23 March, 2015
News and current affairs from Romania
Newsroom, 23.03.2015, 11:59
The UK will assign troops to the two NATO command posts in Romania, said today in Bucharest British Defense Minister Michael Fallon following the meeting with his Romanian counterpart, Mircea Dusa. He said that one of the newest destroyers of the Royal Navy would arrive in October in Constanta, Romania’s Black Sea port. Fallon said that the UK shared Romania’s concerns regarding Black Sea security, which he discussed at length with Dusa. The other major topic of concern was the situation in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea by Russia. The two also pushed forward discussion on a joint military exercise on land in early April.
Romania has taken possession of the 12 Portuguese F-16s set to replace the aging MiG-21 Lancers of Soviet manufacture. Romanian fighter pilots have intensified their training on the US made fighter, purchased to bolster national security and to increase the level of NATO interoperability. The country pays 628 million dollars for the 12 fighters which Portugal had purchased second hand from the US in the first place. In related news, Romania will host at one of its military bases several aircraft alongside 300 US troops to run simulations of air attacks on armored vehicles.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets today in Berlin Greek PM Alexis Tsipras, as tensions mount between their two countries. Greece, over-burdened with debt, seeks milder austerity measures, while Germany spearheads the financial hardliners among European lenders. The main topic of the meeting is the reform package proposed by the left wing Greek government, on which the release of the last installment of the seven billion Euro rescue loan is conditional. The loan is essential for Greece avoiding bankruptcy, as it is 315 billion Euros in debt, amounting to 175% of the GDP.
Moldovan president Nicolae Timofti chairs today the country’s Supreme Security Council to discuss regional developments. The council includes the ministers of foreign affairs, defense and interior, as well as the chief of intelligence. Timofti said previously that Moldova has to get closer to NATO, as its security is in peril considering the ongoing conflict in neighboring Ukraine, which has already left 6,000 dead. The meeting comes in response to the outcome of the recent elections in the Gagauz autonomous territory in the south of the country, which was won by a pro-Russian candidate. Polls indicated that most of the 150,000 ethnic Gagauz, a Turkic population of Christian Orthodox faith, are in favor of closer relations with Russia and Turkey. This runs contrary to the political orientation of the recently sworn in government in Chisinau, which last year sighed free trade and association agreements with Brussels, hoping to join the EU in 2020.
The world’s number three tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep, won on Sunday the WTA tournament in Indian Wells, an event with 5.3 million dollars in prize money. In a dramatic final match, Halep overpowered the world’s number eighteen tennis player, Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, winning the most important trophy of her career. Indian Wells is the third title the Romanian has won in 2015 and the 11th of her career. In the wake of her success in Indian Wells, Halep tops the Road to Singapore standings for the Champions Tournament rankings.
