February 26, 2015
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Bogdan Matei, 26.02.2015, 12:00
Romania is counting on Germany for its real and full integration into the European nucleus — Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said before meeting today in Berlin his German counterpart, Joachim Gauck and chancellor Angela Merkel. The head of the Romanian state has underlined that cooperation relations with Germany have a strategic importance for Romania and that stepping up dialogue with Berlin and the extension of cooperation fields are a priority. President Iohannis is expected to also mention the role of the German community in Romania and that paid by the Romanian community in Germany as connectors and factors of strengthening cooperation between the two countries. The talks agenda also includes prospects of Romania’s Schengen accession, regional security with emphasis on the situation in Ukraine as well as the EU-integration of the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Republic with a Romanian-speaking majority, and of the countries in the Western Balkans. A German ethnic from Sibiu, central Romania, Iohannis is visiting Germany for the first time after he took office as president in November last year. Initially scheduled for February 11th, the visit was postponed because of the funerals of former federal president Richard von Weizsacker, held on the same day.
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is on the first position in a ranking on the preferences of the Romanians, way ahead Central Bank governor, Mugur Isarescu, an INSCOP opinion poll says. The president enjoys a 65% trust rate, 5% higher than in December, while Isarescu comes second with 42%, 4% higher than in December. Prime Minister Victor Ponta comes third with 24.5% in the rankings, which also include the mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu and former head of the Romanian Intelligence Service, George Maior. The poll has been conducted upon the request of Romanian daily Adevarul.
The supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, US general Philip Breedlove said the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet country with a Romanian-speaking majority could become the next target of Russia’s aggression after Ukraine. Breedlove has called into attention the intense media campaign put up by Russia against the pro-western authorities in Chisinau. The US official added that the Russian troops stationed in the pro-Russian region of Transdniester in the east of the Republic are meant to hinder the country’s European integration. The breakaway region of Transdniester came out of Chisinau’s control back in 1992, following an armed conflict, which left hundreds of dead and was settled after the Russian troops had joined the separatists. Although Moscow hasn’t recognized the unilaterally-proclaimed independence of Transdniester, it has continuously provided military, political and economic support to the region.
Alexandra Hertanu, sister of Social-Democratic Prime Minister Victor Ponta, has been heard by anticorruption prosecutors in a file in which her husband, businessman Iulian Hertanu was preventively detained last week. Hertanu Iulian is facing several charges, including the setting up of an organized crime group, misappropriation of EU funds and tax evasion in a contract on the enlargement of the sewage network of Comarnic, a city in Prahova county, southern Romania. MP Sebastian Ghita, a close acquaintance of Prime Minister Ponta, as well as Social-Democrats Vlad and Mircea Cosma have also been place under investigation. The prejudice is estimated at 1.7 million euros plus 550 thousand euros in tax evasion. The Prime Minister has vehemently denied any involvement, admitting though the scandal blemishes his image.
Romanian women’s national handball team’s inside-left player Cristina Neagu is on the runner-up position according to the world’s best handball players rankings in 2014. 28.5 % of the 55,000 respondents to the survey the International Handball Federation carried last week cast their votes in favor of the Romanian, who is second only to Brazilian Eduarda Amorim, who got 32.5 % of the votes. Currently signed up by Montenegro’s Buducnost Podgorica, last year Neagu was designated the best inside-left player at the European Championship, being the 2nd placed scorer in a championship where Romania emerged on the 9th position. We recall that in 2010 the International Handball Federation designated Neagu the world’s best handball player.
