September 14, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 14.09.2023, 20:00

PLAN – In Thursday’s session, the government updated the national emergency
plan on the security of natural gas supplies in Romania. The adopted measures
stipulate the provision of energy resources and support designed to help the
population safely get through the upcoming winter. On the other hand, all
farmers growing produce, irrespective of their form of association, who
encountered great difficulty in selling their products in 2022, will receive an
additional financial support of 2 lei per liter of fuel used last year in farming.
Also on Thursday, the government adopted the procedure for implementing the
Investalim program, designed to boost Romania’s capacity of processing
foodstuffs. Government officials also greenlit the agreements with the Republic
of Moldova on the construction and modernization of three bridges over Prut
River, one linking Albița to Leușeni and modernizing the two bridges in Sculeni
and Oancea-Cahul. Finally, the Government also decided Romania will also send
some 700 thousand EUR worth of aid to Libya, consisting in food and shelter
supplies.

DRONE
ATTACKS – The Russian Federation’s attacks on the Ukrainian Danube ports of
Reni, Izmail and Chilia are unacceptable, State Secretary with the Romanian
Defense Ministry, Simona Cojocaru, said. In recent weeks, we have
witnessed an unprecedented escalation of this war of aggression, very close to
Romania’s border the minister said, after new drone fragments, most
likely Russian, were discovered in the Danube Delta, bordering Ukraine.

STRIKE -
Romanian Railways trade unions have announced a strike for Friday morning, with
both passenger and freight trains expected to be suspended. Unlike the all-out
strike, when organizers must ensure the operation of a third of all trains,
Friday’s strike falls under no such obligation. Trade unions have launched the
strike after negotiations for a new collective employment agreement failed and
rail companies are not operating with official budgets. Transport Minister
Sorin Grindeanu said the said budgets can be approved only at the end of the
month, when the government is expected to operate a new budget adjustment.

MOLDOVA
– The Republic of Moldova wants to build a NATO-standard army, Moldova’s Prime
Minister Dorin Recean said after meeting NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea
Geoană in Chișinău. Moldova’s
neutrality is not tantamount to indifference, it doesn’t mean we don’t need to
do anything. We need to build our defense capabilities, and that requires
investments in our national army, the head of government pointed out. In turn, Deputy Secretary Goeană explained
that, although Moldova doesn’t face major military risks from the Russian
Federation, this country is still fighting a hybrid war triggered by Russia,
which involved energy blackmail, cyber-attacks, disinformation, influencing
democratic processes and fuelling social turmoil. (VP)