January 26, 2022
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 26.01.2022, 13:55
OECD — The decision of the Council of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to open accession negotiations with Romania is an opportunity to initiate new reforms in favour of the citizens and to bring the society in line with the consolidated democracies, PM Nicolae Ciuca said on Wednesday at the meeting of the OECD Inter-ministerial Committee. The role of the latter is to coordinate negotiations for Romania’s accession to the OECD. Today’s meeting is the signal we give as regards our seriousness in the way we approach preparations of our OECD accession, to be in line with the developed countries which hold more than 70% of the global production and trade and 90% of the global direct foreign investment, PM Ciuca explained. The OECD Council has decided to open accession discussions with six candidates to the membership, namely Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Peru and Romania, following careful deliberation by OECD members and the progress made by the six countries since their first applied for membership. The OECD will now start to prepare a roadmap for the accession of Romania, provided that the country confirms the adherence to the values, vision and priorities of the international organization.
CORONAVIRUS — More than 34,000 new infections with the Covid-19 virus have been reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, along with 94 deaths, the Group for Strategic Communication has announced today. It is an absolute record number of infections since the onset of the pandemic in Romania. The number of new cases at national level has doubled since yesterday. There are currently around 700 patients in intensive care units. Also today the anti-Covid vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 has started in Romania, but the interest in it is low, just like in the case of other age groups. Only 3,300 children have been scheduled for vaccination on the online platform so far, and little over 3,000 people have received the first dose in the last 24 hours.
DEFENSE — The situation in Ukraine will be discussed later today in Bucharest, at a meeting of Romania’s Higher Defence Council summoned by President Klaus Iohannis. According to the Presidential Administration, the security situation in the enlarged Black Sea area and on NATO’s eastern flank and measures regarding the response and deterrence capacity to the new challenges are on the meeting’s agenda.
UKRAINE — The crisis in Ukraine is the Western countries’ focus of attention. Political experts in Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France will hold talks in Paris, in the context of mounting tensions triggered by fears that Moscow could invade Ukraine. In Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have warned that a potential aggression against Ukraine will generate a firm response from NATO and the EU. In Washington, President Joe Biden said there will be “serious economic consequences” for Putin if he does invade Ukraine, saying he would personally sanction the Russian leader. Biden also said that if Putin orders those over 100 thousand Russian troops amassed at the border with Ukraine to invade the country, this would be the largest military operation of its kind since World War II. The White House leader also said more American troops could be deployed on NATO’s eastern flank. The Alliance has 4,000 troops and military equipment in a number of multinational battalions in Poland and the Baltic states.
ELECTION — Parties have failed to agree on a common candidate in the first two rounds of voting in Italys presidential election. A two-thirds majority is required to win the election during the first three rounds. A third round of voting is set for today but it is unlikely that it will yield a conclusion. However, the current PM, Mario Draghi, is believed to stand most chances to be the next president. The election was triggered by Outgoing President Sergio Mattarella coming to the end of a seven-year mandate. (EE)
