Radio România Internațional

Tag: UN

שגריר רומניה באו”ם, בטקס הנצחת קורבנות השואה

שגריר רומניה באו”ם, יון גינגה, השתתף בטקס ההנצחת זכר קורבנות השואה שאורגן ע”י בית הכנסת “פארק איסט” בניו יורק והאו”ם.

הטקס נערך באינטרנט והובל על ידי הרב ארתור שנייר, ניצול שואה. השתתף בו מזכ”ל האו”ם אנטוניו גוטרס. השגריר גינגה הזכיר את תרומתה של רומניה למאמציה של הקהילה הבינלאומית להילחם באנטישמיות ולהנציח את השואה.

הוא דיבר על האימוץ של הגדרת העבודה של אנטישמיות בתקופת נשיאות רומניה של הברית הבינלאומית לזכר השואה, IHRA

השגריר ציין את העובדה שרומניה הייתה בין הראשונות שכללו את ההגדרה הזו בחוק המקומי, וחוק שבו יש הוראות ברורות המגנות הכחשת שואה והסתה לאנטישמיות.

יחד עם זאת, ממשלת רומניה נמצאת בשלב האחרון של אישור האסטרטגיה הלאומית למניעה ולמאבק באנטישמיות, שנאת זרים, רדיקליזציה ודיבור שנאה, וכן את תוכנית הפעולה ליישום אסטרטגיה זו. גינגה ציין כי משרד החוץ הרומני תרם רבות לפעילות IHRA לכתיבת הצהרת מועצת האיחוד האירופי בנושא המאבק באנטישמיות, שהתקבלה בדצמבר 2020.

משרד החוץ הרומני חתם תזכיר עם יד ושם ירושלים, על מנת להקל על מחקר הארכיונים הדיפלומטיים הרומניים בנוגע להיסטוריה של הקהילה היהודית ברומניה, לפני ואחרי השואה. השגריר גינגה הזכיר כי רומניה מציינת את פרק ההיסטוריה הטרגי הזה הן ב- 27 בינואר — יום בינלאומי לזכר קורבנות השואה והן ב 9 באוקטובר – היום הלאומי להנצחת השואה ברומניה.

31 January 2021
January 22, 2021

Frequency change – As January 25, 2021, Radio Romania International will change some of its shortwave frequencies. From this date on, the 04.00 UTC broadcast beamed on India will be broadcasted on 11,790 kHz in the analog system, while the digital broadcast will go out on 13,720 kHz in the DRM system.

Bucharest – Around 350,000 people have been vaccinated in Romania since the beginning of the campaign, at the end of December. The Prime Minister Florin Cîţu announced that the country has a stock of 2.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to use by the end of March. The government introduced in the second vaccination stage, which began on January 15, new categories of people, including people with disabilities and those who take care of them, the diplomatic staff, seafarers and athletes who participate in international competitions. According to a government decision, the registration platform will be modified to give priority to the elderly and vulnerable people. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 700,000 contaminations have been registered in Romania. About 17,000 patients have died and 1,000 are in ICUs.

EU — Meeting for an online summit, the European leaders decided on Thursday evening to keep the Unions internal borders open, but to impose new restrictions on non-essential travels, in an attempt to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the virus mutations. Next week, the European Commission is to present a set of concrete measures in this sense. The head of the EC Ursula von der Leyen has announced that new color-code zones will be established, namely dark red and light red for the areas with a high number of infections and with intense circulation of the virus. The Heads of State and Government also stated that, for non-essential travels outside the Union, mandatory COVID-19 tests will be required in Europe before traveling. As for the idea of a vaccination passport, proposed by the tourism-dependent countries, it has been postponed for the time being

Protests – In Bucharest and other cities of Romania, continue the protests organized by one of the biggest trade union confederations in Romania, Cartel Alfa. Today, the trade unionists representatives went to the Labor Ministry, after, late last month, the labor minister Raluca Turcan had promised them to come up with a timetable for discussions with the social partners for the sustainable growth of the minimum wage Also today, the prefect’s offices of the cities of Arad (west) and Gorj (southwest) will be picketed. The employees of the Interior Ministry are also protesting, as they are discontented with the salary capping announced by the government.

Restrictions — Bucharest authorities might decide today on the partial resumption of some activities indoors that had been forbidden for more than three months, when the Capital was in the red zone. Nevertheless, relaxation of measures can only happen if the contamination rate remains below 3 cases per thousand. According to Prefect Traian Berbeceanu, an extraordinary meeting of the Municipal Committee for Emergency Situations will be summoned to propose the adoption of a decision on relaxing the restrictive measures in force. Therefore, following the relaxation of restrictions, theaters and cinemas, as well as restaurants, bars and cafes will be opened with an occupancy rate of a maximum 30%. At the same time, licensed gambling operators will be allowed to resume their activity, with the observance of the 30% occupancy rate.

UN — A UN treaty on a comprehensive ban on nuclear weapons has taken effect today. The document includes a commitment not to develop, test or threaten to use nuclear weapons. This is not the first treaty initiated by the UN which is aimed at encouraging nuclear disarmament. The Non-Proliferation Treaty, concluded in the 1970s, was signed by 119 nations, but its main objective was rather to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, rather than to totally ban them. Although there have been some reductions in weapon stocks, countries have continued to modernize their arsenal, while other countries have simply ignored the treaty. None of the 122 states that have signed the new treaty on a ban on nuclear weapons has such weapons, the BBC reports. (tr. L. Simion)

22 January 2021
December 14, 2020 UPDATE

TALKS After a first round of talks on Monday with
the political groups, which made it to Parliament following the election on
December 6th, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said the proper conditions for
the designation of a Prime Minister to form a new government have not been met.
The Romanian president said that a new round of talks is needed and announced
he would summon the new Legislature on December 21st. The Social Democrats who
obtained the largest number of votes in the election, proposed doctor Alexandru
Rafila for the position of Prime Minister to head a national unity government.
The National Liberal Party has proposed the incumbent Finance Minister Florin
Citu, while the USR-PLUS alliance, who came in third, proposed the former
technocratic Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos. The fourth largest group in
Parliament AUR, proposed Calin Georgescu, who has been described as an
international expert in sustainable development.

THANKS Maia
Sandu, the pro-Western president elect of the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking
Republic of Moldova held talks with Romania’s ambassador to Chisinau Daniel
Ionita whom she thanked for the consistent support Romania offered to the
Republic of Moldova. The Moldovan official stressed out the need for
re-establishing bilateral cooperation between Romania and the Republic of
Moldova for the benefit of their citizens. Sandu said the visit to be paid by
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis late this year is very important and voiced
hope that this is the first step in a long term productive cooperation.

UN Romania has been and will continue to be an active
member involved in the proper functioning of the United Nations, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, said at the celebration of 75 years of the
organization’s existence and 65 years of Romania’s UN membership. The head of
diplomacy considers that Romania has demonstrated a genuine and lasting
commitment at all levels: maintaining international peace and security,
sustainable development and promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of
law. The official added that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the
importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges. In this
context, Bogdan Aurescu stressed that there is a need for an efficient
Organization, able to respond adequately to pre-existing challenges to peace,
security and human rights, as well as emerging challenges and trends in the
context of the current pandemic crisis.

INVESTMENTS In Romania, the Agency
for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR) has so far made payments of 7 billion
Euros through the National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020, the degree of
absorption on this program exceeding 70%, AFIR announced on Monday.
Beneficiaries were farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and local public
authorities. The National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020 provides
non-reimbursable funds from the European Union and the government for the
economic and social development of the rural area.

(bill)

14 December 2020
December 14, 2020

CONSULTATIONS. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, holds consultations today with the political parties that will be represented in Parliament following the December 6 elections, in order to appoint a prime minister. The Social Democratic Party, which came out first in the elections and has already met with the head of state, came with the proposal that doctor Alexandru Rafila take over as prime minister and lead a national union government. The National Liberal Party, which came in second place in the elections, the Save Romania Union – PLUS, ranking third, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, the parties that want to form a majority center-right coalition, failed to reach, after two days of negotiations, an agreement regarding a common proposal for prime minister. The Liberals will propose the current finance minister, Florin Cîţu, while the proposal of the Save Romania Union – PLUS Alliance is the co-president of the Alliance, the former technocratic prime minister Dacian Cioloş. The president will also have discussions with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), a radical-nationalist party joining parliament for the first time, and with representatives of national minorities, other than the Hungarian one.

STATE OF ALERT. In Romania, the state of alert has been extended by one month, starting today. Adding to the decisions taken so far by the Government, a newl one has come into force, regarding the organization and running of the activities of the cable transport operators on ski slopes, which will be open, but the authorities intend to avoid their overcrowding. According to the latest data announced by the Strategic Communication Group, so far, more than 550,000 cases of people infected with the new coronavirus have been confirmed in Romania. Most cases were registered in Bucharest and in the counties of Cluj (northwest) and Iasi (northeast). 1,289 patients infected with the new virus are in intensive care. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths has reached 13,385.

UN. Romania has been and will continue to be an active member involved in the proper functioning of the United Nations, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, said at the celebration of 75 years of the organizations existence and 65 years of Romanias UN membership. The head of diplomacy considers that Romania has demonstrated a genuine and lasting commitment at all levels: maintaining international peace and security, sustainable development and promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The official added that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges. In this context, Bogdan Aurescu stressed that there is a need for an “efficient Organization, able to respond adequately to pre-existing challenges to peace, security and human rights, as well as emerging challenges and trends in the context of the current pandemic crisis.”

ONLINE SCHOOL. One in three students in Romania could not attend online classes after school closed due to the pandemic, and the country is among the last in the European Union in terms of implementing digital education, a European Parliament report shows. According to the document, about one million students did not have access to education after school closed, while in developed countries 90% of students had access to distance learning tools. On the other hand, there are specialists who point out that excessive use of technology among young students can have negative effects. They say that the generalization of online education can compromise the entire education system, both through direct consequences on quality and due to the requirements related to ensuring equitable access for all students and teachers to high-performance infrastructure.

INVESTMENTS. In Romania, the Agency for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR) has so far made payments of 7 billion Euros through the National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020, the degree of absorption on this program exceeding 70%, AFIR announced on Monday. Beneficiaries were farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and local public authorities. The National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020 provides non-reimbursable funds from the European Union and the government for the economic and social development of the rural area.

BREXIT. The European Unions chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, will present the situation to the 27 member states today, following a weekend of intense talks to reach a post-Brexit trade agreement. The UK and the EU have not yet been able to resolve their differences of opinion, the BBC reports. According to the source, the details of the talks are kept secret for the time being, as negotiators fear that if they reach the press or opposition politicians, the proposals could be sabotaged before they become a reality. The EU wants this agreement, but it protects its single market, while the United Kingdom wants the agreement too, but its priority is to protect the countrys sovereignty after Brexit, the BBC also reports.

HANDBALL. The Romanian womens handball national team meets, today, Hungary, in the main group II of the European Championship in Denmark. The two representatives occupy the last places in the group, without any points, and have no chances to qualify for the semifinals of the competition. The main group II is led by Norway and Croatia, which have both defeated Romania. The Romanian team will play the last game of the group, on Tuesday, with the Netherlands. (M. Ignatescu)

14 December 2020
November 2, 2020 UPDATE

DECISION The Committee for Emergency Situations on Monday decided that schools
in capital Bucharest remain closed for
another 14 days while delivering online courses. The present restrictions are
to be maintained for the next two weeks. The new Bucharest prefect Traian
Berbeceanu has announced that new relaxation measures aren’t to be taken given
the rising number of Covid-19 infections in Bucharest but neither are fresh
restriction to be imposed. According to the latest data released by the
authorities, in capital Bucharest, the infection rate stays at 3.91 cases per
thousand. Over 4 thousand new infections were announced on Monday bringing the
total number since the onset of the pandemic to more than 250 thousand. 86
people died in the past 24 hours and the total number of Covid-related
fatalities has reached 7,153. 916 patients are currently being treated in IC
units.

BUDGET The Finance Ministry is going to prepare a budget
adjustment, which could be ready in the second week of November, the Romanian
Public Finance Minister Florin Citu announced on Monday. According to the
minister, maintaining the deficit announced in August, with a consolidating
tendency for the next year, is among the main objectives and the budget
revenues are proof of the fact that this objective is achievable. Healthcare,
investment, Romania’s financial independence are some of the key priorities of
this initiative, Minister Citu explained in an on-line statement. According to
estimates by the Bucharest authorities, the Covid pandemic will be pushing the
deficit to 8.6% of the GDP while economy is going to shrink by 4%.

FLIGHTS The flights of the Romanian company TAROM to and from
Brussels were suspended, on Monday, but also on November 9 and 16, due to the
current epidemiological context, the state-owned airline operator has
announced. Also, for 3 weeks, more precisely between November 7 and 30, all flights
to and from London will be canceled. This month, on several days, Tarom will
not fly to Munich or Amsterdam either.

RWB 32 journalists and media collaborators have been killed
since the beginning of the year, according to Reporters Without Borders (RWB),
which states that the number remains worrying, although has declined compared
to 2019 due to the health crisis, as many journalists are no longer moving on
the field. On the occasion of the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes
Against Journalists’, marked today, RWB reiterates its call on UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to create a post of special representative
for the security of journalists. The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) is also launching a global campaign to denounce those who order crimes
against journalists and go unpunished, but also to urge governments to take
urgent action against impunity and to protect press freedom.

ELECTION In the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, mostly
Romanian-speaking), pro-European candidate Maia Sandu won the first round of
Sunday’s presidential election with more than 36% of the votes, according to
partial results. Maia Sandu is followed by pro-Russia President Igor Dodon,
with more than 32 percent, and will face him in the second round of elections
on November 15. In 3rd and 4th place were two candidates who are vying with
Igor Dodon for the left-wing electorate. The other four pro-European candidates
and those militating for the union with Romania together obtained a little over
8% of the votes.

(bill)

2 November 2020
October 24, 2020 UPDATE

Coronavirus Romania. Coronavirus
Romania. Romania saw almost 4,800 new
coronavirus cases on Saturday. More than 205,000 cases have been confirmed so far, while the death toll passed 6,300. Almost 800 people are in intensive care. Friday saw the
first death of a person for whom no place was found in intensive care. Romania
is one of the 23 EU member states where the evolution of the pandemic causes
concern in the Union, both on account of the daily number of new cases among
the elderly population and the death rate, which is the second highest in
Europe. The health minister Nelu Tătaru says Romania is counting the deaths of
all persons infected with coronavirus, regardless of comorbidity, while some
states are also counting the deaths caused by the virus alone. Prime minister
Ludovic Orban said on Saturday that a night curfew was being considered, given
that more and more localities have surpassed the threshold of 3 cases per 1,000
inhabitants.

Poll. 60% of Romanians are satisfied with the measures taken by EU
institutions to combat the coronavirus pandemic, compared with the European
average of 45%, according to the latest Eurobarometer. 44% of Europeans are
unhappy with the measures taken by the Union to fight the pandemic, but 62% say
they have confidence in the ability of the European institutions to take
correct decisions in the future.

UN. In a statement to mark United Nations Day and the 75th
anniversary of the UN Charter, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu
emphasised the importance of multilateralism and the need for international
cooperation and solidarity, which are constantly reaffirmed through the efforts
to manage the pandemic crisis. The United Nations’ impact is felt in all
corners of the globe, including Romania, said Aurescu. He added that the
commitment to multilateralism is one of the basic pillars of his country’s
foreign policy, alongside EU and NATO membership and its strategic partnership
with the United States. The Emergency Transit Centre for refugees Romania has
been hosting since 2008 in Timişoara, a centre set up through the collaboration
of the Romanian government, the UN High Refugee Agency and the International
Organisation for Migration, demonstrates Romania’s commitment to the
international right of refugees and the principles of solidarity and sharing
responsibilities multilaterally, Aurescu also said in his statement. He also
recalled Romania’s support for the role of the International Court of Justice.

Navy. The Romanian Queen Marie frigate left on Saturday from port of Constanţa
to join the Standing NATO Maritime Group. Between the 27th October
and 7th December, the vessel will be carrying out missions in the
eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea such as surveying maritime traffic and
deterrence of potential threats to NATO’s southern flank. The Romanian frigate
will also be taking part in the Sea Guardian NATO operation and in a
multinational anti-submarine exercise organised by the Turkish naval forces
between the 2nd and the 9th of November. (CM)

24 October 2020
October 24, 2020

Coronavirus Romania. Romania saw
almost 4,800 new coronavirus cases on Saturday.
More than 205,000 cases have been
confirmed so far, while the death toll passed 6,300. Almost 800 people are in intensive care. Romania is one of
the 23 EU member states where the evolution of the pandemic causes concern in
the Union, both on account of the daily number of new cases among the elderly
population and the death rate, which is the second highest in Europe. The
health minister Nelu Tătaru says Romania is counting the deaths of all persons
infected with coronavirus, regardless of comorbidity, while some states are only
counting the deaths caused by the virus alone.

Coronavirus world. France is the second
country in Europe after Spain to see over 1 million coronavirus cases and the 7th
in the world in terms of total number of infections. With more than 42,000 new
daily cases, two thirds of France’s territory are under state of emergency.
Many other European countries with high numbers of new daily cases have imposed
restrictions. Globally, 42.5 million have been infected and more than 1.1
million have died.

Poll. 60% of Romanians are pleased with the measures taken by EU
institutions to combat the coronavirus pandemic, compared with the European
average of 45%, according to the latest Eurobarometer. 44% of Europeans are
unhappy with the measures taken by the Union to fight the pandemic, but 62% say
they have confidence in the ability of the European institutions to take
correct decisions in the future.

UN. In a statement to mark United Nations Day and the 75th
anniversary of the UN Charter, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu
emphasised the importance of multilateralism and the need for international
cooperation and solidarity, which are constantly reaffirmed through the efforts
to manage the pandemic crisis. The United Nations’ impact is felt in all
corners of the globe, including Romania, said Aurescu. He added that the
commitment to multilateralism is one of the basic pillars of his country’s
foreign policy, alongside EU and NATO membership and its strategic partnership
with the United States. The Emergency Transit Centre for refugees Romania has
been hosting since 2008 in Timişoara, a centre set up through the collaboration
of the Romanian government, the UN High Refugee Agency and the International
Organisation for Migration, demonstrates Romania’s commitment to the
international right of refugees and the principles of solidarity and sharing
responsibilities multilaterally, Aurescu also said in his statement. He also
recalled Romania’s support for the role of the International Court of Justice.

NATO. NATO defence ministers on Friday expressed their support for
Romania and inquired about the health of the Romanian soldiers wounded recently
in an attack in Afghanistan. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO
would in the coming months analyse the possibility of leaving Afghanistan and
called on the Taliban to stand by their pledges. He underlined that NATO
supports Afghanistan and will continue to do so, even if it pulls out its
troops, as long as peace in Afghanistan is achieved by the Afghans themselves.
The Romanian minister Nicolae Ciucă said Romania stands by its commitments and
that Romania’s contribution, planned in a flexible manner, allows for
reconfiguration depending on future allied decisions and the dynamics of
specific operations.

Time change. On Saturday
night, Romania will be switching to winter time, with the local 4 am becoming 3
am, so Sunday, 25th October is the longest day of the year. 2020 may
be the last time the seasonal change of clocks occurs, as the European
Commission has proposed scrapping this practice in Europe. Member states will
be able to choose whether to remain on permanent winter time or summer time.
Countries choosing to stay on summer time will make the last change next March,
while those who wish to remain on winter time will perform the last switch in
October next year. (CM)

24 October 2020
September 30, 2020

COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreaks are spreading in Romania, particularly in care centres and in hospitals. The number of schools resorting to exclusively online classes is also on the rise. According to the latest official report, there are 2,158 new cases in the past 24 hours, and 33 new deaths. So far, 4,825 COVID-19 patients have died in Romania, and more than 127,500 people have tested positive.

ELECTIONS Police and prosecutors carry on investigations in a criminal case initiated after on Sunday a Social Democrat running for a local councilor post was caught by representatives of Save Romania-PLUS Alliance with nearly 500 official reports from polling stations. The Central Electoral Bureau is to announce today a decision regarding the Social Democrats request for a vote recount in Bucharest Sector 1. The candidate backed by the Liberals and Save Romania-PLUS Alliance, MEP Clotilde Armand, said she would request the General Prosecutors Office to take over the investigation. The acting Sector 1 mayor, the Social Democrat Dan Tudorache, said he also requested the Bureau to do a vote recount. According to centralised data, Clotilde Armand has won the election with 40.95%, while Dan Tudorache got 39.82% of the votes. In Bucharest, the independent candidate Nicuşor Dan, backed by the Liberals and Save Romania-PLUS Alliance, secured some 43% of the votes for General Mayor of Bucharest. At national level, partial results point to major changes in the administration of county capitals. The Liberals, in power, have won 15 county capitals, the Social Democrats in opposition 14, and Save Romania-PLUS Alliance and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians 4 each. As for county councils, the Social Democrats won 20, the Liberals 17, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians 4.

COURT The Constitutional Court of Romania has dismissed an objection raised by the President and Government against a bill authorizing Parliament to set the date of this years parliamentary elections. The current bill is therefore deemed in line with the constitution, and president Iohannis is either to sign it into law, or to send it back to Parliament for a review. Meanwhile, in keeping with current legislation, the Liberal government decided on Friday that the parliamentary election will be held on December 6. Until its publication in the Official Journal, the bill tabled by the opposition parties, the Social Democrats, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians and ALDE, is not in force. If this happens, which specialists say is no longer possible because there is not enough time, it will be for the first time in 30 years that the date of general elections in Romania is set by Parliament and not by the Government.

CONFLICT The Romanian Foreign Ministry announces that Romanian embassies in Erevan and Baku are prepared to provide consular assistance to Romanian citizens in the conflict in the region. Romanian citizens are urged to be cautious and to seek information in official sources as regards possible changes in travel conditions in the 2 countries. The European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) called on Azerbaijan and Armenia to refrain from any measures, especially military ones, that might infringe upon civilians rights. Clashes between Azeri and Armenian troops over the Nagorno-Karabakh refion continue, in spite of an appeal for cease-fire and negotiations coming from the UN Security Council. According to official data, 98 people, mostly Armenian separatist fighters and , and 17 civilians on both sides, have been killed in the past few days in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

TENNIS The Romanians Simona Halep (no. 2 WTA, seeded 1st) and Irina Begu (72 WTA) are playing today in the 2nd round of the Roland Garros tournament. Other Romanians have also qualified into the second round: Ana Bogdan defeated Timea Babos (Hungary), Irina Bara secured a surprising win against Donna Vekic (Croatia), and Patricia Ţig outplayed the Swiss Stefanie Voegele. In the doubles, Ana Bogdan / Rebecca Peterson (Sweden) are taking today on Marie Bouzkova (Czech Republic) / Arantxa Rus (Netherlands), Romanians Andrea Mitu and Patricia Tig are pitted against Madison Brengle (USA) / Yana Sizikova (Russia), Monica Niculescu (Romania) / Misaki Doi (Japan) are playing against Irina Bara (Romania) / Fanny Stollar (Hungary), and Sorana Carstea (Romania) / Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spain) play against Alison Riske(USA) / Ajla Tomljanovic (Australia). (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

30 September 2020
June 27, 2020

Multilateralism – The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Friday participated in a ministerial videoconference of the Alliance for Multilateralism, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the participants assessed the way in which the international system acted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and looked into ways to consolidate the multilateral architecture, especially in the health domain. The participants also looked into the fight against infodemic — this complex information phenomenon with various elements among which fake news, hearsay, inaccurate pieces of information which undermine the stability of societies, the credibility of institutions and induce panic and anxiety among people. In his speech minister Bogdan Aurescu hailed the 75th anniversary of the UN, the creation of the organization being a reference moment in the international system set up after WWII. He expressed Romania’s firm commitment to multilateralism and underlined the importance of protecting and consolidating multilateralism to face the challenges generated by the pandemic, including the so-called infodemic. The meeting, hosted by Jean-Yves le Drian, the French Foreign Minister and Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister, was attended by more than 40 ministers, state secretaries and other officials from around the world.

Coronavirus RO — In Romania, latest figures published by the Strategic Communication Group show more than 25,600 cases of coronavirus infection. Most of the cases have so far been reported in Bucharest and Suceva county, in the north east. Of the contaminated people, more than 18,100 have recovered, with 1,579 people having died. In this context, the Liberal PM Ludovic Orban has asked the authorities to mobilize and undertake more checks. He has pointed out that in the context of the danger posed by the coronavirus being questioned by some politicians, the current public information campaign must convince citizens to observe protection rules. In another development, Romanian researchers say that people who have been contaminated and recovered from COVID-19 infection are quite unlikely to get infected again. They have reached this conclusion after having analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 virus identified in Romania and which was proved to originate from China. Most probably the spread of the virus in Romania occurred at community level, across the country’s regions.

Coronavirus world — The total number of coronavirus cases around the world has exceeded 9.9 million, with 496 thousand deaths reported, according to worldometers.info. The epicenter of the pandemic is now on the two American continents, where Brazil is expected to reach soon the threshold of 1.3 million contaminations. So far 56 thousand Brazilians have been killed by the virus and the situation is worsening, as the virus is spreading to smaller localities from where the patients are transported to urban centers with better medical infrastructure. The hardest hit country remains the US with more than 127 thousand deaths and 2.5 million confirmed cases. In another move, the EU member states have to decide on a list of 15 states whose citizens can travel to the EU as of July 1. The proposed list includes 14 countries: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay and possibly China. Also the list might include such states as Andorra, Monaco, the Vatican and San Marino.

Weather –— Hundreds of people have been evacuated and hundred of households, plots of land and roads in the southwest of Romania have been flooded by the Jiu River which outburst its banks. In the northeast, on the Prut River, the high flood propagating from Ukraine is now subsiding, after having reached its maximum level on Friday. The weather is warm with rainfalls in the north and northwest. The highs of the day range from 28 to 32 degrees C, with a 30 degree reading in Bucharest at noon. (tr. L. Simion)

27 June 2020
April 25, 2020

Covid-19 Romania — More people infected with the new coronavirus have died in Romania, taking the death toll to 575 — the Strategic Communication Group informed on Saturday. Official statistical data shows that the number of deaths accounts for 6% of the total number of people confirmed with Covid-19 infection. 2,890 patients have recovered from the infection, which represents more than 27% of the total number of infected people (more than 10,600). Abroad, as many as 1,500 Romanian citizens have been confirmed with Covid-19 infection, and 70 have died.

UN — The UN and the WHO have called for the support of the world leaders, international organizations and the private sector to get involved in a historic initiative aimed at developing, producing and equitably distributing a vaccine against the new coronavirus. ‘None of us is safe until all of us are safe’ said the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. All over the world, more than 2.7 million people have been infected with Covid-19 and the number of deaths is nearing 200 thousand. Europe reports most of the deaths, with Italy, Spain and France remaining the most affected countries. Italy reports more than 25,000 deaths, Spain (over 22,000), France (around 22,000) and Great Britain (almost 19,000). As many as 59,000 people have died in the US due to COVID-19 infection. However, the situation is beginning to stabilize in many parts of Europe and more and more governments are talking about gradual relaxation of restrictions. Some of the countries have even announced measures in this regard.

Elections – Local elections might take place at the end of September or in October, said the Romanian PM Ludovic Orban. The PM said that everything depends on the evolution of the pandemic in Romania. Ludovic Orban reiterated that health experts presented forecasts according to which the election campaign could be safely organized in autumn. Initially, the local elections had to be initially held at the end of June, with parliamentary elections being scheduled for November.

Loans – As many as 260 thousand individuals and about 10 thousand companies from Romania that are bank customers have so far applied for the suspension of loan payments. This means 17% of the loans granted to individuals and less than 10% of the total loans granted to legal entities, shows data centralized by the Romanian Banks Association. So far 175 thousand applications have been solved, with the rest being currently processed. Applications may be submitted by customers whose incomes have been affected directly or indirectly by the general situation created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Moody’s — Moody’s rating agency reconfirmed the rating of Romania’s government debt at Baa3/A-3 for the long and short term debt in hard and local currency and changed the country’s outlook from stable to negative, the Romanian Finance Ministry informed on Saturday. According to the quoted source, Moody’s decision to reconfirm the country’s rating is based on Romania’s potential for solid economic growth, even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and of the Romanian state’s moderate institutional capacity. (tr. L. Simion)

25 April 2020
April 16, 2020

COVID-19 The Parliament of Romania convenes today in an online meeting to discuss and vote on the presidential order extending the state of emergency by another 30 days. MPs yesterday tabled a number of recommendations and suggestions to be forwarded to the President and the Government. Among other things, they request the Government to present a weekly report on the measures to contain the COVID-19 epidemic and the arguments for taking these measures. They also want the Government to come up with a full report on all measures taken and their consequences, within 30 days after the end of the state of emergency, and the Court of Accounts to conduct verifications into the spending of public resources within 60 days since the end of the state of emergency. The death toll of the coronavirus epidemic in Romania has reached 387, out of a total of 7,700 cases. According to the authorities, 1357 people have so far recovered. As for the Romanians living abroad, 718 have so far tested positive for the COVID-19, most of them in Italy. As many as 55 Romanian nationals living abroad died since the start of the pandemic.

EASTER An agreement between the Romanian Interior Ministry and the Orthodox Church, which allowed believers to go out and had police distributing lit candles on Easter night, was altered further to heavy criticism from the Presidency and the healthcare community. People will not be allowed to attend religious services even outside churches, as instructed by the military orders issued so far. Easter bread and light will be delivered, at the request of believers, by priests and church volunteers. President Klaus Iohannis asked for strict compliance with the current military orders and with social distancing measures. He warned that otherwise the situation may worsen significantly after Easter. Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians mark Maundy Thursday today, commemorating the Last Supper and the events taking place before Christs arrest and crucifixion. This year the measures designed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic do not allow believers to attend the Easter mass, but they can watch live broadcasts of religious services on the TV, internet or listen to them on the radio.

NATO The Romanian Defence Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, took part on Wednesday in a meeting of the North-Atlantic Council defence ministers, convened by the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The meeting, held by conference call, focused on the implications of the COVID-19 for the Alliance. Minister Ciucă presented the efforts made to contain the virus in Romania, with support granted by the Army to the national authorities. Nicolae Ciucă also reiterated Romanias commitment to a continuing participation in NATOs operations, missions and activities, where Allied troops are facing not only specific threats in theatres of operations, but also ones related to the spread of the coronavirus, and in this context he requested close monitoring of the situation by the Alliance. The NATO defence ministers decided to put together a pandemic response plan, based on the lessons derived from the experience and best practices of the Allied states and international organisations in the context of the current crisis.

PANDEMIC The European Parliament convenes in a special session today to discuss a joint response of EU member states to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, dpa reports. MEPs are to endorse a resolution requesting better protection of EU citizens in the current crisis, stronger support for the healthcare systems of member states and a unified strategy for lifting containment measures. Yesterday, the European Commission made public a roadmap for member states, recommending the coordinated and phased lifting of restrictions, extensive testing of citizens and the replacement of the state of emergency with targeted interventions. The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, estimated on Wednesday that a safe and effective vaccine against the coronavirus may be the only instrument allowing for a return to a sense of normalcy, and voiced hope that one will be ready by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases around the world has exceeded 2 million, with the death toll standing at 136,000. In the US, the new epicentre of the pandemic, 637,000 cases and over 30,000 deaths have been reported, the largest figures in the world. In Europe, the worst hit countries remain Italy, Spain, France and the UK. On the other hand, the IMF warns that for the first time in 60 years Asia will not be able to report economic growth.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

16 April 2020
Romania’s foreign policy in 2020

Romania aims to remain a stability factor and a firm promoter of democracy in the international community, President Klaus Iohannis said in Bucharest, at the annual meeting with the chiefs of diplomatic missions in Bucharest. The head of state presented the 3 main directions of the countrys foreign policy this year:

Klaus Iohannis: “Our EU and NATO membership, together with our strategic partnership with the USA, remain the core pillars of our foreign policy or, as I described them last year, the strategic conceptual triad of Romanias foreign policy. These pillars complement each other. At the same time, we will continue to work for Romanias Schengen accession, which will contribute significantly to strengthening security in the EUs visa-free area, and for joining the Euro zone, when all conditions have been met. In a short while Britain will exit the EU. It is something we havent wished for, but we will work to make sure that the friendship and alliance that have brought us together so far remain strong between Britain and the EU. We will also do our best to modernize the strategic partnership between Romania and Britain, something we are currently working on.

Romanias foreign policy will be defined, as it has been so far, by continuity and predictability, but naturally some nuances and emphases will shift, so as to provide more coherence and consistence, the head of state also said.

What are these nuances and emphases, and how can more coherence and consistence be ensured? Analyst Cristian Diaconescu, a former foreign minister, attempted a few answers for Radio Romania:

Cristian Diaconescu: “A country project overlapping a project for the entire region, and obviously in line with Romanias security and stability interests in one of the most complicated parts of the world, and on the other hand in line with the partnership relations, the standards and values that we all share as members of the EU and the North-Atlantic Alliance. This means more creativity in the area bordering the Black Sea and the Western Balkans, with a very complicated eastern neighbourhood and, more importantly, at the crossroads of the energy corridors—and implicitly the security corridors coming from Eastern Europe or from the Middle East.

In the current international context, facing risks, challenges and threats old and new, the need for a strong, united and efficient North-Atlantic Alliance is greater than ever, President Iohannis said:

Klaus Iohannis: “NATO is a successful military alliance and we will continue to work very closely with the other Allies to make it even stronger. This is the main message of the London anniversary summit of December 2019, and Romania will focus on this direction with renewed efforts, as an important ally on the eastern flank in NATO. We are determined to continue to fulfil our commitments to earmark 2% of the GDP to Defence, and we will continue to work to consolidate the Alliances determent and defence posture, particularly in the eastern flank. At the same time, in addition to the Allied effort at the Black Sea, Romania will support NATOs enhanced involvement in the Middle East and in fighting terrorism.

The President also mentioned the UN and the OSCE as platforms for consolidated dialogue and compliance with international law, and as commentators have noted, he used the word “multilateralism quite frequently.

Cristian Diaconescu: “First of all, because multilateralism is a key element in promoting and protecting Romanias interests. Secondly, because indeed, if we talk about the UN and OSCE, we can notice some political relaxation, a decrease in the role and the activity of these multilateral bodies, although they still remain relevant in many respects, which are important to Romania. And thirdly, because there is this tendency, especially among the great powers, to have separate dialogues and to make decisions irrespective of these international institutions, which raises concerns among countries, such as Romania, which are located in complicated regions and which end up receiving ready-made decisions in whose negotiation they have not taken part.

As regards the recent developments in the Middle East, the President of Romania said that the negative effects of this crisis impact the European and global security. Klaus Iohannis also said that Bucharest will resume full cooperation with the neighbouring Republic of Moldova when the Moldovan Government has proved its commitment to the countrys European accession, to reforms in the judiciary and public administration, and to fighting corruption.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

24 January 2020
January 10, 2020

EU The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu is taking part in Brussels today in a special meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, convened by the vice-president of the European Commission Josep Borrell, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy in the wake of the recent developments in the Middle East. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, European officials will exchange opinions and assessments on the situation in Iraq and will identify ways for the EU to contribute to easing the tensions in the region. The developments in Libya will also be tackled.

ELECTIONS In Bucharest, PM Ludovic Orban announced after todays talks with President Klaus Iohannis, that together they decided to initiate procedures for early parliamentary elections. The PM added that a work group has been put together to handle negotiations with the parliamentary political parties for support in this initiative. Ludovic Orban said that the Social Democratic Party, which has a relative majority in Parliament, hinders the Governments initiatives and that the only solution is to have snap parliamentary elections as close as possible to the local elections scheduled this May. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats are considering a motion of no-confidence.

UN Romanias representative at the United Nations, Ambassador Ion Jinga, addressed the Security Council as part of a ministerial debate on “Maintenance of international peace and security upholding the UN Charter. The Romanian diplomat mentioned that 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the UN, which remains the most adequate platform for collectively tackling threats to international peace and security, and that the UN Charter remains the reference document in this respect. He emphasised that the recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa prove once again the responsibility of the international community in facilitating political solutions able to support long-lasting peace. Ambassador Jinga also spoke about Romanias contribution to peacekeeping, proven among other things by its participation in 2019 in 10 UN peacekeeping missions.

AIR CRASH The USA, Canada and Britain said that information from multiple sources indicates that the Ukrainian aircraft that crashed on Wednesday near Tehran has been taken down by Iranian armed forces. 176 people died. Iran may have accidentally shot down the plane in which 63 Canadian citizens were traveling, among other nationals, Canadas PM Justin Trudeau said. The US president Donald Trump and British PM Boris Johnson confirmed the hypothesis. All parties now ask Iran to initiate a detailed and thorough investigation. The Iranian authorities dismissed the latest intelligence as ridiculous and part of an American psychological manoeuvre. The Ukraine International Airlines flight to Kiev crashed shortly after taking off from the Tehran airport, just hours after Iran had launched ballistic missiles against 2 US military bases in Iraq, with the Iranians subsequently on alert for prospective American retaliation. According to American intelligence, the infrared signature from two suspected missile launches was identified, followed shortly afterwards by the infrared blip from the burning Boeing 737-800. On Thursday Irans Civil Aviation Organisation said the 3-year old plane faced technical problems shortly after take-off.

HANDBALL Romanias mens handball team plays tonight in Benevento, Italy, against Georgia, in its first match in Group 3 of the qualification phase for the 2021 World Championship in Egypt. On Saturday Romania will play against Kosovo, and on Sunday they will take on the host country. The group winner qualifies into the second qualification phase, scheduled for mid-April. Manager Rares Fortuneanu, who also coaches Saint Raphael, in Frances top handball league, says he is confident Romania can qualify into next years final tournament, the first with 32 teams taking part. In the womens competition, Romania reached the main groups of the World Championship held last month in Japan.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

10 January 2020
November 23, 2019 UPDATE

ELECTIONS Romania holds the decisive round of its presidential election on Sunday. The incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, endorsed by the National Liberal Party, now in power, is facing the former Social Democratic PM Viorica Dancilă. Just like in the first round, the Romanians living abroad have 3 days to cast their ballots, and the number of pollings stations abroad has been doubled, to 838. The vote started at noon on Friday and will continue until Sunday. The number of citizens having voted so far indicates a higher turnout in the runoff than in the first round. By Saturday evening, over 315,000 Romanians had voted in foreign polling stations, of whom 17,500 voted by post, an option introduced this year for the first time. The largest numbers of voters were reported in Italy, followed by Britain, Germany, Spain and the Republic of Moldova.

GAUDEAMUS The Gaudeamus International Book Fair, organised in Bucharest by Radio Romania, comes to an end on Sunday. On the last day of the fair, the awards of the 26th edition will be presented. 8,000 book stands have been put up as part of this edition, devoted to the 30 years since the anti-communist revolution of 1989. A total of 900 different events were scheduled, including book launches, debates and book signing sessions. On Saturday, the 4th day of the Fair, Prof. Thierry Wolton took part in the launch of the second volume of his trilogy “A World History of Communism. In this volume, entitled ‘The Victims’, Thierry Wolton speaks about the tens of millions that suffered imprisonment, deportation, torture and even extermination for their anti-communist beliefs.

NATIONAL DAY 3,500 Romanian troops and another 500 from over 20 allied or partner countries, 200 military vehicles and over 50 aircraft will take part on December 1 in Bucharest in the National Day parade, the Defence Ministry has announced. The Romanian military on missions in theatres of operations in Afghanistan, the Western Balkans and Mali will also organise military ceremonies on National Day. Proclaimed a national holiday after the anti-communist revolution of 1989, December 1 marks the conclusion of the establishment of the Romanian nation-state at the end of World War 1, in 1918.

COLECTIV After the Bucharest Court completed its investigations, on Monday the prosecution and the defence will present their closing statements in the case concerning the fire in Colectiv night club in Bucharest 4 years ago, in which 64 people died, one committed suicide further to the trauma and 200 others were injured. The Colectiv trial started in April 2016. After 2 years of deferrals over procedural matters, the judge assigned to the case retired, and during another year the new judge has heard the statements of scores of witnesses and victims.

UN The 15 members of the UN Security Council endorsed a declaration reaffirming the ban on chemical weapons. The Council has reached a consensus long undermined by the war in Syria, and the Skripal affair in the UK or Kim Jong-nam case in Malaysia, AFP reports. The Council reaffirms that the use of chemical weapons is a violation of international law, and declares its firm opposition to it. The declaration, proposed by Great Britain, was passed unanimously. The UN Security Council urges all states that have not yet done so to sign the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons, which was signed in 1993 and came into force in 1997. Syria joined the Convention in 2013, Israel has signed it, but is yet to ratify it, whereas North Korea, Egypt and South Sudan are not yet parties to this Convention.

POPE Pope Francis arrived in Japan on Saturday, on the second leg of his tour of Asia whose main goal is to send a message against nuclear weapons in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the only cities in the world ever hit by atomic bombs, Reuters says. On Sunday in Nagasaki the Pope, a vocal militant against nuclear weapons, will read a message against weapons of mass destruction. He will also meet with survivors of the Fukushima nuclear disaster of March 11, 2011, the most destructive after the one in Chernobyl in 1986. After Thailand, the first stop in his tour, the Pope reached Tokyo, where he will stay for 4 days. This is the first visit by a Sovereign Pontiff to this country in 38 years, and only the second in history. Another goal of his visit is to encourage the Catholic community in Japan, where only 1% of the population are Christians and half of these Catholics. The Pope will perform 2 services, one in Nagasaki and one in Tokyo, and will have meetings with senior Japanese officials and with Emperor Naruhito.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

23 November 2019
November 23, 2019

ELECTIONS In Romania, the campaign for the second round of the presidential election, due on November 24, has come to a close this morning at 7 am. Competing are the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, endorsed by the National Liberal Party now in power, and the former Social Democrat PM Viorica Dancilă. The Permanent Election Authority has announced that the Electoral Register has been updated and the total number of voters in the roll is 18,217,411. In the first round, in which 14 candidates took part, Klaus Iohannis got nearly 38% of the votes, and Viorica Dăncilă a little over 22%. The voter turnout was 51.19%. In the Romanian communities abroad, where the vote took place over 3 days, record-high turnout was reported, with over 675,000 people showing up in polling stations. For Sundays runoff as well, the 835 polling stations abroad are open for 3 days, Friday through Sunday, with the possibility for the vote to be extended until midnight on Sunday. The number of Romanians
having voted abroad in the runoff suggests a higher turnout than in the first round. The vote rate increased in the
past few hours, after polling stations reopened in all the countries in Europe,
which host the largest Romanian communities in the world. First ranking are the
Romanians in Italy, the UK, Germany, Spain and the Republic of Moldova.

GAUDEAMUS 8,000 book stands have been put up as part of the Gaudeamus Book Fair organised in Bucharest by Radio Romania, in an edition devoted to the 30 years since the anti-communist revolution of 1989. During the 5 days of the Fair, 900 different events are scheduled, including book launches, debates and book signing sessions. Today, on the 4th day of the Fair, Prof. Thierry Wolton takes part in the launch of the second volume of his trilogy “A World History of Communism. In this volume, entitled ‘The Victims’, Thierry Wolton speaks about the tens of millions that suffered imprisonment, deportation, torture and even extermination for their anti-communist beliefs.

COLECTIV After the Bucharest Court completed its investigations, on Monday the prosecution and the defence will present their closing statements in the case concerning the fire in Colectiv night club in Bucharest 4 years ago, in which 64 people died, one committed suicide further to the trauma and 200 others were injured. The Colectiv trial started in April 2016. After 2 years of deferrals over procedural matters, the judge assigned to the case retired, and during another year the new judge has heard the statements of scores of witnesses and victims.

DiscoverEU Youth of over 18 years of age may enrol by November 28 in a programme called DiscoverEU, which enables them to travel free of charge in the European Union. Eligible applicants must be citizens of one of the member states and fill in an online form. This is an initiative of the European Parliament, designed to provide young people with new mobility opportunities. The selected candidates will be able to travel, especially by train, for max. 30 days between April 1 and October 31, 2020. Since the programme was launched in 2018, Romania offered nearly 2,000 such permits, out of a total of 50,000 issued in the EU.

UN The 15 members of the UN Security Council endorsed a declaration reaffirming the ban on chemical weapons. The Council has reached a consensus long undermined by the war in Syria, and the Skripal affair in the UK or Kim Jong-nam case in Malaysia, AFP reports. The Council reaffirms that the use of chemical weapons is a violation of international law, and declares its firm opposition to it. The declaration, proposed by Great Britain, was passed unanimously. The UN Security Council urges all states that have not yet done so to sign the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons, which was signed in 1993 and came into force in 1997. Syria joined the Convention in 2013, Israel has signed it, but is yet to ratify it, whereas North Korea, Egypt and South Sudan are not yet parties to this Convention.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

23 November 2019