March 15, 2014 UPDATE

For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.

România Internațional, 15.03.2014, 12:05

VISIT – EU Member States, including Romania, should do more to make the Republic of Moldova and Georgia feel wanted in Europe, Prime Minister Victor Ponta has announced in Tbilisi. In turn, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili thanked Romania for its support in its efforts to join the EU and NATO. As regards economic cooperation, the two officials decided that after a 12-year break, the joint inter-governmental committee should resume its plenary sessions. Prior to his visit to Georgia, Victor Ponta made a quick visit to Moldova, where he met with Prime Minister Iurie Leanca. We recall that at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius last year the Republic of Moldova and Georgia initialled Association and Free Trade Agreements with the European Union.

RESOLUTION – One of the fifth permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia on Saturday vetoed a US-backed resolution denouncing Sunday’s referendum in Crimea on the annexing of this breakaway region to Russia. China abstained, which has prompted political pundits to underscore Russia’s increasing isolation at global level. The resolution urges all “states, international organizations and special agencies not to recognize any change in the status of Crimea based on this referendum, which has no validity’ The United States and its European allies, including Romania, have labelled the referendum as an illegal move. The Ukrainian Parliament on Saturday adopted a resolution whereby dissolving the Parliament of the Republic of Crimea. In another development, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has announced that the political section of the Association Agreement with the European Union will be signed on March 21. The economic section of the agreement was what ousted president Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign in November last year. His refusal unleashed mass-protests that led to his removal from power.

DECISION – Romanian towns in central Romania with a majority Hungarian-speaking population on Saturday marked the Day of Hungarians Worldwide. Political leaders from Budapest took part in the series of manifestations. On Friday, Romanian authorities have decided to deny access on Romanian territory to certain Hungarian nationals, arguing they are allegedly carrying out extremist activities as part of various organizations, including the far-right Hungarian Jobbik Party. The measure was taken to prevent any incidents likely to disrupt public order and national security, the Romanian Interior Ministry has announced. On Monday, an unauthorized march in Targu Mures held by representatives of Jobbik and irredentist organizations of ethnic Hungarians spiralled into clashes with the riot police. In another move, the Directorate for Inspecting Organized Crime and Terrorism reports that prosecutors last year opened an investigation of several people believed to have commited crimes against Romania’s Constitutional order during a series of manifestations aimed at promoting the Jobbik party.

SPORTS – Georgia on Saturday won the 2014 edition of the European Cup of Nations after defeating in Tbilisi Romania’s national team, final score 22-9. Georgia ranked first in the second European group and will thus play in Group C at the 2015 World Cup alongside New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Africa 1. Romania ranked 2nd in the European Cup of Nations and will play in the World Cup in England in Group D, alongside France, Italy, Ireland and Canada. Also from sports, let us also note that Simona Halep has failed to qualify to the Indian Wells finals, totalling nearly 6 million dollars in prize money. Halep lost to WTA 3rd ranked Agnieszka Radawanska of Poland. As of Monday, Halep will be ranked 5th in WTA standings, the all-time best ranking for a Romanian tennis player.

SYRIA – The conflict in Syria is as of today entering its fourth year. On March 15, 2011 anti-government protests escalated in Syria. In the following months the authorities mounted a brutal repression against protesters, which has so far killed 150,000 people. The Syrian Civil war also caused one of the gravest humanitarian crises in the history of the United Nations. Millions of civilians were forced to flee the string of violence sweeping their country.

MISSING PLANE – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has today called of searches of the 777 Boeing Airplane in the South China Sea. The plane went off grid a week ago. Preliminary information showed the plane deviated from its planned route while over the western Malaysian peninsula. The movements of the Flight MH370 are the result of deliberate action, the Prime Minister said, without confirmation a possible highjack. The Malaysian official said the plane’s coms were disabled, although satellite contact remained active for another six hours after the plane disappeared from civilian radars. At the moment the plane was at the halfpoint of its route to Beijing, with a flight time of one hour and a half. It was carrying 239 people on board.