June 20, 2014 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 20.06.2014, 20:15
The Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta will be received in Paris on Saturday by the French President Francois Hollande, during an informal meeting focusing on the priorities of the future European Commission. Attending will be another 6 socialist Prime Ministers, including the Austrian, the Italian and the Belgian ones. The meeting is also aimed at preparing the European summit due on June 26th and 27th in Brussels, where major decisions will be made regarding the future of the EU, according to a communiqué issued by the French Presidency.
According a document published on Friday by the US Department of State, Romania is both source, transit and destination country for trafficked people. The 2014 trafficking in persons report includes Romania in the category of countries whose governments do not fully observe the minimum victim protection standards, but who are making efforts to improve the situation. Romanian men, women and children are trafficked to European countries, reads the document, to be used in agriculture, constructions, domestic services, hotels and industry, but also for begging and stealing. Most of those who are forced to beg are of Roma ethnics, the report also reads.
Accession to the EU and NATO is the best option for all south-east European countries, said in Bucharest on Friday the Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta. He attended the the annual meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries that are part of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP). On the occasion, Ponta said Romania will be a reliable partner for all countries in the region. SEECP is the only political forum in south-eastern European coordinated exclusively by countries in this region. Romania is the current holder of the charimanship in office of this body.
On Friday, the US accused Russia of deploying on the border with Ukraine military equipment and additional troops aimed at actively supporting the pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine. Previously, the NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had stated that upsizing troops on the border with Ukraine was a regrettable step backward. The Kremlin claims its all about routine measures, decided upon weeks ago and aimed at protecting the borders. In another move, also on Friday , the President of Ukraine, Petro Porosenko, unveiled a peace plan meant to put an end to the separatist insurrection. The plan provides, among other things, for the pardoning of those who lay down weapons and have committed no war crimes, realizing hostages, setting up a 10 km buffer zone on the border with Russia, decentralizing power and protecting the Russian language, by amending the Constitution.
Ukrainian President Petro Porosenko has announced that starting Friday, the pro-Russia rebels in the east of the country have one week to surrender, during which time the government troops will halt their offensive. International news agencies say that along with the unilateral cease fire, Porosonko wants to implement the peace plan he has proposed. The plan provides, among other things, for the pardoning of those who lay down weapons and have committed no war crimes, releasing hostages, setting up a 10 km buffer zone on the border with Russia, decentralizing power and protecting the Russian language by amending the Constitution. In another move, also on Friday, the US accused Russia of bringing more troops and military equipment on the border with Ukraine. The Kremlin claims it’s all about routine measures, aimed at protecting the border.
The USA will send 300 military advisers to Iraq, to help the country handle the Islamist-led insurgents. The announcement was made by the US President Barack Obama, who said Washington was ready for targeted and precise actions, but ruled out the deployment of ground forces to Iraq. Previously Baghdad had asked for American air strikes against the Sunni militants in the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), which have taken control over a vast territory in Iraq. In that area, the ISIS fighters have reportedly imposed the Islamic law and committed mass executions among the civilians and the Iraqi troops they have taken hostage.
Romania’s national women’s handball team is in Group B of the European Championships due to take place in December in Croatia and Hungary. According to the final tournament draw in Zagreb, Romania will play against Norway and Denmark, winners of world, Olympic and European titles, and against Ukraine. The best ranking three teams in each group qualify into the next stage.
