NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow on a two-day visit to Romania
NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow considers the Alliance needs to reinforce all of its capabilities in order to deter any threat. Following talks today at the Defense Ministry, the NATO official pleaded for a complex approach amid the increasing number of threats, both on the Eastern flank, in response to Russia’s actions as well as in the South, where the terrorist threats exist. Alexander Vershbow thanked Romania for supporting the Alliance with its military contribution in the Afghanistan mission. In his turn, Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc stated he discussed about a consolidated, rotational and quasi-permanent Allied presence in Romania with air, ground and naval forces. The minister added that Romania is up to date regarding preparations of forces meant to enable operationalisation of Control and Command centers in Bucharest, including preparations for reinforcing NATO’s NRF capabilities.
Ambassador Alexander Vershbow is in Bucharest for two days attending the reunion of NATO’s political directors, Radio Romania reported.
Fifth generation stealth fighters landed in Romania for the first time
Two F-22 Raptor aircraft (fifth generation stealth fighters) participating in the Operation Atlantic Resolve, belonging to the US Air Force, have landed today for the first time in Romania at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base. The operation has been set up by the United States after the 2014 Ukraine conflict in order to protect NATO states in the Eastern flank of the Alliance. Laurian Anastasof, Chief of the Air Staff in the Romanian Air Force has declared that the presence of the two state-of-the-art aircraft in Romania is a sign of United States’ solidarity with our country, placed in the vicinity of the Russian Federation. He explained that there have been four situations this year when Romanian pilots were compelled by NATO procedure to make emergency takeoffs when Russian aircraft lifting off from Crimea came closer than 100 kilometers to Romania’s air space, Radio Romania reported.
Cabinet to identify resources for highways connecting historical provinces before 2018 centenary of the Great Union
Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş has had a meeting today in Iaşi with MPs representing Moldova-region counties whom he informed that the Cabinet is trying to identify resources to update the feasability study for Târgu Mureş-Iaşi-Ungheni Highway. The PM indends to make a proposal to the Legislative on this matter.
Dacian Cioloş: On the eve of the 2018 centenary (anniversary of the Great Union Day in 1918), we should be able to engage in several large infrastructure projects meant to connect Romania’s historical regions: Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldova. We already have agreed upon Sibiu-Piteşti highway and started to work on the feasability studies that have partially been budgeted, but I would also like us to politically undertake the project for Târgu Mureş-Iaşi highway, even if we find ourselves in a less advanced stage than Sibiu-Piteşti highway.
PM Dacian Cioloş has estimated the total cost of the project at nearly 4 billion Euros, Radio Romania reported.
European Funds Minister resigns
European Funds Minister Aura Raducu has resigned today. According to a press release, she made the decision following a request from Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş. The Chief of the Executive has announced he accepted the resignation and he is going to make a nomination for this position over the next few days. Aura Raducu said she had accepted to be part of the Cabinet with the intention to introduce a new approach and a new type of management in the European Funds sector. The former minister also presented ten priorities of her mandate that are currently in an advanced stage of development, but she underlined that the PM expressed dissatisfaction regarding other short-term goals, therefore she accepted to resign, RADIO ROMANIA reported.
Oldest Romanian Railway sector to be modernised with European funds
The oldest railway sector in Romania, inaugurated 147 years ago, Bucharest-Giurgiu, is going to be modernised. The national railway company’s divison CFR Infrastructure has launched a tender for the feasability study. The railway was inaugurated in 1869, it is not electrified and has been affected in 2005 when floods destroyed a bridge over the Argeş river. The trains circulation has been diverted ever since. The modernisation project is part of Romania’s General Transport Master Plan and, according to some studies, the costs might exceed 200 million Euros. The project will be financed with European funds, Radio Romania reported.
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