Radio România Internațional

Tag: war

October 6, 2022 UPDATE

EPC The EU unity can be consolidated if Romania, Bulgaria
and Croatia are becoming part of the Schengen area, Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis said in Prague on Thursday. Leaders of 42 countries have convened in
the Czech capital for a first meeting of the European Political Community (EPC)
a new structure proposed by French president Emmanuel Macron in response to the
war Russia is presently waging on Ukraine. The Russian invasion has caused a
total geopolitical rethinking and the EPC wants to be a cooperation platform on
security issues between the EU countries and its partners on the continent, candidates
or non-candidates to accession. During the informal meeting of the European
Council, due in Prague on Friday, the EU leaders are expected to be tackling
the situation in Ukraine from the angle of the response to Russia’s escalating
the conflict as well as providing financial, political, military and
humanitarian support to Ukraine. The situation on the energy market will also
be high on the agenda from the viewpoint of the impact of the latest price
hikes and energy security.

NOBEL French writer Annie Ernaux has
reaped the Nobel Prize in literature this year. According to the Swedish
Academy in Stockholm, Ernaux has been awarded the prize for the courage and
clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective
restrains of personal memory. Last year the Nobel prize in literature went to Tanzanian-born
British novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah.

REFUGEES The Border Police
General Inspectorate (IGPF) informs that on Wednesday, 71,642 people, including
8,486 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania through border points throughout the
country, an increase of about 10% compared to the previous day. According to a
communiqué sent on Thursday, starting on February 10, 2022, two weeks before
the Russian army invaded Ukraine, 2,508,047 Ukrainian citizens have entered
Romania. Most of them continued their journey to Western European countries,
but, according to the Romanian Interior Ministry, more than 4,300 applied for
and received asylum in Romania and benefit from all the rights provided by the
national legislation. About 70 thousand others have residence permits, for the
beneficiaries of temporary protection.

IAEA The head of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will try to talk with officials in Kyiv and
Moscow about the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the occupied
southern Ukraine, the largest in Europe, which the Russians have taken hold of
as part of the so-called annexation of the region. For weeks on end, the plant
has been the target of intense bombing, for which Moscow and Kyiv have blamed
each other, and which fueled fears of a nuclear catastrophe. Russian President
Vladimir Putin has said the military situation will stabilize in
the annexed Ukrainian territories, where his forces are suffering a series of
setbacks against Kiev’s army. Ukraine had announced that it had again gained
ground in the Luhansk region (east), after the successes in Kherson (south) and
Kharkov (northeast). In what analysts call a sign of confusion in Russia, the
army’s failures prompted a senior parliamentary official, deputy Andrei
Kartapolov, a former military commander, to ask defense ministry chiefs to
stop lying about the defeats.

WAR Ukraine has announced its forces have recaptured
several localities in the southern region of Kherson, one of the four regions
partly occupied and illegally annexed by Russia. The Ukrainian counteroffensive
continues, president Zelensky has said. On Wednesday, Russian president
Vladimir Putin signed the documents for the annexation of the regions of
Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, in spite of the failures his army
is facing on the ground. Putin has also signed a decree to make official the capturing
by his forces of the nuclear power plant of Zaporizhzhia. The plant, which is the
biggest of this kind in Europe is still being exploited by Ukrainian employees.
Russia and Ukraine have been accusing each other of shelling its neighbourhood.

(bill)

6 October 2022
October 5, 2022

FIREWOOD The prices of firewood and
wood derivatives used for heating will be capped in Romania until the end of
March 2023. A draft emergency order in this respect is being discussed by the
Cabinet today. Beneficiaries will include individuals, public and private
education institutions, social service providers, local authorities and places
of worship. The measure is intended to help Romanians cope this winter with the
skyrocketing fuel, energy and natural gas prices. Also today the government is
scheduled to endorse the 2030 National Forest Strategy.

ENERGY A Pact for Clean Energy
Resilience was launched in Romania on Tuesday. The initiative came from Smart
Energy Association and is an invitation to the authorities and private sector
to implement programmes and awareness raising campaigns regarding the need to
cut energy consumption and to use clean energy sources. The president of the
Association, Dumitru Chisăliţă, says cutting consumption should be achieved not
through restrictive measures, but rather by improving efficiency. The
Association also released a guideline for authorities, comprising energy saving
solutions.

SCHENGEN The European Parliament discusses in Strasbourg today
Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. MEPs are expected to call for
the Schengen passport-free travel area to be completed swiftly by extending it
to all EU member states who wish to participate, with a resolution in this
respect to be voted on in the next plenary session. Another topic on the
European Parliament’s agenda concerns the mobilisation of Russian reserve
troops, the illegal referendums in Ukrainian occupied regions and the nuclear
threats voiced by the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. MEPs
will request firm responses from member states to Russia’s preparations to
annex Ukrainian territories and to step up military actions.

CEREMONY The Royal House of Romania last night hosted a ceremony
devoted to the Romanian-British partnership and the rule of Charles III. In her
address, the Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Margareta, sent a message of
hope and confidence to Britain’s new sovereign, King Charles III. In turn, the
British Ambassador to Bucharest, Andrew Noble, pointed out that the British
nationals who live in and love Romania are blessed to have a monarch who knows
Romania so well.

UKRAINE The president of Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced fast and powerful progress for his army in the
south of the country, where scores of localities have been reclaimed this week
from the Russian troops. According to AFP, in his daily address
posted on social networks, Zelenskyy promised that the Ukrainian troops would
not stop and that it was only a matter of time until the Russians would be
driven out of the entire Ukrainian territory. On the other hand, the Ukrainian
president welcomed India’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Ukraine, voiced during a telephone call with PM Narendra Modi. Previously, Kyiv
had criticised New Delhi over its neutrality. Meanwhile, in Brussels, EU
countries Wednesday reached a political agreement on the implementation of an
8th package of sanctions against Russia, this one in response to the illegal
annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions.

IAEA The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
Rafael Grossi, will travel to Kyiv and then to Moscow this week to discuss a
protection zone around the Ukrainian nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhya. Rafael
Grossi will carry on consultations to have the mechanism in place as soon as
possible, the Agency said in a news release. The nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya,
the largest in Europe, is occupied by Russian forces, but is still operated by
Ukrainian personnel. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling the
plant area. (AMP)

5 October 2022
September 26, 2022

VISIT Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the president of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu have arrived in Japan to attend the state funeral for the countrys former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who made a significant contribution to the process of bringing up the relations between the two countries to that of a strategic partnership. Abe was killed on July 8th by a former officer with a makeshift gun while delivering a campaign speech. The two Romanian officials have today met the Parliamentary League Japan-Romania Friendship headed by president Ichiro Assawa. Talks focused on economic cooperation as Japan is the biggest Asian investor in Romania. Prime Minister Ciuca has underlined the determination of the Romanian government to boost investment given the latest encouraging dynamics of the bilateral contacts. In turn, the Japanese official has appreciated the presence in Japan of the Romanian Prime Minister and announced the all-out support for the implementation of the Japan-Romania Strategic Partnership and strengthening bilateral cooperation, including at the exterior level, against the regional and international background, which needs the protection of democracy and the rule of law. During his three-day visit to Tokyo, the Romanian Prime Minister will be meeting his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and with high officials from other countries who are attending the funeral.

REFUGEES According to sources with the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, over 90 thousand people entered Romania on Sunday, including 10 thousand Ukrainian nationals, 7.6% less than in the previous day. Since February 10, 2022, over 2.4 million Ukrainian nationals have crossed the border into Romania.

FLU Health experts are expecting the flu to have a major impact during the cold season 2022-2023. According to these experts vaccination remains extremely important to reduce the risk of the double infection with the classical flu virus and with SARS-CoV-2 mainly with the vulnerable categories. Romania has already received the first batches of anti-flu vaccines, which are available at family physicians.

FOOTBALL Romanias national football side is today playing Bosnia in Bucharest in their last game in Nations League B. We recall that the game is very important to Romania as its side is presently ranking last in its group and runs the risk of being demoted to the competitions third section. Also today Montenegro plays Finland. Romania is hankering for a win against Bosnia and also needs that Finland may not win in Podgorica.

WAR Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday in a televised interview that his troops had received from the USA an advanced anti-aircraft system, which would significantly contribute to the consolidation of their positions on the frontline. The NASAMS interceptors are effective against cruise missiles, drones as well as warplanes and helicopters. In the meantime on the ground, Russian troops have shelled several regions in southern Ukraine. According to Radio Romania correspondent in Ukraine, in Mykolaiv, Russian drones have hit several buildings and the water pipeline has been hit by a rocket. Kamikaze drones from Russia have allegedly hit several targets in Odesa, where the anti-aircraft defence managed to bring down a Russian Su-25 jet, which was strafing ground troops close to Kherson. In Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, two Russian missiles have destroyed a hospital and another building. In another development, the first Russian reservists have arrived at their military units, sources with the British Defence Ministry have announced.

HANDBALL Romanias women vice-champions CSM Bucharest managed to avoid defeat in their home game on Sunday ending 28-all against German handball side BBM Bietigheim. The match was counting towards the Group A of the Champions League in womens handball. CSM will be up against Danish side Odense on October 9th. Another Romanian side Rapid Bucharest secured a 33-26 away win against Turkish side Kastamonu. On October 9th, Rapid will be up against Danish side Team Esbjerg. Bucharest is the only city in Europe with two sides in the continents most important handball competition.

(bill)

26 September 2022
September 23, 2022

VISIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is today meeting Romanian
entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, USA. Iohannis earlier met members of the
Romanian community on the West Coast and told them that Romania is in a
complicated situation created by the war in neighboring Ukraine, but the
country is doing well and the economy is growing. According to Iohannis,
Romania has received nearly 2 million and a half refugees from that country and
has eased Ukraine’s grain exports. 60% of Ukraine’s grain exports have so far
been done via Romania and we are making efforts to increase this quantity -
Iohannis said. He said the almost 450 thousand Romanians who are living in the
USA are making an extraordinarily important bridge between the two countries.
The community of Romanians in the USA is the fifth largest after those from Italy,
Britain and Germany. We recall that on Tuesday and Wednesday Iohannis headed
the Romanian delegation attending the UN General Assembly.

MANDATE Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has handed over the
mandate of the presidency of Community of Democracies to the Foreign Minister of
Canada, Melanie Joly during a ceremony held in New York on the sidelines of the
UN General Assembly. Aurescu reviewed the highlights of the three-year mandate
of the Romanian presidency adding that during these three years, democracies,
human and international rights faced a lot of challenges, such as the Covid-19
pandemic and the unjustified military aggression against Ukraine. According to
him, under the Romanian presidency and with his support, a group of member
states on February 24th endorsed a declaration voicing their support
for the democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its
internationally-recognized borders. At the same time the signatory countries
have firmly condemned the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and have
unequivocally voiced their support for the Ukrainian people in its democratic
aspirations.

WAR
Ukrainian president
Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Russians to resist the partial military mobilisation
announced by president Putin. According to Zelensky, 55 thousand Russian troops
have been killed in this war. Want more? No? Then protest, fight back, run
away or surrender to the Ukrainian army, Zelensky says in a video message in
Russian language. He has accused the Russian citizens they are accomplices to
the crimes their troops are committing against the Ukrainians. Clashes between
the two armies have carried on both in the south and eastern Ukraine. In another
development, four regions in southern and eastern Ukraine, under Moscow’s total
and partial control, are to vote in a referendum to join Russia until Tuesday.
The polls, hastily organised after being announced this week have been widely
condemned in the west as illegitimate.

FOOTBALL Romania’s national eleven is tonight playing Finland in an away
game counting towards Group 3 in the Nations’ B League. On Monday, the
Romanians will be up against Bosnia in Bucharest, their last match in the group.
Some newspapers in Bucharest say this could be our national side’s last match
with selector Edward Iordanescu at the helm due to their poor performances in
the league, where Romania ranks last with only one win and three defeats, after
Finland, Montenegro and Bosnia.

REFUGEES Sources with the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Border
Police have announced that 82,152 persons entered Romania on Thursday, of whom
10,594 are Ukrainian nationals, 5.4% as compared to the previous day. According
to the same sources since February 10 this year, two weeks before the Russian
invasion, 2,388,009 Ukrainians have entered Romania.

(bill)

23 September 2022
September 9, 2022 UPDATE

QUEEN The death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in
English history, brought her eldest son Charles to the throne. He will reign
as King Charles III. The protocol for proclaiming a new monarch provides for
the speedy convening of an Accession Council made up of high-ranking
politicians, bishops of the Anglican Church, together with secular
representatives of the Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday, aged 96,
at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She is to be brought to London, at Westminster
Hall, and the public will have a few days to say goodbye. The funerals will
take place at Westminster Abbey, the church where British kings are crowned.
The BBC notes that the last funeral of a monarch at Westminster Abbey took
place in the 18th century. After the funeral, to be attended by heads of state
and government from around the world, the Queen will be taken to Windsor Castle
and buried in the Saint George Chapel within its premises. The president of Romania, Klaus
Iohannis, sent a condolence message to King Charles III. He will be officially
proclaimed king in a ceremony to be held on Saturday, Buckingham Palace announced.

DEFICIT Romania’s trade balance deficit in the first 7 months of this year
increased by almost EUR 5.9 billion, to EUR 18.77 billion, as exports rose by
23.9% and imports increased by 29%, according to data provided by the National Statistics
Institute, made public on Friday. Between January and July 2022, exports totalled
EUR 52.67 billion, and imports EUR 71.44 billion. On the other hand, net
investments in the national economy totalled EUR 11 billion in the first 6
months of this year, down 0.8% compared to the similar period in 2021, NSI data
show.

ENERGY The Romanian Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, attended a special
meeting of the EU Energy Council in Brussels on Friday, in the context of
EU-wide discussions over the rise in energy prices. At the meeting, Romania
supported measures such as capping Russian natural gas prices, a platform for
the joint purchase of natural gas by the EU, and access to credit lines for
companies with the European Central Bank, the Energy Ministry said. Romania
also emphasised the importance of activating the EU Energy Platform for the
joint procurement of natural gas, so as to ensure fair distribution of the
additional gas and LNG procured by the Union. While in Brussels, Virgil Popescu
had a bilateral meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart. Hristov Rossen. The two
discussed the importance of regional cooperation for the joint purchase of
natural gas, as well as for ensuring increased energy stability in the region.
In another move, in Bucharest, energy operators have called on the Government
to reconsider the order issued last week, which provides for capping and
compensation of gas and electricity bills, as well as for over taxation of
companies in the field. The Association of Energy Suppliers warns that the
document was developed without consulting the participants in the field, thus
jeopardizing the security of gas and electricity supply to consumers.

COHESION The Romanian Government has adopted measures concerning one-third
of the cohesion fund, amounting to EUR 16 billion, the Minister for Investment
and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, has announced. He has explained that the
money can be used to access and develop investment projects in transport
infrastructure, health, water supply and waste management. Under the cohesion
policy, Romania has a EUR 43 billion budget until December 31st, 2029, the
minister has stated. The projects mainly focus on the building of 600 km of motorway
and 3 regional emergency hospitals, in Craiova, Iasi and Cluj-Napoca.

AID The European Commission has approved a EUR 4 bln aid scheme for
Romania, in order to support businesses in all sectors in the context of the
invasion of Ukraine by Russia. According to the EC, Romania’s aid scheme is
necessary, adequate and proportionate to remedy a serious disruption to a
member state’s economy, in accordance with EU state aid rules. Under this
measure, the aid will take the form of guarantees for loans, with a maximum
budget of EUR 3.6 billion, with the balance to be provided in direct grants.
Support under the scheme will be granted until 31 December 2022 at the latest.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Sorana Cîrstea and Irina Begu, ranking
37 and 42 in the world, respectively, take part in the first edition of Ţiriac
Foundation Trophy, held between the 10th and 18th
September in Bucharest. The 2 players received wild cards from the organisers,
and their current world rankings makes them seed no 1 and 2 in the tournament
hosted by the Romanian capital city. Ţiriac Foundation Trophy is a WTA 125 tournament
organised by the Romanian Tennis Federation and supported by the Ţiriac
Foundation and the Sports Ministry. The main draw includes 32 players, and the
doubles competition involves another 16. They compete for USD 115,000 in total
prize money and 160 points in the WTA ranking. (AMP)

9 September 2022
August 25, 2022 UPDATE

WAR Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia,
presently under the control of the Russian troops, has been completely disconnected
from the main grid, the Ukrainian operator Energoatom announced on Thursday,
AFP and Reuters report. The plant’s last two reactors have been shut down after
fires in the areas affected the electric lines. The aggressors’ actions have
prompted the authorities to shut down the plant for the first time in its
history Energoatom says adding that the plant’s security systems are
functioning normally. For the past three weeks, Kiev and Moscow have been
accusing each other of having bombed the plant amid fears of a new Chernobyl.
The plant in Zaporizhzhia is under the control of the Russian troops but it is
being operated by Ukrainian personnel.

SCHEME The Romanian government has
approved a minimal state aid scheme, under which grants are provided to promote
the circular economy, an economic system, in which the value of the products,
materials and other economic resources is maintained as long as possible,
increasing their effectiveness and thus reducing the negative impact on the
environment. Ranging between 15 thousand and 200 thousand Euros, the grants are
aimed at boosting investment in the field. The scheme’s maximum budget stays
around 8 million Euros, out of which 2 million for 2022 and the rest for the
period between 2023 and 2025.

TRADE Romanian live animal exports
decreased by almost 17% in the first five months of 2022, as compared to the
same period of last year, and totaled almost 183 million Euros – according to
the National Institute of Statistics. Live animal imports also decreased by
18%, reaching over 66 million Euros. Thus, a trade surplus of 116 million Euros
was recorded. In another development, in the first five months of the year,
Romania exported meat and meat products worth 223 million Euros and imported
meat products worth 532 million Euros. The resulting deficit is almost 350
million Euros, data provided by the National Institute of Statistics also show.

VOLLEYBALL Romania’s women’s national
volleyball team, coached by the Spanish Guillermo Naranjo Hernandez, defeated
the Faroe Islands 3-0 on Wednesday evening in Torshavn in a Group A match of
the 2023 European Championship qualifiers. Also on Wednesday, Croatia defeated
Israel 3-1, away from home. On August 28, the derby of the group will take
place between Croatia and Romania. Romania and Croatia have two wins each in
the group standings, while Israel and the Faroe Islands have 0 points. The
teams ranked on the first two places qualify for next year’s final tournament.

FESTIVAL More than 600 representatives
of the 20 national minorities in Romania are expected, as of Thursday until
August 28, at the 18th edition of the ProEtnica Intercultural
Festival in Sighişoara (center). After the festive opening, followed a debate
on Promoting peace through non-discrimination and solidarity in a crisis
context. At the same time, the festival schedule also includes 60
traditional dance and music performances by ensembles of national minorities,
art and photography exhibitions, a ‘Literary Salon’ where writers of national
minorities present their creations, lectures, round tables and workshops.
According to the organizers, this year, in a complicated moment for the peace
of Europe, the ProEtnica Festival brings the peaceful message of intercultural
dialogue in Romania, as a model of pacifist dialogue between countries and
peoples.

(bill)

25 August 2022
July 28, 2022 UPDATE

UKRAINE The Romanian foreign ministry firmly criticised the move of
the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, who posted
on social media a map assigning current Ukrainian territories to Romania and
other neighbouring countries. The foreign ministry regards such attitudes as
part of the Russian Federation’s propaganda and disinformation campaign, which
has intensified since the start of the illegal and illegitimate war against
Ukraine. Such ‘proposals’ and ‘analyses’ concerning the random resetting of
national borders and promoting violations of international laws are just failed
attempts to justify Russia’s breaches of the international order based on
rules. The institution reiterates Romania’s full support for the independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally
recognised borders, and once again condemns Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked
military aggression against that country. Romania is and will remain a partner
of Ukraine and reconfirms its full support and deep compassion for the
Ukrainian people, the victim of a brutal aggression, the institution’s news release
also reads.

FUNDS The prime minister Nicolae Ciucă has said Romania’s absorption
rate of European funds as part of the 2014-2020 financial exercise stands at
64.5%, a level similar to that of Germany and only slightly lower than France,
but ahead of older member states like Belgium (59%) and Italy, Spain and The
Netherlands (each with a little over 56%). According to Ciucă, Romania absorbed
22 billion Euros out of the 35 billion it is allocated in the 2014-2020 period.

DROUGHT Drought has so far affected 150,000 hectares of farmland in
20 different counties across Romania, said the agriculture ministry, based on
daily reports on the state of the crops. The irrigation systems are struggling
to cope, owing to the drop in the level of the water used to feed the
irrigation stations. The biggest such station, in Brăila county, in the
south-east, was shut down because of the low Danube water flow. The station was
providing water for 250,000 hectares of land in the region. The water flow of
the river Prut, in the east, is also dropping, having already reached a record
low level. Agriculture minister Petre Daea said the animal breeding sector is
also affected by drought.

WHISTLE-BLOWERS The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis Thursday sent
back to Parliament for reconsideration the Law on the protection of whistle-blowers,
stating that some of the legislative solutions must be revised. Previously, a coalition
of 20 NGOs, civil associations and trade unions, as well as whistle-blowers,
had sent an open letter to the president, urging him not to sign the bill into law.
Civil society organisations argue that in the form passed in Parliament, the
act reduces the protection mechanisms for whistle-blowers, and Romania risks
infringement procedures for the selective transposition of the relevant EU
Directive. Save Romania Union, in opposition, also called on Iohannis to send
the law back for urgent reconsideration, stating that the current text
dissuades corruption reporting and poses a major risk of Romania being left
without the funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. In
mid-July the Constitutional Court had dismissed USR party’s complaint
concerning the law, as unconstitutional.

DRILL Over 20 aircraft from 7 NATO member states Thursday took part
in a joint drill as part of the enhanced Vigilance Activities – eVA headed by
NATO AIRCOM based in Germany. According to the defence ministry, the goal of
the exercise is to prove NATO’s capacity to plan, coordinate and execute a
complex air space security mission in the event of any type of attack or threat
on Allied territory. In response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, NATO significantly
enhanced its defence and deterrence capability, including by means of
strengthening its presence on its eastern flank. (AMP)

28 July 2022
Romania ratifies Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession

Putin wanted less NATO and is getting more of it instead, commentators note, mentioning that one of the pretexts used by Kremlin to invade Ukraine on February 24 was that the pro-Western regime in Kyiv wanted the country to join the North-Atlantic Alliance. The consequence, however, is that NATO is about to expand to the Scandinavian Peninsula.

As far back as last year, when few believed Putin will actually attack, Finland and Sweden firmly rejected any Russian interference with their sovereign decisions regarding a prospective NATO accession.

Sweden has not been involved in a war for centuries, and it was quite attached to its profile as an entirely peaceful international player. Occupied by the Tsarist Empire until 1917 and at war with the Soviet Union between 1939 and 1944, post-war Finland preserved a strictly neutral stance, and its politicians avoided any statement or action that could have been construed as anti-Soviet. The country joined the European Union in 1995, but stayed away from NATO.

According to analysts, it is precisely such “Finlandization” of Ukraine that the Russian president was seeking. But the invasion of Ukraine was exactly what pushed the public opinion and political leaders of the two Scandinavian countries out of neutrality and prompted them to apply for NATO accession.

Although on summer recess, the Parliament of Romania Wednesday convened in a special sitting and ratified Swedens and Finlands accession with overwhelming majority, making Romania one of the first Allies to do this.

All parliamentary parties voted in favour, with floor group leaders emphasising that it is a proof of European solidarity and a necessary step given the current security context, severely affected by the war in Ukraine.

The 30 NATO member states initiated the accession ratification on July 5 in Brussels. The Alliances secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at that point that this was truly a historic moment, and a 32-member NATO will be even stronger.

Turkey is the only member country that made Finlands and Swedens accession conditional on their governments commitments with respect to fighting Kurdish terrorism.

The protocol signed in Brussels enables Finland and Sweden to take part in NATO meetings and to access classified information, but does not provide military protection under the famous Article 5 of the organisations Charter, which says that an attack against one member state is an attack against all. Article 5 will take effect only after all member states have ratified the document, a process which according to experts may take up to one year.

Twenty-one of NATOs 30 members are also affiliated to the European Union. After Finlands and Swedens accession, only Austria, Cyprus, Ireland and Malta will remain outside the Alliance. (AMP)

21 July 2022
July 16, 2022 UPDATE

USR Catalin Drula was validated as president of the USR, the
center-right opposition of the Bucharest Parliament during a USR online
congress held on Saturday. A former
Transport Minister, Drula had been elected by the members of his political
group during an online poll held recently where he mustered 71% of the total
number of votes. ‘It is a mandate I asked my colleagues for unity, stability,
coherence and efficiency and this is exactly what I am going to deliver’, the
new leader said adding that the ruling coalition is pushing Romania to the
brink of bankruptcy. ‘Inflation is through the roof, interest rates and taxes
are growing exponentially and poverty is rearing its ugly head in Romania’,
Drula went on to say.

SUPPORT ‘The Republic of Moldova doesn’t have to be and won’t be
alone in its efforts to implement the reforms it needs’, Romania’s Foreign
Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Friday at the end of the second edition of the
Ministerial Conference of the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova.
According to the head of the Romanian diplomacy this platform is ‘a permanent
instrument’ and is useful for Chisinau’s efforts to join the European Union.
Financial assistance pledges of up to 600 million euros were issued during the
conference for the support of this ex-soviet republic with a Romanian-speaking
majority. The event in Bucharest brought together delegations from 33
countries, members of the EU, G7, the European Free Trade Association,
international bodies, financial institutions and UN agencies. German Foreign
Minister Annalena Baerbock announced a financial assistance package for this
state of up to 77 million euros. On the sidelines of the conference Minister
Aurescu held talks with the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Schmid on the
security crises triggered by the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

WEATHER Britain is bracing up for a hot weekend
with very high temperatures. A national emergency has been declared after a red
extreme heat warning was issued for a first time. Temperatures are expected to
hit 40 degrees Celsius and hot weather warnings have been issued in France as
well. In only three days in Spain the heatwave caused 84 deaths mostly among
the elderly. Weathermen have cautioned that temperatures will remain high for
another 10 days.

GREECE A second contingent of 28
Romanian firefighters has left for Greece to replace their colleagues who in
the past two weeks have assisted the local authorities in monitoring and
extinguishing forest fires in areas north of Athens. Several fire engines, a
tanker as well as command and control vehicles have been deployed to the
affected areas. In the past 15 days, firefighters from Romania have
participated in various missions in the regions of Schimatari and Porto
Germeno. Last year Romania also helped Greece in its fight against devastating
forest fires.

WAR Ukraine has accused the Russian army of
using the platform of the nuclear power plant they occupied in Zaporozhe to
launch attacks in the southern region of Nikopol, an industrial area on the
Dnieper River. Ukraine has lashed out at the International Atomic Energy Agency
for not putting enough pressure on Moscow to pull out its troops from the
plant. According to Ukraine’s security service, on Friday night, the Ukrainian
army managed to bring down two Russian warplanes. The Russians shelled the city
of Kramatorsk in Donbas while in Donetsk, several Russian rockets have
destroyed the railway infrastructure and also hit civilian targets. The
anti-aircraft defence system of Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday managed to
shoot down a Russian missile and in Mykolaiv an Orlan-10 Russian drone has been
shot down by the Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has
appointed a fresh regional government in Cernauti, close to the NATO border.

COVID-19 Romanian authorities on Saturday have reported 3,718 new
SARS-CoV-2 infections. 103 patients are being treated in ICUs and 7 related
fatalities have been registered. Since the beginning of the pandemic in
Romania, authorities have reported 65,800 related fatalities.

AMENDMENTS The government in Bucharest on
Friday endorsed the final amendments to tax legislation. Some changes are set
to come into effect on August 1, while others on January 1 next year. After
consultations with social partners, with employers’ associations, trade unions,
and local elected representatives, the Finance Ministry made several changes to
the initial bill. They accepted the proposal by hospitality industry employers
for companies to choose between specific taxes and tax on profits. According to
the changes, VAT would go up from 5 to 9% for restaurants, hotels, and catering
firms, while VAT for soft drinks would go up from 9 to 19%. Starting on August
1, tax incentives in construction and the food industry are granted for
salaries of up to 10,000 lei, about 2,000 Euro, and not up to 30,000 lei, about
6,000 Euro, as it is at present. Also next month, excises will go up for
alcohol and tobacco products. The tax on dividends goes up from 5 to 8 percent.
At the same time, people with salaries of up to 4,550 lei, about 900 Euro,
young people below 26, and people providing child care would get deductions.

(bill)

16 July 2022
July 15, 2022 UPDATE

CONFERENCE The
Republic of Moldova doesn’t have to be and won’t be alone in its efforts to
implement the reforms it needs, Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said
on Friday at the end of the second edition of the Ministerial Conference of the
Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova. According to the head of the
Romanian diplomacy this platform is ‘a permanent instrument’ and is useful for
Chisinau’s efforts to join the European Union. Financial assistance pledges of
up to 600 million euros have been issued during the conference for the support
of this ex-soviet republic with a Romanian-speaking majority. The event in
Bucharest brought together delegations from 33 countries, members of the EU,
G7, the European Free Trade Association, international bodies, financial
institutions and UN agencies. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has
announced a financial assistance package for this state of up to 77 million
euros. ‘It is important to know that we are not alone and that we can count on
you. Moldova is a small country and the magnitude of the events are beyond its
capabilities to cope with them’ Moldovan president Maia Sandu said.

ORDINANCE On Friday, the government in Bucharest
passed the final amendments to tax legislation. Some changes are set to come
into effect on August 1, while others on January 1 next year. After
consultations with social partners, with employers’ associations, trade unions,
and local elected representatives, the Finance Ministry made several changes to
the initial bill. They accepted the proposal by hospitality industry employers
for companies to choose between specific taxes and tax on profits. According to
the changes, VAT would go up from 5 to 9% for restaurants, hotels, and catering
firms, while VAT for soft drinks would go up from 9 to 19%. Starting on August
1, tax incentives in construction and the food industry are granted for
salaries of up to 10,000 lei, about 2,000 Euro, and not up to 30,000 lei, about
6,000 Euro, as it is at present. Also next month, excises will go up for
alcohol and tobacco products. The tax on dividends goes up from 5 to 8 percent.
At the same time, people with salaries of up to 4,550 lei, about 900 Euro,
young people below 26, and people providing child care would get deductions.

COVID Over 4,100 new Covid-19
infections have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania. Most of the
cases are in Bucharest and its surroundings. 1,700 people are being treated in
hospitals out of whom 101 in ICU. 3 related fatalities have been reported in
the past 24 hours. 65,805 fatalities have been registered in Romania since the
beginning of the pandemic.

FIREFIGHTERS A second contingent of 28
Romanian firefighters has left for Greece to replace their colleagues who in
the past two weeks have assisted the local authorities in monitoring and
extinguishing forest fires in areas north of Athens. Several fire engines, a
tanker as well as command and control vehicles have been deployed to the
affected areas. In the past 15 days, firefighters from Romania have
participated in various missions in the regions of Schimatari and Porto
Germeno. Last year Romania also helped Greece in its fight against devastating
forest fires.

(bill)

15 July 2022
July 14, 2022

EXPORTS The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest used diplomatic channels to convey a message to Kyiv that Romania allows Ukrainian ships loaded with cereals to use the Danube channels of Bastroe and Chilia. According to the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, Romania tries to muster consistent international support to create a transit corridor, including on the sea, for the transport of Ukrainian cereals to third countries against the backdrop of the growing food crisis triggered by the Russian aggression. On Wednesday the city of Istanbul in Turkey held talks on ways of unblocking Ukraines grain exports. The conference brought together delegations from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UNO. Ukrainian vessels are carrying grain to the Romanian port of Constanta to be further shipped to various destinations in Europe, Africa or the Arab world.

PARADE Festivities occasioned by the National Day of France are this year being attended by honoured military guests from Eastern Europe, including 12 from Romania as a token of gratitude for these countries efforts to defend NATOs eastern flank against the background of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. According to Radio Romania correspondent in Paris, France wants thus to convey a message of unity to NATO allies as well as a strong message of solidarity with Ukraine. The festivities are this year unfolding under the motto Partager la flame (Divide the Flame) with a double significance: to pay homage to Hubert Germain, the last member of the French resistance against the Nazi occupation who died this year, and to hail the Olympic flame ahead the Olympic Games Paris is due to stage in 2024. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has today sent President Macron a letter of congratulation and wishes of prosperity for the French people. Iohannis has underlined the solidity and consistency of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and France, built on common values and excellent cooperation both at the bilateral level and within the EU and other international bodies. The French Embassy in Bucharest will mark the event through a reception, which is to be attended by Romanias Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and by Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, state secretary for development, Francophonie, and International Partnerships with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

REFUGEES According to data released by the General Border Police Inspectorate, on Wednesday 12 thousand Ukrainian refugees crossed the border into Romania. Since February 10, before the onset of the Russian invasion, 1.55 million Ukrainian nationals have entered Romania, although only a small part chose to remain here.

DRILL Over July 14 and 25 three Romanian warships are participating in the international exercise Breeze 22 staged and coordinated by Bulgarian Navy in the countrys territorial and the international waters of the Black Sea and the Bulgarian port of Burgas. This years edition of the aforementioned exercise has brought together navy and and air forces from Albania, Belgium, France, Georgia, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Turkey and the USA. The drill is aimed at strengthening tactical interoperability between the navy personnel and participating units and at exercising the procedures of conventional and non-conventional war.

FOOTBALL Romanias football champions CFR Cluj have been eliminated from the preliminaries of the Champions League by Armenian side Pyunik Yerevan. After a goaless draw away, the Romanians lost 4-3 at home after the penalty shootout. CFR Cluj will be playing next in Europa Conference League, where they are to take on Inter Club dEscalades of Andorra. Another three football sides from Romania are playing in the aforementioned competition. These are runner-up FCSB, Sepsi Sf. Gheorghe, winners of the Cup and Universitatea Craiova, presently ranking third in the Romanian championship.

(bill)

14 July 2022
June 25, 2022 UPDATE

UKRAINE Scores of
Russian rockets on Saturday rained down on military targets in western and
northern Ukraine, Reuters and AFP report. According to the governor of the Lviv
region, six missiles were fired from the Black Sea at the Yavoriv base, with
four hitting the base and two being intercepted and destroyed before hitting
the targets. The governor of the Zhytomyr region in the north of the country
said that strikes on a military objective in the area killed at least one
soldier. In the northern region of Chernihiv, governor Vyacheslav Chaus said
that the town of Desna had come under rocket strikes on Saturday morning.
Ukrainian forces were forced to pull out of Severdonetsk after weeks of heavy
fighting. According to sources with the Ukrainian army, Russia used the
airspace of Belarus to hit targets in Ukraine.

FINA Romanian swimmer Robert Glinta came fourth in the finals of the 50
meters backstroke race of the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest.
Last night Glinta came sixth in the 100 meter backstroke event. Another
Romanian, David Popvici, double champion in the 100 and 200 meters freestyle
races, is to be awarded by Romanian president Klaus Iohannis the Star of
Romania national order in rank of knight.

SUMMIT Romanian president
Klaus Iohannis has attended the European Council in Brussels during which the
Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have been granted the status of EU-candidate
countries. The European leaders have also tackled the ways in which the EU members
can avoid a major energy crisis in winter. High on the summit agenda was the
situation in Ukraine, the bloc’s relation with the Western Balkans as well as a
series of economic issues. Iohannis has reiterated Romania’s consistent support
for Kiev and presented the efforts to facilitate the exports of Ukrainian
cereals adding that Romania’s ports and transport corridors are functioning at
full capacity. During the Euro summit in Brussels, president Iohannis has
reiterated his conviction for the European future of the countries in the
Western Balkans and the support for the opening as soon as possible of the
talks with North Macedonia and Albania and the identification of solutions for
the process of bringing Bosnia-Herzegovina closer to the union.

ATTACK The alleged
assailant on Friday night in Oslo is a Norwegian citizen of Iranian origin who
is known to the intelligence services, a police official said on Saturday. He
didn’t reveal the identity of the suspect, but mentioned the assailant’s previous
brushes with the law for carrying weapons and drug possession. The attack in
downtown Oslo left two dead and 21 wounded, out of whom 10 severely. According
to police sources, the suspect was being held on suspicion of murder, attempted
murder and terrorism, based on the number of people targeted at multiple
locations.

NATO At the NATO summit in
Madrid next week, the Black Sea region will be acknowledged as having a
strategic importance in the collective defence and battle groups in Romania and
other eastern countries could be given the status of brigades. The alliance’s
deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoana said the summit would bring good news
for Romania, but also for Ukraine for the transatlantic relation and the
alliance per se. ‘From the military and security viewpoints’, Geoana says ‘and
because Russia is an unpredictable and aggressive player, Romania will have the
same quality in terms of national security as Germany and Belgium. There will
be no difference in what NATO has on the eastern flank and in Western Europe.
Next week we are going to attend the NATO summit in Madrid and we are expecting
historic news for Romania’. The talks in Madrid will also be focusing on the
requests from Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, although no decision is
expected in this respect because of Turkey’s opposition.

FESTIVAL Until July 3rd, the city of Sibiu in central Romania is
seeing the International Theatre Festival currently at its 29th
edition. The festival, which is unfolding under a theme simply entitled
Beauty, includes productions of theatre, dance, circus, film, musical and
opera. Street performances, concerts, book launches and exhibitions have also
been included in the festival’s agenda. For ten days artists of the world stage
are offering the public the possibility of enjoying live performances that have
been acknowledged at international level being also recipients of prestigious
awards.

(bill)

25 June 2022
Disputes over fuel prices

Fuel
prices have risen substantially over the past few months across Europe, and the
trend is likely to continue.

Romania
covers 70% of its oil demand from imports, and supplies are received
exclusively via the Black Sea, with transport and insurance costs skyrocketing
because of the war in Ukraine.

The parties
in the ruling coalition are looking for solutions to cut fuel prices, but they disagree
on what the best option would be. Although they agree that price rises have
reached a critical point, the Liberals and the Social Democrats have different
views on how to reduce prices, and pass the responsibility between the Liberal
energy minister and the Social-Democrat finance minister, with the Social
Democrats favouring a price ceiling and the Liberals-a new fiscal intervention.

USR
party in opposition Tuesday tabled a simple motion against the energy minister Virgil
Popescu, whom they accuse on incompetence. On top of this, carriers demand a
solution as soon as possible.

The Smart
Energy Association, on the other hand, believes a solution would be to reduce
excises and VAT. According to a report made public by the association, the
government is the main beneficiary of the rise in fuel prices, having gained an
additional EUR 600 million this year compared to the corresponding period of
2021. The organization also argues that a ceiling on retail prices would be
more harmful to the economy.

Meanwhile,
energy experts claim petrol and diesel prices will continue to go up as long as
the demand remains high, and a governmental intervention might have undesired
effects. Another reason for the price increase is the depreciation of the
Romanian currency. Gabriel Avăcăriţei, editor-in-chief of Energynomics, shared
his views on the topic to Radio Romania:

Gabriel
Avăcăriţei: The upward trend is most likely to keep as long as the demand
remains high. As long as we continue to see lots of vehicles in the street,
this means people can afford this high fuel price. And there is something else I
would like to add. Over the past 10 years, Romanians’ average incomes have
grown by 100%, to roughly EUR 1,000. So when average revenues go up more than
fuel prices do, then people’s spending power is higher.

Gabriel
Avăcăriței also argues that, although various measures have been taken in
several European countries, their impact on consumer prices has not been
substantial.

Nonetheless,
tentative protests are beginning to be reported in the country with respect to the
recent price rises. (AMP)

22 June 2022
June 16, 2022 UPDATE

UKRAINE On Thursday in Kyiv Romanian president Klaus Iohannis condemned the
fact that Russia is using the cereal exports of Ukraine as a weapon. He made an
appeal to all the major players to make up a coalition of states to support the
international effort for the setting up of the so called ‘blue corridors’ for
the maritime transport through the Black Sea. On Thursday, Ukraine’s president
Volodymyr Zelensky received in Kyiv his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis,
the French president Emmanuel Macron, the German chancellor Olaf Scholz and the
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Zelensky met these officials after they
had visited the city of Irpin, near the capital Kyiv, destroyed by the Russian
bombardments since the onset of the occupation on February 24th. The
European leaders have denounced the unimaginable human tragedy and destruction
in Irpin. The French president has praised the courage of the Ukrainians and
said that Ukraine must resist the Russian attacks and win the war. The German
chancellor said that Russia’s actions in the war in Ukraine are only aimed at
destruction and the Italian Prime Minister has given assurances that everything
will be rebuilt.

COURT Romania’s former Minister of Tourism, Elena Udrea has been
brought to Romania, where she is to serve a mandatory six-year prison sentence
for bribery and abuse of office in the so-called ‘Bute Gala’ case. In April,
Udrea left Romania but was apprehended in Bulgaria on her way to Greece. On
June 10th, the Court of Appeal in Sofia accepted the extradition
request from the Romanian authorities. Udrea is being investigated in another
case on the illegal funding of the election campaign for the presidential
election in 2009. Elena Udrea was a close associate of former Romanian
president Traian Basescu, who has been recently confirmed as a collaborator of
Romania’s former political police the Securitate.

MOTION The Save Romania Union (USR) in opposition has filed a
simple motion against Education Minister, Sorin Cîmpeanu, blaming him for the
high rate of school dropout and the poor exam results. USR claims Minister
Cîmpeanu introduced changes in the way pupils are examined without taking into
account the opinion of stakeholders. The simple motion will be debated next
Monday in the Chamber of Deputies, with a final vote scheduled for
Wednesday.

CFR The Romanian Rail Company (CFR) will
mobilize teams of workers in Galați to start modifying railways so as to allow
freight transports from Ukraine and Moldova to enter Romania. A total of 5
kilometers of rail will be rehabilitated within 60 days to ensure the transport
of grain from Ukraine, disrupted by Russia’s invasion. The company has the
necessary cranes and vehicles allowing the transfer of cars from the broad
gauge used in Russia and ex-Soviet countries to the standard gauge used in the
EU. To simplify the procedure, the Romanian Transport Ministry decided to
render operational a double-gauge track that was decommissioned 30 years ago in
order to allow the freight trains from Moldova to unload the cars directly in
the cargo boats docked in Danube River ports.

(bill)

16 June 2022
June 5, 2022 UPDATE

Ukraine — The Russian army attacked Kyiv on Sunday morning with rockets fired from strategic bombers flying over the Caspian Sea, the Ukrainian air forces announced. According to an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the target of the attack was the railway infrastructure of the capital. Moscow, on the other hand, claims to have destroyed tanks and other armored vehicles sent to Ukraine by European states. At least one of the missiles allegedly flew a dangerously short distance over a Ukrainian nuclear power plant, the state company operating the unit said. The capital of Ukraine has been the target of numerous Russian bombings since the outbreak of the war, especially until the Russians were forced to withdraw from the area. Meanwhile, fighting continues in the town of Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region, one of the main targets of the Russians at the moment. The Ukrainians announced that they had recaptured part of the town, and the British Ministry of Defense confirmed the success of the Ukrainian counter-offensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that its military will strike even harder if Ukraine is provided with longer-range missiles. The Russian leaders statement comes after the United States and the United Kingdom announced that they would deliver high-performance missile systems to Kyiv. Spain has also announced that it will increase military support for Ukraine and provide it with Leopard tanks and anti-aircraft missiles.

Environment — World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the theme chosen by the United Nations is “We only have one Earth” and emphasizes the need to bring people and nature back to the balance lost in recent decades. In Romania, several actions took place to draw attention to the urgent problems of the planet, such as climate change, biodiversity, pollution and waste. Pupils, students, teachers, along with professionals in the field of environmental protection and representatives of civil society were involved in these campaigns. This year marks 50 years since the UN General Assembly established Environment Day to make people more aware and responsible for the environment and its condition.

Baccalaureate – More than 126,000 Romanian high school graduates have registered to take the Baccalaureate exam in the session that begins on Monday. There are over 111,000 young people enrolled in this years edition and more than 15,000 from the previous ones, who can only take certain tests. Three days are scheduled for the assessment of oral communication skills in the Romanian language, then the graduates belonging to national minorities will have the test of communication in their mother tongue. Digital skills will be assessed between June 8 and June 10, and the oral assessment of a foreign language will take place between June 14 and June 16. The written tests will be held in three consecutive days, starting with June 20 with the Romanian language test, and the first results will be announced on June 27, when graduates will be able to contest the results.

Pentecost — Tens of thousands of Catholic believers from Romania and aboard participated, on the Catholic Pentecost days, in the pilgrimage in Şumuleu Ciuc, in central Romania which is considered the largest of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. Some pilgrims covered impressive distances, on foot or on horse back, to go and pray at the open air altar located between the mountains. The pilgrimage from Şumuleu Ciuc has a history of over 450 years, being based on the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary. The Catholic believers prayed for peace and wellbeing. This years motto of the pilgrimage is Peace and well-being, which is also the motto of the Franciscan Order. The Marian shrine from Şumuleu Ciuc was visited, on June 1, 2019, by Pope Francis, on this occasion the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary being removed from the church, for the first time after the Second World War. The Sovereign Pontiff then held a service dedicated to the Virgin Mary and offered a golden rose to the Marian shrine, as he always does when he goes to the places of pilgrimage dedicated to the Mother of God. (LS)

5 June 2022