February 20, 2018

Viorica Dancila on first official visit to Brussels as PM

Newsroom, 20.02.2018, 13:38

VISIT – The PM of Romania, Viorica Dăncilă, is on her first official visit to Brussels in this capacity. The Romanian official will have meetings with the president of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, with the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani and with the European Commissioner for regional policy, Corina Creţu. Strengthening the relations between Bucharest and Brussels is essential, PM Dăncilă says, both in the context of Romania taking over the presidency of the EU Council in 2019, and for Romanias involvement in the most important projects on the European agenda. She also pleads for active involvement in talks regarding the economic future of the Union.

DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor, says the state will get involved in extending the military base in Mihail Kogălniceanu, in the south-east of the country, and announced talks in this respect had already been held with the American partners. He added he would like a permanent American presence in that unit. Over the past few years, thousands of Romanian and American troops have taken part in joint military exercises in Mihail Kogălniceanu, some of them also attended by troops from other NATO countries. The same base hosted last year air policing missions, with British, Canadian and Romanian aircraft taking part. Meanwhile, the Senate Monday endorsed a bill on the procurement of HIMARS multiple rocket launchers for the Romanian Army. Under the document, the Romanian Government is awarding to the US Government contracts for the procurement of 3 systems of 18 launchers each, amounting to a total 1.5 billion euro. The bill is to be forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this respect.

TRIAL – The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest has today started trying the case concerning the June 1990 miners riots, in which the ex-president Ion Iliescu and former PM Petre Roman are charged with crimes against humanity. Prosecutors argue that the authorities have planned the violent attacks against peaceful protesters gathered at the University Square in Bucharest in June 1990. Governmental agencies were illegally involved in the crackdown, prosecutors claim, alongside coal miners and other workers from various parts of the country. Four people died and nearly 1,400 were wounded.

FLU – Another 2 people died from the flu in Romania, with the death toll reaching 39, and more than 500 cases this season, reported the authorities have announced. Most of the flu patients are in Bucharest, and in the counties of Constanta (south-east), Olt (south), Braşov (centre) and Iaşi (north-east). The authorities recommend vaccination, and the Healthcare Ministry announced that around 80,000 shots were still available. So far over 920,000 people have received flu vaccines. The Healthcare Minister, Sorina Pintea, says Romania is not facing a flu epidemic at present.

DIPLOMACY – The Romanian minister delegate for European affairs, Victor Negrescu, had a meeting in Bucharest on Monday with the Republic of Moldovas deputy PM in charge of European integration, Iurie Leancă. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the two officials reviewed the key elements of Moldovas European agenda, particularly in terms of implementing the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the EU. Victor Negrescu emphasised that the strategic objective of the Bucharest-Chisinau relations is the EU accession of Moldova. He also stressed the importance of stepping up the reform and modernisation process, to the benefit of all Moldovan citizens.

HANDBALL – AHC Potaissa from Turda, north-western Romania will take on the Norwegians Fyllingen Bergen in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup, according to Tuesdays draw in Vienna. The Romanians will play the first leg on home ground, on March 24 or 25, and the second leg in Norway a week later. If they move on to the semi-finals, Potaissa will have to face the winner of the matches pitting SKIF Krasnodar (Russia) against IBV Vestmannaeyjar (Iceland). Last season Potaissa lost the Challenge Cup to the Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)