February 12, 2015
For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.
România Internațional, 12.02.2015, 12:00
NEGOTIATIONS — After prolonged negotiations, Russian president Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Francois Hollande reached a “key” ceasefire agreement for Eastern Ukraine starting February 15. The leaders agreed, among others, to withdraw heavy weaponry from the frontline and create a demilitarised zone in Eastern Ukraine. Also today, the Contact Group for Ukraine, made up of Ukrainian, Russian and OSCE diplomats, signed with pro-Russian rebels a timetable to implement the provisions of the Minsk agreement. Over 5,300 people have been killed in clashes between Government forces and separatist militias in Eastern Ukraine.
EU SUMMIT — Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is attending the meeting of EU heads of state and Government in Brussels, focused on combating terrorism and the situation in Greece. After intense negotiations concluded late last night, Eurozone Finance Ministers failed to reach an agreement on Greece, whose agreement with the IMF, the World Bank and the European Commission, worth 250 billion euros, is set to expire at the end of the month. The new far-left Government in Athens refuses to implement austerity measures imposed by the IMF, calling for an alternative plan of financing and reforms. At present, Greece’s external foreign debt is close to 320 billion euros, tantamount to 175% of the country’s GDP. Also in Brussels president Iohannis is set to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko. The two will review bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine. On Tuesday, president Iohannis visited France, where he met briefly with president Francois Hollande and representatives of the Romanian Diaspora in Paris.
VISIT — As part of his official visit to the United States, Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Wednesday met with US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel, reads a Government press release. Hagel thanked Ponta for Romania’s commitment to contribute military forces to operations in Afghanistan and for Romania’s support for other NATO missions. In turn, Prime Minister Ponta re-asserted Romania’s concern with strengthening Romanian-US cooperation in the field of defence. Also on Wednesday, Victor Ponta met with US Secretary of Trade Penny Pritzker. The two agreed to organize the visit of an economic mission of the US Trade Department to Romania. Before leaving the US, Prime Minister Ponta said he wanted to promote investment opportunities in Romania in as many fields as possible. The latest data from the National Bank shows that in 2013 American investments in Romania went down by 800 million Euros, and Americans are in 13th place in terms of investments, with a total of one billion invested.
CORRUPTION — The Romanian Senate has today green lighted the request of anti-corruption prosecutors to start criminal proceedings against the former Economy Minster, senator Ion Ariton. The senators rejected, however, the anti-corruption prosecutors’ request to start criminal proceedings against another former Economy Minister, senator Varujan Vosganian, who is facing allegations of setting up an organized crime cell, abuse of office and accessory to embezzlement. On Wednesday, former Development and Tourism Minister Elena Udrea was placed under a 30-day pre-emptive arrest for the illegal purchase of IT licenses. Udrea is suspected of money laundering and influence peddling.
BILATERAL RELATIONS — Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is as of today on a two-day official visit to Georgia, reads a Foreign Ministry press release. The agenda of his visit includes talks with Georgian president Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minsiter Irakli Garibashvili and Foreign Minister Tamar Beruceashvili. In addition, Aurescu is to attend the international seminar on Georgia’s Annual Plan for NATO accession and will have a working meeting with Romania’s representatives at the EU Monitoring Mission for Georgia. Georgia is Romania’s main trading partner in the Southern Caucasus, while our country is the main contributor to the civilian monitoring mission for Georgia with 38 observers.
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS — Romania is ranked 52nd in a ranking of 180 countries in terms of press freedom in 2014, according to a report released by Reporters sans frontiers made public today. Although it dropped 7 places as compared to 2013, Romania is still ahead of some European countries such as Croatia, Hungary or Bulgaria. The Republic of Moldova is in 72nd position. Countries currently posing the highest risks for journalists are Syria (177th), China (176th), Turkmenistan (178th), North Korea (179th) and Eitrea (180th). Iraq is in 156th place while Nigeria is in 111th position. For the fifth year in a row, Finland is in top position, followed by Norway and Denmark. The ranking reflects seven indicators: the level of abuse, expanding pluralism, the independence of mass-media, the environment and self-censorship, the legal framework, transparency and infrastructure. Press freedom reported a ‘brutal slump’ in 2014, particularly echoing the actions of extremist groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS) and Nigerian Islamists in Boko Haram, France Press reports.
TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu is today plying Carla Suarez-Navarro in the round of last 16 of the Antwerp tournament, totalling over 700 thousands dollars in prize money. Ranked 57th in WTA standings, Niculescu outperformed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium. In another match in the doubles competition, Elena Bogdan and Nicole Melichar of the US lost to first seeds Anabel Medina-Garrigues and Arantxa Parra-Santonja of Spain.
