Radio România Internațional

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  • April 6, 2022 UPDATE

    April 6, 2022 UPDATE

    Robor – The three-month Robor index, based on which the cost of consumer loans in lei with variable interest rate is calculated, rose to 4.68% per year from 4.62%. According to the National Bank of Romania, it is the highest Robor level in the past 9 years. On Tuesday, the Central Bank decided to increase, as of Wednesday, the key interest rate from 2.5 to 3% per year, which influences the evolution of all bank interest rates and is the main tool in the fight against inflation. The Central Bank warns that the annual inflation rate is expected to rise more sharply in the coming months than anticipated in February. The worsening of the short-term outlook for inflation is caused by the too big increases in fuel and food prices, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and of international sanctions.



    Embassy — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has rejected the reaction of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest following the incident at its headquarters this morning and considered the reaction hasty, completely inadequate and inappropriate. Previously, the Russian embassy had stated that “there was no doubt” that the driver who drove his car into the embassy fence “committed that act under the influence of an explosion of anti-Russian hysteria.” We remind you that the driver died after he drove his car into the embassy fence at dawn on Wednesday and then set himself on fire. The investigations in this case are being carried out by the Prosecutors Office of the Bucharest Tribunal and the Homicide Division of the Bucharest Police. The media in Bucharest reports that the perpetrator, Bogdan Drăghici, is a character with some notoriety, who had received a sentence for sexually abusing his daughter. He was also the head of the association called TATA (Anti-Discrimination Alliance of All Dads). On the previous day, he allegedly posted on Facebook a text showing his solidarity with Ukraine which was invaded by Russian troops.



    Diplomats – Romania has expelled 10 Russian diplomats from its territory, joining other states such as France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Slovenia and Sweden, which have made similar decisions in protest of the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine. Nearly 200 diplomats have been sent to Moscow in recent days, marking a further deterioration of the West’s relations with Russia. Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko told TASS news agency that his country would respond in the same way. He underlined that the expulsion of diplomatic personnel from the capitals of some European states would damage the diplomatic channels of communication.



    Ukraine – The US has imposed new sanctions on Russia, namely against several companies and 18 people, including the daughters of President Vladimir Putin, as well as the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev. Two major Russian financial institutions, SberBank and Alpha Bank, are also targeted. The new round of sanctions also includes a ban on new investments in this country. Russia must be held accountable for the war crimes perpetrated by its forces in Ukraine, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech at the UN Security Council. Moscow has again denied accusations of war crimes. The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Kyiv this week, where she will be accompanied by the foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the “Bucha massacre” and kissed the Ukrainian flag sent from the Ukrainian city where, after the withdrawal of Russian troops, bodies were found tied up and shot in the street, as well as mass graves. On the ground, Ukraine is preparing for an offensive by the Russian forces in the east of the country and is trying to evacuate civilians before Russian forces cut off their retreat routes. Russian bombing continues both there and in other parts of the country. The international organization “Doctors Without Borders” has called for hospitals, patients and medical staff in Ukraine to no longer be targeted. According to the BBC, three hospitals in the city of Mikolaiv, under Russian assault, were bombed in just two days. Previously, other medical centers in Ukraine were the target of Russian bombings.



    Sanctions — The employees of the companies that are forced to restrain or suspend their activity due to the conflict in Ukraine will be able to benefit from furlough benefits worth 75% of their salary, the Romanian Government decided on Wednesday. The measure applies both to companies directly affected by the military conflict and to those indirectly affected, announced the Labor Minister, Marius Budai. He pointed out that the government was supporting any measures to sanction Russia, saying that no Romanian citizen should suffer, hence that measure. Also on Wednesday, an emergency decree was approved under which the financial framework for the Anghel Saligny National Investment Program reaches 65.5 billion lei – approximately 13 billion Euros. The program targets investments in water and sewerage, roads and bridges, and natural gas distribution systems.



    Trade unions — On Wednesday, the National Trade Union Bloc staged a protest rally in Bucharest, attended by thousands of people. The 35 affiliated trade union federations, both from the private sector and the public system, called for support measures to offset the economic and social effects of the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the National Trade Union Bloc requested urgent measures for Romanias energy and food security, in the context of rising electricity, gas and fuel prices.



    Moldova – Germany, France and Romania co-chaired an international conference in Berlin on Tuesday on the creation of a support platform for the Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet republic with a majority Romanian-speaking population. The participants – nearly 50 delegates representing countries and international organizations – pledged to provide more than 695 million Euros in financial aid to Chisinau, as well as political support in the context of the war in neighboring Ukraine. About 12,000 of the nearly 100,000 Ukrainian refugees on the territory of the Republic of Moldova will be taken over by other states.



    NATO — The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, participates, for two days, in the meeting of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states hosted by Brussels. The agenda of talks includes the implementation of the decisions of the Extraordinary NATO Summit on March 24, focusing on strengthening the Allied defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, following Russias aggression on Ukraine and its consequences for Euro-Atlantic security. According to a Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué, the officials will also discuss the latest developments on the ground in Ukraine, including the crimes against the civilian population. Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate the importance of the rapid implementation of the decisions of the March NATO Summit, with an emphasis on the establishment of new NATO Combat Groups, one of which is in Romania. “We need to be realistic. The war could last a long time, a few months, even years,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg estimated before the meeting. He reiterated that Moscow was preparing an offensive in eastern Ukraine to take control of the entire Donbas region and to build a land bridge to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. (LS)

  • April 3, 2022 UPDATE

    April 3, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO — Sunday marked 73 years since the setting up of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – NATO, and according to the national law, Romania also celebrated NATO Day, marking 18 years of membership. On this occasion, a military ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Gemina Infantry Division 4 Command in Cluj-Napoca (northwest), which was attended by the defense minister, Vasile Dîncu. Events were also organized by the Romanian Naval Forces on board the military ships from the ports of Constanţa, Mangalia, Brăila and Tulcea. President Klaus Iohannis said in a message on NATO Day that he would continue to strongly support the consolidation of the transatlantic relationship, which he considers to be the backbone of the Alliance and the community of democratic and security values ​​ which Romania is a part of. The PM Nicolae Ciuca said that Bucharest would make every effort to increase and strengthen the Allied and American military presence, in order to guarantee the security of its citizens. In turn, the defense minister, Vasile Dîncu, said that NATO accession brought Romania the strongest security guarantee in the countrys history, and the country now has a professional, experienced army, which has exercised its capabilities in missions in theaters of operations abroad.



    Visit — On Monday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu will have political consultations with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Estonia, Eva-Maria Liimets, on the occasion of her visit to Bucharest, at the invitation of the Romanian Foreign Minister. According to a communiqué of the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the two officials will participate in a conference organized by the New Strategy Center think tank, with the theme Russias aggression in Ukraine. How can we build a more resilient NATO Eastern Flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea? Consultations will focus on discussing ways to develop bilateral ties, especially in relation to economic and sectoral cooperation between the two countries, with a view to properly exploring the existing potential.



    PNL — The extraordinary congress of the National Liberal Party – PNL, in the ruling coalition in Romania, for the election of a new president of the party, will take place on April 10, the Liberals National Council decided on Sunday. 1,300 delegates will attend. Until the congress, the interim presidency of PNL will be held by the president of the Suceava County Council, Gheorghe Flutur. On Saturday, the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Florin Cîţu, announced his resignation as president of the PNL. Many Liberals had previously called for his departure. They accuse Cîțu of causing tensions within the governing coalition, in its relationship with the Social Democratic Party – PSD, of not communicating with the party members and of having a bad public image, which affects the Liberals score in the polls regarding voting intentions. Cîţus opponents would like the party leadership to be taken over by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, who, according to the media, has a much better image in society and a coherent dialogue with the governing partners. Respected as a full-time professional military, Ciuca is, however, the protagonist of a plagiarism scandal, related to his doctoral thesis. The former Prime Minister Cîţu was elected only half a year ago, at the end of September 2021. At the time, clearly supported by the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, he won, in a tense congress, the elections against another former prime minister, Ludovic Orban, who had led the PNL since 2017.



    Academy – The Romanian Academy on Monday celebrates its 156th anniversary. The anniversary is marked in the hall of the Academy by a festive general assembly and by screenings of documentaries, featuring the main moments in the history of the institution. Considered one of the first fundamental institutions for the consolidation of the Romanian modern state, the Romanian Academy initially had the mission to regulate the Romanian language and to study the national history. Subsequently, its activity has diversified to include all fields of science. Opinion surveys show that, along with the Army and the Church, the Academy is the institution which Romanians trust the most.



    Covid – In Romania, the number of new COVID cases continues to drop, reaching 1,429 on Sunday. The authorities also reported 11 coronavirus-related deaths. Since the onset of the pandemic two years ago, more than 2.85 million cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in the country and more than 65,000 patients have died. More than 8 million people have been fully vaccinated. We recall that, as of March 9, no anti-Covid restrictions have been in force in Romania.



    Ukraine — Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that it has documented numerous cases in which Russian military forces have violated the laws of war against civilians in the occupied areas of the Chernihiv, Kharkov and Kyiv regions of Ukraine. In the period February 27 – March 14, the Russian soldiers are accused of one case of repeated rape, of two summary executions, of violence and threats against civilians. Soldiers were also involved in looting private property, from where they stole food, clothing and firewood. After the withdrawal of Russian troops, a mass grave was found in the northern Ukrainian town of Bucea. Nearly 300 people were reportedly buried there. Tens of bodies lay on the streets, some with their hands tied. “Russia has an international legal obligation to impartially investigate the alleged war crimes committed by its soldiers,” said Hugh Williamson, HRWs Director for Europe and Central Asia. He stressed that all parties involved in the armed conflict in Ukraine are obliged to respect international humanitarian law and the laws of war. (LS)

  • April 3, 2022

    April 3, 2022

    PNL — Gheorghe Flutur, the first vice-president of the National Liberal Party – PNL (in the governing coalition in Romania), was appointed interim president of the party, after the resignation of Florin Cîţu. The interior minister Lucian Bode will be the partys interim secretary general. Both were elected during Sunday’s meeting of the National Political Bureau and will lead the party until the extraordinary congress when a new president will be elected. The proposed date for the organization of the congress is April 10. Many Liberal leaders have asked for the resignation of Florin Cîțu from the partys leadership. Cîțu holds the position of Speaker of the Senate. He is accused of causing tensions within the governing coalition, in its relationship with the Social Democratic Party – PSD, of not communicating with the party leaders and of having a bad public image, which affects the Liberals score in the polls regarding voting intentions. The PM Nicolae Ciuca would be the favorite to take over the Liberal leadership. Openly supported by President Klaus Iohannis, Cîţu was elected leader of PNL last year, in September, replacing Ludovic Orban, after a tense congress.



    NATO — Sunday marks 73 years since the setting up of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – NATO, and according to the national law, Romania is also celebrating NATO Day, marking 18 years of membership. On this occasion, a military ceremony is held at the headquarters of the Gemina Infantry Division 4 Command in Cluj-Napoca (northwest), which is attended by the defense minister, Vasile Dîncu. Events are also organized by the Romanian Naval Forces on board the military ships from the ports of Constanţa, Mangalia, Brăila and Tulcea. President Klaus Iohannis says in a message on NATO Day that he will continue to strongly support the consolidation of the transatlantic relationship, which he considers to be the backbone of the Alliance and the community of democratic and security values ​​ which Romania is a part of. The PM Nicolae Ciuca said that Bucharest will make every effort to increase and strengthen the Allied and American military presence, in order to guarantee the security of its citizens. In turn, the defense minister, Vasile Dîncu, says that NATO accession has brought Romania the strongest security guarantee in the countrys history, and the country now has a professional, experienced army, which has exercised its capabilities in missions in theaters of operations abroad.



    Ukraine — The war in Ukraine will last longer and an intensification of the war on the eastern flank of the Alliance is expected, said Sunday NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, who attended a ceremony to celebrate NATO Day in Romania, at the headquarters of the Defense Ministry. Russia has said that peace talks with Ukraine have not progressed far enough to allow for a meeting of the two countries leaders, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky wrote on Telegram. He has added that talks will resume on Monday. On the ground, the missile attack this morning on a refinery in the Ukrainian city of Odessa (south) did not cause any casualties. The announcement was made by the Ukrainian military authorities. Odessa is an important Black Sea port and the main base of the Ukrainian naval forces. The British intelligence reports that Russian naval forces continue to blockade the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov, preventing Kyiv authorities from resupplying at sea.



    Elections Hungary — Parliamentary elections are taking place in Hungary on Sunday. According to opinion polls, the ruling FIDESZ Conservative Party has a slight lead over a cartel made up of si opposition parties. The re-election of the PM Viktor Orban, the leader of FIDESZ, is complicated, analysts say, by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which has shed new light on his close relations with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hungary will not send any weapons to Ukraine and will stay out of the war, Orban said at the rallies of his supporters. Analysts say that this is the first time when Orban, who has been prime minister since 2010, risks losing power to a coalition that includes many forces, from the far right, Jobbik, which has redefined itself as center-right, to the Socialists, successors to the former communist party, the Liberals and the Environmentalists. According to political analysts, beyond the ideological differences between these parties, the key word for the entire opposition is “anything but Orban.” In Romania, according to different survey, 90% of the ethnic Hungarians who also have Hungarian citizenship support the list of the conservative alliance FIDESZ-KDPN (Christian Democratic Peoples Party).



    Elections Serbia — On Sunday, Serbians are electing their president, parliamentarians and new local government officials. Eight candidates are running for president, and 19 political parties have submitted lists for the early parliamentary elections. The latest on-time elections, boycotted by the opposition, were held in June 2020 and caused severe criticism from the European Commission, which noted the overwhelming advantage that the Serbian press gave to the power, excessively praising its alleged successes. Even this springs election does not seem to promise major changes to Belgrades top power. Polls credit the ruling Serbian Progressive Party with more than 50 percent of the vote. The presidential election, analysts say, will be a simple formality for the current head of state, Aleksandar Vucic, who is running for a second term. (LS)

  • Changes in the structure of the school year

    Changes in the structure of the school year

    It has become almost impossible to evaluate the successive reforms in the Romanian education system. Some of the reform projects promised to improve the system but were not completed because the reform promoters were the victims of political change. Not to mention the recent pandemic that has turned everything upside down. Now, the education ministry has announced changes in the structure of the school year.



    As of autumn, the current semesters will be replaced by five learning modules, which will be separated by the same number of holidays. Courses are scheduled to begin earlier on September 5 and end on June 16. The announcement was made by education minister Sorin Cîmpeanu, who gave assurances that the decision was made after consultations with experts and following dialogue with the representatives of teachers, parents and students.



    Sorin Cîmpeanu: “The agreed proposal was for school to begin on September 5, with a first learning module. After a period of a several weeks, on October 24, students will go on holiday, between October 24-30, this being their first holiday, a holiday for all students. This holiday is followed by the second learning module, which will run until around the winter holidays, so the second holiday will start on December 23rd and end on January 8th. Then follows module three, which will start on January 9th. And, for the first time, this module will run until February, when we will have the 3rd holiday; so, it’s a mobile one-week holiday in February, either on the second, third, or fourth week. After the February holiday follows the fourth module, which will run until around the Easter holidays. The holiday is scheduled for the period April 8-23. The last learning module is the 5th, which runs until June 16.



    It all started from the need to alternate learning modules of 6-7-8 weeks with rest modules, as required by modern pedagogy, says the minister. And the changes go on. Minister Sorin Cimpeanu added that the regulations on the organization and functioning of pre-university education would be revised in the sense of eliminating the compulsory written semester test papers. In another development, the minister announced that approximately 1,400 schools would be financed with 190 million Euros through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.



    They finalized the selection process of the schools that would benefit, in a first stage, from funding through the National Program for Reducing School Dropout, an important component of the ‘Educated Romania’ project, minister Sorin Cimpeanu explained. Most of the funded schools will be in the rural areas. Digitization will play a key role in the teaching-learning process; the classic style, of writing with chalk on the board will be replaced by smart, interactive boards, which is a radical change in Romanian schools, the education minister concluded. (LS)

  • Changes in the structure of the school year

    Changes in the structure of the school year

    It has become almost impossible to evaluate the successive reforms in the Romanian education system. Some of the reform projects promised to improve the system but were not completed because the reform promoters were the victims of political change. Not to mention the recent pandemic that has turned everything upside down. Now, the education ministry has announced changes in the structure of the school year.



    As of autumn, the current semesters will be replaced by five learning modules, which will be separated by the same number of holidays. Courses are scheduled to begin earlier on September 5 and end on June 16. The announcement was made by education minister Sorin Cîmpeanu, who gave assurances that the decision was made after consultations with experts and following dialogue with the representatives of teachers, parents and students.



    Sorin Cîmpeanu: “The agreed proposal was for school to begin on September 5, with a first learning module. After a period of a several weeks, on October 24, students will go on holiday, between October 24-30, this being their first holiday, a holiday for all students. This holiday is followed by the second learning module, which will run until around the winter holidays, so the second holiday will start on December 23rd and end on January 8th. Then follows module three, which will start on January 9th. And, for the first time, this module will run until February, when we will have the 3rd holiday; so, it’s a mobile one-week holiday in February, either on the second, third, or fourth week. After the February holiday follows the fourth module, which will run until around the Easter holidays. The holiday is scheduled for the period April 8-23. The last learning module is the 5th, which runs until June 16.



    It all started from the need to alternate learning modules of 6-7-8 weeks with rest modules, as required by modern pedagogy, says the minister. And the changes go on. Minister Sorin Cimpeanu added that the regulations on the organization and functioning of pre-university education would be revised in the sense of eliminating the compulsory written semester test papers. In another development, the minister announced that approximately 1,400 schools would be financed with 190 million Euros through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.



    They finalized the selection process of the schools that would benefit, in a first stage, from funding through the National Program for Reducing School Dropout, an important component of the ‘Educated Romania’ project, minister Sorin Cimpeanu explained. Most of the funded schools will be in the rural areas. Digitization will play a key role in the teaching-learning process; the classic style, of writing with chalk on the board will be replaced by smart, interactive boards, which is a radical change in Romanian schools, the education minister concluded. (LS)

  • European plan for refugees

    European plan for refugees

    The European interior ministers, meeting in Brussels in a special Council meeting, on Monday approved a ten-point plan for a better coordination in relation to the Ukrainian refugees. The plan envisages the immediate creation of a temporary registration platform for those entering the Union, the development of refugee transport centers, the mapping of reception capacities in the Member States and the establishment of a needs index in each European country. At the same time, based on indications related to the danger of human trafficking, the European multidisciplinary platform against the threat of organized crime has been activated, and Europol supports the authorities of the EU countries in this field.



    According to European Commissioner Ylva Johansson, about 3.8 million people so far, mostly women, children, and old people have fled the Russian offensive in Ukraine. The number of daily arrivals in the European Union has decreased from 200 thousand, which was the peak of the refugee influx, to about 40 thousand, at present. Most people have chosen to take refuge in Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic, which is why Ms Ylva Johansson believes that refugees should be encouraged to also choose other European countries as their destinations.



    There are no allocation quotas, and, at the moment, the talks between the EU member states to take some of the burden off the shoulders of the states, including non-EU states, bordering Ukraine, are based solely on volunteering. Thus, France, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have already offered to take over almost 15,000 refugees from the small and poor Republic of Moldova, overwhelmed by the huge influx of Ukrainians.



    Almost 600,000 people have entered Romania, which is also neighboring Ukraine, but most of them only to transit towards Western Europe. Against the background of the support actions undertaken by the Romanian State, on Monday, the Romanian Senate adopted an emergency ordinance that establishes the granting of humanitarian support and assistance to foreign citizens from Ukraine in special situations. The decision-making body in this case is the Chamber of Deputies.



    Meanwhile, European Commissioners continue to pay visits to Bucharest. Early this week, European Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, came to Bucharest to talk to the Romanian authorities about the integration of refugees on the labor market, in the school system, and also about social and health insurance. The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, requested, during his meeting with the European Commissioner, flexibility regarding the unused financial resources in the period 2014-2020, so that they can be used for the management of the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Actually, the European Commission intends to provide up to 17 billion Euros, part of which comes from unused budget funds in the above-mentioned financial year, for the countries that take over the most refugees. (LS)

  • Economic support for the Republic of Moldova

    Economic support for the Republic of Moldova

    An avowed supporter of Chișinău, Bucharest last week took another step towards helping the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian speaking population) on its European accession path, which is the only way able to ensure the republics stability, prosperity, economic and social development. The Romanian government on Friday approved the agreement on the non-reimbursable financial aid worth 100 million Euros agreed upon with the Moldovan government in a joint meeting last month.



    The prime minister Nicolae Ciuca explains: “In this way, the non-reimbursable financial assistance of 100 million Euros can be accessed by the Moldovan Government, an agreement that supports the Republic of Moldovas efforts for development and reforms, and also its European accession efforts.



    The money is to be used for building water and sewerage networks and for rehabilitating educational and cultural institutions, especially in the rural areas. The projects that will be financed with this money will create new jobs and will be able to restore people’s confidence in the perspective of building a future at home, show the Moldovan authorities. This agreement is, practically, the instrument through which we intend to support the firm, solid connection of the Republic of Moldova to the European space, through roads and bridges, through electricity and gas networks, through rural development projects, the Romanian prime minister explained.



    At the same time, PM Ciucă went on to say, the agreements aimed at building a bridge over the Prut River, at Ungheni, which will connect with the Târgu Neamţ – Iaşi – Ungheni highway, respectively at consolidating the border road bridge between Galați and Giurgiulești have a strong practical and symbolic significance on the relationship between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.



    Bucharest’s support for Chisinau is channeled into several directions. One direction, is, for instance, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Romania and the Republic of Moldova on cooperation in the field of energy security, as well as the agreement that provides for the reduction of roaming tariffs and tariffs for international telephone calls between the two countries. Another instance of support is the decision of the Romanian Education Ministry to grant 2,550 scholarships for pre-university and university education to the Republic of Moldova, annually, until 2026. Official data show that Romania is the first trading partner of the Republic of Moldova and one of its main investors. The volume of trade for 2021 stands at 2.4 billion USD, a record in bilateral relations, and the policy of the two sister countries is to fully turn to good account the huge potential for cooperation. (LS)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    We start with football. Coach Edward Iordănescu started with a defeat at the helm of the Romanian national football team. On Friday, in Bucharest, the Romanian footballers were defeated 1 – 0 by the Greek national team, in a friendly match. The only goal of the match was scored by Andreas Bouchalakis, in the 39th minute. Playing for the first time for the national eleven were Octavian Popescu, from FCSB, and Radu Drăguşin, who is under a contract with Juventus Turin and was borrowed by Salernitana.



    The campaign to prepare for the League of Nations matches continues on Tuesday, with a friendly match with the Israeli team, scheduled for Netanya. Two of the main members of the Romanian team, Alexandru Maxim and Mario Camora, will miss this game, as announced on Sunday by the Romanian Football Federation. Maxim was severely affected by a respiratory virus infection, and Camora suffered from muscle problems. The two join four other footballers, namely Răzvan Marin, Alexandru Mitriţă, Deian Sorescu and Florin Tănase, who left the training program and isolated themselves, after having tested positive for Covid-19 the day following the match with Greece.



    Now news from tennis. Romania was left without representatives at the WTA 1000 tennis tournament in Miami, with prizes up for grabs worth 8,300,000 dollars. The last Romanian in the competition, Irina Begu, was defeated, in the third round, by the Belarusian Aleksandra Sasnovici, with 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, on Saturday, after three hours of play. In the second round, Begu had passed the main favorite of the tournament, Arina Sabalenka, also from Belarus.



    Let’s move on to women’s handball. Minaur Baia Mare has taken a big step towards the semifinals of the European League. On Saturday, the Maramures team defeated, at home, in the first round of the quarterfinals, the Norwegian team Sola, 40 to 32. The second round will be played on Sunday, in Stavanger. In the previous edition, Minaur hosted the tournament, which included the semifinals and the final of the competition, ranking 3rd. In another game from the first leg of the quarterfinals, played on Sunday, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea was defeated, at home, by the Danish team Herning – Ikaast with the score 39-33. The return game will take place on Saturday in Denmark.



    Romania’s national rally champion, Simone Tempestini, was ranked 4th on Sunday in the Azores Rally, the second stage of the European Rally Championship. According to the Romanian Motor Sports Federation, Tempestini achieved Romania’s best result in the modern era of the European Rally Championship. (LS)


    And that was all from Sports roundup, you can also find this sports item on the Internet, on RRIs webpage and Facebook profile.

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    We start with football. Coach Edward Iordănescu started with a defeat at the helm of the Romanian national football team. On Friday, in Bucharest, the Romanian footballers were defeated 1 – 0 by the Greek national team, in a friendly match. The only goal of the match was scored by Andreas Bouchalakis, in the 39th minute. Playing for the first time for the national eleven were Octavian Popescu, from FCSB, and Radu Drăguşin, who is under a contract with Juventus Turin and was borrowed by Salernitana.



    The campaign to prepare for the League of Nations matches continues on Tuesday, with a friendly match with the Israeli team, scheduled for Netanya. Two of the main members of the Romanian team, Alexandru Maxim and Mario Camora, will miss this game, as announced on Sunday by the Romanian Football Federation. Maxim was severely affected by a respiratory virus infection, and Camora suffered from muscle problems. The two join four other footballers, namely Răzvan Marin, Alexandru Mitriţă, Deian Sorescu and Florin Tănase, who left the training program and isolated themselves, after having tested positive for Covid-19 the day following the match with Greece.



    Now news from tennis. Romania was left without representatives at the WTA 1000 tennis tournament in Miami, with prizes up for grabs worth 8,300,000 dollars. The last Romanian in the competition, Irina Begu, was defeated, in the third round, by the Belarusian Aleksandra Sasnovici, with 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, on Saturday, after three hours of play. In the second round, Begu had passed the main favorite of the tournament, Arina Sabalenka, also from Belarus.



    Let’s move on to women’s handball. Minaur Baia Mare has taken a big step towards the semifinals of the European League. On Saturday, the Maramures team defeated, at home, in the first round of the quarterfinals, the Norwegian team Sola, 40 to 32. The second round will be played on Sunday, in Stavanger. In the previous edition, Minaur hosted the tournament, which included the semifinals and the final of the competition, ranking 3rd. In another game from the first leg of the quarterfinals, played on Sunday, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea was defeated, at home, by the Danish team Herning – Ikaast with the score 39-33. The return game will take place on Saturday in Denmark.



    Romania’s national rally champion, Simone Tempestini, was ranked 4th on Sunday in the Azores Rally, the second stage of the European Rally Championship. According to the Romanian Motor Sports Federation, Tempestini achieved Romania’s best result in the modern era of the European Rally Championship. (LS)


    And that was all from Sports roundup, you can also find this sports item on the Internet, on RRIs webpage and Facebook profile.

  • March 25, 2022

    March 25, 2022

    Meeting — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis had a bilateral meeting with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday on the sidelines of the European Council meeting. The two talked about further strengthening bilateral relations, with a focus on economic and energy cooperation, as well as on Romanias accession to the Schengen area. ‘We continue coordination in relation to the security situation and the ways to help the refugees from Ukraine, Klaus Iohannis wrote on Twitter. Romania’s President attended the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday. On the first day of the meeting, he met with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Kiril Petkov. Talks with the Bulgarian official focused on coordinating the security situation in the region, helping Ukrainian refugees, deepening economic and energy cooperation and accelerating interconnectivity between the two countries. On Thursday, Klaus Iohannis also attended the Extraordinary NATO Summit.



    Aid – The Romanian government is to approve, in todays meeting, a non-reimbursable aid for the neighboring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet with a majority Romanian-speaking population) worth 100 million Euros. In this way Romania wants to support the authorities from the neighboring state in carrying out development projects and reforms in several fields. Another law in the focus of the government is meant to increase the energy performance of apartment buildings through modernization and rehabilitation works. Another two government decisions provide for the allocation to the state budget of a 50 % share of the profit of the National Company Romgaz and of the National Company Transelectrica, profits remaining after the payment of taxes. The government also wants to approve the budgets for this year for the Bucharest Underground company, CFR Călători and CFR Marfă — the railway passenger and freight transport companies and for the “Mihail Kogălniceanu” International Airport in Constanţa. Also in todays session, the National Health Programs will be approved, including those for HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis and for Mental Health and Organ Transplants.



    Working group – The United States and the European Union announced on Friday the setting up of a working group that will aim to reduce Europes dependence on Russias fossil energy resources due to Moscows war against Ukraine, AFP reports. The US is expected to supply the European Union with an additional 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this year as part of an initiative announced by US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Both the NATO and G7 summits were held in the Belgian capital on Thursday, with the participation of US President Joe Biden. NATO has decided to provide additional assistance to Ukraine and continue to strengthen the eastern flank by sending four new multinational combat groups to Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia.



    Refugees — Nearly 10 thousand Ukrainian citizens entered Romania on Thursday, the Border Police General Inspectorate reported. At national level, a total of 58,700 people entered Romania through border crossing points. More than 5,300 Ukrainian citizens entered the border with Ukraine (increasing by 9.9%), and through the cross-border points with the Republic of Moldova – 2,900 (increasing by 7.9%). Since the start of this crisis until Thursday, at midnight, at national level, 537,548 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania.



    Ukraine — The Ukrainian armys counterattacks and the difficulties of the Russian forces in relation to their supply lines have allowed Ukraine to reoccupy cities and defensive positions up to 35 kilometers east of the capital Kyiv, the UK Ministry of Defense was quoted by EFE as saying on Friday. The Ukrainian forces are likely to continue trying to push the Russian army along the northwest axis between Kyiv and the Hostomel airfield, about 70 kilometers from the capital, according to British intelligence services which have data from the ground. In southern Ukraine, the Russian forces are still trying to bypass the city of Mikolaiv (Nikolaiev) in an effort to advance westward in the direction of Odessa, according to the British Ministry of Defense. However, their progress is slowed by logistical problems and Ukrainian resistance. The humanitarian situation in the besieged city of Mariupol continues to deteriorate, while Russia is blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid, the city mayor said. Most of the city is now in ruins. About 100,000 people remain stranded in Mariupol, and the large-scale evacuation efforts have failed.



    Warsaw – US President Joe Biden will travel to Poland, a NATO member country, where he will meet with Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. He will visit Rzeszow, a town 80 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The American leader will be received by Polish President Andrzej Duda at the airport of this city located two and a half hours from Lvov, the main city in western Ukraine. Joe Biden will be briefed on “the humanitarian response to alleviate the suffering of civilians in Ukraine and to respond to the growing influx of refugees fleeing the war that Putin has chosen,” the White House said. The US president will then meet with US troops stationed in the region and which “contribute, along with our Polish ally, to NATOs deterrence efforts on its eastern flank.” On Friday evening, he will travel to Warsaw, where he will have more consistent talks with his Polish counterpart on Saturday. This two-day visit to Poland comes after an extraordinary diplomatic marathon in Brussels, where Joe Biden attended NATO, G7 and EU summits, praising Western unity in response to Moscow, one month after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. In Brussels, Joe Biden claimed that NATO “has never, ever been so united”. (LS)

  • March 24, 2022 UPDATE

    March 24, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO – Attending the extraordinary NATO
    summit on Thursday, in Brussels, the heads of state and government of the 30
    member states approved 4 new combat groups in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and
    Hungary. These will supplement the already existing 4 groups in the Baltic
    countries and Poland. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that
    defense at sea and in the air will be strengthened, cyber security will be
    strengthened, and the Ukrainian army will be equipped with anti-tank and
    anti-missile systems, as well as with equipment for the detection and protection
    against nuclear and chemical weapons. He said no troops would be sent to the
    former Soviet republic. The allies are doing what they can to support Ukraine
    with weapons so that the Ukrainians can defend themselves, but ‘we have a
    responsibility to prevent it from becoming a war in Europe’, Jens Stoltenberg
    said. On the other hand, NATO has urged China not to support Moscow
    economically or militarily. At the same time, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was
    condemned in the strongest possible terms, the Alliance calling on the Russian
    President Vladimir Putin to end the war immediately, and requesting Belarus to
    end its complicity. Present in Brussels, together with Prime Minister Nicolae
    Ciuca, President Klaus Iohannis underlined that boosting NATO’s presence in Romania,
    the Black Sea and the entire Eastern Flank is a strategic objective of Romania,
    in response to the implications of the Russian aggression on the European and
    Euro-Atlantic security, and this consolidated presence must be unified,
    balanced and coherent, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. US President Joe
    Biden was also present at the summit, the second extraordinary summit of the
    North Atlantic Alliance this year, after the one on February 25.

    European Council – Romania’s president
    Klaus Iohannis is attending, on Thursday and Friday, the European Council meeting
    in Brussels. The US President Joe Biden has also been invited at the meeting as
    a confirmation of the tight Transatlantic coordination against the security
    background created by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. High on the agenda are
    the latest security developments in Ukraine with emphasis on the EU political,
    financial, material and humanitarian assistance to this country. Participants
    will also tackle ways of providing assistance to the Ukrainian refugees, as
    well as the Strategic Compass, an instrument aimed at providing a roadmap in
    terms of security and defense at EU level. The European Council will also approach
    the energy prices situation and the measures to support the most vulnerable
    categories and the business environment, on short term.


    Ukraine – The United States announced further
    financial sanctions against Russia on Thursday, targeting the political world,
    the oligarchs and the defense industry in response to the invasion of Ukraine,
    and is strengthening coordination with Western allies to prevent Moscow from
    using its gold reserves, AFP reports. These measures, which mainly involve a
    freeze of their assets in the United States, involve more than 300 members of
    the State Duma and the institution itself, as well as dozens of ‘large public
    companies’ in the defense sector. Also on Thursday, the Russians and Ukrainians
    exchanged prisoners, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereşciuk announced
    on Facebook. On the ground, almost a month after the start of the Russian
    invasion of Ukraine, fighting continues, and the damage is growing, as are the
    casualties. Kharkov (northeast), the country’s second most important city, was
    bombarded again. In Kherson (south), Makariv and Irpin (near Kyiv), the
    Ukrainians regained key positions. Russian bombs continue to fall on Kyiv,
    Nikolaev (south) and Chernihiv (center). In Odessa (Black Sea port) barricades
    are being erected and aid is being distributed. However, the most dramatic
    situation remains in Mariupol (port at the Sea of ​​Azov), a city bombed
    incessantly for days on end and 90% destroyed. On the other hand, Ukraine
    allegedly managed to hit with a ballistic missile a large landing ship of
    Russian forces in the coastal city of Berdyansk (Sea of ​​Azov). Near the
    landing ship, two other large Russian ships were allegedly hit and left the
    port immediately.


    G 7
    – The leaders of the world’s most industrialized countries (G7) – US, UK,
    Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada – meeting in Brussels on Thursday, warned
    Russia not to use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons in its war against
    Ukraine, according to a statement released at the end of the meeting. All
    countries are ready to receive refugees from Ukraine, the statement read. As
    regards energy, leaders are urging oil and gas-producing countries to act
    responsibly and increase deliveries to international markets, adding that the
    Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) should get involved.
    They also promised that G7 member countries would avoid bans on food exports.


    Corruption – The former Romanian
    Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu was sentenced, on Thursday, by the High
    Court of Cassation and Justice to 8 years and 6 months in prison for bribe
    taking and influence peddling, in a case related to the assignment of a
    contract for the rehabilitation of some railway sections. In the same case, the
    former MP Cristian Boureanu received a sentence of 4 years and 3 months (previously
    he had been given a suspended sentence). The decision of the magistrates is not
    final. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, in the period 2005-2017, a
    foreign company paid approximately 20 million Euros, as commissions, to
    Romanian officials or persons with influence over them, in connection with the
    conclusion and execution of contracts for railway rehabilitation. According to the
    National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Sebastian Vladescu received the amount of
    2.2 million Euros, and Cristian Boureanu obtained 2.1 million Euros. (LS)

  • Ab Sonntag neue Frequenzen auf der Kurzwelle

    Ab Sonntag neue Frequenzen auf der Kurzwelle

    Das Programm in deutscher Sprache von RRI für Mittel- und Westeuropa wird täglich auf der Kurzwelle ausgestrahlt. Unsere Morgensendung ist um 06.00 Uhr UTC, auf den Frequenzen 7325 Kilohertz (DRM) und 9700 Kilohertz zu empfangen.


    Nachmittags senden wir um 14.00 Uhr UTC, auf den Frequenzen 9600 Kilohertz und 11880 Kilohertz.


    Unsere letzte Sendung gibt es um 18.00 Uhr UTC auf den Frequenzen 9570 Kiloherz und 7245 Kilohertz (DRM) .

  • La radio publique roumaine face à la guerre en Ukraine

    La radio publique roumaine face à la guerre en Ukraine

    Dans l’actuel contexte international grave, généré par la guerre en Ukraine, la Radio publique roumaine s’engage à être une source principale d’informations importantes, vérifiées et diffusées en temps réel tant pour le public de Roumanie que pour celui du monde.

    Dès le premier jour du conflit russo-ukrainien, l’activité sur les ondes et en ligne de la Société roumaine de radiodiffusion prouve encore une fois la responsabilité de la Radio de réaliser sa mission et le respect accordé à tous les auditeurs de la chaîne publique.

    C’est justement dans le contexte humanitaire actuel qu’afin de faciliter l’accès des citoyens ukrainiens réfugiés en Roumanie ou qui transitent notre pays aux informations en langue ukrainienne que les antennes locales des régions frontalières de l’Ukraine – Radio Sighet, Radio Iaşi et Radio Constanţa, mais aussi l’antenne basée dans la capitale de la République de Moldova voisine, Radio Chişinău – diffusent trois bulletins informatifs en langue ukrainienne réalisées par Radio Roumanie Internationale. Ces journaux peuvent être écoutés à 9 h 00, 14 h 00 et 18 h 00 heure locale à Constanţa et Iaşi, à 6 h 00, 11 h 00 et 14 h 00 à Sighet et à 10 h 00, 15 h 00 et 20 h 00 à Chişinău. Radio Sighet propose du lundi au vendredi des émissions contenant des informations, des messages et des témoignages transmis par les ressortissants ukrainiens entrés sur le territoire de la Roumanie. S’y ajoutent des informations à l’intention des réfugiés insérées dans les programmes en langue ukrainienne des antennes régionales : Radio Cluj – tous les dimanches de 7 h 00 à 7 h 20, Radio Timișoara – également dimanche de 18 h 00 à 19 h 00, Radio Resița – les lundis, de 20 h 15 à 20 h 40 et Radio Iași – les jeudis de 20 h 30 à 21 h 00.

    Radio Roumanie Internationale propose sur ondes courtes, en livestream sur Internet et à la demande sur le site www.rri.ro ainsi que sur SoundCloud, 3 émissions en langue ukrainienne à 18 h 00, 20 h 00 et 22 h 00 heure de Bucarest ainsi que 26 minutes d’émission quotidienne ciblée sur les communautés roumaines d’Ukraine et les communautés ukrainiennes de Roumanie, une de ces émissions étant diffusée aussi par Radio Tchernivtsi.

    La Radio publique ukrainienne peut être écoutée en streaming live sur les sites de la Société roumaine de radiodiffusion et de l’agence de presse RADOR, http://www.srr.ro, http://rador.ro.

    Depuis jeudi, le 24 février, Radio România Actualități (Radio Roumanie Actualités), soit l’antenne nationale, peut être écoutée aussi sur ondes courtes, sur la fréquence 153 KHz .

    Sur sa page Facebook, Radio Roumanie Actualités suit en temps réel, 24 heures sur 24, l’évolution de la situation en Ukraine. Ce livestream vidéo est non seulement le résultat des efforts de Radio Roumanie Actualités, mais toutes les antennes régionales de la Société roumaine de radiodiffusion y contribuent. Depuis le début du conflit, la Radio publique a accru le nombre de correspondants locaux dans les zones frontalières de l’Ukraine et envoyé des journalistes à Tchernivtsi et Ismaïl. S’y ajoutent les correspondants de la Radio publique roumaine à Moscou, Rome, Tel Aviv, Paris, Londres, Valence, Barcelone et Helsinki.

    L’agence de presse RADOR suit constamment les événements et émet un flux d’informations issu de plus de 200 sources étrangères. RADOR a introduit sur son site www.rador.ro une section en anglais appelée « Romania for Ukraine », qui utilise les informations transmises par les postes régionaux. Les campagnes et les projets spéciaux de solidarité avec le peuple ukrainien de la Radio publique, lancées dès les premiers jours du conflit, ont immédiatement attiré l’attention internationale, étant reprises par les réseaux de l’Union européenne de radio-télévision (UER), de l’Union de radio-télévision Asie-Pacifique (ABU) et de l’Union radiophonique et télévisuelle internationale (URTI), pour toucher un public potentiel dans plus de 150 Etats d’Europe et de la région Asie – Pacifique.

    « Prière pour la paix » est un projet initié par Radio Roumanie Culture et repris par la majorité des institutions culturelles de Roumanie et de la République de Moldova – théâtres, opéras, philharmonies, musées, cinémas et librairies. Il s’agit d’un appel de la Radio publique roumaine à la solidarité, à l’empathie et à la compassion à l’égard de la tragédie de la guerre en Ukraine. Le message a été transmis par la poète Ana Blandiana, qui a récité un court fragment de la préface du livre « Les derniers témoins » de l’écrivaine née en Ukraine Svetlana Aleksievitch, lauréate du prix Nobel de littérature.

    « Stop à la guerre en Ukraine – Ode pour la paix », l’initiative de la chaîne Radio Roumanie Musique dans le cadre de laquelle plus de 50 radios de musique classique membres de l’Union européenne de radio-télévision ont diffusé intégralement ou des fragments la 9e symphonie par Beethoven. « Par le biais de l’initiative de la Radio publique roumaine d’avoir une transmission commune d’un nombre significatif de chaînes de musique classique, les organisations radio de l’UER prouvent à nouveau le pouvoir de la musique d’apporter réconfort, compassion et soutien. Construire une multitude de liens entre les gens, auditeurs de radio et musiciens du monde, est toujours à la base de nos valeurs en tant que service public », a déclaré Jean Philip De Tender, Directeur général adjoint et Directeur média de l’Union européenne de radio-télévision.« Solidaires avec l’Ukraine – ensemble pour les mères et les enfants » et « Radio Iaşi sur les fréquences de la solidarité » sont deux campagnes humanitaires de collecte de dons initiées et déroulées par Radio Reșița et respectivement Radio Iași.

    Et pas en dernier lieu, la campagne de don de sang initiée par le gouvernement roumain pour l’Ukraine est soutenue par toutes les chaînes de la Société roumaine de radiodiffusion.

  • Romanian support for the Ukrainian refugees

    Romanian support for the Ukrainian refugees

    Almost 400,000 Ukrainian citizens have taken refuge in Romania since the onset of Russias attacks on Ukraine. Refugees started to appear at several cross-border points along the common border spanning almost 650 kilometers on the very first day of the invasion, February 24, especially in the north, as they were trying to enter Romania through the Maramureș and Moldavia regions. Fewer refugees were reported at the eastern border, at the mouths of the Danube River. In these border areas, the refugees were immediately received by the locals who, mobilizing instantly and instinctively, hurried to help them and offer them food and shelter. Then, the civil society representatives came in, alongside the official institutions. They set up tents, collected first necessity items, and provided information and transport to those who only wanted to transit Romania.



    The Romanian National Council for Refugees has been there since February 24, to offer their expertise, says Ana Cojocaru, the representative of this organization: “My colleagues are currently on the ground, we are present at numerous cross-border points. We are an NGO specializing in legal expertise. Therefore, all we can do is provide information and counseling, and, if necessary, counseling on the asylum procedure in the case of those people who want the protection of the Romanian state. We also have two operational telephone lines on which we can be contacted at any time, during the day or at night. We receive tens or hundreds of calls per day on these lines. We are also present in all the refugee centers in the country that are subordinated to the Interior Ministry, more precisely to the General Inspectorate for Immigration.”



    Many of the questions regarding the stationing on and crossing of the Romanian territory were centralized, in several foreign languages, on the dopomoha.ro website, a project supported by public institutions in collaboration with non-governmental associations. In addition, due to the seriousness of the situation, many of the formalities for entering Romania have been simplified.



    But it wasnt like that from the beginning, Ana Cojocaru explains: “The questions we receive are mainly related to how to enter and transit Romania. Indeed, Romania has not had to deal with such large inflows of people in recent history. It was somehow natural to have to make little adjustments in the process, but I think we are now on the right track and there is more and more clarity and coordination between the state and civil society and between state institutions in general.”



    However, what was most impressive was the quick response and empathy of ordinary Romanians towards refugees. Ana Cojocaru from the Romanian National Council for Refugees has more: “No one could have anticipated this extraordinary response from the civil society, from individuals, in general, and from border communities. There are many initiatives of NGOs and the state that are meant to support people displaced from Ukraine. And the response capacity is extraordinary. Let me give you an example: on Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. I was looking for a solution for a group of 14 people, some of whom were children, and I found an accommodation solution for them in 10 minutes from another trustworthy person. Of course, we have encountered difficulties, especially at the beginning, because the number of people who wanted to help was so great that a little chaos was created at the main border-crossing points. Meanwhile, information started being gathered, at central level, on all these initiatives. Cells have been set up in those counties with cross-border points to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. And I think we are currently better adjusting the coordination process.”



    Ștefan Mandachi, a local entrepreneur from the Suceava area, is one of the Romanians who, since the first day of war, has helped the refugees. Impressed by the crowd of people who “out of all that they had gathered in a lifetime, grabbed hastily what they could in a bag and ran away with their children and pets, not knowing if they would ever return”, Ștefan Mandachi offered these people free accommodation and meals in his hotels and restaurants.



    Ștefan Mandachi does not know how many people he has helped so far: “I cant give you an exact number right now. I know there are over 200 people every day. For example, one day we had to open another dining room. I think there was a record number of people then, about 300 or so. Every day, more than 200 people come for accommodation. We have eventually set up a call center, we made a team and through this formula we have managed to identify what people need: apartments, transport, short-, medium- and long-term stays. At present, one of our priorities is to be able to take these people to their places of accommodation, or transport them to Europe, wherever they might want to go.”



    As expected, refugees are sad and desperate. Stefan Mandachi explains: ”I guess everyone realizes that people coming from Ukraine are in a very bad state. They get a better mood only when their children start playing. We tried to organize some games, to divert their attention from the war. When the parents, in fact the mothers, because the fathers remained in Ukraine, see their children smiling, they can loosen up a bit. But obviously, there is a lot of tension among the entire Ukrainian community and not only, because there are refugees of other nationalities, such as Nigerians, Indians and Moroccans who were studying in Kyiv.”



    Neither Ștefan Mandachi, nor the other NGOs would be able to cope without the contribution of volunteers, ordinary Romanians who have come to the rescue of the refugees as best as they could.



    Stefan Mandachi has details: “Weve put together a great team of volunteers. Many of them are Moldovan and Ukrainian students studying at a university in Suceava. They came in large numbers. They are doing their job very diligently and with great passion. They are very passionate, which is an inspiration for us too. I didnt know about 90% of them, I had never seen them before. They had come from nearby communes such as Salcia and Bihoreni. I didnt know them, but they were very happy and behaved as if we had known each other for a lifetime. They all came here to volunteer.”



    Unfortunately, as the war in Ukraine seems to continue, the number of refugees is going to increase, and the process of providing help should be more and more efficient. (LS)

  • Europeans cooperate to help Ukrainian patients

    Europeans cooperate to help Ukrainian patients

    The EU countries will coordinate their actions to provide medical care to the wounded and chronically ill Ukrainian refugees, by setting up field hospitals in Ukraine’s neighboring countries and ensuring the transfer of critically ill patients to hospitals in the west of Europe. This is the conclusion of the video conference of the health ministers convened by France, in its capacity as president of the EU Council. The 27 have decided that medicines and medical supplies will continue to arrive from across the EU to the countries neighboring Ukraine, to reduce the pressure on their hospitals. Preparations are also underway for the setting up of field hospitals in Poland, for the time being.



    At the same time, the European Commission has announced that it will set up patient health assessment points at the Union’s borders. The EC considers it crucial that the national health systems, especially of the countries bordering Ukraine, which are facing an unprecedented influx of refugees, should not be overwhelmed. According to European officials, 10,000 beds in hospitals from European countries are ready to receive patients, especially sick children, mothers with babies, people in need of emergency care and resuscitation, such as the injured or severely burned, and also other chronic patients. A first group of sick refugee children has already been sent from Poland to Italy and, according to the ministers, other transfers will follow.



    In turn, Paris has announced that the first Ukrainian patients will arrive in France by the end of the week. Moreover, the European ministers have decided to provide refugees with psychological assistance, needed in these situations. Authorities in European countries will soon create conditions, in the refugee reception centers, for the refugees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, given that, according to official figures, only one in three Ukrainians is vaccinated. The Ukrainian children can also be vaccinated, depending on their age, against other diseases, such as tuberculosis, measles or polio, the European officials said, adding that the rate of vaccination in Ukraine has been very low for several diseases which can be prevented by immunization, especially in the case of children.



    In this context, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has warned the countries receiving refugees from Ukraine on the large number of infections with dangerous bacteria, resistant to antibiotics, registered in that country and on the risk of their transmission. Estimates by the UN Refugee Agency show that, three weeks after the onset of the Russian invasion, the number of Ukrainians who fled the country neared three million, half of them being children. And their number will certainly increase. In Bucharest, the Romania health minister, Alexandru Rafila, announces that, at present, there are no problems in providing medical assistance to the Ukrainians who are on the territory of Romania. Moreover, a system has been developed through which Ukrainians can benefit from the full range of health services, just like the Romanian patients. (LS)