March 7, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 07.03.2023, 19:44

Visit. Romanias president Klaus Iohannis and his wife Carmen were received by the Emperor of Japan Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday. According to Japanese imperial protocol, talks follow a pre-established agenda and Japans emperor and empress do not discuss political subjects. President Iohannis also met prime minister Fumio Kishida and signed a joint declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership between Romania and Japan. The launching of the strategic partnership is a historic moment, said the Romanian president, adding that this would create further opportunities for collaboration in areas such energy, industry, research, innovation, education and culture. The signing of the document is also the fulfilment of a foreign policy goal and comes after an extensive process of consultations and negotiations, five years after the decision was first made to create this partnership during talks in Bucharest between Romanias president and the late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. This is Romanias second strategic partnership with a state from Asia, after that with South Korea. Two memoranda were also signed in Tokyo, one seeking to facilitate the building in Măgurele, near Bucharest, of a production centre for high-power optics to support experimental laser activities and another in the banking area.

EU. Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr is attending an informal meeting of EU defence ministers hosted by Stockholm on Tuesday and Wednesday. Talks focus on further support for Ukraine, the progress report on the implementation of the Strategic Compass, a document providing political guidelines, priorities and concrete objectives for the next ten years with respect to the security and defence of the European Union, as well as on a review of the latest developments with respect to the Unions missions and operations.

Talks. The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a telephone conversation about issues of priority interest for the bilateral Strategic Partnership, in the context of the war in Ukraine and the efforts to counteract its effects. According to a statement from the Romanian foreign ministry, the talks also took place in preparation for the 8th round of the bilateral Strategic Dialogue to be hosted by Bucharest in mid-March. Minister Aurescu gave an overview of Romanias very comprehensive and multi-dimensional support to Ukraine since the beginning of the war. The US Secretary of State thanked minister Aurescu in particular for Romanias concrete, very substantial and essential support for Ukraine. With regard to regional security, the two officials stressed the importance of continuing the coherent and consistent strengthening of NATOs eastern flank, and Minister Bogdan Aurescu expressed his appreciation for the US commitment to the defence of the entire Alliance area, including the Black Sea region and Romania.

Declaration. The Romanian Parliament on Tuesday adopted a declaration to support Ukraine in the context of the first anniversary, on the 24th February, of Russias war of aggression against this country. Parliament reiterated Romanias firm support for the heroic fight of Ukraine and its people and the respect for the courage, dignity and resistance demonstrated by the Ukrainian army and the civilian population. The Parliament also reasserted Romanias “unyielding support” for Ukraines independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The Romanian MPs also underlined their support for the EU accession process of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. The declaration ends with Romanian Parliament voicing its expectation that “the Ukrainian authorities will give careful and swift consideration to the important issues raised by the Romanian state as part of bilateral relations, such as the situation of ethnic Romanians in Ukraine and the need to protect the unique heritage and biodiversity of the Danube Delta in keeping with European and international commitments and standards”.

Motion. The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday dismissed a simple motion against the Social Democrat Labour Minister Marius Budăi tabled by the Save Romania Union and unaffiliated MPs from the Force of the Right Party. During Mondays debates on the motion, the signatories criticised Budăi for his handling of the pspecial pensions subject and said Romania risked losing the European funds under the recovery and resilience plan. Budai rejected all accusations. Parliaments passing a simple motion does not trigger the replacement of a minister, but is only a political warning. (CM)