Radio România Internațional

Tag: Recean

  • March 27, 2024

    March 27, 2024

    Visit – The National Bank supports and encourages initiatives aimed at the development of the capital market in the Republic of Moldova, and as an institution responsible for prudential supervision and the stability of the financial market, we want to facilitate the free movement of capital and financial services, the governor of the National Bank of Moldova, Anca Dragu, said on Wednesday in Bucharest. She emphasized that these are actually chapters of negotiation for Moldova’s accession to the European Union, “chapters in which the National Bank has a leading role, so that the Republic of Moldova should enjoy prosperity and economic stability”. Romania commits and continues to commit unconditionally to supporting the European path of the Republic of Moldova, said, in turn, the speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă. They participated, on Wednesday, together with the Moldovan Prime Minister, Dorin Recean, and the head of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu, in a forum organized by the Stock Exchange, an event that promotes solid economic cooperation and the interconnection of the capital markets between the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

     

    Bessarabia – Romania is among the staunch supporters of the European future of the Republic of Moldova, as its citizens wish, the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in a message on the occasion of the Day of Bessarabia’s Union with Romania. The Romanian Cultural Institute – ICR and its representations abroad are organizing a series of cultural events to mark 106 years since this historic moment. Today, at the National Art Museum of Romania, a painting exhibition is opened that includes 100 works by artists from the Republic of Moldova, and the National Theater in Bucharest will host performances in which Romanian and Moldovan actors will participate. On March 27, 1918, the Chisinau State Council voted in favor of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, Bessarabia being a Romanian province annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812, after the Russian-Turkish war (1806-1812). This historical act opened the process of the unification of Romania, completed on December 1, 1918, through the Union of all the Romanian provinces which were then under foreign rule. 22 years later, in the summer of 1940, following an ultimatum, Stalin’s Moscow annexed both Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, territories that currently belong to the former Soviet Republics of Moldova and Ukraine, respectively.

     

    Brancusi – The Pompidou Center in Paris hosts an exhibition-event dedicated to Constantin Brâncuşi, considered the father of modern sculpture, which can be visited until July 1. Hundreds of sculptures, photographs, sketches and archival images are on display in the exhibition which includes Brâncuşi’s Workshop, the place where the great Romanian artist created and lived, alongside works borrowed from major international museums. All of Constantin Brâncuşi’s works from the Romanian heritage are exhibited, sent by the National Art Museum of Romania and the Art Museum in Craiova (southern Romania). ‘Brâncuşi is an artist who was very little exposed during his life, as he preferred to invite his contemporaries to come to his workshop. He liked to control all dimensions of the presentation of his sculptures’, explains Ariane Coulondre, curator of the exhibition, in a press release. The Brâncusi Retrospective at the Pompidou Center, the first in the last almost 30 years and the largest ever organized event, is held with the support of the Romanian Embassy in France and the Romanian Cultural Institute.

     

    Deficit – Romania’s budget deficit reached, after the first two months of the year, almost 29 billion lei (about 6 billion Euros), accounting for 1.67% of the Gross Domestic Product, show data published by the Finance Ministry. The deficit is almost double compared to the same period of last year. The Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, however, that it would observe the 5% threshold estimated for the end of the year. The economy is self-financing and we will have the largest economic growth in Europe, the Romanian PM also said.

     

    Handball – CS Dinamo Bucharest defeated the Danish team Bjerringbro Silkeborg, score 37-34, on Tuesday evening, at home, in the first leg of the play-off of the EHF European League men’s handball competition. The second leg will take place on April 2, in Silkeborg. Trained by the Spanidh Xavi Pascual, the Romanian champions start with the first chance in the return leg to qualify for the next stage. Afterwards, the winners of the quarterfinals will play in the Final Four Tournament (semifinals and finals). The German team Fuchse Berlin is the holder of the trophy. (LS)

  • The visit of the NATO Deputy Secretary General to Chisinau

    The visit of the NATO Deputy Secretary General to Chisinau

    On a visit to Chisinau, the NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană referred to the recent incidents on Romanias territory, near the border with Ukraine, where pieces of a drone similar to those used by the Russian army were discovered, emphasizing that these belong to the category of incidents, not deliberate attacks. He admitted that such situations might occur again but underlined that there is no information according to which Russia would deliberately attack allied territory, and NATO continues to take measures to strengthen the protection of allied territory, including that of Romania. We are in permanent contact with our Romanian ally – said Mircea Geoană – recalling that the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, recently had a telephone conversation with President Klaus Iohannis on this subject. As regards the Republic of Moldova, the NATO official said that its place is in Europe next to the family of Western democracies.



    He added that, although there is no military risk threatening this state, it is still subject to a hybrid war, caused by Russia, from the use of the energy weapon to cyber-attacks, to disinformation, influencing democratic mechanisms, inciting to social rebellion. Mircea Geoană said that the neighboring Ukraine, which is resisting Russia, is currently also defending the Republic of Moldova from direct military attacks.



    Mircea Geoana: I want to reconfirm here, in Chisinau, the fact that we do not see a military risk from the Russian Federation towards the Republic of Moldova, for the simple fact that Ukraine is doing such a good job with our support too, so this military risk at the moment and for the foreseeable future is not here. This does not mean that the Russian Federation has not launched and continues using, as we speak, everything that means the arsenal of the hybrid war against the Republic of Moldova, from the use of the energy weapon to cyber-attacks, disinformation, influencing democratic mechanisms, instigating to social rebellion. And for us it is very important to strengthen the resilience of the Republic of Moldova, while respecting the neutrality of this country.



    In his turn, the Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean emphasized that Russia’s war in Ukraine has greatly changed the perception of security in Europe and the world. He mentioned that many states understood that they need a developed defense sector and Chisinau’s priority now is to have an army in line with the NATO standards.



    It is necessary to strengthen the defense capacity, especially through investments in the army, insisted Dorin Recean: Moldova’s neutrality does not mean indifference, does not mean that were doing nothing. That’s why we have to strengthen our defense capacity, that’s why we have to make these investments in the national army, in such a way that we have the national army in line with the NATO standards and, obviously, we will have the support of our partners in this sense.



    Dorin Recean added that the Republic of Moldova will participate in the NATO programs on new technologies and innovations. (LS)

  • March 23, 2023

    March 23, 2023

    Brussels — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, on Thursday and Friday, in the spring meeting of the European Council and in the Euro Summit in an extended format, hosted by Brussels. According to the Presidential Administration, they will tackle the situation in Ukraine, especially food security and the reconstruction process, climate change and measures to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. “We must be united on the side of Ukraine, we must be in solidarity with Ukraine, we must help Ukraine with everything we can. It is very important that Ukraine has a strong position and that we can do many things”, said the Romanian president in a press conference before the start of the Council. There will be other extremely important topics, President Iohannis also said, related to the economy, the single market, competitiveness. They will discuss the best methods to prevent the deindustrialization of Europe and the energy issue, as well as the situation of the Republic of Moldova, which will receive substantial additional aid from the EU.



    Chisinau – On a visit to Chisinau, accompanied by several ministers, the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă had talks with the President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu and with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean. The meetings focused on issues related to the accession of this state to the EU, the way in which the republics economy can develop, the path to democratic reforms and the situation in the area in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. The leader from Chisinau thanked Romania for the support provided for the population and the economy of the Republic of Moldova to get through the complicated winter, caused by an exponential increase in energy and gas costs, and through the acute lack of supply of these resources, in particular following the interruption of supply by Gazprom for several months. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă thanked, in turn, for the decision of the Moldovan Parliament to adapt the legislation in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court, respectively to grant the Romanian language the status of official language in the Republic of Moldova. Consolidating the security environment in the Republic of Moldova and ensuring the resources to combat any form of destabilization of this country is a priority for Romania, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also said during the discussions with Dorin Recean. Romania is our advocate in all European institutions, therefore we can advance on our European path, said the Moldovan Prime Minister. During the meetings, the implementation stage of the support program for the Republic of Moldova presented, financed with 100 million Euros by the Government of Romania. In this sense, the Romanian Prime Minister announced the release of the first tranche worth 25 million Euros of this program.



    London – The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is on an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the invitation of his counterpart, James Cleverly. The two officials will discuss bilateral strategic partnership relations, as well as international developments, with an emphasis on the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Republic of Moldova, the relations between the EU and the United Kingdom and cooperation within NATO. On Wednesday, minister Bogdan Aurescu had a meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Defense, Ben Wallace, with whom he discussed, among other things, bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and within the North Atlantic Alliance, with an emphasis on the stability and security of the Black Sea. On the sidelines of the visit, the heads of the Romanian and British diplomacies will sign the updated Joint Declaration of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and will open the first edition of the Romania – United Kingdom Bilateral Forum.



    Protests – France is almost blocked today, on the ninth day of national mobilization against the pension reform. With a general strike in many areas and street demonstrations announced in almost 300 localities, the trade unions and the opposition want to force the French government to withdraw the law it has just adopted, which provides for the increase in the retirement age, from 62 to 64 years old. On Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron said that the reform was an unfortunate necessity to protect the pension system and that he accepted its unpopularity.



    Film – The first feature film of the Romanian director Alexandru Belc – “Metronome” will be screened on Friday at the Muranów cinema in Warsaw. The film represents Romania at the Francophone Film Festival in Poland, which takes place between March 22 and 26 in Warsaw. Along with the Romanian film, the Festival includes eight other fiction films from Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Morocco, proposed by the French Institute in Poland, which is also the main organizer. At the most recent edition of the Cannes Film Festival, “Metronome” was awarded the Best Director Award in the “Un certain regard” section. (LS)

  • 02.03.2023

    02.03.2023

    Protestations – Les syndicalistes du système de l’Education nationale entament aujourd’hui une série de protestations et demandent la majoration des salaires et des bonus. La première ville à accueillir ces protestations est Iasi, dans l’est, où plus de 500 protestataires membres de la Fédération des syndicats libres de l’Enseignement sont attendus. Ils demandent au gouvernement d’identifier des solutions pour majorer les revenus du personnel didactique auxiliaire et pour le paiement des heures supplémentaires réalisées. Les syndicats exigent également d’appliquer les règlements relatifs aux bonus pour des conditions difficiles de travail puisque les salariés de l’Education nationale constituent la seule catégorie de salariés de l’Etat à ne pas bénéficier de ces bénéfices.

    Moldova – Les autorités de Bucarest soutiendront sans aucune réserve les autorités de Chisinau afin d’atteindre l’objectif de la République de Moldova d’adhérer à l’UE. C’est le message du président roumain, Klaus Iohannis à destination du premier ministre moldave, Dorin Recean, qui a visité la Roumanie. Le responsable de Chisinau a été reçu aussi par son homologue roumain, le premier ministre Nicolae Ciucă. Le président de la Chambre des Députés, Marcel Ciolacu, a également rencontré le premier ministre Dorin Recean. Lors de cette entrevue, le responsable roumain a déclaré que la Roumanie pouvait assurer une partie de la consommation de gaz de la République de Moldova par l’intermédiaire du contrat d’importation signé avec l’Azerbaïdjan.

    Grèce – L’impact entre deux trains en Grèce mardi dans la soirée, accident qui a fait plus de 40 morts a été provoqué par une « tragique erreur humaine » a déclaré le premier ministyre grec Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Le ministre des transports, Kostas Karamanlis, a déjà annoncé sa démission suite à cet accident entre un train de voyageurs qui reliait Athènes à Salonique dans le nord et un convoi de fret. Il a déclaré avoir hérité une infrastructure « inadaptée au 21e siècle », lorsqu’il fut nommé ministre des transports en 2019. La majoprité des victimes sont des jeunes a souligné le premier ministre Mitsotakis. Il s’agit surtout d’étudiants de retour à Salonique après un weekend prolongé puisque lundi c’était une journée fériée en Grèce.

    Energie – Nous devons investir dans toutes les sources d’énergie aux basses émissions carbone afin d’atteindre les objectifs de décarbonation assumés au niveau européen, mais aussi l’indépendance énergétique a affirmé le ministre roumain de l’énergie Virgil Popescu. Il participe à Zagreb aux travaux de la quatrième réunion ministérielle du Partenariat pour la coopération Transatlantique dans les domaines de l’énergie et du climat. Le ministre roumain de l’énergie a également souligné que les bénéfices sociaux et économiques du nucléaire et de toute autre source d’énergie devraient être toujours pris en compte. Le nucléaire civil assure de nouveaux emplois et contribue considérablement au PIB d’un Etat, a précisé Virgil Popescu.

    Théâtre – Le ministre roumain de la Culture, Lucian Romaşcanu, a salué le coup d’envoi des travaux de construction, à Bucarest, de Griviţa 53, le premier théâtre privé de Roumanie bâti à zéro, après près de 80 ans. Le projet est financé par son ministère à hauteur de 1,9 millions d’euros, issus de fonds norvégiens. S’y ajoutent de nombreux contributeurs privés qui ont acheté une par une les briques dont sera construit ce théâtre, qui est une initiative de l’écrivaine et metteuse en scène Chris Simion-Mercurian et de son mari, Tiberiu Mercurian. Le ministre Romaşcanu a d’ailleurs félicité les deux pour avoir réussi l’impossible, en réunissant l’argent nécessaire au projet, après 6 ans de lutte contre l’inertie, la bureaucratie et les entraves en tout genre. Le théâtre Griviţa 53, qui bénéficie déjà de l’appui de nombreuses personnalités, devrait ouvrir ses portes au public en 2024.

    Ukraine – L’armée ukrainienne contrôle la situation de tous les fronts du pays, assure le président ukrainien, Volodymyr Zelensky – cité par l’agence de presse DPA. Dans un message vidéo à la population, il a précisé que les civils situés derrière la ligne du front continuaient à souffrir. « Terreur délibérée » a déclaré M Zelensky au sujet des attaques à l’artillerie contre les villes et les villages du sud et de l’est du pays, où les forces de Moscou tentent constamment de détruire les possessions des citoyens. Selon Volodymyr Zelensky, les forces ukrainiennes redoublent d’efforts pour restaurer la sécurité de ces personnes. Rappelons-le, le 24 février l’Ukraine le monde a marquée une année depuis l’agression militaire de la Fédération de Russie contre l’Ukraine, une guerre qui a fait jusqu’ici des dizaines de milliers de victimes. Plusieurs villes ont été complètement détruites et quelque 8 millions de personnes ont été forcées de chercher refuge ailleurs, dont en Roumanie.

    Météo – Temps morose en Roumanie, où le ciel est couvert et il fait assez froid. Des pluies isolées sont signalées sur le sud-ouest, mais aussi sur le sud et le centre, alors qu’en montagne les précipitations sont mixtes. Les maximas vont de 3 à 14 degrés. 6 degrés sous un ciel de plomb à l’heure actuelle à Bucarest.

  • The Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova visits Bucharest

    The Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova visits Bucharest

    The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, promised, on Wednesday, in Bucharest, to his counterpart from the neighboring Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state , with a majority Romanian-speaking population), the pro-Western Dorin Recean, Bucharests support for the implementation of reforms, the consolidation of the economy, of the resilience and security of the state, as well as support for the continuation of the European path. PM Ciucă welcomed what he called the excellent level of bilateral relations and the remarkable dynamics of the dialogue between Bucharest and Chișinău.



    According to the prime minister, Romania has consolidated its status as the first commercial partner of the Republic of Moldova. Bilateral trade, he recalled, increased by 1.2 billion dollars in 2022, which means that it reached about 3.6 billion. Against the background of Russias brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the Romanian Prime Minister went on to say, we are witnessing more and more attempts to destabilize the Republic of Moldova, artificially creating tensions, hostile narratives built around the propagation of false information.



    “I assured my counterpart of Romanias unwavering support for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders” — the Prime Minister Ciucă added. The Romanian authorities will unreservedly support the leadership in Chișinău to achieve the goal of integrating the Republic of Moldova into the European Union, President Klaus Iohannis in his turn told the Moldovan Prime Minister Recean.



    The Moldovan official also had a meeting with the Speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, who assured him of Romanias support for part of the gas consumption of the Moldovan citizens, through the import contract agreed with Azerbaijan. And the Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Princess Margareta, received the Moldovan Prime Minister and reiterated the support given by the Royal Family of Romania to the Republic of Moldova.



    Dorin Recean made his first visit abroad to Romania after being sworn in as prime minister in mid-February. “I will go to Bucharest on my first visit. We have to start the working mechanisms here, in the Republic of Moldova, and immediately after that I will go to Bucharest. (…) We are privileged to have this good relationship with Romania, which helped us enormously in overcoming the energy crisis, in our European aspirations. Romania advocated for us in the European institutions, in such a way that we can now advance on the European path” – said Prime Minister Recean.



    The government program presented before the vote of investiture in Parliament, actually mentions that special attention is paid to the relations with Romania, which will be “strategic” and “privileged” relations. (LS)

  • President Maia Sandu visits Bucharest

    President Maia Sandu visits Bucharest

    A poet once launched a metaphor reading as follows: ‘a citizen of the Republic of Moldova who comes to Bucharest makes a trip from home to home. Created on part of the eastern Romanian territories annexed in 1940, following an ultimatum by Stalins Soviet Union, the Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from Moscow on August 27, 1991, after the failure of the neo-Bolshevik coup against the last Soviet leader, the reformer Mikhail Gorbachev. On the same day, Romania became the first country in the world to recognize the statehood of its new neighbor. On Thursday, the president of the Republic of Moldova, the pro-Western Maia Sandu, herself holder of Romanian citizenship, came to Bucharest as if she were coming at home.



    The security situation was the main point on the agenda of the talks with her counterpart, Klaus Iohannis. According to the Moldovan officials, the republic is facing all the elements of a hybrid war, such as false bomb alerts, cyber-attacks, illegally financed protests, energy blackmail from Russia. The pro-war propaganda, incitement to hatred, misinformation, which are parts of the same hybrid war, are meant to weaken the resilience of citizens, the Moldovan officials add, and President Sandu herself announced, this month, the foiling of a coup planned in Moscow, in which mercenaries from Russia, Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro were supposed to destabilize the republic.



    The information regarding a Russian plot to overthrow the government of the Republic of Moldova is deeply worrying – the spokesperson for the US National Security Council, John Kirby, immediately reacted. He admitted that the alleged plot was not confirmed by independent sources but added that it was certainly not outside the limits of Russian behavior. The Romanian president also emphasized that the external threats to the democratic order in the Republic of Moldova were particularly worrying. President Iohannis pointed out that Romania would continue to support the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, within its internationally recognized borders. I assure you that the Republic of Moldova is not alone in the face of these challenges, he told Maia Sandu.



    In turn, Maia Sandu said that the joint projects with Romania help the Republic of Moldova to resist and move forward on the European path. In this complicated period, Romania stands by us, sincerely and disinterestedly. While some are blackmailing us, others are embracing us – she concluded. Maia Sandu also announced that the new government in Chisinau, installed less than two weeks ago, would continue the dialogue with Romania, and that the PM Dorin Recean would next week come to Bucharest, on his first visit abroad after taking office. (LS)

  • Eine neue Regierung in Chișinău vereidigt

    Eine neue Regierung in Chișinău vereidigt


    Die Republik Moldau ist weit davon entfernt, ein Land der politischen Stabilität zu sein. In den 32 Jahren der Unabhängigkeit der Republik Moldau hat es 16 Premierminister gegeben, was einem durchschnittlichen Zeitraum von zwei Jahren für einen Regierungschef entspricht. Egal, ob rechts oder nominell links, prorussisch oder prowestlich – die Premierminister in Chisinau haben keine bleibenden Spuren in der Geschichte der Republik hinterlassen.




    Am Donnerstag übernahm Dorin Recean, der ehemalige Innenminister und Sicherheitsberater der Präsidentin, die Leitung der Exekutive, die nach dem Rücktritt von Natalia Gavriliță in der vergangenen Woche vakant geworden war. Seit dem 6. August 2021 leitete sie die Exekutive, nachdem die Partei der Präsidentin Aktion und Solidarität“ (PAS) die vorgezogenen Wahlen mit 63 der 101 Parlamentssitze erdrutschartig gewonnen hatte. Mit der Rücktrittsankündigung Gavrilițăs hat die Republik eine neue Ära eingeläutet, in der die Sicherheit im Mittelpunkt steht. Gleichfalls mit den Stimmen der PAS wurde die Regierung Recean eingesetzt, deren Zusammensetzung kaum von Gavrilițăs Team abweicht. Radio




    Rumänien in Chisinau hat festgestellt, dass nur vier Minister ausgewechselt wurden. Recean wird voraussichtlich einen anderen Regierungsstil als Natalia Gavriliță an den Tag legen, die in der Öffentlichkeit als mild wahrgenommen wurde. Die politischen Analysten in Chisinau vermuten, dass die wahren Gründe für den Wechsel des Premierministers in der Langsamkeit der Reformen von Gavriliţă und den internen Spannungen innerhalb der Macht liegen. Das Regierungsprogramm basiert auf den Visionen der Präsidentin Maia Sandu und ihrer Aktions- und Solidaritätspartei, mit Anpassungen an die aktuelle Realität. Heute stehen wir vor Problemen wie der hohen Inflation, dem Krieg im Nachbarland Ukraine und den steigenden Energiepreisen“, sagte Recean bei der Vereidigung vor den Abgeordneten. Der neue Premierminister versprach außerdem, die Effizienz der öffentlichen Verwaltung zu verbessern und Ordnung zu schaffen, den Zugang zu Finanzmitteln für die Wirtschaft zu vereinfachen und die Korruption wirksamer zu bekämpfen.




    Die Prioritäten der neuen Regierung sind die Integration in die Europäische Union und die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung. In der Außenpolitik wird der neue Premierminister sich darauf konzentrieren, die Forderungen von Brüssel zu erfüllen, nachdem das Land im vergangenen Jahr den Status eines Beitrittskandidaten erhalten hatte. Internationale Nachrichtenagenturen berichten, dass auch den Beziehungen zum benachbarten Rumänien, die strategisch“ und privilegiert“ sein sollen, besondere Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt wird. Zudem wird die Notwendigkeit betont, die Beziehungen zu den Vereinigten Staaten und anderen westlichen Gebern zu vertiefen, deren Unterstützung für eines der ärmsten Länder Europas lebenswichtig ist.




  • February 17, 2023

    February 17, 2023

    Timişoara – The city of Timişoara, in western Romania, officially becomes, as of today, for one year, a European Capital of Culture. Approximately 16,000 people are expected to participate in the 130 events taking place this weekend, on the occasion of the official opening of the program. The entire city will be animated by concerts, exhibitions, street performances, theater plays, film screenings and workshops, all under the slogan “Shine your light — Light up your city!” More than 100 Romanian and foreign officials, including about 40 ambassadors, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the European Commissioner Adina Vălean have confirmed their participation in the opening gala at the Palace of Culture in Timișoara. Moreover, Adina Vălean will hand the local authorities the “Melina Mercouri” award, worth 1.5 million Euros, which is awarded to cities that have fulfilled their commitments in the “European Capitals of Culture” program.



    Chişinău – The new government of the Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population) was inaugurated and sworn in before the pro-Western president Maia Sandu. Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned that in the coming period the intensity of hybrid attacks by the Russian Federation was likely to increase and that, in the event of an aggression, the neutrality status of the Republic of Moldova did not provide any guarantees. Radio Romania’s correspondents in Chişinău note that the government led by Recean will have to face not only a security situation complicated by the war in neighboring Ukraine, but also the economic and energy crises. The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, congratulated Recean for the vote obtained and for assuming the responsibility of leading the Government of the Republic of Moldova, and gave assurances regarding the continuation of the dialogue and the identification of support solutions for the European path.



    Rome – The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, continues his visit to Italy today. He is to meet with the Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, and then he will meet with representatives of the diocesan communities in the Lazio Region. On Thursday, the Romanian official talked with the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, about the organization of a bilateral economic forum in Rome. Marcel Ciolacu has said that Italy is Romanias second important commercial partner, and Rome is ‘home to over 200,000 Romanian citizens’. Also on Thursday, the president of the Chamber of Deputies met in Rome with his Italian counterpart, Lorenzo Fontana.



    Conference – The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, and the Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, are participating, from Friday until Sunday, in the Munich Security Conference (MSC), a representative forum for discussions on the current dynamics of international security. Bogdan Aurescu participates, as the main speaker, in the round table Security in the Black Sea Region: From Cyberstorm and Brinkmanship to Border Confrontation?, organized by the think tanks New Strategy Center (NSC) and Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Minister Angel Tîlvăr participates in the conference sessions focused on regional security developments, the implications of Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as regional stability and security. He will also attend the debates on the conference report (Munich Security Report), a document that highlights the profound changes in the security environment and the consequences of the unprovoked and unjustified war waged by Russia in Ukraine. Among the guests are prominent personalities from NATO, the EU, the UN and other international organizations, as well as important global decision-makers.



    Earthquake – A moderate earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.3, occurred on Friday in Gorj county (southwest Romania), at a depth of 15 kilometers, according to the data of the National Institute for Earth Physics. The intensity of the earthquake was revised from 4.4 to 4.3 degrees, following the operators calculations. On Tuesday, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake occurred in Gorj county, the largest ever produced in that area. The day before, the area was shaken by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake. On March 4, 1977, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2, the worst to hit Romania, resulted in the death of 1,570 people, most of them in Bucharest, and caused property damage estimated at over two billion dollars at the time. The earthquake generated an economic and social crisis that, according to historians, the communist dictatorship of the time could not overcome until its collapse in 1989. (LS)