January 22, 2023 UPDATE

FAC - Romania's Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is attending the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting hosted by Brussels on Monday. According to a Foreign Ministry press release, talks will focus on Russia's aggression in Ukraine, with Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba expected to take part in videoconference format. The meeting's agenda also includes the developments in Sahel and coastal areas of Western Africa. European officials will also look at the latest developments in Iran, Montenegro, Afghanistan and Venezuela, as well as the launch of the EU mission to Armenia. With respect to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Minister Aurescu will reassert the need to continue the EU's multidimensional assistance to Ukraine, in particular with a view to getting through the cold season safely and providing military assistance to the Ukrainian army via the European Peace Facility.

CELEBRATION - The Union of the Romanian Principalities will be marked on January 24 by the Romanian Cultural Institute branches in Chișinău, Rome, Warsaw, Venice, Istanbul and Vienna. The Mihai Eminescu Institute in Chișinău is hosting a scientific conference marking 164 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities. The Cultural and Human Research Institute in Venice is organizing a conference addressing the general public, aimed at highlighting cordial Romanian-Italian relations during the reign of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1859-1866) and the two countries' symmetric efforts in achieving national unity. The Accademia di Romania in Rome will also mark the event by publishing a film on its Facebook page devoted to ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, produced by painter and photographer Carol Popp de Szathmari. The Cultural Institute in Warsaw will upload a documentary with Polish subtitles on its YouTube channel, titled "The 1859 Union of the Romanian Principalities", directed by Radu Găină. A similar documentary will also be publicized by the Cultural Institute in Istanbul. The Cultural Institute in Vienna will also host events devoted to the figure of the Romanian ruler.

MOLDOVA - The invasion of nearby Ukraine by the Russian Federation has prompted the Republic of Moldova to analyze the possibility of renouncing the country's neutrality, stipulated in the Constitution, and joining an alliance, the pro-Western Moldovan president, Maia Sandu, has told Politico. "There is now a serious debate about our capacity to defend ourselves, if we can fend for ourselves or whether we should be part of a larger alliance. And if our nation decides at one point it is time we changed our neutrality status, then this would be carried out via a democratic process", the president said, without naming any military alliance. President Sandu said the Republic of Moldova remains extremely "vulnerable" and is currently targeted by Russia's hybrid warfare attacks through propaganda and disinformation. For the time being, Moldova doesn't face any military threats, due to Ukraine's resistance, the president said. The Republic of Moldova is not a member of NATO, although it is a partner of the Alliance. Moldova is also contributing to NATO's peace-support operation in Kosovo (KFOR).

HANDBALL - The Romanian women's handball vice-champions, CSM Bucharest, on Sunday defeated SG BBM Bietigheim of Germany 27-25 in Champions League Group A. CSM is the leader of the group and has already secured qualification to the next phase. The match in Germany also marked a remarkable performance for CSM's top goal scorer, Cristina Neagu, who scored her 1,000th goal in EHF Champions League, thus joining an elite hall of fame alongside Jovanka Radicevic of Montenegro and Anita Gorbicz of Hungary. Neagu is also this season's top scorer with 90 goals.  Also on Sunday, in Group B, Rapid Bucharest defeated 28-22 Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK of Turkey at home. With two rounds left to play, Rapid is ranked 3rd in the group tables and still holds chances of qualifying to the quarterfinals playoffs. (VP)