The mandate of the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Romania, Reuven Azar, has come to an end.
RRI’s Eugen Cojocariu has spoken with His Excellency about the achievements of his mandate and the relations between Romania and Israel.
Tag: relations
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June 7, 2024
Elections – In Romania, Friday is the last day of the first electoral campaign in 2024. Citizens with the right to vote are expected, on Sunday, to go to the polls to choose both their representatives in the future European Parliament and in the local authorities. According to the data of the Permanent Electoral Authority, over 200,000 candidates have tried, starting from May 10, to convince voters to vote them. The oldest candidate is 100 years old, and the youngest is just over 23 years old. 11,386 people are running for mayoral positions. All in all, 207,389 candidates have registered for all the positions of local, county and municipal councilors, mayors and presidents of county councils. For the European Parliament elections, 12 political parties and electoral alliances and four independent candidates have registered, i.e. a total of 494 candidates, of whom the Romanians with the right to vote must choose 33 that will represent Romania in the European Parliament. The electoral campaign will end on Saturday morning, at 7:00 a.m.
Relations – The Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Federation in Romania, Vladimir Lipaev, was received at the Romanian Foreign Ministry by the Secretary of State Ana Tinca, for the presentation of the copies of the accreditation letters. The representative of the Romanian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the Russian Federation is solely responsible for the current state of bilateral relations and reminded the Russian diplomat that Romania condemns the war of aggression against Ukraine, which represents a brutal violation of international law, including the UN Charter. Vladimir Lipaev is a career diplomat. He has most recently been ambassador to Estonia, from where he was expelled in 2023.
Gaza – 17 heads of state, including the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, have signed a joint statement asking Israel and Hamas to make any possible compromise for the ceasefire in Gaza. The call came after dozens of Palestinians died in an attack that the Israeli military said targeted 30 Hamas fighters that were hiding in a school, along with displaced people. The US State Department said that, although the Hamas fighters are known to be mixing with civilians, Washington is waiting for more information about the raid. Meanwhile, related to the ceasefire plan recently presented by the US President Joe Biden, the Hamas group claimed that it had not received any written commitment regarding any truce.
Salary – Almost 1,900,000 employees in Romania will receive increased salaries by 284 lei (57 Euros) net value, from July 1, after the Romanian Government approved the increase of the gross minimum wage from 3,300 lei (about 660 Euros) to 3,700 lei (approximately 740 Euros) and raised from 200 lei (approximately 40 Euros) to 300 lei (almost 60 Euros) the monthly amount exempted from the payment of the income tax. The executive believes that this approach will have positive effects on economic growth, the purchasing power of employees and will contribute to the reduction of undeclared work. However, the decision does not apply to employees in agriculture and the food industry, as legal provisions in force apply to these categories. The government representatives said that this increase is a step towards the adoption, from November, of the minimum wage at the European level.
Football–Romania’s national football team meets, this evening, in Bucharest, the team of Liechtenstein, in its last training match before the European Championship in Germany. On Tuesday, also in Bucharest, and also in a friendly match, the Romanian footballers drew 0-0 with the team from neighboring Bulgaria. In Group E of Euro 2024, Romania will meet Ukraine, on June 17, in Munich, then Belgium, on June 22, in Cologne, and Slovakia, on June 26, in Frankfurt. Officials of the Football Federation in Bucharest say that they are counting on a massive presence of Romanian supporters at matches, whether they come from the country, settled in Germany or in other countries of Western Europe. Romania last participated in a continental final tournament in 2016, and in a World Cup in 1998.
Tennis– The pair Elena Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk (Romania/Ukraine) qualified for the semifinals of the doubles event of the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros. The Romanian player and her colleague reached the semifinals after the withdrawal of their opponents from the quarterfinals, the Russians Mirra Andreeva and Vera Zvonareva. Today, in the semifinals, Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk meet the Italian team Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, seeded 11. (LS)
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US and the Black Sea region
The Black Sea region plays an important role for NATO, and Romania is a very close partner for the United States, the US Ambassador to Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec reiterated, while on a visit to Târgu Mureș (centre).
In an interview to Radio Târgu Mureş, she said that Romania, located next to the conflict in Ukraine, has been suffering from the consequences of the conflict, whether we talk about the Ukrainian refugees who either transit Romania or are staying here, or about the transport of Ukrainian grains via Romanian Danube and Black Sea ports.According to theUS diplomat, adding to all these are the concerns generated by a war taking place at the countrys borders.
Kathleen Kavalec: “In that context, I think our defence and security relations have become even closer. We now have tripled the number of American troops in Romania, so there are now over 3,000 American troops here, and were working more closely with our Romanian partners on defence and deterrence, to defend every inch of NATO territory, should the need arise”.
In fact, Kathleen Kavalec recently stated in a security conference in Bucharest that Romania turned from a beneficiary into an exporter of peace and security, and that today the country is infinitely better prepared to protect its borders, with support from NATO and its partners, than it was just decades ago.
I know that Romanians are not unused to turning points in history, the US Ambassador also said. This is why, she added, more than 2 decades ago, at an equally critical moment in geopolitical terms, Romania made the strategic and wise decision to join NATO and the EU, choosing the path of democratic transformation.
The US diplomat also emphasised that it is vital for is to continue to invest in alliances and partnerships, starting with NATO. As we face Russias aggression against Ukraine, the Hamas attack against Israel or any other instance of global injustice, we are stronger together, Kathleen Kavalec argued.
On the other hand, while in Târgu Mureș the US Ambassador also spoke about her countrys openness to including Romania in the Visa Waiver programme, but she explained that this can only be achieved by strictly complying with the US legislation, which has very specific requirements. In this context, she also mentioned the information exchange agreements that must be completed and signed as part of the Visa Waiver programme. We are making very good progress in this direction, and hopefully we will sign an agreement as soon as possible, the US Ambassador concluded. (AMP)
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Romanian-Hungarian relations assessed in Budapest
Hungary supports Romanias Schengen accession, and if the process is not completed by next summer, Budapest will bring up the issue once it takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The statement was made by Hungarys president, Katalin Novák, who invited president Klaus Iohannis to Budapest for the first visit by a Romanian head of state to Hungary in 14 years.
The talks covered the most important topics on the EU agenda, an occasion for Klaus Iohannis to reiterate Romanias commitment to a united, stronger and more resilient Union:
Klaus Iohannis: “Our talks highlighted the support of both states to furthering the EU enlargement process. I have reiterated Romanias firm support for the adoption, by the end of this year, of the decision to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.”
On the other hand, the two presidents also discussed opportunities to develop bilateral economic and infrastructure cooperation. The president of Hungary,Katalin Novák, pointed out that natural gas development projects like ʹNeptun Deepʹ,in the Black Sea, should be supported financially by the European Union. “I signal Hungarys intention to buy even more gas, because in this way we could further diversify current energy resources and we would reduce our dependence on Russia. We are in discussions on this issue,” Katalin Novak said.
Romania may become a relevant partner and supplier for the neighbouring state, came the answer from president Klaus Iohannis, who also seized the opportunity to voice the Romanian authorities willingness to act so as to strengthen bilateral dialogue and cooperation, and the need to avoid unilateral or controversial moves.
Moreover, according to the Romanian party, economic cooperation should be structured into projects of mutual interest, without ethnic discrimination, not limited to certain regions of Romania and financed in compliance with Romanian and EU legislation as well as having the consent of the Romanian side. “We are open to supporting Hungarian investments across our country and will encourage Romanian companies to further invest in Hungary,” Klaus Iohannis said.
The Romanian official also mentioned that national minorities contribute to creating and consolidating bridges between their current home country, the only one responsible for protecting their rights, and their country of origin. In short, Romania is fully determined to act to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Hungary and to provide even more substance to the Strategic Partnership that ties the 2 countries. (AMP)
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Romania – Israel, 75
Romania was one of the first
countries to recognize Israel and has taken important steps to commemorate the
Holocaust, which demonstrates its commitment to combating anti-Semitism, Amir Ohana,
speaker of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, has said in Bucharest. The Israeli
official has attended the joint meeting of the Senate and the Chamber of
Deputies in Bucharest on the occasion of celebrating 75 years of uninterrupted diplomatic
relations between Israel and Romania. It has been for the first time for a
Knesset speaker to address the Romanian MPs. Amir Ohana has recalled that
Romania was the first country in the communist bloc, which refused to interrupt
the diplomatic relations with Israel. The Israeli official has also added that
the ties between Romania and Israel are better than ever and we are going to
cooperate to consolidate them even more. Friends help each other out and
Romania and Israel will always help each other. The interim president of the
Romanian Senate, Alina Gorghiu, says that Romania is a regional model in terms
of combating anti-Semitism as well as in the assumption of the Holocaust.
Gorghiu has pleaded for stepping up cooperation in certain fields of activity.
Alina Gorghiu:
The Romanian Parliament and the Knesset
need to tighten cooperation on issues that are most important to all of us such
as food safety, transition to green energy, high technologies and cybersecurity
to develop resilience. And we have a lot to learn from Israel in these areas.
In turn, Marcel Ciolacu, president of
the Chamber of Deputies, has recalled the role played by the Jewish community
in Romania and that of the Romanian-born Israelis in keeping these strong ties.
Marcel Ciolacu:
This is equally the result of the tight
connection the two communities knew how to create and maintain, namely the Romanian-born
Israelis and the Jewish community in our country. The culture and history of
the Jewish community is a major landmark and a part in our national history and
culture. At the same time, the history of my country keeps the memory of the Jews
who fought alongside the Romanians and made their contribution to winning the
wars, which helped Romania gain its independence and sovereignty.
Israel is a country that has been
reborn thanks to wisdom and creativity, says the president of the Federation of
the Jewish Communities in Romania, MP Silviu Vexler. In his opinion the Romanian-Israeli
relations are special.
Silviu Vexler:
Romania and the Romanian people are
truly an integrating part of the Israeli state’s DNA. It is true that today we
are celebrating the diplomatic relations but in reality the ties between Romania
and Israel are of a much different nature, they are linked by a true
friendship, tested and validated again and again not only in celebrating
moments, not only when everything is nice and fine but especially in difficult
moments. The aforementioned solemn meeting has been attended by members of
the government, the diplomatic corps and of the Jewish community in Romania.
(bill)
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Romania – Israel, 75
Romania was one of the first
countries to recognize Israel and has taken important steps to commemorate the
Holocaust, which demonstrates its commitment to combating anti-Semitism, Amir Ohana,
speaker of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, has said in Bucharest. The Israeli
official has attended the joint meeting of the Senate and the Chamber of
Deputies in Bucharest on the occasion of celebrating 75 years of uninterrupted diplomatic
relations between Israel and Romania. It has been for the first time for a
Knesset speaker to address the Romanian MPs. Amir Ohana has recalled that
Romania was the first country in the communist bloc, which refused to interrupt
the diplomatic relations with Israel. The Israeli official has also added that
the ties between Romania and Israel are better than ever and we are going to
cooperate to consolidate them even more. Friends help each other out and
Romania and Israel will always help each other. The interim president of the
Romanian Senate, Alina Gorghiu, says that Romania is a regional model in terms
of combating anti-Semitism as well as in the assumption of the Holocaust.
Gorghiu has pleaded for stepping up cooperation in certain fields of activity.
Alina Gorghiu:
The Romanian Parliament and the Knesset
need to tighten cooperation on issues that are most important to all of us such
as food safety, transition to green energy, high technologies and cybersecurity
to develop resilience. And we have a lot to learn from Israel in these areas.
In turn, Marcel Ciolacu, president of
the Chamber of Deputies, has recalled the role played by the Jewish community
in Romania and that of the Romanian-born Israelis in keeping these strong ties.
Marcel Ciolacu:
This is equally the result of the tight
connection the two communities knew how to create and maintain, namely the Romanian-born
Israelis and the Jewish community in our country. The culture and history of
the Jewish community is a major landmark and a part in our national history and
culture. At the same time, the history of my country keeps the memory of the Jews
who fought alongside the Romanians and made their contribution to winning the
wars, which helped Romania gain its independence and sovereignty.
Israel is a country that has been
reborn thanks to wisdom and creativity, says the president of the Federation of
the Jewish Communities in Romania, MP Silviu Vexler. In his opinion the Romanian-Israeli
relations are special.
Silviu Vexler:
Romania and the Romanian people are
truly an integrating part of the Israeli state’s DNA. It is true that today we
are celebrating the diplomatic relations but in reality the ties between Romania
and Israel are of a much different nature, they are linked by a true
friendship, tested and validated again and again not only in celebrating
moments, not only when everything is nice and fine but especially in difficult
moments. The aforementioned solemn meeting has been attended by members of
the government, the diplomatic corps and of the Jewish community in Romania.
(bill)
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May 17, 2023 UPDATE
Strike – In Romania, education employees will go on an all-out strike as of Monday. The meeting that the leaders of the main education trade union federations had, on Wednesday, in Bucharest, with the liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the leader of the Social Democratic Party – PSD, Marcel Ciolacu, did not produce any results that convinced the representatives of the employees to give up the protest, the president of the Federation of Trade Unions, Simion Hăncescu, announced. In turn, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said that there would be a new discussion on Monday. Education employees organized a two-hour warning strike on Wednesday. The unions announced that the protest is a stage in the labor conflict generated by the low wages and the lack of investments in the field. The National Federation of Parents Associations in the pre-university education system supports the teachers approach and understands their grievances, but specifies that the initiation of the all-out strike would harm the students, especially those in the final years.
Diplomacy – Romania is deeply committed to combating any form of extremism and hate speech at home and anywhere in the world and supports all the European projects dedicated to combating anti-Semitism. The statement was made on Wednesday morning by the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, at the solemn joint session of the Romanian Parliament marking 75 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations between Romania and the State of Israel. “Israel is one of Romanias strongest and most important partners in the Middle East, but also the state with which we have an increasingly strengthened economic relationship. I think, however, that the potential of commercial exchanges is much higher”, Nicolae Ciucă said. Present at the meeting in Bucharest, the Speaker of the Israeli Parliament, Amir Ohana, stated that Romania was one of the first countries to recognize the State of Israel and took important steps to commemorate the Holocaust, which demonstrates its commitment to combating anti-Semitism. According to Amir Ohana, the ties between Romania and Israel are “better than ever”.
Summit — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, participated, in Reykjavik, between May 16-17, in the 4th Summit of the Council of Europe, held during the mandate of the Presidency of Iceland. On Wednesday, he delivered a speech during the general debate “United for Europe”. On the other hand, Klaus Iohannis said that Russias aggression against Ukraine must remain a central point on the organizations agenda. He pointed out that Romania fully supported the Reykjavik Declaration, adopted at the end of the summit, which reconfirms the particular role of the Council of Europe in the multilateral architecture at the European and international level. At the same time, the establishment of the International ‘Register of Damage’ caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in which Romania participates as a founding state, was also announced in Reykjavik. Also on Wednesday, the Romanian head of state had a series of bilateral meetings, on the sidelines of the Summit, with his counterparts from the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovenia.
Conference – The Chief of the Romanian Defense Staff, General Daniel Petrescu, participates, between May 17 and 19, in the 16th edition of the Conference of the Chiefs of the Defense Staffs from the Balkans on military cooperation issues, organized in Sofia, in neighboring Bulgaria. According to Romanian Defense Ministry, the agenda of the forum includes analyzes of the security situation in the Balkan area, as well as methods of collaboration between the states in the region. At the same time, General Daniel Petrescu will have a bilateral meeting with his Turkish counterpart. The forum takes place annually and brings together the chiefs of defense staffs from nine countries in South-Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. The forum aims to boost regional military cooperation by strengthening security and ensuring a climate of stability in the Balkan region, to identify and develop a regional crisis management mechanism and joint participation in exercises to increase the interoperability of the armed forces in the region. Defense chiefs from Croatia and Slovenia, as well as high-level representatives of NATO and the EU, are also invited to this edition of the conference.
CCR – The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) decided on Wednesday that the crime of abuse of office can be criminalized even without a value threshold, the judge being the one who can decide on the seriousness of the act. The Court rejected as unfounded the objection of unconstitutionality formulated by the High Court of Cassation and Justice regarding the criminalization of abuse of office without a value threshold. At the same time, the Court decided that the Romanian Intelligence Service’s interceptions cannot be used as evidence obtained on national security warrants also in the case of corruption cases. We remind you that, initially, the Senate established a value threshold of 250,000 lei (approx. 50,000 Euros) for criminalizing abuse of office, but following the scandal caused in the public space, the Justice Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, proposed a new threshold of 9,000 lei (approx. 1,800 Euros). Later, the Legal Committee of the Chamber of Deputies gave up the threshold, and the plenum adopted the draft law that amends the Criminal Code and refers to abuse and negligence in office without any threshold. (LS)
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A successful South-American tour
The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has recently ended his one-week South-American tour with a visit to Argentina. The Romanian official kicked off his tour with a formal visit to Brazil, where he met his counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and representatives of the local authorities in Rio de Janeiro. Iohannis next went to Chile, where he held talks with President Gabriel Boric. At the end of his recent tour, in Argentina, the Romanian president took stock of his visits.
Klaus Iohannis: “I had this occasion, after many years since it hadnt happened at the presidency level, to talk to Romanias traditional friends. These contacts are extremely important. Romania is well seen, but my ambition is that my friends understand that we want to really deepen the relationships that we have with these countries. I believe that through this visit I have contributed to an important awareness. Romania exists, it is present and wants to deepen these relations. We were welcomed everywhere and also here in Buenos Aires and on this occasion I want to thank everybody for the way they welcomed and treated us here.”
The visit of the Romanian president in Argentina has been the first at this high level in the past 30 years. In Buenos Aires, the talks Iohannis had with his Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez focused on energizing the bilateral political-diplomatic dialogue on themes of mutual interest, such as environmental protection, climate change, education, research and innovation, digitization, agriculture, green and nuclear energy, culture and tourism.
Two memorandums of understanding have been signed on this occasion: one for emergency situations and the other in the field of agricultural research and environmental protection. In Brazil, Klaus Iohannis and his counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, endorsed a joint statement on boosting bilateral relations in several areas. Iohannis assured his Brazilian counterpart of Romanias support for the advance of the EU-Brazil agenda. In turn, the Brazilian official said that besides the political and trade relations his country has with Romania, human relations are also important as more than 40 thousand citizens of Romanian descent are presently living in Brazil.
Klaus Iohannis and his Chilean counterpart Gabriel Boric, agreed upon developing cooperation in trade, investment and other major areas. On this occasion, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the institutions of the two countries, in charge of managing emergency situations. The document focuses on cooperation in the event of earthquakes and wildfires. Klaus Iohannis also announced the first lectureship in Romanian language in Latin America would be set up at the University of Chile by the end of the year.
(bill)
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28.11.2022
OTAN
– Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, reçoit lundi à Bucarest le secrétaire
général de l’Alliance de l’Atlantique Nord, Jens Stoltenberg. Celui-ci dirigera
la réunion des ministres des Affaires Etrangères de l’OTAN qui commence
également ce mardi. A cette occasion, le secrétaire américain d’Etat, Antony
Blinken doit également se rendre en Roumanie où il rencontrera aussi des
responsables roumains. La réunion de l’OTAN, la première de ce genre organisée
à Bucarest aura à l’ordre du jour le soutien à l’Ukraine, voisine de la
Roumanie face à l’invasion russe, la sécurité énergétique et l’implémentation
du nouveau concept stratégique de l’Alliance.Roumanie- Croatie – La Roumanie et la Croatie sont prêtes à adhérer à l’espace Schengen de libre circulation, c’est la conclusion de la réunion du ministre roumain des Affaires Etrangères, Bogdan Aurescu, avec son homologue croate, Gordan Radman, en visite à Bucarest. Le chef de la diplomatie de Bucarest a déclaré que les deux Etats faisaient partie de la solution dont l’Union européenne a besoin à ce moment pour consolider les frontières et gérer les flux migratoires. Les deux responsables ont également évoqué de la consolidation des frontières et la gestion des flux migratoires. Les deux responsables ont également parlé de la consolidation des relations bilatérales sur le plan politique et économique, la promotion des projets communs, mais aussi la sécurité dans la région dans le contexte de la guerre déclenchée par la Russie contre l’Ukraine. La visite du ministre des Affaires Etrangères croate en Roumanie marque les 30 ans de relations diplomatiques entre les deux Etats.
1er décembre – Le Parlement de Bucarest se réunit aujourd’hui pour marquer les 104 ans depuis la Grande Union. Y participent le président Klaus Iohannis et le premier ministre Nicolae Ciuca, les présidents des deux chambres du Parlement, ainsi que les représentants des groupes parlementaires. Le 1er décembre la Fête nationale de Roumanie est célébrée à Bucarest par un défilé sous l’Arc de Triomphe. Plus de 1 500 militaires et spécialistes du ministère de la Défense, du ministère de l’Intérieur, du Service roumain de renseignements et d’autres institutions, ainsi que quelque 120 moyens techniques, dont une quarantaine d’aéronefs participeront à la traditionnelle parade militaire. Notons la participation cette année de la célèbre division 101 aéroportée américaine. C’est pour la première fois après la deuxième guerre mondiale que cette unité défile en Europe. Et c’est également le 1er décembre d’un défilé militaire est prévu à Alba Iulia dans le centre, auquel participe aussi un détachement de militaires français du Groupement de combat pour la défense collective, déployé à Cincu, dans le département de Brasov, dabs le centre.
Corruption – L’USR, d’opposition demandera lundi la révocation de l’ex politicien social-démocrate Nicolae Bădălău de ses fonctions de vice-président de l’Autorité d’audit de la Cour de Comptes. L’annonce intervient alors que M Badalau a été place en garde à vue par les procureurs anticorruption dans un dossier dans lequel il est accusé de corruption et de trafic d’influence relatif à un contrat estimé à un million et demi d’euros. Selon les procureurs anticorruption, le 9 août et le 19 novembre M Badalau aurait demandé au maire d’une commune d’attribuer un contrat visant la réhabilitation du système d’alimentation en eau potable à une société gérée par un membre de sa famille.
Kiev – L’Ukraine va affronter son hiver le plus dur depuis la fin de la Seconde guerre mondiale, a déclaré Alexandru Victor Micula, ambassadeur de la Roumanie à Kiev. Récemment, le maire de Kiev, Vitali Kliciko a également avertit qu’un hiver difficile s’annonçait pour les trois millions d’habitants de la capitale ukrainienne à cause des destructions d’infrastructures commise par l’armée russe. Le président du Parti Populaire européen au Parlement européen, Manfred Weber, a appelé les Etats ouest-européens à faire preuve de plus solidarité dans l’accueil des réfugiés ukrainiens, leur nombre risquant de croître si les attaques russes venaient à continuer. Plus de détails à la fin du journal.
Réunion des leaders de Munich – L’unité transatlantique dans le contexte de la guerre en Ukraine a été « une surprise stratégique pour la Russie » a affirmé lundi à Bucarest, le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, dans son allocution dans le cadre de la réunion des leaders de Munich. Nous sommes plus unis, plus déterminés à nous défendre les valeurs fondamentales : la démocratie, les droits de l’homme, l’état de droit et c’est le droit de chaque nation d’élire ses amis et ses alliés. L’unité c’est aussi la solidarité (…) Tous les partenaires doivent offrir à l’Ukraine tout ce dont elle a besoin pour défendre sa souveraineté et sa démocratie tant qu’il est nécessaire, a précisé Klaus Iohannis. Il a réitéré que « la guerre irrationnelle déclenchée par la Russie le 24 février, n’est pas une agression uniquement à l’adresse de l’Ukraine, mais un assaut général à l’adresse des valeurs et de nos principes fondamentaux, de l’architecture de la sécurité euro-atlantique.
Roumanie – Serbie – Le premier ministre roumain, Nicolae Ciucă, a rencontré aujourd’hui à Bucarest son homologue serbe Ana Brnabic, sur le besoin de revigorer le dialogue bilatéral et la coopération sectorielle. Le chef du gouvernement roumain a souligné l’importance particulière de la mise en œuvre des projets dans le domaine de la connectivité énergétique et des transports, par le développement du connecteur de gaz entre la Roumanie et la Serbie et par l’inauguration de l’autoroute reliant les villes roumaines de Timisoara et Moravita avec la route de grande vitesse Belgrad – Vatin. Au sujet de la communauté roumaine de Serbie, le premier ministre Nicolae CIuca a réitéré l’appréciation de la Roumanie pour la décision des autorités serbes de céder à l’Etat roumain sans autre condition l’immeuble « Luceafarul » de la ville de Vârşeţ. Selon le premier ministre roumain, cette démarche contribuerait à faire avancer la relation bilatérale et la collaboration sectorielle, réitérant l’intérêt du côté roumain pour l’inauguration d’instituts culturels réciproques dans les deux pays.
Météo – Le ciel sera nuageux sur les régions situées à l’extérieures de l’arc des Carpathes. Quelques gouttes pourraient y tomber localement. Dans les zones de basse altitude de l’ouest, du centre et du nord-ouest du pays, les nuages seront bas avec risque de brouillard. Sur les collines, le ciel sera changeant, avec quelques précipitations mixtes par endroit. Les maximales seront comprises entre 1 et 8 degrés Celsius. A Bucarest le ciel sera également gris, avec un vent modéré et quelques faibles averses dans la soirée. La température maximale avoisinera les 6 degrés Celsius.
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Coopération parlementaire entre la Roumanie et la République de Moldova
La Roumanie et la République de Moldova entretiennent des relations extrêmement étroites, étant donné leur communauté de langue, d’histoire, de culture et de traditions. Les deux pays voisins organiseront, en première, une session conjointe de leurs parlements dans un proche avenir. L’annonce a été faite par le président du Parlement moldave, Igor Grosu, à l’issue d’une rencontre à Chişinău avec Marcel Ciolacu, président de la Chambre des députés de Bucarest. Igor Grosu s’est félicité de ce que la première réunion conjointe des parlements des deux pays ait lieu à Chişinău, ce qui donne un signal clair de soutien au gouvernement en place. Il a déclaré que les relations bilatérales étaient excellentes et que la Roumanie était le meilleur partenaire économique et l’ami le plus proche en matière de soutien à l’adhésion de la République de Moldova à l’Union européenne.
Pour sa part, Marcel Ciolacu a affirmé que Bucarest avait toujours été aux côtés de Chişinău et a réaffirmé l’engagement de la Roumanie à soutenir l’intégration au bloc communautaire. « La place de la République de Moldova est dans l’Union européenne. Il n’y a pas d’autre voie de développement pour la République de Moldova que l’entrée dans l’Union européenne », a déclaré Marcel Ciolacu. Début mars dernier, la présidente de ce pays, Maia Sandu, a signé la demande d’adhésion, une initiative considérée historique, car elle est intervenue dans un contexte régional difficile, généré par l’invasion militaire russe en Ukraine voisine et par la crise des réfugiés ukrainiens arrivés sur le territoire de la République de Moldova. Des demandes similaires avaient déjà été soumises par la Géorgie et l’Ukraine. « Il semble que nous ayons affaire à une guerre à long terme, qui nous affectera tous », a déclaré Marcel Ciolacu. Il a ajouté qu’il est évident que Bucarest et Chişinău doivent s’aider à surmonter ces crises économiques et que les citoyens doivent être soutenus par les deux gouvernements pour dépasser cette période le plus vite possible. Dans le même temps, le président de la Chambre des députés de Bucarest est d’avis que l’État voisin n’a pas besoin de soutien militaire.
« Je pense que la République de Moldova n’a pas besoin d’une aide militaire, elle doit plutôt sécuriser ses frontières, ce qui est bénéfique pour l’ensemble de l’Europe. Et là, je pense que c’est un domaine où la Roumanie doit s’investir encore plus avec la République de Moldova. En effet, la Roumanie est un bouclier pour cette dernière, et elle doit l’être. »
Marcel Ciolacu s’est également entretenu avec la cheffe de l’Etat, Maia Sandu, qui a remercié pour le soutien apporté par la Roumanie à son pays. Elle faisait référence notamment à l’aide non remboursable de 100 000 000 d’euros, convenue lors de la réunion conjointe des gouvernements à Chişinău et Bucarest en février dernier, et aux 10 000 000 d’euros annoncés lors de la conférence de Berlin du mois d’avril. En outre, après la rencontre avec la Première ministre Natalia Gavriliţă, Marcel Ciolacu a déclaré que la Roumanie soutenait fermement l’extension de l’assistance financière de l’Union européenne à la République de Moldova.
(Trad. : Ligia)
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12/03/2022
Réfugiés – La Roumanie continue d’apporter son aide aux réfugiés d’Ukraine. Le numéro d’urgence 112 ainsi que le 119, dédié à la protection des enfants, sont désormais tous deux disponibles aussi en langue ukrainienne. Des mesures supplémentaires ont aussi été prises aux postes-frontières en prévention contre le trafic de personnes. Depuis vendredi, une plateforme en ligne a été mise en place afin de centraliser les offres d’aide proposées en soutien aux réfugiés venus en Roumanie. Cette dernière a été mise sur pied en un temps record grâce à la mobilisation de 600 bénévoles. Par ailleurs, le gouvernement de Bucarest discute aujourd’hui d’un projet d’arrêté relatif à l’octroi de gratuités et de facilités pour le transport des ressortissants étrangers ou apatrides se trouvant dans des situations spéciales, en provenance de la zone du conflit armé d’Ukraine. La Police aux frontières informe que, depuis le début de l’invasion russe en Ukraine, plus de 380 000 citoyens ukrainiens sont entrés en Roumanie ; plus de 304 000 n’ont fait que la transiter.
République de Moldova – La ministre des Affaires étrangères allemande se rend aujourd’hui à Chişinău, en République de Moldova, alors que la crise des réfugiés ukrainiens prend de l’ampleur. Mme Annalena Baerbock a déclaré qu’elle évaluerait la situation dans ce pays et réfléchirait aux modalités permettant à Berlin de venir en aide à cet ancien pays soviétique majoritairement roumanophone de l’est de l’Europe et voisin de l’Ukraine. Plus de 2,5 millions de personnes ont quitté l’Ukraine jusqu’à présent. Moins de 100 000 d’entre elles sont arrivées en République de Moldova. Le ministre moldave des Affaires étrangères, Nicu Popescu, cité par la BBC, a déclaré que son pays était au bord de la faillite. Le nombre de réfugiés n’est pas élevé selon les normes internationales, mais la République de Moldova est le voisin le plus fragile de l’Ukraine, avec le moins de ressources financières et la résilience la plus faible en matière de sécurité, de système sanitaire et d’éducation.
Visite — Le ministre roumain des Affaires étrangères, Bogdan Aurescu, discutera, dimanche, à Bucarest, avec son homologue israélien, Yair Lapid, de la gestion des effets de l’agression russe sur l’Ukraine. Selon un communiqué du ministère roumain des Affaires étrangères, la visite du responsable israélien a lieu à l’invitation du chef de la diplomatie roumaine. Elle intervient sur la toile de fond de l’aggravation de la crise provoquée par Moscou, mais aussi sur celle d’une très bonne coopération roumano-israélienne en vue de l’évacuation des ressortissants de l’Etat hébreu d’Ukraine via la Roumanie. Israël est un des principaux partenaires de la Roumanie au Proche Orient, et les relations bilatérales, de nature stratégique, se sont constamment développées ces dernières années, note la diplomatie de Bucarest. D’ailleurs, Bogdan Aurescu et Yair Lapid discuteront également du développement des relations bilatérales, notamment politiques, économiques et en matière de sécurité. Les deux responsables évalueront aussi le stade des préparatifs en vue de la 3e Réunion gouvernementale conjointe Roumanie — Israël prévue cette année.
Aliments — La Roumanie dispose de stocks suffisants d’aliments et de produits non périssables, il y a assez de marchandises dans les entrepôts et les magasins, et les autorités sont en contact permanent avec les détaillants, a déclaré aujourd’hui le porte-parole du gouvernement, Dan Cărbunaru. La ministre de la Famille, Gabriela Firea, dit aussi que les Roumains ne doivent pas craindre une pénurie de nourriture suite au conflit militaire d’Ukraine. A son tour, le ministre de l’Agriculture, Adrian Chesnoiu, a déclaré que les stocks de céréales, d’aliments et d’huile sont supervisés quotidiennement. « Une grande hystérie s’est fait jour, liée au fait que la Roumanie n’aura plus d’huile, et tout le monde s’est précipité dans les magasins. Il ne faut pas acheter plus d’huile que nous n’en avons besoin », a ajouté le responsable de l’Agriculture.
Concert – Le concert caritatif « We Are One », en soutien aux réfugiés ukrainiens, se tiendra aujourd’hui dans l’Arène nationale de Bucarest. Il réunira des grands noms du monde de la musique. Parmi eux, le célèbre DJ Armin Van Buuren, le chanteur Tom Odell, auteur de « Another Love », la chanson reprise comme hymne par les manifestants pacifiques, Jamala, la chanteuse ukrainienne qui a remporté l’Eurovision en 2016 ainsi que de nombreux artistes roumains. Selon les organisateurs, ce concert d’une durée de huit heures est le plus grand évènement humanitaire jamais organisé en Roumanie.
Tennis — L’Américaine Cori Gauff sera l’adversaire de la joueuse de tennis roumaine Simona Halep au 3e tour du tournoi d’Indian Wells. Dans ce même tour, la Russe Anna Kalinskaya rencontrera la Roumaine Sorana Cîrstea. Simona Halep (26e WTA) a dépassé vendredi, par 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, la Russe Ekaterina Alexandrova, alors que Sorana Cîrstea (27e WTA) a dépassé l’Australienne Ajla Tomljanovic par 6-4, 7-5. Toujours à Indian Wells, le duo roumain Irina Begu/Monica Niculescu s’est qualifié dans les huitièmes de finale, après avoir vaincu le couple ukrainien Daiana/Ivana Iastremska par 6-1, 6-1. Les Roumaines joueront leur prochain match contre les Japonaises Eri Hozumi/Makoto Ninomiya.
Météo – Des températures toujours particulièrement basses en Roumanie pour cette période de l’année, avec des maximales comprises entre -2 et 7°. Un ciel variable, couvert dans certaines régions localisées du sud-est du pays, avec de faibles chutes de neige et un léger vent qui s’intensifiera dans le sud et le sud-est du pays. Nous avons 2° à Bucarest sous le soleil.
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30 years of diplomatic relations with Ukraine
February 1 marks the
celebration of 30 years since Romania and Ukraine established diplomatic
relations. The ex-Soviet republic proclaimed its independence in 1991, with
formal diplomatic relations between the two countries initiated the next year. Romania
was also the first EU member state to ratify the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in
2014.
In this context, but also amid
disquieting security developments in the Black Sea region, the president of
Romania Klaus Iohannis had a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian
counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.
During
the talks, the Romanian official dwelled extensively on possible solutions to
issues related to the rights of the Romanian minority in Ukraine, and
especially on protecting their linguistic identity. He reiterated Bucharest’s firm
support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to its EU and
NATO accession efforts.
The
Romanian president also emphasised his support for the non-recognition of the
illegal annexation of Crimea, and commended Ukraine’s responsible conduct to
avoid the escalation of tensions.
In turn,
the Ukrainian official thanked Romania for its vocal and active support
both at EU and at NATO level.
The Romanian and Ukrainian
foreign ministries also exchanged messages of congratulations. Romania’s
foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu stressed the importance of the relation with
Ukraine and reiterated Romania’s commitment to developing bilateral relations,
in the spirit of European values and in line with the European and
Euro-Atlantic agenda of the ex-Soviet republic. He also voiced hopes that the
open and solid dialogue between the two countries, which he has constantly
promoted and supported, will lead to quick and sustainable solutions to the
identity issues faced by the ethnic Romanian community in Ukraine. He also highlighted
the commitment to stepping up cross-border cooperation in areas of mutual
interest.
The Romanian foreign
ministry also reiterated Romania’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and
territorial integrity and for its right to decide freely on its foreign and
security policy. At the same time, the Romanian authorities voiced confidence
that the Ukrainian people’s democratic aspirations will be a driving force for
the reform process in Kyiv.
The
situation remains tense at Ukraine’s border with Russia, where Moscow massed
over 100,000 troops and military equipment and,
according to analysts, is preparing an invasion. Russia denies this, but it did
ask NATO to pull out its troops from Romania and Bulgaria, as part of its
security plans. Moreover, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin warned
that Ukraine’s NATO accession may trigger a war between Moscow and the
North-Atlantic Alliance. (A.M.P.) -
Geo-politics in today’s Romania
Neighbouring Republic of
Moldova is a former Soviet republic, with a predominantly-Romanian-speaking
population. The Republic of Moldova gained its independence 30 years ago.
Notwithstanding, Moldova is still searching for a better future for its
citizens. The number of its citizens is dwindling by the year; Moldovans have
been opting for leaving the country to relocate to Western Europe, in the hopes
they will find a better live there. It is the dismal aftermath of the policy decision-makers
in Chisinau have been implementing for a number of years. Such a policy caused
a great number of problems, mostly economic. However, a fresh breath of hope
for the better has been recently provided by Maia Sandu’s gaining accession to power.
She is a reformist, pro-European president, dead set on implementing a
thoroughgoing series of modern reforms for the state and its institutions. And
the chances to achieve that are all the greater as the recently-instated
government in Chisinau is literally fine-tuned in its bid to work with the president.
The parliament, for its part, is also dominated by a majority that also offers
its backing for Maia Sandu’s reformist endeavour. And at that, the high-ranking
authorities in Bucharest have been quick to offer their unconditional support to
the Republic of Moldova. Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu has recently
been a guest on a Romanian state-run TV program. While on the show, Minister Aurescu
recalled that on July 23rd this year, he was the first EU high-ranking
official to have been on a visit to Chisinau, on the sidelines of Maia Sandu’s
winning the early parliamentary election. Aurescu also stated he held talks
with officials on the Republic of Moldova for the bi-lateral cooperation to be
relaunched. Foreign Affairs Minister Aurescu also stated, QUOTE, All we have done
this year, and let me remind you that last year, the first head of state to
have visited the Republic of Moldova when Maia Sandu won the election was Romania’s
president Klaus Iohannis, all that we did this year was to try, immediately after
the snap election that brought to power the new pro-reform, pro-European
majority, to support the reformist efforts, UNQUOTE.
We can say we have reached a point
where the priorities of the bi-lateral agenda can no longer be overlooked and
we have noticed there already has been a mutual interest on the part of the
elites, and not only on the part of citizens, as in effect, for a long time citizens
somehow had been ahead of the authorities, as for various reasons the latter failed
to cooperate and were unable to materialize all those tendencies populations living
on both banks of Prut river have always had. It is the assessment provided by former
presidential adviser in Chisinau, Vlad Turcanu, in a Radio Romania program.
Vlad Turcanu:
The authorities
in Chisinau have initiated, as of this autumn, once with the snap election on July
11 and once a new government was instated, sweeping reforms in all the fields of
activity, practically, and they are aware that, without the contribution of such
friend states as Romania, that is not going to be easy at all. Take, for
instance, the gas crisis, about which we can say it has already ended, even
though we can still speak about lingering setback issues. But in those days of uncertainty,
a great many things mattered, for the atmosphere in Chisinau and for the safety
of the political endeavour in Chisinau, like the support signals sent from
Bucharest and other European capital cities. And, from my point of view, it is
no mean feat to be aware of the fact that, in the event of a force majeure circumstance,
you can receive natural gas from Romania through a gas line, built with the
help of Romania, whose contribution to that was significant. In the Republic of
Moldova, there are many vulnerabilities, in the energy system, in the IT or the security systems, which Republic of Moldova’s foes will never
cease to capitalize on. Such categories of risk, which for long have been ignored,
will resurface, and the expertise Romania holds in those as well as in other
fields will be extremely useful for the transformations we have initiated here,
in the Republic of Moldova.
Republic of Moldova’s pro-European
government has been instated with a wide majority of parliamentary votes in favour,
63 in 101. The government will have to prove it is capable of
implementing the reforms it pledged it would carry through, Vlad Turcanu also
said. The former presidential adviser went on to say that, as Republic of Moldova
emerges out of the isolation that has been introduced in recent years, several projects
are beginning to take shape, a clear example for the Republic of Moldova moving
in the European direction and being also set to solve all those problems that
have accrued. And at that, Romania’s help is very important.Vlad Turcanu:
The lines
of cooperation are quite a few. Romania’s and Republic of Moldova’s Foreign
Affairs Ministers have signed a roadmap on the priority cooperation areas, the
education ministers in turn signed an agreement on the mutual recognition of diplomas,
certificates and scientific titles. But the most important element on the infrastructure
agenda is Republic of Moldova’ s being reconnected to the EU electricity
system. Because it is here that one of the vulnerabilities lies, that I was speaking
about. The Republic of Moldova has been contracting electric energy from the
Cuciurgan Power Plant, built on the left bank of River Dniester on the territory
of the unrecognized Dniester Republic. And that, for Republic of Moldova, has
been a major setback all the time, because it had to be extremely careful with
its relationship with the Russian federation, lest they find themselves cut off
from the power grid, completely.
Republic
of Moldova’s roadmap is extremely specific. It focuses on each and every field
of interest for the bilateral relation. The document was signed as part of Maia
Sandu’s recent visit to Bucharest this year, against the backdrop of the
three-decade anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. The document seeks
to implement everything required for meeting a series of major set targets for
the following period. Such targets pertain to the stimulation of Republic of Moldova’s
European Integration and to a deeper interconnection of Republic of Moldova’s with
European Union area. Also, the economic and social development will be
stimulated, so that Moldovan citizens can benefit from truly European standards
with respect to everything related to life, society, administration and the
justice system. And, last but not the least, the document stipulates the mutual
desire to strengthen the two states’ common provinces of language, culture and
history.
(Translation by Eugen Nasta)
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Les rapports roumano-moldaves reconfirmés à Bucarest
A la tête d’une délégation
formée de plusieurs de ses ministres, y compris de celui des Affaires
Etrangères, Nicu Popescu, la cheffe de la République de Moldova, Maia Sandu, a
visité mardi, Bucarest, pour des discussions avec son homologue roumain, Klaus
Iohannis. Déroulée dans le contexte du 30ème anniversaire des
rapports diplomatiques bilatéraux, la visite a débouché sur la signature d’une
feuille de route censée reconfirmer les rapports privilégiés roumano- moldaves dans des domaines prioritaires de
collaboration. Chisinau jouit d’un soutien fort, durable et inconditionnel de
la part de Bucarest, a précisé Klaus Iohannius, tout en réitérant le soutien de
la Roumanie au parcours européen de Chisinau :
« J’ai examiné avec mon
homologue moldave, tous les domaines dans lesquels la Roumanie et la République
de Moldova développent des projets communs, à fort impact, comme c’est le cas
des projets d’interconnexion énergétique, de renforcement de la sécurité
énergétique, de développement de l’infrastructure de transport, de
développement des communications et de coopération dans le domaine de l’éducation.
On a également discuté des perspectives de poursuivre l’assistance non
remboursable accordée par la Roumanie à son voisin moldave à travers un nouvel
accord. Nos pourparlers ont été également dominés par l’agenda européen de la
République de Moldova, à l’approche du futur sommet du Partenariat oriental, du
mois de décembre »
Grâce au soutien de
Bucarest, la République de Moldova s’est vu offrir les premières doses de
vaccin contre le coronavirus. A présent, avec plus de 500.000 doses de vaccin
offertes à titre gracieux à son voisin moldave, la Roumanie représente le
plus important donateur pour Chisinau. Dernièrement, elle lui a également fait don
de 6000 tonnes de diesel et de mazout nécessaire à la production de l’énergie
thermique, a tenu à rappeler la présidente moldave, Maia Sandu :
La Roumanie a été et
continue d’être notre principal appui économique, politique, diplomatique,
culturel et éducationnel. Le soutien de Bucarest se reflète partout, dans le
pays et il est ressenti par tous les Moldaves. Je pense aux maternelles ou
encore aux édifices culturels remis à neuf ou construits à zéro, aux bus
scolaires donnés par la Roumanie, aux programmes culturels, aux échanges accadémiques
ou à l’appui offert aux médias ou à la société civile de chez nous. On a fêté
ensemble le centenaire du Théâtre national de Chisinau, en mettant en avant l’unité
culturelle, historique et linguistique de nos deux pays.
Un rôle important revient
aussi aux investissements roumains en République de Moldova, a encore déclaré
Maia Sandu, qui a encouragé les investisseurs roumains à choisir son pays. Et
puis, toujours à l’occasion de la visite à Bucarest de la cheffe de l’Etat
moldave, les ministres de l’Education roumain et moldave ont signé un accord
intergouvernemental censé permettre la reconnaissance réciproque des diplômes
universitaires, des certificats et des titres scientifiques. La démarche s’inscrit
dans les efforts bilatéraux de renforcement des relations roumano-moldave dans
le domaine de l’Education et elle est censée contribuer à accroître la qualité
des systèmes et de la formation professionnelle dans les deux pays, afin de
répondre aux exigences des politiques européennes.
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Geopolitics in the inter-war years in Romania
Europa is a continent of cultures and nations created
by the Greek and Latin world and by Christianity afterwards. It is the most
widely-accepted definition of Europe as it was laid out by most of those who
wrote about Europe, in a bid to decipher its secrets. In time, the
aforementioned cultural values made it possible for the geographical distances
to shrink. Nations lying quite afar from one another or even at the farther end
of the map discovered themselves mutually and even came closer to one another,
whenever historical circumstances allowed it. Even though they were part of the
same Eastern European Soviet Bloc for 45 years, Romania and Estonia belong to
different geo-cultural areas, to South-eastern and Northern Europe,
respectively. Between 1500 and 1878, Romania was under the influence of the
Ottoman Empire. In turn, Estonia, between 1560 and 1710 was part of Poland and
Sweden, and part of Tsarist Russia, between 1710 and 1918.
Throughout the years, Romanians’ contacts with the
Estonians were scarce, and that for a good reason. Very few people travelled
from one place to another before the emergence of the railroad in the 19th
century. The privilege of traveling was for a limited number of professional
categories. They were the merchants, the diplomats and the military. To that
end, the mutual knowledge of the nations was superficial or existed hardly at
all. A century of Romanian – Estonian diplomatic relations has been marked as of
late. Doru Liciu is Head of the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s diplomatic archives.Dr Doru Liciu:
As early as the mid-19th
century, Romanian travellers reached Estonia, while Estonian travellers reached
the Romanian Principalities, via various organizations belonging to the former
Russian empire. Once the Russian Empire was dismantled, Estonia proclaimed its
independence in 1918, an undertaking Romania acknowledged immediately
afterwards. In 1921, the diplomatic relations were decided, between the two
countries. Contacts between the two countries dated from the previous
historical period, even earlier, from World War One, when part of the Russian
troops that fought in Romania were made of soldiers and officers coming from
the Baltic countries.
There was indeed a Romanian personality who, even
before World War One, had strong ties with Estonia. He was Mari Ion Pelivan
(1876 – 1954), a legal adviser, a columnist and a Bessarabian deputy with a
seat in the Parliament of then Greater Romania. Pelivan would graduate from the
University of Tartu’s Law School in 1903. The post-World War One period, known
as the Inter-war period in Romania, brought the two nations closer to one
another.
However, the most significant binding element for the two
nations was the then Soviet Union’s aggressive presence. The newly-instated
communist power in Moscow never ceased to claim territories that were once part
of Tsarist Russia, but which the Soviet Union had relinquished, in the wake of
Lenin’s decision whereby each nation on the Russian territory should have the
right to decide their own fate. Estonia,
just like the two other Baltic countries, Lithuania and Latvia, was at that
time building bridges with everybody. One such bridge linked Estonia to
Bucharest.Doru Liciu:
Subsequently, the two embassies were
opened and both were functioning, in the inter-war period, in the capitals of
the two countries. For quite a long time, services as part of the Romanian
embassy in Estonia were provided by a resident minister in Warsaw, and from
there, the most relevant pieces of information about Estonia were conveyed.
Later, embassies were opened, in Tallin but also in Bucharest.
Through the famous Molotov-Ribbentrop pact or the
Hitler-Stalin pact signed on August 23, 1939, Eastern Europe was divided
between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. Ob June 16, then the USSR issued
Estonia an ultimatum, demanding its consent for the Soviet army to be deployed
there, and for a Pro-Soviet government to be instated. The Estonian government
rejected the proposal and the following day, June 17, the USSR occupied the
country and instated the communist regime. On August 16, 1940, Estonia was
annexed to the USSR. In the same vein, nine days later, on June 26 and June 27,
1940, the Soviet Union issued two ultimatums to Romania, demanding the
retrocession of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. Regimes of terror reigned
supreme in those countries for the following 45 years. 1940 is the year when
the Romanian-Estonian relations ceased.Doru Liciu:
Unfortunately,
the aftermath of all that was just as we know it, the Baltic States were
brutally occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, the same year when Romania had
to cede part of its historical territory, which until 1812 had no connection
whatsoever with, and was in no way part of then the Russian Empire. During the
Soviet regime, there was no state-level contact, Estonia, as a republic, became
part and parcel of the Soviet Union. We all know that from Estonia,
intellectuals would come to Romania, as well as traditional ensembles, fine
artists who had their works on display in the country. Likewise, in
Estonia, rather seldom, but somewhat regularly, Romanians were present, coming
from various walks of life.
Once the communist regime was toppled in 1989 and once
Estonia gained its independence in 1991, Romania resumed it relations with
Estonia. Bilateral relations were enhanced especially when both states
gained their NATO and EU accession.(Translation by Eugen Nasta)