October 23, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of local and world news

Newsroom, 23.10.2024, 20:11

PODGORICA During his formal visit to Montenegro on Wednesday, at the invitation of his counterpart Jakov Milatovic, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romania’s staunch support for the EU enlargement process with the partners in the Western Balkans and the candidates from the eastern vicinity. The head of the Romanian state said that Montenegro had taken major steps in the negotiation process, its attachment to European values being also visible in its complete alignment with the EU’s common security and foreign policy. At the bilateral level, the two officials have reconfirmed the common readiness to contribute to boosting economic and sectorial cooperation, which may better reflect the potential of the political relations. The two sides have agreed to support a stronger presence of the Romanian companies in Montenegro, an increased number of contracts at the level of the business environment, particularly at the level of the small and medium size enterprises, supported by an effective and periodical dialogue between the authorities. The two officials have also underlined the interest in developing cooperation in various fields with a view to bringing tangible benefits for citizens, such as defence, internal affairs, tourism, energy and agriculture. President Milatovic thanked Romania for supporting Montenegro in its EU integration process and appreciated the visit, the first formal one, by a Romanian president since the country got its independence, which is a strong sign of friendship and partnership between the two countries.

BUDGET MEPs are proposing a budget of roughly 201 billion euros for 2025. According to the project voted on Wednesday by the European Parliament, the budget will be focusing on research, healthcare, education and climate. The formula proposed by Parliament, a higher budget, which benefits the countries with lower contributions to the European budget, like Romania, which benefits from the fund distribution through the programmes of the EU policies. According to MEP Victor Negrescu, one of the two negotiators of the Legislature, who will join the final negotiation between Parliament and the Council, it is the support offered by the European Parliament to the programme devoted to border protection as well as the coordination of the social security system, which would allow the European Diaspora, including the Romanian one to easily transfer their rights and social benefits, including pensions, from one state to another.

ELECTION On Wednesday, the US expressed its concern about Russia’s interference in the second round of the November 3 presidential election in the Republic of Moldova, a competition which is going to be very tight. The US is concerned that Russia will try, once again, to prevent the Moldovans from exercising their sovereign right to choose their own leaders, said the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in a statement quoted by AFP. Washington has already denounced that Russia did everything in its power to disrupt the first round of the presidential election and last Sunday’s referendum, with the aim of undermining democracy in the small ex-Soviet Republic with a majority Romanian-speaking population, especially through illegal financing, vote buying, disinformation and malicious cyber activities. We remind you that the Moldovans approved by a tiny margin, with a little over 50% of the votes, amending the Constitution with a view to their country’s EU accession. At the same time, the current president, the pro-European Maia Sandu, ranked first, with 42.45% of the votes, in the first round of the presidential election, but she is preparing for a difficult second round, in which she will fight with the representative of the Socialist Party, Alexandr Stoianoglo, who obtained 25.98%.

SALARY Romania’s Chamber of Deputies adopted, as a decision-making body, the draft law on the minimum wage. It transposes a European directive that aims to improve the working and living conditions of employees. The document stipulates that the minimum basic gross salary guaranteed to be paid should be established annually, through periodic updating, after consultations with the nationally-representative unions and employers’ associations and should take into account the cost of living and economic and social indicators.

(bill)