February 25, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

România Internațional, 25.02.2023, 19:15

Visit. President Klaus Iohannis received, in Bucharest, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic. Against this background, the Romanian president said that he supports the expansion of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, expressing his hope that, in the future, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova will join. According to the Presidential Administration, Iohannis appreciated the excellent cooperation with the European Commission in the field of civil protection and highlighted, in this regard, the establishment of the first stock of RescEU medicines in Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the humanitarian hub in Suceava (north-east) in support of Ukraine in 2022. The President stressed that the joint action of the EU member states through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism clearly reflected the solidarity and the ability of the Union to offer concrete help to European citizens and international partners . Iohannis also spoke for the urgent setting up at the EU level of a specific capability for the fight against the effects of climate change, which would increase the resilience of the Union in this field, taking into account the fact that several member states have faced disasters in recent years.

Russia. Romanian diplomacy condemns the groundless allegations contained in the press release of the Russian Foreign Ministry of February 24, 2023 regarding the pro-Russian secessionist region of Transnistria, in the east of the Republic of Moldova, as well as the threatening and provocative rhetoric used. According to a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest, the intentional propagation of information without correspondence in the reality on the ground represents an extremely dangerous approach, in the current security context, in which the Russian Federation is intensifying its war of aggression against Ukraine. This attempt to artificially create tension and destabilization in the region and in relation to the Republic of Moldova is unacceptable. The Romanian MFA calls for responsibility, for abandoning aggressive, escalating and provocative rhetoric, as well as for refraining from any statements and acts that may affect the stability of the region and the Republic of Moldova. Transnistria de facto came out of the control of the central authorities after an armed conflict that resulted in hundreds of deaths and was ended by the intervention of Moscows troops on the side of the secessionist rebels in 1992, not even a year after Chisinau proclaimed its independence. At the OSCE summit in Istanbul in 1999, the former Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, pledged to withdraw the troops from Transnistria. About 1,500 soldiers and important Russian arsenals are believed to still be there.

Ukraine. The EU promised to intensify the pressure on Moscow “until the liberation of Ukraine” and adopted, on Saturday, one day after the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a tenth package of sanctions against Russia. “We now have the most far-reaching sanctions ever, depleting Russias war arsenal and biting deep into its economy”, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The High Representative of the EU for foreign policy, Josep Borrell, warned that the bloc will continue to impose more sanctions against Moscow. The package also adds to the list of banned exports electronic components used in Russian weapons systems, including drones, missiles, helicopters, as well as specific rare earth elements, electronic integrated circuits and thermal cameras. The new sanctions also impose stricter export restrictions on 96 other entities accused of supporting Russias military-industrial sector, including, for the first time, seven Iranian entities that produce military drones used by Moscow. Additional restrictions are also imposed on imports of goods that generate significant revenue for Russia, such as asphalt and synthetic rubber.

Concert. Radio Romania Culture and the Radio Romania Orchestras and Choirs organized on Saturday the “Life in a Suitcase” concert, marking one year since the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The violinist Alexandru Tomescu, the cellist Răzvan Suma, the pianist Sînziana Mircea and the young flautist from Ukraine Mariia Velia, a student at the National University of Music in Bucharest, were the protagonists of the event. The concert was broadcast by Radio Romania Culture, Radio Romania Music and by the territorial and local stations of Radio Romania. Before the event, the public could watch, in the foyer of the Radio Hall, the exhibition “Life in a Suitcase”, dedicated to Ukrainian refugees and organized together with the Arts and Artists in Dialogue Foundation.

Fencing. Romanias mens team won silver, on Friday, at the European Fencing Championships for Cadets and Juniors in Tallinn, Estonia, after it was defeated by Italy 45-30 in the foil event. Romania has so far won five medals in this competition: one gold, three silver and one bronze. Romanias delegation is made up of 42 athletes, competing in all the Championships events. (MI)