A roundup of domestic and international news
GAS - Romania will have enough natural gas stored to cover domestic demand in the next cold season, Romania's Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă says. On Tuesday, the Romanian Prime Minister said a new record has been attained: Romania's gas storage capacity from domestic production reached 70%. Romania is ahead of the European schedule in terms of storing gas, having already exceeded the target set for August 1. According to the Romanian official, if the current pace is maintained, Romania will meet the objective set at European level, namely to store natural gas at least at 80% capacity ahead of the set deadline, November 1.
INFLATION - The year-on-year inflation rate reached 15.1% in June, as against 14.5% in May, the National Statistics Institute announced on Tuesday. According to the institution, non-foodstuff prices went up nearly 18%, food prices rose by roughly 15% and the price of services also increased by some 8%. The National Bank of Romania adjusted its inflation forecast to 12.5% for the end of this year and to 6.7% for the end of 2023.
REFUGEES - Over the past 24 hours around 226,800 people have crossed the border in and out of Romania, the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate announced. Of these, over 22,000 are Ukrainian nationals who came into Romania via various checkpoints. Since the start of Russia's invasion in Ukraine, more than 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens have crossed the border into Romania.
COVID-19 - Starting Tuesday, COVID-19 updates will be released on a daily basis in Romania rather than weekly, after a steep rise in the number of cases, accounting for a doubling of new infection numbers every 7 days. On Tuesday the authorities announced over 4,000 people tested positive in 24 hours, out of over 21,000 tests conducted. Nine COVID-related deaths were also reported, all of them in patients suffering from prior conditions. The number of hospitalized COVID patients is 1,361, with 90 patients in intensive care. According to experts, the new Omicron sub-variant that causes the current infection wave around the world, and which has also been identified in Romania, affects the protection provided both by the vaccine and by natural immunization, but it generally seems to cause milder forms of the disease. The health minister Alexandru Rafila announced that prevention measures remain in place, especially wearing face masks and physical distancing. COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended by the authorities, particularly to vulnerable categories.
MOLDOVA - Moldova's president, Maia Sandu, on Tuesday called on the chief of the European Public Prosecutor's office (EPPO), Laura Codruța Kovesi, to help Moldovan prosecutors investigate the frauds committed by wanted oligarchs. The two officials discussed issues such as the fight against corruption, eliminating abusive practices in the management of public funds and properties, as well as providing efficient tools to judicial institutions to help them combat graft. The Republic of Moldova is committed to joinining the EU, and a functioning judiciary and combating corruption remain key prerequisites in this process, president Sandu pointed out. The head of the EPPO is paying an official visit to Moldova until July 14.
PARTNERSHIP - "Romania has no better friend" than the US, the US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on the celebration of 25 years since the launch of the Strategic Partnership between Washington and Bucharest. In turn, former US ambassadors to Bucharest state in a letter that the strategic partnership with Romania has proved to be one of the best investments in Europe for the US. They also say that Romania plays a decisive part in the defense and strengthening of NATO's eastern flank and in consolidating stability and security at the Black Sea.
HUNGARY - Romania wants to build a real strategic partnership with Hungary, Romania's Foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, said on Tuesday at the end of his meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó. Hungary and Romania are also examining an increase in the transport capacity for the cross-border gas interconnector, up to 3 billion cubic meters per year. Minister Aurescu also insisted on the need to come up with alternative energy resources, with a focus on renewable energy and nuclear energy. In turn, Minister Szijjártó recalled the high level of two-way trade, which stood at 11 billion EUR last year, as well as the good neighborly relations between the two countries. (AMP & VP)
Useful Links
Copyright © . All rights reserved