February 8, 2016 UPDATE

PM Ciolos takled about election legislation at Premier's Hour / Germany and Turkey to seek NATO's involvement in the refugee issue

Newsroom, 08.02.2016, 12:15

The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemned North Korea’s launch of a long-range ballistic missile on 7 February, and called on the authorities in that country to comply with international norms. Romanian diplomacy also called on the North Korean government to refrain from action that ‘could destabilize security in the Korean Peninsula and in the world’. This comes after the UN Security Council condemned the launch. In a unanimous statement, the Council promised to fast track a new resolution introducing new sanctions against Pyongyang in answer to Sunday’s launch, as well as the nuclear test on 6 January.

Turkey and Germany agreed on Monday on a set of measures to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis. A joint diplomatic initiative aimed at halting attacks against Syrias largest city is one of them. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was in the Turkish capital for talks with Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu on how to reduce the wave of refugees who come to Europe, said that the two countries would be trying to get NATOs involvement in the refugee issue. According to PM Davutoglu, Turkey and Germany will seek the use of the Alliance’s observation capabilities at the border with Syria and in the Aegean Sea. Turkey is pressured to open its border to over 30,000 Syrians who have massed along the frontier in the past few days. Turkey agreed in November to fight smuggling networks and help curb irregular migration while the EU has pledged 3 billion euros to Turkey to help this country cope with the large number of refugees.

Staging fair local and parliamentary elections is one of the Government’s priorities and will be carried out based on the laws in force, said Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Monday, at a debate on election laws. Ciolos asked the political parties who want to return to the two round election system in the local elections this year not to blame the Government for refusing to change the legislation through an emergency ordinance, but to do it themselves in Parliament, on their own responsibility. Ciolos also pointed out that parliamentary parties have divergent opinions on this matter. The PM also talked about the legislative elections and about guaranteeing the right of citizens living abroad to vote. Ciolos said that the Government was working on secondary legislation in this respect, to be adopted in the upcoming period. We recall that, in the presidential elections of 2014, thousands of Romanians were unable to exercise their civic rights due to defective organization.

NATO defense ministers will meet on Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels to review the main challenges in defense policy for the allies. Romania is represented by its defense minister, Mihnea Motoc. The meeting comes after the announcement made by NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg on the US request for NATO assistance in the fight against the so-called Islamic State. Stoltenberg also emphasized his concern regarding Russian air strikes in Syria, saying they undermine efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict. The ministerial meeting this week will also discuss the situation of military missions in Afghanistan, the conflict in Libya, as well as the next NATO summit, to take place in Warsaw.

12 military of the Romanian Guard and Protection Service will take part in a one-year mission in Lybia, under the United Nations’ umbrella, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has announced in a letter sent to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The Romanian military will have the task to protect a number of UN officials in Lybia. The UN will cover the costs of this mission.

Romania’s tennis team was defeated by the Czech Republic 2-3 in the Romanian city of Cluj in the first round of the Fed Cup World Group, after the pair Karolina Pliskova (13th seeded) / Barbora Strycova (41st seeded) won 6-2, 6-3, against the pair Andreea Mitu (96th seeded) / Raluca Olaru (45th seeded). In the first two games on Saturday, Simona Halep, ranked third in the world, was defeated by Karolina Pliskova (6-7, 6-4, 6-2), while Monica Niculescu, ranked 37th, disposed of Petra Kvitova (6-3, 6-4). On Sunday, Halep defeated Kvitova, ranked 37th (6-4, 3-6, 6-3), while Pliskova defeated Niculescu (6-2, 4-6, 6-3). The Czech Republic, the current trophy holder, has won four titles in the last five Fed Cups, and qualified to the semi-finals, where they face Switzerland. After the defeat, Romania will play in April in an attempt to stay in the World Group.

(Translated by Elena Enache)