February 14, 2016

President Iohannis attends Munich Security Conference; President of Moldova to travel to Romania

Newsroom, 14.02.2016, 12:00

The Black Sea region proves crucial in the current geopolitical context, both in terms of regional security and for the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region, said President Klaus Iohannis, in his address at the Munich Security Conference. He promised that Romania remains a pillar of democracy and stability in the region and may make a substantial contribution to solving the problems that generate instability in the Black Sea region, remaining a source of security at the eastern border of NATO and the EU. In Munich, President Klaus Iohannis had a meeting on Saturday with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, and told him Romania supported the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The two heads of state tackled some of the main issues on the bilateral agenda, ahead of the official visit that the President of Ukraine will make to Romania this year.

The international community is facing a moment of truth as regards Syria, said the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, as international leaders are convening today on the last day of the Munich Security Conference. The peace plan designed to secure a ceasefire between the Syrian governmental forces and the rebels within a week may only work if Russia ends its air raids in support of Bashar al-Assads government, the French Defence Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said during the conference. Russia must change its targets in Syria if it is to comply with the agreement designed to put an end to the war in Syria, the US Secretary of State John Kerry also said, adding that the US believes the vast majority of Russian attacks target legitimate Opposition groups. In an address at the same security conference, the Russian PM, Dmitri Medvedev, said there is no proof that the Russian air strikes have affected civilians.

The President of the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae Timofti, will be on a two-day official visit to Bucharest starting on Tuesday. He will have meetings with his counterpart Klaus Iohannis, with Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş, with the Senate Speaker, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, and other Romanian officials. The main topics to be discussed include the bilateral relations, the European agenda of the Republic of Moldova, as well as the economic, political and social cooperation between the two countries. President Timofti is also to hand out on this occasion the distinctions offered by Moldova to President Iohannis, to State Secretary Raed Arafat, head of the Emergency Department in the Interior Ministry, and to the popular actor Florin Piersic, who has recently turned 80.

Pope Francis believes the Catholic Church in Mexico must do more than just condemn drug trafficking. In a message on the first day of his five-day visit to Mexico, the Pope said drug trade was a test to the young and a cancer that destroys the Mexican society. On the other hand, on Friday the Pope and the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, called for the restored unity of the two churches. In a joint statement, they also urged the international community to protect the Christians in the Middle East against persecution. The talks were held on the airport in Havana, as Patriarch Kirill was on an official visit to Cuba, the first leg of his Latin American tour. This was the first meeting of a Pope and a leader of the Orthodox Church, after the Eastern and the Western Christian Churches split in the 11th Century.

The pair Horia Tecau (Romania) and Jean-Julien Rojer (the Netherlands), no. 3 WTA, failed to qualify to the doubles final of the Rotterdam tournament, which has 1.597.155 euros in total prizes. They were defeated by Philipp Petzschner (Germany) / Alexander Peya (Austria), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 11-9. Tecău and Rojer, seeded 1st, won the Rotterdam tournament last year, when they defeated Jamie Murray (UK) and John Peers (Australia) in the final. Tecău and Rojer also played in the doubles final in 2014, but were defeated by the French pair Mickael Llodra/Nicolas Mahut.

(translation by: Ana Maria Popescu)