June 8, 2022 UPDATE

ECONOMY - Romania's GDP went up by 6.5% in the first three months of the year, as compared with the same period of 2021, and increased by 5.2% in real terms as against the first quarter of this year, the National Statistics Institute announced on Wednesday. Romania's economy is expected to go up by 2.9% this year, the World Bank has said recently in its Global Economic Outlook. The World Bank's report in January estimated a 4.3% advance of the Romanian economy, but the financial institution has revised its forecast downwards. In 2023, the World Bank is expecting a 3.7% advance of the country's GDP and a 3.9% increase in 2024.

GOVERNMENT - The Romanian Government approved in Wednesday's meeting the draft law on the ratification of the Common Aviation Area Agreement between the European Union and its Member States and Ukraine, an agreement signed in Kyiv in October 2021. "This agreement will integrate the transport market in Ukraine into the European single market, thus creating the premises for the development of the transport networks of Romania and Ukraine, with economic benefits for both parties", Dan Cărbunaru, the Government spokesman said. The purpose of the Agreement is to create a common airspace between the EU, member states and Ukraine, based mainly on similar norms in terms of safety, security, air traffic management, environment, consumer protection and social aspects. On the other hand, the Government decided to increase the number of employees of the National Sanitary, Veterinary and Food Safety Authority by 25 in the context of higher border crossing flows determined by the war in Ukraine.

APPOINTMENT - Moldova's Superior Council of Prosecutors has appointed Veronica Drăgălin as winner of the contest for the position of chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. Veronica Drăgălin is a prosecutor is the US, where her family had emigrated years before. She studied law at the University of Virginia and is Deputy Prosecutor in the section on public corruption and civil rights in the office of the American prosecutor in the Central District of California. Drăgălin was nominated for the Young Federal Attorney National Award and the Federal Prosecutor's Award for Women in Federal Justice. She speaks Romanian, English, Spanish, Russian, German and Italian.

DECISION - The European Parliament and representatives of the member states have reached an agreement that will require all new smart phones, tablets, cameras, portable speakers or hand-held gaming systems sold in the EU to use a common charger by 2024. By 2026, the law will apply to laptops. The move is aimed at cutting down on electronic waste.

DEFENSE - Romania's expertise could be useful in the process of turning Moldova's army into a modern, mobile and well equipped institution, Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatyi said Wednesday in Bucharest at a joint conference with his Romanian counterpart Vasile Dîncu. Nosatyi said Romania's support is appreciated in the context in which Chișinău "is faced with numerous problems with a negative impact on regional stability". Romania is firmly expressing its availability and interest in developing cooperation with Moldova's national army, the Romanian Defense Minister said in turn.

DISINFORMATION - The European Union needs to "debunk the disinformation of Russia", which blames the West for the current food crisis, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said. "Food has become part of the Kremlin's arsenal of terror. And we cannot tolerate this", the EU official told a European Parliament session in Strasbourg. In turn, European Council president, Charles Michel, said Russia is blocking Ukrainian ports, turning farmland into battlegrounds and generating world hunger. In turn, the Kremlin denied the accusation that the war in Ukraine is causing a global food crisis, despite the increase in prices generated by the suspension of Ukrainian exports. Ukraine announced it will not demine the port of Odessa to export grain as Russian forces might take advantage of the situation to attack the city.

FOOTBALL - Romania's national football squad was defeated 1-0 by Bosnia Herzegovina on Tuesday evening away from home in the 3rd group of League B of Nations League. This is the second consecutive defeat for the Romanians, after they lost 0-2 to Montenegro. Romania ranks last in the group, with zero points. Its last matches will be held on June 11 against Finland and on June 14 against Montenegro, both on home turf. (EE & VP)