Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romania’s Schengen accession

  • December 10, 2024 UPDATE

    December 10, 2024 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN – Austria will not oppose Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of the Schengen European free movement area, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose country holds the six-month presidency of the EU Council, said in turn that EU Interior Ministers will vote on December 12 in the Justice and Home Affairs Council on Hungary’s proposal to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen area with their land borders. Romania and Bulgaria received partial access to the Schengen area starting March 31, with the opening of air and sea borders. Land border checks, however, remained in force due to Austrian opposition, motivated by Vienna’s concerns about illegal migration. Romania could thus fully join the Schengen area 17 years after becoming a EU member.

     

    GOVERNMENT – The leaders of pro-European parties in the Romanian Parliament, PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and the group of the national minorities, are holding talks this week to form a new government. The Social-Democrats, who came first in the December 1 election, would like the party to decide on the future government structure and continue the projects started by the current PSD-PNL government. They want to maintain the pace of investments, increase purchasing power, support the Romanian private sector and reform the state. The Liberals say they have understood the need for change coming from the electorate and want negotiations to start from a clear program of reforms to the benefit of citizens. USR representatives want a government to be formed as soon as possible, while UDMR calls for solidarity for a common vision for Romania. Negotiations between PSD, PNL, UDMR, USR and the national minorities to form a new government are taking place after these parties had signed, before the presidential election was cancelled, a resolution for a pro-European majority in Parliament. They commit to implementing reforms and supporting the country’s development and rejecting any collaboration with the political parties in the sovereigntist (ultranationalist, populist) bloc formed by AUR, SOS Romania and POT.

     

    CLIMATE CHANGE – Romania made an argument during Tuesday’s public hearings regarding the UN General Assembly’s request to the International Criminal Court to issue an opinion concerning the obligations of states in respect of climate change. According to the Foreign Ministry, Romania joined other states as part of a core group of countries to negotiate the draft resolution of the UN General Assembly, whereby it called on the ICC to issue a consultative opinion. Participation in the proceedings reflects the importance Romania gives to the legal aspects of climate change and related effects, the Romanian MFA writes.

     

    MOLDOVA – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday announced a new 60 mln EUR support package for Moldova, to help reform the country’s judiciary and ensure economy stability. The EU official made the announcement following talks with Moldova’s president, Maia Sandu, in Brussels. President von der Leyen said she expects EU accession negotiations with Moldova to kick off next year. In turn, president Sandu said talks focused on reforms required to bring Moldova closer to the EU. The Moldovan President is on a two-day official visit to Brussels, where she is meeting EU and NATO officials to discuss various topics, including Moldova’s integration on the European single market, judicial reforms, combating corruption and consolidating the rule of law.

     

    HANDBALL – Romania lost to Poland 24-29 in its final match in Group 1 at the European Handball Championship hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. In the first phase, Romania defeated Serbia and Czechia and lost to Montenegro. In the main group phase, our handballers defeated Sweden but lost to Hungary. The 16th edition of the European women’s championship for the first time has 24 teams in the lineup, compared to 16 in previous editions. Romania has taken part 14 times in the European Championships, winning bronze in 2010. (EE & VP)

  • November 25, 2024

    November 25, 2024

    PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – The independent candidate Călin Georgescu has surprisingly won Sunday’s first round of the presidential election, with 22.95% of the vote, after the counting of 99.98% of the votes. The leader of Save Romania Union (USR), Elena Lasconi, ranks second with 19.17%, followed by the leader of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD) and the country’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, with 19.15%. The president of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), George Simion, grabbed 13.87% of the vote, while the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Nicolae Ciucă, ranks fifth with 8.79%. Over 52% of candidates on permanent lists cast their votes. 821 thousand Romanians voted abroad. 13 candidates enrolled in the race, 9 backed by political parties and 4 independent candidates. The second round of the presidential election is slated for December 8, while the parliamentary election will be held on December 1, the National Day of Romania.

     

    VOTE – The first round of the presidential election came to a close at 7 AM in all the voting precincts set up abroad, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. The last polling stations to close their doors were in Vancouver, Canada, but also on the US West Coast – San Francisco, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Las Vegas, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego and Seattle. Voters were able to cast their votes as early as Friday. The Foreign Ministry has set up 950 polling stations abroad for the presidential and parliamentary elections this year. According to the Permanent Electoral Authority, 821,703 Romanians cast their votes abroad, 817,476 on additional lists and 4,227 by post.

     

    REFERENDUM – Bucharest residents on Sunday were invited to cast their votes in a local referendum called by Mayor General, Nicușor Dan. The referendum passed the critical threshold of 30% participation. According to preliminary results, the majority response to the three questions was “Yes”. 67% of respondents agreed that construction permits be issued by the Bucharest City Hall alone, 64% voted in favor of the City Hall Council approving the budgets of the City Hall and local districts, while 82% voted in favor of creating a program designed to combat drug use in schools. The referendum needs to be first confirmed by Parliament, political parties cannot ignore the will of 500 Bucharest dwellers, Mayor Nicușor Dan said, calling on political parties to come up with a plan over the coming days with a view to transposing the result of the referendum into national law.

     

    SCHENGEN – The Interior Ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, Austria and Hungary and the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, agreed in Budapest that Romania and Bulgaria would join the Schengen area with their land borders starting January 1, 2025. A decision will be taken in next month’s Home Affairs Council meeting hosted by Brussels. “Romania is a provider of security in Europe, and its accession will consolidate the Schengen area”, Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu said.

     

    VISAS – China has eliminated visas for Romanian citizens over November 30, 2024 – December 31, 2025. The decision was hailed by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, which said the measure will help facilitate the mobility of Romanian citizens, expanding the scale of person-to-person contacts. Visas will be lifted for citizens travelling for business, tourism, visiting relatives of merely transiting China. Romanian citizens who do not find themselves in one of the aforementioned situations are required to present a visa upon entry. (VP)

  • Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels

    Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels

    NATO welcomes Romania’s continuous efforts and its significant contribution to strengthening the Alliance and Euro-Atlantic security, NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, said during talks with Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who on Monday paid an official visit to Brussels. Romania is determined to prove it is a reliable ally and a security provider in the region and beyond, the Romanian official said in turn, adding that, in addition to allocating 2.5% of GDP to the defense sector, investments in this field will continue. The Romanian Prime Minister also said that NATO’s robust presence in Romania is a guarantee that every inch of the country’s territory is fully defended.

     

    “The violations of Allied airspace and Russia’s aggressive posture in the Black Sea show how important it is to deploy additional troops in the area and to offer a solid and united response at NATO level. In this context, I told the Secretary General that Romania understands and respects its commitments and is solidary with our allies and partners”. Romania contributes not only to strengthening the eastern flank, but much more, as its soldiers actively participate in NATO missions in different areas, the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, said, hailing Bucharest’s firm support to Ukraine.

     

    „You invest more than 2% – I believe it is now getting to 2.5% of your GDP – on defense. You host one of NATO’s battlegroups, and in addition, your soldiers make a vital contribution to NATO missions, particularly in Kosovo, but also in Iraq and other places”.

     

    In Brussels, the Romanian Prime Minister met with the President-elect of the European Council, António Costa, and also with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. During the meeting, Marcel Ciolacu said an ambitious, coherent European agenda is needed now more than ever, solidarity between member states, as well as actions in the interest of EU citizens. Romania shares the European Union’s concern for reducing the gaps between regions and social groups, as well as for ensuring a just green transition for all. These objectives should be financed from the post-2025 multiannual budget, the Romanian official also pointed out. At the same time, Marcel Ciolacu told President Metsola that Romania’s full Schengen accession this year remains a fundamental goal, while another top priority is the advancement of strategic interconnectivity projects in the Black Sea region. (VP)

  • November 18, 2024 UPDATE

    November 18, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Monday visited the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation in Berlin on the sidelines on his visit to Germany. “The visit highlights people’s suffering from war, a time when man’s fundamental rights are ignored”, the president said. On Sunday, Klaus Iohannis addressed the Bundestag as part of a ceremony devoted to the Victims of War and Dictatorship Remembrance Day. “The fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago encouraged Romanians to fight for freedom, while the fall of the Iron Curtain allowed Romania to return to the family of European democracies”, the president said. Klaus Iohannis met with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and discussed security topics and the support the two countries provide to Ukraine. His meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz tackled Romania’s full Schengen accession.

     

    ROMANIA AND NATO – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Monday met the European Parliament president, Roberta Metsola, on the sidelines of his visit to Brussels, marking the start of a new Parliament session and the adoption of the 2024-2029 Strategic Agenda. Joint projects highlighted by Prime Minister Ciolacu for the upcoming period include supporting a promising EU budget post-2025 that should foster competitiveness and internal convergence. The Prime Minister also met with the European Council president-elect, Antonio Costa. Also on Monday, Marcel Ciolacu met with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, on whom he called to deploy additional Allied troops to Romania, a decision he has called “vital” for a robust deterrence in the face of Russian challenges, also with a view to consolidating NATO’s presence on the Eastern Flank, in the extended Black Sea region. Romania has already allotted 2.5% of the GDP to defense spending this year and will continue to prioritize investments in defense over the coming period as well, the Prime Minister told the NATO Secretary General. Romania will continue to provide multidimensional support to Ukraine and to the Republic of Moldova, Marcel Ciolacu also said.

     

    SCHENGEN – Romania’s Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, held talks in Vienna with his Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, ahead of the informal meeting that will take place in Budapest at the end of this week, where Romania’s Schengen extension will be discussed. Romania will continue to take action to combat illegal migration and cross-border crime, through a preemptive approach, the Bucharest official said. According to Brussels sources, the Ministers of Internal Affairs from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria will hold preliminary talks in the Hungarian capital regarding the date when Romania and Bulgaria would join Schengen with their land borders as well.

     

    EU-FAC – Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, on Monday attended the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels. On the sidelines of the event, she took part in a working meeting of EU Foreign Ministers with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Popșoi. The meeting occasioned in-depth discussions regarding the results of the presidential election and the referendum for European integration in the Republic of Moldova, with an emphasis on Russia’s hybrid attacks in this context, by means of which it tried to undermine the democratic electoral process and hijack the European course of this country. Minister Odobescu congratulated the authorities of the Republic of Moldova for the very good organization of the presidential election and the constitutional referendum, expressing satisfaction for the new mandate obtained by president Maia Sandu. Minister Odobescu emphasized Romania’s determination to continue the active and consistent support for the Republic of Moldova at all levels of cooperation. (VP)

  • July 26, 2024

    July 26, 2024

    ATTACKS – Upon the request of the Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu,  the Romanian Foreign Ministry has summoned the  Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Russian Federation  to Bucharest, after debris and fragments of drones used by the Russian army to attack Ukrainian ports were discovered in Tulcea County (southeast). The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, recalling that targeting civilian objectives is a war crime. The representative of the Romanian Foreign Ministry also criticized the reckless military strikes close to Romania’s border, saying they endanger national security. Russia’s acts of aggression against Ukraine caused a severe deterioration of the security climate in the Black Sea region, the Romanian Foreign Ministry further noted.

     

     

    MEETING – Romania hails Hungary’s unequivocal support for our country’s full Schengen accession, Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, said on the sidelines of his meeting in Bucharest with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán. Talks were held in the context of Hungary holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Two-way trade currently stands at 13 bln EUR, although there is a lot of untapped potential, the two officials say. Marcel Ciolacu and Viktor Orbán also agreed to start feasibility studies for a high-speed rail connection linking Budapest to Bucharest, a project of strategic importance with an impact on the entire rail infrastructure of Central Europe.  Viktor Orbán is expected to attend the Summer University in Băile Tușnad (center), where he will give a speech on Saturday. 500 events will be held on this occasion in 34 tents, focusing on a wide array of topics, from economy and politics, to culture, gastronomy and sports. A total of 300 organizers are involved in preparing the event.

     

     

    SEASON – The 2024-2025 Romania-Poland Culture Season will officially open in Poland with the exhibition titled “Nicolae Grigorescu, a painter of Romanian ethos”, hosted by the National Museum in Gdansk over July 27-October 28. Two special representations of Hamlet, a production of the “Marin Sorescu” National Theatre in Craiova, will also be performed on this occasion on the sidelines of the Shakespeare Theatre Festival hosted by Gdansk. The exhibition is organized by the National Art Museum of Romania (MNAR) and includes 44 works from the collection of Nicolae Grigorescu as well as 49 items of folk art from the collections of the “Dimitrie Gusti” Village Museum. Exhibited for the first time in Poland, Nicolae Grigorescu’s works of art facilitate access to an important part of Romania’s cultural history. The opening of the exhibition will be accompanied by an accordion and clarinet concert performed by musicians of the Gdansk Opera. Attending the events will be several officials from Romania and Poland.

     

     

    CONCERT – The Orchestra and Choir of the Bucharest National Opera on Friday will perform a sacred music concert at the Romanian Embassy in Paris, marking the inauguration of the Romanian House at the Olympic Games. This is the final concert in a tour that also included a concert at the Versailles Palace, and a sacred music concert at the “Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael” Orthodox Cathedral in Paris. According to Radio Romania’s Paris correspondent, the extraordinary concert entitled “Éthos Roumain” is a project financed by the Government of Romania, through the Department for Romanians Worldwide, in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute in Paris. The event aims to boost the visibility of Romanian culture and its promotion abroad, as well as to strengthen cultural ties between Romania and France.

     

     

    PARIS OLYMPICS – The Summer Olympics kick off tonight in Paris. For the first time in history, the opening ceremony will be held on the Seine River, crossing the center of the French capital-city over a distance of six kilometers. According to Radio Romania’s Paris correspondent, the river parade will tell the story of a city, a nation, a culture over the course of nearly 3 hours. Some 200 boats and watercraft will carry the 206 delegations comprising 10,500 athletes, in addition to security forces. The show will also comprise music, dance and acrobatics performed by art professionals accompanied by some of the athletes themselves. A number of celebrities are rumored to take part in the event, including Céline Dion and Lady Gaga.

     

     

    FOOTBALL – On Thursday, Romanian Cup holders Corvinul Hunedoara, currently playing in the second-tier division of the Romanian championship, drew 0-0 at home against Croatia’s vice-champions, HNK Rijeka in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Europa League. Also on Thursday, another two Romanian football clubs played matches in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Conference League. CFR Cluj drew 0-0 against Neman Grodno of Belarus on home turf, while Universitatea Craiova lost 0-2 against NK Maribor of Slovenia away from home. Return leg matches will be played next week. We recall Romania’s football champions, FCSB, on Tuesday drew 1-1 against Maccabi Tel-Aviv of Israel at home in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Champions League. The return leg is scheduled for July 31 in Budapest, Hungary, due to security developments in Israel, preventing home clubs from hosting international matches on home turf. (VP)

  • Regional meeting in Athens

    Regional meeting in Athens

    Two decades since the summit held in Thessaloniki,
    Greece, which laid the foundations of the EU enlargement in the Western
    Balkans, heads of state and governments are now attending an informal summit,
    called by the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Aimed at reviewing
    progress reported in recent years in terms of development cooperation in
    South-Eastern Europe, as well as challenges linked to the conflict in Ukraine,
    the summit brought together leaders from Serbia, Montenegro, the Republic of
    Moldova, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Bosnia
    Herzegovina, as well as the presidents of the European Council and European
    Commission, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, respectively.

    Attending
    the summit was also the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The meeting
    sent a strong message of support for Ukraine, as well as for the Euro-Atlantic
    perspective of the entire region. We must bring our friends, future members of
    the EU, closer to us and faster. We will continue to bring down barriers
    between our regions, the European Commission president wrote on social media.
    With regard to EU enlargement, the meeting focused on energy security and
    sanctions against Russia, to which Belgrade has not yet subscribed. In fact,
    following the objection of Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić, the call for new
    sanctions against Russia was eliminated from the final resolution of the
    meeting in Athens. Participants also highlighted the importance of continuing
    constant dialogue and coordination in terms of ensuring regional economic cooperation
    and security and reiterated solidarity with Ukraine and the Republic of
    Moldova. In addition, participants reiterated support for the EU enlargement
    process in the Western Balkans and in the eastern vicinity.

    In his address,
    Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu outlined Romania’s support for Ukraine, as well
    as challenges facing Romanian farmers with regard to regulations on Ukrainian
    grain exports. In this context, Marcel Ciolacu suggested the creation of a
    European mechanism for the management of grain transports and earmarking
    additional funds for the food industry and for the development of related
    infrastructure. In addition, the Romanian Prime Minister underlined the need
    for Romania quickly joining the Schengen Area. In his talks with European
    Commission president, Marcel Ciolacu asked for stepping up joint efforts to
    ensure Romania’s Schengen accession. Last but not least, the Romanian official
    called for greater unity at European level and suggested the development of
    joint regional projects in the fields of energy, trade and combating hybrid
    threats. In Athens, Marcel Cioalcu also discussed with his Greek counterpart
    about expanding bilateral and regional cooperation. In his meeting with
    Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Marcel Ciolacu assured the Ukrainian president of Romania’s
    support for Ukraine until the end of the conflict and for its assistance in the
    country’s reconstruction. (VP)



  • November 16, 2022

    November 16, 2022


    INCIDENT – We
    have no indication Russia is preparing a deliberate attack on NATO, the
    Alliance’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Wednesday at the end of
    an emergency NATO summit called after a missile landed in Poland, killing two
    people. According to the NATO official, Tuesday’s incident followed a massive
    missile strike Russia launched on Ukraine. Since the start of the war in
    Ukraine, NATO has increased its vigilance on the eastern flank, and we continue
    to monitor the situation, Jens Stoltenberg added. In Bucharest, president Klaus
    Iohannis wrote on social media that Romania is fully solidary with Poland, an
    ally and friend, following the disturbing news related to the explosions on its
    territory. The government also published a statement saying it is in contact
    with its allies and is analyzing the situation generated by the landing of a
    missile on Polish territory. The incident in Poland shows how difficult the
    security situation is, but clarity is needed about the
    circumstances in which it occurred and in this case there is no room for
    speculation, foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu emphasized. The chief of defense
    staff, General Daniel Petrescu had talks with his Polish counterpart, General
    Rajmund Andrzejczak after the incident near Poland’s border with Ukraine.
    We are in contact and are briefing each other. The Romanian Army stands
    in solidarity with the Polish Army and supports the efforts of our Polish
    comrades to adopt the necessary allied measures once the incident is
    clarified, he posted on Facebook.




    SCHENGEN – The European
    Commission is urging the Council to take the necessary decisions without delay
    to allow the full admission of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia into the Schengen
    area. The Commission also hails in a statement the successes of the three EU
    member states in the application of the Schengen rules. The admission of the
    three states is expected to be put to a vote in the EU Council at the beginning
    of December, with a unanimous vote required for it to be adopted.




    CONVOY – The
    second convoy transporting military equipment from France, consisting of
    Leclerc tanks, arrived in Brașov County on Wednesday. The convoy entered
    Romania on November 14. The equipment addresses the NATO Battle Group Forward
    Presence deployed in Cincu. The first convoy consisting of armored vehicles
    arrived on October 23. The NATO Battle Group in Romania was set up in May by
    pooling tougher several multinational elements of the NATO Response Force in
    Romania. The Battle Group contributes to boosting military cooperation with
    France and consolidating the Euro-Atlantic security on NATO’s Eastern Flank.




    TALKS – Romania’s Foreign
    Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, on Thursday will have a new round of bilateral talks
    with his Luxembourgish counterpart, Jean Asselborn, the Romanian Foreign
    Ministry reports. Minister Aurescu’s visit to Luxembourg will focus on
    consolidating the excellent political and diplomatic dialogue between the two
    states and furthering economic and sectorial relations. Talks will also address
    the possibility to expand cooperation to other important fields where
    Luxembourg can provide expertise and assistance, such as financial services,
    IT, cyber security, green energy, research and development clusters,
    agriculture and tourism.




    HANDBALL – The Romanian
    women’s handball team lost to Germany 28-32 in the last group fixture at the
    EHF 2022 European Championship hosted by Slovenia, North Macedonia and
    Montenegro. Romania thus ended the main group phase in last place. Romania had
    previously lost all chances of advancing to the semi-finals after losing to
    Montenegro on Tuesday, 34-35. Romania has taken part in every edition of the
    European Championship except 2006. The best performance was the bronze medal
    scooped in 2010. In the previous edition of 2020, Romania ranked 12. CM &
    VP)

  • November 16, 2022

    November 16, 2022


    INCIDENT – We
    have no indication Russia is preparing a deliberate attack on NATO, the
    Alliance’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Wednesday at the end of
    an emergency NATO summit called after a missile landed in Poland, killing two
    people. According to the NATO official, Tuesday’s incident followed a massive
    missile strike Russia launched on Ukraine. Since the start of the war in
    Ukraine, NATO has increased its vigilance on the eastern flank, and we continue
    to monitor the situation, Jens Stoltenberg added. In Bucharest, president Klaus
    Iohannis wrote on social media that Romania is fully solidary with Poland, an
    ally and friend, following the disturbing news related to the explosions on its
    territory. The government also published a statement saying it is in contact
    with its allies and is analyzing the situation generated by the landing of a
    missile on Polish territory. The incident in Poland shows how difficult the
    security situation is, but clarity is needed about the
    circumstances in which it occurred and in this case there is no room for
    speculation, foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu emphasized. The chief of defense
    staff, General Daniel Petrescu had talks with his Polish counterpart, General
    Rajmund Andrzejczak after the incident near Poland’s border with Ukraine.
    We are in contact and are briefing each other. The Romanian Army stands
    in solidarity with the Polish Army and supports the efforts of our Polish
    comrades to adopt the necessary allied measures once the incident is
    clarified, he posted on Facebook.




    SCHENGEN – The European
    Commission is urging the Council to take the necessary decisions without delay
    to allow the full admission of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia into the Schengen
    area. The Commission also hails in a statement the successes of the three EU
    member states in the application of the Schengen rules. The admission of the
    three states is expected to be put to a vote in the EU Council at the beginning
    of December, with a unanimous vote required for it to be adopted.




    CONVOY – The
    second convoy transporting military equipment from France, consisting of
    Leclerc tanks, arrived in Brașov County on Wednesday. The convoy entered
    Romania on November 14. The equipment addresses the NATO Battle Group Forward
    Presence deployed in Cincu. The first convoy consisting of armored vehicles
    arrived on October 23. The NATO Battle Group in Romania was set up in May by
    pooling tougher several multinational elements of the NATO Response Force in
    Romania. The Battle Group contributes to boosting military cooperation with
    France and consolidating the Euro-Atlantic security on NATO’s Eastern Flank.




    TALKS – Romania’s Foreign
    Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, on Thursday will have a new round of bilateral talks
    with his Luxembourgish counterpart, Jean Asselborn, the Romanian Foreign
    Ministry reports. Minister Aurescu’s visit to Luxembourg will focus on
    consolidating the excellent political and diplomatic dialogue between the two
    states and furthering economic and sectorial relations. Talks will also address
    the possibility to expand cooperation to other important fields where
    Luxembourg can provide expertise and assistance, such as financial services,
    IT, cyber security, green energy, research and development clusters,
    agriculture and tourism.




    HANDBALL – The Romanian
    women’s handball team lost to Germany 28-32 in the last group fixture at the
    EHF 2022 European Championship hosted by Slovenia, North Macedonia and
    Montenegro. Romania thus ended the main group phase in last place. Romania had
    previously lost all chances of advancing to the semi-finals after losing to
    Montenegro on Tuesday, 34-35. Romania has taken part in every edition of the
    European Championship except 2006. The best performance was the bronze medal
    scooped in 2010. In the previous edition of 2020, Romania ranked 12. CM &
    VP)

  • October 13, 2022

    October 13, 2022

    WAR
    IN UKRAINE – Romania’s
    Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, hailed the adoption of a
    resolution in the UN General Assembly, condemning Russia’s illegal annexation
    of Ukrainian territories. 143 UN members voted in favor, including Romania.
    Meanwhile, Russia today launched new attacks on Ukraine. Drone strikes targeted
    critical infrastructure in Kyiv, while the city of Mykolaiv was hit by
    shelling, authorities say. In recent weeks Ukraine has been the target of air
    strikes carried out by Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. Teheran denies having
    delivered such drones to Russia while Moscow refused to comment. The Kremlin
    has also intensified its attacks on civilian objectives in response to the explosion
    on the Kerch bridge, which Moscow claims is the work of Ukrainian intelligence.
    Described as war crimes by a number of Western countries, the shelling
    continues despite significant losses sustained by the Russian army. Bombing
    focused particularly on residential areas and civilian infrastructure
    objectives, damaging 30% of the country’s energy infrastructure. In Brussels,
    over 50 countries promised to provide fresh military assistance to Ukraine,
    including air defense systems.




    REFUGEES – The number of Ukrainian
    refugees coming to Romania from Western Europe is on the rise, the
    International Organization for Migration reports. Lower living costs and
    proximity to Ukraine are some of the reasons, the report also states. According
    to the Romanian Border Police, some 70,000 people entered Romania on Wednesday,
    of whom 9,000 were Ukrainian nationals, accounting for a 15% increase compared
    to the previous day. Starting February 10, over 2.5 million Ukrainians have
    entered Romania.




    VISIT – Dubravka Šuica, EU vice-president
    for Democracy and Demography, is paying a three-day official visit to Romania.
    Today, the European official will hold talks with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă
    on follow-up to the Conference on the Future of Europe, the Summit for
    Democracy, skills and labor force mobility, demographic changes, children’s
    rights and gender equality. According to a press release published by the
    European Commission’s Office in Bucharest, Dubravka Šuica will also meet
    Daniela Gîtman, Secretary of State within the Romanian Foreign Ministry,
    Gabriela Firea, Minister of Family, Youth and Gender Equality, Nicușor Dan,
    Bucharest Mayor General, as well as members of the mixed Parliament committees
    for European affairs. The EU official will also visit the Ominis complex for
    integrated social services addressing vulnerable categories, including
    Ukrainian refugees.




    DEFENSE – Fourteen NATO members and
    partner states, including Romania, signed a joint letter for the purchase of
    Arrow 3 and Patriot air defense systems as part of a European Skyshield
    Initiative (ESSI) in a ceremony hosted by the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on
    the sidelines of the NATO Defense Ministers meeting. Germany’s Chancellor, Olaf
    Scholz, announced the project at the end of August, saying that a common
    European air defense system would be more effective if individual member states
    would build up their own air defenses, which would entail higher costs and more
    efforts to implement. According to a Defense Ministry release, today’s meeting
    is attended by Romania’s Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu, and will focus on the decisions
    adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid and the organization of the next summit.
    NATO officials will also tackle the Alliance’s nuclear deterrence posture and
    specific topics in the nuclear field in connection to the current security
    context, marked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.




    SCHENGEN – In principle, the
    Netherlands does not oppose Romania’s Schengen accession, the Dutch Prime
    Minister Mark Rutte said on Wednesday during a visit to Brașov, central
    Romania. The Dutch official pointed out, however, that any discussion on this
    matter will factor in Romania’s fulfillment of all accession criteria.
    President Klaus Iohannis expressed confidence Romania will join the travel-free
    area, whereas Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă in turn said that Schengen accession
    will spell numerous benefits for Romania’s economy.




    JUSTICE LAWS – Parliament’s committee
    in charge of debating the justice laws is today analyzing the law regulating
    the status of prosecutors and judges. On Wednesday, the Committee debated over
    half of the bill’s articles, adopting a number of technical amendments. Once
    the debates are completed, the Committee will vote separate reports for each of
    the three laws in the bill package. Once the reports are compiled, the draft
    justice laws will be submitted to the Senate for debate and approval. (VP)



  • Romania’s Schengen Accession Likely to Take Place in Two Stages

    Romania’s Schengen Accession Likely to Take Place in Two Stages

    Romania and Bulgaria have definitely
    met all the criteria for their Schengen accession and the European Union
    supports this move. The statement was made on Tuesday by the European
    Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
    at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who said:


    As regards Romania’s
    accession to the Schengen area, I will repeat what I have already said before,
    namely that the Commission was right to propose the accession of Romania and
    Bulgaria to the Schengen area, given that these two countries have met the
    accession criteria. And it should be quite elementary that if a country meets
    the requirements, that country must be allowed to join Schengen.


    This was Juncker’s answer to the question
    regarding the stage of the two countries’ accession to this border-free area.
    According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Strasbourg, quoting diplomatic sources, the two countries’
    Schengen accession might take place in two stages, starting the second half of
    this year. Romania has complied with the accession criteria for years now, but it has failed to join Schengen for
    political reasons, which have to do with the widespread corruption in the
    country.

    The Bucharest authorities have constantly emphasized the fact that the
    technical criteria for accession have been fully met. It’s worth mentioning
    that no other candidate country, except for Romania and Bulgaria, have
    previously had to comply with criteria other than the technical ones. However,
    the latest European reports on Romania, issued under the Cooperation and
    Verification Mechanism, assessing the progress made in terms of judicial reform
    and anti-corruption efforts are positive. Also, Romania has proven that,
    alongside Frontex, is perfectly able to protect the EU borders.

    The issue of
    the Schengen area, which has been under scrutiny lately due to the wave of
    migrants fleeing war zones and poverty in the Middle East and Africa, has also
    been debated these days by the European radio network Euranet, which includes
    Radio Romania. Provisional results of an opinion poll commissioned by Euranet
    shows that 65% of citizens say the freedom of movement within the European
    Union should be preserved, while 9% believe it should be restricted due to the
    terrorist threat. Euranet organizes monthly debates, part of the series
    Citizens’ Corner, in an attempt to get as close as possible to people’s
    needs, and provide them with information on their rights, through open
    dialogue.