September 28, 2016
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Newsroom, 28.09.2016, 12:00
F — 16 The first batch of 6 F — 16 fighters is to arrive in Romania today from Portugal after they have been taken over by Romanian pilots during a ceremony at the Monte Real airbase in the presence of several high-ranking Romanian and Portuguese officials. The planes that have witnessed what experts may refer to as Mid-Life Upgrade are able to carry out missions like their multi-role counterparts in the other NATO countries. The six planes will be stationed in Fetesti, southeastern Romania. Nine Romanian pilots and 80 technicians have been trained under Portuguese supervision for the operation and maintenance of these fighters. Three more planes are to be delivered by the end of the year and another three in 2017. Three years ago Romania decided to buy 12 second-hand F-16 fighters from Portugal for 628 million euros. In another move, the USA said it supports Romania’s initiative to set up a multinational force at the Black Sea and pledged assistance inside NATO to beef up military presence. The two governments have pledged to step up efforts of strategic cooperation, fighting terrorism and cooperation in the field of cyber security.
RESIGNATION Vasile Blaga, co-chair of the National Liberal Party, the second largest party in Bucharest Parliament has announced on Wednesday he stepped down from this position. Anti-corruption prosecutors have earlier announced that Blaga was placed under investigation in a corruption file. During his term in office as Interior Minister and president of the Senate over 2009 and 2012, Blaga allegedly favored certain bidders helping them to get contracts for which he received 700 thousand euros in commissions from the former mayor of Piatra Neamt, in northern Romania Gheorghe Stefan and from a businessman.
CSAT Romania’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) has decided in favour of a medium and long-time strategy over improving relations with the neighboring Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet Romanian-speaking country. ‘Our relation has to become better, more performing, pragmatic and predictable’, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, who chaired the latest CSAT session, said. He underscored the pro-European parties in Chisinau are facing difficulties and stood for what he called a very serious approach to the bilateral relation, without populist attitudes ahead of the Parliamentary election in Romania and those presidential in the Republic of Moldova. Iohannis’ statement came after the pro-Russia socialist opposition in Moldova had tabled a censure motion in Parliament against the pro-Western coalition government. Socialist leader Igor Dodon, a fierce anti-Romanian and anti-European politician is seen as favourite in the election polls for the presidential election on October 30th.
DECESEAD Former Israeli President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres died in Tel Aviv on Wednesday at the age of 93. Shimon Peres was hospitalized following a stroke two weeks ago. For the role he played in the peace negotiations with the Palestinians, Shimon Peres was the joint recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize along with then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Peres is considered the last representative of the generation that fought for and built modern Israel. During the war of independence as head of the Navy Services he played a prominent role in the country’s defence establishment and in promoting the aerospace industry. Shimon Peres visited Romania a couple of times and according to our correspondent in Israel, he had a big admiration for the Jews coming from Romania, saying about them that they came in peace and integrated in Israel.
FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions Astra Giurgiu is in Italy to take on AS Rome on Thursday night in their second Europa League match. Astra was defeated in Bucharest 2-3 by Austria Vienna. Also part of the same group is Viktoria Plzen of the Czech Republic. Also on Thursday, vice-champions Steaua Bucharest will be up on their own turf against Spanish side Villareal after a nil-two defeat in Turkey against Osmanlispor. The two Romanians sides made it to Europa League groups after having been eliminated from the most important inter-club competition the Champions League.
