March 15, 2016

Click here for a round-up of news from Romania

Newsroom, 15.03.2016, 12:03

MEETING – The countrys Higher Defence Council has convened today in Bucharest, in a meeting whose focal points include the latest developments in the migration crisis in the EU. The members of the council are also assessing the results of the fight against the illegal cutting of trees and the stage of the process of equipping the army by 2027. The agenda of the talks also covers such issues such as the evolutions in the Balkans and the impact on Romanias foreign policy and security, as well as Moldovas political outlook.

ECONOMY – Romania is going through a crucial moment and it is important for it not to slow down the pace of fiscal consolidation or pay less attention to financial stability, the governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, said in Bucharest on Tuesday. According to the central bank governor, the country is running the risk of loosing, to a certain extent, the progress it has made and needs legislative stability and clear laws, which should not create confusion. The convergence to the Euro zone can be a beneficial process, a catalyst of reforms says the governor of the National Bank of Romania. In another move, the countrys reserves have increased by 6 billion Euros, and the country has paid back the money to the IMF, he underlined. Mugur Isarescu has admitted that many people and medium sized companies are going through difficult times and he said the GDP would be higher if the country had a better infrastructure.

DIPLOMACY-Including Romania in the Visa Waiver Program is one of Bucharests priorities in the relation with Washington and there are lots of members of the US Congress who favour the idea, said Romanias Ambassador to the US George Cristian Maior in an interview carried on Monday by Agerpress news agency. He has stated that the partnership between Romania and the USA is a very good one, politically, economically and also with regard to security, and, no matter who will hold the reigns of power in the US in the future, be they the Republicans or the Democrats, the grounds have been set for this partnership to keep on going well and deal with all the challenges posed by the realities of the 21st century. Domestically, Romania is a very cohesive state and with a clearly set strategic line when it comes to its foreign policy, and all these strengths must be used in reaching its diplomatic, political, economic and military interests, the Romanian ambassador has also stated.

ROAD ACCIDENT– A cell crisis has been activated within the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, following the car crash in Turkey, in which two Romanian tourists died. Out of the other 14 Romanian citizens who were wounded in the accident, three are in a hospital in Antalya, one in a serious condition; the other 11 were only slightly injured. The Romanian Presidency and Foreign Ministry have sent condolences to the grieving families and have given assurances that all the Romanian citizens affected are properly taken care of. The most serious accident of this type occurred in June 2013, when a coach full of Romanian tourists crashed into a 40 m precipice. 18 people died then, and 29 were injured.

SYRIA-As of today, Russia starts its military pull out from Syria, following the decision made public yesterday by President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin leader says the measure should encourage the peaceful settlement of the Syrian conflict. In October 2015, Russia launched military operations in Syria, mainly air raids, to support the Bashar al Assad Administration. Moscow claims it targeted exclusively positions of the Islamic State terrorist network and helped the regime of the Syrian president to reconquer important territories from his opponents. The west denounced the raids, however, for having reportedly targeted Syrian insurgent groups. The decision by president Putin coincides with the resumption of inter-Syrian peace talks in Geneva. Whereas representatives of the Syrian opposition who participate in the US-Russian sponsored peace talks have hailed the Russian military withdrawal, the US had a cautious response. A White House spokesperson says it remains to be seen what Russias intentions are. Over 250,000 lost their lives in the past 5 years, since the start of anti-governmental protests in Syria.

CAR BOMB– A car bomb exploded in a travelling vehicle on a street in downtown Berlin, killing the driver. According to the German police, an explosive device might be the cause of the blast, Reuters reports. The police forces are making thorough controls to see whether there are other explosive devices or not and called on the people living within the security perimeter set by the police to stay indoors.