July 28, 2017 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 28.07.2017, 20:02
DENIAL On Friday Romania refused to allow a plane carrying Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to cross its air space, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has announced. In turn the Russian official commented on a social site that Romania had put the plane passengers at risk and must expect an answer. The plane was bound for Chisinau, the capital of the ex-soviet Republic of Moldova, a country with a majority Romanian-speaking population. The EU has imposed a travel-ban on Rogozin and other Russian officials following the Ukrainian crisis.
VISIT Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Friday said in Astana that Romania is consistently supporting the development of the relations between the EU and Kazahstan. To prove that the Romanian Minister mentioned the ratification by Parliament in Bucharest of the Consolidated Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Kazahstan. Melescanu went to Astana to visit the World Exhibition there, which on Friday hosted Romania’s day. The Romanian stand in Astana presents the world’s biggest laser built in Magurele close to Bucharest. On Thursday, during the talks the Romanian official had with Prime Minister Bakythan Sagintaev, the two sides voiced their interest in developing bilateral relations, mainly concerning the political dialogue and economic ties. The head of the diplomacy in Bucharest also visited the Karaganda region, which has an important Romanian community, descendants of those deported by the soviets following the 1940 annexation of the Romanian territories of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina.
DEFENCE Romania’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) will convene for new proceedings in Bucharest on Tuesday. High on the agenda of the session headed by the country’s president Klaus Iohannis is a plan for equipping the Romanian armed forces for the period between 2017 and 2026. The plan provides for observing and implementing the 2015 political commitment to earmarking 2% of the country’s GDP for defence in the following 10 years beginning 2017.
TALKS Romania’s Justice Minister Tudorel Toader met the US ambassador in Bucharest Hans Klemm on Friday. According to a communiqué by the Justice Ministry, among other issues, the two officials have also tackled the process of strengthening the rule of law and the fight against corruption. The importance of cooperating with the USA as a strategic partner for Romania was also highlighted during the talks.
