USAID, with bipartisan Congressional support, is supporting new locally-driven initiatives in Central Europe with the goal of strengthening democratic institutions, civil society, and independent media, which are all pillars of resilient democratic societies. These programs will be implemented by a coalition of partners with deep knowledge of the region, experience in providing tailored support to local communities, and a commitment to internationally-recognized best practices to support democracy. Local ownership is the key to the USAID programming in Central Europe which was recently launched. USAID will work with local and diverse organizations, putting local stakeholders in charge of the process to identify needs, design and implement solutions, and monitor results. In Central Europe, USAID is proud to support local partners in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to: Increase the capacity of civil society to strengthen democratic principles and empower citizens to protect fundamental freedoms. Strengthen the competitiveness, financial independence, and sustainability of the independent media sector. Build the watchdog skills of civil society and media to enhance rule of law observance, combat corruption, and increase access to justice. Increase civic engagement through collective action of citizens to strengthen democratic systems. The Biden-Harris Administration has made clear that bolstering democracy in the United States and around the world is essential to meeting the unprecedented challenges of our time. USAID activities in Central Europe are rooted in our shared democratic commitments to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, and adherence to the rule of law enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and Charter of Paris for a New Europe, to which the U.S., Central European, and other countries committed as participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. (Source: Public Diplomacy – Press Office, U.S. Embassy-Bucharest )
A caravan of 150 cyclists, 90 cars and 25 motorbikes covered 830 km at the Tour of Romania, the most important local cycling competition, organized between 10 and 14 September by the Romanian Cycling Federation, together with the National Agency for Sports and Auchan Romania, the main co-organizing partner. In addition to the elite sports […]
certSIGN, a Romania-based company and leading developer and integrator of cybersecurity and cryptographic solutions, has been awarded, following a competitive international tender process, a framework contract to support the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) in providing cybersecurity services to Romania. certSIGN will lead a consortium including Bit Sentinel and CybrOps to deliver cybersecurity preparedness […]
Pets are now officially welcome inside Cluj-Napoca City Hall, mayor Emil Boc announced on Monday, September 15, describing the move as part of efforts to make the city more modern and empathetic. “Today we are opening the doors of City Hall to our voiceless friends as well. Dear residents, from now on, pets are welcome […]
Romania is currently discussing with Ukraine the possibility of developing joint drone production projects, according to defense minister Ionuț Moșteanu. Drones have been at the forefront of the war between Ukraine and Russia, used by both sides for reconnaissance, surveillance, but also deep strikes in enemy territory. The prevalence of drones on the battlefield and […]
The Băile Govora resort, in southern Romania, will have a new adventure park, with a zip line, alpine coaster, and even off-road bicycle tracks, according to a plan announced on Monday, September 15, by the Băile Govora City Hall. The goal of the investment is to develop leisure tourism in the resort famed for its […]
Romania’s prime minister Ilie Bolojan reportedly opposes the idea of further prolonging the price-capping mechanism introduced in August 2023 and repeatedly extended so far, according to Ziarul Financiar. Ambiguous statements over the weekend indicated an incipient conflict among the ruling coalition’s...
