Radio România Internațional

Tag: the Republic of Moldova

  • European integration, enshrined in Moldova’s Constitution

    European integration, enshrined in Moldova’s Constitution

    The Republic of Moldova adopted integration into the European Union as a strategic objective, by amending its Constitution. Approved by the October 20 referendum, the decision was published on Wednesday in the Official Gazette. The magistrates of the Constitutional Court confirmed the result of the referendum on October 31, after the Central Electoral Commission decided it was valid, the turnout at the polls being a little over 50%. The referendum was organized at the initiative of president Maia Sandu, who secured a new mandate following last month’s presidential election. Thus, in the new form, the fundamental law provides that integration into the European Union is a strategic objective of the state, the European course is irreversible, and the identity of the people of the Republic of Moldova is European. The new version of the Constitution also includes the fact that Romanian is the official state language in the Republic of Moldova. Analysts argue that, although pro-Kremlin forces could try to sabotage the European integration of the neighboring state, which has now become a strategic objective, it is hard to believe they will be able to form a majority in the remaining time. Political analyst Andrei Curăraru explains:

     

    “It is clear that pro-Kremlin forces will opt for a tough campaign. We may witness sabotage attempts related to the implementation of the framework of negotiations with the European Union through public demonstrations, rallies, protests that can turn violent, to show even Brussels that the Republic of Moldova, in fact, is not so pro- European Union, and that amending the Constitution does not essentially change the situation in the country”.

     

    In turn, the former president of the Constitutional Court in Chișinău, Alexandru Tănase, believes that amending the Constitution with the provisions voted in the referendum is a decision and a ruling of the Constitutional Court only.

     

    “As long as the Constitutional Court, the only constitutional authority with the power to verify the constitutionality of amendments brought to the Constitution, has ruled that this amendment is legal and legitimate, I don’t see who would bother to consider the point of view of the Kremlin or anyone else’s. Speculations will always be made, they will always try to compromise everything related to the European path of the Republic of Moldova, but that does not mean that it has any practical impact or can call into question the process of amending the Constitution”.

     

    Meanwhile, Chișinău announces a series of measures and reforms after the authorities claim they were the target of a disinformation and vote-buying operation in the presidential election and the referendum on the state’s European orientation. On Monday, President Maia Sandu will hold talks with political parties on the subject of justice reform and the fight against electoral corruption, after last week the Supreme Security Council discussed allegations of election fraud. (VP)

  • November 7, 2024

    November 7, 2024

    MINIMUM WAGE – The national minimum wage will go up to the equivalent of 810 EUR starting January 1, 2025, according to a government decree expected to be adopted in today’s meeting. The government’s decision practically complies with the European directive that requires that the minimum wage in member states should not be less than 50% of the average gross wage.

     

    EPC – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is attending the two-day Summit of the European Political Community (EPC) and the informal meeting of the European Council, organized in Budapest, the Presidency reports. President Iohannis will call for a united and firm position of European leaders regarding the security developments in the region, as well as the continuation of support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression. Also, the president of Romania will take part in a discussion panel addressing issues related to migration, on which occasion he will plead for the identification of solutions at European level in the field of managing illegal migration, in the short term, as well as through a more comprehensive approach in the long term, which would allow for greater cohesion and efficiency at European level in addressing this phenomenon. The European Political Community is an intergovernmental format of political dialogue between European states, seeking to boost cooperation on issues of common interest, in order to strengthen security and stability on the European continent.

     

    AGRICULTURE – The Common Agricultural Policy needs a separate budget, and farmers need to be sure they will receive the funds without limitations linked to the rule of law or other unrelated conditions, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, said in Bucharest. On the sidelines of his official visit to Romania, the EU Commissioner attended the National Conference of the Romanian Farmers’ Club jointly with the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu. The European official said that, at EU level, the agricultural trade balance with third countries reached a record surplus of 70 billion EUR in 2023. The Conference was attended by farmers, high-ranking Romanian and European officials with responsibilities in the development of agriculture policies and strategies, leaders in the field of agricultural technologies, as well as representatives of farmers’ associations at European and national levels.

     

    SEDM – The Republic of Moldova is a full member of the South-East Europe Defense Ministerial Process (SEDM), hosted by Tirana, Albania, Romania’s Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, said during a meeting with his Moldovan counterpart, Anatolie Nosatîi. Talks focused on recent security developments in the Black Sea region and Moldova’s European integration efforts. Minister Tîlvăr emphasized the importance of firm support for the Republic of Moldova in the face of security challenges and destabilization attempts, part of the hybrid actions of the Russian Federation. Angel Tîlvăr emphasized that the Republic of Moldova was the first state to sign a Partnership in the field of security and defense with the European Union, on May 21, a partnership that plays a key role in the modernization and strengthening of the armed forces of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    US ELECTION – Leaders from all over the world continue to react after Donald Trump announced his victory in the US presidential election. The current US President, Joe Biden, invited him to the White House and expressed his commitment to ensure a smooth transition. In turn, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, emphasized the “enduring alliance” and the “historic link” between the EU and the USA. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Donald Trump’s leadership will once again be essential to keeping the Alliance strong.

     

    GERMANY – Germany’s liberal party has announced that all its ministers will leave Olaf Scholtz’s governing coalition, after the Chancellor fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Social Democrat Scholtz thus remains without a majority in the Chamber of Deputies. Scholtz has announced a confidence vote for January 15, which is expected to pave the way for snap elections in March. The bone of contention between Scholtz and his Finance Minister was covering the 2025 budget deficit, at a time when Germany is going through its second year of recession. Several economic sectors are struggling and announcing layoffs, such as the car industry.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romanian football champions, FCSB, are tonight playing the Danish side FC Midtjylland at home, in a match counting towards the 4th round of Europa League. In the first three fixtures, FCSB grabbed two wins, 4-1, at home, against Rigas FS of Latvia, and 1-0, away from home, against the Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki, coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu, and sustained one defeat, in Scotland, 0-4 to Glasgow Rangers. (VP)

  • June 25, 2024 UPDATE

    June 25, 2024 UPDATE

    EU The ex-Soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on Tuesday officially kicked off their EU-accession talks. According to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, ‘the path ahead will be challenging, but also filled with immense opportunities for Moldova and Ukraine. Together, we can forge a larger, more dynamic and forward-looking Europe.” The first talks are taking place in Luxembourg and along the process Chisinau and Kyiv must bring their legislations in line with the EU one. According to Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, since they were given the candidate status the two countries have carried out adjustments in key areas proving their readiness to bring their legislation in line with that of the EU. Starting with these inter-governmental conferences, the accession roads of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are splitting now and the two countries will be treated differently, according to the speed they are applying reforms. Pundits believe this could be an advantage for the Republic of Moldova, which, from the European Commission’s viewpoint, has progressed better than Ukraine, heavily affected by war.

     

    DATE The ruling PSD-PNL coalition in Bucharest on Tuesday postponed their decision on the presidential election as they failed to reach an agreement in this respect after several hours of talks. Two days are being considered for the first round of voting, September 15th or 29th. The government has a deadline by the beginning of the next month to endorse an emergency ordinance over the presidential election schedule, if the ballot is to take place in September. However, the Liberals insist that the election be held later this year, although they had initially agreed for the month of September. They argue the September election will disrupt the beginning of the new school year and the election campaign will overlap the period of summer holidays. The Social–Democrats are ruling out the idea of changing the election date. The two parties also have to decide whether they will have one candidate or will each present their own candidate. On June 9th PSD and PNL ran on joint tickets in the election for the European Parliament but had their own candidates for the local administration.

     

    FUNDING On Monday Romania received close to EUR 1.1 bln from the European Union for projects in the energy sector, particularly for renewable energy production. According to an EU news release, Romania and 9 other countries received total funding of EUR 3 bln, intended for 39 programmes. The largest amount was given to Romania, followed by the Czech Republic (EUR 835 mln) and Poland (EUR 700 mln).

     

    THEATRE The Performing Arts Market opened in Sibiu (central Romania) on Tuesday as part of the famous Sibiu International Theatre Festival. Currently in its 27th edition, the Performing Arts Market has, this year as well, face-to-face, hybrid and online components. More than 80 officials for cultural organisations and institutions in over 30 countries convene in Sibiu to establish contacts and implement joint projects. The Festival founder and president, Constantin Chiriac, says this is the only performing arts market in Romania and in Eastern and Central Europe.

    (bill)

  • The economic forum Romania – The Republic of Moldova

    The economic forum Romania – The Republic of Moldova

    Romania and the Republic of Moldova want to connect their capital markets, the heads of the governments in Bucharest and Chisinau told a bilateral economic forum held in the Romanian capital city.

    The move would allow the Moldovan companies to expand and the state to take another step towards its EU integration. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that in the relationship between Romania and Republic of Moldova the time of flower bridges is over and now it’s the time for investment and the projects with an economic impact. He encouraged the companies in the neighboring state to use the Bucharest Stock Exchange until that in Chisinau has enough liquidity.

    Marcel Ciolacu: “The capital market is an essential pillar of the economic interconnection between the two countries. We have the energy zone, where this interconnection already functions at full throttle and which proved vital for the Republic of Moldova in the past year. All our efforts are destined to helping the Republic of Moldova to take big and steady steps to come closer to the European Union. We are helping it with top Romanian experts who are presently working in key positions in Chisinau. We are helping it with massive annual investments of hundreds of millions of Euros. We are helping it with a bilateral trade volume, which has tripled in the past decade. 

    In turn the head of the Moldovan government, Dorin Recean, has said the interconnection of the two capital markets is not easy to accomplish, but represents an opportunity for the companies in the Republic of Moldova to expand and go regional. He underlined that in spite of the war in neighboring Ukraine, the Cabinet in Chisinau has managed to stabilize the economy and the Republic of Moldova has a business-oriented fiscal-budgetary policy aimed at reducing bureaucracy, and digitizing the public services.

    Dorin Recean: ”What we need to do in the following period of time, is to attract investors, to attract the business environment to come and invest in the opportunities the Republic of Moldova offers. They already are in the energy sector, in infrastructure, the industrialization of agriculture, the IT sector, the pharmacy sector, the sector of electronic appliances. Today, Romania is the most important trade partner of the Republic of Moldova and we are glad the trade volume is on the rise.”

    The stock exchange is an extremely important pillar in supporting the economy and the local companies, the president of the Bucharest Stock Exchange, Radu Hanga said. He said the institution he leads is ready to offer expertise to its Moldovan counterpart, until the latter functions at optimum parameters and has the liquidity it needs.

    (bill)

  • January 18, 2024 UPDATE

    January 18, 2024 UPDATE

    LAWS The government
    in Bucharest on Thursday endorsed a series of bills to implement the solutions
    agreed upon after the talks it had with transporters and farmers following the
    latter’s protests of late. Among them there are amendments to the ways of
    weighing products at the border checkpoints. Aspects regarding the periodical
    technical checking of the vehicles registered in Romania and the professional
    certification of the specialized personnel in the field of road transportation
    have also been clarified. Under the new amendments, the prices of the mandatory
    insurance for trucks will go down. In another development, the government is
    granting a direct support of 100 Euros per hectare to the producers of
    vegetables in order to offset the losses they incurred due to the war in
    Ukraine. Farmers and transporters of Romania carried on their protests on
    Thursday for the ninth day in a row. They took to the streets of Afumati, a
    commune close to Bucharest, and to the checkpoints at the border with Ukraine. Also
    on Thursday, the mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, announced the local
    authorities approved a fresh protest on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in
    Bucharest. Five thousand people, 100 tractors and 100 tractor heads are to
    participate in the aforementioned protest. Another professional category who is protesting against the
    government’s austerity measures these days is the family physicians and the
    medical personnel in the outpatient care units.




    RATE According
    to data released by the EU statistical office, EUROSTAT, Romania was among the
    EU countries with the highest inflation rate, in December last year. The average
    inflation rate at EU level stood at 3.4 % in December higher than a month
    before, when it reached 3.1%. The EU members with the highest inflation rates
    were the Czech Republic with 7.6%, Romania with 7% and Slovakia with 6.6%. The
    lowest inflation rates were reported in Denmark, 0.4%, Italy and Belgium, each
    with 0.5%. As compared to November 2023, the annual inflation rate went down in
    15 member states, was stable in Spain and rose in 11 countries.




    DEFICIT Romania’s
    budget deficit this year will be around 5% of the GDP, Finance Minister Marcel
    Bolos has announced. He said that Romania is among the countries with significant
    deficits, and that ten countries, including Poland and France will enter the excessive
    deficit procedure. According to Bolos, the government in Bucharest has to carry
    on its fiscal-budgetary measures, projects related to digitization, or aimed at
    implementing an improved collection of taxes and fighting tax evasion.




    EU The
    European Commission has announced it kicked off a detailed research into the
    legislation of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the first step in the process
    of the two countries’ EU accession. The Commission is concurrently assessing
    the way in which, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have already applied what
    the EU has requested as a preliminary condition. The Community Executive is
    working on a draft of the negotiation framework with the two states, a document
    to be submitted to the Council for approval, which will also mark the formal
    opening of the accession negotiations. The decision to launch this process was made
    by the European Council in December 2023.


    (bill)

  • The Republic of Moldova to stage a referendum on Europe

    The Republic of Moldova to stage a referendum on Europe


    Maia Sandu, the incumbent President of the ex-Soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, says she wants to run again for president in 2024 and has pledged to accomplish the mission of the countrys European integration.


    After she had come to office in 2020, she called on Parliament to stage a referendum for the countrys EU accession. “In three years of my mandate we managed together with the citizens to keep peace in our country, strengthen the countrys independence, to have a government and kicked off negotiations for the Republics EU accession. Our future is in the European family and it is necessary that we tell the whole country what way we choose for the Republic of Moldova. I have called on Parliament to stage a referendum next autumn, in which the citizens vote will be decisive” – Sandu went on to say. Of course Chişinău will have to take more major steps in its European integration process, the Moldovan official added, giving assurances that she is ready to carry on this process. This would be Sandus third candidature. After she had lost the presidential seat to her pro-Russian opponent, Igor Dodon in 2016, she took revenge with a landslide victory four years later. We recall that in 2020, the leader of the pro-Western Action and Solidarity Party, a.k.a PAS, became president of the Republic of Moldova. A year later, this political force managed to get Parliament majority and step up its policy of coming closer to the EU and the USA. In 2022 the Republic of Moldova got the statute of EU accession candidate jointly with Ukraine. In 2023, the European leaders decided the republic should commence its accession negotiations in December with a new European Commission assessment scheduled for March 2024.


    During the Russian-Ukrainian war, Chişinău started talking about the Russian threat and cutting its ties with the Commonwealth of Independent States. In May, President Sandu accused Russia of having tried to overthrow the authorities in Chisinau. In the meantime, the opposition, including the Socialist Party of the former country president Dodon, believes the incumbent leadership is actually receiving orders from the western curators. The Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and Romania was the first state to recognize its independence. A year later, the breakaway region of Transdniester located between the Dniester and Ukraine de facto rejected Chisinaus authority following an armed conflict with hundreds of dead, which ended after the Russian troops had joined the separatists. Russian troops are still present in Transdniester, which is functioning almost as an independent region with a territory of 41 hundred square kilometers inhabited by half a million pro-Russians. The region has its own currency, passports and car registration plates, even if its not recognized by the international community.


    (bill)


  • Double EU aid for the Republic of Moldova

    Double EU aid for the Republic of Moldova






    For a long time included
    in specialized rankings as the poorest European state, the Republic of Moldova
    (ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking) is dependent on the financial
    assistance of Western partners. Things got worse after, on February 24, 2022,
    Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Moldova had to manage a huge flow of Ukrainian
    refugees, to find solutions to the economic issues caused by
    the war in the neighboring country and to resist the assiduous attempts of
    Moscow, which has never accepted the idea that there is a pro-Western regime in
    Chisinau, to destabilize the political situation in that country.




    The state of emergency
    in Moldova has actually been extended by 60 days, starting June 4. The decision
    was motivated by the risks and threats generated by the war unleashed by the
    Russian Federation in Ukraine. According to the authorities, the republic is
    exposed to asymmetric threats and a wide spectrum of manifestations of hybrid
    warfare. The risk of new cyber attacks on public institutions and critical
    national infrastructure was also raised. The Republic, therefore, still needs
    the legal mechanisms related to the state of emergency, in order to manage any
    unpredictable developments.




    Against this
    distressing background, the Council of the European Union decided, on Tuesday,
    to practically double the macro-financial aid earmarked for the Republic of
    Moldova, from 150 to 295 million euros. Last month, the Romanian MEP Siegfried
    Mureșan (PPE-PNL), the head of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU -
    Moldova Association Committee stated: we offer the Republic of Moldova
    the financial support it needs to ensure that, throughout this year, the
    Government has sufficient funds available to support people and ensure economic
    stability. He added that the Republic of Moldova is a candidate
    state for EU accession and we must help it overcome the challenges it faces and
    continue its European integration.




    Also on Tuesday, the
    member states of the European Union adopted sanctions against seven people,
    accused, in particular, of being connected with Russia’s efforts to
    destabilize the Republic of Moldova. Their assets will be frozen inside
    the Union, where their access will also be banned. According to Brussels, the
    seven are politicians and
    businesspeople of Moldovan or Russian nationality who engaged in destabilizing
    activities, by planning violent demonstrations or by supporting the Russian
    Federal Security Service (FSB).




    The decisions adopted
    by the community leaders preface the Thursday meeting in the Republic of
    Moldova of leaders from almost 50 countries, for the second summit of the
    European Political Community (EPC), whose assumed values ​​are democracy,
    respect for human rights and the rule of law . (MI)



  • EU decisions regarding Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova

    EU decisions regarding Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova

    Eurosceptics and pro-Europeans less confident in the solidity and cohesion of the community bloc, put to the test over the past year, were proven wrong. Despite the inherent hesitations, when national interests were at stake, and the marginal opposition of Hungary, the countries of the European Union positioned themselves correctly towards the Russian aggression in Ukraine. The harsh sanctions against Moscow and the unconditional support given to Ukraine on multiple levels bear witness. And the EU members made another difficult decision: they considerably reduced their dependence on Russian gas and oil, assuming the consequences of the energy crisis getting deeper.



    Russia’s aggression on Ukraine has dominated, since its debut, a year ago, the meetings of the EU foreign ministers. It was also the case on Monday, when the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced a tenth package of sanctions against Russia. The measures would target four more Russian banks, as well as imports from Russia, including of rubber, and exports to Russia, including, among other things, heavy machinery.




    Borrell said that Russia has intensified its attacks and, as such, Ukraine needs more substantial arms deliveries at a faster pace. He believes that, given that the European production of armaments cannot increase from one day to the next, one of the solutions would be the delivery of the armaments already stockpiled in the member countries. On the other hand, the European Union wants to sanction the entities that deliver weapons to Russia, as is the case with Iran.



    Present at the meeting, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, proposed to his EU counterparts to draw up a separate package of sanctions targeting entities or persons who try to destabilize the Republic of Moldova, as part of the hybrid war waged by Russia in the area of ​​Ukraine. Among these pro-Russian entities are politicians and oligarchs from Chisinau. Aurescu mentioned the need for establishing a civilian EU mission for Moldova and supporting the setting-up of a center to combat disinformation.



    As regards European integration, the Romanian minister stressed the need for the irreversible anchoring of the Republic of Moldova into the EU, with an emphasis on the creation of an action plan for integration on the internal market and interconnection with the EU in the field of electricity, through Romania. As for Ukraine, Aurescu recalled the multidimensional support that Romania provided over the past year – the transit of approximately 13 million tons of exported Ukrainian grain, economic facilities, the opening of new border points to increase connectivity, support for refugees and humanitarian aid, bilateral assistance to support the European path of Ukraine.



    Bucharest stands for a rapid adoption of new sanctions against Russia, the continuation of financial assistance and the intensification of efforts to find legal ways to hold accountable those guilty of the atrocities committed in Ukraine. (MI)

  • June 17, 2022 UPDATE

    June 17, 2022 UPDATE

    EU – The European Commission has recommended Member States to grant EU
    candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, European Commission
    president, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Friday. Romania’s president,
    Klaus Iohannis, hailed the Commission’s decision, saying this is a well-deserved
    step forward for the citizens of the two states. We will continue to actively
    support Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia in their efforts to become
    members of the European Union family, Iohannis wrote on Friday on social
    media. On Thursday, during his visit to Kyiv, France’s president, Emmanuel
    Macron, said France, alongside Germany, Italy and Romania, supports the idea of
    immediately granting candidate status to Ukraine. In turn, Ukraine’s
    president, Volodymyr Zelensky, described the visit of the leaders of France,
    Germany, Italy and Romania as a historical moment. Ukraine enjoys the support
    of four strong European states, Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine is closer to
    the EU than ever. On the other hand, the spokesperson of the Russian Foreign
    Ministry, Maria Zakharova, reacted to the Commission’s decision, accusing the
    EU of manipulating Ukraine with respect to EU accession.




    VISIT – Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday said NATO has the
    capacity of dealing with any threats and provocations, current or prospective. The
    head of state met King Philippe of Belgium at the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase in Constanța
    County. President Iohannis thanked Belgium for the important contribution of
    its military to NATO missions in Romania. Together
    we are stronger and more efficient in our common effort to consolidate the
    security of Euro-Atlantic space and of our citizens, the president said. In
    turn, the King of Belgium expressed hope the war in Ukraine would end soon,
    pointing out that the West’s support will continue even after the war is over. NATO
    was quick to respond, it brought troops and equipment on the Eastern Flank.
    Your presence here, militaries from seven NATO countries, far away from your countries,
    at times having to deal with difficult circumstances, proves that NATO
    solidarity is being tested in critical moments, King Philippe said. On
    Wednesday, France’s president Emmanuel Macron also visited the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase in Constanța
    County. On this occassion, president Klaus Iohannis said the two countries are
    bound by excellent ties. Cooperation between Romania and France in the field of
    security has gone up significantly in recent months, amidst the Russian
    invasion of Ukraine, the Romanian president said, again expressing gratitude for the presence of
    French troops in Romania and for France taking command of the NATO battlegroup
    in our country.




    TAXATION – The National Fiscal Administration (ANAF) will perform
    additional controls starting July 1 to examine the financial statements of
    people suspected of tax evasion. The administration chief, Lucian Heiuș, said Friday that ANAF has identified a 20-billion-EUR
    difference between the estimated and declared income in the case of 560
    thousand people. Lucian Heiuș said the number
    of teams inspecting financial statements will increase from 22 at present to
    100, while the number of inspectors will be further supplemented started next
    year.




    REFUGEES – The Romanian Border Police has
    announced that 100,644 people entered Romania on Thursday, of whom 9,766 are
    Ukrainian citizens. Of these, 5,557 crossed the border into Romania from
    Ukraine and 1,156 from Moldova. Since February 24 until Thursday, some
    1,221,710 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.


    TENNIS -
    Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea on Friday
    advanced to the semifinals of the WTA 250 tournament in Birmingham after
    defeating Donna Vekic of Croatia (WTA 92), score 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. Also on Friday,
    Simona Halep ousted Katie Boulter of the United Kingdom, 6-4, 6-1. On Thursday,
    Gabriela Ruse was knocked out by eighth-seed Shuai Zhang of China, 6-2, 2-6,
    7-5. (VP)





  • International support for Ukraine

    International support for Ukraine

    Western states and institutions will continue to provide support in any
    way possible to Ukraine, including by adopting new sanctions against Russia and
    continuing to isolate Moscow on the global stage. These are the conclusions of
    the first round of consultations called by US president Joe Biden and attended
    by NATO, EU and G7 leaders. Representing Romania was president Klaus Iohannis.
    According to the Presidency, global leaders analyzed the security context and prospects,
    as well as the serious humanitarian crisis resulted from the withdrawal of
    Russian troops from occupied regions. They condemned the crimes against
    civilians and the massive destruction caused in residential areas and the
    damages to civilian infrastructure, and reiterated their firm support for the activity
    of the International Criminal Court in investigating, judging and sentencing
    those responsible.

    In his address, president Iohannis highlighted the crucial
    importance of maintaining close cooperation and unity at Euro-Atlantic level,
    as well as with all partners who share the same vision. The Romanian president firmly
    condemned the crimes committed by Russian troops against the civilians and the
    continuous bombing targeting civilian targets. On the other hand, Klaus
    Iohannis referred to Romania’s actions to support Ukraine at political,
    logistical and humanitarian level. Additionally, Romania helps hundreds of
    thousands of Ukrainian refugees who enter the country, including by providing
    them with accommodation. The president also underscored the broad impact of the
    current crisis on the security framework on the eastern flank, especially in
    the Black Sea. Klaus Iohannis reaffirmed the importance of swiftly implementing
    the decisions of the extraordinary NATO summit of March regarding the
    accelerated setup of a battlegroup in Romania, as a first step towards balancing
    and consolidating NATO’s long-term presence on the eastern flank.

    According to
    the Romanian president, the serious security situation once again proves the
    need to consolidate NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in the region, and
    also referred to the decisions regarding the transformation and long-term adaptation
    of the Alliance, which are expected to be discussed at the NATO Summit in
    Madrid in June. Romania’s president also underlined the need to support the
    efforts of the Republic of Moldova at political and economic level with a view
    to managing the flow of Ukrainian refugees, as well as to help this country
    deal with the energy crisis. The Romanian official also called for firm and
    coordinated action in order to eliminate energy reliance on Russia, saying that
    sanctions turned out to be an effective instrument. (VP)

  • The Republic of Moldova, a questionnaire for Europe

    The Republic of Moldova, a questionnaire for Europe


    Just a few weeks after the Moldovan authorities signed the application for EU membership, the Republic of Moldova received on Monday from the Commission the questionnaire based on which the application will be assessed. The document, which Chisinau will have to complete in order to officially start the accession process, was handed over in Luxembourg to the Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu.



    This questionnaire serves as a basis for accession negotiations and is a first step in a long process that should bring Moldova the official status of a candidate country for EU accession. Specifically, the questionnaire contains a number of questions. Each state that has joined the Union so far has received this questionnaire. Following Russias invasion of Ukraine, the neighbouring country as well as the Republic of Moldova and Georgia have applied to become members of the EU.



    As for Chisinau, Nicu Popescu has said that the team that will work on filling in this questionnaire is ready to start working. Nicu Popescu:



    “The answers we will give to the questions in this questionnaire will be an x-ray of our current situation, showing how prepared we are for EU membership and, at the same time, will show us where we need to put more effort. Our country is accelerating its journey along the European path. We have stated many times that we are part of Europe not only geographically, but also through the identity we carry, the values ​​we share, the Romanian language, the official language of the European Union we speak and the common history we have. A period of intense work awaits us, so starting today, when we received the questionnaire, the institutions are ready to provide the necessary information as soon as possible”.



    Nicu Popescu has given assurances that the document will be completed in a few weeks, and other details about the next steps in Chisinaus European integration process will most likely be provided in June. From Bucharest, Romania insists on both the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine and Georgia be received in the European Union as soon as possible, after the invasion launched by Russia.



    “The handing over of the accession questionnaire by the European Commission is an important step on the European path taken by the Republic of Moldova, and Romania is by its side and offers its full support,” President Klaus Iohannis wrote on social media. The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, present in Luxembourg, gave assurances that Bucharest would assist Chisinau during the entire process of European integration. (MI)



  • A complicated situation in the Republic of Moldova

    A complicated situation in the Republic of Moldova

    Following a decision made by the Parliament in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian speaking population, is in a state of emergency until May 30th. The acting Prime Minister Aurel Ciocoi decided to ask Parliament to declare a state of emergency because of the epidemiological situation triggered by the spread of the novel coronavirus. According to Radio Chisinau, however, no concrete sanitary or economic measures have been established, only more Government prerogatives for the enforcement of special conditions regarding circulation, work and quarantine.

    Rumor has it that the decision is about elections. Criticized by the parliamentary opposition, which claims the decision is actually about putting off snap parliamentary elections, the state of emergency bill was initiated by the Socialist deputies headed by the former pro-Russia president Igor Dodon, and the Shor party, which the recently elected president Maia Sandu would like to see having less influence in parliament, in order to be able to implement her pro-European plans.

    Deputy Mihai Popsoi, from the Action and Solidarity Party has stated:

    Two weeks ago, your leader, Mr. Dodon, said there were no grounds or need for declaring a state of emergency. What has changed since then? I have an answer to that: the conditions for dissolving parliament. The only plan is to push this as farther as possible or avoid early elections

    In response, the Socialist Vasile Bodea has said:

    60 people died yesterday of Covid-19. This is what has changed. We could soon reach 100 dead per day.

    As no elections may be held during the state of emergency, some pundits say that the Party of Socialists wants to stall and has no problem using a social issue in order to reach its goal. The Socialists say that they will not allow any snap elections in the time of pandemic and accused the presidential administration of cynical actions, ready to put people’s lives at risk for personal and party interests.

    On the other side, President Maia Sandu has recently notified the Constitutional Court about the fact that all legal conditions have been met for the dissolution of Parliament. Maia Sandu says that the Legislative has twice failed to appoint a Government, and also that the current parliamentary majority favors corrupt parties and is not at all interested in finding solutions that would benefit the citizens.(MI)

  • The Republic of Moldova ahead of parliamentary elections

    The Republic of Moldova ahead of parliamentary elections

    Four years since the latest round of
    legislative elections held in late 2014, the Moldovan Parliament will have a
    new membership. The elections of February 24 will be based, for the first time,
    on the mixed voting system, with 50 MPs elected on party lists and 51 others
    elected in their constituencies, by means of uninominal voting, in only one
    round. Simultaneously with the elections, a referendum will be held on downsizing
    the number of MPs from 101 to 61 and introducing the possibility of citizens
    removing them.

    Just like before in Moldova (set up on part of the Romanian
    eastern territories annexed by the former Soviet Union in 1940, following an
    ultimatum) the ballot will express not only a political but also a
    geo-political choice. Opinion polls on voting intention show that only four
    political parties stand chances of being represented in the new Moldovan
    Parliament. The pro-Russian Socialists of president Dodon are the favourites,
    with some 40% of the voting intentions, followed by the ACUM bloc, an electoral
    cartel of the pro-European right wing, with some 25% and the West-leaning
    left-of-centre Democratic Party, the senior party in the ruling coalition, with
    15%.

    Consequently, the Republic of Moldova is again at a critical moment in its
    development, and internal and external forces are trying to destabilise and
    divide society, the US ambassador to Chisinau, Derek J. Hogan, has overtly
    warned. Just like Bucharest and Brussels, Washington deems the parliamentary
    elections as a crucial test. The American diplomat has also said the United
    States calls on the authorities at all levels, to ensure a free, fair and
    transparent electoral process, for all the candidates to have the chance to participate
    in this process on an equal footing, without fearing harassment or
    intimidation.

    The Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, Andrian Candu (a member
    of the Democratic Party), has expressed confidence that the Republic of Moldova
    will have a pro-western government after the elections too, even if the ballot is
    to be won by the Socialists, because they will not have the necessary number of
    votes to form a majority. He has added that Chisinau’s European commitment is
    so strong that it is ready to relinquish the reintegration of the pro-Russian
    region of Transdniester (in the east), which actually took out from under the
    central authorities’ control as early as 1992, following an armed conflict
    which left hundreds of dead and which was ended by the intervention of Moscow’s
    troops, on the separatists’ side.

    On behalf of neighbouring Romania, the
    Romanian ambassador to Chisinau, Daniel Ioniţă, has also promised that in the
    current semester, when Romania is holding the rotating presidency of the
    Council of the European Union, the neighbouring republic will enjoy a special
    place on this presidency’s agenda.



  • October 17, 2018

    October 17, 2018


    VISIT – Todays has been the last day of the visit Romanias president Klaus Iohannis paid to Italy. The president has had a meeting with the mayor of Naples, Luigi de Magistris, focusing on the Romanian community in Italy, made up of approximately 1.2 million people. Klaus Iohannis has hailed the fact that the Romanian community is growing more active, more involved and more capable of doing business, contributing to arts and sciences and to the development of the society that has welcomed them. Previously, he had formal meetings with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella, the president of the Council of Ministers Giuseppe Conte, the Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico. Also, Klaus Iohannis had a meeting with the mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, and talked with representatives of the Romanian community in Italy. The Romanian Presidential Administration has recalled that the visit paid by Iohannis to Italy took place against the background of this years celebration of 100 years since the Great Union and of 10 years since the ties between Romania and Italy were lifted to the level of consolidated strategic partnership. This is the first visit paid by a Romanian head of state to Italy in the past 45 years.



    COOPERATION – The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila continues her visit to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Yesterday, in Dubai, during the meeting she had with Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Ms. Dancila presented the latest investment opportunities in Romania and encouraged the companies in the Arab Emirates to participate in tenders organized either for projects funded from the existing operational programmes, or for public-private partnership projects. She stated that Romania will keep paying special attention to the eastern neighborhood of the EU, especially given that our country will be holding the presidency of the EU Council for six months. Trade exchanges between Romania and the United Arab Emirates exceed 366 million Euros. Another 70 million come from exchanges of services. Moreover, there are 70 companies from the Emirates operating in Romania, with a total capital standing at 24 million Euros. Previously, the Romanian Prime Minister had paid a visit to Turkey.



    MOTION – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies has today rejected the simple motion filed by the opposition National Liberal Party against the Minister of Culture, George Ivascu, after debates held on Monday. The Liberals say culture in Romania is in a grave situation, needing urgent solutions for the many problems it is faced with. In turn, minister George Ivascu has stated that the motion included distorted information and superficial accusations, which prove nothing but ill faith. The National Liberal Party has filed another motion today, this time against the Minister of Waters and Forest, Ioan Denes, accusing him of incompetence.



    VISIT – The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, starts today a two day visit to the Republic of Moldova, the former Soviet country with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population, aimed at boosting bilateral relations. Besides talks with the president of the country Igor Dodon and the pro-European prime-minister Pavel Filip, a joint strategic cooperation declaration will also be signed. Radio Chisinau reports that Erdogans visit is taking place against the background of a recent scandal concerning the detention and expulsion from Moldova of seven teachers from the Moldovan-Turkish High-School, accused of being members of the network headed by the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen is accused by the power in Ankara of having organized the attempted coup in Turkey, two years ago.



    OLYMPIAD – Romanian pupils have won five medals – two gold, on silver and two bronze – at the International Astronomy Olympiad, held over October 6-14 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The competition brought together 80 contenders from 18 countries. Romanian pupils have had great results this year in other competitions as well: 9 prizes at the International French Language Olympiad in Ohrid, Macedonia, 5 medals from the International Physics Olympiad in Lisbon, 4 medals from the Central European Olympiad in Informatics and 4 medals from the International Earth Science Olympiad in Warsaw.



    FOOTBALL – Romanias under-21 football team has qualified for the UEFA Under-21 Championship due next year, after defeating Liechtenstein 4-nil on Tuesday, on home turf, in Ploiesti. That was its last game in Group 8 of the preliminaries. Romania has thus managed to qualify for the second time for a European Youth Championship, after the one of 1998 when the final tour was held in Bucharest. The European Championship will be hosted by Italy and San Marino in June 2019, with 12 teams participating. The countries that have qualified so far are Italy, Spain, France, England, Serbia, Germany, Croatia, Denmark, Belgium and Romania.


  • Romania supports the European integration of the Republic of Moldova

    Romania supports the European integration of the Republic of Moldova

    On Monday, at the EUs Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu again mentioned the importance Romania attaches to the stepped-up economic integration and political association of the ex-Soviet republics of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine with the European Union.



    These countries already concluded association and free-trade agreements with Brussels and for quite some time they were perceived as champions of the Eastern Partnership, which also includes Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. Bucharest believes that ensuring stability, security and prosperity in the region hinges on the very ability of these countries to deepen and multiply their connections with the West.




    The Romanian Foreign Minister pledged that the Eastern Partnership would be a top priority of Romanias mandate at the helm of the European Union, due to begin in the first semester next year.




    Founded on part of Romanias eastern territories annexed by Moscow following an ultimatum back in 1940, the Republic of Moldova has always enjoyed a privileged place in the Romanian diplomacy agenda. Romania has always been the most active and consistent advocate of the integration aspiration of the neighbouring country and for this reason Romania cannot conceal its concern about the ups and downs of democracy in this country.




    Minister Melescanu has told Radio Romania in an interview that the Europeans are worried about the latest developments in Chisinau, after the cancellation last month of the mayoral election in that country.




    Teodor Melescanu: “There is concern about the latest events in the Republic of Moldova and not only at the level of the EU, the European Commission but also at the European Parliament level. Ive repeatedly said that from our point of view it is an extremely dangerous situation to have a mayor elected through popular vote invalidated by a court ruling lacking any specified legal ground. For me, however, the message I have conveyed is that keeping Moldova on its European track is a priority.




    Earlier, the ambassadors of the EU countries accredited to Chisinau had told Prime Minister Pavel Filip that the invalidation of last months election and the way in which the decision was made was depriving the citizens of their democratically-elected mayor, pro-European Andrei Nastase who had obtained a decisive win against his opponent, pro-Russian Ion Ceban.




    The community executive has announced however that until the political conditions related to democracy, the rule of law and human rights in the Republic of Moldova are met, the first installment in the macro-financial assistance of 100 million Euros, will remain suspended.