THE WEEK IN REVIEW
February 20-24, 2023
Leyla Cheamil, 25.02.2023, 14:00
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis attends the B9 summit in Warsaw
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis attended the Bucharest 9 extraordinary meeting in Warsaw recently, where he stated that unity and solidarity for Ukraine were essential, and were the secret weapon of allied countries. This group, formed in 2015 after Russia annexed Crimea, on the initiative of the presidents of Poland and Romania, also includes Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, and Hungary. As the president pointed out, Russia brought back war to Europe, and NATO countries on the eastern flank are on the front line of the effort to counteract against the negative effects of this completely unjustified brutal conflict. Klaus Iohannis pleaded for increased American military presence, as well as for a US strategy for the Black Sea. The meeting in Warsaw was attended by US President Joe Biden, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The White House leader committed to protecting the Eastern flank of NATO, saying it was the first line of defense against Russia. In turn, Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine must get the aid it needs, and that Russia cannot be allowed to threaten European security.
One year since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia
In the context of the one year anniversary of the offensive by Russia against Ukraine, Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tilvar said that Romania would continue to support Ukraine for as long as it was needed, because the Romanian people believe in a rule based international system, not aggression. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has generated the greatest refugee crisis in Europe since WWII. Romania became a transit country for millions of Ukrainians fleeing the conflict, and part of them stayed in the country, getting full support. For a year now, Romania has become second home for over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. As pointed out by Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, his country granted Ukraine support on multiple dimensions, recalling the easing of transit for about 13 million tons of Ukrainian grain, economic aid, opening new border crossing points for increasing connectivity, and bilateral assistance for its European aspirations. At the same time, the authorities in Bucharest have decided to suspend the activities of the Russian Center for Culture and Science in Romania. According to a press release from the Foreign Ministry, the center has irredeemably steered away from its regular objectives of consolidating cultural ties, and regrettably turned into an instrument of propaganda, disinformation, and disculpation of war crimes perpetrated by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. The suspension of the activities of the center will be instated by August 20 at the latest, by which date the administrative procedures involved have to be finalized.
The Moldovan president, Maia Sandu, visits Bucharest
The Moldovan president, Maia Sandu, visited Bucharest on Thursday, one day after the Bucharest 9 conference, after having received encouragements from US President Joe Biden in Warsaw. Maia Sandu held talks with the Romanian head of state, Klaus Iohannis, reviewing bilateral relations and joint projects. The leader of Moldova thanked Romania for its ongoing support, including in terms of the energy crisis, and President Iohannis recalled the worries caused by the unprecedented external threats towards democratic order in the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian head of state assured that Bucharest would stay vigilant against Russias hybrid action, and would continue to firmly support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Moldova, within its internationally recognized borders. Klaus Iohannis specified that the pro-European authorities in Chisinau have managed with calm and professionalism the challenges of any nature intending to derail the European aspirations chosen by the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. Maia Sandu also met in talks with PM Nicolae Ciuca and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Marcel Ciolacu.
The Bastroe Canal affair
This week, Romania expressed its concerns with respect to clues that neighboring Ukraine is dredging the bottom of the Bastroe Canal on the Danube, which crosses a common coast region, which is ecologically sensitive, and asked Kiev if it can verify the location of the works. Last week, Ukraine stated that the waterline of ships was brought from 3.9 m to 6.5 m. Romania expressed concerns that any works on the joint river area in the Danube Delta could pose peril to the ecosystem that is part of the UNESCO world heritage, and could violate international environmental protection treaties. Some politicians and part of Romanian public opinion are worried that the Bastroe Canal was dug deeper than permitted, in order to make it navigable for larger ships. Reuters writes that Ukraine is transporting grain on Bastroe, as it develops alternative routes for its exports, as long as its access to Black Sea ports is limited by the Russian invasion. PM Nicolae Ciuca said that any straying from the usual maintenance works has to be clarified. In turn, Chamber of Deputies speaker, Marcel Ciolacu, with the Social Democratic Party, said that protecting the Danube Delta is not negotiable. The Ukrainian embassy in Bucharest affirmed that the works, exclusively within the state borders of Ukraine, are current operations of maintenance on the navigable waterway.
