Tag: Romania

Categories
-Top News EU News Europe

Bulgaria, Romania take first steps into Europe’s visa-free zone

EU flags are seen outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 6, 2023.(Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)

Despite the partial membership, the lifting of controls at the two countries’ air and sea borders is of significant symbolic value….reports Asian Lite News

Bulgaria and Romania joined Europe’s vast Schengen area of free movement on Sunday, opening up travel by air and sea without border checks after a 13-year wait.

A veto by Austria, however, means the new status will not apply to land routes, after Vienna expressed concerns over a potential influx of asylum seekers.

Despite the partial membership, the lifting of controls at the two countries’ air and sea borders is of significant symbolic value.

Admission to Schengen is an “important milestone” for Bulgaria and Romania, symbolizing a “question of dignity, of belonging to the European Union,” according to foreign policy analyst Stefan Popescu.

Ivan Petrov, a 35-year-old Bulgarian marketing executive who lives in France, said he was enthusiastic about less stressful traveling and the time he would be able to save.

“This is a great success for both countries, and a historic moment for the Schengen area — the largest area of free movement in the world,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement Saturday.

“Together, we are building a stronger, more united Europe for all our citizens.”

With Bulgaria and Romania arriving joining Sunday, the Schengen zone will comprise 29 members — 25 of the 27 European Union member states as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Romania’s government said Schengen rules would apply to four sea ports and 17 airports, with the country’s Otopeni airport near the capital Bucharest serving as the biggest hub for Schengen flights.

More staff including border police and immigration officers will be deployed to airports to “support passengers and detect those who want to take advantage to leave Romania illegally,” it added.

Random checks will also be carried out to catch people with false documents and to combat human trafficking.

Bulgaria and Romania both hope to fully integrate into Schengen by the end of the year, but Austria has so far relented only on air and sea routes.

Croatia, which joined the EU after Romania and Bulgaria, beat them to becoming Schengen’s 27th member in January 2023.

Created in 1985, the Schengen area allows more than 400 million people to travel freely without internal border controls.

ALSO READ: Labour losing members over Gaza stance

Categories
-Top News EU News Europe

Romania Sets September Date for Presidential Election

The massive blast brought down the building and caused severe damage to neighbouring houses in the western part of the camp…reports Asian Lite News

 At least 17 Palestinians were killed and more than 34 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, local medical sources told the media.

The sources added on Wednesday that rescue efforts are still ongoing, and the casualties include women and children, Xinhua news agency reported.

The recovered victims were all transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city of Deir el-Balah, the sources said.

Eyewitnesses told Xinhua news agency that an Israeli warplane fired several missiles at the house sheltering several displaced families.

The massive blast brought down the building and caused severe damage to neighbouring houses in the western part of the camp.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll from Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,313, with 69,333 others wounded, as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a press statement on Wednesday.

ALSO READ-Romania and Bulgaria partly joining Schengen area

Categories
-Top News Europe

Romania and Bulgaria partly joining Schengen area

European Union flags fly outside the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium, on June 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov confirmed on Thursday that an agreement was reached after “complicated negotiations.”…reports Asian Lite News

Romania and Bulgaria have struck an agreement with Austria to partially join Europe’s borderless Schengen travel zone by March 2024, Bucharest and Sofia have confirmed.

The political agreement will allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen zone by air and sea only, with further negotiations to follow on land borders, the Romanian interior ministry said Wednesday.

Austria had been blocking both countries’ accession to Schengen over concerns it could lead to an influx in irregular migrant arrivals in Europe via the Turkish and Western Balkan routes.

There are 27 countries currently in the Schengen area, 23 of them European Union states, and over 423 million citizens. Romania and Bulgaria had been seeking access for more than a decade.

Welcoming the agreement on social media platform Facebook, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said: “After thirteen years, Romania will finally join Schengen – we have a political agreement.”

“As of next March, Romanians can benefit from the advantages of the Schengen area by air and sea,” he added. “I am also convinced that in 2024 we will close negotiations on land borders.”

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov confirmed on Thursday that an agreement was reached after “complicated negotiations.”

“After 12 years without much progress on Schengen, today we can congratulate ourselves on this indisputable success of Bulgaria,” Denkov said.

The European Commission had considered both countries to be ready for Schengen accession since 2011, but EU states had blocked an agreement over fears regarding the rule of law and an increase in migration.

Austria was the last member state to partially drop its veto. Up until early December, it continued to argue the Schengen area needed to become “better” before it could become bigger and claimed the EU lacked sufficient resources to effectively patrol the external border.

The Netherlands had previously voiced similar concerns.

Earlier this month, Austria showed signs of compromise with a proposal for partial entry via air only – known as “Air Schengen” – which helped break the deadlock. The move was part of intense negotiations mediated by the Spanish rotating presidency of the Council of the EU.

But difficult talks on both eastern European countries’ access to the Schengen passport-free zone by land will continue into the new year.

Austrian interior minister Gerhard Karner had requested increased presence for Frontex officers along the Bulgarian-Turkish and Romanian-Serbian borders and more EU funds to protect these borders from irregular migrant surges.

Bulgaria’s prime minister confirmed on Thursday that as part of the upcoming negotiations on joining Schengen by land, the European Commission would provide support to protect the EU’s external borders with Turkey and Serbia.

Both countries are considered popular routes into Europe for asylum seekers.

ALSO READ-Romanian Defence Minister confirms finding drone wreckage

Categories
-Top News Europe

Romanian Defence Minister confirms finding drone wreckage

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis also denied those claims on Tuesday, saying that the attacks were “verified 800 meters (yards) from our border, so very, very close…reports Asian Lite News

Romanian Defence Minister Angel Tilvar has confirmed that parts of what could be a drone were found in the country’s southeastern Tulcea County neighbouring Ukraine.

“Parts of equipment that could potentially be a drone” have been found in an area difficult to access because of abundant vegetation, he said on Wednesday after visiting the area.

“Our teams went there, took samples … and now these samples are being investigated, analysed … to find out the origin, capacity, type and so on,” he added.

“There is a reasonable possibility that it didn’t explode when it hit the ground, but simply fell or pieces of this equipment ended up on Romanian territory …,” Tilvar was quoted by the official Agerpres news agency as saying.

Earlier, Defence Ministry spokesperson Constantin Spinu said the possible drone parts were discovered on Tuesday night.

Tilvar’s comments come after Romania’s Ministry of National Defense “categorically denied” claims made on Monday by the spokesperson of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleg Nikolenko, who said that Shahed drones launched by Russia on Sunday night fell and exploded on Romanian territory.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis also denied those claims on Tuesday, saying that the attacks were “verified 800 meters (yards) from our border, so very, very close.”

On Wednesday, Iohannis responded to the minister’s comments by saying he had requested an “urgent investigation.”

“If it is confirmed that these elements come from a Russian drone, such a situation would be completely inadmissible and a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a NATO allied state,” he said at the Three Seas Initiative summit in Bucharest.

Romania briefed its NATO allies Wednesday about the find at a meeting of the 31-nation organization’s envoys in Brussels.

“The Romanian authorities have confirmed that debris, possibly from a drone, has been found on Romanian soil, close to the border with Ukraine,” NATO spokesperson Dylan White said in a statement.

“Allies expressed strong solidarity with Romania,” White said. “We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we remain in close contact with our ally Romania.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last year in February, there has been only one other recorded incident of the war spilling into a NATO member state. That was when a missile struck a farm in Poland, killing two people. Polish officials later said it appeared to be unintentional and was probably launched by air defenses in neighboring Ukraine.

“In a fairly short period of time there were a series of attacks that Russia made against Ukrainian port facilities and warehouses,” Tilvar said. “Which is why I think it is important to strengthen vigilance measures.”

ALSO READ-New attacks on Ukraine very close to NATO-member Romania’s border

Categories
Business Dubai UAE News

Newly launched Romanian Business Council enhances economic ties with Dubai

By promoting collaboration, sharing valuable insights, and embracing cutting-edge technologies, our aim is to strengthen businesses and promote sustainable growth…reports Asian Lite News

The establishment of the Romanian Business Council by Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers under Dubai Chambers, marks a significant milestone in enhancing economic ties between Dubai and Romania. This newly launched business council will actively advocate for the interests of Romanian businesses and UAE-registered companies owned by Romanians in Dubai. Additionally, it will play a crucial role in bolstering Dubai’s presence in Europe and attracting fresh investments from the region.

The launch of the Romanian Business Council comes as part of the chamber’s strategy to establish new country-specific business councils and expand their roles to promote cross-border business opportunities and boost bilateral trade.

Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, commented: “We are proud to support the establishment of the Romanian Business Council, which heralds a new era of enhanced cooperation between Dubai and Romania’s dynamic business communities. This collaborative effort supports our ongoing drive to ensure a supportive, enabling, and world-class business environment in Dubai. We look forward working together to boost bilateral trade and promote cross-border business opportunities.”

“We are excited to declare the formation of the Romanian Business Council,” said Genoveva Turcu, the President of the council. The primary objective of our organization is to assist both Romanian and UAE businesses in building a community that thrives on innovation, collaboration, and the exchange of knowledge. By promoting collaboration, sharing valuable insights, and embracing cutting-edge technologies, our aim is to strengthen businesses and promote sustainable growth.”

Covering markets of strategic importance to Dubai, business councils serve as valuable platforms for companies in the UAE and abroad to connect, collaborate, and build mutually beneficial partnerships, opening new channels for economic cooperation with business communities across the globe.  The number of Romanian companies registered with Dubai Chamber of Commerce was 381 by the end of 2022.

ALSO READ-Dubai Chamber aids 100 firms in global expansion

Categories
-Top News India News World News

India, Romania discuss closer defence and trade ties

Bilateral trade has increased by more than twofold to over USD 1.3 billion over the past three years….reports Asian Lite News

The 5th Round of India-Romania Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) held in Bucharest on Monday (June 12, 2023) saw a thorough review of bilateral ties with discussions centered around greater cooperation in key sectors like trade & investment, science & technology, defence, and renewable energy.

The Indian delegation, led by Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs Sanjay Verma, engaged in productive discussions with their Romanian counterparts, led by Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Diplomatic Strategies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Traian Laurentiu Hristea.

​During the FOCs, both sides reviewed their bilateral relations and discussed the way forward in crucial sectors such as Agriculture, Health, S&T, Defence, Space, Migration and Mobility, and Renewable energy, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The FOC comes at a time when India and Romania are commemorating 75 years of diplomatic ties. A significant feature of the relationship is that bilateral trade has increased by more than twofold to over USD 1.3 billion over the past three years.

Indian investments in Romania have increased significantly in recent years, totaling over USD 1.7 billion, with over 550 Indian enterprises setting up shop there. At the same time, 50 Romanian businesses have entered the Indian market. Discussions during the consultations were focussed on encouraging greater bilateral trade and investments, the MEA said.

Furthermore, both sides expressed their viewpoints on regional and global issues of relevance, underscoring their common worries and goals. Their discussions included subjects including Afghanistan, Ukraine, the European Union, UN reforms, a prospective free trade agreement between India and the EU, and India’s forthcoming G20 presidency.

Secretary (West) Verma also met with Biró Rozália-Ibolya, Chairwoman of the Committee for Foreign Affairs, House of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament. The meeting fostered closer parliamentary ties and emphasized the commitment of both nations to strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The two sides agreed that the next FOC would take place in early 2024 in India. (India News Network)

ALSO READ: Modi to lead International Yoga Day at UN

Categories
Arab News News UAE News

Romania-UAE Business Forum calls for establishing joint economic partnerships

High-ranking Romanian officials shed light on the country’s business opportunities in the fields of energy, technology, aeronautics, aerospace, defence, IT, agriculture, services, medical sciences and tourism…reports Asian Lite News

Top Romanian business leaders were speaking at the Romania-UAE Business Forum at Expo 2020 Dubai where a Romanian delegation comprising high-ranking officials and 50 of the most relevant Romanian companies from industry sectors took part along with their Emirati counterparts from public and private sectors.

Private sector representatives from the UAE and Romania called for harnessing available opportunities to create joint partnerships and investment ventures.

ALSO READ: UAE, Egypt ink deal bolster trade and economic ties

In his opening address to the event, Humaid Mohamed Ben Salem, Secretary General of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), said the UAE provides the Romanian investors with promising opportunities in trade, industry, services, infrastructure and other vital projects.

Given its strategic location in the crossroads of global trade, he added the UAE is one of the safest investment havens in the world and is welcoming more new investors and holidaymakers.

Romania Pavilion introduces some of the most relevant Romanian companies – from diverse industries to shed light on the country’s business opportunities, and cultivate valuable dialogue and connections with a wide range of business stakeholders visiting Expo 2020 Dubai.

Categories
-Top News Europe India News

PM Modi thanks Romanian counterpart for evacuation assistance

Modi also expressed his anguish at the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and reiterated India’s consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on phone on Friday with his Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ionel Ciuca and thanked for his country’s assistance in evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine over the past few days.

He particularly appreciated Romania’s gesture in allowing Indian citizens to enter Romania without visas, and for permitting special evacuation flights from India.

The Prime Minister also informed Ciuca about the deployment of Indian Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia as his special envoy to oversee the evacuation efforts of Indian citizens over the next few days in coordination with the local authorities.

He also expressed his anguish at the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and reiterated India’s consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue. He also stressed upon the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.

Pic credits ians

Don’t pay money on border

The Indian Embassy in Romania has urged the students to do not pay money to anyone for taking them from Romania’s border to Bucharest, the country’s capital.

In a tweet, the embassy said that it has been brought to their notice that some people are charging money to transfer Indian students from the Romanian border to Bucharest.

Urging the Indian students to refrain from paying money to anyone, the embassy said that all services provided by them are free, including transport to Bucharest.

“Pl. note that all services provided by the Embassy are free, including transport to Bucharest. Please do not pay money to anyone,” reads the tweet.

Meanwhile, Arindam Bagchi, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, in a media briefing said that over 8,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since the first advisory was issued by the government.

“Six evacuation flights have landed in India bringing back 1,396 students and Indian citizens. These are four flights from Bucharest and two from Budapest,” Bagchi said.

He also said that over the next 24 hours, three more flights are scheduled to land in India bringing back its citizens.

“Two among them will be from Bucharest — one to Delhi and one to Mumbai — and the third flight will come from Budapest,” he said.

Meanwhile, an Air India Express aircraft left India on Monday afternoon from Mumbai. It is scheduled to bring back 182 stranded nationals from Romania’s capital Bucharest.

PM briefs President

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him on various issues, including the situation in Ukraine.

According to the government sources, Modi updated him about the government’s efforts to evacuate Indian nationals from the war-torn country under the recently launched ‘Operation Ganga’.

He also updated him that over 1,600 Indian students have been evacuated from Ukraine till this morning as the seventh Air India Express flight landed in Mumbai with 182 Indians, mostly students, who departed from Budapest (Hungary) at midnight Monday.

Modi further updated him that he had directed the Ministry of External Affairs officials to make proper arrangements for the students who will be coming to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania till they depart for India.

Detailing the initiatives, the Prime Minister also apprised the President that four senior Cabinet Ministers are departing to the neighbouring countries Poland, Hungary Slovakia and Romania as his ‘Special Envoy’ to oversee the evacuation mission and with the visit of four senior ministers to various nations will energise the evacuation efforts, the sources said.

ALSO READ: Russia-Ukraine war intensifies despite talks

Categories
-Top News India News

Indian students evacuated from Ukraine thank officials

For the evacuation of the Indian students stranded in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova, special flights are being operated. Special flight under ‘Operation Ganga’ has already evacuated 1,156 Indians from Ukraine….reports Asian Lite News

Amid the ongoing Russian military operation in Ukraine, the Indian nationals are crossing the Ukrainian border to Romania where the Romanian Embassy is helping them with food, shelter, and blankets.

Meanwhile, the students expressed their happiness for the Romanian Embassy’s efforts.

Praneta, one of the Indian students stranded at the Ukrainian border for two days said, “We waited at the Ukrainian border for 2 days. Now we’ve entered the Romanian border & it’s very good here. We were provided food, shelter, and blankets. We’re happy and thankful to the Romanian department and Embassy who helped us through difficulties.”

For the evacuation of the Indian students stranded in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova, special flights are being operated. Special flight under ‘Operation Ganga’ has already evacuated 1,156 Indians from Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine has issued a second advisory for the Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine on Monday and advised them to reach the railway station as the weekend curfew in the city has been lifted.

“Weekend curfew lifted in Kyiv. All students are advised to make their way to the railway station for onward journey to the western parts,” said the advisory.

It added that Ukraine Railways is putting special trains for evacuations. It urged Indian nationals/students to remain calm, peaceful, and united.

“A large crowd can be expected at the railway stations, therefore, it is advised that all Indian students remain patient, composed, and especially not to exhibit aggressive behaviors while at the railway stations,” as per the advisory.

It also alerted students for the possible delay in trains’ schedule, even cancellation at times and long queues. It guided the Indian students to carry their passports, sufficient cash, ready-to-eat meals, easily accessible winter clothing, and only essential items, to ensure easy mobility. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Russia-Ukraine truce talks begin in Belarus