August 19, 2019 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 19.08.2019, 19:55
WASHINGTON – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is on a two-day visit to the United States, invited by his counterpart Donald Trump. The two heads of state will hold talks at the White House on Tuesday. The agenda of talks includes, among other things, developing the strategic partnership between the two states, including in matters of energy and security. Iohannis will discuss with Trump energy security matters, considering that the US is worried that Europe would become too dependent on Russia in energy. The Romanian president has stated he hopes that energy legislation, which has upset foreign investors, including American, is going to be adjusted. At the same time, he has stated that he will discuss with the American president the issue of eliminating visas for Romanian citizens. In Washington, the head of state will also bring up at the White House the contingents of American enlisted men in Romania, in order to specify that the country can accommodate more of them. At the same time, Iohannis will renew his invitation for Donald Trump to visit Romania. This is the Romanian presidents second visit of his term to the White House, and comes as Romania celebrates this year 30 years since the fall of communism, and 15 years of NATO membership.
FOREIGN RELATIONS – The Romanian Foreign Minister Ramona Manescu received on Monday the Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Romania, Mihai Gribincea, with whom she talked about the implementation of the projects and programmes agreed upon by Bucharest and Chisinau with the aim of improving citizens lives. Also, minister Manescu reasserted Romanias commitment to Moldovas European path, in keeping with the bilateral strategic partnership for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian minister also voiced interest in deepening bilateral dialogue on topics of common interest, including against the background of the upcoming visit to Bucharest of the Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicolae Popescu on August 26th.
ATTACK – The Romanian Ministry of Health has ordered inspections in all psychiatric hospitals across the country, as announced by line minister Sorina Pintea. This comes in the aftermath of the tragedy that occurred on Sunday night at a psychiatric hospital in the southeast, when a patient attacked and killed other patients. The director of the hospital resigned after the report of the investigation run by the ministry at the clinic. Meanwhile, the highest court in Buzau County ordered the 38 year-old attacker to be evaluated in detention to establish mental competence. Prosecutors have initiated indictment procedures for first degree murder against him. The patient in the clinic in Buzau County killed five fellow patients and injured eight using an IV tree.
CEREMONY – On Monday, the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base in south-eastern Romania hosted a military ceremony for the departure to Mali of the Carpathian Pumas detachment. The 120 members of the detachment will be backed by four IAR-330 Puma helicopters and their mission is due to start in mid October. Romania will join the UN in supporting Mali in continuing to apply the peace accord, civilian protection, and preventing the return of hostile armed units to populated areas. The Romanian soldiers will be running medevac, troop and material transport, air patrol, and surveillance missions for a year.
BREXIT – The European Commission has stated that the EU is ready for a no-deal Brexit, but has warned that the UK will suffer most under such a scenario. The EC spokesperson Natasha Bertaud has warned that the negative economic impact would be proportionally much greater in the United Kingdom than it would be in the EU 27 states. On Monday in London, the opposition Labour Party demanded that the UK parliament be recalled from its summer break to discuss steps to mitigate Brexit disruptions, after leaked government documents forecast potential food fuel and medicine shortages as a result of a no-deal Brexit to be enacted on October 31st.
PROTEST – Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Hong Kong on Sunday, in the 11th week of demonstrations. On the eve of the event, the Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini issued a joint declaration, saying that fundamental freedoms must be upheld. The EU-Canada declaration expresses worries that violence could escalate, and urges all sides to ease tensions. Protests in the Asian financial hub threaten to cause a recession, the first in 10 years. They were caused by a plan to pass a bill to facilitate extradition from the territory to mainland China. The bill has been temporarily withdrawn.
