Radio România Internațional

Tag: Ukraine

June 20, 2024

UKRAINE In Bucharest, the Supreme Defence Council convened today to analyse a possible transfer of a Patriot missile system to Ukraine’s armed forces, after the US president Joe Biden called on the NATO member states in Europe that own such systems to look into the possibility of donating some to Ukraine. Over a month ago in Washington president Klaus Iohannis said in a meeting with the US president at the White House that Bucharest would find a solution for a possible transfer, but emphasised at that point that it was unacceptable for Romania to be left without anti-aircraft defence. In the Council meeting today, the participants will also present Bucharest’s goals at the NATO Summit due in Washington next week, given that a deterrence posture is critical for Romania, and the country’s defence capacity must be complete. On the other hand, president Klaus Iohannis stated yesterday that after the discussion in the Council he would also make public his decision regarding his NATO leadership candidacy, after both Hungary and Slovakia had announced their support for Mark Rutte (Netherlands) as the next NATO secretary general.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu is on a 2-day official visit to the US as of today. She is scheduled to have political talks with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and will also have meetings with National Security Council members. The Romanian diplomat will also take part in the opening of the Romania-US Economic Forum, where she will highight the development potential of the Romanian-US economic relations, including through cooperation in the energy sector and in the Ukraine reconstruction efforts. Organised in the context of the celebration of 20 years since Romania joined NATO, the visit is an opportunity to review the progress made in the bilateral relations, in the cooperation for strengthening Euro-Atlantic security, with a focus on the Black Sea region and on identifying means to consolidate the Romania-US Strategic Partnership.

MILITARY Romania takes over for 6 months the command of a NATO vessel group operating in the Mediterranean, which also includes military ships from Italy, Spain and Turkey, officials for the Romanian Naval Forces announced. The “Viceamiral Constantin Bălescu” minelayer, with a crew of 85 Romanian and foreign troops, leaves the Constanţa military port to the port of Salamis, in Greece, where the command transfer ceremony is scheduled on Friday. The Romanian Naval Forces mentioned that, with the participation in this mission, Romania helps meet the commitments regarding regional security and strengthen international cooperation in view of maintaining stability in the Mediterranean.

VISIT Romania and Italy will continue to work together and to cooperate with all Allies towards strengthening NATO’s role in preventing any wars, president Klaus Iohannis said after a meeting with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella, who was on an official visit to Bucharest on Wednesday. Klaus Iohannis highlighted the foundations for the development of the bilateral relation and cooperation with Italy, including as part of European and Euro-Atlantic structures. In turn, Sergio Mattarella said he supported Romania’s full Schengen membership. As for the European dimension, the president of Italy emphasized that the EU enlargement was a major objective.

SWIMMING The Romanian swimmer David Popovici won the 100m freestyle race on Wednesday night at the European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, with 46 sec 88/100. Popovici was only two hundredths of a second away from the European record he set in Rome in 2022. The world record (46 sec 80/100) was set in February by China’s Zhanle Pan. Second in the European competition came Nandor Nemeth (Hungary), 47 sec 49/100, followed by Serbia’s Andrej Barna, 47 sec 66/100. In the 2022 European Championships in Rome, David Popovici won Romania two gold medals, in the 100m and 200m freestyle races. (AMP)

20 June 2024
June 18, 2024 UPDATE

TALKS On Tuesday after his talks in Munich with the Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Markus Soder, underlined the importance of Romania’s fully-fledged accession to Schengen. He also mentioned that over 213 thousand Romanian nationals are presently living in Bavaria and highlighted their contribution to society. The German official also pleaded for stepped up economic relations. “Germany is Romania’s best partner, and Bavaria is the strongest trade partner of Romania” – the official went on to say. Prime Minister Ciolacu also mentioned the excellent cooperation relations between Romania and Bavaria and reiterated Romania’s staunch support for the European future of the partners in the western Balkans as well as of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Ciolacu also reiterated Romania’s solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the illegal and unjustified war waged by Russia as well as Romania’s commitment to the multidimensional support for Ukraine and the tight cooperation with Germany in this respect. During the visit to Munich, the governments of Romania and the state of Bavaria convened in a joint session marking 25 years of bilateral relations. The delegations signed a memorandum on entrepreneurship, the SMEs and startups.

EXAM Tuesday saw the oral examinations in the Romanian language part of the baccalaureate exam. The examination of the linguistic and oral communication in the Romanian language is going to continue on Wednesday, and they will be followed by exams in the mother tongue, computer skills and the foreign language exams. The written exams are going to kick off on July 1^st. Education officials have given assurances the measures taken for this Baccalaureate session will significantly reduce frauds. All the exams are being video and audio monitored and the written papers will be graded only on the digital platform.

EXHIBITION Italy’s capital-city Rome is hosting an exhibition featuring Romanian traditional costumes and ceramic items from the collections of the Romanian Village Museum, alongside other exhibits from the Museum of Civilizations in Rome. Open until July 14, the exhibition also marks the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse, celebrated on June 24.

MEETING The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is meeting his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday in Bucharest. According to the presidency, the Italian president’s visit continues top-level exchanges after the Romanian president’s visit to Italy in 2018, the first after a 45-year break, as well as in the context of the joint Romanian-Italian government session hosted by Rome over February 14-15 this year. Romania and Italy this year celebrate 145 years of diplomat ties, as well as 60 years since relations were elevated to the rank of Embassy. The two officials will also tackle developments at European and global levels, focusing on the EU Strategic Agenda and security topics.

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18 June 2024
Romania’s magical debut at EURO 2024

Even the most optimistic supporters of the Romanian national football team did not believe, before the match with Ukraine, from EURO 2024, that their team could achieve such a brilliant victory. Somehow there was this hope that the Romanian footballers would have a good match that should erase from memory the poor game with no results of the last few years, but nothing more than that. Edward Iordănescu’s national team was coming after a qualification campaign in which they did not shine, but they did not lose a single match, which created some expectations, enough to bring over 40 thousand Romanians to the stands of the Allianz Arena stadium in Munich. And, surprise: the team was not a disappointment! After a start in which Ukraine controlled the game, not posing any danger to the Romanian goal, the first goal was scored in the 29^th minute following a shot from outside the box sent by Nicolae Stanciu directly into the top corner of the Ukrainian goal. The Romanians braced up and attacked more insistently.

Stanciu then sent the ball into the crossbar, from a corner kick, and Romania ended the first half with strength and confidence. The second half started in the same spirit. The Romanian footballers combined more and more accurately, they were the first to reach the ball, and the individual technique made the difference, with Denis Drăguş and Dennis Man outshining the others in this respect. The score became 2 to 0 in the 53^rd minute, thanks to a shot on the run by Răzvan Marin that tricked the Ukrainian goalkeeper Andri Lunin. Four minutes later the score became 3 to 0, after an individual action by Man finalized by Drăguş. Then several players were changed in both teams. Romania’s game lost a bit of its consistency, and the Ukrainians became more menacing, trying to score at least one goal. But that was not the case, so the match ended with the score 3 to 0, marking the most decisive Romanian victory in a final tournament. UEFA designated the captain of the Romanian team, Nicolae Stanciu the best player of the match.

Stanciu: “I think that, after the birth of my girls, this is the happiest day. I think that what I have experienced today cannot be repeated, it is incomparable”.

The striker Denis Drăguş was Iordănescu’s secret weapon. His individual play made the difference, often unbalancing the Ukrainian defense.

Drăguş: “You have to believe in us. We hope that we have given the Romanians what they deserved, what they expected… it’s incredible!”

In the other Group E match, Slovakia defeated Belgium 1-0 in what was the biggest upset of the European Championship so far. Thus, before the second stage, Romania occupies first place in the group. On Friday, in Düsseldorf, Slovakia will face Ukraine, and on Saturday, in Cologne, the Romanian eleven will meet Belgium.

18 June 2024
Summit for Ukraine

Romania has supported the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan from the very beginning, and Russia’s “so-called peace proposal” lacks credibility, says the Romanian diplomacy chief Luminiţa Odobescu, who took part in the international Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held this past weekend in Switzerland.

Luminița Odobescu pointed out that Romania’s view is that peace in the neghbouring country should be based on the UN Charter and on the principles of international law. The Romanian foreign minister stated that the peace summit hosted by Switzerland was a success, both in terms of the large number of participants, and in that the participants agreed that peace in Ukraine should rely on the UN Charter and international law.

The event was organized at the request of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy concerning the start of a process aimed at fair, comprehensive and sustainable peace in Ukraine. Extensive international participation was reported, with over 100 countries and international organisations from around the globe taking part.

In a national statement, the Romanian foreign minister highlighted the exclusive responsibility of the Russian Federation for its aggression against Ukraine, which is a serious violation of fundamental principles of international law. She also dismissed the Russian propaganda’s narratives concerning Moscow’s alleged willingness to negotiate.

“Three top-priority themes on Ukraine’s agenda have been discussed, as part of the peace plan presented by president Zelenskyy, namely nuclear security, food security and humanitarian aspects. Basically, the participants discussed in detail the core principles on which future peace should rely,” Luminița Odobescu explained.

She also added that while the process is lengthy, the large number of participants from all parts of the world is an indicator of the international community’s interest in finding solutions, and of the fact that a rule-based international order remains a critical foundation of international relations.

At the panel on food security, the Romanian diplomacy chief presented Romania’s dynamic role in facilitating Ukrainian exports, and the efforts made by Romania, either alone or together with foreign partners, to further improve the transit capacity for Ukrainian food products. The Romanian official also discussed the efforts made by Romania jointly with Bulgaria and Turkey to secure traffic in the Black Sea, under the mine clearance agreement signed by the three countries.

At the end of the summit, a joint communiqué was signed, emphasizing the need for all future talks or peace efforts to be based on the UN Charter and to comply with the principles of international law. (AMP)

17 June 2024
June 13, 2024 UPDATE

DAY The Ministry of National Defence on Thursday staged a series of military and religious ceremonies dedicated to the Heroes Day at army bases and military installations across Romania. The name of the heroes who fell in various battles and missions were symbolically mentioned, while funeral bell tolling was heard in churches all over the country. ”We are expressing our gratitude for the heroes who survived the horrors of World War Two, for those who opposed the communist dictatorship and fought for liberty during the anti-communist revolution of December 1989, contributing decisively in the process of ousting the totalitarian regime in Romania”, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in a message. He has also voiced appreciation for those who are presently involved with the country’s defence systems. As a token of gratitude for the country’s fallen heroes in WWI, the Romanian authorities ruled in 1920 that the Heroes Day is a national holiday celebrated on the Ascension of Jesus Christ, a tradition which was resumed after 1990. The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ is the moment of his bodily ascension into heaven forty days after the resurrection.

LOAN G7 Leaders, who convened in Italy, reached a political agreement on Thursday to use frozen Russian assets in an attempt to help provide Ukraine with a 50 billion dollars loan over the next year in its ongoing war with Russia, a US presidency official has been quoted by AFP as saying. Profits from the 300 billion dollars in frozen Russian assets largely held in countries like Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA will be used to back the loan. Most of the money would be in the form of a loan mostly guaranteed by the US, the same official added. The western states would rather seize the frozen Russian assets and use them in the reconstruction of Ukraine and for the purchase of weapons but such a measure, which was also asked by Kyiv, is, at least for the time being, difficult, as there are numerous obstacles, of legal, geopolitical and financial nature such as the risk of throwing the international financial markets into turmoil and weakening the Western currencies. Also on Thursday Brussels saw the meeting of the US-led Contact Group for Ukraine where Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Ukrainian troops are holding strong on the frontline while the allies are continuing their efforts to provide weapons, mainly air defence systems, such as the Patriot interceptors. He also said the Ukrainian forces are fending off Russia’s new offensive in the Kharkiv region.

BILLS The Romanian Government on Thursday endorsed an emergency decree on creating a special environment budget designed to fund projects aimed at developing integrated waste management infrastructure. The beneficiaries of the aforementioned projects are inter-community development agencies at the level of counties or other structures. The move is aimed at backing the implementation of the projects promoted by the local authorities by providing investment funding aimed at completing the systems of integrated waste management. Also on Thursday, the government endorsed a series of new regulations on the prevention of cyber-attacks against medical units and the creation of a unique registry that should comprise all medical units.

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13 June 2024
June 12, 2024

ELECTIONS The alliance comprising the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party (currently in power in Romania) carried close to 49% of the votes in Sunday’s elections for the European Parliament, according to partial data released by the Central Electoral Bureau. Next came AUR party with nearly 15%, the United Right Alliance with 8.6 %, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania with 6.5% and SOS Romania party with 5%. One of the 33 MEPs to represent Romania in the European Parliament is non-affiliated. Local elections were also held in Romania on Sunday, with the Social Democrats winning the mayor and county council elections, followed by their Liberal partners and by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. In Bucharest, the incumbent mayor general, Nicuşor Dan, has won a new term in office, with the United Right Alliance and the Social Democrats securing the most seats in the Bucharest city council.

INFLATION In Romania, the year-on-year inflation rate dropped from 5.9% in April to 5.12% in May, as foodstuff prices went up 1.24%, non-food prices rose by 6.38%, and services are 9.29% more expensive, the National Statistics Institute announced on Wednesday. The National Bank adjusted the inflation forecast for this year to 4.9%, from 4.7% previously, and expects the indicator to reach 3.5% by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, net investments in the national economy totalled some EUR 7 bln in the first quarter of the year, up 6.7% as compared to Q1, 2023, the institution also reports.

UKRAINE As many as 95 investment projects are being discussed at the International Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin. Today, the participants discuss the funding for these reconstruction projects. So far the European Commission has announced agreements with various banks amounting to EUR 1.4 bln, and a EUR 1.9 bln assistance package. The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy Tuesday called for the consolidation of air defence in the face of Russian attacks. Attending the conference, the Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu said Bucharest supported Ukraine with electricity and was working to improve inter-connection. Bucharest has a regional approach, which also includes the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, Luminiţa Odobescu pointed out. The agenda of the conference in Berlin also includes Ukraine’s EU accession. We have more details after the news.

NATO The German Armed Forces are contributing 2 operations centres and a PATRIOT combat squadron to NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence international exercise Ramstein Legacy 24, held in Romania and Bulgaria. According to the German Embassy in Bucharest, roughly 260 German troops and 100 vehicles traveled to the Romanian Black Sea coast. “We stand strong with our Allies to ensure the security of Romania and of our entire Allied territory,” the German Ambassador to Bucharest, Peer Gebauer, said after visiting the German military. After Romania and Bulgaria, Germany is the biggest troop contributor in this week’s exercise, alongside units from France, Finland, the UK, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Turkey and Hungary near Constanţa, in south-eastern Romania. Units from Greece, Italy and Slovenia are also taking part in the Bulgarian section of the exercise, which is designed to improve interoperability and help integrate the NATO air defence forces into the NATO common air defence command structure.

CONCERT The British alternative rock band Coldplay perform in Bucharest today and tomorrow. Some 50,000 fans are expected to attend each of the two concerts held on the National Arena as part of the band’s “Music Of The Spheres” world tour.

FOOTBALL Romania’s football team is in Wurzburg, Bavaria, where they will stay during the European Football Championship hosted by Germany and due to start on Friday, June 14. Romania plays in Group E and will take on Ukraine on June 17 in Munich, on Belgium on June 22 in Cologne, and on Slovakia, on June 26, in Frankfurt. Romania last took part in a European championship final tournament in 2016, in France. (AMP)

12 June 2024
The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine can begin their EU accession negotiations

The European Commission has announced that Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have met the right conditions to be able to start negotiations to join the bloc. According to Brussels, Ukraine has made the last amendments to the laws regulating lobbying activities, as well as in the field of minorities, while the Republic of Moldova has operated changes to its legal system. In both cases, the Commission will be monitoring the implementation of the aforementioned amendments, but the steps taken by the two countries will allow them to kick off the negotiations for EU accession.

The first stage after this moment is for the community countries to endorse the Commission’s recommendation in the European Council. Kyiv submitted its EU-entry application in February 2022 after the conflict it had with Russia in the east for several years, was followed by a large-scale invasion of the latter’s troops. A month later, the Republic of Moldova – whose pro-Russia breakaway region of Transdniester had also caused a lot of concern after the war in early 90s – asked to join the European Union.

European leaders officially recognized Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova as accession candidates in June last year. The next stage, after the EU members have approved the Commission’s recommendation, will be the setting up of an inter-governmental conference with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, a moment, which is actually the beginning of the negotiations aimed at bringing their entire legislations in line with the European one.

These negotiations will end with the accession per se. The Council’s presidency is being currently held by Belgium, a country, which wants to summon the first inter-governmental conference during its mandate, namely by the end of this month.

After Belgium, the EU rotating presidency will be taken over by Hungary, a country, which has repeatedly questioned the opportunity of EU enlargement.

On Thursday at the meeting with the EU ambassadors accredited to Bucharest, occasioned by the conclusion of the Belgian presidency, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis highlighted the ‘significant reform efforts’ accomplished by both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova under extremely difficult circumstances.

He pleaded for the continuation of the accession process of these two countries and for summoning intergovernmental conferences by the end of the Belgian presidency. The Romanian president has repeatedly mentioned Romania’s support for the two countries during their European integration process.

Furthermore, press agencies announced as early as Wednesday that a group of eleven out of the 27 EU members have called on the Belgian presidency to endorse the negotiation frameworks for the EU accession of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova so that the inter-governmental conference with the two may be summoned late this month.

Opening accession negotiations would offer additional motivation to both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the eleven signatories, Romania included, of the ‘Joint Letter on EU Accession have said.

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10 June 2024
June 7, 2024 UPDATE

EU Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have met the conditions for starting EU accession negotiations. A spokeswoman for the European Commission said in Brussels on Friday that the decision now is in the hands of the member countries. The Commission has informed the Council that Ukraine has done the latest legislative amendments in its legal system, to regulate lobbying activities and in the fields of minorities and the Republic of Moldova has operated changes in its judiciary. In the case of both countries, the Commission will be monitoring the implementation of the new amendments, but the steps taken so far allow for kicking off accession negotiations. In a first stage, the member states are expected to endorse the Commission recommendation and there is one question mark concerning the position of Hungary. A second stage will be the setting up of an inter-governmental conference with Moldova and Ukraine a moment which coincides with the start of negotiations for bringing the entire legislation in line with the bloc’s laws. The council’s presidency is presently being held by Belgium, a country, which wants the setting up of the first inter-government conference during its mandate, by the end of July.

GROWTH The Gross Domestic Product of the eurozone and of the EU registered an increase of 0.3% in the first quarter of 2024 as compared to the last quarter of 2023, says data published on Friday by the EU statistical office Eurostat. According to the same data, Romania’s economy registered a slight growth above the European average with a GDP growth of 0.4% in the year’s first three months after a contraction of 0.6% in the last three months of 2023. Eurostat data are similar to those provided by the National Institute for Statistics, which revised down Romania’s economic growth in the first quarter from a previous forecast of 0.5% to 0.4%.

ELECTION In Romania, Friday was the last day of the first electoral campaign in 2024. Citizens with the right to vote are expected, on Sunday, to go to the polls to choose both their representatives in the future European Parliament and in the local authorities. According to the data of the Permanent Electoral Authority, over 200,000 candidates have tried, starting from May 10, to convince voters to vote them. The oldest candidate is 100 years old, and the youngest is just over 23 years old. 11,386 people are running for mayoral positions. All in all, 207,389 candidates have registered for all the positions of local, county and municipal councilors, mayors and presidents of county councils. For the European Parliament elections, 12 political parties and electoral alliances and four independent candidates have registered, i.e. a total of 494 candidates, of whom the Romanians with the right to vote must choose 33 that will represent Romania in the European Parliament. The electoral campaign will end on Saturday morning, at 7:00 a.m.

WAGES Almost 1,900,000 employees in Romania will receive increased salaries by 284 lei (57 Euros) net value, from July 1, after the Romanian Government approved the increase of the gross minimum wage from 3,300 lei (about 660 Euros) to 3,700 lei (approximately 740 Euros) and raised from 200 lei (approximately 40 Euros) to 300 lei (almost 60 Euros) the monthly amount exempted from the payment of the income tax. The executive believes that this approach will have positive effects on economic growth, the purchasing power of employees and will contribute to the reduction of undeclared work. However, the decision does not apply to employees in agriculture and the food industry, as legal provisions in force apply to these categories. The government representatives said that this increase is a step towards the adoption, from November, of the minimum wage at the European level.

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7 June 2024
The EU and the Black Sea

“The EU’s strategic approach for the Black Sea region must also include support for the states in the region facing hybrid threats and the consequences of the aggression war Russia is presently waging on Ukraine”. The statement was made by Romania’s Defence Minister Angel Tîlvăr, who on Monday met the interim chief of the European Commission Representation in Romania, Mara Roman.

According to a communiqué of the field ministry, the European developments in the area of defence and the prospects of Bucharest in this context were high on the talks agenda of the two officials. Angel Tîlvăr and Mara Roman also tackled the EU’s role in supporting Romania’s two neighbours, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

On this occasion, the Defence Minister highlighted the support Bucharest offered the two countries both in terms of their European integration efforts and in boosting resilience. The two also referred to the main initiatives and European instruments with relevance in the field of defence, such as the European Defence Fund, military mobility, the EU’s Defence Industry Strategy, namely the need for strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base. “It is important that the European defence industry develop in a geographically-balanced manner, and the small and medium-size enterprises as well as the start-ups in the entire Europe be integrated in the industrial ecosystem” – Angel Tâlvăr said. According to him, the “EU-NATO cooperation on this issue for using the potential of the instruments the two institutions have at their disposal is essential.”

According to the communiqué, the meeting between the two officials highlighted the ever increasing role played by the European Commission in supporting member states in terms of security and defence with emphasis on the need for carrying on the development of the synergic EU-NATO relations.

In fact, at a specialized forum held last month in Bucharest, the head of the Romanian diplomacy, Luminita Odobescu said the Black Sea is essential from the viewpoint of security and connectivity for Europe and it is needed to be an open and free sea. “When we are thinking about the Black Sea, we are speaking about two key words, – security and connectivity” – Minister Odobescu went on to say.

The official also pointed out that Romania contributes to the Black Sea security through national, bilateral actions, but also through projects and formats of regional cooperation as well as actions at the level of the EU and NATO. According to her, “reestablishing peace and security at the Black Sea is essential for the security of us all. The same idea has been repeatedly conveyed by the European officials, underlying the joint commitment to maintaining stability and security in this area of top strategic importance.

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4 June 2024
May 23, 2024

SECURITY Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday said there is no direct threat for Romania but the heads of the army are ready for al possible situations. The president also said that Romania would not send troops to Ukraine and that the alternative of giving an air-defence system to Ukraine would be discussed in the country’s Higher Defence Council. In turn, chief of staff general Gheorghita Vlad has mentioned the need for increasing Romania’s response capabilities through the employment of new technologies and military gear.

RALLY Several trade unions are today staging a protest meeting in front of the government building in Bucharest. The protesters have denounced a series of inequities and salary discriminations in their fields of activity. The protest involves the participation of the employees of several institutions from the filed of environmental protection, from the Trade Registry, Europol, the national archives and the National Council for Combating Discrimination in sport and among the youth. The Labour Ministry has put up for public debates a draft law on raising the wages of several categories of state employees by 10 percent this year, a move that attracted a lot of heat from trade unions.

BSDA Bucharest is hosting until tomorrow the “Black Sea Defence and Aerospace“, the biggest exhibition of military technique and equipment in the region. The event has brought together over 400 producers of military equipment and technologies from roughly 30 NATO members and partner countries. BSDA showcases the latest military technologies and state-of-the-art equipment, which includes as its main attraction, the multi-role fifth-generation jet fighter, F-35, the US Air Force has for the first time brought to an exhibition in Europe. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who participated in the opening of the aforementioned exhibition, said that against the background of the bloody conflict in Ukraine, revitalizing Romania’s defence industry has become a priority of the Romanian government.

TENNIS Romanian tennis players Gabriela Ruse and Cristina Dinu, last night managed to qualify for the final round of the qualifiers for the singles draw of the Roland Garros tournament, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Cristina Dinu qualified after Japanese Mai Hontama abandoned the game at 5-2 to the Romanian. In turn Gabriela Ruse clinched a two-set win 6-3, 6-4 against Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands. In the other game of the second preliminary round, Romanian player Miriam Bulgaru conceded defeat to US challenger Katie Volynets 6-0, 7-5. Sorana Cirstea, Jaqueline Cristian, Ana Bogdan and Irina Begu are directly qualified on the main draw.

NASTY The Romanian feature film NASTY directed by Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu and Tudor Giurgiu is today being screened in the ‘Special Screenings’ section of the International Film Festival in Cannes. The event will also include a Q&A session hosted by the three directors. The film offers a captivating incursion into the life of Romania’s legendary tennis player Ilie Nastase, who dominated the national and international tennis back in the 70s. Besides his sheer talent, Nastase compelled recognition through an electrifying style, winning the public with his eccentric personality as well as with his volcanic and often controversial temperament. The Cannes festival is due to end on Saturday.

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23 May 2024
Cooperation for Ukraine

While on a visit to Bucharest, the British Armed Forces Minister Leo Docherty had talks which he described as “very wide-ranging and positive” with his Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr and with the defence chief of staff, and visited the British troops deployed to the Mihail Kogălniceanu base in the south-east of Romania.

The British official praised the strong relations between the two countries, Romania’s “steadfast contribution” within NATO, and the joint effort to support Ukraine.

“That is not just about Ukraine’s security, but about the Black Sea regional security. And the work that we are doing together to improve and enhance security at the Black Sea is hugely important; it’s not just important for our two countries, it’s not just important to the region, it’s actually important to the world, because a huge proportion of the world’s grain supplies and other economic activity takes place in the Black Sea,” Leo Docherty said, and warned that 2024 is a very important year for the war started by Russia.

Regional security in the context of Russia’s war of aggression was also the topic of discussions held by the Romanian defence minister in Bucharest with his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Chikovani.

“In Central and Eastern Europe, Romania is a role model in many respects, from defence of NATO’s eastern flank to consolidating democracy, the rule of law and human rights,” the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in his turn upon receiving the Distinguished International Leadership award from the Atlantic Council in Washington D.C.

The Romanian official emphasised that most Allied countries in the eastern flank are making progress in raising their budgets for defence and in upgrading their military infrastructure and equipment.

Our countries were able to act together, with determination, and to represent a strong deterring force against Russian expansionism, while at the same time staying true to our fundamental trans-Atlantic democratic values, Klaus Iohannis added. He also said that Romania “was in the front line through its efforts to help Ukraine,” and mentioned that over 7.5 million Ukrainians crossed the border into Romania searching for shelter, safety and free passage.

“Nearly 40 thousand Ukrainian children are now studying in Romanian classrooms. Millions of tonnes of humanitarian aid have reached Ukraine from and through Romania. Romania also helped Ukraine to preserve a vital economic lifeline, using our unique maritime connections and facilitating the transit of close to 40 million tonnes of grains—about 70% of Ukraine’s grain exports, via the Romanian Danube and Black Sea ports,” the Romanian president explained.

And all these efforts “continue for as long as necessary,” because Romania is aware of the key role it plays in helping Ukraine secure its victory and peace, its economic stability and its EU accession, the president of Romania concluded. (AMP)

9 May 2024
May 9, 2024

VOTE On June 9^th Romanians are expected to the polls and cast a ballot for their representatives in the European Parliament and in the local administration. The election campaign will kick off on May 10^th and is due to end on June 8. Over nine hundreds polling stations are expected to be opened abroad, upon the request of the local Romanian communities who will be using the same ballot papers. We recall that 2024 is the first year when Romania sees three election rounds. In September they are expected to elect the country’s president and in December their MPs.

UKRAINE The situation in Ukraine has been high on the agenda of the talks Romania’s Defence Minister Angel Tîlvăr had with his British and Georgian counterparts, Leo Docherty and Irakli Chikovani, respectively. The issue was also high on the agenda of the talks in Washington between Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis and Joe Biden. In Bucharest, the British official has mentioned the strong relations between the two countries, Romania’s steadfast contribution to NATO as well as the joint support for Ukraine. According to Leo Docherty, 2024 is a very important year for the fate of the war started by Russia and said the Europeans have a duty to support Ukraine. In Washington, the Romanian president has recalled the support Romania granted to Ukraine from the very beginning of the conflict and has given assurances this support ”is going to continue as long as necessary, because Romania is aware of the key role it is playing in helping its neighbour to obtain victory and peace, to attain economic success and get integrated into the EU. After the talks he had with Joe Biden, the Romanian president mentioned the possibility that Romania might consider the solution of making a Patriot missile defence system available for Ukraine.

FILM The 28^th edition of the European Film Festival begins in Bucharest today on Europe’s Day and will end in Chisinau on June 8. The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) kicks off the festival with Blaga’s Lessons, a Bulgarian-German co-production directed by Stephan Komandarev, which got the Crystal Globe for Best Film and the Ecumenical Jury Award at the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary. According to the ICR, the festival this year has a generous schedule of 40 feature films, 34 national premieres and two selections of short-reels.

WIN Romania’s national side clinched a 31-30 home win against the Czech Republic on Wednesday night in the first round of the World Handball Championship playoffs. The return match is due to take place in Brno on May 12. Romania has so far attended 14 editions of the aforementioned competition and its latest participation was in 2011, when it ranked 19^th. The World Handball Championship is due over January 14 and February 2 next year in Croatia, Denmark and Norway.

DAY Bucharest and other Romanian cities are today marking Europe Day through a series of concerts, sporting events, rounds of debates, book exhibitions and various workshops. The EU flag will be projected on the Parliament building in Bucharest tonight in an attempt to join other famous institutions and buildings all over Europe, marking this day as well as the final countdown to the EU Parliament elections due on June 9^th. Blue lights are going to be projected on the Triumphal Arch in Bucharest also tonight. The Schuman Declaration, a watershed moment in the process of European integration and cooperation, is also marked on May 9^th. On this day in 1950, the French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community. The proposal has been known as the Schuman Declaration and is believed to have been the foundation of the European Union. Romania joined the EU in 2007 together with Bulgaria.

(bill)

9 May 2024
May 8, 2024 UPDATE

VISIT The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, was on an official visit to the US on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday he was received at the White House by his American counterpart Joe Biden. The talks focused on the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea area, as well as on strengthening security in the Euro-Atlantic area. Klaus Iohannis thanked for the substantial contribution of the United States to ensuring the security of Romania and the entire eastern flank of NATO, as well as for the recognition of the strategic role of the Black Sea in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In turn, Joe Biden expressed his special appreciation for the consistent efforts that Romania has been making for the benefit of the allied space and, at the same time, for the continuous support it gives to Ukraine. The issue of Romania’s admission to the Visa Waiver program was also addressed.

EUROPE DAY The National Parliament building in Bucharest is illuminated on Wednesday and Thursday, alongside many other landmarks in over 60 European cities, to mark 9 May, Europe Day, and the one-month countdown for the European Elections (6-9 June), the Romanian Chamber of Deputies announced. Every year, May 9 marks the anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman declaration’ that set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe. On May 9^th, 1950, the French foreign minister Robert Schuman proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community, whose members would pool coal and steel production, to prevent a new war between Europe’s nations. The declaration is regarded as the foundation of the European Union, which Romania joined in 2007.

DEFENCE The Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr Wednesday received his Georgian counterpart Irakli Chikovani, who is on an official visit to Romania. During the talks, the two officials tackled regional security issues, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the measures taken by Romania to ensure Black Sea traffic security, and the bilateral cooperation in the defence sector. The Romanian defence minister also assured his counterpart of Romania’s support for Georgia’s European accession efforts. In turn, Irakli Chikovani emphasised the importance of the EU’s monitoring mission (EUMM Georgia).

ISRAEL Romania’s Senate and Chamber of Deputies will convene next Tuesday in a special meeting devoted to the Day of Solidarity and Friendship between Romania and the state of Israel. The decision was made on Wednesday by the joint standing bureaus of the two parliamentary chambers. A law has recently taken effect, proclaiming May 14^th as the Day of Solidarity and Friendship between Romania and the state of Israel.

CRIMINALITY The Romanian police reports a decrease in the number of crimes registered this year during the Labor Day and Orthodox Easter break. The number of robberies, serious traffic accidents, as well as the number of the victims of such incidents dropped, said the spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Interior, Monica Dajbog. She also announced that law enforcement agencies would continue to focus on ensuring the smooth running of public events on Europe Day and Romania’s Independence Day, on May 9, as well as during the election campaign for the parliamentary and local elections, which starts on May 10.

OLYMPIC GAMES After several days of sea travel on board a boat from Greece, the Olympic flame Wednesday arrived in Marseille, in the south of France, where it was welcomed by approximately 150,000 people. The former Romanian fencer Ana-Maria Brânza, an Olympic champion in the team event and twice silver medalist in the individual event, is to carry the Olympic flame together with other athletes from the 27 EU countries. Lit on April 16 in the ancient Greek site of Olympia, the flame – a symbol of the Olympic Games – will cross all of France, passing through the Antilles and French Polynesia, to reach Paris on the day of the opening ceremony, July 26. The Summer Olympics will run until August 11.

RED CROSS Every year, around the world, World Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Day is marked on May 8 with local and international events and activities. They recognise the significant contribution of the movement to the provision of humanitarian aid, medical assistance and protection for those in need around the world. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was founded at the initiative of Henry Dunant (1828-1910), a Swiss businessman, after one of the bloodiest battles of the century, that of Solferino (Italy), where the Austrian and French armies clashed causing 40,000 victims. He understood the urgent need to organise medical services to provide neutral humanitarian assistance during wars. As such, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement aims to protect life and health, to prevent and alleviate human suffering without any discrimination based on nationality, race, religion, social class or political opinion. Currently, it provides vital assistance in armed conflicts, natural disasters and epidemics.

UKRAINE Russia Wednesday launched a new large-scale air attack against energy infrastructure in several parts of Ukraine, military and energy officials from Kyiv have announced. The Ukrainian army said that its air defence systems were involved in countering the attacks and intercepted the missiles launched towards Kyiv. Blasts were reported in the cities of Lviv and Zaporizhzhia. In another move, preparations are being made for the Global Peace Summit aimed at finding a solution to the war that has been going on for more than two years. The summit, to which Russia was not invited, will take place in Switzerland on June 15-16, and Ukraine hopes to garner broad support to persuade Moscow to agree to terms that Kyiv deems acceptable.

GAZA The Israeli army strengthened its air attacks on Gaza Strip, after taking control of the strategic crossing point to Egypt, Rafah. Meanwhile, mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States convened in Cairo, in the presence of Israeli officials, to discuss a ceasefire agreement in exchange for the release of the hostages captured by Hamas. An official for the Palestinian group told France Presse that it could be the last chance for Israel to recover the captives alive. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the recent proposals by Hamas to agree on a ceasefire do not come close to meeting Israeli demands, but Israel is participating in the negotiations. Tuesday marked seven months since Hamas attacked Israel. 1,200 Israelis died then and 250 were taken hostage, of which about 100 were released later. In response, Israel launched a large-scale offensive that practically destroyed Gaza and killed around 35,000 Palestinians. (AMP)

8 May 2024
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has talks with US President Joe Biden at the White House

The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, who is currently on a working visit to Washington, has had talks with US President, Joe Biden, at the White House.

The two leaders have approached topical issues on the bilateral and international agenda and have also celebrated Romania’s 20th year as a member of the NATO Alliance.

The two presidents have underscored their continued support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s aggression. They have also reviewed the many areas in which Romania and the United States work together, including energy, economic cooperation and their shared democratic values.

President Biden has thanked President Iohannis for hosting U.S. servicemembers in Romania, and has recognized the many contributions that Romania, a stalwart NATO Ally, has made to security on NATO’s eastern flank, particularly in the Black Sea region, a White House press release reads.

In his opening remarks, the U.S. President Joe Biden has praised the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis for his leadership and for providing security assistance during the war in Ukraine. “We were reminiscing for a moment before you came in that, back when I was a senator, 180 years ago, I fought very hard for Romania’s admission to NATO. And you, you’ve exceeded every expectation. And 20 years ago, when you joined NATO for real, and every year since, our nations have grown only closer, in my view, closer and closer together. And we see it in Romania and American troops serving side by side across NATO, and including in your country. I believe there’s about 1,800 American forces there. We thank you for that. And, we see our work in strengthening NATO’s eastern flank. And I want to thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership, especially in the Black Sea. You’ve been incredible. You’ve stood up, and the help you’ve provided for Ukraine is real. It’s significant. The unified support for the people of Ukraine, you’ve allowed a number of refugees to come across, be in your country, about 8,000, they tell me. A whole lot. And that’s really something. And, also, your security assistance to Ukraine, moving Ukrainian grain. And I want you to know the United States is committed to standing with you. Today, we lay the foundation for the next 20 years. I look forward to our discussions and just say that we’ve got a lot to discuss, so I’m looking forward to it”, President Biden said.

In his turn, President Iohannis thanked President Biden for the substantial contribution of the United States to ensuring the security of Romania and for strengthening the bilateral relationship: “We managed not only to be members of NATO, thanks to you and others who really fought for us 20 years since Romania is a proud member of NATO, but we also managed to work on our bilateral relationship, which became stronger and stronger. We have a Strategic Partnership. And I think by making this partnership strong, we also managed to make the transatlantic link strong. In my opinion, a transatlantic link is the cornerstone of our democratic way of life, our values. And so, this is obviously linked to the way we see the future of our nations; how we manage to make our nations work better, live better; how we manage to guarantee the security of our peoples; how we manage to make our economies grow. And so, we have, really, a lot of issues we can discuss. But also, sometimes I believe it is important to underline that we managed to move ahead and that we managed to have very positive results. And, of course, we will discuss things we still have to achieve. And so, maybe just an example: We are working together on a visa waiver for Romania. If this goes well, hopefully, not before long, we will have results. But unfortunately, the most important issue is to find the way to reinstall peace in Europe. And helping Ukraine and the Ukrainians, you set such a huge example how this can be done. Romania is trying its best, and we have some pretty good results. I think it is decent. But nevertheless, we have to find ways to prevent Russia to win this war in Ukraine. And here we have to stay united. We have to work together. And we will, as far as I can see.”

President Biden added: “Let me just say one thing. I don’t think there’s any NATO partner who has a stronger commitment to the Euro-Atlantic alliance than Romania and the United States. And it’s a value set. It’s what we believe (…) And you’ve stepped up, and you’ve been incredible. And what you’ve done and what we’re going to continue to do together, I think, is going to be significant, not only for Europe but for the whole world.”

According to the Romanian Presidential Administration, the top level dialogue represents a good opportunity to raise the profile of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US and to reconfirm the privileged bilateral relations between the US and Romania as well as their multisectoral cooperation.

“I had a very consistent discussion today in Washington, D.C., with the President of the US, Joe Biden, at the White House, on the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States🇸, including cooperation on security, economic and energy issues. As we celebrate 20 years since Romania joined NATO, we also discussed our strong collaboration in securing the Eastern Flank of the Alliance, the strategic importance of the Black Sea region, as well as our support for Ukraine and strengthening transatlantic relations”, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis wrote on X, fresh from the talks he had with President Joe Biden, at the White House. “I talked with President Biden about the Strategic Partnership between our countries, how we can make it stronger and how we can deepen it, so that it meets the challenges we face in this extremely complicated global context. I thanked President Biden for the substantial contribution of the United States to ensuring the security of Romania and of the entire Eastern Flank and, at the same time, for recognizing the strategic role of the Black Sea, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine” the Romanian head of state told a press conference.

On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, President Klaus Iohannis will be awarded the 2024 Distinguished Leadership Award by the Atlantic Council, in token of recognition for his career and role as a trans-Atlantic and European leader.

7 May 2024
May 6, 2024 UPDATE

EASTER Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians in Romania are celebrating Bright Week, the first week after Easter. Easter, the most important religious holiday in the Christian world, is also the only one that lasts 3 days.

STATISTICS Romania has the 3rd-lowest life expectancy in the EU, 76.6 years, according to a report released by Eurostat. The only 2 countries in the European bloc with poorer rates in this respect are Bulgaria and Latvia (below 76 years). Spain has the longest life expectancy in the European Union, 84 years, followed closely by Italy and Malta. According to Eurostat data, lower rates are reported in Eastern Europe and in the three Baltic states, whereas in Mediterranean, Scandinavian and Central European countries people live longer. On the other hand, the EU statistics office said, Romania sees the steepest increase in life expectancy, with one year gained between 2019 and 2023.

MILITARY A multinational exercise called Swift Response 24 takes place until May 24 in Romania and other countries. Thousands of troops and hundreds of vehicles and other equipment from 7 Allied and partner states are taking part. The exercise is organised by the US Army Europe and Africa, and according to the Romanian defence ministry it will include one of the largest air assault operations conducted in Europe since WWII, with around 2,000 paratroopers from France, Germany, Romania, Spain, the US and the Netherlands taking part. Romania contributes 2,300 troops, several air bases and 3 firing ranges. The drills on Romanian territory are coordinated by the German Armed Forces jointly with the Romanian Land Forces, with support from the Romanian Air Forces.

COMPANIES The number of companies deregistered in Romania increased by nearly 15% in the first quarter of this year, to over 12,000, according to the National Trade Registry Office. Most of these companies were registered in Bucharest and Ilfov County (south), Constanţa (south-east), Cluj (north-west), Timiş (west) and Iaşi (north-east), and operated in sectors like vehicle repair, wholesale and retail, and constructions.

RUSSIA Russia’s president Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear weapons drills “in the near future,” involving in particular troops deployed close to Ukraine, France Presse and Reuters report. According to the Russian defence ministry, the drills are designed to keep the Army trained, following “provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation.” Missile units from the Military District South and naval forces will take part in the drills. Russia currently has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin led to the worst deterioration of Russia’s relations with the West since the Cuban missile crisis, both US and Russian diplomats said. While Moscow claims the war is a response to NATO’s attempts to control Ukraine while expanding its military presence eastwards, the West and Ukraine define Putin’s war as intended to occupy new territory and bring Ukraine under Moscow’s control, Reuters says.

UKRAINE Russia’s army announced on Monday having seized another 2 Ukrainian villages, one in Donetsk, in the east, and the other one in Kharkiv, in the north-east. Commentators say Russia has the initiative against an enemy struggling to recruit new troops and facing a slow-down in Western aid. With the US military assistance resumed after a USD 61 bln aid plan for Kyiv approved in late April, Ukraine should be able to strengthen its forces and to try to stabilise the front.

VISIT The war in Ukraine and economic relations between China and the European Union were the main topics on the agenda of Monday’s talks in Paris, held as part of a 2-day state visit by China’s president Xi Jinping to France. The Chinese official called for a consolidated strategic coordination between China and the EU, as major world powers, at the start of a 3-party meeting with president Emmanuel Macron and with the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen. President Macron pleaded in turn for “fair rules for all” in the trade between China and Europe. “The future of our continent will very clearly depend on our ability to continue to develop relations with China in a balanced manner,” Macron said, and added that “coordination” with Beijing on “major crises” including Ukraine and the Middle East was “absolutely decisive.” In turn, the EC president Ursula von der Leyen said that China and the EU have a shared interest in peace and security, and emphasized the determination to end Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to achieve just and long-term peace.

GAZA On Monday the Israeli armed forces started to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah, ahead of a planned military move in this town in the south of Gaza, an Israeli radio station, Army Radio, has announced. The Israeli Army said it “encourages” residents in eastern Rafah to move to an extended humanitarian area close by. Seven months since the start of its attack on Hamas, Israel says Rafah is hosting thousands of Islamist Palestinian fighters and that the town is critical for its victory. But with over one million Palestinian civilians relocated to Rafah, the prospect of a military operation with a large number of victims is a concern for the West and for neighbouring Egypt, Reuters reports. (AMP)

6 May 2024