Radio România Internațional

Tag: Turkey

  • April 17, 2017 UPDATE

    April 17, 2017 UPDATE

    2nd Day of Easter — Christians from all over the world, including from Romania, a majority Orthodox country, have entered Easter Week, when celebrations devoted to Christ’s Resurrection continue. The celebration of Christ’s Resurrection, the most important of Christianity, has been devoted three days. On Monday, the second day of Easter, priests officiated the same service as on the Resurrection night. Their vestments are white and during this week everything is under the sign of Light, a symbol of Christ’s Resurrection. During Easter Week, Christians greet each other saying Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!



    Madrid visit — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday started a private visit to Spain, which will last until Saturday, the presidential administration has announced. On Easter night the president was in Sibiu (in central Romania) together with his wife to attend the religious service at the “Holy Trinity” Roman-Catholic Church. In the message President Klaus Iohannis conveyed on Easter he made warm wishes to all Romanians in the country and abroad and said the spirit of this holy celebration should give us confidence to look at the future with optimism.



    Referendum — Turkey’s referendum on expanding the prerogatives of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was unbalanced, stated on Monday a common mission of observers of the OSCE and of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). The referendum was an “unlevel playing field” and the two sides of the campaign “did not have equal opportunities”, said Cezar Florin Preda, the head of the PACE delegation. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, won by a narrow margin the referendum, which grants him sweeping new powers. While the main opposition party questions the legitimacy of the referendum, saying that the vote was marked by illegalities, the Turkish president told his supporters that he would promulgate the constitutional amendments that could allow him to stay in power for another 12 years. His plans after the victory focus on concentrating power in the hands of the president, who will be able to keep his political affiliation, on scrapping the position of prime minister, on electing the high-ranking magistrates and dissolving Parliament. European leaders are reticent at the results of the referendum held in Turkey. According to news agencies, the EU and the Council of Europe highlighted that the result of the referendum was tight, a fact which, alongside the implications of the constitutional changes that will be made, should be a reason for Ankara to look for international consensus as regards their implementation.



    Alert and warning drill — An alert and warning drill will take place all across Romania as of Tuesday until Friday. During this period of time sirens will be tested alternatively between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. People will hear the alert signal made up of five different sounds, each lasting 16 seconds. The secretary of state with the Interior Ministry, Raed Arafat, has pointed out that this is the largest testing drill organized in the past years and that it is aimed at checking if the alert sirens are heard by the population in the areas covered by the alert and warning system. In Bucharest there are 400 sirens while in the rest of the territory there are 7,000 such alert systems. The systems are placed mainly in those areas with high technological or radioactive risk.



    Beijing — China has announced that its economy has grown in the first quarter of 2017 by 6.9%, which points to a higher growth rate than in the previous forecasts. The data show that the world’s second largest economy is getting stabilized, after the Chinese authorities had recently announced the slowest pace of growth of the past 26 years. (translation by L. Simion)

  • January 21, 2017

    January 21, 2017

    FIRE — Over 40 people were wounded in a fire on Saturday morning that burned down one of the largest clubs in the capital city Bucharest. One person is in critical condition. The list of wounded includes Israeli and Bulgarian citizens. Eye-witnesses say they sensed a smell of burned electric wires, others say the people inside were smoking. Prosecutors have started criminal proceedings for aggravated criminal damage. Representatives of the District 2 City Hall say the club did not own a functioning permit, although it had a certified emergency evacuation plan. President Iohannis said that rules and regulations were violated on Saturday night, and society will always be at risk unless everyone observes the law. We recall that in October 2015, some 64 people were killed and over 100 were wounded in the Colectiv nightclub fire in Bucharest, which led to massive anti-government protests.



    AVALANCHE IN ITALY — Four people were rescued on Saturday night from under the snow and rubble covering the remains of the hotel in Pescara province, central Italy, which was hit by an avalanche on Wednesday. Rescuers have discovered the bodies of two women, raising the toll victim to four. Rescue teams say another 15 people, both tourists and hotel employees, are still missing. The Romanian Foreign Ministry reports that the third Romanian citizen, a minor, has also been rescued, and will join her mother and brother, who are also alive and well. The three were in the hotel along with some 27 other people when the avalanche hit.



    PARTNERSHIP — Romania’s ambassador to Washington, George Maior, said after meeting with members of the Congress, the Congress leadership and Republican politicians, as well as with members of the new Trump administration, that he is confident Romania’s Strategic Partnership with the United States will continue to develop. George Maior made the statement on the public television station on Friday night, after the swearing-in of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Maior also said he had talks with Donald Trump’s new security advisor, General Michael T. Flynn, who knows Romania well, and who promised he would visit the region and Bucharest soon. Additionally, George Maior said that in terms of intelligence services, Romania ranks third or fourth as regards cooperation with the US at international level, adding however that this is an assessment of US intelligence agencies.



    TURKEY — The Parliament in Ankara has adopted a draft law on constitutional reform aimed at extending the prerogatives of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also creating the context of holding a referendum in spring. The reform allows the president to issue decrees, declare state of emergency, appoint ministers and other officials and to dissolve Parliament. Erdogan claims the reform is aimed at ensuring stability in Turkey, at a time of great turmoil. Meanwhile his detractors say the draft law will allow him to stay in power until 2029 and will fuel totalitarianism in Turkey, a NATO Member State and an EU candidate state.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis players Irina-Camelia Begu and Horia Tecau on Saturday qualified to the second round of the mixed doubles at the Australian Open, the first grand slam tournament of the year. The two ousted Vania King of the US and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan, 6-3, 6-4. In the next round, the two will go up against Abigail Spears of the US and Juan Sebastian Cabal of Columbia. Also on Saturday, Raluca Olaru of Romania and Olga Savchuk of Ukraine lost to Raquel Atawo of the United States and Yifan Xu of China in three sets, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • January 21, 2017

    January 21, 2017

    FIRE — Over 40 people were wounded in a fire on Saturday morning that burned down one of the largest clubs in the capital city Bucharest. One person is in critical condition. The list of wounded includes Israeli and Bulgarian citizens. Eye-witnesses say they sensed a smell of burned electric wires, others say the people inside were smoking. Prosecutors have started criminal proceedings for aggravated criminal damage. Representatives of the District 2 City Hall say the club did not own a functioning permit, although it had a certified emergency evacuation plan. President Iohannis said that rules and regulations were violated on Saturday night, and society will always be at risk unless everyone observes the law. We recall that in October 2015, some 64 people were killed and over 100 were wounded in the Colectiv nightclub fire in Bucharest, which led to massive anti-government protests.



    AVALANCHE IN ITALY — Four people were rescued on Saturday night from under the snow and rubble covering the remains of the hotel in Pescara province, central Italy, which was hit by an avalanche on Wednesday. Rescuers have discovered the bodies of two women, raising the toll victim to four. Rescue teams say another 15 people, both tourists and hotel employees, are still missing. The Romanian Foreign Ministry reports that the third Romanian citizen, a minor, has also been rescued, and will join her mother and brother, who are also alive and well. The three were in the hotel along with some 27 other people when the avalanche hit.



    PARTNERSHIP — Romania’s ambassador to Washington, George Maior, said after meeting with members of the Congress, the Congress leadership and Republican politicians, as well as with members of the new Trump administration, that he is confident Romania’s Strategic Partnership with the United States will continue to develop. George Maior made the statement on the public television station on Friday night, after the swearing-in of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Maior also said he had talks with Donald Trump’s new security advisor, General Michael T. Flynn, who knows Romania well, and who promised he would visit the region and Bucharest soon. Additionally, George Maior said that in terms of intelligence services, Romania ranks third or fourth as regards cooperation with the US at international level, adding however that this is an assessment of US intelligence agencies.



    TURKEY — The Parliament in Ankara has adopted a draft law on constitutional reform aimed at extending the prerogatives of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also creating the context of holding a referendum in spring. The reform allows the president to issue decrees, declare state of emergency, appoint ministers and other officials and to dissolve Parliament. Erdogan claims the reform is aimed at ensuring stability in Turkey, at a time of great turmoil. Meanwhile his detractors say the draft law will allow him to stay in power until 2029 and will fuel totalitarianism in Turkey, a NATO Member State and an EU candidate state.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis players Irina-Camelia Begu and Horia Tecau on Saturday qualified to the second round of the mixed doubles at the Australian Open, the first grand slam tournament of the year. The two ousted Vania King of the US and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan, 6-3, 6-4. In the next round, the two will go up against Abigail Spears of the US and Juan Sebastian Cabal of Columbia. Also on Saturday, Raluca Olaru of Romania and Olga Savchuk of Ukraine lost to Raquel Atawo of the United States and Yifan Xu of China in three sets, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • January 4, 2017 UPDATE

    January 4, 2017 UPDATE

    SWEARING IN — The Romanian Parliament on Wednesday granted the vote of confidence to the government formed by the Prime Minister designate, Social-Democrat Sorin Grindeanu, and its governing program, which was presented to the legislature. The 26 ministers proposed by the coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats had been previously heard by the relevant parliamentary committees. After the vote in Parliament, the members of the new cabinet were sworn in, with president Klaus Iohannis in attendance. Sevil Shhaideh, the first nomination made by the Social Democratic Party for the position of prime minister, who was rejected by president Klaus Iohannis, is now deputy prime minister and minister of Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds. Among others, the portfolios of the ministries of the Economy, Education, Health, Justice, Transports and the Interior will be held by representatives of the Social Democratic Party. In exchange, representatives of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have received four portfolios in the new cabinet- the Foreign Ministry, the Relation with Parliament, Energy and the Environment. Daniel Constantin, the co-leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, has been proposed for the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister.



    MEASLES — The measles outbreak may be widening, according to experts with the main infectious disease hospital in Timisoara, in the west of Romania, the main city in the region with the most cases. According to them, 124 children have been stricken by the disease. In the first three days of the year alone, 30 patients were admitted into hospital for the disease, the youngest being six weeks old. The epidemic broke out in Romania in the autumn, with 10 confirmed deaths and over 2,000 infections throughout the country. According to the Ministry of Health, the main reason for the outbreak is the parents’ refusal to vaccinate their children, which physicians warn is hazardous.



    MINING — The miners in Lupeni, in Romanias coal country, have gone on a spontaneous protest against the economic situation of their employer, the Hunedoara Energy Complex. The protesters claim that they work for low wages only four days a week. The complex, which employs 5,200 people, has filed for insolvency proceedings, and awaits a court decision, which is the only way it can continue work.



    TURKEY — The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said the authorities have identified the perpetrator in the attack that left 39 dead on New Years Eve in Istanbul, without providing details. Turkish media alleged on Wednesday that he is from a Central Asian country. 16 people, including the wife of the attacker, have been detained. The attack occurred as Turkish forces are attempting to retake the northern Syrian city of Al-Bab, a stronghold of the so-called Islamic State, where Ankara leads an offensive against Jihadists, as well as Kurdish militias.



    EU PRESIDENCY — This year, Malta takes over the rotating presidency of the EU. Over the next six months, the new team will have to grapple with major issues such as migration, security, and social inclusion, as well as the expected Brexit crisis. Malta joined the EU in 2004, and is right in the path of refugees trying to reach Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, right now ranking fourth in the world, has been defeated by Czech player Katerina Siniakova, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, in the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China, with 625,000 dollars in prize money. Romania has no other representative in the competition after Sorana Carstea was defeated by Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska and Monica Niculescu, lost to Wang Qiang. In the womens doubles, the Romanian-Ukrainian pair Raluca Olaru- Olga Savchuk will be playing in the quarterfinals against the Chinese pair Chen Liang- Jing Jing Lu. We recall that Simona Halep was the winner of the Shenzhen tournament in 2015. (Translated by C. Cotoiu and D. Vijeu)

  • 4 January, 2017

    4 January, 2017

    PRIME MINISTER — The 26 ministers in the cabinet put together by the newly elected majority in Parliament, headed by Sorin Grindeanu, are being under confirmation proceedings in Parliament in Bucharest. If a confirmation vote comes through, the new government can be sworn in today in the presence of President Klaus Iohannis. The president previously rejected the Social Democratic candidate for prime minister, Sevil Shhaideh. As part of the coalition, the Social Democratic Party proposed ministers for education, the economy, health, justice, transportation and the interior ministry, while the partner Alliance of Liberal and Democrats proposes ministers for foreign relations, parliament relations, energy and environment.



    MEASLES — The measles outbreak may be widening, according to experts with the main infectious disease hospital in Timisoara, in the west of Romania, the main city in the region with the most cases. According to them, 124 children have been stricken by the disease. In the first three days of the year alone, 30 patients have been admitted into hospital for the disease, the youngest being six weeks old. The epidemic broke out in Romania in the autumn, with 10 confirmed deaths and over 2,000 infections throughout the country. According to the Ministry of Health, the main reason for the outbreak is parents refusing to vaccinate their children, which physicians warn is hazardous.



    TURKEY — The Turkish Foreign Minister said the authorities have identified the perpetrator in the attack that left 39 dead on New Years Eve in Istanbul, without providing details. Turkish media alleged on Tuesday that he is from a Central Asian country. 16 people, including the wife of the attacker, have been detained. The attack occurred as Turkish forces are attempting to retake the northern Syrian city of Al-Bab, a stronghold of the so-called Islamic State, where Ankara leads an offensive against Jihadists, as well as Kurdish militias.



    MINING — The miners in Lupeni, in Romanias coal country, have gone today on a spontaneous protest against the economic situation of their employer, the Hunedoara Energy Complex. The protesters claim that they work for low wages only four days a week. The complex, which employs 5,200 people, has filed for insolvency proceedings, and awaits a court decision, which is the only way it can continue work.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, right now ranking fourth in the world, has been defeated by Czech player Katerina Siniakova, 52nd seeded, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, in the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China, with 625,000 dollars in prize money. Romania has no other representative in the competition, after Sorana Carstea, 78th seeded, was defeated by Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska, 3rd seeded, and Monica Niculescu, 38th seeded, lost to Wang Qiang, 73rd seeded. In the womens doubles, the Romanian-Ukrainian pair Raluca Olaru- Olga Savchuk will be playing in the quarter finals against the Chinese pair Chen Liang- Jing Jing Lu. We recall that Simona Halep was the winner of the Shenzhen tournament in 2015.



    EU PRESIDENCY — This year, Malta takes over the rotating presidency of the EU. Over the next six months, the new team will have to grapple with major issues such as migration, security, and social inclusion, as well as the expected Brexit crisis. Malta joined the EU in 2004, and is right in the path of refugees trying to reach Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.



  • December 30, 2016 UPDATE

    December 30, 2016 UPDATE

    PRIME MINISTER – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed the decree designating Social-Democrat Sorin Grindeanu, for the position of Prime Minister. This is the second proposal made by the newly elected ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, after the first nominee, Sevil Shhaideh, was not endorsed. Sorin Grindeanu, 43, is the president of Timis County Council and was Minister of Communication in the Ponta cabinet. Grindeanu has ten days to form his cabinet, which will be sworn in after a vote in Parliament.



    UNEMPLOYMENT – The unemployment rate in 2017 is expected to go down from 4.8% to 4.6%, as announced by the National Prognosis Commission. It is expected for the south-western region of Oltenia to have the highest unemployment rate, 7.7%. The capital Bucharest and its surrounding county will have the lowest unemployment rate, 1.6%, down from 1.7% in 2016. The Commission also announced the unemployment rate is expected to drop in the following years, with figures like 4.4% in 2018, and 4.3% in 2019.



    REIMBURSEMENT – Romania has to pay over 1.26 billion Euro in 2017 for loans contracted with the EU and the World Bank as part of the stand-by agreement drawn in 2009, as announced by the Finance Ministry. This year, Romania paid 113 million Euro back to the EU and the World Bank. Bucharest has over 4.7 billion Euro to pay back to the two institutions by 2023.



    MIGRANTS – Almost 300 foreign nationals found to be illegally in Romania have been identified by the police in December. According to the General Inspectorate for Migration, 60 of them have been notified to leave the country, while 115 have applied for one form or another of international protection. Also in December, 27 people have been escorted off Romanian territory. Several companies have been fined for violating employment legislation applying to foreign workers.



    US-RUSSIAN RELATIONS – The United States has decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats in response to cyber attacks intended to interfere in presidential elections, as well as harassment of American diplomats in Moscow. Access was blocked for Russian diplomats at two of their locations in New York and Maryland. At the same time, a Kremlin spokesperson said that Russia will have a response, bearing in mind that the decision was made by President Obama and not by Donald Trump, who takes office in three weeks. Trump said that the claims that Russia interfered in the US elections were ridiculous.



    TURKEY – The Constitutional Committee with the Turkish
    Parliament on Friday passed a bill to change the fundamental law of the
    country, granting enhanced powers to the president, Reuters, quotes the Anadolu
    Turkish news agency as saying. The legislature has to pass the bill, which then
    goes to a referendum to be held no later than spring next year.


    TIGHTENED SECURITY– The European countries ramp up security for New Year, after the Berlin terror attack, which left 12 people dead and scores of injured. In Brussels, additional riot police forces will be deployed, but the New Year fireworks show will not be cancelled, in spite of a terror alert. In Madrid, a driving ban has been imposed for heavy trucks and coaches. In Italy, the authorities have taken special measures, particularly in the crowded areas which attract a large number of tourists, against the backdrop of warnings that several foreign fighters have arrived or will soon arrive in the Peninsula to carry out attacks. In Berlin, the police closed the square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to deploy additional armed officers, with armoured vehicles likely to flank concrete barriers blocking off the area. In Paris, heavily armed soldiers will patrol the city centre and popular Paris tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre Museum, as well as Champs Elysee, where hundreds of thousands are expected to the traditional midnight fireworks show. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • December 20, 2016 UPDATE

    December 20, 2016 UPDATE

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




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




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




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




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




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


    (Translated by Elena Enache)



  • December 14, 2016 UPDATE

    December 14, 2016 UPDATE

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



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



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



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



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



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

  • December 11, 2016

    December 11, 2016

    PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS – Over 18 million Romanian citizens are called to the polls today, to elect their MPs. Almost 6,500 candidates are running for the 466 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The number of MPs will be lower in the future legislature, after Romania relinquished the uninominal vote and returned to the party list system, which was last used during the 2004 elections.


    UPDATE (18.00 hours, local time): The Romanian diaspora will be represented by two
    senators and four deputies. The latest data show some 82 thousand Romanians in
    the diaspora have already cast their votes. As a first, postal voting has been
    introduced for the Romanians living outside the borders of the country. As
    another novelty, ballot counting will be video-recorded, and the minutes will
    be filled in, in an electronic format, in order to eliminate suspicions of
    rigging. Eleven hours after the start of the voting, the turnout at national level
    stood at some 34%. The highest turnout was registered in the southern counties,
    whereas the lowest in the west and the north. In Bucharest, which is home to a
    tenth of the total number of Romanian voters, the turnout stood at over 35%.
    Since the start of the voting, dozens of complaints and notifications of possible
    contraventions and offences related to the electoral process have been
    registered at national level, the Romanian Interior Ministry has announced.
    Most complaints and notifications have been registered in urban areas.
    According to the Interior Ministry, no major incident disturbing public order
    or the unfolding of the electoral process in good conditions has been reported
    so far.


    MOURNING-Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis and the
    Romanian Foreign Ministry have firmly condemned the double bombing which rocked
    Istanbul last night and sent a message of condolences to the families of the
    victims. Both the Romanian President and the Foreign Ministry reiterated
    Romania’s commitment to the world efforts to fight terrorism. The US, Great
    Britain and NATO have also condemned the Istanbul attacks. Turkey has declared
    a day of national mourning after the two attacks, which made 38 victims, mostly
    police officers, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey will fight
    terrorism to the end. The Kurdistan Freedom
    Falcons (TAK), a radical group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), has
    claimed responsibility for the attacks carried out in Istanbul.



    CORRUPTION– The Bucharest Court on Sunday decided to
    place paediatric surgeon Gheorghe Burnei under home arrest. The Head of the
    Paediatric Surgery and Orthopaedic Clinic at the Marie Curie Hospital in
    Bucharest is accused by the prosecutors of having received money from the
    parents of the children he has operated on. Burnei had been taken into custody
    on Saturday evening. A celebrity in his field of activity, doctor Burnei is
    suspected of acts of corruption, after several parents complained he has requested
    money from them to perform surgeries and he has reportedly made non-homologated
    experiments on children. Also on Saturday, the former manager of the Malaxa
    Hospital in Bucharest, doctor Florin Secureanu, was placed in preventive arrest
    for 30 days. In one of the most resounding corruption scandals on the Romanian
    medical scene, Secureanu is accused of bribe taking and embezzlement in
    continued form. The national anti-corruption prosecutors who investigate the
    case claim that, in the May 2009 – November 2016 period, the former manager
    designed and applied a scheme to illegally cash in sums of money from the
    hospitals’ pay office on a daily basis, bringing a prejudice of some 500
    thousand Euros.



    ROME– The Italian President Sergio Mattarella
    received the acting foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni at the Quirinal Palace on
    Sunday and asked him to form a new government, after Matteo Renzi stepped down
    following the failure of the referendum on the constitutional reform, held on
    December 4, the Italian presidency has announced. Paolo Gentiloni, 62, a close of
    Renzi’s, will form the cabinet and then will go to Parliament for a vote of
    confidence. The Prime Minister designate has mentioned the elimination of the
    effects produced by the recent quakes in central Italy and the adoption of a
    new electoral law, among its top priorities.



    MACEDONIA – Early legislative elections, deemed by both the power and the opposition as a referendum on the future of the country, are held in Macedonia today. According to pundits the ballot should put an end to the political crisis started in the spring of 2014, when the Social-Democratic opposition accused the conservative government of rigging the elections. The international community announced it would closely monitor the electoral process in the former Yugoslav republic, and that by holding correct and democratic elections, Macedonia will come closer to the European Union and NATO.



    HANDBALL – Romanias national womens handball team is today facing Hungary, in the first group-stage match of the European Championships, in Sweden. On Saturday evening, the Romanians could not train according to the schedule, because of a fire alert in the sports hall where they were supposed to train. Romania will face the Czech Republic on December 13 and Denmark a day later. In the first stage of the competition, Romania lost 21-23, to the defending European and world champion, Norway, defeated the Olympic champion, Russia, 22-17, and outperformed Croatia, 31-26. Romanias national team is coached by a Spaniard, Ambros Martin, who last month replaced Swedish Tomas Ryde, under whose guidance Romania won the bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships in Denmark. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • 24 November, 2016 UPDATE

    24 November, 2016 UPDATE

    EU-Ukraine summit.
    The European Union will provide Ukraine with 15 million euros to support its
    anticorruption programme and more than 100 million euros for the reform of its
    public administration. This is one of the decisions taken on Thursday at the
    EU-Ukraine summit held in Brussels. Another subject discussed was Ukraine’s
    association agreement which is yet to be ratified following its rejection by
    the Dutch voters in a referendum in April. The president of the European
    Council Donald Tusk said his main goal is to find a solution for the
    ratification process to be finalised at the European Council meeting in
    December. Also on Thursday, Ukraine called on the European Union to maintain
    sanctions against Russia until the latter fully implements the Minsk agreement.






    Appointment. The budget committee of the
    European Parliament on Thursday appointed the MEP Siegfried Muresan a repporteur
    for the European Union’s 2018 draft budget. Muresan is the first Romanian MEP
    to occupy this position. It is a very important and difficult task to
    negotiate a budget of 155-160 billion euros, but I will carry it out with great
    responsibility, he said. Muresan explained that it is important to have
    continuity and provide funding for the European Union’s economic growth
    priorities, with emphasis on infrastructure, research, innovation, youth
    employment and the consolidation of the European citizens’ security. The
    European Parliament’s rapporteur for the Union’s annual budget lays down
    Parliament’s political priorities for the European budget and negotiates the
    final version of the annual budget, on Parliament’s behalf, with the presidency
    of the European Council and the European Commission.




    National Day
    parade.     More than 3,000 military and experts from the defence and interior
    ministries and the Romanian Intelligence Service, as well as 300 pieces of
    technical equipment, including 50 planes, will take part in a military parade
    held in Bucharest to celebrate Romania’s National Day on the 1st of
    December. The Romanian military will be joined by troops from a number of
    allied and partner states: the UK, Italy, Germany, the Republic of Moldova,
    Poland, Slovakia, Spain and the US. Celebrations will be held across the
    country and abroad, including in theatres of operation.




    Romania Defence Council meeting. The country’s
    Supreme Defence Council will meet next Tuesday in Bucharest, the president’s
    spokeswoman Madalina Dobrovolschi has announced. Talks will focus on the
    measures taken by Romania to apply the sanctions adopted internationally for
    the period October 2015 and September 2016. The Council will also discuss the
    long and medium term strategy with respect to Romania’s relationship with the
    Republic of Moldova, a country with a majority Romanian-speaking population.
    Other issues to be tackled include the plan for the deployment of Romanian
    troops to foreign missions and operations in 2017 and the implementation of the
    country’s national defence strategy for the 2015-2019 period.




    Turkey-EU. The European Parliament
    on Thursday requested the freezing of Turkey’s membership talks over what it
    described as disproportionate repressive measures after a failed military
    coup in July. In a resolution voted by a large majority, MEPs urge for the
    temporary halt to Turkey’s accession process, which began in 2005. According to
    France Presse news agency, the vote, while non-binding, risks adding even more strain
    on the Union’s relationship with the authorities in Ankara. Recently, Turkish
    president Recep
    Tayyip Erdogan said the vote has no value at all, no matter its result. (Trans. by: C. Mateescu)



  • October 16, 2016 UPDATE

    October 16, 2016 UPDATE

    In-work poverty.
    One in five Romanians is facing poverty despite working full-time, according to
    a survey conducted by the Cartel Alfa Trade Union Confederation published on
    Sunday. The study also shows that less than 40% of the country’s GDP is
    channelled into the human capital, while companies benefit from 60% of the GDP.
    This points to a reverse situation compared with most European countries and
    highlights a major unbalance in terms of the redistribution of economic
    results. Romania’s tax system also favours capital, while adding more burden on
    employees and small contributors, the survey also shows. Cartel Alfa also warns
    that collective bargaining has been in effect eliminated through the effects of
    a law passed five years ago. All this has deepened social inequality,
    precarious working conditions, exploitation and a total lack of prospects for
    Romanian workers who are thus forced to contemplate emigration.




    EU. Romania’s foreign minister
    Lazar Comanescu will attend a meeting of the EU External Affairs Council on
    Monday in Luxembourg. Talks will focus on the Global
    Strategy for
    the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy, migration and the situation in Tunisia and Syria. On the sidelines of
    the Council, Comanescu will attend a meeting of the Group of Friends of Ukraine
    to which the Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin is also invited. In
    another move, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis will take part
    in a meeting of the European Council on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, said
    the president’s spokeswoman Madalina Dobrovolschi. She said the talks would focus
    on migration, trade policy and the Union’s external relations, in particular
    with the Russian Federation.




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




    Turkey. Three police officers were killed in an
    explosion during a raid on an alleged Islamic State safehouse in the Turkish
    city of Gaziantep. The explosion occurred as one of two suicide bombers
    detonated an explosive device. Eight people were wounded in the incident,
    including four Syrian nationals. Earlier, the foreign ministry in Bucharest
    again warned Romanian citizens travelling to Turkey to remain cautious and
    vigilant. The ministry says it is in constant touch with the Turkish
    authorities to provide real-time information on how the situation develops.




    Montenegro. The Montenegro police said they
    arrested 20 persons suspected of planning terrorist attacks after Sunday’s
    parliamentary elections. The suspects come from Serbia and were planning to use
    automatic weapons to attack state institutions, police stations and possibly
    even government officials when the polls closed. Tensions have risen in Montenegro
    in the run up to the elections, which commentators say may decide if this small
    Balkan state stays on its path to the West or turns its back on Europe and
    moves instead towards its traditional ally Russia.




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



  • September 13, 2016 UPDATE

    September 13, 2016 UPDATE

    ROMANIAN-FRENCH TIES- Romania and France want to boost their strategic partnership and expand economic cooperation to such domains as defence, education and research, the presidents of the two countries agreed in Bucharest on Tuesday. Fresh from the talks they held at the Cotroceni Palace, Klaus Iohannis and François Hollande went to Magurele (in the south), for a visit to the National Institute of Research and Development in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, that hosts the most powerful laser in the world. President Iohannis sent a message to the French investors, saying that 2015 registered record highs in terms of bilateral trade, which exceeded seven billion Euros. Therefore, he urged the French businesspeople to take confidence in the Romanian economy. In turn, the French president said his visit to Romania stands proof of the privileged economic, cultural and scientific relations between the two countries. He has announced that from now on the Romanian and French defence ministers will have regular meetings, in order to boost the partnership in the field. The French presidents agenda also included a visit, alongside Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos, to Ghimbav, in central Romania, where the two sides inaugurated the Airbus helicopter factory. The first civil helicopter produced there will go out in the field in 2017, whereas the first military one in 2018.



    STRATEGIC US-ROMANIAN PARTNERSHIP- The Romanian Foreign Ministry jointly with the US Embassy in Romania recognize and salute the fifth anniversary of the signing, on the 13th of September 2011, of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century between the United States of America and Romania. The two sides consider it “an important reference point for the Strategic Partnership, setting the framework for expanding cooperation and coordination in promoting security, democracy, good governance, free market opportunities, and cultural exchange, a communiqué issued by the US Embassy writes. The fifth annual Strategic Dialogue session and meeting of the Task Force for the implementation of the Joint Declaration are due in Washington, on September 26-27th, to assess the progress made in the five years since the adoption of the Joint Declaration and to formulate common priorities for the near future.



    STATE OF THE ECONOMY – The joint standing committees of the Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies have decided to invite Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos, to present a report on the economic situation of the country. Therefore, on Monday, September 19, as of 14.30 hours (local time), the Prime Minister will address a plenary session of Parliament and make a presentation of the budget execution, to be followed by interventions by the parliamentary groups. According to an official communiqué, at the end of the debates the Prime Minister will answer the questions asked by MPs.



    ECONOMY – Romania could become, in 20 years time, one of the first 10 economic powers of the EU, with an economy 4 times bigger, if it focused on three priorities and if the government implemented the necessary measures for a long-term plan, Agerpres news agency quotes representatives of the Foreign Investors Council, as saying. The three key areas on which Romania should focus so as to have an economy worth 655 billion euros in 2036 are infrastructure, demography and human capital as well as public and private efficiency. To reach this goal the economy should grow at a rate of 4% yearly, for a period of 20 years. Foreign investors say this is the task of the Government which should be supported by the Presidency, Parliament, the National Bank and the political parties, following large-scale consultations with the academia, civil society and the business environment.



    MANDATORY LIABILITY INSURANCES– The price of mandatory liability insurance policies might decrease by 30% as compared to last year, if the authorities pass the amendments proposed to the current legislation. The draft law was approved by the Senate on Tuesday and will be subsequently forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies, the decision maker in this case. The amendments were made after the carriers challenged the huge price of mandatory liability insurance policies. Over the past days they protested on Romanias ring roads and threatened to organize a nationwide rally on September 15. Under a draft emergency ordinance, mandatory liability insurance contracts will be concluded for a period ranging from one month to one year, and payment will also be made in instalments. Furthermore, the contract can be suspended upon the request of the insured.



    INFRASTRUCTURE – A strategic document meant to develop Romanias infrastructure by 2030 will be submitted for approval in Wednesdays government session. Sibiu – Pitesti, Comarnic – Brasov and Iasi – Ungheni are the highways which hold pride of place in the Transport Master Plan, which is to be endorsed. The document defines and prioritises investment in infrastructure in the following years and is instrumental in attracting European funds. The European Commission has given a positive opinion on the document, which sets priorities in each transport domain.



    TURKEY – The Turkish press announces that the Ankara government has officially formulated a request for the arrest of cleric Fethullah Gulen, who resides in the US, and who is accused of having masterminded the failed coup in Turkey, in July. Turkey blamed the religious movement led by Fethullah Gulen for the attempted coup during which several rebel soldiers and military took grip of fighter jets and tanks to launch strikes against the Parliament building and to take control of several bridges, the BBC correspondents report. (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • Speculations regarding the nuclear arsenal in Incirlik

    Speculations regarding the nuclear arsenal in Incirlik

    Bucharest authorities have officially denied speculations according to which the United States has started transferring its nuclear arsenal from Turkey. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also dismissed this information. In turn, Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc said the following:



    “There has been no such discussion in this respect, neither at political level nor at ministry level. There are no plans in this direction. So we are categorically dismissing this information as pure speculation.



    A former Defence Minister at the time Romania was granted NATO accession in 2004, Ioan-Mircea Pascu, currently an MEP, says the US moving its nuclear arsenal from Turkey to Romania is impossible both politically and technically:



    “When Romania and the other member states joined NATO there was a clear commitment not to host nuclear arsenals and permanent military bases on their territories. This commitment is today being observed, as all Allied forces deployed to Romania to consolidate NATOs eastern flank after the events in Crimea are here on rotation basis. Secondly, the entire nuclear arsenal in Turkey consists in air-deployed bombs, transportable only by plane. Romania presently doesnt have the infrastructure to host nuclear weapons.



    The reactions come in response to an article carried by the Euractiv online news agency, according to which, due to the deterioration of relations between Washington and Ankara, 20 nuclear warheads are to be transported from the NATO military base in Incirlik, Turkey, to the base in Deveselu, southern Romania, which has only recently been rendered operational. NATO allies, including Turkey, agreed to host US nuclear weapons under a treaty signed in 1960, aimed at deterring the aggression of the former USSR. In a report made public two years ago, NATO said its nuclear weapons are stored safely, without mentioning where.



    The current geopolitical context has promoted Romanian and foreign analysts to speculate that the current Turkish president, Recep Tayip Erdogan, has grown into an unstable and difficult partner for the United States, also in the wake of the wave of repressions that followed the attempted coup of July in Turkey. Many voices see the Americans fears regarding the safety of their nuclear weapons in Turkey as grounded, considering the country has become increasingly unstable.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • 18 August, 2016

    18 August, 2016

    NUCLEAR — The Romanian Foreign Ministry rejected information according to which the United States started to transfer nuclear weapons from Turkey to Romania. EurActiv.com, quoting two independent sources, wrote that the US started the transfer of weapons stationed in Turkey to Romania against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between Washington and Ankara. According to one of the sources, the transfer raises numerous technical and political issues. Another source told EurActiv.com that US- Turkey relations deteriorated so much after the attempted coup in July that Washington no longer trusts Ankara to harbor its nuclear weapons. These are about to be transferred to the airbase in Deveselu, in southern Romania, according to EurActiv.com.



    CAR SALES — Car sales in Romania went up almost 15% in the first seven months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to the Automobile Makers and Importers Association. Production for domestic brand Dacia, made by Renault, went down 6.6%, but continues to be the best selling brand in Romania, with a market share of over 30%. Next come Volkswagen, Skoda and Renault.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, 4th seeded, plays today against Daria Gavrilova of Australia, 47th seeded, in the eighth finals in Cincinnati. Also today, Horia Tecău (Romania) with Jean-Julien Rojer (Holland) play against Dominic Inglot (Great Britain)/Marcin Matkowski (Poland), while Florin Mergea (Romania) paired up with Rohan Bopanna (India) to take on Treat Huey (Filippines), paired up with Maxi Mirnyi (Belarus) in the games coming up in the eighth finals of the mens doubles in the same tournament. At the same time, Monica Niculescu of Romania, pairing up with Vania King of the US, and the French pair Caroline Garcia- Kristina Mladenovic, play in the eight finals of the womens doubles. This tournament is the last ahead of the US Open, the last major competition of the year.



    OLYMPICS — Today is the 13th day of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and Romania has a single athlete running, Andrei Gag, in the shot put event. After 12 days, Romania still has only four medals in Rio: : the gold obtained by the womens epee team, the silver obtained by the pair Florin Mergea/ Horia Tecau in the mens tennis doubles, and two bronze medals, obtained by Gabriel Sincraian in weightlifting, and by the womens coxed eight rowing team. Romania did not get any medal in gymnastics at this edition, which happens for the first time in the last 44 years.



    FOOTBALL — Romanias football champions Astra Giurgiu play today at home against English team West Ham United, in the qualifiers for the Europa League groups. Vice-champion Steaua Bucharest has secured its place in the groups of the second continental competition. On Tuesday, Steaua was crushed by another major English team, Manchester City, nil to five, in the first leg of the play-offs of the Champions League. Three other Romanian teams, CSMS Iasi, Viitorul Constanta and Pandurii Targu Jiu, were eliminated in the preliminaries of European cups.



    MINORITIES — Debates continue today at the Summer University dedicated to Romanians living abroad. Items on the agenda include preserving Romanian identity in the Hungarian majority counties of Covasna and Harghita, as well as that of Roman Catholics in the region of Moldavia. One other issue raised was that of illegal restoration of property in Transylvania, claimed by Hungarian citizens.



    TRADE — Romanian Minister of the Economy, Costin Borc, receiving in Bucharest Turkish Minister of Development Lutfi Elva, discussed Turkeys role as the premier trade partner for Romania outside the EU. According to a press release, Minister Borc said that the Romanian offer for the Turkish market is generous, and suits its needs. The two offiicials convened to continue these talks this autumn in Ankara, at the meeting of the mixed government commission that supervises economic relations between the two countries. In 2015, Turkey, aside from being the most important trade partner outside the EU for Romania, was the fifth most important such partner overall, the sixth most important export market, and the 9th most important supplier.



    TURKEY — The Turkish economic police this morning ran numerous raids in Istanbul against companies suspected of supporting financially Fethullah Gulen, in exile in the US, accused by the government to be behind the attempted coup last month. 200 arrest warrants were issued in the raids. This is the second such operation this week, mostly against prominent business people. On Wednesday, Turkish PM Binaly Yildirim said that over 40,000 people have been detained after the failed coup, half of them being placed under arrest, facing prosecution. According to the head of government, over 4,200 companies and institutions with ties to Gulen have been shut down. The purges in the army, police, the judiciary and public administration removed 80,000 people from public service, the PM announced.

  • August 17, UPDATE

    August 17, UPDATE

    SKY NEWS – The Romanian anti-organised crime prosecutors of DIICOT have started criminal investigation against the three crewmembers of the British TV Channel Sky News, who made the report on alleged gun running in Romania, for having communicated false information which might impact the national security of the Romanian state. According to the courts motivation of the ruling, the three Britons intentionally communicated and disseminated those pieces of information online and through mass media, although they knew the information was not real. On August 12, the Court of Appeal in Bucharest decided to take into temporary custody the three Romanian men who are featured in the Sky News report, for setting up an organised criminal group, violating the regime of arms and ammunition, and for circulating false information.



    MINORITIES – The rights of the Romanian minorities living near the countrys frontiers and in the Balkans as well as Romanias relations with the countries which host large Romanian communities were some of the issues on the agenda of the talks on Wednesday, at the Summer University at Izvorul Muresului, in central Romania. The representatives of the Romanians in the Diaspora have demanded the setting up of a Ministry for the Romanians Around the World and a coherent strategy to save their ethnic identity in the states of residence. In another move, the Romanians living abroad and in the Republic of Moldova have drawn attention to the fact they consider boycotting the parliamentary elections due later this year if the authorities do not ensure proper voting conditions for the Diaspora, in all towns which host large Romanian communities. They have also called for increasing the number of MPs who represent them in the Romanian Parliament. The representatives of the Romanian communities living near the borders of the country and in the Diaspora pleaded for the union of the Republic of Moldova with Romania. They launched an appeal to Dacian Ciolos, to start a permanent and institutionalised dialogue between the authorities of the two countries



    ROMANIAN TURKISH RELATIONS – Turkish deputy prime minister and development minister, Lütfi Elvan, who is currently on a two day visit to Romania has thanked the Romanian authorities on the stand they have taken to support democracy in Turkey and the Turkish state in the wake of the attempted coup of July 15. In another move, he announced that the Ankara government will send to the Bucharest authorities a list with companies active in Romania, which allegedly provide financial support to the movement of the cleric settled in the US, Fethullah Gulen, accused of being behind the failed coup in Turkey. As regards bilateral economic relations, Lütfi Elvan says some 14,000 Turkish companies are active in Romania at the moment, with an overall turnover of six billion Euros.



    TURKEY – Turkey has a long and difficult road ahead before obtaining visa waiver status with the EU, and short-term prospects are not encouraging, said the German Minister for European Affairs, Michael Roth, quoted by Reuters online. He said that it was clearly stated right from the start in the migration agreement between Turkey and the EU that Turkey has to meet 72 criteria before the Union would allow Turks to travel without a visa to its member countries. At the same time, Roth said that it was important for communication channels to be kept open, since Turkey is a major partner, considering both the refugee crisis and the fact that the Turkish community in Germany numbers over 3 million.



    PRISTINA – Visiting US Vice-president Joe Biden, on Wednesday called on the Kosovan authorities to crack down on corruption. He met with President Hashim Thaci and PM Isa Mustafa in Pristina. On Tuesday in Belgrade, the US Vice-president urged the Serbian officials to normalise relations with the separatist province of Kosovo, which unilaterally declared its independence in 2008. Talks with Serbias President Tomislav Nikolici and PM Aleksandar Vucici covered such issues as bilateral relations, the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina as well as Serbias European integration. Joe Biden, also presented a message of condolences to the Serbian people, for those who died in the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. He is the first high-ranking US official to make such a gesture, after the intervention of the North-Atlantic Alliance during the war in Kosovo. Many Serbian nationals, particularly ultra-nationalists, are still accusing the US for the role it played during the wars which led to the dismantling of Yugoslavia.



    CINEMATOGRAPHY – The film Sieranevada, directed by Cristi Puiu, is Romanias submission for the US Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, shows a press release issued by the National Centre for Cinematography. Sieranevada, the fourth long reel directed by Cristi Puiu, has been selected to the official competition of the Cannes Film Festival this year, being screened on the first day of the festival.



    FOOTBALL – Romanias defending champion, Astra, is facing the English team West Ham United on home soil on Thursday, in the Europe League play-off round. In another move, Romanias football vice-champion Steaua on Tuesday lost on home soil to the powerful English team Manchester City, in the Champions League Playoff round, 0-5. The return match is scheduled for August 24. Steaua has secured qualification for the Europe League group stage. Three other Romanian teams, CSMS Iasi, Viitorul Constanta and Pandurii Targu Jiu, were eliminated in the preliminaries of the European cups.



    OLYMPIC UPDATE – Three Romanian female athletes who competed in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday got eliminated, failing to go past the qualification round. In wrestling, Emilia Alina Vuc competed in the 48 kg category, while Claudia Bobocea and Florina Pierdevara ran in the 800 m track event. After 11 days in the Olympics, Romania still has only four medals: the gold obtained by the women’s epee team, the silver obtained by the pair Florin Mergea/ Horia Tecau in the men’s tennis doubles, and two bronze medals, obtained by Gabriel Sincraian in weightlifting, and by the women’s coxed eight rowing team. Romania did not get any medal in gymnastics at this edition, which happens for the first time in the last 44 years. The last time the Romanians came back home without a medal in that discipline was in 1972, after the Munich Olympics.

    (Translated by Diana Vijeu and Calin Cotoiu)