Boiko Borisov and the party of pro-Western reformers, led by Kiril Petkov, who was also prime minister until last year, when he was dismissed by a no-confidence motion, are competing in the elections. Also voters in Finland go to the polls today, to designate the new parliament makeup, with three party leaders having a chance to become prime minister. Opinion polls show that there will be a close race between the current prime minister, Sanna Marin representing the center-left social democrats, Petteri Orpo – from the center-right National Coalition, and Riikka Purra – from the Finns far-right party.



    Protests – Hundreds of thousands of people protested, on Saturday evening, in Israel, for the 13th consecutive week, against the judicial reform promoted by the government. Protesters say it will limit the role of the Supreme Court. The largest demonstration took place in Tel Aviv, where, according to the organizers, 175,000 Israelis protested. Clashes took place between protesters and counter-demonstrators, and 19 people were arrested. (LS)

  • March 31, 2023

    March 31, 2023

    DEFENCE The strategic partnership between
    the US and Romania has never been stronger, said the US secretary of defence,
    Lloyd Austin, during the talks with his Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr in
    Washington on Thursday. According to a news release from the Pentagon, the US
    official praised the excellent relations between the two countries’ armed
    forces and thanked Romania for hosting thousands of US and Allied troops to
    bolster deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank, and for its role as a leader in the
    Black Sea region. The two officials condemned Russia’s reckless war of choice
    in Ukraine and reiterated their firm support for Ukraine. The Romanian defence
    minister is on a visit to the US for several days, and has meetings scheduled
    with senior US officials in the following days.

    B9 The meeting of foreign
    ministers in the Bucharest 9 format carries on today in Łódź (Poland),
    co-chaired by the head of the Romanian diplomacy Bogdan Aurescu and his Polish counterpart, Zbigniew Rau. On
    Thursday, the Romanian official announced that the first high-level conference
    on security in the Black Sea region will take place in Bucharest on April 13.
    During the talks in Lodz, B9 ministers focused on the consequences of Russia’s
    war of aggression against Ukraine at regional and Euro-Atlantic level, with an
    emphasis on the need to continue supporting Ukraine and to consolidate
    trans-Atlantic ties, the Romanian foreign ministry said. In his address, Mr.
    Aurescu called on B9 ministers to maintain increased Allied attention and
    involvement in the Black Sea region, which has strategic importance for the
    entire Euro-Atlantic space, as well as to strengthen trans-Atlantic
    coordination. Bogdan Aurescu reiterated Romania’s firm commitment to
    further provide multidimensional support to Ukraine. He also encouraged the
    Allies on the eastern flank to continue supporting Ukraine’s neighbours, which
    are vulnerable to Russia’s aggressive moves, especially Georgia and the
    Republic of Moldova, which is facing hybrid threats designed to destabilise the
    country and to undermine its EU accession efforts.


    VISIT The PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă travels
    to Sweden today, the country that holds the rotating presidency of the EU. His
    agenda includes a meeting with his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson. According
    to Radio Romania’s correspondent, talks will focus on Russia’s aggression
    against Ukraine and its impact on the countries in the region, on the
    enlargement of the Schengen area, on the priorities of the Swedish presidency
    of the EU Council and on bilateral cooperation, which PM Nicolae Ciucă has
    recently described as very good. Nicolae Ciucă will also have a meeting with
    the speaker of the Swedish parliament, Andreas Norlén. Also today, the Romanian
    head of government will attend a public conference on Threats and
    opportunities in the Black Sea region, which will also mark the end of his
    visit to Sweden.


    GREEN ENERGY The European Commission
    vice-president Frans Timmermans travels to Bucharest today, for talks on
    the European Green Deal and the bloc’s strategy to switch to a zero-emission
    economy. The agenda of the visit includes meetings with president Klaus
    Iohannis, with the environment minister Tánczos Barna, and with other
    government officials. Frans Timmermans will also have meetings with civil
    society members, to discuss ways to fight climate change in Romania and the
    role of the European Commission in this respect.


    AGRICULTURE
    The European Commission intends to revise the amount of compensations granted
    to farmers from 5 countries affected by the imports of cheap grains from
    Ukraine. The Commission is to disburse another EUR 75 mln, of which Romania
    might get EUR 15mln, in addition to the EUR 10mln earmarked already. In an open
    letter to the government, Romanian farmers argue however that Romania has lost
    a lot more because of the priority and advantages received by Ukrainian
    producers in the European market.


    TENNIS The Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea
    (74 WTA) today takes on Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic (12 WTA), in the
    semis of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami (Florida). Twice a Wimbledon champion (2011,
    2014), Kvitova qualified into the semifinals on Thursday, when she defeated
    Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in 3 sets. On Wednesday Sorana Cîrstea had outplayed Arina Sabalenka of
    Belarus, no 2 in the world. This will be the 11th direct
    match between Sorana Cîrstea and Petra Kvitova, with
    the Czech athlete winning 6 of them so far. The winner will take on Elena Rybakina
    of Kazakhstan in the final. (AMP)

  • March 15, 2023 UPDATE

    March 15, 2023 UPDATE

    FUNDS The European Union is to earmark another 40 million Euros for the
    Republic of Moldova’s army after the latest scandal caused by Russia’s efforts
    to overthrow the pro-Western government in Chisinau. Most of the money will be
    spent on a mobile long-range radar, which would enable the Republic of Moldova to
    monitor its airspace. The rest of the money will be used to purchase light
    vehicles, buses, trucks, communication equipment as well as anti-hacking
    hardware and software. The money comes from the European Peace Fund, a common
    deposit of 8 billion Euros, created by the EU members. The most part of the
    aforementioned fund has been spent for Ukraine, a country invaded by the
    Russian troops. Moldovan authorities decided to buy the radar, after Russia had
    in the past months fired several missiles through the Moldovan air space to hit
    targets in Ukraine.










    PARTNERS On Wednesday in Sofia, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis and his
    Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev signed the declaration on the Strategic
    Partnership between the two neighboring countries. The document provides for stepping
    up the political dialogue, fostering economic exchanges and cross-border
    cooperation, improving connectivity and the infrastructures of the two
    countries, promoting the projects on developing the Danube region, ensuring
    energy security and promoting the green energy. The aforementioned partnership also
    refers to cooperation in the field of European affairs, to strengthening cooperation
    in the field of defence and security against the background of the
    Russian-Ukrainian war so that the support for Kyiv may continue, to strengthening
    NATO’s eastern flank and reestablishing a security climate in the Black Sea
    area. President Iohannis said that Romania and Bulgaria would carry on their common
    efforts to join Europe’s border-free area, Schengen, as both countries are completely
    ready. In turn, Rumen Radev said that more efforts would be made for a more
    rapid Schengen accession adding that in the past six months, both Romania and
    Bulgaria had successfully fought the wave of illegal migrants significantly reducing
    it.






    BOOK
    The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York has announced a campaign for launching
    the English version of Mircea Cartarescu’s novel ‘Solenoid’ in the USA over
    April 3 and 14. The book, translated by Sean Cotter, was published by Deep
    Vellum last autumn. The tour will include five cities in North America: San
    Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston and New York. According to the same
    sources, the book will be presented in famous places like City Lights
    Bookstore, Seattle Public Library, UT Dallas, Inprint Publishing and McNally Jackson
    Books Seaport.










    TENNIS
    The Romanian tennis player
    Sorana Cirstea has qualified for the quarter finals of the WTA 1000 tournament
    at Indian Wells, California, with 8.8 million dollars in prize money. She
    defeated the world’s no. 5 Caroline Garcia 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. In the next round,
    Sorana will take on the Polish Iga Swiatek, the world leader, who passed by the
    British player of Romanian descent Emma Raducanu. The two players have met once
    before, at the 2022 Australian Open, when Swiatek won.




    (bill)

  • November 29, 2022

    November 29, 2022

    NATO The foreign ministers of NATO member countries, partner countries
    and of the 2 candidate countries are in Bucharest for a 2-day meeting. It is
    the first meeting of this kind hosted by Romania since it joined the Alliance and the
    first event held in a NATO eastern flank country since the start of the war in
    Ukraine, Romania’s foreign ministry highlighted. The meeting comprises 3
    working sessions, 2 of which will be attended by the Allies together with
    Sweden and Finland. Taking part in the third session will also be the foreign
    ministers of Bosnia – Herzegovina, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. The
    first day of the meeting will conclude with a working dinner attended by the
    foreign minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, and the EU foreign policy chief,
    Josep Borrell. The agenda of the meeting in Bucharest includes the
    implementation of the decisions taken at the NATO summit in Madrid. The war in
    Ukraine and the provision of long-term political and practical support from the
    Allies will be the main topic of discussion. Other topics include energy security,
    China, the strategic importance of the Black Sea region. NATO’s secretary
    general Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Bucharest on Monday, and had meetings with
    president Klaus Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign minister Bogdan
    Aurescu.


    MEETING Bucharest is the capital of European and Euro-Atlantic diplomacy
    and even beyond these regions, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu
    said. Apart from the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Romania is hosting
    these days, for the first time ever, a Munich Leaders Meeting. 75 top-level
    governmental officials and foreign policy and security experts are discussing
    the consequences of the war in Ukraine as well as other security issues in the
    region. The 11th Aspen Forum also begins in Bucharest today, with
    participants including the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The 2022 edition
    of the Forum takes place in the context of the war in Ukraine, which has
    affected the entire world both in economic and security terms, and which is not
    expected to come to an end soon, therefore it will only deepen multiple crisis,
    the Aspen Institute says in a news release posted ahead of the meeting. Also in
    Bucharest, a new energy coordination task force is scheduled to convene. The
    group comprises officials of G7 and other Allied countries, and is working to
    mobilise or plan the supply of equipment to Ukraine as soon as possible.


    PARTNERSHIP Ahead of the US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s visit to
    Bucharest to take part in the NATO Council, the US Department of State hailed
    the celebration of 25 years since the Strategic Partnership with Romania was
    signed. A US Department of State news release mentions Bucharest’s contribution
    to NATO and multinational operations, the fact that the country hosts several
    NATO and American military structures, including the missile defence system in Deveselu.
    I am very happy and proud to say that our strategic partnership has reached the
    highest level in its quarter-century history, the Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă
    said in his turn, after the meeting with the US official in Bucharest. Twenty-five
    years is a very important benchmark, which makes us aware that in 1997 a
    generation was born which grew up and reached maturity concurrently with the
    strategic partnership. I am confident that this generation will do everything
    in their power to safeguard the freedom and rights we have secured and
    democratic values, Mr. Ciuca also said. We have an unshakeable alliance, built
    on shared values, and strong relations in the economic sector, including the
    energy sector, Antony Blinken said, and also mentioned the academic and
    cultural exchanges between the 2 countries.


    NATIONAL DAY The Romanian Cultural Institute organises 50 events until December
    10, to celebrate the National Day of Romania in 31 cities abroad. According to
    the president of the Institute, Liviu Jicman, the events held in emblematic
    locations in the respective countries place the works of Romanian artists among
    the most important cultural landmarks of today and contribute to raising
    awareness among foreign cultural and arts communities and the general public
    with respect to the Romanian culture. On December 1, the National Day of Romania, a parade will be
    organised in Bucharest and another one in Alba Iulia. On Monday the Parliament
    celebrated 104 years since the Great Union in a special meeting. (AMP)

  • Prospects of the US-Romania strategic partnership

    Prospects of the US-Romania strategic partnership

    Romania has no better friend than the USA, US Secretary of State
    Antony Blinken has said 25 years on from the time when Bucharest and Washington
    concluded their Strategic Partnership. Twenty-five years ago, the United
    States and Romania launched our Strategic Partnership. Since then, we have strengthened
    ties on defense, energy, and economic cooperation. Romania has no better friend
    and we share a commitment to pushing back Russia’s aggression in the region Blinken
    said in a twitter message.




    In a common letter on this occasion, eight former US ambassadors
    to Romania said the Strategic Partnership between the two countries has proven to
    be one of the best US investments in Europe. According to the diplomats, the partnership
    helped the building of a stronger and prosperous Romania, which today is one of
    the closest and most capable US allies in Central and Eastern Europe. In their
    opinion, including Romania in the Visa Waiver programme ‘would stimulate trade,
    tourism, educational exchanges, as well as human relations, which are the
    foundation of Romanian-American friendship’.




    According to the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis the Strategic
    Partnership with the USA played an essential role in the democratic
    transformation of the country and led to the expansion of bilateral cooperation
    and also at international level it led to the strengthening of Transatlantic
    relation tightening the connections between the two peoples. A quarter of a century on from its launch,
    Romania and the USA are committed to extending and deepening all the dimensions
    of the Strategic Partnership, from the excellent bilateral cooperation in terms
    of security and defence to the fields of economy, energy security, education
    and human relations, a communiqué by the Presidential Administration says.




    According to the same sources, the solidity of the Strategic
    Partnership with the USA has been recently proved by the latest announcement of
    President Biden on beefing up the US military presence in Romania. The war
    Russia is presently waging on Ukraine and its severe consequences at
    international level and in key sectors has made us to take action together,
    more united than ever, in order to find solutions at the bilateral or the Euro-Atlantic
    level in order to consolidate and protect the values, security and the
    resilience of our societies, the head of the Romanian state has also said.




    Developing the Strategic Partnership with the USA in all its cooperation
    domains has become a priority of Romania’s, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has
    said. The tight and significant cooperation in the field of security and
    defence has been permanently consolidated being a vital component of the
    Strategic Partnership between the USA and Romania and its relevance has been
    highlighted more significantly against the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified
    Russian invasion in Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest said in a
    message.


    (bill)

  • July 12, 2022

    July 12, 2022

    FISCAL CODE Consultations continue in Bucharest between the authorities,
    trade unions and employers’ associations, after representatives of the business
    community, trade unions and local authorities voiced discontent with the
    changes the government intends to operate on the Fiscal Code. During the talks held on Monday with PM Nicolae Ciucă and the finance
    minister Adrian Câciu, they requested, among other things, a postponement to
    next year of the measures that the government plans to introduce as of August 1.
    These include the increase in alcohol excise duties, the lower ceiling for tax
    facilities in the constructions sector and the idea that part-time employees
    should pay social contributions corresponding to the national minimum wage.


    INFLATION The year-on-year inflation rate reached 15.1% in June, as
    against 14.5% in May, the National Statistics Institute announced today. According
    to the institution, non-foodstuff prices went up nearly 18%, food prices rose
    by roughly 15% and the price of services also increased by some 8%. The
    National Bank of Romania adjusted its inflation forecast to 12.5% for the end
    of this year and to 6.7% for the end of 2023.


    COVID Starting today, COVID-19 updates will be released on a daily basis
    in Romania rather than weekly, after a steep rise in the number of cases,
    accounting for a doubling of new infection numbers every 7 days. On Tuesday the
    authorities announced over 4,000 people tested positive in 24 hours, out of
    over 21,000 tests conducted. Nine COVID-related deaths were also reported, all
    of them in patients suffering from prior conditions. The number of hospitalised
    COVID patients is 1,361, with 90 patients in intensive care. According to
    experts, the new Omicron sub-variant that causes the current infection wave
    around the world, and which has also been identified in Romania, affects the
    protection provided both by the vaccine and by natural immunisation, but it
    generally seems to cause milder forms of the disease. The health minister
    Alexandru Rafila announced that prevention measures remain in place, especially
    face covering and physical distancing. COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended
    by the authorities, particularly to vulnerable categories.


    PARTNERSHIP Romaniahas no better friend than the US, the US secretary of state
    Antony Blinken said on the celebration of 25 years since the launch of the
    Strategic Partnership between Washington and Bucharest. In turn, former US
    ambassadors to Bucharest state in a letter that the strategic partnership with
    Romania has proved to be one of the best investments in Europe for the US. They
    also say that Romania plays a decisive part in the defence and strengthening of
    NATO’s eastern flank and in consolidating stability and security at the Black
    Sea.


    REFUGEES Over the past 24 hours around 226,800 people have crossed the
    border in and out of Romania, the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate announced.
    Of these, over 22,000 are Ukrainian nationals who came into Romania via various
    checkpoints. Since the start of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, more than 1.5
    million Ukrainian citizens have crossed the border into Romania.


    VISIT The head of the European Public
    Prosecutor’s Office, Laura Codruţa Kovesi,
    is on an official visit to the R. of Moldova until 14 July. The European
    official will have meetings with Moldovan authorities. Moldova’s president Maia
    Sandu, who had a meeting with Laura Codruţa Kovesi in January 2021 in Brussels,
    expressed at that time her willingness to work together with the European
    institution to encourage the country’s reforms in the judiciary. Experts in
    Chişinău note that Codruţa Kovesi’s visit takes place after Moldova was recently
    granted the EU candidate status, and that Brussels would like to make sure that
    Moldova stays on a predictable path. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office
    became operational on 1 June 2021, and is in charge with investigating and
    prosecuting offences against the EU budget. (AMP)