April 24, 2023
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 24.04.2023, 14:01
GRAIN — Romania is the only country neighbouring Ukraine that still allows the import of farm products from this country, but makes quality controls at the border, seals and monitors transports in transit. The Bucharest authorities are waiting for a European Commission decision before imposing possible restrictions on imports from Ukraine. A meeting of the EU agriculture ministers will be held on Tuesday, when a decision as regards grain imports from Ukraine is expected. Farmers in central and east European countries have complained that they cannot compete with the low prices of Ukrainian grain.
VISIT — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is paying an official visit to Argentina on Tuesday, the last leg of the South-American tour that ends on Wednesday. Iohannis will be received by his Argentinean counterpart, Alberto Fernandez. According to the Presidential Administration, the main goal of the visit is to find domains where trade can be boosted and to draw new investment. A memorandum of understanding between the Romanian Home Affairs Ministry and the Agency of the Argentinean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of designing and implementing humanitarian assistance — The White Helmets, will be signed. The Romanian President’s visit to Argentina is the first one at high level in 30 years. The South-American tour of President Iohannis started on April 18 with a 2-day official visit to Brazil. Iohannis discussed with his counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and, in Rio de Janeiro, with local authority representatives. The official visit to Chile on April 22 was part of the second leg of the tour, when the Romanian President met with his Chilean counterpart, Gabriel Boric.
SUDAN — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is today attending in Luxembourg the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting — the Foreign Affairs Council. According to a release by the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest (MAE), participants will discuss both the situation in Ukraine and the violence in Sudan. According to the Foreign Ministry, 22 Romanian citizens in Sudan have asked to be pulled out from the country due to the bloody conflict there. MAE recommends all those who want to leave Sudan to contact Romania’s embassy in Ethiopia, given that the diplomatic mission in Khartoum has been suspended for two years. An inter-institutional group is constantly monitoring the evolutions in Sudan, keeps in touch with the Romanian citizens in the country and with the other EU countries with a view to conducting the evacuation of citizens. Dozens of countries have evacuated their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, following fighting between two rival military groups that made hundreds of victims. The US has announced it will send a disaster response team to the area, to coordinate humanitarian aid for those in need, both inside and outside Sudan.
CARS — The registration of new cars has gone up in Romania in the first three months of 2023 by more than a quarter, as compared with the same period of last year. The most recent data made public by the Association of Car Producers and Importers, shows an increase by almost 35% in green vehicles in Romania, which brings their marked share to 20%. Most car purchases were made in the first three months of 2023 by companies and institutions (58%).
UKRAINE — The Ukrainian army has reported it countered 45 attacks of the Russian invasion forces on the east front and that the heaviest fighting is further given in the region of the mining city of Bahmut. According to the Radio Romania correspondent, the defence of the city is also ensured by Ukrainian border troops who came from the other side of the country. The Ukrainian contingents take turns in order to resist the Russian attacks led mainly by Wagner mercenaries, recently backed by Moscow’s special troops.
PROTESTS –Trade unions in the public education sector intend to step up protests primarily concerning staff salaries, after the Government announced plans to cut down budget spending, including a freeze on salaries and hiring in the public sector. Major trade union federations in the sector threaten that the current school year might be ended sooner than scheduled, as they are considering an all-out strike as of May 22. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, they will be picketing the government headquarters, and on May 10 a protest rally is scheduled in Bucharest. The education minister, Ligia Deca, said she was confident solutions would be found to avoid a strike. (EE)
