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June 27, 2022 UPDATE

G 7 — The G7 leaders meeting on Monday in Germany reiterated their indestructible support for Ukraine, promising in particular military and financial support for “as long as necessary,” AFP reports. Germany, the US, France, Canada, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom have urged Russia to allow cereal exports from Ukraine, which it invaded on February 24, to avoid exacerbating the global food crisis. The G7 countries have called on Moscow to “unconditionally end attacks on agricultural and transport infrastructure and allow the free passage of agricultural goods from the Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea.” They also expressed “deep concern” over Russias announcement that it could transfer nuclear-fired missiles to Belarus. The heads of state and government held a video conference on Monday morning with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski, who called on them to “do their best” to end the war, which is devastating their country, before the end of the year.

Reactors – President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca welcomed the announcement made on Sunday by US President Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Germany, according to which the United States will invest 14 million dollars in the preliminary stage of engineering and design studies for the development of small modular reactors in Romania. Ensuring energy security is a common goal of the Romanian-American Strategic Partnership, Klaus Iohannis wrote on social media, while Nicolae Ciuca said in a statement, among other things, that the development of the nuclear program will boost economic growth.

Partnership – Romanias two-chamber parliament will convene on Tuesday in a joint meeting dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US. The Romanian authorities have underlined that this collaboration has been an essential landmark for the countrys foreign policy over the years, as well as a tool for supporting domestic efforts for Romanias economic, military and administrative reforms. In a Facebook post, Romanias Ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru, says that he was received at the White House by president Joe Biden, to whom he conveyed the message of president Iohannis and the Romanian states will to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. The Romanian official stated that “without President Bidens courage and determination, NATO may not have been as strong and united as it is today”. The White House leader thanked Romania for the invaluable help it has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Baccalaureate – The Romanian Education Minister, Sorin Câmpeanu, said Monday that this years Baccalaureate exams produced the best results in the last 10 years, and this was due to the simplification of the subjects. The pass rate of the Baccalaureate exam was over 73%. 162 students got a final 10, 32 of whom are from Bucharest. The highest pass rate was registered in Cluj county (northwest), Campeanu also said. The results can be seen on the bacalaureat.edu.ro platform and on the schools notice boards. The identity of the students will not be disclosed, their names being replaced by the individual codes received at the first test. More than 126,000 high school graduates sat for the Baccalaureate exam this year, the lowest number since the 1989 anti-communist revolution.

Champion – The Romanian government approved on Monday a decision under which the swimmer David Popovici will be awarded 200 thousand Euros for the exceptional results obtained at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest. The double world champion was received by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca at Victoria Palace. The PM congratulated him for his extraordinary victory which brought him gold in the 200 and 100 meters freestyle event. Another Romanian, Robert Glinţă came 5th in the 50-meter backstroke final and 8th in the 100-meter backstroke event.

Summit — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, participates, as of Tuesday until Thursday, in the NATO summit hosted by Madrid. According to the Presidential Administration, the war in Ukraine and the security crisis in the Black Sea region are the main topics on the agenda. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to deliver a video speech in the first part of the meeting in the Spanish capital. During the summit, the Romanian president will welcome the fact that the current security situation was reflected in the Alliance’s new strategic concept, starting from the recognition of Russia as the main threat to NATO, and the fact that the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-Atlantic security was mentioned for the first time. Klaus Iohannis will emphasize Romanias significant contribution to supporting Ukraine at humanitarian level, as well as the most vulnerable partners, especially those in the eastern neighborhood, mainly the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet country with a majority Romanian-speaking population) and Georgia. Klaus Iohannis will reiterate Romanias firm support for NATOs “open door” policy, including the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Alliance.

Meeting – The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday met in Bucharest with his Serbian counterpart, Nikola Selakovic, on the occasion of the latter’s visit to Romania, at the invitation of the Romanian FM. According to Bogdan Aurescu, the two discussed the importance of Serbias European path, which, from Romanias point of view, must be completed as soon as possible by Serbia joining the European Union as a full member. The talks also focused on the importance of the European Unions partners, including Serbia, aligning to the Unions common foreign and security policy, given the complicated regional context. In his turn, the Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said that Serbia was grateful to Romania for the support granted for its European path. (LS)

27 June 2022
US funding for small nuclear reactors

While in Germany at the G7 summit in Munich, the US president Joe Biden announced funding in the amount of USD 14 million for Romania. The money is designed to finance the preliminary stages, i.e. the front-end engineering and design study, for the small modular reactors developed in a partnership with the US. Romania will be the first country in Europe to use this American technology.

As the US president put it, in Romania, the US firm NuScale Power will be the one managing this first-of-its-kind small modular reactor (SMR). This will help us reach zero emissions faster, more cheaply and more efficiently. The US government has contributed in advance to the development of this innovative technology, to strengthen European energy security and create thousands of jobs in Romania and the US.

The US has already supported the development of SMRs in Romania, contributing to a detailed study conducted over 18 months. Following the study, a decommissioned thermal power plant in Doiceşti, Dâmboviţa County, in southern Romania, was identified as the location of the first of the 6 planned reactors.

Romania intends to become a regional SMR production and operation hub, and aims to build the first unit by 2030, the Romanian authorities announced last autumn, after announcing the signing of the agreement at the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

Decarbonisation requires nuclear power, which is why these investments are critical, the energy minister Virgil Popescu pointed out. He says now that the NuScale technology was certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2020, following a comprehensive testing process that took over 10 years to complete.

In Romania as well, Virgil Popescu added, all the relevant certification and regulation procedures will be complied with.

“We have over 25 years of experience in operating, at the highest safety standards, the 2 reactors in Cernavodă, which rank 1st and 3rd in the world in terms of productivity. We have an experienced regulatory commission, working closely with the regulatory commission in the US, with the Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna and with the highest-level nuclear energy organisations in the world. We have an opportunity to put this experience to use and to get involved in a solid project, which will give Romania clean and affordable energy, development for local communities, jobs, the training of a new generation of engineers, and will place Romania at the forefront of training future operators in the region and of the production and assembling of components,” Virgil Popescu posted on a social network.

In Bucharest, both the president and the PM of Romania welcomed Joe Bidens statements. Ensuring energy security is a shared goal of the Romanian-US strategic partnership, president Klaus Iohannis said. In turn, PM Nicolae Ciucă pointed out that using this new technology will contribute to strengthening Romanias energy profile, in line with the EU efforts to protect the environment and with the decarbonisation targets undertaken at EU level. (AMP)

27 June 2022
May 16, 2022 UPDATE

NATO — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis hails Swedens decision to apply for NATO membership, following the announcement made on Monday by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. In a Twitter message, president Iohannis states that Romania fully supports a rapid process of Swedens accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. He adds that, once they join the Alliance, Sweden and Finland will make NATO stronger than ever before. The two countries in northern Europe, located near Russia, have decided to go out of neutrality and demand to be admitted into NATO after Russia attacked and invaded Ukraine almost three months ago. NATO currently has 30 member states, 21 of which are part of the EU. The EU member states that have not joined the North Atlantic Alliance are Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta and Sweden.

Forecast — Romanias Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow by 2.6% this year and by 3.6% in 2023, according to the European Commissions spring economic forecasts. This is a smaller increase than expected in the previous assessments, in February. The situation is valid for the whole of the European Union and is mainly due to the disruptions caused by the war waged by Russia in Ukraine. European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni has announced that the European average inflation rate will be 6.8% this year. He also said that in April European inflation averaged 7.5%, the highest value ever recorded in the monetary union. According to the Commission, inflation in Romania will reach 8.9% this year, double the percentage reported in 2021. Inflation is expected to fall to 5.1% next year, but the Commission warns that there are growing economic risks as the war in Ukraine is prolonged.

Visit — A delegation of the Romanian Interior Ministry led by minister Lucian Bode pays an official visit to the US between May 16-18, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Romania-US Strategic Partnership. The Romanian official is to have meetings at the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Congress. The discussions with the US officials focus on institutional efforts in line with the State Departments recommendations made in the Trafficking in Persons Report (TiP Report), Romania having the necessary tools for an adequate response to the challenges posed by this type of crime, namely structures, legislation, strategies and action plans, informs the Interior Ministry. The meetings are an opportunity to reconfirm the very good cooperation between the Romanian authorities and the US law enforcement agencies in the field of combating organized crime, with a focus on combating illegal migration and cybercrime, as well as intensifying the exchange of information. During the talks with members of the US Congress, Lucian Bode will discuss the challenges of the current regional context, both in terms of managing the humanitarian crisis generated by Russias aggression against Ukraine and in terms of security.

Tennis — Polands Iga Swiatek leads the world ranking of professional tennis players (WTA), published on Monday. Next in the ranking are the Czech Barbora Krejcikova and the Spanish Paula Badosa. The Romanian Simona Halep returned to the Top 20, climbing two positions compared to last week, from 21 to 19 position. Romania has six players in the top 100, the other five being Sorana Cîrstea – 27, Gabriela Ruse – 52, Irina Begu – 62, Jaqueline Cristian – 69, Ana Bogdan – 91. In the doubles ranking, Romania has five representatives in the first hundred: Monica Niculescu – 40, Raluca Olaru – 47, Irina Begu – 57, Irina Bara – 59, Gabriela Ruse – 87.

Football — CFR Cluj (northwest) won its fifth consecutive title as Romania’s football champions, after defeating the Universitatea Craiova (south), score 2-1, at home, in a match from the 9th stage, the penultimate of the First League play-offs. The vice-champion is FCSB, from Bucharest. On Thursday, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (center) and FC Voluntari (south, a satellite city of Bucharest) will play the final of the Romanian Football Cup. At the end of the domestic season, the Romanian national football team will have their first match in a new edition of the League of Nations, at the beginning of June, when it will meet the national teams of Montenegro, Bosnia and Finland. (LS)

16 May 2022
EU and US Support for Moldova

A small former Soviet republic with about 2.5 million inhabitants, located between Ukraine and Romania, the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova fears a destabilisation and expansion of the conflict in Ukraine. A string of explosions last week shook Transnistria, a separatist region on the border with Ukraine, which, backed by Moscow, broke away from Moldova after a brief war in 1992. Russia left a contingent of about 1,500 troops in the area which it has not withdrawn to this day.

Against the background of an internal political instability barely attenuated by the recent coming to power of pro-Europeans and a quasi-continuous economic crisis, Chisinau is watching carefully and anxiously what is happening over the eastern border of the Republic. Moreover, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Republic of Moldova has generously welcomed all Ukrainians fleeing the war, which has put additional pressure on Europe’s poorest state. Under these conditions, both the European Union and the United States have consistently stated their support for the Moldovan authorities.

This Wednesday, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, visited Chisinau, an opportunity for him to declare that the European Union has a duty to support the Republic of Moldova. He said that Brussels is considering more military support for the Moldovan authorities, which will add to the assistance in the areas of logistics and cyber defense, on which the Union has already agreed. Chisinau has stated that this military assistance does not include lethal armament, only elements of military logistics, command, control and tactical communications. Also, Charles Michel reiterated Brussels’ intention to provide support to the Republic of Moldova in the process of managing the flow of refugees, but also in political and economic terms.

Statements in support of Chisinau also came from across the ocean. Washington has warned against the escalation of tensions after the explosions in Transnistria. Without blaming Moscow, as Kiev has done, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters: We reiterate the Moldovan government’s calls for calm in response to these events and fully support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova.

In the US’s view, Russia has already lost the war in Ukraine. Quoted by the Radio Romania correspondent in Washington, the White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that President Vladimir Putin defined victory in this war from the start as a takeover of Ukraine and its incorporation into Russia. It is clear that he not been successful, Jen Psaki said. He was planning a victory march on May 9 on the streets of Kyiv. It is clear that this will not happen! He sought to divide NATO and the West. It is clear that this is not happening! (MI)

5 May 2022
Romania is diversifying its energy sources

Over the past weeks, due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the international community has imposed tough economic and financial sanctions on Russia. However, behind the skepticism of some countries to impose sanctions was their dependence on Russian gas in particular, as they fear that a possible European embargo on Moscow could make the Kremlin turn off the gas. Moreover, the Russian gas reaches Europe via Ukraine. Among the major gas importers from Russia are such countries as Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In these circumstances, reducing Russian gas imports is particularly pressing for the countries most exposed to a possible supply disruption.

On the one hand, the European Commission has proposed a two-thirds reduction of Russian gas purchases and an end to dependence on Russian fuel supplies well before 2030. At the same time, the EU has called on member states to ensure, by November, 90% of the gas stocks for next winter and are considering capping gas and electricity prices. In another development, the US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm has announced that the International Energy Agency is preparing measures to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. The United States has resorted to the strategic oil reserves to support demand from Europe and has called on other producing countries to do the same. In the European Union, Romania is fortunately the least dependent country on Russian gas, being the second largest oil and gas producer in the EU, with large amounts of untapped natural gas in the Black Sea and the capacity to produce shale gas as well.

Analysts say that the lack of a strategic vision and legal uncertainty have led to these reserves not having been exploited so far, although it would allow Romania to be energy independent and export to other countries. The current energy minister, Virgil Popescu, promises that an additional amount of one billion cubic meters natural gas – the equivalent of 10% of Romania’s gas consumption – could come, even starting this year, from the exploitation by the Black Sea Oil & Gas company of a smaller perimeter in the Black Sea.

Instead, minister Popescu also says that Neptun Deep, the largest perimeter of natural gas discovered in the Black Sea, with an estimated reserve of 100 billion cubic meters, will not be operational before 2026. Virgil Popescu has also given assurances that Parliament will adopt amendments to the Offshore Law by the end of this legislative session. One of the variants under consideration is that 60% of the profit obtained from the exploitation of natural gas from the Black Sea should go to the Romanian state and the remaining 40% to foreign investors. (LS)

23 March 2022
March 11, 2022 UPDATE

VISIT Romanian people were extraordinary in the generosity and the
courage they have shown in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US
VP Kamala Harris said in Bucharest on Friday, in a joint press conference with
the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis. In turn, the Romanian president pointed
out that NATO will act without hesitation to defend each Allied state,
including Romania, and during the dialogue with Kamala Harris he was assured of
the US commitment to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. Mr. Iohannis also stated that
the US and NATO military presence in Romania must be further enhanced, in the
long run, as an additional measure to ensure the security of the country and
the region. Klaus Iohannis and Kamala Harris also discussed the need to step up
defence and deterrence measures in the Alliance’s eastern flank, with a focus
on the Black Sea area in the south. Meanwhile, according to president Iohannis,
the current energy crisis may be a historic opportunity for Europe to become
truly independent of Russian natural gas, through investments in renewable
sources, in the civilian nuclear sector, imports of liquefied natural gas and stronger
interconnection. The US vice president visited Romania for the first time,
coming from Poland as part of a diplomatic tour prompted by the Ukraine war.

UKRAINE Russia will pay a severe price if it uses chemical
weapons in Ukraine, the US president Joe Biden warned on Friday, and announced
new sanctions against Russia. Joe Biden also undertook to avoid direct conflict
between NATO and Russia, as this would lead to a third world war. In Moscow, the
Russian presidency spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the hostilities in Ukraine will
end when the West has taken measures with respect to Russia’s concerns
regarding the killing of civilians in eastern Ukraine and NATO’s eastwards
enlargement. Meanwhile, as the Russian troops that entered Ukraine on February
24th are attempting to surround Kyiv, Turkey announced relocating its
embassy to Chernivtsi, some 40 km from the Romanian border. Turkey was among
the last countries keeping their embassies in Kyiv.

SUMMIT The war in Ukraine and its impact on Europeans’ lives
and economies was in the focus of the EU summit in Versailles on Friday as well.
The EU continues to provide humanitarian, medical and financial aid to the
Ukrainian refugees and to the host countries, the EU leaders said in a
statement, also calling on Russia to ensure safe passage to the civilians
trying to leave the country and to allow humanitarian relief to reach the
victims. The 27 EU leaders also discussed the European Commission’s plan to
reduce by 2-thirds Russian gas imports this year and to make sure that no EU
member state purchases hydrocarbons from Russia by 2030. Russia’s natural gas
covers over 40% of the EU demand, and 4 alternatives are currently under
analysis: imports from other countries, diversifying sources, putting together
substantial stocks ahead of each winter season and developing renewable energy
sources.

COVID-19 Almost 3,000 new
cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours were announced on Friday in Romania. 50 deaths
were also reported, of which 3 from a previous date. Less than 4,000 people are
hospitalized, 608 being in intensive care. After almost two years of alert, all
the restrictions imposed by the pandemic have been lifted in Romania since
March 9. On the other hand, the authorities announce that the vaccination
against COVID-19 is moving to the family doctors’ offices. The vaccination rate
is still low, with just over 8.1 million people fully vaccinated. (A.M.P.)

11 March 2022
Romanian authorities to support Ukraine

Together with other European states and the US, Romania has decided to help Ukraine with medicines, ammunition and military equipment so that the army can protect the region from the invasion of Russian troops. The first aid, which has already arrived in neighboring Ukraine, was decided a week ago, when the situation had not escalated, by the Committee for Emergency Situations and consisted of medicines and disinfectants. Humanitarian aid had been requested by Kyiv through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. Now, following the entry of the Russian troops into Ukraine, the Romanian Government has decided to grant further aid, worth 3 million Euros, consisting of: fuel, bulletproof vests, helmets, ammunition and military equipment, food, water and medicines.

The announcement was made by the PM Nicolae Ciuca, after an emergency meeting on the situation in neighboring Ukraine: “We have decided to send to Ukraine a number of materials and equipment, consisting of safety helmets, bulletproof vests, ammunition, food, water and medicines, totaling more than three million euros. We have also decided, together with the members of the government, to go and donate blood, with a view to starting a campaign to help the wounded in the war in Ukraine.

Moreover, Bucharest has expressed its readiness to treat the injured Ukrainians in Romania. 11 hospitals of the Defense Ministry are ready to receive the wounded brought from the front. The PM Nicolae Ciuca announced that the government in Bucharest is still considering all possibilities to support Ukraine: We have taken several measures at government level and we are continuing to analyze all the possibilities, so that, from an institutional point of view, we should do everything we can, to support the Ukrainian people severely affected by the Russian aggression.

President Klaus Iohannis wrote in a social network post that “Romania joins its partners in supporting the new sanctions in order to further strengthen the common response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Additional military and humanitarian aid is to be sent to Ukraine.

And the Defense Ministry states that ‘the transfer of equipment is an element of logistical support, necessary for Ukraine’s efforts to reject the aggression of the Russian Federation, launched on the Ukrainian territory on February 24th. The transfer of these materials to the Ukrainian government is part of the general effort currently made by NATO and EU member states to support Ukraine in defending its territory, independence and integrity against the Russian aggression.

So far, the NATO countries have announced that they are supporting Ukraine with defensive military equipment worth hundreds of millions of Euros. The US Department of Defense contributes weapons worth 350 million dollars. Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden have also announced their intention to provide aid to Ukraine. (LS)

28 February 2022
February 21, 2022

UKRAINE – Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden have agreed in principle to hold a summit to discuss the crisis over Ukraine. The talks, proposed French President Emmanuel Macron, will only take place if Russia does not invade its neighbor, the French presidency said in a communiqué. Russia and Ukraine continued to blame each other, on Sunday, for the escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine. Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin agreed on Sunday, during a phone call, to make all efforts to prevent the situation from escalating and to preserve peace, according to the French presidencys press office. Also, the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, is today holding a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov while the OSCE convenes in extraordinary session. Observers from the OSCE European security body on Saturday reported more than 1,500 ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine in a single day. The US accuses Russia of planning a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which the latter denies.

BRUSSELS – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu is today attending the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. Foreign affairs ministers will discuss the latest developments in Russias military build-up around Ukraine and will hold a discussion on the European security situation. The Romanian official will emphasize on this occasion, the need to further look for a diplomatic solution to the crisis and to prepare a comprehensive package of sanctions in coordination with the US, the UK and Canada, in case the crisis escalates. EU foreign affairs ministers will also hold an informal meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, during which Aurescu will reiterate Romanias solidarity with Ukraine and its support for the countrys European and Euro-Atlantic path. Also, EU foreign affairs ministers will meet their counterparts from the Gulf countries in the joint council of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council and will run a cyber-exercise.

CARRIERS – New rules as part of the mobility package are in place as of today for goods carriers working in EU member states. Trucks must be returned at company’s headquarters every two months, which leads to higher fuel consumption, pollution and delays at customs, especially for companies from Eastern Europe, Romania included. The new measures were decided two years ago and were taken so as to provide more rights for drivers.

CORONAVIRUS – The number of Covid-19 infections in Romania is going down significantly, with 30% fewer cases than last week being reported. The number of infections per one thousand inhabitants is also on the decrease, but it still is above 3/1,000 in Romanias counties. The infection rate in the capital Bucharest is 32.8%. Almost 7,700 new cases have been reported in Romania today, by 4,000 less than a week ago. This is the smallest daily number of new infections since the beginning of the 5th wave, more than a month ago. Some 85 related deaths have also been announced. 1,100 people are treated in intensive care units. The biggest number of daily infections in Romania was reported on February 1st – 40,018.

JUDICIARY – The draft law on the dismantling of the Special Section Investigating Crimes in the Judiciary is on todays agenda of the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. Last week, the Legal Committee green lighted the project. According to Justice Minister, Catalin Predoiu, the dismantling of the Special Section is an objective stipulated in the governing programme, with a clear deadline, and it could have an impact on Romanias joining the Schengen area. Predoiu gave assurances that the dismantling of the Special Section is the result of transparent consultations, including with foreign partners. (EE)

21 February 2022
February 13, 2022

UKRAINE In the context of the
Russian-Ukrainian standoff, the Romanian foreign ministry has raised the alert
level for Ukraine and advises Romanian citizens to avoid travelling to that
country. The foreign ministry firmly recommends avoiding travels to Crimea, to
the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and to Ukraine’s borders with Russia and
Belarus. Romanian nationals currently in Ukraine are urged to notify their
presence to Romania’s embassy or consular offices and to reconsider staying in
that country. The foreign ministry also calls on Romanian citizens, including
journalists, to avoid big crowds, to stay up to date with information from
reliable sources and to adjust their plans to the security situation there. A
growing number of countries, including the US, Britain and Germany, are urging
their citizens to leave Ukraine, as Western powers warn that a Russian invasion
may be imminent. Moscow has massed around 100,000 troops and military equipment
along the Ukrainian border and started military exercises at the Black Sea and
in Belarus, but denies any aggressive plans. The US president Joe Biden has
once again warned the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, over the telephone, of the
prospective consequences of an invasion.

NATO Meanwhile, US Stryker armoured
vehicles have reached the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base in southern Romania,
where 1,000 US troops will also be relocated from Germany to strengthen NATO’s
eastern flank. With the arrival of Task
Force Cougar, the number of American troops in Romania reaches nearly
2,000. France
has also voiced willingness to deploy troops to Romania. A NATO member since
2004, Romania was already hosting 900 American, 250 Polish and 140 Italian
troops. A unit of the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), comprising around 150
troops and 8 F-16 Fighting Falcons, are conducting joint training missions with
Romanian troops and aircraft for 2 weeks. A senior Pentagon official also announced the US decided to send an
additional 3,000 troops to Poland as well.

COVID-19 The number of new COVID-19 cases
continues to drop in Romania, with nearly 12,000 new cases reported on Sunday
and 81 related deaths. Over 1,140 patients are currently in intensive care. The largest number
of infections since the start of the pandemic,
40,018, was reported on February 1. The health minister Alexandru Rafila said the number of new reported cases remains high,
although it is falling quickly, and once again pleaded for vaccination,
especially among vulnerable categories. As for lifting the restrictions, the
health minister did not specify a deadline, but stressed that relaxation will
be as quick as the situation allows it. In turn, the head of the
vaccination programme Valeriu Gheorghiţă said that in the future vaccination
will be seasonal, just like for the flu, and the vaccine will be adjusted to
the variant circulating at a particular time. He also said the
vaccination rate in Romania stands at 50.5% of the adult population.

PANDEMIC This weekend restrictions were eased off in Italy, Spain and
Iceland, while France and Germany are planning
to do the same in the coming weeks. Norway lifted the last protection measures
in the country in spite of a rise in the number of Omicron cases. However, the
protests initiated by truck drivers in Canada 2 weeks ago, and spreading to
several other countries on Saturday, are still going on. European drivers
headed to major capital cities to protest the compulsory vaccine and digital
certificate. Protests were organised in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia
and New Zealand. (A.M.P.)

13 February 2022
February 11, 2022 UPDATE

NATO Romania, as a NATO member country and strategic partner of the US,
benefits from all the security guarantees that it needs, in the context of the
most serious crisis since the fall of the Iron Curtain. The statement was made
by Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis on Friday, during a visit he made
together with the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Alliance’s
Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoana, at the military base in Mihail
Kogalniceanu, south-eastern Romania. The officials met with military personnel
from allied nations deployed to Romania. In his turn, Stoltenberg said
the presence of NATO troops in Romania is important because it is a powerful
demonstration of NATO unity. Around 1,000 American military were relocated to
Romania, amid concerns raised by the Russian military build-up at the Ukrainian
border. France has also voiced willingness to deploy troops to Romania. A NATO
member since 2004, Romania was already hosting 900 American, 250 Polish and 140
Italian troops. A unit of the US Air Forces
in Europe (USAFE), comprising around 150 troops and 8 F-16 Fighting Falcons, will
have joint training missions with troops and aircraft of the Romanian
Air Forces for 2 weeks, as of Friday. According to a news release, the US
aircraft will also conduct enhanced air policing missions, jointly with Romanian
troops and with the Italian Air Forces unit deployed to Romania in December.

CORONAVIRUS The number of new Covid-19 infections continues to drop in Romania.
On Friday, the Group for Strategic Communication announced 22,737 new cases and
132 deaths, five of which from an earlier date. The Romanian authorities
consider easing the restrictions taken in the context of the pandemic, but in a
gradual manner, as did the countries that have already overcome the peak of the
current wave, the head of the Department for Emergencies, Raed Arafat, said.
The number of new cases is dropping, and if we stay on this trend, we could be
restriction free by Easter, Arafat said. In turn, the head of the immunization programme,
Valeriu Gheorghita, said that in the future vaccination against Covid-19 will
be seasonal, just like the flu vaccine, and adjusted to the strain in
circulation at a particular moment. The vaccination rate among adults stands at
50.5% in Romania at present, Valeriu Gheorghita said.

MOLDOVA A number of bilateral documents were signed in Chisinau on
Friday after a joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments,
including an inter-government agreement under which Romania is to provide EUR
100 million worth of non-reimbursable aid. The Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă and
his Moldovan counterpart Natalia Gavriliţa also signed a joint statement on
strengthening cooperation in economy and investments. Other agreements concern
the building, maintenance, repair and use of a cross-border bridge in Ungheni,
and roaming and international call tariffs, cooperation in energy security,
digitisation, research and innovation and defence, justice and home affairs. The
Romanian PM emphasised that this is the most substantial openness ever seen in
bilateral relations, and promised that Romania will remain a determined and
vocal supporter of the Republic of Moldova’s EU accession efforts. In turn,
Moldova’s PM Natalia Gavriliţa
said her Cabinet has undertaken to provide a predictable and attractive
environment for investments in the country, in line with European best
practices.Nicolae Ciucă was received by the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, to
whom he conveyed Romania’s full support for the reforms she initiated in the
judicial field in particular.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (56 WTA) Friday defeated
Tereza Martincova (42 WTA) of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-2, and qualified into
the semis of the Sankt Petersburg tournament. Martincova had won (6-7, 6-4,
6-4) her only previous match against Begu, in Tashkent in 2019. (A.M.P.)

11 February 2022
The first 100 US military arrive in Romania

The first US soldiers from a new
contingent to be deployed here have arrived in Romania. They were repositioned
from Germany and will be preparing the arrival of the rest of the contingent of
1,000 US troops Washington is planning to deploy to Romania. The move comes
amid the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and is aimed at consolidating NATO’s eastern
flank. Romanian defence minister Vasile
Dîncu explains:

100
soldiers have already arrived; they are specialists who will be preparing the barracking
of the rest of the troops. They arrived in Romania, as well as in other
countries, from what I understand, also in Poland. In Romania, they will be concerning
themselves, alongside our logistics experts, with precisely this thing. Naturally,
this means it won’t take long until the rest of the troops arrives, but we will
keep you updated on the details and even the places where they will be barracked
with the transparency that characterises us. For the time being there isn’t one
particular location or an exact date for their arrival.

The defence
minister also said that Romania is prepared to host the American troops. He emphasised
that from a military point of view, one cannot speak of imminent war. The US
military already in Romania as part of previous deployments are stationed at
three main bases: Deveselu (in the south), Mihail Kogălniceanu (in the
south-east) and Câmpia Turzii (in the north-west). The latter location is
considered a strategic location for the operations of the US air forces and an
important support base ensuring the so-called strategic depth: it is here
that possible reinforcements and military support for the allied troops would arrive
in the event of a hypothetical conflict with an aggressor attacking Romania. The
US also announced plans to invest over 150 million dollars in modernising the
infrastructure of the air base in Câmpia Turzii.

A week ago, the US
announced the deployment of around 3,000 US military to countries on the
eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance. Apart from those arriving in the
coming days in Romania, some 2,000 will be flown to Poland and Germany. The Pentagon
said these are temporary missions to consolidate the defence of European allies
in the context of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The situation remains
tense, after Moscow massed over 100,000 soldiers and considerable combat
equipment on the border with its former Soviet republic. The West is fearing an
invasion, but Moscow denies it and made a series of demands, such as blocking
Ukraine’s access to NATO and downsizing activities in ex-communist states,
including Romania. Russia’s demands were rejected by the allies and efforts to find
a diplomatic solution continue. (CM)

9 February 2022
January 27, 2022

COVID-19 — A total of 31,683 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been registered in the last 24 hours in Romania. It is the second day in a row with over 30,000 cases. 71 deaths were also reported. The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, pointed out that the COVID-19 outbreaks in some hospitals are not a cause for concern, but solutions are being sought for the free testing of the medical staff. The vaccination of children aged between 5 and 11 started in Romania on Wednesday. Currently, more than 8 million people have been vaccinated with the first dose.

Visit — The Romanian Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu, has said today, fresh from a meeting, in Bucharest, with his French counterpart, Mrs. Florence Parly, that Romania is in a special partnership with France. He has highlighted that Romania can count on France’s firm support which was confirmed by the recent statement of President Emmanuel Macron, in which he announced that his country was ready to contribute NATO troops to Romania. Romania is concerned about recent developments in the region and hopes that dialogue and understanding between the sides in conflict will prevail – said Minister Vasile Dîncu, who also welcomed the announcement of US President Joe Biden on boosting the US contribution to the deterrence and defense posture in the Black Sea area, a proof of transatlantic solidarity. The French Defense Minister, Mrs. Florence Parly, who is on a visit to Romania, also has meetings with President Klaus Iohannis and the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca.

Ukraine — On Wednesday the United States and NATO presented written answers to Russias request that NATO should withdraw its troops from Romania and Bulgaria and not accept Ukraine and Georgia among its allies. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that NATO is not abandoning its open door policy and has proposed Moscow a diplomatic way to avoid war. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also believes that a political solution to the crisis is still possible if Russia makes efforts to deescalate tensions. On the other hand, France and Germany, mediators in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, received a good signal from Russia, even though the meeting in Paris was difficult – the French presidency announced. A 9-hour meeting of political advisers from the four countries took place in Paris on Wednesday. Talks under Franco-German mediation will continue in two weeks’ time in Berlin.

Holocaust – On Thursday, January 27, on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, the Romanian Foreign Ministry officials paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, a tragic chapter in history and expressed solidarity with the survivors of the World War II atrocities. The Romanian Foreign Ministry officials have shown that Romania is one of the countries that has assumed its own past and is committed to keeping its memory alive for future generations, to protect the remaining survivors and to fight anti-Semitism and any manifestations of intolerance and discrimination. (…) This year it’s 77 years since the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than a million men, women and children lost their lives, 90% of whom were Jews mostly from Poland and Hungary. All in all, between 1941 and 1945, more than 6 million Jews were systematically killed in Europe by the Nazis and their collaborators. On the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the presidents of the European Union’s three main institutions drew attention to the rise of anti-Semitic attitude and the proliferation of hate speech in recent years and asked for deterring such attitudes. (…) There are currently almost 166,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel, with an average age of 85 years. About 60% are women, and around 64% come from Europe, most from the former USSR, and also from Romania (12%), Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Germany.

Traffic Code – Today, in the third session of this week, the Romanian Government is sanctions for aggressive drivers and those who endanger traffic safety. The driving license will be suspended for 4 months in the case of speeding drivers and very high fines will be given for harassment in traffic. Also today, the Executive will approve the financing contract signed by Romania with the European Investment Bank, worth 305 million Euros, for funding the Cluj Regional Hospital (northwest). Another law on the government’s agenda establishes a new state aid to reduce the excise duty on diesel fuel used in agriculture. (LS)

27 January 2022
L’Eco-chèvre

Il s’agit d’us et coutumes tels que le colindat (soit la présentation des vœux par un groupe qui va de maison en maison chanter des cantiques ou présenter une coutume) avec lOurs ou la Chèvre, cette dernière étant appelée Cerf à Hunedoara, Ţurcă en Moldavie et en Transylvanie, Boriţă dans le sud de la Transylvanie ou Brezaie, en Munténie et en Olténie.

Toutefois, aujourdhui, nous parlons dune autre Chèvre qui anime le colindat : lEco-Chèvre, un projet-manifeste dactivation participative par lart. LEco-chèvre est une chèvre recyclée, qui adapte les vœux traditionnels de la « Chèvre » à la réalité actuelle, à savoir la nécessité dun recyclage responsable du plastique. Nous avons parlé de ce projet avec Alina Tofan, actrice et éco-artiste :

« Depuis lannée dernière, jai essayé ce projet appelé Eco-chèvre ; cest une réaction et un manifeste contre le consumérisme exacerbé et le gaspillage produit pendant les fêtes. Elle est faite de plastique et non seulement. Lannée dernière, elle a été confectionnée à partir des restes demballages que nous avions…, et cette année, nous avons choisi de la faire à partir demballages pour les cadeaux de fêtes. Dune manière ou dune autre, cest un événement en soi, nous allons au colindat avec les partenaires du projet, nous avons adapté le texte traditionnel de la Chèvre pour le rendre beaucoup plus écologique, comme une sorte de manifeste contre ces choses-là. »

« Cest une chèvre recyclée, de plastique enveloppée… » disent les vers qui ont accompagné le colindat. Alina Tofan précise :

« Lannée dernière, nous avons également fait une vidéo, nous lavons filmée à la mer Noire et cétait vraiment intéressant dêtre là le premier jour de lannée. Il y avait beaucoup de gens sur la falaise à Mamaia et Constanţa et ils nous ont vus, donc la Chèvre elle-même est devenue un manifeste. Surtout les enfants ont beaucoup résonné avec cette idée et lont comprise. Ils disaient : ah, regardez, elle est faite de plastique ! En dautres termes, nous consommons un peu trop ! Et cette année, nous sommes allés au marché dObor (un grand marché de la capitale) et nous nous sommes photographiés dans des endroits que nous considérions comme emblématiques pour le gaspillage et la pollution engendrés par les fêtes. Cest-à-dire dans les endroits où on vend les sapins de Noël, qui sont emballés dans du plastique. Nous avons déjà pris la pose dans des endroits où on vend beaucoup dobjets en plastique, aux côtés dacheteurs marchant vers le centre commercial ou sur le marché, à côté de ceux qui portaient des sacs pleins. Et en quelque sorte, cest précisément ce que nous voulons capturer – le fait que nous passons indifférents devant tout le gaspillage que chacun de nous laisse derrière soi, dans sa course-poursuite aux cadeaux, sans même sen rendre compte. Et cela est capturé dans des photos. Certes, nous avons aussi croisé les chanteurs de noëls avec leurs masques et leurs costumes traditionnels. Ce fut très intéressant, puisque tout un dialogue sest créé entre ma collègue photographe, Diana Păun, moi et ces danseurs folkloriques, un véritable dialogue entre deux types de spectacle. A mon avis, ce fut une rencontre importante. »

Selon la tradition folklorique, la Chèvre qui doit mourir demande laide des personnes auxquelles on présente les vœux pour être resuscitée. Pour sa part, lEco-chèvre demande aux gens de lui donner ses bouteilles en plastique vides pour quelle puisse ressusciter. Pratiquement, pendant le colindat, elle collecte le plastique pour le recycler. Les gens ont très bien reçu cette initiative, a constaté notre invitée :

« Le projet a été très apprécié et très encouragé par les gens, qui ont tous remarqué son côté inédit. On nous arrêtait souvent dans la rue pour nous demander sil était possible dacheter une telle chèvre. Pour dautres, cest juste une mode passagère. Mais nous, on est contents de pouvoir au moins éveiller les consciences sur la pollution au plastique, sur la consommation exagérée de plastique. Le simple fait de voir cette Eco-chèvre doit être une sonnette dalarme. »

Dailleurs cette « Eco-chèvre » nest quune partie dune initiative plus ample en matière de recyclage. Alina Tofan explique :

« Cela fait partie dun projet plus grand que Georgiana Vlahbei et moi nous avons mis sur pied. Notre groupe sappelle « Plastic Art Performance » (Spectacles dart au plastique) et il fait la promotion de lart écologique, des spectacles écologiques, des pratiques durables dans lart. Nous espérons bien aider à changer les mentalités et à faire connaître au public des concepts nouveaux comme léco-spiritualité, par exemple, et à les adapter à lespace culturel roumain. »

Cest le moment de mettre ensemble art et protection de lenvironnement. Cest ce que notre invitée veut dire et ce quelle tente de faire par son projet co-financé par lAdministration du Fonds culturel national. Lart doit parler aussi de lenvironnement, donner des pistes de réflexion au public, mettre en question les mauvaises pratiques et promouvoir les bonnes pratiques. Lart lui-même doit être favorable à lenvironnement. Autant de sujets que ce projet place sous les projecteurs. (Trad. Ligia Mihaiescu, Valentina Beleavski)

17 January 2022
January 11, 2022

COVID-19 Over 8,800 new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were reported for the last 24 hours in Romania, double the previous days rate. The Strategic Communication Group also reported 43 related fatalities. 415 patients are in intensive care. The case frequency in the capital city Bucharest is also on the rise, nearing 3 per thousand. Since the start of the vaccine roll-out in late December 2020, nearly 8 million people have got the COVID-19 vaccine. Almost 7.9 million are now fully vaccinated, and more than 2.1 million have also got the booster dose. Facilities are being identified around the country to host the outpatient evaluation centres scheduled to become operational this week. Experts argue that it is important for people to respond to the first signs of infection and to take immediate measures at home.

SASSOLI President Klaus Iohannis Tuesday sent a condolence message for the death of the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli, stating that he was a good friend of Romania and a leader who fought for European values and principles. The Italian Social-Democrat David Sassoli passed away last night in the Italian town of Aviano, where he was hospitalised on December 26 following severe complications related to his immune system. Sassoli, a former journalist, was appointed president of the European Parliament in July 2019. He was at the end of his term, and next Tuesday the EP is due to vote for his successor. It is for the first time in the history of the EP that a president died while in office. First Vice-President Roberta Metsola, a conservative from Malta who was already set to be elected as Sassolis successor next week, will be acting as interim.

TALKS The United States and Russia have agreed to continue the dialogue, which, European media argue, is the only gain of the 8-hour long talks held in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday. The head of the US delegation, deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman, pushed back on Russias request for guarantees that NATO would not expand further east. “We will not allow anyone to slam closed NATOs “Open Door” policy, which has always been central to the NATO Alliance. And we will not make decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine, about Europe without Europe, or about NATO without NATO,” Sherman said. The US diplomat reiterated at the meeting with her Russian counterpart that invading Ukraine would entail huge costs for Moscow. In turn, Russias deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov once again promised that Russia had no intention to invade Ukraine, but emphasised that the risk of a conflict cannot be understated. The talks in Geneva will be followed this week by Russia-NATO talks in Brussels, and by an OSCE meeting also focusing on Ukraine, in Vienna.

PANDEMIC Italy introduced new restrictions for unvaccinated citizens. Under the new rules, negative COVID tests no longer allow access to public transportation, bars and restaurants. Italy is facing a significant spread of the Omicron variant, and reported over 100,000 new infection cases in 24 hours. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Rome, PM Mario Draghi said most problems were owing to the unvaccinated. In Israel, new instructions were issued regarding the access to shops and food stores in shopping centres, where all staff and clients must wear face masks. The number of new COVID cases goes up every day, Radio Romanias correspondent in that country reports. The US also announced on Monday 1.35 million new coronavirus infections, Reuters said. India on the other hand had a drop in the number of cases on Tuesday compared to the previous day.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse Tuesday qualified in the round of 16 of the WTA 500 tournament in Sydney, with over 700,000 USD in prize money, after defeating Polands Magdalena Frech in 3 sets. Ruse will play against 4th seed Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) in the 8th-finals. Another Romanian player, Jaqueline Cristian, is also playing in the same round. Cristian will take on 3rd seed Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic), the defending Roland Garros champion. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

11 January 2022
December 25, 2021

CHRISTMAS The Western rite Orthodox
believers, the Greek Catholics and Catholics from the world over, including from
Romania, a country with an Orthodox majority, are today celebrating Christmas,
the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Christmas holiday invites us to be
generous, as the magi in the time of Christ, to show love and compassion to all
around us and offer gifts not only to children but also to the elderly, the
sick, the lonely and sad’, says Daniel, the patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox
Church. In turn, president Klaus Iohannis has conveyed a Christmas message, in
which he referred to the spirit of this holiday at the end of another difficult
year. The head of the Romanian state wished the Romanians to enjoy this
holiday, underlining that together we can overcome this difficult period. Christmas
is marked through special religious sermons in churches and monasteries across
the country but also through beautiful traditions and rich family dinners. Old
ritualists, who are a majority in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and Georgia are
celebrating Christmas on January 7th.

COVID-19 The fifth wave of the pandemic, which is most severe as compared
to the fourth wave is expected to arrive in Romania in less than three weeks,
the country’s Interior Minister Lucian Bode has announced. The spread of the
Omicron variant will be accelerated by the Romanian workers from abroad, who
are to arrive in large numbers for the winter holidays. The number of the new
infections is still low in Romania with roughly 600 new cases announced on
Saturday and 29 related fatalities. Since the beginning of the pandemic, almost
1.8 million Covid infections have been reported in Romania and 58 thousand
related fatalities. Shortly after the authorization in the USA of the
anti-Covid drug, Paxlovid, Romania’s health minister, Alexandru Rafila is
making moves to import the new drug as soon as possible. Rafila has already had
a series of meetings with representatives of Pfizer, the company that produces
the vaccine. According to the latest surveys, the drug reduces by almost 90%
the risk of hospitalization and death. The US has also authorized an anti-viral
pill produced by Merck.

OMICRON Airline carriers in the USA
have been severely affected by the Covid-19 infections driven by the Omicron
variant, which created greater uncertainty among Christmas holiday travelers.
According to Flightaware.com a quarter out of the over 4 thousand flights
cancelled globally is in the United States alone. The situation became possible
due to the flight crews who tested positive and were forced to go into
isolation in order to contain the pandemic. The USA, like other countries, has
seen a surge in the Covid-19 infections and although the Omicron variant is
less severe than Delta, scientists are worried by the growing number of
infections. Government data in Britain showed a record tally of more than 122
thousand Covid infections nationwide on Friday, marking a third day in which
the number of new cases has surpassed 100 thousand. The government headed by
Boris Johnson preferred to postpone the tightening of restrictions as Omicron
poses lower risks than the Delta variant. France has also exceeded the
threshold of 94 thousand new Covid infections, a record high since the
beginning of the pandemic. Outdoor mask mandates have again come into effect in
Greece, Spain and Italy.

TROOPS Over 10 thousand Russian servicemen that had been deployed close
to the Ukrainian border returned to their barracks, the Interfax news agency
announced, quoting sources of the Russian army. They participated in maneuvers
held close to Ukraine and also in Crimea, a region Russia annexed in 2014. The
latest Russian military buildup at the borders with Ukraine fuelled concern among
Ukraine’s and western leaders that Moscow had planned an attack. Russia denied
all allegations adding that it needs pledges from the West, including from NATO
that the alliance will not expand towards its borders.

(bill)

25 December 2021