March 16, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 16.03.2023, 20:00

FRANCOPHONIE – 30
years since joining the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF),
Romania is a champion of promoting La Francophonie and its values, Romania’s
president Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday in the opening statement of the
conference marking this special moment. President Iohannis said OIF’s plans can
only be achieved in a space of peace and stability. The promotion of peace,
democracy and human rights, as well as protecting the environment and managing
climate change have become top concerns for the whole world which can only be
efficiently tackled through international cooperation and concerted effort. Attending
the international conference in Bucharest was also Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, who said that education is key
to young French-speaking people who are interested in securing access to jobs
and living in a healthy environment. Attending the event in Bucharest was also
OIF Secretary General, Louise Mushikiwabo.

BYSTROYE – Ukraine has provided
neighboring Romania with a partial consent for starting measurements on the
Chilia branch of the Danube River starting Friday. The measurements are to be
conducted on the sector between kilometers 22 and 116 only during the day.
Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu said that during previous talks with
Ukrainian officials he asked that measurements on the Chilia branch of the
Danube should start at kilometer 11. It is the Romanian official’s opinion that, considering that European Commission
representatives have supported Romania’s requests, it is in the
interest of both countries that light be shed on Ukraine’s dredging operations
on the Chilia branch and the Bystroye canal. The Danube is a major transport
route for Ukraine, which in the wake of the Russian invasion has been trying to
export its grain and other foodstuffs using this river. Bucharest fears the
works might have a negative impact on the ecosystems of the Danube Delta, a
UNESCO World Heritage protected site. Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister said
that, after the dredging of the Bystroye Canal, its depth increased from 3.9 to
6.5 meters.

MOLDOVA – The Moldovan Parliament
on Thursday passed a draft law on replacing the phrasing Moldovan language
with Romanian language in every piece of legislation in the Republic of
Moldova, including the Constitution. The vote received a standing ovation in
the plenary sitting from Action and Solidarity MPs, while their Socialist and
Communist peers displayed slogans referring to the Moldovan language. The
Romanian Foreign Ministry has hailed the new law, which it says has a deep
symbolic meaning because it restores scientific truth regarding the official
language of the Republic of Moldova and reasserts the status of the Romanian
language as the official language of Moldova. Additionally, the law confirms
the communion of language, history and culture Romania and Moldova share. The
adoption of this law also reflects that maturity of Moldovan society and its
adherence to the community of values underlying the European Union. Today’s
decision further consolidates bilateral relations between Romania and the
Republic of Moldova, which are transparent in an open and robust cooperation
focusing on the democratic reformation of the Republic of Moldova and its
integration in the European Union, a Romanian Foreign Ministry release reads.

VISA WAIVER – The Democratic Majority
Whip Richard Durbin and US senator Jeanne Shaheen, chair of the Senate Foreign
Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, have
submitted a draft law recommending the inclusion of Romania in the Visa Waiver
program, the Romanian Embassy in Washington has announced. The initiative
follows a visit the two officials paid to Romania last month. The two officials
highlighted Romania’s major role at NATO and EU levels, also underscoring the
close relations with the United States. Romania’s Ambassador in Washington,
Andrei Muraru, described the draft law as the strongest legislative signal Romania
has received from the Americans. Visa Waiver is a program run by the Federal
Government allowing citizens from member countries to travel to the USA for
tourism, business or in transit up for periods up to 90 days without requiring
a visa. (VP)