March 6, 2026
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 06.03.2026, 13:55
Diplomatic support for Romanians in the UAE
In a telephone conversation on Friday, Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan spoke with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to request support in facilitating flight corridors for Romanian airlines. The move is intended to ensure that Romanian citizens currently in the UAE can return home safely.
According to a government statement, the discussion was held in the spirit of friendship and cooperation between the two states. During the call, the Prime Minister expressed full solidarity with the Emirati people regarding the current security developments in the Middle East, which have also impacted the UAE. In addition to offering a message of support, resilience and strength for these difficult times, Prime Minister Bolojan personally thanked the Sheikh and local authorities for the assistance provided to Romanian residents, workers and tourists in the UAE.
War in Iran
The United States has announced it will intensify its aerial offensive against Iran, asserting that missile and drone fire has significantly decreased following the bombing of Iranian military installations. “The American military has only just begun to fight”, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said after President Donald Trump warned that the “great wave” of airstrikes had not yet been launched.
Both Hegseth and Trump provided assurances that ammunition reserves are sufficient, despite warnings that the rapid use of America’s most advanced bombs and missiles risks depleting stocks. Meanwhile, Israel reports that 80% of Iran’s anti-aircraft systems and 60% of its launchers have been destroyed and that it is moving to the second phase of the offensive, focusing on well-protected bunker targets. Conversely, Iran has threatened to attack its adversaries anywhere in the world. Recent Iranian strikes targeted the Al-Udeid base in Qatar, the largest US base in the Middle East.
Gas prices capped until 2027
The Romanian government decided on Thursday that natural gas prices will remain capped for household users until April 2027. According to Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, the best time to liberalize prices in this market will be when supply is sufficient. He noted that next year, Romania will become the largest producer of natural gas in the European Union as extraction is set to begin in the Neptun Deep perimeter of the Black Sea. Furthermore, the Prime Minister said that amid the current developments in the Gulf, Romanians must be protected from fluctuations on the external market.
Remedial measures under government scrutiny
The Government is today examining projects from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) under the coordination of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. The meeting aims to publicly present the implementation status and necessary “remedial measures”. Minister of European Projects, Dragoș Pîslaru, said that following negotiations with Brussels, Romania has reduced the number of milestones and targets in the PNRR from 500 to approximately 200.
Additionally, reforms required to close the objectives tied to the third and fourth payment requests, from which Romania would benefit by €3 billion, have been completed. These include the reform of the Romsilva agency, decarbonization measures and the pension reform targeting magistrates. Regarding this final milestone, which Romania fulfilled with delay, the European Commission has not yet reached a decision. However, the Minister claims there are confirmations that Bucharest’s arguments will be analyzed constructively.
Dan-Nawrocki bilateral talks
The President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, and his Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki, emphasized yesterday in Warsaw that both states share a common vision within both NATO and the European Union. The two leaders highlighted bilateral cooperation in political and economic fields and concluded that their countries represent success stories within the European family.
Economic growth data
Romania’s economy grew by 0.7% in real terms last year compared to 2024. However, according to provisional data published Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the final quarter of 2025 was 1.9% lower than the previous quarter.
Contributing positively to GDP growth in 2025 compared to 2024 were the following sectors: construction (+0.5%), holding an 8.7% share of the GDP, with an activity volume increase of 7%; information and communications (+0.3%), holding a 7.1% share of the GDP, with an activity volume increase of 4.1%; and agriculture (+0.2%), holding a 3% share of the GDP, with an activity volume increase of 6.6%.
Negative contributions to the GDP change came from professional, scientific, and technical activities. Administrative and support service activities contributed -0.3%, holding an 8.1% share of the GDP as their activity volume fell by 4.0%. Wholesale and retail trade, motor vehicle repair, transport, storage, hotels, and restaurants contributed -0.1%, representing a 20.3% share of the GDP while their activity volume decreased by 0.3%.
Romania in the Billie Jean King Cup
Romania’s women’s tennis team will face France, Latvia and Norway in Group C of the Europe/Africa Zone (Group I) of the Billie Jean King Cup. The draw took place in London and was announced by the Romanian Tennis Federation on Facebook. The tournament will be hosted by Oeiras, Portugal, over April 7–11, with three teams set to earn promotion to the next phase. Romania, debuting under non-playing captain Alexandra Dulgheru, was relegated to Group I in November 2025 after finishing second in Play-off Group B with one win (3-0 against New Zealand) and one loss (0-3 against Poland). (VP)
