January 12, 2023 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 12.01.2023, 20:00

SCHENGEN Romania’s Schengen accession is a
major priority for the country, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said
in Bucharest on Thursday. He mentioned the country counted on the support of the
Swedish presidency of the EU. At a press conference organised by the Swedish
Embassy to mark the start of the Swedish presidency of the EU Council on
January 1, Mr. Aurescu also mentioned Romania’s handling of the situation
entailed by war in Ukraine, describing Romania as a de facto guardian of EU
security. In turn, Sweden’s Ambassador to Bucharest, Therese Hyden, pointed
out that the Schengen file will be on the agenda of an official meeting, when
conditions are favourable, more precisely when Austria has changed its
position regarding Romania and Netherlands has changed its view on Bulgaria’s
accession. Foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also had a telephone conversation on the
same topic on Wednesday with his Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billstrom. According
to the Romanian foreign ministry, Tobias Billstrom emphasised that the Swedish
Presidency was determined to be actively involved and to make all efforts for
this goal to be met. We remind you that on December 8,
2022, at the JHA Council, Romania was not accepted into Schengen after Austria
voted against Romania’s joining the passport-free area, and the Netherlands
opposed Bulgaria’s accession.

MINORITIES Romania and Ukraine will
initiate a consultation process regarding Ukraine’s law on national minorities,
endorsed recently in Kyiv. The two countries’ foreign ministers, Bogdan Aurescu and
Dmytro Kuleba, Wednesday had a telephone discussion on the topic, after a
similar dialogue a week ago between the presidents Klaus Iohannis and Volodymyr
Zelensky. The law triggered concerns among the Romanian authorities, as
representatives of the Romanian community in Ukraine have not been consulted in
drafting the document, which was endorsed without a positive opinion of the Venice
Commission. Although the law is an improvement from the previous drafts, it
fails to guarantee, among other things, the Romanian minority’s right to
education in the mother tongue, the Romanian foreign ministry argues.

FLU 15 people died from seasonal flu complications this season in
Romania, the National Public Health Institute announced. During the first week
of this year almost 40% more respiratory infections than in the previous week
were reported. Drugstores still face shortages of viral infection and seasonal
flu medication. Moreover, 7 medicines used by almost half of the cancer
patients in the country are still not available. The health ministry promises
Romania is not experiencing a medicine crisis and that storage facilities do
have the drugs in stock.

UKRAINE American aid is for the first time to reach Ukraine via the
Romanian logistics hub in Suceava, the US Embassy in Bucharest announced. The
shipment comprises 30 trucks with clothing, footwear, blankets, hygiene
products, diapers and emergency kits, donated as part of a campaign launched
last March in Utah. So far 40 tonnes of goods worth around USD 1 mln have been
donated, as well as USD 4 mln in cash.

TENNIS Romanian
tennis players found out their opponents in the first round of the Australian
Open. According to the drawing held on Thursday in Melbourne, Irina Begu will play
against China’s Saisai Zheng, Sorana Cîrstea will take up the uncomfortable
Kazakh player Iulia Putinteva, and Ana Bogdan will take on Anna Bondar of
Hungary. Jaqueline Cristian will have one of the most difficult opponents – the
American Jessica Pegula, and Patricia Ţig will be up against the Chinese Shuai
Zhang. Romania has five players at the Australian Open, after Simona Halep was
provisionally suspended after a positive doping test. (AMP)