September 10, 2016
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 10.09.2016, 12:00
GENEVA – After several weeks of negotiations, Russian and US officials announced in Geneva, on Friday night, that they reached an agreement related to the Syrian war. According to the agreement, the forces of the Syrian government and of the rebels will cease fire all over Syria as of Monday. The government in Damascus is supported by Russia, which, as of 2015, has intervened with military forces in Syria, while the moderate rebels have been aided by the US and some of its western and regional allies. The ceasefire does not apply, however, to the Islamic State Jihadist group and the former Front al-Nusrah, an organization affiliated to the Al Qaida. The US and Russia have agreed to coordinate their military operations against the two groups. The period of ceasefire should be used by the Syrian government and the opposition forces to work out a political agreement so as to end the civil war that has lasted for 6 years already. More than 250 thousand people have died in the war and millions of Syrians were forced to leave their homes.
VISIT BY HOLLANDE – The French President, Francois Hollande, will pay a 2-day official visit to Bucharest as of September 12. He will be accompanied by a delegation of ministers, businesspeople and parliamentarians. The French President is to meet in Bucharest with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis. High on the agenda of talks is, among other topics, the future of the EU in the run up to the summit to be held in Bratislava on September 16. The French president will also participate, together with the PM Dacian Cioloş, in the inauguration of the Airbus helicopter factory based in Ghimbav, near Brasov county, in central Romania. The investment stands at 40 million euros and the first civilian helicopter will be issued in 2017. The first military helicopter will be released in 2018.
MAE – The Romanian Foreign Ministry urges the Romanian citizens abroad to enroll in the Electoral Register so as to be able to vote in the December 11 legislative elections. September 14 is the last day when the Romanian citizens with their residence or domicile abroad can file their applications for registration in the Electoral Register. They have to specify if they opt for voting by mail or in the polling stations. The election campaign will be unfolding between November 11- December 10.
BUDAPEST – A gas pipeline that will link the gas networks from Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria will be built by the end of 2019. The representatives of the Romanian company Transgaz signed in Budapest a funding contract worth almost 180 million euros. As regards the Romanian territory, the project provides for the building of a 528 km- long pipeline and of three new compressor stations. The total costs of the gas pipeline, that will convey gas from the Black Sea towards Austria, will exceed half a billion euros. One third of the funds is granted by the European Commission.
NORTH KOREA – The UN Security Council has firmly condemned North Korea for the latest nuclear test conducted on Friday. In a joint declaration all the 15 members of the Security Council, including China, the most important trade partner of North Korea and its traditional ally, have stated that they will immediately start talks on the adequate measures aimed at imposing the UN resolutions in this regard. The US, Japan and France asked for further, tougher sanctions against North Korea, which conducted its 5th nuclear test of the largest scale as compared to the previous ones. The Romanian Foreign Ministry officials also expressed concern over the matter, saying that the test was a challenge to peace and regional security and also to international security. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)
