Radio România Internațional

Tag: Republic

  • The EU supports the stability of the Republic of Moldova

    The EU supports the stability of the Republic of Moldova

    The head of the Romanian diplomacy, Bogdan Aurescu has
    hailed the political agreement reached by his EU counterparts for setting up a
    sanctions regime in order to counter the destabilization actions against the
    neighboring ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova.




    He said that Romania is already working with the
    authorities in Chisinau on the first list of people to be sanctioned. Created
    on a part of the eastern Romanian territories annexed in 1940 by the Stalinist
    Soviet Union, the little republic, which got its independence in 1991, has been
    described by pundits as the most vulnerable neighbour of the invaded Ukraine. The threat level is on the rise. And causing violent
    events would prove a turning point in the present context, said this month Ana
    Revenco, Foreign Minister in the pro-Western government in Chisinau. According
    to her, ‘it is a certain fact that Russia has stepped up its efforts to
    destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova not without the efforts of
    the fugitive oligarchs.




    All the elements of a hybrid war such
    as false bomb alerts, cyber attacks, illegally funded protests, energy
    blackmail have proved to be a great challenge for the entire Interior Affairs
    system – she told Radio Chisinau. The pro-war propaganda, the incitement to
    hatred and misinformation are parts of the same hybrid war and are aimed at weakening
    the resistance of the citizens.




    Against this background, Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu said that any
    measure taken to bolster the security of the Republic of Moldova is also
    beneficial to Romania, and the EU’s decision to quickly put together a
    sanctions regime will be an instrument very important in the process of strengthening
    the resilience and security of the neighboring state in the context of the
    actions masterminded by Moscow.


    In turn the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep
    Borrell says that the Republic is one of the most affected states by the war in
    Ukraine and Brussels has earmarked 40 million Euros to support its defence
    capabilities.




    Also this month the Budget Commission with the
    European Parliament has endorsed the 145 million euros financial assistance for
    the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian MEP Siegfried
    Mureșan, the head of the delegation of the EU Legislature for the relations
    with Chisinau has underlined that it is necessary that the macro-financial
    assistance be endorsed without delay by the European Parliament and the money
    reach the Republic of Moldova in due time, by the end of the year.




    According to him, the Republic of
    Moldova is an EU-accession candidate and we must help it overcome all the
    challenges it is presently facing and carry on its European integration. The
    final voting on this package in the European Parliament is most likely due next
    week.


    (bill)

  • The Romanian Prime Minister visits Chisinau

    The Romanian Prime Minister visits Chisinau

    Founded on Romania’s eastern territories
    annexed by the Stalinist Soviet Union after an ultimatum in 1940, the Republic
    of Moldova proclaimed its independence from Moscow on August 27th
    1991 after the abortive neo-Bolshevik coup against the reforming political
    leader Mikhail Gorbachev. On that very day, Romania became the first country to
    recognize the new independent republic. Since then, Bucharest has been the most
    enthusiastic and staunchest supporter of the Republic of Moldova’s
    independence, territorial integrity and EU aspirations.




    On Thursday, Romanian president Klaus
    Iohannis announced in Brussels that the neighboring republic would receive
    additional support form the European Union. He also proposed that the
    pro-Russian entities in the Republic of Moldova be subjected to European sanctions.




    Also during his visit to Chisinau on
    Thursday, Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca reiterated Romania’s
    unflinching support for the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova has bravely
    embarked on a European journey, and Romania who understands very well the
    stages of this journey, has expressed its full readiness to support its
    endeavor – the head of the government in Bucharest says.




    During the meeting he had
    with Maia Sandu, the pro-West President of the republic, Ciuca says that
    Romania is making efforts inside the EU to maintain the governmental, economic
    and social stability of the Republic of Moldova.


    In turn, Sandu voiced
    gratitude for all the support the Republic of Moldova receives from Romania.




    We have overcome all the
    winter difficulties and this is also thanks to you. We have to carry on the
    country’s stability and provide safety to our citizens. In another development
    we are trying to increase the resilience of our economy so that we can raise
    the living standards in the Republic of Moldova and you have supported us in
    all these dimensions, Maia Sandu says.




    According to President
    Sandu, the Republic of Moldova has a busy agenda in the process of European
    integration. This week will see the European Council’s proceedings and we know
    that Romania is there fighting for the interests of the Republic of Moldova,
    including for the following steps in the process of its European integration,
    Sandu says.




    Prime Minister Ciuca’s
    visit comes after the one paid to Bucharest by his Moldovan counterpart Dorin
    Recean on March 1st. At that time Ciuca hailed what he called the
    excellent level of the bilateral relations and the remarkable dynamics of the
    dialogue between Bucharest and Chisinau. According to the Prime Minister,
    Romania has strengthened its statute as the first trade partner of the Republic
    of Moldova. The bilateral trade, he recalled, went up to 1.2 billion dollars to
    reach 3.6 billion dollars in 2022.


    (bill)

  • March 18, 2023

    March 18, 2023

    VISIT – Attracting investments in the Romanian economy through projects in the fields of infrastructure and energy are the main objectives of the visit, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is today starting in the United Arab Emirates. The four-day visit takes place at the invitation of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates. Boosting the already-growing economic relations between the two countries and developing joint projects on fighting climate change, in the field of food and cyber-security are high on the agenda. According to the presidential administration in Bucharest, the United Arab Emirates continues to be the first trade partner of Romanias in the Gulf area and Iohannis visit has been the first paid by a Romanian president in the past 20 years.



    MINISTRY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry reiterates the firm position of condemning and unrecognizing the illegal annexation by the Russian Federation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as well as its support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally-recognized borders. Nine years on since its illegal annexation by Russia on March 18th, Romanias Foreign Affairs Ministry says in a press release on Saturday that the annexation is a blatant violation of international law as well as of the multilateral documents signed by Russia, including the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act. According to the same sources Romania condemns the use of the Crimean territory by Russia during the illegal and unprovoked aggression commenced by Russia on February 24th 2022. Romania also doesnt recognize the illegal annexation by the Russian Federation of the regions in eastern Ukraine (Donetsk, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia), which are an inalienable part of Ukraines national territory under the international law.



    SPEECH – Maia Sandu, the pro-western president of the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, has given assurances the state she leads isnt presently facing the danger of war. In an unexpected speech before the countrys Parliament, Sandu says the Russian Army cannot make it to the Republic of Moldova as long as the neighboring Ukraine is resisting it in the war. Sandu has repeated the allegations about the attempts to destabilize the country by Russia and the pro-Russian opposition party Shor. The Shor group has a clear mission from the Kremlin and the Russian Security Service (FSB), namely to bring the war to the Republic of Moldova. Their goal is to destabilize through violence and put an end to the countrys democratically-elected rule. According to President Sandu, specialized institutions have managed to prevent any destabilizing attempts. However, Sandu says, the greatest danger the country is presently facing is corruption. She called on Parliament and government to create an Anti-corruption Tribunal, a specialized court in charge of investigating the big corruption cases including in the countrys legal system and has pledged the process of reforming and cleaning the aforementioned system will be completed in spite of the resistance currently faced. President Sandu has also said that the Republic of Moldova is not alone in facing the aforementioned challenges, but enjoys support from Romania, the United States and the European Union.



    TENNIS – Players Ana Bogdan, Jaqueline Cristian, Irina Bara, Monica Niculescu and Anca Todoni are part of the Romanian tennis side due to take on Slovenia in the qualifiers for the final tournament of Billie Jean King Cup, the Romanian Tennis Federation has announced on its formal webpage. The Romanian-Slovenian match is due over April 14th and 15th at Sport Park Bonifika, in the Slovenian city of Koper. The winner will qualify for the competitions final tournament. The only direct match between the two sides took place in the year 2000 when Slovenia outperformed Romania 3-0 in Spain in the group one of the competition for the Europe-Africa Zone.


    (bill)


  • Tense situation in Chișinău

    Tense situation in Chișinău

    Part of Moscow’s sphere
    of influence not long ago, the Republic of Moldova is being presently ruled by
    authorities firmly oriented towards the country’s European integration.


    Protest actions, which
    have invoked social aspects such as poverty or the latest price hikes, have
    been directed against these pro-European authorities for months now. However,
    the aforementioned protest actions aren’t large-scale events, involving the
    participation of a large number of people, but according to investigators,
    those involved do not believe in the principles they sustain, but are actually paid.


    The money they get is
    suspected to have been provided by the party of the controversial pro-Russian
    oligarch, Ilan Shor, who in 2017 got a 7 years-and-a-half prison sentence for
    fraud and money-laundering and is allegedly hiding in Israel.


    Several suchlike meetings
    have been staged since last autumn, and the latest took place on Sunday, the
    day when the authorities in Chisinau announced they had dismantled a network
    coordinated from Moscow, whose aim was to destabilize the situation in the
    Republic of Moldova. The network consisted of 10 groups of up to 10 people, who
    were supposed to create chaos during the protest rallies held in Chisinau
    during the weekend. The groups were coordinated by a representative of the
    special services from the Russian Federation and got orders through people with
    double citizenship, Russian and Moldovan. The head of the General Police
    Commissioners’ Office in the Republic, Viorel Cernăuţeanu, presented several
    video and audio recordings as well as fragments of correspondence in an attempt
    to prove the involvement of Russian nationals in the process of destabilizing the
    mass demonstrations in Chişinău. 25 suspects have been questioned and seven
    detained. According to Cernăuţeanu, there is a direct connection between Moscow
    coordinators, the Russian private military company Wagner and the
    recently-dismantled network. Only a day before the Sunday’s protests, the
    anti-corruption prosecutors in Chişinău announced that following the searches
    conducted at the headquarters of Shor’s party, the equivalent in local currency
    of 230 thousand euros have been sized, money for paying the protesters. The
    searches have been conducted in several localities and at the houses of those suspected
    of being involved in actions aimed at destabilizing the political situation in
    the Republic of Moldova and instating of a pro-Russia government.


    During the searches,
    policemen have also discovered handcuffs, marijuana-based substances,
    communication and data-storage devices.


    Those under investigation
    are men with ages between 23 and 50, who had previously served various court
    sentences. Some of these have recently returned from Turkey, where, according
    to the Moldovan secret services, were trained how to oppose the riot police and
    use pyrotechnical materials and weapons during the protest rallies. The
    aforementioned investigations have been carried out amid the latest allegations
    from Washington that Moscow has been trying to destabilize the Republic of
    Moldova with a view to instating a more Russian-friendly administration.


    (bill)

  • Romania’s assistance for the Republic of Moldova continues

    Romania’s assistance for the Republic of Moldova continues


    Romania will continue to support the neighbouring Republic of Moldova to overcome the crises it is presently facing, the head of the Romanian diplomacy Bogdan Aurescu said in Chisinau on Monday during the visit he paid upon the invitation of his counterpart, Nicu Popescu.


    According to Radio Chişinău, the sides have underlined the importance of developing the interconnectivity of the two countries power grids, of easing crossborder traffic including through the construction of bridges over the Prut River.


    Talks also focused on the implementation of an agreement on non-reimbursable financial assistance of 100 million euros offered by Romania to its neighbour. Projects over more than 25 million have already been homologated


    Also high on the agenda was the process of making the support platform for the Republic of Moldova, initiated by Minister Aurescu jointly with his German and French counterparts, operational. The two officials have also tackled the European roadmap for the Republic of Moldova and Romanias concrete support for this objective, including through opening EU accession negotiations.


    In another development, Minister Aurescu says that he doesnt have information on the risk of a Russian invasion of this country through northern Ukraine as they are now speculating in Chisinau.


    He says that Romania will be taking all necessary measures if need be, but at the moment he doesnt believe the neighbouring country is at risk, as the war Russia is presently waging in Ukraine has reached a deadlock.


    The Republic of Moldova loves Romania for the assistance it provided in difficult times as well as for its strong support in the process of the countrys EU accession, the Moldovan pro-western Prime Minister Maia Sandu recently said around Romanias national day on December 1st.


    She described Romania as “the shoulder you can rely on in times of need, mentioning the countrys main contributions and investments, such as in kindergartens, school busses, scholarships, diesel fuel, vaccine, humanitarian aid, support for modernizing the villages, for improving communication with the loved ones by eliminating the roaming fees, the support given to Moldovan culture and the construction of bridges between the two countries.


    Romania is also loved for the electricity it provides, which brings light to Moldova at a time when Russian missiles are spreading darkness as well as for the Romanian language, which is also the language we grew up with,” the Prime Minister, who also got the Romanian citizenship, went on to say. Created on part of the Romanian eastern territories annexed by the Stalinist Soviet Union following an ultimatum in 1940, the Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence on august 27th 1991, in the wake of the abortive new-Bolshevik coup against the last Soviet leader, the reformist Michael Gorbachev. On the same day, Romania became the first country in the world to recognize Moldovas independence.


    (bill)


  • June 24, 2022

    June 24, 2022

    FINA Romanian swimmer Robert Glinta has today qualified for the semifinals
    of the 50 meter backstroke race of the FINA World Aquatics Championships in
    Budapest, Hungary. The best time in the race was obtained by Justin Ress of the
    USA, gold medalist in the 4×100 meter relay race. The 50 meter backstroke
    semifinals is due tonight and the finals on Saturday. Glinta 25, had previously
    ranked 8th in the 100 meter finals. He is colleague with David
    Popovici, the 17 year old swimmer who on Wednesday was the second swimmer in
    the world to have become world champion in the 200 meter and 100 meter
    freestyle races in the same edition of a championships. Angelica Muscalu and
    Constantin Popovici will be representing Romania in the diving competition of
    the same championship due next week.








    HOLIDAY Orthodox believers who are a majority in Romania together with the
    Greek-Catholics are today celebrating the birth of John the Baptist, considered
    the last prophet of the Old Testament, who announced the coming of the Messiah.
    John the Baptist who had been born in the family of Jewish priest Zachariah six
    months before Jesus urged people to repentance baptizing them in the Jordan
    River. John also baptized Jesus introducing Him to the world as the Messiah who
    was to come. This Christian holiday overlaps a heathen celebration known in
    Romania as Sanziene, who were believed to be mythological creatures in charge
    of prosperity and fertility.










    CANDIDACY EU Leaders have granted the statute of accession candidates to Ukraine
    and the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet, Romanian speaking country. In turn,
    Georgia has been encouraged to continue its reforms to be able to get this
    status in the future. Romania has hailed the major step towards European
    integration taken by its two neighbours.










    EXAM
    Over 83% of the eight graders in Romania’s secondary schools have recently been
    admitted to high schools after passing the national Evaluation Exam, which is a
    record figure of the past 10 years. After the results were listed on Thursday,
    Education Minister Sorin Campeanu said the number of students taking the
    aforementioned exam was also the highest in the past 6 years.








    BLOUSE Today is the day of the Romanian traditional blouse known as Ie.
    Starting this year Romanians will be able to celebrate this day legally after
    the country’s president Klaus Iohannis issued a law, which was already
    published in the Official Gazette. Under the new law, cultural, social and
    artistic events can be staged in this respect while mass media is encouraged to
    disseminate materials promoting this traditional piece of clothing. Education
    units, cultural institutions, communication centers as well as Romania’s
    diplomatic representations are invited to get involved in various actions of
    promoting this event.




    (bill)

  • Parliament cooperation Romania – The Republic of Moldova

    Parliament cooperation Romania – The Republic of Moldova


    Romania and the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country, enjoy extremely close relations as the two countries share the same language, history, culture and traditions. And these two states are going to have a first joint Parliamentary session in the near future, Ion Grosu, president of the Republic of Moldovas Legislature, has announced upon his meeting in Chisinau with Marcel Ciolacu, the president of the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. Igor Grosu said that he was happy that the first session would be hosted by Chisinau, which is a clear signal of support for the incumbent government. He described the bilateral relations as excellent while Romania is the Republic of Moldovas best economic partner and closest friend regarding the support provided for the countrys EU accession.


    In turn, Ciolacu has said that Bucharest has always been by Chisinaus side and reiterated Romanias commitment to supporting the Republic of Moldovas EU accession. “The Republic of Moldovas place is in the European Union. There is no other way for the Republic of Moldova to develop than to join the European Union,” Ciolacu says. In early March, the Republic of Moldovas president Maia Sandu signed the countrys EU accession request in a move, which was viewed by many as historic, as it happened in a difficult regional context, created by Russias military invasion of Ukraine and the crisis of the Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Moldova.


    Similar requests had been earlier submitted by Georgia and Ukraine It seems that we are facing a war of attrition, which is going to affect us all, Ciolacu went on to say adding that Bucharest and Chisinau must obviously help each other out of these economic crises and citizens must be supported by the two governments to overcome these situations as soon as possible. At the same time the head of the Chamber of Deputies believes the neighboring state is in no need of military support.


    Marcel Ciolacu: “I believe the Republic of Moldova does not need military backup, what it actually needs is to secure its borders, something to benefit the entire Europe and I believe that Romania must get more involved in this process together with the Republic of Moldova. Romania is really a shield for the Republic of Moldova and this is how things must be.”


    Ciolacu has also held talks with the head of the Moldovan state, Maia Sandu, who thanked him for the support Romania offered including the non-reimbursable 100-million-euro loan agreed upon the joint sessions of the governments of Chisinau and Bucharest in February and the 10-million-euro loan announced at the Berlin conference in April. After meeting the countrys Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliţa, Marcel Ciolacu said that Romania firmly supports the extension of the EUs financial assistance to the Republic of Moldova.


    (bill)




  • June 6, 2022

    June 6, 2022

    SPORTS Former Romanian gymnast Catalina Ponor has become Romania’s 12th
    athlete to have been included in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
    during a ceremony hosted by Oklahoma City, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation
    announced on Monday. Ponor has thus joined those who have contributed to the
    development of this sport discipline such as Tatiana Gutu of Ukraine, Fabian
    Hambuechen of Germany and Chelsie Memmel of the USA. Ponor walked away with
    five Olympic medals including three gold, which she got in Athens in 2004. Her
    prize closet also includes five medals in world championships and eight in
    European championships.








    WEATHER Temperatures are
    slightly going down in southern and south-eastern Romania, which are also going
    to see an overcast sky, thunderstorms and wind. The highs of the day range
    between 22 and 31 degrees Celsius with a noon reading of 29 in Bucharest. A
    code yellow alert for heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms was issued last night
    for Bucharest and several other counties in southern Romania. A code yellow
    warning for bad weather was issued for three counties in southern Romania on
    Sunday night.








    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side will be taking on
    Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday in their Nations League second away match. In
    their first away game on Saturday night the Romanians conceded a 2-0 defeat to
    Montenegro, which will be up against Finland on Tuesday. Romania ranks last in
    its group with no points.

    VISIT Marcel Ciolacu, President of the Chamber of Deputes in Bucharest,
    on Monday held talks in Chisinau with Ion Grosu, president of Parliament in the
    Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet, Romanian-speaking country. According to Ciolacu
    the Republic of Moldova doesn’t need military support but needs to make its borders
    more secure and Romania must get involved more in this process. Ciolacu has
    also said that the place of the Republic of Moldova is in the EU and Romania’s
    duty is to help the neighboring country achieve this goal. In turn Igor Grosu
    announced a joint session of the two Parliaments to take place in Chisinau.
    According to the Moldovan official, talks focused on infrastructure, on ways of
    easing cross-border circulation, energy, infrastructure and healthcare. Besides Parliamentary talks, Ciolacu also
    has scheduled a series of meetings with the President and Prime Minister of the
    Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu and Natalia Gavrilita, respectively.








    REFUGEES According to
    the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate roughly 7,000 Ukrainian nationals
    entered Romania on Sunday, 17% less than the previous day. Since the beginning
    of the conflict in the neighboring country, over 1.1 million Ukrainian
    nationals have crossed the border into Romania. Out of these, 90 thousand
    decided to remain but only 2,000 have got jobs in this country. The Romanian
    government wants to offer support to these refugees to help them get
    integrated, learn the language, get a job and access to education for their children.
    A national plan for the social inclusion of these refugees could be approved
    this week.








    SHIP The Romanian
    training ship Mircea today sets sail at Constanta, Romania’s main Black Sea port,
    for its second international training voyage. The mission, which is devoted to
    celebrating 150 years of Romanian sailing education, involves the participation
    of Romanian cadets from the ‘Mircea cel Batran’ Navy Academy and their foreign
    counterparts from Britain, Poland, Bulgaria and the United States. During the
    two-month voyage, the ship is expected to moor in five ports on the Mediterranean
    – Augusta, Genoa, Vallencia, Valletta and Alexandria.










    (bill)

  • What kind of neutrality for the Republic of Moldova

    What kind of neutrality for the Republic of Moldova

    The readiness recently expressed by the EU,
    the USA and the UK to provide modern weaponry to the Republic of Moldova in the
    context of the devastating war in Ukraine but also given the situation in the
    breakaway region of Transdniester brings back to attention the issue of
    neutrality as stipulated by the country’s Constitution since 1994.




    In fact, the constitutional neutrality has
    been largely discussed by the authorities in the neighboring country in the
    past three months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a report conducted
    by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives shows that half of the
    country’s population supports the concept of neutrality. Government officials
    have given assurances that this kind of neutrality, closely monitored by Moscow
    for almost 30 years now, represents the redline in terms of the republic’s
    security strategies. Ioan Leahu, expert
    in Transdnistrean issues, is backing the policy of his republic and believes
    that Russia should not be provoked on this matter.




    Ioan Leahu: Neutrality per see is sterile, it doesn’t
    make any sense. It’s up to you and it is only you to decide whether to keep it
    or take sides. Given the present situation, however, in my opinion we should
    not send negative signals. If we are listening carefully to Mrs. Zakharova, the
    head of the information and press department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, we
    see that every time she finds a way to point the finger at us. And maybe all
    these talks and fuss about this neutrality has a minute political context. From
    the viewpoint of drawing up a strategy, it seems to me that the government of
    the Republic of Moldova is taking into account that neutrality is written in
    the Constitution and that allows them to find solutions to other issues as well.


    In turn experts in security believe that the neutrality of the little
    neighboring country needs to be clarified. According to security expert Igor
    Munteanu, the promoters of the republic’s security strategies should question
    and clearly define the term.




    Igor
    Munteanu:Every
    state has its own interpretation of neutrality. Neutrality may mean the idea of
    not joining a certain defensive bloc, but it may also be nonparticipation in
    aggressive actions against other countries. Interpretation may very well vary
    in this case. Concerning the Republic of Moldova, the insistence the Russian
    Federation has on its neutrality speaks about the strategy to keep the Republic
    disarmed and thus maintain its troops there to prevent the expansion of the
    West.




    The Foreign Ministry in Chisinau gives
    assurances that all international partnerships and cooperation have so far been
    carried out under the constitutional principle of neutrality. And after talks
    with Moldovan president Maia Sandu, the United States has pledged that the
    support given will not exceed Chisinau’s requests.


    (bill)



  • International aid for Moldova

    International aid for Moldova

    Until December 2020, the ex-Soviet Republic
    of Moldova, led by pro-Russian officials, was constantly in Moscow’s tow. Pro-European
    voices were however present, as confirmed by the country’s signing in 2014 an
    association agreement with the European Union, providing for cooperation in areas
    like trade and culture.


    But Moldova categorically broke with Russia less than 2 years ago, with
    the election of the pro-European Maia Sandu as head of state, replacing the
    pro-Russian Igor Dodon.


    Geographically, Moldova stands between the eastern part of the EU (neighbouring
    Romania) and Ukraine, with some of its territory occupied by Transnistria, a
    small self-proclaimed breakaway republic backed by Moscow.


    Quite a few political and military analysts voiced concerns that in the
    context of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia might take advantage of its military
    presence in Transnistria to launch an offensive in that region as well. Fortunately,
    at least for the time being, this is only a hypothetical plan.


    Nonetheless, with millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war, the Republic
    of Moldova is receiving the largest number of refugees per capita in Europe,
    which puts tremendous pressure on Europe’s poorest state.


    Under these circumstances, Germany, France and Romania Tuesday
    co-chaired an international conference in Berlin, aimed at putting together a
    support platform for that country. Around 50 delegations took part,
    representing international organisations and some 30 states, including EU
    members, the US, Canada and Japan.


    Donors pledged with over EUR 695 million in aid for Moldova, 100 million
    of which will be non-reimbursable financial assistance. They also agreed to
    take over nearly 12,000 of the almost 100,000 Ukrainian refugees currently in
    that country.


    Our message is clear: the Republic of Moldova is not alone, said Germany’s
    foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, alongside her French and Romanian
    counterparts, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Bogdan Aurescu, talking to the Moldovan PM
    Natalia Gavriliţa.


    According to the German official, this assistance will be the start of a
    sustainable support platform, with further aid to follow in areas like
    diversifying energy sources, border management and political reform. All of
    these are designed to help Moldova ease out its dependence on Moscow.


    Moldova is the most vulnerable among Ukraine’s neighbours, Natalia
    Gavriliţa said, and added that her country has no security umbrella to rely on
    and therefore it needs good friends and reliable partners.


    The next donor conference for Moldova may be hosted by Bucharest. (A.M.P)

  • The Republic of Moldova signs up for EU accession

    The Republic of Moldova signs up for EU accession

    The ex-soviet
    Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova has recently asked to be accepted in the
    European Union. The move, considered historic for Chişinău, comes against a
    very complicated regional context: the war in neighboring Ukraine, the crisis
    of the Ukrainian refugees who have made it to the Republic of Moldova as well
    as the presence of Russian troops in the breakaway region of Transdniester,
    which is no longer under the control of the authorities in Chişinău.




    We recall
    that Transdniester de facto came out of Chisinau’s control in 1992 following an
    armed conflict with hundreds of dead, which ceased only after the intervention
    of the Russian troops on the side of the separatists. In 1999, at the OSCE summit
    in Istanbul, Russia, led at that time by president Boris Elţîn, pledged to pull
    out its troops and gear from Transdniester. Five years later, the process was
    stooped in its tracks and the Russian troops are still stationed there.




    Against this
    background, even more complicated by the recent invasion of Ukraine, president
    Maia Sandu on Thursday night signed the Republic of Moldova’s EU accession
    request. The Moldovan leader said the authorities in Chisinau are ready to
    achieve this national objective. ‘We have the chance to ensure a better and
    safer future for the next generations’, Sandu says adding that the Republic
    must have a clear EU roadmap.




    Maia Sandu We are signing the EU accession request for the Republic of Moldova.
    And we are ready to do everything for achieving this fundamental national
    objective. We must take immediate
    actions under the present circumstances and we are clearly seeing the opportunity
    of ensuring a better and safer future for the next generations. Achieving this
    objective is our duty towards the citizens.




    The document signed
    by president Sandu, Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliţă and Parliament Speaker Igor
    Grosu, is to be submitted to Brussels in the following days. Georgia has also
    submitted a similar request after Ukraine on Monday had asked to enter the
    bloc. In its efforts to join the European Union, Moldova relies on support from
    its European partners.




    Bucharest,
    which has been a staunch supporter of the Republic of Moldova’s independence
    and integrity for many years now, is also fully supporting this country in its
    efforts to join the European Union. Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis has recently said that Romania fully supports
    the EU integration of Ukraine as well as that of the Republic of Moldova and
    Georgia. The place of these EU partners are in the European family and Romania
    will do its best to make this thing possible, Iohannis went on to say. The Republic of Moldova’s request to entry
    into the European Union is a historic move – Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae
    Ciuca says, giving assurances that Romania will continue to work side by side
    with Chisinau for achieving this goal.




    (bill)



  • December 24, 2021

    December 24, 2021

    CHRISTMAS The Western rite Orthodox
    believers, the Greek Catholics and Catholics from the world over, including
    from Romania, a country with an Orthodox majority, on Saturday celebrate
    Christmas, the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Today is the Christmas Eve, and
    people all over the country go caroling or get ready to receive carolers, who
    are a symbol for the angels and shepherds who first witnessed Christ’s birth in
    Bethlehem. Christmas is marked through special religious sermons in churches
    and monasteries but also through beautiful traditions and rich meals in the
    family. Old ritualists, who are a majority in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and
    Georgia are celebrating Christmas on January 7th.








    COVID-19 The fifth wave of the pandemic, which is most severe as compared to
    the fourth wave is expected to arrive in Romania in less than three weeks, the
    country’s Interior Minister Lucian Bode has announced. The spread of the
    Omicron variant will be accelerated by the Romanian workers from abroad, who
    are to arrive in large numbers for the winter holidays. The number of the new
    infections is still low in Romania with 717 new cases announced on Friday. 44
    related fatalities have also been announced. Since the beginning of the
    pandemic, 1.8 million Covid infections have been reported in Romania and 58
    thousand related fatalities. Shortly after the authorization in the USA of the
    anti-Covid drug, Paxlovid, Romania’s health minister, Alexandru Rafila is
    making moves to import the new drug as soon as possible. Rafila has already had
    a series of meetings with representatives of Pfizer, the company that produces
    the vaccine. According to the latest surveys, the drug reduces by almost 90%
    the risk of hospitalization and death. The US has also authorized an anti-viral
    pill produced by Merck.










    LIST
    The National Committee for
    Emergency Situations has updated the list of the countries with a high
    infection risk. Malta entered the red tier due to its high infection rate, whereas
    Romania’s neighbour, the ex-soviet Republic of Moldova has become part of the
    green tier. The committee has also approved a series of employees who are
    exempted from the quarantine rules, and these are: the crew members of various
    ships sailing under the Romanian flag, as well as several categories of drivers
    on freighters up to 2.4 tons and passenger buses over 9 seats coming from the
    EU or the EU economic area.










    POLICE Over eight thousand policemen are on duty
    during this mini Christmas holiday in Romania to discourage and prevent any crime.
    Policemen will be patrolling together with gendarme troops and in some cases
    they will be accompanied by representatives of the Food Safety Authority to various
    shopping areas to check on the observance of the prevention rules for the
    Covid-19 pandemic. Road police will be assisted by helicopters in an attempt to
    monitor the traffic and prevent any wrongdoing on Romania’s motorways. These
    structures are going to check the observance of legal rules by a series of
    retailers selling food products as well as by companies involved in money
    transport activities.






    (bill)

  • The Republic of Moldova is bracing up for snap election

    The Republic of Moldova is bracing up for snap election

    Maia Sandu, president of the Republic
    of Moldova on Wednesday dissolved Parliament in Chisinau and called for early
    election on July 11th. This became possible after the country’s Constitutional
    Court had ruled the state of emergency as unconstitutional, paving the way for
    the dissolution of Parliament, which couldn’t have been dissolved otherwise.




    Maia Sandu: Through this decision we have opened the way for citizens to be able to
    elect a new Parliament to serve their interest and the country’s. The power is
    now in the hands of the people. I trust our citizens and their readiness to
    choose the right way towards a developed democratic state in which people are
    living in peace and prosperity.




    The Parliamentary election
    is the way out of the political deadlock currently affecting the small
    Romanian-speaking state in the east. With an ambitious reform agenda including
    several goals as curbing corruption, streamlining institutions and embracing
    European values, Maia Sandu from the very beginning of her mandate has attracted
    opposition from the Parliament majority made up of the Socialists of the former
    pro-Russia president Igor Dodon. In a bid to block the early election, Dodon
    and his allies made an abortive attempt at changing the members of the
    Constitutional Court. The European institutions and the US Department of State
    have voiced concern over the latest moves by the pro-Russia majority in
    Moldova, describing them as a blatant attack on the country’s democratic norms
    and its Constitutional order.


    Prior to Sandu’s statement, Dodon had
    again lashed out at the Constitutional Court, which he described as a political
    instrument in the hands of some politicians trying to undermine the state
    authority.




    Dodon has also described his
    political opponents as puppets of the West. His political supporter, Moscow,
    has denounced what it calls a direct intrusion of the US and EU in the domestic
    affairs of the Republic of Moldova urging both entities to refrain from such
    moves.




    The anti-Constitutional coup in
    Chisinau has also been firmly condemned by Bucharest. According to Romania’s
    Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, the latest moves involving Parliament in
    Chisinau are proof of the importance that must be attached to the continuous
    observation of the rule of law in the Republic of Moldova as well as the
    importance of avoiding any decisions that might cast a question mark over the
    rule of law in this country.




    In turn, Romania’s Constitutional
    Court (CCR) has expressed disagreement towards the concerted attacks against
    the Constitutional Court in the Republic of Moldova and the constitutional
    crisis in this country. ‘To incite to disregarding the Constitutional Court’s
    rulings is tantamount to incite to breaking the law, the rule of law, to
    cancelling the very essence of democracy’, the CCR says.



  • Top court rules in favour of Moldova’s president

    Top court rules in favour of Moldova’s president

    The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova decided that Parliaments failure to appoint a government is sufficient grounds for the countrys president to dissolve the legislative body, upholding the view of the pro-European president Maia Sandu.



    The ruling comes after MPs failed twice in 3 months to endorse a new government following the resignation of Ion Chicus cabinet, and paves the way for early elections.



    Sandu, elected president late last year, pleaded her case herself before the Court, and argued, according to Reuters, that most Moldovan citizens are in favour of early general elections.



    The political situation remains unstable in Chișinău, with an interim cabinet and tensions between parliament and the president. Ex-president Igor Dodons Socialists and their allies in parliament have declared a state of emergency until the end of May, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, although they have introduced no clear measures to contain the spread of the disease.



    Under Moldovas constitution, parliament cannot be dissolved during a state of emergency, and experts say Dodons true goal was to prevent early elections. The Socialists are trying to avoid a new vote, because according to polls they risk losing half of their current seats in parliament, and they will do everything in their power to prevent it, analysts say.



    The decision to declare the state of emergency was itself challenged before the Constitutional Court, on grounds that it was not within the powers of a resigning cabinet.



    Meanwhile, the members of the interim cabinet are invited on a weekly basis by the parliament speaker, the Socialist Zinaida Greceanîi, to discuss administrative matters. Teodor Cârnaţ, a constitutional law expert in Chișinău, defines this as an abuse and a violation of the separation of powers. According to him, the parliament is a collegial body and the cabinet should not hold separate meetings with its president.



    Such meetings are obviously political in nature, with the Socialists seeking to keep their control over the government, while also sending electoral messages to citizens, believes another Moldovan analyst, Veceslav Berbeca.



    Russian-backed ex-president Igor Dodon said the Constitutional Court ruling should not be observed, and labelled it an attempt at a “constitutional coup. But the ruling is final, it cannot be appealed, and takes effect immediately. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Strengthening the Romania – Moldova partnership

    Strengthening the Romania – Moldova partnership

    Within a week since Maia Sandu was sworn in as the new president of the Republic of Moldova, her Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis travelled to Chişinău. He was the first foreign high-ranking official received by Maia Sandu, since the latter won the November 15 election, thwarting the pro-Russian Igor Dodons hopes for a new term in office.



    As Romanias Presidency had predicted, the visit occasioned a strong support message for the new president and for Moldovas citizens, in their efforts to strengthen democracy, to implement the rule of law irreversibly and to consolidate both the countrys European accession endeavour and its privileged relations with Romania.



    President Iohannis announced that Bucharest will send the neighbouring state 200,000 anti-Covid-19 shots, 6,000 tones of diesel gas for farmers and at least 250,000 euro to support civil society and the mass media.



    Klaus Iohannis: “I am glad that this visit to Chişinău comes against the background of a massive vote, by Moldovan citizens, in favour of democratic reforms in line with the EU integration values.



    For Maia Sandu, the visit of her Romanian counterpart means the end of the international isolation in which the previous pro-Russian governments had kept the country:



    Maia Sandu: “Im happy that as of today, the Republic of Moldova and Romania return to a natural, brotherly and open interaction. These days, the Republic of Moldova steps into a new era of ending its international isolation and connecting to the European space.



    The 2 presidents signed a joint statement on strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Moldova and Romania, reconfirming their special bilateral relation, and Chişinăus commitment to its European accession programme.



    An economist with an MA in public administration at Harvard, former adviser to the World Bank executive director, former minister and PM of Moldova, Maia Sandu, 48, is the first woman president of the R. of Moldova, 3 decades after the country proclaimed its independence from Moscow.



    All analysts agree that the presidents task will be infinitely more difficult than the election in which she defeated Dodon. Maia Sandu is the leader of Europes poorest state, as relevant surveys indicate. She has taken over an administration riddled by corruption and filled with the former presidents cronies, and will have to work with an outgoing Socialist Cabinet and with a parliament controlled by leftists.



    The new presidents most important allies are her countrys citizens, the European Union and, as always, Romania. (tr. A.M. Popescu)