Radio România Internațional

Tag: visit

  • March 12, 2019

    March 12, 2019

    GAC Bucharest is hosting today an informal meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC), organised by the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU. Taking part are the EU ministers for European affairs, the first vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, and the European Commissioner for Budget, Gunther Oettinger. The informal meeting will include talks on the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework and on the future of the EU, with an emphasis on the priorities that should guide the activity of the European bloc in the coming 5 years, ahead of Unions new strategic agenda. As for the financial framework, the goal of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU is to carry on talks at a dynamic pace, in order to ensure that a political agreement on this topic is reached this autumn.




    ECOFIN The Romanian Finance Minister, Eugen Teodorovici, is chairing today the 3rd meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) in Brussels. The agenda includes topics like the Directive on alcohol excises, one on the general regime of excise duties, and the taxation of digital services. On Monday the Romanian official took part in an enlarged Eurogrup meeting and chaired the high-level talks on Macroeconomic Dialogue. According to the ECOFIN home page, the main topics were an information by the European Commission on the main findings of the 2nd enhanced surveillance mission to Greece, a thematic discussion on economic growth and employment, the housing markets and Latvias updated draft budget plan.




    BUDGET The 2019 state budget bill, sent by President Klaus Iohannis back to Parliament, might be subject to a new vote on Wednesday, in a joint meeting of the 2 chambers of Parliament. Meanwhile, Klaus Iohannis has signed into law the social security budget bill, so that pensioners may not be affected by what he called the incompetence of the Social Democratic Party. According to the President, the main ruling party in Romania is the only one to blame for the fact that the country does not have a state budget law yet, because the Government was supposed to send the bill to Parliament in November 2018, instead of 3 months later.




    PLANE CRASH The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis has today sent a condolence message to his Ethiopian counterpart, Sahle-Work Zewde, following the tragic plane crash of March 10. Also, given that over 20 UN staff died in the disaster, the Romanian official also addressed a condolence message to the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. The UN flag was flown at half-mast in New York today, and the Security Council personnel in the city, as well as at the Geneva headquarters, observed a minutes silence. A Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines and heading for Nairobi (Kenya) from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) went down on Sunday, killing all the 157 people from 30 countries who were on board. This was a new blow for Boeing, after a similar accident in October 2018, off the Indonesian coast, involving the same aircraft model. The planes were new and both crashed just minutes into the flight.




    AFRICA Deputy PM Ana Birchall was on a working visit to African countries between March 4 and 11, to further the Governments efforts to revitalise relations with sub-Saharan African countries. On March 11, the Romanian official represented the presidency of the Council of the EU at the EU – Angola ministerial meeting held in Luanda. Between March 7 and 9, Ana Birchall made a working visit to Namibia, to promote bilateral relations and inaugurate the Romanian honorary consulate in Windhoek. On March 4-6 Ana Birchall was in South Africa, to promote Romanias candidacy to a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council.




    INTERNET Romania ranked 5th in the world in 2018, in terms of internet connection speed, after Singapore, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, but apart from benefits this also entails cyber-security risks. The statement was made on Tuesday by the former deputy director of the National Cyberint Centre in the Romanian Intelligence Service, Gabriel Mazilu, in a specialised forum. He mentioned that 2019 is an important year for Romania in the field of cyber-security, with the endorsement of Law 362/2018, transposing the EUs NIS (Networking Information Security) Directive. According to a survey made in 9 countries, including Romania, and released in mid-February, 40% of citizens are worried about a cyber-attack on the country. The highest concern level was reported in Spain, 47%, and Italy (39%).




    BREXIT The British PM Theresa May has asked for Parliament support for the Brexit agreement in a vote scheduled for today. On Monday in Strasbourg she announced a last-minute compromise with the head of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, designed to assure the British MPs that the UK will not remain tied to the single market indefinitely. This is the second vote on the Brexit deal in the British Parliament, and president Juncker warned that there will not be a third. Britain is set to leave the European Union on March 29.




    TENNIS The Romanian Simona Halep, number 2 in the world, is playing today against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova (61 WTA) in the round of last 16 of the Indian Wells tournament (USA). If she wins and in case the Japanese Naomi Osaka (1 WTA) stumbles, Simona could regain world tennis leadership. The Romanian player won the Indian Wells in 2015. In the mens doubles, Horia Tecău of Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands qualified into the quarter-finals after defeating Henri Kontinen (Finland) / John Peers (Australia), 6-3, 7-6. In the next round, Tecău and Rojer will take on Novak Djokovic (Serbia) and Fabio Fognini (Italy).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 20, 2019 UPDATE

    January 20, 2019 UPDATE

    Brussels — On Monday the Romanian FM Teodor Melescanu will participate in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. On the agenda of the meeting are topical issues such as fighting disinformation, cooperation between the EU and the League of Arab States and the relations between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to a press release of the Romanian Foreign Ministry, during the meeting to be presided by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Minister Melescanu will present the participants the main themes in the focus of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU. On Tuesday he will have meetings on the same topic at the EP’s Foreign Affairs and Development Committees.



    Council of the EU — The Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU has finalized the adoption of the first file in the field of economic and financial affairs, namely the regulations on the minimum loss coverage for non-performing exposures, the Romanian Finance Ministry officials announced. Reporting significant progress in the field of financial services is one of Romania’s priorities at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting- said the Romanian finance minister Eugen Teodorovici. He met in Strasbourg with the co-rapporteurs on the file regarding the revision of the European financial surveillance system and with the members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Pervenche Beres and Othmar Karas. The Romanian finance minister also talked with Isabelle Thomas, a member in the EP’s Committee on Budgets, about the negotiations on Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027.



    Berlin — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will participate on Tuesday in Aachen, in western Germany, in the ceremony for the signing of the French-German Cooperation and Integration Treaty upon the invitation of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and of the French President Emmanuel Macron. On this occasion, President Iohannis, in his capacity as president of the country holding the incumbent presidency of the Council of the EU, will deliver a speech. The ceremony will also be attended by the president of the European Council Donald Tusk and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. The Aachen bilateral treaty is based, from a political and juridical point of view, on the Elysee French-German Treaty of 1963 that set the basis for a historic reconciliation between Germany and France. The Aachen treaty will focus on adjusting the relations between the two states to the challenges of the 21st century, laying emphasis on the cohesion of the two countries’ action at European level.



    Flu — The number of people killed by the flu in Romania reached 20, after on Sunday a new death was reported. A 68-year old man from the southeastern city of Galati died because of the AH3 flu virus. According to the local authorities, the victim had not been vaccinated and was suffering from serious chronic respiratory diseases. On Saturday the health minister Sorina Pintea said that Romania was on the verge of a flu epidemic. The decision to declare a flu epidemic is based on the WHO criteria, one of the most important criteria being the number of cases, namely 1,500 per 100 thousand inhabitants.



    Chisinau — The Moldovan government announced they would increase the number of polling stations for the parliamentary elections of February 24, 2019. 125 stations will be opened abroad, 25 more than at the 2016 presidential election. The number of polling stations will be doubled in Ukraine, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Great Britain and Ireland, it will increase by 70% in the US, by almost 40% in Russia and by 9% in neighboring Romania. Legislative elections will take place for the first time based on a mixed electoral system, according to which 50 deputies will be elected on party lists and another 51 in uninominal electoral constituencies, in one single round.



    High Court — The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest on Monday will hold a new hearing in the trial in which the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party is accused of corruption. He was already sentenced in a court of first instance to 3 years and 6 months in prison for having instigated to abuse of office. The prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate accused Dragnea that, during his term in office as president of the Teleorman county council he ordered the fictitious hiring of two party members at the Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection. The two were paid from public money although they worked exclusively for the party. In 2016 Dragnea received a definitive two year suspended sentence for attempted electoral fraud.



    Tennis — The world’s no. 1 player, Simona Halep will take on Serena Williams on Monday, in Melbourne, in the eighth finals of the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. On Saturday she eliminated Venus Williams on Saturday 6-2, 6-3. Simona Halep and Serena Williams have so far played against each other 9 times. Halep defeated Williams once in 2014 in the WTA Championships Red Group 6-0, 6-2. (translation by L. Simion)

  • January 14, 2019

    January 14, 2019

    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT – The priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the assessment of the Austrian presidency are on the agenda of the first plenary session of the European Parliament, held between January 14 – 17 in Strasbourg. Minister delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, is today holding talks with the vice president of the European Parliament, Sylvie Guillaume and will have a meeting with Cecilia Wikstrom, chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs. On Tuesday, the European MPs will discuss with the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila the priorities of the Romanian presidency, focusing on cohesion and common values, security and strengthening Europe as a global actor. Also on Tuesday, Ms. Dancila and the European Parliament President Antonio Tajani will hold a joint press conference. In next weeks session, the European Parliament will debate the state of play on Brexit after the January 15th vote in the House of Commons on the accord agreed upon by PM Theresa May and the EU leaders.




    PRESIDENCY — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is receiving on Tuesday in Bucharest his Slovenian counterpart, Borut Pahor, who pays a two-day official visit to Romania starting today. The visit takes place in the context of the celebration, last year, of 25 years of diplomatic ties between Romania and Slovenia and of Romania’s taking over the presidency of the EU Council. In terms of regional cooperation, special attention will be paid to perspectives for developing the Three Seas Initiatives, with Slovenia due to organise the summit in 2019.




    BREXIT — Debates continue in the British Parliament today on the Brexit accord negotiated by the country’s Government with the European Union. British PM Theresa May has warned that if her Brexit plan is not backed by the British MPs and Great Britain remains in the EU, that would be a “catastrophic and unforgivable break of trust” in the country’s democracy. Just two days before the vote in the House of Commons, the British Prime Minister called on the MPs to do what is best for the country and support her controversial divorce plan. According to Radio Romania correspondent in London, four Conservative MPs from the radical group supporting a Brexit without an accord have changed their mind and have said they will vote in favor of the accord negotiated by the government. On the other hand, another 100 conservative MPs, alongside the 10 representatives of Northern Ireland will join the opposition parties in order to prevent the accord’s adoption.




    STRIKE – Some 3000 employees of the Oltenia Energy Complex, in the south-west of Romania, are on strike. Among other things, they demand higher salaries, holiday vouchers and a drop in the retirement age. The protests started on Friday, after the administration allegedly proposed an expenditure and revenue budget that included no pay rise and no holiday vouchers for the 13,000 employees of the complex. Company representatives have announced they will start talks with the trade unions today.




    TENNIS – The Romanian player Irina Begu qualified on Monday to the second round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, following the withdrawal of the German player Andrea Petkovic, who was leading by one set. Two other Romanian players, Sorana Cirstea and Monica Niculescu were eliminated in the first round. Cirstea lost to the Swedish player Rebecca Peterson 6-4, 6-1, while Niculescu lost to the young American player Amanda Anisimova, 7-6, 6-4. The other three Romanians in the competition are World No. 1 Simona Halep, the competition’s favpurite and last year’s finalist, Mihaela Buzarnescu and Ana Bogdan. In the mens competition, Marius Copil is the only Romanian, and he will play against the Spanish Marcel Granolles. (Translated by Elena Enache)









  • Pope Francis to visit Romania

    Pope Francis to visit Romania

    Pope Francis will make a three-day apostolic visit to Romania from the 31st of May to the 2nd of June following an invitation from President Klaus Iohannis and the Catholic Church in Romania, official sources from Bucharest and the Vatican have announced. The motto of the visit is “Lets walk together.



    The pontiff will travel to the capital Bucharest, Iasi, the biggest city in the east of the country and home to a sizeable Roman-Catholic community, Blaj, in the centre, the spiritual capital of the Romanian Greek-Catholics and the Marian shrine in Sumuleu Ciuc, in the centre, in an area with a majority ethnic Hungarian population. The Pope has always urged for the rejection of egoism and for the centrality of the common good. He comes to Romania to foster unity and confirm the faith, according to the press office of the Holy See.



    The bishop of the Roman-Catholic Diocese in Iasi, Petru Gherghel, said the pontiff is like “a father who comes to visit his sons. For the Greek-catholic cardinal Lucian Muresan, the president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Romania, the visit of Pope Francis to Romania will have a dominantly pastoral dimension, but it will also include an ecumenical aspect. The Romanian Ambassador to the Holy See Petru Liviu Zapartan told Radio Romanias correspondent in Rome that “the visit of the Pope will also undoubtedly create the opportunity for a dialogue with the Orthodox Church, which is the majority church in Romania, but also an opportunity to see that Romania is at the junction of some extremely diverse cultural spaces.



    In Bucharest, the spokesman for the Patriarchate Vasile Banescu has expressed joy that the popes visit has been confirmed and has spoken about the good relationship between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Roman-Catholic Church. According to the latest census, 86.5% of Romanias citizens identify themselves as Orthodox, only 4.6% as Roman-Catholic and less than 1% as Greek-Catholic.



    The banning of the Greek-Catholic Church in Romania by the former communist regime immediately after WWII was made on the model and at the order of the Soviet occupiers. There was never an inter-faith war in Romania, or Inquisitional practices and burnings at the stake. It was therefore not by accident that in 1999, Romania became the first majority Orthodox country in history to receive the visit of a pontiff. Following an invitation by the then president Emil Constantinescu and the head of the Romanian Orthodox at the time Teoctist, Pope John Paul II visited Romania, where he was greeted with enthusiasm by hundreds of thousands of Romanians, who, regardless of their faith, saw in him “the most beloved pope in history and the man who played an enormous role in the collapse of communist dictatorships.



    That visit is also mentioned by the international media such as the French Catholic daily paper La Croix and the Italian paper La Stampa, which note that Pope John Paul II called Romania “the Garden of the Mother of God.

  • January 12, 2019 UPDATE

    January 12, 2019 UPDATE

    EU Romanias PM Viorica Dancila will be on a visit to Strasbourg on Monday and Tuesday. She will present to the European Parliament the priorities of the first Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union and have meetings with EU officials. On Friday, during talks with the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and with members of the College of EU Commissioners in Bucharest, Viorica Dancila emphasised that the Romanian presidency will seek to achieve consensus among Member States over the multi-annual financial framework, and is looking for “small, but reliable steps in this respect. According to the Romanian PM, the talks held on Friday between members of the Romanian Government and of the College of Commissioners were structured into 3 thematic sections and focused on EU priorities like the single market, the consolidation of the Economic and Monetary Union, migration, security and justice.




    CHURCH Pope Francis, who will make a visit to mostly-Orthodox Romania between May 31st and June 2nd, will have a meeting with Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church, a Romanian Patriarchy spokesman announced. He emphasised that the good relations between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church translate, among others, in the hospitality with which Romanian communities have been received in many countries, especially in Italy, where many Romanian parishes hold religious services in locations made available by the local Catholic communities. On Friday the Vatican and the Romanian Presidency confirmed the Popes visit to Romania. He will visit the capital city Bucharest, the cities of Iaşi (in the north-east) and Blaj (centre), as well as the Marian shrine in Şumuleu Ciuc (centre). Pope Francis is the second Pope to visit Romania, after John Paul II who was in 1999 the first head of the Catholic Church to visit a mostly Orthodox country since the East-West Schism of 1054.




    PROCUREMENT Save Romania Union in opposition says the new scandal regarding the corvette procurement procedure proves that the Social Democratic Party in power in Romania is unable to complete at least one procurement contract without corruption suspicions. Save Romania Union believes this new standstill, concurrent with the attack against the armys Chief of Staff, whom the Defence Ministry seeks to replace, only destabilises NATOs eastern flanc and serves the interests of Russia, which seeks control over the Black Sea. Also in Opposition, the Peoples Movement Party says the Government has managed to compromise the army equipment procurement process as well as Romanias international commitments. The criticism comes after the Romanian Defence Ministry announced having suspended the purchase of 4 multi-role corvettes worth 1.6 billion euros. A news release issued by the Ministry says the Prosecutors Office has been notified of reasonable suspicions regarding the lawfulness of the procedure, liable to affect the national security interests. The bid should have been completed last year, but it was postponed several times already. The Defence Minister Gabriel Leş said the Prosecutors Office was only notified with respect to this case in order to make sure the security and lawfulness of the procurement procedure are guaranteed.




    PASSPORTS The new Romanian electronic passports, to be issued as of this week, will be virtually impossible to forge, said the head of the Directorate General for Passports Mirel Toancă on Saturday. He said each page of the new documents includes a stylised image of a well-known Romanian historic or tourist site, such as the Danube Delta, the Scărişoara Cave or Sighişoara medieval citadel. The fees for the issue of the new passports remain unchanged, and the ones valid at present will remain in use. Simple electronic passports are valid for 10 years, and temporary ones are valid 1 year.




    MACEDONIA Greeces PM Alexis Tsipras congratulated his Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev, after a historic vote in Skopje to rename the country “The Republic of North Macedonia. Zoran Zaev won by a narrow margin the 2-thirds of the parliamentary votes needed for this goal, with the nationalists in Opposition boycotting the meeting. This is the last but one major obstacle to the settlement of a decade-long dispute with Greece over the name “Macedonia, which Athens claims for the north of Greece. According to the BBC, the next step is the ratification of the agreement by the Greek Parliament, paving the way for Macedonias prospective accession to the EU and NATO.




    PARIS Two firemen and a Spanish tourist died and over 40 people were injured on Saturday morning in a blast caused by an accidental gas leak in a building downtown Paris, AFP announced quoting sources from the Prosecutors Office. Previous reports mentioned 4 deaths. In other news, fresh clashes took place in the French capital between police and the “yellow vests in the 9th weekend of protests. A nation-wide debate designed to calm down the protesters is to be organised as of Tuesday. The movement started out as a protest against the rise in fuel prices, but later grew into a campaign targeting the entire fiscal and social policy of the French government.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 12, 2019

    January 12, 2019

    EU Romanias PM Viorica Dancila will be on a visit to Strasbourg on Monday and Tuesday. She will present to the European Parliament the priorities of the first Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union and have meetings with EU officials. On Friday, during talks with the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and with members of the College of EU Commissioners in Bucharest, Viorica Dancila emphasised that the Romanian presidency will seek to achieve consensus among Member States over the multi-annual financial framework, and is looking for “small, but reliable steps in this respect. According to the Romanian PM, the talks held on Friday between members of the Romanian Government and of the College of Commissioners were structured into 3 thematic sections and focused on EU priorities like the single market, the consolidation of the Economic and Monetary Union, migration, security and justice.




    CHURCH Pope Francis, who will make a visit to mostly-Orthodox Romania between May 31st and June 2nd, will have a meeting with Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church, a Romanian Patriarchy spokesman announced. He emphasised that the good relations between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church translate, among others, in the hospitality with which Romanian communities have been received in many countries, especially in Italy, where many Romanian parishes hold religious services in locations made available by the local Catholic communities. On Friday the Vatican and the Romanian Presidency confirmed the Popes visit to Romania. He will visit the capital city Bucharest, the cities of Iaşi (in the north-east) and Blaj (centre), as well as the Marian shrine in Şumuleu Ciuc (centre). Pope Francis is the second Pope to visit Romania, after John Paul II who was in 1999 the first head of the Catholic Church to visit a mostly Orthodox country since the East-West Schism of 1054.




    MEASLES 36 new measles cases have been confirmed in 8 counties in Romania over the past week, according to data from the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control, posted on the website of the National Institute for Public Health. Most cases have been reported in counties Teleorman (south), Sălaj (north), Maramureş (north), Neamţ (east) and Prahova (south). The total number of measles cases confirmed in Romania so far is 15,600, with 59 deaths also reported. The most frequently affected are non-vaccinated children.




    DEFENCE The Romanian Defence Ministry has suspended the procurement procedure for 4 multirole corvettes worth 1.6 billion euro. The head of the Armaments Department, Andrei Ignat, has notified the Military Prosecutors Office with respect to the corvette procurement operation, based on reasonable suspicions regarding the lawfulness of the procedure, likely to affect national security interests. The bid, which should have been completed last year, has been postponed several times. Competing for the contract are 3 major international companies: Damen, from the Netherlands, Fincantieri of Italy and Naval Group from France.




    PASSPORTS The new Romanian electronic passports, to be issued as of this week, will be virtually impossible to forge, said the head of the Directorate General for Passports Mirel Toancă on Saturday. He said each page of the new documents includes a stylised image of a well-known Romanian historic or tourist site, such as the Danube Delta, the Scărişoara Cave or Sighişoara medieval citadel. The fees for the issue of the new passports remain unchanged, and the ones valid at present will remain in use. Simple electronic passports are valid for 10 years, and temporary ones are valid 1 year.




    WEATHER Europe continues to be ravaged by massive snowfalls and freezing temperatures. In the south-east of Germany, 4 regions initiated emergency plans after several days of continuing snowfalls. Several flights have been cancelled in Munich and Frankfurt, and traffic was disrupted on several roads. Schools have been closed. Major problems are also reported in Austria, where Innsbruck authorities advised people to stay indoors to avoid prospective avalanches. In Hungary, authorities have issued a code yellow alert for snow storms in the north-east of the country and a code red warning for freezing temperatures. Around 20 people have died in Europe in the past week because of the extreme weather conditions.





    MACEDONIA Greeces PM Alexis Tsipras congratulated his Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev, after a historic vote in Skopje to rename the country “The Republic of North Macedonia. Zoran Zaev won by a narrow margin the 2-thirds of the parliamentary votes needed for this goal, with the nationalists in Opposition boycotting the meeting. This is the last but one major obstacle to the settlement of a decade-long dispute with Greece over the name “Macedonia, which Athens claims for the north of Greece. According to the BBC, the next step is the ratification of the agreement by the Greek Parliament, paving the way for Macedonias prospective accession to the EU and NATO.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 10, 2019

    January 10, 2019

    EU – The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and the College of Commissioners are today in Bucharest for the official launch of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU. The event is also attended by the president of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the president of the European Council Donald Tusk. The moment will be marked by a concert at the Romanian Athenaeum given by the EU orchestra. The program includes the Romanian Rhapsody I by George Enescu and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 ‘Ode to Joy’ which became the Anthem of the EU in 1985. Civic organizations from Bucharest called on the City Hall to approve the organization in parallel with the launch ceremony in front of the Athenaeum of an anti-government rally under the slogan We want Europe, not dictatorship!. A deputy mayor of Bucharest claims that the law does not allow for the organization of two events in the same location and that the members of the EC have a special status which implies increased security measures. The initiators of the rally say that the protesters will gather in that location based on the European Court of Human Rights’ decisions which protect the right to free expression. On Friday, Jean-Claude Juncker will meet with President Klaus Iohannis and with the PM Viorica Dancila as well as with the speakers of Parliament’s two chambers. The European officials will also have talks with the Romanian ministers who, for 6 months, will chair both in Bucharest and Brussels, working meetings with their counterparts from the EU member states.



    France-Romania — The French Minister for European Affairs, Nathalie Loiseau, is visiting Bucharest from January 9th to 11th where she will have talks with the Romanian officials about the summit to be held in Sibiu (central Romania) and the support France is going to give to Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU. The French official will today meet with the PM Viorica Dancila and the minister delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba. According to the French Embassy in Bucharest, Nathalie Loiseau will express France’s support for a successful Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU.



    Protests — Transporters from Romania and other Eastern European states are today protesting in front of the European Parliament against the change of legislation in the field, in the context in which the MEPs from the Committee on Transport are voting on the new regulations. Protesters claim that the proposals included in the mobility package were made against the backdrop of surging protectionism of western European states and that the transporters in eastern and southeastern Europe will be affected by the measures. They believe the measures will lead to significantly higher operation costs and restrictions on the international road transportation within the community space. One of the measures forbids the period of weekly rest to happen in the truck cab. Another measure is related to the obligation of drivers to return home at least once every 4 weeks. Measures also refer to the obligation to equip all international transport vehicles with an intelligent tachograph by the end of 2024.



    Visit — The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has met with his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz who was on a visit to Bucharest. The two reviewed the stage of accomplishment of the common objects set at bilateral, regional, European and multilateral level and set the landmarks of the Romanian — Polish cooperation on short and medium term. Talking about Romania’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, Teodor Melescanu stated that Bucharest will focus on promoting cohesion as a common European value, on overcoming division among member states and on identifying ways to consolidate the role of the EU. In another development, the Romanian FM offered to his Polish counterpart a digitalized copy of 294 archived files covering the period 1918-1947 to mark a century of diplomatic relations between Romania and Poland.



    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu on Thursday failed to qualify to the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Hobart, Australia, which has total prizes up for grabs worth 250 thousand dollars after she was defeated 7-5, 7-5 by the Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the quarterfinals. Also in Hobart, the pair made up of the Romanian Monica Niculescu and the Chinese Zhaoxuan Yang on Wednesday qualified to the doubles semifinals after defeating 6-1, 6-4 the Romanian-Kazakh pair Raluca Olaru/Galina Voskoboeva. Irina Begu and Mihaela Buzarnescu were defeated in the quarterfinals by the pair Anastasia Potapova (Russia) and Daiana Iastremska (Ukraine) 6-4, 7-6 (3). Eliminated in the eighth finals of the Sydney tournament, the world no.1 player Romanian Simona Halep was designated top seed at the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, where she played in the final in 2018. (translation by L. Simion)

  • January 8, 2019

    January 8, 2019

    EU COUNCIL The Romanian minister delegate for European Affairs is taking part in Brussels in the meeting of the General Affairs Council presided for the first time by Romania. Bucharest will present on this occasion its priorities as holder of the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The agenda of the meeting also includes the 2021-2027 financial framework, as well as measures to fight online manipulation, in the context of the elections for the European Parliament due in May. The visit of the College of European Commissioners to Bucharest on January 10th and 11th, marks the official launch of the Romanian Presidency in Bucharest, minister Ciamba added. The 4 pillars of the Romanian presidency are “Europe of convergence, “A safer Europe, “Europa – a stronger regional actor, and “Europe of shared values. Bucharest has earmarked a budget of 60-80 million euros for its EU Council presidency.




    CHILD ALLOWANCES The Romanians working in Austria whose child allowances for the children left in their home country were cut down further to legislative changes in the host country may request support from SOLVIT Romania, which is subordinated to the Foreign Ministry. SOLVIT is a network set up and coordinated by the European Commission in the field of the internal market, which relies on the cooperation of the 31 Centres that are part of the public administration of the countries affiliated to the European Economic Area. Specifically, where a violation is identified, SOLVIT Romania will contact SOLVIT Austria, which is in charge with contacting the relevant national authority in order to identify a solution to the problem. Moreover, Romanian authorities are also currently working with the European Commission with respect to the Austrian legislative measures that lower the child allowances paid to Romanian workers in Austria to the level of the child allowances paid in Romania.




    COHESION Romania will be earmarked 31 billion euro under the Cohesion Policy, in 2021 – 2027, which is 8% more than in the 2014 – 2020 period, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu announced. The cohesion policy has the largest budget for the post-2020 period, namely 373 billion euro, and Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Italy and Finland will receive higher amounts than in the current period, the European official said. According to Corina Cretu, the European Commission wants 3-party negotiations with the European Parliament and Council to be initiated as soon as possible and the procedures for accessing EU funds simplified. This will prevent delays in implementing projects in all EU member states. Corina Creţu added that she will talk about this during the visit that the EC president Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and the College of Commissioners will make to Bucharest on January 10th and 11th.




    PROTESTS The French PM Édouard Philippe announced plans to ban participation in unauthorised protests, after 8 consecutive weekends of “yellow vest rallies. He said the government would draft a bill punishing those who fail to declare the organisation of a protest, those who take part in one and those who wear masks to cover their faces. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Paris and other cities last weekend, but the number of protesters was lower than in previous weekends, and so was the extent of violent clashes. Anti-government protesters are disgruntled with the fuel taxes and the low living standards. They also want to make sure that citizens initiative referendums will be introduced as a guarantee of democracy.




    VISIT North-Korean president Kim Jong-un is on a visit to Beijing, where he will have talks with Xi Jinping, the president of China, which is North Koreas main diplomatic and trade ally. Kim visited the country 3 times in 2018, 2 of the trips taking place ahead of the historic meeting with the US president Donald Trump, which many commentators saw as an opportunity to coordinate strategies. The current 3-day visit fuels speculations regarding a second USA – North Korea summit to be held soon. Trump has recently said the place of the meeting will be announced in the near future.




    INTERNET While waiting for the results of the recent presidential elections, the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have cut internet access and text messaging services and have blocked the French radio station RFI, news agencies announce. The government said this was a measure meant to preserve public order and to stop the dissemination of fictitious election results. Meanwhile, the EU and the African Union Monday denounced the coup attempt in Gabon, a former French colony in Africa. Here too, the internet was shut down and power was cut in several areas. Internet shutdowns were also reported in Sudan and Cameroon over the past few months. In Uganda, in 2016, internet access was blocked around election time, with the authorities claiming that this was the only way to prevent the dissemination of fake news inciting violence.




    TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, is playing her first match this year against the Australian Ashleigh Barty (15 WTA), in the 8th-finals of the WTA tournament in Sydney. Barty Tuesday defeated the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (22 WTA) 6-3, 6-3. Last year, Halep won both her matches against Barty without losing a set, in the Montreal semi-finals and in the 8th-finals of the Cincinnati tournament. Simona, who had to cut her 2018 season short because of a herniated disc, last won a match in August, against Arina Sabalenka of Belarus, in the Cincinnati semi-finals, lost the following 3 matches and withdrew in the fourth.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 26, 2018 UPDATE

    December 26, 2018 UPDATE

    Justice — The Romanian justice minister Tudorel Toader announced he would finalize, on Thursday, December 27, the procedure for the dismissal of Romania’s prosecutor general Augustin Lazar, which was started in October. Toader accused Lazar of professional and managerial errors and Augustin Lazar took legal action against the justice ministry. The issue is to be judged by the High Court of Cassation and Justice. The opponents of the governing coalition claim that the dismissal of Augustin Lazar, which follows that of the former head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, is a form of political vendetta and an attempt to stop the anti-corruption fight.



    Trade statistics — In 2018 as well Romania continued to import more than it exported, show the latest data provided by the National Institute of Statistics. In the first 10 months of the year, the trade balance deficit rose by more than one and a half billion Euros as against the same period of 2017. From January 1st to October 31st exports rose by a little over 9%. At the same time, imports rose by almost 10%. Therefore the trade balance deficit reached almost 12 billion Euros. Around three quarters of Romania’s international trade exchanges were with partner countries from the EU.



    Handball — Romania’s national men’s handball team will go to Poland on Thursday to participate in the 4 Nations Cup alongside the teams of Poland, the Czech Republic and Japan. After January 1st Romania’s national team trained by Spanish Manuel Montoya and the former Romanian-born international handballer Eliodor Voica will go on a training camp to Slovakia and then they will participate in a tournament also involving the participation of the host country and the Netherlands. We remind you that the Romanian handballers failed to qualify to the World Championship due next month, which is organized by Germany and Denmark. In exchange, Romania’s national women’s team has already qualified to the World Championships to be held next year in Japan, after in December they ended on 4th place the European Championship hosted by France.



    Tourist statistics — Many Romanians wanted to spend the Christmas holidays in rural guesthouses across Romania, where the occupancy rate exceeded 90%. According to data made public by the Romanian Tourism Business Owners’ Federation, the most sought-after destinations in the rural areas were Bran, the area of Sibiu (in the center), Maramures (in the north) and Bukovina (in the northeast). Second in the top of tourist attractions were the spa resorts. Also some Romanians chose to spend the Christmas mini-holiday abroad, opting for city breaks to European countries or for trips to warm climate countries. Many tourists chose the ski resorts from Austria, Bulgaria, Switzerland and France where they also visited the Christmas Fairs. As for exotic destinations, most Romanians chose Dubai, Egypt and Morocco.



    Earthquake — A 3.1 magnitude quake took place on Tuesday night in Vrancea region, southeastern Romania, at a depth of 126 kms. The most powerful earthquake of 2018 in Romania measured 5.8 on the Richter scale and occurred on October 28 in the same area. The quake was felt in the capital Bucharest as well. (translation by L. Simion)

  • December 3, 2018 UPDATE

    December 3, 2018 UPDATE

    VISIT – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis received on Monday in Bucharest the Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide, occasion on which he presented Romania’s priorities after taking over the EU Council Presidency. The Norwegian official voiced appreciation for the Romanian community in his country, who is well integrated and who brings added value to the bilateral relations. Also on Monday, the Romanian and Norwegian foreign ministers discussed about the perspective of bilateral ties and economic cooperation.




    EDUCATION – On Wednesday Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is launching for public debate the results of the “Educated Romania” project, which he initiated in 2016, a presidential release has said. The project is the most comprehensive public consultation ever held in Romania in the field of public policies in education. More than 10 thousand people and over 60 public institutions, NGOs and representatives of decision-makers in the field contributed to the report. Also launched will the project’s website, where results are available for consultation and where people can say their opinions and suggestions.




    PGI – Romania has a new entry on the list of products officially recognized at European level, as the Smoked Pontic Shad (the Danube Red Herring) has received the European Commission’s approval to become a protected geographical indication product (PGI), the EC Representation in Bucharest informs. The Pontic Shad is a wild fish that migrates from the Black Sea to the Danube. The species cannot be grown in aquaculture and is captured only during migration on the Danube. It is the world’s richest fish in fat compared to its size.




    SUMMIT – Romanian PM Viorica Dancila took part on Monday in Zagreb in the opening of the Central-European Initiative Summit, which marks the end of Croatias one-year term at the helm of this institution. The Initiative was founded in 1989 as a regional inter-government forum engaged in supporting European integration and sustainable development by means of cooperation among member states and the EU, international and regional organizations, as well as other public or private institutions and NGOs. The main topics for the meeting are regional cooperation, with emphasis on promoting democratic values and practices, good neighborhood relations, and ensuring regional stability. The prime ministers will also discuss economic projects in energy interconnection and transportation. On Monday, PM Dancila had a meeting with her Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic.




    JUDICIAL — In Bucharest, all criminal cases on the Supreme Court docket, scheduled to be ruled on on Monday, have been delayed for January 14. Involved are over 20 cases under appeal, including the one concerning Social Democrat leader and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea. He initially received a three and a half years prison sentence for instigation to abuse of office. The delay is the result of a ruling of the Bucharest Court of Appeal, canceling the decision on the drawing of lots for choosing the panels of five judges, which was in line with a specific disposition from the Constitutional Court. The drawing of lots was appealed in Court by Liviu Dragnea, who claimed that the Constitutional Court has not issued their motivation of that decision.




    SENATE — The Senate in Bucharest rejected on Monday the simple motion against Minister of Tourism Bogdan Trif, tabled by the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union. 40 senators supported the motion while 76 were against it. The two parties claim that Romania trails every other EU country in terms of tourism at all levels, and that the activity of the Ministry of Tourism lacks transparency. The signatories of the motion also say that Minister Trif is unsuitable for the position, and that he missed a great opportunity by not promoting Romania this year, the year of the Centennial.




    ENVIRONMENT — Patricia Espinosa, UN executive secretary for climate change, said that the threats against humanity posed by climate change were never greater than today. Speaking in the opening of the climate change conference in Katowice, Poland, she said that next year will among the hottest on record. Over 20,000 delegates gathered in Poland at what is considered to be the most important global warming meeting after the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)





  • November 26, 2018 UPDATE

    November 26, 2018 UPDATE

    VISIT — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis travelled to Paris on Monday for a two-day official visit to inaugurate the Romania – France Cultural Season. On Tuesday, at the Georges Pompidou Center, he is joining French President Emmanuel Macron at the launch of the event. The two heads of state will visit Brancusis atelier, the exhibition dedicated to Romanian peasant garb as seen in the work of French painter Henri Matisse and Romanian painter Theodor Pallady, as well as contemporary exhibitions. Iohannis and Macron will hold official talks, confirming the special bilateral relations enjoyed by the two countries, as well as talks aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership, consolidating economic cooperation and the role of the Romanian community in France. Klaus Iohannis met on Monday with representatives of the Romanian community in France.




    CONFLICT — The Romanian Foreign Ministry voiced deep concern at the recent naval conflict in the Black Sea between Russia and Ukraine. The reaction comes after Russian intelligence confirmed that their coast guard had captured three Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea. According to the ministry, aggression and violations of international law undermine the security of the entire region. Representatives of the ministry said that Romhania fully supports Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty, and its right to use its territorial waters. The UN Security Council will convene in emergency session to debate the incident in the Black Sea. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on Monday to introduce martial law for 60 days, a statement on his website said, though it needs parliamentary approval to come into force.




    CEMETERY – The second cemetery for Romanian soldiers fallen on the Eastern Front in WWII was inaugurated in Russia, in the Krasnodar region, on Monday. The remains of 88 soldiers and officers who lost their lives on the frontlines in the Kuban region, who had been initially interred in 8 local villages, were reburied there. The Romanian cemetery will be part of a memorial complex alongside resting places of German, Slovakian, and Hungarian soldiers. The first Romanian cemetery for servicemen fallen in WWII in Russia was inaugurated in 2015 close to Volvograd, formerly Stalingrad, holding the remains of 1,644 soldiers.




    EUROBAROMETER – Romanians are among the most concerned Europeans regarding the transparency of elections. They would also like to be more informed about the elections and that more youngsters should run in the elections in order to be motivated to come to the polls, reveals the latest Eurobarometer released on Monday. The Romanians’ highest concern as to the elections is about people voting in spite of not being entitled to. At the same time, Romanians fear multiple voting, the manipulation of elections and the buying of votes. The majority of the EU respondents were concerned about a range of potential electoral interferences. More than six in ten (61%) were concerned about elections being manipulated through cyber attacks, with 24% saying they were ‘very concerned’ about this.




    RESIGNATION — Deputy PM and Minister for Development, Paul Stanescu, resigned on Monday all positions he held in the Government. Previously, PM Viorica Dancila had said she had asked for Stanescu’s resignation but that the latter had refused. Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea said on Monday that a decision as regards the steps to be taken if the head of state further refuses to fulfill his atributions regarding the appointment of new ministers. would be taken within the coalition next week.




    FESTIVAL– Sunday night, the Irish Radio and Television Orchestra brought to a close the 4th edition of the RadiRo International Radio Orchestra Festival. For a week, the festival featured prestigious symphony orchestras from all over Europe. For the first time this year, the festival featured jazz recitals. RadiRo is the only event devoted to European and world radio orchestras. All concerts were broadcast live by Radio Romania’s channels, recorded and subsequently rebroadcast by the public television. The concerts were also rebroadcast by the radiobroadcasters that are members of the European Broadcasting Union.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)


  • November 19, 2018 UPDATE

    November 19, 2018 UPDATE

    PSD — The national executive committee of the Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania, on Monday voted for the reshuffle of several ministers from the government headed by Viorica Dancila. According to the executive committee, the former minister for the business environment Ilan Laufer will return to the government as deputy prime minister and minister for development. The defense ministry will be taken over by Gabriel Les, after Mihai Fifor decided to resign. The president of the committee for budget, finances and banks in the Chamber of Deputies Marius Budai is to take over the Labor Ministry. He will replace Lia Olguta Vasilescu who is to take over the Transport Ministry. The ministers of the economy, culture, communications and youth and sports will also be changed. Also during the meeting of the executive committee of the PSD the general mayor of Bucharest, Gabriela Firea, submitted her resignation from the positions of vice-president and interim president of the Bucharest branch of the PSD. The executive committee voted for the dismantling of the PSD leadership of the Ilfov county branch, south east, whose president was Gabriela Firea.



    CSM — The prosecutors’ section of the Superior Council of Magistracy on Monday issued a negative opinion on the request for the dismissal of Romania’s prosecutor general, Augustin Lazar, initiated by the justice minister, Tudorel Toader. The opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy is consultative. Previously, the prosecutor general had filed a complaint with the Justice Ministry against the report on his managerial activity. Augustin Lazar also filed a request with the Alba Court of Appeal for the suspension of the procedure for his dismissal, which will be analyzed on Tuesday. The Romanian President announced he would not make a decision regarding the dismissal of prosecutor Lazar before his complaint is dealt with. Minister Tudorel Toader started the procedure for the dismissal of the prosecutor general on October 24, as he accused him of failing to observe legal obligations. However, Augustin Lazar said that the observance of constitutional principles and values underlay all the decisions he made. Last week, the European Commission made public the report under the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification for Romania and some of its recommendations refer to the immediate suspension of the procedures for the appointment and dismissal of chief prosecutors.



    Visit — The European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova is on an official visit to Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday. The EU official will meet Tuesday with president Klaus Iohannis, with justice minister Tudorel Toader as well as with other high officials from Bucharest. She is discussing the justice priorities in the context of Romania’s future presidency of the EU Council and the developments in the Romanian justice system. In the same context, on Wednesday, Bucharest will be hosting the Conference of the Presidents of the European Parliament with the Romanian government. The conference is to be attended by the PM Viorica Dancila, members of the Romanian government, the president of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, the secretary general of the EP, Klaus Welle as well as the leaders of the nine European political groups. According to the PM, the talks will focus on issues related to the future EU budget, Brexit and the security policy developments.



    EC — The European Commission officials on Monday expressed confidence in the professionalism of the future Romanian presidency of the EU Council, and reiterated the appeal of the EC president, Jean-Clade Juncker, for a national political consensus Romania needs to achieve before taking over the presidency of the EU Council. The statement was made by EC spokesperson Margaritis Schinas in a regular press conference. Romania is taking over on January 1, 2019 the rotating presidency of the EU Council from Austria.



    RadiRo — The International Festival of Radio Orchestras, RadiRo, organized by Radio Romania, continues in Bucharest. The festival has reached its 4th edition and it is the only festival of the world devoted to radio orchestras. This year it includes jazz recitals for the first time. All the concerts of the festival are broadcast live by Radio Romania’s channels, recorded and subsequently rebroadcast by the public television. The concerts are also rebroadcast by radiobroadcasters that are members of the European Broadcasting Union.



    Brussels — The ministers for European affairs of the EU member states, gathered in Brussels, on Monday expressed their support for the Brexit agreement. The date for Brexit is set at the end of March 2019. Several ministers underlined that the 585-page agreement cannot be renegotiated. The document, which has come under fierce attack in Great Britain, needs to be ratified by both sides. Monday’s meeting opened the way for a special summit to be hosted by Brussels on Sunday, when the leaders of the remaining 27 EU states will sign the Brexit deal as well as a joint political declaration on the future relations between Britain and Brussels. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • November 14, 2018

    November 14, 2018

    VISIT — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is today paying an official visit to the UK. Iohannis will discuss, in London, with PM Theresa May about the stage of Brexit negotiations, Romania’s priorities at the helm of the EU Council, cooperation in the field of security and defence and the regional agenda. The Romanian head of state will also attend, at the invitation of Queen Elisabeth, the reception and dinner organised on the occasion of Prince Charles’s 70th anniversary.




    BREXIT – The European Union and Britain have agreed on a draft text of a Brexit withdrawal agreement which Prime Minister Theresa May will present to her ministers Wednesday, after more than a year of negotiations. If the British government rejects the text, then Brexit, scheduled for March 2019, might take place in the absence of an agreement. If Mays cabinet approves the text EU leaders could meet on November 25 for a summit to seal the Brexit deal. Less than five months until Britain leaves the EU, the Northern Irish border was the main issue that held up the deal.




    ECONOMY – The economic growth rate reported by Romania in the first nine months of 2018 was 4.2% as compared with the same period of 2017, according to data made public by the National Statistics Institute on Wednesday. The National Commission for Prognosis has revised downwards, to 4.5%, estimations regarding the economic growth this year, from the 5.5% forecast in July. In its turn, the European Commission has significantly revised downwards estimations regarding Romania’s economic growth in 2018, from 4.5% to 3.6%. The IMF has also revised its forecast on Romania in October to 4% in 2018, by 1.1% less than estimated in spring.




    EVACUATION — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that on Tuesday night three Romanian citizens and one Yemenite citizen, a member of the Romanian family, have been safely evacuated from Yemen via Egypt and Turkey, towards Romania. Representatives of the Romanian diplomatic mission in Cairo and of the consular office in Istanbul, together with the Romanian Foreign Ministry’s crisis cell and the support of the honorary consul of Yemen in Romania, have assisted the Romanian citizens with a view to repatriating them. The Romanian Foreign Ministry continues efforts to safely evacuate Romanian citizens in Yemen.




    GAUDEAMUS – The 25 edition of the Gaudeamus International Fair, a landmark of the book market in Romania, an event organized by Radio Romania opens has opened its doors today. Gaudeamus 2018 will unfold under the auspices of a triple anniversary: the Great Union Centennial, 9 decades since the first broadcast aired by Radio Romania, one of the oldest radio stations in Europe and the 25th edition of the Gaudeamus Fair.

  • October 16, 2018 UPDATE

    October 16, 2018 UPDATE

    VISIT — President Klaus Iohannis’ state visit to Italy focused on Tuesday on economic aspects, after on Monday the talks with the President and PM of Italy concerned the importance of the Romanian community in Italy and Bucharest’s priorities during its presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. The President of Romania took part in the opening of the Romania-Italy business forum, an event designed to encourage the economic dimension of the consolidated strategic partnership. Also on Tuesday President Iohannis had a meeting with representatives of the Romanian community in Italy, the largest Romanian community abroad and the largest foreign community in Italy. President Iohannis decorated Laura Mattarella, the Italian President’s daughter and Ugo Zampetti, Secretary General of the Italian Presidency with the ‘Star of Romania’ National Order for their exceptional contribution to the development of the Romanian-Italian relations of collaboration and friendship.




    SUMMIT — The Romanian Minister of Labor and Social Justice, Lia Olguta Vasilescu, attended on Tuesday in Brussels the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment that was opened by the European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and the EU Council President Donald Tusk. The main theme of the summit was reinforcing competitiveness, sustainable job creation and social fairness in the EU. The Romanian minister had a meeting with Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, whom she presented Romania’s priorities after taking over the EU Council Presidency on January 1st, 2019.




    DIPLOMATIC TOUR — While on an official working visit to the United Arab Emirates, the Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă had a meeting on Tuesday with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the country’s vice-president and PM and the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. The two officials assessed bilateral relations, with a focus on economic aspects. Viorica Dancila presented the main advantages of investing in Romania and encouraged the participation of Emirate companies in projects financed under current operational programmes, as well as in public-private investment partnerships. The Romanian PM also had a meeting ton Tuesday with Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) in Dubai. Romania gives priority to long-term cooperation with the UAE in fields such as industrial and civilian constructions, technology transfers, agriculture and food safety, nuclear and green energy, defence and IT, PM Dancila said. On Monday the PM of Romania was on a visit to Turkey, where she was received by the head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan.




    EXERCISE — The “Earthquake 2018” national exercise organised by Romania reached its 4th day. The simulation exercise involved all the structures with responsibilities in a major earthquake response situation in Bucharest. Rescuers practice responses to critical situations, with thousands of dead, injured and evacuated people. The Romanian Interior Ministry announced that the EU ModEx exercise was also initiated, focusing on the coordination and collaboration of healthcare service modules. This is the largest and most complex exercise for medical modules as part of the European civil protection mechanism. Observers and participants from 26 EU member states are involved, as well as capabilities from non-EU member countries.




    INVICTUS — Romania’s representatives in the 2018 Sydney Invictus Games met on Tuesday the Defence Minister Mihai Fifor and the Chief of Staff, Gen. Nicolae Ciucă. The 15 Romanian military wounded in the line of duty are taking part, between October 17 and 29, in 6 individual sports events—archery, athletics, indoor rowing, powerlifting, road cycling, and swimming, and in the sitting volleyball event. Last year in the Invictus Games held in Toronto, Canada, Romania was represented by 15 wounded troops, in 6 individual events and 1 team event. In their first participation in the Games the Romanians won a gold, a silver and 2 bronze medals. Invictus Games is a sports competition first held in 2014, for national teams made up of veterans and troops wounded in theatres of operations.




    JUDICIARY — The Constitutional Court of Romania on Tuesday admitted part of the objection raised by President Klaus Iohannis to changes in the Law on local elected officials. The President argued that the changes introduce new penalties for local and county councillors, which were already regulated by the Conflict of Interests Act. The bill will therefore be returned to Parliament, which is to bring the unconstitutional articles in line with the ruling of the Constitutional Court. Also on Tuesday the institution admitted the objection raised by the head of state against the bill modifying the Law on the organisation and functioning of the Court of Accounts. On the other hand, the Constitutional Court postponed to October 25th the objections filed by the President and the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union in opposition, regarding changes to the Administrative Code. The head of state says the law has been endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies in a special sitting, which comes against the Constitution and violates the principle of bicameralism. President Iohannis also believes several articles are unclear, and he criticises the scrapping of incompatibility as an integrity criterion in selecting the members of the Cabinet. Also on Tuesday, the Constitutional Court has deferred to October 24th the notifications submitted by President Iohannis, the Supreme Court, and the opposition parties, against changes to the Criminal Code and the Law on preventing, investigating and punishing corruption offences.

  • October 16, 2018

    October 16, 2018

    VISIT – President Klaus Iohannis state visit to Italy focuses today on economic aspects, after on Monday the talks with the President and PM of Italy concerned the importance of the Romanian community in Italy and Bucharests priorities during its presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. The President of Romania is taking part in the opening of the Romania-Italy business forum, an event designed to encourage the economic dimension of the consolidated strategic partnership. Also today President Iohannis will have a meeting with representatives of the Romanian community in Italy, the largest Romanian community abroad and the largest foreign community in Italy.



    DIPLOMATIC TOUR – While on an official working visit to the United Arab Emirates, the Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă had a meeting today with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the countrys vice-president and PM and the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. The 2 officials have assessed bilateral relations, with a focus on economic aspects. Viorica Dancila presented the main advantages of investing in Romania and encouraged the participation of Emirate companies in projects financed under current operational programmes, as well as in public-private investment partnerships. The Romanian PM also had a meeting today with Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) in Dubai. Romania gives priority to long-term cooperation with the UAE in fields such as industrial and civilian constructions, technology transfers, agriculture and food safety, nuclear and green energy, defence and IT, PM Dancila said. On Monday the PM of Romania was on a visit to Turkey, where she was received by the head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The 2 officials agreed last night in Ankara that Romania will continue to support Turkeys European accession efforts, and said the 2 countries are determined to work together to further develop their economic relations, to ensure security and fight terrorism. They have also signed 2 bilateral cooperation documents, in the field of healthcare and education.



    JUDICIARY – The Constitutional Court of Romania has today admitted part of the objection raised by President Klaus Iohannis to changes in the Law on local elected officials. The President argued that the changes introduce new penalties for local and county councillors, which were already regulated by the Conflict of Interests Act. The bill will therefore be returned to Parliament, which is to bring the unconstitutional articles in line with the ruling of the Constitutional Court. Also on Tuesday the institution admitted the objection raised by the head of state against the bill modifying the Law on the organisation and functioning of the Court of Accounts. On the other hand, the Constitutional Court postponed to October 25th the objections filed by the President and the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union in opposition, regarding changes to the Administrative Code. The head of state says the law has been endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies in a special sitting, which comes against the Constitution and violates the principle of bicameralism. President Iohannis also believes several articles are unclear, and he criticises the scrapping of incompatibility as an integrity criterion in selecting the members of the Cabinet. Also today, the Constitutional Court has deferred to October 24th the notifications submitted by President Iohannis, the Supreme Court, and the opposition parties, against changes to the Criminal Code and the Law on preventing, investigating and punishing corruption offences.



    EXERCISE – The “Earthquake 2018 national exercise organised by Romania has reached its 4th day. The simulation exercise involved all the structures with responsibilities in a major earthquake response situation in Bucharest. Rescuers practice responses to critical situations, with thousands of dead, injured and evacuated people. The Romanian Interior Ministry announced that the EU ModEx exercise was also initiated, focusing on the coordination and collaboration of healthcare service modules. This is the largest and the most complex exercise for medical modules as part of the European civil protection mechanism. Observers and participants from 26 EU member states are involved, as well as capabilities from non-EU member countries.



    INVICTUS – Romanias representatives in the 2018 Sydney Invictus Games will be meeting today the Defence Minister Mihai Fifor and the Chief of Staff, Gen. Nicolae Ciucă. The 15 Romanian military wounded in the line of duty are taking part, between October 17 and 29, in 6 individual sports events—archery, athletics, indoor rowing, powerlifting, road cycling, and swimming, and in the sitting volleyball event. Last year in the Invictus Games held in Toronto, Canada, Romania was represented by 15 wounded troops, in 6 individual events and 1 team event. In their first participation in the Games the Romanians won a gold, a silver and 2 bronze medals. Invictus Games is a sports competition first held in 2014, for national teams made up of veterans and troops wounded in theatres of operations.



    FOOTBALL – Romanias national Under-21 football team is playing tonight, on home turf, in Ploiesti, against Lichtenstein, in its last qualifier match for the 2019 European Championships in Italy. The other 2 matches scheduled in this group are Portugal vs. Bosnia and Wales vs. Switzerland. With 6 wins and 3 draws in its previous matches, Romania is top of the group with 21 points, and only needs a draw to qualify for its first under-21 final tournament in 20 years. Second comes Portugal with 19 points, and 3rd Bosnia with 18 points. The 9 preliminary group winners go straight into the final tournament, and playoffs will be held by the best 4 teams of the ones coming out second in the group stage.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)