Radio România Internațional

Tag: security

August 16, 2023 UPDATE

SECURITY Romanias security has been consolidated and the efforts to strengthen NATO structures on national territory, especially the NATO battle group established in 2022, will carry on, said President Klaus Iohannis, who attended the Navy Day ceremonies in Constanta on Tuesday. In turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu promised that the government would earmark the resources required for equipping and modernising the Romanian Naval Forces. Security at the Black Sea ensures the stability of the entire region and turns Romania into an important security provider, the speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, also said.

ECONOMY The EU economy grew 0.5% and the Eurozone economy went up 0.6% in Q2 2023, compared to the corresponding period in 2022, with Ireland and Romania reporting the most significant growth rates, according to preliminary data released on Wednesday by the European Statistics Office (Eurostat). Among the EU member countries for which data are available, the highest growth rates in April-June 2023 are reported in Ireland (2.8%), Romania (2.7%), Cyprus and Portugal (2.3%), while the most important negative rates were in Estonia (-3%), Sweden (-2.4%), Hungary (-2.3%) and Poland (-1.3%). Across the ocean, the US GDP went up 0.6% compared to the previous 3 months and 2.6% against the corresponding quarter last year.

BACCALAUREATE Nearly 34,000 high school graduates in Romania, sitting the second session of this years Baccalaureate exam, Wednesday had the Romanian language and literature test, with papers graded digitally for the first time. The tests are scanned and uploaded on a platform, where they are assigned for grading to teachers in any part of the country except for the county where the student went to high school. The two tests in students major subjects are scheduled for August 17th and 18th. In order to pass the exam, candidates need an overall grade of at least 6 in their written tests. In the first Baccalaureate session, 75% of the candidates passed the exam.

TRAFFIC Over 2.2 million Romanians and foreigners crossed Romanias borders during the Assumption of Mary holiday period, up 24% compared to the corresponding period of last year, the Romanian Border Police announced. The most crowded checkpoints were those on the Hungarian and Bulgarian borders, and those in airports. During the same period, border police issued fines totalling over EUR 60,000 and seized assets of over EUR 600,000. More than 100 Romanian nationals were denied exit and 90 foreign nationals were not allowed to enter the country for various reasons.

UKRAINE The Romanian Defence Ministry strongly condemns the repeated strikes by Russian armed forces targeting critical infrastructure in Ukraine and regions inhabited by civilians in that country. The statement comes after on Wednesday morning the Danube River ports in Izmail and Reni, near the border with Romania, were hit by drone strikes. The war of aggression started by Russia against Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law, says the Defence Ministry, also adding that it has enhanced the monitoring of Romanias national territory and its maritime and airspace, jointly with NATO forces, to strengthen defence on the entire eastern flank and to deter possible aggressions against NATO member countries. (AMP)

16 August 2023
August 16, 2023

Security – Romania’s security has
been consolidated and the efforts to strengthen the structures of the North-Atlantic
Alliance on the territory of the country, especially the NATO battle group
established in 2022, will be continued, said President Klaus Iohannis, who, on
Tuesday, attended the ceremonies in Constanta (southeast), which marked Navy
Day. In turn, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu gave assurances that the government
would allocate the necessary resources for equipping and modernizing the
Romanian Naval Forces. Security at the Black Sea ensures the stability of the
entire region and turns Romania into an important security provider, the speaker
of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, also said.

Government – The Romanian government resumes discussions
about the measures to balance the state budget. The executive should finalize
and adopt, by the end of the month, the emergency ordinances for reducing the
expenses of the civil servants’ apparatus and the increase in the budget revenue
receipts. According to a draft law, which appeared in the public space, owners
of luxury cars whose value exceeds 100,000 Euros will have to pay a tax, IT
employees whose salaries exceed 10,000 lei per month (about 2,000 Euros) will
no longer be exempted from taxes, and workers in constructions and agriculture
will have to pay health insurance contributions. At the same time, state
employees who have a gross monthly salary of over 10,000 lei may no longer
receive holiday vouchers. The government also intends to increase the excise
duty on sugar and to impose only two VAT rates of 9 and 19%. SMEs with incomes
up to 300,000 lei could be taxed with 1%, and those that exceed this income,
with 3%. Last but not least, companies that shift profits would have to pay a
15% surtax on the amounts transferred. As to the emergency ordinance regarding
the reduction of the size of the state apparatus, the government is analyzing
the possibility of abolishing 200,000 unfilled positions, merging some public
institutions and reducing the number of state secretaries, management
positions, members in the boards of administrators and the number of members in
the cabinets of local authorities.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea started
the WTA 1,000 tournament in Cincinnati, in the American state of Ohio with a
victory. Cîrstea, 31st in the WTA ranking, passed the Russian
Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round with a score of 6-0, 6-2 and will meet
in the second round Maria Sakkari, from Greece, seeded 8th in the
tournament. A second Romanian player in the main draw, Irina Begu, was defeated
by the Czech Marie Bouzkova, 6-2, 6-2. However, in the doubles, the pair Irina
Begu from Romania and Sara Sorribes Tormo, from Spain, qualified for the round
of 16 after defeating the pair Elisabetta Cocciaretto (Italy) / Mayar Sherif
(Egypt) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3). The Romanian-Spanish pair will meet the pair Storm
Hunter (Australia) / Elise Mertens (Belgium), seed number two, in the round of
16.

Gaudeamus – The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair in
Sibiu (center) has come to an end. For five days, approximately 15,000 visitors
attended the event, more than at the previous edition. Conni Chifor, a representative
of the fair, talked about the very large number of children present and said
that, for them, literature was definitely the queen of the ball. She added that
the public, including those who watched the events online, could participate in
numerous contests with book prizes. The next edition of the Gaudeamus Radio
Romania Book Fair will take place in Iasi (east), during the first week of
school, between September 13-17.

Baccalaureate – Almost 34,000 high school graduates
from Romania, enrolled for the second session of the Baccalaureate exam, are today
taking the Romanian language and literature exam, with the papers being
assessed digitally for the first time. The tests will be scanned and uploaded
to a platform that will distribute them to two teachers from any corner of the
country, except from the county of origin of the student. On Thursday, the
mandatory written test in the specialty subjects is scheduled. The optional test,
at the student’s choice, in the specialty subject is scheduled for August 18
and on August 21 candidates who belong to national minorities will take the
written test in their native language and literature. The first results will be
announced on August 25, followed by the final results on August 29 after
examining potential appeals. In order to pass the baccalaureate exam, high
school graduates must pass all language and digital skills assessment tests and
must obtain an exam average grade of at least 6.00 in the written tests. At the
first session of the Baccalaureate exam, only 75% of the registered candidates
passed the exam.

UN – Almost
10,000 civilians have lost their lives since the beginning of the war in
Ukraine, according to the UN. Thus, 9,444 civilians have died, including 500
children, and more than 16,940 have been injured since the beginning of the
Russian invasion in February 2022. The real figure is probably much higher. The
UN notes that the toll is not complete because data is missing from several
regions, especially from Mariupol, Lisiceansk and Severodonetsk, occupied by the
Russian forces after heavy fighting, and also from Kyiv. The figures also show
that the vast majority of those killed (7,339) died in Ukrainian regions bombed
by Russia and defended by the Ukrainian army. In the regions of Donetsk and
Lugansk, in the east, there were significantly more casualties on both sides of
the front than in the capital Kyiv, in the center and west of Ukraine. The UN
report also notes that more civilians died in the first months of the war. In
the spring and summer of 2023, between 170 and 180 civilians lost their lives
each month. (LS)

16 August 2023
July 28, 2023

WEATHER The PM of Romania Marcel
Ciolacu requested all the institutions in charge to centralise data on the damages
caused by the extreme weather over the past few days in Romania. Measures will
be taken subsequently to address the situation and to avoid similar occurrences
in the future, a government spokesperson said. According to the General
Inspectorate for Emergencies, over 50 localities in 19 counties and the capital
city Bucharest have been affected this week by storms and heavy rainfalls.
Several people died, and houses, buildings and vehicles have been damaged.

CANCER The government endorsed a National Plan on
Cancer Prevention and Treatment. The new programme facilitates quick access to
prevention measures, diagnostic, treatment and palliative services. The
healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, said investments would be made in the
field of oncology, and all services for patients would be free of charge,
including advanced radiation therapy. He added that the government would also
develop an innovation fund, mainly benefiting cancer patients. The plan will be
implemented in several stages over the next 5 years. Representatives of the
Federation of Cancer Patients Associations however are unhappy with the absence
of implementing rules for the plan, without which, they argue, it is impossible
to know how long it would take from diagnosis to the start of the actual
treatment.

DISSIDENT The High Court of Cassation and Justice in
Bucharest Thursday upheld a ruling clearing two former Communist political
police officers, Marin Pîrvulescu and Vasile Hodiş, of the charges related to
the torturing of dissident Gheorghe Ursu.
They were originally tried for crimes against humanity. The construction
engineer, poet and writerGheorghe Ursu was investigated by the Securitate in the ’80s,
after he sent letters to Radio Free Europe and kept a diary of the horrors
of the communist regime. He was arrested in September 1985 and died 2 months
later, after being beaten while in detention. After
Thursday’s ruling of the supreme court, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu said she would have liked not to see
any form of repression and torture validated. The Group for Social
Dialogue, a political and social NGO, says the supreme court’s decision to
acquit the torturers of the dissident Gheorghe Ursu is the most radical form of
rehabilitation of communist totalitarianism. Prosecutors are looking into
exceptional methods to challenge the ruling.

GREECE The Romanian foreign ministry warns the Romanian
nationals who are in Greece or intend to travel there that the local
authorities said the risks of wild fires remains high today in several parts of
that country. The situation is particularly serious in Rhodes, where 92
Romanian fire fighters are also deployed. In order to better respond to this
phenomenon, the European Commission announced plans to create its own firefighting
fleet, and procure an additional 12 aircraft to this end, deployed around the
Mediterranean, where most wildfires are reported.

SECURITY
The US Senate Thursday night endorsed the National Defence Authorisation Act
(NDAA), which included a bill on Black Sea security. With this decision, the US Senate confirms the
status of the Black Sea as a region of critical geo-strategic importance and
paves the way for enhanced US engagement in the region. The US Senate’s
decision also confirms the county’s strong support for a comprehensive US
presence in the Black Sea region, jointly with its allies and partners, in
strategic areas such as security and defence, economy, energy and democratic resilience, the
Romanian Ambassador to Washington Andrei Muraru
said. The bill endorsed by the Senate is to be reconciled in September with the
version of the NDAA already approved by the House of Representatives. A bill
similar to the
Black Sea Security Act is also pending in the House, with good chances to be
included in the reconciliation procedure and in the final text of the NDAA sent
to president Joe Biden.

FOOTBALL Three
Romanian teams played last night in the Europa Conference League qualifiers. Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe won, 2-0
away from home, the match against the Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia. Romanian
champions Farul Constanța also won their home match against FC Urartu, 3-2, while former champions CFR Cluj drew
at home against the Turkish side Adana Demirspor,
1-1. The return leg is scheduled for August 3. (AMP)

28 July 2023
July 25, 2023 UPDATE

Security. The Bucharest authorities have announced that at the moment there is no direct military threat to Romanias national territory or territorial waters. The announcement was made after Russia had attacked with drones two Ukrainian ports on the Danube, Reni and Ismail, near the border with Romania. The Russian attack was strongly condemned by the President of Romania, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Senate.

Finance. The ruling coalition in Bucharest has failed to reach an agreement on the package of fiscal measures to reduce the budget deficit. On Monday, coalition leaders approved a proposal set forth by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu regarding the elimination of 200,000 vacancies in the public sector and one proposal by the Liberal leader Nicolae Ciucă regarding expenditure cuts in all ministries. Solutions to combating tax evasion and improving the collection of revenues to the state budget were also discussed. Among the proposals aimed at reducing the deficit and bringing more money to the budget are the increase in the minimum salary of construction workers, in parallel with the elimination of their exemption from the payment of the healthcare contribution, eliminating the reduced VAT rate of 5%, which currently applies to some products and services, the increase in the tax on dividends and a higher tax for small companies with a turnover of over 500,000 euros. According to the finance minister, Romania should have a budget deficit of maximum 5%, or it risks losing the European funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Climate. No nation can tackle the global climate crisis alone, in isolation, said, on Tuesday, the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă. He participated, in Bucharest, in the ministerial meeting organized on the basis of the Agreement between the Governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary regarding the Strategic Partnership in the field of green energy development and transport. In a post on Facebook, Nicolae Ciucă recalled that last December, as prime minister, he signed the agreement between the four countries for the construction of a cable under the Black Sea to transport green energy to Europe. At Tuesdays meeting of the Ministers of Energy from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary, the steps for the implementation of this project were discussed, which, the Senate Speaker also said, will contribute to the transformation of Romania into a regional energy hub.

Wildfires. The 130 Romanian firefighters who are helping put out the fires in Greece have worked very well together with their Greek colleagues and with firefighters from other countries, said on Tuesday, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations in Bucharest, Raed Arafat. The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has voiced gratitude for the presence of Romanian firefighters in his country, while the Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, sent a safety message regarding the situation of tourists on vacation in Greece. In Bucharest, the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism recommended Romanians who intend to travel to Greece to inform themselves, before departure, about the existing situation at their destination and to avoid traveling in areas where there are wildfires. For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs Romanian citizens who are transiting or are planning to travel to the Hellenic Republic that the local authorities decided to maintain, until July 27, the red code alert and the warnings for wildfires in the 4th and 5th degrees, on a scale from 1 to 5. The ministry also recommends to those who are in an area where a fire occurs to strictly comply with the instructions of the local authorities and stay informed.

Swimming. Romanian swimmer David Popovici (18 years old) came in fourth in the final of the 200 m freestyle event on Tuesday, at the 2023 World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka (Japan). Popovici, reigning world champion in the 100 and 200 m freestyle, started from lane four and clearly dominated the first three lengths of the pool (150 m), but in the last 50 meters he inexplicably lost speed and finished only fourth with a time of 1min 44sec 90/100. Also in Fukuoka, David Popovici will compete in the 100 m freestyle, scheduled for July 26. The final will take place on the 27th of July. (MI)

25 July 2023
June 23, 2023 UPDATE

SECURITY We are under an obligation to provide
security to the Republic of Moldova, because Romanians also live there, PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday.
The previous day the Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemned the statements
made by the Russian-installed
governor in occupied Kherson, Vladimir Saldo. The Romanian diplomacy says in a
Twitter post that such statements addressed to the Republic of Moldova, but
which also refer to a part of the territory of Romania, a member of NATO, are
unacceptable and that targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime. The
reaction comes after Saldo threatened that the Russian army could attack a
bridge over Prut River, in response to an alleged Ukrainian attack on one of
the bridges connecting Kherson to the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea annexed by
Moscow 9 years ago. Chisinau has summoned the Russian ambassador to the
Republic of Moldova, Oleg Vasnetsov, for explanations. Created on some of
the eastern Romanian territories annexed by Stalin’s Soviet Union in 1940, the
Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from Moscow in 1991.

STOCK MARKET In Romania, the Association of Fund Administrators
welcomed the historic decision to list Hidroelectrica, through the sale of the
stake held by Proprietatea Fund. The Association chief, Horia Gustă, says the
listing is a huge development opportunity for the Bucharest Stock Exchange, which
thus consolidates its entry in the big league of European financial markets. Moreover,
the company’s presence will attract significant sums of money and major
international investment funds into Romania. In turn, Hidroelectrica’s CEO
Bogdan Badea says he expects nearly EUR 10 bln in capitalisation.
Hidroelectrica is the country’s largest electricity producer and it recently
became one of the most important energy suppliers for households.

IMMIGRANTS 43 foreign citizens were caught, Friday morning, trying
to cross Romania’s western border illegally. They were hidden in a truck driven
by a Romanian national, which was carrying parcels on the Romania-Hungary
route. The authorities found that the people hidden among the goods are from
Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. The foreigners are being
investigated for attempted fraudulent crossing of the state border, and the truck
driver for migrant trafficking.

FOOD The large chain stores in Romania have agreed, in the framework
of the dialogue started with the Government, that they could voluntarily reduce
the shelf prices of 10 basic food categories. The announcement was made by
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, but talks will continue. In order for the
reduction to be implemented, either a voluntary agreement of the sellers or an
emergency ordinance is being considered, but in both cases, the prime minister promised
that the government does not want to put pressure on Romanian producers.

THEATRE The Sibiu International Theatre Festival began on Friday in
central Romania. The event, which has a 30-year long tradition, brings to
Romania 5,000 artists from 75 countries, in hundreds of events to be held until
2 July.

FOOTBALL On Saturday in Bucharest Romania takes on Ukraine,
in Group B of the European Under-21 Football Championship, which it hosts
together with Georgia. In the same group, Spain will play against Croatia. In
the debut matches, the Under-21 national team was beaten 3-0 by Spain, while
Ukraine defeated Croatia 2-0. The final tournament takes place between 21 June and
8 July, and it brings together 16 teams, divided into four groups. Two are
hosted by Romania, in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca (north-west), and two by
Georgia. Two quarter-finals and a semi-final will also take place in Romania.
The top three finishers qualify for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Romania
is at its 3rd consecutive participation in the competition, with a total
of 4 final tournament presences, starting with 1998, when it hosted the final
tournament for the first time. The country’s best performance was in 2019, when
it reached the semi-finals, which secured the national team’s qualification in
the Tokyo Olympics. (AMP)

23 June 2023
May 19, 2023

FORUM
Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and the EU accession efforts of that country
and of the Republic of Moldova are among the topics discussed in Bucharest in a
forum devoted to security challenges at the Black Sea and in the Balkans. The
2-day event comprises over 40 sessions, attended by senior civilian and
military officials, diplomats and experts from the European Union and NATO, as
well as partner states. Attending the event, PM Nicolae Ciucă pleaded for a
strengthened NATO presence at the Black Sea, where free maritime and air
traffic are jeopardised by Russia’s threats.

SOLAR
POWER Individual households in Bucharest and Ilfov County may enroll, as of
today, in a new session of the Photovoltaic Green Home programme, addressing
people who want to install solar panels using state assistance. According to
the environment ministry, the app used for enrolment is available for separate
development regions, in alphabetical order, with 3 working days earmarked for
each region. The programme has a budget of around EUR 35 mln, covering over 87,000
photovoltaic systems.

EDUCATION Members of the
Senate’s committee on education have today resumed discussions on the
undergraduate education bill. On Thursday the analysis of the higher education
bill was finalized and a positive report was issued, with certain amendments. The
Opposition criticized the final draft of the document, which they say fails to
ensure a true reform of the system. On the other hand, the representatives of
the ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democratic Party, National Liberal
Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, said the
amendments improved the bill. Parliament is scheduled to vote on both education
bills on Monday, when trade unions in the sector announced they would go on
all-out strike. Negociations continue today to avoid a strike, but
after the talks yesterday the unions announced they would not give up their
planned strike unless their salary demands were met.

UNESCO Codex Aureus, the
best-known and most important illuminated medieval manuscript, currently in Alba
Iulia, central Romania, has been included in the UNESCO heritage list. According
to the National Library of Romania, the famous manuscript is part of the Memory
of the World Register, which comprises 9 other 1,200-year old works from various
countries in Europe. Most
manuscripts are fragments of Latin gospel books, written in gold ink, and
featuring portraits of the 4 evangelists.

SANCTIONS The
US and their G7 allies Friday announced new sanctions to reduce Russia’s
ability to carry on its war in Ukraine. The sanctions, which target Russia’s
highly profitable diamond exports, were decided right ahead of the G7 Summit in
Hiroshima, Japan. Diamond exports, mainly to the UAE, India and EU member state
Belgium, earn Moscow several billion US dollars a year. A
EU official said India’s joining the new set of sanctions would be crucial. Invited to
attend the summit in Hiroshima is also the Indian PM Narendra Modi, whose
country has strong ties with Moscow and has been reluctant so far to condemning
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

RADIO The Romanian and
Bulgarian public radio broadcasters announced they would strengthen their
cooperation. The president and director general of the Romanian Radio
Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan Ioan Dincă, and the head of the Bulgarian
National Radio Corporation, Milen Mitev, will sign an agreement in Sofia, under
which the 2 parties will exchange news and radio programmes free of charge,
will produce joint programmes and will provide access to archive recordings to
their respective listeners in the next 2 years.. Radio Romania International aired
Bulgarian-language programmes between 1946 and 1949, and again between 1995 and
2004. Since 2022 the Bulgarian National Radio has a Romanian-language web page.
(AMP)

19 May 2023
May 18, 2023 UPDATE

FORUM The world has changed and everything in the area of security
has been rewritten and must be revised in our Black Sea region, where a large
part of the components of Russia’s large scale war of aggression in Ukraine are
taking place, said Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciucă in Bucharest at the
7th edition of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum. Ciucă went on to say
that the region must cope with a long and high-intensity war that is exhausting
the resources of both the country in conflict and those of the countries of
Europe. The two-day forum hosts over 40 sessions. Attending are top civilian
and military officials, diplomats and experts from the European Union and NATO,
as well as partner states. The themes discussed include support for the
European integration of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the reconstruction
of Ukraine and the European security architecture after the war, as well as the
food crisis caused by Russia’s invasion, security energy in Europe, the
security of the Western Balkans and cyber resilience.

FLOODING Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă said the Romanian authorities
are ready to provide assistance with rescue operations following the floods in
Italy. The region of Emilia Romagna in the north of Italy is on high alert as a
result of heavy rain that caused massive floods and left victims. According to
Radio Romania’s correspondent, thousands of people have already been evacuated,
but several tens of thousands are still stranded in areas that have been left
without electricity. Some trains are still stationary, traffic is disrupted and
sections of the motorway are closed.

AGREEMENT The government of Romania and of the UK Thursday
signed a joint action plan in Bucharest on fighting human trafficking. The
document is part of the vision and strategy that Bucharest has embraced for the
past 2 years to turn Romania into a country hostile to people traffickers but
safe and friendly to the victims of this phenomenon, reads a news release
issued by the Romanian government. Signing the document also proves our
government’s concern and care for its more vulnerable citizens, those more
exposed to the risks of human trafficking, who live either in Romania or in one
of the largest Romanian diaspora communities, namely in the UK. It is absolutely vital for us to keep our
firm commitment of fighting this scourge and our capacity and willingness to
tackle this issue on all three key levels-prevention, combating and victim
protection. (…) My message is quite clear: trafficking in human beings is a
form of crime for which the government of Romania has zero tolerance, PM
Nicolae Ciucă said.

WB In order to solve external imbalances, Romania
needs a mix of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms, reads a World Bank
analysis. Political measures aimed at improving its fiscal situation include
broadening taxable revenues, improving tax compliance, introducing critical
reforms in public pensions and salaries and cutting inefficient expenditure. A
consolidation of public investment management would help release significant EU
funding and would improve critical sectors lagging behind in Romania, such as
the public education and healthcare, reforming state-owned enterprises, or
infrastructure. In turn, the latter would contribute to improved productivity
and competitiveness, with a positive impact on Romania’s foreign position. Romania’s
external imbalances have deepened lately. Since 2018, the country has seen
deepening fiscal and current account deficits, jointly with an expansionary
fiscal policy. The two major external shocks, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war
in Ukraine, have strengthened these imbalances. (AMP)

18 May 2023
February 23, 2023

MOLDOVA The president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia
Sandu, is in Bucharest today for a working visit. According
to the Presidency, political talks between
presidents Klaus Iohannis and Maia Sandu are part of the comprehensive and
close cooperation at bilateral and European level, and confirm Romania’s clear
and firm support for Moldova and its resilience. Projects of shared strategic
interest will be discussed, concerning fields like energy, transportation, healthcare,
education and IT&C, with a focus on initiatives designed to connect Moldova
with the EU, to the benefit of its citizens. The 2 officials will also discuss
the progress of Moldova’s EU accession efforts and Bucharest’s support in this
respect, and will exchange opinions on security challenges and ways to mitigate
the economic, social and humanitarian effects of Russia’s aggression in
Ukraine. In Bucharest, Maia Sandu will also have meetings with PM Nicolae Ciucă
and the Chamber of Deputies speaker, Marcel Ciolacu.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian
foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu is taking part today and on Friday in the
events organized by the United Nations to mark 1 year since the start of Russia’s
war of aggression against Ukraine. Today he is scheduled to speak at the 11th
special emergency session of the UN General Assembly, convened in order to
adopt a resolution aimed at restoring comprehensive, just and lasting peace in
Ukraine. Romania is a co-sponsor of the resolution. On Friday, the
Romanian foreign minister will speak at a minister round-table of the UN
Security Council, with Ukraine again in the focus of attention. The
Romanian official will present Bucharest’s efforts to support the over 3.6 million
Ukrainian refugees who have crossed into Romania and to facilitate the transit
of nearly 13 million tonnes of grains from Ukraine. He will also reiterate
Romania’s firm support for the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and his
country’s commitment to an active contribution to international peace and
security.

TRAVEL Over 151 companies from several countries are
taking part in the spring edition of the Romanian Tourism Fair that begins in
Bucharest today, offering up to 50% discounts on holiday packages and special
promotions for luxury destinations. The event promotes the most interesting and
profitable tourist offers in Romania and abroad. The 10 participating countries
include Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey
and Hungary.

EARTHQUAKE A new earthquake measuring 3.9 in magnitude was reported in
Gorj County, south-western Romania on Wednesday night, according to the National
Physics of the Earth Research and Development Institute. On February 13, a 5.2
tremor was reported in the same area, followed the next day by a 5.7 earthquake.
Seismologists announced that over 800 aftershocks followed the quake on
February 13, but their number and magnitude declined in the following period. The
region of Oltenia is known for a weak to moderate seismic activity, with very
rare events over 5 on the magnitude scale.

FOOTBALL CFR Cluj, the only Romanian team still playing
in the European competitions, takes on Lazio Rome today on home turf in the play-offs
for the Conference League eighth-finals. A week ago, in the first leg, the Romanian side lost 0-1, after
a modest match in spite of their opponents being one player down for 75 minutes.
Last season the Romanian champions left Conference
League in the group stage, whereas Lazio reached the eighth-finals of Europa
League. (AMP)

23 February 2023
February 19, 2023

ART Today on the National Day devoted
to Romania’s greatest sculptor, Constantin Brancusi, Romania’s Art Museum is
offering guided tours around a special gallery presenting his works of art. The
aforementioned gallery boasts the largest Brancusi collection in Romania
including works such as ‘The Sleep’, ‘Head of a Child’ ‘the Prayer’, or a
replica of the ‘Gate of the Kiss’. Children are invited to attend a workshop
entitled ‘Bird hidden in Stone’, a special event designed and staged by experts
from the Georges-Pompidou Centre in Paris. On this occasion, Romania’s Prime
Minister Nicolae Ciuca has conveyed a message, saying that through his works of
art, the great sculptor forged his own artistic identity revolutionizing sculpture
and has left behind a valuable heritage, which is impressive through its
universality at the same time bearing the hallmark of the simplicity and wisdom
of the Romanian peasant. Romania today celebrates 147 years since the birth of
this great artist.

CULTURE Today, on the last day of the
programme through which the city of Timisoara, in western Romania, has launched
its mandate of the European Capital of Culture, new artistic events are to take
place, including a spectacular Puppet Parade staged jointly by the European
capitals of culture in 2023. So puppeteers from Veszprem, Hungary jointly with
the artists of the Hungarian State Theatre ‘Csiki Gergely’ in Timisoara are presenting
the big puppets especially created for the official launch in Veszprem last
month. The cities of Timisoara in Western Romania and the Hungarian city of
Veszprem are sharing the title of the European Capital of Culture in 2023 with
the city of Elefsina in Greece. One of
the main highlights of last Saturday was the retrospective exhibition of the
great surrealist artist Victor Brauner housed by the Art Museum, which was also
a premiere for Romania. The inaugural programme also included a digital culture
festival as well as scientific experiments, light shows and ballet performances
in front of the Opera House in Timisoara.

MAE Romanian Foreign
Minister Bogdan Aurescu held talks with a delegation of the US Congress headed
by Mike Turner, chief of the House Intelligence Committee, on the sidelines of the
Security Conference in Munich on Saturday. During the talks he had with Mike
Turner, who is also co-chair of the Friendship Group with Romania, Aurescu
hailed the Congress’ support in the efforts to strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank and
highlighted the importance of the US assistance in the transatlantic security,
including through the beefed-up military presence in Romania. The members of
the US delegation have highlighted the major role Romania plays among the US
allies. Mike Turner has thanked Minister Aurescu for the exceptional efforts
Romania made as part of the multidimensional support granted to Ukraine and for
its role as a leader in ensuring regional security.

HANDBALL Romanian
handball side SCM Ramnicu Valcea has qualified for the quarter finals of the
women’s competition EHF European League after a 28-26 win against Hungarian
side Praktiker-Vac in their last match in Group D. SCM has thus ended in the
second position after the group’s leader Thuringer of Germany. In the Champions
League, vice-champions CSM Bucharest have qualified for the quarters whereas
title holder Rapid Bucharest for the play-offs in the round of 16.

RALLY Over 100 thousand people took to
the streets of Israel on Saturday night to fight a plan to overhaul the
country’s court system that the justice minister says he is determined to carry
out. The Israelis have protested for seven weeks now against the legislation
that Netanyahu, his right-wing and religious allies hope to pass and which
would limit the Supreme Court’s powers to rule against the legislature and the
executive. The reforms would also give the government more influence over the
committee, which appoints the judges, including to the Supreme Court. According
to protesters, the plan will weaken the courts, endanger civil liberties and
harm the economy.

(bill)

19 February 2023
February 18, 2023 UPDATE

TIMIŞOARA The
city of Timişoara in western Romania is officially, as of Friday, a European
Capital of Culture for a year. Over 15,000 people are expected to attend the
opening weekend events. On Saturday, locals and visitors were invited
to a digital culture festival, scientific experiments, exhibitions, dance and
theatre performances, concerts, workshops and giant puppet parades around the
city. On Friday, the first day of the weekend, tens of thousands of people
enjoyed the over 120 events prepared by the organisers as a journey into the
city’s multi-cultural tradition, its open, brave and innovating spirit. Performances,
concerts, exhibitions, roundtables, tourist tours were organised, as well as a
gala show attended by hundreds of guests, including scores of ambassadors and
Romanian and foreign officials. The European Commissioner Adina Vălean awarded the
Melina Mercouri prize to the city of Timişoara, for meeting the commitments in its
cultural programme. She also emphasised that the cities having received the
European Capital of Culture title have seen significant long-term benefits in
terms of urban regeneration, of improving their public image and capitalising
on their potential for innovation.

SECURITY The
Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, attending the Munich Security
Conference, highlighted the serious security threats at the Black Sea entailed
by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the pressure on
neighbouring countries, particularly the Republic of Moldova, by various means,
including hybrid threats. Aurescu was a special guest on Friday at an event
devoted to multi-dimensional security challenges at the Black Sea and on NATO’s
eastern flank, organised on the sidelines of the conference. The Romanian
official pointed out that Russia’s war against Ukraine is a war against the
values of the democratic Western community and against the core parameters of
the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, as well as an attempt at recreating
the Russian sphere of influence. Efficiently deterring Russia relies on strong
defence, the Romanian foreign minister also said, and added that the
trans-Atlantic partnership must be consolidated and the US Strategy on security
at the Black Sea must be finalised. Bogdan Aurescu also emphasised the
importance of carrying on support for Ukraine, and suggested stepping up
European and NATO support for Moldova and Georgia.

VISIT The new PM of the Republic of Moldova, Dorin Recean, will be
in Bucharest next week, for his first visit abroad since taking over the
office, Radio Chişinău announced. In an interview on Moldova’s public
television, Dorin Recean insisted on the privileged relationship between the 2
countries and emphasised that Romania helped Moldova considerably in handling
the energy crisis and in its EU accession efforts. Dorin Recean’s Cabinet was
sworn in on Thursday, and on the same day the PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă
congratulated him and invited him to Bucharest.

MOLDOVA The
president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, had a meeting with the US
State Secretary Antony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference, Chişinău announced. According to Reuters, the
latter said the US was deeply concerned with some of Russia’s plans to
destabilise the government of Moldova. Maia
Sandu had previously accused Russia of planning to change the legitimate power
in Chişinău, using men trained in Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro, who are
apparently instructed to conduct violent actions under the guise of protests. President
Sandu also attended a roundtable focusing on the experience of various
countries and international organisations in fighting corruption, and she spoke
about Moldova’s commitment to fight corruption and to punish all those who
embezzled public money.

TURKEY Three
survivors were found under the rubble on Saturday, 13 days after the
devastating earthquake in Turkey, which killed more than 45,000 people in that
country and in Syria, France Presse reports, quoting Turkish media. One of the
3 people rescued in southern Turkey is a child. Nearly 264,000 flats in Turkey
were destroyed and many people are still missing after the most severe disaster
in the country’s modern history. Romania has sent rescue teams to Turkey and
humanitarian aid to Syria.

RUGBY Romania’s
rugby team Sunday plays against Portugal, away from home, in the last match in Group
B of Rugby Europe Championship 2023 (REC). Both teams have 2 wins and are
already qualified into the competition’s semi-finals. Romania played in Group
B, alongside Portugal, Belgium and Poland, while Group A included Georgia, the
Netherlands, Spain and Germany. (AMP)

18 February 2023
February 18, 2023

TIMIŞOARA The
city of Timişoara in western Romania is officially, as of Friday, a European
Capital of Culture for a year. Over 15,000 people are expected to attend the
opening weekend events. On Friday, the first day of the weekend, tens of
thousands of people enjoyed the over 120 events prepared by the organisers as a
journey into the city’s multi-cultural tradition, its open, brave and
innovating spirit. Performances, concerts, exhibitions, roundtables, tourist
tours were organised, as well as a gala show attended by hundreds of guests,
including scores of ambassadors and Romanian and foreign officials. The
European Commissioner Adina Vălean awarded the Melina Mercouri prize to the
city of Timişoara, for meeting the commitments in its cultural programme. She
also emphasised that the cities having received the European Capital of Culture
title have seen significant long-term benefits in terms of urban regeneration, of
improving their public image and capitalising on their potential for
innovation.

SECURITY The
Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, attending the Munich Security
Conference, highlighted the serious security threats at the Black Sea entailed
by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the pressure on
neighbouring countries, particularly the Republic of Moldova, by various means,
including hybrid threats. Aurescu was a special guest on Friday at an event
devoted to multi-dimensional security challenges at the Black Sea and on NATO’s
eastern flank, organised on the sidelines of the conference. The Romanian
official pointed out that Russia’s war against Ukraine is a war against the
values of the democratic Western community and against the core parameters of
the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, as well as an attempt at recreating
the Russian sphere of influence. Efficiently deterring Russia relies on strong
defence, the Romanian foreign minister also said, and added that the
trans-Atlantic partnership must be consolidated and the US Strategy on security
at the Black Sea must be finalised. Bogdan Aurescu also emphasised the
importance of carrying on support for Ukraine, and suggested stepping up
European and NATO support for Moldova and Georgia.

MOLDOVA The
president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, had a meeting with the US
State Secretary Antony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference, Chişinău announced. According to Reuters, the
latter said the US was deeply concerned with some of Russia’s plans to
destabilise the government of Moldova. Maia
Sandu had previously accused Russia of planning to change the legitimate power
in Chişinău, using men trained in Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro, who are
apparently instructed to conduct violent actions under the guise of protests. President
Sandu also attended a roundtable focusing on the experience of various
countries and international organisations in fighting corruption, and she spoke
about Moldova’s commitment to fight corruption and to punish all those who
embezzled public money.

TURKEY Three
survivors were found under the rubble on Saturday, 13 days after the
devastating earthquake in Turkey, which killed more than 45,000 people in that
country and in Syria, France Presse reports, quoting Turkish media. One of the
3 people rescued in southern Turkey is a child. Nearly 264,000 flats in Turkey
were destroyed and many people are still missing after the most severe disaster
in the country’s modern history. Romania has sent rescue teams to Turkey and
humanitarian aid to Syria.

RUGBY Romania’s
rugby team Sunday plays against Portugal, away from home, in the last match in Group
B of Rugby Europe Championship 2023 (REC). Both teams have 2 wins and are
already qualified into the competition’s semi-finals. Romania played in Group
B, alongside Portugal, Belgium and Poland, while Group A included Georgia, the
Netherlands, Spain and Germany. (AMP)

18 February 2023
February 15, 2023

MOLDOVA President Klaus Iohannis says Romania has stood and will
stand by the R. of Moldova and firmly condemns any foreign attempt at destabilising
this country. It is highly alarming to see public signs of attempts by the
Russian Federation to step in illegitimately and upset the democratic and
constitutional order of the R. of Moldova, a sovereign state that has chosen
its political direction through a free vote, the Romanian president said in a statement
issued on Wednesday. Klaus Iohannis reiterated that Moldova is not alone in facing
these challenges, and reconfirmed Romania’s unwavering support for the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country, within its
internationally recognised borders, and for its pro-European future. The
Romanian official also pointed out that Moldova belongs in the EU family, and
that this path is irreversible and must be followed with determination, courage
and ambition. The statement comes after on Monday the pro-Western president of
Moldova Maia Sandu announced Moscow was planning to force a change of the
political power in Moldova, using violence to destabilise the country.

AID Romania is sending further humanitarian
aid to Turkey and Syria in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquakes that
killed some 40,000 people. A new humanitarian flight by 3 Romanian Air Forces
aircraft today takes around 22 tonnes of goods donated by the Romanian
government to the people affected by the tremors in the 2 countries. Another 2
trains with basic necessity products have been already sent to Turkey, and 2
planes with humanitarian aid were sent to Syria on Tuesday. According to the UN,
9 million Syrian and 2.2 million Turkish nationals need aid. The Turkish Confederation
of Enterprises and Businesses says the disaster might cost the country 84 billion
US dollars.

UN The Romanian foreign minister
Bogdan Aurescu Tuesday had talks with the UN secretary general António
Guterres. The Romanian official was at the UN headquarters in New York, where
he was a speaker at the UN Security Council debate on Threats to international peace and
security: Sea-level rise: implications for international peace and security.
According to the foreign ministry, the 2 officials discussed climate change and
its consequences, as well as the situation in Ukraine one year after the start
of Russia’s illegal war of aggression. Bogdan Aurescu pointed out
that Russia’s irresponsible conduct, which violates the core principles of international
order, must end, and that it is particularly serious for a member of the UN
Security Council to have started this war. The Romanian foreign minister also
highlighted Romania’s support efforts, including the receiving of over 3.5
million Ukrainian refugees who have transited Romania. Current developments in
the R. of Moldova were also discussed.

DEFENCE Romania’s defence minister Angel Tîlvăr and the chief of
general staff Daniel Petrescu Tuesday took part in a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, held in Brussels
on the sidelines of the meeting of NATO defence ministers. According to the
Romanian defence ministry, since the start of Russia’s war of aggression
against Ukraine, Romania has provided shelter and aid to over 3.5 million
Ukrainian nationals who have transited the country, and has taken part in facilitating
the transit of nearly 12 million tonnes of grains from Ukraine to global
markets. Romania has stated repeatedly that the scope and regularity of the support
given to Ukraine must be maintained. Also on the sidelines of the meeting of
NATO defence ministers, Angel Tîlvăr had bilateral talks with his counterparts
from the UK, Ben Wallace, and Spain, Margarita Robles Fernandez. They discussed
the security situation in the Black Sea region and emphasised the need for
substantial Allied contribution to ensuring the effectiveness and credibility
of NATO’s defence posture on the eastern flank.

INFLATION The National Bank of Romania has revised its inflation
forecast for the end of this year from 11.2% estimated previously to 7%. According
to the Quarterly Inflation Report made public today by the central bank
governor Mugur Isarescu, at the end of 2024 the indicator will stand at 4.2%. Romania
has consolidated its position in the EU in terms of inflation, with the 9th
highest rate in the Union. Mugur Isărescu also said a balance must be achieved
between fighting inflation and avoiding a possible recession, and added that
the inflation forecast is marked by many uncertainties.

FOOTBALL CFR Cluj, the only Romanian team still
playing in the European competitions, Thursday takes on the Italian side Lazio Rome, away from home, in the
playoffs for the Conference League’s eighth-finals. The second leg of this
round is scheduled next week in Cluj-Napoca. According to a UEFA poll, the
Romanians are most likely to win. This season CFR Cluj finished the group stage 2nd in a group that also
included Sivasspor (Turkey), Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) and Ballkani
(Kosovo), while Lazio ended up in the Conference League playoffs after
finishing 3rd in its group, after Feyenoord (the Netherlands) and
Midtjylland (Denmark). (AMP)

15 February 2023
February 13, 2023 UPDATE

UN The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan
Aurescu will be a main speaker on Tuesday in New York at the open debate of the
UN Security Council on Threats to international peace and security:
Sea-level rise: implications for international peace and security. Participants
will discuss the risks posed by the rise in sea levels as a result of climate
change and will explore ways to tackle these risks as part of the global
security architecture. Romania’s presence in the UN Security Council
consolidates Bucharest’s efforts to promote a rule-based international order
and its role as an actor involved in the management of vital global problems,
the Foreign Ministry says.

MOLDOVA Moscow
plans to force a change of the political power in the R. of Moldova in
the forthcoming period, through violent actions
designed to destabilise the country, Moldova’s president Maia Sandu said. According
to her, Russia allegedly intends to use diversions, attacks on institutions and
hostage taking. The plan was uncovered with the help of intelligence received
from Kyiv, among others, Maia Sandu added. ‘The goal of these actions is to upset
constitutional order, to replace the legitimate power in Chişinău with an
illegitimate one, which will leave our country into the hands of Russia, to
stop the European accession process and to ensure that Moldova can be used by
Russia in the war against Ukraine,’ Maia Sandu said. Last Thursday in Brussels
the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to EU leaders about such a
plan put together by Russia.

NATO Romania’s defence minister, Angel Tîlvăr, is taking part on Tuesday
and Wednesday in Brussels in the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group
and a meeting of the NATO defence ministers. The Allied defence ministers
convene as part of the regular meeting schedule, and talks will primarily focus
on continuing support for Ukraine, on the implementation of the decisions taken
last July at the NATO Summit in Madrid and on preparing the decision package
for the forthcoming Summit in Vilnius. The meeting begins on Tuesday night with
an informal working meeting on security developments one year after the start of
Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Invited to attend are also the defence
ministers of Sweden, Finland and Ukraine, and the EU High Representative for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

VISIT The Minister-President of Bavaria, Markus Soder, who is on a
visit to Bucharest, Monday reiterated support for Romania’s Schengen accession,
emphasising that over the past few years the country made substantial progress
in fighting corruption and structural reforms. We support Romania on its path
towards Schengen accession. It is very important that we, in Europe, understand
that here in particular, given the situation with Ukraine and Russia, the
challenges are at an entirely different level, he added. Markus Soder also
voiced his appreciation for the support given by Romania to the Ukrainian
refugees. Markus Soder was received in Bucharest by president Klaus Iohannis and
PM Nicolae Ciuca. The 2 ministers signed a joint Statement on consolidating
bilateral relations, which also stipulates the resumption of the works of a
joint Romania – Bavaria governmental committee.

ECONOMY Romania’s economy is expected to grow by 2.5% in 2023 and by
3% in 2024, with the inflation rate standing at 9.7% this year and 5.5% next
year, according to the European Commission’s winter forecast made public on
Monday. According to the EC, the implementation of the National Recovery and
Resilience Programme should contribute to massive investments in Romania, driving
the economic growth this year.

WRD Monday was World Radio Day, established as such by UNESCO in 2011.
February 13 marks the first broadcast by the United Nations’ radio station,
back in 1946. The theme of World Radio Day this year was Radio and
Peace. On this occasion, Romanian artists showed their solidarity with
Ukraine. At 9:30 a.m. on Monday, all Radio Romania channels aired the famous
song Heal the World, released by Michael Jackson in the early 1990s. The
broadcast of this song on World Radio Day is part of a series of events organised
by Radio Romania to mark one year since the start of the war in the
neighbouring Ukraine. (AMP)

13 February 2023
January 28, 2023

COOPERATION
France and the Netherlands are eagerly waiting
for Romania’s Schengen accession as soon as possible. This is one of the main
elements in a joint statement on security cooperation signed in Bucharest on
Friday by the foreign ministers of the 3 countries. The message was also
highlighted by the Dutch diplomacy chief, Wopke Hoekstra, in the bilateral
talks with his Romanian counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu. The 2 officials, together
with the French foreign minister, Catherine
Colonna,Friday visited the Getica National Joint Training Centre in
Cincu, where French and Dutch troops are deployed as part of the NATO Battle
Group created in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In fact, after the
trilateral talks concerning Moscow’s armed aggression, Catherine Colonna said
Ukraine must be helped to defend itself, to regain its independence and
sovereignty. In Bucharest, the foreign officials were also received by
president Klaus Iohannis and PM
Nicolae Ciucă.

CINEMA Two
Romanian films, ‘Metronome’ by Alexandru Belc and ‘M.R.I.’ by Cristian Mungiu, are
in the competition of the Gothenburg International Film Festival in Sweden, which
started on Friday. According to the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm,
the event brings together around 400 works from around the world every year,
with 160,000 viewers attending. ‘Metronome’, the debut feature of the director Alexandru
Belc, is a love story in 1972 communist Romania, and critics describe it as a
social and historical analysis of a generation forced to live in a society
marred by suspicion and distrust. Cristian Mungiu’s ‘R.M.N.’ is set in a
Transylvanian village, where a small factory hires new workers, troubling the
apparent peace of the locals. The over 40-year old
film festival in Gothenburg is the most important such event in the
region.

SURVEY As many as 80% of Romanian consumers allow the use of their
personal data for advertising purposes, according to a survey conducted on the
European Data Protection Day. The latest data in the Survey on the usage of ITC
in households and by individuals indicate that 1 of 2 Europeans aged between 16
and 74 do not allow the use of their personal data for advertising purposes
when using the internet. As many as 46% reported having allowed only restricted
access to their location or having denied access to their data altogether. The
countries where the use of personal data for advertising is mostly denied by
users include the Netherlands (73%), Finland (70%), Denmark and Germany (63%
each), Spain (62%). At the opposite pole, the lowest rates were reported in
Bulgaria (10%), Romania (20%), Greece (29%), Slovakia (30%) and Latvia (32%).

ELECTION
Petr Pavel looks set
to win the runoff of the presidential elections in the Czech Republic, ahead of
ex-PM Andrej Babis, AFP reports. Polling
stations opened on Friday and close today. Petr
Pavel, 61, a retired general who held a senior NATO post, is running as an
independent candidate and has the support of the right-of-centre government. Billionaire
Andrej Babis, 68, who was the country’s PM between 2017 and 2021, promised to
force the government to help citizens handle the rising inflation. The winner
of the vote will replace the controversial Milos Zeman, who had had close ties
with Moscow before changing course during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

WEATHER In Romania, weather experts issued code orange and yellow alerts
for heavy snowfalls, snowstorms and rainfalls in over 20 counties in the east
and centre of the country. The bad weather left thousands of households without
electricity, road, railway and air traffic was disrupted and several national
and county roads were closed. (AMP)

28 January 2023
December 12, 2022 UPDATE

TALKS The vote in the JHA
Council is very problematic for all of us in Romania. I was disappointed and
upset following this vote, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on
Monday, after receiving the president of the Swiss
Confederation Ignazio Cassis in Bucharest. The Romanian president added that he
would most certainly raise the issue of Romania’s denied Schengen bid at the
meeting of the European Council due on December 15. Romania should be a part of
Schengen, the Swiss president said in his turn. The 2
officials discussed bilateral relations and economic cooperation, with an emphasis
on boosting investments and identifying new areas of cooperation, and exchanged
views on the latest international developments, including the war in Ukraine
and its implications for the energy market and global security.

FUNDING Romania’s PM Nicolae Ciucă Monday requested all ministries
and coordinating institutions to give maximum priority to completing the 51 benchmarks
and targets in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan related to the second
payment request, amounting to EUR 2.8 bln, which Romania is scheduled to submit
to the European Commission this month. This amount adds to the EUR 3.7 bln pre-financing
amount and to a first EUR 2.6 bln instalment already cashed in by Romania. We
cannot afford to deviate from our commitments, because a lot of elements
related to reform processes, investments and even economic stability depend on
us accessing this money, the PM said at a meeting of the inter-ministry
Committee Coordinating the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Committee
also reviewed the progress with respect to the 55 targets and benchmarks due
for the 3rd and 4th quarters of this year, related to the
3rd payment request that Romania is scheduled to submit to the EC
this spring.

BUDGET In Bucharest, Parliament’s specialist committees Monday approved
the draft budgets of several ministries. The education, transport, development
and defence ministries will have higher budgets next year, while the energy,
justice and healthcare ministries will receive less money in 2023. The ruling
coalition said the budget bill is based on record high investments and accounts
for 7.2% of GDP. It takes into account an economic growth rate of 2.8% of GDP,
an annual inflation rate of 8%, a growing number of people in employment and a
lower unemployment rate of 2.7%. The opposition has criticised the budget bill.
Both the power and the opposition have submitted amendments. The final vote is
due on Thursday.

MOTION Save Romania Union in
opposition Monday tabled a simple motion against the interior minister Lucian
Bode, whom they see as responsible for Romania’s failure to join the Schengen free-movement
area. According to the party, Bode shares this responsibility with the
president Klaus Iohannis, with the parliamentary majority and the diplomacy in Bucharest.
USR also invited the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu to give Parliament
explanations on this topic. Several EU member states voiced their
disappointment with the denial of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession bids.
Moreover, the EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, said this would
be a priority of her term in office.

EU European democracy is under attack, the head of the European
Parliament Roberta Metsola said on Monday, voicing her outrage and sadness following
allegations of corruption in the European Parliament in relation to Qatar. In
turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, Monday
called for EU institutions to be governed by the highest standards of
independence and integrity. The EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep
Borrell described the EP corruption allegations as being of the utmost
concern. Eva Kaili, a vice-president of the European parliament from Greece, and
3 other individuals were detained and charged in Belgium in an international corruption
investigation related to Qatar. The 4 were charged with participation in a criminal
organisation, money laundering and corruption.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian diplomacy chief Bogdan Aurescu took part on Monday in Brussels in an informal meeting concerning the future of the Eastern
Partnership, organised at the initiative of Minister Aurescu and his counterparts
from Czechia, Sweden and Poland, and in a meeting of the Eastern Partnership
foreign ministers. In
his addresses, Bogdan Aurescu pleaded for revitalising the Eastern Partnership
and for adapting it to the new regional context, and reiterated Romania’s firm
and continuing support for it. He argued that the Eastern Partnership can make
a significant contribution to strengthening the stability, security and
prosperity in the Eastern Neighbourhood, by consolidating regional cooperation,
the security and resilience of partners and through an adequate joint response to
the challenges facing the region. Mr. Aurescu also emphasised that in the new
context generated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a more robust
and more efficient security dimension of the Eastern Partnership is necessary.

MEETING The Romanian justice minister, Cătălin
Predoiu, had a meeting on Monday in Luxembourg with the head of the European
Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Laura Codruţa Kovesi. According to the
Romanian justice ministry, the 2 officials discussed the protection of the EU’s
financial interests, the EPPO human resources issue and the broadening of the
Office’s powers to include the prosecution of breaches of EU sanctions. I am
confidence that an in-depth dialogue with the EPPO may lead to ideas and
solutions to make the cooperation between national and EPPO prosecutors more
efficient. After all, they all fight crime, which affects both the interests of
the EU and the national interests of member states, Catalin Predoiu said. (AMP)

12 December 2022