NATO -
NATO leaders on Wednesday officially launched the process whereby Sweden and
Finland will join NATO after Turkey lifted its veto on Tuesday evening.
Attending the NATO summit in Madrid, Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis said
NATO leaders agreed to consolidate support for Ukraine by adopting an
assistance package. Additionally, a new strategic concept was adopted ensuring
the main lines of action for the next ten years, the Black Sea being one of the
areas of strategic interest. In the context of the security developments in
Ukraine, NATO will consolidate its long-term deterrence and defense posture on
its eastern flank, something which Romania has insisted on, the president said.
On the other hand, Klaus Iohannis said that NATO leaders agreed to boost their
support for the Alliance’s partners in the eastern vicinity, including the
Republic of Moldova and Georgia, which are the most vulnerable to the current
security threats. Romania has achieved its goals at the NATO summit, president
Iohannis also pointed out.
USA -
The United States will consolidate its presence in Europe in response to the
new threats created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden
announced the USA will boost its military presence in Spain, Poland, Romania,
the Baltic States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. On the sidelines of
the NATO summit in Madrid, the White House leader confirmed that the number of
US destroyers deployed to Spain will be increased from four at present to six,
while an additional two squadrons of state-of-the-art F35 fighter jets will be
sent to the United Kingdom. The US will permanently station the U.S. Army V Corps
forward command in Poland and will supplement its forces in Romania by an
additional 5,000 military. President Iohannis said the move will benefit
Romania and the security of the entire region.
ASSISTANCE
– The European Commission has approved a 60.7 million EUR assistance package to
support Romania’s haulers. The measure is targeting all the companies with a
valid community license, which have been affected by the present crisis, caused
by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The aid does not exceed 400 thousand EUR per
enterprise and will be granted until December 2022.
ENERGY
-
Romania can become energy independent and a provider of energy security in the
region as well as a transport corridor for gas and green energy in the Caspian
Sea, the country’s Energy Minister Virgil Popescu said. Together with Prime
Minister Nicolae Ciucă, he participated
on Tuesday in the ceremony occasioned by the beginning of gas exploitation at
Midia, in the Black Sea operated by the Black Sea Oil&Gas. Roughly one
billion cubic meters of gas is expected to be extracted here annually.
POLLUTION
-Bucharest is among
the five most polluted capitals in the European Union, says a report by the
inter-governmental group of experts on climate change. The first four most
polluted capitals are Warsaw, Zagreb, Athens and Sofia. The situation is
influenced by several factors such as traffic. Romania boasts a big fleet of
old cars, with a use average of 17 years, whereas the bloc’s average is of 12
years. Bucharest also is short on green areas with only 7 meters of green space
per capita, whereas the European rate stands at around 18 meters. Another
factor is the city’s gas heating system. (DB & VP)