MODERNIZATION Checkpoints at Romania’s
border with the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia will be modernized and
fitted with fixed and mobile scanners for a better monitoring of the goods
shipped into Romania, the country’s Public Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici
has announced. According to him, the measure is meant to keep smuggling at bay and
curb losses in the state budget. The minister has also added that a series of
government accords are to be signed to allow for the purchase of the proper
equipment by the end of the year and the authorities in Bucharest have already
held talks with the big producers of scanners from China, the USA and Switzerland.
TALKS The Romanian Minister for the
Romanians abroad, Natalia Intotero has held talks with members of the Romanian
communities in the Spanish region of Andalusia about opportunities to fund the
Romanian communities abroad through non-reimbursable funds as well as about
projects aimed at supplying these communities with the proper teaching
equipment, books in Romanian as well as traditional folk costumes, a communiqué
issued by the Ministry on Friday says. The Romanian minister has thanked the
Spanish authorities for the support granted to the Romanians in Andalusia and
has underlined the good cooperation concerning aspects related to the fields of
labour and social security. The Romanian official has also presented the
ministry’s projects aimed at providing support for the Romanian communities
with regard to the preservation of their identity as well as their involvement
in the life of the local communities. One of the priorities is focusing on
education and on the preservation of the national identity. Natalia-Elena
Intotero has hailed the courses of Romanian language, culture and civilization taught
in Spain, which are presently contributing to the education of 8000 children. ‘I
have requested support from the Spanish authorities for these courses to be
taught in schools attended by Romanian children in the province’, Minister
Intotero has also said.
TENNIS The second-seeded Romanian tennis player
Mihaela Buzarnescu will today be up against Petra Martic of Croatia in the
semifinals of the BRD Bucharest Open, a tennis tournament with more than 226
thousand dollars in prize money. Romania will also have a pair in the finals of
the women’s doubles: Mihaela Buzarnescu and Raluca Olaru are taking on Danka
Kovinic of Montenegro and Maryna Zanevska of Belgium. In the other semi-finals
game Irina Begu and Andreea Mitu of Romania will be up against Jaqueline
Cristian and Gabriela Ruse.
WEATHER The weather in Romania remains
generally unsettled. Rainfalls and thunderstorms have been reported in the
mountainous areas and in certain regions across the country. The discomfort
index is expected to reach the critical 80 units in southern and southeastern
Romania. The highs range between 25 and 34 degrees Celsius with a noon reading
in Bucharest of 28 degrees.