February 20, 2017 UPDATE
Govt decree repealing controversial changes to criminal codes to be voted on Tuesday/ Romanian army chief of staff travels to US/ Mike Pence ends European tour
Newsroom, 20.02.2017, 19:44
GOVT DECREE — The Romanian Senate on Monday rejected the controversial government decree no. 13 under which the government intended to change the Criminal Codes, which brought hundreds of thousands of Romanians into the streets. The document will be forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies and will be voted on Tuesday. Also on Monday the MPs with the legal committee issued a favorable report for the approval of decree no. 14, which repeals decree no. 13. Decree no. 14 was passed by the Senate last week and will be debated and voted on also on Tuesday by the Chamber of Deputies. On the other hand, anti-government protests continue in Bucharest as well as the protests against president Klaus Iohannis who has been blamed for failing to fulfill his role of mediator.
ARMY OFFICIAL – The chief of General Staff of the Romanian Army, general Nicolae Ciucă, is on trip to the US for talks with general Joseph F. Dunford jr, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs. Ciucă will also attend a symposium of the special operations forces. According to a release by the Romanian defense ministry, talks will focus on the importance of the Black Sea for European and international security, Romanias role and position as a security provider and the US commitments with respect to the security of NATOs eastern flank. During his trip, which ends on the 25th of February, the Romanian army official will also discuss his countrys cooperation with the US in the theatres of operation and Romanias programs for the modernization of its armed forces.
BRUSSELS — The US commitment to the EU remains strong, said Monday in Brussels the US vice president Mike Pence fresh from meetings with EU officials. In turn, the president of the European Council Donald Tusk said the EU was counting on the US’s unequivocal support for the idea of a united Europe and for NATO. Mike Pence ended his first tour of Europe in Brussels where the European leaders were concerned with the comments of the new US president Donald Trump, who, according to the BBC, questioned the value of NATO and the future of the EU. At the weekend, while in Germany, the US vice president gave assurances regarding the US’s unwavering commitment to NATO against the backdrop of cold relations between NATO and Russia, adding that Washington would share the values of democracy and justice with Europe, its biggest ally.
MILITARY DRILLS — 500 soldiers from Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the US are participating, until March 1, in the multinational drill called “Platinum Eagle 17.1” hosted by the county of Galati (in the southeast) as part of the “Black Sea Rotational Force 17”. According to the Defense Ministry the main objective of the drills is to train the participating subunits in a unitary manner, in order to maintain operational capabilities and increase interoperability, by exercising command and control procedures and shooting. “Black Sea Rotational Force 17” is an annual exercise led by the US Command of the Navy Ground Forces unfolding in the Black Sea area, in the Balkans and the Caucasus. (translation by L. Simion)
