PROTESTS – Due to Bulgarian farmers’ protests, the border with
Bulgaria will be closed for at least two hours. The National Association of
Bulgarian Grain Producers has made public a map with 80 road segments where
traffic will be blocked by heavy farming equipment at least two hours a day,
indefinitely. Farmers want the government to ease the administrative burden on
the farming sector, compensations for the negative impact of the Russian
aggression in Ukraine, as well as more protection for Bulgarian agriculture in
regulated trade with Ukraine. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has recommended all
citizens traveling to Bulgaria check for border traffic updates and strictly
abide by temporary regulations and the recommendations of border police.
HEALTH – Health trade unions have been promised a 15% salary
increase, which will add to the 5% increase applied to public sector employees
at the start of the year. After long negotiations with Prime Minister Marcel
Ciolacu, the leaders of the Sanitas Federation said salaries will increase in
two phases, in March and June, although it is unclear which categories of
personnel will benefit from the increase and when. Talks with the authorities
will continue, trade unions say. Representatives of the Sanitary Solidarity
Federation are disgruntled with the government’s latest counteroffer,
Federation leader Viorel Rotilă argues, adding that the increase will only
affect the base salaries, meaning health workers’ salaries, which also include
bonuses, are expected to increase by a little over 14%. Protest actions will
thus continue, Viorel Rotilă went on to say.
BILATERAL RELATIONS – Romania’s Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu
on Monday paid an official visit to Sofia, Bulgaria, where she had talks with
her Bulgarian counterpart Mariya Gabriel, president Rumen Radev and Prime
Minister Nikolai Denkov. Minister Odobescu hailed progress reported in the
development of infrastructure projects of mutual interest, such as FastDanube
or the construction or a new bridge over the Danube, both designed to
significantly consolidate regional interconnectivity. The Romanian official also
expressed Romania’s firm support for EU enlargement, both in the Western
Balkans, as well as the Eastern Partnership, where Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia
have made steps forward. During her meeting with president Rumen Radev, Luminița
Odobescu highlighted the importance of the Romania-Bulgaria Strategic
Partnership, signed in 2023.
VISIT – The new
Foreign Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Popșoi, has paid his first
official visit to Romania, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Marcel
Ciolacu and Senate Speaker Nicolae Ciucă. The agenda of his meeting with the
Romanian counterpart, Luminița Odobescu, will focus on regional challenges.
Mihai Popșoi was appointed Foreign Minister and deputy Prime Minister after his
predecessor, Nicu Popescu, stepped down in January, claiming he needed a break
after fulfilling the key objective of his mandate – Moldova’s EU rapprochement.
TENNIS – Romanian
tennis player Sorana Cîrstea has advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500
tournament in Abu Dhabi (UAE), offering over 920 thousand USD in total prizes.
This was the first win of the year for Cîrstea (26 WTA), who ousted Caroline
Garcia of France, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4. The Romanian player will next take on
third-seed Maria Sakkari of Greece (9 WTA). Cîrstea leads 2-1 head-to-head, the
Greek player having won the last match 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the second round at
Cincinnati.
AQUATICS – The Romanian
men’s polo team lost 15-8 to Hungary on Monday in its first match in Group D at
the World Aquatics Championships hosted by Doha, Qatar. Our team will next play
Kazakhstan on February 8 and Italy on February 9. The winners of each group
will advance to the quarterfinals, the teams in second and third place
respectively will play quarterfinals playoff matches, whereas last-placed teams
will compete in a tournament for positions 13-16. The top four teams will
qualify to the 2024 Paris Olympics. France, Hungary, Greece, Spain, Japan, the
USA, Australia and South Africa have already booked their tickets to this
year’s Olympic Games. (VP)