November 28, 2022

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 28.11.2022, 14:04

NATO – The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis is today having talks with the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in Bucharest. Stoltenberg will chair the meeting of NATO foreign ministers hosted by the Romanian capital city as of Tuesday. Also on this occasion, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Bucharest, and will have meetings with President Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu. The NATO meeting, the first of this kind organised in Romania, focuses on supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion, energy security and implementing the Alliances new strategic concept.

SHENGEN – Romania and Croatia are prepared to join the Schengen area. This is the conclusion of a meeting between Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu and his Croatian counterpart Gordan Radman, paying an official visit to Bucharest. Aurescu said both countries are part of the solution that the EU needs at the moment to consolidate its external borders and handle migration. The two officials also discussed about strengthening bilateral ties and conducting joint projects but also about security in the region in the context of the war in Ukraine. Gordon Radman’s visit to Romania marks 30 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Croatia.

MEETING – Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca has today held in Bucharest a meeting with his Serbian counterpart, Ana Barnabic, with whom he discussed about the need to boost bilateral dialogue and sectoral cooperation. Ciuca emphasized the importance of implementing projects in the field of energy connectivity and transport, by developing the Romania-Serbia gas interconnector, and by connecting the Timisoara-Moravita motorway sector with the Belgrade-Vatin high speed road.

NATIONAL DAY — A solemn meeting of the Bucharest parliament is held today to mark 104 years since the Great Union. President Klaus Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciuca, the speakers of two parliament chambers and representatives of parliamentary groups will deliver speeches on this occasion. In Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and 40 aircraft will take part in a military parade on December 1, Romania’s National Day. According to a defence ministry news release, around 150 troops from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, R. Of Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, will also take part. Romanian military personnel on missions abroad will also organise special ceremonies. Events devoted to Romanias National Day begin in Alba Iulia on November 30, with military and wreath laying ceremonies. On December 1, more than 850 troops will parade in Alba Iulia, including a French unit part of the NATO battlegroup deployed in Cincu, Braşov County.

UKRAINE — Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia would surely launch new missile attacks on his country and urged defence forces and citizens to be prepared to withstand a new week of strain on the power grid. “We understand that the terrorists are planning new strikes,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. The Ukrainian President said this week could be as difficult as the previous one. In the capital Kyiv, where it is snowing heavily, local authorities said workers were close to completing the restoration of power, water and heat which have been severely damaged by Russian missiles. Sunday was relatively calm with no major attacks on Kyiv or other big cities. Ukraine’s central army command said Russian forces launched four missile attacks and repeatedly targeted civilian objects in the Dnipropetrovsk region (centre). Heavy fighting was reported along the frontlines in various parts of the country, the Donetsk region in particular, including the main targets of Bakhmut and Avdiivka. Heavy fighting was also reported in Kharkiv, in the north-east.

CRISIS– Ukraine will go through the worst winter since WW2, Romania’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Alexandru Victor Micula said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has given a bleak outlook for the Ukrainian capitals 3 million inhabitants, given the damage caused by Russian shelling on the city’s energy infrastructure. Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament, called on the West European countries to show more solidarity with the Ukrainian refugees, whose number could go up if Russian attacks continue.

MLM – A 2-day Munich Leaders Meeting (MLM) takes place in Bucharest as of today. The Romanian foreign ministry is co-hosting this prestigious event, which is part of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Attending will be over 75 senior officials from over 25 countries, including current and former officials, experts, analysts and opinion leaders. The agenda includes relevant topics for international security, with an emphasis on developments in the Black Sea and Western Balkans regions. Other topics will be the European security architecture, implementing the new NATO Strategic Concept, hybrid threats, food security, and the energy crisis. The conclusions of the meeting in Bucharest will contribute to shaping the agenda of next years Munich Security Conference. (EE)