Radio România Internațional

Tag: Russia

  • January 16, 2025 UPDATE

    January 16, 2025 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT In its session on Thursday, the government in Bucharest endorsed a decision on staging the presidential election in May this year as well as the election schedule. The first round is due on May 4 and the second on May 18. The Executive also approved rules for the unfolding of the election process bringing a series of amendments. The Romanians abroad will be able to vote for three days, but on a different schedule. Polling stations will be open between 7 and 21 hours, on Friday and Saturday, but on Sunday, in the countries west to Romania the ballot will end at 21 hours Romania’s time, so that it may not be influenced by exit polls. Authorities have also imposed stricter rules for the election campaign, mainly in the online area. Social network administrators promoting election messages, which do not abide by the law, will have to pay fines up to 5% of their turnout. We recall that the first round of the presidential election was cancelled through a Constitutional Court ruling, which based its decision on documents provided by the country’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) invoking interferences from a so-called state entity. The second round was scheduled on December 8 when Romanians had to choose between the independent ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, accused of links with Russia, and the opposition USR leader, Elena Lasconi. The second and last mandate of the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis was supposed to end in December, but his term in office was extended until the election of a new president, which must be validated by the CCR.

     

    RUSSIA “Nikolai Patrushev, advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, uses the same aggressive propaganda and disinformation themes with which Moscow has intoxicated the world in recent years”, reads a statement by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The reaction comes after Patrushev said, in an interview in the Russian media, that both Ukraine, invaded by Moscow’s troops, and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking) might cease to exist as independent states this year. The Romanian diplomacy stresses that these repetitive public statements cannot hide the reality: the fact that Russia is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine and that it is carrying out massive and systematic hybrid actions against the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian MFA reaffirms that Russia aims to create divisions in Europe.

     

    RATE In the first monetary policy meeting of the year, the Board of Directors of the National Bank maintained the monetary policy interest rate at the level of 6.5% per year, although the inflation rate increased in the last quarter of 2024. The Central Bank’s decision aims to ensure and maintain price stability in the medium term, in a way that contributes to the achievement of sustainable economic growth. The board of directors reiterates that, in the current context, the balanced mix of macroeconomic policies and the implementation of structural reforms, including the use of European funds to stimulate long-term growth, are essential for macroeconomic stability and strengthening the capacity of the Romanian economy to cope with adverse developments. According to experts, the NBR could relax the monetary policy in 2025, but probably only from the second half of the year, pending clearer perspectives on the evolution of inflation and fiscal measures. In 2024, the NBR reduced the reference interest rate twice, from 7 to 6.5%.

     

    TENNIS Romania’s tennis player Jaqueline Cristian for the first time qualified for the third round of a Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne on Thursday after a 7-5, 7-5 win against Lucia Bronzetti of Italy at the Australian Open. The 26-year-old Cristian, who is presently ranking 82nd in the WTA standings, won the match in two hours and four minutes. In the third round the Romanian will be up against Eva Lys of Germany, who outperformed Varvara Gracheva of France also on Thursday. In the women’s double, Romanian Irina Begu and Brazilian Ingrid Martins were defeated in the first round by Peyton Stearns of the USA and Luisa Stefani of Brazil 6-2, 7-6.

    (bill)

     

  • December 28, 2024 UPDATE

    December 28, 2024 UPDATE

    Election – The first round of the presidential election in Romania might take place on March 23, 2025, and the decisive round on April 6, the media in Bucharest announced on Saturday, citing political sources from the government coalition made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR. Organized on time, on November 24, 2024, the first round was invalidated by the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR), which, based on documents provided by the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), invoked the interference of an unnamed state actor. Running in the second round, scheduled for December 8 were the independent nationalist Călin Georgescu and the opposition USR leader, Elena Lasconi. In the Diaspora, where the polling stations for the decisive round opened on December 6, tens of thousands of Romanians had already voted until the CCR decided to invalidate the first round. The costs of those invalidated elections is said to be almost 1.4 billion lei (the equivalent of about 280 billion Euros). On December 21, the second and last five-year presidential mandate of the current president, Klaus Iohannis, expired but his mandate was extended until the election of a new head of state, to be validated by the CCR.

     

    Ordinance – On Saturday, talks were held in Bucharest on the Emergency Ordinance regarding the reduction of public sector expenses, between the social-democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the representatives of employers’ associations and trade unions that are part of the National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue. The union leaders believe that the freezing of salaries means a decrease in the incomes of the state employees, and the employers’ associations believe that the coalition government (PSD-PNL-UDMR) will manage to reduce the budget deficit next year, if it applies the measures included in the document. It stipulates that in 2025 state employment will be blocked, overtime will be compensated with free time, state salaries and pensions will be frozen. The government claims that it thus wants to reduce budget expenses by 19 billion lei (almost 4 billion Euros), i.e. 1% of the GDP, and, in parallel, to improve the lives of Romanians and maintain investment programs.

     

    Crime report – Romania is among the states with the lowest level of crime, offering a more favorable situation from this point of view than many Western European countries, shows a Romanian Interior Ministry (MAI) press release based on the reports of the US Department of State and the European Commission. According to them, Romania is recognized as a very safe country for citizens and tourists. In the ‘Report for American citizens traveling abroad’, Romania is indicated as having a low and very low risk of crime. According to the MAI, official international documents highlight Romania’s significant progress in combating crime, confirming its status as a safe country. In recent years, Romania has recorded figures below the European and international average for crimes such as robberies, thefts and other acts committed with violence, the press release also shows.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis players Anca Todoni and Ana Bogdan on Saturday qualified for the main draw of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane. Ana Bogdan faced the Colombian Emiliana Arango in the decisive match, whom she defeated 6-2, 6-4, and will debut in the main draw in Brisbane against the Russian Anastasia Potapova. Anca Todoni won the match with Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-2, 6-3, and will debut in the competition against Cristina Bucsa from Spain.  The WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane (Australia), with total prizes worth more than 1.5 million dollars, will take place between December 29 and January 5.

     

    Gas – The Russian energy giant Gazprom announced on Saturday that it would suspend gas exports to the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population) from January 1, 2025, due to an alleged unpaid debt by the Moldovan authorities. The company claims that it reserves the right to take any action, including termination of the supply contract. Russia delivers to the Republic of Moldova about 2 billion cubic meters of gas per year, through Ukraine invaded by Moscow’s troops. The gas is transported through pipelines to the pro-Russian separatist region of Transndniester, which uses the gas to generate cheap electricity, which it then sells to the rest of Moldova. (LS)

  • Russia: concerns and sanctions

    Russia: concerns and sanctions

     

    Four US Senators, both Republicans and Democrats, have condemned Russia’s interference in the Romanian presidential elections and have expressed support for Bucharest in its fight for the integrity of the election process. The signatories include Ben Cardin, head of the Senate’s committee on foreign relations, and Jeanne Shaheen, chair of the subcommittee on Europe and regional cooperation.

     

    In a statement posted on the US Senate website, they state that president Vladimir Putin’s attack on the Romanian elections is yet another example of the hybrid war Russia is waging on the United States’ European allies and partners. The Senators say the US “stands in support of Romania as it urgently moves to hold certifiably free and fair presidential elections.”

     

    The first round of the presidential elections in Romania, on November 24, was cancelled over concerns that the vote was not fair because of illegal practices supported by Moscow on social media, especially on TikTok.

     

    The US Senators condemn “Putin’s manipulation of Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-controlled TikTok to undermine Romania’s democratic process. The world must wake up to the serious threat to democracy posed by Russian manipulation of TikTok to undermine our free societies.”

     

    They add that the Romanian government has uncovered this assault on their democracy, and appreciate Bucharest’s decision to declassify intelligence related to the investigation and keep the United States and the international community informed.

     

    In turn, the European Union announced on Monday that it had adopted the first sanctions in response to “hybrid activities” on its territory, against Russian agents accused of “destabilising” actions in the EU. The bloc also accuses Moscow of cyber-attacks and disinformation, especially during elections in the EU.

     

    According to the Council of the European Union, the sanctions target individuals and entities that “undermine the fundamental values ​​of the EU and its member states, their security, stability, independence and integrity, as well as those of international organisations and third countries through hybrid activities of various kinds.”

     

    A total of 16 individuals and 3 entities are targeted by the sanctions, according to the Council. The measures, which include the freezing of assets in the EU, a travel ban and a ban on being financed by European companies, were decided as part of a new sanctions framework approved in October. This is separate from the one used against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (AMP)

  • Statements about Romania’s belonging in NATO and the UE

    Statements about Romania’s belonging in NATO and the UE

    At the question ‘in what country they would want to work or study for a longer period of time’, 42% of the respondents to an opinion poll made by INSCOP in Romania in June 2021 opted for a Western country, in the EU or for the United States or Canada. Only 4% chose Russia and China whereas 47% said they would not leave their country. 66.6% said they preferred the Western-style rights and liberties to the traditional values Russia pretends to promote and only 16.2% stood in favour of the so-called Russian values. 56.2% of the Romanians believed that Romania’s accession to the EU brought along advantages whereas 35.1% saw only disadvantages. 65.8% of the respondents said they want Romania to be a NATO member, so that it may be well-defended militarily, 28.6% stood for neutrality as they believed Romania was not going to be attacked by anyone.

    73.8% believed the US bases on Romania’s territory contribute to the country’s defence in the event of a foreign aggression. Even at that time, the respondents overwhelmingly voiced their discontent with the activity of their leaders irrespective of their political creed.

    The sociologists’ conclusion at that time was that the Romanians did not contest their belonging to the free world but only the legitimacy of a political class, which ignored them and looked down on them. Romania is firmly committed to its assumed Euro-Atlantic headway and the decision to bring our own contribution to strengthening security in the area remains a solid one, Romania’s Minister of Defence, Angel Tîlvăr said on Tuesday during the visit he paid together with the US ambassador Kathleen Kavalec to the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase in southeastern Romania.  There they met a delegation of military attaches from NATO countries accredited to Bucharest, the US troops deployed there as well as their Spanish, French and Romanian counterparts.

    According to ambassador Kavalec ‘Romania is investing quite a bit of funds to improve this important airbase, which is one of the most important in NATO and which helps defend the Eastern Flank and which helps defend the Black Sea area’.

    Also on Tuesday, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Princess Margareta says that never in its modern history has Romania enjoyed a higher security level and better conditions for economic prosperity than now as a fully-fledged member of the EU and NATO.

    In another development she described the latest presidential and Parliamentary election as a cry for help from the voters who against a rapid but unequal economic development are feeling ignored. She gave as example the differences between the country’s capital Bucharest and the poverty in rural Romania or the investment in modern technologies whereas expenditures in the health sector remain the lowest in the European Union.

    (bill)

  • November 23, 2024

    November 23, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    ELECTIONS – The election campaign for the first round of the presidential elections held on Sunday in Romania ended on Saturday morning. The presidential elections are scheduled for November 24, the first round, and December 8 the second round. Over 18 million voters are expected to cast their ballot on Sunday, in the nearly 19,000 polling stations opened in the country. Abroad, Romanians can vote for three days in the 950 polling stations opened by the authorities (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday). By Saturday at noon, about 60 thousand Romanians had voted in the Diaspora, of whom over 4,000 opted for postal voting. Most Romanians abroad voted in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Moldova, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria. There are 13 candidates in the presidential race, 9 representing political parties and 4 independents. Most ideological currents have representatives in the competition, from social democrats to liberals and from pro-Europeans to populists and ultranationalists. On December 1, when the National Day is celebrated, legislative elections will be held. We recall that on June 9, local and European parliamentary elections were also held in Romania.

     

    REFERENDUM – On Sunday, the Bucharest residents entitled to vote are expected at the polls in a referendum initiated by the General Mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan. Voters must answer two questions proposed by him, which concern the way that funds are divided between the General City Hall and the city halls of the 6 Bucharest districts, and also have their say on the issuing of construction permits in the capital Bucharest. At the same time, at the initiative of the Social Democratic Party, a third question was added, through an amendment, which refers to combating drug use in schools. In order to validate this consultation, a 30% voter turnout rate is required.

     

    SCHENGEN – The interior ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, Austria and Hungary, alongside the European Commissioner, Ylva Johansson, agreed on Friday in Budapest that Romania and Bulgaria will join Schengen with the land borders as of January 1, 2025. The final decision will be taken at the meeting of EU interior ministers on 12 December in Brussels. Austria has been opposing Schengen enlargement since 2022. Eventually, Vienna later accepted partial Schengen membership for Sofia and Bucharest in March, with air and sea borders, and set a roadmap for a possible extension to land borders. The agreement made public on Friday provides for border checks for an initial period of six months to minimize the potential change in migration routes that could occur.

     

    NATO – NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with the US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida on Friday, the North Atlantic Alliance spokeswoman said Saturday, according to Reuters and France press. The two discussed global security issues facing the alliance. Rutte’s meeting with Trump comes ahead of a NATO-Ukraine Council scheduled for next week, after Russia launched a hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile on military infrastructure in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. Moscow described the action as a response to the first Ukrainian attacks with US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles on military targets on Russian territory.

     

    RUGBY – The Romanian national rugby squad will face Uruguay in a test match this evening in Bucharest. The Romanian team has met Uruguay 13 times so far. Romania has won ten matches, one of which ended in a draw, while two were won by the South Americans. Romania defeated Tonga (25-15) and Canada (35-27) in test matches this month.

     

     

  • November 22, 2024

    November 22, 2024

     

    WEATHER Nearly 3-quarters of Romania’s territory is under various severe weather alerts, valid at least until tonight. A code red warning for snowstorms at altitudes of over 1,700 m is in place in several counties in the centre and south of the country. Parts of Romania’s mid-west are subject to code orange alerts for strong wind, ranging from 80 to 120 km/h, and heavy snowfalls are expected in the mountains. Mixed precipitation and wind are also forecast for the west, north-west and centre of the country, according to a code yellow alert.

     

    ELECTION Voting has begun abroad, in the first round of Romania’s presidential election. Voting is already underway in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea. Those who have already cast their ballots today join the over 4,200 who voted by mail. Voting abroad takes place over three days, from November 22 to 24. In the country, Romanians will be able to vote for their next president on Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with extensions granted only if there are still voters in polling stations or queuing outside. Almost 19,000 polling stations are set up in the country and 950 abroad for this election. The most polling stations abroad are in Italy – 158, Spain – 147 and the United Kingdom – 107. 13 candidates take part in the race for the president post. Also on Sunday, a local referendum is held in Bucharest, with three questions related to administrative issues, including the distribution of tax revenues and the issuance of construction permits, as well as the fight against drug use. A 30% turnout is needed for the referendum to be valid.

     

    SCHENGEN The interior ministers of Romania and Bulgaria, Cătălin Predoiu and Atanas Ilkov respectively, are meeting today in Budapest with their Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, to discuss the 2 countries’ full Schengen accession, vetoed by Austria so far. The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu, as well as his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, will also attend the meeting, held under the auspices of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU. During the talks, the officials will consider an agreement on the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen. A decision on lifting external border controls could be taken on December 12 in Brussels, in the Justice and Home Affairs Council, but this needs the support of all EU member states. Romania and Bulgaria partially joined Schengen at the end of March, by suspending controls at air and sea borders. Land border controls remained in place, however, because of Austria’s veto, which Vienna says is related to concerns about illegal migration.

     

    DEFENCE Signing the agreement with the US for the procurement of F-35 aircraft is another decisive step forward for Romania towards a modern and efficient national defence, well connected to our international partners, PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday. He attended the signing of the Protocol launching the Romanian Air Force’s transition to 5th generation F-35 aircraft. The document was signed by the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr and the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec.

     

    UKRAINE Russia’s president Vladimir Putin said Russia had hit the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a new type of medium-range missile designed to carry nuclear warheads, in response to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian territory with Western-supplied missiles. Addressing the nation, Putin said the war in Ukraine had acquired elements of a global conflict after the United States, France and Britain agreed with the use of their missiles against Russia, and he warned that his country had the right to use its weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against Russian territory. In case of escalation, Putin added, Russia would respond decisively and symmetrically. The United States, which according to Reuters was informed shortly before the Russian missile launch, said Moscow was the one escalating the conflict in Ukraine. Washington, however, said it had no reason to change its nuclear doctrine based solely on Putin’s irresponsible rhetoric.

     

    NETANYAHU Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu said he would continue to defend the country in any way he could, after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu described the court’s decision as an anti-Semitic act, while Israel’s president and the parliament speaker called it an attack on justice and truth. The US President Joe Biden called the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, “outrageous”, and promised the US would stand by Israel in the face of a threat to its security. According to Biden, the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction in this case. As for President-elect Donald Trump, he did not react to the decision to issue the arrest warrants issued against Netanyahu and Gallant, but his future national security adviser, Mike Waltz, promised a “strong response” to the ICC’s anti-Semitic leaning. (AMP)

  • November 20, 2024

    November 20, 2024

    BONDS – Foreign investors are showing great interest in the Romgaz bond issue, according to the company’s CEO Răzvan Popescu. He says the money raised from the listing on the Bucharest Stock Exchange will be used for the company’s investment program, especially the strategic Neptun Deep project in the Black Sea. Romgaz, the largest producer and main supplier of natural gas in Romania, listed its first international corporate bond issue on the Bucharest Stock Exchange on Tuesday, worth 500 million euros. The bonds are also listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

     

    INVESTIGATION – Prosecutors with the Cluj-Napoca office of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office are investigating a possible fraud involving European funds, with an estimated damage of 2 million euros. The case involves three projects to modernize a vegetable farm in Maramureş (north). The prosecutors’ suspicions concern the use of false, incorrect or incomplete documents in order to obtain EU funds for the purchase of a tomato sorting and packaging facility and for the installation of photovoltaic panels. According to the investigation, the suspects allegedly forged documents and signatures in order to mislead the authorities. On Tuesday, searches were carried out at the home of a person and at the headquarters of companies targeted by this case.

     

    CYBERSECURITY – A new edition of the CyberCon Romania 2024 international conference, organised by the Romanian Association for Information Security Assurance jointly with the US Embassy in Romania, is sunder way in Bucharest. . The conference, a landmark event in the field of cybersecurity, is held at the European Commission Representation in Romania and brings together experts from the public, private and academic sectors. According to the organizers, among the topics addressed are: current challenges and trends in the field, maintaining resilience for a secure digital infrastructure, improving cooperation between the defense and civilian sectors, the evolution of cyber threats and innovative solutions to combat them, as well as recommended practices to unite cybersecurity and cybercrime prevention.

     

    PROTESTS – The Romanian Trade Unions Federation in Energy staged a protest in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity offices in Bucharest on Wednesday, on the topic of the new Pension Law, which entered into force on September 1. According to the trade unionists, the law endangers workers in the integrated nuclear field, because it increases the contribution period in their case and sets a minimum age threshold of 45 years for their retirement. Unionists want the contribution period and the retirement conditions for Level I and II of radiation exposure be maintained as stipulated by the previous Pension Law.

     

    DRONE – A new Russian drone has been found in the north of Chisinau, the capital of the Republic of Moldova, neighboring Ukraine invaded by Russian troops. According to the National Police, which reported the case, this is the fourth flying object observed on the territory of the Republic of Moldova in recent days. The drone was found on a plot of land located between a shopping centre and a stadium, by a citizen who alerted the authorities. On Sunday, the Moldovan authorities announced that two Russian missiles had entered the airspace of the Republic of Moldova. This is the first time that a Russian drone has been reported in the airspace of the capital of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    UKRAINE – A thousand days after the start of the Russian invasion, the European Parliament promises Ukraine that the EU will stand by it for as long as necessary. The leader in Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that without European support, Ukraine would have been occupied by Russia. The EP held a plenary session in Brussels on Monday, and the European Defense Ministers held a meeting, to which NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was also invited.

  • November 19, 2024

    November 19, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    MESSAGE – Despite 1,000 days of terrible warfare, Ukraine stands unbowed, the US Ambassador in Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec has said today in a statement, marking 1000 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She also said that, according to the UN, Russian forces have killed more than 11,000 Ukrainian civilians, including more than 600 children, and continue to engage in shocking war crimes, including torture of civilians and prisoners of war. At the same time, Russian bombs have obliterated schools, hospitals, and treasured sites of Ukrainian history, culture, and memory. According to the American diplomat, Ukraine has shown remarkable courage and resolve in defense of its sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, helped by the enduring support of its friends and allies around the world. Romania has shown true leadership in support of Ukraine and its citizens and, as strategic partners and NATO allies, the United States and Romania stand together to counter the threats posed by Russia in Ukraine and in Europe, Kathleen Kavalec also said.

     

    RUSSIA – Moscow continued to criticize Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use American long-range missiles to attack Russia. Deputy National Security Adviser for the Biden Administration, John Final, emphasized the fact that Russia is waging a war of aggression. However, Joe Biden’s decision was criticized by President-elect Donald Trump’s team members. They accuse Biden of escalating the conflict two months before leaving office. On the other hand, on Monday, Ukraine marked 1,000 days since Russia’s large scale invasion of its territory. The invasion led to the destruction of numerous Ukrainian towns and cities, and 6 million people were forced to flee the country. Thousands of civilians were killed during the bombings. On the battlefield, losses are described by Reuters as catastrophic and estimated at hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded on both sides.

     

    ELECTIONS – These are the last days of the election campaign for the first round of the presidential elections in Romania, scheduled for Sunday, November 24. There are 13 candidates for the position of head of state, nine proposed by political parties and four independents. The head of the Permanent Election Authority, Toni Greblă, says that it is possible that, by late Monday, November 25, the official results of the election be announced. The second round of the presidential elections is scheduled for December 8.

     

    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in the European Union rose to 2.3% in October, from 2.1% in September, and Romania is, for the eighth month in a row, the country with the highest inflation rate in the community bloc, with an annual price increase of 5%, according to data published on Tuesday by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). Last month, the lowest annual inflation rates in the EU were recorded in Slovenia (0.0%), Lithuania and Ireland (each 0.1%), while the highest were in Romania (5%), Belgium and Estonia (each 4.5%). The National Bank of Romania has revised upwards, to 4.9%, from 4% previously, the inflation forecast for the end of 2024 and estimates that it will reach 3.5% at the end of 2025, according to data presented on Monday by the Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu.

     

    FOOTBALL – The Romanian national football team defeated Cyprus 4-1 on Monday night at home in its last match in Group C2 of the Nations League. The Romanians thus won their fifth victory in the group and advanced to the competition’s League B. Romania still has to wait for UEFA’s decision for the match against Kosovo on Friday in Bucharest, abandoned by the guests with only a few tens of seconds before the end, at a goalless score, when they heard pro-Serbian chants from the host fans. The Kosovo Football Federation denounced what it saw as an “unacceptable and unsafe atmosphere”. The Romanian Football Federation rejected the accusations as unfounded.

  • November 11, 2024

    November 11, 2024

    VISIT – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu will make an official visit to London this week, to meet with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, and with the speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle. Talks will focus on strengthening bilateral relations and collaboration between the two countries, especially in the economic field and on combating tax evasion. The Romanian Prime Minister will also participate in the Romania – Great Britain Economic Forum. Last week, in view of this visit, the Romanian Executive adopted a memorandum that updates the convention between the two countries regarding taxation and the prevention of tax evasion. The new document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation during the year 2023, as well as those related to the perspective of Romania’s goal of joining the OECD.

     

    VOTE – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz could request a vote of confidence in Parliament before Christmas after the government coalition broke down last week. The date would thus be earlier than January 15, which he had announced last week, and the decision was taken following pressures for the legislature to take a decision more quickly, as the president and the conservative opposition want. The chancellor said that he would be willing to ask Parliament to decide by the winter holidays, and a negative decision would pave the way for the organization of early elections next spring. The political crisis comes against the backdrop of stagnation in some German economic fields or decline in others, in the context of Donald Trump returning to the White House, who said he was in favor of increased taxation of imports, something that would affect Germany, the largest European exporter.

     

    TALKS – The US President-elect, Donald Trump, had, a few days ago, a conversation with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, whom he advised not to escalate the conflict in Ukraine and to whom he reminded that “Washington has a vast military presence in Europe” , writes the American press. Previously, Donald Trump had also had a telephone conversation with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. The press agencies recall that during the election campaign Trump declared that he would find a solution to end the war in one day, and an adviser to the president-elect indicated that the future administration in Washington will focus on achieving peace rather than recovery of Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia. On June 14, President Putin laid out his conditions for ending the war: Ukraine should give up its ambitions to join NATO and withdraw all its troops from the territory of four regions claimed by Russia. Ukrainian authorities have rejected these demands, saying they would amount to capitulation, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has presented a “victory plan” that includes requests for additional military support from the West. On the other hand, the adviser for national security of the White House, Jake Sullivan, declared that in the more than two months left until the transfer of power, Joe Biden will try to convince Congress and the new Administration that support for Ukraine must be maintained.

     

    VERETANS DAY –  The Romanian Ministry of National Defense is organizing today, on the occasion of the Veterans Day in the theatres of operations, military and religious ceremonies in Bucharest and in the garrisons where there are military units that have carried out missions in the war zones. November 11 was chosen for its symbolism: the entry into force, in 1918, of the truce between the Entente Powers and Germany, which ended the First World War and created the necessary conditions for the Great Union in Romania. The significance of this day for the Romanian Army is also related to the fact that on November 11, 2003, Second Lieutenant Iosif-Silviu Fogaraşi, the first Romanian soldier to die in the theatre of operations in Afghanistan, fell in the line of duty.

     

    BNR – The Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, is today presenting the quarterly report on inflation. According to him, inflation will increase slightly at the end of the year, so an increase in prices is expected in the following period, and in the first half of 2025, the indicator will fluctuate and remain above the level desired by the Central Bank. Only in 2026 will the annual inflation rate resume its decline and fall below the proposed target of 3.5%, according to the report analyzed and approved on Friday by the Administrative Council of the BNR. At the same time, the Central Bank decided to maintain the key interest rate at 6.5% per year, after taking a similar decision at the October meeting.

     

    CUSTOMS – Romanian customs will be equipped with five new X-ray scanner systems from next month, and eight more units will be installed in 2025, according to data from the Romanian Customs Authority. At present, Romania has four scanners in customs, including mobile devices for the control of trucks and cars. The Customs Authority specifies that, since the X-ray scanners were installed in customs, drugs, cigarettes, money and even weapons have been discovered. On the other hand, tons of drugs were discovered by the Romanian police in the first nine months of the year. The police announce that 33 criminal groups, made up of almost 240 people, were dismantled

     

    BITCOIN – The bitcoin digital currency has crossed the threshold of 81 thousand dollars today, a second record in just a few days. The increased level reached by bitcoin is attributed by economic analysts to the election of Donald Trump as president of the US, given that, over time, he was in favor of digital currencies, and in the electoral campaign he promised to relax regulations in the US related to crypto-currencies.

  • October 23, 2024 UPDATE

    October 23, 2024 UPDATE

    PODGORICA During his formal visit to Montenegro on Wednesday, at the invitation of his counterpart Jakov Milatovic, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romania’s staunch support for the EU enlargement process with the partners in the Western Balkans and the candidates from the eastern vicinity. The head of the Romanian state said that Montenegro had taken major steps in the negotiation process, its attachment to European values being also visible in its complete alignment with the EU’s common security and foreign policy. At the bilateral level, the two officials have reconfirmed the common readiness to contribute to boosting economic and sectorial cooperation, which may better reflect the potential of the political relations. The two sides have agreed to support a stronger presence of the Romanian companies in Montenegro, an increased number of contracts at the level of the business environment, particularly at the level of the small and medium size enterprises, supported by an effective and periodical dialogue between the authorities. The two officials have also underlined the interest in developing cooperation in various fields with a view to bringing tangible benefits for citizens, such as defence, internal affairs, tourism, energy and agriculture. President Milatovic thanked Romania for supporting Montenegro in its EU integration process and appreciated the visit, the first formal one, by a Romanian president since the country got its independence, which is a strong sign of friendship and partnership between the two countries.

     

    BUDGET MEPs are proposing a budget of roughly 201 billion euros for 2025. According to the project voted on Wednesday by the European Parliament, the budget will be focusing on research, healthcare, education and climate. The formula proposed by Parliament, a higher budget, which benefits the countries with lower contributions to the European budget, like Romania, which benefits from the fund distribution through the programmes of the EU policies. According to MEP Victor Negrescu, one of the two negotiators of the Legislature, who will join the final negotiation between Parliament and the Council, it is the support offered by the European Parliament to the programme devoted to border protection as well as the coordination of the social security system, which would allow the European Diaspora, including the Romanian one to easily transfer their rights and social benefits, including pensions, from one state to another.

     

    ELECTION On Wednesday, the US expressed its concern about Russia’s interference in the second round of the November 3 presidential election in the Republic of Moldova, a competition which is going to be very tight. The US is concerned that Russia will try, once again, to prevent the Moldovans from exercising their sovereign right to choose their own leaders, said the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in a statement quoted by AFP. Washington has already denounced that Russia did everything in its power to disrupt the first round of the presidential election and last Sunday’s referendum, with the aim of undermining democracy in the small ex-Soviet Republic with a majority Romanian-speaking population, especially through illegal financing, vote buying, disinformation and malicious cyber activities. We remind you that the Moldovans approved by a tiny margin, with a little over 50% of the votes, amending the Constitution with a view to their country’s EU accession. At the same time, the current president, the pro-European Maia Sandu, ranked first, with 42.45% of the votes, in the first round of the presidential election, but she is preparing for a difficult second round, in which she will fight with the representative of the Socialist Party, Alexandr Stoianoglo, who obtained 25.98%.

     

    SALARY Romania’s Chamber of Deputies adopted, as a decision-making body, the draft law on the minimum wage. It transposes a European directive that aims to improve the working and living conditions of employees. The document stipulates that the minimum basic gross salary guaranteed to be paid should be established annually, through periodic updating, after consultations with the nationally-representative unions and employers’ associations and should take into account the cost of living and economic and social indicators.

    (bill)

  • October 17, 2024

    October 17, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    CORRUPTION – Anti-graft prosecutors have today searched the office of the former Minister of Health Nelu Tătaru, in the Huşi Municipal Hospital in eastern Romania, where he works as a surgeon. Last week, Tătaru,  who is a Liberal MP representing the county of Vaslui, was put under criminal investigation in a case in which he is accused of having received as bribe, from his patients, sums of money between 20 and 100 euros, as well as foodstuffs. Tătaru claims he is innocent.

     

    WAGE – The minimum wage in Romania will be 810 euros starting January 2025, the Bucharest government and the social partners, who got together in the Tripartite National Committee, decided on Wednesday. Thus, according to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Romania is entering the path of the European minimum wage. We comply with the directive according to which the minimum level must be somewhere between 47% and 52% of the European minimum wage, Ciolacu explained.

     

    DEFENSE – The Romanian Minister of National Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, is participating, on October 17 and 18, in the meeting of the NATO defense ministers, taking place in Brussels. The meeting’s agenda includes topics of importance for the Alliance, in order to implement the decisions adopted by the heads of state and government at the NATO Summit, which took place in Washington DC in July. The ministerial event includes three sessions of talks – one in allied format, dedicated to strengthening the allied deterrence and defense posture, one session in the format of the NATO-Ukraine Council, as well as another, for the first time, with partner states in the Indo-Pacific/IP4 region ( Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand). The Minister of Defense will also participate in the ministerial meeting of the Global Anti-ISIS Coalition.

     

    AID – The American President, Joe Biden, announced, on Wednesday, during a conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, a new military aid for Ukraine worth 425 million dollars which includes additional air defense capabilities, France Presse reports. Biden spoke with Zelenskiy about his efforts to increase military aid to Ukraine until the end of his term in January 2025. Since the start of the war in 2022, the United States has approved about $175 billion in economic or military aid for Ukraine. Joe Biden will be in Germany as of Friday for one of his last visits as American President, during which he will discuss the situation in Ukraine.

     

    COUNCIL – Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, for two days, in Brussels, at the European Council meeting, which has on the agenda topics such as Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, EU competitiveness, migration, foreign affairs, as well as the Republic of Moldova. European leaders will discuss the latest developments in Russia’s war of aggression, as well as multidimensional support for Ukraine. Regarding the Middle East, the ‘alarming’ situation and the ‘risks of escalation of violence in the region’ will be discussed. At Romania’s proposal, the agenda of the meeting will also include discussions about the situation in the Republic of Moldova, as well as about support for its accession to the European Union, especially for supporting internal reforms and for strengthening resilience and stability. In the perspective of the upcoming elections and the referendum on the European integration of the Republic of Moldova, the issue of Russian interference in the election process will also be discussed. On Wednesday, the first EU – Gulf Cooperation Council Summit took place, aimed at strengthening the political and economic partnership between the Union and the member states of this structure, in a difficult geopolitical context.

     

    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan qualified for the quarter-finals of the WTA tournament in Osaka (Japan), after defeating the Czech Marie Bouzkova in two sets. In the quarters, Bogdan will face the Dutch Suzan Lamens. Another player from Romania, Jaqueline Cristian, is today up against the Czech Karolina Muchova, in the round of 16 of the WTA  tournament in Ningbo (China).

     

     

  • October 2, 2024

    October 2, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    VISA WAIVER – Romania meets all the technical conditions to be part of the Visa Waiver Program, the Romanian ambassador to the US, Andrei Muraru, said on a social network. He also said that Romanians would most likely be allowed to travel visa-free in the first part of next year. “Should all the conditions and preparations proceed successfully, the program could take effect sometime in 2025” the US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, said on Tuesday. However, Ambassador Kavalec said, a number of important steps still need to be completed in the coming months to establish whether Romania is, in fact, eligible to participate in the Visa Waiver Program.

     

    BNR – The Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, was entrusted by Parliament on Tuesday, with a new 5-year mandate at the helm of the financial institution.  He has led the Bank almost uninterruptedly since 1990. He only stepped down for one year, to serve as prime minister of Romania. He is the longest-serving governor of a central bank in the world. Isărescu said before Parliament that the institution would try to ensure price stability without discouraging long-term economic growth.

     

    WARNING – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest strongly advises Romanian citizens who are in Lebanon to leave this country by the air routes still available. The travel warning regarding the existence of major security risks is still valid. These can also affect commercial flights and travel routes, according to the Ministry. Some 1,136 Romanian citizens and their family members have so far registered their presence in Lebanon, at the Romanian Embassy in Beirut. On the ground, Iran announced that its attack on Israel had ended, after, on Tuesday evening, it launched more than 180 missiles in its direction. Tehran says that it targeted the infrastructure of the enemy state. International media says that among the targets were the headquarters of the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, as well as the most important air base, Nevatim, which is also used by Israel F- 35 long-range stealth strike fighter fleet. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Israel, there is no information regarding the loss of human life and damages.

     

    ALERT – A new RO-Alert message was issued for the northern part of ​​Tulcea county (south-eastern Romania), after the national defense and security structures detected a possible attack by the Russian Federation on some targets on the territory of Ukraine. These messages have the role of informing the population in the border area between Romania and Ukraine about the fact that there are possible Russian attacks on the Ukrainian territory and that some objects might fall on the Romanian national territory. The Romanian Defense Ministry firmely condemns once more these attacks carried out by the Russian Federation against some objectives and elements of Ukrainian civil infrastructure, which are unjustified and are serious breaches of international law.

     

    UNEMPLOYMENT – The unemployment rate in Romania rose, in August, to 5.5%, up by 0.1% compared to the one recorded in July 2024, according to data published on Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). By gender, the unemployment rate for men exceeded that of women by 0.7% (the values ​​being 5.8% for men and 5.1% for women). The unemployment rate among young people (15-24 years old) continues to be high –  23.2%. The number of unemployed (aged 15-74) was 452,300 in August, and went up both compared to the previous month (451,200 people) and to the same period of last year (449,500 people). The number of unemployed aged 25-74 accounted for 76.3% of the total number of unemployed estimated for August 2024.

     

    SUPPORT – Romania will support Greece by sending 50 firefighters and equipment specialized in putting out fires. According to a press release by the Government, following the activation of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, the Government of Romania responded to the request of the Greek authorities for international assistance.

     

    MEETING – The Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, had, on Wednesday, in Bucharest, an official meeting with his Portuguese counterpart, Nuno Melo. The two ministers reviewed the state of Romanian-Portuguese cooperation in terms of security and defense from a bilateral perspective and from that of their countries’ NATO and EU membership. Topics related to the security situation in the Black Sea region and measures to strengthen the allied defense position and deter aggression on the Eastern flank were also addressed.

     

     

     

  • September 27, 2024 UPDATE

    September 27, 2024 UPDATE

    Deficit – In Romania, the budget deficit rose, after the first eight months of this year, to over 80 billion lei (about 16 billion Euros), almost 4.6% of the GDP, double compared to the same period of last year, according to data published on Friday by the Finance Ministry. Throughout this period, state expenditures exceeded 450 billion lei (approx. 90 billion Euros), while revenues were only 375 billion lei (approx. 75 billion Euros). In the budget rectification recently adopted by the government, the deficit for the current year was revised upwards from 5% to 6.94% of the GDP.

     

    Storm – The Romanian authorities will mobilize additional forces in the counties where they are expecting problems caused by Storm Ashley. Heavy rain is expected around the country starting on Sunday afternoon for at least 24 hours, while temperatures will drop significantly, from 34 to 15 degrees Celsius. Operative meetings were held at the government, with the Romanian authorities preparing for extreme weather phenomena. The situation on the Danube is also being monitored, but the director general of the Romanian Waters, Sorin Lucaci, is not expecting big problems. According to hydrologists, the flow of the river Danube upon entry into the country will reach 7,600 cubic meters per second, and even up to 9,500 cubic meters after the rainfalls and the water brought by the rivers.

     

    Researchers’ Night – The Researchers’ Night was marked, on Friday, in Bucharest, and other cities in Romania, with events meant to show the public what it means to be a researcher and how interesting research work is. Among other things, the National Natural History Museum ‘Grigore Antipa’ in Bucharest invited science enthusiasts to discover, among other things, invisible details of the specimens through electron microscopy. The Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy exhibited meteorite fragments recovered from different areas of the planet, as well as models of the main types of space vehicles through which man currently explores the outer space. In the “Children’s World” Park in Bucharest, researchers presented innovative projects, original experiments and unique demonstrations of natural phenomena and cutting-edge technologies. Every year, at the end of September, researchers from 23 countries and over 400 cities in Europe celebrate, through meetings with the public, the contributions of science to the sustainable development of a better society.

     

    Agreement – The Agreement regarding Romania’s hosting the seat of the European Competence Center in the field of industry, technology and research in cyber security (ECCC) was signed in Bucharest, on Friday. According to a government press release, hosting the headquarters of the European Competence Center in Bucharest is a major achievement for Romania. “It is for the first time that our country hosts a European agency, a fact that reconfirms Romania’s increasingly important role in strengthening European cyber security, especially in the current international context marked by numerous security challenges,” the press release states.

     

    Foreign workers – Romania has become an increasingly attractive destination for foreign workers, owing to economic growth and local deficit of labor in various sectors. The number of individual employment contracts last year passed 200,000. Most workers come from Asia, states with a modest living standard. Experts are warning that integrating foreign workers is not easy, but their contribution to the local economy is essential for maintaining the pace of development. The Romanian authorities wish to introduce a legislative framework to help migrants. According to the National Institute for Statistics, Romania had an active population of 8.4 million people in the April-June period, of whom 7.9 million were in employment and 421,000 unemployed.

     

    Journalists – The Romanian Foreign Ministry condemns the fact that Russia has opened investigations against three journalists, stressing that the media representatives must be protected and not silenced. This is a blatant attack on the freedom of the press and against fundamental rights, the Romanian ministry said on the online platform X. Russia’s Federal Security Service has opened criminal investigations against three journalists, two Americans and a Romanian, who allegedly crossed the border illegally from Ukraine to make reports in the occupied part of the Kursk region, the Russian press agencies, taken over by AFP announced on Friday. According to them, the Romanian journalist is Mircea Barbu and works for HotNews.ro. In total, investigations were launched against 12 foreign journalists for the same type of accusations. The targeted journalists do not appear to be in Russia, but face up to five years in prison under the Russian Criminal Code. We remind you that on August 6, the Ukrainian army launched a surprise offensive in the Kursk border region, the first offensive of a foreign army in Russia after the Second World War.

     

    Football – FCSB defeated the Latvian side RFS 4-1 on Thursday evening at the National Arena in Bucharest, in the first leg of the new Europa League format. The Romanian champions will play seven matches in the group, taking on Glasgow Rangers, Manchester United, PAOK Thessaloniki and Olympiakos Piraeus, as well as Hoffenheim. FCSB is the only Romanian side playing in the European cups.

  • B9 meeting in Bucharest

    B9 meeting in Bucharest

    NATO must react to Russia’s incursions into the member states’ airspace, in the context of the war in Ukraine. This is the conclusion of the B9 meeting in Bucharest.

     

    NATO must give a robust and coordinated response to the repeated intrusion of Russian drones and missiles into the Alliance’s airspace, the Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said. At the B9 meeting in Bucharest, bringing together the allied defense ministers on NATO’s Eastern Flank, Minister Tîlvăr said that the security situation in the Black Sea region remains worrying, due to the threats generated by Russia’s aggressive actions, including through disinformation and cyber attacks. Angel Tîlvăr: “The B9 states are deeply concerned about the repeated incursions of Russian Federation’s drones and missiles into NATO airspace in Poland, Romania and Latvia and about the escalation of tensions along the NATO borders. That is why a robust and coordinated response at allied level is needed, as well as the implementation, as soon as possible, of the rotational model of NATO’s integrated air and anti-missile defense”.

     

    Against this background, the Romanian minister also focused on the Republic of Moldova, which is facing challenges from the Russian Federation. He pointed out once more that the country needs support for its European integration, a safe investment, he says, in the security of the Black Sea region and Europe. In turn, the Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Zalewsky, said that at the upcoming meeting of the Defense Ministers from the allied states, it is important to establish concrete action measures to detect drones and destroy enemy targets. According to Zalewsky, when we say that no centimeter of NATO territory can be attacked by Russia and must be defended, we are also referring to airspace. He also said that  essential initiatives were discussed  in this context, namely The European Sky Shield Initiative and the Eastern Shield initiative, the first being aimed at strengthening cooperation and increasing funding, and the second at strengthening the borders with Russia and Belarus.

     

    Present in Bucharest on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on Romania to analyze the possibility of shooting down Russian drones and missiles near the Romanian airspace. During the meeting with his Romanian counterpart, Luminiţa Odobescu, he hailed the support granted by Romania, for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, following the country’s decision to donate a Patriot system. Minister Sybiha said this is a shield not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe, and that, especially around winter, it will allow them to strengthen their defense capabilities. Minister Odobescu reiterated, in turn, Romania’s full support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

     

  • September 13, 2024 UPDATE

    September 13, 2024 UPDATE

    A roundup of local and international news.

     


    Energy.     The Romanian government will ask for compensations from the European Union for the significant differences in energy prices between the west and the east of Europe, said energy minister Sebastian Burduja. He gave assurances that the domestic energy production is sufficient in the event of a mild or moderately cold winter, and in the event of a harsh winter, Romania has an interconnection capacity that allows it to supply the needed demand. According to official data, natural gas storages are filled up to 96.53%, which is 177.7 million cubic metres more than last year. Romania is still the European Union’s second largest gas producer.

     

    Pilots. The first four Ukrainian pilots have arrived in Romania to start training for the F-16 jets, the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense, Constantin Spînu, said on Friday. He also said that for the time being, the pilots attend theoretical courses, the practical phase being scheduled to start at the end of the year. Ukraine received F-16 jets from the West and wants to be able to use them as soon as possible to counter Russian attacks. On Thursday, Minister Angel Tîlvăr reconfirmed, in a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, Romania’s firm commitment to further supporting Ukraine.

     

    Visa Waiver. Romania is very close to fulfilling all technical criteria to enter the Visa Waiver Program, said the country’s ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru. He had talks with the US secretary of homeland security Alejandro Mayorkas about the joint actions to be carried out by the two countries in the coming period for Romania to join the Visa Waiver Program. Muraru said Romania is weeks away from meeting the last technical requirement, the rejection rate. Under US law, an obligatory condition for a country to be considered eligible for the Visa Waiver Program is for the rejection rate of visitor visas to be under 3% in the year before joining the program.

     

    EU Budget. Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureşan, one of the two chief negotiators of the European Parliament for the future budget of the Union, says that the new financial exercise must focus on the aid granted through the Common Agricultural Policy and through the Cohesion Policy. According to him, adjustments must be made to face competitiveness and adapt to the needs of farmers. In addition, Siegfried Mureşan believes that the Cohesion Policy must also include the new realities in the field of defense and security, against the background of uncertainties caused by the war in Ukraine.

     

     Russia strike. The Romanian foreign ministry firmly condemns the Russian strike against a grain vessel in the Black Sea waters. “This is an unprecedented escalation of the actions of the Russian Federation in its illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine. The deliberate attack against a commercial vessel is a grave violation of humanitarian international law regarding warfare at sea”, said the foreign ministry in a statement. The ministry calls on the Russian Federation to put an end to all attacks against commercial vessels and to comply with the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. NATO strongly condemned as well the Russian attack on a civilian grain ship in the Black Sea. A Russian missile hit a commercial vessel in the Black Sea that was carrying grains from Ukraine to Egypt, with no casualties reported, said Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.