January 8, 2020

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 08.01.2020, 14:00

IRAN – Iran’s Supreme Leader,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said earlier today, in a televised speech, that the
over 20 missiles fired last night on US military bases in Iraq are a slap in
the face to the United States. The attack was confirmed, both in Baghdad, as
well as in Washington, while the official death toll and estimated damages
haven’t been disclosed yet. Ayatollah Khamanei also said that the death of
Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, killed in Baghdad on January 3 by the United
States, must be avenged, saying that military actions will not suffice. The
European Union has called for the immediate cessation of all hostilities in the Middle East between Iran and the
United States, calling on both sides to make efforts to resume dialogue. A
declaration was made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen,
ahead of her meeting in London with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. French
President Emmanuel Macron has also consulted over the phone with his Russian
counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a traditional ally of Iran, with the French
president advising restraint. Expected to reach Moscow at the end of the week,
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also expected to tackle this crisis. The
Romanian Foreign Ministry posted on Twitter that the attack could lead to a
serious deterioration of the regional security context, reiterating its strong
appeal to ease tensions in the area. Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said the
Romanian military that are part of the international coalition efforts in the
area have not been affected by the attacks. There have been no problems
reported either from the community of roughly 180 Romanian citizens in Erbil,
Iraq, also targeted by the attacks. On Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis said he
is closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East, expressing
confidence the only solution is diplomacy and a clam approach to the crisis.
The 14 Romanian military deployed to Iraq have been temporarily relocated to
another base of the international coalition.

CRASH – A Ukrainian airliner carrying some 170
passengers onboard crashed earlier today shortly after taking off from Teheran
Airport. The entire crew and the passengers died on impact. According to
preliminary reports, the passenger jet was headed to Kiev. Rescue teams
dispatched on the ground by Iranian authorities say they have found the black
box. In Kiev, the National Security Council announced that most of the
passengers onboard were Iranian and Canadian, with only 11 Ukrainian citizens
on the plane’s manifest, including 9 crew members. The cause of the tragedy is
yet unknown. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned against any
speculation regarding the cause behind the crash.

VISIT – Liberal Prime Minister
Ludovic Orban today continues his visit to Brussels. High on the agenda was his
meeting with European Parliament President, David Sassoli. The two officials
discussed, among other things, the implementation of the agreement on combating
climate change. Romania has called on European authorities to introduce
provisions that should preserve the competitiveness of European companies after
the agreement takes effect, allowing each country to access the needed
resources in order to fulfill its set goals, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said.
Orban is today also expected to meet with Manfred Weber, the leader of the
European People’s Party, of which the National Liberal Party is also a member,
as well as with the leaders of other parliamentary groups, including Dacian
Ciolos, the leader of Renew Europe. Romania’s Prime Minister is due to meet
with the European Commission vice-presidents as well as with the Transport
Commissioner, Romanian Adina Valean. His agenda also includes meetings with
Romanian MEPs, to be hosted by Romania’s Permanent Office at the European Union.

AUSTRALIA – Smoke from the wildfires in Australia have drifted to
the southern coast of Brazil, past Argentina and Chile, the Brazilian Institute
for Space Research has announced. On Tuesday, the World Meteorological
Organization warned that smoke from the bushfire raging across Australia could spread
to the entire world. Australian authorities have used the short window of lower
temperatures to reopen roads blocked by bushfires and to transport people to
safe areas, although the heavy smoke has hindered rescue operations, with
hundreds of people still left stranded, Reuters reports. The wildfires have
engulfed over 8 million of hectares in Australia, killing 25 people and
destroying thousands of buildings and causing blackouts in numerous areas.

HOLOCAUST – Over 40 leaders from the entire world, including
President Klaus Iohannis, will take part in the 5th World Holocaust
Forum, held under the headline Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting
Antisemitism, to be hosted at Yad Vashem in Israel, the yadvasehm.org website
reads. The event will the 75th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz and the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Attending the event
will be European Council President, Charles Michel, European Commission President,
Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President David Sassoli. Keynote
addresses will be delivered by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince Charles of the
United Kingdom, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German President
Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

(Translated by V. Palcu)