Radio România Internațional

Tag: Russian diplomats

  • The meeting of EU Foreign Ministers

    The meeting of EU Foreign Ministers

    EU Foreign Ministers convened in
    videoconference format to discuss, among other things, the latest tensions in
    Russia and the Czech Republic, as well as the situation of Russian opposition
    leader Alexei Navalnyi, who is imprisoned in Russia. The European Commission is
    fully solidary with the Czech Republic on the expulsion of Russian diplomats, a
    Commission spokesman said during a briefing. Prague has accused Moscow of involvement
    in a 2014 explosion at a weapons depot on its territory, and on Saturday
    expelled 18 employees of the Russian Embassy, accused of espionage in this case.
    Additionally, the Czech authorities said the official inquiry has established a
    link between the Russian intelligence and the explosion that killed two Czech
    nationals.

    The Russian Foreign Ministry has labeled the Czech authorities’
    decision as unprecedented, considering Prague’s allegations as ungrounded and peculiar,
    and in response has declared 20 employees of the Czech Embassy in Moscow personae
    non grata. EU Foreign Ministers also discussed the case of Alexei Navalnyi,
    who for the last three weeks has been on hunger strike in prison, and whose
    health has deteriorated significantly in the absence of medical care. Attending
    the meeting, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu supported the involvement of the Red
    Cross in this case. Navalny has in the meantime been transferred to a hospital
    for inmates. In the context of Russia’s increasingly destabilizing actions in
    the Eastern Vicinity as well as against Member States, Minister Aurescu also highlighted
    the need for a strategic approach to EU-Russia relations.

    Bogdan Aurescu has
    joined the chorus of EU Foreign Ministers who’ve expressed concern over Russia’s
    repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement and the increased number of
    troops in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, as well as with Russia’s plans to
    restrict navigation on certain sections of the Black Sea. The Romanian official expressed Romania’s support
    for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and for the country’s European
    integration efforts and efforts to expand the association and economic
    integration processes, highlighting the EU’s constant and firm support for Kiev’s
    commitment to reforms, a key prerequisite for the consolidation of the rule of
    law, democracy and resilience in this country. Finally, Minister Aurescu
    underscored the need for a strategic vision on the Eastern Partnership and an ambitious
    post-2020 agenda, which should include the consolidation of security
    cooperation with partner states, also recalling that Romania has called for a
    more active EU role in extended conflicts in the Black Sea region. (V.P.)

  • December 30, 2016 UPDATE

    December 30, 2016 UPDATE

    PRIME MINISTER – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed the decree designating Social-Democrat Sorin Grindeanu, for the position of Prime Minister. This is the second proposal made by the newly elected ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, after the first nominee, Sevil Shhaideh, was not endorsed. Sorin Grindeanu, 43, is the president of Timis County Council and was Minister of Communication in the Ponta cabinet. Grindeanu has ten days to form his cabinet, which will be sworn in after a vote in Parliament.



    UNEMPLOYMENT – The unemployment rate in 2017 is expected to go down from 4.8% to 4.6%, as announced by the National Prognosis Commission. It is expected for the south-western region of Oltenia to have the highest unemployment rate, 7.7%. The capital Bucharest and its surrounding county will have the lowest unemployment rate, 1.6%, down from 1.7% in 2016. The Commission also announced the unemployment rate is expected to drop in the following years, with figures like 4.4% in 2018, and 4.3% in 2019.



    REIMBURSEMENT – Romania has to pay over 1.26 billion Euro in 2017 for loans contracted with the EU and the World Bank as part of the stand-by agreement drawn in 2009, as announced by the Finance Ministry. This year, Romania paid 113 million Euro back to the EU and the World Bank. Bucharest has over 4.7 billion Euro to pay back to the two institutions by 2023.



    MIGRANTS – Almost 300 foreign nationals found to be illegally in Romania have been identified by the police in December. According to the General Inspectorate for Migration, 60 of them have been notified to leave the country, while 115 have applied for one form or another of international protection. Also in December, 27 people have been escorted off Romanian territory. Several companies have been fined for violating employment legislation applying to foreign workers.



    US-RUSSIAN RELATIONS – The United States has decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats in response to cyber attacks intended to interfere in presidential elections, as well as harassment of American diplomats in Moscow. Access was blocked for Russian diplomats at two of their locations in New York and Maryland. At the same time, a Kremlin spokesperson said that Russia will have a response, bearing in mind that the decision was made by President Obama and not by Donald Trump, who takes office in three weeks. Trump said that the claims that Russia interfered in the US elections were ridiculous.



    TURKEY – The Constitutional Committee with the Turkish
    Parliament on Friday passed a bill to change the fundamental law of the
    country, granting enhanced powers to the president, Reuters, quotes the Anadolu
    Turkish news agency as saying. The legislature has to pass the bill, which then
    goes to a referendum to be held no later than spring next year.


    TIGHTENED SECURITY– The European countries ramp up security for New Year, after the Berlin terror attack, which left 12 people dead and scores of injured. In Brussels, additional riot police forces will be deployed, but the New Year fireworks show will not be cancelled, in spite of a terror alert. In Madrid, a driving ban has been imposed for heavy trucks and coaches. In Italy, the authorities have taken special measures, particularly in the crowded areas which attract a large number of tourists, against the backdrop of warnings that several foreign fighters have arrived or will soon arrive in the Peninsula to carry out attacks. In Berlin, the police closed the square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to deploy additional armed officers, with armoured vehicles likely to flank concrete barriers blocking off the area. In Paris, heavily armed soldiers will patrol the city centre and popular Paris tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre Museum, as well as Champs Elysee, where hundreds of thousands are expected to the traditional midnight fireworks show. (Translated by D. Vijeu)