#Bilateral

On Friday (08/04) a formal accreditation ceremony took place at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (MKAB) in Romania between #NATO and the Royal Air Force (RAF) signifying the assumption of NATO enhanced Air Policing (eAP) duties by the United Kingdom’s RAF. The ceremony was attended by the UK’s Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace and the UK’s Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston.

Also in attendance was the Romanian Minister of Defence, Vasile Dîncu, and Italian Undersecretary for Defence, Georgio Mulè, Lieutenant General Fernando de la Cruz Caravaca, Commander of the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Torrejón and the RAF Detachment Commander, Wing Commander Dutch Holland, Commanding Officer 140 EAW.

Officials spoke of the importance of the eAP mission in Romania as a method of deterring potential aggressors and reassuring NATO partners of the strength of the Alliance.

Local media – written, online and broadcast – covered the event extensively focusing on the presence of British troops in Romania in the current security context and the declarations made by the officials (Digi24, TVR, B1 TV, Prima TV, Realitatea Plus, RRA, Universul.net, Stiripesurse, Adevărul, Defense Romania, HotNews, Radio Romania Constanta, Telegraf Online, Mediafax, Agerpres, Economica, News.ro, Romania Libera, BZI, RFI).

Coverage included live broadcast from MKAB on the day by national news television Digi24 and public TV station TVR, plus features on audience-leader Pro TV prime-time news show, on the main news bulletin of the TV station TVR and on the Europa FM, wide coverage national radio station. Main headlines read: “Certification Ceremony for the RAF detachment at Mihail Kogalniceanu”, “British jets to defend Romania” or “British pilots to provide air policing support to Romania”.

International media coverage includes stories and interview pieces in main news publications, such as The Telegraph, Sky News, Channel 4, Forces News, Daily Mail and The Sun, with a focus on the Defence Secretary’s declarations on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

 

#Refugees

On April 10, through the border points, 85,530 people entered Romania, including 7,915 Ukrainian citizens (decreasing by 21% compared to the previous day). At the border with Ukraine, 4,878 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania (down by 16%), and at the border with the Republic of Moldova, 1,391 Ukrainian citizens entered (down by 43%).

From the beginning of this crisis, until April 10, at 24.00, at the national level, 677,004 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania. (Border Police)

On Sunday (11/04) evening, Minister of Interior Lucian Bode stated that he receives a daily report on the crimes involving citizens of Ukraine and stressed that no Ukrainian citizen or third party enters Romania without being verified. According to Bode, in the last 24 hours alone, 26 complaints have been filed regarding the involvement of Ukrainian citizens in various crimes. (News.ro)

 

#Meetings

Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu attended on Monday (11/04) a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg. The main items on the agenda will be the EU’s response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative adopted in December 2021. The ministers will also briefly address the Western Balkans, Libya and Mali. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), before the meeting there is also a working breakfast with the participation of the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan to discuss investigations into war crimes in Ukraine. (Agerpres)

The President of the Chamber of Deputies, the PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu, met on Monday (11/04) with the delegation led by Congressman Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader in the US House of Representatives. Mr. Ciolacu said it was “an important signal of support for Romania and that it once again demonstrates impeccable transatlantic unity in the face of Russian aggression.” He stressed “Romania’s intention to get involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war.” (News.ro)

European Commissioner, Adina Valean, in charge of transport, paid a visit to Bucharest on April 11-12, where she had a meeting with NGOs, volunteers and representatives of the National Railway Company CFR in the Bucharest North railway station [Gara de Nord], as well as meetings with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and Deputy Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu, the Representative Office of the European Commission in Romania informed on Monday. On April 12, Adina Valean participated in a trilateral video conference with the Ministers of Transport of Romania, Ukraine and Moldova. (Mediafax, Agerpres)

  • “The priority of my visit to Romania is to find solutions, together with the authorities in Bucharest and those in Moldova and Ukraine, for the transport by rail, road, river and sea of goods from Ukraine and Moldova. The agenda will also include the level of preparation of infrastructure projects in Romania for an optimal absorption of European funds,” said Valean, quoted in the press release of the Representative Office of the European Commission in Romania.

The president of the Chamber of Deputies and PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu met on Monday with the delegation led by Mr. Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the republican minority in the House of Representatives of the United States of America. Ciolacu declared that it is “an important signal of support for Romania, which once again demonstrates impeccable transatlantic unity in the face of Russian aggression” and stressed on “Romania’s intention to get involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war.” (News.ro)

 

#EU/International

Austrian company Syn Trac is starting the construction of a tractor assembly plant in Ghioroc, close to Romania’s border with Hungary, an investment of over EUR 400 million that will create about 600 jobs. The first tractor will be delivered in October 2023. The factory will operate within the industrial park of Ghioroc commune, along with other foreign investors. It will assemble about 400 tractors per year, which will be delivered mainly to Eastern Europe and the Middle East, said Patrick Monac, the manager of the consortium of companies that will operate in Ghioroc industrial park. (Agerpres)

Romanian press coverage of UK news stories

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s surprise visit to Ukraine on Saturday has received extensive, factual coverage in the domestic media. (News.ro, Adevărul, Realitatea Plus, B1 TV, Prima TV, Antena 3, Agerpres, Business Magazin, Mediafax, Monitorul Apărării, Ziarul Financiar, Profit.ro, Bursa, Europa FM, DC News)

Key local media outlets such as have factually relayed that following the meeting between PM Boris Johnson and President Zelenskyy, Downing Street said the UK would send 120 armoured vehicles and anti-ship missile systems to support Ukraine. (Adevărul, Monitorul Apărării, Realitatea Plus, Prima TV, B1 TV, Digi24, Pro TV, HotNews, Newsweek, Romania Libera, Agerpres, Bursa)