January 12, 2016 UPDATE
The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemns the terrorist attack carried out in Istanbuls historical district, Sultanahmet/ Visit to Germany by Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu/ Pakistani Reza Baqir is the new IMF Mission Chief for Romania
Newsroom, 12.01.2016, 20:00
ISTANBUL BLAST– The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemns the terrorist attack carried out in Istanbuls historical district of Sultanahmet on Tuesday, which left dead and wounded. In a press release, the Romanian Foreign Ministry reiterates Romanias solidarity with the Turkish people and its support for the Turkish authorities in the effort to fight terrorism under all its forms. The perpetrator of the suicide bombing which killed over 10 people, among whom nine German nationals, is a Jihadist member of the Islamic State group, said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. An emergency government meeting was summoned shortly after the blast, which occurred not far away from the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque, two monuments that are very popular with tourists. According to “CNN Turk, tourists from Germany and Norway are among the injured. Some months ago, a double suicide bombing killed 103 people in front of the central railway station in Ankara. The attack, the severest on Turkish soil ever, was blamed on the Islamic State Jihadist group.
DIPLOMACY – Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazar Comanescu, paid a visit to Berlin on Tuesday, at the invitation of his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The talks focused on bilateral relations as well as on issues of topical interest on the European, regional and international agenda. One of the focal points of the talks was the cooperation between Bucharest and Berlin in the context in which Germany is holding the presidency of the OSCE this year. Lazar Comanescu underlined Germanys importance as an economic engine at European level and as a partner of Romania. Over 20% of Romanias foreign trade is bound for Germany and the Romanian-German trade balance is reasonably balanced, the Romanian Foreign Minister said. Over 20,000 companies running on German capital operate in Romania at present, employing over 300,000 people.
NEW IMF MISSION CHIEF FOR ROMANIA – The new head of the IMF mission to Romania, the Pakistani Reza Baqir, is currently on a four-day visit to Bucharest, as of today, to meet the Romanian authorities. He replaces Andrea Schaechter, who completed her two and a half year term in office. Reza Baqir has been working with the IMF for 15 years, and was previously employed by the World Bank. At present Romania does not have an on-going agreement with the IMF. The latest accord came to an end in September 2015, after several failed attempts to reconcile the divergent views of the Romanian authorities and the international financial institution with respect to the fiscal relaxation promoted by Bucharest. Meanwhile, on Monday Romania signed a new memorandum with the World Bank, concerning the improvement of public administration efficiency. Under the new deal, WB will continue to provide technical assistance to Romanian public institutions until 2023 and will support the Government in enforcing structural reforms and public administration modernisation programmes.
MOLDOVA – The leader of the Democratic Party in the Republic of Moldova, Marian Lupu, announced, after consultations with President Nicolae Timofti, the formation of a new parliamentary majority which could get a new cabinet endorsed. According to Lupu, the new coalition includes 56 out of the total 101 MPs: Democrats, Liberals, some members of the Liberal-Democrat floor group, which was part of the former pro-Western government coalition, as well as the 14 ex-Communist MPs who created a so-called Social Democratic Platform. Until Wednesday, Lupu said, this majority would also nominate a new candidate for the PM post. Moldovan media quoted by Radio Romania correspondents suggest this might be Vlad Plahotniuc, a controversial businessman and the one who finances the Democratic Party. Unless a new cabinet is sworn in by January 29, President Timofti will have to dissolve Parliament and call snap elections. The governmental crisis started in autumn, when the three-party government headed by the Liberal Democrat Valeriu Strelet was dismissed under a no-confidence motion tabled by the pro-Moscow left wing and backed by the Democrats.
COUNTER-TERRORISM – The global counter-terrorism forum and the international coalition against the IS group convened on Monday for the first time, in the Hague, to coordinate efforts to fight terrorism. Officials from 50 countries concluded at the Europol meeting, initiated and chaired by the Netherlands, that fighting terrorism does not require new structures, but rather the implementation of all agreements and improved cooperation. The issue of young people recruited by terrorist groups into Syria and Iraq was also discussed. Countries are urged to step up and strengthen intelligence sharing concerning such youth. The Dutch Foreign Minister, Bert Koenders, emphasised that the efforts to counter terrorism must stay within the limits of both legal and moral principles.
(Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)
