Radio România Internațional

Tag: Syria

April 6, 2017 UPDATE

CONFERENCE – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said on Thursday that in a strong democratic society the majority and opposition must join forces for the benefit of the people. Iohannis made this statement at an international conference on The Interaction between political majority and opposition, in a democracy, organised in Bucharest by the Presidential Administration and the Venice Commission, with support from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Until Friday, the event will give the nearly 100 participants a platform to discuss the most difficult aspects of the interaction between power and opposition. At the end of the conference, the Venice Commission will draw up a report laying down core lines of action for how the political majority should interact with the opposition.

DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Minister, Gabriel Les, announced on Thursday that the plan to equip the Romanian Army would be finalised within about a month. In an interview to Radio Romania, he said the Army would receive attack and transport helicopters, as well as new armoured carriers, given that the ones used at present are around 30 years old. The Ministry wants the national defence industry to be involved in all the Army equipping projects, Les added.

DRAFT LAW – The draft law on the unified pay scales for the public sector was presented on Thursday in the leading structure of the Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition, and will be promoted as an initiative of the MPs in the ruling coalition. The president of the Social Democrats, Liviu Dragnea, said this would step up the endorsement procedure, so as to allow some of the pay rises in the bill to take effect as of July 1. Under the draft law, salaries will be gradually raised in the next 5 years, and will be calculated based on the national minimum wage. We have more on this after the news.

CHEMICAL ATTACK – Over 85 people, including 30 children, were killed in the alleged chemical attack perpetrated in north-western Syria, according to a report made public on Thursday by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Also on Thursday, Turkey, which is hosting scores of the wounded, confirmed the use of chemical weapons. The nature of the substances has not been officially identified, but the World Health Organisation said some victims had symptoms associated with exposure to a category of neurotoxins. Several states, including France and the UK, claim that President Assads regime is behind the attack, but the latter denies the accusations. The Syrian civil war started in 2011 and killed 320,000 people.

6 April 2017
April 6, 2017

CONFERENCE – The Romanian Presidency and the Venice Commission, with support from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly are holding on Thursday and Friday in Bucharest an international conference called ‘Interaction Between a Political Majority and the Opposition in a Democracy’. The event offers the approximately 100 participants a platform for debate of the most difficult aspects of that interaction. At the same time, it plans to identify means by which this interaction can become more effective, to the benefit of European democracies and their citizens. At the end of the conference, the Venice Commission will issue a report on the main directions they recommend for a majority to interact with the opposition.

WAGES – The draft law on unitary salaries for state employees in Romania is being presented today to the leadership of the Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania, and will be introduced in Parliament on behalf of that formation. Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea said that this would accelerate the procedure of passing it, so that some wage raises could come into effect on July 1st. According to the bill, income is set to rise over the next five years, calculated based on the minimum wage. Stay tuned for more after the news.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Irina Begu, 33rd seeded, qualified to the eighth finals in Charleston, the US, with 700,000 dollars in prize money. She has dealt a crushing 3 set defeat to Slovakian player Kristina Kucova, 81st seeded. In the eighth finals, Begu will play against Samantha Stosur, 6th favorite in the tour.

BRATISLAVA – Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu goes on Thursday and Friday on an official visit to Bratislava, invited by his counterpart, Miroslav Lajčák. He is also set to meet President Andrej Kiska, as well as the head of the Slovakia-Romania Friendship Group in Parliament. The foreign minister will be emphasizing the importance of consolidating political and diplomatic dialog, as well as high level contact at the level of parliaments, in an attempt to maximize economic exchange. The agenda will also include issues of common interest, such as the future of Europe, the Brexit, energy security, as well as the migration crisis.

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump receives today Chinese President Xi Jinping, who starts his official visit to Washington. The main topics will be trade relations and the North Korean nuclear program. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent to Washington, while there are no expectation for the first meeting of the two leaders to settle the complicated differences between the two countries, experts say that it could help establish a working relationship. In his presidential campaign, Donald Trump threatened to point the finger at China as a currency manipulator, and to set a 45% tariff on Chinese goods. Experts expect President Xi Jinping to placate President Trump in an attempt to present a positive picture of the bilateral relation between the two countries.

UNITED NATIONS – US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warned that, unless the UN takes measures, Washington is ready to take military action in Syria. In an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Wednesday, the US, the UK and France condemned the chemical attack launched by the al-Assad regime on Tuesday in the northwest of Syria, which left dozens dead. The opinion was shared by Russia, which said that a complex and objective analysis was needed. The regime in Damascus denied involvement. Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mikdad said that the Syrian armed forces have no such weapons. This chemical attack is the second worst since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, which started in 2011 and has left over 320,000 dead.

6 April 2017
The meeting of the EU foreign ministers

Defence and Foreign Ministers of EU states, including Romania, who gathered in Brussels on Monday, laid the foundations for “the general military headquarters” of the European Union, whose prerogatives will include, among other things, the planning and operational management of non-combat missions, such as those unfolding in the Republic of Congo, Mali and Somalia. The EU foreign ministers have also approached the EU-Egypt relations.

Apart from tackling issues related to that country’ economic and political development, the ministers discussed some of the objectives that both Brussels and Cairo have earlier pledged to meet as part of the Middle East peace process, as well as the situation in Libya and Syria, respectively.

As regards Syria, the EU High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, has announced that in April, Brussels will host a conference laying emphasis on the post-conflict reconstruction of a country that has weathered far too many storms. The defence field, which is considered of utmost importance in the current extremely complicated geo-political context, is in the focus of attention of the EU heads of state and government! In recent times there has been much talk on re-launching the community project, against the backdrop of Great Britain’s decision to leave the Union, on the one hand, and of the exponential growth of populist ideas and implicitly of populist parties, whose leaders go to such lengths as to plead for the dismantling of the European community bloc, on the other.

Therefore, one of the scenarios that are currently being circulated refers to the idea of a Europe developing at different speeds. Its engine should be intense but drastically limited cooperation in the defence field. Europe can re-launch itself through this sector, French President Francois Hollande said on Monday, when he received the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni at the Versailles Palace. According to the French President, some of the reasons which call for such a measure include the recent election as US President of Donald Trump, who has made an increasing number of declarations stating his lack of confidence in the EU and NATO, on the one hand, and Russia’s huge ambitions, on the other.

Whether the idea of boosting European cooperation is welcome, the way it is conceived definitely stirs discontent: only some member states might be involved, making up a so-called “hard core”, somehow sidelining, at least temporarily, the East European countries, considered to be less developed. “Unity is not uniformity”, the French President François Hollande has underlined, adding that some countries can go faster and farther away, apart from defence, as cooperation might later be boosted by deepening the economic and monetary Union, by means of harmonizing fiscal legislation and social standards or by developing joint programs devoted to youth and culture. In turn, Angela Merkel also believes the Europeans should have the courage to accept that some countries are advancing at a faster pace than others, without however shutting out those lagging behind. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

7 March 2017
The Challenges of 2017 – part II

In last week’s
edition we analysed together with the director of the Conflict Prevention
Centre in Bucharest, Iulian Chifu, the possible impact of such events as the
inauguration of the new US president Donald Trump, the UK vote to leave the
European Union and the upcoming elections in France. Today we continue our
analysis with another series of events, taking a look ahead at the elections in
Germany and the Netherlands and the situation in Syria.

In the upcoming
German elections this year, chancellor Angela Merkel will be seeking her fourth
term in office. The announcement was made in late 2016 at a meeting of Merkel’s
party, CDU. The announcement was made amidst growing calls for her to resign
coming mainly from the hard-line opponents of the refugee admission policy
pursued by the German chancellor, in particular the Alternative for Germany
party. Such voices accuse the German authorities of losing control over
migration. However, according to the latest data, last year saw a radical
decrease in the number of migrants seeking asylum in Germany. Official figures
show that 280,000 asylum seekers arrived in Germany last year compared with
nearly 900,000 in 2015. In spite of the significant drop reported last year,
the country is still facing many challenges. The number of asylum applications
amounts to hundreds of thousands, and the German government should prove that
it is capable of perfectly integrating the migrants whose applications are approved.

How important
are the elections in Germany to Europe and what chances does the current
chancellor have? Professor Iulian Chifu, the
director of the Conflict Prevention Centre in Bucharest, explains:

Of course, this
is a very important element because we’re speaking about Germany, the driving
engine of Europe, and, under the circumstances, the situation is more special.
There is still a major possibility for the left-right coalition between the SPD
and the CDU to find a way for Ms Merkel to stay on as chancellor. We’ve also
seen a rise of the far right. However, we shouldn’t count our chickens before
they’re hatched. We have seen on many occasions, such as Brexit and the US
elections, that things don’t always turn out as planned and we may still see
some surprises.

Legislative
elections will also be held this year in The Netherlands, where, as a result of
people’s discontent with the way in which immigration has been handled, the
populist far-right Party for Freedom is leading in opinion polls. Its leader
Geert Wilders has unveiled an election programme promising the
de-Islamisation of the country and calling for mosques to be closed down and
for migration from Muslim countries to be banned. The publications Die Welt and
Express note that the party’s political programme also provides for the closing
of Muslim schools and the banning of the Quran and of the Islamic veil. The
Dutch elections are important for Bucharest first and foremost with regard to
Romania’s accession to the Schengen passport-free area. Initially scheduled for
March 2011, this has been postponed several times, mainly as a result of The
Netherlands’ firm opposition, despite the fact that Romania had fulfilled its
accession requirements.

We asked Iulian
Chifu if anything might change in this respect:

The Dutch
elections will most likely maintain the trend that has seen eurosceptic parties
in the ascendance, so the likelihood that the Netherlands will make any steps
forward is quite low. One positive element is the way in which this country
managed to find a way to solve the issue of the ratification of the EU-Ukraine
association agreement. In this sense, we might think that beyond this agreement
or the Dutch elections, we may arrive at a European agreement that could also favour
Romania. However, considering the situation in the Schengen area and the
reticence with respect to migration, I believe the subject [of Romania’s
Schengen accession] is closed for the foreseeable future.

With regard to
the situation in Syria and Russia’s involvement in this conflict, political
commentator Iulian Chifu said:

Naturally,
Syria is a subject that cannot be closed very soon. We have seen that the
attempts to solve the problem in the short-term, to reach a truce, have failed.
Especially as these were partial agreements, reached in the presence of a
number of the states involved directly or through their nationals or who
control certain opposition groups on the ground. Russia is trying to impose a
certain type of solution, as it has done in Ukraine and Georgia. I believe this
type of exceptionalist and individualist approach cannot possibly yield
results.

The solution
must be inclusive, says Iulian Chifu, who recalls that there are still some
very important dossiers to be solved, such as the massacres in Aleppo, the use
of banned weapons and the violations of human rights.

20 January 2017
December 31, 2016

GOVERNMENT – The new Government led by Prime Minister designate Sorin Grindeanu might be sworn in on January 4, Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea has announced, adding that representatives of the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, currently holding the majority in Parliament, will meet on Tuesday to vote the list of Ministers and the governing program. In turn, the co-leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said the first task of the new Government is adopting the state budget for 2017, to be debated in Parliament in late January. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians said it will vote in favour of the Government. The National Liberal Party in opposition expressed hope the list of nominations would include professionals with a clean slate. The Save Romania Union, also in opposition, will vote against the Grindeanu Cabinet, arguing that the Government will be de facto led by Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea. The Peoples Movement Party has not yet announced how it would vote.

NEW YEARS EVE PARTY – An additional 12,000 law-enforcement officers will be deployed on Saturday night to oversee public events devoted to the New Years Eve across Romania. According to a Romanian Police release, some 147 large-scale public events are held, including concerts and winter customs shows, to be attended by some 300,000 people. In Bucharest, the City Hall is organizing an open-air party. Historical buildings downtown will be lit up, while a fireworks show will be held at midnight. The New Years Eve party in Bucharest also has a name – Bucharest Selfie. All pictures sent in by Bucharesters will be screened in the George Enescu square.

2017 – The first to welcome the New Year were the inhabitants of Christmas Island and Samoa, two islands in the Pacific, as well as the Chatham Islands in New Zealand. European countries are getting ready to celebrate the New Year against the backdrop of increased security measures, in the wake of the Berlin attack two weeks ago, which killed 12 people. Thousands of additional police officers will be deployed to cope with potential terrorist threats in London, Berlin, Brussels or Sydney. In an attempt to prevent lorry attacks, authorities in Paris, Madrid and New York will use concrete bollards to block traffic from crowds celebrating New Years Eve.

TERRORISM – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the most difficult challenge Germany must yet face is dealing with Islamic terrorism. In her traditional New Years address, Merkel promised she would do everything in her power to enhance security following the bloody attack in Berlin on December 19, when a Tunisian asylum-seeker ploughed into a crowd at a Christmas market. The German official said she would not compromise on democratic values.

MIGRANTS – 48 Iraqi nationals, of whom 17 children, were caught by the Romanian border police on the Bulgarian border in Giurgiu, southern Romania. The people were hiding in a loading compartment of a lorry delivering chocolate. The driver was a Bulgarian national. The migrants said they wanted to get to Hungary, and the driver said he didnt know about the people he was carrying. The Romanian police have handed the driver over to the Bulgarian authorities, as well as the Iraqi citizens with a view to launching an investigation.

SYRIA – The UN Security Council is today meeting to discuss a Russian resolution for supporting the ceasefire in Syria, which came into force on Friday. The document provides for quick access of humanitarian aid missions to this country, supporting a political process for putting an end to the conflict and launching negotiations between the Government in Damascus and the opposition. Chaired by Russia and Turkey, the talks might be scheduled to take place next month in Kazakhstan.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis players Ana Bogdan and Patricia Tig are today starting the new tennis season. The two are playing in the preliminaries of the Shenzhen tournament in China, totaling over 600,000 dollars in prize money. In the first round, Ana Bogdan, 130 WTA, will take on Quanhui Tang, 972 WTA, while Patricia Tig, 108 WTA will go up against Nina Jovanovic, 140 WTA. Romania has another three tennis players already qualified to the main draw: Simona Halep, WTA no. 4, who is also the competitions second seed, Monica Niculescu, 38 WTA and Sorana Carstea, 79 WTA. We recall that Simona Halep won the Shenzhen tournament in 2015. (Translated by V. Palcu)

31 December 2016
December 20, 2016 UPDATE

JUSTICE — The Romanian justice system is now at a level where it can no longer be influenced by politics, Romanian Justice Minister Raluca Pruna said on Tuesday. Pruna voiced hope that the new Government and the newly-elected Parliament will continue the project of modifying the laws of the Judiciary debated with the Higher Council of Magistracy and the magistrates’ associations. Raluca Pruna on Tuesday presented the on-year activity report of the Justice Ministry.

PARLIAMENT — Senators and Deputies elected at the parliamentary ballot of December 11 on Tuesday met in separate sessions. Parliament has to validate their MP mandates, set up parliamentary groups and decide on the membership of Permanent Bureaus. President Klaus Iohannis has summoned parliamentary groups for consultations as follows: the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania on Wednesday, while the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the People’s Movement Party and the Group of national minorities on Thursday. This week, the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, currently holding 54% of the seats in Parliament, have signed a cooperation protocol and are expected to announce their nomination for the position of Prime Minister. Once appointed by the President, the Prime Minister has 10 days to set up his Cabinet and decide on his governing program, after which time he will receive Parliament’s vote of confidence.

ATTACK IN BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her outrage and grief in the wake of Monday night’s attack in the German capital city, promising perpetrators will be brought to justice. Angela Merkel added that the German people must be confident they can live freely in Germany. In turn, Interior Minister Thomas de Miziere has labelled the attack as an act of terrorism, saying that Christmas fairs will remain open and adequate security measures will be taken. 12 people were killed and another 48 wounded on Monday night after a lorry ploughed into the crowd of shoppers at a Christmas market in Berlin. The attack has some resemblance to the one committed in Nice this summer, when a truck driven by a Tunisian national ploughed in the crowd of people on Promenade des Anglais, killing 86 people. The Islamic State claimed the attack at the time. In a letter to his German counterpart, Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos condemned the attack and conveyed condolences to the victims’ families. The Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest announced that no Romanians are among the victims.

ASSASSINATION — Six people were detained after Russian Ambassador to Ankara Andrei Karlov was shot dead on Monday while holding a speech at a photo exhibition opening. The perpetrator was killed and identified as a former Turkish police officer. Aged 22, the killer said his gesture is an act of vengeance for Syria and the victims in Aleppo. The assassination has been condemned by the Turkish and Russian presidents, Recep Erdogan and Vladimir Putin respectively, who said the attack was an attempt at destabilizing relations between the two countries and blocking the peacemaking process in Syria. Russian experts will be involved in the investigation. In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Ankara authorities not to make any concessions to terrorists regarding the Syrian crisis.

FUNDING — The European Union, the European Bank for Investment and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will make available a financial aid package worth 92 million euros for the construction of a natural gas pipeline linking Romania to the Moldovan capital city Chisinau. The European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will each provide 41 million euros, while the remaining 10 million euros will be funded by the EU. The project will thus interconnect the natural gas supply systems of Romania and Moldova, linking Chisinau to the Iasi-Ungheni pipeline built in 2014 and aimed at helping Moldova diversify its energy resources. Over 90% of Moldova’s gas consumption relies on imports.

VICTORY DAY — Victory Day was marked on Tuesday in Timisoara, western Romania. On December 20, 1989, four days after protests broke out against the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu, Timisoara became the first Romanian city free of communism. It was the day when the Romanian Democratic Front was set up, the first democratic political fraction in Romania that met popular demands. The anti-communist protest quickly spread to Bucharest and the whole country. Romania remains the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was brought down through violence and the communist leaders were executed.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

20 December 2016
December 19, 2016

COMMEMORATION – The western Romanian city of Timişoara commemorates today the fourth day of the anti-communist revolution of December 1989, with a conference organised by the Romanian Academy. Twenty-seven years ago, protesters were killed and wounded, and on December 20, Timişoara became the first Romanian city free from communism. Sparked by the locals opposition to an abusive measure of the city authorities, the protests quickly spread across the country, culminating on December 22nd in Bucharest, when the protesters stormed the headquarters of the central committee of the Romanian communist party. This is when the dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife attempted to flee by helicopter. They were caught and executed on December 25, after a summary trial. Over 1,000 people died and nearly 3,400 were wounded in the clashes, and Romania remains the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was brought down through violence and the communist leaders were executed.

PARLIAMENT – The new MPs elected for the 2016 – 2020 term are expected to start today the procedures for taking office in Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. President Klaus Iohannis has announced that he will convene the new Parliament on Tuesday, and will hold talks with the parliamentary parties on Wednesday and Thursday. This week the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, which together hold 54% of the seats in the new parliament, will announce their proposal for the new prime minister. After the President has appointed the PM, the latter will have 10 days to put together a cabinet and the governing programme, after which he is to request Parliaments vote of confidence.

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS – This year 57 journalists have been killed around the world, especially in countries affected by war, according to a report made public by Reporters without Borders, an NGO based in Paris. The largest number of deaths, 19, was reported in Syria, followed by Afghanistan, Mexico, Iraq and Yemen. Most journalists lost their lives in their own countries, and one-third of them were targeted by deliberate attacks. Apart from the 57 journalists, 9 bloggers and 8 media collaborators were assassinated. As for the journalists incarcerated or detained this year, their number has increased particularly because of the situation in Turkey, where more than 100 media workers are currently imprisoned.

SYRIA – The UN Security Council is to vote today on a draft resolution aimed at immediately deploying observers to monitor the evacuation of civilians and rebels from the Syrian town of Aleppo. The resolution initiated by France was originally scheduled to be put to a vote on Sunday, but Russia opposed it, voicing fears with respect to the deployment of UN officials unprepared to monitor the protection of the thousands of people still trapped in the last rebel-controlled area in the east of this Syrian town. After intensive negotiations, a compromise text was drafted.

US ELECTION – In the USA, the Electoral College is to vote today on Donald Trumps victory in the presidential race. Whereas in previous years this procedure was a mere formality, the controversial success of the Republican candidate, who lost the popular vote but was supported by presidential electors, is generating a variety of scenarios. Major changes are not expected however after todays vote, although some have requested electors to keep in mind that the businessman does not meet the moral criteria to lead the worlds foremost democracy. Adding to these are disclosures by American intelligence services that Russia contributed to Donald Trumps victory.

HANDBALL – Norways womens team Sunday won the gold medal at the European Handball Championship in Sweden, after having defeated the Netherlands, 30-29 in the final. Norway thus won the 7th European champion title in 12 editions of this competition. In the match for the 3rd place, France beat Denmark, 25-22. Romania came out 5th in this edition of the European championship. The national team had a good performance overall, but failed to qualify into the semi-finals after losing the match against Denmark. In this competition the Romanian players defeated the Olympic champions Russia, as well as Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic, and lost a tightly contested match against the European and world champions, Norway.

19 December 2016
December 14, 2016 UPDATE

CONSULTATIONS – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis held a first round of consultations with political parties that entered Parliament after the elections of December 11. The Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats from Romania, currently holding majority, have turned down the invitation. The leaders of the two parties explained there were irregularities in the legal basis of the invitation. Their refusal has been labelled as an “impolite attitude by the president. He met with representatives of the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians from Romania, the Peoples Movement Party and the group of national minorities. Iohannis pointed out that if the final results of the elections are made public by the end of the week, he might be able to summon the new Parliament over the course of next week. During the consultations, the Liberals said that from an economic point of view, the Social Democratic Party cant be the solution for the citizens well being. The president of the Save Romania Union, Nicusor Dan said his party will note endorse a government made up around the Social Democratic Party, PSD, and its leader, Liviu Dragnea. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians from Romania has announced it is not looking for ministerial portfolios or high positions, but for partners in Parliament, in order to put into practice its political program, and the President of the Peoples Movement Party, Traian Basescu, told the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, that his party will be part of any anti-PSD political solution. The Social Democratic Party has won Sundays parliamentary elections by a large margin, with over 46% of the votes, followed by the National Liberal Party with 20%, Save Romania Union, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Peoples Movement Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – The Constitutional Court of Romania today ruled against the notifications filed by the Government and the National Liberal Party referring to the law amending the ordinance on the salaries of public sector employees, providing for an average 15% increase of salaries of employees in the education and healthcare sectors. In its notification, the Government pointed out that the law breached three articles in the Constitution on the separation of powers in the state, and that no budget expense can be approved without a source of funding. Also today the Court postponed ruling on a notification filed by president Klaus Iohannis on the law eliminating 102 non-fiscal taxes, initiated by Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea. The president says eliminating these taxes could affect the survival of some public institutions and would have too large an impact on the budget.

ROMANIA AND NATO – Romania will consolidate its defence against Russia boosting its military presence in the Black Sea Region, Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc told Associated Press on Tuesday. The Romanian official said Romania will start earmarking 2% of its GDP to defence starting 2017, a prerequisite NATO has demanded of all its member states. Amidst escalating tensions between Moscow and the West after the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia, NATO last year set up a NATO Force Integration Unit in Bucharest and activated the NATO Multinational Division South-East. The measures were part of NATOs action plan to increase its operational capabilities, adopted at the NATO Summit of 2014 in Wales.

TURKEY – The European Union has currently no intention of opening new chapters of negotiation for Turkeys EU accession. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Slovakian presidency of the European Council, ensuing a ministerial meeting in Brussels, where Romania was represented by State Secretary for European Affairs Cristian Badescu. Despite long talks on the matter, a unanimous decision of the 28 member states could not be reached, due to opposition from Austria. The General Affairs Council addressed the anti-democratic interventions in Turkey after the failed coup of July.

SYRIA – The last of the rebels strongholds in Aleppo will be overrun within two-three days, after over four years of conflict in Syria, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today. Also today, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the Syrian regime and the military of trying to prevent the implementation of the ceasefire allowing civilians and rebels to evacuate eastern Aleppo. The Syrian Observer for Human Rights reports that the Syrian regime has resumed bombing rebels in Aleppo after a several-hour break.

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA – The President of the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae Timofti, has been awarded the highest distinction offered by the Romanian state for his personal contribution to the development of friendship and cooperation relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The award-grating decree signed by President Klaus Iohannis has been presented by Romanias ambassador to Chishinau, Daniel Ionita. (Translated by V. Palcu and D. Vijeu)

14 December 2016
December 14, 2016

CONSULTATIONS – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis is today holding consultations with political parties that entered Parliament after the elections of December 11, with a view to agree on the future Government. The Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats from Romania, currently owning majority, have turned down the invitation. The leaders of the two parties explained there were irregularities in the legal basis of the invitation. Their refusal has been labeled as an “impolite attitude by the president. Klaus Iohannis will meet representatives of the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union, Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians from Romania, the Peoples Movement Party and the group of national minorities. Iohannis pointed out that if the final results of the elections are made public by the end of the week, he might be able to summon the new Parliament over the course of next week. The Social Democratic Party has won Sundays parliamentary elections by a large margin, with over 46% of the vote, followed by the National Liberal Party with 20%, Save Romania Union, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Peoples Movement Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – The Constitutional Court of Romania today ruled against the notifications filed by the Government and the National Liberal Party referring to the law amending the ordinance on the salaries of public sector employees, providing for an average 15% increase of salaries of employees in the education and healthcare sectors. In its notification, the Government pointed out that the law breached three articles in the Constitution on the separation of powers in the state, and that no budget expense can be approved without a source of funding. Also today the Court postponed ruling on a notification filed by president Klaus Iohannis on the law eliminating 102 non-fiscal taxes, initiated by Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea. The president says eliminating these taxes could affect the survival of some public institutions and would have too large an impact on the budget.

ROMANIA AND NATO – Romania will consolidate its defense against Russia boosting its military presence in the Black Sea Region, Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc told Associated Press on Tuesday. The Romanian official said Romania will start earmarking 2% of its GDP to defense starting 2017, a prerequisite NATO has demanded of all its member states. Amidst escalating tensions between Moscow and the West after the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia, NATO last year set up a NATO Force Integration Unit in Bucharest and activated the NATO Multinational Division South-East. The measures were part of NATOs action plan to increase its operational capabilities, adopted at the NATO Summit of 2014 in Wales.

TURKEY – The European Union has currently no intention of opening new chapters of negotiation for Turkeys EU accession. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Slovakian presidency of the European Council, ensuing a ministerial meeting in Brussels, where Romania was represented by State Secretary for European Affairs Cristian Badescu. Despite long talks on the matter, a unanimous decision of the 28 member states could not be reached, due to opposition from Austria. The General Affairs Council addressed the anti-democratic interventions in Turkey after the failed coup of July.

SYRIA – The last of the rebels strongholds in Aleppo will be overrun within two-three days, after over four years of conflict in Syria, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today. Also today, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the Syrian regime and the military of trying to prevent the implementation of the ceasefire allowing civilians and rebels to evacuate eastern Aleppo. The Syrian Observer for Human Rights reports that the Syrian regime has resumed bombing rebels in Aleppo after a several-hour break.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball team is today playing Denmark in a match the will decide the teams that will perform in the semi-finals of the European Championship in Sweden. To advance to the next phase, Romania needs at least a draw, while Denmark has to win. Norway tops the second main group, with eight points, followed by Romania with six and Denmark with five. On Tuesday, Romania defeated the Czech Republic narrowly 30-28, while Russia drew against Denmark 26-all. The defending European champions Norway defeated Hungary narrowly 24-23 and have secured their presence in the semi-finals. Romania is coached by Ambros Martin of Spain, who last month replaced Tomas Ryde of Sweden, with whom our team won bronze at the 2015 World Championships in Denmark.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

14 December 2016
December 12, 2016

ELECTION The Social Democratic Party in
Romania has obtained a landslide victory in the parliamentary election on
Sunday with 45% of the votes, the Central Election Bureau has announced after
over 99% of the votes were counted. Second came with only 20% the National
Liberal Party followed by the Save Romania Union, which only a couple of months
since its foundation has become the third main political group in Parliament
with over 9% of the votes. Other parties that made it to Parliament are the
right wing Alliance of Liberals and Democrats founded by incumbent Senate
Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu with 6%, the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania also with 6% and the People’s Movement Party of former
president Traian Basescu. The 464 future deputies and senators have been
elected by roughly 40% of the eligible Romanians, the lowest turnout in
Legislative elections since 1989.

HANDBALL Romania’s
national handball side will be taking on the Czech representative at the
European Championship in Sweden on Tuesday. On Sunday in their first game of
the second group the Romanians secured a 29-21 win against Hungary. Norway
comes first in the group standings with six points followed by Romania and
Denmark, each with four points. Next come the Czech Republic and Russia, each
with two points, whereas Hungary has no point. Romania is led by Spanish
selector Ambros Martin who replaced Swedish Tomas Ryde, under whose guidance
the Romanians came third in the World Championships in Denmark in 2015.

COUNCIL Romanian Foreign
Minister Lazar Comanescu is in Brussels to participate in the monthly session
of the Foreign Affairs Council. According to a communiqué by the Foreign
Affairs Ministry high on the agenda are several issues, such as the EU-Africa
relation, the Democratic Republic of Congo and migration with emphasis on
assessing the implementation of the Valletta commitments. The latest developments
in Syria are also to be tackled.

TRIAL The IMF director general Christine
Lagarde will be facing legal proceedings over negligence charges in France for
the time when she was Minister of the economy part of France’s right-wing
government between 2007 and 2011. She has been accused of having awarded 404
million euros in state payout to businessman Bernard Tapie. If guilty Lagarde
could get a one-year prison sentence and 15 thousand euros in fines. We recall
that the French justice has recently indicted former budget minister Jerome
Cahuzac under the mandate of incumbent socialist president Francois Hollande
for tax fraud and money laundering.

REFUGEES Six refugees from Syria, Iraq and
Iran who tried to illegally cross Romania’s border with Hungary hidden in an
adjusted pickup truck have been captured by the Romanian border police. The
pickup was driven by a Bulgarian national. The refugees, five men and a woman
with ages between 15 and 30 years said they were trying to make it to a Shenghen
state but lacked the documents needed to legally cross the border. Hundreds of
refugees, mostly Syrians have tried to illegally cross into Romania on their
way to the West this year.

ISIS The Islamic State has regained
control over the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria and over its
archaeological site, part of the UNESCO’s world heritage within hours of the
apparently successful air strikes by Russian planes. ISIS’ reoccupation of
Palmyra comes nine months after they were driven out by the Syrian and Russian
troops in an onslaught that enjoyed wide media coverage. After having conquered
Palmyra in May 2015 the ISIS fighters destroyed several ancient monuments and
executed the director of the archaeological sites in the city.

12 December 2016
December 12, 2016

ELECTION The Social Democratic Party in
Romania has obtained a landslide victory in the parliamentary election on
Sunday with 45% of the votes, the Central Election Bureau has announced after
over 99% of the votes were counted. Second came with only 20% the National
Liberal Party followed by the Save Romania Union, which only a couple of months
since its foundation has become the third main political group in Parliament
with over 9% of the votes. Other parties that made it to Parliament are the
right wing Alliance of Liberals and Democrats founded by incumbent Senate
Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu with 6%, the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania also with 6% and the People’s Movement Party of former
president Traian Basescu. The 464 future deputies and senators have been
elected by roughly 40% of the eligible Romanians, the lowest turnout in
Legislative elections since 1989.

HANDBALL Romania’s
national handball side will be taking on the Czech representative at the
European Championship in Sweden on Tuesday. On Sunday in their first game of
the second group the Romanians secured a 29-21 win against Hungary. Norway
comes first in the group standings with six points followed by Romania and
Denmark, each with four points. Next come the Czech Republic and Russia, each
with two points, whereas Hungary has no point. Romania is led by Spanish
selector Ambros Martin who replaced Swedish Tomas Ryde, under whose guidance
the Romanians came third in the World Championships in Denmark in 2015.

COUNCIL Romanian Foreign
Minister Lazar Comanescu is in Brussels to participate in the monthly session
of the Foreign Affairs Council. According to a communiqué by the Foreign
Affairs Ministry high on the agenda are several issues, such as the EU-Africa
relation, the Democratic Republic of Congo and migration with emphasis on
assessing the implementation of the Valletta commitments. The latest developments
in Syria are also to be tackled.

TRIAL The IMF director general Christine
Lagarde will be facing legal proceedings over negligence charges in France for
the time when she was Minister of the economy part of France’s right-wing
government between 2007 and 2011. She has been accused of having awarded 404
million euros in state payout to businessman Bernard Tapie. If guilty Lagarde
could get a one-year prison sentence and 15 thousand euros in fines. We recall
that the French justice has recently indicted former budget minister Jerome
Cahuzac under the mandate of incumbent socialist president Francois Hollande
for tax fraud and money laundering.

REFUGEES Six refugees from Syria, Iraq and
Iran who tried to illegally cross Romania’s border with Hungary hidden in an
adjusted pickup truck have been captured by the Romanian border police. The
pickup was driven by a Bulgarian national. The refugees, five men and a woman
with ages between 15 and 30 years said they were trying to make it to a Shenghen
state but lacked the documents needed to legally cross the border. Hundreds of
refugees, mostly Syrians have tried to illegally cross into Romania on their
way to the West this year.

ISIS The Islamic State has regained
control over the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria and over its
archaeological site, part of the UNESCO’s world heritage within hours of the
apparently successful air strikes by Russian planes. ISIS’ reoccupation of
Palmyra comes nine months after they were driven out by the Syrian and Russian
troops in an onslaught that enjoyed wide media coverage. After having conquered
Palmyra in May 2015 the ISIS fighters destroyed several ancient monuments and
executed the director of the archaeological sites in the city.

12 December 2016
December 10, 2016 UPDATE

ELECTIONS – Over 18 million Romanian are expected to vote in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, in 43 constituencies, of which 41 in counties, one in Bucharest and another one for the Romanians with the domicile or residence outside the country’s borders. The voting process has already started in the Diaspora that will be represented by 2 senators and 4 deputies, as the Romanian citizens with the domicile or residence abroad who had registered in the Electoral Registry received the ballot papers by post. This is the first time that postal voting is allowed for Romanians outside the country’s borders. Also for the first time, the vote counting will be recorded on camera.

CORRUPTION – On Saturday, the former manager of a hospital in Bucharest, doctor Florin Secureanu, was taken into custody for 30 days. The Bucharest Tribunal’s ruling, can be appealed, by the arrest order is mandatory. Secureanu is accused of bribe taking and embezzlement. Anti-corruption prosecutors say that between May 2009 and November 2016 the former manager created an implemented a scheme that allowed him to steal money from the hospital’s fund on a daily basis. The damage has been so far estimated to around 500 thousand euros. Also on Saturday, policemen and prosecutors searched another hospital and also the home of doctor Gheorghe Burnei, an expert in paediatric orthopaedic surgery. Burnei is accused of having illegally performed surgical experiments on children.

SYRIA – The US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the Syrian Government and its main ally, Russia, to show generosity and nobleness as the government troops advance through Allepo. Kerry has admitted that President Bashar al-Assad is in control of the situation for which reason he should initiate negotiations with the opposition. On Friday the Syrian Goverdsnment announced they were ready for discussions, although they have constantly refused to discuss Assad’s future or the option of sharing power , BBC has said.

MOLDOVA – The Republic of Moldova’s Parliament has passed a law that puts the country’s Intelligence and Security Service and the Protection and Guard Service under Parliament’s full control. According to the Radio Romania correspondents to Chisinau, Moldova’s elected president, Igor Dodon, will thus be prevented from controlling the special services, unlike his predecessor, the pro-Western Nicolae Tomofti.

HANDBALL – Romania’s national women’s handball team will be up against Hungary on Sunday in the first game of the main groups of the European Championship in Sweden. On December 13 Romania will play against the Czech Republic and a day later against Denmark. Romania defeated Croatia on Friday evening, 31-26 and qualified from the second place to the main groups. In the first two games Romania lost to Norway, European champions and world defending champions, and defeated Russia, Olympic champion. The Romanian team’s coach is the Spanish Ambros Martin who last month replaced Swedish Tomas Ryde with whom Romania had won the bronze at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

10 December 2016
December 10, 2016

ACCIDENT – At least five people have been killed and dozens of others have been injured today in north-eastern Bulgaria, after a train derailed and containers of gas exploded, local police sources announced. At least 20 buildings in the village of Hitrino were destroyed in the blast early on Saturday as containers carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded. The cause of the disaster is unclear. As many as 25 people were taken to hospital, some of them in very serious condition. Prime Minister Boiko Borisov has travelled to the site of the accident.

ELECTIONS – The campaign for the Romania parliamentary elections has ended today. Over 18 million people are expected to go to the polls, in 43 constituencies, of which 41 in counties, one in Bucharest and another one for the Romaians with the domicile or residence outside the country’s borders. The voting process has already started in the Diaspora, that will be represented by 2 senators and 4 deputies, as the Romanian citizens with the domicile or residence abroad who had registered in the Electoral Registry received the ballot papers by post. This is the first time that postal voting is allowed for Romanians outside the country’s borders. Also for the first time, the vote counting will be recorded on camera.

CONSULTATIONS – Italian President Sergio Mattarella is today holding consultations with representatives of the Democratic Party on forming a new government. The resignation of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, following the failure of the constitutional referendum last Sunday, has given way to a period of political uncertainty in Italy, which puts at risk national economy and the Euro-zone’s stability, news agencies report. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the President has to decide if early elections should be called or not.

Syria – Russia has said that the Syrian governments troops control 93% of Aleppo and will continue military operations against the rebels after the full evacuation of civilians. Russian and American diplomats are today discussing in Geneva about the situation in Aleppo. The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has said that the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, will have to consider sharing power if he wants peace. On Friday the Syrian Government announced they were ready for discussions, although they have constantly refused to discuss Assad’s future or the option of sharing power , BBC has said.

HANDBALL – Romania’s national women’s handball team defeated Croatia on Friday evening, 31-26 and qualified from the second place to the main groups of the European Championship in Sweden. In the first two games Romania lost to Norway, European champions and world defending champions, and defeated Russia, Olympic champion. On Sunday Romania will be up against Hungary in the first game of the main groups. On December 13 Romania will play against the Czech Republic and a day later against Denmark. The Romanian team’s coach is the Spanish Ambros Martin who last month replaced Swedish Tomas Ryde with whom Romania had won the bronze at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

10 December 2016
October 18, 2016 UPDATE

POVERTY – Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos on Tuesday said that poverty is the result of corruption and of the way in which public resources are allocated. On the other hand, Ciolos says that a change in the citizens behavioral attitudes is also necessary in order to eradicate poverty. The head of government attended debates on the program drafted by the government in an effort to curb poverty. It includes 47 measures destined for all age brackets, from preschoolers to elderly people. Over 37% of the Romanians are exposed to a risk of poverty and social exclusion, Romania ranking second in the EU from this point of view, data released by Eurostat show. One in three children in Romania is facing poverty.

PROSECUTION – Romanian MPs on Tuesday voted in favor of the National Anticorruption Directorates request to prosecute Elena Udrea, suspected of involvement in two cases of abetting bribe-taking. The charges are linked to the presidential election campaign of 2009, when Udrea was the Minister for Regional Development and Tourism. Also on Tuesday the Directorate indicted Bogdan Olteanu, a former Chamber of Deputies Speaker, currently under house arrest for influence peddling. Prosecutors say that over July-November 2008 Olteanu received 1 million euros from businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vantu in exchange for using his influence to appoint Liviu Mihaiu governor of the Danube Delta.

TERRORISM – EU Commissioner for Security Julian King on Tuesday told the German publication Die Welt about the risk of an influx of jihadist militants in Europe if their stronghold in Mosul is destroyed by the Iraqi offense. A 30,000-strong force, mostly Iraqi military, on Monday made their advance on Mosul on the first day of the siege on this city, the last major stronghold of the Islamic State in Iraq. There are fears the siege might generate a humanitarian crisis for the 1,5 million civilians on the ground. The military operation, supported by a US-led international coalition, is the most important action of the Iraqi military within its reinstatement since the death of dictator Saddam Hussein.

MIGRATION – Eight Pakistani nationals were stopped at the Romanian-Serbian border, in the southwest, on Tuesday morning, while trying to illegally cross into Serbia, from Romania. Following checkouts, the police officers established that the respective persons were Pakistani citizens, who said they had crossed the border on foot, with the declared intention to head for a West European state. Many such attempts by migrants trying to illegally cross the border have been foiled in the past two months.

CORRUPTION – One of the shareholders in the wine making company Murfatlar (in south-eastern Romania) and nine other persons have been taken into custody by the anti-corruption prosecutors, in a tax evasion file. The estimated value of the prejudice stands at some 600 million lei (135 million Euro). The anti-corruption prosecutors on Monday searched the headquarters of several firms in the wine-growing industry and the houses of several people, in several counties in the south and south-east, in a file in which investigations are carried out for crimes assimilated to corruption and tax evasion. The acts were reportedly carried out in the 2010-2014 period. In 2015, the wine company Murfatlar, one of the first ten players on the Romanian wine industry reported a turnover of 27 million Euro and a net profit of some 800 thousand Euro, according to the balance sheet submitted to the Finance Ministry.

SIMPLE MOTION – Romanian MPs on Tuesday adopted the simple motion “Lies can kill, too, tabled by the Social Democratic Party against the justice minister in the current technocratic cabinet, Raluca Pruna. The MPs of the National Liberal Party and of the national minorities didnt cast their votes. In the document, the Social Democrats were demanding the resignation of justice minister Raluca Pruna for a series of statements she made in a plenary session of the Higher Council of the Magistracy, on October 6, when she claimed “she had lied to the European Court of Human Rights about the situation of funds allotted to penitentiaries. Ahead of the vote in parliament, Raluca Pruna defended herself, saying her mandate does not have a biased political stake. She assumed responsibility for the statements she made, saying that no one can take away her right to signal problems in the justice system, among which a severe one, such as under-financing. Todays vote does not lead to the sacking of the minister.

SYRIA – The Russian and Syrian forces halted air raids in Aleppo as of Tuesday morning, Russian defence minister, Sergey Shoygu, has said. He has underlined that this cessation of fire, ahead of schedule, is necessary to allow citizens to leave Aleppo on Thursday. According to Shoygu, ahead of the humanitarian break, the Syrian troops will take distance from Aleppo, for the rebels to be able to leave the city along two corridors, laid out particularly to that end. The second largest city, Aleppo, has been divided since 2012, into the eastern districts controlled by the rebels and the western districts controlled by the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Since September 22, the 250,000 inhabitants of the districts controlled by the rebels have been subjected to intense air raids by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally, harshly criticised by the West. The Syrian conflict, which started with the 2011 stifling of pro-democracy protests, has left over 300,000 people dead.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Marius Copil, ranked 198th in ATP standings, defeated Joao Sousa of Portugal, 33 ATP, in the opening round of the tournament in Antwerp, Belgium, totaling 600,000 euros in prize money. In the next round Copil will face the winner of the match pitting Steve Darcis of Belgium against Benoit Paire of France. In other news from tennis, Sorana Cirstea, 82 WTA, lost to Tereza Smitkova of the Czech Republic in the opening round of the tournament in Luxembourg, totaling 225,000 dollars in prize money. Monica Niculescu, 52 WTA, has advanced to the second round after defeating Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, 63 WTA.

(Translated by D. Vijeu and V. Palcu)

18 October 2016
October 16, 2016

Syria. The representatives of the United States and Russia, who discussed the
situation in Syria on Saturday in the Swiss city of Lausanne, would continue
contacts in the near future, said Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. He
added that the parties at the talks stood for the launch of a political process
in Syria as soon as possible. The meeting was also attended by regional powers.
The US suspended bilateral talks with Moscow over the latter’s support for
Bashar al-Assad’s regime in the Aleppo offensive. According to the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, more than 300,000 people have been killed in the
conflict in Syria since it began in March 2011.

EU. Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis will next week take part in a meeting
of the European Council in Brussels, said the president’s spokeswoman Madalina Dobrovolschi. She said the talks, to be held on
Thursday and Friday, will focus on migration, trade policy and the Union’s
external relations, in particular with the Russian Federation.

Turkey. The foreign ministry
in Bucharest has informed Romanian citizens travelling to or transiting Turkey
that this country’s Parliament has endorsed a government decision to extend the
state of emergency by another three months starting on October 19th.
Under the circumstances and given that the security situation is still
unstable, in particular in and around Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, as well as
other big cities in Turkey, the Romanian ministry has reiterated a warning for
Romanian citizens to remain cautious and vigilant and avoid involvement in
demonstrations or other public events that may degenerate into violence. On
Friday, rockets landed in the Turkish province resort of Antalya, the favourite
tourist destination for Romanians holidaying in Turkey.

NATO. A meeting of defence ministers from NATO and partner
states, the first since the Warsaw summit, will be held in Bucharest between
the 19th and the 21st of October. The Strategic Military
Partner Conference will be coordinated by the Allied Command Transformation
located in Norfolk, the US. 350 officials from NATO and partner countries are
expected to attend the event in Bucharest. Four planning workshops will also be held, focusing on
different themes: maritime, air/space, land and cyber.

Montenegro elections. Parliamentary elections are held today in Montenegro. According to the
ruling party, they will decide whether the country continues to come closer to
the European Union and NATO or moves in the direction of Russia. Prime minister
Milo Djukanovic’s party claims the
opposition is funded by Russia, an accusation the latter denies. On the other
hand, the opposition has accused the government of corruption and rising crime
rates. The Democratic Party of Socialists has been in power for 27 years in
Montenegro. We recall that some of this country’s territory came under NATO
bombardment while it was still part of Yugoslavia, in 1999. After its
separation from Serbia, Montenegro moved closer to NATO and last year received
an invitation to join this organisation. The country’s links with Serbia
remain, however, close, as well as its cultural and commercial ties with Russia.

Boxing. The Romanian
boxer Cristian Ciocan won the European WBO heavyweight title after
wining a points victory against the Turkish boxer Erkan Teper in a professional
boxing gala held on Saturday night in Hamburg, Germany. Ciocan was declared a
winner after 12 rounds. Aged 29, his win-loss record is 20-4. He also held the
WBO title three years ago and hopes to win the world title next year.

Handball. The Romanian women’s handball champions CSM Bucharest today face the
Russian side Rostov-Don in their first Champions League group match. The two
sides last met in the quarterfinals of the previous Champions League season.
CSM won that game and went on to win the trophy in Budapest against the
Hungarian side Gyor. In the second group match, ETO Gyor face the Danish side Midtjylland. (Translated by: C. Mateescu)

16 October 2016