June 29, 2022
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Newsroom, 29.06.2022, 14:09
NATO
Romania has ‘very concrete expectations’ from the NATO summit, says president
Iohannis who is representing Romania at the event in Madrid, which brings
together heads of state and government from allied countries. Iohannis has
pointed out the significant consolidation of the eastern flank, increasing the
number of troops deployed to the region, declaring the Black Sea an area of
strategic interest, considering Russia a significant threat for the alliance
and the battle groups be raised to the rank of brigades. NATO is the guarantee
of our security and at this complicate time when Russia has attacked Ukraine
and we are its neighbours, we realize how important the NATO umbrella is for
our security, the security of any Romanian, Iohannis said. In Brussels, the
Romanian president is expected to reiterate Romania’s full support for NATO’s
open-door policies including for the accession of Finland and Sweden. Turkey,
which until Tuesday opposed the accession of the two countries, eventually
agreed to support their initiative. According to Radio Romania correspondent in
Madrid, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenski is to deliver an online speech
in the summit’s first session.
VISIT Romanian Prime
Minister Nicolae Ciuca has received in Bucharest the Secretary General of the
League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The meeting was a good opportunity to
highlight the constant position Romania has in its relations with the Arab
states and its consistent approach to the Middle East Peace Process, a
government communique explains. The two officials have tackled the impact of
Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine and the support offered by Romania and
partner countries to the refugees. The Romanian Prime Minister reviewed the
security situation in the region, given the fact that experts believe that
Russia will be waging a war of attrition in Ukraine. Ahmed Aboul Gheit has
underlined the efforts of the League of Arab States for finding a peaceful
solution to the crisis and thanked Romania for its efforts to supply the Arab
countries with grains.
COVID-19 The number of Covid-19 infections is again on the rise in Romania
with nearly 4 thousand infections registered last week at national level, 14
hundred more than the previous week. The number of patients in need of hospital
treatment has also increased, from 458 to 638, with 58 people in the ICUs. 13
fatalities have also been reported, ten of which were unvaccinated people.
ENERGY Romania can become energy independent and a provider of energy security
in the region as well as a transport corridor for gas and green energy in the
Caspian Sea, the country’s Energy Minister Virgil Popescu said. Together with
Prime Minister Ciuca, he participated on Tuesday in the ceremony occasioned by
the beginning of gas exploitation at Midia, in the Black Sea operated by the
Black Sea Oil&Gas. Roughly one billion cubic meters of gas are expected to
be extracted here annually.
AID The European Commission has approved a
60.7 million euro aid scheme to support Romania’s road transporters. The
measure is targeting all the companies with a valid community license, which
have been affected by the present crisis, caused by the Russian invasion of
Ukraine. The aid does not exceed 400 thousand euros per enterprise and will be
granted until December 2022.
(bill)
