January 4, 2023

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 04.01.2023, 19:52

EU funding. In 2022, Romania attracted 11.3 billion euros of European
funds, said prime minister Nicolae Ciucă on
Wednesday, adding that this is the highest absorption level reached by Romania.
At the start of a government meeting, he called for solidarity and compassion
at national level, dialogue with the social partners and collaboration among
institutions, as well as for political stability. We have coped with every
challenge. We have had good budgetary execution and have complied with the deficit
targets, he said. He also said the government achieved an economic growth
level no one had predicted at the beginning of the year, especially after the
start of the war in Ukraine and given the effects of the rise in energy and gas
prices and the high inflation. Ciucă
pointed out that investments in the economy must be maintained. The government
on Wednesday approved plans to modernise the Danube-Black Sea and the Poarta
Albă-Midia Năvodari canals to enhance the security of navigation.
The two canals in eastern Romania will be modernised using non-reimbursable
external funding as part of the 2021-2027 Operational Programme Transport and
with money from the state budget. The project is to be finalised in five years.

Talks. In a telephone conversation
with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, Romania’s president Klaus
Iohannis expressed deep concern over the continued attacks by the Russian army
against civilian targets and critical infrastructure in Ukraine, attacks which
he described as war crimes. Iohannis reiterated that Romania would continue to
act so as to help Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for as long as it is necessary.
He also discussed at length the recent ethnic minorities law passed by Ukraine
and which has caused concern and dissatisfaction among the Romanian authorities
and the representatives of the ethnic Romanian community in Ukraine. The two
presidents agreed that their respective foreign ministers would soon hold talks
in order to find a solution to the issues raised. Zelensky expressed full openness
towards finding solutions so that the ethnic Romanian community in Ukraine can enjoy
the same rights enjoyed by the Ukrainian community in Romania. He extended his
thanks for the multidimensional and significant support granted by Romania
ever since the beginning of the war.

Investment. The Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works and
Administration is financing this year 123 new investments, in 111 localities in
Romania, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, minister Cseke
Attila announced. The projects, with a total value of over 352 million lei,
were submitted on the Renovation Wave and Local Fund components of the Plan..
Romania benefits from an allocation of 29.18 billion Euros for the
implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and the Romanian
government has committed to fulfilling 151 targets and milestones.

Census. According to the 2022 census, Romania’s population decreased by over one
million people and currently stands at a little over 19 million. Almost all
counties have lost inhabitants, but the highest decreases in the number of
inhabitants were reported in Romania’s southern counties. According to official
data, approximately half of the population lives in urban areas and has an
average level of education. Also, the populations’ aging process
has intensified. The number of people aged 65 and over has grown by almost half
a million people, that is from 16.1% to 19.6% of the resident population. The country’s
active population accounts for a little over 8 million. (CM)