March 1, 2025 UPDATE 2
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 01.03.2025, 18:12
ROMANIA – MOLDOVA RELATIONS – Romania is Moldova’s most important partner, on which it has relied in any circumstances, Maia Sandu said upon meeting her Romanian counterpart, Ilie Bolojan, in Chișinău. „These are difficult times, which is why Romania’s support is all the more important. Beyond joint projects, we are tied by a common vision for the future, our will to live in peace, freedom and democracy”, Maia Sandu pointed out. In turn, interim president Ilie Bolojan said he wants to consolidate the bilateral relations, and that he visited Chișinău for consutlations with Maia Sandu in a very difficult context. “I assure you Romania stands with you. We will support you, in our dialogue with European partners, and will step up support at all levels, in terms of finance, expertise and projects. Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to generate challenges for the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova does not stand alone. Romania and numerous other external partners fully support Moldova’s objective to consolidate its resilience and security”, Ilie Bolojan said. The Romanian president on Monday is expected to join countless other European leaders who will attend a security summit in London focusing on Ukraine, called by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
PROTEST – A few hundred thousand people are protesting in Victory Square in central Bucharest in a rally organized by the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR). Its leader, George Simion, says the protest is directed against the Romanian government and the Constitutional Court’s ruling that annulled the second round of last year’s presidential election. Participants were seen waving national flags and banners in support of the independent candidate, Călin Georgescu.
DRONE – Fragments of a Russian drone discovered with explosives onboard in the area near the Giurgiulesti border checkpoint on Romania’s eastern border with the Republic of Moldova, were detonated in a controlled manner. A team of specialists from the Ministry of National Defense, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Interior were on site and eliminated the threat. Fragments of drones used by Russian forces in attacks against civilian and military infrastructure in Ukraine are frequently discovered on Romanian territory, which has led to countless protests from the Romanian Foreign Ministry against Moscow. This week, the Romanian Senate adopted a law that allows the Army to shoot down drones that illegally enter the country’s airspace.
