Radio România Internațional

Tag: Snow Meeting

  • January 11, 2024

    January 11, 2024

    VACANCIES
    – The Romanian government is today examining the memorandums for the
    organization of vacancy-filling contests in hospitals administered by the
    Health Ministry and local administrations. Last week, Prime Minister Marcel
    Ciolacu called on the Health and Development Ministries to submit a report on
    available vacancies in the medical system, saying the medical doctors who took
    the specialty exam last year must also find suitable jobs. The health system
    faces a severe shortage of medical staff.




    TRANSPORT
    – Representatives of Romanian transporters who protested on Wednesday are today
    meeting with government officials for talks. They are disgruntled with civil
    liability insurances for vehicles and the increase in fuel excises. The protest
    was not claimed by any employer’s association or trade union, although the
    Federation of Romanian Transport Operators offered to mediate a dialogue
    between hauliers and the authorities. Also on Wednesday farmers staged a
    protest of their own.




    SNOW
    MEETING – Romania’s Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu is attending the
    two-day informal Snow Meeting hosted by Trakai, Lithuania, focusing on
    external policy and security topics. Held today and tomorrow, the event will
    bring together EU and NATO Foreign Ministers as well as high-ranking officials
    and academia from Europe and the USA. The meeting will address security hot
    topics such as the strategic consequences of the war in Ukraine, the future
    security framework in Europe, celebrating 20 years since the NATO enlargement
    of 2004, the July NATO Summit in Washington and prospects of cooperation with
    the Asia-Pacific region.




    MEMORANDUM
    – Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey are today signing a Memorandum of Understanding
    for the creation of a joint task force charged with demining operations in the
    Black Sea – MCM Black Sea, the Defense Ministry reports. MCM Black Sea is an
    initiative of the three Black Sea riparian allies designed to facilitate safe
    navigation by means of combating the threat posed by sea mines. Defense
    Minister Angel Tîlvăr will sign on behalf of Romania. The operational structure
    of MCM Black Sea, which will change command on a six-month rotation basis and
    will consist of two planned activations for every rotation, will ensure the
    maximum level of vigilance and training and contribute to strengthening the
    Allied posture of deterrence and defense of the Eastern flank. NATO’s littoral
    partners, as well as NATO’s Standing Naval Groups and non-littoral Allies, will
    be able to participate in MCM Black Sea activities to develop cooperation in
    support of Black Sea security and improve interoperability. The initiative was
    launched by Turkey last year. All activities have a peaceful purpose and are
    not targeted against any country.




    STRIKFORNATO
    – Romania and Lithuania have joined the NATO Striking and Support Force
    (STRIKFORNATO). Romania thus became the 15th member of the most powerful NATO
    naval force, the Defense Ministry reports. The accession is all the more
    important as this year marks two decades since Romania joined NATO, Defense
    Minister Angel Tîlvăr says. Cooperation between the Romanian Naval Forces and
    STRIKFORNATO started over a year ago, as Romanian officers took part in
    activities and missions carried out by the STRIKFORNATO Command. The NATO
    Striking and Support Forces Command focuses on high-precision strikes, carrier
    battle groups, expedition units and strike groups made up of cruisers,
    destroyers and frigates. Its mission is to ensure security in the Black Sea
    region, an area of strategic importance to NATO.




    TENNIS
    – In the opening round at the Australian Open, Sorana Cîrstea (26 WTA) will
    play Yafan Wang (97 WTA) of China. Ana Bogdan (66 WTA) will take on a player
    from the qualifying phase, whereas Jaqueline Cristian (84 WTA) will go up
    against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic (49 WTA).

  • January 10, 2024 UPDATE

    January 10, 2024 UPDATE

    SNOW MEETING – Romania’s Foreign
    Minister Luminița Odobescu will attend the two-day informal Snow Meeting hosted
    by Trakai, Lithuania, focusing on external policy and security topics. Held on Thursday
    and Friday, the event will bring together EU and NATO Foreign Ministers as well
    as high-ranking officials and academia from Europe and the USA. The meeting
    will address security hot topics such as the strategic consequences of the war
    in Ukraine, the future security framework in Europe, celebrating 20 years since
    the NATO enlargement of 2004, the July NATO Summit in Washington and prospects
    of cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region.




    MEMORANDUM – Romanian Defense
    Minister Angel Tîlvăr and his counterparts from Bulgaria and Turkey are
    expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a joint task
    force charged with demining operations in the Black Sea – MCM Black Sea, the
    Defense Ministry reports. MCM Black Sea is an initiative of the three Black Sea
    riparian allies designed to facilitate safe navigation by means of combating
    the threat posed by sea mines. The operational structure of MCM Black Sea,
    which will change command on a six-month rotation basis and will consist of two
    planned activations for every rotation, will ensure the maximum level of vigilance
    and training and contribute to strengthening the Allied posture of deterrence
    and defense of the Eastern flank. NATO’s littoral partners, as well as NATO’s
    Standing Naval Groups and non-littoral Allies, will be able to participate in
    MCM Black Sea activities to develop cooperation in support of Black Sea
    security and improve interoperability.




    FLAG CEREMONY – The head of the
    Chief of Naval Forces Staff, vice-admiral Mihai Panait, on Wednesday attended
    the Romanian flag-raising ceremony hosted by Oeiras, Portugal. The ceremony was
    hosted by the NATO Striking and Support Forces Command (STRIKFORNATO). In a
    year marking two decades since Romania joined NATO, Romania became the 15th
    member of the most powerful NATO naval force. The NATO Striking and Support Forces
    Command focuses on high-precision strikes, carrier battle groups, expedition
    units and strike groups made up of cruisers, destroyers and frigates.




    INFECTIONS – The number of
    respiratory infections is on the rise in Romania. Over 2,500 new cases of
    COVID-19 and some 26 related deaths were reported in the first week, the
    National Public Health Institute has announced. 40% of these cases were
    reported in Bucharest and in Cluj, Bihor, Brașov and Constanța counties. At the
    same time the number of flu cases has also gone up, with wards treating
    infectious diseases operating at full capacity. At least nine people died to
    the flu virus since the start of the flu season. The head of the Association of
    Family Physicians from Bucharest and Ilfov County, Dr. Sandra Alexiu, says
    people should contact their family physician as soon as cold or flu symptoms
    appear and avoid self-medication. A good personal hygiene and hand-washing are
    also recommended, while traveling to crowded areas should be avoided. Doctors
    also recommend vaccination to combat the virus.




    DISCOVEREU – Some 2,000
    18-year-olds from Romania will be awarded a one-year free travel pass, in
    addition to other benefits such as accommodation and participation in various
    events, allowing them to explore the diversity of Europe as part of the
    initiative DiscoverEU – Discover the European Union. This year, of the
    150,000 young people enrolled, 36,000 were selected following a quiz in
    October. The 18-year-olds will travel by train over March 2024 – May 2025, to
    find out more about the history and cultural heritage of Europe and to meet
    people across the European continent. Over 11,600 young Romanians have so far
    benefited from this initiative. (VP)







  • Jurnal românesc – 15.01.2016

    Jurnal românesc – 15.01.2016


    Ministrul Afacerilor Externe, Lazăr Comănescu, s-a întâlnit, joi, în Lituania, cu Victoria Nuland, asistentul secretarului de stat al SUA pentru Europa şi Eurasia, întrevederea având loc în marja reuniunii informale pe teme de politică externă şi securitate “Snow Meeting”. Ambele părţi au apreciat în mod deosebit dinamica actuală a relaţiilor bilaterale şi voinţa clară a dezvoltării pe mai departe a Parteneriatului Strategic româno-american, atât pe dimensiunea de securitate, cât şi pe cea economică, precizează un comunicat al MAE de la Bucureşti. În cadrul întâlnirii a fost abordată, de asemenea, situaţia din regiune, cu accent pe evoluţiile din Republica Moldova, cei doi oficiali apreciind că actorii politici de la Chişinău trebuie să conştientizeze necesitatea de a acţiona pentru menţinerea parcursului european al ţării.



    Localitatea Roşia Montană, unde compania canadiano-română Gabriel Resources intenţiona să deschidă o mină de aur, a fost declarată monument istoric de interes naţional, iar pe un astfel de sit orice exploatare minieră este exclusă, a declarat Adrian Bălteanu, consilier al ministrului Culturii pentru probleme de Patrimoniu. Compania intenţiona să extragă de la Roşia Montană aproximativ 300 de tone de aur şi 1.400 tone de argint pe o perioadă de 16 ani, prin utilizarea a 12.000 de tone de cianură pe an. Potrivit experţilor, acest proiect prezintă riscuri de poluare şi riscă să distrugă o serie de galerii miniere care datează din epoca romană, unice în Europa. După ce a aşteptat timp de 15 ani o autorizaţie a Ministerului Mediului care i-ar fi permis să înceapă lucrările, în luna iulie a anului trecut Gabriel Resources a anunţat că a început procedura de arbitraj internaţional în dosarul Roşia Montană pentru a cere despăgubiri, invocând “multiple încălcări ale tratatelor de investiţii”.



    Programul “Rabla” continuă în 2016 în aceiaşi parametri, cu o primă de casare de 6.500 de lei. Ministrul mediului, Cristina Paşca Palmer, susţine însă că programul nu rezolvă toate problemele privind calitatea aerului şi trebuie văzut dacă şi ce efecte a avut până acum. Ministrul Mediului a menţionat că pentru acest an nu este prevăzută nicio modificare a Timbrului de mediu, întrucât acesta contribuie consistent la bugetul destinat proiectelor de mediu din România. Autorităţile române au alocat anul trecut pentru programul “Rabla” 162,5 milioane de lei. Au fost acordate 20.000 de mii de tichete valorice pentru persoane fizice şi 5.000 mii de tichete pentru persoane juridice, inclusiv instituţii publice, operatori economici fără personalitate juridică, organizaţii profesionale care îşi desfăşoară activitatea într-una dintre formele de exercitare a profesiei liberale.




  • Nachrichten 14.01.2016

    Nachrichten 14.01.2016

    VILNIUS: Außenminister Lazăr Comănescu ist am Donnerstag zum informellen Treffen für Außenpolitik und Sicherheit, dem sogenannten Snow Meeting, in die litauische Hauptstadt gereist. Bei dem Treffen kommen hochrangige Entscheidungsträger für Außenpolitik und Sicherheit aus den NATO-und EU-Mitgliedstaaten sowie Vertreter der akademischen Welt zusammen. Zwei wichtige Themen, die in Vilnius zur Sprache kommen sollen, sind die Sicherheitslage in der östlichen und südlichen Nachbarschaft der NATO und die Reaktion der NATO auf aktuelle Entwicklungen. Zudem bereitet das Treffen den NATO-Gipfel in Warschau im Juli 2016 vor und untersucht den Stand der Umsetzung der beim NATO-Gipfel in Großbritanien im September 2014 getroffenen Beschlüsse. Am Rande des Treffens kam Außenminister Comănescu mit seinem litauischen Kollegen Linas Linkevicius zu bilateralen Gesprächen zusammen.



    CHIŞINĂU: Die parlamentarische Mehrheit in der Moldau fordert Präsident Nicolae Timofti erneut auf, den Kandidaten der demokratischen Partei Vlad Plahotniuc zum Ministerpräsidenten zu ernennen. In einer gemeinsamen Erklärung verleiht die parlamentarische Mehrheit ihrer Meinung Ausdruck, dass die vom Staatschef am Mittwoch erwähnten Gründe für die Ablehnung der Kandidatur von Plahotniuc nicht auf Beweisen und Fakten beruhten. Timofti berief sich bei der Ablehnung auf eine Entscheidung des Verfassunsgerichts. Dort heißt es, dass die Vergabe von Spitzenämtern an Personen, bei denen der Verdacht auf unlautere Handlungen besteht, als rechtsstaatswidrig gilt. Der Präsident forderte die Demokratische Partei auf, einen neuen Vorschlag zu unterbreiten. Sollte eine neue Regierung bis zum 29. Januar vom Parlament nicht bestätigt werden, muss Staatspräsident Timofti das Parlament auflösen und Neuwahlen ausrufen.



    BUKAREST: Rumäniens Staatssekretär im Außenministerium, Radu Podgorean, hat am Donnerstag den neuen Botschafter der Moldau in Bukarest, Mihai Gribincea, empfangen. Laut einer Mitteilung des Außenministeriums habe Podgorean bei dem Gespräch auf die Notwendigkeit einer möglichst schnellen Regierungsbildung in Chisinau vor dem aktuellen Hintergrund in der östlichen Nachbarschaft hingewiesen. Ein neues Kabinett würde für die Stabilität des Landes und die entschlossene Umsetzung der Reformen garantieren. Das sei für eine Wiederbelebung der europäischen Integration der Moldau notwendig, so Podgorean. Eine derartige Entwicklung würde ferner die Kooperations- und Betreuungsprojekte mit Rumänien voranbringen, sagte der rumänische Staatssekretär noch.



    SPORT: Beim WTA-Turnier in Sydney ist die Halbfinalbegegnung zwischen der Weltranglistenzweiten Simona Halep und der Nummer 25. Swetlana Kusnezowa wegen anhaltenden Regens auf Freitag verschoben worden. Zum Zeitpunkt des Abbruchs führte Halep mit 5:4. Indes haben im Doppelturnier der Herren Florin Mergea und der Inder Rohan Bopanna das Halbfinale erreicht. Sie bezwangen die Australier Sam Groth /John Peers mit 6:2 und 6:4 und treffen als nächstes auf den Brasilianer Thomas Bellucci und den Argentinier Leonardo Mayer.

  • 13.01.2016 (mise à jour)

    13.01.2016 (mise à jour)

    Fonds européens – La Roumanie a réussi à utiliser intégralement, en 2015, l’argent européen alloué par le Fonds de développement régional et le Fonds de cohésion, a déclaré mercredi la commissaire européenne à la Politique Régionale Corina Cretu. Lors de son entretien avec la ministre roumaine des Fonds européens, Aura Raducu, la commissaire européenne s’est félicitée du fait que Bucarest a réussi à éviter l’année dernière de perdre un milliard d’euros mis à sa disposition par les deux fonds. Selon la correspondante de Radio Roumanie à Bruxelles, Corina Cretu a demandé à Bucarest d’accorder une attention accrue au démarrage à temps de la mise en œuvre de la nouvelle programmation de distribution des fonds européens, à savoir l’exercice 2014 – 2020.



    Enfants – L’ambassadeur de la Roumanie à Oslo a eu des pourparlers, mercredi, au ministère norvégien des AE, soulignant que la prise en charge par les autorités norvégiennes des 5 enfants d’une famille mixte roumano-norvégienne est un cas social à un fort impact émotionnel et médiatique. Il a plaidé pour une coopération politique dans la gestion de ce cas, a fait savoir la porte parole de la diplomatie roumaine, Raluca Lunculescu. Une délégation commune de la Chambre des Députés et du Sénat de Bucarest effectuera la semaine prochaine une visite officielle à Oslo pour débattre avec les représentants du Parlement norvégien de la législation portant sur la protection de l’enfance, en s’appuyant sur le cas de la famille Bodnariu. Par ailleurs, selon l’Ambassade de Norvège à Bucarest, le service norvégien local de Protection de l’Enfance bénéficie du droit de confidentialité en ce qui concerne les mineurs pris en charge. C’est pourquoi les autorités centrales d’Oslo ne peuvent fournir de détails sur aucun cas individuel. Selon un communiqué rendu public mercredi, un ordre de placement des mineurs est émis uniquement si l’enfant a été sujet d’une négligence grave, d’une maltraitance ou d’un abus. L’ambassade ajoute avoir contacté le ministère roumain des AE, le Parlement et le bureau du premier ministre roumain Dacian Ciolos après plusieurs démonstrations de solidarité avec une famille mixte roumano-norvégienne, dont les 5 enfants, dont un nourrisson, ont été pris en charge par les autorités norvégiennes, les parents étant accusés d’avoir appliqué des corrections physiques aux enfants. Leur père, Marius Bodnariu, binational, dénonce un abus, mais reconnaît avoir appliqué des corrections corporelles mineures. Le cas de la famille Bodnariu figurait mercredi à l’agenda des pourparlers, à Oslo, entre l’Ambassadeur de la Roumanie en Norvège et le ministre chargé des Enfants, de l’Egalité et de l’Inclusion. A Bucarest, le président Klaus Iohannis a déclaré qu’il soutenait les efforts du gouvernement roumain d’assurer « le respect des droits de l’homme pour les ressortissants roumains, où qu’ils se trouvent. »

    Banque Mondiale – Les représentants de la Banque Mondiale se déclarent optimistes en ce qui concerne les performances économiques de la Roumanie, mais ils avertissent en même temps qu’il ne faut pas négliger certains risques potentiels. Une délégation de l’institution, dirigée par son vice-président régional pour l’Europe et l’Asie Centrale, Cyril Muller, a été reçue mercredi à Bucarest par le président roumain Klaus Iohannis. L’occasion de réaffirmer l’intérêt de la Banque Mondiale de continuer à soutenir les réformes économiques et institutionnelles favorables aux développement de la Roumanie à long terme. La plupart de ces réformes visent le secteur des compagnies publiques et l’amélioration de la gouvernance corporatiste, ainsi que le besoin de développer et de moderniser des secteurs clé de l’économie roumaine, comme celui des transports par exemple. Selon les représentants de la Banque Mondiale le domaine des transports de Roumanie a beaucoup à rattraper. La réunion se déroule alors que lundi le gouvernement technocrate de Bucarest et la Banque Mondiale ont signé un nouveau mémorandum. L’institution financière internationale accordera de l’assistance technique aux institutions publiques roumaines jusqu’en 2023 et appuiera l’Exécutif de Bucarest dans la mise en œuvre des réformes et de la modernisation de l’administration publique. Grâce au premier mémorandum, une vingtaine d’institutions publiques ont bénéficié entre 2012 et 2015 d’accords de financement à hauteur de 30 millions d’euros.

    Moldova – Le président de la République de Moldova, Nicolae Timofti, a rejeté mercredi la proposition du Parti Démocrate à la fonction de premier ministre, soit le controversé homme d’affaires Vlad Plahotniuc. Nicolae Timofti a demandé à la majorité parlementaire de Chisinau de proposer un nouveau candidat, précisant que le rejet de Vlad Plahotniuc était fondé sur des mesures figurant dans la Constitution et sur des décisions de la Cour Constitutionnelle, selon lesquelles «il est contraire aux principes de l’Etat de droit de nommer aux fonctions de direction des personnes dont l’intégrité est mise en question». Membre du Parti Démocrate et soutenu par une majorité hétérogène qui inclut les libéraux pro-européens mais aussi d’anciens communistes traditionnellement pro-russe, Vlad Plahotniuc est considéré par ses adversaires comme un oligarque, ayant été accusé à plusieurs reprises d’implication en activités illégales, nuisibles à l’image de la République de Moldova. Par ailleurs, au cas où un nouveau gouvernement n’est pas installé avant le 29 janvier, le président Timofti se verra obligé de dissoudre le Parlement et d’annoncer la tenue d’un scrutin législatif anticipé.

    OTAN et UE – Le ministre roumain des AE, Lazar Comanescu, participe jeudi et vendredi en Lituanie, à l’invitation de son homologue, à la réunion informelle Snow Meeting, sur des sujets de politique étrangère et de sécurité. Y participent de hauts responsables du domaine de la politique étrangère et de sécurité des Etats membres de l’OTAN et de l’UE et des représentants du milieu académique, lit-on dans un communiqué du ministère de Bucarest. Les débats porteront principalement sur l’évolution du milieu de sécurité dans le voisinage oriental et sud de l’OTAN, ainsi que sur la réponse de l’Alliance à ces évolutions. A l’agenda de la réunion Snow Meeting figurent également les perspectives du sommet de l’OTAN de Varsovie, en juillet prochain, et l’état de la mise en œuvre des décision adoptées au sommet organisé en septembre 2014 en Grande Bretagne.

    Météo – La météo se détériore peu à peu en Roumanie et le temps sera instable, alors que les température baisseront. On attend de la neige en montagne et des précipitations mixtes sur le nord et le centre du pays. Les températures maximales iront de 1 à 11 degrés.

  • January 13, 2016 UPDATE

    January 13, 2016 UPDATE

    ECONOMY– World Bank representatives are optimistic about Romanias economic performance but they warn however that some potential risks must not be neglected. A delegation of the World Bank, led by the Regional Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia, Cyril Muller, was received in Bucharest on Wednesday by Romanias President Klaus Iohannis. During the talks, the economic experts reiterated the WBs interest in further supporting economic and institutional reforms meant to boost Romanias development in the long run. These reforms are mainly destined for the sector of state enterprises and are also aimed at improving corporatist governance as well as at developing and modernising key sectors, such as transports. The meeting was held just days after the technocratic cabinet in Bucharest and the World Bank signed a new memorandum under which the World Bank grants technical assistance to Romanian public institutions until 2023. Thanks to a first memorandum, some 20 public institutions benefited from over 30 million Euro worth of funding, between 2012 and 2015.



    CHILD WELFARE – The Romanian Ambassador to Oslo has held talks at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, where he has underlined the Norwegian authorities taking into custody five children of a mixed Romanian-Norwegian family, with residence in Norway, is a social case with a huge emotional and media impact. He made the proposal to the Norwegian side to start political cooperation with the relevant Romanian authorities in order to manage the case, the spokesperson for the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Raluca Lunculescu, announced on Wednesday. She added that law observance and the familys sensibility had been taken into consideration before starting any form of public communication on the case. Earlier, the Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest explained that an order of foster care placement is issued only when the child has been severely neglected, maltreated or abused. Rallies of support for Ruth and Marius Bodnariu have been staged in several cities across Romania and abroad. We recall that the five children of the family, aged between 4 months and 10 years, have been taken into custody by the Norwegian state, for reportedly having been disciplined by their parents. Their father, Marius Bodnariu, of Romanian descent, denounces the move, deeming it an abuse but he admitted to having applied small physical corrections on children. A joint delegation of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies and Senate will pay an official visit to Oslo next week for talks with representatives of the Norwegian Parliament on child protection laws, starting from the Bodnariu case. In turn, President Klaus Iohannis expressed his support for the efforts made by the Romanian Government to assure “the observance of human rights for the Romanian citizens, wherever they may be.



    DIPLOMACY– Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazar Comanescu, on Thursday and Friday will attend the informal meeting on foreign policy and security related issues, Snow Meeting, at the invitation of his counterpart, Linas Linkevicius. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the event will bring together decision-makers and experts in foreign policy and security from NATO and EU member states, high ranking officials of the two organisations and academics. Security developments in NATOs eastern and southern neighbourhood, as well as the alliances response to such developments are the focal points of Snow Meeting 2016. Other issues high on the agenda of the meeting are the prospects of the NATO Summit due in Warsaw in July and the stage of implementation of the decisions made at the previous summit held in Great Britain in September 2014.



    STRASBOURG – An employer has the right to monitor the employees online communications during work time, according to a ruling issued by the European Court of Human Rights, following a complaint made by a Romanian engineer who got fired in 2007 for having spent time chatting on the computer during work time. He brought the issue to the European court, saying that by having his private conversations intercepted, his right to privacy was violated. In turn, the employer justified the decision to lay out the engineer for not using the electronic mail for professional purposes, but to communicate with his brother and girl-friend, against the backdrop of internal rules and regulations which forbid employees to use the companys resources for personal use. The man who was made redundant initially brought the issue to a Romanian court, which issued an unfavourable ruling, so he took the case to the European court, to no avail. In the ruling it issued, the European Court of Human Rights says an employer does not commit an abuse when checking on its employees to see whether or not they accomplish their professional tasks during work hours. Also, the European Court of Human Rights considers that the first Romanian court kept a correct balance between the employers interests and the observance of private correspondence confidentiality, because only transcripts of the conversations attesting to the fact that the employee used the companys computer for his personal interest during work time, have been used in court, and the identity of other people involved in the conversations has not been disclosed.



    MOLDOVA– The President of the Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian speaking population), Nicolae Timofti, on Wednesday announced he had rejected the proposal made by the Democratic Party for the position of Prime Minister, namely the controversial businessman Vlad Plahotniuc. Timofti called on the parliamentary majority to come up with a new candidacy and underlined that his rejection of Plahotniuc is based on Constitutional provisions and on rulings issued by the Constitutional Court, which stipulate that the nomination of people suspected of integrity-related issues for leading positions runs counter to the principles of the rule of law. A member of the Democratic Party and backed by a heterogeneous majority, ranging from pro-European Liberals to ex-communists, who are traditionally of pro-Russian orientation, Plahotniuc is described by his opponents as an oligarch who has repeatedly been accused of involvement in illegal activities which mar the image of the Republic of Moldova. If a new government does not get endorsement until January 29, the President will have to dissolve Parliament and call for snap elections.



    SPORTS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, WTAs no.2, on Thursday will meet Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (WTAs no.25) in the semi-finals of the Sydney tournament, with 687,000 dollars prize money up for grabs. Halep has an overall 3-2 lead on the Russian player in the direct matches.


    (Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)