March 16, 2022

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 16.03.2022, 13:59

ICJ The International Court of Justice in The
Hague (ICJ) is to decide today on a Ukrainian demand for an emergency order
that Russia halt hostilities immediately. According to dpa and AFP, this is
going to be the first verdict of an international tribunal since the war broke
out three weeks ago. Ukraine has accused Moscow of having violated the 1948
convention on genocide and has called on ICJ to ask for an immediate cessation
of hostilities. Moscow boycotted the hearing in The Hague. The ICJ’s rulings
are binding but it has no real means to enforce them. Yesterday the US Senate
unanimously passed a resolution condemning Russian president Vladimir Putin as
a war criminal, in a rare show of unity in the deeply divided Congress. The
resolution encourages the ICJ and also nations to target the Russian military
in any investigation of war crimes committed during Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine. US president Joe Biden is expected to announce an additional 800
million dollars in security assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday.

VISIT Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis is today paying a visit to the neighboring Republic of
Moldova for talks with his Moldovan counterpart, Maia Sandu. Iohannis is accompanied
by the country’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca. In February, Iohannis talked
over the phone with Sandu, reiterating Romania’s full support for the Republic
of Moldova and its citizens in this dramatic regional context. The two leaders
agreed that Romania and the Republic of Moldova coordinate their actions to
provide the necessary assistance to the Ukrainian refugees. On March 3rd, Maia
Sandu signed the Republic of Moldova’s request to join the European Union, a
move hailed by Iohannis, who pledged Romania’s support in this respect as well.

SUMMIT Romanian
Defence Minister Vasile Dincu is attending a special meeting of NATO defence
ministers underway in Brussels. The event is taking place under the coordination
of NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg against the background of the war in
Ukraine and is representing a major landmark in the process of adjusting the
alliance to the present security context before the Madrid summit over June
29th and 30th. The first part of this meeting has been devoted to the security
situation in Ukraine and the conflict’s implications for the alliance and its
partners and will have as invitees defence ministers from Sweden, Finland,
Georgia and Ukraine. The event also involves the participation of the EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borell. The second
part will be hosting debates over the process of adjusting the alliance’s long-term
collective posture so that it may be able to respond the new security realities
at its borders.

REFUGEES According to
the latest border police reports, over 15 thousand Ukrainian refugees entered
Romania on Tuesday. Since the beginning of the crisis until March 15th, a total
number of 440 thousand refugees entered Romania.

TENNIS Romanian
tennis player Simona Halep has defeated her compatriot Sorana Carstea in two
sets in the round of 16 of the WTA tournament in Indian Wells, the USA. Halep
will next be playing Petra Martici of Croatia for a place in the semifinals.
Martici comes after a win against Russian Liudmila Samsonova. We recall that
Halep secured a three-set win against Martic in the quarter finals of the same
competition in 2018.

(bill)