Radio România Internațional

Tag: Patriot

  • October 30, 2024

    October 30, 2024

    PROJECT Ten big Romanian cities have been included in a European project, aimed at turning them smarter and more environmentally-friendly by 2035. Following a selection made by experts with the M 100 Climate Neutrality Forum, Bucharest, Alba Iulia and Brasov in Central Romania, Constanta in the south-east, Iasi in the est and Oradea in the west are going to receive support to curb their gas-emissions and turn these cities in smart, green cities. The M100 forum, underway in Bucharest these days, is an event, designed to offer a debate platform for good practices in the field of sustainability.

     

    VOTE The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to the Permanent Election Authority a series of proposals regarding the 950 polling stations abroad for the upcoming elections for the presidential seat, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. As compared to the election on June 9th, which had 915 polling stations, 35 additional ones are going to be added for the upcoming election. The most polling stations are going to be in Italy and Malta, 158; Spain will have 147, the UK 107, France and Monaco 68, the Republic of Moldova 59, the United States 48. As in the case of the European Parliamentary election on June 9th, out of objective reasons, polling stations could not be mounted in Afghanistan, as the Romanian troops have been pulled out from that country, Romania’s consular office in Rostov-on-Don is being closed down, in Odessa, as the consular office there has been temporarily suspended, the Sudan, Venezuela, Libya and North Korea. The Romanians abroad are going to cast their ballots on three days, November 22, 23 and 24, as well as on 6, 7, 8 of December.

     

    FAIR The best known event in Romania’s agricultural and food industry, Indagra & Indagra Food kicks off in Bucharest today. Over 500 companies out of 25 countries are attending the event bringing along 150 innovations and products. The international Fair of products and equipment for agriculture, horticulture, wine growing and animal breeding, Indagra 2024, is showcasing the innovations shaping the future of agriculture. From state-of-the-art equipment to technological solutions aimed at improving productivity, the event is the right place where farmers, entrepreneurs and those interested in agriculture can find good solutions for a sustainable future – the organizers say. Indagra is open until Sunday, November 3.

     

    DEFENCE Norway contributes 127 million dollars to the purchase of a system of Patriot missiles for Romania – the country’s Minister of Defence, Angel Tilvar has announced. According to him the initiative is part of an immediate action in terms of anti-aircraft defence, coordinated by Germany and will allow Romania to strengthen security and defence in the Euro-Atlantic space by renewing and expanding the air defence capabilities. We recall that Romania has recently donated a Patriot missile system to the neighbouring Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops.

     

    (bill)

  • B9 meeting in Bucharest

    B9 meeting in Bucharest

    NATO must react to Russia’s incursions into the member states’ airspace, in the context of the war in Ukraine. This is the conclusion of the B9 meeting in Bucharest.

     

    NATO must give a robust and coordinated response to the repeated intrusion of Russian drones and missiles into the Alliance’s airspace, the Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said. At the B9 meeting in Bucharest, bringing together the allied defense ministers on NATO’s Eastern Flank, Minister Tîlvăr said that the security situation in the Black Sea region remains worrying, due to the threats generated by Russia’s aggressive actions, including through disinformation and cyber attacks. Angel Tîlvăr: “The B9 states are deeply concerned about the repeated incursions of Russian Federation’s drones and missiles into NATO airspace in Poland, Romania and Latvia and about the escalation of tensions along the NATO borders. That is why a robust and coordinated response at allied level is needed, as well as the implementation, as soon as possible, of the rotational model of NATO’s integrated air and anti-missile defense”.

     

    Against this background, the Romanian minister also focused on the Republic of Moldova, which is facing challenges from the Russian Federation. He pointed out once more that the country needs support for its European integration, a safe investment, he says, in the security of the Black Sea region and Europe. In turn, the Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Zalewsky, said that at the upcoming meeting of the Defense Ministers from the allied states, it is important to establish concrete action measures to detect drones and destroy enemy targets. According to Zalewsky, when we say that no centimeter of NATO territory can be attacked by Russia and must be defended, we are also referring to airspace. He also said that  essential initiatives were discussed  in this context, namely The European Sky Shield Initiative and the Eastern Shield initiative, the first being aimed at strengthening cooperation and increasing funding, and the second at strengthening the borders with Russia and Belarus.

     

    Present in Bucharest on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on Romania to analyze the possibility of shooting down Russian drones and missiles near the Romanian airspace. During the meeting with his Romanian counterpart, Luminiţa Odobescu, he hailed the support granted by Romania, for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, following the country’s decision to donate a Patriot system. Minister Sybiha said this is a shield not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe, and that, especially around winter, it will allow them to strengthen their defense capabilities. Minister Odobescu reiterated, in turn, Romania’s full support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

     

  • The Week in Review

    The Week in Review

    Amnesty for debtors

     

    The government of Romania Wednesday passed a draft emergency order introducing a tax amnesty for companies and individuals. The document provides for bonuses for those who pay their taxes on time, and for those who agree to pay their back taxes. At the end of August, legal entities and private taxpayers had a total of over EUR 14 billion in debts to the state budget. The government invites taxpayers to cover these amounts by November 25, in exchange for having their interests and penalties written off. On the other hand, the government offers a 3% deduction for the taxpayers who do not fall behind on their taxes. The bill, drafted by the finance ministry, also comprises austerity measures for the public sector, which involve ceilings on the procurement of goods and services.

     

    Donation for Ukraine

     

    The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Thursday signed into law the bill on the donation of a Patriot surface-to-air missile system purchased from the USA to third countries. The legislation, previously endorsed in Parliament, approves a donation agreed on with the American partner to Russia-invaded Ukraine. Also, under the law, “the government of Romania is authorised to take the required measures to rebuild the ground-based air defence capability” by assigning contracts to the US government for the procurement of another Patriot system.

     

    Support for Israel

     

    Romania firmly condemns the terror attacks against Israel and calls on all the parties involved to help restore security and to contribute to a ceasefire agreement. This was the message conveyed on Thursday in Jerusalem by the PM Marcel Ciolacu, at a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, Ciolacu voiced concern with respect to the security situation and the risk of conflict escalation. Accompanied by the ministers of defence, foreign affairs and economy, the PM was on an official working visit to Israel, whose agenda also included a meeting with the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog. This is the second visit by the Romanian PM to Israel in less than a year, after the one on October 17, 2023, ten days after Israel had been attacked by the Hamas Islamist group.

     

    European Commissioner Post for Romania

     

    The Social Democratic MEP Roxana Mînzatu is Romania’s official proposal for the post of European Commissioner. The announcement was made on Monday by Prime Minister Ciolacu, who said that he would discuss with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the portfolio that Romania will manage. The makeup of the future European Executive is to be announced on September 11. Also in Brussels, the Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan (from the European People’s Party Group) was designated by the political groups of the European Parliament as chief negotiator of the future multiannual budget of the European Union post-2027. Covering a period of over 7 years, it has a total value of approximately 1,300 billion Euros, being the pool from which the member states receive the largest part of the non-reimbursable European funds for investments and for agricultural subsidies. The Parliament is to set its priorities regarding the EU’s multiannual budget. They will be forwarded to the European Commission to be included in the draft budget. From the current multi-annual financial year, 2021 – 2027, Romania benefits from around 46 billion Euros, to which the amounts from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan are also added.

     

    Jam on the road to presidency

     

    The Romanian Mircea Geoană resigned on Tuesday from the position of NATO Deputy Secretary General. It is the end of a five-year mandate, marked by the war in Ukraine and the withdrawal of allied troops from Afghanistan. Geoana said, in an interview for Radio Romania, that he would continue to use his influence to promote Romanians in international forums, including NATO, and that he felt the need to return to domestic politics. The press had been anticipating this announcement for more than two years already, and considered Geoană’s candidacy, as an independent, very likely in the presidential election due at the end of the year. A former ambassador to the United States, a former foreign minister and former Social Democratic leader, Geoană also ran for presidency in 2009, when he lost to Traian Băsescu. Other candidates to  Romania’s presidency are all the leaders of the parliamentary parties: Marcel Ciolacu (Social Democratic Party – PSD), Nicolae Ciucă (National Liberal Party – PNL), Elena Lasconi (Save Romania Union – USR), George Simion (The Alliance for the Union for Romanians – AUR) or Kelemen Hunor (The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR). (AMP, LS)

  • September 5, 2024 UPDATE

    September 5, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT Romania supports Israel’s right to self-defence – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said during the meeting he had on Thursday with the head of the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Radio Romania correspondent, Ciolacu voiced concern regarding the security situation and the danger of regional escalation. The Romanian Prime Minister paid a working visit in Israel where he was accompanied by the Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Economy. It was the second visit, Ciolacu paid to Israel since October 17th last year, ten days after Israel had been attacked by the Islamist group Hamas.

     

    DONATION The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday promulgated a law on donating a US surface-to-air Patriot missile system to third parties. The law, which was earlier endorsed by Parliament, refers to the donation, agreed upon with the US partner, of such a system to the neighboring Ukraine, a country currently invaded by the Russian troops. The new law enables the Romanian government to commence the required moves aimed at rebuilding the country’s ground-based air-defence capabilities by submitting the contracts on the purchase of another Patriot missile system to the US government.

     

    TOURISM The total number of tourists who got accommodation in Romania’s travel structures in the first seven months of this year stood at 7.666 million, 3.8% higher than the same period in 2023, data released by the National Institute for Statistics shows. According to official statistics, between January 1 and July 31 2024, Romanian tourists accounted for 82.9 % out of the total number of arrivals, whereas the number of foreign tourists stood at 17.1%. The cities with the largest number of visitors were Bucharest, Constanta in the south-east and Brasov in central Romania. Most of the foreign tourists came from Germany (128,900), Italy (117,800) and Israel (83,100). 81.1 % of the foreign tourists came from EU countries.

     

    MOLDOVA Moldova’s EU accession process would make good progress next year during Poland’s term at the helm of the EU Council, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during his Wednesday’s visit to Chișinău. The Polish official met his Moldovan counterpart, Dorin Recean, and held a speech in Parliament in Romanian, boycotted by the pro-Russian opposition. Donald Tusk then met the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, who argued that Poland is a clear example of how EU integration can transform a country. The presidents of Romania and Baltic States also paid visits to Chișinău last week to express support for Moldova’s EU accession efforts. In October, the Republic of Moldova will host a referendum regarding the country’s EU accession, jointly with the presidential election.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football team is playing its debut match in the 2024-2025 season of Nations League on Friday. In the first group fixture, Romania will play Kosovo away from home, while on September 9 it will take on Lithuania at home. Romania’s group, C2, also includes Cyprus. The top position ensures direct promotion to League 2 in the next season of Nations League, while teams in second place will play promotion playoffs. Teams in last place will be directly relegated to League D, while teams in third position will play in C2 the next season. Nations League standings also impact the European preliminary matches for the 2026 World Cup. Romania’s new headcoach is Mircea Lucescu, who returns to the national squad after 40 years. We recall Edward Iordănescu resigned at the end of EURO 2024, a tournament where Romania reached the round of 16.

    (bill)

     

  • September 2, 2024 UPDATE

    September 2, 2024 UPDATE

    Parliament – The last session of the current Parliament began on Monday in Bucharest, with parliamentary elections to take place on December 1. The Senate adopted, as the first chamber notified, the Government’s draft law on the donation of a Patriot surface-to-air missile system to third parties. The project will also be sent to the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. After the adoption of the law by Parliament, the Government will be able to issue the decision that will make the act of donation operational. Another bill is aimed at exempting from taxation the pensions below 3,000 lei (600 Euros), for which a decisive vote is expected on Tuesday in the Chamber of Deputies. The bill allows the people who benefited from pension increases as a result of recalculations not to lose any money following the raising of the current tax ceiling of 2,000 lei (400 Euros).

     

    Government – In its Monday meeting, the government issued an emergency ordinance to raise the ceiling for the social benefits granted to low-income pensioners whose pensions went up as a result of recent recalculations. The ceiling by which food allowances will be granted is to go up from 2,000 to 2,210 lei, that is some 440 Euros. An allowance of 1,400 lei to help with utility bills during winter will continue to be granted, regardless of the pension rises. The ceiling was also raised by which pensioners can benefit from 90% subsidies on medicines. In another move, the government is to start consultations with the representatives of people with disabilities to draft a special pensions law for this category that should take into account the low contribution levels recognized previously.

     

    Drills – Romanian military are taking part in the Ample Strike international exercise under way in the Czech Republic until September 20. They will carry out air support and air surveillance missions alongside other NATO troops. According to the Romanian defense ministry, 25 military and two helicopters are taking part in the exercise.

     

    Weather – Meteorologists have issued a code orange alert for heat wave valid, on Tuesday, in several counties in the west and south-west of Romania. Thermal discomfort will be high, and the temperature-humidity index (ITU) will reach the critical threshold of 80 units. Maximum temperatures, particularly high for this date, will be around 37 degrees Celsius. Also on Tuesday, a yellow code alert for heat will be valid in almost the entire country. The maximum temperature will reach 35 degrees C.

     

    Commissioner – The Social Democratic MEP (in the government coalition with the National Liberal Party – PNL), Roxana Mînzatu, is Romania’s official proposal for the position of European Commissioner, the PM Marcel Ciolacu announced on Monday. The social-democratic leader said that the EC president, Ursula von der Leyen, already had the interview with Roxana Mînzatu. He also said that he would discuss, in the next period, with the head of the European Commission about the portfolio that Bucharest will manage. The PM points out that the field would be established by Ursula von der Leyen, but assured that it would be a relevant one. The PNL leader, Nicolae Ciucă, says that the options are for the Enlargement portfolio or the Agriculture portfolio. The makeup of the future European Commission will be announced on September 11. Roxana Mînzatu has a degree in political sciences in English, she was a Braşov county deputy in the last legislature, and, in 2019 she was appointed Minister of European Funds.

     

    Bank – The foreign exchange reserves of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) exceeded 63 billion Euros at the end of August 2024, down by 0.62% as compared to the level of July 31, according to a communiqué of the Central Bank, sent to AGERPRES. The level of the gold reserve remained at 103.6 tons. Against the backdrop of international price developments, its value was 7.588 billion Euros.

     

    Visit – Pope Francis is starting his 45th apostolic trip abroad. Until September 13, the Sovereign Pontiff will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, states marked by strong religious, economic and social contrasts. Immigration, inter-religious dialogue, ecology, the role of the Church in relation to access to health and education are the main themes that the pontiff will address in his speeches and meetings. According to the Radio Romania’s correspondent in Rome, in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, the central theme will be the dialogue between Islam and Christianity. On September 5, there will be an interfaith meeting in the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, in the presence of representatives of six official religions, on which occasion the Pope will sign a joint statement with the Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar. Pope Francis is the third Sovereign Pontiff to visit this archipelago, after Paul VI and John Paul II.

     

    Israel – The US President Joe Biden said on Monday that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to reach an agreement to release the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. A strike called by the main trade union confederation took place in Israel on Monday in protest against the delay in a cease-fire agreement in Gaza and the release of the hostages taken by Hamas. Employees of banks, hospitals and malls joined the protest, and flights were suspended at “Ben Gurion” Airport, the Israeli press writes. The strike call came after about half a million Israelis took to the streets in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other cities on Sunday evening to ask the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to bring home the 101 hostages who are still in Gaza, reports Reuters. The protests took place after six hostages aged between 23 and 40 were found dead in a tunnel in Gaza by the army that said that they had been killed recently. (LS)

  • THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    Five NATO leaders, including the American president, Joe Biden, and the Romanian one, Klaus Iohannis, signed, at the allied summit in Washington, a statement in which they commit to deliver Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. Kyiv will thus be able to use Patriot batteries donated by the United States, Germany and Romania, to which are added components provided by the Netherlands and a system donated by Italy. “We do all these things: we support Ukraine, we donate Patriot, we help Moldova, we also help others in the region, because we can, and because we think it’s right,” declared President Iohannis. According to him, Romania has transformed from a state that begged to receive help of any kind to a state that has the strength, energy, and capabilities to export security throughout the region. On a bilateral level, Klaus Iohannis and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed, in Washington, a cooperation agreement in the field of security. It is a political document that systematizes the existing cooperation between the two countries in various fields and includes aspects related to Kyiv’s commitment to continue the necessary reforms on its European and Euro-Atlantic course, respect for the rights of national minorities, as well as cooperation in combating cross-border crime. Aid to Ukraine was the main item on the agenda of the NATO summit. “We intend to release a basic package of at least 40 billion euros for next year, and then maintain security assistance at a sustainable level, so that Ukraine wins,” the member countries pledged.

    Open protest, masked protest

    Internally, the week started with a less usual protest, organized by accountants and economists under the motto “No chaos in tax legislation”. In Bucharest and in other cities, the participants denounced the legislative acts and fiscal measures that they consider oppressive, because they would deeply affect every entrepreneur, economist, accountant, as well as taxpayers in Romania. The protesters say that the introduction of mechanisms such as e-Invoice or e-VAT, in fact, increases the bureaucracy. The accountants’ protest was announced in advance. Things were not the same at Otopeni International Airport, where dozens of internal and external flights of the national company TAROM were canceled after some of the pilots declared themselves unfit to fly. Later, it turned out to be a kind of masked strike, triggered untimely, which affected many passengers and caused new losses to the company. The flights resumed the next day, after TAROM’s management concluded an agreement on salary issues with the flight personnel. The European commissioner for transport, Adina Vălean, said that the problem at TAROM is not auspicious, given that the company benefits from state aid approved by the European Commission. TAROM suffers significant financial losses every year, and analysts question whether the state’s efforts to reorganize and save it are maybe futile.

    Transport problems

    Traffic on the DN7 Valea Oltului, a vital artery that runs through the Carpathians, and ensures the connection with the central-western sections of the highway, was closed for a month, during the day, for clearing works in order to build the Sibiu-Pitesti Highway, expected for over 3 decades. The restrictions give headaches to transporters, and not only them, and the effects did not take long to appear. Several traffic jams formed on the already overloaded DN1 between Ploiesti and Braşov. And that’s not all in terms of transport: the Giurgiu-Ruse Friendship Bridge over the Danube went into repair, on the Bulgarian side, for a period of two years, starting Wednesday. Romanian citizens are advised to use the other border crossing points with Bulgaria, a tourist destination for Romanians, but also a transit country for Greece and Turkey, two major destinations during the summer.

    A controversial ordinance

    On Thursday, the government modified the emergency ordinance regarding drug testing of drivers, after the normative act was intensely criticized by civil society. Drivers who are found positive in the test, or refuse it, have their license suspended, but they get it back in 3 days, if the forensic laboratories do not provide, during this time, the preliminary result of the blood tests. A non-governmental association requested the annulment of the ordinance regarding drug tests, because it would contain abusive provisions, such as the appearance of positive results even in the case of the consumption of common cold medicines.

    Heatwave over Romania

    Romanian meteorologists have issued, for the end of the week, the most extensive red heat code so far, which covers three quarters of the country’s territory. The weekend was preceded by five hot days, with temperatures that rose to 39 degrees and will be followed, according to forecasts, by another three days with extreme temperatures, which will exceed 40 degrees. The government asked the central and local authorities to be prepared to intervene effectively when needed.

    Encouraging debut in interclub football competitions

    After a good European performance by the Romanian national team, the fans’ attention moves to the club teams engaged in the continental competitions. The debut of the season was a successful one: the champion FCSB (Bucharest) outclassed the champion San Marino, Virtus, 7-1, on Tuesday, away, in the first leg of the first preliminary round of the Champions League. The holder of the Cup, Corvinul Hunedoara (center-west), defeated, also away, 4-0, the vice-champion and winner of the Hungarian Cup, Paksi, in the first leg of the first preliminary round of the Europa League. In the case of very likely qualifications, FCSB will meet Maccabi Tel Aviv, from Israel, in the preliminary second round, and Corvinul will face the Croatian team Rijeka.

  • June 21, 2024

    June 21, 2024

    VISIT Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminita Odobescu, is continuing her working visit in the United States, where she held talks with Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. On Thursday she held talks with Michael Carpenter, Senior Director for Europe at US National Security Council. The two tackled a series of interest issues on the Romania-USA bilateral and security agenda such as the latest regional developments including in the context of the upcoming NATO summit in Washington. Odobescu and Carpenter underlined the consolidation of the support for Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and the other partner countries in the Black Sea region. The head of the diplomacy in Bucharest also met USAID Administrator, Samantha Power. The two mentioned the joint Romanian and US interest for the consolidation of the resilience of the partners in the Black Sea area with emphasis on the Republic of Moldova. The visit comes against the background of Romania’s celebration of 20 years of NATO membership.

     

    FITS The 31st edition of the International Theatre Festival, FITS, kicks off today in Sibiu, central Romania. For 10 days, the public will have to choose from the 830 events taking place during the festival such as theatre and circus performances, music, dance, exhibitions and lecture-shows, which are going to bring together over 5,000 artists from 82 countries. Actors and directors of world repute are expected to attend the festival in Sibiu, such as John Malkovich, Tim Robbins, Pippo delBono or Neil LaBute. Many of the international productions will be available online at a platform called “the Digital Stage” of the local ‘Radu Stanca’ National Theatre, the main organizer of FITS 2024.

     

    INVESTMENT Seven out of 10 investors have forecast an increase in Romania’s attractiveness as an investment destination in the following three years, shows a survey conducted by the financial consultancy and audit company Ernst & Young. 46% of the CEOs interviewed believe that Romania remains a robust and resilient investment market in 2023 and have mentioned their intentions to consolidate or expand their operations in the near future. Bucharest continues to remain the main investment destination with a significant rate of 40%. Iasi, in north-eastern Romania, and Timisoara, in the west, each registered three investment projects while Cluj-Napoca, in the north-west and Brasov in the center each have two.

     

    CSAT Romania will donate an air defence system Patriot to Ukraine, the country’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) has decided, a communiqué of the presidential administration has announced. The CSAT has ruled that the donation will be made on the condition of continuing negotiations, mainly with the US strategic partner, with a view to obtaining a similar or equivalent system to meet the need of ensuring the protection of the country’s air space. According to the presidential administration, the decision has been based on a deep technical assessment by the authorities and all the measures have been taken to eliminate the risks of creating vulnerabilities for Romania.

    (bill)

     

  • June 20, 2024

    June 20, 2024

    UKRAINE In Bucharest, the Supreme Defence Council convened today to analyse a possible transfer of a Patriot missile system to Ukraine’s armed forces, after the US president Joe Biden called on the NATO member states in Europe that own such systems to look into the possibility of donating some to Ukraine. Over a month ago in Washington president Klaus Iohannis said in a meeting with the US president at the White House that Bucharest would find a solution for a possible transfer, but emphasised at that point that it was unacceptable for Romania to be left without anti-aircraft defence. In the Council meeting today, the participants will also present Bucharest’s goals at the NATO Summit due in Washington next week, given that a deterrence posture is critical for Romania, and the country’s defence capacity must be complete. On the other hand, president Klaus Iohannis stated yesterday that after the discussion in the Council he would also make public his decision regarding his NATO leadership candidacy, after both Hungary and Slovakia had announced their support for Mark Rutte (Netherlands) as the next NATO secretary general.

     

    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu is on a 2-day official visit to the US as of today. She is scheduled to have political talks with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and will also have meetings with National Security Council members. The Romanian diplomat will also take part in the opening of the Romania-US Economic Forum, where she will highight the development potential of the Romanian-US economic relations, including through cooperation in the energy sector and in the Ukraine reconstruction efforts. Organised in the context of the celebration of 20 years since Romania joined NATO, the visit is an opportunity to review the progress made in the bilateral relations, in the cooperation for strengthening Euro-Atlantic security, with a focus on the Black Sea region and on identifying means to consolidate the Romania-US Strategic Partnership.

     

    MILITARY Romania takes over for 6 months the command of a NATO vessel group operating in the Mediterranean, which also includes military ships from Italy, Spain and Turkey, officials for the Romanian Naval Forces announced. The “Viceamiral Constantin Bălescu” minelayer, with a crew of 85 Romanian and foreign troops, leaves the Constanţa military port to the port of Salamis, in Greece, where the command transfer ceremony is scheduled on Friday. The Romanian Naval Forces mentioned that, with the participation in this mission, Romania helps meet the commitments regarding regional security and strengthen international cooperation in view of maintaining stability in the Mediterranean.

     

    VISIT Romania and Italy will continue to work together and to cooperate with all Allies towards strengthening NATO’s role in preventing any wars, president Klaus Iohannis said after a meeting with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella, who was on an official visit to Bucharest on Wednesday. Klaus Iohannis highlighted the foundations for the development of the bilateral relation and cooperation with Italy, including as part of European and Euro-Atlantic structures. In turn, Sergio Mattarella said he supported Romania’s full Schengen membership. As for the European dimension, the president of Italy emphasized that the EU enlargement was a major objective.

     

    SWIMMING The Romanian swimmer David Popovici won the 100m freestyle race on Wednesday night at the European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, with 46 sec 88/100. Popovici was only two hundredths of a second away from the European record he set in Rome in 2022. The world record (46 sec 80/100) was set in February by China’s Zhanle Pan. Second in the European competition came Nandor Nemeth (Hungary), 47 sec 49/100, followed by Serbia’s Andrej Barna, 47 sec 66/100. In the 2022 European Championships in Rome, David Popovici won Romania two gold medals, in the 100m and 200m freestyle races. (AMP)

  • Multinational procurement of Patriot missiles to enhance air defense

    Multinational procurement of Patriot missiles to enhance air defense

    NATO has announced that its Support and Procurement Agency will support a coalition of Allies, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain to procure up to 1,000 Patriot air defense missiles. The consolidated multinational procurement, in the spirit of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), offers economies of scale and supports the expansion of production capacity for new GEM-T missiles to meet increasing demand, NATO said in a statement. The $5.5 billion contract has been awarded to COMLOG, a joint venture between an American company and a German company, and the large volume of the order will support the set up of a production facility for Patriot missiles in Germany. Patriot missiles cost around $4 million each, but the contract also covers the supply of spare parts and maintenance.



    The NATO Support and Procurement Agency stated that this purchase aims to strengthen the deterrent posture of the allies in the context in which Russia is intensifying its air attacks on Ukraine. “Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians, cities and towns show how important modern air defense is. (…) Scaling up ammunition production is key for Ukraines security and for ours, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.



    NATO provides Ukraine with only non-lethal support, but members of the organization send arms and ammunition to Kyiv individually or collectively. The United States and Germany have already delivered Patriot missiles to Ukraine to help counter Russian attacks on its cities and infrastructure, and those deliveries have partially depleted stocks. The US was even forced to ask other countries, including Japan, to help rebuild them. Following this request, in the second half of December, Japan relaxed its arms export restrictions, for the first time in the last decade, the historic decision of the Japanese authorities allowing the sale of Patriot air defense systems to the United States.



    Washington, in turn, will be able to deliver more such systems to Ukraine. The Patriot program is currently the most expensive endowment program of the Romanian Army. Romania currently has four such systems, out of the seven ordered, for which it will pay a total of almost 4 billion dollars. Patriot missiles can fly at 5,000 kilometers per hour and can hit drones, helicopters, planes, and cruise missiles. The Romanian Army, which, starting from 2023, receives 2.5% of the GDP, will have 200 such missiles, worth 1 billion euros, with the delivery to be made gradually. (EE)


  • January 4, 2024

    January 4, 2024

    PATRIOT NATO has announced its decision to support a
    group of member countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain
    for the purchase of up to 1,000 anti-aircraft Patriot missiles. According to
    NATO, the European production will be increased to cover the growing demand being
    also aimed at strengthening the European Sky Shield. The contract stands at 5.5
    billion dollars and the cost of each Patriot missile is around 4 million
    dollars. The contract also covers the maintenance of the Patriot defence
    systems. NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg has underlined that raising the ammunition
    production is essential for the security of the allied countries and Ukraine.




    AGREEMENT An individual’s period of work and their rights to pension
    have mutually been recognized by Romania and the United States, after the law
    ratifying the agreement on the issue was promulgated by Romanian president
    Klaus Iohannis. Under the new agreement, the periods of work both in Romania
    and the United States will be taken into consideration in the process of calculating
    individual pensions. The document also provides for the export of pensions, a
    major facility regarding the mobility of pensioners in the two countries and
    maintaining their access to the pension rights under payment. The draft also
    includes provisions for the posted workers who have been exempted from paying
    social securities in the country they have been sent to work.




    SPORT Romania’s handball selection is today playing Switzerland in
    an away friendly part of the Yellow Cup. On Friday, Romania takes on Argentina
    and will be up against Bosnia on Saturday. For Romania, presently coached by
    famous Xavi Pasqual, Yellow Cup is the last test before the European
    Championship – EHF EURO 2024 due in Germany over January 10th and 28th.
    Romania is part of Group B together with Spain, Austria and Croatia. The first
    two sides are qualified for the so-called main groups. A quadruple world
    champion, Romania has not qualified for a European Championship since
    1996.


    NATO Secretary
    General, Jens Stoltenberg will convene a meeting between high NATO diplomats
    and officials from Ukraine on January 10, the military alliance has announced,
    Reuters reports. The meeting is to be held in the newly-created format
    NATO-Ukraine and will take place upon Kyiv’s request in the wake of the the
    latest rocket and drone attacks against civilians and localities from Ukraine,
    a NATO spokesman has announced. Russia stepped up its attacks around the New
    Year’s Eve, after President Putin had cautioned that Ukraine’s air raid over
    the Russian city of Belgorod, which Moscow claims that it killed 25 civilians,
    would not go unpunished.






    WEATHER The weather in Romania is warmer for
    this time of the year, with temperatures higher than usual. The highs of the
    day are ranging between 6 and 15 degrees Centigrade with a noon reading in
    Bucharest of 15 degrees.




    (bill)



  • Achat groupé de missiles Patriot

    Achat groupé de missiles Patriot

    L’OTAN a annoncé que son
    Agence de Soutien et d’Acquisitions offrirait son soutien à un groupe d’Etats
    membres, y compris l’Allemagne, les Pays-Bas, la Roumanie et l’Espagne, pour
    l’achat d’un millier de missiles de défense antiaérienne Patriot.


    Selon un communiqué de
    l’Alliance militaire, « L’acquisition multinationale consolidée, dans
    l’esprit de l’initiative « bouclier du ciel européen » (en anglais
    « European Sky Shield Initiative ») permet de réaliser des économies d’échelle
    et de soutenir l’expansion de la capacité de production des nouveaux missiles
    GEM-T afin de répondre à la demande croissante ».


    L’agence a attribué le
    contrat, d’une valeur de 5,5 milliard de dollars, à COMLOG, une joint-venture
    entre une entreprise américaine et une autre allemande.


    Le volume important de la
    demande soutiendra la création d’une unité de production des missiles Patriot
    en Allemagne. Les missiles Patriot coûtent presque 4 millions de dollars chacun
    et le contrat couvre aussi la fourniture de pièces d’échange et l’entretien.
    Aux dires des représentants de l’Agence de Soutien et d’Acquisitions de l’OTAN,
    cette achat vise à consolider la posture de dissuasion des Alliés, dans le
    contexte où la Russie intensifie ses attaques aériennes contre l’Ukraine.


    Le secrétaire général de
    l’OTAN Jens Stoltenberg a déclaré : « Les attaques de missiles et de
    drones russes contre les civiles, les villes et les communes ukrainiennes
    montrent à quel point une défense aérienne moderne est importante. Il est
    essentiel d’intensifier la production de munitions pour la sécurité de
    l’Ukraine et pour la nôtre. »




    Les armes fournies à l’Ukraine




    Pour rappel, l’OTAN fournit
    à l’Ukraine uniquement du soutien non létal. Pourtant, les membres de
    l’Organisation envoient à Kiev des armes et des munitions. Les Etats-Unis et
    l’Allemagne ont déjà livré des missiles Patriot à l’Ukraine pour l’aider à
    contrecarrer les attaques russes contre ses villes et ses infrastructures.
    Néanmoins, ses livraisons ont presqu’épuisé les stockages. Les Etats-Unis se
    sont même vus contraints à demander à d’autres pays, y compris au Japon, de l’aide
    pour reconstituer les stock. Suite à cette demande, le Japon a assoupli les
    restrictions aux exportations d’armes pour la première fois au cours de la
    dernière décennie, la décision historique des autorités nippones permettant de
    vendre aux Etats-Unis des systèmes de défense antiaérienne Patriot. A son tour,
    Washington pourra livrer à l’Ukraine d’avantage de systèmes de ce type.




    La dotation de l’Armée roumaine





    A
    l’heure où l’on parle, le programme Patriot est le programme le plus cher de
    dotation de l’Armée roumaine. La Roumanie dispose actuellement de quatre
    systèmes de ce type, sur les sept commandés pour lesquelles elle paiera au
    total presque quatre milliards de dollars. Les trois derniers seront
    opérationnalisés d’ici la fin de cette année. Les missiles Patriot peuvent
    voler à 5 000 km/heure et toucher des drones, des hélicoptères, des avions,
    mais aussi des missiles de croisière. L’Armée roumaine, qui, depuis 2023 reçoit
    2,5 % du PIB, disposera de 200 missiles de ce type, d’une valeur d’ 1 milliard
    d’euros. La livraison en sera faite progressivement.

  • November 15, 2023 UPDATE

    November 15, 2023 UPDATE

    ECONOMY Romania will
    see its economic growth slowing down because of the high inflation, according
    to the European Commission’s autumn economic forecast. Romania’s GDP growth has
    been adjusted to 2.2%, as against 4.6% last year, because of an inflation rate
    above the EU average, of the low foreign demand and limited financing options. The
    inflation rate is expected to drop in the next 2 years, restoring the overall economic
    balance. In spite of the moderate economic growth at year end, the labour
    market remains stable. However, significant increases in salaries and pensions
    and the slight increase in governmental spending support a general rise in
    private consumption, although retail and services are on a downward trend and
    the industrial output is decreasing. On the other hand, tighter monetary policy
    and financing conditions have led to a significant slow-down in private sector
    loans, with a negative impact on investments. Romania’s real GDP growth rate is
    expected to reach 3.1% in 2024 and 3.4% in 2025, while the public deficit is
    predicted to stand at 6.3% of GDP this year, 5.3% in 2024 and 5.1% in 2025, as
    a result of the fiscal consolidation measures to be implemented as of January.


    PENSIONS The new pensions law drafted by the government will next
    Monday be discussed in the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making
    body for this piece of legislation, having already been passed by the Senate on
    Tuesday. The parliamentary majority formed by the Social Democrats and the
    Liberals says the law eliminates the inequalities in the system, while the
    opposition condemns the lack of funding sources to sustain the considerable
    pensions increases planned for next year. The new pensions law favours current
    pensioners and penalises those who are still working, the head of the National
    Trade Union Bloc Dumitru Costin said on Wednesday, after analysing the document.
    Costin also warns that the financial impact will be huge, and the extent to
    which it can be covered is unknown.


    PRESIDENT The
    president of Romania Klaus Iohannis Tuesday began his African tour with an
    official visit to Kenya. The tour, which also includes Tanzania, the Republic
    of Cabo Verde and Senegal, is the first political and diplomatic initiative at
    this level in the past 30 years, and aims to re-launch Romania’s relations with
    the countries on the African continent. At a joint press conference on Tuesday,
    president Iohannis emphasised the need for Romania to have its own medium and
    long term strategy for Africa based on concrete collaboration at government
    level, while Kenya’s president William Ruto spoke about the effects of the war
    in Ukraine for the African continent. Four agreements were signed in the fields
    of environmental protection and climate change, scientific cooperation, food
    safety and diplomatic training. On Wednesday, president Iohannis had a meeting
    with Kenya’s secretary for tourism and wildlife, Alfred Nganga Mutua, as part
    of a visit to the Nairobi National Park.


    REPATRIATION The
    foreign ministry in Bucharest said another 17 Romanian nationals and family
    members left the Gaza Strip via the Rafah checkpoint and are on Egyptian territory, waiting to be
    repatriated. The foreign ministry noted the evacuation was the result of
    complex efforts from an inter-institutional crisis cell, the Romanian embassy
    in Cairo and Romania’s Representation in Ramallah. 220 Romanian citizens and
    family members who have been evacuated from Gaza have arrived in Romania.


    AGEING Romania is one of the top 10 countries in the world in terms
    of population ageing rate, which is likely to put tremendous pressure on the
    country’s entire economic system, particularly on its healthcare and pension systems.
    The statement was made on Wednesday at the opening of a specialised congress in
    Bucharest. Sociological research indicates that 55% of the elderly people in
    Romania feel lonely, more than 30% of them only interact with 3-4 people every
    month, and 3 in 10 elderly people have no one to rely on in if necessary.



    MILITARY
    The Romanian Army Wednesday tested the operation of the Patriot surface-to-air missile
    system acquired by the Romanian Air Forces in 2020. The test was part of the PATRIOT
    SPARK 23 tactical exercise held these days at the Capu Midia shooting range in
    the south-east of the country. The Patriot system purchased by Romania is a
    state-of-the-art one, able to identify, track and neutralise any type of air
    threat. Attending the event were the PM Marcel Ciolacu, the Senate Speaker and
    former PM Nicolae Ciucă, and the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr. The Romanian
    Air Forces have so far acquired 3 other Patriot systems, which will be
    operational by the end of next year. Another 3 systems will be delivered to
    Romania under a USD 4 bln agreement. (AMP)

  • Training for Ukrainian pilots

    Training for Ukrainian pilots


    The first US-made F16 fighter jets that the Netherlands is donating to Ukraine will arrive at the training center in Romania within two weeks, acting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said earlier this week. I expect Patriot missiles to be delivered soon to help Ukraine this coming winter, and the same applies to the F16, Mark Rutte said during a video conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, posted on X, formerly Twitter, and quoted by The Guardian. For now, the number of planes deployed by the Netherlands for the center in Romania is not known. The Dutch Air Force operates 42 F16 fighter jets, and in mid-August Prime Minister Rutte pledged to donate some of them to Ukraine. Denmark, Norway and Belgium have also announced they will provide Kyiv with F16s.



    Previously, on August 29, Romania, the Netherlands and the Lockheed Martin company had signed a letter of intent to establish a training center for the F16. It was designed as a regional center for NATO countries, based at Air Base 86 near Fetești (southern Romania), but which would also benefit Ukrainian pilots. In Toledo, Spain, where the informal meeting of the defense ministers of the European Union took place, the document was signed by Romania as the host country, by the Netherlands as the supplier of training aircraft and by the Lockheed Martin aircraft manufacturing company .



    The establishment of the center at the 86th Air Base Lieutenant aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță is intended to support the development of the skills of Romanian pilots in the operation of F16 aircraft and in the performance of a varied spectrum of strategic missions, said the Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr. But, through this center, Romania is committed to providing a high-quality training environment, with access to technical resources and state-of-the-art know-how not only for Romanian pilots, but also for those from allied and partner states, including Ukraine, added the minister, according to a statement issued by the Defense Ministry. In other words, Romania joins other allied nations, such as Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Great Britain, in supporting the training of Ukrainian pilots for the future use of F16 aircraft. (MI)


  • Nachrichten 27.05.2023

    Nachrichten 27.05.2023

    – Der Generalstreik im Bildungswesen in Rumänien wird in der nächsten Woche fortgesetzt. Die Gewerkschaften planen eine neue Kundgebung in Bukarest am Dienstag. Auch am Freitag fanden in mehreren Städten des Landes Proteste statt, da die Beschäftigten des Systems unzufrieden mit dem Angebot der Regierung sind, Prämien in Höhe von 2.500 Lei (etwa 500 Euro) in zwei Raten zu zahlen. Die Exekutive zeigte sich auch bereit, die Gehälter des nicht lehrenden Personals um 9 % zu erhöhen. Diese sollen eine Prämie in Höhe von 1.000 Lei (etwa 200 Euro) bekommen. Die Bildungsgewerkschaften fordern jedoch eine Einkommenserhöhung von 25 % für alle Beschäftigten und eine Anhebung der Gehälter für Berufsanfänger auf das durchschnittliche nationale Bruttogehalt, d.h. 3.000 Lei (etwa 600 Euro). Die Beschäftigten im voruniversitären Bildungsbereich traten am 22. Mai in einen Generalstreik, da sie mit der Höhe der Gehälter und den Arbeitsbedingungen unzufrieden waren.




    – Die rumänische Regierung hat den neuen Krankenversicherungsvertrag angenommen. Der neue Gesetzestext tritt am 1. Juli in Kraft. Er hat die Prävention als Hauptbestandteil. Er bietet zudem Anreize für Hausärzte, die in ländliche Gebiete gehen wollen, und regelt erstmals eine leistungsbezogene Vergütung. Gleichzeitig wurde der gesetzliche Rahmen geschaffen, um den Zugang zu ambulanten Leistungen der Sportmedizin und Rehabilitation zu verbessern. Die Liste der medizinischen Leistungen, die tagesklinisch erbracht werden können, wurde um mehr als 100 erweitert.




    – Deutschland wird sein derzeit in der Slowakei stationiertes Patriot-Raketenabwehrsystem nach Litauen verlegen, um einen für Juli in Vilnius geplanten NATO-Gipfel zu schützen. Deutschland unterhält zwei Patriot-Einheiten in der Slowakei und drei in Polen. Der Gipfel wird der Ukraine konkrete Unterstützung bieten. Der Generalsekretär des Nordatlantischen Bündnisses räumte jedoch ein, dass einige NATO-Mitglieder der Ukraine den Beitritt verwehren. Er sagte, dass die Entscheidung in der NATO im Konsens erfolgt.




    – Circumeuropa, eine noch nie da gewesene See-Fluss-Expedition, verlässt heute die europäische Kulturhauptstadt 2023, Timișoara, mit einer vierköpfigen Besatzung, um die Kultur der westrumänischen Stadt in die andere europäische Kulturhauptstadt, Elefsina in Griechenland, zu exportieren. Das österreichische Segelschiff wurde von der Besatzung Der Fuchs genannt. Die Reise wird mit mehreren Schiffen zurückgelegt.




    – Rund 300 000 Menschen, darunter die ungarische Staatspräsidentin Novak Katalin, werden heute zur großen katholischen Pfingstwallfahrt in Șumuleu Ciuc erwartet. Katholiken aus aller Welt, vor allem aus dem ungarischen Sprachraum, nehmen daran teil. Die Wallfahrt in Șumuleu Ciuc hat eine mehr als 450-jährige Geschichte, in der die Marienstatue in der Franziskanerkirche im Mittelpunkt steht. Es wird berichtet, dass Fürst Johannes Sigismund von Siebenbürgen 1567 versuchte, den römisch-katholischen Gläubigen in den Szekler-Sitzen Ciuc, Gheorgheni und Cașin den Unitarismus aufzuzwingen, und die Menschen behaupten, dass sie nur mithilfe der wundertätigen Statue widerstehen und ihren angestammten Glauben bewahren konnten.




    – In Rumänien ist das Wetter unbeständig. In relativ großen Gebieten kommt es zu vorübergehenden Bewölkungen, Schauern und Gewittern. Der Wind weht schwach bis mäßig, in den östlichen Regionen stärker und kann während der Regenschauer zu Sturmböen führen. Die Höchsttemperaturen lagen zwischen 20 und 28 Grad. In Bukarest herrschten am Mittag 23 Grad Celsius.

  • La semaine du 06.02 au 12.02.2023

    La semaine du 06.02 au 12.02.2023


    Le chef de l’Etat roumain au Conseil
    européen de Bruxelles


    Présent au
    Conseil européen de Bruxelles, le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, a salué
    aux côtés des autres leaders européens, la présence au sommet du leader
    ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelenski, comme une preuve supplémentaire de la solidarité
    et de l’unité européenne. Dans ce contexte, M. Iohannis a insisté sur l’importance
    du maintien du soutien européen accordé à Kiev. Et lui de rappeler l’appui
    humanitaire et économique que la Roumanie a offert à son voisin ukrainien, y
    compris en facilitant le transport des céréales d’Ukraine ou en appuyant Kiev
    dans son parcours européen. Lors du Conseil de Bruxelles, Klaus Iohannis a
    insisté pour des sanctions supplémentaires contre la Russie. Par ailleurs, il a
    annoncé poursuivre les discussions sur l’adhésion de la Roumanie à Schengen et
    a annoncé son intention de visiter prochainement la Bulgarie pour démarrer avec
    son homologue, des actions communes au niveau diplomatique. Klaus Iohannis :


    « Pour moi,
    pour la Roumanie et pour les Roumains, il est très important d’adhérer à l’Espace Schengen. Je ne veux pas lier la
    discussion de telle ou telle date, puisque j’ai déjà vu en décembre que cela
    est impossible, ce genre de discussions prennent en considération de nombreux
    aspects européens. Malheureusement, de tels débats renvoient aussi à des
    questions de politique intérieure. Ce n’est pas bien et on ne saurait ignorer
    un tel aspect. J’ai déjà discuté avec le président Rumen Radev pour démarrer
    des actions communes ».


    Aux dires de
    Klaus Iohannis, la Roumanie n’est ni source de migration, ni pays de
    transition. Présent à Bruxelles, le président roumain a ajouté que ces deux
    problématiques sont européens et que Bucarest participera aux démarches censées
    trouver les meilleures solutions. Il ne faut pas confondre la migration et l’adhésion
    à Schengen, a précisé Klaus Iohannis.



    La Roumanie offre de l’aide à la
    Turquie, sévèrement frappée par un fort tremblement de terre


    Suite aux
    séismes dévastateurs en Turquie, la Roumanie a rejoint rapidement les équipes
    internationales qui y ont été envoyées, afin d’aider les secouristes locaux. A
    présent il y a 120 sauveteurs roumains, ainsi que sept chiens spécialement
    formés pour ces opérations. Un deuxième équipage, accompagné par des véhicules
    d’intervention y a été renvoyé mercredi soir. Le chef du Département des
    Situations d’Urgence, Raed Arafat, a précisé :


    « Nos équipes resteront sur place autant
    qu’il faudra. Si nous avons besoin de remplacer le personnel ou bien d’envoyer
    du support logistique, cela se passera rapidement, grâce à nos collègues des
    Forces Aériennes. Nous espérons pouvoir sauver autant de personnes que possible
    et, bien sûr, aider nos collègues, qui à présent sont confrontés à une
    situation sans précédent ces dernières années.     » a déclaré
    Raed Arafat.


    En ce qui
    concerne la Syrie, aussi fortement touchée par les séismes, la Roumanie a
    décidé d’envoyer uniquement des aides humanitaires, a précisé encore Raed
    Arafat. Par ailleurs, le Ministère des Affaires Etrangères a rapatrié de
    nombreux citoyens roumains qui l’on sollicité suite aux séismes. L’Ambassade
    roumaine à Ankara a annoncé rester en contact avec des dizaines de Roumains
    vivant en Turquie.



    Le deuxième système de missiles sol-air
    Patriot pour la Roumanie


    La Roumanie a reçu
    cette semaine le deuxième système de missiles sol-air Patriot, sur les quatre achetés
    dans une première étape du programme de dotation des Forces aériennes. Aux
    dires du ministre de la Défense, Angel Tîlvar, les militaires roumains sont en
    pleine formation pour pouvoir utiliser ces systèmes de défense antiaérienne qui
    fournissent une « capacité de défense aérienne robuste, crédible, interopérable
    et flexibles, destinée à réaliser des missions de l’armée roumaine ».


    Selon le
    Ministère roumain de la Défense, les systèmes Patriot de dernière génération
    sont arrivés pour la première fois, en Roumanie, en 2020. La livraison des deux
    prochaines batteries a déjà commencé l’année dernière et les tests et leur
    réception devraient s’achever avant le mois d’avril. Depuis 2021, le système
    Patriot effectue des missions spécifiques de défense aérienne et contre les
    missiles de l’espace aérien de la Roumanie et de l’OTAN.




    Le taux directeur annuel à 7%


    Au bout de deux
    ans de taux directeur record et onze majorations, voilà que la Banque centrale
    de Roumanie a décidé de conserver le taux directeur annuel à 7%. La BNR a
    conservé aussi les niveaux actuels des taux des réserves minimales obligatoires
    sur les passifs en lei et en devises des établissements de crédit,
    c’est-à-dire, les sommes que les banques commerciales sont obligées à détenir
    dans les comptes ouverts auprès de la BNR. Les décisions adoptées par la Banque
    centrale de Roumanie interviennent dans le contexte où la BNR s’attend à voir l’inflation
    baisser plus vite que prévu. Le taux annuel de l’inflation a enregistré une
    légère baisse en décembre dernier, en dépassant d’un peu les 16%. La Banque
    centrale s’attende à ce qu’il atteigne un montant d’un seul chiffre au
    troisième trimestre de l’année en cours, dans le contexte d’une prolongation du
    plafonnement des tarifs énergétiques.