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 )
Romanian far-right, pro-Russian member of the European Parliament Diana Șoșoacă was present in Moscow on October 19, where she participated in the 20th anniversary of the Russia Today television station, an event attended by president Vladimir Putin. The MEP’s presence in Moscow was announced by the party she leads, SOS Romania, and presented as a […]
The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) has warned of a coordinated online disinformation campaign spreading false information about the recent explosion at the apartment building in Bucharest’s Rahova district, which killed three people and injured 15 others. In a statement released on Monday, October 20, SRI said that in recent days, numerous conspiracy...
The “Madrigal – Marin Constantin” National Chamber Choir will perform in Spain for the first time in 31 years as part of a special tour celebrating Romania’s National Day and the long-standing diplomatic ties between the two countries. Between November 24 and 30, under the direction of Anna Ungureanu, the choir will hold concerts in […]
Exim Banca Românească will organize, in the coming period, a series of meetings with representatives of the business communities in the main economic centres of the country, an initiative that is part of the Bank’s strategic endeavour to strengthen the partnership with the business environment and to gather relevant market perspectives, to underpin the development […]
Romanian Border Police have seized roughly 22 kilograms of cannabis at Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport (Otopeni) after discovering the drugs in the checked luggage of a 35-year-old Albanian citizen arriving from Athens, Greece. According to the official statement, officers from the Bucharest Airports...
The hacker inmate at Târgu Jiu Penitentiary who was able to modify sentences and detention conditions was assisted by a prison officer who provided the credentials used to log into the system, according to an investigation. The checks carried out by the Penitentiary Inspection Directorate indicated that the inmate’s unauthorized access to the IT systems […]
