October 18, 2019 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 18.10.2019, 20:06

SUMMIT Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis attended the European
Council’s autumn summit on Thursday and Friday. According to a Romanian
presidency communiqué, during his speech, Iohannis has hailed the agreement,
which ensures Britain’s orderly withdrawal from the EU and reiterated the
crucial importance of maintaining the EU 27 unity for further negotiations. As
for the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027, Iohannis stood for an
ambitious budget underlining the need for balanced and realistic approach in
the negotiation process of the Union’s future multiannual budget. Iohannis has
underlined the importance of unity at the EU level for the implementation of
the future Strategic Agenda. In another move, the Romanian president has voiced
regret that in spite of the active support from most of the EU members, Romania
included, no consensus has been reached in the process of opening accession
negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia. Iohannis has underlined the
tight connection between the credibility of the enlargement process and the
EU’s ability of assuming the role of a strong global player.

TALKS Dan Barna, head of the Save
Romania Union said after the talks he had with representatives of the National
Liberal Party on Friday that there was an ‘explicit openness’ of the designated
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban to the measures supported by the USR. According to
Barna, that was a ‘first round of talks’ and a new round is going to be held
early next week. In turn, Orban said that Liberals cannot be asked things they
cannot offer, adding that from his point of view, there is an understanding.
The designated Prime Minister has so far held talks with Parliament parties
which backed the no-confidence vote that brought down the cabinet led by the
country’s former Prime Minister Viorica Dancila. On Friday, Orban received the USR
representatives after a first round of talks he had a day before with the
representatives of ALDE, UDMR and PRO Romania. MPs of the national minorities
have already announced their support for the future cabinet. Romania’s new
Prime Minister will have to present the structure of the future cabinet next
week and the name of the candidates proposed to head the ministries. Social
Democrats have announced their unwillingness to go to Parliament to ensure the
quorum for the new cabinet.

QUEEN The remains of Queen Mother Helen were brought to Romania on Saturday to
be reburied in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, on Saturday. The coffin is to
stay for a while at the Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest, and then carried to
Curtea de Arges. Queen Helen, born into the Greek royal family, married prince
Charles of Romania, the future King Carol II, but seven years later she
divorced him and focused on the education of her son, King Mihai I. In January
1948, Queen Helen left Romania for good, together with her son, who was forced
by the communists to abdicate. A communique issued by the Royal House of
Romania reads that, after seven decades, Queen Mother Helen returns to Romania
for eternity.

MISSION The Romanian frigate ‘King Ferdinand’, a Puma Navy helicopter and
a Navy Special Task Force are taking part in a new NATO mission in the
Mediterranean. According to a press release by the Romanian Navy, the main goal
of the ‘Sea Guardian 19’ operation is to deter illegal activities on NATO’s and
the EU’s eastern flank, through sea traffic monitoring activities. As a first, Romania’s
Navy with support from the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry for Romanians
Abroad, has invited members of the Romanian communities in Egypt, Israel and
Cyprus to visit the frigate during its stopovers in the ports of Alexandria,
Haifa and Limassol.

(translated by
bill)