Radio România Internațional

Tag: Stoltenberg

  • NATO, new leadership

    NATO, new leadership

     

    As of Tuesday, October 1, the NATO secretary general is the Dutch ex PM Mark Rutte. He takes over the highest political position in the strongest political and military alliance in history from the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg.

     

    AFP notes that while Stoltenberg refrained from giving any piece of advice to Rutte, he emphasised that the main task for a NATO chief is to keep the Allies together. In such a difficult geopolitical situation, maintaining continuity and a common direction in foreign and security policy is critical, a NATO diplomat was quoted by the French agency as saying.

     

    With a 10-year long tenure as NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg had perhaps the most complicated term in office, which started in 2014, with Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and ended with a full-fledged war against Ukraine.

     

    Stoltenberg steered the Alliance towards stronger support for the former Soviet state, a victim of Russia’s illegal aggression. He suggested and obtained a commitment of at least EUR 40 bln per year for Ukraine from NATO member states and NATO’s involvement in the provision of Western military aid.

     

    NATO members should not be deterred from giving more military aid to Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s “reckless Russian nuclear rhetoric”, Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview to Reuters at the end of his term. “Every time we have stepped up our support with new types of weapons – battle tanks, long-range fires or F-16s – the Russians have tried to prevent us, but they have not succeeded,” the outgoing NATO leader also said.

     

    He added that the biggest risk to NATO would be if Putin wins in Ukraine. “I don’t think we can change President Putin’s mind, but I think we can change his calculus by demonstrating that the cost of continuing the war is so high that it’s better for him to sit down and accept Ukraine as a sovereign independent nation,” Stoltenberg believes.

     

    During his term in office, forced to respond to major geopolitical changes, the Alliance strengthened its eastern flank. In Romania, for instance, the number of Allied troops was increased, and NATO created a battle group here for the first time.

     

    Also under Stoltenberg’s leadership, NATO acceped new members, reaching a total of 32 Allied nations. The last countries to join were Finland and Sweden, pushed out of their decade-long neutrality by Moscow’s militarist and neo-imperialist drive. Russia wanted less of NATO and now it has more, Stoltenberg pointed out.

     

    As for the new secretary general, Mark Rutte, analysts expect him to focus on the coordination between NATO and the European Union, at a time when the latter is getting more involved in security matters. Not least, the Allies count on his negotiation skills in case Donald Trump returns to the White House. (AMP)

  • A new chief for NATO

    A new chief for NATO

     

     

    The Dutch PM Mark Rutte will be the 14th secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, replacing the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, a former PM of Norway, who has led the Alliance since 2014.

     

    The decision made by NATO’s leading decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, which comprises officials for the 32 member states, was a mere formality, after Rutte’s last challenger, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, announced he was pulling out of the race for lack of support.

     

    NATO’s new leader will take office on October 1, but until then his appointment will be made official at the summit due in Washington this July. Rutte’s name had been mentioned ever since 2023, and quite rapidly he secured the support of several NATO members, including the US, the UK, France and Germany.

     

    For a while, the Estonian PM Kaja Kallas was also in the race, with support from the Allies on the eastern flank, who argued that those countries needed better representation in the Alliance, in the context of the war initiated by Russia in Ukraine.

     

    The candidacy of Klaus Iohannis, on the other hand, is still a mystery. The reasons why the Romanian president announced his bid for the post are yet unknown, given that at that time Rutte was already backed by important NATO members.

     

    Mark Rutte is known for his critical position regarding Russia, and for the political and military support for Ukraine. The Netherlands is one of the Allies that reached the target of 2% of GDP earmarked for defence, in line with NATO requirements, and has provided Ukraine with F-16 aircraft.

     

    The incumbent NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, welcomed the nomination of Mark Rutte as his successor. He said the latter was “a true trans-Atlanticist, a strong leader, and a consensus-builder.” “I know I am leaving NATO in good hands,” Stoltenberg added.

     

    Apart from the war in Ukraine, Rutte might have to handle a prospective US administration headed by Donald Trump, the promoter of “America First” policies, should the latter return to the White House after the presidential election.

     

    In Kremlin, the announcement regarding the new NATO chief was received with scepticism. Rutte’s appointment will not entail changes in NATO’s approach, which is “hostile” and aimed at “supressing” Russia, as the Russian presidency’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

     

    He once again accused NATO members of getting involved directly in the war in Ukraine, by supplying heavy weaponry to Kyiv, and warned that Russia would retaliate after the Ukrainian army received the green light to use such weapons against targets on Russian territory. Peskov also emphasised that at present Moscow is treating NATO as a hostile alliance. (AMP)

  • Long war expected in Ukraine

    Long war expected in Ukraine

    NATO’s secretary general
    Jens Stoltenberg warned that the war in Russia-invaded Ukraine is not going to
    end very soon. In an interview released on Sunday by the German press group Funke
    and quoted by international media, he said that Most wars last longer than
    expected when they first begin and concluded that Therefore we must prepare
    ourselves for a long war in Ukraine.


    Stoltenberg also argued
    that We all want a quick peace. At the same time, we must recognize that if
    President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no
    longer exist. If President Putin and Russia stop fighting, we will have peace.


    As for Kyiv’s plans to
    join the North-Atlantic Alliance, its chief says it is just a matter of time
    before Ukraine joins the Alliance. When the war ends, Ukraine will need safety
    guarantees. Otherwise, history could repeat itself, Jens Stoltenberg warned.


    In this summer’s NATO summit in Vilnius, the
    NATO leaders agreed that Ukraine would be able to join, provided that certain
    conditions were met, related to democracy and the rule of law. But Kyiv
    struggles with recurrent scandals, some of them concerning the very equipment
    of the Army fighting the Russians or the widespread bribery system in military
    commissariats, whereby men avoid recruitment.


    Meanwhile, the long-discussed and awaited
    Ukrainian counteroffensive, launched this summer, is much slower than Kyiv
    officials and their Western supporters were hoping. Every couple of weeks, Ukraine
    announces the freeing of some village, usually completely deserted and
    obliterated by the Russian occupants.


    On the other hand, Russia’s great-power
    ego and territorial appetite are far from being satisfied. Moscow only has some
    control over four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk and Luhanks in the east, Kherson
    and Zaporizhzhia in the south, in addition to the Crimean peninsula annexed in
    2014. It is too little compared to what Putin told his men on February 24,
    2022, when he ordered the invasion.


    Both the aged and bitter Kremlin chief and
    his close aides, who keep echoing the same nonsensical claims of de-Nazifying
    an Ukrainian state led by a Jewish president, seem hardly resigned to not
    seeing their tanks entering Kyiv.


    Moreover, the Russian economy seems to
    withstand the successive waves of Western sanctions, and to be able to further
    finance the invasion. So chances are the fighting will continue, even though
    Russian experts themselves have calculated that two months of war equate the Russian
    Federation’s healthcare budget for the entire year 2023. (AMP)

  • July 9, 2023

    July 9, 2023

    POLICE Romanian policemen last week enforced 19 European arrest
    warrants and 589 people, who are the subject of alerts in the Schengen
    Information System, have been located on Romania’s territory. According to a
    Romanian police communiqué, 30 documents and 45 vehicles sought by the Schengen
    partners have been seized in Romania to be used as evidence within legal
    procedures. At the same time, 199 people wanted by the Romanian authorities
    have been identified by foreign partners on their territory, the communiqué
    also says.






    DIICOT The situation in several old people’s homes in Ilfov County,
    close to Bucharest, where prosecutors have identified organized crime groups
    who were exploiting and mistreating old and disabled people is being analyzed
    by the government today. The country’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is
    having talks with several ministers about the measures needed so that suchlike
    situations may not repeat. According to the DIICOT prosecutors, the residents
    of the aforementioned institutions were forced to do some of the most
    humiliating works and the inspections, which could have ended their suffering,
    used to be announced beforehand by the defendants’ accomplices in state
    institutions. According to DIICOT prosecutors, the group would have siphoned
    off 740 thousand Euros from several social assistance directions in Ilfov and
    Bucharest. Some of those involved have been placed in temporary custody for 30
    days, whereas other defendants in the same file have been placed under house
    arrest or judicial investigation. Prime Minister Ciolacu has called for the
    resignation of the boards of the National Agency for Payment and Social
    Inspection with the Ilfov County Agency and also for checking in old people’s
    homes around the country. Prefect offices have already announced the setting up
    of committees to do the checking.






    SUMMIT Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will be participating in
    the NATO summit in Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday, the presidential
    administration in Bucharest has announced. The summit is to include three
    high-level meetings of the North-Atlantic Council, in formats, which also include
    Ukraine, the European Union as well as NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners. At the
    summit, the Romanian president is expected to underline the fundamental
    importance of continuing the implementation of the Madrid decisions on
    strengthening the allied defence and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank.
    Iohannis will also reiterate the robust support for Ukraine, including its
    NATO’s accession, as well as for the most vulnerable partners, especially for
    the Republic of Moldova. According to the same sources, the head of the
    Romanian state will be also referring to the need for having the importance of
    the Black Sea region in the Euro-Atlantic security reflected in the allied
    documents and decisions. In Vilnius, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is
    expecting that most allies announce their commitment to increasing defence
    budgets to over 2% of the GDP starting next year. He said in Brussels that 11
    member countries, Romania included, had already fulfilled this commitment.






    TENNIS The Romanian pair, Ana Bogdan/Jaqueline
    Cristian is today taking on Lidia Morozova of Belarus and Ingrid Martins
    Gamarra of Brazil in the second round of the Wimbledon doubles after their
    Saturday’s win against Danielle Collins and Alison Riske-Amritraj of the USA. The
    Romanian-Ukrainian pair, Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk has also qualified for
    the second round and will take on Miriam Koloziejova and Marketa Vondrousova of
    the Czech Republic on Monday. Romania is no longer represented in the main
    draw, after Sorana Cirstea lost to Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia on Saturday.






    FAIR The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair is due to end in Brasov,
    southern Romania today. During the five-day event, the almost 40 exhibitors have
    put on displays thousands of books for all tastes and ages, music, educational
    games and self-development books. The event has also included book launches,
    conferences and debates attended by local writers and not only by them. Adrian
    Lesenciuc, poet, prose and essay-writer as well as literary critic has been the
    honorary president of the present edition.


    (bill)

  • Hăbări ditu bana românească şi internaţională

    Hăbări ditu bana românească şi internaţională

    NATO. Finlanda agiumsi adză s’hibă 31-lea membru al NATO tamam ninti a unei reuniuni di dauă dzăli a miniștrilor di externe ali NATO. Secretarlu general a Alianțălleei Nord-Atlantice, Jens Stoltenberg, salută intrarea Finlandălleii tru NATO, spunânda: Va s’hibă ună dzuuă bună tră securitatea Finlandăllei, tră securitatea nordică și tră NATO tru ansamblu”.



    Finlanda și Suedia căftară anlu ţi tricu aderarea la NATO, la scurtu kito după ahurhita ali aputruseari arusească tru Ucraină și lă si deadi statutlu di călisiţ și anlu tricut. Tru kirolu anda Finlanda lo undă veardi di la tuț membrii NATO, aderarea ali Suedie fu amânată di Turchia. Stoltenberg și spusi nădia că Suedia va s’agiungă tru şcurtu kiro un membru cu tuti ndrepturli , idyea cum Finlanda. Tru kirolu ali andamasi a lor, aliațllii suntu aștiptaț să zburască ti polimlu inkisitu di Rusia contra ali Ucraină și s’aprobă un program di ndrupari multianual. Fuvirserli și provocările ditu sud, importanța investițiilor criscuti tru industria di apărare și parteneriatul criscut ali China cu Rusia suntu, tutunăoară, pi arada di lucru a dzuuăllei. Partenerlli NATO ditu zona Indo-Pacific și UE va s’llia parti la muabeţ ti consecințele globale a fuvirsearillei ali Rusie contra ali Ucraină.



    Debaturi.Comisia juridică a Camerăllei a Deputațlor ditu București ah8urheaşti diznău, adză debaturli ti năili alăxeri la Codul Penal, cari incrimineadză abuzul tru serviciu și neglijarea tru serviciu. Formularlu inițial avizat di Senat, cari pruvidea un plafon di aproximativ ţinţi ñilli di euro tră aestă infracțiune va s’hibă alăxitu. Coaliția di guvernământ avu muabeţ ti un plafon di 18 sute di euro, kiro tu cari libearalii și spusiră naetea ta s’bagă un di 12 sute di euro, reprezentânda dauă tiñii di cafi mesu minime. USR di opoziție lugurseaşti că plafonul tră infracțiunea menționată lipseaşti s’hibă anvăr;liga a valoarillei simboliţi, ase că s’hibă tiñisiti apofasili a Curtillei Constituționale.



    ANDAMUSEA. Ndrupămu Republica Moldova cu tut ţi putemu aţea turlie că aesta să s’veaglle di minduerli ali Rusiei ti s-u aspagă văsilia, fu mesajul comun dimandatu București di cancelarul german Olaf Scholtz și di prezidentulu Klaus Iohannis la ună andamasi trilaterală cu prezidentulu ali Republica Moldova, Maia Sandu. Oficialu moldovean spus că, tru contextul actual, văsilia a llei ari ananghi di agiutoru economic, ama şi di asistenţă tru cilăstăserli di anvărtuşeari a capacităţlor di apărare a văsiliillei. Cancelarlu Scholtz deadi asigurări că Germania ndrupaşti aderarea României la spațiul european fără sinuri, Schengen.



    Autoru: Udălu a hăbărloru


    Armânipsearea: Taşcu Lala


  • April 4, 2023

    April 4, 2023

    NATO Finland has today become the 31st
    member of NATO right ahead a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers. The
    Secretary General of the North-Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg has hailed
    Finland’s entry into NATO saying quote: It will be a good day for Finland’s
    security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole.


    Finland and Sweden last year applied for NATO
    accession shortly after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and
    they were given the statute of invitees also last year. While Finland got the
    greenlight from all NATO members, Sweden’s accession has been delayed by
    Turkey. Stoltenberg has expressed hope that Sweden will soon become a
    fully-fledged member just like Finland. During their meeting, the allies are
    expected to tackle the illegal war Russia is presently waging on Ukraine and
    endorse a multiannual support programme. Southern threats and provocations, the
    importance of increased investment in the defence industry and China’s increased
    partnership with Russia are also high on the agenda. NATO’s partners in the
    Indo-Pacific area and the EU will be participating in talks about the global
    consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.






    DEBATES The legal committee of the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest is today
    resuming debates over the new Criminal Code amendments, criminalizing the abuse
    of office and neglect of duty. The initial form endorsed by the Senate,
    providing for a ceiling of roughly five thousand Euros for this crime is going
    to be amended. The ruling coalition held talks about an 18 hundred euros
    ceiling whereas the Liberals have announced their intention to propose a
    ceiling of 12 hundred euros, accounting for two minimum wages. The opposition
    USR believes the ceiling for the aforementioned offence should be around a
    symbolic value so that the Constitutional Court rulings be observed.






    ACADEMY Romania’s highest cultural and scientific forum, the Romanian Academy, has today, on its 157th anniversary, opened its doors to visitors.
    On this occasion, its most representative places like the Academy Hall, the
    Academy Club or the Memorial Museum, have been opened to visitors who are also offered
    a guided tour of the Library. The Romanian Academy boasts 14 sections, covering
    several domains such as literature, linguistics, history, philosophy, mathematics,
    physics, chemistry, biology, genomics, technical sciences, science and IT,
    agronomy, medicine, economic and legal sciences, art and architecture. The
    Romanian Academy presently boasts 181 members and corresponding members as well
    as 135 honorary members.






    MEETING We are supporting the Republic of Moldova with
    everything we can so that it may defend against Russia’s attempts to
    destabilize the country, was the joint message conveyed in Bucharest by German
    Chancellor Olaf Scholtz and President Klaus Iohannis upon a trilateral meeting
    with the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. The Moldovan
    official said that under the present context, her country needs economic
    support but also assistance in the attempts to strengthen the country’s defence
    capabilities. Chancellor Scholtz has given assurances that Germany supports
    Romania’s accession to Europe’s border-free area, Schengen.




    (bill)

  • 01.04.2023

    01.04.2023

    Bruxelles – Le mandat du roumain Mircea Geoană d’adjoint au secrétaire général de l’OTAN a été prolongé d’une année, jusqu’à octobre 2024. Le patron de l’OTAN Jens Stoltenberg lui a remercié et a souligné que Mircea Geoană a été un secrétaire général adjoint remarquable et un grand soutien personnel, durant une période critique pour la sécurité euro-atlantique. Dans un message sur Facebook, Mircea Geoană a écrit que la décision de prolonger ce mandat, tout comme sa nomination en 2019 ont été un exemple pour tous les Roumains de viser haut et pour la Roumanie d’obtenir l’audace et la sagesse de mettre à profit les opportunités stratégiques offertes par les changements géopolitiques. Par ailleurs, selon la publication The Sun, la présidente de la Commission européenne Ursula von der Leyen, devrait se porter candidate aux fonctions de prochain secrétaire général de l’OTAN, étant donné que Jens Stoltenberg doit absolument achever son mandat cet octobre, après trois prolongations successives. Le premier ministre espagnol, Pedro Sánchez, et le secrétaire britannique à la défense, Ben Wallace, seraient également candidats à ces fonctions.

    Défense – Le ministre roumain de la défense, Angel Tîlvăr, s’est entretenu à Washington, avec les représentants d’instituts américains de recherche et analyse de renom dans la sphère des études de sécurité. Selon un communiqué transmis aujourd’hui par le ministère de la défense de Bucarest, les réunions ont visé la guerre en Ukraine, la manière dont l’OTAN a répondu pour soutenir l’Ukraine, mais aussi les leçons apprises et les moyens de consolider le soutien allié pour ce pays. Ce qui plus est, les participants aux pourparlers ont évoqué les décisions du sommet de Madrid, respectivement les mesures de renforcement de la défense et de la dissuasion sur le flanc est de l’OTAN et la manière d’implémentation de celles-ci. Egalement dans le cadre de sa visite aux Etats Unis, le ministre de la défense Angel Tâlvar a souligné les bénéfices du partenariat stratégique entre la Roumanie et les Etats Unis. Le 30 mars, le ministre roumain a rencontré Cara Abercrombie, qui coordonne la politique de défense et du contrôle des armements dans le cadre du Conseil national de sécurité des Etats Unis et le 31 mars il a rencontré Gina Ortiz Jones, secrétaire adjointe des Forces aériennes des Etats Unis.

    Relance et résilience – La commission européenne a verse jusqu’ici plus de 150 milliards d’euros aux etats membres dans le cadre du mécanisme de relance et de résilience en moins de deux ans depuis sa création, stimulant des réformes et des investissements dans les Etats bénéficiaires. Affin de rendre le fonctionnement du mécanisme plus transparent, la commission a lancé cette semaine, une carte interactive enligne, périodiquement mise à jour qui présente les projets financés par ces fonds. Sur les 350 projets présentés, 10 proviennent de Roumanie. Parmi eux figurent le programme national de reboisement, l’autoroute A17 qui relie les villes de Ploiesti, dans le sud et Pascani, dans l’est ou la modernisation du chemin de fer reliant les villes de Cluj et d’Oradea, dans le nord-ouest.

    Migrants – Le ministère roumain des Affaires Etrangères a fait savoir aujourd’hui que les autorités canadiennes n’avaient pas confirmé le fait qu’il y avait des Roumains parmi les huit personnes décédés à la frontière américano – canadienne. Auparavant, la presse a informé que huit personnes, dont une famille de Roumains, avaient décédé alors qu’ils tentaient de traverser illégalement la frontière entre le Canada et les Etats Unis. Ils sont été découverts dans une zone marécageuse du fleuve qui sépare le Québec de l’Etat de New York. Une autre personne, le propriétaire de l’embarcation utilisée pour le transport des huit est portée disparue. Le président américain Joe Biden et le premier ministre canadien Justin Trudeau ont décidé la semaine dernière d’arrêter les demandeurs d’asile qui arrivent au Canada illégalement. Selon la police, l’accord n’a pas provoqué la tragédie des deux familles.

    Météo – Températures assez douces pour cette période de l’année, mais la météo est morose à travers le pays. Ciel couvert sur le nord, l’ouest et le sud-ouest, ou il pleut. Des précipitations sont attendues presque partout en Roumanie. En montage des chutes de neige sont possibles. Les maximas vont de 11 à 19 degrés. 11 degrés à Bucarest.

    Musée – Plusieurs musées roumains participent à l’exposition internationale Premiers rois d’Europe, du Field Museum of Natural History de Chicago. L’exposition, qui rassemble plus de 700 artefacts archéologiques préhistoriques de première importance provenant des collections d’Albanie, de Bosnie-Herzégovine, de Bulgarie, de Croatie, du Kosovo, de Macédoine du Nord, du Monténégro, de Roumanie, de Serbie, de Slovénie et de Hongrie, sera ouverte jusqu’au 28 janvier 2024. Premiers Rois d’Europe est le résultat d’un projet culturel sans précédent, mené en collaboration avec plus de 25 musées en Europe. L’exposition présente, avec d’autres objets provenant des collections de musées des pays mentionnés, une sélection d’artefacts préhistoriques et protohistoriques datant de la période néolithique, de l’âge du bronze et jusqu’au deuxième âge du fer – de cinq musées roumains.

    Tennis – La joueuse roumaine de tennis, Sorana Cîrstea a raté la qualification en finale du tournoi de Miami aux Etats Unis. Elle a été battue vendredi par la sportive Tchèque Petra Kvitova 7-5, 6-4, dans les demi-finales du tournoi WTA 1 000.

  • November 27, 2022 UPDATE

    November 27, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO The president of
    Romania Klaus Iohannis will receive the
    NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, in Bucharest on Monday. Stoltenberg
    will chair the meeting of NATO foreign ministers hosted by the Romanian capital city as of Tuesday. Also on this
    occasion, the US state secretary Antony Blinken will travel to Bucharest, and
    will have meetings with president Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign
    minister Bogdan Aurescu. The NATO meeting, the
    first of this kind organised in Romania, focuses on
    supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion, energy security and
    implementing the Alliance’s new strategic concept.


    MLM A Munich Leaders
    Meeting (MLM) takes place in Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday. The Romanian
    foreign ministry is co-hosting this prestigious event, which is part of the Munich
    Security Conference (MSC). Attending will be over 75 senior officials from over
    25 countries, including current and former officials, experts, analysts and
    opinion leaders. The agenda includes relevant topics for international
    security, with an emphasis on developments in the Black Sea and Western Balkans
    regions. Other topics will be the European security architecture, implementing
    the new NATO Strategic Concept, hybrid threats, food security, and the energy
    crisis. The conclusions of the meeting in Bucharest will contribute to shaping
    the agenda of next year’s Munich Security Conference.


    NATIONAL DAY Events
    devoted to Romania’s National Day on December 1 begin in Alba Iulia on November
    30, with military and wreath laying ceremonies. On December 1, more than 850 troops
    will parade in Alba Iulia, including a French unit part of the NATO battlegroup
    deployed in Cincu, Braşov County. In Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence
    ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special
    Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and
    40 aircraft will take part in a military parade on December 1. According to a
    defence ministry news release, around 150 troops from Belgium, France, North
    Macedonia, R. Of Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, will also take
    part. Romanian military personnel on missions abroad will also organise special
    ceremonies.


    ENVIRONMENT The
    Romanian environment ministry launched a national forestation programme
    financed from EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The
    decision was made because forests cover less than 30% of the country’s surface,
    as against the European average of 40%. In some counties in the south and
    south-east of the country, the ratio is even have less than 5%. Farmers who no
    longer want to keep their farmland under crops may turn it into forests or
    shelterbelts. The government provides up to EUR 20,000 for a hectare of oak
    forest in plains areas and up to EUR 17,000 per hectare of shelterbelts, with
    an additional EUR 456 per year for each hectare of forest for 20 years.


    UKRAINE Heavy rainfall is expected in
    Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv as of Sunday, with sub-zero temperatures both
    during the day and at night. Millions of people in the city and the region
    around it are still without electricity and heat, after Russian shelling
    damaged the country’s energy infrastructure. The region of Dnipropetrovsk, in
    central Ukraine, was once again hit by 5 Russian missile strikes and heavy
    artillery attacks, the regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said. Homes and
    other buildings were destroyed, but no victims were reported. However, in the
    southern region of Kherson, where the Russian troops pulled out 2 weeks ago, at
    least 32 people were killed in the bombings, the Ukrainian police reported.


    ENESCU The George
    Enescu International Music Festival was shortlisted for the prestigious International
    Opera Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of the opera world, the festival organisers have
    announced. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday at Teatro Real (Madrid,
    Spain). The 2021 edition was shortlisted in the Festivals section, alongside
    other top-level events in the world of international classical music, such as
    the Donizetti Festival and Garsington Opera.


    HANDBALL The men’s
    handball teams of Romania, Egypt, Algeria and Slovakia take part in this year’s
    Carpaţi Trophy, on December 28th and 29th in Oradea,
    north-western Romania, the Romanian Handball Federation announced. Egypt and
    Algeria are qualified to the forthcoming World Championships scheduled for January
    2023. Romania’s manager Xavi Pascual invited 24 players to convene for the
    competition on December 26th. (AMP)

  • April 1, 2022

    April 1, 2022

    COMMISSIONER Romania has seen a
    massive inflow of refugees from Ukraine and the way it handled the situation is
    remarkable, the EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit,
    said during a news conference in Bucharest. The EU official has also given
    assurances that Romania and the countries dealing with the Ukrainian refugees’
    crisis are going to get assistance from the European Commission.








    REFUGEES Over 8,200 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania on Thursday, 4% less than
    on the previous day – the General Border Police Inspectorate has announced.
    Since the beginning of the crisis roughly 600 thousand Ukrainians have arrived
    in Romania. The border checkpoints at Romania’s border with Ukraine are
    functioning at full capacity with additional personnel and equipment in
    accordance with the international legislation. Border police units are
    operating jointly with other structures in the field for a proper handling of
    the situation.






    WAR The Russian troops aren’t withdrawing but repositioning in
    Ukraine and NATO is expecting more attacks, says the alliance’s Secretary
    General, Jens Stoltenberg. Russia is regrouping, resupplying and reinforcing its
    offensive in the Donbas region, Stoltenberg told a news conference after Russia
    had pledged that following ‘substantial negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul’
    it would reduce its military activities around the capital Kyiv and Chernigov
    in the north. According to Stoltenberg, Russia maintains its pressure on Kyiv
    and other cities so we can expect additional offensive actions bringing even
    more suffering. The alliance has yet to be convinced that Russia was
    negotiating in good faith because Moscow’s military objective since launching
    its invasion has not changed. NATO official says the alliance will continue to
    provide weapons to Ukraine for as long as necessary. A previous statement by
    the Russian Defence Ministry says that its troops are regrouping close to Kyiv
    and Chernigov in order to focus on other essential areas and completely free
    Donbas, the pro-Russia eastern region of Ukraine. In another development, the
    president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, on Thursday night
    announced on Twitter that she was on her way to Kyiv without giving details
    about this planned visit. News agencies say that she will be the first leader
    of a European institution to visit the capital of Ukraine since the beginning
    of the invasion.






    COVID-19 The Romanian Health Ministry on Friday announced roughly three thousand
    new Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours as well as 27 related fatalities.
    Since the beginning of the pandemic in Romania two years ago, over 2.85 million
    infections have been reported in Romania and 65 thousand patients have died.
    Over 8 million people have been fully vaccinated in this country, whose Health
    Minister, Alexandru Rafila said the activity in the hospitals treating
    Covid-infected patients would gradually normalize and the number of infections
    decrease. No prevention rules have been applied in Romania since March 9th.








    PSD The president of the co-ruling Social Democratic Party,
    Marcel Ciolacu, has announced he will propose the exclusion of MP Dumitru
    Coarna from the party. Ciolacu says that Coarna’s actions are completely
    running against the PSD’s vision on democracy, freedom and fundamental rights.
    A former policeman and trade union activist, Coarna has been received by the
    ambassador of the Russian Federation in Bucharest Valeri Kuzmin. Together with
    three other MPs from the nationalist opposition they presented Kuzmin with a
    proposal regarding Romania’s so-called neutrality in the war Russia is waging
    on Ukraine. According to Ciolacu, PSD is a pro-European Party which played a
    major role in Romania’s EU and NATO accession and has firmly condemned Russia’s
    military aggression in Ukraine.






    (bill)

  • Reactions to Russia’s attack on Ukraine

    Reactions to Russia’s attack on Ukraine

    Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis has firmly condemned Russia’s armed aggression against
    Ukraine. This act, which follows the illegal recognition by the Russian
    Federation of the self-proclaimed breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in
    Ukraine, is a blatant infringement of international laws, mainly of the
    sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the prohibition of the
    use of force in international relations’ – the head of the Romanian state says.




    Romania
    has thus joined the international community of democratic states, firmly
    rejecting such an irresponsible act, which is undermining the foundation of the
    international relations and law.
    Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has also condemned the Russian
    Federation’s decision to invade the territory of Ukraine, which he describes as
    ‘an illegal act of aggression’ and has stated the solidarity of the Executive
    in Bucharest with the Ukrainian government. He reiterates the fact that Romania
    enjoys all the guarantees of security and solidarity entailed by its NATO
    membership, advising the Romanian citizens to stay calm.




    All
    Parliament parties in Bucharest, both in the government coalition PSD-PNL-UDMR
    as well as in opposition such as USR and AUR have condemned the military
    aggression in Ukraine. According to the country’s minister of defence Vasile
    Dincu, Romania is prepared to receive over 500 thousand refugees from Ukraine.
    There is a plan in this respect in all major cities at the border, the
    minister says. Romania’s borders with Ukraine stretch over 600 kilometers and
    the Romanian community in that country accounts for over 400 thousand people, most
    of them in North Bukovina, northern and southern Bessarabia and the Hertza
    Land, Romanian territories annexed by Stalin in 1940 and taken over by Ukraine
    in 1991, after the dismantling of the USSR.




    The
    governments in the entire civilized world have reacted with indignation towards
    the new war triggered by what the Western leaders called the megalomania of the
    Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. NATO
    Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has described it a
    reckless and unprovoked attack, which puts at risk countless civilian lives.




    The US
    and European partners of Ukraine have denounced the new Russian aggression and
    have reiterated their support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial
    integrity of Ukraine.


    (bill)



  • February 11, 2022

    February 11, 2022

    NATO – Romania, as NATO member country and strategic partner of the US, benefits all security guarantees that it needs, in the context of the heaviest crisis after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The statement was made by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday, during a visit he made together with the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg and the Alliance’s Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoana, at the military base in Mihail Kogalniceanu, south-eastern Romania. The officials met with military personnel from allied nations deployed to Romania. Military equipment for the US Task Force (TF) Cougar has already reached Romania. In his turn, Stoltenberg said the presence of NATO troops in Romania is important because it is “a powerful demonstration” of NATO unity. Around 1,000 American military are dispatched in Romania, amid concerns raised by the military build-up at the border with the neighboring Ukraine. A NATO member since 2004, Romania was already hosting 900 American military, 250 Polish and 140 Italian soldiers.



    MOLDOVA — The Romanian prime Minister, Nicolae Ciuca noticed, at the start of a joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments on Friday in Chisinau, the ”biggest openess” ever recorded in the bilateral ties. According to PM Ciuca, Romania will continue to be a firm and vocal supporter of Moldova’s European path. He reminded that in 2020, a year of crisis, Romania granted Moldova assistance for development worth a record 46.8 million euros, that went mainly to education and scholarship. In turn, the Moldovan PM, Natalia Gavrilita, said her cabinet is firmly committed to securing a predictible and atractive framework for foreign investors, in keeping with the best European practices. Ahead of the meeting, the Chisinau Government approved a bilateral accord on the implementation of the technical and financial assistance programme, based on an unrepayble financial aid worth 100 million euros granted by Romania and also an accord on cutting tariffs for roaming services between the two countries at lest ten times.



    CORONAVIRUS — The number of new Covid-19 infections continues to drop in Romania. On Friday, the Group for Strategic Communication announced 22,737 new cases and 132 deaths, five of which from an earlier date. The Romanian authorities consider easing the restrictions taken in the context of the pandemic, but in a graddual manner, after the model of the countries which have already passed the peak of the current wave, the head of the Department for Emergencies, Raed Arafat, said. The number of new cases is dropping, and, if this tendency maintains, we could be restriction free before Easter, Arafat said. In his turn, the head of the mass immunization campaign, Valeriu Gheorghita, said that in the future vaccination against Covid-19 will be seasonal, just like the flu vaccine, but adjusted to the strain in circulation at that moment. The immunization rate among adults stands at 50.5% in Romania at present, Valeriu Gheorghita said.



    UKRAINE – US President Joe Biden has urged American citizens to leave Ukraine immediately, for fear of a Russian invasion. He has warned that “things could go crazy quickly” in spite of diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis. Biden has made it clear he will not send troops to Ukraine nor even to evacuate American citizens in the event of a conflict, as, if American and Russian troops start shooting one another, a world war could start. Last month the US and its western allies already evacuated the families of the diplomatic personnel in Ukraine. Biden’s warning comes after the latest Russian troops’ movements and joint Russian-Belarusian military drills on the territory of the latter.



    ECONOMY – Romanias economy went up by 6.3% in 2021, thanks to a sound domestic demand, but the pace will slow down to 4.2% this year, to reach 4.5% in 2023, according to the winter economic forecast released by the European Commission on Thursday. Last autumn the EC estimated Romanias GDP would grow by 7% in 2021, with rates of 5.1% and 5.2% forecast for 2022 and 2023 respectively. The most recent data concerning confidence in the economy indicate positive, although moderated economic growth prospects, especially in services, retail, constructions and industry. Private consumption is also expected to recover in the second half of the year, when restrictions will be eased out and inflation will slow down. Meanwhile, the EC substantially adjusted its 2022 inflation forecast for Romania, from 4% estimated in November to 5.3% this winter, after a 4.1% inflation rate in 2021.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (56 WTA) is today up against Tereza Martincova( 42 WTA) of the Czech Republic, in the quarterfinals of the Sankt Petersburg tournament. Begu managed a spectacular win on Thursday over Czech Petra Kvitova, 6-4, 6-0. Another Romanian in the competition, Jaqueline Cristian, was defeated by Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 6-2, 6-3. (EE)




  • January 10, 2020 UPDATE

    January 10, 2020 UPDATE

    ELECTION After talks with the country’s president, Romanian Prime
    Minister Ludovic Orban has announced their decision to kick off procedures for
    staging snap elections. According to Orban, a working group has been set up for
    talks with the other parties in order to muster support for this initiative.
    The Prime Minister said that the Social Democratic Party, PSD, which has a
    relative majority, is acting like a stopper in Parliament and the only solution
    to this situation is to stage early election as close to the local election as
    possible. Romania is going to see local election in May this year. In another
    development, the Social Democrats are taking into consideration a no-confidence
    vote, but criticized the idea of snap election saying that such a move would
    throw Romania into a superficial political crisis.












    MINISTER Romania is in favour of an increased NATO role in the Middle East
    and in fighting terrorism, the country’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said
    on Friday. The Romanian minister said that the speech of the US president
    Donald Trump on Wednesday proved that de-escalation is possible. According to
    the Romanian official, it is extremely important that the members of both NATO
    and the EU be united and act in solidarity. Aurescu made his statements in
    Brussels, before the special proceedings of the Foreign Affairs Council
    summoned against the latest developments in the Middle East. The event is also
    being attended by NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg.












    DIPLOMACY Iran’s ambassador in Bucharest Morteza Aboutalebi on Friday said
    that Romania, as an ally of the USA, is not targeted by any of Iran’s aggressive
    actions. The Iranian diplomat added that neither is the NATO anti-missile
    shield in Deveselu, southern Romania. According to Aboutalebi, an increased
    NATO presence in the Middle East is not perceived by the regime in Tehran as in
    any way related to Iran and that Tehran has always been ready for talks with
    the international community, including the United States.


    AIR CRASH The USA, Canada and Britain said that information from multiple
    sources indicates that the Ukrainian aircraft that crashed on Wednesday near
    Tehran has been taken down by Iranian armed forced. 176 people died. Iran may
    have accidentally shot down the plane in which 63 Canadian citizens were
    traveling, among other nationals, Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau said. The US
    president Donald Trump and British PM Boris Johnson confirmed the hypothesis.
    All parties now ask Iran to initiate a detailed and thorough investigation. The
    Iranian authorities dismissed the latest intelligence as ridiculous
    and part of an American psychological maneuver. The Ukraine International Airlines flight to Kiev crashed shortly after
    taking off from the Tehran airport, just hours after Iran had launched
    ballistic missiles against 2 US military bases in Iraq, with the Iranians
    subsequently on alert for prospective American retaliation. According to
    American intelligence, the infrared signature from two suspected missile
    launches was identified, followed shortly afterwards by the infrared blip from
    the burning Boeing 737-800. On
    Thursday Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation said the 3-year old plane faced
    technical problems shortly after take-off.




    (translated by bill)

  • NATO, increased involvement in the Middle East

    NATO, increased involvement in the Middle East

    The worsening of the security situation in the Middle East is mainly affecting the stability of Iraq, of the entire region and also of the world. And the rising tension in the region is not benefiting anyone. Now that tensions seem to have calmed a little bit, it’s high time the international community acted to consolidate peace in the region. This is what the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis told a press conference on Thursday in Bucharest when he referred to the latest developments in the Middle East. Fortunately, Klaus Iohannis said, Romania’s interests have not been affected so far, in the sense that the security of the Romanian citizens and of the Romanian troops in Iraq has not been affected.



    Early this week, the authorities had announced that the 14 Romanian soldiers deployed in Iraq were relocated, and that they were safe and sound, just like the 180 Romanian civilians in the Iraqi region of Erbil which was hit by Iranian missiles. According to President Iohannis, Bucharest is cooperating with its partners within the EU and NATO and with its strategic partners at bilateral level, mainly with the US, for tension in the Middle East to deescalate.



    Klaus Iohannis: “Romania supports the unity, independence, sovereignty and integrity of the Iraqi territory. Along the years Romania has had an important contribution to the efforts of stabilizing and reconstructing this country as part of collective international actions. This process needs to continue first and foremost to the benefit of the Iraqi citizens and to avoid wasting substantial effort in this regard. Our common fight — of the international partners and of the Iraqi institutions and citizens — against terrorism needs to continue firmly. Nobody needs new conflict hotspots, we need to boost efforts to bring peace to the region and provide the security and safety necessary for reconstruction.”



    An increased NATO involvement in the Middle East, as the US President Donald Trump has proposed, would be, according to President Iohannis, opportune in terms of the region’s security and reconstruction, and Romania is interested in contributing. Actually, NATO is currently looking into ways to respond to the proposal made by President Trump to get more involved in the Middle East, as announced by the Alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The latter had talks on Thursday in Brussels with the Romanian PM Ludovic Orban and thanked Romania for its contribution to the NATO mission of training the Iraqi troops.



    Romania plays a key role within NATO and has an essential contribution in providing security in the Black Sea region and not only — Jens Stoltenberg went on to say. He also talked about the need to invest in defense and reminded that Bucharest had already allotted 2% of the GDP for defense purposes. Jens Stoltenberg concluded that he counted on Romania and the other allies to carry on with the same determination, and received assurances from the Romanian PM that Romania would support the Alliance in reaching its targets. (translation by L. Simion)

  • January 9, 2020

    January 9, 2020

    VISIT Romania is a serious partner, responsible and committed to
    meeting its EU objectives and implementing the regulations adopted by the
    European institutions, the country’s Prime Minister, Victor Orban said during
    his talks with the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in
    Brussels. The EU is by Romania’s side and the block is getting ready for the
    digital era for which it counts on Bucharest’s support, as this country has an
    excellent reputation in this field, the EU official said. Also high on the
    talks agenda were economic and justice issues. Orban is also seeing today the
    NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and will be having talks with Antonio
    Lopez Isturiz, secretary general of the European People’s Party to which the
    Romanian National Liberal Party is affiliated. The Romanian Prime Minister
    began his working visit to Brussels on Tuesday and has so far held talks with
    officials of the European Council, the European Commission and Parliament.










    FORECAST The World Bank has revised up
    to 3.9% its forecast for Romania’s economic growth in 2019, 0.3 % more than the
    forecast in June last year, shows the Global Economic Prospects report
    published on Wednesday. According to the same sources Romania is expected to
    register a GDP growth of 3.4%, 0.1 % higher than the previous forecast. In
    spite of improved performances, the World Bank believes the GDP growth will
    significantly slow down to 3.1% in 2021 and 2022. The World Bank estimates a
    slight economic growth all over the world in 2020, which is expected to reach
    2.5% after the slowdown last year. The World Bank has cautioned about this
    growth, which it described as fragile and subject to potential risks.










    YO 35
    athletes will be representing Romania at the 2020 Youth Olympics due in
    Lausanne, Switzerland over January 9 and 22. According to a communiqué issued
    by the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee the Romanian athletes will be
    competing in several disciplines, such as biathlon, bob-sleigh, ice hockey,
    speed skating, sledge, ski-jumping, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and
    snowboarding. At the previous edition in Lillehammer, Norway, the first medals
    in the history of Romania’s participation in such an event went to Eduard
    Casaneanu, who walked away with gold from the ice-hockey event and Mihaela
    Hogas, who won bronze in the speed skating race.










    HANDBALL Romania’s national handball side is in Italy. There our handballers
    are to take on Italy, Georgia and Kosovo over January 10th and 12th
    in the first stage of their qualification for the World Championship in Egypt
    next year. Coach Rares Fortuneanu, who is also coaching French side Saint
    Raphael, has voiced optimism concerning Romania’s qualification for the final
    tournament next year, the first attended by 32 sides. We recall that the
    Romanian women’s representative had made it to the main groups of the World
    Championship held last month in Japan.










    UNEMPLOYMENT In November last year
    Romania reported an unemployment rate of 4% the same level of October, data
    released by the National Institute for Statistics on Thursday show.
    Unemployment among men exceeded unemployment among women by 0.9%. The number of
    unemployed among those with ages between 15 and 74 stood at 366 thousand people
    in November last year. The number of unemployed with ages between 25 and 74
    accounts for 70% of the total number of unemployed in November 2019. According
    to the same sources, Romania registered a trade deficit of 15.5 billion euros last
    year, 2.1 billion more than in the same period of 2018. Imports went up by 4.1%
    while exports only by 1.7%




    (translated by bill)

  • Erster offiziellen Besuch des Premierministers Ludovic Orban in Brüssel

    Erster offiziellen Besuch des Premierministers Ludovic Orban in Brüssel

    Bei seinem ersten offiziellen Besuch in Brüssel, nach seiner Amtseinführung im November, traf der liberale rumänische Ministerpräsident Ludovic Orban mit mehreren europäischen Vertretern zusammen, darunter dem EU-Ratspräsidenten, Charles Michel und dem Chefunterhändler der EU-Mitgliedstaaten bei den Austrittsverhandlungen mit dem Vereinigten Königreich, Michel Barnier.



    In den Gesprächen mit dem EU-Ratspräsidenten unterstrich der rumänische Premierminister die Bedeutung der Förderung der strategischen Agenda der EU, die auf den Aufbau eines grünen, gerechten und klimaneutralen Europas abzielt, in dem die Rechte und Freiheiten der Bürger geschützt werden. Die Herausforderungen, mit denen die EU konfrontiert ist, müssen ausgewogen und im Einklang mit den Interessen der europäischen Bürger gelöst werden, forderte Ludovic Orban. Während des Treffens mit dem Chefunterhändler für den Brexit wurde auch die Situation der rumänischen Bürger im Vereinigten Königreich angesprochen.



    Ludovic Orban: Die Rechte der Rumänen, die heute dort sind, sind praktisch garantiert. Es gibt Bestimmungen, in Abkommen, die ihre Rechte garantieren. Für die europäischen Bürger, die nach der Verwirklichung des Brexit nach Großbritannien gehen, gibt es noch keine Regelung. Diese werden Gegenstand der Diskussionen nach dem Austritt des Vereinigten Königreichs aus der Europäischen Union sein. “



    Dem rumänischen Vertreter zufolge, muss die künftige Partnerschaft mit dem Vereinigten Königreich ehrgeizig und ausgewogen sein und Aspekte berücksichtigen, die über den kommerziellen und wirtschaftlichen Rahmen hinausgehen. Während der Treffen mit Vertretern der wichtigsten europäischen Institutionen plädierte Ludovic Orban für die Aufrechterhaltung einer soliden Kohäsionsfinanzierung, die Rumänien eine wirtschaftliche Entwicklung ermöglichen würde, die der, der EU-Länder nahe kommt, sowie für die Aufrechterhaltung einer durchgehenden Finanzierung der Landwirtschaft.



    Ludovic Orban: Wir haben auch Konvergenz bei den Direktzahlungen pro Hektar, wodurch die Subventionen pro Hektar, wie diese unter den rumänischen Landwirten genannt wird, auf ein Niveau gebracht werden, das dem europäischen Durchschnitt nahe kommt.“



    Die Situation in der Republik Moldau war ein weiteres Thema, das in Brüssel angesprochen wurde.



    Ludovic Orban: Der Standpunkt, den ich sowohl dem Kommissar für Erweiterung als auch anderen europäischen Vertretern gegenüber geäußert habe, war, mit größter Umsicht und größtmöglicher Strenge alles zu betrachten, was praktisch in der Republik Moldau geschieht. Wenn die in Bezug auf den europäischen Weg eingegangenen Verpflichtungen nicht eingehalten werden, sollte die Europäische Union, die Europäische Kommission, entsprechend reagieren. “



    Am Donnerstag, dem letzten Tag des Besuchs, hat der rumänische Ministerpräsident Treffen mit EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen und NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg angesetzt.