December 15, 2016
President Klaus Iohannis holds first round of consultations with political parties/ European Council meeting in Brussels/ US consolidates military presence in Romania
Newsroom, 15.12.2016, 12:00
CONSULTATIONS — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has had a first round of consultations with the political parties that will make up the future Parliament following the results of Sunday’s elections. The Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats that will hold the majority have denied the invitation invoking procedural flaws. However, they said they would go to consultations with the President after the validation of the new Parliament. President Iohannis labeled the Social Democrats’ attitude as rude.
BRUSSELS — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is participating today in Brussels in the European Council meeting. The main topics on the agenda are migration, EU’s internal and external security, economy, youth and external relations, shows a communiqué of the presidential administration. In terms of migration, President Iohannis will support intensification of dialogue and cooperation with the migrants’ countries of origin, with a view to developing their economies, which will consequently curb the immigrants’ flow to the EU. The Romanian President will also plead for the need to continue the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement. As regards EU security, Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s readiness to actively support the measures and instruments needed for strengthening the EU’s internal security and for consolidating the defense of its external borders. On the sidelines of the European Council meeting, a working meeting of the 27 members will be held meant to establish the steps to follow in relation to Brexit.
US NATO — The US will speed up the consolidation of its military presence in Romania, announced general Ben Hodges, the US Army Europe commander. He pointed out that the American troops would reach the German port of Bremerhaven on January 6 and then head for Romania, Poland and the Baltic states. NATO approved, this summer, the plan for the consolidation of its military presence in Eastern Europe, under which four fighting units will bet set up, numbering a total of 4 thousand soldiers who will be backed by a 40,000-strong rapid reaction force. Furthermore, the Alliance has taken over control of the anti-missile defense shield in Europe, which includes American ships equipped with anti-missile systems located in Spain’s territorial waters, a radar system in Turkey and missile-interception elements in Romania. Russia has repeatedly warned that it was ‘extremely concerned’ with the installation of NATO anti-missile defense systems in Romania and Poland and has said it will take measures to defend itself.
HANDBALL — Romania’s women’s handball team has failed to qualify to the semifinals of the European Championship in Sweden after being defeated by Denmark 21-17. Romania ended on 3rd place in the 2nd main group after Norway and Denmark and will take on Germany on Friday in its bid to get the 5th or 6th place in the rankings. Romania’s team is coached by the Spanish Ambros Martin who last month replaced the Swedish Tomas Ryde under whose guidance the Romanians got bronze at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark.
CHISINAU — The new president of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority-speaking Romanian population) pro-Russian Igor Dodon will be sworn in on December 23, Moldovan Parliament officials announced. The ceremony will take place during a common session of Parliament and the Constitutional Court. Dodon won the second round of the presidential election on November 13 with 52% of the votes, defeating his challenger, pro-European Maia Sandu. On December 13 the result of the election was validated by the Constitutional Court that rejected the many appeals submitted by Maia Sandu. The presidential election in Moldova was the first after 20 years when the Moldovan citizens chose their president through direct vote. So far the president has been elected by Parliament. (translation by L. Simion)
