EARTHQUAKES
\n– The powerful earthquakes that shook Syria and Turkey on Monday have killed
\nmore than 6,300, according to the latest toll made public on Tuesday. Rescue
\nteams are making efforts to save as many lives as possible. There are also
\ndozens of thousands of people injured. According to estimates in Ankara, 13
\nmillion people have been affected in Turkey by the earthquake measuring 7.8 on
\nthe Richter scale, which was followed by lots of aftershocks. President Recep
\nTayyip Erdo\u011fan declared 10 affected provinces disaster areas, also calling a
\nstate of emergency in the entire region for three months. The president said 70
\ncountries have so far provided assistance for search and rescue operations. Romania
\njoined the international support effort for Turkey and sent to Andana 3
\nmilitary aircraft with 60 Romanian professional rescuers, doctors and nurses,
\nand specialized rescue equipment.<\/p>\n
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EUROPEAN
\nCOUNCIL – Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, on Tuesday attended a videoconference
\nwith the European Council president, Charles Michel, and a group of European
\nleaders ahead of the extraordinary European Council meeting scheduled on
\nThursday and Friday in Brussels. In today’s preliminary meeting, hosted by the
\nEuropean Council president, we primarily focused on assistance to Ukraine at
\nall levels, on consolidating the competitiveness of EU economy and on
\nimplementing clear-cut measures designed to combat illegal migration, the
\npresident wrote on social media. The European Council is set to convene in
\nBrussels in a special summit to address Russia’s military aggression in
\nUkraine, the latest economic developments at EU level and migration-related
\ntopics. <\/p>\n
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FOREIGN
\nAFFAIRS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Hungary’s
\nambassador in Romania to inform him that our country firmly condemns the
\nstatements made by the chairman of the Hungarian Parliament Foreign Affairs
\nCommittee with respect to Romania allegedly restricting the display of the flag
\nof the so-called Szekler Land. The Romanian MFA states that the Romanian
\nlegislation allows members of the 20 national minorities to display their
\nspecific insignia in both private and public. As regards the so-called Szekler
\nLand, there is no administrative unit bearing this name, which also means no
\none is justified to official use any specific insignia. Romania again calls for
\nrestraint in public statements and expects Hungarian officials to observe the
\nstrategic relationship between the two states. <\/p>\n
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SCHENGEN
\n– Romania and Bulgaria want to join the Schengen Area this year, the countries’
\ntwo Prime Ministers, Nicolae Ciuc\u0103
\nand Galab Donev have said. The two officials say it is important to
\nmaintain good cooperation and agreed that EU-wide solutions are needed to
\ncontinue the fight against illegal migration. In a videoconference, the two
\nPrime Ministers also argued in favor of taking clear steps with a view to
\nmaking the Danube a permanent navigable watercourse and with respect to
\nbuilding a new bridge in the Giurgiu-Ruse area. <\/p>\n
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PROTESTS
\n– The Sanitas Federation continued its protests on Tuesday against the Salary
\nLaw and the underfunding of medical care and welfare in Romania. The list of
\ndemands includes higher incomes for all the employees in the healthcare and
\nwelfare system by at least 15%, to cover inflation, negotiations between the
\nGovernment and stakeholders on the new bill regarding the remuneration of
\npersonnel paid from public funds, and the provision of a sufficient and correct
\nfunding system for medical and welfare institutions. A delegation of the Sanitas Federation was received
\nat the Government headquarters on Monday, the first day of the protest. The
\nFederation announced protests would continue on Wednesday as well. <\/p>\n
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BILL – In
\nBucharest, senators voted unanimously in favor of a legislative proposal to be
\nadded to the Criminal Code, under which drivers found drunk or under the
\ninfluence of prohibited substances while driving, as well as those who drive
\nwithout a license, will go directly to prison in the situation in which they
\ncause a road accident resulting in casualties. In Romania, 100 people die
\nannually in road accidents caused by drivers in such situations, said the
\ninitiator of the legislative proposal, PSD senator Robert Cazanciuc. Every
\nyear, approximately 20,000 people are prosecuted for driving without a license,
\nunder the influence of alcohol or drugs, and after the adoption of the
\nlegislative proposal, judges will no longer be able to suspend the execution of
\nprison sentences. The document will now go to the Chamber of Deputies, which is
\nthe decision-making body in this matter.<\/p>\n
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MOLDOVA
\n– The Republic of Moldova deserves to be part of the European family, European
\nParliament president Roberta Metsola told a press conference on Tuesday held
\njointly with Moldova’s Prime Minister, Natalia Gavrili\u021b\u0103 in Brussels, at the end of the
\nEU-Moldova Association Council meeting. We need to accelerate the integration
\nof your country on the single European market, president Metsola further said.
\nThe EU official promised the European Parliament will fulfill its obligations
\nregarding the disbursement of \u20ac145 million to Moldova in the form of
\nmacrofinancial assistance. We will find a way to be not just the beneficiaries
\nof European assistance, but in turn to contribute to the security of the EU’s
\nborders and help maintain peace and stability on the European continent, the
\nMoldovan Prime Minister said in turn. Attending the meeting, the Romanian State
\nSecretary for European Affairs, Daniela G\u00eetman, reiterated the firm commitment of Romania and the EU in
\nsupporting the Republic of Moldova, a country facing overlapping crises against
\nthe backdrop of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. (MI & VP)<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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