October 17, 2023 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 17.10.2023, 19:21
ISRAEL — Romania remains a consistent state within its relations in the Middle East and maintains its position as a promoter of peace, but it will unconditionally stand by its allies in difficult moments, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday, at the end a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, in Israel. He pointed out that Romania strongly condemned what happened in Israel in the last few days, and that alongside with the international community it calls for the immediate release of all hostages and persons kidnapped and for refraining from any other act of aggression, especially against civilian targets. At the same time, Ciolacu called for the opening of humanitarian corridors in Gaza. In turn, Benjamin Netanyahu thanked for the solidarity Romania showed to Israel in the face of the Hamas attacks. In this context, Netanyahu assured his counterpart that the Israeli authorities would do everything in their power to help evacuate Romanians from the Gaza Strip. During his visit to Israel, Marcel Ciolacu also met with members of the Romanian community, which he assured of the full support of the government in Bucharest. The Romanian authorities have so far provided support for the safe repatriation of over 2,200 Romanian citizens from Israel and are further making efforts to offer consular assistance to Romanian citizens who ask for support to return to the country.
COMMEMORATION — The prime ministers of Belgium and Sweden will pay tribute together on Wednesday to victims of Monday’s attack in Brussels, France Presse reports. The Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, wrote a message on a social network saying the two countries “weep together” for the victims – two Swedes, supporters of their national football team, who travelled to Brussels for the qualifying match to the European Championship, against the national team of Belgium. The Swedish PM, Ulf Kristofferson, announced his presence in Brussels for the commemoration. The perpetrator of the attack, a 45-year-old Tunisian, who lived in Belgium illegally, was shot dead by the Belgian police on Tuesday morning. After the “brutal terrorist attack”, as PM Alexander De Croo called it, Belgium raised the state of security alert to the highest level in the countrys capital, Brussels.
GAS — Romania’s gas deposits are full, so if winter is mild, the country may get through the next period without having to resort to imports, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said. Moreover, Romania can support in this respect, if needed, the neighboring Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, Minister Burduja says the capped prices for energy and gas for consumers should be maintained, given that international markets have felt the effects of the security crisis in the Middle East.
GRAIN — Ukraine exported 10.5 million tons of grain through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first nine months of the year, the port authority told Reuters on Tuesday. Overall, the port shipped over 25 million tons of grain between January and September 2023, the authority said, matching its previous annual record high. During his visit to Bucharest last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a ‘corridor’ would be soon be established to take Ukrainian grain to Romania via Moldova. The Romanian government has said that, with investment in infrastructure ongoing, it aims to double the monthly transit capacity for Ukrainian grain to 4 million tons, while port operators are also investing in equipment to increase loading speeds. Ukraine’s grain production in 2023 is likely to exceed 56 million tons, but Russia’s blocking its main Black Sea ports has affected deliveries.
SUPPORT – Convened in a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of further support for Ukraine worth 50 billion euros, for the 2024-2027 period. The funds are aimed for the “reconstruction and modernization” of the country. The Ukraine Facility is part of the Unions long-term budget review, which needs to be adjusted after multiple crises that have taken place since 2021. The EU has so far allocated 30 billion euros from its budget to support Ukraine after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Starting June 2022, Ukraine has the status of candidate country to EU accession.
TEL AVIV — The U.S. President, Joe Biden, will travel to Israel on Wednesday to hold talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and to make it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced. President Biden will reaffirm his solidarity with Israel, in the context of a ground offensive prepared by Israel against the Hamas militants in Gaza, Blinken has also said. According to the US Secretary of State, Biden will be informed about how Israel will conduct its operations in such a way as to minimize the loss of civilian lives and allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza without Hamas benefiting from it. (EE)
