The Parliament plenary was briefed on Tuesday, in a letter from President Klaus Iohannis, about the participation of the Romanian Army in the EU Security and Defence Initiative in the Gulf of Guinea, starting in 2024."Amid the deterioration of the Sahel security situation and the risk of instability spilling over in the West African region, concomitantly with the increase in the strategic relevance of the Gulf of Guinea, the Council of the European Union decided the establishment, in Brussels, starting from 01.01.2024, of a strategic military staff structure tasked with setting the necessary framework in place for the start of the mission and the coordination thereof with the authorities of the West African states. The strategic goal of this mission is the development of adequate capabilities of the security forces of the Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin, so as to allow them to effectively respond to the threats generated by the presence of terrorist groups in the region, based on a military-civilian structure with a reduced, flexible and modular footprint," the letter sent to Parliament states.The head of the state emphasizes that "the participation of the Romanian Army in this mission is aimed at strengthening the country's profile as a member state, ensuring security and increasing the EU's global role in support of the Gulf of Guinea states, in line with Romania's higher level of ambition regarding the African continent.""In this context, in accordance with the provisions of Art. 119 of the Romanian Constitution and Law No. 121/2011 regarding the participation of Romanian armed forces in foreign missions and operations, with subsequent additions and amendments, at the proposal of the prime minister of Romania, after consulting the Supreme Council for National Defence, I hereby notify the Romanian Parliament that I have approved the participation of the Romanian Army in the EU Security and Defence Initiative in the Gulf of Guinea, starting in 2024," the document signed by President Iohannis also states.The funds necessary for the participation of the Romanian Army in the said security and defence initiative are provided from the 2024 budget allocated to the National Defence Ministry.
On Thursday, January 23, the European Commission granted a protected geographical indication status to Romania’s Jidvei wine. The new status offers recognition for the distinctive qualities of the wine. The brand encompasses white, rosé, red, sparkling, semi-sparkling, and liqueur wines produced from grape varieties grown in the Alba region, in central-western Romania. The vineyards in […]
Romania's pavilion at the Osaka World Expo 2025, which will take place from April 13 to October 13, was built with a focus on sustainability, including contributions from Romanian workers. The pavilion also highlights Romania's national resources. The mascot for the expo is a pelican named Haru (meaning "spring" in Japanese), symbolizing the importance of […]
Examin, a Romanian startup specializing in AI-powered video analytics, has secured EUR 200,000 in pre-seed funding from a private investor. The funds will be directed toward a market-ready product, creating an AI-driven prototype for quality inspection in manufacturing processes (AI Quality Inspection), developing its first AI Video Analytics camera, expanding the team, and scaling marketing […]
The beginning of 2025 brought increased pollution in the Bucharest-Ilfov area, as traditional pollutants such as cars and heating systems met low wind speeds, high humidity, and thermal inversion. The latter three prevent pollutant particles from dispersing and instead keep them at ground level. As a result, the level of pollution has doubled in the […]
Update: DNA confirmed that Sinaia mayor Vlad Oprea had been detained for 24 hours beginning January 23 on charges of bribery in continuous form, conducting financial operations incompatible with his position, false in asset declarations, abuse of office, and influence peddling. The prosecutors also said that Oprea indirectly received a total bribe of EUR 238,000 […]
Prosecutors from Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) reportedly detained Vlad Oprea, the mayor of the popular mountain town of Sinaia, for 24 hours on Thursday, January 23. He faces corruption charges in a case investigated by the DNA, with further searches set to take place at the Sinaia City Hall later today, in the presence […]
