April 11, 2024 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 11.04.2024, 20:10
Vilnius – Romania believes that the entire eastern flank of the European Union and NATO must be connected by road and rail, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. President Klaus Iohannis insisted on this issue at the summit of the Three Seas Initiative in Vilnius. He also spoke about the Initiative’s strategic partners, Japan being one of them. Iohannis had a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on which occasion he reiterated the firm support that Romania gives to Ukraine on all relevant levels, as well as the determination to strengthen cross-border cooperation in the field of energy security. The Three Seas initiative offers a platform for collaboration between EU and non-EU states, with benefits including increasing the quality of life of the citizens and stimulating opportunities for multidirectional cooperation. The previous edition of the Initiative took place in Bucharest, and the next one will be in Poland.
Barometer – Half of the Romanians believe that the current economic situation in their region is rather good than bad, while 13% think that it is very bad, according to a Eurobarometer of the European Commission. Thus, 7% of Romanians believe that the economic situation is very good, percentages above average being recorded in the regions of Bucharest-Ilfov (from the south of the country), West, North-West and Center. As to the quality of life, 58% of Romanians think that it is rather good and 10% very bad. The most important problems they face are the cost of living and health, followed by the economic situation and unemployment and the education system. The figures are close to the European average, which also includes housing concerns.
Banking – The governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Moldova (BNM), Anca Dragu, said the Stock Exchange in Chişinău stands good chances to develop and Moldova could be a market for the foreign companies that are already in Romania. Anca Dragu was in Bucharest where she held talks with representatives of the local Stock Exchange, the Financial Supervisory Authority and the National Bank of Romania. The talks focused on the opportunity of the double listing of the Moldovan companies at stock exchanges abroad and on transaction mechanisms for bonds and other financial instruments. We recall that Anca Dragu has dual citizenship, Moldovan and Romanian and for a year she held the presidency of the Senate in Bucharest.
Heritage – The European Commission awarded the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest the ‘European Heritage Label’ for the significant role played by this edifice in the history and culture of the continent. The label was granted by a jury made up of independent experts from all over Europe. In order to receive the ‘European Heritage Label’, edifices must meet three criteria: demonstrate their European significance, make their European dimension known to the public and demonstrate their operational capacity to carry out these activities. The Romanian Athenaeum was built by the company of the same name at the end of the 19th century to host a public library, conferences, classical music concerts, exhibitions and other cultural and artistic activities, as part of its mission to popularize culture by any means.
Drill – The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Thursday attended the multinational exercise ’Sea Shield 24’ on board of the Queen Marie frigate. The exercise, due to last from April 8th to 21st has brought together over 2,200 servicemen, 135 sea and river vessels, planes and vehicles. 12 countries such as Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Great Britain, the Republic of Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkey and the United States are participating in the aforementioned drill due to unfold on the Black Sea and the Danube Delta. The exercise includes missions combating illegal activities at sea and rivers, maritime and river control operations, search and rescue missions, providing assistance to vessels in distress and ensuring security at the level of the critical infrastructure. The multinational exercise ’Sea Shield 24’ is the most complex event led by the Romanian Navy in 2024 and contributes to the promotion of Romania’s initiatives and interests at regional and international levels as well as to raising the level of interoperability between the participant countries. The first edition of the multinational exercise ’Sea Shield’ took place in 2015.
