November 15, 2022

DEFENSE - Romania's Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, is attending the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, in the Defense Ministers format. The main point on the agenda is the process of developing defense capabilities. Defense Ministers will be briefed regarding the latest operational developments, including the EU's recent military assistance mission targeting Ukraine. Talks will also address the overall security context affected by the Russian war in Ukraine. Attending will also be NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, and Ukraine's Defense Minister, Oleksy Reznikov, the latter addressing the meeting via videoconference.

VISIT - Romania's Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is today paying an official visit to Budapest, responding to the invitation extended by his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó. According to the Romanian official, the Romanian-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce will be inaugurated next year. Hungary is one of Romania's top trade partners. In the first seven months of the year, two-way trade went up by 32% compared to the same period of last year. The two officials discussed energy security and increasing the volume of gas transiting Romania towards Hungary. The Romanian official recalled that on December 17, Bucharest will host the signing of the agreement for the creation of the green energy corridor linking Azerbaijan to Central Europe. Bogdan Aurescu's visit to Hungary marks a symbolic moment in bilateral relations between the two states, 20 years since the signing in Budapest of the Declaration for the Strategic Partnership between the Government of Romania and the Government of the Republic of Hungary for 21st-century Europe, a fundamental mechanism that shaped cooperation between the two countries in the modern era.

RECESSION - Romania's Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, on Tuesday said Romania is in no danger of facing an economic recession. On the contrary, according to current data, Romania might report an economic growth of 5% by the end of the year. Prime Minister Ciucă said the situation also depends on other economies Romania is cooperating with. "It is important the Government takes measures to protect vulnerable categories of people, as well as to ensure the competitiveness of Romanian products", Nicolae Ciucă said. According to a Eurostat report published on Tuesday, Romania reported the highest economic growth rate at EU level in the third quarter compared to the second one of 2022, 1.3%. Our country also had the largest economic growth rate in the third quarter compared to the same period of last year, 4.7%.

FORUM - Parliament is hosting the Salzburg Forum today and tomorrow, an event organized by the Interior Ministry. In the second half of 2022, Romania took over the presidency of the Forum, a regional mechanism for political consultation and multilateral cooperation. Specific panels will address hot topics such as managing the effects of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Set up in 2000, the Salzburg Forum brings together Interior Ministers from Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.

COMMEMORATION - Brașov in central Romania is today hosting events marking 35 years since the anti-communist uprising of industrial workers. Screenings, solemn civil and religious ceremonies will be held on this occasion. In a solemn session on Monday, Parliament also commemorated the events of November 15, 1987. MPs said the workers displayed courage and dignity, arguing that their uprising weakened the communist regime and prepared the revolution of 1989.

G20 - Russia's aggression in Ukraine dominates the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, although the issue was not formally included on the summit's agenda. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, earlier today called on G20 leaders to stand together as "co-creators of peace" in order to end Russia's destructive war. The Ukrainian president addressed G20 leaders by videolink. The host country's president, Joko Widodo, also called for putting an end to the war and argued against division in his opening address. "We should not divide the world into parts. We must not allow the world to fall into another Cold War", the Indonesian official said. In turn, European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, accused Moscow of using natural gas as a weapon, preferring to flare it rather than sell it, in response to Western sanctions. Representing the Russian Federation is Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who today held talks with the leaders of France and Germany regarding the conflict in Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of opposing any resolution. Minister Lavrov said Ukraine refuses to talk to Moscow and has advanced unrealistic peace terms.

GLOBAL POPULATION - The United Nations has estimated global population to reach 8 billion people today, just 11 years after passing the 7-billion milestone, the BBC reports. World population will reach 9 billion by 2037, the UN has warned. Eight countries, give of which are in Africa, will account for half of this growth. At global level, the number of newborns has dropped dramatically. The UN says fertility went down in Europe and in parts of Eastern Asia, although not in Western Africa.

HANDBALL - The Romanian women's handball team is today playing Montenegro in the second game scheduled in Group 2 at the EHF European Championship hosted by Slovenia, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Tomorrow, Romania will play Germany. Romania needs to win both matches to advance to the semi-finals. In the first main group fixture, Romania defeated Spain. (VP)