April 7. 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 07.04.2019, 14:16
NATO – Bucharest is hosting ceremonies celebrating NATO Day and 15 years since Romania joined the Alliance. The National Defense Ministry has opened its gates for the public and tonight, soldiers of the Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) Guards Brigade will walk from the center of the capital to their barracks carrying lit torches. On March 29th, 2004, the Romanian authorities submitted the ratification instruments to the US Department of State, the depository for the North-Atlantic Alliance Treaty. The Romanian Prime Minister, Viorica Dancila, has stated that Romania has assumed its responsibilities as provider of security in the region and with regard to its participation in NATO operations and has proved to be a predictable and reliable partner. Some 887 Romanian soldiers are currently involved in NATO operations abroad: 690 in Afghanistan, 56 in the KFOR mission in Kosovo, 120 in Poland, part of the air defense detachment and 21 staff and liaison personnel.
SEA SHIELD – The Black Seas largest multinational naval exercise, Sea Shield 2019, continues until April 13th. The exercise involve 14 Romanian warships and six warships from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Turkey and the Netherlands, with the participation of some 2200 troops, who are exercising joint combat procedures against underwater, surface and air defense threats, adapted to the types of threats emerging in the Black Sea Region. The scenario is fictitious and aims at planning and conducting a Crisis Response Operation under the mandate of a Resolution of the United Nations Security Council. The Chief of the Romanian Navy, Rear Admiral Alexandru Mirsu, has stated that by no means Sea Shield 2019 could be seen as a provocative exercise. NATO is just worried about Russias military actions in the region, which have become continuous and significant.
COCAINE – The search for cocaine parcels, part of the transport intercepted on March 23rd in the Danube Delta, when the authorities found about 1,000 kg of cocaine in and around an abandoned ship on the Black Sea shore, continues. In the past two days, hundreds of police, gendarmes and divers have swept 90 km of shore in search for the floating parcels. The police have warned people, in case they find such parcels, not to open them and call the authorities. The concentration of the cocaine is quite high, more than 90%, so it can be lethal if consumed. The value of the cocaine found in Romania is estimated at around 300 million Euros.
MOLDOVA – The neighboring Republic of Moldova, with a predominantly Romania-speaking population, is today celebrating the so-called Freedom Day, ten years since the protests of April 7th, 2009, against the pro-Russia communist power. Accused of rigging parliamentary elections, the communists repressed violently the pro-European youth. Dozens of people were illegally detained and beaten up by the police, and at least one of them died. There is suspicion the number of the deceased was higher. Those who ordered the violence have not been punished, and some of them have actually been promoted. Following the incidents, the election was held again, and the communists lost, becoming part of the opposition. At this years elections, in February, the Communist Party did not manage to go above the 6% threshold and is no longer represented in parliament.
UKRAINE – Ukrainian authorities have banned the president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, access to Ukraine, where he intended to participate in an event organized by the Hungarian Cultural Union of Sub-Carpathian Ukraine, in the west. Hunor has stated he was given no explanation for the ban. The Ukrainian Ambassador to Bucharest, Oleksandr Bankov, says that the ban was enforced in November 2017 and since then, Kelemen Hunor has tried to enter Ukraine using a Hungarian passport, but he has been denied access every time. The Ukrainian diplomat has stated that its common European practice for such decisions to not be necessarily accompanied by explanations. The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has termed the ban as unacceptable.
CULTURE – The crown of Queen Marie of Romania (1914-1927) and the liturgical flag of the Medieval ruler Stephen the Great (1457-1504), from the National History Museum, have been carried to France by a plane of the Romanian Air Forces. Part of the Romania – France Cultural Season, the two items will be the central pieces of the exhibitions titled Marie of Romania, Queen and Artist”, hosted by the Tau Palace in Reims, and Romanian Liturgical Embroideries of Byzantine Tradition, hosted by the Louvre Museum in Paris. Since November 2018, until April 14th, 2019, Romania will have presented the French public with some 200 projects aimed at promoting diplomacy through culture. Between April 18th and July 14th, Romania will play host to similar French events. Inaugurated last year by the presidents Klaus Iohannis and Emmanuel Macron, the cultural season is aimed at renewing the mutual perception and strengthening the economic, scientific and cultural ties between Romania and France.
SPORT – The Romanian athlete Elena Andries has won three gold medals at the European Weightlifting Championships in Batumi, Georgia, in the 49 kg category. On Saturday Romania also won two bronze medals, thanks to Cosmina Pana with a 45 kg lift and Cristian Marian Luca in the 55kg clean and jerk event. The European Championships are a qualification criterion for next years Olympic Games in Tokyo. At the competition in Batumi, Romania is represented by 14 athletes.
