Radio România Internațional

Tag: United States

  • Romania and NATO’s Eastern Flank

    Romania and NATO’s Eastern Flank

    Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, spoke by phone with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, on Monday, when he said that the North Atlantic Alliance remains the main guarantor of Romania’s security. Article 5, which provides that an armed attack against one of the allies is considered an attack against all the members, is the one, which most effectively discourages threats and attacks against NATO members, president Bolojan explained.

    The leader in Bucharest also insisted over the importance of the transatlantic relation and the US presence in Europe, which are crucial in his opinion for the security of the continent. Romania continues to contribute to the stability and security of NATO’s Eastern Flank together with its partners and is supporting the consolidation of security in the Black Sea region, Bolojan underlined.

    The president explained that Bucharest, which is presently allotting 2.5% of its GDP for defence, is ready to further increase investment in this area.

    Referring to the situation in Ukraine, President Bolojan highlighted the need for a fair and durable peace as well as the importance of carrying on support for this country. The NATO Secretary General thanked Romania for its contribution in the alliance, as well as for being a member which acts responsibly as a major factor of security and stability in the Black Sea area and the Eastern Flank. Mark Rutte said these efforts are all the more so relevant in the present security context and voiced NATO’s support for strengthening the allied presence in the region.

    NATO Secretary General reiterated the commitment of NATO and the United States to collective defence and Article 5, underlining the United States’ efforts for a durable peace in Ukraine. Mark Rutte also hailed Romania’s decision to raise its defence budget and underlined the need for other European allies to have similar approaches.

    The two leaders agreed to maintain a constant dialogue on these issues. The Romanian president and the NATO Secretary General had attended an informal meeting on European security in London on Sunday. The participants in the aforementioned meeting, hosted by British Prime Minister, Kier Starmer, pledged to carry on financial and military support for Ukraine.

    After the meeting, president Bolojan said the security guarantees to Ukraine would in fact be for the entire Eastern Flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. However, the Romanian official said these guarantees cannot be assured without support from the United States. The informal meeting in London was one of coordination in the run up to the European Council proceedings on March 6 and a meeting that is to bring together, on March 7, leaders of the non-EU countries who want an approach to settling the conflict in Ukraine that might lead to the implementation of sustainable peace in the region.

    (bill)

  • April 29, 2021

    April 29, 2021

    COVID-19 IN ROMANIA -
    1.850 new cases of COVID-19 infection were reported on Thursday in Romania
    after some 35,000 tests, the Group for Strategic Communication announced.
    Another 138 related fatalities were also reported, while 1,295 people are
    currently in intensive care. Over 1,050,000 people have tested positive for
    COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and 27,971 people have died to the
    virus. The infection rate continues to exceed 3 per thousand inhabitants in the
    capital city Bucharest and in Ilfov and Cluj counties, although the numbers are
    dropping steadily. On the other hand, the Government’s special committee for
    relaxing measures starting June 1 convened again to highlight the need for
    adapting relaxation measures depending on the specificity of each field of
    activity. Representatives of associations and employers’ associations made
    clear-cut proposals for the organization of cultural events with the observance
    of health safety regulations. The committee also discussed the gradual
    reopening of hotels and restaurants as more and more people get vaccinated. All
    proposals will be analyzed, starting today, by think-tanks that will address
    each specific field. Meanwhile, the authorities are accelerating the
    vaccination campaign. New vaccination centers will open this week. Some 84
    thousand people got immunized yesterday.


    COVID-19 IN THE WORLD -
    The international community is rallying to support India, a week after this
    country was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily record-high numbers
    of infections and fatalities and a health system under duress. The biggest
    concern is the so-called Indian strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which spreads
    rapidly and could be even more contagious and vaccine- and treatment-resistant
    than other strains, the WHO has warned. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion
    people, India has reported 200 thousand deaths and over 18 million infections
    since the start of the outbreak. Some experts believe numbers could be even
    higher. Great Britain has been sending oxygen concentrators and other medical
    equipment, while the United States will be shipping 60 million doses of the
    AstraZeneca vaccine. Romania has joined this international effort and delivered
    200 oxygen concentrators via a Romanian Air Force Spartan aircraft.


    HOLIDAY -Before the May 1st mini-holiday,
    which this year coincides with the Orthodox Easter holiday, Prime Minister
    Florin Cîţu calls on the population to keep observing anti-coronavirus sanitary
    rules, even if Romania is now on a descending slope of the third wave of the
    pandemic. He has urged the prefects and the police to take all measures to
    ensure compliance with the health rules in place. In the Romanian resorts on
    the Black Sea, over 30 thousand tourists are expected during the mini-holiday
    of May 1 and Easter. About 100 hotels will be opened, many of them already occupied
    at 70% capacity, the maximum allowed by the authorities. Tourists are not
    allowed to party on the beach, and wearing a mask is mandatory.




    PNNR -
    The leaders of the center-right ruling coalition in Bucharest have adopted the
    National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNNR) worth 29 billion Euro. The plan
    will be presented in Brussels starting May 10, when the final negotiations with
    European Commission representatives are due to take place. Prime Minister
    Florin Cîţu said none of the proposed projects will be discarded. In turn,
    Minister for Investment and European Projects, Cristian Ghinea, said funding
    for certain investment has been reduced, while budget appropriations have been
    readjusted to reflect the Commission’s recommendations.




    PASSION
    WEEK – Orthodox and Eastern-Orthodox Christians in Romania today
    mark Maundy Thursday, the fourth day of Passion Week when they recall the
    Lord’s Supper, the arrest and trial of Jesus. Passion Week precedes the Resurrection of
    Jesus Christ and marks a time of humbleness and spiritual cleansing ahead of
    the biggest celebration in the Christian calendar. Tonight, Orthodox believers
    will attend a special mass where the 12 Gospels will be read, covering the last
    moments in the life of Jesus, from the Lord’s Supper to his crucifixion. In his
    last supper, Jesus Christ laid the foundations for the Holy Eucharist, offering
    Christians the possibility to partake in the Body and Blood of the Lord. On the
    same day, according to Gospel of John, Jesus withdrew to Gethsemane Garden to
    pray. Betrayed by Judas, he was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin and
    sentenced to death for blasphemy.




    UNEMPLOYMENT -
    The unemployment rate stood at 5.5% in March, down by 0.2% compared to
    February, a National Statistics Institute report reads. The number of
    unemployed aged 15-74 stood at 464 thousand in March, compared to 478 thousand
    the previous month. Broken down in terms of gender, unemployed men account for
    5.7%, compared to 5.2% for women. The number of unemployed aged 24-74 account for
    75.1% of the estimated number of unemployed in March.




    SURVEY -
    Romanians fear the economic crisis or corruption more than the COVID-19
    pandemic or the outbreak of an armed conflict. It’s one of the findings of the
    Security Survey published by the Romanian Academy’s Center for Sociological
    Research. According to the survey, 43% of respondents believe Romania has been
    a safe country after its NATO accession, while 37% said they felt safe during
    the communist period. As regards public confidence in state institutions, 72%
    of Romanians put their trust in the Army, followed by the Church with a 57%
    share and the Foreign Ministry with 50%.




    US -
    The United States’ return to the international stage, the response to the
    COVID-19 pandemic, the economic recovery plan, as well as firm warnings against
    Russia and China, were some of the highlights of US president Joe Biden’s first
    address to the joint session of Congress. Now, after just 100 days, I can
    report to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into
    possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength, the White House
    leader said. According to Radio Romania’s Washington correspondent, Joe Biden
    also addressed a message to Russian president Vladimir Putin, insisting that
    Russia’s actions will have consequences. (V.P.)

  • December 4, 2017

    December 4, 2017

    JUSTICE – The changes that Romania’s ruling coalition intends to operate in the judiciary will be discussed in Parliament starting this week. A first draft regulation, concerning the status of judges and prosecutors, is currently on the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies, after having been approved by a special parliamentary committee. The bill stipulates that the head of state may no longer challenge judge and prosecutor appointments, makes prosecutors part of a hierarchy topped by the justice minister, and prohibits magistrates from working as covert intelligent service agents, by having them submit annual statements in this respect. The changes promoted by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, have again been contested in the street in Romania’s biggest cities.




    TOUR – US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson embarks this week on a diplomatic mission to shore up alliances in Europe. His trip is structured around ministerial conferences of the NATO allies in Brussels and the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in Vienna. Tillerson will also meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the OSCE talks late in the week. The American official assured his European allies that the US remains firmly committed to defending Europe’s security.




    ORTHODOXY– Russian President Vladimir Putin is today meeting with the delegation of the Romanian Orthodox Church headed by Patriarch Daniel. They travelled to Moscow to attend festivities marking 100 years since the re-establishment of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Daniel met with head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kiril, and held the Devine Liturgy in the Church of the Deposition of the Robe. It is first time when a Romanian Patriarch held a religious service here.




    BREXIT — British Prime Minister Theresa May is today holding decisive talks in Brussels on Brexit negotiations. She will try to convince the Europeans that her promises are enough for them to agree to open negotiations on commercial topics that London has insistently asked for. Theresa May will meet with the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Junker and with the European Council President, Donald Tusk. Brexit has been scheduled for end-March 2019.




    MILITARY DRILL – The air forces of the United States and South Korea are holding a joint drill as of today, deploying over 230 fighter jets among which six F-22 Raptor stealth fighters in the exercise. The drill called “Vigilant Ace” is held between december 4th and 8th. The Vigilant Ace drill is a biannual, bilateral training event held by the United States and South Korea to simulate wartime defenses. The exercise comes as North Korea continues to move forward with the development of its nuclear and missile program in defiance of international sanctions.




    VISIT – Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor continues his official visit to Belgrade. Today he will meet with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vulin. Talks will focus on regional security and on boosting bilateral cooperation in the field of defense. Chief of the Romanian Army’s General Staff, General Nicolae Ciuca, accompanies Minister Fifor in Belgrade.




    HANDBALL – The Romanian women’s handball team will be up against Spain on Tuesday. On Sunday, the Romanians scored their second victory in Group A of the World Women’s Handball Championship hosted by Germany, by defeating Slovenia, 31 to 28. On Saturday, the Romanians defeated 29-17 the team of Paraguay in their debut match. Also on Tuesday, in Group A, Slovenia will be up against Angola and France against Paraguay. In the previous World Championship of 2015 Romania won the bronze medal, being the only team to have participated in all the 22 editions of the championship held so far.


    (Translated by E. Enache)

  • The USA and its NATO partners

    The USA and its NATO partners

    Initially perceived as suspiciously lenient to Moscow and excessively critical of Brussels, US President Donald Trump has assigned to his staff the mission to correct this public perception. Last week, the new US Defense Secretary, James Mattis met with his NATO counterparts in Brussels, warning that if it wants to resume its cooperation with the United States and NATO, Russia must abide by international norms. He made it clear, “we are not in a position right now to collaborate on the military level, but our political leaders will engage and try to find common ground”.



    On the other hand, Mattis also warned that “the US could “moderate” its commitment to NATO if other member states fail to meet the requisite spending targets”. On Monday, also in Brussels, the new US Vice-President, Mike Pence said that the new administration in Washington pursued the preservation of Western values and supported the unity of Europe. It was the first visit that Mike Pence paid abroad and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker has hailed this symbolic gesture.



    The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk said that the meeting with the US Vice-President had been “truly needed”. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, Mike Pence told the press that he spoke on behalf of president Trump. “Whatever our differences, our two continents share the same heritage, the same values and above all the same purpose, to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and to those objectives we will remain committed.”



    Mike Pence also reiterated the importance of trans-Atlantic trade and the US commitment to ongoing cooperation. A priority of both sides is fighting terrorism as well as the defense of the EU states’ territorial integrity — was the message reiterated by Pence after meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “In the wake of Russian efforts to redraw international efforts by force, we will support efforts in Poland and the Baltic states through NATO’s enhanced forward presence initiative” — Mike Pence said.



    He warned again that the American people could lose patience with NATO members if they did not share the burden of defense, which was a viewpoint also shared by Stoltenberg. “Europeans cannot ask the US to commit to Europes defense if they are not willing to commit more themselves” — NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg said. He called again on all member states to honour their military spending pledges, in terms of achieving the 2% defense spending target. We recall that Jens Stoltenberg congratulated Romania for its effort to allot 2% of the country’s GDP to defense. (Translated by A.M. Palcu)