SEARCH The Dutch police are still looking for those who on Saturday morning blasted their way into the Drents Museum in Assen and left with four ancient artefacts belonging to Romania. In a communiqué, the Culture Minister in Bucharest, Natalia Intotero, has referred to the talks she had with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and the Dutch Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, about the theft. The minister says these aren’t simple artefacts, but essential parts of the history and identity of the Romanian people also representing a priceless cultural heritage, not only for Romania, but for the entire world and that there is a moral duty to protect and recover these symbols. Intotero has called on the Dutch authorities to attach the proper attention to the issue and take all the necessary moves to identify the thieves and bring the aforementioned treasure artefacts to Romania, where they actually belong.
ELECTION In its session today, the government in Bucharest has endorsed the calendar of the upcoming presidential election. Under the document, the first round of election is due on May 4 and the second on 18. Candidacies are to be submitted to the Central Election Office until March 15 and the election campaign is due to get underway on April 4 and close on May 3, at 7 hours, local time. Romanians living abroad will also have three days to cast their ballot just like last year when the first round was cancelled under a Constitutional Court ruling.
TALKS Romania’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, is today having talks with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. Rutte has recently cautioned that in 4-5 years, the allies will not be able to ensure their collective defence unless they manage to raise the defence expenses. The US president, Donald Trump, whose country covers the biggest part of NATO expenses, has recently called on the allies to raise their national defence budgets to 5% of the GDP. Minister Hurezeanu attended the EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday, which had high on the agenda, the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the relations with the USA.
TOURISM Bucharest has this week presented the fourth edition of the White Charter of Tourism, comprising the industry’s main characteristics, risks, vulnerabilities as well as the opportunities it has at national level. According to the survey more and more tourists are choosing Romanian travel destinations. The main investment domains in the aforementioned industry should remain entertainment and infrastructure and the promotion should be stepped up both at national and international levels. The field ministry believes that by 2035, Romania’s travel industry should have made 3 billion Euros in proceeds, including through the attraction of a larger number of foreign tourists and by doubling down on the existing demand.
TENNIS Romania’s tennis player Sorana Cirstea on Monday qualified for the round of sixteen of the WTA 500 tournament in Linz, Austria, a competition with roughly one million dollars in prize money. The Romanian has outperformed the Dutch challenger Arantxa Rus, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. Cirstea hasn’t won a game in the professional circuit since May last year. Another Romanian attending the Linz competition, Anca Todoni, has been defeated in the first round of the qualifying contest.
WEATHER And now a couple of things about the weather, which is extremely warm for this time of the year with highs ranging from 9 to 18 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 12 degrees.
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