The joint standing bureaus of the Chamber and Senate took note on Tuesday of President Klaus Iohannis' letter informing Parliament that he approved the participation of Romania's Army in EU's maritime security operation EUNAVFOR ASPIDES and asking approval for the participation of Romania's Army in PROSPERITY GUARDIAN (OPG) coalition-type maritime operation.In the document, Iohannis brings to mind that amid the conflict in the Gaza Strip and the intensification of the actions of the Yemeni rebel group Al-Houthi against targets and interests related to Israel, including the commercial maritime traffic in the Red Sea, the security situation in the area of the Yemeni coasts and the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait has constantly deteriorated, with negative repercussions on the European and world economy.In this context, the president added, on 18 December 2023, the United States of America took action against the Al-Houthi rebels by launching the PROSPERITY GUARDIAN (OPG) coalition maritime operation and called on the international community to get involved in resolving the security situation in the Red Sea by participating with staff and naval capabilities and by intensifying information exchange.At the same time, on 29 January this year, the European Union took steps to launch an operation to ensure freedom of navigation in the context of this crisis, in close cooperation with PROSPERITY GUARDIAN. To this end, the Crisis Management Concept for a new maritime operation, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, has been approved with the objective of protecting maritime security on the main shipping routes in the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait, the Strait of Hormuz, international waters of the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf.Operation EUNAVFOR ASPIDES was launched on 19 February at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union.The president mentions that he approved, after consultation with the Supreme Council of National Defence, the participation of the Romanian Army in EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, in order to ensure freedom of navigation in the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait, the Strait of Hormuz, the international waters of the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf, starting in 2024, with up to five military."Also under the provisions of Article 7 para. (2) of Law no. 121/2011 on the participation of the armed forces in missions and operations outside the territory of the Romanian State, as amended and supplemented, I request the approval of the Romanian Parliament for the participation of the Romanian Army in the PROSPERITY GUARDIAN (OPG) coalition maritime operation, under US command, in the area of responsibility in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the territory of Bahrain, starting in 2024, with up to three military. The participation of personnel in this operation, within the command deployed on the territory of Bahrain, will be done after the legal status of the Romanian military on the territory of this state has been regulated. The financial funds necessary for the participation in the missions are provided from the budget allocated to the Ministry of National Defence in 2024," reads the president's letter, which was sent to the parliamentary defence committees.
Romanians are worse off now compared to 6 months ago, and 2026 will also be difficult, but from 2027 and then on, there is hope, said president Nicusor Dan during an interview with Romania TV. The government targets a deficit of 8.4% of GDP this year, marginally below 8.65% of GDP in 2024. To tackle […]
Imran Vilcassim, Chief Commercial Officer, Digital Platforms at BPC, explores how Romania’s booming digital payments outpace merchant readiness and why mobile POS is emerging as the practical solution. Romania’s digital payments volumes are rising fast, but merchant infrastructure isn’t keeping up. Independent market models estimate total digital payments will reach nearly
The attributes needed to reach the top of the business hierarchy, how to motivate and support the teams one works with, and how to tackle the unavoidable challenges that arise along the way were among the topics discussed at the event Inspiring Women in Business, organized by La French Tech Bucharest. Making it to a […]
More than half of the elderly people in urban areas in Romania face loneliness, and almost 310,000 of them experience it at a high level, according to a study conducted by the Association Never Alone, Friends of the Elderly, in partnership with Kantar Romania. The study, carried out in August 2025 on a representative sample […]
Square 7, part of retail park investor M Core, officially inaugurated its new Bucharest office last week, marking an important milestone for the company. More than 150 guests joined the event, including partners, collaborators, and team members. M Core is a family of property investment and management companies comprising LCP, Sheet Anchor, Proudreed, and Sheet […]
Real estate developer Hagag Europe Development has expanded its Romanian operations into the energy sector with the acquisition of BTD Distribuție și Furnizare, a local company specializing in natural gas infrastructure, distribution, and supply. The company has opened a new local division - Hagag Energy - and announced plans to invest more than EUR 400 […]
