Romania – a safe country

The Romanian Intelligence Service has done its job well and Romania is a safe country, according to president Klaus Iohannis, who spoke at the presentation of the Services activity report.

Roxana Vasile, 30.03.2016, 15:10

In a world faced with many security threats,
Romania has not had to cope with any security problems, thanks to the Romanian
Intelligence Service, which has ensured the security of Romanians, president
Klaus Iohannis has said:

Romania is a safe country, having been spared security incidents and terrorism threats.

According to the 2015 activity
report of the Romanian Intelligence Service, over 340 people who posed
terrorist threats have been denied entry into the country or have been forced
out of the country. Another 9,000 people have been red-flagged and banned entry
into Romania. Over 3,800 notifications have been submitted to law-enforcement
authorities and nearly 10,000 documents to decision-makers, all regarding
potential security risks.

On the other hand, president
Iohannis highlighted the Romanian Intelligence Service’s key contribution to
the fight against corruption:

The Romanian Intelligence Service
has had an important contribution in fighting corruption, which remains a
delicate issue.

The Romanian Intelligence Service has
also contributed to efforts to combat tax evasion, organised crime and cyber
crime, dealing with some 550 cyber threats. Last but not least, the Service is
a respected and trusted partner of NATO’s intelligence network, contributing to
consolidating Romania’s role as a provider of security in the region. Here is
the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service, Eduard Hellvig:

We are doing well, because we have
prevented all potential terrorist attacks in Romania. We have constantly
supported the judiciary in its efforts to combat top-level corruption. We have
kept extremism and organised crime in check. We have built an adequate level of
cyber security.

And since there’s always room for
improvement, Eduard Hellvig said the Service will continue to improve its
activity:

We are not perfect. There is still
a lot to be done concerning the transparency of our activity, because there is
still work to be done in terms of resource management.

The Romanian Intelligence Service is
expected to remain consistent in its actions and results. Against the backdrop
of a growing terrorist threat in Europe, cooperation among intelligence
services across Europe is of paramount importance. Given the deterioration of
the security context in the Middle East and the shift in Balkan migration
routes, Romania must be ready to face a potential migration risk, also keeping
an eye on security challenges in the East, such as Russia’s aggression, the
instability in Ukraine and the lack of predictability of the Republic of
Moldova. On a domestic level, the Service has the crucial duty to safeguard the
rule of law and to fight corruption, while respecting citizen’s rights and
liberties. The legislation in the field of national security also needs
reforming, a process the authorities are unwilling to delay any further.