December 20, 2014 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 20.12.2014, 13:00
Romania is safer than ever and is not subject to any risks of destabilising moves planned by Moscow, because it is part of a solid alliance system, has a strategic partnership with the USA and has become a security provider for other NATO member countries. The statement was made by the outgoing president Traian Basescu on Saturday, at the end of his 10 years as president. The head of state added that during his 2 terms in office Romania became a credible NATO member, and he pleaded for the consolidation of this status. Traian Basescu also said that since its EU accession in 2007, Romania has made remarkable economic progress and is currently meeting the convergence criteria that enable it to adopt the European single currency. Romania, the outgoing president also said, is close to its Schengen accession. Basescu mentioned that both Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova need to ensure their energy security. As for the rule of law, Traian Basescu believes the progress in the judiciary has been achieved because the Romanian prosecutors and judges felt free and realised that politicians are not above the law. The head of state admitted that the judiciary was the main topic that generated conflicts between himself and the political class, but said he takes responsibility for the consequences of his fight for the independence of the justice system. Traian Basescu was elected president in 2004 and won a second term in office in 2009. According to commentators, although marked by political scandals and by two failed impeachment attempts, Basescu’s terms as president contributed to strengthening the independence of the judiciary and to an unprecedented progress in the fight against corruption.
On Sunday the president-elect of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will be sworn in, during a special Parliament session, and will take over the presidential post from Traian Basescu. A former leader of the Liberal Party, Iohannis defeated the incumbent PM, the Social Democrat Victor Ponta, in the second round of the presidential election on November the 16th. Klaus Iohannis will be the fourth president of post-communist Romania.
The new sanctions enforced by the US and Canada prove that the West is not interested in settling the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Aleksandr Lukashevic, said on Saturday, according to newspapers in Moscow. According to the Russian official, such measures will compromise the political settlement of the crisis. The USA Friday imposed a ban on all trade with Crimea, in protest against the annexation of this peninsula by Russia in March. The decision came after the EU had taken similar measures. Also on Friday, Washington expanded its black list to include another 20 separatist leaders in Ukraine, who are accused of undermining the stability of the country, with support from Russia. Canada also announced new sanctions, targeting Russian politicians and Ukrainian pro-Russian separatists, as well as the Russian oil and natural gas industry.
