February 24, 2024

A roundup of domestic and international news

Mihaela Ignătescu, 24.02.2024, 13:21

Support. The Government of Romania will keep intensifying the concrete and multidimensional support for Ukraine, reads a press release issued by the Romanian Executive. “Today, we mark two years since the beginning of the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, an unprovoked, illegitimate and illegal act, in contradiction with all the principles of the UN Charter and the norms of international law that are the basis of the order that the world we live in has been founded on for decades, the press release reads. Romania has been by the side of Ukraine since the first moments of this tragedy and made constant and substantial efforts to support the Ukrainian state, as well as the seriously affected population”, the Romanian Government’s release also states.  To symbolically mark the significance of this moment and the solidarity with Ukraine, the Government building will be illuminated, during the evening, in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Also today, the flag of Ukraine is flown at the main entrance of the Parliament Palace and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The sacrifice of the Ukrainian people will be marked by the Chamber of Deputies with a minute of silence for the Ukrainian citizens who have lost their lives in this unjustified war, on Monday, February 26, in the plenary session of the legislative forum. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has stated that “it is necessary for the Romanian authorities, together with international partners, to continue efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees and especially for the integration of those who are on the territory of the Romanian state”. Millions of Ukrainians have crossed the border into Romania. Some have stayed and others have gone to other countries. In Romania they have found warmth, empathy and support from the entire society.

Ukraine. Italy, which is holding the rotating presidency of the G7, is organizing, today, an online summit meant to reiterate the support for Ukraine. The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has paid a surprise visit to Kyiv, where she is presiding over the virtual meeting in the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky. The summit is the first of the heads of state and government of the G7 member countries (the United States, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada) under the Italian presidency. It was convened to mark two years since the start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, at a time when Kyiv recognizes that it is facing an extremely difficult situation, its troops lacking ammunition and American aid. The G7 decided, last year, to sign bilateral security agreements with Ukraine. After London, in January, Kyiv signed, last week,  agreements with Germany and France, and 25 other states, including Poland, have joined this initiative. Concretely, these security agreements can stipulate the provision of military equipment, interoperable with those of NATO, the training of Ukrainian forces and the strengthening of Ukraine’s defense industry. At the end of the meeting, a joint statement on Ukraine will be adopted. The participants are to decide on tightening sanctions. Two years into the war, the EU approved, on Friday, the 13th package of sanctions against Russia, which includes the most consistent set of measures in a single package.

Partnership. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, and her Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, adopted, in New Delhi, the Joint Declaration on the 10th anniversary of the Romania-India Extended Partnership, “a landmark” in the history of cooperation between the two countries. According to a press release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the meeting between the two officials took place on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue International Conference and provided the opportunity for a substantial exchange of views on regional and global issues of common interest, against the backdrop of security developments. The joint anniversary declaration aims to strengthen Romanian-Indian bilateral relations, as well as cooperation in a multilateral context. It also underlines the sectoral priority approach in three areas, namely energy, IT&C and manufacturing. Both ministers appreciated the progress made in the development of bilateral relations and confirmed the common commitment to the consolidation of collaboration in priority areas, with an emphasis on economic relations and sectoral cooperation. The two dignitaries also highlighted the importance of cooperation in addressing challenges and promoting regional and international stability.

Dragobete. On February 24, Romanians celebrate the Dragobete, the local equivalent of St. Valentine’s Day. A mythological deity similar to Eros (the god of love, in Greek mythology) or Cupid (the Roman god of love), Dragobete, also known as Dragomir, is imagined as a strong-willed, handsome and lovable lad who lives mostly in the woods. Dragobete, a holiday with a thousand-year tradition, also marks the beginning of spring and the agricultural year