Radio România Internațional

Tag: Pompeo

  • October 19, 2020 UPDATE

    October 19, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19 Ro — School will be suspended in Bucharest as of Tuesday due to the increasing number of new coronavirus contamination cases. Courses will be held online for two weeks. At the same time, the authorities announced the obligation to wear face masks in all public spaces. Cinema and theater halls have been closed. Activity has also been banned inside restaurants, except for catering to the people accommodated in units that also provide meals. Gambling activities have also been forbidden. President Klaus Iohannis underscored that a national effort was needed to stop the COVID-19 epidemic. He showed that pressure on hospitals, especially on intensive care units, reached alarming levels, and that could not go on. President Iohannis also said that decisive action had to be taken now, to reduce the burden on the medical system. On Monday 2,466 new COVID-19 cases were reported in 24 hours following the testing of 8 thousand people. 757 patients are in intensive care and 59 people have died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. So far 5,931 people diagnosed with COVID-19 have died.



    COVID-19 world – Globally, the number of coronavirus cases has passed 40.2 million, with the number of deaths nearing 1.2 million. The US, India and Brazil are still the worst hit countries, while almost half of all cases are in North, Central and South America. Infections are also rising in Europe, with 150,000 new cases being reported on average each day. Record daily figures have been recorded in Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, Cyprus and the Czech Republic. Parts of the UK are in lockdown and new restrictions have been imposed in France and Italy. A World Health Organization official was quoted by Reuters as saying that global fatalities caused by Covid-19 may reach 2 million before an effective vaccine is distributed.



    Forum — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis attended on Monday the Three Seas Virtual Summit and Web Forum organized by Estonia in videoconference format. President Iohannis explained in a press conference that the Initiative would contribute in the post-pandemic period to the economic recovery, through the development of connectivity between the states in the region. The Romanian President pointed out that Romania’s main target was to implement the strategic interconnection projects, an important step in this regard being the completion of the first phase of the BRUA natural gas conveyance project and the passage to the implementation of phase 2. Klaus Iohannis equally underlined the special importance from an economic and strategic point of view of the railway project called “Rail 2 See” which will link the ports of Constanta and Gdansk, as well as of the transnational highway network called Via Carpathia.



    Visit — The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu is having political consultations with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a visit to the US at the invitation of his American counterpart. Held as part of the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Romania and the US, Aurescus trip is aimed at reconfirming the main elements of the Strategic Partnership and assessing projects of mutual interest. Talks focus on issues such as bilateral cooperation in the political, military, energy and economy areas, including priority strategic interconnection projects promoted by Romania as part of the Three Seas Initiative. Minister Aurescu is also expected to again call for Romanias inclusion in the Visa Waiver program. First scheduled for last April, his visit to the US was postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.



    Ambassadors — 8 persons proposed for the positions of Romania’s ambassadors abroad received, on Monday, a favorable vote from the joint committees for foreign policy and the committees for the Romanian communities abroad, as well as from the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Proposals were made for Romania’s ambassadors to France, the Czech Republic, Vietnam and Cambodia, Finland, the Netherlands, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, Montenegro and Uruguay. On October 7 the joint committees of the Romanian Parliament interviewed another 8 candidates, all of them having received a favorable vote. Interviews with another 15 persons will continue in the coming period.



    UN – The Romanian military who took part in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali were awarded medals for their service as peacekeepers. According to a statement from the defense ministry, the chief of defense staff, lieutenant-general Daniel Petrescu on Sunday visited the troops from the Carpathian Pumas helicopter unit stationed at Camp Castor in Mali, where Romania has deployed 120 military and four IAR-330L transport helicopters. 57 other countries are also taking part in the UN mission in Mali. (update by L. Simion/C.M.)

  • 17.10.2020 (mise à jour)

    17.10.2020 (mise à jour)

    Coronavirus en Roumanie – La Roumanie a rapporté samedi 3952 nouveaux cas d’infection au coronavirus
    dépistés en 24 heures, ce qui porte le bilan à 176.468 personnes infectées
    depuis le début de la pandémie en Roumanie. S’y ajoutent 63 décès enregistrés
    de jeudi à vendredi et 745 malades en soins intensifs. C’est pourquoi, les
    autorités sont à la recherche de solutions pour que davantage d’hôpitaux
    puissent rejoindre la lutte contre le coronavirus. Selon le chef du Département
    pour les situations d’urgence, Raed Arafat, la Roumanie affronte en ce moment
    la 2e vague de la pandémie. Selon les spécialistes, cette vague
    s’étalera tout le long de l’hiver. Dans ce contexte, un millier d’écoles
    roumaines sont fermées et dispensent de cours en ligne uniquement. Selon le
    ministère de l’Education quelque 11.300 établissements scolaires accueillent des
    élèves en présentiel, en respectant toutes les normes sanitaires qui
    s’imposent, alors que dans environ 5200 écoles les cours en présentiel et en
    distanciel alternent.

    Attaque – Le chef de la diplomatie de Bucarest, Bogdan Aurescu, a transmis un message de condoléances aux proches du professeur français tué dans une attaque terroriste islamiste vendredi, une attaque horrible qu’il a condamné fermement. Le ministre a souligné à cette occasion que la Roumanie et la France étaient « unies dans la lutte contre la terreur ».

    Trois Mers – Le président roumain
    Klaus Iohannis participera lundi au Sommet Virtuel et au Forum Web de
    l’Initiative de Trois Mers organisés par l’Estonie en visioconférence. Selon
    administration présidentielle de Bucarest, à l’occasion du Sommet un rapport
    sur la connectivité intelligente sera lancé. Rappelons-le, l’Initiative des
    Trois Mers est une plate-forme politique au niveau présidentiel réunissant 12
    Etats-membres de l’UE situés entre les Mers Baltique, Adriatique et Noire. Son
    objectif est de renforcer le développement économique des participants, en
    stimulant l’inter-connectivité dans 3 domaines essentiels : les transports,
    l’énergie et le numérique. On vise également à accroître la convergence réelle
    entre les Etats membres de l’UE ce qui aidera à consolider l’union et la
    cohésion au sein de l’espace communautaire.






    Diplomatie – En visite aux Etats-Unis jusqu’à mardi à l’invitation de son homologue
    américain, le ministre roumain des AE, Bogdan Aurescu, doit rencontrer, lundi,
    à Washington, le secrétaire d’Etat américain Mike Pompeo. Cette visite est
    organisée dans le contexte de la célébration des 140 ans de relations
    diplomatiques entre la Roumanie et les Etats-Unis. Selon un communiqué du
    Ministère roumain des AE , « C’est une bonne occasion de reconfirmer
    les principales directions du Partenariat stratégique. Les discussions entre le
    ministre Bogdan Aurescu et le secrétaire d’Etat Mike Pompeo viseront la
    coopération bilatérale dans les domaines politique, militaire, énergétique et
    économique, y compris les projets stratéhgiques prioritaires d’interconnexion
    promus par la Roumanie dans le cadre de l’Initiative des Trois Mers. »



    Météo – Dans les 24 prochaines heures les températures baisseront en
    Roumanie, notamment dans l’ouest, le centre et le nord où l’on attend de la
    pluie. Les maxima ne dépasseront plus le 18 degrés.

  • June 27, 2020 UPDATE

    June 27, 2020 UPDATE

    Coronavirus RO — The Romanian authorities on Saturday announced only 325 new cases of coronavirus infection, a lower figure than that reported on Friday, namely 411. The Strategic Communication Group shows that only 10 new deaths have been registered, which takes the death toll to 1,589. The total number of cases of infection on Romania’s territory is 26,022. At present 199 patients are in intensive care. Of the contaminated people, more than 18,530 have recovered. In this context, the Liberal PM Ludovic Orban has asked the authorities to mobilize and undertake more checks. In another development, Romanian researchers say that people who have been contaminated and recovered from COVID-19 infection are quite unlikely to get infected again. They have reached this conclusion after having analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 virus identified in Romania and which was proved to originate in Wuhan, China. Most probably the spread of the virus in Romania occurred at community level, across the country’s regions.



    US-Romania relations — The American Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has conveyed to the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu a letter on the occasion of the anniversary, this month, of 140 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and the US. A Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué issued on Saturday writes that the message of the US official focused on bilateral cooperation meant to promote the two countries’ common interests. Mike Pompeo considers that the longstanding relation between Romanian and the US has reached its highest level and he thanked Romania for being a stalwart ally and friend of the United States. In turn, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu says that the celebration of 140 years of diplomatic relations is a good opportunity to reconfirm the durable strategic relation between Romania and the US as well as the two countries’ will to respond together to the current challenges and threats.



    Annexation — Romania, the Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population) and the Diaspora are commemorating on Sunday 80 years since the annexation of the Romanian eastern territories by the Soviet Union. On June 28, 1940, following an ultimatum, the Soviet troops occupied Bessarabia and the north of Bukovina, two Romanian provinces that measured about 55 thousand square kilometers and that were inhabited by a majority Romanian ethnic population. Hundreds of thousands of families then took refuge in ‘smaller Romania’ and tens of thousands of other families were deported by the occupying troops to Siberia and Kazakhstan. The territories annexed by Moscow currently belong to the former Soviet Republics of Moldova and Ukraine.



    Weather –— Hundreds of people have been evacuated and hundreds of households, plots of land and roads in the southwest of Romania have been flooded by the Jiu River which outburst its banks. In the northeast, on the Prut River, the high flood propagating from Ukraine is now subsiding, after having reached its maximum level on Friday. The weather in Romanian remains warm but unstable in the north, center and east. The highs of the day will range from 28 to 34 degrees C.



    Elections — Poland will see the first round of the presidential election on Sunday. Opinion surveys show that the incumbent president Andrzej Duda, supported by the Conservative Party Law and Justice (PiS) is seen as favorite with 41% of the votes. His main challenger, the mayor of Warsaw and a representative of the Liberal Civic Platform Rafal Trzaskowski comes 2nd with 26% of the votes. (tr. L. Simion)

  • April 22, 2020 UPDATE

    April 22, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19 Romania — Another 3 people infected with Covid-19 have died, taking the total death toll in Romania to 519, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Wednesday evening. Romania now has more than 9,700 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 and over 2,400 patients have recovered from the infection. The number of Romanian citizens outside Romania killed by Covid-19 reached 64. Over 950 Romanian citizens abroad have been infected, most of them in Italy and Spain. Also on Wednesday, President Klaus Iohannis announced that after May 15, when the state of emergency comes to an end, the restrictions on the individuals’ freedom of movement would not be extended. However, people will be obliged to wear face masks in enclosed public spaces and in the public transportation means, with public gatherings remaining strictly forbidden. According to President Iohannis, the authorities are working on a detailed plan on resuming economic activities, especially in the highly restricted areas.



    Economy — The Romanian finance minister Florin Citu says that, according to his estimates, Romania’s economic situation is not as bad as initially expected. He added that next week he would receive the situation of the revenues collected by the state in the past month. He underlined that many SMEs managed to adapt to the current situation, starting to produce what is requested on the market and that they are paying their taxes. The finance minister went on to say that the state’s main objective was to ensure the population’s health, but once the peak of the epidemic is overcome, and the social distancing measures are relaxed, all necessary instruments will be used to re-launch the economy. Minister Citu also said that Romania is getting funds only from the domestic market at present but that it is also looking for financing on the international market. He added that he is also working on a government-bond issuance program.



    Media — In this period of crisis, the public mass media institutions from Europe have proved their unique importance, by providing the audience with credible, carefully verified information while avoiding fake news — said the Director General of the European Broadcasting Union, Noel Curran. He also underlined the European public radio and television broadcasters’ concern with broadcasting cultural programs and also gave the example of Radio Romania in this regard. The public mass media services provide credible news, introduce educational programs and programs for children, being very creative in their work. Against the backdrop of this unprecedented crisis, this is a very strong response, to which the public reacted in its turn — the EBU Director General added.



    Washington — The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that Washington had serious reasons to believe that the Chinese authorities delayed reporting the new coronavirus outbreak in a timely manner to the WHO. He also accused China of failing to report human to human transmission of the virus ‘for a month, until it was in every province inside of China.’ President Donald Trump said Saturday that there should be consequences for China, if it was ‘knowingly responsible’ for the coronavirus pandemic. He also added that the WHO failed to fulfill its main mission and should be held responsible for having promoted China’s disinformation. (tr. L. Simion)

  • September 15, 2019 UPDATE

    September 15, 2019 UPDATE

    IAEA Romania’s
    Foreign Minister, Ramona Manescu on Monday is attending the opening of the
    General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According
    to a communique by the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Manescu will be
    having talks with IAEA interim director, ambassador Cornel Feruta as well as
    with representatives of the participant
    countries. The Romanian delegation is expected to reiterate its support for the
    continuation and consolidation of the IAEA role at world level and to highlight
    the national nuclear programme, which is up to the highest international
    standards in terms of safety and security. The General Conference is the
    highest decision-making section of the IAEA, which has convened in September every
    year since its foundation in 1957 to assess and approve the organisation’s
    schedule and budget. Decisions are also made on topical issues for the member
    states and the international community.








    VOTING Until October 19th,
    Romania’s diplomatic missions are expected to submit proposals to the Foreign Ministry
    for the polling stations to be set abroad for the upcoming presidential
    election this autumn. In an attempt to offer support to the Romanian nationals
    living abroad who want to cast their ballot in the election, the application
    term was extended until September 15th, allowing voters to opt for
    voting in a polling station abroad or for postal voting. We recall that the
    election’s first round is on November 10th and the second round two
    weeks later.








    FESTIVAL The George Enescu International Festival, which has
    Radio Romania as co-producer, reached its 16th day on Sunday with a series of concerts
    given by the radio choir and the National Orchestra of the Romanian Radio
    Broadcasting Corporation under the baton of British conductor Paul Daniel. The
    Romanian artists performed fragments from Benjamin Britten’s opera, Peter
    Grimes. This year’s edition of the festival, which is due to come to an end on
    September 22nd, is expected to bring together 25 hundred of the world’s best
    musicians who will be performing in no less than 84 concerts and recitals.
    Events part of this festival are to be hosted by the Romanian capital and other
    cities across the country as well as by countries like Germany, France, Italy,
    Canada and the Republic of Moldova. Radio Romania has been co-producer of this
    festival since its very first edition back in 1958.










    MEETING
    Romania will be represented at the General Affairs Council of the EU in
    Brussels on Monday by George Ciamba, its Minister Delegate for European
    Affairs. High on the talks agenda are the Multi-annual Financial Framework
    2021-2027 as well as preparations for the European Council due over October
    17th-18th. Minister Ciamba held talks with the Finnish presidency of the EU on
    the multi-annual financial framework on September 9th. The Romanian minister
    assured his Finnish counterpart Tytti Tuppurainen, of Bucharest’s support for
    the progress of the negotiation process, to which Romania contributed
    significantly during its mandate at the helm of the European Union in the first
    half of this year.












    USR A congress of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR) on
    Sunday validated Dan Barna to run for the presidential seat and has elected the
    new members of the National Office. We recall that USR has forged an alliance
    with PLUS, the party of Romania’s technocratic Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos.
    Barna is the candidate of this USR-PLUS alliance for the presidential election
    in Romania in November.








    IRAN An
    Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander on Sunday said that U.S. bases and
    aircraft carriers in the region were within range of Iranian missiles. The
    statement comes after the United States has accused Iran of leading attacks on
    Saudi oil plants, raising tensions in the Middle East. US president Donald Trump
    has condemned the drone attack, carried out by Iranian-backed rebels, which
    knocked out more than half of the Kingdom’s output. US Secretary of State Mike
    Pompeo has accused Iran of being behind the attack underlining that the USA is
    ready to work with its partners and allies to
    ensure that energy markets remain well supplied and Iran is held accountable
    for its aggression.










    DEFEAT Romania’s national volleyball
    side conceded a 1-3 defeat to Italy in group A of the European Championship
    underway in Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovenia and France. Romania was also
    thrashed by France in its first game and is going to play Greece on September
    16th and Portugal, two days later. Bulgaria ranks first in group A, while
    Romania occupies the last but one position with no points. The first four sides
    in the group qualify for the round of 16.






    (translated by bill)

  • September 15, 2019

    September 15, 2019

    FESTIVAL The George Enescu International Festival, which has
    Radio Romania as co-producer, has reached its 16th day. This Sunday will be
    seeing concerts given by the radio choir and the National Orchestra of the
    Romanian Radio Brodcasting Corporation under the baton of British conductor
    Paul Daniel. The Romanian artists will be performing fragments from Benjamin
    Britten’s opera, Peter Grimes. This year’s edition of the festival, which is
    due to come to an end on September 22nd, is expected to bring together 25 hundred of the world’s best
    musicians who will be performing in no less than 84 concerts and recitals. Events
    part of this festival are to be hosted by the Romanian capital and other cities
    across the country as well as by countries like Germany, France, Italy, Canada
    and the Republic of Moldova. Radio Romania has been co-producer of this
    festival since its very first edition back in 1958.












    USR A congress of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR)
    has today validated Dan Barna to run for the presidential seat and has elected
    the new members of the National Office. We recall that USR has forged an
    alliance with PLUS, the party of Romania’s technocratic Prime Minister Dacian
    Ciolos. Barna is the candidate of this USR-PLUS alliance for the presidential
    election in Romania in November.








    IRAN An
    Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander on Sunday said that U.S. bases and
    aircraft carriers in the region were within range of Iranian missiles. The
    statement comes after the United States has accused Iran of leading attacks on
    Saudi oil plants, raising tensions in the Middle East. US president Donald Trump
    has condemned the drone attack, carried out by Iranian-backed rebels, which knocked
    out more than half of the Kingdom’s output. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
    has accused Iran of being behind the attack underlining that the USA is ready
    to work with its partners and allies to
    ensure that energy markets remain well supplied and Iran is held accountable
    for its aggression.










    VOTING Deadline
    for the Romanians abroad to register as voters for the upcoming presidential
    election is tonight at midnight. Voters can either apply to cast their ballot
    at a certain polling station or may opt for postal voting. 39 thousand applications
    have so far been registered for postal voting, whereas 37 thousand people prefer
    polling stations. Diplomatic missions can present proposals for polling
    stations abroad to the Foreign Ministry until October 19th. We
    recall that the election’s first round is on November 10th and the
    second round two weeks later.








    VOLLEYBALL Romania’s national volleyball side today playes Italy in
    group A of the European Championships in Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovenia and
    France. Romania conceded defeat to France in their first game. In the same
    group Portugal will be up against France also today. Bulgaria ranks first in
    group A, while Romania occupies the last but one position with no points. The
    first four sides in the group qualify for the round of 16.






    (translated by bill)

  • 01.09.2019

    01.09.2019

    Das Zweikammerparlament in Bukarest beginnt am Montag die zweite ordentliche Sitzung dieses Jahres. Der Senat steht kurz vor der Wahl eines neuen Präsidenten, nachdem der Vorsitzende der ALDE, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, nach dem Rückzug der Liberaldemokraten aus der von der PSD dominierten Allianz, angekündigt hat sein Amt niederzulegen. “Am Montag, dem ersten Tagungstag des Senats, werde ich offiziell meinen Rücktritt verkünden”, sagte er vor einer Woche, als die ALDE in die Opposition trat und sich mit Pro Romania zusammenschloss, der vom ehemaligen Premierministers Victor Ponta geführten sozialdemokratischen Partei. Drei liberaldemokratische Minister, Graţiela Gavrilescu vom Umweltministerium, Viorel Ilie verantwortlich für die Beziehungen zum Parlament und Anton Anton vom Energieministerium, legten ihre Rücktritte vor. Die kürzlich investierte Au‎ßenministerin Ramona Mănescu zog es vor, aus ALDE auszutreten, um ihr Portfolio zu behalten. Die sozialdemokratische Ministerpräsidentin Viorica Dăncilă erklärte, die PSD habe weiterhin die Macht, das Regierungsprogramm, mit dem sie die Parlamentswahlen 2016 gewann, anzuwenden. Präsident Klaus Iohannis forderte das Kabinett, das mittlerweile eine Minderheitsregierung darstellt auf, eine neue Bestätigung im Parlament einzuholen. Er teilte des weiteren mit, dass er die ihm vom der Ministerpräsidentin unterbreiteten Vorschläge zur Umbildung vollständig ablehne. Die rechte Opposition hat angekündigt, einen Misstrauensantrag einzureichen und sich bereit erklärt, die Regierungsverantwortung zu übernehmen. Dafür brachte es jedoch die Forderung nach vorgezogenen Wahlen ins Spiel. Die regulären Wahlen würden nächstes Jahr stattfinden.



    Die rumänische Premierministerin Viorica Dancila hat angekündigt, sie werde mit Präsident Klaus Iohannis telefonisch über die Interimsbesetzung der drei Ministerien, welche die ALDE innehatte. Dancila warnte, sie werde sich an das Verfassungsgericht wenden, wenn der Präsident die neuen sozialdemokratischen Vorschläge zur Leitung der Ministerien für Energie, Umwelt und Beziehung zu Parlament nicht akzeptiert. Dancila hat auch gesagt, dass eine Regierungsumbildung, die dem Parlament vorgelegt werden sollte, keine Dringlichkeit darstelle. Diese Entscheidungen wurden am Sonnabend auf einer Sitzung des Vorstands der Sozialdemokratischen Partei in Mamaia, an der Schwarzmeerküste, getroffen.



    Die Renten in Rumänien steigen beginnend mit dem 1. September um 15 %. Dies teilte Arbeitsminister Marius Budai mit. Rund 5 Millionen Rentner im öffentlichen System kommt die Erhöhung zugute. Das neue Rentengesetz sieht eine schrittweise Erhöhung des Rentenpunkts beginnend mit dem heutigen Tag und bis 2022 sowie die Neuberechnung von Millionen anderer Renten vor. Nach dem neuen Gesetz werden Doktor- und Masterarbeiten zum Rentenalter hinzugezählt. Es eröffnet die Möglichkeit bis zu 5 Rentenbeitragsjahre zu kaufen und schreibt vor, dass auf die Mindestrente nur diejenigen Anspruch haben, die mindestens 15 einen Rentenbeitrag gezahlt haben.



    Der Internationale Währungsfonds hat den rumänischen Behörden empfohlen, einen Prozess der nachhaltigen Haushaltskonsolidierung einzuleiten, das neue Rentengesetz, das am Sonntag in Kraft treten soll, zu überdenken und das Management in staatlichen Unternehmen zu verbessern. Laut einem IWF-Bericht würde das rumänische Wirtschaftswachstum 2019 bei rund 4 % bleiben und sich mittelfristig auf 3 % verlangsamen. Nach Ansicht des IWF müssen die rumänischen Behörden vor dem Hintergrund der zunehmenden Instabilität die derzeitigen wirtschaftlichen Fortschritte nutzen, um einen nachhaltigen Prozess der Haushaltskonsolidierung einzuleiten. Schätzungen zufolge wird das rumänische Haushaltsdefizit im Jahr 2019 ca. 3,7 % des BIP ausmachen, wenn keine zusätzlichen Ma‎ßnahmen ergriffen werden.



    Die proeuropäische Premierministerin der Moldau, Maia Sandu setzt ihren Besuch in den Vereinigten Staaten fort. Laut dem Korrespondenten von Radio Rumänien in der moldauischen Hauptstadt, hat Sandu das Treffen mit US-Staatssekretär Mike Pompeo als das Wichtigste gewertet. Sie vermied es jedoch die Gesprächsagenda zu benennen. Sandu wird auch mit Beamten des Verteidigungsministeriums, der Central Intelligence Agency und der Millennium Challenge Corporation Gespräche führen. Dem Besuch Sandu‘s in Washington war der Besuch des nationalen Sicherheitsberaters John Bolton in Chisinau vorausgegangen. Bolton sagte, dass die USA die Souveränität und Unabhängigkeit der Republik Moldau unterstützen, die ihre Zukunft ohne Einflüsse aus dem Ausland entscheiden muss.



    Fünf Veranstaltungen sind für Sonntag, den zweiten Tag des Internationalen George Enescu Musik Festivals, geplant. Das erste Konzert der diesjährigen Ausgabe gaben am Sonnabendabend im Rumänischen Athenäum in Bukarest die Berliner Philharmoniker unter der Leitung von Kiril Petrenko. Das zentrale Thema der diesjährigen Ausgabe des Festivals ist Welt in Harmonie“. Vladimir Jurowski ist der Leiter des Festivals. Bis zum 22. September werden neben Bukarest in weiteren 10 Städte in Rumänien sowie in Deutschland, Frankreich, Italien, Kanada und Moldawien unter dem Namen des Festivals Konzerte gegeben.

  • July 19, 2019

    July 19, 2019

    PROSECUTOR The European Parliament has
    reiterated its support for the former head of Romania’s main anti-corruption
    agency (DNA), Laura Codruta Kovesi, as their candidate for the position of
    European Chief Prosecutor. As the European Parliament president David Maria
    Sassoli has explained in a communiqué, it is essential that investigation and
    prosecution in cases involving EU budget frauds, corruption or cross-border VAT
    frauds be ensured as soon as possible. Sending a letter of support from the
    European Parliament was decided upon Thursday at the Conference of Presidents
    of the European Parliament (which brings together heads of political groups in
    Parliament). We recall that in spring, the European Parliament decided to back
    Kovesi to head the European Prosecutor’s Office whereas the EU Council preferred
    French candidate Jean-Francois Bohnert. Several rounds of talks between the
    delegates of the two institutions have so far ended in a deadlock. Under the
    internal regulations of the future European institution the Council and
    Parliament must agree upon the nomination of the chief prosecutor for a 7-year
    mandate, which cannot be renewed.












    CONFERENCE During a ministerial conference in
    Washington on promoting religious liberty staged by the US State Department,
    Romanian state secretary Maria Magdalena Grigore has said that Romania will
    always be a promoter of religious liberty and the spirit of tolerance, the Foreign
    Affairs Ministry in Bucharest has announced. ‘We believe that ethnic and
    religious diversity are sources of development enriching any culture or society
    and the latest visit Pope Francis paid to Romania is proof of the inter- confessional harmony in our country’, the
    Romanian official went on to say. The conference has brought together over 100
    foreign ministers and high-ranking government officials from all over the world.
    Participants have tackled the present challenges to religious freedom as well
    as concrete ways of fighting religious persecutions. Hosted by secretary of
    state Mike Pompeo, the conference is the largest event of this kind in the
    world. Romania has associated to two declarations made during the event, one
    referring to the respect for religion and faith and the other to the protection
    of worship places, the same communiqué says.










    VISIT A delegation of the Romanian
    Ministry for Business Environment, Commerce and Entrepreneurship is visiting
    Japan over July 19th and 26th in order to attract
    Japanese investors in the Romanian economy. According to a communiqué the
    Ministry issued on Friday, the Romanian delegation’s agenda includes a series
    of talks and meetings in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo with officials from
    Japan’s government institutions and representatives of the business and banking
    environment about opportunities deriving from the coming into effect early this
    year of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. Also high on the agenda
    are talks with representatives of several major Japanese companies. Bilateral
    trade between the two countries stood at 710 million dollars in 2018. Romania
    exports to Japan tobacco, wood, honey, car parts, clothes, medicine, electrical
    equipment and imports cars, industrial machinery and equipment, metal and
    chemical products, instruments as well as optical and photo equipment.












    FESTIVAL The 11th Histories
    and Film Festival kicks off in Rasnov, central Romania today. Film screenings,
    theatre shows, concerts of rock and baroque music will be taking place in the
    city centre until July 28th. The festival will also host debates on
    the anti-communist revolution of December 1989, economic freedom, the liberty of
    music, freedom gained and freedom lost 30 years after the demise of the
    communist regime in Romania, cinema and freedom. Other issues are to be tackled
    during the festival such as Romanian migration, Europe’s future after the
    Brexit, the digitization of society or the minorities issue. 50 years since the
    first moon landing are to be also marked during the event as well as 70 years
    since the foundation of NATO.


    FOOTBALL Three Romanian teams will play in Europa League’s second
    preliminary round. Winners of Romanian Cup in football, Viitorul Constanta take
    on Belgian opponents KAA Gent, straight into the second preliminary round.
    Vice-champions FCSB grabbed a two-legged win in the tie against Milsami Orhei
    of Republic of Moldova. FCSB will next take on Armenian opponents Alashkert FC,
    while CSU Craiova, whose most recent record also includes a double-legged win
    in the tie against Azeri team FK Sabail, are up against Hungarian side Honved
    Budapest. Romania’s champions CFR Cluj have got through to the Champions
    League’s second preliminary round, where they will face Israel’s champion team
    Maccabi Tel Aviv.




    (translated by bill)



  • February 12, 2019 UPDATE

    February 12, 2019 UPDATE

    STATE BUDGET The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said on Tuesday that the 2019 state budget bill drafted by the left-of-centre Power is “rushed and based on unrealistic economic estimates. The head of state warned that this is not the budget of the Social Democratic Party, but of Romania, and that stability and prosperity in the years to come depend on this, reads a news release issued by the Presidency. Iohannis is particularly critical of the funding cuts affecting national security institutions, which he sees as an irresponsible decision. Similar comments had been made previously by the right-wing Opposition as well. In Parliament, debates on the budget bill continued in the specialised committees, with the final vote scheduled for Friday. The budget is based on an estimated economic growth rate of 5.5%, a budget deficit of 2.5% of GDP and a GDP of over 200 billion euros.




    BANKING The Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, Tuesday assured Parliament that there is no deviation of the ROBOR index from the true market level. In a hearing at the Senates committees on budget-finances and the economy, Isarescu explained that the current level of ROBOR, the index used in calculating floating interest rates for national currency loans, can only fluctuate within the 1.5% to 3.5% range, because this is the only way the central bank can attract deposits from and provide loans to commercial banks. On the other hand, the chair of the Senates economic committee Daniel Zamfir (ALDE, a junior party in the ruling coalition), said the Romanian banking sector had the lowest financial intermediation rate in the EU, and profit rates twice the EU average. The dispute between Zamfir and Isarescu deepened after in January the local currency, the leu, dropped to all-time lows against the euro for several consecutive days. During the same period, ROBOR came close to 3%, pushing up the interests for national currency loans.




    EU The EU member states committed on Tuesday to consolidate the legal framework for the supervision of financial institutions, in order to find the best means to fight money laundering. The Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union was invited to initiate as soon as possible negotiations with the European Parliament on the relevant legislative package. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, the Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, who chaired the ECOFIN meeting, emphasised that the rules for combating money laundering will be fully implemented in all EU member countries.




    DEFENCE The Romanian defence minister Gabriel Leş is taking part on Wednesday and Thursday in a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. According to a news release, topics of major interest are on the agenda, concerning the implementation of the decisions made in the latest NATO summit last year. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian official will also have bilateral talks with his counterparts from the UK, Canada, and other NATO member and partner countries, including Georgia and Ukraine.




    FRAUD Bucharests “Carol Davila Medical and Pharmacy University announced that a woman working as a volunteer physician in a public hospital in Bucharest does not appear in its records as a graduate of Bachelors and Masters degrees. The Healthcare Minister, Sorina Pintea, says the documents presented by the individual, who had been practicing gynaecology for 10 years, are forged, and that a criminal investigation will be initiated in this case. Prompted by a media investigation, the new case follows the one involving an Italian citizen who worked unlawfully as a plastic surgeon in private clinics in Romania. A secondary school graduate working as a parking valet in Italy, he already had a 1.5-years suspended sentence in his own country, for claiming to be a physician for a long time.




    DIPLOMACY The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, Tuesday travelled to Slovakia as part of his on-going European tour. In Bratislava, he reiterated the statements made previously in Hungary, concerning the importance of supporting Ukraines sovereignty and integrity, and said that Western Allies must not allow Russia to create division between NATO member states. Moscow is not the only power intent on eroding freedom in the region, Pompeo also warned, hinting at China. The US officials tour also includes Warsaw and Brussels, where he will have talks with the EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini.




    TENNIS Romanias womens tennis team went up 3 places and is currently ranked 5th with 8,912.5 points, in the Fed Cup standings released by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The increase is owing to the away win against trophy holder the Czech Republic on Sunday. Romanias next opponent in the Fed Cup semis is France, ranking 4th with 12,995 points, after defeating Belgium (3-1), in Liege. Romania outplayed the Czech Republic, 3-2, thanks to Simona Haleps 2 wins and to Irina Begu and Monica Niculescus victory in the doubles. Romania will take on France away from home on April 20th and 21st, in its first presence in the Fed Cup semi-finals since 1973.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)