Radio România Internațional

Tag: UN

  • September 29, 2019 UPDATE

    September 29, 2019 UPDATE

    EU – The Romanian PM said the Social Democrat Rovana Plumb, whom she proposed for the post of European Commissioner representing Romania, continued to enjoy her unconditional support. According to Mrs. Dancila, Rovana Plumb, whom the legal commission prevented from advancing to the next hearing stage, alongside the Hungarian candidate, on Thursday, would be able to meet the requirement of the European Commissioner post. She added that Mrs. Plumb would always put European interests and policies first, as they contribute to the consolidation of the European project. President Klaus Iohannis asked the PM to urgently withdraw the nomination of Rovana Plumb for the position of European Commissioner.



    Washington — The Romanian foreign minister Ramona-Nicole Mănescu has had a series of meetings, at the head office of the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations, with the main American-Jewish organizations among which American Jewish Committee (AJC), Bnai Brith, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The representatives of the respective organizations expressed their appreciation for the partnership between Romania and Israel and especially for the role of leader in fighting anti-Semitism which Romania has assumed and is playing successfully. High on the agenda of talks were also political issues such as the situation in the Middle East, including the latest developments related to Iran, the designation of the entire Hezbollah organization as a terrorist organization, issues related to fighting anti-Semitism as well as measures to compensate the survivors of the Holocaust and to return property. (update by L. Simion)

  • September 26, 2019

    September 26, 2019

    TALKS The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis had a short meeting in New York on Wednesday with his Moldovan counterpart Igor Dodon, on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. President Klaus Iohannis emphasised during the talks that in Romanias view, the Republic of Moldovas European accession efforts, firmly supported by Bucharest, are the only way to ensure the prosperity of the Moldovan citizens. In turn, Igor Dodon emphasised that he supports the strategic partnership between Romania and Moldova, and added that Moldovas European accession remains a priority. The Romanian President also had a meeting with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter thanked Romania for supporting his countrys European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state. Volodymyr Zelensky and Klaus Iohannis also discussed cooperation opportunities in the economic and energy fields, as well as bilateral business relations.




    CoD Romania is taking over the 2-year presidency of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies, the Foreign Ministry announced. On this occasion, Foreign Minister Ramona Mănescu is taking part in New York today in an extraordinary meeting of this body. The Community of Democracies is a global inter-governmental structure aimed at promoting sustainable development, universal access to justice and efficient, responsible and inclusive institutions at all levels. Romania is one of the 106 UN member states that have signed the Warsaw Declaration, on whose principles the Community of Democracies has been founded.




    HEARING The candidacy of the Romanian Social Democrat Rovana Plumb for the post of European Commissioner for Transport was rejected on Thursday by the European Parliaments judicial committee, political sources in Brussels announced. Only 6 MEPs voted in her favour, 15 voted against and 2 abstained from voting. Without the approval of the judicial committee, the hearing in the Transport Committee cannot be held. The European Parliaments judicial committee had invited Rovana Plumb and Lazslo Trocsanyi, the European Commissioner nominated by Hungary, to a special hearing. Plumb was asked to clarify controversial aspects in her declaration of assets, related to a loan taken out in order to fund an election campaign.




    AMBASSADOR Lawyer Adrian Zuckermans nomination as US ambassador to Romania has been approved by the Foreign Relations Committee in the US Senate. According to the White House, Zuckerman immigrated to the US from Romania at the age of 10, and is fluent in Romanian. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1984, and was a partner in an international law firm. He was previously an arbitrator for the Real Estate Board of New York. He received his undergraduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his law degree from New York Law School.




    UNEMPLOYMENT In Romania, the unemployment rate dropped to 3.8% in the second quarter of the year, with the highest rate (15%) reported among youth 15 to 24 years of age, the National Statistics Institute reports. The data also indicates that unemployed men outnumber the women, and that unemployment is higher in rural communities. During the same period, the employment rate in the 15-66 age bracket was slightly over 66%, up since the previous quarter. Moreover, the employment rate for citizens aged between 20 and 64 was 71.6%, higher than the 70% national target set in the Europa 2020 Strategy. Romanias active population was 9.1 million people, of whom 8.8 million were employed in the second quarter of this year.




    HANDBALL Romanias womens handball team Wednesday night defeated Ukraine, at home, 27-24, in the first match in Group 7 of the 2020 European Championships qualifiers. On Sunday the Romanians will play against Faroe Islands away from home. Group 7 also includes Poland, and the 2 top-ranking teams will qualify in the final tournament. Romanias national team came in 4th in the previous European Championships, losing the bronze medal to the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Romanias champions Dinamo Bucharest won 35-28 against Danish vice-champions GOG Gudme, in Group D of the Champions League. Romania tops the group ranking, having outplayed the Swedish team IFK Kristianstad in Bucharest and drawn against the Swiss side Kadetten Schaffhausen, away from home. Dinamo will play next against Cehovskye Medvedy on October 12, in Russia.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • September 24, 2019 UPDATE

    September 24, 2019 UPDATE

    TOURISM No Romanian tourist has so far reported any repatriation issues
    after having purchased services provided by the British Tour operator Thomas
    Cook, the Ministry of Tourism in Bucharest has announced. Field Minister Bogdan
    Trif has called on travel agencies in Romania to report if there are any
    Romanian citizens who have purchased service packages from the aforementioned British
    company. A crisis cell has been set up at the Ministry of Tourism in Bucharest
    to provide emergency assistance to Romanian nationals who are facing
    repatriation issues. The unexpected bankruptcy of the world’s biggest travel
    services provider has left about six hundred thousand people stranded, most of
    them from Britain and Spain. Financial issues, political tension and Brexit led
    to the bankruptcy of this famous British company.










    UN Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is to deliver the
    national statement before the General Assembly in New York on Wednesday and is
    expected to reiterate Romania’s support for multilaterally approaching the world’s
    main challenges. The Romanian official is to participate in the high level
    forum on stepping up the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and is going
    to have a series of bilateral talks. The head of the Romanian state on Tuesday
    attended the opening of the high level segment of the general debates with the
    UN General Assembly and the inauguration speeches delivered by the UN Secretary
    General Antonio Gutteres and the US president Donald Trump. The theme of the
    present General Assembly is ‘galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty
    eradication, quality
    education, climate action and inclusion’.








    VISIT Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila is on a one-week
    working visit to the United States. She is accompanied by Defense Minister
    Gabriel Les and Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici. Dancila on Tuesday met in
    New York the US Secretary of Energy, James Richard Perry. Also in New York, the Romanian
    official signed a loan agreement with the World Bank, worth 500 million euros.
    The money will be used to increase the access of citizens in less developed
    areas to medical care. Dancila also met with David Harris, the president of the
    American Jewish Committee, and reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to fighting
    anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance. The Prime Minister’s agenda also
    includes meetings with American business people, whom she will present with the
    advantages of investing in Romania. The Prime Minister has also said she plans
    to meet representatives of the Romanian community in the United States.




    (translated by bill)

  • Again on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transdniester

    Again on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transdniester

    Forced to deal with an often uncomfortable cohabitation between the pro Russian Socialist president Igor Dodon and the mostly pro-Western government headed by Maia Sandu, the Republic of Moldova is trying to preserve its good relations with Brussels and Bucharest and to normalise the ones with Moscow. The withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory continues to be one of Moldova’s priorities, Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu said on Wednesday in Moscow. During his first official visit to Russia, the Moldovan official met with his Russian counterpart, Serghei Lavrov, and hailed Russia’s availability to neutralise its ammunition deposited in Transdniester.



    According to the Radio Romania correspondent, Lavrov said the expired ammunition to be removed from the breakaway region of Transdniester accounts for half of the total 20 thousand tons deposited there. Preparations for the ammunition disposal could take more than a year, Seghei Lavrov said. Previously, Russian defence minister Serghei Soigu had also announced, in Chisinau, Moscow’s availability to discard their ammunition from Transdniester. Pundits are sceptical about these commitments and say that they are mere palliatives.



    Last year, the UN General Assembly adopted by a large majority a draft resolution tabled by the Republic of Moldova, requesting the withdrawal of Russian troops from the pro-Russian separatist region of Transdniester. Ten countries worked on drafting the document, including Moldova’s neighbours Romania and Ukraine, the 3 Baltic states, themselves subject to half a century of Soviet occupation, and key members of the European Union and NATO, such as Britain and Poland. A steady supporter of the independence and integrity of the neighbouring state, Bucharest promptly hailed the adoption of the resolution by a vote of 64 to 15, and 83 abstentions. The US, Germany, France, Canada, Turkey and Japan are among the relevant international players that backed the request for Russia to withdraw its military. Voting against were some of Moscow’s loyal allies, such as Armenia and Belarus, as well as the dictatorial regimes of North Korea, Syria and Cuba.



    The scene of an armed conflict that killed hundreds and only ended following the intervention of Russian troops on the side of the separatists, Transdniester has been outside the control of Moldovan authorities since 1992. In 1999, at the OSCE summit in Istanbul, Russia’s then president Boris Yeltsin undertook to pull out arms and troops from Transdniester. The process was halted 5 years later. (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • Nachrichten 29.08.2019

    Nachrichten 29.08.2019

    Die Bevölkerung Rumäniens betrug am 1. Januar 2019 19,4 Millionen Menschen. Das sind 125.500 Menschen weniger als im gleichen Zeitraum des Vorjahres, gemä‎ß den jüngsten veröffentlichten Daten des Nationalen Statistikinstituts. Nach Angaben des Statistikinstituts sei der Bevölkerungsrückgang hauptsächlich auf die negative Bevölkerungsentwicklung zurückzuführen. Ein weiterer Grund sei die starke und anhaltende Auswanderung. Im Jahr 2018 verlie‎ßen rund 240.000 Menschen das Land, das sind 20.000 mehr als 2017. Auch die Alterung der Bevölkerung sei gegenüber dem Jahresanfang 2018 deutlich gestiegen, so das Nationale Statistikinstitut.



    Der Verteidigungsminister Gabriel Les und die Au‎ßenministerin Ramona Manescu beteiligten sich am Donnerstag am informellen Treffen der EU-Au‎ßenminister in Helsinki. Am letzten Tag des Treffens befassten sich die Verteidigungs- und Au‎ßenminister bei einer gemeinsamen Sitzung mit aktuellen Themen im Bereich der hybriden Bedrohungen. Den Vorsitz führte die EU-Beauftragte für Au‎ßen- und Sicherheitspolitik Federica Mogherini. An den Gesprächen beteiligten sich der NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg und der stellvertretende UN-Generalsekretär für Friedensicherung Jean-Pierre Lacroix. Ebenfalls am Donnerstag traf der rumänische Verteidigungsminister Gabriel Leş mit seinem griechischen Amtskollegen Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos zusammen. Die beiden betonten die hervorragende Zusammenarbeit zwischen Rumänien und Griechenland und analysierten die Aussichten für eine Vertiefung der bilateralen Beziehungen. Weitere Gesprächsthemen waren die gemeinsame Teilnahme an Projekten im Rahmen der Initiative Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) und die Unterstützung, die Griechenland Rumänien im Rahmen der von der NATO im Schwarzmeerraum eingeleiteten alliierten Sicherheitsinitiativen gewähren kann.



    Die rumänische Ministerin für die Rumänen von Überall, Natalia-Elena Intotero, die einen Arbeitsbesuch in der Republik Zypern unternimmt, ist am Donnerstag mit dem zyprischen Präsidenten Nikos Anastasiadis zusammengekommen. Themen der Gespräche waren die rumänische Gemeinschaft in Zypern, die bilateralen Beziehungen zwischen den beiden Staaten und die Projekte des Ministeriums für die Rumänen von Überall. Ministerin Natalia-Elena Intotero erörterte Initiativen zur weltweiten Förderung der Werte Rumäniens und die von der Bukarester Regierung durchgeführten Programme zur Unterstützung der rumänischen Gemeinden au‎ßerhalb der Landesgrenzen bei der Förderung und Wahrung ihrer ethnischen, kulturellen und sprachlichen Identität. Ministerin Intotero traf sich auch mit Mitgliedern der rumänischen Gemeinschaft in Zypern. Präsident Nikos Anastasiadis beglückwünschte die rumänischen Behörden zu ihrem Interesse an Staatsangehörigen im Ausland und zur Existenz eines Ministeriums, das sich den Rumänen von Überall widmet.



    Washington unterstützt die Souveränität und Unabhängigkeit der Republik Moldau; das osteuropäische Land muss seine Zukunft ohne Einmischung von au‎ßen entscheiden. Dies erklärte am Donnerstag der nationale Sicherheitsberater des US-Präsidenten Donald Trump, John Bolton, bei einem Besuch in der moldawischen Hauptstadt Chișinău. Nach seinem Treffen mit Premierministerin Maia Sandu sagte John Bolton, Washington unterstütze weiterhin die Bemühungen der moldawischen Regierung, den Konflikt in der pro-russischen abtrünnigen Region Transnistrien beizulegen. Laut dem Korrespondenten von Radio Rumänien in Chișinău erläuterte Premierministerin Maia Sandu bei Gesprächen mit John Bolton die wichtigsten Prioritäten ihrer Regierung, darunter die Bekämpfung der Korruption auf höchster Ebene und die Schaffung von Möglichkeiten für wirtschaftliche Entwicklung. Sandu und Bolton erörterten auch die Möglichkeit einer verstärkten Zusammenarbeit mit der NATO im Rahmen eines neuen gemeinsamen Aktionsplans.

  • July 20, 2019 UPDATE

    July 20, 2019 UPDATE

    PROSECUTOR The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, told president Klaus Iohannis over the telephone on Friday that France would withdraw Jean-François Bohnerts candidacy and would back the Romanian Laura Codruța Kövesi instead for the post of head of the European Public Prosecutors Office, the Romanian Presidency announced. Previously, the European Parliament reaffirmed its support for the former head of Romanias Anti-Corruption Directorate becoming the chief EU prosecutor. This spring the European Parliament decided to back Kovesis candidacy, whereas the EU Council preferred the French Jean-Francois Bohnert. Several rounds of negotiations between the 2 institutions yielded no results. Under the rules of organisation of the new EPPO, the Parliament and Council must jointly appoint the EU chief prosecutor, for a non-renewable 7-year term in office.




    VISIT The Romanian State Secretary Maria Magdalena Grigore had bilateral meetings with high-ranking UN officials, during a visit she is making to the USA. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the topics included means to meet sustainable development goals, transport connectivity, the cooperation between Romania and the UN Development Programme, Romanias contribution to peacekeeping missions, international humanitarian assistance and economic developments in the world. Maria Grigore emphasised the importance of the UN in the current world context, and mentioned the progress made by Romania as an emerging donor, both in the field of official development assistance and of humanitarian aid.




    INVESTMENTS A delegation from the Romanian Ministry for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship is in Japan until July 26th, to attract Japanese investors in Romania. According to the Ministry, the agenda of the visit includes meetings and talks in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo, with Japanese governmental officials and representatives of the local business and banking community, concerning the new business opportunities entailed by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Japan. Meetings will also be held with representatives of major Japanese corporations. The talks are aimed at identifying trade and investment projects of mutual interest. Last year, the bilateral trade amounted to 710 million US dollars. The main Romanian products exported to Japan included tobacco, wood, honey, vehicle components and accessories, clothes, pharmaceuticals and electrical appliances, whereas Romanias imports from Japan consisted in automobiles, tools and equipment, metal and chemical products, optical and photographic equipment and devices.




    FESTIVAL The 11th Film and Histories Festival continues in Rasnov, central Romania. Until July 28th, a special new venue in the centre of the town will be hosting film screenings, theatre performances, Baroque and rock music concerts. Conferences and roundtable talks will also be organised, on topics such as the 1989 Romanian Revolution, economic freedom, the music of freedom, freedom won and lost, cinema and freedom. Other topics approached include the Romanian migration, Europes post-Brexit future, the digital society and minorities. The 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing and the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO will also be marked. The 2019 edition of the Festival will also host a Summer School for 72 university students and 23 high school students from Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.




    HOLIDAY In a military and religious ceremony held in Bucharest on Romanian Aviation Day, celebrated every year on 20th of July, the Romanian Defence Minister Gabriel Les thanked the Romanian military and civil aviators for their devotion and paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives. On the same day, Orthodox and Catholic Christians in Romania celebrated Prophet Elijahs feast day. According to the Bible, the prophet lived nearly 2,800 years ago and brought back faith in the Hebrew God among the people of Israel. Elijah did not die like a human, but was taken to heavens in a chariot of fire. Due to this biographic detail, St. Elijah is the patron saint of the Romanian Air Forces. Nearly 130,000 Romanians also celebrated their name day on Prophet Elijahs Feast Day.



    PHYSICS Romanias team, made up of 4 students from Bucharest, Iaşi (north-east), Timişoara (west) and Baia Mare (north), won 3 gold medals and a silver medal in the first edition of the Balkan Physics Olympiad, held in Thessaloniki, Greece between July 14th and 18th, the National Education Ministry announced. Taking part were secondary school and high school students aged 16 or under at the time of the competition. Eleven countries attended this first edition of the Olympiad.




    YOUTH Romania will be represented by 103 athletes in the 15th Summer European Youth Olympic Festival, held between July 21st and 27th in Baku (Azerbaijan). The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced the participants are athletes aged between 14 and 18, who will take part in the athletics, cycling, artistic gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, wrestling, tennis and volleyball events. The Committee also says the Romanian delegations objective is to come home with 8 to 10 medals from Baku.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 8, 2019 UPDATE

    June 8, 2019 UPDATE

    UN Romania remains “deeply committed to supporting the UN, and the campaign for a non-permanent seat in the Security Council “has strengthened the countrys international profile, reads a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry. The statement comes after on Friday Romania, supported by only 58 countries, failed to win a seat in the 2020-2021 Security Council, being outrun by Estonia, which got 132 votes. President Klaus Iohannis blamed the failure on “irresponsible statements by some top officials, which generated reluctance with respect to Romanias candidacy. On the other hand, voices in the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats say the President, as coordinator of Romanian diplomacy, has most of the responsibility. The Security Council includes 5 permanent members with veto rights: the USA, Russia, China, France and the UK. Another 10 members have 2-year terms, after which they are replaced by countries from the same region. Next year 5 seats will be vacant, 2 for Africa, one for Asia-Pacific, one for Latin America and the Caribbean and one for Eastern Europe. To be elected in the UN Security Council, a country needs the support of two-thirds of the General Assembly members, which means at least 129 votes out of the 193 voting member states.




    G20 The Romanian finance minister Eugen Teodorovici is heading the EU Council delegation at the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting held this weekend in Fukuoka, Japan. According to a news release issued by the Finance Ministry, the agenda of talks includes topics like financing for development, global economy, international taxation, global imbalances, population ageing, investments in infrastructure and financial sector issues. The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will adopt an official declaration comprising the outcomes of the meeting, the news release also says.




    TENSIONS The Government suggests that the National Defence Ministry should take over the administration of the Heroes Cemetery in Valea Uzului and make it an international cemetery. A decision will be made after consultations with all stakeholders, PM Viorica Dăncilă says in a news release. She also calls for respect for Romanias state symbols and for public order, and urges responsibility in all political statements and actions concerning the situation in Valea Uzului, Harghita County. Soldiers of various nationalities, killed in the 2 world wars, are buried here. The Romanian Police opened a criminal investigation concerning the destruction of the access gate to the Valea Uzului graveyard, after on Thursday members of several Romanian organisations forced their way in, to attend a Heroes Day commemoration. According to the gendarmes, tensions were reported, but there were no violent clashes between the Romanian and the Hungarian ethnics in the area or with the police forces, as some Hungarian politicians had claimed.




    WHITSUNDAY Roman-Catholic Christians celebrate the Pentecost, which in mostly Orthodox Romania is marked, among other things, through a pilgrimage to Şumuleu Ciuc, attended every year by tens of thousands of Hungarian ethnics. The Marian shrine in Şumuleu Ciuc has become the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in the region. A week ago, it was also visited by Pope Francis, who was on a pastoral visit to Romania.




    MOLDOVA The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova Saturday ruled that the appointment of the pro-Russian Socialist Zinaida Greceanyi as Parliament Speaker is unconstitutional. The ruling is final and cannot be appealed. The Socialists and the pro-European right wing voted to appoint Greceanyi after the Court decided that the mandate of the current Parliament ended. The countrys pro-Russian president Igor Dodon postponed signing a decree to dissolve Parliament, and said the republic is on the verge of being destabilised. These developments come after 3-and-a-half months of failed attempts at forming a parliamentary majority. In the February 24 legislative elections, Dodons Socialists won 35 of the 101 seats in Parliament. The ruling Democratic Party, headed by the controversial oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, has 30 MPs, while ACUM bloc, a pro-European right-wing cartel, has another 26. Seven seats were won by the populist party headed by the Mayor of Orhei town, Ilan Shor, a politician sentenced by a court of first instance to 7 and a half years in prison for his involvement in Moldovas billion dollar banking fraud. 3 other MPs are non-affiliated.




    FOOTBALL Romanias football team is in Malta, scheduled to play against the host national team on Monday in the Group F qualifiers for the 2020 European Championships. On Friday Romania drew against Norway, 2-all away from home. In the first 2 matches in the group, played in March, the Romanians were defeated by Sweden in Stockholm, and won at home against Faroe Islands. Spain tops the Group F standings with 9 points, followed by Sweden with 7, with Romania coming in 3rd with 4 points. The top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament. The drawing for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 final tournament matches, 3 in the group stage and one in the 8th-finals. In related news, Romanias team will play this month in the European Under-21 Football Championships in Italy and San Marino, in Group C, alongside England, France and Croatia.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 8, 2019

    June 8, 2019

    G20 The Romanian finance minister Eugen Teodorovici is heading the EU Council delegation at the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting held this weekend in Fukuoka, Japan. According to a news release issued by the Finance Ministry, the agenda of talks includes topics like financing for development, global economy, international taxation, global imbalances, population ageing, investments in infrastructure and financial sector issues. The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will adopt an official declaration comprising the outcomes of the meeting, the news release also says.




    UN The Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleșcanu Friday attended the elections in the UN Security Council held in New York. Romania was a candidate for a non-permanent seat in the Council in 2020 – 2021, but was outrun by Estonia, which won with 132 votes against Romanias 58. The Security Council includes 5 permanent members with veto rights: the USA, Russia, China, France and the UK. Another 10 members have 2-year terms, after which they are replaced by countries from the same region. Next year 5 seats will be vacant, 2 for Africa, one for Asia-Pacific, one for Latin America and the Caribbean and one for Eastern Europe. To be elected in the UN Security Council, a country needs the support of two-thirds of the General Assembly members, which means at least 129 votes out of the 193 voting member states.




    TENSIONS PM Viorica Dăncilă called for respect for Romanias state symbols and for public order, and urged responsibility in all political statements and actions concerning the situation in Valea Uzului, Harghita County. She also emphasised that a political approach of the situation is not likely to contribute to a constructive solution, and criticised attempts at deriving political capital by certain politicians. The Romanian Police opened a criminal investigation concerning the destruction of the access gate to the Valea Uzului graveyard, where military of various nationalities are buried, after on Thursday members of several Romanian organisations forced their way into the war cemetery to commemorate the Romanian soldiers buried there. According to the gendarmes, tensions were reported, but there were no violent clashes between the Romanian and the Hungarian ethnics in the area, as some Hungarian politicians had claimed.




    TIFF The Ambassador of France to Bucharest, Michele Ramis, is in Cluj today to attend the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF). This years guest of honour is France, in the context of the France-Romania cultural season. A special programme is devoted to French cinema, including a complete Michel Gondry retrospective, a portrait of director Agnes Varda, music concerts, and the most original French project in TIFF, Uzina de filme (The Film Factory), a film studio where the public can experience a film shooting from scratch. The French Ambassador will also attend a concert entitled Soundtrack of Dreams and will participate in the TIFF closing gala. Established in 2002, TIFF is the first and largest film festival in Romania. Twelve works take part in the official competition this year, but a total of over 200 films will be screened as part of this 18th edition of the Festival.




    RESIGNATION Theresa May Friday stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party and implicitly as a PM, after failing to persuade the Commons to accept her Brexit agreement with Brussels, leading to a postponement of Britains withdrawal from the EU to October 31st. May stays in office until a replacement is chosen, which will likely take place in the second half of July, as the Conservative Party announced. The official campaign is set to begin on Monday, with 11 contenders for Theresa Mays position in the party.




    MOLDOVA The pro-Russian president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, Saturday postponed signing a decree to dissolve the parliament, because MPs may still reach an agreement. He said the republic is on the verge of being destabilised, which is why he urged citizens not to start or join protests and turbulence. Dodon added that, if necessary, on Monday he will hold consultations on dissolving the national parliament. Moldovas Constitutional Court had ruled that parliament was to form a government by June 7, otherwise the head of state could dismantle parliament. MPs said that since their election had been confirmed on March 9, they have until June 9 to form a government.




    FOOTBALL Romanias football team drew against Norway on Friday, 2-all away from home, in the Group F qualifiers for the 2020 European Championships. On Monday Romania will play away from home against Malta. In the first 2 matches in the group, played in March, the Romanians were defeated by Sweden in Stockholm, and won at home against Faroe Islands. Spain tops the Group F standings with 9 points, followed by Sweden with 7, with Romania coming in 3rd with 4 points. The top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament. The drawing for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 final tournament matches, 3 in the group stage and one in the 8th-finals. In related news, Romanias team will play this month in the European Under-21 Football Championships in Italy and San Marino, in Group C, alongside England, France and Croatia.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 5, 2019

    April 5, 2019

    VISIT Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila is paying a formal visit
    to Slovakia at the invitation of her Slovakian counterpart, Peter Pellegrini.
    According to a communiqué of the government in Bucharest, the visit is meant to
    contribute to deepening cooperation between the two states, from a bilateral,
    European and regional perspective. Dancila will be traveling to Banska Bystrica
    for talks with the head of the Slovakian executive and will lay a wreath in the
    National Insurrection Square. The Romanian official will next travel to the
    city of Zvolen for a visit to the local military cemetery where the remains of 10
    thousand Romanian soldiers, who fought for the liberation of Czechoslovakia in
    WWll, are buried.












    MEETING An informal meeting of the EU finance ministers is taking
    place in Romania’s capital Bucharest on Friday and Saturday, against the
    backdrop of Romania’s holding the EU presidency. The meeting hosted today under
    the name Eurogrup, is bringing together Finance Ministers from the Eurozone and
    the first working session of the informal meeting of Finance Ministers and
    central bank governors, chaired by Romania’s field minister Eugen Teodorovici. Saturday
    will see the second informal meeting of EU Finance Ministers. Issues such as
    the impact of labour force mobility upon local economies and the role of
    taxation in fostering economic growth are high on the agenda of the session on
    Saturday.












    DEFENCE Romania’s Defence Minister Gabriel Les is in Warsaw to
    attend a meeting of Defence Ministers from countries, which are members of the Bucharest
    9 Initiative. The meeting, staged jointly by field ministries from Poland and
    Romania, is being attended by Defence Ministers from Bulgaria, the Czech
    Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary as
    well as by NATO officials and representatives of the US Department of Defence.
    According to the Romanian Defence Ministry, the meeting in Warsaw is an
    opportunity for tackling topical issues on NATO and EU agendas from the
    perspective of NATO anniversary summit and from Romania’s holding the EU
    half-yearly presidency.








    DRILL Between April 5th and 13th the
    Romanian navy is staging the biggest international drill in Romania’s
    territorial waters and in the international waters of the Black Sea. 14
    Romanian warships and six from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, the Netherlands and
    Turkey are taking part in the drill during which over 2000 servicemen will be
    training to respond attacks coming from under the sea, air or surface. The
    drill’s scenario implies a coordinated crisis response carried out under a UN
    Security Council resolution. The aforementioned drill also involves the
    participation of the NATO Permanent Black Sea Force.










    TENNIS Marius Copil and Benjamin Lock are today opening the
    series of Davis Cup matches pitching the tennis sides of Romania and Zimbabwe in
    Piatra Neamt, north-eastern Romania towards Group Two of the Europe-Africa
    zone. The second game today is pitching Dragos Dima against Takanyi Garanganga,
    while on Saturday Horia Tecau and Florin Mergea will take on Benjamin Lock and
    Courtney Lock. The last two single games will oppose Copil to Garanganga and
    Dima to Lock. The two sides also met in 2000 in Harare, when Romanians secured
    a 3-2 win.










    FOOTBALL Currently signed up by Belgian team Standard Liege, the
    Romanian international footballer, 22-year old Razvan Marin has signed a
    five-year contract with Ajax Amsterdam, which begins this summer, the famous
    Dutch club has announced. Razvan Marin is the fifth Romanian footballer who got
    transferred to Ajax, after Cristian Chivu, Bogdan Lobonţ, George Ogăraru and Nicolae Mitea. Another
    Romanian, Stefan Kovacs was a headcoach for Ajax in the early 1970s. We recall
    that back then the famed Dutch team dominated European football.




    (translated by bill)

  • January 29, 2019

    January 29, 2019

    FLU The Public Healthcare Ministry is to decide whether conditions are met to declare a flu epidemic in Romania. One such condition is that, for 3 weeks, the number of cases confirmed must be higher than the number of cases estimated. The National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control announced that 48 people have died from the flu this season. None of the victims had been immunised against the disease.




    DIPLOMACY President Klaus Iohannis has said today, at a meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions in Bucharest, that he will do everything in his power to ensure that the values of the rule of law, of liberal democracy and of an independent and efficient judiciary are not affected. The president vowed that, regardless of the very dynamic domestic political situation, all decision makers will join efforts to ensure the proper fulfilment of Romanias role as holder of the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. He reiterated that Schengen accession remains a priority for Romania. Also, according to the head of state, Bucharests candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council is quite strong. As for strengthening the strategic partnership with the US, Klaus Iohannis said this remain a foreign policy priority for Romania.




    UN Romanias permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ion Jinga, has chaired the last meeting of the Peace Building Commission held under the Romanian presidency of the commission which started on January 31st, 2018. The PBC 2018 Annual Report was officially adopted on this occasion. The document looks at the efforts made by the PBC Presidency last year in implementing the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions with respect to revising the peace building architecture. The report reflects the fulfilment of the priorities undertaken by Romania upon taking over the PBC presidency, as well as a number of first-time accomplishments of the Commission in 2018. The Romanian Ambassador explained that “the positive results during the Romanian presidency were possible thanks to the joint commitment of all member states, while also complying with the fundamental principle of preserving national decision-making and leadership.




    CORRUPTION Transparency International Tuesday presented its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks 180 countries by their public sector corruption levels as decided by consulting experts and business communities. According to the 2018 report, Romania ranks 61st in the world, with 47 points, down 2 places since 2017. Transparency Internationals index uses a 0 to 100 scale, with 0 standing for extremely high corruption and 100 for no corruption at all. Out of the 28 EU member states, Romania is 24th. The top positions in the global ranking are held by Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.




    BREXIT Britains PM Theresa May appears before Parliament again today, to present the next steps planned in the countrys withdrawal from the European Union. A first draft of the agreement she had suggested was rejected by a large parliamentary majority 2 weeks ago. This time however, British MPs were able to table amendments which, if endorsed, pave the way for various scenarios, from postponing the exit date to holding a second referendum on the topic. More than 10 amendments have been submitted. The Government announced that a second vote on the withdrawal deal would be held shortly, and British media already speak about February 13th as the date of the new vote.




    EUROVISION Romania will compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 16th, alongside Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Denmark and Armenia, according to the drawing held in Tel Aviv. On February 17th, Romania will announce its representative in the 2019 edition of Eurovision, hosted by Israel. Romanias best performances in this competition so far have been 2 third places (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem in Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi in Oslo, 2010) and a fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu in Athens, 2006).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Climate change consequences

    Climate change consequences

    2019 will be one of the four hottest years on record, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa, has warned at a conference on combating global warming held in Poland’s Katovice. For two weeks, officials from 200 countries got together in an attempt to finalize the implementation guidelines for the Paris Climate Change Agreement, signed in December 2015.



    These will provide clarity on how to implement the agreement fairly and transparently. Specifically, they will strengthen international cooperation by ensuring national contributions to the global effort are transparent, responsibility is shared fairly and progress on reducing emissions and building resilience can be accurately measured.



    Implementing the provisions of the Paris Agreement is important because the impact of climate change has never been worse. “According to the Paris Agreement, whose provisions will come into force in 2020, 184 countries have consented to implementing measures for the reduction of pollution. The agreement aims to limit warming to “well below” 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and recognizes that avoiding 1.5°C of warming “would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.” The recent UN climate change conference is the most important meeting targeting climate change after the conclusion of the Paris Agreement. The Summit took place at a time when scientific reports have revealed that only 12 years are left for humankind to reduce by half the effects of the greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid a possible climate catastrophe.



    The European Commission adopted a strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy by 2050 — A Clean Planet for all. The strategy shows how Europe can lead the way to climate neutrality by investing into realistic technological solutions, empowering citizens, and aligning action in key areas such as industrial policy, finance, or research — while ensuring social fairness for a just transition.



    European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete: “There are seven common building blocks present in all scenarios. First, the European energy system will need to decarbonise. By 2050, 80% of electricity will come from renewable energy sources. Together with nuclear power, this will be the backbone of carbon-free European power system. We will also see a substantial electrification of European economy, at least doubling of its share in final energy demand by 2050, with electricity spreading to more uses such as heating and transport. Second, energy efficiency plays a key role. This covers industry but maybe even more so the renovation of buildings, both for housing and for services. By 2050, energy consumption is likely to be halved. Third, transport needs to contribute more. Today, it represents a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. This covers electrification of transport, the switch to alternative fuels — notably synthetic fuels — and better and smarter transport management. “



    Fourth, industry has already reduced emissions but some parts, notably process-related emissions, are difficult to address. Here too, we will need to look at a different set of fuels, carbon sequestration and use. Commissioner Cañete explains: “Fifth, sustainable use of land is central if the EU is to reach net-zero emissions. We will need to use more biomass — but we should ensure that the sink that forests and land constitute is maintained and possibly even enhanced. Sixth, infrastructure will be essential to facilitate the integration of European energy systems, digitalisation and the use of low-carbon fuels. And seventh, carbon capture and storage, despite its current problems, will be necessary notably to decarbonise industry. “



    We have a strong mandate on the part of the citizens, Brussels has recalled. According to the most recent Eurobarometer, as of November 2018, 93% of the European citizens believe climate change is caused by human activity, while 85% of them agree that the fight against climate change and a more efficient use of energy can generate economic growth and jobs, across Europe.



    As of January 1st, 2019, Romania is taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Its mandate will be marked by debates on strategies that will define the community area for the coming decades. From this position, Romania may enhance the role of Eastern Europe in the energy sector, according to Chairman of the Building Performance Institute Europe and member of the European Climate Foundation, Julian Popov: “Apart from the Brexit story which, sad as it may be, is an impact story, notwithstanding, Romania will chair the early stage of the negotiations for the 2050 strategy. It is an important document because the EU finally switches to green economy. Then there will be talks on the EU budget, that should provide for a 25% growth for climate change, and 60% for research. It is a new paradigm, as Europe has realized it has lagged behind in terms of research. It is a time when Europe wakes up.“ As for Romania, it can influence the future community strategies, Julian Popov has also said.


  • Romania’s President at the UN General Assembly

    Romania’s President at the UN General Assembly

    President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday expressed hope that Romania’s track-record within the United Nations will convince world leaders to back the country’s candidacy for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the term 2020-2021. In his address delivered before the UN General Assembly in New York, the president said that peace, development and justice are foundational pillars of the country’s multilateral strategy.



    Romania will be a responsible partner in promoting a common agenda of the United Nations, the President went on to say. According to the Romanian official, the Security Council could play a more prominent role in addressing more aspects that impact peace and security, such as climate change. Klaus Iohannis believes climate change has become one of the toughest global challenges. Its consequences, be it water shortage, food insecurity and displacement of people or rising sea levels, threaten lives all around the world.



    In addition to the efforts of other UN platforms to tackle climate related risks, the Security Council could create the framework to address them in an integrated manner. “We welcomed the organization of a debate in the Security Council this July on aspects of peace and security related to climate change and we are ready to follow-up on the topic if elected as a non-permanent member”, Klaus Iohannis said.



    The president went on to say that during its term at the helm of the EU Council in the first half of 2019, Romania is determined to strengthen the European Union — United Nations partnership. “And when I speak about engagement I don’t just mean politicians and diplomats. We have to reach out to our younger people, representatives of the civil society, journalists, business people. We need them all for the cause of multilateralism and global leadership”, Klaus Iohannis told the UN General Assembly. In this context, the president said that in April 2019 Romania will host an international conference titled “Building resilience to natural disasters”.



    President Iohannis also said that UN member states have a duty towards their citizens to better explain the current challenges to peace, equity and sustainability of our societies and to speak more about the role of the United Nations in addressing them. The Romanian President also pointed out that citizens need to be informed on potential security threats. Since its UN accession in 1955, Romania has had another four mandates of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.


  • Nachrichten 08.09.2018

    Nachrichten 08.09.2018

    US-Präsident Donald Trump hat sein Bedauern über die verpasste Unterredung mit Rumäniens Präsident Klaus Iohannis beim NATO-Gipfel im Juni geäußert. Bei dem Gipfel in Brüssel musste Trump alle bilateralen Treffen annullieren, da sich die heftige Debatte um die Verteidigungsbeiträge aller Mitgliedsstaaten des Bündnisses in die Länge gezogen hatte. In einem Brief, den die Presseagenturen zitieren, drückt der US-Staatschef ferner seine Hoffnung aus, den rumänischen Amtskollegen bald wiedersehen zu können. In diesem Monat werden Trump und Iohannis an einer Konferenz der UN in New York teilnehmen.



    Die Botschaft der Vereinigten Staaten in Bukarest teilt die Bedenken der diplomatischen Vertretung Deutschlands über die in sozialen Netzwerken veröffentlichten Standpunkte des Premierberaters Darius Vâlcov. Dieser hatte die regierungskritische Bewegung #rezist und das Demokratische Forum der Deutschen in Rumänien als Nazi-Organisationen bezeichnet. Wir verurteilen aufs Schärfste jede Form von Diskriminierung, Verleumdung oder Hass gegenüber der deutschen Minderheit und jeder anderen Minderheit in Rumänien. Die Vorwürfe der letzten Tage sind grundlos und für sie gibt es keine Rechtfertigung – schrieb die deutsche Botschaft, die US-Botschaft übernahm die Mitteilung und teilte sie. Der als Gegner der sozialdemokratischen Regierung in Bukarest geltende Präsident Klaus Iohannis leitete das DFDR zwischen 2002 und 2013. Der ehemalige sozialdemokratische Bürgermeister von Slatina (Süden), Senator und Minister, der jetzige Premierberater Darius Vâlcov, war im Februar in einem Korruptionsprozess zu einer achtjährigen Haftstrafe verurteilt worden. Das Urteil ist nicht rechtskräftig und kann angefochten werden.



    Rumänien hat zusammen mit weiteren neun EU-Mitgliedsstaaten das größte Wachstum der Anzahl zuschussfähiger Förderprojekte erzielt – so die EU-Kommissarin für Regionalpolitik, Corina Cretu. Laut einer Mitteilung der Open Data Platform der Europäischen Kommission beläuft sich das Gesamtvolumen der Investitionen für Entwicklungsprojekte in den Ländern der Union im ersten Halbjahr 2018 auf mehr als 300 Milliarden Euro, um 42 Milliarden Euro mehr als im Vorjahr. Die Vetreterin Rumäniens in der Kommission gab außerdem an, dass der Anteil der spezifischen Projekte aus dem Kohäsionsfonds für Rumänien für den Zeitraum 2014-2020 derzeit 62% beträgt. Ende 2017 lag dieser noch bei 54%.

  • UN backs call on Russia to pull out troops from Moldova

    UN backs call on Russia to pull out troops from Moldova

    As anticipated by analysts, the UN General Assembly adopted by a large majority a draft resolution tabled by the Republic of Moldova, requesting the withdrawal of Russian troops from the pro-Russian separatist region of Transdniester. Ten countries worked on drafting the document, including Moldovas neighbours Romania and Ukraine, the 3 Baltic states, themselves subject to half a century of Soviet occupation, and key members of the European Union and NATO, such as Britain and Poland.



    A steady supporter of the independence and integrity of the neighbouring state, Bucharest promptly hailed the adoption of the resolution by a vote of 64 to 15, and 83 abstentions. The USA, Germany, France, Canada, Turkey and Japan are among the relevant international players that have backed the request for Russia to withdraw its military. Voting against were some of Moscows loyal allies, such as Armenia and Belarus, as well as the dictatorial regimes of North Korea, Syria and Cuba.



    The separatist authorities of Transdniester and the pro-Russian president of Moldova, Igor Dodon, did not conceal their frustration. However, on behalf of the pro-Western Government of the Republic of Moldova, the former PM and foreign minister and current deputy PM Iurie Leanca said the outcome of the vote is a success:



    Iurie Leanca: “We are all aware that a resolution adopted in the General Assembly is of a rather symbolic nature, yet symbolism means a lot in international relations. And although we do not expect immediate moves in that region and the withdrawal of the ammunition and the troops guarding the ammunition there, nevertheless this is a very important goal.



    The scene of an armed conflict that killed hundreds and only ended following the intervention of Russian troops on the side of the separatists, Transdniester has been outside the control of Moldovan authorities since 1992. The Republic of Moldova, which had just proclaimed its independence the year before, still had no armed forces of its own at that time, so it only sent police corps and volunteer units to face the Russian military.



    Moscow itself has not recognised the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Transdniester, a region often described as a crime haven at the gates of Europe, a hub of arms, drugs and human trafficking. In 1999, at the OSCE summit in Istanbul, Russias then president Boris Yeltsin undertook to pull out arms and troops from Transdniester. The process ground to full halt 5 years later, and Moldovan authorities estimate that today 1,500 to 1,700 Russian troops and some 21,000 tons of ammunition still illegally remain in the breakaway east of the country.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Anticorruption and the independence of the judiciary

    Anticorruption and the independence of the judiciary


    The head of the National Anticorruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi is often described, both by her unconditional supporters and her sworn enemies, as the most powerful woman in Romania. The former see her as the spearhead of the fight against corruption and a goddess of vengeance on the politicians who enrich themselves by plundering public budgets. The latter paint her as the head of a reprisal machine that does not hesitate to break the law and disrespect human rights in order to build cases at political command. A controversial figure in Bucharest, Kovesi has been invited to New York to attend a debate on the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. In her address at the UN headquarters, she said the greatest challenge for Romania is maintaining the independence of judges and prosecutors.



    Laura Codruta Kovesi: “There have been repeated attempts to limit the efficiency of our investigations by initiatives of amending the anti-corruption legislation, by restricting the tools used by the prosecutors or by denying waiving the immunity of the politicians involved in corruption cases. The entire justice system has faced attacks in the form of fake news and public statements which could weaken the public trust in the judiciary.”



    This is how the head of the National Anticorruption Directorate summed up the situation in the last one and half year, a period in which the ruling coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats has been accused of trying to put an end to the fight against corruption and place magistrates at their orders. In the last five years alone, said Kovesi, the Directorate has indicted 14 current and former ministers and 53 MPs. 27 of them have already received final sentences. In the same period, the Directorate has seized more than 2.3 billion dollars.



    The justice minister Tudorel Toader responded from Bucharest that the acquittals, the legal conflicts of a constitutional nature, the cases affected by the statute of limitations and the abuses are not fake news. Toader, who has already unsuccessfully called on president Klaus Iohannis to dismiss Kovesi, rhetorically wondered if the principles of the rule of law allow for well-built cases to lead to so many acquittals. He was referring to cases built by the National Anticorruption Directorate against the former Social Democratic prime minister Victor Ponta and his minister Dan Sova, the Liberal Democrat speaker of the Senate Calin Popescu Tariceanu and the former senator and constitutional judge Toni Grebla, all of whom have been acquitted in courts in recent weeks.



    For all its resounding successes and its painful failures, the fight against corruption must continue, the media in Bucharest say. Proof of this is a recent report on Romania drawn up by the European Commission. Although dealing predominantly with economic issues, the report points out that what has happened in the last one year and a half has to a large extent raised question marks over the irreversibility of the progress made in reforming the legal system and combating high-level corruption, a scourge that threatens the business environment itself. (translated by Cristina Mateescu)