Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romania-US relations

  • Visa-free travel to the USA for Romanian citizens

    Visa-free travel to the USA for Romanian citizens

    After March 31, Romanian citizens will be able to travel to the United States under a liberalized regime, after US authorities granted Romania the status of a participating country in the Visa Waiver program. The lifting of visas for Romanians was officially announced on Friday at the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington. “It is an important and happy moment for all Romanians, and the decision of the United States shows how strong the bond between Romania and the US has become over the years” Romania’s ambassador to Washington said on this occasion. Andrei Muraru also explained what this approach brings: “Beyond clear economic and security benefits, Romanians who want to travel to America can now do that much easier, faster and cheaper. Romanians no longer have to wait for months for an appointment, no longer have to pass an interview test, and no longer have to pay a considerable fee. As of today, the journey to America is shorter. Romania becomes the first country in the Black Sea region to enter this elite program, and this is in the interest of promoting bilateral and regional security cooperation”.

     

     

    Before traveling to the US, Romanian citizens will have to register in the Electronic System for Travel Authorization – ESTA, and people who do not obtain approval will not be able to board any airline to the US. The travel authorization that replaces visas will be valid for two years, with an unlimited number of entries or exits from the United States. According to the US Embassy in Bucharest, the authorization can be used for visits of up to 90 days and will cost 21 USD. In an interview to Radio Romania, Ambassador Andrei Muraru said that only type B visas are being replaced, namely visas for tourism and business, while visas for any other type of travel, whether work, studies or medical procedures, will remain in place, in addition to application procedures. At the same time, Romanians will still be able to apply for American visas, with the advantage they are valid for 10 years, with the maximum duration of six months for each trip . “It is an achievement that will determine the even more dynamic development of our bilateral relations, at all levels”, president Klaus Iohannis said, congratulating all those who contributed to Romania’s inclusion to the Visa Waiver program. (VP)

  • Concern about Romania

    Concern about Romania

    Considered an essential partner in the Euro-Atlantic security framework, owing to its strategic position on NATO’s eastern flank, and a firm voice in a European Union, fully committed to supporting Ukraine, Romania not only lived up to expectations, but also offered no reason for concern so far. Things changed dramatically after the first round of the presidential election, won by an independent candidate, heavily promoted on TikTok, an opponent of NATO and the EU, an admirer of Putin’s Russia and some gloomy figures from the interwar period, anti-Semitic fascists, an advocate of resource nationalization and an autarchic economy. His victory in the first round was no accident: intelligence services later presented evidence pointing to serious Russian interference in the electoral process, stating that Russia is waging a hybrid war against Romania.

     

    The United States have expressed concern about reports of Russian interference in the elections. The State Department has warned that Romania’s break with Western alliances in terms of foreign policy might have serious negative effects on security cooperation with the United States. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Romanian authorities had uncovered a large-scale and well-funded Russian effort to influence the presidential election. In addition, six former US ambassadors to Bucharest conveyed a message to Romanians, expressing concern that Romania was the target of a massive social media and cyber-attack, orchestrated by a state actor. In the letter, Alfred Moses, James Rosapepe, Michael Guest, Nicholas Taubman, Hans Klemm and Adrian Zuckerman expressed confidence that the Romanian people will see these attacks by authoritarian states as failed coups d’état and will not allow them to erode the close relationship the United States has always had with Romania. “Romania has no better friend than the United States, and the United States deeply values ​​this relationship. Together, the people of Romania and the United States will achieve peace, democracy, and prosperity”, the letter reads.

     

    A reaction also came from Berlin: “Reports from the Romanian authorities show that Russian disinformation is influencing the presidential election in Romania: Putin wants to divide us and undermine unity within the EU and NATO. But Europe remains strong. Together, we will protect our democracies from hybrid threats”, the German Foreign Ministry said.

     

    The tense electoral context and uncertainty have also reduced analysts’ confidence in the Romanian economy. The CFA Romania Association’s Macroeconomic Confidence Indicator fell by 13.5% in November, to 31.4%, the lowest level recorded since July 2020 during the pandemic, amid extremely high political uncertainty and a sharp increase in investors’ risk aversion levels, the association’s president, Adrian Codirlaşu, has argued. A slight increase in inflation, around 5% in the coming year, higher interest rates on loans contracted by the state and a slight devaluation of the national currency, are equally anticipated, the CFA Romania president added. (VP)

  • Romanian-US defense cooperation

    Romanian-US defense cooperation

    “Romania joins the US and its allies in its complete show of solidarity for Ukraine. We will continue to deliver multidimensional support for Ukraine’s defensive efforts against the Russian aggression”, the Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr told his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, in a phone conversation on Wednesday. Talks mainly focused on security developments in the context of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and unconditional support for this country. Both parties reiterated the importance of maintaining trans-Atlantic unity in the current security climate. The two officials reiterated the need to carry on bilateral efforts with a view to consolidating Euro-Atlantic security and strengthening the Romania-United States Strategic Partnership. The Partnership remains a key priority for Romania and the Defense Ministry, Angel Tîlvăr pointed out. We continue to make headway in the development of joint projects, thus consolidating cooperation in the military sector, the Romanian official said, expressing gratitude to the US Defense Secretary for the consistent presence of US troops on the territory of Romania.

     

     

    Talks between the two officials also occasioned a debate on topics of interest ahead of the Contact Group for Ukraine meeting to take place on April 26, as well as a discussion on shared goals ahead of the NATO summit due this summer in Washington. Both parties expressed their joint commitment to consolidating the Alliance’s deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank. Romanian-US talks were held as president Joe Biden recently signed into law the Senate’s 61-bln-USD aid package for Ukraine. The White House leader said more weapons and military equipment will be delivered to Ukraine over the coming weeks. The vote in Congress ended six months of blockade, coming at a very difficult time for the Ukrainian army, forced to cope with Russia’s mounting military pressure, news agencies write. President Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the US support, and his generals voiced confidence that this aid will help push back the Russians on the eastern front. American authorities also confirmed the delivery of long-range missiles to Ukraine, to be used solely on its territory. Known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), the weapons arrived in March in Ukraine in response to Russia’s use of long-range missiles delivered by North-Korea in the war in Ukraine, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan says. (VP)

  • July 9, 2022

    July 9, 2022

    INFLATION – The inflation rate is
    expected to slightly drop in the next months, the Central Bank (BNR) announced.
    However, prices might again peak next spring unless the government extends its
    national schemes capping electricity and gas prices past the April 2023
    deadline, the BNR spokesman Dan Suciu has told Radio Romania. Romania has an
    imported inflation, Dan Suciu argues, meaning that it is generated by the
    global increase in energy and fuel prices. In May, the inflation rate stood at
    14.5%. The authorities expect the rate to grow and peak by the end of July.




    DROUGHT – 70% of Romania’s surface is
    affected by drought. People in a number of areas have access to tap water only
    for a few hours every day. Traffic on the Danube River is also affected, as the
    water level is half the multiannual average and is estimated to keep dropping.
    The Porțile de fier I and II hydroelectric power plants are
    also reporting difficulties. Navigators will have to observe a maximum mass
    limit to avoid getting stuck in sand crossings on the bottom of the river. The
    National Water Administration has given assurances that right now there are no
    water shortage risks in centralized water supply systems in large urban
    settlements. At the same time, Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea, told a private
    TV station that irrigation systems are functioning normally without any major
    impact on shelf prices due to the shortage of water. This year’s crops will cover internal
    demand and Romania will export any excess, the Minister went on to say.




    FORUM – Energy security, the
    reconstruction of Ukraine and the EU accession prospects of countries in the
    region ranked high on the joint Parliament Forum hosted by Romania. Romania
    supports the European trajectory of Moldova and Ukraine and is committed to
    providing assistance and sharing its expertise to help these countries attain
    European standards, the interim Senate speaker, Alina Gorghiu, said on the
    sidelines of the event, also recalling Romania was one of the staunchest
    supporters of the two countries. Romania plans on playing a key role in
    rebuilding Ukraine and will allot substantial funds in this respect, the
    Romanian official said. In turn, Economy Minister, Florin Spătaru, said that the reconstruction
    of Ukraine is the responsibility of European society, and that all EU countries
    should pitch in. Minister Spătaru also recalled the support
    Romania has already provided to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian
    invasion.




    ROMANIA
    – USA RELATIONS: Next
    week Romania will mark 25 years since it signed the Strategic Partnership with
    the USA. The moment will be marked through a series of events hosted by the
    Romanian Embassy in Washington, including a Romanian Festival held on July 9
    and 10 in Washington. A website devoted to bilateral relations between the two
    countries will be launched on July 11. On July 12, the Strategic Partnership
    will be celebrated in the United States Congress. Over the next couple of days,
    ceremonies will be held to decorate a number of personalities. A former
    ambassador to Washington, Mircea Geoană, at present deputy
    Secretary General of NATO, has hailed the importance of Romania’s relation with the USA,
    stating it should be permanently upheld and refreshed, requiring investment.
    Nothing is more important than the relation between our citizens. Nothing
    is more important than the relation between our young people,
    between our universities, our researchers, our business communities, our
    politicians, young and old. Such an important relation cannot be maintained
    strictly in strategic terms. Every day, it gains a deeper, more civic and
    citizen-oriented dimension, underpinned by a sense of belonging to a set of
    shared values. This is Romania’s relation with America, Mircea Geoană says.




    SHINZO ABE
    – World leaders, including from Romania, have conveyed condolences for the
    death of Shinzo Abe, who was shot on Friday while campaigning for the
    parliamentary election. Countries such as India and Brazil have decreed a
    period of national mourning to express solidarity with Japan. The assassin is a
    former member of the Japanese Navy who used a handmade gun to shoot the former Japanese
    Prime Minister, for reasons unknown. Shinzo Abe was the longest serving Japanese
    Prime Ministers, with mandates in 2006 and then again between 2012-2020.




    SWIMMING
    – Romania has so far won six medals at the European Junior Swimming
    Championships hosted by Otopeni, and is now ranked third in the medal
    standings, after Poland and Hungary. So far Romania has won gold in the men’s
    4x100m relay event (David Popovici, Vlad Stancu, Ștefan Cozma and Patrick Sebastian Dinu), in the
    200m freestyle event (David Popovici), in the 50m freestyle event (David
    Popovici) and in the 1,500m freestyle event (Vlad Ștefan Stancu).
    Additionally, the mix 4x100m relay team won silver (David Popovici, Patrick
    Sebastian Dinu, Bianca Costea and Rebecca Aimee Diaconescu), while Bianca
    Costea scooped silver in the 50m freestyle event. Attending the European Junior
    Swimming Championships are 500 athletes from 42 countries. Romania is
    represented by 26 swimmers, 14 in the men’s competition and 12 in the women’s
    competition. (VP)



  • The Anti-Ballistic Missile System in Deveselu, 5 Years On

    The Anti-Ballistic Missile System in Deveselu, 5 Years On

    Five years ago, the North Atlantic
    Treaty Alliance put Deveselu, an otherwise obscure village in southern Romania,
    on the geopolitical map. Elements of the US anti-ballistic shield system were
    set up, whereby Washington aims to defend its NATO allies in Europe. The Aegis
    Ashore system also includes a radar installation in Turkey, four US Navy
    battleships fitted with anti-ballistic systems in Spain, a command center at
    the Rammstein airbase in Germany, as well as a second terrestrial interceptor,
    similar to the one in Romania, set up in Poland. It’s a big day for everyone,
    President Klaus Iohannis said in May, 2016, attending the inauguration event
    alongside NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. The head of state
    highlighted the purely defensive purpose of the shield and its role in
    strengthening NATO collective defense.

    Bucharest officials also underscored
    that the anti-ballistic system is not targeting Russia. At the time, Moscow
    said it didn’t consider the shield a threat to its offensive nuclear potential,
    although it announced it would respond to the Americans’ actions by modernizing
    its own ballistic system. In turn, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Arms
    Control, Frank Rose, insisted the system in Deveselu is primarily aimed at
    ensuring protection against short- and medium-range ballistic threats coming
    from the Middle East, more particularly from Iran, which continues to test and
    deploy a whole range of military capabilities with possible targets in Europe.
    The US State Department sees the installation in Deveselu as a major
    contribution to NATO’s anti-ballistic defense system and an expression of the
    United States’ firm commitment to European and Euro-Atlantic security, as well
    as of the robust nature of the Romanian-American Strategic Partnership signed a
    decade ago. T

    he system in Deveselu, Minister Bogdan Aurescu has said, is a
    project that I’ve seen through from its very beginning, as I was Romania’s
    chief negotiator for this project. The Romanian official said the contribution
    of the current White House leader, Joe Biden, at the time vice-president in the
    Obama administration, was instrumental. The Foreign Minister also praised the
    recent participation of President Biden in the virtual summit of Central and
    Eastern Europe NATO member states, on which occasion the United States
    expressed its firm decision to protect countries on NATO’s Eastern Flank. (V.P.)

  • January 27, 2021

    January 27, 2021

    COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The anti-COVID-19
    vaccination campaign continues in Romania. Over 487 thousand Romanians have
    taken the anti-COVID shot so far, and only 1,200 minor adverse reactions have
    been reported. Last week Romania received only half of the vaccine doses
    scheduled to arrive. Therefore, of the people performing key duties, included
    in the second phase of the campaign, people under 65 years of age without
    chronic illnesses will be reappointed for vaccination with a 10-day delay,
    Valeriu Gheorghiță, the head of the
    National Committee overseeing the campagin has said. The Romanian official
    explained there’s a shortage of some 117 thousand doses, and given that delays
    are likely to continue, the authorities have prepared several scenarios under
    which certain categories of people will receive the vaccine with certain
    delays. The goal for the first phase of the campaign has been met. 90% of the
    people included in this phase have been vaccinated or are scheduled for
    vaccination, Valeriu Gheorghiță added. According to the latest update released
    today by the Group for Strategic Communication, another 3,174 new infections
    with SARS-CoV-2 were reported in the last 24 hours, as well as 77 related
    fatalities. So far 718,612 people got infected with COVID-19 since the start of
    the pandemic and 18,015 have died to the virus. 1,025 patients are currently in
    intensive care.




    COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Companies producing anti-COVID-19 vaccines, which have received
    massive investments from the European Union, must now make good on their
    promises and honor their delivery obligations, European Commission President,
    Ursula von der Leyen, has warned. The statement comes after a string of delays
    announced by the Pfizer-BioNTech group in the delivery of its vaccine, which
    was followed by a similar announcement from the AstraZeneca group. In other
    news, the World Health Organization has approved the use of the anti-COVID-19
    vaccine produced by the American biotechnology company Moderna, which must be administered
    in two doses 28 days apart. On Tuesday, the United Kingdom became the first
    country in Europe to exceed the 100,000 COVID-related death toll, which deepens
    the crisis in this country. At global level, over 100 million infections have
    been confirmed since the start of the outbreak and at least 2.1 million people
    have died, the latest worldometers.info update reveals.




    BUDGET – President Klaus Iohannis
    yesterday evening talked with leaders of the ruling coalition on the 2021 state
    budget, which is due to be submitted to Parliament for debate early next month.
    Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor told Radio Romania the draft budget is a
    priority right now, saying the deficit cannot exceed 7.1% of the GDP. The
    Social-Democrats in opposition claim the Government is working on an austerity
    budget. After consulting with representatives of trade unions on Tuesday on
    this matter, the Social-Democratic Party will release its own alternate budget
    later today. In Bucharest, trade unionists with the Publisind trade federation
    staged a protest against the low salaries in the public sector and the
    Government’s plans to freeze salaries over 2021. The federation warns that,
    unless their demands are met, protest actions will continue indefinitely.




    ROMANIA-US RELATIONS – Foreign
    Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu today sent a letter of congratulations to his
    US counterpart, Antony Blinken, who took over his mandate as US Secretary of
    State after being confirmed in office by the US Congress. According to the
    Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu expressed Bucharest’s
    readiness to continue the expansion of the Strategic Partnership with the
    United States, a key pillar of Romania’s foreign affairs and security policy.
    The Romanian Minister said Romania remains a trusted ally and a close partner
    of the United States, expressing confidence that, over the term in office of
    Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the two countries will continue close
    coordination and ensure the security and prosperity of their citizens, as well
    as to promote regional stability, including in the Black Sea region. Moreover,
    Minister Aurescu argued in favor of a strengthened US military presence in
    Romania, underlying the development of a reliable and sustainable deterrence
    capability in the Black Sea region, an area of strategic importance to trans-Atlantic
    security. At the same time, Bogdan Aurescu pointed out one of Romania’s
    priorities is the continuous development of economic cooperation with the
    United States. Also on this occasion, Minister Aurescu extended an invitation
    to Secretary of State Blinken to visit Romania.




    HOLOCAUST – Romania’s President, Klaus
    Iohannis, today conveyed a message marking the International Holocaust
    Remembrance Day. President Iohannis said remembrance doesn’t just bring back
    the pain, but also serves to educate us to steer clear of inherent traps
    generated by oblivion. Europe is currently facing waves of extremism, populism
    and anti-Semitism, the President argues, and over the last 20 years Romania has
    developed a series of policies and instruments to combat such phenomena. In
    this context, the President urged the Government to swiftly adopt the national
    strategy on the prevention and combating of anti-Semitism, xenophobia,
    radicalization and hate speech. A brief ceremony honoring the victims of the
    Holocaust was observed today in Bucharest. Various events are also staged in
    other cities across the country.




    US-RUSSIA RELATIONS – The
    newly instated American President, Joe Biden, had his first telephone
    conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The two leaders
    agreed to have their teams work urgently to complete the extension of the New
    Start nuclear arms control treaty by another five years. The Treaty signed by
    the United States and Russia, is due to expire on February 5. Political pundits
    say Biden said he would adopt a harsher tone in his relations with Vladimir
    Putin than his predecessor, Donald Trump, who repeatedly refused to face his
    Russian counterpart. The White House writes Joe Biden also expressed the United
    States’ support for the sovereignty of Ukraine, raising other issues of
    concern, such as Russia’s involvement in various elections, cyber-attacks and
    the arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The American President
    underlined he wants to cooperate with President Putin, wherever this is
    possible.




    WEATHER – A code yellow alert against heavy snowfalls is in place until
    tonight for eight counties in the southern half of the country and the capital
    city. Blizzards and strong wind are expected in the mountains. The snowfalls
    have disrupted road traffic, which has been shut down on certain national roads
    due to reduced visibility. Rail traffic has also been affected, over 25 trains
    have already been cancelled. Due to the strong wind all maneuvers in Romanian
    ports on the Black Sea have been suspended. (V. Palcu)

  • November 29, 2019

    November 29, 2019

    REVOLUTION TRIAL – The High Court of
    Cassation and Justice in Bucharest has set for today the first hearing in the
    Revolution Case, where former President Ion Iliescu is being prosecuted for
    crimes against humanity. The indictment was sent to magistrates in April.
    Investigated in the same case are former deputy Prime Minister Gelu Voican
    Voiculescu and the former head of the Military Aviation, General Iosif Rus.
    According to prosecutors, against the backdrop of the poor relations between
    Romania and the USSR after Prague, 1968, and as a result of the general state
    of public unrest, a dissident group formed with the purpose of removing
    dictator Nicolae Ceausescu from power, but which sought to maintain Romania in
    the Soviet sphere of influence. Prosecutors say this group was made up of
    civilians and military figures, both marginalized in some way by the former
    president. Its members belonged to the Ministry of Defense and the Directorate
    of State Security, as well as to various civilian structures in the state.
    Prosecutors also claim the group surrounding Ion Iliescu acted to take over
    political and military power in December 1989. Therefore the entire military
    power of Romania, the Defense and Interior ministries, the State Security
    Department, as well as the patriot guards acted on behalf of the National
    Salvation Front Council and its leadership starting December 22, 1989.




    F-16 – Romania will be purchasing
    another 5 F-16 fighter jets from Portugal, a Government bill reads. The Defense
    Ministry says the bill was submitted to Parliament to be debated and adopted as
    a top priority. Ministry officials claim the jets will have the same
    configuration as the other 12 previously purchased by the Romanian Air Force.
    The Ministry believes this measure would involve the national defense industry
    in the maintenance, repair works and modernization of the aircraft.




    US – ROMANIA RELATIONS – Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has commended
    US Ambassador Hans Klemm for his entire activity in Bucharest and his
    substantial and effective contribution to the development and advancement of
    the Strategic Partnership between the two states. Minister Aurescu and
    Ambassador Klemm referred to consolidating cooperation in the field of civil
    nuclear engineering and the security of 5G networks. At the same time, the
    Romanian official reiterated our country’s legitimate interest in acceding to
    the Visa Waiver programme, expressing hope the decreasing visa refusal rate
    during Ambassador Klemm’s term in office is a positive trend that would
    continue in the future as well. New-York-based lawyer Adrian Zuckerman is due
    to replace Hans Klemm as US Ambassador to Bucharest. Zuckerman last week was
    confirmed by the US Senate. A fluent Romanian speaker, Adrian Zuckerman moved
    to the United States with his family at the age of 10.




    CLIMATE CHANGE – Bucharest is today
    playing host to a climate action march. Held under the slogan Climate Action
    Day, the march will be organized in another 11 cities in the country: Târgu Jiu, Iaşi, Timişoara,
    Constanţa, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Sibiu, Braşov, Bacău, Târgul Ocna and Craiova. Organizers
    want to raise awarenes over the effects of global warming. Some 1,000 people
    attended the previous such march held on September 20 in Bucharest, and another
    800 people took part in similar events in another eight cities in Romania. We
    recall this Thursday MEPs passed a resolution declaring a climate emergency,
    just ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) scheduled for December
    2-13 in Madrid.




    FOOTBALL – Romanian champions CFR Cluj on
    Thursday lost 1-nil to Lazio Rome in Europa League Group E. Celtic Glasgow of
    Scotland is top of the tables with 13 points, followed by CFR Cluj with 9
    points, Lazio Rome with 6 points and Rennes of France with 1 point. CFR will
    next take on Celtic Glasgow at home on December 12, with the Scottish side
    having already secured qualification to the next phase. In other news from
    football, this Saturday Bucharest hosts the 2020 European Championship draw.
    Romania will host four matches next year, three in the group phase and one in
    the round of 16. Our national team didn’t move past the preliminaries, but
    still holds chances of qualifying, as it will play in the Nations League
    playoff scheduled for March next year. Romania will play Iceland on March 26,
    and if it wins it will play the winner of the match pitting Bulgaria and
    Hungary in a match that will decide who will qualify to EURO 2020.




    HANDBALL – The Romanian women’s
    handball team is tomorrow playing Spain in the first match in Group C at the
    World Cup hosted by Japan until December 15. Romania was drawn in Group C
    alongside Senegal, Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Hungary. The top three teams will
    advance to the next phase. From 1957 to 2017, Romania has never missed a World
    Cup. Our country won silver in 2005 in Russia and bronze in 2015 in Denmark.


    (Translated by
    V. Palcu)

  • February 6, 2019 UPDATE

    February 6, 2019 UPDATE

    VISIT – Romanian PM Viorica
    Dăncilă on Wednesday paid a visit to Brussels. She presented Romania’s
    priorities at the helm of the Council of the EU during the plenary session of
    the European Committee of Regions. Also on Wednesday she met with Katharina von
    Schnurbein, EU coordinator for combating anti-Semitism. Prime Minister Dancila
    said combating anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial are key priorities for the
    Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Also on Wednesday, PM Dancila met
    with the Secretary General of the World Jewish Restitution Organization,
    Collette Avital. Talks focused on Romania’s recent efforts to accelerate the
    process of Jewish restitution, as well as the latest legislative action to pay
    allowances for Holocaust survivors. Prime Minister Dancila on Thursday will
    attend the conference titled The Fight against Anti-Semitism: a common
    approach to better protect Jewish communities in Europe. From politics to
    action. Also on Thursday, Viorica Dancila will meet with European Council
    President Donald Tusk and with European Commission First Vice-President, Frans
    Timmermans.




    DRAFT
    BUDGET – Talks continue in Bucharest on Romania’s 2019 draft
    budget, as the leaders of the ruling parties met on Wednesday with
    representatives of the Municipal Cities’ Association, who are discontent about
    the way in which money is allotted to local communities. Social-Democrat leader
    Liviu Dragnea said the budget of local municipalities will be at least
    tantamount to last year. Mayors remain disgruntled, saying talks would continue
    on Thursday at the Finance Ministry. The coalition intends to finalise talks
    for the budget to be discussed in Friday’s session of the Government, to then
    be forwarded to Parliament for debate. Meanwhile, the Fitch rating agency has warned that the 2019 budget bill, in the
    current form which has been launched for public debate, is actually based on
    optimistic estimates and does not shed light on the uncertainty over the tax on
    bank assets. The Fitch analysts are
    sceptical that Romania will observe the budget deficit target of 2.6%, given
    that the state budget is based on an economic growth rate of 5.5%, higher than
    the 3.2% initial estimate by the agency.




    ROMANIAN-US
    RELATIONS- Romanian deputy prime-minister Ana Birchall, on a visit to the US, has
    reiterated the Romanian Government’s firm commitment to further develop the
    relation with the US on all dimensions of the Strategic Partnership. According
    to a communiqué, during her official visit to the US, Ana Birchall has had
    talks with several US high officials with responsibilities on the relation with
    Romania. They approached issues of high interest on the bilateral agenda, such
    as organising the Romania-US Strategic Dialogue, whose last session was held in
    Bucharest, in June 2018. The officials also tackled opportunities of
    cooperation with the Romanian side to promote common objectives on the
    trans-Atlantic agenda, such as Romania’s priorities during its tenure at the
    helm of the Council of the European Union.




    MEETING -
    Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Wednesday met with a delegation of the
    Bundestag Committee for European Affairs, led by President Gunther Krichbaum.
    Talks focused on the latest development of the EU eastern vicinity and the
    Black Sea region, highlighting the support given by Romania and Germany to
    maintaining active action and commitment from the EU towards states in the
    Eastern Partnership. Both sides also reiterated the joint interest to
    developing cooperation in the Black Sea region, as well as regarding the
    European Union Strategy for the Danube Region.




    STATE
    OF THE UNION – US President Donald Trump has launched an
    appeal for unity in his State of the Union address in Congress on Tuesday. He
    said the economic miracle of his country cannot be stopped by fighting,
    policies and partisan investigations. The US President has underlined that his
    agenda is a national one, in the interest of all Americans. Donald Trump, who
    has made of migration policies a priority of the second year of his term in
    office, devoted much of his address to this issue, calling on Congress to
    defend the US’s southern border from illegal migrants, who come-according to
    him- with a criminality potential.




    MACEDONIA – The NATO member states on Wednesday
    signed in Brussels, the NATO Accession Protocol with Macedonia, an important
    step towards accepting that Baltic country as the 30th member of the
    organization. Macedonia will be allowed to participate from now on, in NATO
    meetings, as observer, until all allied countries ratify the accession
    protocol. This step has been taken after the resolution of a protracted dispute
    between Skopje and Athens on the name of the country. The former Yugoslav
    republic agreed last year to change its name into The Republic of North
    Macedonia, to thus make a clear distinction between the former Yugoslav
    republic and the old Greek province of Macedonia. The name change will become
    official once Greece has ratified the accession protocol.




    FLU – The number of people who succumbed to the flu in Romania stands
    at 91, according to the latest data released by National Centre for Surveillance
    and Control of Communicable Diseases. Doctors call
    again on people to get the anti-flu shot. Almost all people who died of the flu
    virus had not been vaccinated. Some 1.3 million people have been vaccinated so
    far, and the Health Ministry has purchased another 30,000 doses of the vaccine
    for people in the high risk category: people with chronic diseases, pregnant
    women, children and elderly people. A flu epidemic has officially been
    declared in Romania, because of the fast-paced spread of the virus and the high
    number of flu-infections and deaths.




    TENNIS – The Romanian
    men’s Davis Cup team will take on Zimbabwe in the first round of Group II in
    the Europe Africa zone, according to Wednesday’s draw venued in London. The
    match will be played on home turf. Romania and Zimbabwe previously played each
    other in the Davis Cup in 2000, in Harare, Romania winning 3-2. Other matches
    in Group 2 are South Africa vs. Bulgaria, Denmark vs. Turkey, Lithuania vs.
    Morocco, Egypt vs. Slovenia and Norway vs. Georgia.

    (Translated by D. Vijeu & V. Palcu)

  • March 13, 2018 UPDATE

    March 13, 2018 UPDATE

    ROMANIA-US RELATIONS – The Romanian Government on Tuesday announced the setup of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the implementation of results obtained under the Strategic Partnership with the USA and other Romanian-US bilateral projects. According to a Government release, the Committee will be coordinated by Ana Birchall and will compile the efforts of the ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Finance and the Economy. The committee will convene on a quarterly basis or in case of emergency with the purpose of monitoring the status of implementing the desired projects.




    DEFENSE – Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday received NATO
    Defense Ministers from the alliance’s eastern flank. The President expressed confidence
    the NATO Summit of July in Brussels will contribute to adapting NATO to current
    security challenges and threats. Previously, Defense Minister Mihai Fifor said on
    the sidelines of the Bucharest Initiative that states on NATO’s Eastern flank
    share a series of concerns, from the prospect of approaching security risks and
    threats. Participants agreed closer cooperation is needed to consolidate NATO’s
    eastern flank. Attending were Defense Ministers from nine former communist
    states, including Romania, NATO officials and representatives of the US
    Department of Defense. The Initiative was launched in 2014 as a platform for
    stepping up cooperation between NATO allies.




    INFLATION – The Romanian National Institute of Statistics put out inflation figures recently. According to official data, the annual rate of inflation in the country went up to 4.7% from 4.3% in January. The increase is believed to be due to increases in the price of food, consumer products and services. Food products went up in price by 3.7% compared to February, while consumer products went up in price by 6.27%. Services went up in cost by 3% compared to last year. Last month, the Romanian National Bank adjusted its forecast for inflation as by the end of the year from 3.2% to 3.5%.



    HEALTHCARE – Trade unions in the healthcare sector on Tuesday held talks with Line Minister Sorina Pintea, demanding a 25% increase of the base salary for the medical staff and the elimination of the 30% ceiling for bonuses. After the meeting unionists confirmed protests would continue next week. On Wednesday a public debate on bonus regulations will be held in Bucharest. Minister Pintea expressed hope a solution will be found to avoid the situation from escalating.



    ACQUITTAL – Former head of the Romanian Financial Administration Authority Sorin Blejnar on Tuesday was acquitted in a case where he was accused of supporting a criminal group and tax evasion. Prosecutors claim that in 2010 oil products were traded illegally, which made the state incur losses worth €4.5 million. The products were sold by a crime group to Romanian, Hungarian and Italian citizens. Prosecutors say the crime group enjoyed the support of several decision-makers, including the Financial Administration Authority. Blejnar is currently subject to several pending investigation.



    FLU – The flu has killed 99 people in Romania this season according to the latest toll published by the National Centre for the Supervision and Control of Communicable Diseases. The number of respiratory infections has also gone up last week to over 140,000 cases, 67% more than the same period last year. Healthcare Minister Sorina Pintea says Romania is not faced with a flu epidemic.



    WHITE HOUSE – US President Donald Trump on Tuesday replaced Rex Tillerson at the helm of the State Department with CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The White House leader said the replacement follows disagreements with Tillerson over Irans nuclear programme and he wanted to appoint a new team ahead of historic negotiations with North Korea. Replacing Pompeo at the helm of the CIA will be Gina Haspel, the CIA Deputy Director, thus becoming the first woman to hold this position.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • July 4, 2017 UPDATE

    July 4, 2017 UPDATE

    ROMANIA-US RELATIONS — The Strategic Partnership with the US has had a decisive impact on Romania’s development, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday at a cocktail party marking the National Day of the USA, July 4. In turn, Ambassador Hans Klemm said he wants to strengthen cooperation in all fields of the strategic partnership, a document signed over 20 years ago by the then presidents Bill Clinton and Emil Constantinescu. Last month Klaus Iohannis and Donald Trump reasserted the tenets of the partnership during the Romanian president’s visit to Washington. Our shared priorities, Ambassador Klemm argues, are fostering security, democracy, promoting and rule of law and prosperity.



    DEFENSE COUNCIL — The European Union security and defense strategy ranked high on Tuesday’s meeting of the Supreme Defense Council. According to President Klaus Iohannis who chaired the meeting, Romania wants to take part in this project. The president said that in the first phase the strategy focuses on military research, to see how Europe’s defense industry can be improved and how national armies can cooperate more closely. On the other hand, the Council adopted the number of troops and equipment used by the Interior Ministry that can be deployed for missions outside Romania’s territory. Finally, the Council passed the activity report of the Romanian Intelligence Service in 2016.



    MOLDOVA — The European Parliament on Tuesday signed off on a 100-million-euro aid package for the Republic of Moldova, of which 60 million euros will count as a loan, while the remaining 40 million euros will be non-reimbursable. If Moldova meets all the requirements, the money will be transferred in three instalments, in 2017 and 2018. MEPs have called on Moldova for safeguards in terms of the independence of its judiciary, freedom of the press and depoliticizing public administration. According to our Strasbourg correspondent, a report filed by the Romanian Social-Democrat MEP Sorin Moisa, Moldova is asked to renounce its controversial reform of the election law, by means of which half of the MPs are voted in the single-winner system. Criticized by the Venice Commission, opposition parties and civil society, the reform allegedly favours large parties, such as the pro-Russian Socialist Party and the pro-European Democratic Party.



    FUNDS — Between 2007 and 2013, Romania was allocated 18.8 billion Euro by the EU, and absorbed 17 billion of them by the end of last year. This is the lowest rate of absorption, with 90.4%, 5% below other states receiving such funds, according to a report published by the National Bank of Romania. Around two thirds of this money was earmarked for major projects such as infrastructure in transportation, environmental protection, and developing education and vocational training, as well as SMEs. The rest of the funding was directed towards social inclusion and improving the economy.



    NBG — National Bank of Greece, the second largest Greek Bank, will send some of its assets in the Balkans, including its operations from Romania, NBG General Director Leonidas Fragiadakis told Reuters on Tuesday. The move is part of the European Commission’s plan to restructure the main Greek banks by increasing capital and reducing their operations abroad. NBG bought the majority package at the Romanian Bank in 2003. With a primary capital of 155 million euros and a network totalling 110 branches across the country, the Romanian Bank has been operating for 22 years on the Romanian banking market.



    NEVERSEA — The Romanian Black Seacoast is getting ready to host the first edition of the Neversea festival. Taking place Over July 7 and 9 in Constanta, the festival will bring together some 150 artists from the international music industry. Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Jason Derulo, Tiesto, Fatboy Slim and Years&Years are some of the names of artists and bands who will perform live on the stages set up along the coast. Some 150,000 have been sold so far. Neversea is organized by the team behind the prestigious Untold festival, hosted by Cluj in central Romania. Having reached its third edition, Untold will run over August 3-6.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, 63 WTA, qualified on Tuesday to the second round at Wimbledon, the most important Grand Slam tournament of the year, after defeating Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, 7-6, 6-4. Sorana Cirstea will next take on Bethanie Mattek Sands of the US. On Monday, Simona Halep, WTA no. 2, eased past Marina Erakovic of New Zealand, 129 WTA. Halep will next take on Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil. Ana Bogdan, 115 WTA, defeated Ying-Ying Duan of China, WTA no. 62, and will next play Caroline Garcia of France. After defeating Naomi Broady of Great Britain, Irina Begu, 64 WTA, will advance to the second round too, where she will go up against Ana Konjuh of Croatia. Monica Niculescu, 51 WTA and Marius Copil, 85 ATP, were eliminated from the competition. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • May 10, 2017

    May 10, 2017

    CITIZEN INITIATIVE — The Chamber of Deputies has voted in favour of a citizen initiative to revise the definition of the term ‘family’ in the Romanian Constitution. According to the initiative, family is based on the marriage between a man and a woman of their own consent, on equal rights between the two parties, as well as on the parents’ obligation to see to the upbringing, education and tuition of their children. The Senate is to debate and vote on this draft law. We’ll revert to this topic after the news.



    STRIKE — Employees of the Environment Law Enforcement Agency are as of today on an all-out strike indefinitely. Employees are unhappy with pay disparities in their line of work, considering that salaries haven’t been increased since 2009. During the strike, environment officers will come to work but will not receive public notifications or carry out inspections. Previously employees with the Environment Law Enforcement Agency went on a two-hour strike on April 26, aimed at making their salary demands heard. Despite this, trade unions in the field say lawmakers have not shown any interest in solving the existing problems, adding that the protest will continue until the Government will give assurances that their demands have been taken under advisement.



    ROMANIA-US RELATIONS — Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu talked to the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson over the phone about the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, launched 20 years ago, and the goal of developing and boosting cooperation in all fields stipulated in the partnership. Minister Melescanu praised the excellent level of bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and security, underling the importance of having American and Allied forces present in Romania and in the region. Moreover, the Romanian official also highlighted the efforts of the two countries’ governments and business sectors to improve economic cooperation between Romania and the US.



    KING’S DAY — Romania today celebrates the King’s Day, also coinciding with another two important moments in the country’s modern history. On May 10, 1866 King Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was sworn in as ruler of Romania. Also on this day in 1877 King Carol would proclaim the country’s independence from the Ottoman Empire, only to be crowned king four years later. May 10 was the National Day of Romania until 1947, when the communist regime forced King Mihai I into abdicating and subsequent exile. King Mihai returned to Romania only after the anti-communist revolution of 1989. The King is now seriously ill and has withdrawn from public life. Mihai has entrusted Crown Princess Margareta, the first born of his five daughters, custody of the Royal Crown.



    EBRD — Romanian economy might report a 4% growth this year as compared to the November estimate of 3,7%, reads a recent forecast of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This is the highest growth level among European states where the Bank is conducting its operations. Next year the GDP growth will slow down to 3,5%, consumption will continue to boost growth in 2017 and 2018, sustained by the rise in the minimum wage and public sector salaries. Government spending will probably spike in 2017, running the risk of exceeding the budget deficit target of 3% of the GDP, the EBRD has warned. In turn, the IMF has upgraded its forecast on Romanian economic growth this year, from 3,8% to 4,2%. The Romanian Government has grounded its budget planning for 2017 on a 5,2% economic growth forecast.



    HEALTHCARE — Romanian Health Minister Florian Bodog today attended a discussion panel in Malta alongside Health Ministers and heads of pharmaceutical companies across Europe, devoted to promoting quality, efficiency and sustainability for healthcare systems and ensuring the adequate conditions for research and innovation. According to a Health Ministry release, participants signed a joint declaration asserting the importance of guaranteeing patients’ access to new and innovative drugs and treatments. We recall that the Health Ministry is hoarding vaccines against the backdrop of a measles outbreak in Western Romania, which has so far killed 20 people and infected some 5,000 people.



    MOLDOVA — Experts with the Venice Commission are on an official visit to the Republic of Moldova, after the Parliament of this country on Friday adopted two draft laws on amending the election law in Moldova. The two bills provide for the partial modification of the current party-list voting system, as well as for electing 51 of the 101 deputies by means of a single winner system. The Parliament leadership has given assurances that the two bills, harshly criticized by most political factions as well as civil society, will be adopted only after the Commission has given the go-ahead. Political pundits in Chisinau say the new system will allegedly favour large parties, such as the Socialists, the party of the pro-Russian President Igor Dodon, or the Democrats, the party of the controversial oligarch Vlad Pahotniuc in the pro-Western governing coalition.



    FBI — US President Donald Trump has sacked FBI Director James Comey, as per the recommendation of Prosecutor General Jeff Sessions. Comey was appointed in 2013 by former president Barack Obama, and was leading an investigation into Russia’s alleged involvement in Trump’s election campaign for the 2016 presidential race. The White House has denied accusations that the sacking was a political decision. Democrat leaders have also called for appointing a special prosecutor to take over the investigation.



    EUROVISION — A total of ten countries on Tuesday evening qualified to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, this year hosted by Kiev, Ukraine. The countries that qualified from the first semi-final are the Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Australia. Romania will be competing in Thursday’s second final with the song “Yodel It!”, composed by Mihai Alexandru and performed by Ilinca and Alex Florea. 42 countries are taking part in this year’s edition. The final will take place on Saturday. Romania has taken part in the Eurovision Contest 19 times, starting with 1994, and our country’s best performance was third place.



    MADRID TOURNAMENT — Three Romanian tennis players are today competing in the round of 16 of the WTA tennis tournament in Madrid, totalling 5,4 million dollars in prize money. Simona Halep, 8 WTA, is taking on Samantha Stosur of Australia, 26 WTA. Irina Begu, 36 WTA, is playing Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, 19 WTA. Finally, Sorana Cirstea, 83 WTA, will go up against Misaki Doi of Japan, 53 WTA. On Tuesday, Marius Copil lost to Andy Murray of Great Britain, and will enter the ATP top 100 at the end of the competition. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • July 2, 2016

    July 2, 2016

    Romania appreciates the excellent friendship relation and the Strategic Partnership with the US, based on such values as freedom, democracy, individual rights and the rule of law — said Friday the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on the occasion of the US Independence Day marked in advance at the US embassy in Bucharest. President Iohannis recalled that Romania expected the Strategic Partnership between the two countries to generate economic opportunities and prosperity for the citizens of the two countries. In turn, the American ambassador Hans Klemm talked about bilateral cooperation both in the field of world security and in fighting corruption and mentioned the two countries’ cooperation in the fields of energy security and political coordination and also at consular level.



    The armament department with the Romanian Defense Ministry has selected the companies that will participate in a tender for the modernization of the two Romanian frigates “King Ferdinand” and “Queen Marie”, three companies from Canada, Italy and France and a Turkish-Romanian consortium will submit their offers by July 18. The ships will be equipped with antiaircraft missile systems and anti-ship missile fighting systems as well as with state-of-the-art electronic equipment as part of the program “The multifunctional frigate- modernization stage II”.



    Detainees in the Romanian prisons will have better conditions. The Justice Ministry announced this weekend that it adopted together with the National Administration of Penitentiaries a plan of measures regarding access to jobs and social reinsertion of people deprived of freedom. Also the plan stipulates additional medical staff, the sanitization of spaces and dental care services for detainees. The European Court of Human Rights has obliged Romania on several occasions to pay damages to some convicts for the improper conditions they had to face in prisons.



    Last night’s matches of the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament were disturbed by rain. The best Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep (5 WTA) will take on this afternoon the Dutch Kiki Bertens (28 WTA) in the 3rd round, after yesterday’s match was postponed. The match pitting the Romanian Monica Niculescu and the Swiss Timea Bacsinsky, in the 2nd round, was stopped after one hour and 38 minutes at the score 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 for Monica. Also on Friday the pair made up of Romanian Florin Mergea and Indian Rohan Bopanna qualified for the 2nd round of the men’s doubles, defeating 7-5, 7-6 the Croat pair Marin Draganja/Nikola Mektic.



    20 foreign citizens were killed in a hostage-taking situation in a restaurant in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, frequented by diplomats and expats — a spokesperson for the Bangladeshi army announced on Saturday. Most of the people killed are Italian and Japanese. The army was involved for 12 hours in the hostage-rescue operations. They said the 6 terrorists were killed. The jihadist group the Islamic State has claimed the hostage-taking situation.


    (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)