SNOW MEETING – Romania’s Foreign
\nMinister Lumini\u021ba Odobescu will attend the two-day informal Snow Meeting hosted
\nby Trakai, Lithuania, focusing on external policy and security topics. Held on Thursday
\nand Friday, the event will bring together EU and NATO Foreign Ministers as well
\nas high-ranking officials and academia from Europe and the USA. The meeting
\nwill address security hot topics such as the strategic consequences of the war
\nin Ukraine, the future security framework in Europe, celebrating 20 years since
\nthe NATO enlargement of 2004, the July NATO Summit in Washington and prospects
\nof cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
MEMORANDUM – Romanian Defense
\nMinister Angel T\u00eelv\u0103r and his counterparts from Bulgaria and Turkey are
\nexpected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a joint task
\nforce charged with demining operations in the Black Sea – MCM Black Sea, the
\nDefense Ministry reports. MCM Black Sea is an initiative of the three Black Sea
\nriparian allies designed to facilitate safe navigation by means of combating
\nthe threat posed by sea mines. The operational structure of MCM Black Sea,
\nwhich will change command on a six-month rotation basis and will consist of two
\nplanned activations for every rotation, will ensure the maximum level of vigilance
\nand training and contribute to strengthening the Allied posture of deterrence
\nand defense of the Eastern flank. NATO’s littoral partners, as well as NATO’s
\nStanding Naval Groups and non-littoral Allies, will be able to participate in
\nMCM Black Sea activities to develop cooperation in support of Black Sea
\nsecurity and improve interoperability.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
FLAG CEREMONY – The head of the
\nChief of Naval Forces Staff, vice-admiral Mihai Panait, on Wednesday attended
\nthe Romanian flag-raising ceremony hosted by Oeiras, Portugal. The ceremony was
\nhosted by the NATO Striking and Support Forces Command (STRIKFORNATO). In a
\nyear marking two decades since Romania joined NATO, Romania became the 15th
\nmember of the most powerful NATO naval force. The NATO Striking and Support Forces
\nCommand focuses on high-precision strikes, carrier battle groups, expedition
\nunits and strike groups made up of cruisers, destroyers and frigates.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
INFECTIONS – The number of
\nrespiratory infections is on the rise in Romania. Over 2,500 new cases of
\nCOVID-19 and some 26 related deaths were reported in the first week, the
\nNational Public Health Institute has announced. 40% of these cases were
\nreported in Bucharest and in Cluj, Bihor, Bra\u0219ov and Constan\u021ba counties. At the
\nsame time the number of flu cases has also gone up, with wards treating
\ninfectious diseases operating at full capacity. At least nine people died to
\nthe flu virus since the start of the flu season. The head of the Association of
\nFamily Physicians from Bucharest and Ilfov County, Dr. Sandra Alexiu, says
\npeople should contact their family physician as soon as cold or flu symptoms
\nappear and avoid self-medication. A good personal hygiene and hand-washing are
\nalso recommended, while traveling to crowded areas should be avoided. Doctors
\nalso recommend vaccination to combat the virus.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
DISCOVEREU – Some 2,000
\n18-year-olds from Romania will be awarded a one-year free travel pass, in
\naddition to other benefits such as accommodation and participation in various
\nevents, allowing them to explore the diversity of Europe as part of the
\ninitiative DiscoverEU – Discover the European Union. This year, of the
\n150,000 young people enrolled, 36,000 were selected following a quiz in
\nOctober. The 18-year-olds will travel by train over March 2024 – May 2025, to
\nfind out more about the history and cultural heritage of Europe and to meet
\npeople across the European continent. Over 11,600 young Romanians have so far
\nbenefited from this initiative. (VP)<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\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":[35196,116370,125121,115045,39548,29779,115189],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-612087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsflash","tag-discovereu","tag-flag-ceremony","tag-luminita-odobescu-en","tag-mcm-black-sea","tag-respiratory-infections","tag-snow-meeting","tag-strikfornato"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n