Radio România Internațional

Tag: US-Romanian Strategic Partnership

  • September 12, 2017

    September 12, 2017

    DEFENCE PORTFOLIO – The incumbent economy minister, Mihai Fifor, has been nominated by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats to take over the defence portfolio. He is to be replaced at the economy ministry by the Social Democrat MP Gheorghe Şimon. The former defence minister, Adrian Ţuţuianu, resigned a week ago, after PM Mihai Tudose reproached him for improper communication relative to the payment of salaries and allowances of troops and civilians working in the Army. The Defence Ministry had announced that the employees would receive this month only their allowances and salaries, and not their meals allowances, and without paying to the state budget the social security contributions and the income taxes. The announcement made by the defence ministry was later denied by both the prime minister and the finance minister, who said there were no problems with the payment of salaries. The president of the National Liberal Party, in opposition, Ludovic Orban, has accused the Government of being unwilling to comply with the commitment it has made to allot 2% of the GDP for the army endowment program. The care-taking defence minister is deputy prime minister Marcel Ciolacu.



    MOTION – The Chamber of Deputies is today debating the simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union (both in opposition), against justice minister Tudorel Toader. The signatories say the amendments to the justice laws, initiated by Toader, are an attempt to cancel the progress made in the field. The vote on the motion is due on Wednesday, in a plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies. Vehemently criticised by civil society and the media, Toaders draft stipulated, among others, that the countrys president will no longer nominate the chief prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism, provides for subordinating the judicial inspection unit to the justice ministry and for increasing the number of years necessary to get promoted as a magistrate. At the start of the year, after the governments attempt to change the criminal codes by an emergency ordinance, hundreds of thousands of Romanians took to the streets in Bucharest, across the country and abroad. They accused the power of trying to exonerate influential people in politics and administration from criminal liability for acts of corruption.



    US-ROMANIAN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP – The Romanian Senate is today adopting a political declaration to mark 20 years since Romania signed the Strategic Partnership with the US. Launched on July 11, 1997, on the occasion of the visit paid to Bucharest by the then US president Bill Clinton, at the invitation of his Romanian counterpart Emil Constantinescu, the Partnership made possible the establishment of privileged relations between the two countries and deepened cooperation once Romania joined NATO in 2004. Romania is hosting military bases and elements of the US anti-missile shield, and its troops have fought, alongside the Americans, in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Romanian foreign ministry has recently issued a communiqué, expressing its confidence that the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the USA will continue to develop and expand, capitalising on all opportunities and the potential of an outstanding bilateral relation.



    INTL CONFERENCE OF PUBLIC RADIO SERVICES – The mountain resort of Sinaia, in southern Romania is currently hosting the annual meeting of public radio services, which continues the Media 2020 meeting, organised by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. For two days, radio and tv experts from numerous countries are sharing their experiences and ideas on the best way in which they can face challenges specific to media institutions. The participants will also talk about the values that should be promoted by public media services, against the backdrop of a fast paced development of social media services.



    ENESCU FESTIVAL – The prestigious “George Enescu International Music Festival continues in Bucharest. Today, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London will give a concert for the second evening in a row. The program includes Enescus Romanian Rhapsody and pieces by Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy. The soloist of the evening is the world-famous pianist Martha Argerich, and the orchestra will perform under the baton of the outstanding conductor Charles Dutoit. Over 3,000 of the best musicians in the world will perform in Bucharest and seven other cities across the country until September 24. Inaugurated in 1958, interrupted by the communist regime in 1971 and resumed after the fall of communism, the Enescu Festival is held every other year.

  • June 9, 2017

    June 9, 2017

    US VISIT – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, will meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington, later today. President Iohannis has said the meeting will have a major positive impact both on the people in Romania and on the Romanian community living in the US. According to the Presidential Administration, deepening the bilateral Strategic Partnership will be high on the agenda of the meeting, the more so as in 2017 the two countries celebrate 20 years since it was launched. The Romanian head of state will also reiterate Bucharests firm commitment to further be a predictable and trustworthy ally of Washington. Also today, the Romanian President is due to meet Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson. Earlier, Klaus Iohannis awarded several members of Congress for the efforts they have made to strengthen the bilateral Strategic Partnership.



    VISIT – Deputy Secretary General of the European Commission, Jean-Eric Paquet, is today paying a visit to Romania. The European official will hold talks with the Romanian authorities on community law and the correct transposition in due time of the EU legislation. Jean-Eric Paquet will also take part in a dialogue with students and representatives of civil society, academia and mass media, on the future of Europe.



    UK ELECTIONS – The British Conservative Party of Prime Minister Theresa May has lost the overall majority in the British Parliament, following Thursdays early legislative elections, partial returns show. Although they won the largest number of seats, 318, in the House of Commons, the Tories cant form the government by themselves. Ranking second is the Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn, with 262 seats, whereas the centre-leftist pro-European National Scottish Party of Scottish Prime Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is said to have secured 34 seats. Also, the Liberal-Democratic Party (centre) has reportedly secured 13 seats. Theresa May fails to secure a stronger mandate in the run up to Brexit negotiations, pushing the British political scene into uncertainty, with a likely impact on the future talks with the EU, FP reports.



    ROLAND GARROS – The best ranking Romanian woman tennis player, Simona Halep, no. 4 WTA, on Saturday will face the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (no. 47 WTA) in the final of the Roland Garros tennis tournament. On Thursday evening, in the semi-finals, Halep defeated the Check Karolina Pliskova (no.3 WTA), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Its the second time that Halep plays the final of the Roland Garros in Paris, after she lost to Maria Sharapova, in 2014. If she wins, Halep will step up to the first position in the world rankings.



    THEATRE – Some 500 performances and events will be hosted by the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu, the largest such festival in Romania and one of the most important in Europe. Attending the festival will be 3,300 artists from 72 countries. The theme of the festival this year is love.



    TIFF – The 16th edition of the Transylvania International Film Festival – TIFF 2017, continues today in the western Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, with the special screening of the film “Pour la peau dun flic, a thriller shot in 1981, with the French actor Alain Delon in the leading role. On this occasion, Alain Delon has come for the first time to Romania, as honorary guest, and will receive a life-time achievement award. Alain Delon, 81, is this year celebrating 60 years since he made his debut in cinematography. Also during the TIFF, the beloved Romanian actress Tora Vasilescu will also receive an excellency prize. An overall number of 255 films from 53 countries will be screened until June 11 in various venues and cinema halls in Cluj Napoca and other towns in the county. Over 1,200 Romanian and foreign guests attend various cultural events organised on the occasion, such as screenings, concerts, workshops, as well as the launch of the largest Romanian festival of its kind, where Radio Romania is a media partner.

  • June 8, 2017 UPDATE

    June 8, 2017 UPDATE

    UPDATE: Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 4 in the WTA
    rankings, has qualified to the finals of the Roland Garros tournament, the
    second Grand Slam of the year.

    In a dramatic match on Thursday evening, she defeated
    Czech Karolina Pliskova, in the
    semi-finals, 6-4, 3-6,6-3.

    On Wednesday, in the quarters, Simona defeated the
    Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, after a spectacular come-back, 3-6, 7-6, 6-0.

    If she
    wins the final, besides getting her first Grand Slam title, Simona Halep will
    also step up to the first position in the world rankings.

    Simona will play for the Roland Garros trophy with Jelena Ostapenko, from Latvia. Halep also played the
    final in Roland Garros in 2014, but she lost to the Russian Maria Sharapova.


    US VISIT – Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will meet his counterpart, Donald Trump, in Washington on Friday. President Iohannis has said the meeting will have a major positive impact both on the people in Romania and on the Romanian community living in the US. According to the Presidential Administration, deepening the bilateral Strategic Partnership will be high on the agenda of the meeting, the more so as in 2017 the two countries celebrate 20 years since it was launched. The Romanian head of state will also reiterate Bucharests firm commitment to further be a predictable and trustworthy ally of Washington. Also on Friday, the Romanian President is due to meet Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson. The agenda of the visit has also included, among others, talks with the President pro tempore of the United States Senate, Orrin Hatch, and with representatives of the Romanian community in the US.



    PARIS VISIT – The Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu on Thursday met with his French counterpart Edouard Philippe. According to Radio Romanias correspondent, the agenda of talks included bilateral cooperation, an analysis of the political situation in the EU after Brexit and Bucharest’s relations with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). That was Edouard Philippe’s first meeting with a counterpart since his appointment last month. Traditionally a Francophone and Francophile country, Romania has with France a strategic partnership agreement concluded in 2008. On Wednesday, PM Grindeanu attended in Paris the ceremony marking Romania’s joining the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD.



    EPPO- Romania is among the 20 EU member states which agreed in Luxembourg on Thursday with the establishment of a European Public Prosecutor’s Office, EPPO, which is to investigate cross-border criminal cases which affect the budget and the financial interests of the EU. Under the agreement, the EPPOs jurisdiction will include the 20 EU member states which have agreed with the establishment of the institution, whose headquarters will be based in Luxembourg. The decision was made during a meeting of the EUs Justice and Home Affairs Council.



    ANTI-CORRUPTION – The chief prosecutor of the Romanian Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, on Thursday announced, in a notification sent to the Parliamentary Commission investigating the 2009 presidential elections that she will not attend the commissions hearings next week. She motivated her decision by saying that the Higher Council of the Magistracy decided in a plenary session that prosecutors cant be cited and compelled to appear, as witnesses, before parliamentary commissions, because, under constitutional norms, they are part of the judicial authority. Among those invited to hearings next week are former PM Emil Boc and the former director of the Romanian Intelligence Service, George Maior. The establishment of the commission was decided following disclosures made by a journalist, according to whom the electoral process unfolding in December 2009 was reportedly influenced by high ranking officials of the Romanian state, including heads of law enforcement institutions. The presidential elections were won by the right wing candidate, Traian Basescu, who outperformed the Social-Democratic candidate, Mircea Geoana.



    PRAGUE VISIT – The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall is paying a working visit to Prague on Friday. She will meet with Czech officials with European affairs responsibilities. The agenda of talks includes current issues, with focus on the future of the EU, Brexit developments, Romania’s preparation for taking over the presidency of the EU Council, as well as topics such as migration and internal security. Also, the Romanian official will attend the conference on EU security and defence, DESCOP 2017. Also participating in the conference will be, among others, the European Commission President, Jean Claude Juncker, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and the NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller.



    GROWTH – Romania has had the highest economic growth rate of the 28 EU member states, with a GDP growth of 5.5% in the first quarter of 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016, reads the third estimate published today by the Statistical Office of the EU, Eurostat. The highest growth rates in January – March 2017 were registered by Romania, Slovenia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria. No drops in the GDP were reported in the EU in the first three months of the year.



    THEATRE – Some 500 performances and events will be hosted by the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu, the largest such festival in Romania and one of the most important in Europe. The Director of the Festival Constantin Chiriac has announced that all tickets have already been sold. As a first this year, the festival will have a section of organ concerts held in several Saxon fortified churches and also a special programme, with five performances in English, staged at the Ground Forces Academy in Sibiu, in particular for the foreign and Romanian soldiers participating in the NATO exercises underway at the Cincu shooting ground.