Radio România Internațional

Tag: Syria

April 15, 2018 UPDATE

DNA – Early next week, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis will announce his decision regarding the request for the removal from office of the Chief Prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi. Recently, the head of state, who had previously voiced his trust in the chief prosecutor, has stated that his decision will take into consideration all the documents provided by both parties. In February, the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader asked for the dismissal of the anti-corruption chief prosecutor, accusing her of having exceeded her powers. The Higher Council of Magistracy has issued a negative opinion on the request.

FAC – On Monday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. Dominated by the situation in Syria, the agenda of talks also includes topics such as the relations with Iran, the developments in the Western Balkans, the relationship between Brussels and Moscow and the EU financial instruments to be used within the Multiannual Financial Framework post-2020. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will inform the foreign ministers about the developments in Gaza and Venezuela.

ATTACK – The US Ambassador to the UN Nikky Haley has stated that the United States will not pull out its troops from Syria until Washingtons goals are reached. In this way, she said, the US wants to make sure that no chemical weapons will be used in Syria, that the Islamic State will be defeated and the neighboring Iran will be closely monitored. In another move, Great Britain has stated it has no immediate plan to repeat Saturdays attack against installations and chemical weapons stores in Syria. The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has warned, though, that the British will consider further action if the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad uses again chemical weapons against his own people. The statements were made after the US, Great Britain and France launched, in the early hours of Saturday morning, the largest attack against Syrian targets since the start of the civil war, in retaliation for the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Damascus regime.

SYRIA – In a message on Twitter, president Klaus Iohannis says that Romania condemns the use of chemical weapons in Syria and stands by the actions carried out by its strategic partners. The Romanian Foreign Ministry too has reasserted its firm support for any effort made by the international community to stop the conflict in Syria. Also, a message posted on the Governments Facebook page reads that Romania supports the firm response of its strategic partners to the attack in Syria, which claimed victims among the civilian population.

DIASPORA – The Minister for Romanians Around the World Natalia Intotero continues her visit to Spain. On Sunday she had meetings with Mrs. Amparo Marco Gual, the mayor of Castellon de la Plana, and with representatives of the Romanian associations in the Valencian community. According to a communiqué issued by the ministry, the high level of integration of the local Romanian community, which is not only the largest foreign community, but also the best articulated in Castellon, has been a major topic on the agenda of talks. There are some 20,000 Romanians living in Castellon de la Plana, out of some 52,000 living in the Castellon region. Also on Sunday, Natalia Intotero met with representatives of Romanian associations in the region, for talks on ways in which the Romanian Government could better support the Romanian communities in the Iberian peninsula, including non-reimbursable funding for projects aimed at preserving Romanian identity.

VISIT – The Secretary of State Dan Neculaescu has met in Cernauti with representatives of the Romanian community in the region for talks on the situation concerning the rights of the Romanian community in Ukraine. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian official has also held talks with the leadership of the regional and local administration, and stressed the need for a sustainable solution for the Romanian communitys legitimate interest in benefiting from education in their mother tongue, at all levels. Other topics were also approached during the meeting, such as cross-border cooperation, for the benefit of both parties.

HUNGARY – The central electoral committee of Hungary confirmed on Sunday the final results of the parliamentary elections held on April 8th. FIDESZ, headed by the nationalist prime-minister Viktor Orban, won 133 of the 199 seats. Second came the far right Jobbik party with 26, followed by the Socialists with 20. This is Orbans fourth term in office as prime-minister. Holding two thirds of the seats in parliament will allow him to change the constitution.

SPOTLIGHT – Sunday was the last day of the Spotlight Festival in Bucharest, during which giant images were projected on emblematic buildings in Bucharest. This years edition, the fourth, was titled United We Shine and brought to Bucharest 27 installations, projections and video mapping sessions from France, Australia, Israel, Germany, China, Russia, Italy, Spain and Romania. For the first time at the Spotlight Festival, works of art were also projected on the facades of several buildings, including the Romanian Atheneum.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball champion CSM Bucharest on Sunday qualified for the Champions League Final Four, although it was defeated by the French team Metz 20-27, away from home, in the return game of the quarter finals. In the fist game, on home turf, the Romanians had won 34 to 21. The other teams that have qualified for the Final Four are the current European champion Gyor ETP of Hungary, HC Vardar of Macedonia and Rostov-Don of Russia. The semi-finals and the final will be held on May 12 and 13 in Budapest, where the Romanian team won the championship in 2016. On Saturday, SCM Craiova qualified for the final of the EHF cup, after a draw, 18-18, at home, with the Turkish team Kastamonu, in the decisive leg of the semi-finals. In the first game, the Romanians had won 23 to 22. This is Craiovas second participation in the European cups. In the final they will play against the Norwegians from Vipers Kristiansand.

15 April 2018
April 15, 2018

ATTACK – Representatives of Great Britain, France, Germany and the US are today meeting in London to coordinate their stands, following the western attacks in Syria, the German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass has announced. Even if Germany did not take part in the coordinated attacks, he has given assurances that the communication channels with Russia will be used for a constructive stand on the matter. On Friday night, the US, Great Britain and France launched the biggest attack on Syrian targets since the start of the civil war, in response to an alleged use of chemical weapons by the Damascus regime against its own citizens. The Syrian regime, however, has denied any responsibility. Russia, a supporter of Bashar Al-Assads regime, has denounced the attack on a sovereign state, but has stated that its military facilities in Syria have not been affected. On Saturday, the Syrian army announced they took control over Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, and that all the forces opposing Bashar Al-Assad left the region.

SYRIA – In a message on Twitter, president Klaus Iohannis says that Romania condemns the use of chemical weapons in Syria and stands by the actions carried out by its strategic partners. The Romanian Foreign Ministry too has reasserted its firm support for any effort made by the international community to stop the conflict in Syria. Also, a message posted on the Governments Facebook page reads that Romania supports the firm response of its strategic partners to the attack in Syria, which claimed victims among the civilian population.

DIASPORA – The Minister for Romanians Around the World Natalia Intotero continues her visit to Spain. Today, shes had meetings with Mrs. Amparo Marco Gual, the mayor of Castellon de la Plana, and with representatives of the Romanian associations in the Valencian community. According to a communiqué issued by the ministry, the high level of integration of the local Romanian community, which is not only the largest foreign community, but also the best articulated in Castellon, has been a major topic on the agenda of talks. There are some 20,000 Romanians living in Castellon de la Plana, out of some 52,000 living in the Castellon region. Also today, Natalia Intotero has met with representatives of Romanian associations in the region, for talks on ways in which the Romanian Government could better support the Romanian communities in the Iberian peninsula, including non-reimbursable funding for projects aimed at preserving Romanian identity.

CERNAUTI – The Secretary of State Dan Neculaescu has met in Cernauti with representatives of the Romanian community in the region for talks on the situation concerning the rights of the Romanian community in Ukraine. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian official has also held talks with the leadership of the regional and local administration, and stressed the need for a sustainable solution for the Romanian communitys legitimate interest in benefiting from education in their mother tongue, at all levels. Other topics were also approached during the meeting, such as cross-border cooperation, for the benefit of both parties.

SPOTLIGHT – Sunday is the last day of the Spotlight Festival in Bucharest, during which giant images have been projected on emblematic buildings in Bucharest. This years edition, the fourth, was titled United We Shine” and has brought to Bucharest 27 installations, projections and video mapping sessions from France, Australia, Israel, Germany, China, Russia, Italy, Spain and Romania. For the first time at the Spotlight Festival, works of art were also projected on the facades of several buildings, including the Romanian Atheneum.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball champions CSM Bucharest are today playing against the French squad Metz, in the return game of the quarter finals of the Champions League. In the fist game, on home turf, the Romanians won 34 to 21. On Saturday, SCM Craiova qualified for the final of the EHF cup, after a draw, 18-18, at home, with the Turkish team Kastamonu, in the decisive leg of the semi-finals. This is the teams second participation in the European cups. In the final they will play against the Norwegians of Vipers Kristiansand.

15 April 2018
April 14, 2018 UPDATE

SYRIA– President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday in a message he posted on Twitter that Romania further condemns the use of chemical weapons in Syria and expresses solidarity with the actions taken by its strategic partners. The Romanian Foreign Ministry also firmly condemns the use of chemical weapons in any circumstances, as the carrying out of such actions is totally unjustifiable and pleads for bringing to justice all those proven guilty of perpetrating such an act, following an investigation.The statements are made after the US, the UK and France on Sunday night launched the most massive attack against Syrian targets since the start of the civil war, in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the regime in Damascus against its own citizens. US President Donald Trump has confirmed overnight precision strikes had been launched against targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of the Syrian government. British PM Theresa May has said it is about a limited and targeted strike that does not further escalate tensions in the region and that does everything possible to prevent civilian casualties, whereas the French President, Emmanuel Macron, said the Syrian actions were a threat to collective security. Russia, which supports the regime of Bashar Al-Assad, has deplored the attack on a sovereign state but it made clear that its military facilities in Syria have not been affected by the air strikes. On the ground, also on Saturday, the security forces of the Syrian regime entered the town of Douma, the last fiefdom of the rebels in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus. A week ago, the town was the target of an alleged chemical attack, which left over 40 people dead. The Syrian regime has denied any responsibility

EC – The European Commission has never intervened in the trials unfolding in Romanian courts-says the EC President, Jean Claude Juncker. Thus, he answered the letter he received last month from the Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă, in which she called for clarifications from the EC about a notification sent in 2012 to the then justice minister, regarding certain files. Juncker underlined the information requested six years ago was meant to help prepare the technical mission of November 2012, without Brussels requesting information related to the cases proper. He recalls that the CVM of the Romanian justice system included from the very beginning cooperation between the EC and the Bucharest authorities.

STEEL MARKET – The ArcelorMittal has confirmed it might sell the Steelworks in Galati, south-eastern Romania. Alongside five other works in Italy, Macedonia, the Czech Republic, Luxemburg and Belgium, the steelworks in Galaţi is on a list that the group has forwarded to the EC. Until May 23, European experts will analyse whether the selling of the six steel works manages or not to redress the steel output of the ArcelorMittal group, as ArcelorMittal is interested in buying the largest steelworks in Europe, located in Ilva, Italy. The EC says that by purchasing the Italian steelworks, ArcelorMittal will hold a dominant position on the continental steel market, a situation which might be redressed only by selling other steelworks the group owns in Europe. Arcelor Mittal is a multinational company, considered to be the largest steel producer in the world, with 310,000 employees in 60 countries. Disquieted by the arrival of another investor, which might resort to restructuring, the trade unions on the Galati steelworks platform, with a total number of some 7,000 workers, have stated their intention to discuss the situation with PM Viorica Dăncilă.

MADRID – The minister for the Romanians Worldwide, Natalia Intotero, is currently on a visit to Spain, where she is having talks with representatives of the central and local authorities, of the Romanian associations and religious denominations. The number of Romanian residents in Spain exceeded one million, according to official data made public at the end of 2017 by the Spanish Permanent Immigration Observer. An increase of 2.4% was registered, as compared to 2016.

APPOINTMENT – Israeli doctor Zvi Herman Berkowits has been appointed honorary counsellor of Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă, according to a decision published in the Official Gazette. He will not receive money for his activity. Berkowits is Romania’s honorary consul in Israel and the personal physician of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was born in Târgu-Lăpuş, Maramureş (north-western Romania), in 1947 and graduated from the Medical School in Cluj-Napoca, central Romania. He is a specialist paediatrician and leads his own general and paediatric medicine clinic in Jerusalem.

SPORTS- The Romanian women’s handball team SCM Craiova
(in the south) on Saturday qualified for the EHF Cup finals, after ending in an
18- draw the decisive match against the Turkish team of Kastamonu, on home
turf. The Romanians had won the first match, played away from home,
23-22. This will be the first finals to be played in the city of
Craiova, by the local team, during its second participation in the European
cups. The Romanian team will meet Norway’s Vipers
Kristiansand. On Sunday in the Champions League, the
Romanian champion, CSM Bucureşti, plays away from home, the round match in the
quarter-finals, with the French team of Metz.In the first round played in
Bucharest, CSM secured a clear victory, 34-21. The Romanian handballers won the
Champions League in2016. (Translated and updated by D. Vijeu)

14 April 2018
April 14, 2018

UPDATE: SYRIA– President Klaus Iohannis
said on Saturday in a message he posted on Twitter that Romania further
condemns the use of chemical weapons in Syria and expresses solidarity with the
actions taken by its strategic partners. The Romanian Foreign Ministry also firmly condemns the use of chemical
weapons in any circumstances, as the carrying out of such actions is totally
unjustifiable and pleads for bringing to justice all those proven guilty of
perpetrating such an act, following an investigation.The statements are made after the US,
the UK and France last night launched the most massive attack against Syrian
targets since the start of the civil war, in response to the alleged use of
chemical weapons by the regime in Damascus against its own citizens. US
President Donald Trump has confirmed overnight precision strikes had been
launched against targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of the
Syrian government. British PM Theresa May has said it is about a limited and
targeted strike that does not further escalate tensions in the region and that
does everything possible to prevent civilian casualties, whereas the French
President, Emmanuel Macron, said the Syrian actions were a threat to collective
security. Russia, which supports the regime of Bashar Al-Assad, has deplored
the attack on a sovereign state but it made clear that its military facilities
in Syria have not been affected by the air strikes. On the ground, also on
Saturday, the security forces of the Syrian regime entered the town of Douma,
the last fiefdom of the rebels in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus. A week ago,
the town was the target of an alleged chemical attack, which left over 40
people dead. The Syrian regime has denied any responsibility

EC – The European Commission has never intervened in the trials unfolding in Romanian courts-says the EC President, Jean Claude Juncker. Thus, he answered the letter he received last month from the Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă, in which she called for clarifications from the EC about a notification sent in 2012 to the then justice minister, regarding certain files. Juncker underlined the information requested six years ago was meant to help prepare the technical mission of November 2012, without Brussels requesting information related to the cases proper. He recalls that the CVM of the Romanian justice system included from the very beginning cooperation between the EC and the Bucharest authorities.

STEEL MARKET – The ArcelorMittal has confirmed it might sell the Steelworks in Galati, south-eastern Romania. Alongside five other works in Italy, Macedonia, the Czech Republic, Luxemburg and Belgium, the steelworks in Galaţi is on a list that the group has forwarded to the EC. Until May 23, European experts will analyse whether the selling of the six steel works manages or not to redress the steel output of the ArcelorMittal group, as ArcelorMittal is interested in buying the largest steelworks in Europe, located in Ilva, Italy. The EC says that by purchasing the Italian steelworks, ArcelorMittal will hold a dominant position on the continental steel market, a situation which might be redressed only by selling other steelworks the group owns in Europe. Arcelor Mittal is a multinational company, considered to be the largest steel producer in the world, with 310,000 employees in 60 countries. Disquieted by the arrival of another investor, which might resort to restructuring, the trade unions on the Galati steelworks platform, with a total number of some 7,000 workers, have stated their intention to discuss the situation with PM Viorica Dăncilă.

MADRID – The minister for the Romanians Worldwide, Natalia Intotero, is
currently on a visit to Spain, where she is having talks with representatives
of the central and local authorities, of the Romanian associations and
religious denominations. The number of Romanian residents in Spain exceeded one
million, according to official data made public at the end of 2017 by the
Spanish Permanent Immigration Observer. An increase of 2.4% was registered, as
compared to 2016.

APPOINTMENT -
Israeli doctor Zvi Herman Berkowits has been appointed honorary counsellor of
Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă, according to a decision published in the Official
Gazette. He will not receive money for his activity. Berkowits is Romania’s
honorary consul in Israel and the personal physician of Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu. He was born in Târgu-Lăpuş, Maramureş (north-western
Romania), in 1947 and graduated from the Medical School in Cluj-Napoca, central
Romania. He is a specialist paediatrician and leads his own general and paediatric
medicine clinic in Jerusalem.

SPORTS -
The Romanian women’s handball team SCM Craiova
(in the south) is today facing the Turkish team of Kastamonu, in a
decisive match of the EHF Cup semi-finals. The Romanians won the first match,
played away from home, 23-22. If they
secure qualification, this would be the first finals played in the city of
Craiova, by the local team, during its second participation in the European
cups. On Sunday in the Champions’ league, the Romanian
champion, CSM Bucureşti, plays away from home, the round match
in the quarter-finals, with the French team of Metz.In the first
round played in Bucharest, CSM secured a clear victory, 34-21. The Romanian handballers
won the Champions League in 2016.

14 April 2018
April 12, 2018

INFLATION — The annual rate of inflation went up to 5% in March 2018, from 4.7% the previous month, against the backdrop of a rise in the prices for food and non-food products and services, the National Institute for Statistics has announced today. The inflation rate was higher only in June 2013, when consumer prices went up by 5.37%. This February the National Bank of Romania revised its inflation forecast for the end of the year, from 3.2 to 3.5%. The Bank estimates an annual inflation rate of 3.1% for 2019.

SYRIA — There is an uncrossable red line for Paris in the case of Syria, and that is the use of chemical weapons, the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in Bucharest, upon meeting his Romanian counterpart, Teodor Melescanu. Le Drian said France is ready to act. In turn, Teodor Melescanu said Romania supports an enquiry in the case of the latest attack in Syria, carried out by a special body which should also decide the course of action. The United States said all options are on the table in response to the alleged chemical attack perpetrated in Syria. The White House blames Syria and Russia for this incident. Activists, members of rescue teams and doctors said dozens were killed in Saturday’s attack in the rebel-held city of Douma. The Syrian Government, currently receiving military support from Russia, has denied any involvement.

FORUM — Romania’s Interior Minister Carmen Dan is as of today taking part in the two-day Salzburg Forum Vienna Process inter-ministerial conference. High on the agenda are topics important for member states, particularly for countries that will take over the rotating presidency of the European Council. Talks will also focus on EU security, migration, asylum-granting procedures at EU level, police cooperation and combating terrorism. Romania is currently holding the presidency of the Salzburg Forum for a six-month term. The Forum is a security cooperation organization comprising states from Central and Eastern Europe, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

EURO — The first session of the National Commission for the switch to the euro is today taking place in Bucharest. The Commission is convening to discuss the criteria for adopting the European single currency, and it includes the Prime Minister, the National Bank Governor and the President of the Romanian Academy. According to Bucharest authorities, Romania is expected to join the Eurozone in 2024.

HEALTHCARE — Members of the SANITAS trade union federation in the healthcare sector have announced a new series of protests, unhappy with the level of their net income after the recent salary increase and the introduction of the new bonus scheme. The leader of the federation’s branch in Iasi, Iulian Cozianu, said unionists will be protesting in front of the Iasi County prefecture starting Friday. Unionists demand the increase of the cap on bonuses above 30% for public healthcare units and the payment of the same bonuses in all healthcare units. The 30% cap means hundreds of employees will see their incomes slashes by as much as 280 euros. Last month, SANITAS announced stage an all-out strike.

SPOTLIGHT — The fourth edition of the Spotlight Festival is kicking off today in Bucharest. The festival consists in projecting large images on the city’s iconic buildings. For four days, the city center will become an open-air exhibition. This year’s edition of the festival is entitled United We Shine and brings to Bucharest 27 installations, projects and video mapping sessions from France, Australia, Israel, Germany, China, Russia, Italy, Spain and Romania. For the first time, the organizers will project famous works of art on the facades of several buildings, including the Romanian Athenaeum.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

12 April 2018
April 9, 2018

EASTER — Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians in Romania on Monday celebrated the second day of Easter and a new day in Easter Week, which follows the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this day people attend mass while priests’ vestments are white. The first day of this week is believed to be the day when the gates of heaven are open and all sins are forgiven. People who die on this day go straight to Heaven without undergoing the Last Judgment. Psalms are not recited on this day, while funeral services are replaced by Resurrection mass.

EURO — The National Commission for the switch to the euro will convene on Thursday in its first session. Talks will focus on convergence criteria for adopting the European single currency. Two weeks ago Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced the setup of the commission, whose role is to prepare the roadmap for Romania joining the Eurozone, as well as the necessary actions to prepare the Romanian economy and society for this move.

ELECTION — Viktor Orban has secured a new term as Prime Minister after his party Fidesz won the parliamentary elections in Hungary by a landslide. The right-wing nationalist politician says the result will ensure the security of Hungary. Orban’s party grabbed nearly half of the vote and will hold two thirds of the seats in Parliament. The nationalist Jobbik party won 26 seats, while Hungarian socialists won 20 seats. The Democratic Coalition led by former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsnay could win 9 seats, while the ecologist LMP party will get 8 seats. The Together party won one seat while an independent and a representative of the German minority will each get one seat. The final results will be made public at the end of the week. On Monday, the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, congratulated Viktor Orban on his win.

MARCH — The “Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi” Institute for Romanians Worldwide, an institution subordinated to the Ministry for Romanians Worldwide, in cooperation with the Lauder-Reut Educational Complex, is organizing “The March of Holocaust Survivors — Let’s Learn Together”, held over April 9-13 in Poland. Taking part in the event are young people from 52 countries. The march has an educational purpose, aimed at familiarizing participants with a tragic chapter in world history. Romania’s delegation is made up of students and teachers from the Lauder-Reut school in Bucharest, but also from the Republic of Moldova. The project is part of the IEH-led program “Caravan of Romanian Identity”, which involves a series of cultural actions, aimed at promoting Romanian culture and consolidating Romania national identity. The project is also part of the Romanian Cultural Space strategic programme devoted to the celebration of one hundred years since the Great Union of 1918.

AIRPORT — A few dozen Romanians were left stranded on Sunday on Ciampino Airport in Rome, after Ryanair canceled its flight to Bucharest. Some of the passengers were rescheduled for flights on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Those who accepted to change their flight schedule will receive accommodation for just one night. Others bought tickets with other flight operators at double or triple the price. Ryanair has cancelled flights in the past without providing too many explanations.

SYRIA — The UN Security Council is today convening at the request of Russia and the United States after Syria was the target of a chemical attack. 70 people were killed on Sunday in the Syrian city of Douma, Reuters reports. The Security Council must immediately demand access to the site of the attack in order to carry out an independent investigation to ascertain what happened and to hold accountable the people who perpetrated this terrible attack, the US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said. The US official last month warned that unless the Security Council took concrete action against Syria, Washington is prepared to act and might launch a new attack on the region.

BOOK FAIR — The 47th edition of the International Book Fair in London will take place over April 10-12. Romania’s participation in the fair is under the aegis of the Romanian Cultural Institute. Under the heading “Writing and Making History: Remembering the Great War Generation”, events organized at Romania’s pavilion are first of all evoking Romania’s participation in the first world war and the Great Union by means of literary and artistic echoes of these two crucial moments in history.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

9 April 2018
January 20, 2018 UPDATE

PROTEST – Dozens of thousands of people protested again in Bucharest and other cities across Romania on Saturday evening against the changes brought to the justice laws and the recent fiscal measures adopted by the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The protest in Bucharest was attended by people from all over the country. The traffic in the area was disturbed and incidents were reported involving protesters and gendarmes. The protesters are accusing the ruling coalition in Romania of trying to subordinate the judiciary, by amending the legislation in the field. In December, several NGOs called on the Government to inform the Venice Commission about the justice laws and the changes in the criminal codes. Recently, the embassies in Bucharest of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland and Sweden have called, in a joint letter, on all the parties involved in the reform of the judiciary to avoid any action that would weaken the independence of the justice system and the fight against corruption.

AJC– Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has received in Bucharest a delegation of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), headed by President David Harris, on which occasion he stated that Bucharest authorities will continue to be extremely open to the Jewish community. In turn, David Harris has appreciated the way in which Romania acted while holding the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, between March 2016 and March 2017, stressing in particular the remarkable results obtained in the field of Holocaust education and research. During the meeting, the two parties also discussed the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US and the privileged ties between Romania and Israel, to the strengthening of which AJC would like to keep contributing. David Harris has also met with the Romanian interim prime-minister Mihai Fifor, who has stressed Romanias strategic role in the Black Sea area and the countrys firm commitment as a NATO member. Established in 1906, the American Jewish Committee is one of the oldest Jewish organisations in the USA, fighting against antisemitism at global level and promoting the observance of human rights.

AIR POLLUTION– The European Commission has announced that on January 30th it will hold a ministerial meeting, involving the participation of nine member states, including Romania. The meeting will focus on the infringement procedure regarding failure to observe the agreed air pollution limits. The other member states, besides Romania, facing infringement are the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and the UK. In 2008, a directive was issued establishing the air quality limits that cannot be exceeded anywhere in the EU, obliging the Member States to limit the exposure of citizens to harmful air pollutants. According to the Commission, despite this directive, these limits are still being exceeded in more than 130 cities across Europe.

BULGARIA – The German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid a visit to Sofia on Saturday, for talks with her Bulgarian counterpart Boiko Borisov on the priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of the EU. The talks focused on Bulgarias joining the Schengen agreement, the EU accession of the countries in the Western Balkans, the migration crisis and the relations with Turkey. Merkel hailed the way in which Bulgaria ensured the security of the EU borders, in particular the one with Turkey. She also appreciated the Bulgarian Prime Ministers initiative to organize an EU-Turkey summit, which would openly address all the important issues. The German chancellor has announced that Bulgarias accession to the Schengen area might start soon with air transportation.

FARMING – Romania owns 33% of the total number of farms in the EU, but, as regards the area of land used in agriculture, the country is outranked by countries such as France or Spain, according to data made public by the National Statistics Institute. According to the institute, Romanias main problem is the fragmentation of agricultural land, which does not help farmers capitalize enough on their production. The study made by the NSI has also revealed that, in 2016, the number of farms dropped by 6% as compared to 2013, when the previous study was conducted.

ATTACK – On Saturday, the Turkish army confirmed it launched a ground and air offensive against the YPG Kurdish militia in the Afrin region in northern Syria. To Ankara, YPG, Peoples Protection Units, is a terrorist organisation. The operation is regarded with concern by Washington, given that YPG is an ally to the US in the fight against the Islamic State. Ankara accuses YPG of being the Syrian branch of the PKK, which has been carrying out a rebellion in south-eastern Turkey for more than 30 years and is considered by Ankara and its western allies a terrorist organisation.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN– The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number one in the WTA rankings, has today qualified for the next round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after defeating the American Lauren Davis. The match against Davis was the most dramatic in her career and also the longest, as it lasted three hours and 45 minutes. In the fourth round, Simona Halep will take on the Japanese Naomi Osaka, no. 72 in the WTA classification. Also today, the pair made up of the Romanian Sorana Carstea and the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia has qualified for the last 16 of the womens doubles. Next they will play against the fourth seed Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova, of the Czech Republic. In the mens doubles, the Romanian Horia Tecau and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer were defeated by the Australian Sam Groth/ Lleyton Hewitt. Another Romanian player, Ana Bogdan, was eliminated in the third round by the American Madison Keys.

(translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

20 January 2018
July 8, 2017 UPDATE

G20 — The G20 Summit ended in Germany with a final declaration. According to FP the leaders of major world powers made concessions to the US President Donald Trump with respect to climate change and trade, hoping to maintain him within G20. The final declaration was adopted at the end of two days of the summit, marked by strong tension in Hamburg, which was the stage of violent protests. The G20 member states took note of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on fighting global warming and allow it to further pursue a different policy in that field, the declaration also writes. French President, Emmanuel Macron, has announced that a new summit on reducing greenhouse effects will be held in Paris on December 12. In the economic field, German chancellor Angela Merkel said an agreement was reached to endorse free trade and reject protectionism. Bilateral talks were also held on the sidelines of the summit. US President Donald Trump on Saturday gave assurances during a meeting with British PM Theresa May that his country will very soon sign a trade agreement with the UK. As regards Friday’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two leaders agreed on putting in place a ceasefire in southwestern Syria, to take effect as of Sunday at noon. In another move, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada will be temporarily enforced, as of September 21, the two sides announced on Saturday. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau, agreed at the G20 Summit on the aforementioned date, waiting for the full enforcement of the agreement by the national parliaments of all EU member states.

VISIT – Romania complies with all pledges it has made to the EU- this is the message to be conveyed in Brussels next week by Romanian PM Mihai Tudose. He will meet with all EU high officials, the Presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament, respectively, the minister delegate for European affairs, Victor Negrescu announced on Saturday. Negrescu also added the government pays special heed to international cooperation and European affairs.

MILITARY EXERCISE — US bombers on Saturday carried out bomber drills in South Korea, in response to North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test. The aircraft flew from the Pacific island of Guam and dropped neutral bombs in a demarcated area, being escorted by Japanese and South-Korean fighter planes, BBC reports. The US air forces have announced that North Korea’s actions are a threat to America’s allies and to the United States’ territory and expressed readiness to launch attacks if need be.

FESTIVALS — Over 150,000 people are expected to attend the Neversea music festival, taking place in Constanta this weekend, the biggest of the festivals taking place on the Romanian Black Sea Coast this summer. The event gathers many famous artists, such as Tiesto, Afrojack, Jason Derulo, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Fatboy Slim, Years&Years, and Ella Eyre. At the same time, the small village of Garana in south-western Romania is the venue for the 21st edition of the International Jazz Festival, the most complex outdoor event of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, bringing onto the stage 18 bands. Tourists can also enjoy the mountain routes in the area, outdoor film screenings, theatre shows, yoga classes and fairs.

TENNIS– The pair made up of Romanian tennis player Florin Mergea and Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi on Saturday qualified for the Wimbledon third round, the third largest grand slam tournament of the year. They defeated the all-Austrian pair Julian Knowle/Philipp Oswald, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5). Also on Saturday Romanian woman tennis player Sorana Cirstea, no. 63 WTA failed to qualify for the next stage of the competition, after loosing to Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, 14th seeded, 6-2,6-2. We recall that Romania’s best-ranked woman tennis player, second seeded Simona Halep has already qualified for the eighth finals, after defeating China’s Shuai Peng no.37 WTA. Simona Halep will next meet Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

8 July 2017
May 1, 2017 UPDATE

MAY DAY — Over 80 countries on Monday celebrated May Day, also known as the International Workers’ Day set up in 1889 to commemorate the Heymarket affair in Chicago. In Romania, the communist regime had twisted the holiday to serve as propaganda. Currently, May Day is a public holiday marking the beginning of the summer season. Over 40,000 tourists visited the Romanian Black Seacoast, especially the resorts of Mamaia and Vama Veche, while some 20,000 tourists chose mountain resorts as their holiday destinations.

AIR POLICING — Over May 1 — August 31 a squadron of the Royal Air Force will be deployed to the Mihail Kogalniceanu military airbase in eastern Romania, where it will carry out air policing missions jointly with the Romanian Air Force, the Romanian Defense Ministry has announced. The squadron consists of 150 military, using Typhoon fighter jets for the first time in Romania. The British fighters will be supported by MiG-21 LanceR jets. Typhoon is one the world’s fastest aircraft, fitted with anti-air radars. Deploying RAF jets to Romania is part of NATO’s action plan to secure operational capability on the Alliance’s eastern, northern and southern flanks. The joint air policing missions will contribute to developing the reaction and deterrence capacity and to consolidating interoperability between Romanian and British air forces.

MACRON — The European Union must reform itself to avoid France potentially leaving the European community, French pro-European presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron has said. Macron is currently favourite to win in the second round of the presidential race which will be held this Sunday. His opponent is National Front representative Marine Le Pen. During the election campaign I have constantly advocated European ideas and policies, because these are very important things for the French people and for our country’s role in the context of globalization, but the dysfunctionality of the Union is no longer sustainable, Macron went on to say. Marine Le Pen on the other hand has overtly expressed her Eurosceptic beliefs during the campaign, promising to stage a referendum on France’s EU membership.

STUDY — The Romanian economy is facing a severe labour market crisis, with the number of employees and the degree of qualification reporting a huge drop in recent years, which might actually worsen in the future. This is the main conclusion of a study made public on Monday by KeysFin financial consultancy agency. According to the research, the main cause is the exodus of Romanians towards the West, particularly after Romania joined the EU in 2007. On the other hand, the number of job vacancies has gone up since 2009, from 39,000 to 60,000 in 2016, the study also shows.

SYRIA — A UN task force charged with identifying people who committed atrocities in Syria is due to start its activity soon, as a first stage in apprehending war criminals. The announcement was made on Monday by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. The setup of the task force, adopted at the UN General Assembly in December, was condemned by the Bashar al-Assad regime as an unacceptable involvement in the country’s domestic affairs. Over 320,000 people were have been killed since conflict broke out in 2011.

EUROVISION — Romania’s representatives at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, Alex Florea and Ilinca Bancila have arrived in Kiev, playing host to this year’s edition. The two will be performing the song “Yodel it!” in the second semi-final, on May 11. The big final is scheduled for May 13. Romania’s best performances in the Eurovision are second place in 2005, with a song performed by Luminita Anghel and Sistem, third place in 2010 grabbed by the duo Paula Seling and Ovi and fourth place in 2006, a feat accomplished by Mihai Traistariu. (Translated by V. Palcu)

1 May 2017
April 16, 2017 UPDATE

EASTER – Christians around the world, including in Romania, which is a predominantly Orthodox country, celebrated Easter on Sunday. At midnight, they received the holy light and sang Christ is Risen. This year, Easter, which symbolizes the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, is celebrated by all Christian denominations on the same days, which is quite rare, given that western churches celebrate it in keeping with the Gregorian calendar, while eastern churches use the Julian calendar. In the orthodox churches, on Sunday believers attended a mass known as the second Resurrection. Romanias President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message to all Romanians, saying that the spirit of the Easter holiday should give them confidence and optimism for the future. At the Vatican, during his traditional Urbi et Orbi papal address and blessing, Pope Francis implored God to bring peace in the Middle East and Syria.

REFERENDUM – According to partial results, more than 55% of the Turks voted in favour of the proposed amendments to their Constitution. They said YES to changing the countrys governing system from a parliamentary into a presidential one. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been the main promoter of the reform, which he says its necessary in order to ensure stability, economic growth and security. Opponents, however, argue that these changes will lead to authoritarianism, in a country in which 40,000 people were arrested and 120,000 fired after the failed coup of July 2016. Changing the Constitution will allow Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stay in power for another two 5-year terms, that is by 2029. The office of prime-minister will be abolished and the president will appoint the Cabinet and the vice-presidents, whose number is not certain. Also, he will be able to declare a stage of emergency, without having to ask for the Cabinets approval and will also be in charge of drafting the state budget.

ATTACK – At least 126 people, including 68 children, died in Rashideen, Syria, on Saturday, in a suicide bomb attack on buses that were carrying people evacuated from two besieged government-held towns, according to an updated toll made public by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. “The suicide bomber was driving a van supposedly carrying aid supplies and detonated near the busses”, the Observatory said. The attack is one of the bloodiest recorded in Syria in 6 years of conflict. The revolt against Bashar al-Assads regime, which started in March 2011, has turned into a devastating war, which has claimed more than 320,000 lives.

NORTH-KOREA – President Donald Trumps National Security Adviser, General H.R. McMaster, said on Sunday that Pyongyangs latest missile test was a provocation and the US was working together with its allies, including China, to settle the North-Korean nuclear issue. In an interview on ABC, McMaster said that North Koreas consistently antagonistic behaviour “is a situation that just cant continue”. On Sunday, the North- Korean army unsuccessfully tried to launch a missile from a shooting range on the countrys east coast. According to the US Army, the missile exploded within seconds after its launch. The test, which came in violation of the UN resolutions, was attempted just one day after Pyongyang had warned Washington it was not afraid of a potential conflict. In another move, the US vice-president Mike Pence arrived in South Korea on Sunday, the first leg of a 10-day Asian tour, focusing on talks about Pyongyangs weapons programmes. The tension has escalated in the region against raising concern that North Korea might soon conduct the 6th nuclear test.

MEASLES – 700 new cases of measles have been reported in Romania in the past week. According to the Romanian Microbiology Society, the epidemics, which broke out last year, is the result of the severe drop in the vaccination rate against this virus. So far, 21 people have died, and the number of the sick has grown to 4800. In order to prevent the measles from spreading even further, authorities continue the vaccination of children aged 9 months to 9 years.

TENNIS – The pair made up of the Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu and the Taiwanese Su-Wei Shieh on Sunday won the match against the Swiss pair Timea Bacsinszky/Martina Hingis in the doubles final of the WTA tournament in Biel Bienne, Switzerland, with 250,000 dollars in prize money. This is the eighth doubles title for the Romanian tennis player, after the ones won in Budapest in 2009, Hobart in 2012, Shenzhen and Hobart in 2014, Shenzhen, Washington and New Haven in 2016. This has been the first doubles finals for Monica Niculescu this year, after the one in the singles in January, in the Hobart tournament.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball champion CSM Bucharest on Saturday qualified for the Champions Leagues Final Four. On Saturday they defeated the Hungarian side Ferencvaros 27-26. In the Final 4 in Budapest, on May 6-7, CSM Bucharest will take on Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro, Vardar Skopje of Macedonia and the Hungarian squad Gyor. These are the same three teams that CSM played against in 2016, when it won the trophy for the first time.

16 April 2017
The Increasingly Intricate Issue of Syria

US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a man of no conscience, who wants no peace in Syria, alongside Russia and Iran. The statement was made after a meeting of the UN Security Council called in the wake of the chemical attack in Syria. The meeting ended without a resolution.

The April 4th attack, qualified by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres as an unmatched war crime in its cruelty, took place in the northwestern rebel province of Idleb, leaving dozens dead, including children, as well as over 150 people injured, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

‘We cannot close our eyes to those pictures’, the US ambassador said, speaking to the UN Security Council. Radio Romania’s correspondent to Washington, Doina Saiciuc, relates that Ms. Haley told the Council that the attack bore all the hallmarks of the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons, a regime that had previously used such weapons against its own people.

The gas left men, women, the elderly, and children, gasping for their very last breath, she said. In addition, she said that if the Security Council fails in its duty to act collectively, the United States would be compelled to take action. That is what happened two days later, with dozens of American cruise missiles striking an airbase in Syria, allegedly the place where the chemical attack originated.

US President Donald Trump explained that he ordered the attack because the Assad regime used chemical weapons against innocent civilians, in violation of international conventions. Russia, however, does not agree, saying that an attack against a state whose government fights against terrorism plays into the hands of extremists, creating even more threats against regional and global security.

In addition, Moscow believes that the Syrian government did not use chemical weapons against civilians on April 4th in Idlib. In Moscow, the Russian Ministry of Defense submitted its own version of the incident. According to them, Syrian aircraft bombed a munitions depot in the east of Khan Sheihun housing chemical weapons. These weapons were also delivered to Iraq, where the authorities and international organizations proved they have been used by terrorists.

They were also used last autumn by Syrian radicals in Aleppo, according to Russian military experts, Moscow says. In Syria, the opposition warned that the attack puts into question the negotiations mediated by the United Nations in Geneva, which so far have led nowhere. Head of European diplomacy Federica Mogherini has been pleading for sustained efforts in mediating peace. We asked Stefan Popescu, international relations expert, about the chances for Syria to stabilize within this complicated situation:

Stefan Popescu: “Unfortunately, Syria, which was a pole of stability, even into the 1980s, led by Hafez al-Assad, whom everyone praised for his wisdom as a great strategist in the Middle and Near East, has become the epicenter of a long lasting crisis, the focal point of destabilization in the entire Middle East. It is an almost unending crisis, because of so many crisscrossing interests, not only in terms of local actors, but also of neighboring powers and the great powers. It is clear that the Islamic State is not a product of Islamic theology, but of the geostrategy in the Middle and Near East. It is the Sunni wish for revenge against the Shi’a, because as we can see, Sunnis lost power in Lebanon, Palestine and Syria.

As well as in Iraq, of course. In spite of the general concern for finding a solution, the situation in Syria becomes more and more complicated. That happens, according to analysts, because it is not only about internal conflict between various factions, but also due to regional interests, the geopolitical and geostrategic interests in that area, which are getting worse and worse. The most recent round of talks for peace in Syria, held in late March in Geneva, did not yield any result.

14 April 2017
April 13, 2017

EU FUNDS – Romania currently has available for investments in the transport sector over 6.8 billion euro, of which 5.1 billion from EU funds, said the European Commissioner for regional policy Corina Cretu. According to a news release issued by the Representation of Romania to the EU, Creţu discussed in Brussels yesterday with the Romanian Transport Minister Răzvan Cuc, and emphasised the need to spend up the funds provided by the EU. Corina Creţu also mentioned the benefits entailed by the programmes in this sector, which allowed for the transport network in Romania to be extended and improved. In turn, Minister Răzvan Cuc presented the commitment of Romanian authorities to finalising the current investments and start new projects.

EXPORTS – Romanian exports to Syria were 80% lower in 2016 than in 2011, when civil war broke out in that country. In 5 years, Romania has lost at least 500 million euros in exports, the daily Ziarul Financiar reports. Syria mostly imported livestock from Romania, sheep and goats, as well as dairy, eggs and fish. The daily also mentions that Romania has stayed uninvolved in the conflict in Syria, and in 2012 the then President Traian Băsescu would not close the Romanian diplomatic mission in Damascus, arguing that the country hosted a large Romanian community. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, 10,000-12,000 Romanians live in Syria, mostly women married to Syrian citizens. The Embassy of Romania also provides consular assistance to citizens from other countries, like Canada, France and Australia.

BORDER SECURITY – Romanian check points are getting crowded, because of a new European regulation tightening border checks, which took effect last week, and because of increased traffic ahead of the Easter holidays, the General Border Police Inspectorate reports. Waiting times for the trucks entering Romania at the Siret checkpoint in the north-east reach 10 hours. Problems are also reported at Giurgiu in the south and Petea in the north-west, where waiting times are around 90 and 60 minutes, respectively, while in Albiţa, in the north-east and Ostrov, in the south-east, those who want to cross the border have to wait for at least 30 minutes. The longest automobile queues are reported in Giurgiu and Petea. Border police say they are trying to strike a balance between citizen security and smooth traffic.

DECENTRALISATION – The Government of Romania endorsed yesterday a Decentralisation Strategy, aimed at bringing all public services closer to the citizens. The sectors targeted by the process are agriculture, education, healthcare, culture, environment, youth, sports and tourism. Until November, the relevant ministries will conduct impact analyses and will draw up sector-specific regulations for each field subject to decentralisation.

FINANCE – The Parliament of Romania will initiate the procedures to dismiss the management of the Financial Oversight Authority. The announcement, made by Liviu Dragnea, the president of the ruling Social Democratic Party, comes following a scandal involving the alleged nationalisation of private pension funds. Liviu Dragnea claims the head of the Financial Oversight Authority Mişu Negriţoiu started the rumours regarding the nationalisation, and denies that such a scenario is being considered. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry is working on changes in the Fiscal Code to the effect of introducing a tax on household incomes. Suggestions include the introduction of the concept of household as an entity for tax purposes, a 10% flat tax rate as of January 2018 and tax deductions. At present, the income tax in Romania is calculated on an individual basis and the flat tax rate is 16% per month.

HOLY THURSDAY – Christians around the world, including in mostly Orthodox Romania, commemorate Holy Thursday today, when the Last Supper was followed by the arrest and trial of Christ. Tonight, Orthodox Christians attend the Matins of the 12 Gospels, when they listen to 12 biblical texts about the last moments in the life of Jesus. On Saturday night Christians will celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of Christ. This year, the Orthodox and Catholic Christians celebrate Easter on the same day.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

13 April 2017
April 7, 2017 UPDATE

STOCKHOLM ATTACK – The
Romanian Foreign Ministry is harshly condemning the Stockholm terror attack on
Friday, when a truck rammed into pedestrians, in a main shopping street,
leaving dead and wounded. The Romanian Foreign Ministry sends a message of
condolences to the families of the victims and expresses solidarity with the
Swedish people. Also, the ministry reiterates Romania’s firm commitment to
combating all forms of terrorism. Swedish PM Stefan
Löfven has said there are many elements, which indicate the incident was a
terror attack. The city centre was secured and subway traffic was brought to a
halt in Stockholm on Friday.

LONDON – Romanias ambassador to London has confirmed the death of the Romanian national who sustained serious injuries in the attack on the 22nd of March in the British capital and who had been in hospital for two weeks. The 31-year-old woman fell into the River Thames when the perpetrator of the attack rammed his car into pedestrians on the Westminster bridge. Her partner, who was the second Romanian national wounded in the incident, was released from hospital soon after the attack. The Romanian woman is the fifth victim of the attack. The British-born attacker, who became an adherent to radical Islam, was shot dead by the security forces near the British Parliament. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.

SYRIA – The United States launched cruise missiles on a Syrian airbase in response to a chemical weapons attack a few days ago which killed tens of civilians in north-western Syria, and which Washington blames on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. The airbase, from where the chemical attack is believed to have been launched, was almost entirely destroyed. US President Donald Trump said he ordered the strike because the Assad regime used chemical weapons against innocent people, violating international conventions. The great powers reacted differently to the US action. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said the US military strikes in Syria are an act of aggression against a sovereign state and will hinder the creation of an international coalition to combat terrorism. Also, Russia announced it suspended the air-safety deal with the US, an agreement aimed at minimizing risks of in-flight incidents between Russian and US-led-coalition aircraft in Syria and an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council was held at Russia’s request. Several countries, including Britain, France and Israel, have announced support for the US intervention. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said President Bashar al-Assad carries full responsibility for the US air strikes. In Brussels, the EU has announced that it will work with the US to end the brutalities in Syria. In turn, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said the US’ action is a firm reaction to the chemical weapon attack and reiterated Romania’s solidarity with its allies and partners.

PRESIDENCY – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday sent a letter to the two Speakers of the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament, in which he requests to address a plenary session of Parliament, on May 9. In the letter, the President underlines that he would like to send a message on the 140th anniversary of the proclamation of Romanias state independence, and also on the occasion of the Europe Day. The previous address by the President in Parliament was made in February and it was devoted to the state budget.

DIPLOMACY – Romanian foreign minister, Teodor Melescanu, paid
a two-day official visit to Bratislava as of Thursday, on the invitation of his
Slovak counterpart, Miroslav Lajčák. The Romanian officials was also received
by President Andrej Kiska and met with the president of the Slovakia-Romanian parliamentary
friendship group, Jana Laššáková. The Romanian foreign minister underlined the importance
of strengthening the politic-diplomatic bilateral dialogue. The agenda of the
talks also included European issues of common interest, such as the future of
the EU, Brexit, energy security and the migration crisis.

BORDER SECURITY – The Romanian border police on Friday tightened controls on entering and exiting the country, with all persons crossing the border being checked against relevant national and international databases. The measure comes after the enforcement of the changes to the Schengen Border Code adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council and meant to improve the security of the European Union and its citizens. The Romanian border police say they have taken every measure to reduce waiting time and ensure operative control and strike a balance between citizen security and the traffic flow.

CONFERENCE ON DEMOCRACY – Law
experts from Romania, France, Greece, Hungary, Georgia, Poland and Turkey
attending an international conference on democracy in Bucharest on Friday
discussed the relationship between the political majority and the opposition,
on the second and final day of the conference. The around 100 participants
presented their own countries’ experience in managing the most difficult aspects
of the interaction between the majority and the opposition and analysed the
democratic instruments and processes. At the end of the conference, the Venice
Commission drew up a report containing guidelines on how the political majority
should behave and interact with the opposition. The event was organised by the
Presidential Administration and the Venice Commission, with support from the
Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly.

7 April 2017
April 7, 2017 UPDATE

STOCKHOLM ATTACK – The
Romanian Foreign Ministry is harshly condemning the Stockholm terror attack on
Friday, when a truck rammed into pedestrians, in a main shopping street,
leaving dead and wounded. The Romanian Foreign Ministry sends a message of
condolences to the families of the victims and expresses solidarity with the
Swedish people. Also, the ministry reiterates Romania’s firm commitment to
combating all forms of terrorism. Swedish PM Stefan
Löfven has said there are many elements, which indicate the incident was a
terror attack. The city centre was secured and subway traffic was brought to a
halt in Stockholm on Friday.

LONDON – Romanias ambassador to London has confirmed the death of the Romanian national who sustained serious injuries in the attack on the 22nd of March in the British capital and who had been in hospital for two weeks. The 31-year-old woman fell into the River Thames when the perpetrator of the attack rammed his car into pedestrians on the Westminster bridge. Her partner, who was the second Romanian national wounded in the incident, was released from hospital soon after the attack. The Romanian woman is the fifth victim of the attack. The British-born attacker, who became an adherent to radical Islam, was shot dead by the security forces near the British Parliament. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.

SYRIA – The United States launched cruise missiles on a Syrian airbase in response to a chemical weapons attack a few days ago which killed tens of civilians in north-western Syria, and which Washington blames on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. The airbase, from where the chemical attack is believed to have been launched, was almost entirely destroyed. US President Donald Trump said he ordered the strike because the Assad regime used chemical weapons against innocent people, violating international conventions. The great powers reacted differently to the US action. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said the US military strikes in Syria are an act of aggression against a sovereign state and will hinder the creation of an international coalition to combat terrorism. Also, Russia announced it suspended the air-safety deal with the US, an agreement aimed at minimizing risks of in-flight incidents between Russian and US-led-coalition aircraft in Syria and an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council was held at Russia’s request. Several countries, including Britain, France and Israel, have announced support for the US intervention. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said President Bashar al-Assad carries full responsibility for the US air strikes. In Brussels, the EU has announced that it will work with the US to end the brutalities in Syria. In turn, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said the US’ action is a firm reaction to the chemical weapon attack and reiterated Romania’s solidarity with its allies and partners.

PRESIDENCY – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday sent a letter to the two Speakers of the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament, in which he requests to address a plenary session of Parliament, on May 9. In the letter, the President underlines that he would like to send a message on the 140th anniversary of the proclamation of Romanias state independence, and also on the occasion of the Europe Day. The previous address by the President in Parliament was made in February and it was devoted to the state budget.

DIPLOMACY – Romanian foreign minister, Teodor Melescanu, paid
a two-day official visit to Bratislava as of Thursday, on the invitation of his
Slovak counterpart, Miroslav Lajčák. The Romanian officials was also received
by President Andrej Kiska and met with the president of the Slovakia-Romanian parliamentary
friendship group, Jana Laššáková. The Romanian foreign minister underlined the importance
of strengthening the politic-diplomatic bilateral dialogue. The agenda of the
talks also included European issues of common interest, such as the future of
the EU, Brexit, energy security and the migration crisis.

BORDER SECURITY – The Romanian border police on Friday tightened controls on entering and exiting the country, with all persons crossing the border being checked against relevant national and international databases. The measure comes after the enforcement of the changes to the Schengen Border Code adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council and meant to improve the security of the European Union and its citizens. The Romanian border police say they have taken every measure to reduce waiting time and ensure operative control and strike a balance between citizen security and the traffic flow.

CONFERENCE ON DEMOCRACY – Law
experts from Romania, France, Greece, Hungary, Georgia, Poland and Turkey
attending an international conference on democracy in Bucharest on Friday
discussed the relationship between the political majority and the opposition,
on the second and final day of the conference. The around 100 participants
presented their own countries’ experience in managing the most difficult aspects
of the interaction between the majority and the opposition and analysed the
democratic instruments and processes. At the end of the conference, the Venice
Commission drew up a report containing guidelines on how the political majority
should behave and interact with the opposition. The event was organised by the
Presidential Administration and the Venice Commission, with support from the
Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly.

7 April 2017
7 April, 2017

US air strike. The United States launched cruise missiles on a Syrian
airbase on Thursday night in response to a chemical weapons attack a few days
ago which killed tens of civilians and which Washington blames on Syrian
president Bashar al-Assad’s forces. The airbase, from where the chemical attack
is believed to have been launched, was almost entirely destroyed, while 7
people were killed. This is the first direct military action by the US against
Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which is accused of atrocities against civilians in
six years of civil war.

London attack. Romania’s
ambassador to London has confirmed the death of the Romanian national who
sustained serious injuries in the attack on the 22nd of March in the
British capital and who had been in hospital for two weeks. The 31-year-old
woman fell into the river Thames when the perpetrator of the attack rammed his
car into pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge. Her partner, who was also
wounded, was released from hospital soon after the attack. The Romanian woman
is the fifth victim of the attack. The British-born attacker, who became an
adherent to radical Islam, was shot dead by the security forces near the
British Parliament. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the
attack.

Borders. The Romanian
border police today tightened controls on entering and exiting the country,
with all persons crossing the border being checked against relevant national
and international databases. The measure comes after the enforcement of the
changes to the Schengen Border Code adopted by the European Parliament and the
European Council and meant to improve the security of the European Union and
its citizens. The Romanian border police say they have taken every measure to
reduce waiting time and ensure operative control and strike a balance between
citizen security and the traffic flow.

Conference. Law experts from Romania, France, Greece, Hungary,
Georgia, Poland and Turkey attending an international conference on democracy
in Bucharest are today discussing the relationship between the political
majority and the opposition, on the second and final day of the conference. The
around 100 participants are to present their own countries’ experience in
managing the most difficult aspects of the interaction between the majority and
the opposition and analyse the democratic instruments and processes. At the end
of the conference, the Venice Commission will draw up a report containing
guidelines on how the political majority should behave and interact with the
opposition. The event is organised by the Presidential Administration and the
Venice Commission, with support from the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary
Assembly.

Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu, world no. 33, has
qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament in Charleston, the US, worth
more than 700,000 dollars in prize money. In the previous round, she defeated
Australia’s Samantha Stosur, world no. 17. Begu will play for a place in the
semifinals against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, world no. 42.

7 April 2017