Radio România Internațional

Tag: UK

  • March 5, 2025 UPDATE 2

    March 5, 2025 UPDATE 2

    Defense – The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu welcomed the proposals launched by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, regarding the exemption of defense spending from the excessive deficit procedure, a solution for which Romania has constantly advocated, he said. In a message posted on Facebook, the prime minister also stated that Romania supports the allocation of additional funds for weaponry, provided that the money reaches Romanian factories. He also specified that Bucharest remains on the same coordinates so far, namely in favor of increasing the defense spending and against sending Romanian troops to Ukraine. The President of the European Commission proposed the creation of a new “ReArm Europe” plan, which could mobilize almost 800 billion Euros for defense investments in the European Union and for military aid for Ukraine invaded by the Russian army.

     

    Russia – The air and naval military attaché of the Russian Federation in Bucharest and his deputy have been declared persons not welcome (personae non gratae) on the territory of Romania. The decision of the Romanian authorities was communicated on Wednesday to the chargé d’affaires of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry headquarters. The institution specifies that the two military diplomats were sanctioned for carrying out activities that run counter to the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. Recently, the name of the deputy Russian military attaché, Evgheni Ignatiev, appeared in the criminal file of the former presidential candidate, the pro-Russian extremist Călin Georgescu. Prosecutors claim that people around Georgescu are in contact with Russian military attaches, suspected of being agents of the military intelligence service in Moscow. On Wednesday, Calin Georgescu’s complaint against the judicial control measure was heard in Bucharest, in the file in which he is being investigated for six crimes, including incitement to actions against the constitutional order. According to him, a decision is expected on Thursday. He was placed under judicial control by prosecutors from the General Prosecutor’s Office last Wednesday for 60 days.

     

    Travel Fair – Romania’s tourist offers are promoted over March 4-6 at the Berlin International Tourism Exchange (ITB Berlin), the world’s largest travel trade fair. Germany, Romania’s number one trade partner, is also the largest market for Romanian tourism, Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan says. Last year, Romania reported a 10% increase in the number of German tourists, totaling some 240 thousand. At the ITB Berlin, Romania is promoted by means of cultural circuits, active and adventure tourism, holidays on the Black Sea coast and in the Danube Delta, rural tourism and city breaks. One of the top attractions this year is also the “George Enescu” International Festival. The 27th edition will be held over August 24 – September 21 in Bucharest, bringing together 4,000 musicians, reputed orchestras, conductors and soloists which are bound to turn Bucharest into the capital of classical music.

     

    EU funds – Romania has received over 100 billion Euros worth of European funds since its accession to the European Union in 2007, said, Wednesday, the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Boloş. According to the official, Romania is no longer an economic periphery, but a country that is quickly catching up, surpassing Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Greece in terms of the GDP per capita, an essential indicator of the standard of living. Minister Boloş recalled that the European funds received are found in the infrastructure, almost 900 km of motorways and expressways having been built in the last two decades, are also found in the expansion of the sewage network, in grants granted to companies to develop, in thousands of renovated, equipped or expanded schools and hospitals or in the creation of new stable jobs. The reality is that the EU has been and remains Romania’s partner in development, Marcel Boloş concluded.

     

    EU – The citizens of European Union member states, including Romanians, can apply, as of Wednesday, to obtain the electronic travel authorization required from April 2 to enter the United Kingdom or to transit this country on the way to another destination. Requests must be sent on the official UK ETA application. The Romanian Foreign Ministry specifies that the electronic visa will be valid for two years and can be used for multiple trips to the United Kingdom throughout this period. ETA costs 10 pounds, around 60 lei, for all age categories, including minors. The fee will be paid at the time of application, and the money will not be refunded in case of refusal, the Bucharest diplomacy also specifies.

     

    Transparency International – The global picture regarding the corruption perception index has deteriorated in the last 12 years, shows a study published on Wednesday by Transparency International. In the European Union, the average score decreased by two points in 2024 compared to the previous year. Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Slovakia and Hungary recorded negative trends. Other member states, such as Romania, stagnated below the Union average. Romania is on 65th place out of the 180 included in the study, on the same level as Montenegro, Kuwait and Malta. Among the recommendations of the Transparency International organization for Romania is the increase in awareness regarding the law that protects whistleblowers in the public interest, especially in areas such as public procurement, the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, environmental protection and public health.

     

    Football – Romania’s football champions, FCSB, on Thursday will take on Olympique Lyon of France at home in the round of 16 of Europa League. The return leg is scheduled for March 13 in France. The Bucharest club advanced to the round of 16 of Europa League after a two-leg win over PAOK Thessaloniki of Greece coached by the Romanian Răzvan Lucescu.

     

    Investigation – The Florida Attorney General’s Office is officially investigating the British-American influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, after the two arrived in Florida last week, dpa reports. The Tate brothers are also being investigated in Romania for human trafficking and exploitation of young women. They were arrested in Romania in December 2022 and were initially subject to a ban on leaving the country. However, Romanian authorities eventually allowed them to leave, and the two went to Florida. According to the German news agency, their release is rumored to have been brokered by the Trump administration, but the White House leader has denied any involvement. Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer, has become a symbol of online misogyny in recent years, along with his brother Tristan. Romanian prosecutors accuse the two of coercing women to produce commercial videos with sexually explicit content. Investigations have revealed at least 34 alleged victims, including a 15-year-old girl. Both brothers deny any wrongdoing. (LS)

  • March 5, 2025 UPDATE 1

    March 5, 2025 UPDATE 1

    Defense – The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu welcomed the proposals launched by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, regarding the exemption of defense spending from the excessive deficit procedure, a solution for which Romania has constantly advocated, he said. In a message posted on Facebook, the prime minister also stated that Romania supports the allocation of additional funds for weaponry, provided that the money reaches Romanian factories. He also specified that Bucharest remains on the same coordinates so far, namely in favor of increasing the defense spending and against sending Romanian troops to Ukraine. The President of the European Commission proposed the creation of a new “ReArm Europe” plan, which could mobilize almost 800 billion Euros for defense investments in the European Union and for military aid for Ukraine invaded by the Russian army.

     

    Russia – The air and naval military attaché of the Russian Federation in Bucharest and his deputy have been declared persons not welcome (personae non gratae) on the territory of Romania. The decision of the Romanian authorities was communicated on Wednesday to the chargé d’affaires of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, who was summoned to the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry. The institution specifies that the two military diplomats were sanctioned for carrying out activities that run counter to the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.

     

    EU – The citizens of European Union member states, including Romanians, can apply, as of Wednesday, to obtain the electronic travel authorization required from April 2 to enter the United Kingdom or to transit this country on the way to another destination. Requests must be sent on the official UK ETA application. The Romanian Foreign Ministry specifies that the electronic visa will be valid for two years and can be used for multiple trips to the United Kingdom throughout this period. ETA costs 10 pounds, around 60 lei, for all age categories, including minors. The fee will be paid at the time of application, and the money will not be refunded in case of refusal, the Bucharest diplomacy also specifies. (LS)

  • December 2, 2024

    December 2, 2024

     

    ELECTIONS Romania’s new Parliament will be comprised of 7 political parties. In Sunday’s general elections, the Social Democratic Party in power won the largest number of votes, around 22%, followed by the sovereigntist AUR party with roughly 18%, double their figure in the last election 4 years ago. Third comes the National Liberal Party, another member of the ruling coalition for the past 4 years, which won some 14% of the votes, and 4th is the right-of-centre USR party, with around 12%. The 5% parliamentary threshold was also made by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, the extremist party S.O.S. Romania led by the controversial MEP Diana Șoșoacă, and the newly founded sovereigntist Young People’s Party (POT). The turnout was over 52%, the highest in the last 20 years. Outside Romania, some 800,000 Romanian nationals voted, 3 times more than in the previous parliamentary election.

     

    COURT The Constitutional Court of Romania is expected to decide today whether to validate or cancel the first round of the presidential election of November 24. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court judges requested the recount of all ballots, after receiving a complaint that votes obtained by a candidate who had withdrawn from the race at the last minute had been transferred to another contender. The recount decision was criticized by most of the candidates in the race, who warned that a possible cancellation of the November 24 election would generate tensions and instability. If the Constitutional Court validates the first round, the second round will take place on Sunday, December 8 between the top two candidates – Călin Georgescu, running independently and widely seen as a pro-Russian extremist, and the president of the USR party (opposition), Elena Lasconi.

     

    NATIONAL DAY Romania’s National Day, marked on December 1, was celebrated on Sunday throughout the country with parades, military and religious ceremonies, shows, artistic events, and fireworks. The traditional parade took place in the capital city, attended by over 2,500 Romanian and foreign military personnel. President Klaus Iohannis, who hosted his last National Day reception as head of state, sent a message of unity and solidarity to overcome crises and move forward with dignity.

     

    GAUDEAMUS The Gaudeamus Book Fair, organised by Radio Romania, takes place between December 4 and 8. This year’s edition has the writer Mircea Cărtărescu as honorary president. The official opening of the 31st edition takes place on Wednesday, December 4, at Radio Romania’s stand at the fair. The 200 participants have prepared hundreds of events on this occasion.

     

    PARDON The outgoing US President Joe Biden has announced that he has pardoned his 54-year-old son Hunter, who was found guilty of illegal possession of a firearm, of lying to prosecutors, and who pleaded guilty to tax fraud. When he took office, Biden promised not to interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making. Now, the president, who leaves office on January 25, says Hunter Biden was selectively and unfairly prosecuted simply because he is his son. President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has described the move as an abuse.

     

    AID The UK will increase by GBP 19 mln its humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the situation is “catastrophic”, the British international development minister, Anneliese Dodds said ahead of traveling to Cairo for a conference on the subject, AFP reports. Dodds says that the people of Gaza are in vital need of food and shelter during the winter and that the Cairo event will be an opportunity to come up with concrete solutions to the humanitarian crisis. Dodds insists that Israel must act immediately to guarantee unhindered access for humanitarian aid to Gaza, while international aid organisations accuse the Israeli authorities of not allowing aid trucks to enter the besieged Palestinian territory in sufficient numbers. The UK has committed to a total of GBP 99 mln in humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territories this year, the British government said. (AMP)

  • November 12, 2024 UPDATE

    November 12, 2024 UPDATE

     

    VISIT Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu is on official visit to the UK on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he has meetings with the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and the Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King. According to a Government press release, PM Marcel Ciolacu will also attend the Romania-UK Economic Forum, and will meet with members of the Romanian community. “The government is interested in consolidating the Strategic Partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in all fields of bilateral interest, responding to changing challenges and opportunities. The Romanian community in the UK is big, and fostering the rights of our compatriots is a key pillar of bilateral cooperation”, PM Marcel Ciolacu said. This is the first visit of a Romanian Prime Minister to the UK in 17 years.

     

    EC Roxana Mînzatu, nominated by Romania for European commissioner, said during her interview by the European Parliament’s specialist committees that Europeans will face many challenges in the coming years, and they need to be prepared for this, which is the first pillar of her programme. The second pillar, which she described as a key one, concerns quality jobs. The third element of her term in office is social justice. Roxana Mînzatu, nominated for executive vice-president of the EC for people, skills and preparedness, has been interviewed by the members of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Culture and Education. Roxana Mînzatu, 44, was a state secretary with the Ministry for European Funds in March-September 2015. In 2016-2020, she was a member of the Romanian Parliament, and in 2019 she also served as Minister for European Funds. In June this year she was also elected MEP, backed by the Social Democratic Party. Roxana Mînzatu has a Bachelor’s degree in political sciences and a Master’s degree in European integration.

     

    ELECTION Some 200 postal votes for the parliamentary and presidential election in Romania have already arrived from Romanians living abroad and will be counted together with the other votes, the chairman of the Permanent Election Authority (AEP), Toni Greblă, has said. 6,650 citizens have requested to vote by post and must send their options no later than two days before the start of the vote in the country. The first round of the presidential election is slated for November 24, the second round for December 8, while the parliamentary election will take place on December 1.

     

     

    INFLATION The annual inflation rate climbed from 4.62% in September to 4.67% in October, the National Statistics Institute reports. Food prices went up by 4.75%, while prices for non-food products also increased by 3.45%. Service prices also went up 7.66%. The National Bank of Romania has adjusted its inflation estimate for the end of 2024, from 4% previously to 4.9%. The Bank expects the inflation rate to go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025, according to a report made public by Governor Mugur Isărescu this Monday. On the other hand, Romania’s trade deficit went up 15% in the first 9 months of 2024, reaching some EUR 23.5 bln, the National Statistics Institute reports. Exports have exceeded EUR 69 bln, a 1.4% drop, while imports totaled nearly EUR 93 bln, accounting for a 2.3% increase.

     

    GOTECH WORLD Officials and representatives of the business sector took part in the opening of GoTech World 2024, an event hosted by Bucharest over November 12-13. This year’s edition of B2B Expo brings together over 120 experts from the sector and nearly 100 exhibitors. Organizers expect a turnover of some 15,000 guests. GoTech World (previously known as Internet & Mobile World) is the biggest conference and expo in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as a regional hub for digital economy, providing professionals in the region with access to B2B tech solutions, insights into various digital fields and networking opportunities. (VP, AMP)

  • November 9, 2024

    November 9, 2024

     

    FLOODS The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to information from the Spanish authorities, two other Romanian citizens initially reported missing following the floods in Valencia have been found dead. The ministry sends its condolences to the bereaved families. According to the ministry, following the devastating floods in Spain, four Romanian nationals have died and seven are still missing. The embassy of Romania in Madrid and the consular office in Castellon de la Plana continued to check public information regarding the death of several Romanian citizens in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, but so far no confirmations have been received from the Spanish authorities.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13. He will have a meeting with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum, the Romanian government announced. The government spokesperson Mihai Constantin explained that, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to London, the Romanian government approved a memorandum that updates the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and prevention of tax evasion. According to Constantin, the new document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation during the year 2023, as well as those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (in power in Romania as part of a coalition with the National Liberal Party), Ciolacu is running for the presidency of Romania this month, on behalf of his party.

     

    SCHENGEN A meeting attended by Austria, Romania and Bulgaria will be organised in Budapest, Hungary on November 22, when Vienna might give up its opposition to the full accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area, Austrian media announced. The accession decision could be announced on December 12, at the upcoming Justice and Internal Affairs Council. The Austrian minister of the interior, Gerhard Kärtner, confirmed participation in the meeting with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts, and said discussions with both countries are ongoing. He reiterated that the essential condition for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen accession remains the effective protection of external borders and, if necessary, controls at internal borders. According to Austrian media, the change in attitude is due to the decrease in migration in the Balkans and in the number of asylum applications in Austria.

     

    STRIKE The Romanian foreign ministry warns Romanian citizens who are in Italy or transiting or planning to travel to that country that on November 12 a 4-hour national strike will be organised by airport staff, between 1 PM and 5 PM. The strike will affect Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport, as well as the Pescara, Naples and Perugia airports. In this context, flight delays or cancellations are possible. Romanian citizens can request consular assistance at the telephone numbers of the Embassy of Romania in Italy, with calls being forwarded to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and answered by Call Center operators around the clock.

     

    RUGBY Romania’s national rugby team plays in Bucharest today against Tonga, in their first test match this month. Romania (20th place in the world ranking) and Tonga (16th place) have met in 5 games so far, with Romania winning twice. The last time the two teams were face to face was last year, at the World Cup in France, when the Pacific team won 45-24. As part of their preparation for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Australia, Romania will also play at home against Canada on November 16 and Uruguay on the 23rd. In order to reach the final tournament, Romania must rank among the top two teams in Group B, i.e. win two of the three games it has to play: against Germany (February 1/2, 2025, in Bucharest), Belgium (February 8/9, away from home) or Portugal (February 15/16, again in Bucharest). Romania has taken part in all Rugby World Cup finals so far, except for the 2019 edition, when it was disqualified because it had used a naturalised Tongan player, who did not have the right to play.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu qualified for the semifinals of the WTA 125 tournament in Cali (Colombia), after defeating Australia’s Tina Smith, 6-1, 6-3. Begu (102 WTA), seed no. 2, won after an hour and 12 minutes against a younger and lower ranked opponent (322 WTA). The Romanian won USD 8,000 and 81 WTA points. Begu, who defeated her compatriot Anca Todoni in the quarter-finals, will play the final against the winner of the match between Hungarian Panna Udvardy (146 WTA) and the Slovenian Veronika Erjavec (199 WTA). (AMP)

  • July 21, 2024

    July 21, 2024

    Mission – The Romanian Air Forces have reached the end of their mission in North Macedonia, and on Saturday a Spartan type aircraft performed five missions to limit and extinguish fires in this country. According to the Defense Ministry, the aircraft crew operated in difficult conditions, with multiple outbreaks and strong wind, which made the extinguishing operations more difficult. In support of the aerial missions, ground teams provided real-time images and data about the situation on the ground. All in all, the aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces performed 21 firefighting missions in North Macedonia.

     

    Energy – Coal production and import are estimate to decrease, in Romania, in the period 2024-2027, as other energy production capacities will be put into operation, show estimates published by the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis. The Commission mentions that the year 2023 was marked by the continuation of the downward trend in coal production, after the drop of more than 7% in 2022, with a higher contraction of 16.2% estimated. In terms of import, it is estimated that it registered significant reductions, namely -28% for coal and -11.8% for coke. Most of the coal resources were used for the production of electricity and thermal energy. The Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, said that he would do everything possible to extend the operating terms of coal-fired power plants, a process started in Brussels since last year.

     

    Olympiad – Six high school students from Romania won medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad, according to an Education Ministry press release. They won one gold medal, four silver and one bronze medal. All six students are from Bucharest. The 65th edition of the Olympiad took place in Bath, Great Britain.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu was defeated by Karolina Muchova 6-1, 6-1, on Saturday evening, in the semifinals of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo (Italy), which has total prizes up for grabs worth over 230,000 Euros. Irina Begu (142 WTA), the 2022 champion, and Muchova (35 WTA), seed no.2 in Sicily, are now tied, 2-2. The Romanian player defeated her in the second round at Roland Garros in 2019, and in the second round in Madrid, in 2023. Muchova won, in 2023, in the third round at Roland Garros.

     

    Organized crime – The Director of the Directorate for Fighting Organized Crime within the Romanian Police, Cătălin Şerban, said, on Saturday, in a press conference, that in the first semester of this year the police officers and prosecutors of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) organized almost 900 operative actions, of which a third were large-scale operations, increasing by 2.5% compared to the first six months of 2023. About 3,400 people were investigated and 1,275 people were detained for 24 hours. More than 1,000 people were remanded in custody, 8.9% more compared to the same period of last year, said Cătălin Şerban. The Directorate for Fighting Organized Crime participated in the EUROPOL policy cycle, assuming coordinating roles and carrying out activities in the areas of human trafficking, migrant trafficking, cyber crime and drug trafficking.

     

    Israel – Israel bombed the port of Hodeidah in Yemen, controlled by the Houthi rebels on the Red Sea, after the drone attack in Tel Aviv, claimed by the Yemeni group and left one dead and 10 wounded. The Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that anyone who attacks Israel will pay dearly. According to the Yemeni media, controlled by the rebels, three people died and more than 80 were injured in the Israeli attacks. It is Israel’s first direct response to the Houthi drone and missile attacks that have targeted its territory in recent months. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Jerusalem, the Israelis targeted oil, gas, ammunition and weapons depots, and after the attack, fires could be seen from all parts of the city. The Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that that image was captured throughout the Middle East and that every enemy of Israel can now understand that the arm of the Israeli army is long. The Houthi rebels have promised a painful response in retaliation to the Israeli attack. (LS)

     

  • July 19, 2024 UPDATE

    July 19, 2024 UPDATE

    Energy – The government is preparing a plan of immediate and medium-term measures to cover the electricity consumption needs of both citizens and companies, regardless of the weather conditions, the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday, at the end of the meeting of the Energy Command team. The immediate measures, as stated in the Government’s press release, include, among other things, the increase in energy production and the identification of a standard format for the conveyance/communication of electricity measurement data between distributors and suppliers. At the same time, the National Energy Regulatory Authority has announced that it will analyze the pricing mechanism in order to protect the final consumer from market fluctuations. Recently, the national energy system has been under pressure due to the heat wave. There have been problems with covering the energy needs, and the distribution infrastructure causes concern, as it is overloaded during periods of high temperatures, when electricity consumption is much higher than in normal periods.

     

    Meeting – At the 4th meeting of the European Political Community, held in Great Britain, Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, pleaded for cooperation in the field of energy and for the continuation of the support given to Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops, the Presidential Administration in Bucharest announced. The Romanian president stressed that the efforts to strengthen cooperation in the field of energy and connectivity ‘are essential goals for strengthening national and European resilience, in a context marked by the challenge of managing climate change, but also by developments such as those in Ukraine, which reconfirmed the need for action to limit strategic dependencies’. A meeting of the leaders from Romania, Great Britain, Poland, France and Germany with the pro-European president of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) Maia Sandu was held on the sidelines of the event. The Western partners have reiterated their determination to continue supporting the Republic of Moldova reach its goals of peace, prosperity and democracy, the quoted source said.

     

    IT outage – Numerous banks, media institutions, airports, transports, hospitals and other activities are still affected by the consequences of what is called the largest IT outage in history, produced this morning. Microsoft has suggested that multiple shutdowns and restarts of operating systems, even up to 15, would be required as an effective troubleshooting step. CrowdStrike, the cyber security company largely responsible for the outage, explained that some systems do not restore themselves automatically, but promised that it made it its mission to ensure that every customer would fully restore their systems. However, the impact of cyber security interruptions will affect some applications and consequently the activity of many companies for days. In Great Britain, for example, the Government held an emergency meeting to analyze methods of managing the problems caused by the IT outage that affected airports, banks, the health system, television channels and others. Key sectors of daily life, including health services and public transport, were also affected in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Norway. Even the 911 emergency system went down in the United States. The first to report problems were airports all over the world, including Romania, where, at the “Henri Coandă” International Airport, several flights were delayed, and the online booking and check-in at some operators were not available. Out of the 110,000 commercial flights scheduled for Friday around the world, 1,390 have been canceled by midday, according to Cirium aviation analysis company, quoted by the BBC. Passengers are advised to inform themselves before leaving for the airport.

     

    Fires – The number of wildfires in Romania in June this year was almost three times higher than in the same period of last year, the National Agency for Environmental Protection announced. Despite the measures taken by the authorities and the checks carried out, in the first six months of the year there have already been 60 fires, while throughout 2023 there were 82 such incidents. The fire affected not only stubble fields and agricultural land, but also protected areas, such as national parks. According to the relevant Agency, stubble burning causes a reduction in agricultural harvests by 25-35%. Burning releases very large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are some of the main causes of acid rain. Also, fires cause casualties among animals and birds in the affected perimeters.

     

    Aid – The European Commission has approved an amendment to an existing aid scheme notified by Romania, including an increase in the total budget by 54.4 million Euros to support tomato producers in protected spaces, such as greenhouses, and garlic producers. The Commission concluded that the measure requested by the Romanian government is necessary, adequate and proportionate to remedy a serious disruption of the economy of a member state, in accordance with European legislation. Brussels’ decision comes in the context of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine and against the backdrop of the temporary crisis framework for state aid, the EC stated.

     

    July 20 – The Day of Romanian Aviation and Air Forces is celebrated on Saturday, July 20, when the Orthodox calendar celebrates the Holy Prophet Elijah – the spiritual protector of aviators. A military ceremony and an air show will take place on Saturday morning at the Air Heroes Monument in Aviatorilor Square in Bucharest, when aircraft such as F-16, F-18 or Black Hawk will fly over the capital of Romania. (LS)

  • July 18, 2024

    July 18, 2024

    Meeting – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, today, in the fourth meeting of the European Political Community, which is taking place in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. According to a Presidential Administration press release, the program of the meeting includes a plenary session and working groups, and the discussions focus on topics such as security in Europe, support for Ukraine, challenges related to migration, protecting democracy and promoting energy security. During the debates, President Iohannis will address current issues regarding the continuation of support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression. On the sidelines of the plenary session, an informal meeting of the Coordination Group for the Republic of Moldova is scheduled. The members of the group, which includes the leaders from Romania, France, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, the EU, alongside the Republic of Moldova, will discuss aspects related to Chişinău’s resilience in dealing with multiple current threats.

     

    EP – Today, the European Parliament is voting on a proposal for Ursula von der Leyen to obtain a new mandate as President of the European Commission. To be re-elected, Ursula von der Leyen (65) needs the votes of at least 361 of the 720 MEPs. On Wednesday, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) announced that it found irregularities related to the transparency of the contracts concluded by the European Commission for the purchase of anti-COVID-19 vaccines, a case that directly targets Ursula von der Leyen. Also on Wednesday, the new European Parliament voted its first resolution, aimed at financial, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, to help it repel Russia’s attacks.

     

    Football – The winner of the Romanian Football Cup, Corvinul Hunedoara (from center-western Romania), plays, today, in Sibiu (center) against the Hungarian team Paksi FC in the decisive leg of the first preliminary round of the Europa League. In the first match, Corvinul, returning to the European cups after a break of 42 years, won, away from home, 4-0 against the vice-champion Hungary. If it passes Paksi FC, Corvinul Hunedoara will play in the second preliminary round of the Europa League with the Croatian team HNK Rijeka. The other Romanian teams participating in the European competitions are the Romanian football champions, FCSB (Bucharest), CFR Cluj (from north-western Romania) and Universitatea Craiova (south-western Romania).

     

    Campaign – The Romanian government has today launched the campaign “We qualify Romania”, whose objective, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, is to allow Romanians access to the “Visa Waiver” program. The PM claims that there is “a huge opportunity” and urged all Romanians who have valid B1 or B2 visas and those who had such a visa to apply for its renewal. The Romanian government has committed to meeting the accession criteria by the end of the American fiscal year, which ends on September 30. The renewal of the visa for the United States costs the same as a normal visa, i.e. 185 dollars (approx. 840 lei). Romania can enter the “Visa Waiver” program in 2025 if the visa refusal rate is below 3%. Over the past three years, it has fallen from 17% in 2021 to 8% last year. The “Visa Waiver” is a US government program that allows citizens of certain countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days for tourism, business, or transit through the US territory without a visa.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian plays, today, against the Italian Lucia Bronzetti, in the round of 16 of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo (Italy), with total prizes up for grabs worth over 230,000 Euros. Jaqueline Cristian has qualified for the round of 16 after defeating the Argentinean Julia Riera in two sets, 6-3, 6-2, on Tuesday. The Romanian Irina Begu has also qualified for the quarter-finals of the Palermo tournament, after defeating the Dutch Arantxa Rus, seed no. 5, score 6-2, 7-5. (LS)

     

  • November 18, 2023 UPDATE

    November 18, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis is in Tanzania, the second stage of
    his African tour which also included Kenya and will take him to the Republic of
    Cabo Verde and Senegal. During talks with top level officials, president Iohannis
    presents Romania’s outlook on reviving its relations with African countries,
    based on the recently adopted national strategy for Africa. On the other hand, the
    Romanian official also set out to present Bucharest’s views on regional and
    international security, given the country’s proximity to Ukraine. We discussed
    ways to manage the multiple consequences of the war, including in terms of
    ensuring the food security of countries in Africa, Mr. Iohannis said after the
    talks with the president of Tanzania, Samia Hassan. I have presented the
    comprehensive political, diplomatic, logistical and administrative measures
    taken by Romania to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports, including to the
    countries in Africa, he added. Klaus Iohannis is to travel on Monday to Cabo
    Verde, to meet with his counterpart José Maria Neves.


    ISRAEL We agree on the principle of
    no forced displacement of Palestinians and a political horizon based on a
    two-state solution, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen
    said at the end of a meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
    in Cairo on Saturday. In turn, the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said in a
    conference at Manama on Saturday that the Palestinian Authority is the only one
    that could govern Gaza after the war between Israel and Hamas. News agencies
    mention that a week ago the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu raised fresh concerns
    with respect to the future of Gaza, stating that the Palestinian Authority in
    its current form should not be taking control of the enclave. The German
    chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meeting in
    Berlin, voiced their strong disagreement with the war in Gaza. Both Germany and
    Turkey are worried about the suffering of the Palestinian people, but while Scholz
    spoke about the need for humanitarian pauses in order to provide aid, Erdogan called
    for a ceasefire, an option rejected by Israel. On site, Palestinian medical
    sources announced that scores of people were killed or wounded on Saturday in Khan
    Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, following Israeli air strikes. On Friday
    Israel had announced it would expand military operations in the south, after handing
    out fliers in Khan Yunis the previous day asking civilians to head for the tent
    camps on the sea coast in order to avoid the massive shelling planned by the
    army. Israel’s ex-PM Ehud Olmert told Euronews that the Hamas underground
    command centre was in Khan Yunis, and not at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.


    TERRORISM A young Romanian national
    from Braşov (central Romania) has been taken into custody for promoting
    terrorist propaganda materials, the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime
    and Terrorism Offences announced. The young man praised terrorist organisations
    from the Middle East on his social media account, and posted instructions for
    the production and use of firearms and explosives.


    CHRISTMAS In the city of Craiova, southern
    Romania, hundreds of people witnessed the nearly 2 million lights of the local
    Christmas Fair being turned on Friday night. This year’s fair is themed around
    the Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, and all the decorations are white
    and turquoise. A giant Christmas tree, a 40m tall merry-go-round and a skating
    rink are the main attractions. Concerts and creative workshops will also be
    held here until the 2nd of January. Sibiu, in central Romania, also
    opened its Christmas Fair in the city’s main square. For the first time this
    year, the Fair includes the courtyard of the Brukenthal Palace, a historical
    monument built between 1778 and 1788.



    AMBASSADOR The foreign minister Luminiţa
    Odobescu Friday received the new British Ambassador to Romania, Giles Portman. On
    this occasion, Mrs. Odobescu highlighted the important role of bilateral
    cooperation in defence and security and the significant potential in the field
    of trade and investments, as well as the substantial contribution of the 1.2
    million Romanians living in UK to strengthening the ties between the two
    countries. In 2024 Romania will host the second Romania-UK Bilateral Forum,
    after the first edition of the event held this March in London. (AMP)

  • November 18, 2023

    November 18, 2023

    WEATHER The National Meteorology Agency issued code yellow and
    orange alerts for wind, heavy snow fall and snow storms valid in most of
    Romania. A code yellow alert is in place until Sunday morning in the eastern
    half of the country and in the mountains. A code orange alert for heavy mixed
    precipitation is also issued for the south-east and the south. Several flood alerts concern rivers in most of
    the country. The highs range between 2 and 11 degrees Celsius today, with 8
    degrees Celsius reported in Bucharest at noon.

    TERRORISM A young Romanian
    national from Braşov (central Romania) has been taken into custody for
    promoting terrorist propaganda materials, the Directorate Investigating
    Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences announced. The young man praised
    terrorist organisations from the Middle East on his social media account, and
    posted instructions for the production and use of firearms and explosives.


    ISRAEL Palestinian medical sources announced that scores of people
    were killed or wounded today in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip,
    following Israeli air strikes. On Friday Israel had announced it would expand
    military operations in the south, after handing out fliers in Khan Yunis the
    previous day asking civilians to head for the tent camps on the sea coast in
    order to avoid the massive shelling planned by the army. Israel’s ex-PM Ehud
    Olmert told Euronews that the Hamas underground command centre was in Khan
    Yunis, and not at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. In related news, Pope
    Francis will have separate meetings on Wednesday with the families of the
    Israeli hostages in Gaza and with relatives of the Palestinians living there,
    the Vatican announced. The Pope previously said that Every human being, of any
    people or religion, every human being is sacred, is precious in the eyes of God
    and has the right to live in peace.


    CHRISTMAS In the city of Craiova, southern Romania, hundreds of
    people witnessed the nearly 2 million lights of the local Christmas Fair being
    turned on Friday night. This year’s fair is themed around Andersen’s fairy
    tale The Snow Queen, and all the decorations are white and turquoise. A giant
    Christmas tree, a 40m tall merry-go-round and a skating rink are the main
    attractions. Concerts and creative workshops will also be held here until the 2nd
    of January. Sibiu, in central Romania, also opened its Christmas Fair in the
    city’s main square. For the first time this year, the Fair includes the courtyard
    of the Brukenthal Palace, a historical monument built between 1778 and 1788.


    AMBASSADOR The foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Friday received
    the new British Ambassador to Romania, Giles Portman. On this occasion, Mrs.
    Odobescu highlighted the important role of bilateral cooperation in defence and
    security and the significant potential in the field of trade and investments,
    as well as the substantial contribution of the 1.2 million Romanians living in
    UK to strengthening the ties between the two countries. In 2024 Romania will
    host the second Romania-UK Bilateral Forum, after the first edition of the
    event held this March in London.


    SPORTS Romania’s national football team takes on Israel tonight in Felcsut (Hungary), in
    Preliminary Group I of the EURO 2024. In women’s handball, CSM Bucharest plays
    against the Hungarian side DVSC Schaeffler, away from home, in the Champions’
    League Group A, while CS Rapid Bucharest are up against Vipers Kristiansand (Norway)
    in the competition’s Group B. In the first leg of the 3rd
    preliminary round of the EHF European League, CSM Târgu Jiu play at home
    against the Swedish side Onnereds HK. (AMP)

  • 05.05.2023 (mise à jour)

    05.05.2023 (mise à jour)

    Couronnement – Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, participe, à Londres, aux festivités déroulées à l’occasion du couronnement du roi Charles III. Y seront également présents la Princesse Margarita, Gardienne de la couronne de Roumanie, et son époux, le prince consort Radu, qui sont arrivés jeudi à Londres. Samedi matin, le jour du couronnement, le roi Charles III et la reine consort Camilla partiront du Palais de Buckingam dans le cadre d’une procession vers l’abbaye de Westminster. A noter aussi que le Roi Charles III est considéré par la presse roumaine comme un ami très proche de la Roumanie, étant donné ses visites périodiques ces deux dernières décennies. Fasciné par les traditions de Transylvanie (centre), il a contribué constamment au maintien et à la popularisation de ces coutumes. D’ailleurs, le futur monarque britannique détient plusieurs maisons traditionnelles et terrains en Roumanie.

    Carburants – En Roumanie, les prix de l’essence et du diesel sont à la baisse, ayant atteint une valeur moyenne de 6,55 lei (1,30 euros) le litre, pour les deux carburants. A Bucarest, un litre d’essence varie de 6,40 à 6,62 lei et celui du diesel – de 6,42 à 6,60 lei. A l’heure actuelle, la Roumanie se classe 2e en UE parmi les pays ayant l’essence la moins chère et 3e parmi les Etats-membres dont le prix du diesel est le plus bas.

    Education nationale – Le ministère de l’Education nationale de Roumanie a lancé ce vendredi le programme de financement de la construction et du développement d’un réseau pilote d’écoles vertes, une composante du Plan national de relance et de résilience. 225 millions d’euros sont destinés à ce programme qui se déroulera en deux directions. La majorité des fonds sont destinés à des travaux de rénovation par le biais desquels les immeubles devront fonctionner avec une consommation d’énergie plus basse et devenir plus vertes – isolations thermiques, panneaux solaires, facilités pour le tri sélectif des déchets. De nouvelles écoles devraient être construites avec des matériaux écologiques, une meilleure ventilation, des émissions réduites de dioxyde de carbone et une consommation d’eau plus basse.

    Théâtre – Une quarantaine de spectacles participent l’édition de cette année du festival de théâtre de Bacău (dans le nord-est de la Roumanie) Fest Monodrame, un évènement culturel à tradition du théâtre Bacovia de la ville. 11 comédiens roumains et un artiste émérite de l’Ukraine sont en lice pour le trophée du festival. La pièce d’ouverture est « Amalia respire profondément », une production indépendante de l’Association Anti-théâtre de Brasov. Deux autres spectacles extraordinaires figurent à l’affiche du festival avec la participation de comédiens de renom du théâtre roumain : Marcel Iureş, Marius Bodochi, Florin Piersic junior. Le 10 mai, lors du dernier jour du festival le théâtre Bacovia présente sa production la plus récente, le spectacle « L’Usine des artistes ». L’entrée du public est gratuite, avec une inscription préalable sur le site du théâtre de Bacau.

    Santé – Le gouvernement de Bucarest a approuvé jeudi le calendrier des procédures portant sur la signature d’ici la fin de l’année des contrats de financement de plusieurs investissements dans le secteur sanitaire. Il s’agit entre autres de faire construire et équiper 7 nouveaux hôpitaux départementaux et 20 hôpitaux publics dans des villes ou des municipalités. La somme totale prévue en ce sens approche les 2 milliards d’euros, alloués de fonds européens et par la Banque européenne d’investissement. Par ailleurs, l’Exécutif roumain a aussi décidé d’allouer cette année aussi une aide financière aux élèves et aux étudiants issus de familles à bas revenus qui souhaitent s’acheter des ordinateurs.

    Moldova – Les chefs des diplomaties européennes ont approuvé jeudi une aide de 40 millions d’euros à la République de Moldova et de 30 millions d’euros à la Géorgie pour soutenir leurs secteurs de la défense nationale. L’argent sera alloué à Chisinau via le fonds de l’Instrument européen pour la paix, qui finance aussi l’aide militaire pour l’Ukraine. Ce financement sera utilisé pour des mesures et acquisitions non-létales censées renforcer la capacité du pays à se défendre.

    Sommet – Par ailleurs, la même la République de Moldova fermera sont espace aérien pour les aéronefs civils à compter du 1er juin prochain, pour des raisons de sécurité, dans le contexte où sa capitale, Chisianu, accueillera un sommet des leaders européens, a fait savoir l’Autorité moldave pour l’aviation civile. Seuls les vols des avions officiels seront permis, a-t-il été précisé. L’interdiction pour la circulation des drones entrera en vigueur, elle, au 31 mai. Tout cela, en vue du Sommet de la Communauté Politique européenne qui réunira à Chisinau une cinquantaine de chefs d’Etat, de gouvernement et d’institutions de l’UE et de 17 autres pays d’Europe. Pour rappel, sise entre l’Ukraine et la Roumanie, la République de Moldova est le pays le plus touché par les conséquences de la guerre en Ukraine.

    Météo – Le temps se réchauffe en cette fin de semaine en Roumanie, notamment dans le sud, l’est et le centre du territoire. Il pleut quand même par endroits sur les collines et les montagnes. Les maxima dépasseront les 20 degrés pour arriver à 23 degrés à Bucarest.

  • March 23, 2023

    March 23, 2023

    Brussels — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, on Thursday and Friday, in the spring meeting of the European Council and in the Euro Summit in an extended format, hosted by Brussels. According to the Presidential Administration, they will tackle the situation in Ukraine, especially food security and the reconstruction process, climate change and measures to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. “We must be united on the side of Ukraine, we must be in solidarity with Ukraine, we must help Ukraine with everything we can. It is very important that Ukraine has a strong position and that we can do many things”, said the Romanian president in a press conference before the start of the Council. There will be other extremely important topics, President Iohannis also said, related to the economy, the single market, competitiveness. They will discuss the best methods to prevent the deindustrialization of Europe and the energy issue, as well as the situation of the Republic of Moldova, which will receive substantial additional aid from the EU.



    Chisinau – On a visit to Chisinau, accompanied by several ministers, the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă had talks with the President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu and with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean. The meetings focused on issues related to the accession of this state to the EU, the way in which the republics economy can develop, the path to democratic reforms and the situation in the area in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. The leader from Chisinau thanked Romania for the support provided for the population and the economy of the Republic of Moldova to get through the complicated winter, caused by an exponential increase in energy and gas costs, and through the acute lack of supply of these resources, in particular following the interruption of supply by Gazprom for several months. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă thanked, in turn, for the decision of the Moldovan Parliament to adapt the legislation in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court, respectively to grant the Romanian language the status of official language in the Republic of Moldova. Consolidating the security environment in the Republic of Moldova and ensuring the resources to combat any form of destabilization of this country is a priority for Romania, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also said during the discussions with Dorin Recean. Romania is our advocate in all European institutions, therefore we can advance on our European path, said the Moldovan Prime Minister. During the meetings, the implementation stage of the support program for the Republic of Moldova presented, financed with 100 million Euros by the Government of Romania. In this sense, the Romanian Prime Minister announced the release of the first tranche worth 25 million Euros of this program.



    London – The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is on an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the invitation of his counterpart, James Cleverly. The two officials will discuss bilateral strategic partnership relations, as well as international developments, with an emphasis on the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Republic of Moldova, the relations between the EU and the United Kingdom and cooperation within NATO. On Wednesday, minister Bogdan Aurescu had a meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Defense, Ben Wallace, with whom he discussed, among other things, bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and within the North Atlantic Alliance, with an emphasis on the stability and security of the Black Sea. On the sidelines of the visit, the heads of the Romanian and British diplomacies will sign the updated Joint Declaration of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and will open the first edition of the Romania – United Kingdom Bilateral Forum.



    Protests – France is almost blocked today, on the ninth day of national mobilization against the pension reform. With a general strike in many areas and street demonstrations announced in almost 300 localities, the trade unions and the opposition want to force the French government to withdraw the law it has just adopted, which provides for the increase in the retirement age, from 62 to 64 years old. On Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron said that the reform was an unfortunate necessity to protect the pension system and that he accepted its unpopularity.



    Film – The first feature film of the Romanian director Alexandru Belc – “Metronome” will be screened on Friday at the Muranów cinema in Warsaw. The film represents Romania at the Francophone Film Festival in Poland, which takes place between March 22 and 26 in Warsaw. Along with the Romanian film, the Festival includes eight other fiction films from Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Morocco, proposed by the French Institute in Poland, which is also the main organizer. At the most recent edition of the Cannes Film Festival, “Metronome” was awarded the Best Director Award in the “Un certain regard” section. (LS)

  • February 9, 2023

    February 9, 2023

    Brussels – President Klaus Iohannis represents Romania, in Brussels, in the extraordinary meeting of the European Council. Russias war against Ukraine, the economic situation in the European Union and migration are the three important topics to be discussed, this weekend, by the leaders of the 27 member states. According to the Presidential Administration in Bucharest, during the Council meeting, the commitment of the European Union and its member countries to support Ukraine at all levels will be reiterated as well as the commitment to continue to hold the Russian Federation responsible for the invasion of the neighboring country. At the same time, the European leaders will analyze the best solutions at European level to ensure the competitiveness of the Unions economy in the short and long term.



    Earthquake — The death toll of the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday continues to rise, exceeding 16,000 dead on Thursday, and the chances of survival for the people trapped under the rubble are diminishing. The bad weather and cold are complicating the rescuers task, given that the first 72 hours are crucial to find survivors, according to the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik. Twitter has become inaccessible to Turkeys main mobile telephony providers amid growing online criticism of the authorities handling of the tragedy. “We had difficulties at the beginning with the airports and on the roads, but we are better today and tomorrow we will be even better” – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on the eve, apparently to defuse the population’s anger over the slow reaction of his regime. In power since 2003 and a candidate for a new mandate in the May presidential election, Erdogan also announced the distribution of 10,000 Turkish liras (the equivalent of about 494 Euros) to each family affected by the earthquake.



    Rescue — Romania has sent a second search and rescue team to those areas from Turkey devastated by strong earthquakes at the beginning of the week. Currently, there are almost 120 Romanian rescuers on the ground, accompanied by specially trained dogs, equipment and transport vehicles. Bucharest decided to send humanitarian aid also to Syria, which was seriously affected by earthquakes as well. On the other hand, 26 Romanian citizens who requested support to return home were repatriated. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, there are no Romanian citizens among the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey.



    OECD – Romanias accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is the next step on the countrys way to modernization, development and prosperity — the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said Thursday, in Bucharest, at a conference organized by the Government on the benefits that member countries of this Organization have. This event marked one year since the start of Romanias accession process to the OECD. “Romanias accession to the OECD has become a major foreign policy objective and a strategic objective of the country, after accession to the European Union and NATO” – Nicolae Ciucă stated, recalling that the Organization has under its umbrella states that represent over 70% of world trade and approximately 90% of the capital investments value. Regarding the current economic situation in Romania, the prime minister recalled that, in 2022, the Gross Domestic Product increased by almost 50 billion Euros as compared to the previous year, i.e. 4.9%, which is a significant increase.



    EU summit — The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday, in Brussels, in the plenum of the European Parliament, that the defense of the Ukrainian territory against the Russian invasion also represented the defense of Europe. “We are defending ourselves against the most anti-European force of the modern world,” he said. Zelensky also expressed his belief that his country would join the EU after winning the war against Russia. At the same time, he thanked the European Parliament for the help Ukraine receives from the EU to defend itself against the Russian invasion. Today, Zelensky is participating, in Brussels, in a summit of the EU heads of state and government. He is on a surprise tour of Europe and left his country for the second time since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, after a first trip to Washington in December. The Ukrainian president on Monday first visited Great Britain, the biggest contributor, after the United States, in terms of military aid to Ukraine, then he went to France, where he met with president Macron and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. In London and Paris, Zelensky called for fighter jets “as soon as possible” to reject the Russian offensive. (LS)

  • Reactions to the massive bombing of Ukraine

    Reactions to the massive bombing of Ukraine

    It seems hard to believe, but Putin’s Russia manages, through its actions, to continue mobilizing the civilized worlds resources of indignation, which seemed to have run dry after the illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and the atrocities and abuses committed by the Russian military in that country. On Monday Moscow launched dozens of missiles and Iranian-made suicide drones on the capital Kyiv and other large cities in Ukraine, killing and injuring many civilians.



    Reuters news agency wrote that attacks on such a scale against the Ukrainian cities were registered only in the first days of the war. The Russians also targeted civilian infrastructure objectives, leaving parts of Ukraine without electricity, water or heating, and disrupting electricity supplies to the European Union. The attacks came three days after a powerful explosion damaged the bridge over the Kerch Strait linking Russia to occupied Crimea, an explosion which Moscow blamed on Kyiv.



    President Vladimir Putin declared that the bombings were a response to what he called the terrorist attack of Ukraine and threatened, at the same time, with further such attacks. ‘I strongly condemn Russia’s horrific missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. The killing of innocent people must stop. We will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against the aggression of the Kremlin’, reacted the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. The PM Nicolae Ciucă equally condemned Russia’s massive attacks and underlined that these actions represented ‘war crimes’ that violated the UN Charter.



    The European Union denounced what it called a new war crime committed by Russia, a state which, according to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, represents terror and brutality. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, wrote on Twitter that the indiscriminate attacks on civilians are war crimes. And the American President Joe Biden denounced the attacks and promised that the United States would deliver high-performance anti-aircraft defense systems to Ukraine.



    Great Britain labeled the attacks as unacceptable, and France spoke of a war crime. Russia has demonstrated, once again, that it is a terrorist state, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UN stated at the UN forum. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres described Monday’s bombings in Ukraine as a new, unacceptable escalation of the war that civilians are paying for. In another development, three of the missiles launched by the Russians also flew over the territory of the Republic of Moldova, located between Romania and Ukraine. Chişinău labelled the violation of its airspace as unacceptable and demanded an immediate end to the bombing of Ukraine. (LS)

  • September 9, 2022 UPDATE

    September 9, 2022 UPDATE

    QUEEN The death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in
    English history, brought her eldest son Charles to the throne. He will reign
    as King Charles III. The protocol for proclaiming a new monarch provides for
    the speedy convening of an Accession Council made up of high-ranking
    politicians, bishops of the Anglican Church, together with secular
    representatives of the Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday, aged 96,
    at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She is to be brought to London, at Westminster
    Hall, and the public will have a few days to say goodbye. The funerals will
    take place at Westminster Abbey, the church where British kings are crowned.
    The BBC notes that the last funeral of a monarch at Westminster Abbey took
    place in the 18th century. After the funeral, to be attended by heads of state
    and government from around the world, the Queen will be taken to Windsor Castle
    and buried in the Saint George Chapel within its premises. The president of Romania, Klaus
    Iohannis, sent a condolence message to King Charles III. He will be officially
    proclaimed king in a ceremony to be held on Saturday, Buckingham Palace announced.


    DEFICIT Romania’s trade balance deficit in the first 7 months of this year
    increased by almost EUR 5.9 billion, to EUR 18.77 billion, as exports rose by
    23.9% and imports increased by 29%, according to data provided by the National Statistics
    Institute, made public on Friday. Between January and July 2022, exports totalled
    EUR 52.67 billion, and imports EUR 71.44 billion. On the other hand, net
    investments in the national economy totalled EUR 11 billion in the first 6
    months of this year, down 0.8% compared to the similar period in 2021, NSI data
    show.


    ENERGY The Romanian Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, attended a special
    meeting of the EU Energy Council in Brussels on Friday, in the context of
    EU-wide discussions over the rise in energy prices. At the meeting, Romania
    supported measures such as capping Russian natural gas prices, a platform for
    the joint purchase of natural gas by the EU, and access to credit lines for
    companies with the European Central Bank, the Energy Ministry said. Romania
    also emphasised the importance of activating the EU Energy Platform for the
    joint procurement of natural gas, so as to ensure fair distribution of the
    additional gas and LNG procured by the Union. While in Brussels, Virgil Popescu
    had a bilateral meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart. Hristov Rossen. The two
    discussed the importance of regional cooperation for the joint purchase of
    natural gas, as well as for ensuring increased energy stability in the region.
    In another move, in Bucharest, energy operators have called on the Government
    to reconsider the order issued last week, which provides for capping and
    compensation of gas and electricity bills, as well as for over taxation of
    companies in the field. The Association of Energy Suppliers warns that the
    document was developed without consulting the participants in the field, thus
    jeopardizing the security of gas and electricity supply to consumers.


    COHESION The Romanian Government has adopted measures concerning one-third
    of the cohesion fund, amounting to EUR 16 billion, the Minister for Investment
    and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, has announced. He has explained that the
    money can be used to access and develop investment projects in transport
    infrastructure, health, water supply and waste management. Under the cohesion
    policy, Romania has a EUR 43 billion budget until December 31st, 2029, the
    minister has stated. The projects mainly focus on the building of 600 km of motorway
    and 3 regional emergency hospitals, in Craiova, Iasi and Cluj-Napoca.


    AID The European Commission has approved a EUR 4 bln aid scheme for
    Romania, in order to support businesses in all sectors in the context of the
    invasion of Ukraine by Russia. According to the EC, Romania’s aid scheme is
    necessary, adequate and proportionate to remedy a serious disruption to a
    member state’s economy, in accordance with EU state aid rules. Under this
    measure, the aid will take the form of guarantees for loans, with a maximum
    budget of EUR 3.6 billion, with the balance to be provided in direct grants.
    Support under the scheme will be granted until 31 December 2022 at the latest.


    TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Sorana Cîrstea and Irina Begu, ranking
    37 and 42 in the world, respectively, take part in the first edition of Ţiriac
    Foundation Trophy, held between the 10th and 18th
    September in Bucharest. The 2 players received wild cards from the organisers,
    and their current world rankings makes them seed no 1 and 2 in the tournament
    hosted by the Romanian capital city. Ţiriac Foundation Trophy is a WTA 125 tournament
    organised by the Romanian Tennis Federation and supported by the Ţiriac
    Foundation and the Sports Ministry. The main draw includes 32 players, and the
    doubles competition involves another 16. They compete for USD 115,000 in total
    prize money and 160 points in the WTA ranking. (AMP)