June 18, 2020

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 18.06.2020, 13:55

EASTERN PARTNERSHIP – Romania’s
President Klaus Iohannis is today taking part in an Eastern Partnership
videoconference. The meeting is chaired by European Council President Charles
Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU’s High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. Attending
are heads of state and government from the EU27 in addition to the six partner
states in the region: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of
Moldova and Ukraine. The agenda will focus on three main topics: cooperation
and solidarity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, reasserting the
strategic importance of the Eastern Partnership and its core values as well as the
Partnership’s achievements and long-term goals. President Iohannis will be
calling for a firm and continued commitment from the EU in its Eastern
Neighborhood, which based on the partner states’ visible progress in the field
of reforms, can become a stable, predictable and prosperous space, compatible
with European values and principles, the Presidency informs. In another move,
the President on Friday is attending the European Council meeting, also held in
videoconference format. The agenda will include the Economic Recovery Plan and
the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework recently proposed by the European
Commission, the negotiation process for the future relations between the
European Union and Great Britain, as well as foreign policy topics.

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The number of
confirmed infections continues to rise in Romania. Another 320 cases have been
reported since the last update, taking the total number of infected to 23.080.
Over 16.300 people have recovered and 1.473 have died. 178 patients are now in
intensive care. According to Health Minister Nelu Tataru, the rise in the
number of cases is the result of several measures aimed at easing lockdown
restrictions. On the other hand, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said theatres and
restaurants in Romania, will be reopened whenever the epidemiological context
allows it. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said that, for the time being, the
authorities don’t know how the situation will evolve, and has called on
everyone to remain vigilant and strictly observe the regulations.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Some 8.4
million people around the world have been infected with COVID-19, with the
global death toll standing at some 451 thousand, considering over 4.4 million
people infected with SARS CoV2 have recovered, worldometers.info reports.
America totals some 4 million cases, followed by Europe with 2.5 million, the
Middle East with over 800 thousand and Southeastern Asia with over half a
million infections. According to BBC surveys, over 130.000 people worldwide
have died to the virus on top of officially reported fatalities. The World
Health Organization has announced its plans to restrict the clinical treatment
of COVID patients using hydroxychloroquine. WHO experts have concluded that
this medicine, commonly used to prevent malaria, has no impact in reducing mortality
rates.

PENSIONS – Parliament is
today debating and voting a draft law on taxing the so-called special pensions,
which was yesterday approved in the Chamber of Deputies. The vote is necessary
as the document also refers to the special pensions of MPs. Romanian deputies
decided to levy a tax on the difference between the special pension and the
regular contribution-based pension. Therefore a 10% tax will be levied on
pensions ranging between €400 and €1.450, while any pension above this mark
will be subject to an 85% tax.

NATO – Romanian Defense
Minister Nicolae Ciuca attended a NATO ministerial videoconference, on which occasion
he reiterated his call on NATO to increase its contribution to projects in the
Black Sea, a region of strategic importance to NATO. According to a Defense
Ministry release, NATO Defense Ministers reviewed progress in implementing NATO’s
deterrence and defense actions, with a focus on the ramifications generated by Russia’s
development of dual-capable missile systems. In this respect, NATO sanctioned a
package of political and military adjustment measures, reiterating its firm commitment
towards arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.

(Translated by V. Palcu)