December 8, 2023

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 08.12.2023, 13:49

INVESTIGATION – The former Romanian health minister, Vlad Voiculescu (USR), has been heard by anti-graft prosecutors today, and informed that he is being investigated for abuse of office, in the case regarding the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines, that damaged the state budget with over 1 billion euros. According to prosecutors, Voiculescu approved, together with the then prime minister Florin Cîţu (PNL), the purchase of a much bigger number of Covid vaccine doses than necessary. Voiculescu rejected the accusations and argued that all decisions related to vaccines were adopted by the National Committee for the Coordination of Vaccination, and that the decision makers in this respect were the head of state, Klaus Iohannis or the prime minister Cîțu. The former prime minister Florin Cîțu has also been heard by anti-corruption prosecutors earlier this week.

INTERFERENCE — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that Romania joins the UK in publicly exposing and condemning the Russian Federations repeated attempts to interfere in political and electoral processes in democratic states. The Romanian Ministry said, in a press release, that Bucharest supported the adoption of a European Union declaration on this topic. “Romania is concerned about the increased use, at global level, of cyber operations in an electoral context, amplified by interference in the information space, with the aim of undermining democratic processes and the trust in the authorities of states that share the same values and aspirations (…) We are concerned about the scale and complexity of these actions, which we consider unacceptable. Such activities are against the norms of responsible behaviour in the cyberspace, norms agreed on by all UN member states” the release also reads.

UKRAINE – A new drone attack by the Russian invasion army killed one man and damaged port infrastructure in the region of Odessa, southern Ukraine, the international media quoted local authorities as saying. The Russian forces attacked for “almost two hours” the Izmail district, very close to the border with Romania, according to the head of the regional administration, Oleg Kiper. The “port infrastructure” on the Danube was targeted and a warehouse, an industrial elevator and trucks were destroyed by fire. Vital for the export of Ukrainian grain, the river ports of Izmail and Reni are located in southern Bessarabia, a former Romanian territory annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, following an ultimatum, and then taken over by Ukraine in 1991, as a successor state.

SEARCHES – Prosecutors with Romania’s National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) have searched a number of locations, including the offices of the General Anti-Fraud Directorate in the capital Bucharest, in connection with corruption offenses committed by employees tasked with conducting financial checks at commercial companies, judicial sources have announced. According to prosecutors, while making checks at these companies, anti-fraud employees have allegedly modified the reports, so as the respective companies should be exempted from paying their financial obligations to the state.

GOVERNMENT – Romania’s Government approves, in today’s meeting, a memorandum on the increase in the transport capacity of natural gas and electricity to the neighbouring Republic of Moldova. Thus, the Iaşi-Ungheni-Chişinău gas pipeline could be expanded, with a view to increasing the transport capacity of natural gas. Also, finding natural gas storage spaces in Romania, in order to make emergency stocks for Moldova, is also included in the memorandum. In terms of energy, the document provides for the construction of a new interconnection line.

COPENHAGEN — The Romanian national womens handball team was defeated, Thursday evening, in the Danish city of Herning, by Germany, 24-22, in their first match in the main Group III of the World Championship. The Romanians, who onlyhave a slim chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals, will play their next match on Saturday, in Herning, against Japan and then will be up against Poland. Romania is the only team that participated in all 26 editions of the World Womens Handball Championship and has a world title (1962), two silver medals (1973, 2005) and one bronze medal (2015). In the previous edition, the Romanians ranked 13th. (EE)