September 29, 2015

Click here for a round-up of news from Romania

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Newsroom, 29.09.2015, 12:00

CENSURE MOTION – The censure motion entitled “Choose between Romania and Ponta, a compromised Prime Minister. Dismiss Victor Ponta!” initiated by the Liberal opposition was rejected in a plenary session of Parliament on Tuesday, with 207 votes for the motion and 8 votes against it. 275 votes would have been needed for the motion to be passed. In the Liberals’ opinion the accusations levelled by the prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate against Ponta, namely forgery, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering, no longer allow him to sign laws or to take responsibility for the country’s budget and prosecuting the prime minister severely affects Romania’s credibility. Alongside the former Social Democrat senator Dan Sova, Ponta is accused of involvement, while being a lawyer, in committing illegalities which brought a prejudice of over 16 million Euro to the state, more exactly to the Rovinari and Turceni energy companies in southern Romania.

PRESIDENCY – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is again addressing the UN General Assembly today. This is the third speech delivered by Iohannis before the world leaders, after he referred to gender equality and the sustainable development agenda, over the past few days. Also today, Klaus Iohannis will attend a high-level summit countering violent extremism and the Islamic State, a summit initiated and hosted by US President, Barack Obama. The Romanian president will also participate in a meeting organised by Croatia’s President, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, which brings together leaders from the Black Sea, Adriatic Sea and Baltic Sea area. Yesterday, President Klaus Iohannis discussed with US vice-president Joe Biden on the bilateral Strategic Partnership, the fight against terrorism and the refugee crisis that Europe is faced with.

SYRIA – Referring to the situation in Syria, Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, has said only a political solution can produce a lasting result. Aurescu has said this process should unfold in such a way so as to prevent extremist groups from consolidating their positions in the area. At the informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers held in New York, Aurescu has reiterated the need to provide support to Syria’s neighbouring countries, which provide shelter to refugees. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 70th UN General Assembly.

MEETING — US President Barack Obama and Russian leader Vladimir Putin took different stands on the Syrian file, which took centre stage again yesterday, at the 70th UN General Assembly in New York. Obama insists that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad should leave power, whereas Putin underlines no one truly fights against the Islamic State Jihadist group, except for Assad and his militia. Putin called on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution meant to instate a broad coalition against the Islamic State, reiterating that Russia will not take part in any action meant to topple what he called “a legitimate government. A meeting of the contact group for Syria, made up of the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Egypt has already been set for October.

TABLE TENNIS – The Romanian women’s table tennis team won the silver medal in the European Championship final in Yekaterinburg, Russia, after it sustained defeat from Germany 3-0. If they scored a victory, the Romanians would have won the fourth continental title, after those in 1992, 2002 and 2005. In exchange, the Romanian men’s table tennis team ranks 15th. It managed to score only one victory in the competition, against Ukraine, on Tuesday.