February 10, 2016
Click here for a round-up of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 10.02.2016, 12:17
VISIT– Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, has today started a working visit to the German state of Bavaria and will attend the Security Conference in Munich, scheduled for February 12-14. The Romanian President is due to meet with the President of the Bavarian State Parliament, Barbara Stamm, on Thursday, and with the Bavarian Prime Minister, Horst Seehofer, on Friday. On Saturday, Klaus Iohannis will be among the key speakers of the Security Conference in Munich, at the panel devoted to the future of the North Atlantic Alliance. Some of the focal points of the conference will be the stand on Russia, the refugee crisis, the future of the North Atlantic Alliance, terrorism, the situation in Syria, Ukraine and Africa, as well as climate change. Attending the conference will be heads of state and government, European commissioners and ministers.
CONDOLENCES– The Romanian Foreign Ministry has today announced that a Romanian national, a woman, is among those injured in Tuesdays train crash in Germany. She is severely injured, but stable. Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, has sent a message of condolences to the prime minister of the German state of Bavaria, for the victims of the accident, which occurred near the Bavarian town of Bad Aibling. At least 10 people died and over 80 got injured in a head-on collision between two passenger trains. According to the German media, the accident was caused by human error.
NATO MEETING– The two-day meeting of the NATO defence ministers is underway in Brussels. Romania is represented by the line minister, Mihnea Motoc. The focal points of the meeting are related to NATOs adjusting its strategies to the new security situation, in preparation for the decisions to be made by heads of state and government at the NATO Summit due in Warsaw in June. The defence ministers are also expected to make a decision on strengthening NATOs eastern flank, to deter any possible threat, following Russias actions in Ukraine. NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said NATO is “establishing eight force integration units or small headquarters in the eastern part of the Alliance, to “support planning, training and reinforcements, if needed. Also, decisions will be made on the alliances response to hybrid wars, which combine the conventional military might with cyber attacks and propaganda. Other issues to be approached are NATOs involvement in managing the refugee crisis and the participation of surveillance aircraft, as part of the international coalition, against the Islamic State terrorist group.
ELECTIONS– The way local elections will be held is today high on the agenda of the Romanian cabinet, which is expected to set both the date and timetable of the actions to unfold in the electoral period. Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said on Monday, in Parliament, that elections will unfold according to the existing legislation, against the backdrop of the heated debates between the parliamentary parties on electing mayors in one or two rounds of voting. According to a proposal by the Permanent Electoral Authority, the election campaign will start on May 6 and will come to a close on June 4, and the ballot will be held on June 5. Candidacies in the local elections can be submitted by April 26. This springs local elections will be followed by the legislative elections, in autumn.
SENTENCE – The former head warden of the Penitentiary in Ramnicu Sarat, south-eastern Romania, Alexandru Visinescu, has been sentenced today by the High Court of Cassation and Justice to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity. The sentence is final. According to the prosecutors, between 1956 and 1963, when he was at the helm of the penitentiary, political detainees, who opposed the communist regime, were subjected to an abominable treatment, in extremely poor conditions, meant to destroy them physically. According to the prosecutors, the detainees thus died following a slow but efficient process of physical and psychological torture. 138 detainees who were imprisoned in the penitentiary run by Alexandru Visinescu have been identified so far. He is the first head warden from the communist period to be brought to court.
ECONOMY – The Romanian authorities intend to ask the European Investment Bank, EIB, to get involved in developing projects under public-private partnerships. The issue was approached yesterday in Bucharest by the visiting EIB President Werner Hoyer, with Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister, Dacian Ciolos. The president of the European Investment Bank pays this visit against the backdrop of the constant support granted by the financial institution he runs, to Romania. Last year, the loans granted by EIB to Romania amounted to 228 million Euro. In the same line, two loans worth 1.3 billion Euro, co-financing EU grants, are at an advanced state of preparation. Over the past 25 years, Romania benefited from over 20 billion Euro worth of long term investments from the European Investment Bank, which were instrumental to creating new jobs, consolidating economic growth and improving the Romanians living standards.
(Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)
