July 19, 2015 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 19.07.2015, 12:15

Romanian
aviation is ready to successfully deal with the challenges pertaining to
Romania’s status as a member of NATO and the EU, and the results obtained so
far have been unanimously appreciated and acknowledged, reads a message
conveyed by president Klaus Iohannis on Romanian Aviation and Air Forces’ Day.
The Romanian head of state also stressed the Air Force’s special contribution,
which has had the necessary capability to manage the Romanian troops in the
theatre of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Western Balkans. Several
events and ceremonies have been organized these days to mark Aviation Day,
which is celebrated every year on Saint Elijah’s day, on July 20th. On Sunday,
several Romanian officials laid wreaths in memory of military and civilian hero
aviators, and 21 planes flew above the capital. Also in Bucharest, Sunday was
the Open Gates Day at the National Museum of Romanian Aviation. Defense
Minister Mircea Dusa watched demonstrative flights, with both military and
civilian planes, at the air base in Campia Turzii, in Cluj county, central
Romania, which, starting next year, will host the first squadron of F16 fighter
planes, after the NATO model.

A Romanian
infantry brigade team is participating in the neighboring Republic of Moldova,
at the training center in Balti, in the multi-national exercise ‘JOINT EFFORT
2015′. Some 800 soldiers from Georgia, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Romania
and the US are taking part in this exercises, aimed at increasing the
participants’ level of interoperability,
planning and joint action. Also, 70 members of the Romanian Ground Forces are
participating in a multinational exercise in Ukraine. Some 1 thousand 800
soldiers from 18 countries members of NATO and of the Partnership for Peace are
training for defensive and peace keeping operations. In another development,
the Sea Shield multi-national exercise is due to start in the Black Sea on
Monday, organized by the Romanian Naval Forces and focusing on fighting
techniques deployed against submarines. Participating will be 2000 soldiers
from 7 NATO countries – Bulgaria, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania,
the US, Turkey – and also Ukraine.

On
Monday and Tuesday, the Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa will pay a visit
to Portugal. According to the Defense Ministry, the program of the first day
includes several activities at the Ground Forces Command unit in Porto and at
the research and development excellence centers. On Tuesday, at the Air Base in
Monte Real, Dusa will hold talks with his Portuguese counterpart Jose Pedro
Aguiar-Branco. The Romanian official will also meet with Romanian military
staff who are currently training to fly F-16 Fighting Falcon planes.

On Monday, the Romanian Foreign Minister
Bogdan Aurescu will attend in Brussels the summit of the EU foreign ministers.
According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the main topics on the meeting’s
agenda are the Iranian nuclear issue, the political situation in Libya and
Tunis and the role of the EU in the Middle East Peace Process. The ministers
will also discuss the stage of implementation of the EU’s Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy
for the 2015 – 2019 period.

The Minister
Delegate for Relations with Romanians Abroad, Angel Tilvar, who paid a 4-day
formal visit to Austria, on Sunday went to the Romanian church in Vienna. He
stressed the importance of such religious establishments in preserving Romanian
identity. Tilvar announced that the Department for Relations with Romanians
Abroad would increase the church’s book library. On Saturday, the Romanian
official laid a wreath at the Romanian Heroes’ Cemetery in Vienna. The program
of his visit also included meetings with representatives of the Romanian
communities in Austria and with local and central government officials.

Over 500,000 people have so far visited
Romania’s pavilion at Expo Milano 2015, in three months since its opening. The
general commissioner of the pavilion, Georgian Ghervasie, has told Radio
Romania that the main attraction is the traditional house from the Danube
Delta, made of wood and covered in reed. The core theme of the world exhibition
in Milan is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life and has brought together 140
countries. It will stay open until October 31st. Romania’s day at the
exhibition will be celebrated on July 29th, which the National Anthem’s Day.

Banks in Greece
will resume activity on Monday, after three weeks of shut-down. According to
the Radio Romania correspondent, the 60 Euro per day withdrawal cap stays
valid, and transfers abroad are still banned, except for some limited amounts
for students and people on medical treatment.
Greece has got from the EU 7
billion Euro worth of emergency funding, and now negotiations are due to start
on the third aid program, worth 86 billion Euros. In exchange for this money,
Greece has accepted major reforms in the pensions system, a higher VAT and a
tighter control of public expenditure. Starting Monday, Greece will have to
reimburse the European Central Banks over 4 billion Euros. The tax increase
approved by Parliament comes into force also on Monday.

On Sunday, the US Defense Secretary, Ashton Carter started
a tour of the Middle East, aimed at dissipating fear triggered by the recent
accord that the big powers have concluded with Iran. The Prime Minister of
Israel, which is the tour’s first leg, has termed the document as a historic
mistake, as, in his opinion, Iran will eventually get nuclear weapons and will
keep funding terrorism with the money obtained once international sanctions are
lifted. According to analysts quoted by the Radio Romania correspondent, now
Israel needs sophisticated equipment to be able to maintain its military
supremacy in the region.

The
Romanian women’s epee team, made up of Ana Maria Branza, Simona Gherman, Simona
Pop and Loredana Dinu, won silver at the World Fencing Championships in Moscow,
after it was defeated by China in the finals, 45 – 36. In the first round,
Romania defeated Turkey, then Switzerland, Hungary and Ukraine in the
semifinals. Also, Romania has got one bronze medal in the men’s competition,
won by Tiberiu Dolniceanu in the single saber event, and this secures Romania
its qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.