Radio România Internațional

Tag: waiver

  • September 23, 2021 UPDATE

    September 23, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The COVID-19 epidemic stays on an upward
    trend in Romania. Thursday was the second consecutive day with more than 7,000 new
    cases in 24 hours (7,095 new cases out of nearly 54,000 tests). The largest
    number of infections is reported in the capital Bucharest. The number of Covid
    patients in intensive care is now over 1,000, a situation last seen in early
    May in Romania, and the number of coronavirus-related deaths was 113. Over
    300 towns and villages in the country are now on the red list of places where
    the infection rate is over 3 per thousand. Meanwhile, the total number of vaccine doses
    administered to Romanians went over 10 million on Thursday.


    MEASURES The COVID digital certificate remains a requirement for
    access to indoor events in places with infection rates of over 3 per thousand, and
    it will be compulsory for children over 12, instead of over 6 as originally
    stipulated. Another measure allows businesses to stay open after 6pm, in places
    with infection rates between 3 and 6 per thousand. A night curfew will be in
    place over weekends wherever the infection rate is over 6 per thousand, and
    throughout the week in places with infection rates above 7.5 per thousand. PM
    Florin Cîţu also announced today that vaccinated people will be allowed to
    leave their homes without a sworn statement in places under curfew or lockdown.
    Meanwhile, an emergency order on the COVID
    digital certificate has been endorsed by the Senate and is next to be discussed
    in the Chamber of Deputies. The digital certificate was created at EU level to
    facilitate free travel during the pandemic. The document, which includes a QR
    code, certifies that the holder has been vaccinated, recovered from the disease
    or tested negative for COVID.


    AMBASSADOR
    Romania has been a candidate for accession to the Visa Waiver programme for
    almost 15 years, said the new Romanian ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru,
    who mentioned that there are only three EU member states whose citizens need a
    short-stay visa on US territory. According to Andrei Muraru, the visa rejection
    rate is currently at a fairly high level, around 10%, but he pointed out that
    Romanian and US authorities are working to bring it down to the maximum 3% allowed
    for the Visa Waiver. The Romanian ambassador to the US also said that an
    information campaign will be organized in Bucharest for citizens to find out
    how they can apply for a visa, why their applications are turned down and why
    they should not apply if they do not meet the criteria set by the American
    side.


    NAVY The
    Romanian Navy’s Vice-admiral Constantin Bălescu Minelayer will take part in
    the EUNAVFOR MED operation Irini, in the Mediterranean Sea, between
    the 1st of October and the end of this year. Romanian marines will
    ensure compliance with the arms embargo enforced by the UN on Libya. The
    mission also targets illegal trafficking in oil products, drugs and people, by
    monitoring sea traffic and inspections of suspicious vessels in the
    Mediterranean. A combat diver unit is on board, and the 85 crew members have
    been tested, vaccinated against COVID-19 and isolated in Romanian Navy
    facilities prior to the operation.


    INSURANCE The government passed an emergency order enabling drivers who need to
    have their cars repaired under an insurance policy issued by City Insurance to
    receive their claims more quickly under the Insurance Guarantee Fund. They will
    no longer have to wait for a court to declare the company bankrupt. When its
    license was cancelled, City Insurance had 3 million civil liability policies
    issued to car owners. The Prosecutor General’s Office Thursday had documents
    seized from the company headquarters, as part of a criminal investigation
    following a complaint filed by the Financial Supervising Authority.


    INFRINGEMENT The European Commission Thursday sent Romania and Poland letters of
    formal notice for not correctly incorporating certain aspects of the Offshore
    Safety Directive into their legal systems. These letters of formal notice are
    actually the official start of the infringement procedure. Romania and Poland
    have two months to address the shortcomings, otherwise the Commission may decide to
    send a reasoned opinion. Also on Thursday, the
    Commission took measures against 19 member states, Romania included, for
    failing to take the necessary steps to ensure their citizens benefit from the
    EU audio-visual mass media and telecoms legislation. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Foreign Ministry discusses topical issues

    Foreign Ministry discusses topical issues

    Romania has ‘exceptionally good relations with Israel, which is a strategic partner to Bucharest, but it also has ‘very good relations with the Palestinian side. The statement was made on a private tv station by the foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, who discussed the severe security situation in Israel and Gaza.



    The Romanian diplomat firmly condemned the rocket attacks from the territory controlled by the Islamist group Hamas over civilian targets in Israel. “We have voiced our deep regret for the loss of human lives and the hopes that this will not happen again. Unfortunately, such situations still occur, the Romanian official said.



    According to Aurescu, around 320-350 Romanian nationals, including people with dual citizenship, are currently in Gaza Strip, and the diplomatic missions in the region have been instructed to provide support to them, should such support be requested.



    Apart from this most important international issue at the moment, the Romanian diplomacy chief also discussed the delicate topic of the visas still required for the Romanian citizens who want to travel to the US, in spite of the strong strategic partnership between Washington and Bucharest and the EU criticism of the US.



    Bulgarians, Croatians, Cypriots and Romanians are the only EU citizens who need visas in order to enter the US, and the European Parliament has requested the Commission to activate the visa reciprocity mechanism and to suspend for one year the waiver of visa requirements for US citizens.



    This however is not a file of special political and diplomatic nature, but rather a technical matter. Minister Bogdan Aurescu explained that Romanians still need visas for the US because the rejection rate of 9-10% of the total number of applications is higher than the 3% ceiling admitted under the US law. Romania meets all the other criteria stipulated by the American legislation, except for the one concerning the rejection rate.



    This situation cannot be blamed on either the Romanian or the US authorities, but is related to the failure of some Romanian visa applicants to meet relevant requirements, Aurescu emphasised.



    He added that he had discussed the matter with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. The two agreed that a joint Romanian-American information campaign is needed for the Romanian nationals who want to travel to the US, so as to make applicants seeking short-term stay visas in the US aware of the prerequisites for obtaining one. Those who find they do not meet these prerequisites might thus refrain from applying, and the rejection rate would therefore drop.



    There have been initiatives in the US Congress regarding possible exceptions from the visa requirements for citizens of allied countries, but such initiatives have failed, the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also said. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Romanian foreign minister on US visit

    Romanian foreign minister on US visit

    The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had political consultations in Washington with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on which occasion he welcomed the United States intention to strengthen its military presence in Romania.



    In turn, the American official appreciated the several decade-long partnership between the 2 states, recently illustrated by the intergovernmental agreement signed on October 9th for revamping and building a new reactor for the Cernavodă nuclear power plant in south-eastern Romania.



    The 2 officials discussed ways to strengthen relations in the field of defence, to enhance energy security in Europe by means of Black Sea gas development, as well as the Three Seas Initiatives potential to generate growth. They also tackled a stronger US involvement, including financial involvement, in projects targeting the interconnection of the north and south of the region, with both economic benefits and with a strategic impact on military mobility.



    The Romanian diplomacy chief explained for Radio Romania that the projects will be implemented through the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund:



    Bogdan Aurescu: “Sometime, most likely by the end of the year, the Investment Fund will make public the projects it has selected in the first series to be financed by the Fund. We have also discussed the importance of launching as soon as possible the development of the energy resources on the Black Sea continental shelf, with American involvement, because these are extremely necessary for ensuring the energy independence of Romania, the Republic of Moldova, as well as other states in the region.



    On the other hand, Bucharest and Washington will have a joint task force working for Romanias inclusion in the Visa Waiver programme. Moreover, the European Parliament is to pass a resolution asking the European Commission to take measures with respect to the fact that Romanians need a visa to reach the US.



    Bogdan Aurescu: “Talks are held on a regular basis, because the situation is monitored and there is a dialogue between the US and the EU as regards mobility, including the Visa Waiver. During my discussion here I emphasized the importance that Romanian citizens attach to this programme and to Romania being included in the Visa Waiver, the symbolic importance and the sensitivity on the part of the Romanian people with respect to this goal. Secretary Pompeo has understood very well the goals and arguments we have presented, which is why we have agreed to set up this task force, to see the steps that need to be taken in the forthcoming period so that we may accomplish this goal.



    Bogdan Aurescu also said that preparations are ongoing for the 7th session of the bilateral strategic dialogue, scheduled to take place in Washington in the first half of next year. (translated by: A. M. Popescu)

  • June 10, 2020

    June 10, 2020

    COVID-19 In Romania, 6 more people infected with the novel coronavirus died, taking the death toll to 1,360, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Wednesday. According to the latest data, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Romania is over 20,700. Of these, more than 14,900 have recovered, while 152 patients are in intensive care units. Around 3,300 Romanian nationals living abroad have so far tested positive for the virus, mostly in Italy, Germany and Spain, and 114 of them died. A large-scale testing programme begins in Bucharest today, aimed at determining the immunisation level, the City Hall announced. 10,500 people have been selected to take part, based on sampling conducted by the National Public Health Institute. The head of the Emergency Department (DSU), Raed Arafat, said on Tuesday night that the European Civil Protection structures are preparing for a possible second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that no one can predict at present whether this will be more severe than the first. Arafat argued that full relaxation is not recommended and that, should a second wave start, some measures will have to be taken.



    PARLIAMENT In Bucharest, the finance minister, Florin Cîţu, is invited today to present explanations to the Senate’s economic and budget-finances committees concerning the Standard&Poor’s decision with respect to including Romania in their investment-grade category. Yesterday, a simple motion tabled by the Social Democratic Party in opposition against labour minister Violeta Alexandru was discussed and passed by the Senate. The Social Democrats requested the Labour Minister to step down over the emergency order on furlough and other measures concerning vulnerable categories, which was poorly written and required several successive changes. The minister was also criticised for how she handled the situation of the Romanian nationals who left the country to work abroad.



    PROTEST The ”Ambulanţa” National Trade Union Federation organised a 2-hour protest across Romania, to warn against the postponement of regulations concerning the ambulance personnel and the organisation of ambulance services in the country. The unionists are also disgruntled, among other things, with the authorities failing to pay the COVID-19 bonus and other incentives, and overlooking a number of legislative initiatives coming from the Federation.



    MEETING The Romanian interior minister Marcel Vela and the US Ambassador to Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman had a meeting focusing, among others, on the strategic partnership and the Visa Waiver programme. The 2 officials also discussed the cooperation between the US and Romania in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and in fighting crime. At present Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus are the only EU member states not covered by the US Visa Waiver system.



    FUNERAL George Floyd, the African-American whose death while in police custody triggered anti-racism protests around the world, was buried in his home town, Houston. Calls for racial justice were the main theme of the funeral. In the US Congress, the Democrats yesterday tabled a police reform bill aimed at putting an end to racism in the system. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Washington, the “Justice in Policing Act of 2020 is the most ambitious and comprehensive law enforcement reform attempted in Congress in recent decades, following the massive protests sparked by George Floyds death.



    PANDEMIC The total number of novel coronavirus infections worldwide now passes 7.2 million, with over 3.5 million patients recovered and 408,000 dead, according to worldometers.info. The US remains the worst hit country in the world, with nearly 113,000 deaths, followed by Britain with close to 41,000, Brazil (over 38,000) and Italy (over 34,000 deaths). Brazil, one of the most affected countries in the world, has resumed the release of data concerning the Covid-19 infections on the governments home page, following a Supreme Court ruling. In spite of the large number of victims, many countries continue to ease containment measures and reopen their economy.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Romanians and the freedom of movement

    Romanians and the freedom of movement

    Romania is not far from joining the Schengen visa-free area and from inclusion in the Visa Waiver programme, the European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos said. He took part in Bucharest in a EU-USA ministerial meeting on justice and home affairs. The event was organized under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.



    Dimitris Avramopoulos said Romania will be very soon a member of the Schengen area, given that it has met most of its relevant commitments. He also added that the day is not far when Romanians will be able to travel without a visa to the USA. Romania and 4 other EU member states, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia and Poland, are waiting to be included in the Visa Waiver programme. Dimitris Avramopoulos talked about the importance of the cooperation between the US and the EU in terms of border management, security and migration.



    In March, the EU announced that as of 2021 US citizens will need visas in order to travel into Schengen countries. The European Commission had repeatedly requested Washington to waive visa requirements for the citizens of the 5 EU member states, because under the EU rules, all European citizens must have equal rights.



    Attending the meeting in Bucharest was also the US Attorney General William Barr, who on the sidelines of the ministerial event also had talks with Romanian officials, including President Klaus Iohannis and PM Viorica Dancila. The latter requested the support of the US Attorney General for Romania to be accepted in the Visa Waiver programme.



    The Prime Minister also said the Government of Romania is determined to find the best solutions to carry on the reform of the judiciary and criminal legislation, in line with Romanias international commitments, as well as with the recommendations of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, the Venice Commission, GRECO and the USA. The American official expressed his appreciation for the solid Strategic Partnership with Romania, which, he said, is the United States most reliable ally in the region.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The visa regime for EU and North-American citizens

    The visa regime for EU and North-American citizens

    Never in its history has the EU been more vulnerable as today, within a month of the bloody attacks in Brussels, and two days after the negative result of the referendum in the Netherlands on the Association Agreement with Ukraine. European media see the result as a new signal of rejection for Europe. According to the US press, the Dutch rejected a trade agreement due to their bitterness towards the EU. Adding to this tension is the forthcoming referendum in the UK on this countrys EU membership.



    Against this delicate backdrop, Europe is trying to regain its cohesion, while Brussels is now standing up for its members in their relations with US partners. International media speculate the EU might introduce visas for US and Canadian citizens traveling to the community area, in response to Washington and Ottawas reluctance to lift the visa regime on some EU citizens. The United States and Canada still require travel visas for citizens of Romania and Bulgaria, two countries that joined the EU in 2007. The US has also excluded Croatia, Cyprus and Poland from the Visa Waiver Program.



    EU officials now call for a political debate in order to solve this urgent matter. The debate might be held as early as Tuesday, a week ahead of the visit US president Barack Obama is scheduled to pay to Europe. The US president will take part in negotiations regarding a bilateral treaty between the EU and the US in terms of trade and investments. This could be the biggest trade agreement in history, which both sides believe will very likely be adopted by the end of Obamas term in office, in January 2017.



    On the other hand, introducing visas for Americans and Canadians could negatively impact the European tourist industry, already shaken by terrorist threats. “There are many questions regarding this treaty, and no one can say exactly how this story is going to end. We hope to persuade Obama to accept as many of our terms as possible, an MEP has told the press.



    For Romania, not being part of the visa Waiver casts a dark reflection on its relations with the US. The two countries are allies within NATO and bound by a strategic bilateral partnership. Romania is home to major US military bases and economic investments. Ever since the 19th century, North America has been home to large Romanian communities, which today total some 500 thousand people. Political pundits say all these aspects compel US authorities to take immediate action to lift visas for Romanian citizens.


    (translated by: Vlad Palcu)

  • Das Schwarze Meer kommt nicht ins Visa-Waiver-Programm

    Das Schwarze Meer kommt nicht ins Visa-Waiver-Programm

    Die Zeichen stehen schlecht: Rumänien hat keine Chance, 2016 ins Visa-Waiver-Programm aufgenommen zu werden. Dies gab am Montag der US-Botschafter in Bukarest, Hans Klemm bekannt; somit bestätigte er die Befürchtung, dass visafreie USA-Reisen für rumänische Staatsangehörige immer noch ein entfernter Traum bleiben. Es gebe zwei Gründe, warum Rumänien nicht besonders große Chancen habe, bald ins Visa-Waiver-Programm aufgenommen zu werden, so US-Botschafter Hans Klemm. Erstens verlangt die US-Gesetzgebung, dass die Visa-Waiver-Programm-Teilnehmer eine Ablehnungsrate von unter 3% verzeichnen. Laut jüngsten Statistiken, die vor etwa einem Jahr veröffentlicht wurden, ist aber die Ablehnungsrate der rumänischen Staatsbürger, trotz einer positiven Entwicklung, immer noch bedeutend höher als verlangt – nämlich etwa 10%. Zweitens ist der politische Kontext in den USA zur Zeit nicht günstig für eine Gesetzesänderung im Sinne einer höheren minimalen Prozenthürde. Da aber Rumänien alle andere Bedingungen für die Aufnahme ins Visa-Waiver-Programm erfüllt hat, ist die dreiprozentige Ablehunungsrate das einzige Hindernis, die den Rumänen die visafreie Einreise in die USA blockiert.



    Eine Lösung für dieses Problem wäre – so US-Botschafter Hans Klemm – dass die Rumänen sich über alle Forderungen betreffend die Visaausstellung korrekt informieren, und bereits vor dem Beantragen eines US-Einreisevisums wissen, ob sie in der Tat eine Chance haben, dieses auch zu bekommen. Ferner müssen sich sowohl die US- als auch die rumänischen Behörden gemeinsam bemühen, um den Antragstellern die Forderungen für die Ausstellung eines US-Visums genau zu erklären. Die gemeinsamen Anstrengungen der rumänischen und amerikanischen Behorden gehen aber über die Visumsfrage weit hinaus.



    Bukarest und Washington haben eine strategische Partnerschaft unterzeichnet, und betrachten den Begriff Sicherheit als Schlüsselbegriff der bilateralen Beziehungen. Sicherheit bezieht sich daher nicht nur auf die militärische Zusammenarbeit, sondern auch auf das Rechtsstaat und auf ein nachhaltiges Wirtschaftswachstum. Was die Wirtschaft betrifft, so leidet die Anziehung von höheren amerikanischen Investitionen nach Rumänien wegen der mangelhaften Infrastruktur in den Bereichen Transport und Energie. Der US-Botschafter Hans Klemm ist der Meinung, dass eine bessere Integration Rumäniens in die Europäische Union und eine bessere Verwertung der zu Verfügung stehenden gemeinschaftlichen Ressourcen besonders vorteilhaft wären, um eine für US-Investoren profitable Infrastruktur zu schaffen.



    In Puncto Rechtsstaat begrüßte der US-Diplomat die Aktivität der Nationalen Antikorruptionsbehörde. Laut dem jüngsten Korruptionswahrnehmungsindex von Transparency International habe sich Rumänien um 10 Stellen verbessert, so Hans Klemm. Nicht zuletzt seien die NATO-Partner USA und Rumänien daran interessiert, dass das Schwarze Meer zur freien Schifffahrtszone und zum Stabilitätsraum in der Region wird. Im heutigen komplizierten geopolitischen Kontext beobachten die USA und ihre Alliierten mit besonderer Aufmerksamkeit die Entwicklungen im Schwarzmeerraum und erarbeiten mögliche Maßnahmen, um die Verteidigung in diesem Teil der Welt zu verbessern.

  • Libera circulaţie a românilor în America

    Libera circulaţie a românilor în America

    Dacă în Uniunea Europeană, după accederea în 2007, românii pot să călătorească liber, pentru a intra pe teritoriul Statelor Unite ei trebuie, încă, să treacă pe la Ambasada americană pentru a obţine, în prealabil, viză. In acest context, autorităţile de la Bucureşti dau asigurări că vor continua să acorde o atenţie “prioritară” accederii cât mai rapide a României în Visa Waiver, atât în dialogul cu reprezentanţii Administraţiei SUA, cât şi prin demersuri la nivelul Congresului american.



    Programul Visa Waiver le permite cetăţenilor din anumite ţări să călătorească în Statele Unite în scopuri turistice sau de afaceri pe o perioadă de cel mult 90 de zile, fără să aibă nevoie de viză. Programul a fost infiinţat în 1986 cu scopul de a elimina barierele inutile, de a stimula industria americană a turismului şi de a permite Departamentului de Stat să-şi canalizeze resursele consulare în alte domenii. Nu toate ţările fac parte din Visa Waiver. Pentru ca un stat să fi eligibil pentru acest program, guvernul său trebuie, între altele, să asigure reciprocitate, să-şi adapteze tehnologia de verificare a paşapoartelor şi să implementeze programe biometrice de identificare a persoanelor.



    In plus, ţara respectivă trebuie să aibă o rată scăzută de imigraţie clandestină, iar indicele de refuz al cererilor pentru viză, calculat la nivel naţional, să fie mic. Or, Washingtonul a anunţat scăderea la 11,5% a procentului ratei de refuz a solicitărilor de viză din partea cetăţenilor români în anul fiscal 2012-2013. Ministerul român de Externe a salutat vestea, punctând că această evoluţie reconfirmă tendinţa descrescătoare semnificativă înregistrată în ultimii ani. În 2010, procentul ratei de refuz a fost de 24,8%, în 2011 – de 22,4%, iar în 2012 — de 17%.



    Scăderea, în continuare, a ratei de refuz a solicitărilor de viză depuse de români, coroborată cu eventuala adoptare, de către Congresul SUA, a unui act normativ care să relaxeze criteriile de acces în programul Visa Waiver, are potenţialul de a contribui substanţial la atingerea, cât mai curând, a obiectivului eliminării regimului de vize pe relaţia cu SUA — spune MAE de la Bucureşti. Bulgaria, Croaţia, Cipru, Polonia şi România sunt singurele ţări din Uniunea Europeană ai căror cetăţeni au, încă, nevoie de viză pentru a călători în SUA. La finele lunii august, patru foşti ambasadori americani în România — James Rosapepe, J.D. Crouch, Michael Guest şi Mark Gittenstein — au pledat, într-un articol publicat în Washington Post, pentru modificarea criteriilor de accedere în programul Visa Waiver, care le-ar putea oferi acestor ţări mai multe şanse de aderare.



    În timpul vizitei efectuate în SUA, premierul Victor Ponta a punctat că menţinerea României în afara programului Visa Waiver este o nedreptate, având în vedere statutul de aliat şi parteneriatul strategic cu Statele Unite.