Radio România Internațional

Tag: Rep of Moldova

  • October 17, 2018 UPDATE

    October 17, 2018 UPDATE

    JUSTICE LAWS — The European Commission is watching with concern the changes brought to the justice laws made this week by the Romanian Government, through a government ordinance, the spokesperson for the EC, Christian Wigand, said on Wednesday. The Commission will continue the dialogue with the Romanian authorities and will draw the adequate conclusions, if the changes brought to the justice laws, the Criminal Codes and the legislation on the “conflict of interest” and “corruption” does not take these concerns into consideration, Wigand went on to say. In Bucharest, the Superior Council of Magistracy has decided that the emergency ordinance should not be applied retroactively, consequently, the prosecutors of the General Prosecutors’ Office, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate For Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism remain on their positions. In another move, also on Wednesday, the main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, announced it will table a simple motion against the justice minister Tudorel Toader, and the Save Romanian Union, also in opposition, calls on the Ombudsman to challenge the controversial ordinance at the Constitutional Court. The ordinance stipulates, among other things, that the prosecutors at the main prosecutor’s offices should have at least 10 year experience in magistracy, before getting nominated for a position in the respective prosecutor’s offices. Romania’s Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazăr, has said the new regulations will create numerous functional problems in the system, whereas the justice minister ,Tudorel Toader, the initiator of the ordinance, said he did nothing but correlated the opinions and stands expressed by the European Commission, the Venice Commission and the Superior Council of Magistracy.



    RESHUFFLE – The President of the Social Democratic Party, the senior party in the ruling coalition, Liviu Dragnea, has said there are zero chances for the current membership of the government to remain unchanged. Dragnea, who is also the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, has said the details of the government reshuffle will be established during the future session of the National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party. The date of the session will be set together with PM Viorica Dăncilă, Dragnea has announced. Last month, the education minister Valentin Popa stepped down, following a meeting with Dragnea. The portfolio is temporarily held by a caretaker, the current minister for European Funds, Rovana Plumb. That was the second resignation tendered by a member of the Dancila cabinet, after the research minister Nicolae Burnete stepped down in August.



    COOPERATION — Wednesday was the last day of the state visit paid by Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, to Italy. The president had a meeting with the mayor of Naples, Luigi de Magistris, focusing on the Romanian community in Italy, made up of approximately 1.2 million people. Klaus Iohannis hailed the fact that the Romanian community is growing more active, more involved and more capable of doing business, contributing to arts and sciences and to the development of the society that has welcomed them. Previously, he had formal meetings with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella, the president of the Council of Ministers Giuseppe Conte, the Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico. Also, Klaus Iohannis had a meeting with the mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, and talked with representatives of the Romanian community in Italy. The Romanian Presidential Administration has recalled that the visit paid by Iohannis to Italy took place against the background of this year’s celebration of 100 years since the Great Union and of 10 years since the ties between Romania and Italy were lifted to the level of consolidated strategic partnership. This is the first state visit paid by a Romanian head of state to Italy in the past 45 years.



    VISIT – The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Wednesday continued her visit to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Dancila visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates. During the talks she had with the Emirati officials, Dancila mentioned the ethnic and religious diversity in the UAE and hailed the efforts made by the Emirati authorities to integrate religious minorities in that country. Dancila has also said that in Romania, mainly in the south-eastern region of Dobrogea, in the south-east, but not only there, religious communities, including the Muslim one, have been coexisting peacefully and in harmony for hundreds of years. On Tuesday in Dubai, during the meeting she had with Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Dancila presented the latest investment opportunities in Romania and encouraged the companies in the Arab Emirates to participate in tenders organized either for projects funded from the existing operational programmes, or for public-private partnership projects. She stated that Romania will keep paying special attention to the eastern neighbourhood of the EU, especially given that our country will be holding the presidency of the EU Council for six months. Previously, the Romanian Prime Minister had paid a visit to Turkey.



    MOTION – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday rejected the simple motion filed by the opposition National Liberal Party against the Minister of Culture, George Ivascu, after debates held on Monday. The Liberals said culture in Romania is in a grave situation, needing urgent solutions for the many problems it is faced with. In turn, minister George Ivascu stated that the motion included distorted information and superficial accusations, which prove nothing but ill faith.



    VISIT – The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Wednesday started a two day visit to the Republic of Moldova, the former Soviet country with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population, aimed at boosting bilateral relations. The agenda of the visit includes talks with the president of the country Igor Dodon and the pro-European prime-minister Pavel Filip, and the signing of a joint strategic cooperation declaration. Radio Chisinau reports that Erdogan’s visit is taking place against the background of a recent scandal concerning the detention and expulsion from Moldova of seven teachers from the Moldovan-Turkish High-School, accused of being members of the network headed by the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen is accused by the power in Ankara of having organized the attempted coup in Turkey, two years ago.



    OLYMPIAD – Romanian pupils have won five medals — two gold, on silver and two bronze — at the International Astronomy Olympiad, held over October 6-14 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The competition brought together 80 contenders from 18 countries. Romanian pupils have had great results this year in other competitions as well: 9 prizes at the International French Language Olympiad in Ohrid, Macedonia, 5 medals from the International Physics Olympiad in Lisbon, 4 medals from the Central European Olympiad in Informatics and 4 medals from the International Earth Science Olympiad in Warsaw. (Translated by M. Ignatescu and D. Vijeu)

  • February 6, 2018

    February 6, 2018

    REP. OF MOLDOVA – Romanias strategic objective in the relation with the Republic of Moldova is the European integration of the neighbouring state, Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu said in Bucharest on Tuesday, fresh from the talks with his Moldovan counterpart, Tudor Ulianovschi. The two ministers talked about ways to consolidate Romanias investments in the Republic of Moldova and about prospects of interconnecting the power-grids. The Romanian foreign minister also mentioned the initiative taken by the authorities of several Moldovan towns to collect signatures for the unification with Romania, a move that has been
    described by the Moldovan President Igor Dodon as being liable to trigger a
    civil war. The declarations that are being made at local level on the unification with Romania are, from Bucharests point of view, only the expression of the Moldovan citizens wish to get closer to the citizens of Romania, without any legal implication. In turn, foreign minister and minister of European integrations, Tudor Ulianovschi, has hailed Romanias efforts to consolidate the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova. He underlined that Romania is Moldovas largest trade partner. Ulianovschi has said Moldovas European orientation continues to be an unchangeable and major objective of Moldovas domestic and foreign policy.



    VISIT – Hungarian foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó met in Bucharest on Monday with the Speakers of the two Chambers of the Romanian Parliament, Calin Popescu Tariceanu and Liviu Dragnea, respectively, as well as with his Romanian counterpart, Teodor Meleşcanu. The talks focussed on bilateral cooperation, special emphasis being laid on the energy field and infrastructure. Minister Péter Szijjártó has said Romania is an important strategic partner of Hungary, underlining the significant level of economic exchanges. He has also mentioned the significant contribution brought by the Romanian community in Hungary, and of the Hungarian community in Romania to assure a continuous bilateral dialogue, under its various forms. According to Radio Romanias correspondent to Budapest, Szijjártó has announced that Romania will detail, by 2020, the technical conditions which are necessary for natural gas exports to Hungary. The Romanian and Hungarian foreign ministers have also talked about the education law in Ukraine, which stipulates that education in the mother tongue is available only in kindergartens and primary schools, and they agreed to further cooperate and show opposition to this law, so that Ukraine cannot infringe upon the rights obtained by its ethnic minorities, MTI reports.



    SECURITY – The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism has announced, in its 2017 activity report that Islamic radicalisation in Romania is one of the major risks. Anti-terror prosecutors say the phenomenon has gained ground over the past few years and the law on preventing and fighting terrorism should be updated. According to them, last year Romania didnt face any concrete and consistent terror threats. In another move, anti-drug prosecutors say they seized over 2,000 kilograms of drugs in 2017, with cannabis being the most smuggled drug, brought over particularly from Spain and the Netherlands, by road. As regards cross border drug trafficking, Romania has remained a transit country, placed on the “Balkan route of transport, especially of heroine, cocaine and ecstasy.



    JUSTICE LAWS – The European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday will be hosting debates on the rule of law and the reform of the judiciary in Romania. On January 24, the European Commission voiced concern about the latest developments in Romania and called on the Romanian Parliament to reconsider the modifications to the justice laws. The independence of the judiciary and its capacity to fight corruption efficiently are the cornerstones of a strong Romania within the EU, a joint declaration issued by the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, reads. The commission will analyse in detail the final modifications to the justice laws to establish their impact on the efforts to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, the joint declaration also reads. Late last year, the ruling majority in Bucharest made up of the Social Democratic Party-the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania adopted changes to the justice laws, which have been vehemently criticised by magistrates associations and the opposition, on ground they would be aimed to politically subordinate the judicial system.



    STOCK EXCHANGES – Stocks the world over, Romania included, fell sharply, after the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 1,175.21 points, or 4.6%, causing the biggest financial crisis since 2008. S&P 500 and Nasdaq reported similar situations and this volatility has today extended to Asian markets, especially in Japan, where the Nikkei lost almost 7 percent, falling below the key 8,000 technical level for the first time in three weeks. Other key markets in the region lost some 5%. The European Stocks joined the rout, opening sharply lower in morning trading. European markets had initially plunged by 3%, their biggest fall since the Brexit vote. The stock exchange in Bucharest opened in red, as a result of the shockwave in the US.

  • May 2, 2017 UPDATE

    May 2, 2017 UPDATE

    AIR DEFENCE – US ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, has said talks on Romanias purchasing some US Patriot air defence systems might be finalised by the end of the year. He has explained that Romanian PM Sorin Grideanu has recently met with a delegation of the Romanian-US Business Council, during which the officials discussed ways to boost cooperation in the field of defence industry, as well as investments in Romania. In another move, Hans Klemm has said the US hails Romanias decision to increase defence spending to 2% of the GDP, in agreement with the commitments it has made within NATO. This also grants opportunities to US companies to cooperate with the Romanian ones in the field of defence, to develop new, state-of-the art equipment, to help Romania and the Alliance, including the US, to provide better defence, Hans Klemm has said.



    UNIFIED PAY BILL – The Romanian Senate on Tuesday decided to debate the unified pay bill, in an emergency procedure. Also on Tuesday, the bill was sent by the Senates Standing Bureau, for endorsement, to the Government, the Economic and Social Council, the Legislative Council and to other institutions. The deadline set for securing these endorsements is of one week. The bill provides among others for the gradual increase, in the following five years, of the salaries of state sector employees. The first pay rise is to be applied as of July 1st.



    MOLDOVA – The IMF Executive Board has completed the first reviews under the Extended Credit Facility and Extended Fund Facility Arrangements for the Republic of Moldova, that allow for the disbursement of 21.5 million dollars for that country. According to the report, the authorities continue to make significant progress in tackling long-standing vulnerabilities in the financial sector and advancing structural reforms. These efforts have helped strengthen financial stability and growth has been resumed. The report also says that the 2017 budget and the medium-term budget framework are consistent with the program targets. In November 2016 the Republic of Moldova signed a new programme with the IMF, worth almost 179 million dollars for a three-year period.



    BREXIT – Britains plan to leave the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) when it exits the European Union will severely hinder nuclear trade and research, and threaten power supplies, a UK parliamentary committee said in a report on Tuesday. The government says Britain must leave Euratom as part of its goal to end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice when the country leaves the EU. Experts have said that if Britain leaves Euratom, there is a risk of new projects being delayed or put on hold while new stand-alone nuclear cooperation treaties are negotiated with countries in the EU and outside it.



    UNEMPLOYMENT – The unemployment rate registered in Romania in March 2017 stood at 5.3%, down by 0.1% as against February, while the number of unemployed people went down to 486,000, according to the National Institute for Statistics. The figure is by 3,000 people smaller than in February, and also smaller than in March 2016, when it stood at 561,000. The unemployment rate among men is 5.7% while among women is 4.9%.



    LABOUR MARKET – Of all EU member states, Romania registered in 2016 the lowest number of people in the 15-64 age bracket who had an employment contract on a definite period of time, that is 1.4%, whereas the European average stood at 14.2%, a report issued by Eurostat on Tuesday shows. According to the figures, Spain is ranking at the opposite end of the classification with 26.1% and Poland with 27.5%. As regards the 15-24 year age bracket, the European average of people who have an employment contract on a definite period of time stood at 43.8%. The lowest percentage points were also reported by Romania – 5.3%.



    TRAVEL ALERT – The U.S. Department of State issued a travel alert for Europe on Monday, citing the continued threat of terror attacks. In the alert, the Department of State mentioned recent incidents in France, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom, saying Islamic State and al Qaeda have the ability to plan and execute terrorist attacks in Europe. Malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, airports and other locations are all possible targets for attacks, the State Department’s alert said. The alert is valid until September the 1st. Washingtons previous alert of this kind expired in February.



    EUROVISION – Over 200 competitors from 20 countries have arrived in Kiev these days to get ready for the Eurovision Song Contest, including Romanias representatives, Ilinca and Alex Florea. In the second semi-final, due on May 11, the two will be performing the song “Yodel it! composed by Mihai Alexandru. The head of the Romanian delegation, Iuliana Marciuc, told a press conference that the song has already caught public interest.

  • September 22, 2016 UPDATE

    September 22, 2016 UPDATE

    CORRUPTION – Ioana Basescu, the eldest daughter of former Romanian President, Traian Basescu, is subject to legal restrictions, pending trial, being investigated for incitement to abuse of office and money laundering. Also, the former development minister in the Boc cabinet, MP Elena Udrea is subject to legal restrictions in a new case, on financing the electoral campaign for the 2009 presidential election, won by Traian Basescu. Judicial sources say Elena Udrea and Ioana Basescu are also allegedly involved in the file of former state secretary with the Development Ministry, Gheorghe Nastasia. Nastasias lawyer confirmed that the former state secretary is prosecuted by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for bribe taking.



    UN – Romania steps up efforts to meet global challenges like poverty, climate change, terrorism and conflicts, in the spirit of international solidarity and joint responsibility, the PM of Romania, Dacian Ciolos, said in his address at the UN General Assembly session in New York. He added that at present Romania holds the presidency of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation, while Romanian military and police troops take part in peacekeeping missions. Romania will continue to earmark substantial political, diplomatic, financial and human resources to maintaining regional and global stability, the head of the Romanian government also said. On Thursday, PM Ciolos held talks with the Secretary General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and with American business people who invest in Romania. He also had meetings with members of the Romanian community in New York. On Tuesday, PM Dacian Ciolos discussed with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, the prospects for lifting visa requirements for Romanian citizens, and attended the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants.



    MIGRATION – At the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in New York Romania did not make any relocation commitments in addition to the decision made at EU level, the Romanian Foreign Ministry says in a news release. The Ministry mentions that Romania takes part in the common European effort in this respect, by means of “implementing internal relocation decisions made in 2015 and of voluntarily participating in the foreign relocation process.



    ANTI-FRAUD – The head of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), Giovanni Kessler, hailed in Bucharest the efforts of Romanian authorities to curb fraud. He added that the Anti-Fraud Department in Romania is the Europeans main partner and a success model for Romanias anti-fraud strategy aimed at building a better, corruption-free society. At the Albiţa checkpoint in eastern Romania Kessler had a meeting with officials of customs authorities in Romania, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The main topic was cross-border cooperation, with a view to preventing and fighting illegal trafficking on the EU external borders.



    DEFENSE – On September 28 Romania will receive the first six F-16 planes from Portugal, the Romanian Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc has announced. He made this statement after a meeting with the ambassador of Portugal to Bucharest, João-Bernardo Weinstein, whom he thanked for the contribution of the Portuguese Air Forces to training the pilots and other personnel who will operate the aircraft. Romania has purchased from Portugal a total of 12 upgraded F-16 planes, compatible with the models used by the other NATO member states. The contract, signed 3 years ago, cost the Romanian Army some 630 million euro.



    MEASLES EPIDEMIC – Romania is currently facing a measles epidemics. According to the Healthcare Ministry, three infants have died and nearly 700 got sick in the first 8 months of the year, as opposed to seven confirmed cases and no deaths last year. The Ministry intends to run an awareness raising campaign regarding the benefits of immunisation.



    REP. OF MOLDOVA – Anti-corruption prosecutors in the Republic of Moldova have taken 15 judges and 3 court enforcement officers, involved in a huge money-laundering scandal. The mass media in Chisinau, quoted by Radio Romania correspondents, say they were reportedly involved in the laundering of a rough 18 billion USD coming from the Russian Federation. If proven guilty, the suspects risk spending 5 to 10 years behind bars. (Translated by D. Vijeu)