July 12, 2014 UPDATE
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Valentin Țigău, 12.07.2014, 20:13
Presidents of Ukraine and Romania, Petro Poroshenko and Traian Basescu respectively have discussed ways of solving the tense situation in Eastern Ukraine, before the European Council summit due on July 16th 2014, the presidency office in Kiev has announced. According to the same sources, Poroshenko has thanked Basescu for Romania being the first country to ratify the association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. In turn, president Basescu has voiced full support and assistance for Ukraine in its fight to regain peace. At the same time the Romanian president said that Romania as well as the Romanian minorities living in Ukraine are backing the country’s territorial integrity as well as the efforts made by president Petro Poroshenko to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine. In another development, sources in Kiev have announced that 7 soldiers have been killed and over 30 wounded in the latest clashes with pro-Russian secessionists in the east of the country. Government troops, which in the past days have taken control over several towns and villages including the former pro-Russian stronghold of Slavyansk, are advancing towards Donetsk and Lugansk, two regional capitals where the rebels are expected to put up a fierce armed resistance.
Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean on Saturday participated in Croatia Forum, an international conference devoted to the European integration of the countries in the Western Balkans held in Dubrovnik. The event has been attended by high European officials, EU foreign ministers, officials from the countries included in the EU’s enlargement programme as well as invitees from China, Japan, the USA and New Zealand. Foreign Minister Corlatean also met Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State, with whom he tackled topical issues on the agenda of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, with emphasis on diversifying bilateral cooperation in the political-military field as well as in the field of regional security.
Romania’s best tennis player, third WTA seeded Simona Halep and Italian Roberta de Vinci will meet in the finals of the BRD Bucharest Open tournament with 250 thousand dollars in prize money. On Saturday Halep clinched a win against her compatriot Monica Niculescu 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 in the semis. BRD Bucharest Open is the first WTA tournament ever held in Romania.
The Israeli army on Saturday continued its air strikes against the Islamic movement Hamas without managing to stop the rocket attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip though. The international community, including the United States, is increasingly worried about the escalation of the Middle East crisis and has called for a ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army operations are unfolding according to the schedule and new stages are to follow. According to Palestinian sources, 120 people have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli operations.
The Romanian diplomacy has decided to activate a crisis cell to grant consular assistance to the Romanian citizens in the Gaza Strip, including in terms of their evacuation. A hot line has also been set up to offer support to the families of the Romanian citizens who are now in Gaza. The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest is recommending that trips to Israel and Palestinian territories be avoided by Romanian citizens.
