May 21, 2014 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news.

România Internațional, 21.05.2014, 12:03

The EU on Wednesday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to observe his commitment to continue gas deliveries to Europe. The Russian group Gazprom has threatened Kiev to cut off gas deliveries unless Ukraine pays a due gas bill worth 1.7 billion dollars. Gazprom supplies one third of EU’s gas needs via Ukraine. Also on Wednesday, Russia and China signed an accord worth hundreds of billions of dollars on Russian gas supplies for the next 30 years. The accord will help Gazprom decrease its dependency on exports to Europe, according to Bloomberg and Reuters. Some 80% of the exports of Gazprom, controlled by the Russian state, are reaching the EU market.

Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta on Wednesday met with the head of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman who is on an official visit to Bucharest. Talks focused on the nearing European elections and on institutional changes at EU level. President Zeman reiterated his country’s full support for Romania’s accession to the Schengen area. The Czech President also held talks with Romanian President Traian Basescu.

Around 400 million people across the EUs 28 member states are eligible to vote in the elections that begin in Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday May 22 and that continue into the night on Sunday, May 25. The results of all the votes are kept secret, under the threat of a hefty EU fine, until the last Italian voters cast their ballots at 10 pm on Sunday night. The elections are to choose 751 Members of the European Parliament . In Romania, elections for the European Parliament will be held on Sunday, May 25. Romania will have 32 seats in the next European Parliament, the EUs only directly elected institution.

The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Romanian Dacian Ciolos, and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom on Thursday and Friday will pay a joint official visit to Chisinau. The two officials will meet with the president of the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae Timofti, with prime minister Iurie Leanca and with the head of Parliament, Igor Corman. The visit takes place ahead of Moldova’s signing, next week, of the Association and Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

Romanian hydrologists have issued an orange code alert for flooding for several areas in southern Romania. The warning will be in place until May 26th. The Danube’s water level is expected to rise in Romania, prompted by the record flooding in the Western Balkans.