October 7, 2016 UPDATE

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis met in Bucharest with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini/ A ceremony was held in Romania to mark the arrival of the first six F-16 fighter jets purchased from Portugal

Bogdan Matei, 07.10.2016, 12:20

FOREIGN POLICY – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday held talks in Bucharest with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, mainly on Syria and the Republic of Moldova. As regards Syria, the two agreed that the military option is not a solution and that the EU wants to be a partner which fosters and takes part in the negotiations. Referring to the Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet country with a Romanian speaking population), the president said the EU understands that Romania takes a special and legitimate interest for the Republic of Moldova to stay oriented towards Europe-president Klaus Iohannis said. The two agreed on a common stance that goes towards supporting Moldova, the president also said. Other issues on the agenda of talks are the Eastern Partnership, the situation of the European Union in the southern area as well as a better organisation and coordination of the European defence.

SCHENGEN ACCESSION – Romanian foreign minister Lazar Comanescu on Friday pleaded again for Romanias Schenghen accession. In a meeting he had in Bucharest with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, the Romanian foreign minister underlined that Romania is ready to defend Europes borders in the new security context. Initially scheduled for 2011, Romanias accession to the free circulation movement area has been repeatedly delayed. Although western partners recognise that Bucharest meets all technical criteria, some of them continue to oppose the accession, pointing to corruption in Romanian institutions.

DIPLOMACY – Promoting security, democracy and transparent governance in Romania and in the transatlantic area is among the priorities of the US Embassy in Bucharest, says US ambassador Hans Klemm. On Friday, at a conference on innovation and technology in Cluj-Napoca, western Romania, he also said that one of the authorities main concerns should be the citizens prosperity. Developing and supporting the business sector are key elements in the effort to achieve this goal. We recall that, allied within NATO, Romania and the US are tied by a strategic partnership.

F-16 – Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos went to an airbase in southeastern Romania to participate in a ceremony occasioned by the arrival of the first six F-16 Fighting Falcons out of the total 12 bought from Portugal. The six fighters were taken over in late September from the Portuguese airbase of Monte Real. Romania decided to upgrade its air fleet and replace the ageing MiG 21s.

POUND –The pound has dropped to a 31-year low against the US $ and to a 7-year low against the euro. International press agencies believe the fall takes place amid fears of the ‘hard Brexit. According to a survey published by Reuters, Britain’s financial industry might lose up to 38 billion pounds ($48.34 billion) in revenue in a so-called ‘hard Brexit’ that would leave it with restricted access to the European Union’s single market. Prime Minister Theresa May last Sunday confirmed that Britain would trigger the article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in the first quarter of 2017.

EXODUS – Millions are fleeing the coastal regions of Florida and South Carolina before the arrival of hurricane Matthew, thought to be the strongest in the United States in the past decade. With gusts as high as 215 kilometer per hour, Matthew, which killed 340 people in Haiti, is a category 4, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm could have a disastrous impact in the two states, where president Obama has already declared the state of emergency.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE – The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country’s more than 50-year-long civil war to an end, a war that has cost the lives of at least 220 000 Colombians and displaced close to six million people. Last year the prize went to the National Dialog Quartet in Tunisia for having built a pluralistic democracy in that country. The Nobel Prize in Economics is to be awarded next Monday and that for Literature on Thursday October 13th.

FOOTBALL – Romanias national football squad this coming Saturday take on Armenia in an away fixture counting towards the World Cup preliminaries in 2018. Three days after the match in Yerevan, Romania face Kazakhstan, also away from home. Last month the national team were held to a 1-all draw by Montenegro on home turf, in what counts as the debut game for the newly-appointed manager of the national team, the German Christoph Daum, the first foreign manager to have been appointed at the helm of the national team. In the same group, E, Denmark grabbed a 1-nil home win against Armenia, while Poland were held to a 2-all draw by Kazakhstan, away from home. This autumn, Romania also takes on Poland on home turf, on November 11th. (Translated by D. Bilt and D. Vijeu)