Radio România Internațional

Tag: conference

September 28, 2023 UPDATE

Salaries – The gross minimum wage in Romania will be increased, as of October 1, from 3,000 lei (600 Euros) to 3,300 lei (660 Euros), according to the decision adopted on Thursday by the Romanian Government. The measure will benefit 1.8 million employees. By increasing the minimum wage, the authorities aim at stimulating employment, increasing the purchasing power of employees and reducing illegal work. It will also benefit other social categories whose incomes are calculated according to the value of the minimum wage, such as people with disabilities and those who earn money from independent activities and from intellectual property rights. (…) The Social-Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu pointed out that the increase in the minimum wage in agriculture, construction and the food industry will be postponed, because the latest calculations show that employees would lose money when they pay health insurance contributions.

Forum – The Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center (E-ARC) in Bucharest is hosting the second edition of the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Forum on Thursday and Friday, attended by Romanian and foreign experts as well as EU and NATO officials. According to organizers, this years theme is “Resilience at Sea and its Impact on Land”, seeking to answer security challenges impacting the maritime sector with significant consequences, which in most cases require concerted and global action. Each panel will be held simultaneously in Bucharest, New York, Brussels, Washington, Kyiv, Ljubljana and Lublin. E-ARC is a center of excellence in the field of resilience, a partner of NATO and the EU, which acts to the benefit of these organizations and member or partner states.

Conference – Senate Speaker Nicolae Ciucă is attending the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, representing the 46 members of the Council of Europe, an event hosted by Dublin, Ireland. Nicolae Ciucă said the meeting will address such topics as the fallout from Russias war in Ukraine, the role of national Parliaments in the reconstruction of Ukraine, challenges to democracy in times of instability and equality and diversity in public representation. According to the Romanian official, Russias unprovoked and unwarranted aggression against Ukraine has led to profound changes in European geopolitics, particularly in the fields of economy, energy and trade. “The Black Sea has become an area of increased interest to the worlds superpowers, and Romania finds itself in a strategic position of being the only member of both the EU and NATO that has land and maritime borders with Ukraine”, Nicolae Ciucă also pointed out.

Visit – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, on an unannounced visit to Kyiv, said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces were “gradually gaining ground” in their counteroffensive against Russian forces. He announced that NATO now had over-arching framework contracts in place with arms companies worth 2.4 billion euros ($2.53 billion) for ammunition. Stoltenberg said such contracts would allow NATO members to replenish their depleted stockpiles while also continuing to provide Ukraine with ammunition, a key factor in the war. On the other hand, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg also condemned Russian strikes near Ukraines border with NATO member Romania. He said there was no evidence such strikes were a deliberate attack on Romania but branded them “reckless” and “destabilizing”. In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted that NATO members should provide Ukraine with more anti-aircraft systems, given the fear of a new Russian bombing campaign on Ukrainian energy infrastructures as winter approaches. The Ukrainian army is continuing its counter-offensive launched in June in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk provinces in the south and east, through which it is trying to reach the Sea of Azov to isolate Moscows troops from Crimea by land, while the Russian army attacks to the north.

Brancusi — The exhibition “Brâncusi: Romanian sources and universal perspectives” was presented to the press, on Thursday, at the National Art Museum in Timisoara (west). It is the first exhibition of the artist in his native country, after more than 50 years, and it opens to the public on Saturday, as an integral part of the cultural program “Timişoara 2023 – European Capital of Culture”. Visitors can see sculptures such as Măiastra, Mademoiselle Pogany, Childs Head, The Kiss, Prayer or Milestone. The event will end on January 28, 2024. The last Romanian exhibition dedicated to the great sculptor was organized in 1970. (VP, LS)

28 September 2023
June 22, 2023

AID In today’s
Cabinet meeting, the government is to pass a resolution concerning emergency
aid granted to the citizens affected by extreme weather conditions this year. The
emergency aid totals EUR 1.4 million. Households in the centre, south-west and
south of the country have been hit by heavy rainfalls and other extreme weather
conditions this month, requiring the intervention of military firefighters.

VISIT Economic cooperation and handling the crises
caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine were the main topics on the agenda of the
talks held in Chişinău on Wednesday by the PM of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, and
of Moldova, Dorin Recean. The latter thanked Bucharest for the support given to
Moldova in its EU accession efforts, and mentioned that bilateral relations are
consolidated through the construction of roads, bridges and energy networks. During
his visit to Chișinău, Marcel Ciolacu was accompanied by the Senate speaker
Nicolae Ciucă.

NATURAL GAS The manager of OMV Petrom, Christina Verchere, Thursday
said that in 2027 the first amounts of natural gas would be extracted through
the Neptun Deep project, turning Romania into the largest natural gas producer
in the EU. The statements were made at the government’s headquarters in
Bucharest, where OMV Petrom and Romgaz made an announcement concerning the
development of Neptun Deep, the largest natural gas project in the Romanian
part of the Black Sea. Spanning 2 decades, the project is expected to generate
a gas output 30 times higher than the annual demand, which covers 4.3 million
households. The estimated revenues to the Romanian state will be around EUR 20
bln. Neptun Deep is a major step for our 2030 strategy, aimed at supporting
Romania’s and the region’s energy transition, the OMV Petrom executive added.

INVESTMENT The European Investment Bank Thursday announced new
funding for Romania. The total EUR 675 mln will go into transport, urban
development and small enterprises. EUR 600 mln will be earmarked for the
transport sector, to add to the EU recovery and resilience funding. The EIB
Group and Romania mark 30 years of partnership, with over EUR 17 bln granted by
the bank in more than 170 financing projects since the start of its operations
in the country. Given the progress of Romania’s economy over the past 30 years,
I am proud that the EIB Group was able to help, providing financing for better schools,
hospitals, public infrastructure, universities and transport, and supporting
climate action and small enterprises, said the EIB vice-president, Lilyana
Pavlova, in an event in Bucharest. In turn, Marjut Falkstedt, chief executive
of the European Investment Fund, emphasised that so far the EIF provided
financial support to more than 56,000 Romanian enterprises.

MAYOR The former
mayor of Bucharest’s districts 4 and 5, Cristian Popescu-Piedone, was released
from prison on Wednesday, after the supreme court admitted his appeal for
cancellation. The former mayor has served 1 year out of a 4-year prison
sentence for abuse of office in the Colectiv investigation. He is now entitled
to resume his office as mayor of district 5. The High Court of Cassation
however dismissed the appeals of the other individuals sentenced in the same
case. The head of the Colectiv Association, Eugen Iancu, said the release of
the ex-mayor was not surprising, given that the officials who authorised the
operation of the Colectiv night club had also been freed. Justice in Romania is
an overpaid embarrassment, Iancu said. On the night of 30 October 2015, 64 youth
died in a fire during a rock concert in the Colectiv night club. After legal
proceedings spanning several years, prison sentences were given to mayor
Piedone, the club owners, the firefighters who inspected the club without
taking the required fire safety measures and the pyrotechnicians in charge of
the fireworks during the show.

UKRAINE The US will provide USD 1.3 million worth of
additional aid for the Ukrainian economy, particularly its essential
infrastructure, the US State Secretary Antony Blinken announced at the
International Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. In turn, the European
Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, promised the bloc would create a
EUR 50 bln fund for Kyiv in the next 4 years. Scores of high-ranking
politicians and business people from around the world take part in the
conference. Romania is represented by its new foreign minister, Luminiţa
Odobescu.

FOOTBALL Romania lost 3-0 to Spain in Bucharest on Wednesday night, in the Under-21
European football championships that the country is hosting jointly with Georgia. Romania plays in B, alongside
Spain, Ukraine and Croatia. The final tournament takes place between 21 June
and 8 July and brings together 16 teams, divided into 4 groups. Two of them
play in Romania, in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, and the other 2 in Georgia. Romania
is also hosting 2 quarter-finals and a semi-final. The top 3 ranking teams in
the tournament qualify into the Olympic Games due in Paris next year. (AMP)

22 June 2023
Meeting for the reconstruction of Ukraine

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced, on Wednesday, at the Conference for the reconstruction of Ukraine, organized in London, the creation of a European fund worth 50 billion Euros in the coming years, necessary for the reconstruction of the country invaded by Moscow’s troops on February 24, 2022. The head of the European Commission says that the European Union has an additional responsibility towards Kyiv, since the authorities there claim that they are determined to lead their country towards admission into the Union.

The community program will be financed in three ways: European grants, loans and money obtained from the confiscation of Russian assets. The experts’ estimates regarding the costs of reconstruction already exceed 300 billion pounds and continue to grow, so, the international media write, the contribution of the private sector will also be necessary. And the US will provide additional aid, worth 1.3 billion dollars, for the Ukrainian economy, especially for its essential infrastructure, the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, announced, also in London.

The meeting is attended by dozens of political leaders and businesspeople from around the world, and for the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, it was another opportunity to advocate for his country’s rapprochement to the European Union and NATO. The reconstruction of Ukraine, Zelensky added, must be based on trust between partners and a geopolitical context that guarantees that such conflicts will not occur again.

Meanwhile, the number of Ukrainian citizens who found employment in neighboring Romania after the outbreak of the war reached a new record on Wednesday, said the Romanian Labor Minister, Marius Budai. According to him, at the national level, 6,810 employment contracts were concluded for the Ukrainian citizens, the highest level since February 24, 2022 until now. Most Ukrainians employed in Romania, 1,452, are working in the manufacturing industry, and 1,181 in constructions. Another 737 are employed in the commercial field. From the point of view of the areas in which they chose to work, most Ukrainians, 2,770, found work in Bucharest, and 418 in Timiş county (west). More than four and a half million Ukrainians fled through Romania from the menace of the Russian invasion troops. Most of them continued their way to Western European countries, but over 85 thousand chose to stay here.

The Ukrainians say that especially the language barrier – their Slavic language has very few similarities with Romance Romanian – prevents them from finding a job and enrolling their children in school, in order to benefit from the financial aid offered by the Romanian state. The new program adopted by the Romanian authorities to support the refugees obliges every member of the family to work, and the children to go to a Romanian school. (LS)

22 June 2023
June 19, 2023

Exams – In Romania, more than 160,000 8th graders today started the National Assessment with the written exam in Romanian language and literature. On Wednesday, the students will take the math test, and on Thursday, the students who belong to national minorities will be evaluated in their mother tongue. For the first time this year, the national assessment is the only one that counts for high school admission. We remind you that the registration period for the national assessment and the baccalaureate exam has been extended this year, due to the all-out strike in education. The protest lasted three weeks and was suspended after the government met the salary demands of the education system employees.

Moldova — Romania’s new foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu is paying on Monday and Tuesday a visit to the republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) upon the invitation of her counterpart, Nicu Popescu. This is the first visit that the new Romanian FM pays since taking over her mandate last week. The two ministers will discuss the development of bilateral relations and the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the EU. On Tuesday a joint meeting will be held in Moldova’s Parliament with the members of the committee for human rights from the Romanian Senate.

Conference – 20 European defense ministers and NATOs Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, are participating, today, in Paris, in the Conference on Joint Air Defense organized at the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting aims at relaunching the strategic issue regarding air defense and long-range missiles. At present, no EU country has weapons capable of firing a missile from its territory to hit a target more than 1,000 km away, while the Russians can hit all European capitals in just a few minutes. President Emmanuel Macron is calling on the partners in the EU to create the conditions to defend themselves and not leave the future of the borders to the whims of the Russians or the Americans, as he declared a few months ago, when he proposed todays conference in Paris. ‘The air defense of our continent is a strategic matter. We cannot limit ourselves to promoting a national defense industry at the expense of European sovereignty’, said Emmanuel Macron. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the remark is aimed directly at Germany. Determined to strengthen the country’s air defense, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz launched last year, within NATO, the European Sky Shield initiative, the American European shield, which 14 of the allies joined, among which Romania, but not France.

Visit – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet in Beijing with China’s most important foreign policy officials. The US officials first visit to China comes almost five months after a major breakdown in relations over an alleged Chinese spy balloon. His initial trip was abruptly canceled after the balloon, which Beijing says was monitoring the weather, flew over the US territory before being destroyed by US military planes. It is not yet known whether the American Secretary of State will also meet with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. The two global superpowers have a long list of topics on the agenda, including major disagreements as well as potential areas of cooperation.

Grand Prix Nova — Bucharest saw the start of the ‘Grand Prix Nova’ Radio Drama Festival, an event organized by Radio Romania under the High Patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania. In this years edition, 27 productions from 12 countries are participating. The festival promotes, this year as well, in its three sections, innovation in radio drama. In the 11 years since it has been organized by Radio Romania, this festival has become a cultural context in which the experiment is not only displayed but also awarded at the international level, said the president and director general of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan Ioan Dincă.

Statistics – Romanias gas imports in the first four months of the year decreased by 45.6%, according to data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics. On the other hand, domestic production increased by almost 7% as compared to the same period of last year. The National Committee for Strategy and Forecast estimated for 2023, in the latest forecast of the energy balance published, a gas production increasing by 2% and a decrease in imports by 6.2% from one year to the next.

Football – This evening, in Lucerne, the Romanian national football team meets the Swiss national team, in a Group I match of the EURO 2024 preliminaries. On Friday evening, the Romanian national team obtained an important point against Kosovo, away from home. Romania’s national eleven is ranked 2nd in the group, after Switzerland. (LS)

19 June 2023
June 8, 2023

Memorandum – The Romanian government adopts, today, a memorandum regarding the salary increases granted to the education staff through the new salary law. In this way the government claims it guarantees that this area will be a priority. The decision was made amid discussions with the education unions, in the context of the all-out strike in the education system launched on May 22. The Liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă has given assurances that the basic salary of the beginner teacher will be set at the level of the gross average salary in Romania, as demanded by the trade unionists. The memorandum also establishes the right of the education staff to a leave allowance calculated according to the basic salary as well as to increments. Meanwhile, the teachers continue their strike, dissatisfied with the offer made by the Government to resolve their claims.

Protests – Trade unionists from the “Sanitary Solidarity” Federation are organizing, today, a protest rally and march in Bucharest. They draw attention to the fact that orderlies, caregivers and stretcher bearers are the only category in the entire public system that does not benefit from the basic salaries provided for in the 2022 Salary Law. A protest is organized, in Bucharest, in front of the Representation of the European Commission, also by the policemen from penitentiaries and the military reservists. The Federation of Trade Unions from the National Administration of Penitentiaries believes that Brussels is interfering in the countrys domestic policy regarding the modification of the law on military pensions and that the representatives of the European Commission are allegedly blackmailing Romania’s Parliament to adopt the law on military pensions in the form they wanted, otherwise Romania will no longer receive European funds worth approximately 1.4 billion Euros.

Statistics — Romania reported an economic growth rate of 2.3% in the first quarter of this year, compared to the similar period of 2022, according to provisional data published today by the National Institute of Statistics. Thus, the estimated Gross Domestic Product was over 312 billion lei (about 62 billion Euros). Among others, wholesale and retail trade, motor vehicle and motorcycle repair, transport and storage, as well as constructions contributed to the increase in the GDP. The World Bank estimates that Romania’s Gross Domestic Product will register, this year, a growth of 2.6%. The IMF has revised significantly downward the estimates regarding the growth of the Romanian economy in 2023, from 3.1 to 2.4%.

Defense – The Commander of the U.S. European Command, General Christopher G. Cavoli, and the Romanian Chief of Defense Staff, General Daniel Petrescu, are the hosts of the Central European Chiefs of Defense Conference, on Thursday and Friday, in Bucharest. The chiefs of defense from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary are participating in the meeting. Nine military leaders of the US National Guard are also present, the Romanian Defense Ministry reports. The event includes topics on security challenges and aims to intensify military cooperation relations to ensure stability in the region.

UNITER – The UNITER (Theaters’ Union in Romania) Awards Gala will be organized on June 12, in Timisoara (west), the European Capital of Culture this year. The event has already opened to the public, so that spectators can participate in the plays nominated in the Best Show category, alongside stars of the Romanian theater. The gala will be organized as a show, inspired by the fashion of the 1930s. Among the nominated artists this year are actors Victor Rebengiuc, Claudiu Bleonţ and directors Silviu Purcărete, Declan Donnellan and Radu Afrim. (LS)

8 June 2023
13.04.2023

Conférence – La région de la mer Noire est essentielle pour la défense collective de l’OTAN, pour la sécurité européenne et pour la prospérité, a déclaré aujourd’hui à Bucarest, le ministre roumain des Affaires Etrangères, Bogdan Aurescu. La Capitale roumaine accueille aujourd’hui la première conférence sur la sécurité de la mer Noire sous l’égide de la plateforme internationale Crimée et d’une nouvelle réunion trilatérale Roumanie – République de Moldova – Ukraine. La conférence organisée en partenariat avec l’Ukraine réunit plus de 250 délégués de plus de 30 Etats et organisations internationales, aux côtés d’invités qui participent en format virtuel. Parmi eux, le ministre ukrainien des Affaires Etrangères, Dmitro Kuleba, qui a affirmé dans une intervention vidéo que la paix réelle signifie la récupération des frontières de l’Ukraine internationalement reconnues. Attendu à Bucarest, Dmitro Kuleba n’a pas pu y participer physiquement à cause des évolutions les plus récentes de la guerre dans son pays. Enfin, Bogdan Aurescu a plaidé pour un engagement stratégique de l’UE et de l’OTAN dans la région de la mer Noire. Il a également réitéré l’appui de la Roumanie à l’Ukraine.

Gouvernement – Tous les ministères roumains ont transmis au gouvernement des plans de réduction des dépenses budgétaires, a annoncé le porte parole de l’exécutif de Bucarest, Dan Carbunaru. Il a ajouté que durant la prochaine réunion du cabinet de Bucarest, les responsables gouvernementaux analyseront le paquet de coupes sollicité par le premier ministre et toutes les décisions nécessaires seraient adoptées. En début de semaine, le premier ministre Nicolae Ciucă a demandé aux ministres de lui présenter d’urgence des propositions de réduction de dépenses, étant donné que durant le premier trimestre de cette année, les recettes budgétaires ont été inférieures aux estimations. Le chef de l’exécutif a assuré pourtant que ces mesures n’impliqueraient pas de licenciements, ni réduction des salaires et des investissements.

OTAN – Le président du Comité militaire de l’OTAN, l’amiral Rob Bauer, poursuit jusqu’à vendredi sa visite en Roumanie pour des pourparlers consacrés à la situation sécuritaire dans la région de la mer Noire, aux missions alliés de dissuasion et de défense de l’espace euro-atlantique, mais aussi aux événements majeurs d’instruction de cette année. Le responsable otanien a également rencontré le ministre roumain des AE, Bogdan Aurescu sur les préparatifs en vue du sommet de Vilnius au mois de juillet et sur l’implémentation des décisions de la réunion alliée à Madrid, alors qu’au siège du ministère roumain de la défense, il a rencontré le ministre Angel Tîlvăr et le chef de l’état major, le général Daniel Petrescu. L’agenda de la visite du président du Comité militaire de l’OTAN prévoir aussi des visites auprès des commandements alliés déployés à Bucarest, dans le sud et à Sibiu, dans le centre, au groupement de l’OTAN déployé à Cincu, dans le centre et sur la base aérienne Mihail Kogălniceanu (sud-est).

Conférence – C’est aujourd’hui que s’achève à Timisoara, dans l’ouest de la Roumanie la conférence internationale Smart Diaspora 2023 – événement qui constitue un espace du dialogue et de la collaboration entre chercheurs roumains de tous les coins du monde. Le programme de la conférence a prévu 38 ateliers, réunissant en dehors de 500 participants de Roumanie, 400 autres de la diaspora roumaine et 300 issus des universités membres de l’Alliance Timisoara Universitaire. Quatre jours durant, les participants se sont penchés sur le rôle de la diaspora dans l’Education, la Science, l’Innovation et l’Entreprenariat. Présent à l’inauguration de la conférence, le premier ministre roumain Nicolae Ciuca a déclaré que le ministre de la recherche, de l’innovation et de la numérisation devrait identifier rapidement des solutions pour simplifier la bureaucratie et la gestion des financements à la recherche. Il a également demandé aux chercheurs de proposer cinq domaines scientifiques qui pourraient recevoir des financements en priorité. Smart Diaspora fait partie d’une série d’événements inscrits à l’agenda de Timisoara capitale culturelle de l’Europe 2023.

Eoliennes – La Roumanie a rejoint l’Alliance mondiale éolienne en haute mer, qui promeut la production et l’utilisation de l’énergie éolienne, sous l’égide de l’Agence internationale pour l’énergie renouvelable. Le gouvernement de Bucarest a approuvé l’association qui a comme but la majoration du taux des sources renouvelables d’énergie dans la consommation finale et l’élimination progressive du charbon. Conformément à une étude de la Banque mondiale, le potentiel éolien en haute mer de la Roumanie s’élèverait à quelque 76 Gigawatts. Pour devenir membre de l’alliance, la Roumanie devrait établir une stratégie nationale relative à l’énergie éolienne en haute mer – lit-on dans un communiqué de l’exécutif de Bucarest.

Energie – Le président roumain Klaus Iohannis visite aujourd’hui l’école internationale de compétences dans l’énergie renouvelable à Constanta, dans le sud-est. Les cours dispensés visent la qualification et la requalification des adultes, techniciens de l’industrie de l’énergie renouvelable, notamment l’énergie éolienne et solaire photovoltaïque. Selon l’administration présidentielle de Bucarest, la formation de compétences pour la transition climatique et la coopération internationale en matière d’éducation pour le climat sont des objectifs importants qui font partie de la vision du président Iohannis pour un environnement plus propre. En 14 ans, l’institution a formé plus de 10 000 étudiants et plusieurs milliers de personnes de Roumanie et du monde suivent annuellement les cours et arrivent à travailler dans le secteur de l’énergie renouvelable à travers l’Europe.

Forum d’affaires – Un forum d’affaires Serbie – Roumanie se déroule aujourd’hui à Belgrade. Organisé par la Chambre économique de la Serbie, l’événement réunit 31 entreprises roumaines et 43 serbes. Les sociétés roumaines sont actives dans les domaines du BTP, des TIC, de l’énergie et des transports. Les présidents des chambres économiques des deux Etats signeront à cette occasion un accord visant à définir les prochaines relations entre les deux communautés d’affaires dans le domaine de la promotion de la coopération commerciale et des investissements, de l’échange d’informations d’affaires et du programme des participations aux foires organisées en Serbie et en Roumanie. En 2022, la valeur des échanges commerciaux entre les deux Etats s’est élevée à 2,3 milliards d’euros. La Roumanie est le 5e partenaire d’exportation de la Serbie.

INS – En Roumanie, le taux annuel d’inflation a baissé de 15,5% en février à 14,53% en mars, alors que les produits alimentaires ont connu une progression des prix de 21,56%, les prix des marchandises non-alimentaires ont augmenté de 11,06%, alors que dans le cas des services les prix ont été majorés de 10,83%, selon les chiffres de l’Institut national de la statistique, rendues publiques ce jeudi. La Banque nationale de Roumanie table sur une baisse plus rapide qu’anticipée du taux d’inflation, notamment à commencer par le 3e trimestre de l’année en cours, sur la toile de fond de la prolongation des schémas de plafonnement et de compensation des tarifs énergétiques jusqu’au 31 mars 2025 et de la redéfinition de leurs caractéristiques à commencer par le 1er janvier 2023.

Météo – Il fait généralement beau aujourd’hui, avec des maximas qui tournent autour des moyennes pluriannuelles, légèrement plus élevées sur le sud et le sud-ouest. Selon les météorologues, les maximas iront de 13 à 21 degrés. 14 degrés et un superbe soleil à Bucarest.

13 April 2023
April 13, 2023

NATO – The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, is on a visit to Romania until Friday. His talks with the Romanian officials focus on the security situation in the Black Sea region, the allied deterrence missions and the defense of the Euro-Atlantic space, as well as the major training events of 2023. The NATO official talked with the Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu about the preparation of the summit in Vilnius due in July and the implementation of the decisions of the allied meeting in Madrid. At the Romanian Defense Ministry the NATO official had talks with the Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, and the Chief of the General Staff, General Daniel Petrescu. Admiral Rob Bauer’s agenda in Romania also includes visits to the allied commands located in Bucharest (south) and Sibiu (center), to the NATO battle group deployed in the Cincu area (center) and to the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (southeast).

Black Sea – Bucharest once again becomes the international capital of diplomacy as it hosts today the first Conference on the security of the Black Sea under the aegis of the International Crimea Platform and a new meeting of the Romania – Republic of Moldova — Ukraine Trilateral, said the Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu. The conference is the first event dedicated to the Black Sea, co-organized by Romania and Ukraine. More than 250 delegates from more than 30 countries and international organizations will attend, along with guests who join the conference online. The discussions focus on the multidimensional impact of Russias war of aggression and on finding solutions to secure the Black Sea region. Issues related to information warfare and cyber attacks will also be addressed. In a press conference, the Romanian foreign minister reiterated that he condemned the war waged by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

Smart Diaspora – The Smart Diaspora 2023 international conference comes to an end today in Timişoara, in western Romania. It is an event that creates a space for dialogue and collaboration between Romanian researchers, irrespective of where they live and work. The 4-day event included 38 workshops, with approximately 400 participants from the Diaspora, 550 from Romania and 300 from universities that are members of the Timișoara University Alliance. The workshops were organized on various topics, from education and psychology, to global economy, governance, smart cities, entrepreneurial culture, technological transfer, sustainable food, intercultural communication, Romanian language and literature studies, artificial intelligence, cyber security, migration and mobility. Attending the events of the first day of the conference, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said that the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitization, Sebastian Burduja, should rapidly find solutions for debureaucratization and for managing the grants for research. He also launched the idea for researchers to propose five priority fields in the sciences, that should receive funding first. Smart Diaspora is part of a series of events included on the agenda of the Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2023.

Inflation – In Romania, the annual inflation rate dropped to 14.53% in March, from 15.5% in February, as the prices of foodstuffs increased by 21.56%, of non-foods by 11.06%, and of services by 10.83%, show data provided by the National Institute of Statistics, published on Thursday. The National Bank of Romania expects the annual inflation rate to drop faster than previously anticipated, especially starting from the third quarter of the current year, against the backdrop of the extension of energy price capping and compensation schemes until March 31, 2025 and of the redefinition of their characteristics as of January 1, 2023.

Visit – President Klaus Iohannis is visiting, today, the Renewable Energy School of Skills (RESS) – the International School of Competences in Renewable Energy from Constanta (south-east). At this school courses are taught for the training and retraining of adults, being dedicated to technicians working in the renewable energy industry, especially in the wind and photovoltaic solar energy fields. According to the Presidential Administration, acquiring skills for climate transition and international cooperation in relation to climate education are important objectives that are part of the President’s vision for a cleaner environment. RESS has trained more than 10,000 people in 14 years, and thousands of people from Romania and abroad attend the courses every year and end up working in the renewable energy sector all over Europe, shows the aforementioned source.

Alliance – Romania will join the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, which promotes the production and use of wind energy, under the auspices of the International Renewable Energy Agency. The Romanian government has approved the association with this Alliance, which aims to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the final consumption and to gradually abandon coal. According to a World Bank study, Romanias offshore wind resources potential in the Black Sea region is 76 GW. To become a member of this alliance, Romania must establish a national strategy regarding offshore wind energy — shows a government press release. (LS)

13 April 2023
10.04.2023 (mise à jour)

CSAT – Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, a convoqué mardi, une réunion du Conseil suprême de défense du pays. Parmi les sujets à l’ordre du jour, notons l’évolution de la situation de sécurité dans la région de la Mer Noire dans le contexte de la guerre en Ukraine et les interventions destabilisatrices de Moscou en République de Moldova. Les participants feront également le point sur le développement de l’aviation militaire roumaine.

Conférence – Coup d’envoi ce lundi, à Timisoara, de la conférence Smart Diaspora 2023 dont la cérémonie d’ouverture a eu lieu en présence du premier ministre roumain, Nicolae Ciuca. Quatre jours durant, les participants se pencheront sur le rôle de la diaspora dans l’Education, la Science, l’Innovation et l’Entreprenariat. L’événement propose 38 ateliers, réunissant en dehors de 500 participants de Roumanie, 400 autres de la diaspora roumaine et 300 issus des universités membres de l’Alliance Timisoara Universitaire. Les ateliers porteront sur des thèmes divers allant de l’éducation à la Psychologie, en passant par l’économie globale, la gouvernance, les villes intelligentes, l’entreprenariat, l’alimentation soutenable, l’inter-culturalité, l’intelligence artificielle, la cyber-sécurité, la migration ou encore la mobilité. Les invités provenant de la diaspora roumaine habitent différents pays, la plupart de l’UE, mais aussi les Etats-Unis, le Royaume Uni, la République de Moldova, le Japon ou l’Australie. Le président Klaus Iohannis a transmis un message dans lequel il affirme que l’éducation est la clé pour le développement de la Roumanie.

Armée – Nous compterons toujours sur l’armée roumaine, sur nos militaires qui aux côtés des militaires alliés, assureront la défense de la Roumanie et du flanc est de l’Alliance de l’Atlantique nord », a souligné lundi, à Focsani dans l’est le premier ministre Nicolae Ciucă. Il a participé à la cérémonie marquant les 140 ans ans écoulés depuis la création de la 282e brigade blindée « l’Union des principautés ». Le chef du gouvernement a rappelé qu’une guerre se déroulait dans le voisinage de la Roumanie, une guerre d’usure, longue, un défi pour le monde libre, pour la démocratie, pour un monde reposant sur des règles. La 282e brigade blindée « l’Union des principautés » est la continuatrice des traditions militaires de la 6e division d’infanterie fondée le 1er avril 1883, basée à Focsani dans l’est de la Roumanie. Le long de son existence, la 6e division d’infanterie a participé à la guerre balkanique, la première guerre mondiale et la deuxième guerre mondiale. Parallèlement, dans la période moderne, des structures de cette unité ont participé à de nombreuses missions dans les théâtres d’opérations des Balkans, d’Irak et d’Afghanistan.

Déficit – En Roumanie, le déficit de la balance commerciale s’est réduit de 5% durant les deux premiers mois de l’année en cours, par rapport la même période de l’année dernière, en se chiffrant à presque 4,4 milliards d’euros. C’est ce qu’a fait savoir lundi l’Institut national de la Statistique. Durant les deux premiers mois de 2023, les exportations ont fait un bond de 9% par rapport à la période allant du 1er janvier au 28 février 2022, tandis que les importations ont augmenté de 5,4% par rapport à la période mentionnée. Sur l’ensemble des produits exportés ou importés, la part la plus significative fut occupée par les machines et les équipements de transport et les objets manufacturés.

Trafic – Les autorités douanières de Roumanie et de République de Moldova ont approuvé un plan commun d’actions pour la mise en place d’une série de mesures censées fluidifier le trafic transfrontalier pendant la période des Pâques orthodoxes et durant la semaine d’après. Dans un communiqué officiel, on montre que les deux autorités douanières procéderont à une hausse du nombre des policiers aux frontières.

Pâques – Les chrétiens ortodoxes et les grecs-catholiques du monde, y compris de Roumanie, pays majoritairement orthodoxe, sont entrés dans la Semaine Sainte, dernière semaine avant Pâques. Des offices religieux ont lieu chaque soir dans les églises pour rappeler aux fidèles les derniers moments de la vie de Jésus Christ. Des pélérinages sont organisés à Jérusalem, Nazareth et Bethleem, a fait savoir le correspondant Radio Roumanie en Israël. Lors de son traditionnel message de Pâques, le pape François a lancé un appel à la paix et à la fin de la guerre en Ukraine.

Météo – Temps morose mardi, avec des pluies à verse et des orages surtout sur l’est et le sud-est. Les maxima iront de 9 à 19 degrés. Les maxima à Bucarest iront jusqu’à 16 degrés.

10 April 2023
April 10, 2023 UPDATE

DEFENCE The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis has convened a
meeting of the country’s Higher Defence Council on Tuesday. The security
situation at the Black Sea, triggered by Russia’s aggression on Ukraine and the
foreign interference in Moldova’s democratic process are on the agenda. The
development of the Romanian military aviation will also be discussed.

CEREMONY We will always rely on the Romanian Army, on our
servicemen who, together with our allies, will ensure the defence of Romania
and of NATO’s eastern flank, PM Nicolae Ciucă said in the eastern Romanian
town of Focsani on Monday. He attended a ceremony celebrating 140 years since
the Union of Principalities 282 Brigade was set up. The PM reiterated that
near Romania’s borders, a long-term war of attrition is taking place, which is
a challenge for the free world, for democracy, for a rule-based world. The 282
Brigade carries forward the military traditions of the 6th Infantry
Division established on April 1, 1883, and stationed in Focşani. Throughout its
existence, the 6th Infantry Division took part in the Balkan War and
the 2 world wars, while in recent times structures within the brigade
participated in many operations in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan.

DIASPORA Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca Monday took part in the opening ceremony
of the conference Smart Diaspora 2023 – Diaspora in higher education, science,
innovation and entrepreneurship, held in Timisoara, western Romania. Around
400 participants from the Diaspora, 550 from Romania and 300 from the member
universities of Timisoara University Alliance are expected to attend the 38
workshops held for 4 days on topics such as education, psychology, global
economy, governance, smart cities, intercultural communication and many others.
The guests from the Diaspora come from more than 30 countries, most of them in
the EU, but also from the US, Britain, Moldova, Japan, Singapore and Australia. President Klaus Iohannis has
sent a message saying education is the key to Romania’s sustainable
development.

EDUCATION The new education bills have reached the Chamber of
Deputies for review. In the case of undergraduate education, new mandatory Language
and communication and Math and sciences exams have been introduced for 2nd, 4th
and 6th grade students, while the bill on higher education provides for an
extension of doctoral studies from 3 to 4 years. The leaders of the ruling
coalition have promised to pass the new legislation by the end of Parliament’s current
session.

HOLY WEEK Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers all over the world,
including Romania, a mostly Orthodox country, have entered the Holy Week, the
last week before Easter. Holy Week services are attended by large crowds.
Romanian pilgrims have already arrived at the holy places in Jerusalem,
Nazareth and Bethlehem, for the religious service on Easter Sunday, according
to RRI’s correspondent in Israel. This year, Catholic and Protestant Christians
celebrated Easter a week before the Orthodox and Greek Catholics. On Sunday,
during his traditional Easter address before the large crowds gathered in St.
Peter’s Square of the Vatican, Pope Francis condemned the numerous obstacles in
the way of world peace and called on the international community to put an end
to the conflict in Ukraine and to all other conflicts in the world.

CUSTOMS The customs authorities in Romania and the neighbouring
Republic of Moldova have approved a Common Action Plan designed to help
streamline cross-border travel during the Easter holidays, more precisely
between 7 April and 7 May 2023. According to the Romanian Customs Authority, in
order to handle the surge in traveller numbers, the two authorities will increase
the number of customs workers and identify and earmark separate lanes to
redirect and speed up passenger travel. (AMP)

10 April 2023
March 20, 2023 UPDATE

VISIT – On an official visit to the United Arab
Emirates, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis Monday had a meeting in Abu Dhabi
with his counterpart, Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan. There are a lot of bilateral,
regional and global areas where we can cooperate quite well. There are huge
opportunities and I believe we both want to capitalize on them,’ the Romanian
official said during the meeting. President Iohannis suggested the two
countries may cooperate with a view to promoting environment education and skills
for the green transition. He also presented the goals of the Three Seas
Initiative that Romania will host this September in Bucharest, and the
opportunities it provides to private investments and investment funds,
encouraging the involvement of UAE investors. In turn, his counterpart pleaded
for the development of relations with Romania and for Bucharest’s active
presence at the COP28, a meeting scheduled to take place this year in the UAE. On
this occasion, the two countries’ relevant ministers and officials signed
bilateral documents in the fields of energy, cyber-security and education. On
Sunday president Klaus Iohannis visited Masdar City, a model of sustainable urban
development focusing on energy efficiency and environment protection.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign
minister Bogdan Aurescu Monday took part in the meeting of EU foreign ministers
(Foreign Affairs Council) and in a joint meeting of EU foreign and defence
ministers. According to the Romanian foreign ministry, the EU officials primarily
discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the implementation of the EU
Action Plan on the geopolitical consequences of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
On this occasion, Bogdan Aurescu highlighted the multifaceted consequences of
the security crisis generated by Moscow, with an impact beyond Ukraine, and
warned against destabilizing Russian actions against the pro-European
authorities in the Rep. Moldova. Mr. Aurescu voiced Romania’s support for
carrying on the Union’s support efforts for Ukraine, including the provision of
ammunition, and the need to further isolate Russia internationally and to
maintain pressure on Kremlin. The Romanian official also announced that this
April Romania and Ukraine will organise jointly a first high-level conference
on Black Sea security, under the Crimea International Platform. Also in
Brussels on Monday, at the international donor conference for Turkey and Syria,
in the aftermath of the February earthquakes, Minister Aurescu announced a new
financial assistance package totaling EUR 1.3 mln.

MOLDOVA The Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă will travel
to the neighbouring Republic of Moldova this week, for a meeting with his
counterpart Dorin Recean. On this occasion, PM Ciucă will reiterate Romania’s
support for that country’s reforms, for consolidating its economy, resilience
and security and for its EU accession efforts. Meanwhile, in Chisinau, the
Supreme Security Council announced a number of decisions after Monday’s meeting
convened by president Maia Sandu in the context of the exceptional situation
in the judiciary. One of these decisions is to step up the creation of the
Higher Council of Magistrates, which is to become operational within 30 days. After
the meeting, Moldova’s president stated that some members of the system oppose the
cleaning of the judiciary and seek to continue using it to their own benefit. We
need a judicial system free from corruption, able to uphold justice and rebuild
people’s trust, Maia Sandu concluded. (AMP)

20 March 2023
February 23, 2023

MOLDOVA The president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia
Sandu, is in Bucharest today for a working visit. According
to the Presidency, political talks between
presidents Klaus Iohannis and Maia Sandu are part of the comprehensive and
close cooperation at bilateral and European level, and confirm Romania’s clear
and firm support for Moldova and its resilience. Projects of shared strategic
interest will be discussed, concerning fields like energy, transportation, healthcare,
education and IT&C, with a focus on initiatives designed to connect Moldova
with the EU, to the benefit of its citizens. The 2 officials will also discuss
the progress of Moldova’s EU accession efforts and Bucharest’s support in this
respect, and will exchange opinions on security challenges and ways to mitigate
the economic, social and humanitarian effects of Russia’s aggression in
Ukraine. In Bucharest, Maia Sandu will also have meetings with PM Nicolae Ciucă
and the Chamber of Deputies speaker, Marcel Ciolacu.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian
foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu is taking part today and on Friday in the
events organized by the United Nations to mark 1 year since the start of Russia’s
war of aggression against Ukraine. Today he is scheduled to speak at the 11th
special emergency session of the UN General Assembly, convened in order to
adopt a resolution aimed at restoring comprehensive, just and lasting peace in
Ukraine. Romania is a co-sponsor of the resolution. On Friday, the
Romanian foreign minister will speak at a minister round-table of the UN
Security Council, with Ukraine again in the focus of attention. The
Romanian official will present Bucharest’s efforts to support the over 3.6 million
Ukrainian refugees who have crossed into Romania and to facilitate the transit
of nearly 13 million tonnes of grains from Ukraine. He will also reiterate
Romania’s firm support for the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and his
country’s commitment to an active contribution to international peace and
security.

TRAVEL Over 151 companies from several countries are
taking part in the spring edition of the Romanian Tourism Fair that begins in
Bucharest today, offering up to 50% discounts on holiday packages and special
promotions for luxury destinations. The event promotes the most interesting and
profitable tourist offers in Romania and abroad. The 10 participating countries
include Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey
and Hungary.

EARTHQUAKE A new earthquake measuring 3.9 in magnitude was reported in
Gorj County, south-western Romania on Wednesday night, according to the National
Physics of the Earth Research and Development Institute. On February 13, a 5.2
tremor was reported in the same area, followed the next day by a 5.7 earthquake.
Seismologists announced that over 800 aftershocks followed the quake on
February 13, but their number and magnitude declined in the following period. The
region of Oltenia is known for a weak to moderate seismic activity, with very
rare events over 5 on the magnitude scale.

FOOTBALL CFR Cluj, the only Romanian team still playing
in the European competitions, takes on Lazio Rome today on home turf in the play-offs
for the Conference League eighth-finals. A week ago, in the first leg, the Romanian side lost 0-1, after
a modest match in spite of their opponents being one player down for 75 minutes.
Last season the Romanian champions left Conference
League in the group stage, whereas Lazio reached the eighth-finals of Europa
League. (AMP)

23 February 2023
February 18, 2023 UPDATE

TIMIŞOARA The
city of Timişoara in western Romania is officially, as of Friday, a European
Capital of Culture for a year. Over 15,000 people are expected to attend the
opening weekend events. On Saturday, locals and visitors were invited
to a digital culture festival, scientific experiments, exhibitions, dance and
theatre performances, concerts, workshops and giant puppet parades around the
city. On Friday, the first day of the weekend, tens of thousands of people
enjoyed the over 120 events prepared by the organisers as a journey into the
city’s multi-cultural tradition, its open, brave and innovating spirit. Performances,
concerts, exhibitions, roundtables, tourist tours were organised, as well as a
gala show attended by hundreds of guests, including scores of ambassadors and
Romanian and foreign officials. The European Commissioner Adina Vălean awarded the
Melina Mercouri prize to the city of Timişoara, for meeting the commitments in its
cultural programme. She also emphasised that the cities having received the
European Capital of Culture title have seen significant long-term benefits in
terms of urban regeneration, of improving their public image and capitalising
on their potential for innovation.

SECURITY The
Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, attending the Munich Security
Conference, highlighted the serious security threats at the Black Sea entailed
by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the pressure on
neighbouring countries, particularly the Republic of Moldova, by various means,
including hybrid threats. Aurescu was a special guest on Friday at an event
devoted to multi-dimensional security challenges at the Black Sea and on NATO’s
eastern flank, organised on the sidelines of the conference. The Romanian
official pointed out that Russia’s war against Ukraine is a war against the
values of the democratic Western community and against the core parameters of
the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, as well as an attempt at recreating
the Russian sphere of influence. Efficiently deterring Russia relies on strong
defence, the Romanian foreign minister also said, and added that the
trans-Atlantic partnership must be consolidated and the US Strategy on security
at the Black Sea must be finalised. Bogdan Aurescu also emphasised the
importance of carrying on support for Ukraine, and suggested stepping up
European and NATO support for Moldova and Georgia.

VISIT The new PM of the Republic of Moldova, Dorin Recean, will be
in Bucharest next week, for his first visit abroad since taking over the
office, Radio Chişinău announced. In an interview on Moldova’s public
television, Dorin Recean insisted on the privileged relationship between the 2
countries and emphasised that Romania helped Moldova considerably in handling
the energy crisis and in its EU accession efforts. Dorin Recean’s Cabinet was
sworn in on Thursday, and on the same day the PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă
congratulated him and invited him to Bucharest.

MOLDOVA The
president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, had a meeting with the US
State Secretary Antony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference, Chişinău announced. According to Reuters, the
latter said the US was deeply concerned with some of Russia’s plans to
destabilise the government of Moldova. Maia
Sandu had previously accused Russia of planning to change the legitimate power
in Chişinău, using men trained in Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro, who are
apparently instructed to conduct violent actions under the guise of protests. President
Sandu also attended a roundtable focusing on the experience of various
countries and international organisations in fighting corruption, and she spoke
about Moldova’s commitment to fight corruption and to punish all those who
embezzled public money.

TURKEY Three
survivors were found under the rubble on Saturday, 13 days after the
devastating earthquake in Turkey, which killed more than 45,000 people in that
country and in Syria, France Presse reports, quoting Turkish media. One of the
3 people rescued in southern Turkey is a child. Nearly 264,000 flats in Turkey
were destroyed and many people are still missing after the most severe disaster
in the country’s modern history. Romania has sent rescue teams to Turkey and
humanitarian aid to Syria.

RUGBY Romania’s
rugby team Sunday plays against Portugal, away from home, in the last match in Group
B of Rugby Europe Championship 2023 (REC). Both teams have 2 wins and are
already qualified into the competition’s semi-finals. Romania played in Group
B, alongside Portugal, Belgium and Poland, while Group A included Georgia, the
Netherlands, Spain and Germany. (AMP)

18 February 2023
February 18, 2023

TIMIŞOARA The
city of Timişoara in western Romania is officially, as of Friday, a European
Capital of Culture for a year. Over 15,000 people are expected to attend the
opening weekend events. On Friday, the first day of the weekend, tens of
thousands of people enjoyed the over 120 events prepared by the organisers as a
journey into the city’s multi-cultural tradition, its open, brave and
innovating spirit. Performances, concerts, exhibitions, roundtables, tourist
tours were organised, as well as a gala show attended by hundreds of guests,
including scores of ambassadors and Romanian and foreign officials. The
European Commissioner Adina Vălean awarded the Melina Mercouri prize to the
city of Timişoara, for meeting the commitments in its cultural programme. She
also emphasised that the cities having received the European Capital of Culture
title have seen significant long-term benefits in terms of urban regeneration, of
improving their public image and capitalising on their potential for
innovation.

SECURITY The
Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, attending the Munich Security
Conference, highlighted the serious security threats at the Black Sea entailed
by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the pressure on
neighbouring countries, particularly the Republic of Moldova, by various means,
including hybrid threats. Aurescu was a special guest on Friday at an event
devoted to multi-dimensional security challenges at the Black Sea and on NATO’s
eastern flank, organised on the sidelines of the conference. The Romanian
official pointed out that Russia’s war against Ukraine is a war against the
values of the democratic Western community and against the core parameters of
the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, as well as an attempt at recreating
the Russian sphere of influence. Efficiently deterring Russia relies on strong
defence, the Romanian foreign minister also said, and added that the
trans-Atlantic partnership must be consolidated and the US Strategy on security
at the Black Sea must be finalised. Bogdan Aurescu also emphasised the
importance of carrying on support for Ukraine, and suggested stepping up
European and NATO support for Moldova and Georgia.

MOLDOVA The
president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, had a meeting with the US
State Secretary Antony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference, Chişinău announced. According to Reuters, the
latter said the US was deeply concerned with some of Russia’s plans to
destabilise the government of Moldova. Maia
Sandu had previously accused Russia of planning to change the legitimate power
in Chişinău, using men trained in Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro, who are
apparently instructed to conduct violent actions under the guise of protests. President
Sandu also attended a roundtable focusing on the experience of various
countries and international organisations in fighting corruption, and she spoke
about Moldova’s commitment to fight corruption and to punish all those who
embezzled public money.

TURKEY Three
survivors were found under the rubble on Saturday, 13 days after the
devastating earthquake in Turkey, which killed more than 45,000 people in that
country and in Syria, France Presse reports, quoting Turkish media. One of the
3 people rescued in southern Turkey is a child. Nearly 264,000 flats in Turkey
were destroyed and many people are still missing after the most severe disaster
in the country’s modern history. Romania has sent rescue teams to Turkey and
humanitarian aid to Syria.

RUGBY Romania’s
rugby team Sunday plays against Portugal, away from home, in the last match in Group
B of Rugby Europe Championship 2023 (REC). Both teams have 2 wins and are
already qualified into the competition’s semi-finals. Romania played in Group
B, alongside Portugal, Belgium and Poland, while Group A included Georgia, the
Netherlands, Spain and Germany. (AMP)

18 February 2023
Sports Weekend

In the first leg of the play-offs for the eighth-finals of the football Conference League, on Thursday, CFR Cluj lost to Lazio Rome, away from home, 0-1. The only goal of the match was scored by Ciro Immobile, in the first half overtime. The Italian side were down to ten men, after Patric was sent off for a foul on Ermal Krasniqi on 15 minutes. Dan Petrescus team nonetheless failed to take advantage of the situation. The second leg will be played next Thursday in Cluj-Napoca.

Also in football, this weekend the 26th round of the Romanian Super League is played. After 2 matches on Friday, Chindia Târgovişte vs. Universitatea Cluj and CS Mioveni vs. Rapid Bucharest, on Saturday Hermannstadt take on UTA Arad on home turf, and Farul Constanţa face Petrolul Ploieşti. On Sunday, CFR play against FC Argeş, while FCSB meet Universitatea Craiova. The last 2 matches of this round are scheduled for Monday, pitting FC Botoşani against Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe and FC U Craiova against FC Voluntari. Top of the tables at this time are Farul, with 52 points, followed by CFR, 2 points behind.

Two rounds before the end of the group stage in mens handball Champions League, Dinamo Bucharest has secured a spot in the play-offs for the quarter-finals. The Romanian champions, currently ranking 5th in Group A, are moving forward, after losing 33-26 to group leaders Paris Saint-Germain in France on Thursday. Next week they are taking on the Danish side Gudme in Bucharest.

And in Rugby Europe Championship, Group B, Romania plays this Saturday away from home against Portugal. Both teams are already qualified for the competitions semis and are playing for the top place in the group, which secures them a home match in the semi-finals against the second-ranking team in Group A. (AMP)

17 February 2023
Sports Weekend

In the first leg of the play-offs for the eighth-finals of the football Conference League, on Thursday, CFR Cluj lost to Lazio Rome, away from home, 0-1. The only goal of the match was scored by Ciro Immobile, in the first half overtime. The Italian side were down to ten men, after Patric was sent off for a foul on Ermal Krasniqi on 15 minutes. Dan Petrescus team nonetheless failed to take advantage of the situation. The second leg will be played next Thursday in Cluj-Napoca.

Also in football, this weekend the 26th round of the Romanian Super League is played. After 2 matches on Friday, Chindia Târgovişte vs. Universitatea Cluj and CS Mioveni vs. Rapid Bucharest, on Saturday Hermannstadt take on UTA Arad on home turf, and Farul Constanţa face Petrolul Ploieşti. On Sunday, CFR play against FC Argeş, while FCSB meet Universitatea Craiova. The last 2 matches of this round are scheduled for Monday, pitting FC Botoşani against Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe and FC U Craiova against FC Voluntari. Top of the tables at this time are Farul, with 52 points, followed by CFR, 2 points behind.

Two rounds before the end of the group stage in mens handball Champions League, Dinamo Bucharest has secured a spot in the play-offs for the quarter-finals. The Romanian champions, currently ranking 5th in Group A, are moving forward, after losing 33-26 to group leaders Paris Saint-Germain in France on Thursday. Next week they are taking on the Danish side Gudme in Bucharest.

And in Rugby Europe Championship, Group B, Romania plays this Saturday away from home against Portugal. Both teams are already qualified for the competitions semis and are playing for the top place in the group, which secures them a home match in the semi-finals against the second-ranking team in Group A. (AMP)

17 February 2023