April 4, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 04.04.2023, 20:00

FINLAND – On
Tuesday Finland became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization in a ceremony held at the NATO headquarters, where it submitted
the accession instrument to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The final
step before Tuesday’s ceremony was held on Tuesday at the NATO headquarters,
where Turkey was the last country to ratify Finland’s accession. US Secretary
of State Blinken hailed what he has described as a historic day for NATO,
saying Finland’s accession was precipitated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In 2022, Finland and Sweden asked to become members of NATO shortly after the
Russian Federation launched its war of aggression in Ukraine. While Finland
received the approval of all NATO members, Turkey decided to postpone Sweden’s
accession. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed confidence Sweden will
shortly become a member of NATO. Finland’s accession coincides with the
anniversary of 74 years since the signing of the Washington Treaty, the
founding document of NATO, on April 4, 1949, a landmark celebrated in Brussels
through a number of special events.

NATO -
Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, on Tuesday hailed Finland’s official
accession to NATO, saying the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is stronger
now. Our unity and solidarity will always prevail over the unprecedented
challenges in our region, the president tweeted. In turn, Prime Minister
Nicolae Ciucă welcomed Finland’s NATO accession and wished Romania’s new
partner good luck. Nicolae Ciucă pointed out that Bucharest also expects Sweden
to become a full member of NATO as soon as possible.

LEGAL – The legal
committee of the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday issued a favorable opinion for
the amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes tabled by the
Justice Ministry. The bill eliminated all the amendments previously adopted by
the Senate, including the introduction of a threshold for offenses that
constitute abuse of office. Ruling coalition MPs originally proposed the
elimination of wiretaps as evidence for corruption and tax evasion offenses,
but the amendment was eliminated. The Chamber of Deputies is expected to vote
the bill on Wednesday. From the opposition, USR deputy Stelian Ion criticized
the fact that coalition MPs have eliminated all amendments modifying the
Criminal Code and voted the form proposed by the government without introducing
a threshold for offenses constituting abuse of office. Stelian Ion Claims the
article in the bill will be declared unconstitutional and all such offenses
will be written off.

DISTINCTION – The Turkish
writer Orhan Pamuk on Tuesday was awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa title from the West University of Timișoara.
In his acceptance speech, Orhan Pamuk spoke about the role of literature today,
but also referred to a number of problems in his country, including the
February 6 quakes. The writer said Istanbul has evolved from a city with a
million inhabitants to a metropolis totaling over 16 million people, boasting a
huge library. The Turkish writer said the February quakes made him identify
with the suffering of Turkey. Orhan Pamuk is the recipient of the 2006 Nobel
Prize for Literature. His books have been translated in over 60 languages. Pamuk is one of the five laureates of the
Nobel Prize who are expected to visit Timișoara, the European Capital of
Culture in 2023.

ACADEMY – Romania’s highest
cultural and scientific forum, the Romanian Academy on Tuesday opened its doors
to visitors to mark its 157th anniversary. On this occasion, its
most representative venues such as the Academy Hall, the Academy Club or the
Memorial Museum, were opened to visitors who were also offered a guided tour of
the Library. The Romanian Academy boasts 14 sections, covering several domains
such as literature, linguistics, history, philosophy, mathematics, physics,
chemistry, biology, geonomics, technical sciences, science and IT, agronomy,
medicine, economic and legal sciences, art and architecture. The Romanian
Academy presently boasts 181 members and corresponding members as well as 135
honorary members. (DB & VP)