\n
\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
UN – The
\nextended Black Sea region must be protected against the fallout from Russia’s
\nwar in Ukraine, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis said on the sidelines of the
\nUN General Assembly. Romania will not abandon its most vulnerable partners, the
\npresident said, referring to the transit of Ukrainian grain on Romanian
\nterritory, a topic he also tackled jointly with the president of Ukraine,
\nVolodymyr Zelenskyy, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen,
\nand the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister, Mariya Gabriel. On Thursday, the head of state gave a speech on the sidelines
\nof the World Leaders Forum on Romania’s perspectives on the war in Ukraine and
\nits impact on Black Sea Security, in an event hosted by University of Columbia
\nin New York. Russia expected a weak international community before attacking
\nUkraine, but its assumption was wrong, president Iohannis said, adding that
\nNATO has made historic decisions to strengthen defense and deterrence on the
\nEastern Flank and the Black Sea. The president also pointed out that the Black
\nSea has been irrevocably confirmed as a region of strategic importance for
\nEuro-Atlantic security, and now everyone understands that what happens in the Black
\nSea doesn’t stay in the Black Sea. <\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
LAW PACKAGE – The Cabinet had
\na first discussion on the set of measures aimed at the long-term rebalancing of
\nthe state budget and at facilitating the absorption of tens of billions in EU
\nfunding. Apart from cutting down public spending, the bill focuses on fighting
\ntax evasion, introduces taxes on large profits and wealth, and eliminates tax
\nprivileges. Ahead of the Cabinet meeting, the measures were discussed in the
\nthree-party Social Dialogue Council, which brings together government officials
\nand representatives of employer associations and trade unions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
OPINION – The Economic and Social
\nCommittee (CES) has issued a negative opinion with respect to a draft emergency
\ndecree of the Romanian government stipulating the introduction of new taxes,
\nincreasing existing ones and eliminating certain tax breaks. CES
\nrepresentatives claim the decree produces unpredictability in the field of
\nfiscal legislation, adding that the budget deficit should be solved through an
\nefficient management of public revenues. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
ACCIDENT – A criminal investigation
\nwas initiated with respect to the blast that occurred on Wednesday night on a
\ngas pipeline on the Moldova Motorway construction site in eastern Romania, in
\nwhich four people died and 5 others were injured. Two men with burn wounds
\naffecting 30% and 40% of their bodies, respectively, were transferred to
\nhospitals in Bucharest. Prosecutors are investigating manslaughter and bodily
\nharm offences, as well as failure to take or observe work safety measures.
\nAccording to the Vrancea Emergency Inspectorate, the blast was caused by the
\nconstruction works conducted in the vicinity of the pipeline, which was also
\ncarrying natural gas to the neighboring Republic of Moldova.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
CORRUPTION – Two known
\nthoracic surgeons with the Marius Nasta Institute in Bucharest were detained
\nfor bribe taking, while another six physicians, mostly anesthesiologists, were
\nplaced under pre-trial arrest. According to investigators, several physicians
\nwith the Marius Nasta Institute have been repeatedly receiving money and others
\ngoods from patients in the last year. Investigators have seized mobile and
\nimmobile property from the said physicians and froze their bank accounts, after
\nnoticing significant differences between their legal revenues and actual
\nprofits in the last 5 years. The total value of assets frozen by prosecutors
\nstands at over 800 thousand EUR. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
GRAIN – Thursday saw the first
\nnaval transport of Ukrainian grain to arrive in Istanbul since Russian withdrew
\nwith the grain transit agreement in the Black Sea. Carrying 3,000 tons of grain
\nfor Israel, the ship left Chernomorsk on Tuesday and used a route off the
\nRomanian and Bulgaria Black Sea coasts, which Kyiv has labeled a safe corridor.
\nUkraine announced a second grain cargo will be headed to Egypt. (VP)<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A roundup of domestic and international news<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":105208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[30079,116223,40481,116222,116221,38157,116224],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-611865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsflash","tag-budget-deficit","tag-corrupt-physicians","tag-law-package","tag-motorway-accident","tag-social-and-economic-committee","tag-tax-evasion","tag-ukrainian-grain-transports"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n