October 6, 2023

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 06.10.2023, 13:55

Madrid. Dozens of European heads of state and government are participating in the 3rd European Political Community Summit, which continues today in the Spanish city of Granada. Among those present are representatives of EU member states, including the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, but also leaders of countries with European aspirations, including the presidents of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. Energy, cyber security, military security, migration and climate change are among the topics addressed. Regarding a new enlargement of the EU, the participants agree that a formula must be found to bring the countries of the Balkans and Eastern Europe into the European family, but only after a reform of the functioning of the Union. In this context, according to President Iohannis, setting deadlines for enlargement is unrealistic.

Visit. After representing Romania at the high-level meetings in Spain, President Klaus Iohannis will pay a state visit to Portugal until Monday, at the invitation of his counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. According to the Presidential Administration, the visit will begin with the participation of President Iohannis, as a special guest, in the anniversary meeting of the Arraiolos Group, hosted by the President of the Portuguese Republic, which will take place on Friday in Porto. The Group meeting marks 20 years since the initiation of this informal platform for consultation at presidential level between 16 states of the European Union. The head of state will deliver, as the main speaker, a presentation focused on the challenges faced by the European Union in the context of Russias aggression against Ukraine, the necessary measures to continue the multidimensional support for Ukraine and ensuring the unity of European and Euro-Atlantic positions in addressing the security effects of the war. On Saturday, President Iohannis will be received by his Portuguese counterpart in Lisbon. The field of defense is one of the key components of bilateral cooperation, with the aim of strengthening allied defense on NATOs Eastern Flank, a result of this cooperation being the participation of Portugal with a contingent of ground forces in the multinational NATO brigade in Romania, the presidential administration has stressed. On the sidelines of the state visit, bilateral documents will be signed in the field of energy, investment and trade. In another move, Klaus Iohannis will pay an official visit to Hungary on Wednesday, where he will talk with his Hungarian counterpart, Katalin Novak.

Mechanism. The mechanism that will allow the import of limited quantities of grain from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova only on the basis of a license was discussed by the Bucharest Government in Thursdays meeting. The measure aims to protect Romanian farmers after the European Commission lifted the restrictions imposed on Ukrainian grain imports, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. He stated that this mechanism, agreed with all parties involved, will allow imports only on the basis of an authorization for limited quantities of grain and will apply only to Romanian farmers and processors who demonstrate that they need additional quantities to replenish stocks. “This is how we ensure that products that comply with quality standards will arrive on the Romanian market”, Ciolacu pointed out. He also said that Romania continues to support Ukraine “with all its strengh”, but that it is mandatory for the Bucharest administration to protect the work of Romanian farmers. Recently, the Romanian Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, has said that the agricultural products that are subject to import and will fall under the scope of this mechanism are wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed.

Inflation. The National Bank of Romania (NBR) has decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 7% per year, a value that has remained unchanged since January. The board of directors of the NBR also kept unchanged the interest at which commercial banks can borrow from the NBR and the interest they receive when they keep money in deposits established at the central bank. According to the new assessments of the BNR, the annual inflation rate will continue to decrease until the end of the current year. Starting next year, however, inflation will be influenced by the existence of major risks, arising from the new fiscal-budgetary measures adopted by the government and the degree of absorption of European funds, as well as the war in neighboring Ukraine and economic developments below expectations from Europe.

Attack. At least 51 people lost their lives yesterday in a Russian missile attack on a village in northeastern Ukraine, not far from the front line. A cafe and a grocery store were hit where the victims had met for the reburial ceremony of a soldier from that village, who had been killed in battle. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Russian military of deliberately targeting civilians. The bombardment took place in the context in which Moscows forces intensified their attacks in the Kupiansk – Lîman front sector, where they are said to have mobilized one hundred and ten thousand soldiers. The last assaults of the Russians in the area were supported by aviation. On the other hand, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army announced that the troops under its command have made progress both in the east, in the area of ​​the city of Bahmut, and on the southern front, where they are engaged in an offensive in the direction of the Sea of ​​Azov. This went, however, much slower than initially expected, so that it is unlikely that the objective will be reached before the onset of bad weather.

Protest. Representatives of several associations of patients with chronic and autoimmune diseases in Romania have protested in front of the Ministry of Health, dissatisfied with problems in the system that directly affect them. They signaled the delay in payments to pharmacies for compensated drugs and are waiting for the emergency budget rectification or the increase in the GDP allocation for the medical system. The relevant minister, Alexandru Rafila, has discussed with the patients representatives and assured them that at the beginning of next month the budgetary adjustment regarding health will take place and that the payments of the compensated medicines for the pharmacies have been made for May. However, the president of the Association of Patients with Autoimmune Diseases, Rozalina Lăpădatu, has said that the payments are still delayed, and the pharmacies are at risk of collapse. She has stated that the Government Decision on updating the list of free and compensated medicines is blocked at the Ministry of Finance, which is supposed to approve it, and announced that patient organizations will decide whether to organize a protest in front of this ministry as well, to ensure that “the budget adjustment it will actually be done at the beginning of November”. (MI)