March 16, 2014

1.5 million voters in the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea are expected to polls today to decide whether they want to join Russia or more autonomy within Ukraine, in a referendum criticised by the international community but supported by Moscow, and whose result is already predictable. The Russian and Russian-speaking majority is expected to vote for joining Russia, whereas the leaders of Crimea’s third-largest community, the Tatars, have urged people to boycott the referendum and want the region to stay within Ukraine. The Parliament in Kiev yesterday voted to disband the pro-Russian legislative assembly. Also yesterday, the Ukrainian authorities, including the Constitutional Court, declared the referendum “illegitimate.” The US and its European allies, including Romania, also view the referendum as illegal, and its result irrelevant. On Saturday, Russia, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, vetoed a draft resolution proposed by the US and criticising the vote. China on the other hand abstained from the vote in the Security Council, which analysts view as a sign of Russia’s growing isolation in the international arena. Meanwhile, tensions grew on Saturday across Ukraine. Kiev accused Russia of a military invasion north of Crimea as well, while in the eastern Ukrainian region of Doneţk, new pro-Russian separatist rallies were held.

România Internațional, 16.03.2014, 14:00

1.5 million voters in the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea are expected to polls today to decide whether they want to join Russia or more autonomy within Ukraine, in a referendum criticised by the international community but supported by Moscow, and whose result is already predictable. The Russian and Russian-speaking majority is expected to vote for joining Russia, whereas the leaders of Crimea’s third-largest community, the Tatars, have urged people to boycott the referendum and want the region to stay within Ukraine. The Parliament in Kiev yesterday voted to disband the pro-Russian legislative assembly. Also yesterday, the Ukrainian authorities, including the Constitutional Court, declared the referendum “illegitimate.” The US and its European allies, including Romania, also view the referendum as illegal, and its result irrelevant. On Saturday, Russia, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, vetoed a draft resolution proposed by the US and criticising the vote. China on the other hand abstained from the vote in the Security Council, which analysts view as a sign of Russia’s growing isolation in the international arena. Meanwhile, tensions grew on Saturday across Ukraine. Kiev accused Russia of a military invasion north of Crimea as well, while in the eastern Ukrainian region of Doneţk, new pro-Russian separatist rallies were held.

An unarmed airplane of the Romanian Air Forces will take part between March the 17th and 21st in observation missions in Ukraine, as part of an international programme called “Open Skies”. The mission has been recently confirmed by the Romanian president Traian Basescu. No details have been officially provided on the areas in Ukraine to be inspected or on whether the mission will cover the Crimean Peninsula. The ”Open Skies” programme, in which 34 countries take part, including the US and Russia, provides for mutual observation flights of jointly agreed areas in the signatory countries. Last year, Russian inspectors flew over Romania and Hungary, in view of enhancing transparency and confidence in the military and weapon control field.

The short film “Someone may drop a cigarette butt”, by the Croatian director Josip Visković, won the trophy of the 23rd DaKINO International Film Festival in Bucharest. “Inconspicuous”, by Barbara Medajska, and “Gagarin and Me”, by Mihajlo Jevtic, also won the special prize of the jury. The public choice award was handed out by the festival founder, Dan Chişu, to director Ioachim Ciobanu, for his film “Grindcore”. The best script award went to Georgiana Constantin, for “Therapeutic Dialogues”, by Andrei Georgescu, and the award for best director was handed to Marie-Elsa Sgualdo, for her short film “On the beach”. Twenty-six films competed in this year’s edition of the Festival.

Romania will purchase from the US military laser tracking equipment, paying close 1.7 million US dollars, a US Navy official has told Radio Romania. According to him, the 10 devices will be delivered next February. They can be used by the special forces to identify and track prospective targets, both for artillery and aircraft. This kind of equipment was used in missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Malaysia has today announced that 25 countries have joined in the search for the plane that went missing 8 days ago. Kuala Lumpur asked the US, China and France, to help with radar and satellite data. Previously the Malaysian police searched the homes of the two pilots of the MH370 flight, further to information that the plane operated by Malaysia Airlines, strayed from the planned route in what the PM described as a “deliberate action”. Hijacking has not been officially confirmed.