February 18, 2017 UPDATE

Foreign Minister takes part in Munich Security Conference; Romanian rugby team outplays Spain, 13-3

Newsroom, 18.02.2017, 19:08

DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, is taking part until Sunday in the 53rd Munich Security Conference. He will present Romanias stand on the European and global security situation and will emphasise the importance of the trans-Atlantic relations and of the role of NATO and the EU in the current international context. On Friday, on the side-lines of the Conference, the Romanian official had talks with his French counterpart, Jean-Marc Ayrault, who invited him to Paris in the forthcoming period, an invitation accepted by Melescanu. The Romanian FM also had a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Klimkim, with whom he discussed regional developments. The Munich Security Conference is a prestigious security forum, which traditionally brings together leaders and decision-makers in the field of security and defence from around the world.

MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE – The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, Saturday called on the world powers, including the US, not to abandon international cooperation against the new challenges to global security. Addressing the Munich Security Conference, Merkel emphasised that multi-national organisations like the EU, NATO and the UN provided a vital framework for addressing the refugee crisis and Islamist terrorism. The German Chancellor also said the European Unions relations with Russia remained challenging, but that cooperation with Moscow was still important in the fight against Islamist terrorism. Attending the Conference, the US Vice-President, Mike Pence, pointed out, in the first major foreign policy statement of the new American Administration, that Washington would support NATO and stand by Europe, even as it looked for new ways to cooperate with Russia. Also in Munich, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said the UN needs a fundamental reform if it is to efficiently cope with the new global challenges, such as international terrorism, wars and other armed conflicts.

BUSINESS – The government is the main promotion element for Romania, because American investors look at taxes, stability, predictability and efficiency, and the competition between the countries in the region is tough, said Eric Stewart, head of the American-Romanian Business Council (AMRO). In an interview to the Romanian news agency Agerpres, Stewart said there are investment opportunities in Romania for the American companies in fields like defence, energy, agriculture and healthcare, considering that we will see a shift in focus of the Trump administration towards Europe. He announced that the American-Romanian Business Council would organise an economic mission in Romania in late March, in which 10-12 major American companies will take part, some of them already present in the Romanian market.

FAIR – The 26th World Education Fair opened in Bucharest on Saturday. The event offers the young Romanians willing to study abroad offers from over 100 institutions from countries like the USA, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Denmark and China. The Bucharest session, which comes to an end on Sunday, will be followed by one in Craiova on February 21, and another one in Constanta on February 23.

AIRPORTS – Romania tops the rankings of the European airports with the quickest increase in passenger flows in 2016, according to a report of the Airports Council International (ACI Europe). The first places are held by the airports in Oradea (with an increase of nearly 500% in passenger numbers compared to 2015) and Iasi (with more than 130%). Third comes the “Aurel Vlaicu International Airport, the second-largest airport in Bucharest, with 122% more passengers than in 2015. Airports Council International Europe is an association representing more than 500 airports in 45 countries.

ROMANIA-US RELATIONS – The USA appreciates the strategic partnership with Romania and pays increasing attention to the security developments at the Black Sea, says the chair of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee in the US House of Representatives, the Republican Rob Wittman. In a meeting in Washington with the Romanian Ambassador George Maior, the US Congressman appreciated Bucharests commitment to trans-Atlantic security, including its hosting of the ballistic missile defence facility at the Deveselu Base. Rob Wittman added that Washington firmly supported the continuation of the European Reassurance Initiative and a relevant rotating presence of American troops on NATOs eastern flank.

RUGBY – The Romanian national team defeated Spain in Bucharest on Saturday, 13-3, in the second stage of Rugby Europe Championship (REC). Romania lost its first match, against Germany, away from home, 41-38. In the next 2 games, Romania will be facing Russia on March 4 in Sotch, and Belgium on March 11, in Brussels. Romania will play the last match in this stage against Georgia, on March 19, in Bucharest.

TENNIS – The Romanian Horia Tecău and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer Saturday failed to qualify to the doubles finals of the Rotterdam tennis tournament, which has over 1.7 million euros in total prize money. The two lost the semi-finals to the Dutch pair made up of Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop. Tecău and Rojer had won the Rotterdam tournament in 2015.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)