July 11, 2022 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 11.07.2022, 20:00

PARTNERSHIP -
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has hailed the anniversary of 25 years since
the launch of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States
of America describing the document as one of the pillars of Romania’s foreign
and security policy, according to a press release issued by the Presidential
Administration in Bucharest. According to Iohannis, a common objective assumed
by the two countries is Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver programme and
both sides are making efforts in this respect. In turn, Romania’s Prime
Minister Nicolae Ciucă said the Strategic Partnership with the USA in all its
cooperation dimensions has become a priority for Romania. The country will
continue to consolidate its defense and resilience to be a staunch and reliable
ally of the USA in the region, a pillar of stability for NATO and EU’s eastern
flank, Ciucă added. On the other hand, nine former US ambassadors have issued a
joint statement, describing the Strategic Partnership as one of the best US
investments in Europe, while including Romania in the Visa Waiver program would
strongly boost this partnership. The US ambassadors also claim Romania plays a
key role in defending and strengthening NATO’s eastern flank, as well as in
consolidating stability and security in the entire Black Sea region.

WAR IN UKRAINE – The number of
Ukrainians entering EU member states has reverted to the level prior to the
Russian invasion, while the resumption of school might prompt additional
families to make a decision in this respect, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs,
Ylva Johansson said on Monday. Starting February 24, when Moscow attacked
Ukraine, over 6 million Ukrainians have entered Europe, FRONTEX reported at the
end of June. Of these, 3.1 million have already returned to Ukraine.
Commissioner Johansson went on to say that the Czech Republic is the country
currently hosting the largest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita, followed
by Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Latvia. Approximately 1.5 million Ukrainians
have entered Romania since the start of the war. In Kyiv, Dutch Prime Minister
Mark Rutte said the war might get protracted, which is why Western countries
have a duty to support Ukraine by any means possible. Previously, Ukrainian
authorities announced they are preparing an attack to recapture southern cities
held by Russian invaders. A decree signed by president Volodymyr Zelensky will
allow for mobilizing a greater number of people and modern defense technology
received from Western partners. Defense Minister Oleksy Reznikov says 1 million
Ukrainians will take part in the counterattack ordered by the president.

PROSECUTION
– The Military Department with the Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a
criminal investigation into crimes against humanity in connection to the
Russian invasion in Ukraine and the consequences of this military operation on
Romanian citizens in the neighboring state. The Russian military attack is
far-reaching and systematic, targeting both military and civilian objectives.
According to data, the army bombed schools, hospitals, shopping centers,
affecting the civilian population in Ukraine, Romanian military prosecutors
say. The consequences of the attack are extremely serious. A large number of
people died, including children, while many others were wounded. At the same
time, as a result of the psychological trauma caused by the war, millions of
civilians have fled Ukraine, currently residing as refugees in other states,
including Romania.

COVID-19
– Romania is seeing a rising number of Covid-19
infections and its Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, says the country is in
for a peak of infections at the end of this summer, where the number of daily
cases might reach 10 thousand. Luckily, the new variants are less aggressive
and the minister recommends anti-Covid vaccination in autumn when new vaccines
are to appear. According to Rafila, the new vaccine is to arrive in Romania in
September and the country is presently relying on 8.5 million doses.
Authorities have recommended hospitals to get ready for a wave of the pandemic
and reactivate their action plans.

MOLDOVA – The head of the
European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Laura Codruța Kovesi is paying a
visit to Chișinău until July 14. Kovesi will meet representatives of the
administration, including president Maia Sandu. In January, 2021, Maia Sandu
told Kovesi in Brussels she wanted to cooperate with the EPPO in order to boost
the reform of the Moldovan judiciary, according to Radio Chișinău. On the other
hand, a delegation of the Moldovan Interior Ministry is for the first time
attending the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting held in Prague. In a
post on Facebook, Moldova’s Interior Minister Ana
Ravenco said she will be discussing the expansion of EU security to include the
Republic of Moldova as well. (DB & VP)