September 19, 2017 UPDATE

The Romanian authorities want to implement an integrated public alert and warning system for major risk situations, similar to that in other European states

Florentin Căpitănescu, 19.09.2017, 19:49

ALERT AND WARNING SYSTEM – The Romanian government will grant funds from the state budget to cover the damage caused by Sundays violent storm that hit several counties in western Romania, the Romanian PM Mihai Tudose has announced. He added that the authorities wanted the implementation of an integrated public alert and warning system for major risk situations, similar to that in other European states. The prime minister has discussed the issue with experts in the field and with the representatives of mobile phone operators. We recall that 8 people died and almost 140 were injured on Sunday during the violent storm that wreaked havoc in 15 counties in the west, centre and north of Romania.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS – The Romanian Minister for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, said on Tuesday that Romania has a well balanced positioning in the relations with the EU and the US. He also said the country can play the role of active mediator between the two sides. Victor Negrescu made these statements at the meeting “The Transatlantic Relation. 20 years on- Romania-the U.S. Strategic Partnership, organised in Bucharest by the European Institute in Romania.

EU FUNDS- The EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, said in the western city of Cluj on Tuesday that the Romanian authorities should simplify procedures for accessing European funds and step up the pace of the process. Corina Cretu also said the national authorities should support city halls in the effort to access European funds and added that special emphasis should be laid on innovation. In turn, the minister delegate for European Funds, Rovana Plumb, said that Bucharest has managed to reduce some of the delays in accessing European funds. Minister Plumb has said huge steps forward have been taken in an effort to simplify procedures for accessing European funds. The statements have been made during a working meeting with local and regional public authorities.

MILITARY EXERCISE – Exercise Fire Shield 2017, a multinational, combined training exercise with Moldovan and Romanian troops is unfolding in a military base in the Republic of Moldova. According to a communiqué of the Moldovan Defense ministry, the exercise is meant to jointly train artillery small units and to boost the interoperability level between the two armies. As many as 300 officers and non-commissioned officers of the Moldovan army artillery small units and more than 20 Romanian soldiers are taking part in the exercise, that is unfolding from September 18 to 22. The exercise takes place in the context in which Moldovas pro-Russian president, Igor Dodon, has recently started a conflict with the government and the leadership of the Defence Ministry over the issue of sending Moldovan military to the “Rapid Trident drill in Ukraine, on account that the drill was also being attended by troops of NATO member countries.