September 22, 2016

PM Dacian Ciolos takes part in UN General Assembly session in New York

Newsroom, 22.09.2016, 00:00

UN General Assembly – Romania steps up efforts to meet global challenges like poverty, climate change, terrorism and conflicts, in the spirit of international solidarity and joint responsibility, the PM of Romania, Dacian Cioloş, said in his address at the UN General Assembly session in New York. He added that at present Romania holds the presidency of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation, while Romanian military and police troops take part in peacekeeping missions. Romania will continue to earmark substantial political, diplomatic, financial and human resources to maintaining regional and global stability, the head of the Romanian government also said. Today, PM Ciolos is having talks with the Secretary General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and with American business people who invest in Romania. He also had meetings with members of the Romanian community in New York. On Tuesday, PM Dacian Cioloş discussed with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, the prospects for lifting visa requirements for Romanian citizens, and attended the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants.

Anti-fraud – The head of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), Giovanni Kessler, hailed in Bucharest the efforts of Romanian authorities to curb fraud. He added that the Anti-Fraud Department in Romania is the Europeans main partner and a success model for Romanias anti-fraud strategy aimed at building a better, corruption-free society. At the Albiţa checkpoint in eastern Romania Kessler had a meeting with officials of customs authorities in Romania, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The main topic was cross-border cooperation, with a view to preventing and fighting illegal trafficking on the EU external borders.

Refugees – At the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in New York Romania did not make any relocation commitments in addition to the decision made at EU level, the Romanian Foreign Ministry says in a news release. The Ministry mentions that Romania takes part in the common European effort in this respect, by means of “implementing internal relocation decisions made in 2015 and of voluntarily participating in the foreign relocation process.

Defence – On September 28 Romania will receive the first six F-16 planes from Portugal, the Romanian Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc has announced. He made this statement after a meeting with the ambassador of Portugal to Bucharest, João-Bernardo Weinstein, whom he thanked for the contribution of the Portuguese Air Forces to training the pilots and other personnel who will operate the aircraft. Romania has purchased from Portugal a total of 12 upgraded F-16 planes, compatible with the models used by the other NATO member states. The contract, signed 3 years ago, cost the Romanian Army some 630 million euro.

Measles – Romania is currently facing a measles epidemics. According to the Healthcare Ministry, three infants have died and nearly 700 got sick in the first 8 months of the year, as opposed to seven confirmed cases and no deaths last year. The Ministry intends to run an awareness raising campaign regarding the benefits of immunisation.

Charlotte protests – The situation seems to have got out of control in Charlotte, North Carolina, after a young African-American was shot in clashes with the police. Wednesday was the second running day of protests in this American town, where according to CNN a person was shot and a police officer wounded. The Governor of North Carolina declared a state of emergency in Charlotte and sent the National Guard to calm things down. Keith Lamont Scott (43) was shot dead on Tuesday in a parking lot, while police tried to serve a warrant for a different man. According to social media, the man was reading a book when the police officers approached him, but authorities claim he was armed and had refused repeated demands to put the gun down before the police officer, himself an African-American, shot him.

Corruption investigation – Anti-corruption prosecutors in the Republic of Moldova have taken 15 judges and 3 court enforcement officers, involved in a huge money-laundering scandal. The mass media in Chisinau, quoted by Radio Romania correspondents, say they were reportedly involved in the laundering of a rough 18 billion USD coming from the Russian Federation. If proven guilty, the suspects risk spending 5 to 10 years behind bars.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)