RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Reactions to the Situation in Crimea

Alongside Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, Romania is one of the NATO and EU member states which share a common border with Ukraine, which exceeds 600 km. Furthermore, over 400,000 ethnic Romanians are living along this border, in communities clustered in western Ukraine. These are enough reasons prompting Bucharest to show legitimate concern about the situation in the neighbouring country, whose sovereignty and territorial integrity it has always respected and upheld.

Reactions to the Situation in Crimea
Reactions to the Situation in Crimea

, 17.03.2014, 13:39

Alongside Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, Romania is one of the NATO and EU member states which share a common border with Ukraine, which exceeds 600 km. Furthermore, over 400,000 ethnic Romanians are living along this border, in communities clustered in western Ukraine. These are enough reasons prompting Bucharest to show legitimate concern about the situation in the neighbouring country, whose sovereignty and territorial integrity it has always respected and upheld.



President Traian Basescu has said Romania considers illegal the referendum held in Crimea and it will not recognise its results. The Romanian head of state says a referendum held under the threat of military occupation has nothing to do with the norms of a democratic process. Therefore, the international community can’t recognise it and believe it legitimate. In another move, President Traian Basescu calls on Russia to take action, in its relation with Ukraine, in conformity with the UN Charter and in accordance with the international law and says Romania supports a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. In turn, Romanian foreign minister Titus Corlatean has hailed what he called NATO’s positive approach to the crisis in Ukraine, by deploying reconnaissance aircraft to Poland and Romania, in an attempt to monitor the crisis.



“The measure taken by the North-Atlantic Council is designed to prevent tensions at regional level and to guarantee the member states’ security,” Corlatean says. In an interview to the foreign media, the Romanian foreign minister voiced concern over the escalation of the Russian intervention in the Black Sea area. In his turn, one of Corlatean’s deputies, the state secretary for strategic affairs in the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu, has said the developments in Ukraine are a severe and alarming signal for Europe, underlying that the referendum in Crimea is illegitimate and illegal. “The peninsula can represent another step forward, in a Russian expansionist spiral, and Romania, situated on the border with Ukraine, becomes the last shield of the western block”, the mass media quotes analysts as saying.



Romania’s worries are increased by the existence, only 100 km away of its western border, of another hotbed of pro-Russian separatism: Transdniester, in the east of the Republic of Moldova, which got out from under Chishinau’s control, over two decades ago, following an armed conflict which left hundreds of dead and wounded. The conflict ended with the intervention of the Russian troops, on the separatists’ side. Analysts make and find obvious analogies between Crimea and Transdniester, between these two cases and the Georgian separatist regions of Abhazia and Southern Ossetia. Against this backdrop, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta says the European Union and its neighbouring states should do more for Georgia and the Republic of Moldova and validate the pro-western choice of the two former Soviet countries’ governments and peoples.


Signing of the protocol (foto:
Today in the News Friday, 22 November 2024

Transition program towards F-35, launched

The Romanian Air Force’s transition program to 5th generation aircraft has been launched.   Romania’s decision to acquire advanced fighter...

Transition program towards F-35, launched
European Commission (photo: © European Union - Source: EC - Audiovisual Service / Photographer: Christophe Licoppe)
Today in the News Thursday, 21 November 2024

Political agreement on the new European Commission

    The leaders of the three major political groups in the European Parliament have given the green light to the members of the next...

Political agreement on the new European Commission
Photo: aep.ro
Today in the News Thursday, 21 November 2024

13 for Romania

    In Romania, presidential elections usually spark the greatest interest and emotions. Even more so this year, when the two rounds of the...

13 for Romania
Gas consumption in the EU (Credits: magnascan-pixabay-com)
Today in the News Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Romania’s natural gas, available for trading

On Tuesday, the Romanian company Romgaz launched its first issue of bonds on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, worth 500 million EUR. Romgaz is the...

Romania’s natural gas, available for trading
Today in the News Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Romania ahead of the presidential election

Next month, President Klaus Iohannis will end his second and last five-year term in office according to the Romanian Constitution. The so-called...

Romania ahead of the presidential election
Today in the News Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels

NATO welcomes Romania’s continuous efforts and its significant contribution to strengthening the Alliance and Euro-Atlantic security, NATO...

Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels
Today in the News Monday, 18 November 2024

Downward forecast from the European Commission

Romania’s economic growth estimate has been recalculated by the European Commission (EC), at a value well below the initially established...

Downward forecast from the European Commission
Today in the News Monday, 18 November 2024

35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall

The fall of the Berlin Wall, 35 years ago, represented for Romanians an encouragement in their fight for freedom, and the removal of the Iron Curtain...

35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company