Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu

  • Romanian American Cooperation

    Romanian American Cooperation

    The Romanian Foreign
    Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had a
    telephone conversation on topics of priority interest for the bilateral
    Strategic Partnership, in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and
    efforts to combat its effects. The dialogue also took place in preparation for
    the eighth round of the Strategic Dialogue between Romania and the USA, which
    will take place in March, in Bucharest. In the context of the one-year
    anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, they discussed its
    profound global effects, as well as joint efforts to counter them. The head of the
    Romanian diplomacy made a review of the very comprehensive and multidimensional
    aid granted to that state by Romania since the beginning of the war.




    In turn, the US Secretary
    of State particularly thanked Minister Aurescu for the concrete, substantial and essential support given by
    Romania to Ukraine. In terms of regional security, the two officials
    highlighted the importance of continuing the coherent and consistent
    strengthening of NATO’s Eastern Flank, and Bogdan Aurescu conveyed his
    appreciation for the US commitment to the defense of the entire Allied
    territory, including in the Black Sea region and in Romania, expressed also on
    the occasion of the Bucharest 9 summit in Warsaw. The two heads of diplomacy
    also addressed opportunities for strengthening resilience in the Black Sea
    region through a strategic approach that would ensure, in a sustainable manner,
    the free, safe and prosperous character of the Black Sea and strengthen its
    status as a key commercial and energy route.










    On the other hand, Bogdan
    Aurescu emphasized the major impact that Russia’s war of aggression against
    Ukraine has on the Republic of Moldova and reaffirmed Romania’s firm, continuous
    and unconditional support for the
    Republic of Moldova, for strengthening its resilience and security and for its
    European journey’. At the same time, he reiterated the key importance of
    Romania’s inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program.

    Against the background of
    security challenges in the region, Romania wants to acquire a battalion of
    American Abrams tanks, which usually has 54 such armored vehicles. The decision
    will be subject to Parliament’s approval. Military experts consider this
    third-generation tank to be extremely effective. Its price starts at 10 million
    dollars. Representatives of the Romanian Foreign Ministry have also spoken about
    procurement
    in the naval field. Also, it is estimated that all F-16 aircraft will be delivered
    in 2024, after the contract for the purchase of 32 such aircraft from Norway
    was signed last year. Currently, the Romanian Air Force has 17 F-16 aircraft,
    bought from Portugal and modernized with the help of the USA, as well as older
    MIG21 LanceR aircraft of Soviet origin. (MI)





  • 8 months of war in Ukraine

    8 months of war in Ukraine

    The illegal aggression
    of the Russian Federation, a member of the UN Security Council, against Ukraine
    is a flagrant violation of the principles and norms of international law, the
    Romanian foreign minister said, 8 months after the outbreak of the war in
    Romania’s neighboring country. According to Bogdan Aurescu, this aggression triggered
    the worst crisis since the end of the Second World War.




    The consequences are
    multiple, both regionally and globally, through the negative impact on
    security, fundamental human rights, global sustainable development, as well as
    on energy, food and financial security, the head of Romanian diplomacy pointed
    out. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Minister Aurescu said, Romania
    has provided humanitarian support to the millions of refugees who have crossed
    the national borders. A report published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 8
    months after the start of the war shows that, during this time, over 2.6
    million Ukrainians have transited Romania and over 86,500 have chosen to stay
    on Romanian territory.




    Humanitarian measures
    included, among other think, the establishment of mobile camps in the counties
    in the border areas, the granting of free access to medical services,
    education, public transport and the labor market. The Romanian government has constantly
    responded to Kyiv’s requests and offered, among other things, fuel, medicine,
    food and emergency health care. Through the international humanitarian hub in
    Suceava (northeast), which became operational in March, Romania has facilitated
    56 humanitarian transports from countries such as Italy, France, Bulgaria,
    Austria, Slovenia, Cyprus, Greece or Germany.




    The Ministry of
    Foreign Affairs also recalls that Romania has been extensively involved in
    facilitating the transport and transit of Ukrainian grains to international
    markets. The complex measures for the enhancement of transit
    capacities, including the logistics capacities of the ports of Constanţa (on
    the Black Sea) and Galati (on the Danube), have allowed, until now, the export
    of over 5.2 million tons of Ukrainian grain, adding to over 5.5 million tons of
    other goods produced in Ukraine.




    On a diplomatic level,
    Bucharest has been an active part of the multilateral efforts to condemn the Russian
    aggression, including the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories, while, as
    regards international law, Romania supports the creation of a mechanism for holding
    accountable those responsible for the crime of aggression committed in Russia’s
    illegal war against Ukraine. (MI)





  • February 2, 2022

    February 2, 2022











    Covid-19Ro. Romania registered, today, almost 36 thousand new cases of infection with the Sars-CoV-2 virus in 24 hours and 120 related deaths, out of which 13 from the previous reporting period. About 10,000 people diagnosed with COVID-19 are hospitalized across the country, and less than a thousand are in intensive care. The incidence of COVID cases in Bucharest has exceeded 23 per thousand inhabitants – the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. In the previous wave, the maximum value had been 16.5 on October 22. We recall that, on Tuesday, Romania exceeded the threshold of 40,000 new infections in 24 hours, out of 122 thousand tests performed. It is the absolute record since the beginning of the pandemic and more than double the peak of the previous wave. More on this after the news.

    Anniversary. The French
    Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is on a two-day formal visit to Romania. Today, he participates in
    the solemn sitting of the Parliament in Bucharest dedicated to the 15th
    anniversary of Romania’s accession to the European Union. We recall, in this
    context, that France took over the rotating six-month presidency of the Council
    of the European Union at the beginning of January. Romania became a member of
    the European Union on January 1, 2007, after a long process of negotiation and
    adherence to Community standards, that is almost 14 years after the signing of
    the Association Agreement, on February 1, 1993. Also today, Jean-Yves Le Drian will
    hold consultations with his Romanian counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu. The latter
    will host, on Thursday, a meeting on the worrying security situation in the
    vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea in the Bucharest Format (B9), which will
    also be attended by the head of the Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba. B9
    includes NATO member states from the Eastern Flank of the Alliance: Bulgaria,
    the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and
    Hungary.








    Protest. More than 2000
    police and prison staff, as well as reserve police officers, have protested
    today in front of the Government headquarters in Bucharest, demanding higher
    salaries and pensions. Employees in
    public order structures want salary increases and bonuses, the indexation of
    state military pensions according to the inflation rate and quality medical
    care. Other claims concern the adoption of measures to reduce the shortage of
    police personnel or to equip the police officers with intervention and physical
    protection equipment adequate for the accomplishment of their missions. Last
    but not least, they challenge the imposition, during the pandemic, of
    medical-sanitary tasks for which they do not have the necessary training.








    Government. The PNL-PSD-UDMR
    coalition government convenes today for the second meeting this week, largely
    dedicated to the adoption of legislation to support farmers. Thus, the Executive
    intends to adopt a state aid scheme that would reduce the excise duty on diesel
    used in agriculture. Another normative act refers to an aid granted to garlic
    producers who will be able to receive a maximum of 3,000 euros per hectare, but
    not more than 20,000 euros in total. The amount that the Government will
    allocate to this financial aid is 4.5 million euros. Also on the agenda is the
    draft of a decision that will support this year’s vegetable production in
    protected areas. The total amount earmarked for this State aid is 45 million
    Euro.




    Ukraine. US President Joe
    Biden has selected Bridget Brink, the current US ambassador to Slovakia, as
    ambassador to Kiev, euractiv.com reports. Bloomberg News had previously
    announced that Bridget Brink was considered for the post, adding that the Biden
    administration wanted to have in Kiev a career diplomat with experience in
    Eastern European affairs in the context of the growing tensions between Ukraine
    and Russia. Bridget Brink has been stationed in Slovakia since July 2019. She
    has previously served on the National Security Council and at US embassies in
    Serbia, Uzbekistan and Georgia. Bridget Brink has been actively involved in
    negotiating assistance for Ukraine, especially in the energy sector. The United
    States has not had an ambassador to Kiev since 2019, when former President
    Donald Trump withdrew Marie Yovanovitch. Since then, the embassy has been run
    by a charge d’affaires.








    Olympics. The Olympic torch
    relay for the Winter Olympics in Beijing, to be held between February 4-20, continues
    its journey today in the Chinese capital, which is preparing for the start of
    the great world sporting event, despite the diplomatic boycott of several
    countries, including the USA , Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, but
    also concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 1,000 people carry the
    Olympic torch through various venues that will host the competitions, ahead of
    the opening ceremony, scheduled for Friday night. The torch’s journey began in
    October at the ancient Greek site of Olympia, where the ceremony was disrupted
    by protesters accusing China of human rights violations. Romania will
    participate in the Winter Olympics with 22 athletes, in the sledding, bobsled, skeleton,
    cross country skiing, alpine skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed skating
    events. (MI)

  • NATO and the Black Sea

    NATO and the Black Sea

    Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has recently participated in an online debate where he made an analysis of the security environment and geopolitical developments in the Black Sea region, as well as of Romania’s priorities in the region and means to promote them. He highlighted the role of regional cooperation in the Black Sea area, as an essential way to strengthen mutual trust and promote peace, stability, prosperity and security in the region.

    At the same time, he presented the most important conclusion of the Romania-Poland-Turkey Trilateral meeting on security issues, held at the level of foreign ministers, hosted by Bucharest in April, highlighting the importance of this format for coordinating the three states’ positions within NATO, including with the aim of strengthening the deterrence and defense posture along the entire Eastern Flank. The head of Romanian diplomacy also drew attention to the frozen or protracted conflicts in the region, which can become active at any time, with detrimental consequences for the local population. He explained that such conflicts perpetuated a permanent state of tension and instability, leading to the violation of fundamental rights and causing major economic and social damage.

    The Romanian Foreign Minister also drew attention to the challenges that these conflicts bring to the rules-based international order and the democratic transition of the states in the EU’s neighborhood, as well as to the European and Euro-Atlantic security in a broader sense.

    As regards Russia, Bucharest is worried about the Kremlin’s increased military presence in the region, Bogdan Aurescu said. Romania is part of NATO – the most successful and strongest military alliance in history.We do not feel threatened, but, at the same time, we are worried when we see a massive troop build-up and such a demonstration of military force in the region, the Romanian official added. Bogdan Aurescu also highlighted the consistent and robust character of Romania’s Strategic Partnership with the United States, based on mutual trust, credibility, predictability and shared values​​and interests.

    In turn, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Ludovic Orban, met on Thursday with David Muniz, the United States Charge d’Affaires in Romania, on which occasion he underlined the importance of continuing and deepening the Strategic Partnership between Bucharest and Washington. This is one of the basic pillars of Romania’s foreign policy, said Ludovic Orban, who also mentioned military and security cooperation with the United States within NATO. (MI)