August 27, 2013
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Leyla Cheamil, 27.08.2013, 00:30
Romania makes a common front with its allies as far as Syria is concerned, Romanian President Traian Basescu said at the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy, currently under way in Bucharest. President Basescu has said that an official stand in the case of Syria will be made public after the UN experts present their conclusions. According to Traian Basescu, as many as 10 000 Romanians are currently living in Syria. At the same meeting in Bucharest, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Titus Corlatean, has said that the Bucharest authorities are concerned about the situation in Syria and has pointed out that it is important that the UN mission in this country should conclude their investigation into the potential use of chemical weapons as soon as possible. Titus Corlatean has underlined that Bucharest firmly condemns all actions that violate human rights.
The American forces are ready for a military action in Syria in case president Barack Obama approves it, the US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Tuesady, when he accused Syria of having used chemical weapons. In his turn, the British Premier David Cameron announced the Parliament would convene on Thursday to decide over Britain’s stand as far as Syria is concerned. UN experts continue their investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, in an attack that occurred near Damascus last week. The experts have collected samples from the area near Damascus where, according to the Syrian opposition and the western countries, the Syrian army of killed hundreds of civilians in an attack with chemical weapons. The Russian Foreign Ministry has again called on the US and the international community to be cautious, stressing that a military intervention would have catastrophic consequences for the countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid Mouallem, has said that his country will defend itself in case of a military intervention by the Western countries and that Syria owns protection means that will take the world by surprise.
The beginning of the works on the Iasi — Ungheni pipeline, which connects Romania to the Republic of Moldova, is a remarkable moment in the cooperation between the two countries and the EU. The statement was made today by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Iurie Leanca, at the inauguration ceremony. Attending the event, the European Commissioner for Energy, Gunther Oettinger, has stated that this pipeline has a strategic importance for both countries. The ceremony was also attended by the Romanian Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, who had previously congratulated the Moldavan citizens on the 22nd anniversary of their country’s independence from the Soviet Union.
Romania’s President Traian Basescu has voiced worries over the rise of unemployment and the accelerated drop in foreign direct investment. According to the head of state, who quoted figures provided by the National Statistics Institute, the unemployment rate in Romania reached 7.6% in June, one percent higher than in the same month in 2012. In the first quarter of 2013, foreign direct investment dropped by 20%. Against this background, the president called on the Romanian government to boost public investment and use European funds.
