December 13, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 13.12.2024, 20:04
PLANES Three F-16 Fighting Falcons, Romania bought from Norway, touched down at Air Base 71 in Campia Turzii, north-western Romania on Friday. According to sources with the Romanian Defence Ministry, the three multi-role warplanes are going to join the 48th Fighting Squadron, which boasts a total of 15 similar aircraft. Romania will buy from Norway 32 F-16 jet fighters, which are expected to improve the country’s security capabilities and contribute to the defence of its airspace and even NATO’s airspace, the communiqué also says. Romania has recently signed the contract for buying the first 32 fifth-generation fighters F-35. The first F-35 fighters are to arrive in Romania in 2030.
FOOTBALL Lots drawn in Zurich on Friday for the preliminaries of World Cup 2026 have placed Romania’s national football side in Group H, which also includes Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus and San Marino. Romania’s champions, FCSB, drew 0-0 against Hoffenheim of Germany on Thursday in the 6th round of Europa League. The team from Bucharest ranks 10th in the group standings and holds good chances of advancing to the next phase. Two more rounds follow in Germany, with the final match scheduled at home against Manchester United of England.
UKRAINE The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom met in Berlin on Thursday to reiterate support for Ukraine and its irreversible NATO track. The Ministers also promised Kyiv additional military support in the war against Russia as well as post-conflict security guarantees. At the end of the meeting, the Foreign Ministers joined the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, in signing the Berlin Declaration, given that the scenario of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia has become a possibility with Donald Trump’s return at the White House. Several member states, including the USA and Germany, have expressed reluctance towards the prospect of a swift accession to NATO for Ukraine. In the case of an agreement between Russia and Ukraine, Kyiv’s allies could deploy a peace-keeping corps to Ukraine, as a security guarantee.
GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis is expected to convene the new Parliament on December 20. Having won nearly two thirds of seats after the December 1 parliamentary election, pro-European parties and the group of national minorities have engaged in talks with a view to forming a coalition cabinet. Leaders of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians (UDMR) have agreed that each party would control a number of ministries equal to their share in Parliament. The new cabinet will comprise 16 ministries. Three self-proclaimed sovereignist parties – the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), SOS Romania and the Young People’s Party (POT) – will also be represented in the new Parliament. The new government will very likely be sworn in ahead of the Christmas holidays. For the time being, the pro-European coalition has agreed to designate a common candidate for the 2025 presidential election.
(bill)
