September 1, 2014 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 01.09.2014, 12:06
The Foreign Minister of Romania, Titus Corlatean, was decorated on Monday, in Chisinau, by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae Timofti, with the Order of Honour for his contribution to getting Moldova closer to the European Union. In Chisinau, Corlatean called on the EU states to analyse, together with the European institutions, the impact of regional developments over the Republic of Moldova. I believe that this year, when legislative elections are staged in Moldova, is the year when Chisinau’s path towards the EU will be reconfirmed, so that the country can accede to the EU, Corlatean said. EU foreign ministers convened in Chişinău on Monday in a meeting of the European Action Group for Moldova.
NATO Secretary general Anders Fough Rasmussen said on Monday that the Alliance will be more present in the member states on its eastern flank. “At the Summit in Wales we will agree to a Readiness Action Plan to make NATO more agile than ever”, Rassmusen said on Monday. The Readiness Action Plan responds to Russia’s aggressive behaviour — but it equips the Alliance to respond to all security challenges, wherever they may arise. Also on Monday, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroşenko, accused Russia of having launched “direct and open aggression” which radically changed the balance on the battlefield against Kiev in its fight against the pro-Russian secessionists.
The Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta met on Monday in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. The 65 years of diplomatic and political relations between China and Romania entitle us to consider major economic projects, particularly in the fields of agriculture, energy and infrastructure, Minister Ponta said. On Monday, the two prime ministers signed several cooperation projects. Jointly with other members of his Cabinet, the PM took part in an economic meeting attended by representatives of the most important Chinese companies and banks conducting business in Romania or planning to do so. The Prime Minister of Romania is on an official visit to China until September the 3rd.
The Agriculture Ministry of Jordan banned cattle and sheep imports from Romania, after the World Animal Health Organisation reported recent cases of bluetongue disease in Romania. According to Bucharest, several hotbeds have been confirmed, in the east and the south of the country. Romania is the second largest meat exporter to Jordan, after Australia, with an annual 3 to 4 hundred thousand cattle and beef supplied to that country. Caused by a virus, the bluetongue disease is transmitted by insects from one animal to another, but is not contagious to humans.
