A roundup of domestic and international news
MEETING - Romania's president, Klaus Iohannis, is attending the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday as well as the Euro Summit in extended format in Brussels. The agenda of the European Council meeting will debut with a working lunch with the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, which will approach the developments in Ukraine, in particular food safety and the reconstruction process, climate change and progress in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. Discussion panels will focus on the situation in Ukraine, with a focus on maintaining support at all levels, including military assistance in the context of the recent decision to provide ammunition. Talks will also address measures to ensure the EU's competitiveness long term and to consolidate the Single Market, 30 years after its creation. The Euro Summit will also discuss the economic situation across the EU and coordination economic policies with a view to shoring up the resilience of European economies.
VISIT - The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is paying a two-day official visit to the UK, at the invitation of his British counterpart James Cleverly. The two officials will sign an updated Joint Declaration of the Romania-UK Strategic Partnership and will open the first edition of the Romania-UK Bilateral Forum. The Joint Declaration updates priorities in the field of bilateral cooperation. Aurescu will also meet with representatives of the Romanian community in Britain.
DEFENSE - The Romanian Defense Ministry has asked for Parliament's approval to purchase weapon systems such as anti-aircraft defense systems, air-to-air missiles and combat vehicles, under an equipping programme aimed at strengthening the Romanian army by 2040. Their role is to create flexible and modern forces, provide military means to ensure survival on the battlefield and increase mobility, the Defense Ministry said in a communiqué.
MEASURES - The Bucharest Government intervenes in the crisis on the car insurance policy market after the insolvency of Euroins Company and is preparing a Decree that will cap tariffs at their level in March, for a period of six months. The Romanian Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) will have to come up with a plan, within these six months, to streamline the mandatory car insurance policy market. The possible bankruptcy of Euroins could result in 140,000 insurance claims worth almost a quarter billion euros.
DOGS - Dogs with special training will be used in inspections in Romanian prisons. K9 units will help search and detect drugs and cell phones among inmates. Unlike electronic scanning systems, the dogs' sense of smell can easily detect cell phone SIM cards. Last year, 650 inmates were caught using cell phones while 47 tested positive for drugs. Over 23,000 people are locked in Romanian penitentiaries.
MOLDOVA - Moldova's president Maia Sandu has ratified the law replacing the phrasing "Moldovan language" with "Romanian language" in every piece of Moldovan legislation. Sandu wrote on Facebook that the law confirms an undeniable historical truth, namely that Romania is the official language of Moldova and one of the official languages of the EU. (EE &VP)
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