March 6, 2017

Romanian labor ministry officials start talks on unitary pay law/ Romanian officials attend Foreign Affairs Council meeting/ Romanian Navy organizes military drill in the Black Sea

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Newsroom, 06.03.2017, 13:49

Labour — The Romanian Labor Ministry officials on Monday started talks with trade unionists on the unitary pay law. The line minister, Lia Olguţa Vasilescu, has pointed out that the law might be finalized in July, as scheduled in the governing program of the coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. Minister Vasilescu has recently stated that by 2020 wages up to around 890 Euros will double and those which exceed that ceiling will be augmented by 45%. She has also underlined that, as of July 1, the pension point will rise to almost 225 Euros.

Brussels — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Teodor Meleşcanu and the Defense Minister, Gabriel Leş, are participating today in Brussels in the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. They will be holding talks with their counterparts from the EU member countries on the European security and defense policy, on migration, the Western Balkans and the peace process in the Middle East. The foreign and defense ministers will exchange opinions on drafting a report on the development of the common security and defense policy. The document will be presented at the meeting of the heads of state and government of the EU member states scheduled for March 9 and 10, shows a communiqué of the Romanian Foreign Ministry.

Paris — The French President Francois Hollande, the German chancellor Angela Merkel, the Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy and the Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni are meeting today in Versailles for talks on re-launching the European project that has been shaken by Brexit and the rise of populism. The four officials will be looking at the proposal of a multi-speed Europe, a scenario for reforming the EU that has been recently presented by the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. In an interview carried by several European daily newspapers on Monday, the French President Francois Hollande has said that, for many years, the idea of a Europe with different paces of development has generated a lot of resistance, but this idea has now become a must. Romania is opposed to such a perspective.

Eurovision — Ilinca and Alex Florea will represent Romania in the Eurovision 2017 contest with the song “Yodel It” following their victory in Sunday night’s national selection. The 62nd edition of Eurovision will be hosted by Kiev, with the semi-finals being scheduled on May 9 and 11 and the final on May 13. Romania will compete in the second semi-final. Another Romanian will participate in this year’s Eurovision contest, Miruna Mănescu, with the song “Apollo” but she will represent Switzerland. Romania has participated in the Eurovision contest since 1993, its best results being the 3rd place won at two editions and a 4th place.

The Hague — The International Court of Justice in The Hague is today starting public hearings in the case in which Kiev accuses the Russian Federation of supporting terrorism in the conflict involving the pro-Russian separatist rebels in the east of Ukraine. Kiev notified the International Court of Justice in January, accusing Moscow of infringing the UN conventions on the anti-terror fight and on discrimination by granting support to the separatist groups in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, where the fighting has killed almost 10 thousand people in the past 3 years. Russia annexed Crimea in the spring of 2014 after a military intervention and a referendum, which Kiev and the West labeled as illegal.

Military drills — The multinational military drill “Poseidon 2017” organized by the Romanian Navy brings to the Black Sea, on Monday, the NATO Mine Counter Measures Group. The training lasts one week and will be unfolding in the Romanian territorial waters and in the international waters in the west of the Black Sea. Participating are more than 1,500 soldiers, military ships from 7 NATO member countries, Romanian and Turkish divers specializing in discovering and neutralizing underwater dangers, chiefs of staff of the Bulgarian and Turkish armies as well as aircraft and a helicopter. This is the 2^nd military drill organized by the Romanian Navy since the beginning of 2017. (translation by L. Simion)