June 20, 2015
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 20.06.2015, 13:50
Romania has become a full member of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). The decision was taken this week in Geneva. The main area of research of this organisation, founded in 1954, is particle physics — the study of the fundamental constituents of matter and the forces acting between them. Because of this, the laboratory operated by CERN is often referred to as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. Romanian signed its first accord with the European Organisation for Nuclear Research in 1991.
Eurostat figures published today, on the World Refugee Day, EU member states granted protection to 135,725 asylum seekers in 2013, up from 116,200 in 2012. Over the last five years, more than 570,000 asylum seekers were granted protection status in the EU. In the first quarter of 2015 almost 200,000 asylum seekers applied for protection in EU countries, by over 80% more than in the same period of 2014. On the occasion of the World Refugee Day the UN Refugee Agency launched an audio message in several different languages to raise awareness over the problems facing the refugees. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said in a release that the unprecedented number of asylum seekers mirrors not only a deeper individual sufferance but also an alarming multiplication of violence and instability throughout the world. In another development, the members of the Visegrad group of countries within the EU – Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, opposed quotas in EU migrant issue.. Debate has grown over how to deal with a growing influx of migrants into the 28-member European Union and a number of countries have stressed any acceptance system should be based on a voluntary approach. In Brussels, the European Commission criticised harshly Hungary’s decision to build a security wall at its border with Serbia to prevent migrants from entering the Hungarian territory.
Around 120 civil and militay aircraft and 200 pilots and parachutists are part of the biggest air show in Romania, that will last for 12 hours today. Romanian Air Forces, Turkish Stars, Latvia’s Baltic Bees, US Airforce, Royal Airforce and Pakistan’s Air Forces are participating in the show. Bucharest also hosts this weeked the 9th edition of the International Folklore Festival attended by over two thousand artists from Romania, Moldova, Armenia, Serbia, India and Scotland.
The mayor of Bucharest’s Sector 1, the Liberal Andrei Chiliman, charged with corruption, is subject to legal restrictions pending trial in the file known as “Bribe in exchange for public contracts”. Anti-corruption prosecutors have initially asked for the mayor to be remanded in custody but a Court ruled against it. Chiliman is accused of having set up an organised crime group and repeated influence peddling. According to the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, ever since 2004 when he was fist elected mayor, Chiliman has been demanding and receiving commissions of 10 to15% of public works contracts handed out based on preferential criteria. The damage to the state budget stands at some 9 million euros. Another two city hall advisors, as well as the former treasurer of the National Liberal Party are also investigated in this case.
The European Central Bank has agreed to provide more support to keep Greek banks operating until crucial Eurozone meeting on Monday, when eurozone finance ministers will discuss how to handle a Greek default unless Athens made new proposals on reform and austerity to persuade the creditors to unlock aid blocked since August. The Greek Government has refused to implement austerity measures. Athens needs 7.2 billion euros by the end of this month or risk bankruptcy. About 4.2 billion euros had flooded out of Greek accounts this week for fear bank deposits could be converted in Greek currency.
Romania is taking all necessary measures, alongside other NATO members, to secure the estern border of NATO and the EU Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa said that for this purpose the number of joint military drills in Romania has increased considerably. Minister Dusa has announced Romania plans to buy 12 F-16 fighter jets. Designed to test the capacity of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples to lead a NATO collective defence operation, the TRIDENT JOUST 15 exercise brings together 1,000 troops from 25 NATO members in the Cincu shooting ground in Brasov county (central Romania). Between June 17-28, an Allied Joint Force Command headquarters are for the first time deployed in Romania where they will conduct the shifting of command and control of the NATO Response Force to a temporary location. In another development, until June 26 Romanian troops are also participating in a multinational exercise of the special operations Forces called ROUSOFEX 15. As many as 1,500 troops with more than 100 pieces of combat equipment from Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania, the US and Turkey are taking part in this tactical exercise.
