January 18, 2023

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 18.01.2023, 13:55

OSCE. Romania has taken over the one-year
presidency of the OSCE Security Committee, a body subsidiary to the OSCE
Permanent Council. The Committee is tasked, among others, with discussing
non-military and political security aspects. More precisely, Romania will support
the achievement of OSCE’s goals with respect to combating human trafficking,
border management and the fight against terrorism. In cooperation with the
organisation’s current presidency, held this year by North Macedonia, Romania
will pay special attention to fulfilling the commitments made by all the
participating countries and will facilitate the consolidation of international
efforts to combat transnational and security threats. Romania previously held
the presidency of the OSCE Security Committee in 2015 and 2016.

Foreign
policy. Romania is retaining in 2023 the general coordinates of its foreign
policy, aimed at strengthening its position and role within NATO and the
European Union and consolidating its strategic alliance with the US, president
Klaus Iohannis told foreign ambassadors in Bucharest. He said Romania managed in
exemplary manner the unprecedented situation on the EU and NATO borders
generated by Russia’s war in the neighbouring Ukraine. Also, the lifting of the
Cooperation and Verification Mechanism must be accompanied this year by Romania’s
well-deserved entry into Schengen, Iohannis also said.

Aircraft.
AWACS surveillance planes usually based in Germany will for the first time
carry out recognisance and surveillance flights over the eastern part of NATO
territory from Romania. The planes are able to track and identify other aircraft
over 400 km away. The German ambassador to Bucharest Peer Gebauer said the
German troops’ mission in Romania is an important signal of trans-Atlantic and
European solidarity

Aid. Romania’s coalition government is to
approve a draft order to provide emergency foreign humanitarian aid to Ukraine out
of the country’s state reserves. The aid is intended for the protection of the
population in the context of the war in the neighbouring country, including
food products worth over 80,000 euros.

Flu. Experts are expecting the current flu season
in Romania to last until spring and are urging people to get the flu vaccine. The
administration of this shot is now easier, with the College of Pharmacists announcing
that this is also possible in almost 100 authorised community pharmacies around
the country as part of a pilot project. Vaccination is done by pharmacists who
graduated from the post-university courses held by the Universities of Medicine
and Pharmacy in November and December last year. The number of flu cases rose
significantly in the first week after children went back to school on 9th
January. Apart from respiratory infections, flu and pneumonia, some cases were
also reported of co-infection with both flu and Covid-19. (CM)