Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu

  • December 21, 2018 UPDATE

    December 21, 2018 UPDATE


    EU COUNCIL – On January 1st, 2019, Romania takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU from Austria, which has been a serious and reliable partner, said on Friday in Bucharest president Klaus Iohannis, in a joint press conference with the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. The Romanian head of state stressed the very good collaboration between the two countries institutions and the support provided by Austria in ensuring an effective transition to the Romanian presidency of the Council. Also, Klaus Iohannis hailed the results obtained by Austria during its term. In turn, the Austrian Chancellor thanked the Romanian president for taking care of democracy and the rule of law, stressing that the head of state is a guarantor of the two values. With the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila Sebastian Kurz talked about the main issues on the European agenda, such as the future of the EU and the bilateral relation between Romania and Austria.



    1989 REVOLUTION – Ceremonies commemorating the heroes of the 1989 Revolution will be held across Romania on Saturday. In Bucharest, events will be hosted by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, one of the hotspots of the Revolution, as well as by the Romanian Television and the Telephone Palace. On Friday, Romania commemorated 29 years since the anti-Communist Revolution extended from Timisoara to Bucharest and the whole country. The Revolution culminated on December 22nd with protesters laying siege to the headquarters of the Communist Party and with dictators Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu attempting to flee Bucharest. Over 1,000 people died and some 3,400 others were wounded in the shootings in Romania, the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was toppled violently and where the communist leaders were executed.



    MOTIVATION – President Klaus Iohannis failed to fulfill his constitutional responsibilities when he did not acknowledge the resignations of two ministers and the vacancy of the two posts, reads the motivation issued on Friday by the Constitutional Court to the decision under which the Court had ruled that there was a constitutional conflict between the Government and the head of state. Also, the prime-minister cannot reiterate a proposal for a ministers appointment, in the sense that they cannot indicate the same person for the same office, at the same ministry, the motivation also reads. The Constitutional Court of Romania is of the opinion that, in order for the conflict to be settled, the president of Romania should issue immediately the decrees acknowledging these vacancies and to respond, in writing, to the proposals made by the Prime Minister. On December 7th, PM Viorica Dancila announced that the Government had informed the Constitutional Court that the president did not make a decision about the appointment of the ministers of transport and regional development respectively. Previously, Klaus Iohannis had refused the proposals, saying they were inappropriate.



    JUDICIARY – Romanias High Court of Cassation and Justice has continued to suspend the serving of prison sentences received by several high-level officials under corruption charges. Among them are the former chief of the anti-terrorism and anti-mafia directorate Alina Bica, who requested asylum in Costa Rica, the former head of the tax authority, Serban Pop, and former Social Democratic ministers and MPs Dan Şova and Constantin Niţă. They have been released, until final rulings are passed on their appeals. The argument put forth for the suspension of their sentences was that the membership of the 5-judge panels passing the rulings had not been set correctly.



    DEFENSE – A new session of the Romanias Supreme Defense Council will be held on the 28th of December, to analyze the requests made by the National Defense Minister Gabriel Les, concerning some vacancies in the leadership of the Romanian Army, the Presidential Administration announced on Friday. On Wednesday, Gabriel Les had announced that he would not extend the term of the current Chief of Staff, Nicolae Ciuca, whose contract expires on the 31st of December. The previous meeting of the Council was held on December 19th to approve the 2019-2028 army equipment programme and the means and forces to be deployed next year for missions and operations abroad.



    RUSSIA – Romania is open to a dialogue with Russia on topics that do not come in violation of international sanctions, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said on Radio Romania. He explained that one of the goals of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council is to have the Black Sea area acquiring the status of priority area, both in terms of security and also economically. “Lately, we have been very much concerned about the growing Russian military presence in the Black Sea area and on the eastern borders of the EU and NATO. That is why, one of the topics that Romania will focus on while holding the presidency of the EU Council is the Black Sea area and the fact that this is a priority issue for the EU” Teodor Melescanu has stated.



    ICE HOTEL – On December 23, the only ice hotel in Romania will be opened at Balea Lac in the Southern Carpathians. The official inauguration of the entire compound, to also include an ice church and several igloos, will take place next February. The ice hotel, built entirely of ice blocks, is located at an altitude of 2034 meters. This year, the theme that has inspired the hotels decoration is Frozen Love, promoting love and passion for nature, fresh air and trekking in the winter season. A perfume inspired from this theme will also be launched. Bookings for tourists who want to experiment sleeping at minus 2 degrees Celsius were made months in advance, especially by Britons. The Ice Hotel has been built every year, starting 2005.

  • The annual meeting of Romanian diplomacy

    The annual meeting of Romanian diplomacy

    Bucharest is currently hosting the meeting of the Romanian diplomacy, an
    event which has a special significance this year. On the one hand, Romania
    celebrates the Great Union Centennial and, on the other, one of the main topics
    on the agenda of talks is Bucharest’s first mandate at the helm of the Council
    of the EU in the first half of 2019.

    The annual meeting of the diplomacy is a
    large platform of debate on a series of topics of major interest for Romania,
    such as bilateral and strategic relations, which are national priorities,
    alongside regional cooperation, the eastern neighbourhood and economic
    diplomacy.

    Attending the meeting of the heads of Romania’s diplomatic and
    consular missions abroad, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu has stated
    that Romania’s diplomacy should remain a fundamental binder of society. He has
    recalled that the country’s modernization process was possible due to the
    consensus reached by the whole political class on Romania’s main objectives, accession
    to NATO and the EU, and he has underlined that Romania enjoys an
    unprecedentedly high level of security and prosperity.

    In another move, the
    Romanian Foreign Minister has said that in November, Parliament will adopt the
    main political objectives of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, underlining
    that there is solidarity at the level of the political class in Romania with
    respect to EU-related issues. He has given these assurances as there have been
    voices which cast doubt on Romania’s mandate, against the backdrop of political
    tensions in the country.

    In a press conference given jointly with his German
    counterpart Heiko Maas, the special guest of the Bucharest-meeting, Teodor
    Meleşcanu has also said that Romania will hold this presidency under the
    auspices of the idea of a more united, integrated and cohesive Europe. In turn,
    the German official has voiced confidence that the Romanian presidency of the
    EU Council will be an efficient one and underlined that Bucharest will enjoy
    Berlin’s support during its term at the helm of the Council.

    Heiko Maas has
    also recalled what the main challenges of this mandate will be: Brexit, the multi-annual financial framework and migration-related issues. The German Foreign
    Minister has also referred to the reform of the judiciary in Romania and
    underlined that the right balance in the separation of state powers can be reached.
    The German official has also said that compromise can be reached, and that
    would in turn render society more united.

  • The annual meeting of Romanian diplomacy

    The annual meeting of Romanian diplomacy

    Bucharest is currently hosting the meeting of the Romanian diplomacy, an
    event which has a special significance this year. On the one hand, Romania
    celebrates the Great Union Centennial and, on the other, one of the main topics
    on the agenda of talks is Bucharest’s first mandate at the helm of the Council
    of the EU in the first half of 2019.

    The annual meeting of the diplomacy is a
    large platform of debate on a series of topics of major interest for Romania,
    such as bilateral and strategic relations, which are national priorities,
    alongside regional cooperation, the eastern neighbourhood and economic
    diplomacy.

    Attending the meeting of the heads of Romania’s diplomatic and
    consular missions abroad, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu has stated
    that Romania’s diplomacy should remain a fundamental binder of society. He has
    recalled that the country’s modernization process was possible due to the
    consensus reached by the whole political class on Romania’s main objectives, accession
    to NATO and the EU, and he has underlined that Romania enjoys an
    unprecedentedly high level of security and prosperity.

    In another move, the
    Romanian Foreign Minister has said that in November, Parliament will adopt the
    main political objectives of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, underlining
    that there is solidarity at the level of the political class in Romania with
    respect to EU-related issues. He has given these assurances as there have been
    voices which cast doubt on Romania’s mandate, against the backdrop of political
    tensions in the country.

    In a press conference given jointly with his German
    counterpart Heiko Maas, the special guest of the Bucharest-meeting, Teodor
    Meleşcanu has also said that Romania will hold this presidency under the
    auspices of the idea of a more united, integrated and cohesive Europe. In turn,
    the German official has voiced confidence that the Romanian presidency of the
    EU Council will be an efficient one and underlined that Bucharest will enjoy
    Berlin’s support during its term at the helm of the Council.

    Heiko Maas has
    also recalled what the main challenges of this mandate will be: Brexit, the multi-annual financial framework and migration-related issues. The German Foreign
    Minister has also referred to the reform of the judiciary in Romania and
    underlined that the right balance in the separation of state powers can be reached.
    The German official has also said that compromise can be reached, and that
    would in turn render society more united.

  • Chisinau snap elections declared invalid

    Chisinau snap elections declared invalid


    On Wednesday night, when anti-government protests were being staged in big cities across Romania, thousands of people also took to the streets in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova against a court ruling that invalidated the results of the early mayoral elections in the capital Chisinau. Their winner, the former civic activist and one of the current leaders of the pro-European opposition, Andrei Nastase, was found guilty of breaking the electoral code for urging citizens to go out and vote on the date of the ballot. The mayor elect has described the ruling as arbitrary and his lawyers have already appealed it.



    Nastase, who is the leader of the Dignity and Truth platform, defeated the Socialist Ion Ceban, an aide of the countrys pro-Russian president Igor Dodon, winning more than 52% of the votes in the second round of the mayoral race held on the 3rd of June. The position remained vacant when the former mayor elected in June 2015, the pro-European Liberal Dorin Chirtoaca resigned after being indicted as part of a case he says was politically engineered.



    The head of a cabinet that also describes itself as pro-western, prime minister Pavel Fillip says the court ruling “raises many question marks”. “Who benefits from the ruling”, Filip asks himself, “at a time when the Republic of Moldova was seeing some progress, both politically and financially?” Valeriu Munteanu, the vice-president of the Liberal Party, in opposition, and who backed Nastase in the final round, warns that after this court ruling, the European Union may suspend funding to the Republic of Moldova.



    The European Commission delegation to Chisinau has said, in fact, that Andrei Nastase has been elected mayor by the voters. The United States is looking closely at the details referring to this decision and working with its partners in civil society and the diplomatic community to ensure the supremacy of true democratic values, the US embassy said.



    The Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu warns the ruling may affect Moldovas stability:


    “Of course, Im not aware of all the details of the legal provisions in the Republic of Moldova, but I believe that when a person has been clearly validated through popular vote, such things can only create the possibility of a worsening of the relations between the authorities of the Republic of Moldova and the political parties. There is a possibility these things may have negative repercussions for the stability of the Republic of Moldova.”



    All three opposition parties in the Romanian Parliament have expressed their solidarity with Nastase. If his term is still not validated by a higher court, Chisinau will be led by an interim mayor until the local elections next year.


    (translated by Cristina Mateescu)




  • May 3, 2018 UPDATE

    May 3, 2018 UPDATE


    MEETING – On Friday, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis will attend the informal meeting of the heads of state of Bulgaria, Austria and Romania, hosted by Ruse, Bulgaria. The format of the meeting reflects the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union this year and in the first semester of next year. The talks will focus on the current European agenda, with the aim of facilitating a good cooperation and coordination during the three presidencies. Klaus Iohannis will stress Romanias interest in a good cooperation with Bulgaria and Austria, in order to fulfill the common goal of moving forward the European agenda for the citizens benefit. Also, president Iohannis will participate, alongside his Bulgarian and Austrian counterparts Rumen Radev and Alexander Van der Bellen respectively, in the conference titled: “The sustainable development of the Danube Region and the interconnection between regions.”



    VISIT– A delegation led by the Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia-Elena Intotero is currently on a three-day visit to Italy. According to a communiqué issued by the line ministry, the visit started in Bari, in the region of Puglia and will come to a close in Rome, in the Lazio region. The agenda of the visit includes talks with representatives of the local authorities, of the associative environment, trade unions and members of the Orthodox religious denomination. Data released by the Italian National Statistics Institute show that the Romanian community in Italy exceeds 1,100,000 people of a total of 5 million foreign citizens who are legally residing in Italy, being the largest foreign community in that country.



    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu on Thursday started a two-day official visit to Morocco, at the invitation of his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the agenda of the visit includes talks with the Moroccan PM Saadeddine El-Othmani, the Speaker of the House of Councilors (the upper house of Parliament) Hakim Benchamach and with the Education Minister Saaid Amzazi. The visit also has an economic dimension, meant to boost bilateral trade exchanges and investments. Minister Melescanu will also have a meeting with the president of the Morocco-Romania Bilateral Chamber of Commerce, to be attended by local entrepreneurs as well. On Friday, Teodor Meleşcanu will meet with his counterpart Nasser Bourita. The two officials will sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Romanian and Moroccan Foreign Ministries and a Cooperation Agreement between the Romanian Diplomatic Institute and the Moroccan Academy of Diplomatic Studies.



    SEA SHIELD – “Sea Shield”, the biggest NATO military exercise on the south-eastern flank of the Alliance, is unfolding in Constanta, in south-eastern Romania, as of Thursday. Taking part in the exercise are 21 military ships, 10 fighters, a submarine and 2,300 military staff from several countries. According to a communiqué issued by the Chief of Staff of the Romanian Naval Forces, during the military training exercise the participants will practice NATO standard-fighting procedures against asymmetrical, submarine and maritime threats, according to a scenario based on a fictitious geopolitical situation. The Romanian Naval Forces are taking part in the exercise with two frigates, two guided-missile destroyers, and two maritime dredging ships. The Romanian Air Forces also contribute three MIG 21 Lancer fighters and the Ground Forces will contribute, for the first time, an infantry detachment.



    PRESS FREEDOM – On May 3rd, which is the World Press Freedom Day, the US Embassy in Bucharest congratulated the reporters in Romania who serve Romanians and the public interest. Romania has become a regional model as regards the rule of law, reads a communiqué issued by the embassy. Many of the improvements recorded are the result of the determination of some brave journalists whove had the courage to increase transparency, reveal irregularities and hold accountable both natural persons and institutions. On the other hand, the 2017-2018 Report on Press Freedom in Romania, made public on Thursday, reads that parts of the media have contributed significantly to the radicalization of the public discourse by means of political bias and by assimilating topics imposed by politicians. Fake news has contaminated the media landscape in Romania, helping build an alternative narrative, in which the actions of the politicians in power are deemed legitimate, while those carried out by their opponents are incriminated. Romania ranks 44th out of 180 in the world press freedom index.



    SPORT – On Thursday, the Romanian Alina Vuc won the silver medal in the 50 kg category at the European Wrestling Championship in Kaspiysk, Russia, after being defeated in the final by the Azeri Maria Stadnik. Alina Vuc won the third medal for the Romanian delegation, after the gold won by Mihai Mihut in the 63 kg category and the bronze medal won by Alin Alexuc – Ciurariu in the 130 category. In tennis, the Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu (no.37 in the WTA rankings) has qualified for the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Prague, with 230,000 USD in prize money. She defeated Kristyna Pliskova 6-2, 6-3. The Romanian player has also qualified for the doubles final, alongside Lidia Morozova of Belarus, following the withdrawal of the Czech pair Barbora Stefkova / Barbora Strycova.Romanias table tennis womens team has failed to qualify for the semifinals of the World Championship in Halmstad, Sweden, as it was defeated by the Hong Kong team 3-nil.




  • February 1, 2018 UPDATE

    February 1, 2018 UPDATE


    PARLIAMENT – A new parliamentary session started in Romania on Thursday. The Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition, intends to adopt the law on the establishment of the Sovereign Fund for Development and Investment, the Administrative Code and the Pensions Law, while its partners, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, will focus on the countrys economic development. The rightwing opposition has announced that, in the current parliamentary session, they intend to block all the ruling powers initiatives to amend the justice laws.



    GOVERNMENT – One of the Governments priorities is the development and extension of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US in several fields, including the protection and promotion of human rights and the fight against human trafficking, said the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila in a message she conveyed at a debate on human trafficking organized by the US Embassy in Bucharest. Also, the Interior Minister Carmen Dan stated that Romania takes part in all the efforts made by EUROPOL, INTERPOL, EUROJUST, FRONTEX and SELEC to fight cross-border crime and curb the negative effects of human and children trafficking, the fight against human trafficking being one of the Interior Ministrys priorities. The event brought together magistrates and officials representing authorities specialized in fighting human trafficking from the US, Romania and the Republic of Moldova.



    POLAND – On Thursday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Tedor Melescanu had a meeting in Bucharest with his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz. The Romanian minister stated that a potential vote on suspending Polands EU voting rights would not benefit anybody. He stressed that Poland had not called on Romania to take a stand against suspension. In turn, Czaputowicz stated that his country had signals from other countries in the region that they would not favour the activation of article 7 of the EU Treaty. As a first in the EU history, the European Commission has decided to trigger article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty against Poland, saying there is a clear risk of a serious breach of the rule of law in that country, after the Polish Parliament adopted two laws under which the countrys judiciary is now under the political control of the ruling majority.



    MOLDOVA – The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila had a phone conversation on Thursday with her Moldovan counterpart Pavel Filip, focusing on the strategic partnership between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The two officials agreed that joint projects must continue. Dancila reiterated Romanias firm commitment to supporting the Republic of Moldovas European path and its efforts to implement reforms for the benefit of its citizens. In turn, Filip said that the Chisinau Government would remain a reliable partner to the Bucharest authorities.



    EBRD – Romania must adopt a different economic model, if it wants to avoid a crisis triggered by the current boom, based on consumption, the Regional Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Matteo Patrone has stated. After stimulating growth by reducing taxes and increasing salaries in the public sector, the Bucharest Government should take a more sustainable path, Patrone has also said. In his opinion, Bucharest officials can do that by increasing investment in infrastructure and improving the rate of absorption of European funds.



    EU COUNCIL PRESIDENCY – The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu has officially launched the presentation site of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. The interactive portal can be accessed at www.romania2019.eu and includes information about the EU Council Presidency, preparations for the mandate, a forum of ideas and opportunities for volunteers. According to minister Negrescu, the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council is designed so as to ensure transparency and focus on the citizens.


    (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)




  • December 9, 2017 UPDATE

    December 9, 2017 UPDATE


    KING MICHAEL I On Saturday, December 16th, the coffin carrying the dead body of the last sovereign of Romania, King Michael I, will be conveyed by hearse to the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. After the mass held at the cathedral, the coffin will be carried by the Royal Train to Curtea de Arges, where the former king will be buried. According to the program announced by the Royal House of Romania, on Wednesday, December 13, the coffin will arrive at the Otopeni Airport. Bucharest authorities have declared three days of national mourning on the 14th, 15th and 16th of December. Michael I died on December 5th at his residence in Switzerland, aged 96. The Romanian Parliament will gather on solemn session on Monday, to honour the memory of the last sovereign of Romania.



    COOPERATION On Saturday in Belgrade, Romanias Prime Minister Mihai Tudose and his counterparts from Bulgaria and Greece, Boyko Borisov and Alexis Tsipras, voiced their support for Serbias joining the EU. The three prime ministers and the Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic talked about the process and also about interconnecting their countries electricity and gas networks. This is the second four-party summit this year, after the one in Varna, Bulgaria. The four leaders have decided to also invite the ministers of transport and internal affairs to participate in the next five-party meetings.



    JUSTICE The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has announced that on Saturday he presented before the Venice Commission the legislative developments concerning the justice bills that are currently debated in parliament. In a message posted on social media he writes that on the sidelines of the meeting he has had a meeting with Marin Mrcela, the president of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO). The new justice laws are highly promoted by the ruling left-wing coalition but harshly criticised by civil society. Established in 1990, the European Commission for Democracy through Law, better known as the Venice Commission, is a Council of Europe independent consultative body on issues of constitutional law, including the functioning of democratic institutions and fundamental rights, electoral law and constitutional justice.



    MEASLES More than one hundred new cases of measles have been reported in the past week in 16 counties in Romania, and the total number of cases has exceeded 10,000 since the outbreak of the epidemic. Most of those affected have not been vaccinated against measles, and 36 of them have died. Statistics show that for one in 1000 people infected, the disease is deadly, and the vaccine protects children against developing the disease.



    ISRAEL On Saturday, Israel launched new strikes on Gaza Strip, in response to rocket fire from the enclave. The Palestinian Islamist Hamas group claims two of its gunmen were killed in the bombings, Reuter reports. Militants fired at least three rockets towards Israeli towns from the Hamas -controlled strip on Friday, which was declared “a day of rage” by Palestinian factions protesting US President Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel. At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, some of the USs European allies issued a joint statement expressing their opposition to Trumps move. According to them, the decision was made before reaching a final common decision on the status of the city and was by no means helping the peace process in the region. In Bucharest, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has stated that Romania maintains its view on the existence of two states, Israel and Palestine, living as good and prosperous neighbors. According to Melescanu, Trumps announcement is a clear signal that the US wants to get involved in finding a solution.



    HANDBALL Romanias national womens handball team will take on the Czech squad on Monday, in the round of 16 of the World Championship hosted by Germany. On Friday night, the Romanian team lost to France, but they had already secured first seat in Group A, after four wins in their fixtures against Paraguay, Slovenia, Spain and Angola. If they manage to win the match against the Czechs, the Romanian handball players will be further playing against the winner of the game pitching the Netherlands against Japan. The Dutch are world and European champions. At the previous edition in 2015, Romania walked away with bronze. Romania is the only side that has so far participated in all the 22 editions of the world championship.




  • November 25, 2017 UPDATE

    November 25, 2017 UPDATE


    PEACEKEEPING– On Saturday, in Arad, Romania took over the command of the joint Romanian – Hungarian Peacekeeping Battalion. Next year, on March 20th, the battalion will celebrate its 20th anniversary as the first structure of this type at regional level. The battalion is 899 strong, and its command is ensured by rotation. The ceremony was attended by the Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor, who also attended an athletics event, organized by two education units in the county, also with the aim of promoting the Invictus project, involving soldiers wounded in theatres of operations abroad. Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event, created in 2014 by Prince Harry, in which wounded, injured armed services personnel take part. Romania was the first country from the East-European bloc invited to participate in the games.



    LA FRANCOPHONIE– The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu is attending in Paris La Francophonies Ministerial Meeting. The theme of the meeting is ” the blue and the green economies as drivers of prosperity, social inclusion and sustainable development”. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the minister will convey a message about the importance of preserving natural resources for the coming generations and stimulating a responsible economic growth. Teodor Melescanu will also speak about Romanias commitment to the new economies, as drivers of sustainable development. On the sidelines of the conference, Romanias delegation will continue the political and diplomatic dialogue with the Francophone countries, by means of bilateral talks, focusing on cooperation, in particular at UN level.



    BUSINESS – The Secretary of State with the Romanian Ministry for the Business Environment Adrian Dobre has promoted in Milan, at the economic forum themed “Romania – new business and cooperation opportunities”, measures to support the development of the Romanian and foreign business environment. He presented the programmes run by the Ministry aimed at encouraging the setting up of new companies, the creation of jobs, supporting internationalisation and company modernization and development. According to the ministrys estimates, the value of the Romanian – Italian trade exchanges might exceed 14 billion Euros in 2017, the biggest value registered in the past ten years. The Romanian minister, who paid a visit to Milan on Thursday and Friday, met with representatives of the Romanian community in northern Italy, presenting them with a number of economic arguments is support for their return to the country or for starting a business in or with Romania.



    ECONOMIC GROWTH – The fast salary growth endangers Romanias economic competitiveness and increases the current account deficit, according to the annual rating report drawn up by Moodys. The agency expects that the current fiscal incentives will ensure a solid economic growth in the short run, but it is very unlikely that such a growth will also be sustainable. According to the report, the real growth of the GDP would be 6.5% in 2017, and it will slow down to 5% in 2018. Romania has made significant progress in correcting its macro-economic imbalance, creating the grounds for a solid economic growth, but such progress might be eroded in the medium run, says the agency. Moodys recommends Romania should keep government expenditure under control, increase the absorption of European funds and strengthen state-owned companies governance.



    GAUDEAMUS FAIR– 400 new titles were launched on Saturday at the Gaudeamus International Book Fair, organized by Radio Romania. This years guest of honour is the European Commission. The Casa Radio publishing house is participating this year with a special collection of audio-books, representing a wide range of literary styles, poetry in particular. On Friday, the fair hosted more than 200 events, mostly book launches. This years edition of Gaudeamus marks three important events: 60 years since the signing of the Rome treaty, 30 since the launch of the Erasmus programme and 10 years since Romanias EU accession. Under the motto Unity in Diversity, the EU encourages people to discover and explore the rich cultural heritage of the old continent.



    ABUSE – A ministerial delegation headed by the Secretary of State Veaceslav Saramet from the Ministry for Romanians Abroad met in Italy, in Lamezia Terme, with the Romanian woman found living in terrible conditions together with her children. For ten years, the woman was held prisoner and tortured by an Italian man. She was raped repeatedly and gave birth to two children while captive. After the police intervention, the woman and her children were placed in a shelter and the man was arrested for maltreatment, abuse, slavery and rape. The members of the Romanian delegation met with the prefect of Catanzaro, Luisa Latella, and representatives of the local police. The talks focused on the measures that need to be taken in order to ensure a full recovery of such victims, as well as enhancing bilateral cooperation with the aim of ensuring the rights of the Romanian citizens living in Italy and means of developing mechanisms that would ensure the prevention and combating of all forms of abuse that might be perpetrated against them.



    HANDBALL– Romanias national womens handball team defeated Macedonia on Saturday, 31-18, at the Carpati Trophy, a competition organized in Craiova, southern Romania, held in preparation for the World Championship. On Friday, the Romanian players were defeated by the Polish team 27-21. The next game is due on Sunday, against Brazil. At the World Championship in Germany, scheduled to start on December 1st, Romania is part of Group A, alongside France, Spain, Slovenia, Angola and Paraguay. Romania is the only team that has participated in all the 22 editions of the Championship held so far. In 2015, our national team won bronze.




  • Bucharest and Budapest exchange messages

    Bucharest and Budapest exchange messages


    The historical reconciliation between post-communist Romania and Hungary in the 1990s is often cited by specialist studies as a success story and compared with that between France and Germany after the war. The memory of a bloody 1,000 year-old rivalry, dating from the period when the Hungarians ruled over Transylvania, a province with a majority ethnic Romanian population, is revived from time to time, leading to a strain in relations between Romania and Hungary.



    Romanias ambassador to Hungary Marius-Gabriel Lazurca was summoned on Wednesday at the Hungarian foreign ministry, where he was informed by the undersecretary of state Levente Magyar that the government in Budapest would suspend for an indefinite period its support for Romanias candidacy to various international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We are perplexed, he said, at the fact that, one day after a visit by the Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto to Bucharest, the Romanian authorities said they would suspend the activity of the Roman-Catholic Gymnasium in Targu Mures, in the centre.



    The move is seen by Hungary as an attack to the Catholic Church, the faith of the ethnic Hungarian minority in Romania, to ethnic Hungarian children and families, said the Hungarian official with vehemence unseen in Romanian-Hungarian dialogue in recent years. Foreign policy commentators view Budapests announcement all the more inimical and inopportune as the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu had just presented OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria with the advantages of Romanias candidacy, with emphasis on political determination and the fulfillment of the evaluation criteria established by the organisation.



    While more moderate, Bucharests response came promptly, in the form of a communiqué from the foreign ministry saying the position of the government in Budapest is linked to the election campaign in Hungary. Any educational institution in Romania must respect, without exception, the Romanian legislation, which is enforced without discrimination based on ethnic and religious grounds or of any other type, said the foreign ministry in Bucharest. The communiqué also reads that any attempt to present the situation at the Roman-Catholic Gymnasium in Targu Mures as a failure to respect the rights of ethnic minorities does not reflect reality, because there are many other examples of institutions demonstrating that the Romanian state ensures the right of the ethnic Hungarian minority to education in the mother tongue, to the highest standards.



    Indeed, the members of this community, which numbers around 1.5 million people, most of whom live in Transylvania, are guaranteed the right to study in the Hungarian language, from nursery school to post-university studies. Moreover, the education policies of the Romanian state have always taken into account the requests of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, a political party that has been part of every Romanian Parliament since 1990 and has also frequently formed part of the coalition governments in Bucharest.


    (Translated by Cristina Mateescu)



  • July 26, 2017

    July 26, 2017


    BRUSSELS – The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader is meeting in Brussels today with the First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans. The two officials will discuss the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and its prospects. The agenda of talks also includes the package law on the judiciary, which Tudorel Toader wants to see passed by the Romanian Government by September 1st. The meeting with Frans Timmermans was agreed upon during the visit that Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has paid to Brussels recently.



    MOLDOVA – The European Peoples Party (EPP) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) have today denounced the deterioration of the rule of law and democratic standards in the Republic of Moldova. In a joint statement, the EPP and ALDE leaders Joseph Daul and Hans van Baalen respectively, call on the EU to reassess the agreement of association with this former soviet state, with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population. They are accusing the ruling democrats and the socialists headed by the pro-Russia president Igor Dodon of autocratic tendencies. Daul and van Baalen say that the Alliance made up of the Democratic Party of Moldova and the Socialist Party of Moldova has stubbornly rejected the recommendations made by the Venice Commission and has changed the election system. The two parties also condemn the growing number of acts of intimidation and harassment targeting the pro-European opposition and the use of selective justice to quiet them down, as it has happened with the liberal mayor of Chisinau, Dorin Chirtoaca, arguably accused of corruption.



    NATO – A British fighter from the Mihail Kogalniceanu base in south-eastern Romania has been sent to intercept two Russian Tupolev bombers which were flying across the Black Sea, close to the NATO airspace. According to the British media, the NATO combined air operations centre in Torrejon, Spain, was the one that ordered the plane to intercept the Russian fighters. There are four British Typhoon aircraft at Mihail Kogalniceanu, and their role is to carry out patrol missions across the Black Sea.



    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has voiced Romanias full support for a mediation by Kuwait of the crisis in the Gulf region. He has appreciated the measures taken by the Emir of Kuwait, the Sheikh Sabah Ahmad al Jaber Al-Sabah to ease the tension by bringing the parties to the negotiation table and by starting a political dialogue between Qatar and its neighbours. The latter accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism. Melescanu made the statement during a meeting he had with Kuwaits ambassador to Bucharest, Talal Mansour Alhajeri. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the two officials discussed the current stage of Romanian – Kuwaiti cooperation, with focus on prospects of boosting political dialogue and cooperation within international organisations.



    EXTREME WEATHER – One person has died and 30 have been wounded by storms in various parts of Romania. Heavy rainfalls, hail and strong winds have left dozens of localities without electricity. Houses and yards have been flooded, hundreds of trees have been felled down, breaking electricity poles, cars and roofs, and many roads have been covered in mud. For today, weather experts have announced variable skies and scattered rain showers in the north and east. In the hilly and mountain areas though, heavy rains, thunderstorms and powerful winds continue.



    FRANCHOPHONE GAMES – On Tuesday, Romanian athletes won a golden medal and one silver at the 2017 Francophone Games in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Both medals were won in the mens javelin throw event. Romania has so far won 18 medals: 5 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze. This year Romania is participating in the games with 57 athletes in 6 events. At the previous edition, hosted by Nice, France, Romania won 23 medals. Previously Romania used to take part in both segments of the games, sports and culture, but this year it is only active in the sporting events.



    FOOTBALL – Romanias football champion FC Viitorul Constanta is today taking on APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus, in the first leg of the Champions Leagues third preliminary round. On Tuesday, in the same stage of the competition, Romanias vice-champion FCSB (former Steaua Bucharest) ended in a draw, 2-2, the match against the Czechs from FC Viktoria Plzen. On Thursday, in the Europa League, also in the third preliminary round, CS Universitatea Craiova will meet the famous AC Milan, Dinamo Bucharest will play against Athletic Bilbao, and Astra Giurgiu will take on the Ukrainians from FK Oleksandria. All matches are hosted by Romania. The return games are scheduled for next week.




  • Debates on the Future of the European Union

    Debates on the Future of the European Union


    Euroscepticism seems to be growing along with the promotion of the idea of a multi-speed Europe. East-Europeans are afraid that such prospects might trigger a split that would mark the future development of the EU in a negative way. The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the one who set fort the idea of a multi-speed Europe, has given assurances that this would not build another iron curtain between the West and the East. He made the statement at the summit held on Thursday and Friday in Brussels in the 27-member formula, without the UK, where the participants discussed the future of the EU.



    The EU leaders would like to see a re-launch of the Union after Brexit, as provided in the so-called White Paper which is to be adopted at the summit due in Rome on the 25th of March. In Brussels, Romania was represented by President Klaus Iohannis, who stated that a multi-speed Europe for an indefinite period of time is not a good solution, as it might actually lead to the splitting of the Union. However, he has also stated that Romania should not be worried about a Europe running at various speeds, provided every member state can choose its own speed for a while.



    Klaus Iohannis: “We should not be afraid of the projects that entail various operating speeds, as it is, for instance, the European prosecutor. So, 17 members have signed, including Romania, others have not signed yet. Some will come later, others may not come at all, but this does not mean we should not go forward, this is not a multi-speed Europe, its just a project that some are willing to join sooner, others later. This is acceptable, but stating that there are countries in Europe that move forward and others that lag behind, that we cannot accept.”



    In turn, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has stated that the two-speed Europe formula will not be adopted officially, because such an idea would be opposed by many countries, including Romania.



    Teodor Melescanu: “I am very glad that, regarding this issue, which is of utmost importance to Romania, as a member of the EU, our stands are very clear: we are against adopting principles or rules pertaining to the idea of a two-speed running or variable geometry. We are aware that, even today, there are structures in Europe that we are not part of, such as the Eurozone. The EU has several speeds anyway as there are countries that are part of the Eurozone, others that have not been included, countries that are part of Schengen, others that are not.”


    (Translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)



  • January 15, 2017 UPDATE

    January 15, 2017 UPDATE


    FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL The new Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend in Brussels on Monday, alongside EU counterparts, the monthly meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, a review of the main topics on the European agenda in the first semester of the 2017 will be made at the meeting. Also, the participants will analyze the recent developments in Syria, the relations between the EU and Marocco, as well as the negotiations over the peace process in Cyprus. On the sidelines of the event, the Romanian Foreign Minister will be received by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. This is the first such meeting for Melescanu since he took over the foreign affairs office, an office he also held back in 1992-1996 and again for just two weeks in November 2014. He resigned then because the poor preparation of the presidential elections had prevented thousands of Romanian citizens living abroad from casting their votes.



    ROMANIAN PARLIAMENT Romanias Parliament will on Monday convene in plenary session to vote on the setting up of the Committee that will investigate the budget adjustments made by the former technocratic government in August and November last year. The setting up of the committee was requested by the president of the Social Democratic Party and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea, whose party formed the government, alongside the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, in the aftermath of December 11th parliamentary elections. The agenda of the parliament session also includes the setting up of new committees in charge of controlling the activity of the Romanian Intelligence Service and of the Foreign Intelligence Service. On Thursday, the Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service Eduard Hellvig suspended his first deputy, General Florian Coldea, accused of illegal activities by the former MP Sebastian Ghita, who is also under investigation for multiple acts of corruption and who is missing.



    ROMANIAS CULTURE DAY On Sunday, Romanians celebrated 167 years since the birth of their national poet Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889), dubbed the last great representative of European Romanticism. January 15th is also Romanias National Culture Day since 2010, when it was declared so by the Romanian Parliament, at the proposal of the Romanian Academy. Just like every year, the Romanian diplomatic and consular missions and Romanian cultural institutes abroad hosted special events devoted to this day. Romanias President Klaus Iohannis posted a message on a social network reading that in the world, the respect towards Romania is very much based on the international appreciation of its culture and artists. In turn, the Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu wrote that in the hardest of moments, culture has brought this people joy and freedom. The British and French Embassies in Bucharest too posted video messages in the Romanian language, on Romanias Culture day. Eminescus anniversary was officially celebrated in the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbour with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population.



    PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE The French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Sunday that the proposal of the future Washington Administration to relocate the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be a provocation with serious consequences. He made the comment in the beginning of the meeting in Paris devoted to the Middle East peace process. He said that the purpose of the conference was to reaffirm the international support for a two-country solution, to encourage Israel and the Palestinians to carry out direct negotiations and to draft an action plan for the coming period. Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians are represented at the meeting.




  • January 15, 2017

    January 15, 2017


    ROMANIAs NATIONAL CULTURE DAY Events celebrating Romanias National Culture Day are held both in the country and abroad. The Culture Day is celebrated every year on January 15th, which is the birthday of the Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889), dubbed the last great representative of European Romanticism. The new building of the Romanian Literature Museum was officially inaugurated on the occasion, and the Central University Library will host the young writers gala. The initiator of the National Culture Day, the literary critic Eugen Simion, will attend the solemn session of the Romanian Academy as he does every year. As part of the Romanian Cultural Institutes strategy to celebrate the Lipatti centennial in 2017, the National Radio Orchestra will this evening give an anniversary concert, during which actor Ion Caramitru will recite poems by Mihai Eminescu. Just like every year, Romanian diplomatic and consular missions, as well as the Romanian cultural institutes abroad are hosting special events, devoted to this day. Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has posted a message on a social networking webside, reading that, in the world, the respect towards Romania is very much based on the international appreciation of its culture and artists. The National Culture Day was established by Parliament in 2010, at the proposal of the Romanian Academy.



    FOREIGN POLICY The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will receive in Brussels on Monday the new Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu. According to information posted on the European Commissions web page, the meeting of the two officials will take place on the sidelines of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, attended by EU foreign ministers. This is the first such meeting for Melescanu since he took over the foreign affairs office, an office he also held back in 1992-1996 and again for just two weeks in November 2014. He resigned then because the poor preparation of the presidential elections had prevented thousands of Romanian citizens living abroad to cast their votes.



    SUMMIT Foreign ministers and diplomats from over 70 countries are today discussing in Paris the Middle East situation, at a conference organized with the aim of reasserting the support for a two-state solution. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian representatives are attending the meeting. The latter had agreed with the conference, but the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the meeting in Paris was arranged against Israel. According to the US Department of State, the US Secretary of State John Kerry is attending the summit in order to make sure that whatever happens there is constructive and balanced. The Israelis and the Palestinians will be informed about the conclusions drawn at the Paris conference.



    AUSTRALIAN OPEN Six Romanian tennis players represent Romania at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, which starts in Melbourne on Monday. The best Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ranking 4th in the WTA classification and also 40th seeded at the tournament, will play in the first round against the American Shelby Rogers, WTA number 57. Irina Camelia Begu, ranked 30t and 27th-seed will have a difficult match in the inaugural round, against Iaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. Monica Niculescu, ranking 40th in the WTA classification, a finalist in Hobart, will play against a player from the qualifiers. Number 78 Sorana Carstea will play against the Russian Irina Kromaceva, and Patricia Tig, number 106 in the WTA rankings, will take on the Olympic champion Monica Puig of Puerto Rico. Ana Bogdan, whos made it to the main draw from the qualifiers, will play against the Russian Elena Vesnina.