Radio România Internațional

Tag: RRI

  • Initiatives for refugee children

    Initiatives for refugee children

    Romanians have massively mobilized to help Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country these days. Many of them are children, and the Romanian authorities, NGOs and ordinary people have turned their attention to them. Moreover, recently the executive director of UNICEF, Catherine Russel, has met, in Bucharest, with the Romanian officials and visited the border points, as these are areas where the situation generated by the Russian military invasion of Ukraine is managed, areas with Ukrainian refugees, the main concern being the situation of children.



    A first Blue Dot center is a first Blue Dot center operational in Sighetu Marmației customs, center set up by UNICEF and the local authorities and NGOs, especially for refugee children and their families. In this center, UNICEF provides integrated services such as family reunification and reconnection, mother and child spaces, blankets, warm clothing, sanitary kits, toys, and baby food and hygiene products, psychological therapy and first aid. In a meeting of the Romanian education minister, Sorin Cîmpeanu, with the head of the UNICEF mission in Romania, Pieter Bult, the latter said he was impressed by the mobilization of Romanians in this regard, seeking to support refugees and especially children. He gave assurances that UNICEF will work with all stakeholders in Romania to support children and their families.



    ‘Children are always the most vulnerable, we know that, but when it comes to conflict, children are even more vulnerable. There are more than 7.5 million children in Ukraine and many of them have been directly affected by this conflict. Some had to leave their homes in Ukraine. They crossed the border to neighboring states, including Romania. Pieter Bult said.



    Education minister Sorin Cîmpeanu announced that Romania has already taken a series of measures to integrate in the education system the 18,000 Ukrainian minors who have taken refuge in our country so far. Sorin Cîmpeanu: “We have 45 schools and 10 high schools with tuition in Ukrainian in 8 counties of Romania. There are many teachers in these schools who can teach in Ukrainian.



    For example, in Timiş County, 360 places are available in educational units, where refugee children from Ukraine can be received, from preschoolers to high school students. 8 localities with a Ukrainian-speaking population have been chosen. In Suceava County as well, refugee children can go to kindergarten or schools with tuition in Ukrainian. The county authorities announce that there are volunteer teachers and schools in the Ukrainian language. In addition, young refugees from Ukraine will be able to attend university courses in Romania, and the funding will be from the state budget. The Romanian university system is open to young Ukrainian refugees in our country – the education minister announced, explaining that they can enroll at any time after submitting an application and obtaining the approval of the respective university. (LS)

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    There are two stages left in the 2022 edition of the Rugby Europe Championship competition, Europes second most important rugby championship. In the final, on March 20, we will know the two teams that are directly qualified to next year’s World Cup to be held in France. The two teams will be the first two in the cumulative ranking of the 2021 and 2022 editions. At the moment, Georgia is on the first place, with 31 points from 7 matches. It is followed by Spain, with 25 points, Romania, with 22 points, and Portugal, with 21 points, all from 8 matches.



    Fighting for the second place will be the three above-mentioned teams, given that Russia was suspended from international rugby competitions, as announced by World Rugby, the world governing body for the sport of rugby union, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision was made in the interest of solidarity, integrity and respect for rugby, the international federation writes in a communique.



    The match between Georgia and Russia, which was supposed to take place at the weekend in Tbilisi, was initially postponed, then it was cancelled, just like Russias last two matches against Portugal and the Netherlands, scheduled for March. However, World Rugby did not specify the consequences of this suspension in the qualifying process.



    For Romanias team, the chances to occupy the second place in the final ranking now depend mainly on the result of the game with Georgia, scheduled for March 12, in Bucharest. Last weekend, Stejarii – the Oaks compromised their status as favorites, losing the game played in Madrid with Spain. The Spanish team won 38 to 21, scoring five tries. The Romanian team had a weak game, full of mistakes both in defense and in handling the ball, especially in the first part of the match. However, they scored three tries, two of them by the New Zealand player Hinckley Vaovasa and one by Marius Simionescu.



    The Romanians first try was converted by Ionel Melinte, and the next two, by Daniel Plai. Unfortunately, if they play as they did in Madrid, the Romanian rugbyists have no chance against the Georgians who, in recent years, have not been defeated in the Rugby Europe Championship. Moreover, in the direct matches, Romania has not won since 2017, when they won, in Bucharest, 8 to 7. (LS)

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    There are two stages left in the 2022 edition of the Rugby Europe Championship competition, Europes second most important rugby championship. In the final, on March 20, we will know the two teams that are directly qualified to next year’s World Cup to be held in France. The two teams will be the first two in the cumulative ranking of the 2021 and 2022 editions. At the moment, Georgia is on the first place, with 31 points from 7 matches. It is followed by Spain, with 25 points, Romania, with 22 points, and Portugal, with 21 points, all from 8 matches.



    Fighting for the second place will be the three above-mentioned teams, given that Russia was suspended from international rugby competitions, as announced by World Rugby, the world governing body for the sport of rugby union, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision was made in the interest of solidarity, integrity and respect for rugby, the international federation writes in a communique.



    The match between Georgia and Russia, which was supposed to take place at the weekend in Tbilisi, was initially postponed, then it was cancelled, just like Russias last two matches against Portugal and the Netherlands, scheduled for March. However, World Rugby did not specify the consequences of this suspension in the qualifying process.



    For Romanias team, the chances to occupy the second place in the final ranking now depend mainly on the result of the game with Georgia, scheduled for March 12, in Bucharest. Last weekend, Stejarii – the Oaks compromised their status as favorites, losing the game played in Madrid with Spain. The Spanish team won 38 to 21, scoring five tries. The Romanian team had a weak game, full of mistakes both in defense and in handling the ball, especially in the first part of the match. However, they scored three tries, two of them by the New Zealand player Hinckley Vaovasa and one by Marius Simionescu.



    The Romanians first try was converted by Ionel Melinte, and the next two, by Daniel Plai. Unfortunately, if they play as they did in Madrid, the Romanian rugbyists have no chance against the Georgians who, in recent years, have not been defeated in the Rugby Europe Championship. Moreover, in the direct matches, Romania has not won since 2017, when they won, in Bucharest, 8 to 7. (LS)

  • Romanian authorities to support Ukraine

    Romanian authorities to support Ukraine

    Together with other European states and the US, Romania has decided to help Ukraine with medicines, ammunition and military equipment so that the army can protect the region from the invasion of Russian troops. The first aid, which has already arrived in neighboring Ukraine, was decided a week ago, when the situation had not escalated, by the Committee for Emergency Situations and consisted of medicines and disinfectants. Humanitarian aid had been requested by Kyiv through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. Now, following the entry of the Russian troops into Ukraine, the Romanian Government has decided to grant further aid, worth 3 million Euros, consisting of: fuel, bulletproof vests, helmets, ammunition and military equipment, food, water and medicines.



    The announcement was made by the PM Nicolae Ciuca, after an emergency meeting on the situation in neighboring Ukraine: “We have decided to send to Ukraine a number of materials and equipment, consisting of safety helmets, bulletproof vests, ammunition, food, water and medicines, totaling more than three million euros. We have also decided, together with the members of the government, to go and donate blood, with a view to starting a campaign to help the wounded in the war in Ukraine.



    Moreover, Bucharest has expressed its readiness to treat the injured Ukrainians in Romania. 11 hospitals of the Defense Ministry are ready to receive the wounded brought from the front. The PM Nicolae Ciuca announced that the government in Bucharest is still considering all possibilities to support Ukraine: We have taken several measures at government level and we are continuing to analyze all the possibilities, so that, from an institutional point of view, we should do everything we can, to support the Ukrainian people severely affected by the Russian aggression.



    President Klaus Iohannis wrote in a social network post that “Romania joins its partners in supporting the new sanctions in order to further strengthen the common response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Additional military and humanitarian aid is to be sent to Ukraine.



    And the Defense Ministry states that ‘the transfer of equipment is an element of logistical support, necessary for Ukraine’s efforts to reject the aggression of the Russian Federation, launched on the Ukrainian territory on February 24th. The transfer of these materials to the Ukrainian government is part of the general effort currently made by NATO and EU member states to support Ukraine in defending its territory, independence and integrity against the Russian aggression.



    So far, the NATO countries have announced that they are supporting Ukraine with defensive military equipment worth hundreds of millions of Euros. The US Department of Defense contributes weapons worth 350 million dollars. Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden have also announced their intention to provide aid to Ukraine. (LS)

  • Romania and the crisis in Ukraine

    Romania and the crisis in Ukraine

    Cyber-attacks, espionage activities and fake news phenomena have intensified in Romania, in the current regional context – said the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service – SRI, Eduard Hellvig. Heard in the standing joint committee of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in charge of exercising parliamentary control over SRIs work, Hellvig presented a security analysis from the perspective of SRIs legal responsibilities and in the context of the tense situation in neighboring Ukraine. According to a SRI statement, director Hellvig called for the updating of the national security law package, all the more so as the regional security environment is constantly changing.



    Also in Bucharest, the defense minister Vasile Dîncu said that, in case of an armed conflict, Romania is ready to receive over 500 thousand refugees from Ukraine. “There is a plan in this regard that is being prepared in all major cities, there are areas dedicated to this purpose near the borders” minister Dîncu explained. Romania and the neighboring Ukraine share a common border of more than 600 kilometers.



    The Romanian community in Ukraine numbers over 400 thousand people, most of them concentrated in northern Bukovina, northern and southern Bessarabia and Herța Land, the Romanian territories annexed by the former Stalinist Soviet Union in 1940 and taken over by Ukraine as a successor state in 1991, with the disintegration of the USSR.



    In another development, Romania has decided to send medical products to Ukraine such as analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and disinfectants. The aid is provided through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism and is a response to the request for emergency assistance made by the Kiev administration to the European Commission. Alongside Romania, Austria, France, Ireland and Slovenia will provide community aid to Ukraine. As the geopolitical crisis may worsen the energy crisis, the Romanian authorities have given reassuring signals on this issue.



    A conflict in Ukraine will not cause problems with the gas supply of neighboring Romania, which, with the arrival of spring, can ensure its entire consumption from domestic sources – says the energy minister, Virgil Popescu. The decision-makers, he added, are looking into ways to diversify import routes and are also considering sources of gas other than the intermediaries of Russias energy giant Gazprom.



    The local think tank Expert Forum (EFOR) writes, in its annual report for 2022, that energy prices have risen due to the gas deficit, deliberately deepened by Gazprom since the summer. According to EFOR, the Russian giant has honored its contracts with Europeans at the last minute, emptying its gas storage facilities in Europe since the summer, and has delivered as little gas as possible in the pipelines. In general, Gazproms strategy was to abuse European rules while formally respecting them, just to show that the European rules are faulty – concludes the report written by the Romanian experts. (LS)

  • February 18, 2022 UPDATE

    February 18, 2022 UPDATE

    Coronavirus Ro — In Romania the number of new COVID-19 cases is dropping, while the number of related deaths remains quite high. 14,524 new cases and 135 deaths – of which 10 from the previous days were reported on Friday. The health minister Alexandru Rafila and those in charge of managing the crisis are talking about a gradual relaxation, by fields of activity, which might start in two or three weeks’ time. As to vaccination, more than 8.1 million people have been vaccinated with the first doze, and 2.5 million with the 2nd one.



    Brussels – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday met in Brussels with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The two discussed security developments in the EUs Eastern Neighborhood, the support for the Republic of Moldova’ EU accession, energy security, the package of measures to combat climate change and the enlargement of the Schengen area. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Romanian President’s participation in the 6th European Union-African Union Summit, held on Thursday and Friday in Brussels. President Iohannis underlined that for Romania, education is traditionally an important area of ​​cooperation with Africa. He pointed out that thousands of African citizens are using their skills acquired in Romanian universities to serve their countries and to help build bridges. More than 17,500 young Africans have studied at Romanian universities in the last five years alone, and around 3,500 students from at least 40 African countries are getting enrolled in universities each year. Their presence in Romania enriches the academic life and stimulates a better understanding between the people from the two continents, shows a communiqué of the Romanian Presidential Administration.



    Berlin – The Romanian defense minister, Vasile Dîncu, participates, between February 18-20, in the Munich Security Conference, where talks will focus on the context created by the massive deployment of Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine. According to a Defense Ministry communiqué, the officials will also address issues related to the importance of nuclear security, risk reduction in this area and transparency in terms of disarmament and non-proliferation, for global and regional stability and security. Topics such as climate change and hybrid threats will also be approached. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Munich on Friday that the escalation of clashes in eastern Ukraine was a “challenging scenario” designed by Russia to justify an attack on Ukraine. ‘Although we are doing everything in our power to make it clear that there is a diplomatic way’, ‘we are deeply concerned that this is not the way Russia has embarked on’ the US Secretary of State said.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has failed to qualify to the final of the WTA 500 tournament in Dubai, which has total prizes worth approximately 800 thousand dollars. She was defeated in the semifinals by Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, in three sets: 6 – 2, 6 – 7, 0 – 6. Halep won the Dubai tournament twice, in 2015 and 2020.



    Transports — Three employers organizations of Romanian road haulers are preparing to organize street protests if the Government does not intervene for capping the prices of motor liability insurance (RCA), shows a communiqué issued on Friday by the Confederation of Romanian Authorized Operators and Carriers (COTAR). The president of this confederation, Vasile Ştefănescu, pointed out that the increase in the price of motor liability insurance policies will have the effect of bankrupting the road transport companies, which means that Romania will get blocked. The employers organization recalls that in recent years the Financial Supervisory Authority has identified, on several occasions, violations of the law by insurance companies, increases in tariffs made even after capping, non-transparent tariffs which included all operating costs of insurance companies, although these companies have several business lines. The finance minister, Adrian Câciu, said on Friday that a law that will limit the price of insurance policies for 6 months was put out for public debate, adding that he was convinced that the bill will be adopted by the government as a matter of urgency. (LS)

  • February 17, 2022

    February 17, 2022

    Covid RO — In Romania, the number of Covid-19 cases is dropping for the 5th consecutive day, while the number of deaths remains quite high, according to partial data announced on Thursday by the authorities. Today, 15,374 cases have been reported alongside 125 deaths, 3 of which are from previous days. Almost 1,120 people are in ICUs. In another move, on Wednesday, almost 7,500 people were vaccinated against Covid in 24 hours, of whom a little over 1,200 with the first dose and almost 4,000 with the booster dose – the National Vaccination Committee announced. The National Public Health Institute reports that between February 7 and 13, 50.6% of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in unvaccinated persons.



    Statistics — The National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis has revised downwards to 4.3% Romania’s economic growth forecast for this year, compared to 4.6% as previously estimated, given the inflation shock of the last quarter of last year and the 5th wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The Commission also points out that it did not take into account the outbreak of a conflict caused by geopolitical tensions on the border with Ukraine. At the same time, the agricultural year 2022 does not start under good auspices, but with drought, and with very high prices for fertilizers and energy, the Romanian Corn Producers Association representatives announced. Last year, the Romanian economy grew by 5.6%.



    Summit — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis is today participating in Brussels in the 6th EU-African Union Summit (EU-AU), focusing on re-launching Europes relations with Africa. During the two days of the summit, the participants will discuss the way the two continents can generate greater prosperity, the purpose of the meeting being to launch an ambitious Africa-Europe investment package in the context of global challenges. President Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romanias constant efforts aimed at achieving the common EU-AU objectives, focused on peace, security and good governance, support for the private sector and economic integration, sustainable economic development through education, culture and vocational training, climate change and energy transition, health systems and vaccine production. The Romanian president intends to give a new impetus to Romanias traditional ties with the African states, and also to reconsolidate Romanias profile as a development assistance donor, especially in the field of education.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep is playing today against the Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinal of the WTA 500 tournament in Dubai which has total prizes up for grabs worth 770,000 dollars. Halep defeated another Romanian player Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the round of 16, score 6-3, 6-2, and Jabeur passed the American Jessica Pegula, 6-3, 6-1. Halep (23 WTA) and Jabeur (10 WTA) have played against each other twice so far, the score being equal, 1-1. The Romanian is for the 4th time in the quarterfinal of this tournament, which she won in 2015 and 2020.



    NATO — The Romanian defense minister Vasile Dîncu is participating today as well in the two-day meeting of his counterparts from NATO member states which is unfolding at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Today, the Allies will have a meeting with their partners from Georgia and Ukraine, when they will express their political support for these two aspiring states. Yesterday, on the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian minister discussed with his counterparts from Turkey and Norway, focusing on the tense security situation in the Black Sea region, in the context of the significant mobilization of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders. The Romanian official underlined the importance of maintaining unity and cohesion at the Alliance level and of continuing efforts to strengthen the deterrence and defense posture on the eastern flank. Minister Vasile Dîncu hailed the excellent relations between Romania and Turkey, a strategic partner of our country, with a special role in the regional security architecture. The agenda of talks with the Norwegian counterpart focused on bilateral military cooperation. (LS)

  • February 16, 2022 UPDATE

    February 16, 2022 UPDATE

    Covid-19 RO – 17,447 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported in the last 24 hours and 183 deaths, 12 of which from previous days – the Strategic Communication Group reported on Wednesday. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, two years ago, over 2.5 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Romania, and almost 62 thousand people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died. The country has the second lowest vaccination rate among the 27 EU members, after Bulgaria.



    Kiev — The Romanian embassy in Kiev, in neighboring Ukraine, is fully operational, the FM Bogdan Aurescu said on Wednesday. During his hearing in the foreign policy committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on the security developments in the Black Sea basin, Bogdan Aurescu announced that the procedure was completed for the repatriation to Romania of the family members of the diplomatic staff at the Romanian embassy in Kiev (central Ukraine) and from the consulate general in Odessa (south, a port on the Black Sea). The other two consular missions, which are at Solotvino in Transcarpathia and Cernăuţi in northern Bukovina, both in western Ukraine, were not targeted by the measure, as they are located in regions with a higher degree of security – the minister added. Aurescu said that all the embassies of the EU member states in Kiev have the same logic of operation and it was important to send a unitary message.



    Paris — The EU leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss the massive build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, officials in Brussels have said. They pointed out that the meeting was not a reaction to certain special developments, but an opportunity to exchange views and keep up to date with the latest information. No conclusions will be issued after the meeting. The ad hoc meeting will take place ahead of the long-planned EU-Africa summit. The Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, will also be present in Brussels.



    NATO – NATO has tasked its military commanders with setting the details for the deployment of battle groups on the Alliances southeastern flank in response to the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraines borders, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels on Wednesday. Speaking to the press after a meeting of the allied defense ministers, Stoltenberg explained that the ministers decided to develop options to further strengthen defense and deterrence, including considering the establishment of new NATO combat groups in central, eastern and south-eastern Europe. According to Jens Stoltenberg the NATO military commanders will set the details and report within weeks. New battle groups, if approved, will be carried out in Romania and in the Black Sea region, he went on to say. ‘We have increased our presence in the east in a defensive way and we are considering increasing it even more. Romania is ready to host a tactical group, France is ready to command it, and several allies want to participate in this multinational force, but no final decision has been made’, Jens Stoltenberg added.



    Aid – The Romanian government on Wednesday approved an aid scheme for the hospitality industry, severely affected by the pandemic. An emergency ordinance has also been adopted that allows the running of a credit scheme for the SMEs with a subsidized interest. Also on Wednesday, a joint order was published in the Official Gazette, which establishes the way of settling the amounts granted by the state to the electricity and gas suppliers for the compensation of the bills. Approximately 90% of the Romanian population currently benefits from this scheme. Moreover, starting with February 1 until the end of March, all non-household consumers benefit from the compensation scheme, except for the big energy consumers, said the energy minister Virgil Popescu. On the other hand, farmers will have free access to irrigation water this year as well, and the Organizations of Irrigation Water Users will receive up to 50% compensation for their electricity costs. (LS)

  • February 15, 2022

    February 15, 2022

    Covid Ro — Romania is considering lifting the anti-Covid restrictions according to certain criteria, such as the drop in the number of new cases of infection, and in the number of patients in intensive care, the health minister Alexandru Rafila announced. He said, however, that there was no timetable for relaxation. The Romanian authorities have reported today almost 22,000 new COVID-19 cases out of 91,500 tests in 24 hours, and 204 deaths, 9 of which from previous days. 1,155 patients are in ICUs.



    Energy — The Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca is today chairing a meeting of the Inter-ministerial Committee for Energy, to later participate in a working meeting with officials in the field. Last Wednesday, the prime minister had a similar meeting with several ministers, in which they assessed the measures necessary to protect the population and the business environment from the effects of rising electricity and gas prices. On Monday, the Romanian government adopted a financial scheme that will help the local authorities to get through the winter months, when they received high energy bills.



    Ukraine — The Russian troops deployed for several weeks near the border with Ukraine have started returning to their garrisons, the Russian Defense Ministry officials have announced today amid Western fears of an imminent military operation. According to AFP, the announcement is the first sign from Moscow in this crisis with the West, which has lasted since the end of 2021. Since December, Russia has deployed more than 100,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border, raising fears in Kiev over an imminent invasion of that country. Moscow has always denied any intention to start a war, but has asked for guarantees for its security, such as the promise that Ukraine will never join NATO, which the West has refused to do. The announcement of the troops’ withdrawal comes ahead of talks scheduled for today in Moscow between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as part of the efforts to deescalate the situation on the Ukrainian border. On Monday, in Kiev, the German chancellor had called on Russia to take advantage of the dialogue offers meant to defuse the crisis and at the same time gave assurances that Germany would resolutely continue its economic aid and support for Ukraine. In turn, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky declared February 16 as a day of “unity” against the backdrop of US warnings of a possible imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine at this time. The West has repeatedly warned Moscow of unprecedented sanctions if it attacks Ukraine, and the US and several other countries have deployed new forces in Eastern Europe.



    Talks — Romania and Canada have similar views on the worrying security situation in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea region and on the need to continue action towards de-escalation, shows a communiqué of the Romanian Foreign Ministry, after Monday’s telephone conversation between the Romanian FM, Bogdan Aurescu, and his Canadian counterpart, Mélanie Joly. The two ministers welcomed the concrete measures taken within NATO and together with the allied states, which prove the solidity of the collective commitment towards the security of the allies on NATO’s eastern flank.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (54 WTA) was defeated by Ukrainian Daiana Iastremska in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, today, in the first round of the WTA 500 tournament in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, which has total prizes up for grabs worth almost 770 thousand dollars. Begu, a semi-finalist in St. Petersburg last week, was defeated after two hours of play. Also today, another Romanian, Gabriela Ruse (59 WTA), coming from the qualification rounds, plays against Paula Badosa (Spain), 3rd seed and 5th in the world. The winner of this match will face in the eighth finals the best ranked Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep (23 WTA). A champion in Dubai in 2015 and 2020, Halep defeated, on Monday, in the first round, in two sets, the American Alison Riske. (LS)

  • February 14, 2022 UPDATE

    February 14, 2022 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Ro — The Romanian authorities on Monday reported more than 12,000 new coronavirus infections in 24 hours. 75 deaths were also reported, of which 11 were from previous days. 1,155 patients are in ICUs. The health minister, Alexandru Rafila, said on Monday that, in Romania, the number of COVID-19 infections is in a downward trend, adding that the decision to eliminate restrictions and even lift the state of alert at some point, will be made according to certain important indicators, one of them being the number of COVID patients admitted to intensive care. The decision to lift the state of alert will be made by the government with all the actors involved in the management of the pandemic, Alexandru Rafila explained. He has again called for vaccination, especially in the case of vulnerable groups, given that the vaccination pace is declining rapidly.



    Special Section – The Romanian government on Monday approved the draft law on dismantling the controversial Section for the Investigation of Offences in the Judiciary. The law provides for the taking over of the files under investigation and of the future cases by other prosecutors offices. Thus, high-ranking judges and prosecutors will be investigated by the Prosecutors Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, and the lower-rank judges and prosecutors will be judged by the prosecutors offices with other courts of lower rank. The bill will be sent to Parliament for debate and approval. Also on Monday, the Romanian government adopted a financial scheme that will help the local authorities to get through the winter months, when they received high energy bills.



    Energy — The Romanian executive continues talks to finalize new support measures that will benefit the population to deal with the crisis caused by rising energy prices. The authorities are also considering the big consumers for whom they are preparing an additional assistance package, a package that needs the approval of the European Commission. In this regard, the Energy Ministry officials will discuss with the EC representatives about the authorization of the scheme that would allow them to maintain their competitiveness in relation to the other competitors in the European space and outside it, and also to keep about 200 thousand jobs. The ruling coalition is also considering measures to reduce the VAT and the employees social security contributions.



    Inflation – In Romania, the annual inflation rate rose to 8.35% in January, from 8.19% in December, given that the prices of non-foods increased by more than 10%, of foods by 7%, and of services by almost 6%, show data released on Monday by the National Statistics Institute. The National Bank of Romania forecasts an inflation rate of 11.2% at the end of the second quarter, of 10.2% at the end of the third quarter of this year and 9.6% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, according to the Quarterly Inflation Report published at the end of last week. The forecast trajectory of the annual inflation rate is substantially influenced by the future evolution of the prices of energy products, burdened by major uncertainties, the central bank underlined.



    Protest — Several trade unions in the Romanian metallurgical industry, mainly representing employees from ALRO Slatina (south) and Alum Tulcea (southeast), organized a protest rally in front of the Government building on Monday, their main demand being the regulation of the energy market . They are calling for the capping of natural gas and electricity prices at the value reported in December 2020, for at least one year, and the establishment of a different treatment between non-household consumers who have not benefited from state aid, as regulated by a government emergency ordinance in 2019, and those who benefited from the provisions of this law. Also, the trade unions are asking for the elimination of the exemption of the beneficiaries of this ordinance from the capping of the electricity price and the capping of its price at a maximum of 750 lei/Mwh. The ALRO trade union leader said that a total of 40,000 jobs in the horizontal industries are being endangered by diminishing the plant’s activity.



    Visit — On a visit to Kiev, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Russia, on Monday, to take advantage of the dialogue offers aimed at defusing the crisis and gave assurances that Germany would ‘resolutely continue’ the economic aid and support for Ukraine. “Russias military activities on the Ukrainian border are incomprehensible. There is no reasonable reason for such a military deployment” Scholz said in a press conference with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter said his country considered the controversial Russian-German gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 a geopolitical weapon. From Kiev, Olaf Scholz goes to Moscow for talks, on Tuesday, with President Vladimir Putin. The Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio will travel to Kiev on Tuesday, and to Moscow on Wednesday, in a move to deescalate the situation on the Ukrainian border, where Moscow has deployed more than 100,000 soldiers and military equipment.



    Germany – On Monday, Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, congratulated the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on the occasion of his re-election. Klaus Iohannis points out that the solidity of the excellent relations between Romania and Germany, which have a strategic character, has been strengthened in recent years. “These relations are enhanced by frequent and substantial bilateral political dialogue, strong economic relations and the strong bridge between our countries represented by the Romanian community in Germany and the German minority in Romania,” said President Iohannis. He went on to say that in 2022 it’s 30 years since the signing of the Treaty between Romania and Germany on friendly cooperation and partnership in Europe. On Sunday, the German President, Social Democrat Frank-Walter Steinmeier, was re-elected for a second five-year term. (LS)

  • February 12, 2022 UPDATE

    February 12, 2022 UPDATE

    Ukraine – The Romanian Foreign Ministry informs that the alert level for Ukraine has been raised, in the context of the latest security developments, and “strongly recommends” the Romanian citizens to avoid traveling to this country and to be very careful. The authorities also decided to withdraw non-essential diplomatic and consular staff from the diplomatic mission and some of the consular offices in Ukraine. All measures have been taken to “voluntarily” repatriate family members of diplomatic and consular staff, and the process is currently being completed in relation to the Kiev Embassy and Consulate General in Odessa. The Foreign Ministry strongly recommends avoiding travel to the Crimean Peninsula and eastern Ukraine, in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as in the Ukrainian border area with the Russian Federation and Belarus, recalling that the security situation remains tense and fluid. The Ministry also announces that it is ready to provide protection and consular assistance to Romanian citizens. They are advised to notify their contact details in Ukraine through the econsulat.ro platform or by contacting the nearest consular office by phone. A telephone line dedicated to Romanian citizens who are temporarily in Ukraine and requesting consular protection and assistance has been activated – telephone 0040 -751.084.537.



    NATO — Romania is following with concern the evolution of the security situation in the region and is ready to take, alongside its allies, the most appropriate defensive measures required by the concrete situation — the Romanian defense minister Vasile Dîncu reiterated in a phone conversation, on Friday, with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin. The US official pointed to the US’s firm commitment to and solidarity with its European allies, stressing that Article 5 in the North Atlantic Treaty, which stipulates a coordinated reply in case of an attack on a NATO member, is and will remain a top priority. Also on Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the presence of NATO troops in Romania was proof of the Allied solidarity and of the fact that, although there is a real risk that Russia might invade Ukraine, Romania is not alone. On Friday, he visited the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base in southeastern Romania, along with Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis. The first Stryker armored personnel carriers have already arrived here, and 1,000 U.S. troops are expected to arrive from Germany to strengthen the Alliances Eastern Flank. With the arrival of the Task Force Cougar detachment, the number of American soldiers in Romania will increase to almost 2,000. Besides the US, France has also announced its willingness to send troops to Romania. A NATO member since 2004, Romania already hosts 900 American, 250 Polish and 140 Italian soldiers. A US Air Force detachment of about 150 soldiers and eight F-16 Fighting Falcon planes has been conducting joint training missions, for about two weeks, with the military and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft within the Romanian Air Force since Friday. The American planes will also perform enhanced air-policing missions, together with Romanian and Italian aircraft, which have been in Romania since December last year. A senior Pentagon official said the United States had decided to send an additional 3,000 troops to Poland as well.



    COVID-19 — The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decline in Romania. On Saturday, 18,750 new cases and 157 deaths were reported, 13 of which were from previous days. The COVID-19 incidence rate calculated at 14 days for Bucharest is, on Saturday, 38.02 cases per thousand inhabitants. This is the highest contamination rate recorded so far in the Capital. The authorities are considering the possibility of relaxing the protection measures taken in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, gradually, following the model of countries that have already overcome the peak of current wave, said the head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat. In his opinion, the new cases are on a declining trend, and if the pace is maintained, we might get rid of restrictions before the Easter holidays. In turn, the coordinator of the National vaccination campaign, military doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, said that in the future, vaccination against this virus will be seasonal, after the model of the flu vaccine, but the vaccine will be adapted to the strain specific for that period. He announced that, at present, the vaccination rate among the adult population is 50.5%.



    COVID world — The acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic will end this year if the target of 70% of the worlds population getting vaccinated is reached, said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He estimates that this will happen by June or July. In another development, the Chinese drug regulatory agency on Saturday approved the conditional use of treatment with Paxlovid, produced by Pfizer, being the first anti-COVID-19 tablet approved in this country for the treatment of coronavirus infection. Chinese officials say that studies on the drug are still needed and that the results will be submitted to the Beijing authorities. In Europe, Belgium has decided to relax anti-COVID-19 measures in restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and cultural venues after the country overcame the peak of Omicron contamination. In turn, Austria continues to relax restrictions. As of Saturday, people will only have to wear FFP2 masks in shops or museums. Iceland also plans to lift all restrictions by the end of February, two weeks earlier than initially planned.



    Moldova — Romania supports Moldovas efforts targeted at making reforms, getting closer to the European community, as well as increasing resilience in key sectors for citizens, the Romania PM Nicolae Ciucă said after a visit to Chisinau on Friday. He also said that Romania is the first trading partner of the Republic of Moldova and one of its main investors. A series of bilateral documents were signed at the end of the joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments, including the Intergovernmental Agreement on the implementation of an assistance program based on a non-reimbursable financial aid of 100 million Euros from Romania. Nicolae Ciucă and his Moldovan counterpart Natalia Gavriliţa also signed the Joint Declaration on strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy and investments. Cooperation agreements have also been concluded in the fields of defense, justice and home affairs. The Romanian PM was received by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, whom he ensured of his full support for the implementation of the reform measures, especially in the field of the rule of law. (LS)

  • February 12, 2022

    February 12, 2022

    NATO — The presence of NATO troops in Romania is proof of the Allied solidarity and of the fact that, although there is a real risk that Russia might invade Ukraine, Romania is not alone, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. On Friday, he visited the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base in southeastern Romania, along with Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis and the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană. The first Stryker armored personnel carriers have already arrived here, and 1,000 U.S. troops are expected to arrive from Germany to strengthen the Alliances Eastern Flank. With the arrival of the Task Force Cougar detachment, the number of American soldiers in Romania will increase to almost 2,000. Besides the US, France has also announced its willingness to send troops to Romania. A NATO member since 2004, Romania already hosts 900 American, 250 Polish and 140 Italian soldiers. A US Air Force detachment of about 150 soldiers and eight F-16 Fighting Falcon planes has been conducting joint training missions, for about two weeks, with the military and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft within the Romanian Air Force since Friday. The American planes will also perform enhanced air-policing missions, together with Romanian and Italian aircraft, which have been in Romania since December last year. A senior Pentagon official said the United States had decided to send an additional 3,000 troops to Poland as well.



    COVID-19 — The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decline in Romania. On Saturday, 18,750 new cases and 157 deaths were reported, 13 of which were from previous days. The COVID-19 incidence rate calculated at 14 days for Bucharest is, on Saturday, 38.02 cases per thousand inhabitants. This is the highest contamination rate recorded so far in the Capital. The authorities are considering the possibility of relaxing the protection measures taken in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, gradually, following the model of countries that have already overcome the peak of current wave, said the head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat. In his opinion, the new cases are on a declining trend, and if the pace is maintained, we might get rid of restrictions before the Easter holidays. In turn, the coordinator of the National vaccination campaign, military doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, said that in the future, vaccination against this virus will be seasonal, after the model of the flu vaccine, but the vaccine will be adapted to the strain specific for that period. He announced that, at present, the vaccination rate among the adult population is 50.5%.



    COVID world — The acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic will end this year if the target of 70% of the worlds population getting vaccinated is reached, said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He estimates that this will happen by June or July. In another development, the Chinese drug regulatory agency on Saturday approved the conditional use of treatment with Paxlovid, produced by Pfizer, being the first anti-COVID-19 tablet approved in this country for the treatment of coronavirus infection. Chinese officials say that studies on the drug are still needed and that the results will be submitted to the Beijing authorities. In Europe, Belgium has decided to relax anti-COVID-19 measures in restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and cultural venues after the country overcame the peak of Omicron contamination. In turn, Austria continues to relax restrictions. As of Saturday, people will only have to wear FFP2 masks in shops or museums. Iceland also plans to lift all restrictions by the end of February, two weeks earlier than initially planned.



    Moldova — Romania supports Moldovas efforts targeted at making reforms, getting closer to the European community, as well as increasing resilience in key sectors for citizens, the Romania PM Nicolae Ciucă said after a visit to Chisinau on Friday. He also said that Romania is the first trading partner of the Republic of Moldova and one of its main investors. A series of bilateral documents were signed at the end of the joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments, including the Intergovernmental Agreement on the implementation of an assistance program based on a non-reimbursable financial aid of 100 million Euros from Romania. Nicolae Ciucă and his Moldovan counterpart Natalia Gavriliţa also signed the Joint Declaration on strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy and investments. Cooperation agreements have also been concluded in the fields of defense, justice and home affairs. The Romanian PM was received by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, whom he ensured of his full support for the implementation of the reform measures, especially in the field of the rule of law.



    Russia — The Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US President Joe Biden will have a telephone conversation today, the RIA news agency reported, quoting the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Also today, Vladimir Putin will discuss with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, according to the TASS agency. A Russian military invasion of Ukraine, marked by a massive air raid campaign and a “rapid attack” on Kiev, is a “very real possibility” in the coming days, the White House warned. Russia maintains more than 100,000 troops and fighting equipment near the border with the former Soviet republic. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis believes that ensuring a consolidated deterrence and defense posture in a unitary and coherent manner on the entire eastern flank from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea contributes to regional stability as well as to the security of the alliance as a whole. Present at the consultations that the US President, Joe Biden, had, on Friday, with leaders of NATO and the EU institutions on the topic of regional security, the Romanian president expressed his firm support for the continuation of the political-diplomatic dialogue with Russia solutions to de-escalate the situation without compromising NATO’s fundamental principles and the international law. (LS)

  • When will restrictions be lifted?

    When will restrictions be lifted?

    After several European countries such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, France, Spain and Italy have progressively diminished restrictions, the Romanian authorities are also considering the possibility of gradually relaxing the anti-COVID measures. Experts say that there is a declining trend in both the number of infections and the occupancy rate of hospital beds, but still the number of patients in ICUs remains the same. According to the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, Romania could get rid of restrictions before Easter, at the end of April.



    Raed Arafat: “We have the clear intention to follow the examples of other countries, which have reached the peak of this wave before us. So, the measures that Romania will implement will be very similar, from what I can tell you now, to those implemented by other countries in this regard. The only difference between us and them is the rate of vaccination. The tendency to take measures in the future or to give up measures will be very similar to what other countries have done, and we can already see the results of these measures in those countries.



    In turn, the health minister, Alexandru Rafila, believes that, in a few weeks time, Romania will reach a COVID-19 incidence rate of one case per thousand, at which point the relaxation of restrictions could start gradually. And he recalls the measures related to wearing a protective mask and the Green Certificate.



    Alexandru Rafila: “Restrictions need to be lifted gradually, and people need to understand that they still have a responsibility towards their fellows. We do not rule out the emergence of new variants that may affect certain communities or certain vulnerable groups. I hope this is the last wave that posed major problems. In the next 3-4 weeks, we will reach a number of cases similar to that reported in mid-December, and then, of course, we can discuss a reassessment of public health measures and even the lifting of some restrictions, such as this digital certificate.



    Alexandru Rafila reminded, however, the importance of vaccination, especially in the case of vulnerable people. The coordinator of the vaccination campaign, Valeriu Gheorghiţă, announced that over 8 million people had at least one vaccine dose, which means a percentage of vaccination in the adult population of more than 50% and in the general population of 42%, which still is a small percentage compared to most European countries. However, he expressed optimism about the evolution of the virus and said that in the future, vaccination against this virus will be seasonal, like the vaccination for flu, and the vaccine will be adapted to the strain of that period. (LS)

  • February 10, 2022

    February 10, 2022

    Covid-19–Ro — 26,466 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been registered in Romania in 24 hours along with 139 deaths, the authorities informed on Thursday. The highest number of infected people since the beginning of the pandemic – 40,018 – was registered on February 1. On the other hand, the National Public Health Institute in Romania reports that, in the week January 31 – February 6, 51.4% of the confirmed COVID-19 cases were registered in unvaccinated persons. Of the vaccinated people, 43% got contaminated either immediately after immunization or more than six months after the last dose. More than three-quarters (78.2%) of the deaths reported were in unvaccinated people. Since the onset of the pandemic, 86% of all deaths have been in people over 60, and 54.6% of deaths in the male population. According to the National Public Health Institute 93.3% of the deceased had at least one associated comorbidity. All in all, since the outbreak of the pandemic, two years ago, over two million Romanians have been contaminated with the novel coronavirus and over 60,000 have died.



    Covid–19-world — The state of New York on Thursday lifted the obligation of people wearing sanitary masks indoors, including in shops, restaurants and companies, given that the number of COVID-19 contaminations is declining sharply in the United States. In France, the so-called vaccination permit could be lifted in late March or early April, given the improved health situations, and the Czech Republic is largely relinquishing restrictions. Instead, many Britons have canceled their planned trips to Spain during the school holidays in the UK, because the authorities have asked for the full Covid-19 vaccination of children over 12 years of age. People fully vaccinated entering the UK no longer have to take a COVID test, but other countries maintain some of the restrictions, such as antigen or PCR testing or double vaccination, to avoid testing.



    Troops — The first convoy with military equipment, belonging to the American detachment deployed in Romania as part of the US commitment to the allies on NATOs eastern flank, crossed the western border last night and is heading to Mihail Kogalniceanu base in the southeast of the country. In the coming days, part of the one thousand American soldiers who will be deployed in Romania will also enter the country. Earlier, the Romanian defense minister, Vasile Dîncu, had announced that about a hundred specialists had arrived, whose mission was to prepare the deployment of the contingent. Earlier this month, the US decided to send three thousand additional troops on the NATOs eastern flank, one thousand of whom come to Romania and 1,700 to Poland. France has also announced its readiness to send troops to Romania. A NATO member since 2004, Romania already hosts 900 American, 140 Italian and 250 Polish soldiers.



    Plagiarism –Romania General Prosecutors Office has opened a criminal case in which it is conducting investigations, in rem, following a complaint alleging that the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă plagiarized in his doctoral thesis. Last month, the Carol I National Defense University in Bucharest announced that the procedures for verifying compliance with quality standards and university ethics were initiated in the thesis defended by the current prime minister in 2003. The journalist Emilia Şercan, known as a hunter of plagiarists at the top of Romanian politics and administration, claims that at least 42 pages out of a total of 138 of Nicolae Ciucăs doctoral thesis are plagiarized, and the thesis as a whole is not a product of scientific research. Liberal Nicoale Ciucă is the third PM in Bucharest accused of plagiarizing in his doctoral thesis, after the Social Democrats Victor Ponta and Mihai Tudose.



    Olympics – The Beijing Winter Olympics included eight finals in todays program, figure skating (mens singles), snowboarding (womens halfpipe and mens cross snowboarding), alpine skiing (mens combined), cross-country skiing (10 km womens – classic style), freestyle skiing (mixed team jumping), speed skating (womens 5,000m) and sledding (mixed relay). The only Romanian presence will be in the sledge relay event, in which Raluca Strămăturaru (womens singles), Valentin Creţu (mens singles) and Vasile Marian Gîtlan / Darius Lucian Şerban (doubles) are competing. Romania participates with 21 athletes in the 2022 Olympics, in seven sports: sledding, bobsled, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed skating. (LS)

  • No risk of a food crisis

    No risk of a food crisis

    Following the world health crisis caused by COVID-19, experts are now discussing the risk of a food crisis caused by the skyrocketing prices and the lack of support for farmers. Employers associations and trade unions in the food industry, however, have given assurances that Romania is not running the risk of a food crisis. The president of the National Federation of the Food Industry Trade Unions, Dragoş Frumosu, explained to Radio Romania that the adoption of measures to cap food prices, as is being discussed these days in Bucharest, would endanger food supply to the population and would stimulate manipulation of the market.



    Dragoş Frumosu: “I believe that a measure to rationalize some staples would be a very big mistake, because, firstly, it would create a lot of panic and, secondly, it would make people buy more, and, consequently, we would end up by wasting food.



    Food producers ask for stability, predictability and support from decision-makers in order to continue their activity, given the increase in energy and gas bills and in the price of raw materials. The agriculture minister, Adrian Chesnoiu, excludes a food crisis in Romania, and the rationalization of food. He says that solutions are being sought to support both citizens and farmers.



    Adrian Chesnoiu: “We are analyzing several methods of intervention to support the producer, on the one hand, and the citizen, on the other hand. We are discussing and analyzing solutions to help Romanians obtain their daily basket, we are analyzing the impact, in the sense of assessing whether you can go for capping the prices or for stabilizing and balancing the price by distribution links.



    In turn, the president of the National Liberal Party (in the governing coalition) Florin Cîţu, claims that a possible capping of food prices will lead to poverty because no producer will want to invest in an industry where prices are capped, and Romania is not going in that direction. The Social Democratic Party – PSD, a partner in the coalition, has a different opinion. They propose capping prices for staples for a limited period, based on the energy and gas model. Nevertheless, the PSD president, Marcel Ciolacu, says that a final decision will be made by the Government after discussions with the producers and traders.



    At European level, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the EU is already taking steps to ensure that European citizens will not face food shortages during crises. At the end of last year, the European Commission adopted the Contingency Plan for Food Supply and Food Security and announced that it would set up a European Food Security Crisis Preparedness and Response Mechanism. (LS)