Radio România Internațional

Tag: Syria

October 15, 2016

MEETING – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis next week will take part in the European Council meeting held in Brussels, the presidents spokesperson Madalina Dobrovolschi has announced. The agenda of the meeting, scheduled for October 20 and 21, will include such topics as managing migration, trade policies as well as the external relations of the European Union, with a focus on the Russian Federation.

BILATERAL RELATIONS – As part of his participation in the EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting in Bangkok, Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu held bilateral talks with the heads of delegations of other states in the region, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei and Cambodia. The meetings occasioned a review of bilateral relations, with a focus on Romanias interest in developing dialogue and cooperation in a number of fields, while also increasing the frequency of top-level political and sectorial contacts. Lazar Comanescu highlighted the importance Romania gives to boosting economic and trade relations with states in the region, including by stepping up direct contacts between business communities and identifying cooperation opportunities both at bilateral level, as well as at the level of the two regional groups, the EU and the Association of South-East Asian Nations. On Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister expressed his condolences to the Thai authorities following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, saying that the monarch was appreciated internationally for his important role in promoting the modernization and sustainable development of the Kingdom of Thailand.

TRAVEL ALERT – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has issued a travel alert for Turkey, informing Romanian citizens traveling to or transiting Turkey that the Parliament in Ankara has voted to extend the state of emergency nationwide by another three months starting October 19. In this context, given the growing security instability in the region, especially around the capital city Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, the Ministry advises caution and awareness, urging Romanian citizens to avoid getting involved in public manifestations or events that might escalate in violence. The Ministry informs it remains in permanent contact with the Turkish side with respect to providing real-time updates on further developments. On Friday, two missiles were fired on the headquarters of a fishing company in Antalya, southern Turkey, a travel destination favorite among Romanians.

COOPERATION – The excellent level of cooperation between Romania and the state of Bavaria, as well as the interest for developing and expanding it were highlighted during the talks held in Munich between Minister Delegate for Relations with Romanians Worldwide, Maria Ligor, and representatives of the authorities of the State of Bavaria. The agenda of the visit also included meetings with Bavarian Parliaments vice-president Inge Aures and members of the local Government. Maria Ligor suggested the start of a bilateral cooperation with a view to introducing Romanian-language teaching for Romanian students at secondary education level, based on the success models in other European states. Minister Ligor also met with representatives of the Romanian community, including members of the professional associations, such as doctors, lawyers, social integration experts, as well as associations of Romanian-born German ethnics.

EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE – The city of Novi Sad in Serbia has been designated as European Capital of Culture in 2021, the first time a city outside the European Union is awarded this prestigious title. The capital of the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural province of Vojvodina, home to 30,000 Romanian nationals, Novi Sad is located some 150 km from Timisoara, western Romania, which last month was also designated European Capital of Culture in 2021. This is the second Romanian city to receive this award, after Sibiu in 2007.

SYRIA – The United States and Russia are today brokering a new ceasefire in Syria in Switzerland. Washington has stopped bilateral negotiations with Moscow due to the Kremlins decision to support the Bashar al-Assad regime in its assault on the rebel-held eastern Aleppo. President Barack Obama has urged his team to continue diplomatic efforts by holding multilateral talks with key countries in order to put an end to civil war in this country. According to our Moscow correspondent, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he would submit clear-cut proposals to his US counterpart, US Secretary of State John Kerry with respect to a new ceasefire in Syria, saying however his expectations were low for this meeting. Also attending the ceasefire talk in Switzerland will be delegates of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Egypt.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

15 October 2016
September 26, 2016

DEFENCE – In Bucharest, the Supreme Defence Council is to convene on Tuesday. The agenda includes topics like the implementation of the decisions made in the NATO Summit, which affect Romania, the Presidents spokesman announced on Monday. Another topic on the agenda is the state of the healthcare system in Romania. The previous meeting of the Supreme Defence Council was held in late July, two weeks after the NATO Summit in Warsaw.

PROTEST – The management of the National Penitentiary Agency announced the institution took note of the demands of trade unions in the penitentiary system, but warned that employees cannot resort to strikes or voluntary suspension of work, although they may organise other forms of protest permitted by law. Prison staff in Romania initiated open-ended protest actions around the country on Monday. They demand, among other things, an improvement in working standards, addressing salary imbalances and a reduction of the personnel shortage, currently put at nearly 8,000 people. The unionists say they will no longer work extra hours, which in their opinion would lead to blocking prison activity. The Justice Minister, Raluca Prună, is to have talks today with employees of the National Penitentiary Agency.

AFGHANISTAN – The condition of the 4 Romanian troops wounded on Sunday during a mission in Afghanistan is improving, the authorities in Bucharest have announced. The military were part of the White Sharks Battalion, which ensures the protection of the military base in Kandahar and assists the Afghan security forces. They were wounded when an improvised explosive device went off during their patrol mission, and were taken to the army base hospital in Kandahar.

RADIRO – RadiRo Festival, the only large-scale European event exclusively devoted to radio orchestras, continues today with a concert given by the National Radio Orchestra conducted by Cristian Măcelaru. The soloist will be the highly acclaimed cello player Răzvan Suma, who will be accompanied by the Academic Choir and the Radio Childrens Choir. They will perform Carl Orffs Carmina Burana, one of the best known works of the last century. The festival, organised by Radio Romania, comes to an end on Saturday, October 1, and the concerts will also be aired live in the European Broadcasting Union network and the Asia-Pacific platform of public and private radio broadcasters.

MOLDOVA – The European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, will have meetings in Chişinău today with representatives of the authorities and the opposition. The main goal of the talks is to review the status of implementing specific reforms supported by the European Union. Special emphasis will be laid on the overview of the state of the country ahead of the elections, with a view to ensuring that the country meets its commitments to the OSCE and the Council of Europe during the presidential elections due on October 30.

SYRIA – The American Ambassador to the UN has launched a harsh attack at Russia, which supports the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. According to the US official “What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counter-terrorism. It is barbarism. Russias actions were also condemned by the ambassadors of France and Great Britain, who emphasised that such actions should not go unpunished. Russia claims these attacks target terrorism and the people killed were terrorists or supporting terrorism. The Ambassador of Russia to the UN has warned that, because there are hundreds of armed groups in the region, peace is virtually impossible at this point in Syria. Clashes continued on Sunday in Aleppo, the countrys second-largest city, where government forces launched heavy attacks on Friday against the rebel-held areas. These were targeted by intensive bombing by Syrian and Russian aircraft.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

26 September 2016
September 25, 2016

MIGRATION – Romania is the second-largest contributor, after Germany, to FRONTEX missions, the Interior Minister Ioan-Dragoş Tudorache said at an international summit on “Migration along the Balkan Route held on Saturday in Vienna. In 2016, 365 Romanian border police took part in such missions. Until the end of the year, 14 border police troops will be part of a joint mission to support the Bulgarian authorities, in which EU countries have increased the resources deployed on Bulgarias land borders with Turkey and Serbia. On the sidelines of the meeting in Vienna, Minister Ioan-Dragoş Tudorache discussed with his Serbian counterpart Nebojsa Stefanovic aspects related to the cooperation on the common border with respect to migrant groups and to the need to implement the EU – Serbia readmission agreement. Bucharest reiterated its interest in organising joint Romanian-Serb border patrols as soon as possible. Attending the meeting in Vienna were EU member states and Western Balkan countries affected by the migration crisis over the past year, namely Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Hungary. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel pleaded for stepping up efforts to curb illegal migration.

PROTESTS – In Romania, penitentiary workers around the country will initiate protests on Monday, the head of a relevant trade union has announced. The demands include the improvement of working conditions, the employment of an adequate number of staff, addressing salary imbalances and the resignation of the Justice Minister, Raluca Pruna, accused of underperformance. The unionists claim the system needs another 8,000 employees.

RADIRO – The agenda of the International Festival of Radio Orchestras, RadiRo, includes on Sunday a concert by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, which performs every year in Oslo during the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony. The orchestra, conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya, accompanies the pianist Vadym Kholodenko. RadiRo will come to an end on Saturday, October 1, and the concerts are broadcast live in the European Broadcasting Union and the Asia-Pacific platform of public and private radio broadcasters as well. Currently in its third edition, RadiRo is the only large-scale European event exclusively devoted to radio orchestras, and it is organised by Radio Romania.

BOSNIA – Bosnian Serbs vote today, in a referendum, on a proposal to keep January 9 as the national holiday, in spite of a ruling by Bosnias Supreme Court. The Court had ruled that the holiday discriminates between Bosnian Muslims and Catholics, which is why it ought to be changed. The BBC mentions that on January 9, 1992 the Serbs decided to create their own state within Bosnia – Republika Srpska – fuelling an ethnic conflict that left nearly 100,000 people dead.

SYRIA – The UN Security Council convenes today to discuss the military campaign of the Syrian government against the rebel-controlled Aleppo. The UK, France and the US called on Russia to persuade their Syrian allies to give up random bombings. The British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, hinted that last weeks deadly attack on a humanitarian convoy might have been a deliberate action of Russian aircraft, the BBC reports. Russias Foreign Minister, Serghei Lavrov, said that resuming a peace deal in Syria cannot be conditional only on unilateral concessions by his country, but requires a collective effort of all parties.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu (55 WTA), was defeated in three sets by Spains Lara Arruabarrena (90 WTA), in the final of the tournament in Seoul on Sunday. In the semi-finals of the competition, Lara Arruabarrena had beat another Romanian player, Patricia Ţig.

25 September 2016
September 12, 2016

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR — Education and not corruption should mark the way to success in Romania, said Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, during the ceremonies occasioned by the start of a new school year. He has made public one of his wishes for Romania, in his capacity as head of state, namely a society upholding real values. This prompted him to launch the project “Educated Romania”, focussing on a different type of education, adapted to the needs of society. In turn, PM Dacian Ciolos says the Romanian education system should bring a change of perspective and let pupils room to express themselves and to learn to be responsible. He urged pupils to take confidence in their own forces and not to simply chase high grades and “empty titles, depleted of any content”, which do not bring them any progress at personal level. Over 3 million pupils have today started a new school year.

ROMANIAN-FRENCH TIES — French President, François Hollande, is paying a state visit to Romania. On Tuesday, he will be received in Bucharest by his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis. The two high officials will approach issues on the bilateral as well as the European agenda, following Great Britain’s decision to leave the community block. François Hollande and Klaus Iohannis will also visit the Research Centre in Magurele, near Bucharest. Agreements in the field of education and research will be signed with the two presidents in attendance. They will also participate in the Economic Forum” Future French-Romanian Partnerships”. Romania counts on a boost in the bilateral economic relations, France being Romania’s fourth largest trading partner and the fifth largest investor. According to the French Presidency, François Hollande, will attend the inauguration of an Airbus helicopter factory in Brasov, central Romania. The Romanian authorities intend to boost the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, after in June, the French and Romanian prime ministers revised and signed the roadmap. We recall that Romania, a Francophone and Francophile country was the first southeast European state to strike a Strategic Partnership with France, in 2008. The Partnership was signed in Bucharest by the then presidents, Nicolas Sarkozy and Traian Basescu.

ROMANIAN DIASPORA — The minister delegate for the relation with the Romanian Diaspora, Maria Ligor, has met with members of the Romanian community in Canada, where she underlined the importance of voting by mail. The Romanian official has presented the measures that have already been taken and are considered for implementation in the ensuing period of time, which are aimed at enhancing professionalism, transparency and efficiency of the Department of Policies for the Relation with the Romanian Diaspora. Talks also laid emphasis on the high interest for cooperation in such domains as tertiary education, business, promotion of Romanian artists, substantiating and evaluating the consequences of public policies on Romanian communities living outside the country’s borders. Maria Ligor has also met with the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees, John McCallum, together with whom she approached ways to boost bilateral cooperation, including a visa waiver for Romanian citizens and boosting cooperation between the EU and Canada.

ROMANIAN CARRIERS — Romanian carriers are today running at low speed on ring roads across the country, again, in protest against the high mandatory liability insurance premiums. They protested every Monday in recent times, and in the absence of a measure taken by the government, they will stage a big rally at national level on September 15. Meanwhile, the government has made public its decision to change the laws on mandatory liability insurances. According to a draft emergency ordinance that has been launched for public debate by the Finance Ministry, contracts can also be signed for a period ranging from one month to one year and the payment can also be made in instalments. Furthermore, the beneficiary can request the termination of the contract. A ceiling will be introduced for the level of premiums, with the Financial Surveillance Authority being allowed to change them.

REDUNDACIES — Some 850 employees of the Hunedoara Energy Compound in western Romania will be laid off, under a restructuring program which takes effect as of today. Trade unions have made public their decision to give up on the planned protests after reaching an agreement with the company management on Friday and signing a Collective Employment Agreement, which stipulates, among others, the rights of those to be made redundant. The management has announced the restructuring program will not impact labour productivity and will allow for continuing activity in the following years. Collective layoffs do not solve the problems that have long been outstanding at the Hunedoara Energy Compound, the more so as the company’s debts to the state budget and to its suppliers exceed some 330 million Euros. Furthermore, nothing has been done in the past three years to render the activity more efficient.

SYRIA — The nationwide ceasefire agreement in Syria, negotiated by the US and Russia, is to come into effect today, after a weekend marked by heavy air strikes, which took some 100 lives, among civilians. The agreement has been negotiated by US Secretary of State, John Kerry, and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, and provides for a nationwide ceasefire, improved humanitarian access and joint military actions against Islamist groups such as the Islamic State and the former AL-Nusrah Front, affiliated to Al Qaeda. Many Syrian rebel groups have shown reservation towards the planned peace deal, saying it only strengthens the regime in Damascus and increases the suffering of the people, the BBC and FP report. The regime of Bashar al-Assad and his allies have announced they will abide by the ceasefire.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, continues to be ranked as world no.5 in the WTA rankings made public today, whereas German Angelique Kerber becomes the new no.1 in tennis. Romanian Irina Begu ranks 23rd, Monica Niculescu 55th and Sorana Carstea 89th. (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

12 September 2016
September 11, 2016 UPDATE

REMEMBERING 9/11 – Romanian foreign minister, Lazar Comanescu, has sent a message to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, to honour the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The Romanian foreign minister reiterated, in his message, solidarity with the victims of the attacks, their families and with all those affected by the tragic events of 2001. Ceremonies started in the US to commemorate 15 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001, when some 3,000 people lost their lives and thousands others got injured. 75,000 people are still coping with psychological and physical effects of the 9/11 attacks, including members of the emergency teams, who breathed in toxic dust, in an effort to save lives. Many of those directly affected are monitored for lung diseases and cancers. The authorities have organised a march to the monument erected on the site of the twin towers in New York, reduced to rubble by the terrorists. Hundreds of people took part in this memorial walk. In his weekly address on the national public radio, President Barack Obama launched an appeal for upholding democratic values and avoiding simplistic answers to the challenge of terrorism. In response to the attacks 15 years ago, the US started a global war on terrorism, which continues as we speak. An exhibition entitled Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11 will be opened on Monday at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York. The exhibition is a collection of artwork by 13 artists and their reactions to the terror attacks, “ranging in media from paintings and sculpture to works on paper and video. Some of the artists have incorporated in their works ashes found at Ground Zero, on the site of the twin towers destroyed by terrorists.

ROMANIAN-FRENCH TIES – French President, François Hollande, will pay a two-day official visit to Romania as of Monday, alongside a delegation of ministers, businesspeople and MPs. The visiting French President is also due to meet his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, together with whom he will approach, among other issues, the future of the EU, ahead of the Bratislava Summit, due on September 16. During the visit, President Francois Hollande will attend together with Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos the inauguration of the Airbus helicopter factory in Ghimbav, near Brasov (central Romania). The investment stands at 40 million Euro, and the first civil helicopter will get out in the field in 2017, whereas the first military one is due in 2018. We recall that Klaus Iohannis paid his first bilateral visit abroad, in his capacity as Romanias president, to France, in February 2015.

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR – In Romania, over 3 million pupils will start a new school year on Monday. The 2016-2017 school year includes 35 weeks of classes, divided into two semesters: September 12, 2016 – February 3, 2017, and February 13, 2017 – June 16, 2017, respectively. One of the novelties of the new school year is that pupils will have their own statute. The pupils’ rights fall into 5 categories: educational rights, association and expression rights, social rights, rewards and other rights. Also, the Education Ministry has decided a change in the grading system for high school admission: the GPA obtained by a pupil, from the fifth to the eight form, will account for 20% of the final high school admission average, and not for 25% as has been the case so far. In another move, high school admission will be a one stage computerised process, followed by an analysis of special cases and will come to a close in July. At present, high school admission is a three-stage process which comes to a close in September.

PLANNED NATIONWIDE CEASEFIRE IN SYRIA – In the Syrian capital city of Damascus, the government has expressed support for the envisaged agreement between the US and Russia, which is designed to ensure a nationwide ceasefire in Syria. A spokesperson for the Syrian opposition has said the plan offers room for hope, but underlined that more details are necessary on the way this agreement will be implemented. Washington and Moscow have announced the agreement is meant to re-launch the peace process in Syria and includes a nationwide ceasefire, as of Monday evening, improved humanitarian access and joint military actions against Islamist groups, that is the Islamic State and the former Al-Nusrah Front, affiliated to Al Qaida. The ceasefire should be used by the Syrian government and opposition to reach a political agreement, to put an end to the civil war that has already entered its sixth year. Over 250,000 people lost their lives so far, and millions of Syrian nationals were forced into fleeing their homes. The EU has hailed the agreement and called on the UNO to make ready negotiation proposals for political transition in Syria.

BLACK SEA TALL SHIPS REGATTA – The second edition of an international regatta of large sailboats began in the Romanian port of Constanta. 13 tall ships from six different countries will be racing up to Novorossiysk, in Russia. Afterwards, they will be heading for Sochi and then for Varna, in Bulgaria. During the race, the sailboats will be powered exclusively by wind. The use of engines is allowed only in emergency situations. (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

11 September 2016
September 11, 2016

9/11 COMMEMORATIONS – Romanian foreign minister, Lazar Comanescu, has sent a message to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, to honour the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The Romanian foreign minister reiterated, in his message, solidarity with the victims of the attacks, their families and with all those affected by the tragic events of 2001. Ceremonies started in the US to commemorate 15 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001, when some 3,000 people lost their lives and thousands others got injured. 75,000 people are still coping with psychological and physical effects of the 9/11 attacks, including members of the emergency teams, who breathed in toxic dust, in an effort to save lives. Many of those directly affected are monitored for lung diseases and cancers. The authorities have organised a march to the monument erected on the site of the twin towers in New York, reduced to rubble by the terrorists. Hundreds of people took part in this memorial walk. In his weekly address on the national public radio, President Barack Obama launched an appeal for upholding democratic values and avoiding simplistic answers to the challenge of terrorism. In response to the attacks 15 years ago, the US started a global war on terrorism, which continues as we speak. An exhibition entitled Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11 will be opened on Monday at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York. The exhibition is a collection of artwork by 13 artists and their reactions to the terror attacks, “ranging in media from paintings and sculpture to works on paper and video. Some of the artists have incorporated in their works ashes found at Ground Zero, on the site of the twin towers destroyed by terrorists.

VISIT – French President, François Hollande, will pay a two-day official visit to Romania as of Monday, alongside a delegation of ministers, businesspeople and MPs. The visiting French President is also due to meet his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, together with whom he will approach, among other issues, the future of the EU, ahead of the Bratislava Summit, due on September 16. During the visit, President Francois Hollande will attend together with Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos the inauguration of the Airbus helicopter factory in Ghimbav, near Brasov (central Romania). The investment stands at 40 million Euro, and the first civil helicopter will get out in the field in 2017, whereas the first military one is due in 2018. We recall that Klaus Iohannis paid his first bilateral visit abroad, in his capacity as Romanias president, to France, in February 2015.

SYRIA – In the Syrian capital city of Damascus, the government has expressed support for the envisaged agreement between the US and Russia, which is designed to ensure a nationwide ceasefire in Syria. A spokesperson for the Syrian opposition has said the plan offers room for hope, but underlined that more details are necessary on the way this agreement will be implemented. Washington and Moscow have announced the agreement is meant to re-launch the peace process in Syria and includes a nationwide ceasefire, as of Monday evening, improved humanitarian access and joint military actions against Islamist groups, that is the Islamic State and the former Al-Nusrah Front, affiliated to Al Qaida. The ceasefire should be used by the Syrian government and opposition to reach a political agreement, to put an end to the civil war that has already entered its sixth year. Over 250,000 people lost their lives so far, and millions of Syrian nationals were forced into fleeing their homes. The EU has hailed the agreement and called on the UNO to make ready negotiation proposals for political transition in Syria.

BLACK SEA TALL SHIPS REGATTA – The second edition of an international regatta of large sailboats began in the Romanian port of Constanta. 13 tall ships from six different countries will be racing up to Novorossiysk, in Russia. Afterwards, they will be heading for Sochi and then for Varna, in Bulgaria. During the race, the sailboats will be powered exclusively by wind. The use of engines is allowed only in emergency situations. (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

11 September 2016
August 24, 2016

EARTHQUAKE – An earthquake measuring 6.2 degrees on Richters scale rocked central Italy earlier today, taking over 40 lives and producing extensive material damage. According to Radio Romanias local correspondent, the mayor of Amatrice says the village has been reduced to rubble, with many people still caught under the debris. The village is located close to L’Aquila, where a similar tremor seven years ago left 309 people dead, 1,500 injured and produced material damage worth over 16 billion dollars. Todays tremor was also felt in northern and southern Italy and was followed by many aftershocks, which prompted many Italians, including those in Rome to go out of their homes. The Romanian relevant authorities have announced that no assistance request has been received so far from Romanian nationals.

TURKEY – The Turkish army and the anti-jihadist international coalition forces have today launched an operation to chase away the Islamic State terrorist group from the Syrian town of Jarablos, close to the border with Turkey, sources with the Turkish Prime Ministers office have announced. Turkish military sources have announced the artillery opened fire at the town, whereas US fighters pounded IS positions, as part of the operation. Also, Turkish military vehicles crossed the border into Syria, as part of the offensive. In the case of Turkey, this operation is motivated by the wish to prevent Kurdish militias from taking control of the locality and to open a corridor for Syrian moderate anti-governmental rebels, a Turkish high official has underlined.

AGRICULTURE – Romanian MPs on the agriculture parliamentary committee have held talks with representatives of the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA) on the subsidy allocation stage for Romanian animal breeders. The director of the aforementioned agency, Nicolae Horumba, has announced that most requests submitted by farmers for payments have already been approved. He has also announced that the other farmers, too, will receive subsidies by the end of the month. The meeting between the MPs and the APIA representatives takes place against the backdrop of several farmers having gone on hunger strike for days, being discontent with not receiving subsidies for 2015 in their entirety. They resorted to this extreme form of protest after the Agriculture Ministry failed to comply with the pledges it made, to pay by mid August, the 360 million Euros worth of subsidies for animals, from European funds.

BLACK RIBBON DAY– Romania signed yesterday in Bratisalva a declaration underlying its determination to protect democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The document was adopted by all delegations which attended the ministerial conference devoted to the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian Regimes. Attending the meeting organised by the Slovak presidency of the Council of the EU was also Romanian justice minister, Raluca Pruna. She reiterated that Romania had also signed a joint declaration issued by the line ministries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, which makes clear how the victims of totalitarian regimes should be recompensed and the way in which the justice systems of the aforementioned countries can be used to contain extremism. Attending the conference were also representatives of the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes in Romania.

CINEMA– The long reel by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is ranked 15th by 177 film critics around the world, asked by the BBC Culture to take part in a poll to determine the 21st Centurys 100 greatest films. “We believe that the new classics on this list are destined to become old classics. Whether or not that happens is ultimately up to you, the moviegoers, the BBC Culture editors say. Mungius film won the Palme d’Or at the 60th edition of the Cannes Festival, back in 2007. Ranking first is “Mulholland Drive, directed by David Lynch, followed by “In the Mood for Love, by Wong Kar-wai and “There Will Be Blood directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

SPORTS – Romanias football vice-champion, Steaua Bucharest, is facing Britains Manchester City, on home turf this evening, in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie. Steaua has practically lost any chance to advance to the group stage, after sustaining a 0-5 defeat in the first leg, but it is automatically qualified into the Europa League group stage. Romanias champion Astra Giurgiu on Thursday will also try to qualify into the Europa League group stage. Astra will play the return match in Great Britain, too, but it will be facing West Ham United, after ending the first match in a draw, 1-1, on home turf.

(Translated by Diana Vijeu)

24 August 2016
May 28, 2016

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, warned that Romania and Poland might be within the range of Russian missiles, in the context of their hosting elements of the American missile defence system, seen as a threat to Moscow, Reuters reports. Putin reiterated the warning concerning the anti-missile system in Romania, claiming that although Moscow had repeatedly said it would retaliate, Washington and its allies ignored the warnings. This month the American anti-missile system in Deveselu, southern Romania, became operational, and a similar operation is due in Poland. NATOs plans to place components of its missile defence system in Romania and Poland has generated tensions with Russia from the very beginning. Moscow views the military system as targeting its territory, although the Alliance has repeatedly explained it targeted the forces of countries like Iran and North Korea. The Deveselu military base is 180 km from Bucharest, and the shield is activated upon identification of hostile missiles by its fixed or mobile radars.

The Romanian Cultural Institute, the “Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi Institute and the Romanian Foreign Ministrys Department for Policies concerning the Romanians abroad are this year putting together a joint programme to celebrate the Day of the Romanian diaspora. The events, which take place today and tomorrow in Bucharest, bring together representatives of Romanian communities in the Balkan region as well as notable personalities that promote Romanias image. The programme includes a conference on the national identity abroad and the role of Romanian education. A fair will also be organized to showcase the traditions of the Romanian communities, and folk ensembles from Ukraine, Serbia, the Republic of Moldova and Romania will stage music and dance shows. The day of Romanians living abroad will also be celebrated in Cernauti, through 2 folklore performances, and in Madrid, which will host a Romanian traditional music concert.

The EU has extended by another year the sanctions against Syrias Bashar al Assad regime, until July 1, 2017. The measures include, among others, an oil embargo, investment restrictions, the freezing of the assets of the Syrian central bank in the EU, restrictions on technology and equipment exports that might be used for domestic repression. Also, some transactions, through which Bashar al Assads forces may intercept the opposition members calls and electronic communications are blocked. More than 200 individuals and 70 companies and institutions are subject to travel bans and account freeze measures, in response to the violent repression of civilians in Syria. Brussels also maintains its commitment to identifying a long-term solution for the Syrian conflict, and intends to help organize new peace talks between the parties.

Nearly 3,000 people attended on Friday in Cluj-Napoca the opening gala of the Transylvania International Film Festival, held in the citys central square. Todays agenda includes special events organized both in the city and at the Banffy Castle in the village of Bonţida, dubbed the Transylvania Versailles. The public will be able to watch some of the best Lithuanian productions, while at the Students Cultural Centre the Romanian astronaut Dumitru Prunariu will talk to those interested in films on that topic. Until June 5, more than 248 films will be screened, of which 216 feature films and 32 shorts. This years festival will include the Romanian premiere of Dogs, the winner of the Critics Award in Cannes. The special guest of the current edition of TIFF is actress Sophia Loren, who travels to Romania for the first time, to pick up a lifetime achievement award.

Two Romanian players have qualified for the eighth-finals of the Roland Garros tournament, the second Grand Slam of the year. Simona Halep, no 6 in the world, will take on the Australian Samantha Stosur (24 WTA), while Irina Begu (28 WTA) will be competing against the American Shelby Rogers (108 WTA) for a place in the quarter-finals. Halep and Stosur have so far played 7 times against each other, with the Romanian player winning four times. For Irina Begu on the other hand, this is the first eighth-final qualification, and she has never played against Rogers before. In the mens doubles, the Romanian/Indian pair Florin Mergea and Rohan Bopanna have also reached the eighth-final stage.

28 May 2016
May 4, 2016

The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, has today signed the decree that appoints Corina Şuteu as minister of culture. Corina Şuteu will be sworn in later today. The appointment of Ms. Şuteu comes after the PM Dacian Cioloş dismissed the previous culture minister, Vlad Alexandrescu, who was criticized for the way in which he managed the scandal at the National Opera House in Bucharest, where three managers were replaced in just one month. Corina Şuteu is a secretary of state with the Culture Ministry and was the director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York.

The Romanian prosecutors decided to start criminal prosecution for acts of thwarting disease fighting, in the case of disinfectants produced by a Romanian company and used in hospitals and other medical units. Other accusations refer to forging or substituting foods and other products. In another development, the Romanian Health Ministry will announce today the results of the tests made on the disinfectants used in hospitals, after a journalistic investigation revealed that the substances produced by the Romanian company had concentrations ten times smaller than the standard concentrations. According to the PM Dacian Cioloş a decision cannot be made at present, because Romania does not have a lab accredited to certify these results. The public health units have analyzed more than 2,600 samples of disinfectants taken from more than 200 hospitals from across Romania.

The UN Security Council is meeting today to debate the situation in Aleppo, in the north of Syria, while the US and Russia are making efforts to negotiate a truce, France Press reports. Moscow has expressed optimism over reaching a ceasefire agreement while the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, has warned the Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad that he will suffer the consequences of failing to observe the peace agreement negotiated at present. Over 270 people have been killed in Aleppo, the second largest city of Syria, since the resumption of fighting on April 22.

4 Romanian women tennis players have qualified in the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Madrid, which has prizes up for grabs worth 4.7 million dollars. Today Simona Halep (WTA 7th ranked) will take on the Swiss Timea Bacsinszky (WTA 15th ranked), Irina Begu (WTA 34th) will play against the American Christina McHale (WTA 59th) while Patricia Tig (WTA 134th) will be facing another American Madison Keys (WTA 25th). Sorana Cîrstea (WTA 217th) has also qualified in the eighth finals where she will take on the German Laura Siegemund (WTA 44th). The finals of the Madrid tournament might see two Romanians pitted against each other as Halep and Begu are on the same quarter of the table, so they could fight for a place in the semifinals if both of them defeat their adversaries.

The European Commission is presenting today the 3rd report on the progress reported by Turkey with a view to obtaining the visa waiver for the EU states. This is a condition requested by Ankara during the negotiations with the EU for signing the agreement that is to diminish the inflow of immigrants coming from Turkey and heading for Europe. Brussels has requested Ankara to observe a total number of 72 criteria, among which respecting the fundamental human rights. If Turkey complies with the requested criteria, the new visa waiver program will be enforced at the end of June. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

4 May 2016
Syria, Five Years of Conflict

On March 15, 2011, emboldened by the “Arab Spring, Syrian protesters took to the streets, confident that they would manage to bring democracy to the country. And now, five years on, Bashar al-Assad is still in Damascus, and things seem more complicated than ever. In terms of figures, the toll taken by five years of war is 470,000 dead, 70,000 of them from hunger and disease, 1.9 million injured, a few million refugees and millions others left destitute or displaced to the inner part of the country.

Foreign policy analyst Iulian Chifu spoke about the situation: “We have there not only the major nuclear powers for the first time since the Cuba 1962 situation, the US and the Russian Federation, but we also have there all the regional powers with military capabilities, and there is the possibility of an incident at any time, which could lead to an escalation of the conflict. We have there Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and all the factions of all colors, from al Qaida to al Nusra to the Islamic State – basically a powder keg that only needs a match to blow up the Middle East.

Moscows military intervention in Syria, which started in September 2015, introduced an alternative coalition to that formed already against the Islamic State, made up of Sunni Gulf states, Turkey, the US and the western states, Iulian Chifu recalls. The new coalition is made up of Russia, Iran, the pro-Shia government in Baghdad, Hezbollah, alongside Bashar al-Assads Alawites, a Shia axis that has lent increased relevance to ISIS, which managed to recruit 30,000 new combatants in 6 months, raising enormous amounts of money, according to Iulian Chifu. He made an analysis of the decisions made by president Putin to intervene militarily in Syria, then of pulling out, in late March, most of his troops and armaments from that country.

Iulian Chifu: “Fighting Islamic State and reducing in size the wave of refugees to Europe, the two objectives formally announced by President Putin at the beginning of this campaign, have not been reached – ISIS is going ahead just fine, and is even able to project force into the heart of Europe. At the same time, we see that the wave of refugees has only swelled up, not reduced. So what objectives has Russia reached? It set up a no-fly zone in Syria, most of Syria and certainly in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as a naval no-sail zone in the west of Syria and the port of Tartus area. This is a major strategic and military objective, it is the formula for access to the warm seas, and from this point of view the port of Novorossiysk and Crimea, which cover the entire Black Sea area, played an important role in terms of power projection. This is a Russian strategic objective. A second objective that seems to have been reached was that of taking Russia out of isolation, an isolation caused by the annexation of Crimea and its military aggression in eastern Ukraine. Moreover, the Russian Federation also has the ambition to have a say in the Middle East.

The Russian military intervention in Syria, allegedly against terrorism, was a game changer in the Syrian civil war, helping the regime army to go on the offensive again, regaining territory, forcing the rebels to seek a cease fire, giving Bashar al-Assad the opportunity to negotiate on his own terms, according to analysts. Syrian official Bashar Jaafari, speaking at the peace negotiations in Geneva, said, quote: “The US led international coalition has not succeeded in Syria because they did not coordinate with the regime. Russia was victorious because it coordinated with us. We are in favor of an international anti-terrorist coalition, but only as long as it coordinates with the Syrian government.

To ask the US and the West in general to negotiate with Bashar al-Assad is inconceivable today, according to analyst Iulian Chifu: “It practically means abandoning completely the Syrian opposition, maintaining the complicated situation in Syria, which is not new. The fact remains that Syria has a Sunni majority, but was led by an Alawite minority, high officials grouped around Bashar al-Assad, ruling with an iron hand. It was a balance that would eventually break. And the ‘Arab Spring was an opportunity for this balance to break, and get rearranged on democratic criteria. Which means that either the Syrian state will look differently, or the Sunni majority would naturally take control of this state. Or, obviously, there is the version of a deal, such as in Iraq or Lebanon, or power sharing between various religious and ethnic groups.

The feeble cease-fire observed now needs much more, to lead to peace. However, any transition government in Damascus should reflect the ethnic and religious reality in Syria, analyst Iulian Chifu believes.

1 April 2016
March 27, 2016 UPDATE

MESSAGE – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Sunday conveyed a message of solidarity with the victims of violence and intolerance. On the occasion of the Catholic Easter, Iohannis said in a post on his Facebook page that “these days, when we celebrate the gift of light and life, we should be close to all those who need our solidarity.” A German ethnic, President Iohannis is a Lutheran, the traditional religion of Transylvanian Saxons, who also celebrate Easter today. However, Iohannis attends the religious service at the Roman-Catholic Church in Sibiu, whose member his wife, Carmen, is. In Romania, about 1.5 million Christians are today celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The country’s majority Orthodox community and the Greek-Catholic believers will celebrate Easter on May 1st.

SECURITY – The terrorist threat in Romania is real, but things are kept under control, Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said. In an interview with a private TV station, Ciolos said that intelligence services must be provided with the instruments they need in order to monitor the situation without affecting transparency and citizens’ rights. Ciolos pleaded for a more thorough control of the prepaid phone cards sold, which in Romania can be purchased without checking the buyer’s identity, and explained that the issue was in the attention of the justice and interior ministers. Prepaid phone cards from Romania have been used during in preparation for the attacks in EU member countries, Ciolos pointed out.

SYRIA – The Syrian army supported by its Russian allies recaptured the city of Palmyra from the so-called Islamic State. Military sources say the Syrian army now has “full control”. Government forces had been on the offensive for nearly three weeks to try to retake this Palmyra that fell to the extremists last May. IS demolished some of the best-known monuments of this UNESCO world heritage site, including two large temples dating back more than 1,800 years and a Roman triumphal archway.

DNA – The head of Romania’s National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), Laura Codruţa Kövesi, will be interviewed on Monday at the Higher Council of Magistracy for another term as chief of the DNA. On February 29, Justice Minister Raluca Pruna proposed Kovesi for another term in office. Investigating high level corruption, recovering demages and confiscating illegal fortunes are among Kovesi’s goals for the new period. Her management project, posted on the website of the Higher Council of Magistracy, has been launched for public debate. Codruta Kovesi also palns to further reject any action aimed at intimidating or discrediting prosecutors. Under the Romania law, the DNA chief prosecutor is appointed by the head of state, at the proposal of the justice minister, with the advisory opinion of the Higher Council of Magistracy.

ANNIVERSARY – Thousands of people attended on Sunday in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova, the events marking the 98th anniversary of the union of Bessarabia with the Kingdom of Romania. The anniversary was celebrated in Romania and in the Romanian communties outside the country. On March 27, 1918, as the Russian Empire fell apart, the legislative body of Bessarabia voted in favour of the mostly Romanian-speaking province joining the Kingdom of Romania. The establishment of the Romanian nation state was to be completed late that same year with the union of Bukovina, in the north-east and Transylvania, Banat, Crisana and Maramures, which had that far been part of the Habsburg Empire. In 1940, further to an ultimatum, Moscow annexed both Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, which are currently part of the national territories of the ex-Soviet republics of Moldova and Ukraine.

DST – Clocks changed in Romania on Saturday night, when 3 am became 4 am. The practice, known as Daylight Saving Time, is meant to use sunlight as much as possible. In summer, clocks are turned forward by one hour. Now there is a 3-hour difference between Romanias time and UTC. Sunday is thus the shortest day of the year, with only 23 hours. More than 100 different countries worldwide use Daylight Saving Time. In Romania, this system has been used since 1932.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

26 March 2016
February 23, 2016

PROTEST – Over 500 miners from the Lonea mining exploitation have blocked themselves in the underground in token of protest against the current situation at the Hunedoara Energy Complex, in the centre of the country. Some of them have gone on hunger strike and one of them needs medical care. Some of those blocked in the underground already have health problems, because of the limited amount of air in the gallery. The miners do not intend to suspend the protest and wait for energy minister Victor Grigorescu to come at the Lonea Mine. They fear they would lose their jobs, because the Hunedoara Energy Complex has entered default of payment and might go bankrupt. In another move, the line minister said yesterday that the countrys energy strategy, which will be finalised this autumn, should look like a business plan, and should not be considered a mere public policy project. According to Grigorescu, placing the coal sector on the right base again, trading the Hidroelectrica company on the stock exchange and keeping nuclear energy experts in the country will be some of the elements included in the strategy.

DIASPORA– The Romanians living abroad are vectors of development and modernisation for the country, Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, had today told a conference in Bucharest, attended by representatives of the Romanian organisations in the Diaspora. The Romanian President has also said the Romanians presence abroad should be a matter of choice and not of necessity and promised, on short term, to initiate a partnership meant to render Romania a prosperous and strong state. In turn, Romanian Prime Minister, Dacian Ciolos, has made public the governments intention to take a series of measures to determine the Romanians living outside the borders of the country to get more involved in investment projects, encourage peoples return to rural areas, increase the scholarship fund, improve consular services and help them exert their own rights, such as the right to vote.

ECONOMY– The value of the merger and acquisition market in Romania increased by 160% in 2015, exceeding 3 billion Euros, a research conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers Romania shows. Most transactions were made in the industrial production sector and on the real estate market, with the average value of a transaction standing at 26 million Euros, PricewaterhouseCoopers Romania also shows. The significant growth of the local market is partly due to a similar evolution at international level, as the total value of global mergers and acquisitions in 2015 broke the historic high set in 2007. PricewaterhouseCoopers, headquartered in New York, is the largest professional consultancy and auditing service provider in the world.

HEALTHCARE- Cross-checks will be carried out in all hospitals in Romania between March 10th and 25th, healthcare minister Patriciu Achimas-Cadariu announced on Monday. The measure was taken after several babies from Arges County (in the south) were taken to the “Marie Curie Hospital in Bucharest, having been diagnosed with the hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The situation has brought to light a series of shortcomings in the healthcare system. Meanwhile, the situation of the seven hospitalised children has improved. Only one is still undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit. Two babies will be released from hospital this week. 3 children died this month of severe digestive problems. The epidemiological investigation coordinated by foreign experts, currently in Romania, continues.

JUSTICE – The European Court of Human Rights has today ruled against Romania in the Romanian Revolution file. The state should pay 15,000 Euros to each of the 17 plaintiffs, who lost relatives during the anti-communist Revolution. The file was opened in 2014 against the Romanian state by relatives of the victims of the December 1989 Revolution. The lengthy investigation in the December 1989 Revolution carried out by military prosecutors is the main issue reproached by the plaintiffs.

SYRIA– A ceasefire agreement will be enforced in Syria as of February 27, FP news agency quotes a joint Russian-American communiqué, released by the U.S. Department of State. The agreement excludes the Islamic State terrorist group and the Al-Nusra Front, the Al Qaedas branch in Syria. The government and the opposition in Syria stood for the ceasefire, but they put pre-conditions, which are difficult to meet. Russia and the US are co-chairs of the International Support Group for Syria, which is made up of 17 countries. UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has hailed the agreement, considering it a sign of hope for the Syrian population, but he drew attention that there is still a lot to be done to enforce it.

TENNIS – Romanian Simona Halep, the competitions second seed, is today playing Russian Elena Vesnina, in the second round of the Doha tournament, with 2.5 million dollars in prize money up for grabs. In the doubles, Simona Halep and Raluca Olaru of Romania lost in the first round to Andreja Klepac / Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia. On Monday evening, the pair made up of Romanian Monica Niculescu and Russian Margarita Gasparian qualified to the round of last sixteen of the Doha tournament, after securing a victory against the pair Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia)/Ekaterina Makarova (Russia). In the singles, Niculescu has qualified for the second round, after defeating German Sabine Lisicki on Monday. She will face Serbian Jelena Jankovic in the second round.

Translated by Diana Vijeu

23 February 2016
February 14, 2016 UPDATE

The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis is scheduled to have a meeting in Bucharest on Monday with the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk. The meeting will precede the European Council meeting of February 18 -19, when a political agreement may be reached regarding Britains requests for a change in the rules governing the European Union. According to the British Prime Minister David Cameron, the UK has made its future EU membership conditional on the adoption of these changes. A referendum will be held in Britain, possibly in June, regarding the countrys exit from the European Union.

The Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş will make a visit to Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, to talk to high EU officials, including the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz. The Romanian PM will present the priorities of his Cabinet, his economic development strategy, the administrative reform programme as well as the manner in which Romania intends to get involved in the current European debates. The talks will also approach the issue of migration, the energy union and energy security, the progress made by Romania under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism as indicated in the latest report of the European Commission, as well as the prospects for Romanias Schengen accession. Dacian Cioloş will also have talks with the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, with the European Commissions vice-president in charge with budget and human resources, Kristalina Georgieva, as well as with Romanian experts holding key posts in EU institutions.

The Parliament of Romania convenes on Monday, to discuss, among other things, a request sent by President Klaus Iohannis regarding the participation of the Romanian Army in the training of the Iraqi security forces, as part of the international coalition against the IS terrorist group. Romania will send 50 military personnel from fields such as special security forces, military intelligence and land troops, to train the Iraqi army. Klaus Iohannis has requested Parliament to approve this mission, which is to take place in 2016 alone.

The President of Russia Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Barack Obama agreed, during a telephone conversation on Sunday, to strengthen cooperation through diplomatic agencies and other entities to implement the Munich agreement on Syria, the Kremlin announced, according to Reuters. World leaders agreed on Friday on a temporary ceasefire in Syria, to begin in a week. According to the Russian presidency, during the talks participants reiterated the need for closer contacts between the Russian and American militaries, which would enable them to successfully tackle the IS and other terrorist groups. The two officials also discussed the importance of creating a common front against terrorism. The Syria situation was the key issue discussed at the Munich Security Conference these days.

The Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazăr Comănescu, is taking part on Monday in Brussels in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. The EU ministers will discuss a number of topical issues, including the political and economic situation in the Republic of Moldova and the ways in which the EU may assist this country, the prospects for the EU – Belarus relations, the recent developments in Syria from a humanitarian point of view and the outcomes of the February 4th Conference in London. The European officials will also exchange opinions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of Lebanon, Gebran Bassil, regarding the relations between the EU and Lebanon, and will analyse aspects of mutual interest related to the impact of the Syrian and Libyan crises on the Middle East region.

(translation by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

14 February 2016
February 14, 2016

The Black Sea region proves crucial in the current geopolitical context, both in terms of regional security and for the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region, said President Klaus Iohannis, in his address at the Munich Security Conference. He promised that Romania remains a pillar of democracy and stability in the region and may make a substantial contribution to solving the problems that generate instability in the Black Sea region, remaining a source of security at the eastern border of NATO and the EU. In Munich, President Klaus Iohannis had a meeting on Saturday with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, and told him Romania supported the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The two heads of state tackled some of the main issues on the bilateral agenda, ahead of the official visit that the President of Ukraine will make to Romania this year.

The international community is facing a moment of truth as regards Syria, said the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, as international leaders are convening today on the last day of the Munich Security Conference. The peace plan designed to secure a ceasefire between the Syrian governmental forces and the rebels within a week may only work if Russia ends its air raids in support of Bashar al-Assads government, the French Defence Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said during the conference. Russia must change its targets in Syria if it is to comply with the agreement designed to put an end to the war in Syria, the US Secretary of State John Kerry also said, adding that the US believes the vast majority of Russian attacks target legitimate Opposition groups. In an address at the same security conference, the Russian PM, Dmitri Medvedev, said there is no proof that the Russian air strikes have affected civilians.

The President of the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae Timofti, will be on a two-day official visit to Bucharest starting on Tuesday. He will have meetings with his counterpart Klaus Iohannis, with Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş, with the Senate Speaker, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, and other Romanian officials. The main topics to be discussed include the bilateral relations, the European agenda of the Republic of Moldova, as well as the economic, political and social cooperation between the two countries. President Timofti is also to hand out on this occasion the distinctions offered by Moldova to President Iohannis, to State Secretary Raed Arafat, head of the Emergency Department in the Interior Ministry, and to the popular actor Florin Piersic, who has recently turned 80.

Pope Francis believes the Catholic Church in Mexico must do more than just condemn drug trafficking. In a message on the first day of his five-day visit to Mexico, the Pope said drug trade was a test to the young and a cancer that destroys the Mexican society. On the other hand, on Friday the Pope and the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, called for the restored unity of the two churches. In a joint statement, they also urged the international community to protect the Christians in the Middle East against persecution. The talks were held on the airport in Havana, as Patriarch Kirill was on an official visit to Cuba, the first leg of his Latin American tour. This was the first meeting of a Pope and a leader of the Orthodox Church, after the Eastern and the Western Christian Churches split in the 11th Century.

The pair Horia Tecau (Romania) and Jean-Julien Rojer (the Netherlands), no. 3 WTA, failed to qualify to the doubles final of the Rotterdam tournament, which has 1.597.155 euros in total prizes. They were defeated by Philipp Petzschner (Germany) / Alexander Peya (Austria), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 11-9. Tecău and Rojer, seeded 1st, won the Rotterdam tournament last year, when they defeated Jamie Murray (UK) and John Peers (Australia) in the final. Tecău and Rojer also played in the doubles final in 2014, but were defeated by the French pair Mickael Llodra/Nicolas Mahut.

(translation by: Ana Maria Popescu)

14 February 2016
International Support for Syria

UN agencies dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Syria are to receive 11 billion dollars from donor countries by 2020. The money was pledged during a conference held in London on Thursday, where British Prime Minister David Cameron said the donors decided that half of the entire sum, six billion dollars be made available in the following months. Funds will mainly go into education programmes and the creation of fresh jobs.

Consequently, Syria’s neighbours, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey have pledged to provide access to education to more than one million refugee children from Syria, the most vulnerable category to the Jihadist radical propaganda. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon insisted that a labour market liberalization for the Syrian refugees by the states that are hosting them is vital.

Long term funding has also been taken into consideration so that Syria as well as other countries in the region, affected by armed clashes, can revitalize their economies, produce growth and rebuild infrastructure. The European Union will be doing everything in its power to grant a series of trade facilities to the countries that offered shelter to Syrian refugees, said the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, whose image has been severely affected by the decisions she made during the refugee crisis.

A relatively new and poor EU member, Romania has pledged 120 thousand dollars to the international community’s humanitarian efforts. Through a decision made on Wednesday, the technocratic cabinet in Bucharest has pledged this money as an emergency aid to the refugees. “Romania has joined the donor countries, and the humanitarian aid will go into UN coordinated programmes, such as the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan and the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan, institutional instruments of cooperation between UN agencies, created after the refugee crises had worsened”, a government communiqué says. Pundits have hailed the decisions in London, having cautioned, though, that the sums pledged are far from covering the economic expenses of the war in Syria or its regional impact.

World Bank forecasts published on Thursday set these costs at 35 billion dollars, but the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis remains incalculable. The conflict, which broke out in March 2011, following a series of peaceful demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad, has so far caused the death of 260 thousand people and the displacement of over 13 million others. Syria is presently ravaged by war, fueled by the government troops and the rebels, on one side, and by the ruthless Islamic State militants, on the other.

5 February 2016