Radio România Internațional

Tag: visit

May 2, 2022

Visit — The First Lady of the US, Jill Biden, will pay a visit to Romania and Slovakia, between May 5-9. The wife of President Joe Biden will meet on May 6 with American soldiers from the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base (southeastern Romania), after which she will head to Bucharest, where she will meet with Romanian government officials, with members of the US embassy, with humanitarian workers and teachers working with Ukrainian refugee children. According to a statement from the First Ladys office quoted by Reuters, on Sunday, marked in the United States as Mothers Day, Jill Biden will meet with Ukrainian mothers and children who have been forced to leave their homes because of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Jill Bidens visit is the latest signal of support from high-ranking US officials for Ukraine and its neighbors that are helping the Ukrainian refugees. The number of Ukrainian refugees stands currently at about 5.5 million, according to UN figures.

Energy — The EU energy ministers are meeting urgently today as the bloc is looking into ways to respond to a request from Russian President Vladimir Putin that European countries pay for gas in the Russian currency. Last week Russia stopped gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after the two EU member states refused to pay for gas in rubles. According to news agencies, the European ministers will consider the gradual introduction of a ban on oil imports from Russia, and by the end of the year, the EU is to give up Russian oil permanently. No final decisions have been made in this regard and there may still be opposition from some member states.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep meets, today, the American Cori Gauff in the Round of 16 of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Madrid, which has total prizes of 6,575,560 Euros. The Romanian tennis player has won both games played so far against Gauff. Simona Halep was a champion in Madrid in 2016 and 2017, and a finalist in another two editions.

Ukraine — In Ukraine, more than 100 civilians, women and children, have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Some of them are expected to arrive in Zaporozhe today, a city controlled by the Ukrainian forces, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said. The UN and the Red Cross were involved in the evacuation operation, which began on Saturday morning. However, hundreds of civilians are still in the plants bunkers. Besides the civilians there are the last remaining Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol, a city largely destroyed in the two months of Russian attacks. According to the CNN, after the evacuation operation ended, the Russian forces resumed bombings on the plant. The bombing continued in the area of the Kharkov city, the second largest one in Ukraine, but in the same region the Ukrainian forces managed to recapture four villages. On the other hand, the Ukrainian Intelligence Service announced that it had neutralized a Russian investigation and sabotage team that allegedly tried to steal a Stinger rocket to shoot down a passenger plane over Russia or Belarus, in order to later blame the attack on Ukraine. The information was confirmed by an adviser to President Zelensky, who also added that a Russian spy had been discovered in the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army. Kyiv is the only source of this information in this respect so far.

Cyber attack — A cyber attack affected, last night, the website of the most important airport in Romania, Bucharest Otopeni. The site subsequently became operational again. The Special Telecommunications Service has blocked, in recent days, thousands of such attacks launched on the websites of some important institutions in Romania by the pro-Russian group Killnet. The group has also attacked websites of state institutions in neighboring Moldova and in EU and NATO countries. In response to the Russian hackers’ attacks, the Anonymous Romania group announced that it had attacked and blocked the site of the unified public procurement system in Russia, which had been out of order for two days.

Immigrants – The number of Ukrainian citizens who entered Romania on Sunday decreased by 27.6% compared to the previous day, according to a communiqué of the Border Police General Inspectorate. On Sunday, at national level, 107,432 people entered Romania through the border crossings, of whom 7,648 were Ukrainian citizens. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, about 836 thousand Ukrainians have entered Romania, most of them transiting to other countries.

Statistics – In Romania, the unemployment rate stood at 5.7% in March, slightly higher than in the previous month, show data published on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics. The estimated number of unemployed for March was 475,000, up by 7,000 persons from February, but down from 11,000 persons as compared to March 2021. By gender, the unemployment rate for women was 0.1% higher than the rate for men (the respective values being 5.8% for women and 5.7% for men). The unemployment rate level among young people remains high, standing at 22%, according to INS. On the other hand, the 3-month ROBOR index, based on which the cost of consumer loans in lei with variable interest rate is calculated, rose on Monday to 5.01% per year, from 4.95% on Friday, as shown by data published by the National Bank of Romania. A higher level than that was recorded on April 3, 2013, when it stood at 5.03% per year. (LS)

2 May 2022
April 29, 2022

VISIT The PM of Bulgaria Kiril
Petkov is on a working visit to Romania today. He will be received by president Klaus Iohannis and will also have talks
with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. The agenda of the visit also includes a meeting with the European
Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, and
the signing of an agreement between the Romanian and Bulgarian governments
concerning the opening of the Giurgiu – Ruse ferryboat checkpoint. During the visit of the Bulgarian delegation,
the Romanian defence minister Vasile Dîncu will have talks with his Bulgarian
counterpart Dragomir Zakov.

PARLIAMENT The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel
Ciolacu, announced meetings in the forthcoming period between the leaders of
the parliaments of Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova. A meeting
may take place in Iaşi (eastern Romania), near the Moldovan border, he added.

ECONOMY The National Strategy and Forecast Commission revised its economic
growth estimate for this year from 4.3% predicted in winter down to 2.9% in its
latest report. According to the Commission, the reassessment was triggered by
the effects of the conflict in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia, while
the new pandemic wave in China is also expected to deepen trade logjams,
especially in the automotive industry. The
Romanian central bank’s deputy governor Leonardo Badea also said, in a
specialised conference, that the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have
generated significant economic and fiscal problems.The IMF expects
Romania’s GDP to go up 2.2% this year, while the World Bank’s estimate is 2.9%.

CYBER ATTACKS Today’s cyber-attack on websites of Romanian public and
private institutions was claimed by a cyber-crime group called Killnet, the
National Cyber Security Directorate announced. A number of Distributed Denial
of Service (DDoS) attacks targeted websites belonging to the government,
defence ministry, border police, the passenger railway corporation CFR and OTP
Bank, and was claimed to be in response to Romania’s support of Ukraine in the
military conflict with Russia. Prague
also accused a pro-Russian hacker group of committing cyber-attacks against websites
run by the Czech public administration, hospitals and private entities on April 21.

VETERANS Several military ceremonies are held today
to mark the War Veterans Day in Romania. The defence minister Vasile Dîncu and
the chief of staff gen. Daniel Petrescu will attend the events at the Monument
of Heroes in Bucharest, while similar events will take place across the country
and abroad. Also today, defence ministry officials will have an informal
meeting in Bucharest with war veterans, children, students, and troops from
theatres of operations.

UKRAINE NATO warns that the West must be prepared
for a long-term conflict. Its deputy secretary general Mircea Geoană said that the
coming days and weeks may prove decisive, but that the war in Ukraine is likely
to last longer-perhaps months or even years, depending on many factors. Russia
carries on its offensive to get full control over the regions of Donetsk and
Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and to create a land corridor to Crimea, the
Ukrainian Army announced. Moscow also increased the number of drones flying
over Odessa region on aerial reconnaissance missions, while local officials say Russia disseminates fake news and
disinformation in an attempt to induce panic among the civilians in the region.

FESTIVAL The French Institute in Bucharest, jointly with Europavox,
organises a series of round tables, panel discussions and workshops entitled What’s
Next for European Music on May 4 and 5. The participants will look at the
music sector after the pandemic, opportunities in a new European framework,
current financing opportunities in the EU, the European culture in solidarity
with Ukraine, and digital communication in the context of the Covid-19
pandemic. The debates will be held in English. During the same period, artists
from 6 European countries will perform in Bucharest as part of the first
Europavox Festival edition held in Romania.

MAY
DAY The summer
season officially begins this weekend in Romania. Hotel owners expect nearly
30,000 tourists to spend May Day on the Black Sea coast. Data centralised by a
tour operator indicate that over 100 hospitality units are ready to receive
their guests, with the resorts of Mamaia and Costineşti in the highest demand. (AMP)

29 April 2022
April 12, 2022

Measures — The Romanian finance minister, Adrian Câciu, has said that the package of social and economic measures “Support for Romania”, announced on Monday evening by the ruling coalition leaders, mainly targets the economy, maintaining jobs, and supporting vulnerable people. The package agreed upon by the Social Democratic Party – PSD, the National Liberal Party – PNL and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR is worth over 17 billion lei (about 3.5 billion Euros). The measures include the granting of 50-Euro vouchers every two months for the purchase of basic foodstuffs for low-income families and 30 – Euro vouchers for the more than 150,000 students who receive social scholarships. This amount will be used for food, school supplies and clothing. Other measures proposed are a minimum gross salary of 3,000 lei in agriculture and the food industry as well as money for investments.

Visit — The European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, continues today her visit to Bucharest, where she participates in a video conference with the transport ministers from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The commissioner announced her intention to discuss with the Romanian officials the ways for a better absorption of EU funds for infrastructure and to find solutions for rail, road, river and sea freight transport from Ukraine and Moldova, Romania’s neighbors. On Monday, the PM Nicolae Ciuca and the European Commissioner for Transport agreed to work closely with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to facilitate the transport of goods. The agenda of talks also includes the development of the transport infrastructure in Romania, and the impact of the crisis in Ukraine, respectively.

Statistics — In Romania, the annual inflation rate rose to 10.15% in March, from 8.53% in February, against the backdrop of higher prices for non-food products, foods and services, according to data published today by National Institute of Statistics (INS). Consumer prices augmented by 1.9% in March compared to February. The inflation rate at the beginning of the year (March 2022 compared to December 2021) stands at 4%. At the same time, the annual inflation rate in March 2022 compared to March 2021 is 10.2%. The central bank forecasts an inflation rate of 11.2% at the end of the second quarter of this year, 10.2% at the end of the third quarter of this year and 9.6% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022.

Accession — After Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbor, also received the European Commissions questionnaire for EU accession discussions. The document marks a starting point for a membership decision, being a first step in a long process that should bring Moldova the official status of a candidate country for EU accession. Romania insists on the community bloc receiving its two neighboring countries as soon as possible, following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine – The next period is crucial for Ukraine, Western officials say, as the Russian forces are getting re-equipped and redistributed. President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Russia is concentrating tens of thousands of soldiers for the next offensive in eastern Ukraine. About 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were made prisoner by the Russian troops, according to Kyiv Independent. On the other hand, the White House expects even greater atrocities in Ukraine committed by the Russian troops under the command of General Aleksandr Dvornikov, recently appointed commander. He is nicknamed the “Syrian butcher” after being at the command of the Russian forces involved in the Syrian civil war, during which they brutally bombed numerous civilian targets. The US and the UK are looking into reports according to which chemical weapons have been used by Russian forces in attacks on Mariupol, a strategic port city under siege for more than a month. The Ukrainian Azov Battalion, barricaded in Mariupol, claims that a Russian drone dropped a toxic substance on the soldiers and civilians in the area, saying that several people were suffering from respiratory and neurological problems. More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol since the invasion began, Mayor Vadim Boicenko announced.

Refugees — More than 72,000 people, including 8,350 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Monday, according to the Border Police. 4,924 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania (slightly increase by 0.9%) through the border crossing with Ukraine, and 1,505 (increase by 8.1%) through the border with the Republic of Moldova. Since the start of the crisis, until Monday, more than 685,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. (LS)

12 April 2022
March 22, 2022

REFUGEES — The number of refugees entering Romania from the neighbouring Ukraine through Vama Siret check point, in the north, has been on the decrease for a few days. According to the most recent report, less than 2,000 refugees passed through the check point in 24 hours, half the daily average last week. Many Ukrainians fleeing war now stop in the refugee centres in Cernauti, while a big part of the population is blocked in the besieged cities. Humanitarian organisations are looking for ways to provide people in the affected localities with essential supplies.

UKRAINE –The Ukrainian military claims its forces have retaken the town of Makariv, west of Kyiv, the BBC reports. Also, according to Ukraines ministry of defence, Russian forces have stockpiles of ammunition and food for no more than three days, but the air attacks of the Russian forces seems to have intensified in the last 24 hours. The port city of Mariupol, destroyed by the Russian bombs, continues to be the invaders’ main target. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Ukraine, the number of victims increased in the city of Zhytomyr, where many civilian buildings have been bombarded. The education ministry in Kiev has decided that classes will be held exclusively online. 7.5 million children in Ukraine have been affected by war and 350,000 of them can no longer go to school because their parents decided to take refuge abroad.

INFLATION — The National Bank of Romania is expecting the inflation rate to exceed the estimated level of 11% by mid-year, for reasons such as the rise in the price of fuel, energy and cereals, all of these triggered by the war in Ukraine. In order to keep things in check, the Central Bank may increase the reference rate again. Stay tuned for more on this topic, after the news.

FAKE NEWS – The Romanian Economy Ministry and major retail chains will set up a crisis cell that should react promptly to fake news, such as the news that triggered the sudden and unjustified increase in the fuel prices, Minister Florin Spataru has announced. He has explained that the lack of reaction to such news is likely to affect consumers, producers and distributors alike. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a number of false information has emerged in the Romanian public space, generating panic. Stay tuned for more on this topic, after the news.

VISIT – Polish President, Andrej Duda is today paying a visit to Bucharest, to hold talks with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis. According to the Presidential Administration, the two leaders hold bone-to-one and official talks. Andrej Duda made a working visit to Chisinau on Monday, to meet with the Moldovan President Maia Sandu. He announced that Poland supports Moldova’s bid for the EU and will grant this country a 20-million euro interest-free loan for the management of the wave of Ukrainian refugees entering its territory. Duda also said that, in almost one month of war, over 360,000 Ukrainian refugees entered Moldova, of whom almost 100,000 remained in the country. Maia Sandu asked her Polish counterpart to support the opening of the EU market for the Moldovan products which can no longer be exported to the east due to the war.

CORONAVIRUS – Almost 2,240 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours have been reported in Romania, by 150 cases more than a week ago. Also, 12 related deaths have been reported. 3,000 people are treated in hospital, of whom 455 are in intensive care. In Romania, all Covid restrictions were lifted from 9th March. (EE)

22 March 2022
March 12, 2022

Ukraine — Romania continues to help the Ukrainian refugees. The emergency number 112 and the special hot line for children, 119, are also available for calls in Ukrainian. Moreover, additional measures have been taken to prevent human trafficking at cross-border points. On Friday, an online platform was created which centralizes aid offers made to support the civilians taking refuge in Romania. The new platform was developed in record time with the support of over 600 volunteers. On the other hand, the Romanian government is discussing today a draft decision on granting free transport and other facilities to foreign citizens or stateless persons in special situations, coming from the armed conflict area in Ukraine. The Border Police informs that since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 380 thousand Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania, of whom over 304 thousand have left the country.

Chisinau — The German government will take directly to Germany 2,500 Ukrainian refugees out of the more than 100,000 Ukrainians currently in the Republic of Moldova, said Saturday, in Chisinau, the German foreign minister Ms. Annalena Baerbock, against the backdrop of the escalating humanitarian crisis. The German official has pointed out that the Moldovan government will receive assistance worth 5 million Euros from the EU and 3 million Euros from the German government, besides the 37 million Euros promised for this year. In turn, the Moldovan vice prime minister and FM Nicu Popescu underlined that the Moldovan authorities would continue to help the refugees from Ukraine, but called for the help of the EU, since Chisinau is hardly coping with the inflow of refugees. AFP reported on Friday that France will also receive 2,500 Ukrainian refugees from Moldova. An ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian–speaking population, of 2.6 million inhabitants, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine’s neighbor, is one of the poorest countries in Europe.

Talks — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, will discuss, on Sunday, in Bucharest, with his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, about how to manage the effects of the Russian aggression on Ukraine. According to a communiqué of the Romanian Foreign Ministry – MAE, the visit of the Israeli official takes place at the invitation of the Romanian FM, against the background of the worsening of the crisis caused by Moscow, but also of the very good Romanian-Israeli cooperation. Talks focus on the ways to evacuate Israeli citizens from Ukraine through Romania. Israel is one of Romanias main partners from the Middle East area, the bilateral relations of a strategic nature, constantly developing in recent years — MAE shows. In fact, Bogdan Aurescu and Yair Lapid will also discuss the development of bilateral relations, with focus on the political, economic and security fields. At the same time, they will assess the stage of preparations for the third Romania-Israel Joint Government Meeting scheduled to take place this year.

Tennis — The American tennis player Cori Gauff will play against the Romanian Simona Halep in the third round of the Indian Wells WTA 1,000 tennis tournament, which has prizes up for grabs worth over 8.5 million dollars. Also in the third round, the Russian Ana Kalinskaia will meet the Romanian Sorana Cirstea. Simona Halep (26 WTA) defeated the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 on Friday, while Sorana Cirstea (27 WTA) defeated Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 7- 5. Also at Indian Wells, the Romanian pair Irina Begu/Monica Niculescu qualified to the round of 16, after beating the Ukrainian pair Daiana/Ivana Iastremska 6-1, 6-1. The Romanians will play the next match against the Japanese pair Eri Hozumi/Makoto Ninomiya.

Concert – We Are One, a charity concert organized in support of Ukrainian refugees, brings together big names in the music industry, today, on the National Arena in Bucharest. Among them: Armin Van Buuren, an internationally known DJ, Tom Odell – the artist who authored the song Another Love, the anthem of the peaceful protesters, Jamala, the Ukrainian singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016, as well as many Romanian artists. According to the organizers, We Are One, which will last eight hours, is the largest humanitarian event ever organized in Romania. (LS)

12 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
March 11, 2022

Visit — The US Vice President, Kamala Harris, arrives today, for the first time, in Romania, on the second stage of a diplomatic tour she has started in Europe. She is present in the region to discuss the war in Ukraine and to assure the allies on NATOs eastern flank that the United States is supporting them. President Klaus Iohannis and the US Vice President will discuss, in Bucharest, the measures to strengthen NATOs defense and deterrence posture the eastern flank. At the same time, they will approach the prospect of increasing the American and allied military presence in Romania, as an additional measure to ensure the security of the country and of the entire region. On the other hand, the two will talk about transatlantic coordination on imposing new sanctions on Russia. The visit takes place in the context of the 25th anniversary, in 2022, of the launch of the bilateral Strategic Partnership. On Thursday, Kamala Harris visited Poland, where she said the US was ready to defend every inch of the North Atlantic Alliance territory. At the same time, she gave assurances that Ukraine would receive all the help it needs and added that Russia would continue to face severe consequences and costs.

Ukraine — On the 16th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian troops are advancing slowly towards Kyiv today, and new bombings have been reported in Mariupol (southeast). Moreover, the Russian troops launched airstrikes on the Ukrainian cities of Dnipro, Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk (west). In turn, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that in the Chernihiv region (north) the Russian troops are suffering serious losses in the fight against Ukrainians, the invaders being demoralized and surrendering. On the other hand, the Russian leader Vladimir Putin is meeting in Moscow with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The two will discuss the conflict, and also economic cooperation, in the context of the Western sanctions. Western countries have also imposed new sanctions on Belarus, which hosted Russian troops on its territory, troops that launched attacks on Ukraine. On Thursday, the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov and Dmitro Kuleba, mediated by Turkey in Antalya, did not report any progress towards a ceasefire in Ukraine. They only discussed the promise to continue the humanitarian efforts to evacuate civilians, without any firm commitment from Moscow though. The G7 countries have announced that they will soon introduce a new package of sanctions against Russia, following one of the largest attacks by one state against another in Europe since World War II. More than 100,000 Ukrainians have been evacuated in the past two days, according to the authorities.

Summit – The war in Ukraine and its consequences on the economies and lives of European citizens are being discussed by the EU heads of state and government also on the 2nd day of the Versailles summit organized by the French presidency of the EU Council. Romania is represented at the summit by President Klaus Iohannis. The EU continues to provide humanitarian, medical and financial assistance to the refugees from Ukraine and to their host countries, European leaders said in a statement today. They reiterated that the EU would provide protection to all Ukrainian refugees. At the same time, the EU is calling on Russia to abide by international humanitarian rules and to ensure the safety of civilians who want to leave the country and to allow humanitarian aid to reach victims and those seeking refuge in Ukraine without any obstacle. On the other hand, the 27 officials continue today to discuss the plan proposed by the European Commission, which provides for the reduction, by two thirds, this year, of the Russian gas imports, so that by 2030 no EU country should buy any more hydrocarbons from Russia. The Russian gas accounts for more than 40% of European consumption and four complementary options are currently being considered: imports from other countries, diversification of energy sources – liquefied gas and shale gas, making consistent gas stocks before each winter and accelerating the development of energy from non-polluting sources.

Talks — The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has had telephone conversations with the Romanian and Bulgarian defense ministers about the situation in Ukraine and the issues related to NATO consolidation, a Pentagon spokesperson said. In a discussion with the Romanian defense minister Vasile Dîncu, the US official underlined the need for permanent coordination between NATO allies in connection with the events in Ukraine. The Pentagon chief welcomed Romanias intentions to host a humanitarian aid logistics center and discussed plans for deploying a French-led multinational fighting group in Romania. Lloyd Austin also spoke with the Bulgarian defense minister Dragomir Zakov about Bulgarias plans to form a NATO-led multinational fighting group on its territory.

Pandemic — 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 the previous reference period. 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 being fully vaccinated. (LS)

11 March 2022
March 10, 2022 UPDATE

EU — On Thursday, the PM Nicolae Ciuca received Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management. His visit to Romania takes place in the context of the opening of the European logistics center for humanitarian aid hosted by Romania in Suceava, with the support of the European Commission. The head of government referred to the severe humanitarian impact of Russias unjustified, illegal and unprovoked military aggression on Ukraine. He emphasized the strategic need to maintain EU and NATO solidarity and unity in the context of the crisis. I am encouraged by the solidarity that the EU and its member states, including Romania, have shown so far with Ukraine – said the European Commissioner at the opening of the center in Suceava. The European continent is facing the biggest humanitarian crisis since World War II, Janez Lenarčič said. About 320,000 Ukrainians entered Romania in the first two weeks after the crisis broke out, and about 235,000 have already left the country.

Summit – EU leaders convene Thursday and Friday in Versailles, France, for a summit focusing on Europes energy independence, on strengthening the blocs defense and on the EU accession request signed recently by Ukraine. A new plan will be discussed, most likely to be funded through a new joint loan, in order to address the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As regards the energy crisis, the European Commission has recently presented the RePowerEU initiative, designed to reduce Europes dependence on Russian gas, which accounts for over 40% of the Unions natural gas consumption. As for Ukraine, a strengthened partnership is being considered, by tightening Kyivs ties with the European single market and connecting Ukraine with the European energy network.

Versailles – Romania is represented at the Versailles summit by President Klaus Iohannis. Before the meeting began, he said on Thursday that the main issues addressed would be the war in Ukraine and the energy situation. In preparation for the informal meeting, the Romanian head of state attended a videoconference meeting on Tuesday with the European Council President Charles Michel and the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, and Estonia, Kaja Kallas. He presented Romanias measures in support of Ukraine, including Bucharests decision to host a logistics center to coordinate and collect international humanitarian assistance for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, respectively. President Iohannis also pointed to Romanias support for the applications for EU membership submitted by Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. Klaus Iohannis also recalled Bucharests decision to increase defense spending from 2% to 2.5% of the GDP in 2023.

Visit — NATO has become “stronger” and Russia “weaker” following Russian aggression in Ukraine, the US Vice President Kamala Harris said in Warsaw on Thursday. During her visit to Poland, she spoke about the “atrocities” committed by the Russian armys invasion of the former Soviet republic. Kamala Harris met with the Polish President Andrzej Duda, who also denounced the “barbarism” of Russian forces, which is similar to genocide. The US Vice President is taking a short tour of Europe to send an additional signal of support to the states on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance against Moscows aggression. After Poland, Kamala Harris will arrive in Romania on Friday, where she will be received by President Klaus Iohannis. They will discuss Allied measures to strengthen NATOs deterrence and defense posture on the East Flank, including the prospect of increasing the US and Allied military presence in Romania. They will also tackle the issue of coordination of the transatlantic community on adopting new sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Vice President Kamala Harris visit to Bucharest is taking place in the context of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the bilateral Strategic Partnership.

Pandemic — More than 3,500 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections have been registered in the past 24 hours in Romania, the Strategic Communication Group reported on Thursday. Also 70 deaths were reported, of which 10 were from the previous reference period. About 4,000 people are hospitalized, 630 of whom are in ICUs. After almost two years of state of alert, all restrictions imposed by the pandemic have been lifted in Romania as of March 9. The Romanian authorities announce that the persons whose identity documents have expired in the last two years, during the COVID-19 epidemic, have the obligation to change their documents in the next three months.

Fuel — The Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca announced severe controls at all oil companies in Romania, after last nights population’s panic that led to the formation of queues at gas stations not seen for decades. The Prime Minister has warned that the necessary measures will be taken to stop any illegal, abusive practices that have no real economic justification whatsoever. The head of government made these statements after an emergency meeting with the ministers of energy and economy and the heads of Consumer Protection Agency, the Competition Council and the National Agency for Fiscal Administration – ANAF. The three institutions have already started actions to control and verify the situation generated by the unjustified increase in fuel prices. The Energy Minister also wrote in a social media post that the responsible institutions will be firm in the checks they have to make in connection with the increase in fuel prices and will give drastic sanctions to those who break the law. (LS)

10 March 2022
March 9, 2022

Pandemic ▪ Since March 8, at midnight, Romania has lifted all sanitary restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. After more than two years of state of emergency or alert and at the end of five pandemic waves, the Romanian authorities have decided, among other things, that the sanitary mask is no longer mandatory in both outdoor and indoor spaces, and access to various public spaces is no longer conditioned on the Covid certificate. Hospitals will continue to operate in a combined system, so that all hospitalized Covid-19 patients can be treated. At the same time, upon entering Romania, the passenger location form is no longer required. The heath minister, Alexandru Rafila, pointed out that individuals should be cautious and responsible in the next period, given that the Sars-CoV-2 virus has not disappeared.

Visit ▪ Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, will receive, on Friday, in Bucharest, the US Vice President, Kamala Harris. According to a presidential administration communiqué, Allied measures to strengthen NATOs deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank will be discussed, including the prospect of further increasing the US and allied military presence in Romania. They will also address the coordination of the transatlantic community in relation to adopting new sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The presence of Vice President Kamala Harris in Romania reconfirms the solidity of the bilateral Strategic Partnership, the communiqué also shows.

Ukraine ▪ Ukraine must withstand Russias attacks for the next 7-10 days so that Moscow cannot claim any victory, a senior Ukrainian government official said. According to Vadim Denisenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, the most likely targets are the city of Mariupol and the capital Kyiv. ‘They need at least one victory before they are forced to enter the final negotiations’ Denisenko wrote on Facebook. The statement comes in the context in which more than two million Ukrainians have fled the country to avoid the biggest assault on a European country since World War II, Reuters reports. On the other hand, the International Monetary Fund is to approve today 1.4 billion dollars worth of emergency funding for Ukraine to help the country respond to Russias invasion, according to Kristalina Georgieva, the organizations director general. More and more Western companies are leaving the Russian market under international sanctions. On Tuesday, the American chain McDonalds announced that it was temporarily closing its 850 restaurants in Russia and suspending all operations in that country. In Russia, the sale of foreign currency will be suspended until September 9, the Central Bank announced, as it was hit by unprecedented Western sanctions. Withdrawal of cash from foreign currency accounts opened in Russian banks will be limited to 10,000 dollars, and the rest can be withdrawn only in rubles at the current exchange rate. The ruble has broken new historic depreciation records against Western currencies in recent days. Russias economy suffered another blow on Tuesday after US President Joe Biden announced an embargo on oil and gas imports from the country.

Refugees – Nearly 320,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania since the onset of the Russian invasion until Tuesday, at midnight, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police informed. Of these, about 235,000 have already left Romania. On Tuesday, the inflow of Ukrainian refugees declined slightly. Both the Romanian authorities and the civil society have mobilized quickly and efficiently to provide accommodation, food, clothing and medicines to those fleeing the Russian invasion. The Romanians efforts were appreciated by international political figures and the Western press.

EU directive ▪ Romania is to transpose into national legislation a European directive on whistle-blowing protection. The whistleblower is a person who reports certain illegal, incorrect or unethical practices within the public or private company he or she works in. Today’s government agenda includes a bill in this regard. Another law aims at paying Romania’s contributions to the European Organ Exchange Association and to a program run by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Another decision will set the maximum limit of the reimbursable funding that the administrative-territorial units can make for a period of three years.

Pensions ▪ In Romania, the contribution to the Pension Pillar II will be increased by 1%, to 4.75%, starting with January 2024, according to a draft emergency ordinance put up for debate on the website of the Labor Ministry. The provision is included in the National Resilience and Recovery Plan and in the governing program. An employee currently transfers 25% of the gross salary to the pensions fund in the form of a social insurance contribution, of which 21.25% goes to the public pension system, and the rest to the private Pension Pillar II. (LS)

9 March 2022
January 30, 2022 UPDATE

Covid- 19 Ro — The number of new cases of Covid-19 remains high in Romania, but it is declining sharply after a period of 4 consecutive days with over 30,000 new cases, the days with the highest incidence of new cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic. On Sunday, more than 19,660 new cases of COVID-19 were reported along with 52 deaths. The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, said that next week the number of daily cases is going to exceed 40,000 and that the pandemic will subside hardly after 10 days. With many people infected and a high transmissibility rate, especially of the Omicron strain, the authorities are looking for ways to facilitate access to testing and treatment for decreasing the pressure on hospitals and ambulance services. A quick test can be done for free in 4,000 family doctors offices across Romania and at a minimum price in 138 pharmacies. 861 people are in ICUs. Almost 8 million people have been fully vaccinated so far.

Covid world — More and more cases of coronavirus infection have been reported among athletes and delegations arriving in Beijing, where the Winter Olympics will begin next week. Five members of the Canadian delegation have been quarantined. The rules are much stricter than at last years Tokyo Summer Olympics. In Beijing, athletes, team officials and journalists are only allowed in hotels, media centers and competition venues. So far, 23 cases of infection have been identified among athletes and officials, most of them at the airport, where all those arriving in China must be tested. Then, daily tests are made for everyone present at the Olympic Games who are locked in what is called a “closed loop system”. On the other hand, Russia and Ukraine reported on Saturday the highest number of COVID cases since the onset of the pandemic. Kiev has announced more than 37,000 cases, while Russia has exceeded 100,000 infections for the first time. In Europe, more and more countries are facing a record number of coronavirus cases, amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

Ukraine– NATO does not intend to deploy soldiers in Ukraine, a country that is not a NATO member, in case of a Russian invasion, said Sunday NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. There is a difference among being a NATO member and being a strong and much appreciated partner, such as Ukraine, he added. The UK announced that it would propose NATO a “major” deployment of troops, warships and fighter planes in Europe. In her turn, the French Defense Minister, Florence Parly, reiterated that Paris was ready to send hundreds of soldiers to Romania. Washington will soon send troops to Eastern Europe as well, the US President Joe Biden said. The US has already alerted 8,500 troops to join NATOs rapid reaction force in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, Germany is sending three Eurofighter planes to Romania in February and March, in the context of boosting NATOs presence in Eastern Europe. The German planes will be integrated into the Italian contingent which has been already in Romania since last month, consisting of another four Eurofighter planes that perform air policing missions. Moscow has mobilized more than 100,000 troops and a large amount of fighting equipment on Ukraines borders, but says it does not want a war. If the former Soviet republic is invaded, Russia risks unprecedented economic sanctions, the West warns.

Romania-NATO – Romania, as a NATO member, is not in a position to enter the war at the moment, even in the worst scenario, in which Russia would invade Ukraine, the Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu told a TV station. He explained that Romania is a member of a strong defense system, and the NATO Treaty provides for possible military intervention if a country that is a member of the Alliance is attacked. Ukraine is not a NATO member, it is trying to become one, so it does not have this status yet, Vasile Dîncu added. Asked if Romanian men, especially young men, should be afraid that they will be drafted, in the context of the situation in the region, he underlined that not even Ukraine mobilized its reservists.

Rome — The Italian President Sergio Mattarella was re-elected on Saturday for a second seven-year term in office, obtaining an absolute majority of votes from the 1,009 senators, deputies and regional officials called to vote. He was congratulated by the Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who also asked him to remain in office for the well being and stability of the country. Mattarella, 80, unexpectedly agreed to remain president and prevent a power void, as the parties failed to nominate another candidate to win a majority in parliament. Mattarella had repeatedly stated that he wanted to retire. He is the second most voted head of state in the history of Italy after Sandro Pertini in 1978. With a career spanning more than four decades, Sergio Mattarella entered politics after the assassination of his brother by the Sicilian mafia. He held four minister seats and was a judge in the Supreme Court before being elected president in 2015. The Italian Republic has so far had 12 presidents.

Abu Dhabi — The Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the first Israeli head of state to visit the United Arab Emirates, on Sunday met in Abu Dhabi with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the de facto leader of the Arab state. According to news agencies, the discussion lasted over two hours and was warm and cordial. Herzog has said that “the Middle East has entered a new era because of the wise and courageous decision of the Crown Prince and other leaders to normalize ties” with Israel. On the way to the Emirates, the aircraft flew over Saudi Arabia, and the head of state commented that it was a very emotional moment. The Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had already visited the United Arab Emirates last December. Economic issues are seen as the main engine behind rapprochement, but there is also the idea of forming an alliance against Iran, DPA reports. (LS)

30 January 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
January 26, 2022 UPDATE

Covid-19 — More than 34,000 new Covid-19 cases have been registered in Romania in the last 24 hours, along with 94 deaths – the Strategic Communication Group informed on Wednesday. This is an absolute record of infections since the beginning of the pandemic in Romania. Compared to the previous day, the number of Covid-19 cases nationwide almost doubled on Wednesday. About 700 patients are in ICUs. Vaccination for children between 5 and 11 started in Romania on Wednesday, but the interest is quite low, just as for the rest of the eligible population. The first amounts of Molnupiravir – an antiviral drug that is given to ‘high risk’ patients infected with the novel coronavirus, in assessment centers or hospitals – could reach the country by the end of the week, the health minister Alexandru Rafila said. He estimated that its use would have a favorable impact on reducing the pressure on intensive care units and reducing the number of deaths.

Ukraine — Romania has more than 600 km of common border with Ukraine and we must make sure that we are prepared for any possible scenario, said Wednesday Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis fresh from a Supreme Defense Council meeting convened in the context of the tense security situation in the region. He underlined that the current crisis created by Russia is not just about Ukraine, but about the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area. That is why, Klaus Iohannis went on to say, at this moment it is important that at NATO and EU level we should show unity and solidarity. A complete analysis of the security situation in the area was made, including from the point of view of the military, economic and energy impact, and also from the perspective of uncontrolled migration. “Russia’s recent actions, through the proposals made in December, are trying to unacceptably change the parameters of the European security architecture,” the Romanian president pointed out. He also said that diplomatic dialogue must play a key role in deescalating the current situation and that it should continue.

Visit – The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, pays a visit to Bucharest to meet with President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and her Romanian counterpart Vasile Dîncu. The talks will focus on deepening defense relations between the two countries within the Strategic Partnership, including on arms cooperation. The French Minister will also discuss the Sahel missions, the priorities of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the regional situation in Eastern Europe. We remind you that France has expressed its readiness to consolidate its presence in Romania within the NATO missions.

OECD – The decision of the OECD Council to open accession negotiations with Romania is a chance for a new stage of reforms in favor of the citizen and for aligning the society with the consolidated democracies model, the PM Nicolae Ciuca said at the OECD Inter-ministerial Committee meeting on Wednesday. Its role is to coordinate the negotiations for Romanias admission into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Todays meeting is a signal that we are serious in relation with the preparation for Romania’s OECD accession, so that we can be together with the developed countries, which hold more than 70% of the global production and trade and 90% of the worlds foreign direct investment, PM Ciuca underlined. The OECD has decided to launch accession negotiations with six candidate countries, including Romania. The OECD Council communiqué mentions the progress that Romania, alongside Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia and Peru, has made since launching the applications for membership. The organization will prepare individual roadmaps for all these countries, provided that the six states confirm their adherence to the values, vision and priorities of the organization.

Rome — Italian MPs have failed to designate a new president of the Republic even after a third round of voting on Wednesday. In the first three rounds a candidate must obtain two-thirds of the votes to be elected. Starting with the fourth round, which will be held on Thursday, a simple majority is enough. Many MPs submitted blank ballots on Wednesday. However, many have indicated the current head of state, Sergio Mattarella, although he had announced that he would not accept a second term, writes Reuters agency. The current prime minister, Mario Draghi, has great chances to be designated president. (LS)

26 January 2022
December 21, 2021

COMMEMORATION The
heroes of the anti-communist uprising of December 1989 are commemorated in
Bucharest today. Religious services and military ceremonies are held at the
Revolution Heroes Cemetery and at the dedicated monuments downtown. Similar
events are scheduled on Wednesday at the Romanian Revolution Heroes Monument,
at the Radio Hall and the Romanian Television Corporation. Originating in Timișoara
(west), on 16th December, the uprising spread across the country,
culminating with dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu fleeing the capital city on 22nd
December amid the protests of hundreds of thousands of Romanians. Captured by
the Army, Ceauşescu and his wife Elena were subject to a summary trial and
executed in the southern town of Târgovişte. Romania was the only country behind the
Iron Curtain where the change of regime was accompanied by bloodshed. Over 1,000
people were killed and some 3,000 wounded.

BUDGET The draft 2022 state budget and social security budget laws
will be discussed and voted on in Parliament on Thursday. MPs have until this
afternoon to table amendments. Also today, the budgets of the main public
institutions are discussed in Parliament’s specialised committees. The
government passed the bills on Monday and promised they are based on
predictability and stability. The budget is based on an estimated
economic growth rate of 4.6% and a GDP of some 260 billion euro, a predicted
inflation rate of 6.5% and gross average salaries of 1,200 euros per month, with
the budget deficit expected to stay within the limits agreed on with the
European Commission under the excessive deficit procedure, namely 5.84% of GDP.
The public pension fund will receive 7.32% of GDP. The Liberal
president Florin Cîţu criticised the fact that only 6.7% of GDP was earmarked
for investments, instead of 7% as agreed within the ruling coalition. The
Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu argued however that the budget
execution is more important than the exact breakdown of expenditure. The leader
of USR party in opposition, Dacian Cioloş, says the draft budget relies on
over-estimated revenues and said although public education is a priority for
President Iohannis, not enough funding has been earmarked for the sector.

TALKS The PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă continues his first visit
to Brussels since taking over the office less than a month ago. After last
night’s working dinner with the president of the European Council, Charles
Michel, Nicolae Ciucă has meetings scheduled today with the head of the
European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen, and with the NATO secretary general,
Jens Stoltenberg. Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels says Romania’s
Schengen accession is a priority in the prime minister’s talks with EU
officials. European security, with a focus on tensions in Romania’s
neighbouring areas and at Ukraine’s eastern border, will be tackled in the
meeting with the NATO secretary general.

COVID-19 Traffic is hindered in downtown Bucharest today, as protesters
encouraged by the nationalist opposition party AUR are picketing the Parliament
Palace, disgruntled with the authorities’ plan to make the digital COVID
certificate a requirement at the workplace. Measures to prevent a potential new
pandemic wave were discussed by the health minister Alexandru Rafila with
business community representatives, and the idea of a law making access to jobs
conditional on the digital COVID certificate was put forth. According to the
health ministry, the measure could be taken in case the number of COVID-19
infections goes up 1.5 times for 3 consecutive weeks. Today the
authorities announced 826 new COVID infections in 24 hours, and 88 related
fatalities, 22 of them from a previous date. Since the start of the pandemic, some 1.8 million COVID-19
cases have been reported in Romania and over 58,000 COVID patients died. Romania
has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU, after Bulgaria. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

21 December 2021
December 18, 2021 UPDATE

VISIT The PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă will be on a visit to
Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, for talks with senior EU and NATO officials. According
to the Government, on Monday the Romanian PM will have a working dinner with
the president of the European Council Charles Michael. On Tuesday, Ciucă will
have meetings with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der
Leyen and with other EC members. The PM will also have a meeting with the
secretary general of NATO Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO headquarters.

BUDGET The
government of Romania passed a number of measures on which the 2022 public
budget is based. An emergency order freezing the salaries of public officials and
other public sector staff, with 2 exceptions, was endorsed by the Cabinet with
amendments compared to the version subject to public debate. The bill also
includes other measures, such as a low VAT rate only for the purchase of a
family’s first home. The new tax provisions, alongside the new Ceilings Act,
are the foundation of next year’s state budget, and are designed to reduce
expenditure and maintain the public deficit below 6.2% of GDP.

ANTI-CORRUPTION The government approved the 2021-2025 National
Anti-Corruption Strategy, the justice minister Cătălin Predoiu announced. He pointed
out that the document is a political commitment to support all institutions
involved in fighting corruption, and also a first goal met out of the ones
included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan in the judicial sector. Predoiu
added that the Strategy is correlated with international instruments to which
Romania is affiliated, such as GRECO and the Cooperation and Verification
Mechanism. The CVM was introduced in January 2007, upon Romania’s and Bulgaria’s EU accession, to support the 2
countries in overcoming deficiencies in judicial reform and in fighting
corruption.

BORDER As of Monday, December 20, travellers entering Romania are
no longer required to fill in separate COVID-19 statement, because all the data
will be included in the digital Passenger Locator Form (PLF). The measure is expected
to help reduce waiting times at border checkpoints, including at the Henri
Coanda Airport, near Bucharest. The transport minister Sorin Grindeanu Saturday
requested the Airport management to take steps to streamline passenger flows
and to avoid crowding. The request came after hundreds of people waited for a
long time for the authorities to check their documents. Romanian border
checkpoints are getting crowded these days, as many Romanians living abroad are
coming home for Christmas. Queuing is reported at the checkpoints on Romania’s
western borders, where apart from travel documents the digital Covid
certificates and PCR tests must also be checked. In order to streamline border
crossing, at the checkpoint in Giurgiu (south), the number of border police
will be increased by 20%.

MINORITIES Romania
celebrated on December 18 the Day of Ethnic Minorities. President Klaus
Iohannis said on this occasion that ethnic minorities make an essential
contribution to social cohesion and that only together can a modern Romania be
built, with no place for racism, xenophobia and intolerance. Protecting cultural
heritage, including that of national minorities, is a priority for the Culture
Ministry, which treasures the culture of minorities as an element contributing to
the shaping of Romanian culture as we know it today, reads a news release
issued by the institution.

COVID-19 733 new COVID-19 cases
and 64 related fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, the
authorities announced on Saturday. The coordinator of the vaccination campaign,
Valeriu Gheorghiţă, announced on the other hand that the number of people
requesting their first doses of anti Sars-CoV-2 vaccine is on the decrease. He detailed
that the number of people who get their first vaccine doses drops by 15-25%
from one week to the next. On Saturday only 4,500 first
doses were administered. Meanwhile, the Omicron variant of the virus has been
reported in 89 countries, with the number of cases doubling over 1.5-3 days in
areas with community transmission, the WHO announced on Saturday. WHO first
labelled Omicron a variant of concern on November 26. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

18 December 2021
December 18, 2021

VISIT The PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă will be on a visit to
Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, for talks with senior EU and NATO officials. According
to the Government, on Monday the Romanian PM will have a working dinner with
the president of the European Council Charles Michael. On Tuesday, Ciucă will
have meetings with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der
Leyen and with other EC members. The PM will also have a meeting with the
secretary general of NATO Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO headquarters.

BUDGET The
government of Romania passed a number of measures on which the 2022 public
budget is based. An emergency order freezing the salaries of public officials and
other public sector staff, with 2 exceptions, was endorsed by the Cabinet with
amendments compared to the version subject to public debate. The bill also
includes other measures, such as a low VAT rate only for the purchase of a
family’s first home. The new tax provisions, alongside the new Ceilings Act,
are the foundation of next year’s state budget, and are designed to reduce
expenditure and maintain the public deficit below 6.2% of GDP.

ANTI-CORRUPTION The government approved the 2021-2025 National
Anti-Corruption Strategy, the justice minister Cătălin Predoiu announced. He pointed
out that the document is a political commitment to support all institutions
involved in fighting corruption, and also a first goal met out of the ones
included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan in the judicial sector. Predoiu
added that the Strategy is correlated with international instruments to which
Romania is affiliated, such as GRECO and the Cooperation and Verification
Mechanism. The CVM was introduced in January 2007, upon Romania’s and Bulgaria’s EU accession, to support the 2
countries in overcoming deficiencies in judicial reform and in fighting
corruption.

BORDER Romanian border checkpoints are getting crowded these days,
as many Romanians living abroad are coming home for Christmas. Queuing is
reported at the checkpoints on Romania’s western borders, as apart from travel
documents the digital Covid certificates and the PCR tests must be checked. Crowding
was also reported on the Otopeni International Airport, near Bucharest. Hundreds
of people waited for a long time for the authorities to check their documents. On
Monday, an additional digital form will be introduced, to trace travellers. In order
to streamline border crossing, at the checkpoint in Giurgiu (south), the number
of border police will be increased by 20%.

MINORITIES Romania
celebrates on December 18 the Day of Ethnic Minorities. The president Klaus
Iohannis said on this occasion that ethnic minorities make an essential
contribution to social cohesion and that only together can a modern Romania be
built, with no place for racism, xenophobia and intolerance. Protecting cultural
heritage, including that of national minorities, is a priority for the Culture
Ministry, which treasures the culture of minorities as an element contributing
in the shaping of Romanian culture as we know it today, reads a news release
issued by the institution. As many as 18 ethnic minorities are officially
recognised in Romania at present, namely Hungarian, Rroma,
German, Ukrainian, Russian, Lipovan, Jewish, Turk, Tatar, Armenian, Bulgarian,
Serbian, Croatian, Czech, Slovakian, Polish, Greek, Albanian and Italian.

COVID 733 new COVID-19 cases and 64 related fatalities were
reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, the authorities announced on
Saturday. The coordinator of the vaccination campaign, Valeriu Gheorghiţă, announced
on the other hand that the number of people requesting their first doses of anti
Sars-CoV-2 vaccine is on the decrease. He detailed that the number of people
who get their first vaccine doses drops by 15-25% from one week to the next. Valeriu Gheorghiţă also said that Romania
might receive Pfizer vaccine children doses next month, and the vaccination of
children aged 5 to 11 may begin in the second half of January. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

18 December 2021