The Romanian authorities decided, on Tuesday, April 19, to re-open the Romanian Embassy in Kyiv, the announcement being made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu on Twitter. Local media relayed the information widely.

The Presidential Administration informs that President Klaus Iohannis participated on Tuesday, April 19, at the invitation of the US President Joe Biden, in a new round of consultations with allied leaders, in the context of continuing the illegal military aggression of Russia against Ukraine. This new round of transatlantic consultations took place in the context of “dramatic humanitarian developments” in Ukraine and Russia’s military preparations for the resumption of the offensive. Main points made:

  • In his intervention, President Klaus Iohannis welcomed the continued consultations in this format and the crucial importance of maintaining close coordination and allied and transatlantic unity, as well as with partners who share the same vision, in the regional context with an impact on Euro-Atlantic and global security.
  • The President of Romania has strongly condemned the crimes committed by Russian troops against civilians and the continuing bombing by the Russian army of civilian targets.
  • President Iohannis mentioned the complex steps taken by Romania in support of Ukraine, in political, logistical and humanitarian terms. He underlined the efforts facilitating the flow of over 770,000 Ukrainian citizens at the border points and the accommodation of refugees on the territory of Romania, in addition to the consistent efforts in support of Ukraine.
  • The President of Romania also highlighted the widespread impact of the current crisis on the security situation on the Eastern Flank of the Alliance, especially in the Black Sea region, and stressed the importance of swift implementation of the decisions of the March 24 Extraordinary NATO Summit regarding the Battlegroup in Romania, as a first step in the direction of balancing and consolidating the long-term NATO presence on the Eastern Flank.
  • President Klaus Iohannis reiterated that the current serious security situation once again demonstrates the need to strengthen, in a coherent and unified manner, NATO’s deterrence and defence position in the region and referred to decisions on long-term transformation and adaptation of the Alliance to be adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid in June.
  • President Iohannis also stressed the need to support the efforts of the Republic of Moldova, politically and economically, for the management of Ukrainian refugees, but also in case of a possible new energy crisis.
  • President Klaus Iohannis called for decisive and coordinated action to eliminate energy dependence on Russia, stressing that sanctions have proved to be an effective tool. The President of Romania also pointed out that our country has supported the consistent package of sanctions adopted at European level so far and will maintain coordination for new measures.

 

#Refugees

On April 19, 88,586 people entered Romania through the border points, including 7,348 Ukrainian citizens (up by 11,2% from the previous day). 4,371 Ukrainian citizens entered the country via the border with Ukraine (up by 17%), and 1,334 Ukrainian citizens entered via the border with the Republic of Moldova (up by 36%).

From the beginning of this crisis, until April 19, at 24.00, at a national level, 751.300 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania. (Border Police)

 

#DefenceAndSecurity

The #NATO Battlegroup requested by President Klaus Iohannis in Romania to consolidate the Eastern Flank in Europe will be located in the Cincu shooting range, in Brașov County, and will consist of 1,000 soldiers, including 500 French and 220 Portuguese, but also Turkish and British soldiers. These soldiers, says the Minister of Defence Vasile Dîncu, will arrive in our country next month. Polygon Five is the ideal place for a BattleGroup, because all the infrastructure issues needed for drills and shooting exercises are in the area. France is the framework nation that will organise this Battlegroup and will most likely have the largest participation, said Defence Minister Vasile Dîncu. (B1 TV)

 

EU/INTERNATIONAL

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) welcomes the approval by the Senate, as a decision-making chamber, of the draft law for the ratification of the Agreement on the implementation of the technical and financial assistance programme based on a non-reimbursable financial aid of 100 million euros granted by Romania to the Republic of Moldova.

According to the MFA, the agreement signed by the Prime Ministers of Romania, Nicolae Ciuca, and the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gavriliţa, on February 11, in Chisinau, during the joint meeting of those two governments, will be a main instrument through which Romania will grant, during the following seven years, support to the Republic of Moldova in its efforts for sustainable development and progress towards reforms and integration into the European Union.

 

#MSHT Prosecutors and police in Romania and the Republic of Moldova have dismantled a group of Moldovan citizens involved in migrant trafficking from Asia to Austria and Germany, fraudulently entering the European Union through Romania. In Romania, 16 transports were documented, with approximately 100 migrants being detected, whom the group allegedly intended to cross the state border illegally, receiving in exchange between 5,000 and 8,000 euros for each person. (HotNews)