Radio România Internațional

Tag: diplomats

  • February 18, 2025 UPDATE

    February 18, 2025 UPDATE

    DIPLOMACY Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, said on Tuesday at the annual meeting of the heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest that Romania is a democratic state, which continues to take action to strengthen its institutions and people’s confidence in them. He promised a free, fair and transparent election process in the upcoming presidential election. “Romania has a ruling coalition, which ensures the country’s stability”, the president said, and added that Romania’s foreign policy will stay on its normal course as an EU and NATO member with a strategic partnership with the USA, while also being open to cooperation with all the partners that share the same values and principles. According to Bolojan, Russia’s aggression in neighbouring Ukraine must stop, and a ceasefire followed by just and sustainable peace is a goal that must be pursued not only by the parties involved, but also by the entire international community.  Bolojan went on to say that support for the ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova is a duty and this state’s resilience must be strengthened ahead of the parliamentary election due in 2025.

     

    RIYADH The first high-level US-Russia meeting in recent years took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Moscow’s officials said the talks were “serious” and “positive,” while the American side announced that two teams would be set up to initiate negotiations to stop the war in Ukraine, Reuters and AFP report. While the delegations led by Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov were discussing in Riyadh, the Russian foreign ministry announced that it wanted NATO to revoke the decision taken at the 2008 summit in Bucharest regarding Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would not recognise the outcome of Russian-American negotiations held in the absence of Kyiv, and European leaders convening in an emergency meeting in Paris on Monday promised to carry on their military support for Ukraine, while stepping up the strengthening of their own defence. Only a few European leaders were invited to the informal EU summit organised by president Emmanuel Macron, namely the German Chancellor, the Polish, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish and British prime ministers, as well as the president of the European Council, the head of the European Commission and the NATO Secretary General. France plans to host a second meeting on Ukraine and European security on Wednesday, Reuters reports. According to diplomatic sources, Norway, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Romania, Sweden and Belgium are invited to take part.

     

    JUDICIARY The Romanian justice minister Radu Marinescu Tuesday had a meeting with the Japanese ambassador to Bucharest, Takashi Katae. The two officials discussed, among other things, ways to find better solutions for judicial cooperation regarding Romanian nationals imprisoned in Japan. According to a news release issued by the justice ministry, Radu Marinescu appreciates the excellent judicial cooperation between the two states, while at the same time reaffirming Romania’s strong commitment to develop close institutional collaboration in the future. Bilateral relations between Romania and Japan were elevated to a strategic partnership on March 7, 2023. Last year, a Declaration of Cooperation between the justice ministries of the two countries was also signed, making Romania the first European Union member state to sign such a declaration with Japan, the news release also states.

     

    FOOTBALL The former Romanian international player Cristian Chivu was appointed coach of the Italian football team Parma on Tuesday, the club announced on its home page. For Chivu, this will be the first coaching experience at a senior level, after having trained several junior teams at Internazionale Milano, where he played between 2007 and 2014 and where he concluded his career as a footballer at the age of 34 due to recurring injuries. In the 2009-2010 season, under the Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, he won the Italian championship and Cup with Inter, as well as the Champions League. At Parma, Chivu will coach the Romanian international players Dennis Man and Valentin Mihăilă. The team is in 18th place out of 20 (relegation-threatened) and Chivu’s debut as a coach in Serie A will take place on February 22, on home turf, against Bologna. Another Italian team in Serie A, Genoa, is owned by the Romanian businessman Dan Şucu, who is also the major shareholder in Rapid Bucharest. (AMP)

  • June 9, 2023 UPDATE

    June 9, 2023 UPDATE

    Protests — A new round of negotiations between the Romanian government and the education trade unions took place on Friday. The trade unionists announced that they received a new offer: an increase by 45% in salaries from January 1, 2024 and not by 40% as it was before, and a bonus of 1,500 lei on October 5, on the International Day of Education, from this year until 2027. The talks took place against the background of the all-out strike and of a new protest rally in Bucharest, in which thousands of teachers participated. Demonstrations also took place in other cities in the country. On Thursday, the government adopted a memorandum on salary increases granted to the education staff through the future salary law – a way in which, it says, it guarantees that this field will be a priority. 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, as requested by the trade unionists. Also the memorandum establishes the right of the education employees to a leave allowance calculated according to the basic salary, as well as to increments. The strikers say, however, that Thursdays political declaration has no legal value and that they do not trust the political class in Romania.



    Power plant — The construction of Units 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant (south-east Romania) receives government support. A support agreement was signed on Friday in Bucharest, and the Finance Ministry will take the necessary steps to finance the project, including by granting state guarantees. Units 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant would cover over a third of Romanias energy needs and is a necessary investment for the countrys future, said the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă. He stated that this project also had social benefits, by maintaining more than 20,000 jobs.



    Diplomacy – The Russian Foreign Ministry labeled the decision of the Romanian authorities to reduce the Russian diplomatic presence in Romania as a hostile act that will not go unanswered. Specific measures will be announced in due time, commented the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zaharova. The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that the ambassador of the Russian Federation to Bucharest was informed, on Thursday, about the decision of the Romanian authorities to reduce the diplomatic and technical-administrative staff of the Russian Federation in Romania by limiting their number to a level close to that of the diplomatic and technical -administrative staff of Romania in the Russian Federation. In 30 days at the most, the diplomats’ positions must be reduced by 21, and the technical-administrative personnel positions by 30. Otherwise, accreditations will be withdrawn. The measure was adopted in accordance with the provisions of the 1961 Vienna convention on diplomatic relations and reflects the current level of bilateral relations drastically reduced by Romania after the Russian Federation launched the war of aggression against Ukraine, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced.



    TIFF – Cluj (north-west of Romania) is, for ten days, the capital of international cinema, hosting a new edition of the Transylvania Film Festival – TIFF. Almost 200 films will be screened, 12 being in the official competition. Famous actors and directors from the country and abroad have announced their presence. Among them the American director Oliver Stone, the Australian actor Geoffrey Rush and the British actor Timotis Splash. Inspired by real events that happened in Sibiu in December 1989, “Libertate”, the latest film made by the Romanian director Tudor Giurgiu, will have its world premiere at TIFF. The Romanian actor Horaţiu Mălăele, who will perform in Cluj, will receive an excellence award during the festival.



    Statistics – The European Union’s economy registered an increase of 0.1% in the first quarter of this year, compared to the similar period of 2022, according to data published by the European Statistical Office, Eurostat. The most significant annual advance was registered by Spain, Cyprus, Malta, with over 3%, and Romania, with 2.8%. Although the European Union managed to narrowly avoid recession, the euro zone, which includes 20 states, registered two consecutive quarters of economic contraction, by 0.1%, thus entering a technical recession. (LS)

  • January 12, 2022 UPDATE

    January 12, 2022 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Romania reported
    8,600 new Covid cases and 44 related deaths on Wednesday. The incidence rate is
    on the rise around the country, including the capital Bucharest, where it
    passed 3 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, the city now being in the red tier. This
    means that restaurants, cinemas, gyms and other venues can open at 30%
    capacity. Also, schools where the vaccine uptake among staff is under 60% will
    switch to online teaching. The National Public Health Institute confirmed the
    sustained community transmission of the Omicron variant, saying almost half of
    the cases did not have contact with someone infected. In the meantime,
    preparations are being made for opening outpatient Covid evaluation centres
    around the country.


    CORRUPTION The Interior Ministry’s Anti-Corruption Directorate
    Wednesday conducted 25 home searches in the counties of Neamţ and Iaşi (north-east),
    as part of investigations concerning forgery and fraud offences involved in the
    obtaining of COVID vaccination certificates. Physicians and nurses received
    bribes in exchange for fictitious vaccination certificates. Late last year the Anti-Corruption
    Directorate announced that since the start of the pandemic 168 criminal cases
    were initiated with respect to fictitious vaccination and other offences. According
    to the institution, Romania saw the largest-scale frauds in the EU in this
    respect, with over 3,000 fake COVID certificates issued at Petea border
    checkpoint. Some 1.8 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in Romania
    since the start of the pandemic, and around 60,000 COVID patients died. Amid
    anti-vaccine feelings fuelled by certain media outlets, politicians and opinion
    leaders, Romania has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU.


    EU FUNDING Over 1.9 billion euros will be transferred to Romanian
    government accounts on Thursday, as part of the loans given to Romania under
    the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, after the targets for Q4 2021 were
    reached, the Ministry for EU Projects and Investments announced. The funds will
    add to the 1.85 billion euros in grants paid by the European Commission on
    December 2, 2021. Bucharest is to receive over 29 billion euros under the
    National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The loans in the programme will be used
    for the funding of large-scale projects, including motorways, water supply and
    sewage networks, the digitisation of SMEs and reforestation, the Ministry
    explained.


    GROWTH The
    National Institute of Statistics confirmed its 0.4% estimate with regard to the
    growth of the Romanian economy in the third quarter of last year compared with
    the previous quarter, but changes were made to the share of investments and
    consumption in GDP growth. Also, in the third quarter, the net added value saw
    important changes in the sectors of information and communications,
    constructions, financial mediation and insurances and real estate transactions.


    ECONOMY The Romanian economy is expected to grow by 4.3% this year,
    as against a 4.5% growth rate forecast in June 2021, reads the World Bank’s report
    on Global Economic Prospects, released on Wednesday. For 2023, the World Bank
    forecasts a 3.8% GDP growth for Romania, while for last year the institution
    estimates the country’s economic growth rate stood at 6.3%. The institution
    expects the global economy to grow by 4.1% in 2022 and by 3.2% in 2023.


    FOREIGN POLICY
    Romania will continue to develop as an active, trusted, involved and
    respected member of the EU and NATO. Romania’s approach is focused on
    continuity, based on the three essential pillars of its foreign policy:
    consolidating the country’s role and influence in the EU and NATO and
    developing and deepening the strategic partnership with the US, said
    president Klaus Iohannis at his annual meeting with foreign diplomats in
    Bucharest. He also said strengthening the US military presence in Romania is a
    major goal. Given the recent security challenges, it is obvious that we need
    stronger action in terms of defence and deterrence, the Romanian president
    added. Iohannis also said Romania is worried about the security situation in
    Ukraine and its implications for Euro-Atlantic security and added that Romania
    will continue to support the efforts of the Republic of Moldova to join the
    European Union. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • May 12, 2021 UPDATE

    May 12, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Romania stays in the so-called green scenario as Bucharest and all counties report COVID-19 infection rates below 1.5 per thousand. In the past 24 hours 930 new cases were reported, out of over 24,300 tests conducted acros the country. The Strategic Communication Group announced another 98 COVID-related deaths, which brings the total death toll to 29,233, and 874 patients in intensive care. The coordinator of the vaccine rollout Valeriu Gheorghiţă said the fall in infection numbers is the result of the immunisation campaign. Over 3.7 million people have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 2.5 million have also got the booster dose. People may get jabs without prior appointment in all vaccination centres in the country. After Timişoara (west) and the capital Bucharest, another major city, Craiova (south), is organising a vaccination marathon, with similar events scheduled this weekend in other cities in Romania.



    RECOVERY The PM of Romania Florin Cîţu reconfirmed, during his
    meeting with the European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis in
    Brussels on Wednesday, the Romanian government’s goal to ensure economic
    recovery and sustainable post-pandemic economic growth, with a focus on reform
    and investments.Florin Cîţu also voiced gratitude to the European
    Commission for its support, guidance and cooperation, after the talks on
    Romania’s priorities as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan held
    on Wednesday with Margrethe Vestager, EC executive vice-president. Previously,
    the Romanian PM had also had talks with Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for
    Transport.



    PUBLIC MEDIA As of Tuesday night, Romania’s public radio and TV corporations have new interim directors. Parliament has appointed journalist Liviu Popescu as head of the Romanian public radio, while Ramona Saseanu has become interim director of the national TV. The two are to hold these positions for 6 months, until the appointment of new boards of directors for the two institutions. On Tuesday, Parliament rejected the annual reports submitted by the two institutions for the years 2017, 2018, 2019, which entailed the dismissal of the 2 boards of directors.



    ECONOMY Romanias economy is expected to grow by 5.1% in 2021 and 4.9% next year, according to the spring economic forecast made public by the European Commission. The institution has upgraded its February estimates, when it forecast a 3.8% growth this year and 4% in 2022. Brussels also expects the unemployment rate in Romania to go up from 5% last year to 5.2% in 2021, but to drop to 4.8% in 2022. Inflation is also set to reach 2.9% this year, with a slight decrease to 2.7% predicted for next year. According to the same forecast, the budget deficit will drop from 9.2% of GDP last year to 8% of GDP this year and to 7.1% of GDP next year.



    CONFERENCE Strengthening Romanias Strategic Partnership with Poland underscores the special relationship and the firm commitment to contributing to regional security, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said in a message on Wednesday at an international conference devoted to the centennial of the Romania-Poland Defensive Alliance. The event was hosted by the Romanian Embassy in Poland. The head of the Romanian state mentioned that the Romanian-Polish Defensive Alliance signed in 1921 was the first regional collective security project and the first strategic partnership with Poland.



    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign ministry confirmed that the Russian Federation declared the deputy military attaché with the Romanian Embassy in Moscow, Alin Iliescu, a persona non grata, in retaliation to a similar measure taken by Romania on April 26 with respect to the Russian Embassys deputy military attaché Aleksey Grishaev. Romanian authorities argued that the decision was prompted by Grishaevs activity, which came against the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. Many central and east-European ex-communist countries made similar decisions to expel Russian diplomats in the past few weeks. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • September 9, 2020

    September 9, 2020

    Coronavirus. 1,271 new daily
    coronavirus cases were reported in Romania on Wednesday, with the total number
    now passing 98,000. More than people 41,000 have recovered since the start of the
    outbreak. 51 new deaths were also announced on Wednesday, taking the death toll
    to 4.018. 459 people are currently in intensive care. Health minister Nelu
    Tataru says a difficult month lies ahead because of the local elections on 27th
    September and the reopening of schools. He added that if the rules and
    prevention measures are respected, Romania may see a downward trend in
    coronavirus cases in mid October.




    Foreign service. Spain’s foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya is attending
    today the annual meeting of the Romanian diplomatic service held in Bucharest.
    On Tuesday, in a message to participants, NATO deputy secretary general Mircea
    Geoana emphasised that Romania was a vital member of NATO and plays the role of
    regional pillar with respect to defence and deterrence of threats to NATO. He
    said that older security threats were made worse by the pandemic, including in
    the Black Sea area. Russia, Geoana also said, continues its pattern of
    aggressive behaviour with disinformation campaigns, cyber attacks and military
    actions. He added that China’s global rise changes the international balance
    existing so far and that the allies must pay attention to this process. A guest of honour at the
    meeting, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy
    Josep Borrell said in his address that the European Union must come out
    stronger from the crisis generated by the pandemic. We must continue to work
    together in a more strategic and integrated way, to develop a common European
    response to wider geopolitical challenges and trends, Borrell also said. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the annual meeting of Romanian diplomats has for the first time been held online, in video-conference format.




    Elections. The election campaign for
    the local elections on the 27th of September is well under way in
    Romania, amid restrictions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. 41
    county council president seats, some 3,200 mayor posts and over 1,300 county
    councillor and 40,000 local councillor seats are up for election. The ballot
    was initially scheduled for June but it was postponed because of the pandemic.
    In other election news, a bill submitted to the Senate stipulates that Romanian
    voters residing abroad may also be able to cast their ballots at other polling
    stations than the ones where they are registered if they have changed their
    residence recently. The bill also stipulates that the voting hours may be
    extended abroad.




    Tennis. The Romanian-Dutch pair
    Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer lost to the Croatian-Brazilian pair Mate
    Pavic and Bruno Soares 6-4, 7-5 in the semifinals of the men’s doubles at the
    US Open. In the final, Pavic and Soares will be facing Wesley Koolhof of the
    Netherlands and Nikola Mektic of Croatia. Tecau and Rojer won the US Open men’s
    doubles title in 2017.




    Football. Romania’s under-21 side
    defeated Malta 3-nil on Tuesday evening in a Group 8 qualifying match for the
    European Under-21 Championship next year. Romania, who also won against Finland
    last Friday 3-1, are second in their group with 16 points, three behind
    Denmark. In senior football, Romania top Nations League Group 1B after
    defeating Austria 3-1 away and an 1-all draw against Northern Ireland at home.
    On 8th October Romania will be playing Iceland in Reykjavik in the semifinals of the
    European Championship qualifying playoffs. If they qualify, Romania will next
    face either Hungary or Bulgaria. (CM)

  • August 27, 2018

    August 27, 2018

    DIPLOMACY – The annual meeting of Romanian diplomats begins today in the capital city Bucharest, under the motto “Diplomacy – A Pillar of Centennial Romania. The annual meeting of Romanian diplomats is a broad platform for the discussion of topics of major interest to Romania, such as the rotating presidency of the EU Council, to be taken over by Romania early next year, bilateral as well as strategic relations. The national priorities on the agenda of the meeting also include regional cooperation, the eastern neighbourhood and economic diplomacy. Attending the event are the Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu, the Minister delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, heads of Romanian embassies and consular offices abroad, and Romanian and foreign guests. A special guest in this years meeting is the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who will join his Romanian counterpart in a special session entitled “Bucharest – Berlin – Brussels, together for a strong Europe.




    SWINE FEVER – Scheduled to begin on Monday, the slaughtering of around 140,000 animals at Romanias largest pig farm, in Braila County in the south-east, where the African swine fever virus has been confirmed, was postponed at the request of the owners. They requested the setup of a special assessment committee, given the extensive damages to be incurred. A swine fever hotbed has been recently confirmed in another farm in Braila County, which was breeding some 35,000 pigs, and where the slaughtering process has already been initiated. One-quarter of Romanias counties are affected by the African swine fever epidemics, with over 700 hotbeds identified by the authorities in the south-east and north-west of the country. The Pro Agro National Federation has requested the Government to have the situation discussed in the Supreme Defence Council.




    POLITICS – The Romanian parliamentary parties have scheduled meetings to outline their strategies ahead of the autumn parliamentary sitting. Liviu Dragnea, the president of the main ruling party in Romania, the Social Democratic Party, announced that next weekend the partys National Executive Committee and parliamentary groups will convene in the Black Sea resort of Neptun, in order to set out the partys priorities. The meeting will also tackle the activity of the Dancila Cabinet ministers. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Social Democrats ruling coalition partners, will also have a meeting of its Executive Political Bureau early next week, to discuss the partys priorities and the selection criteria for the ensuing elections for the European Parliament. The main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, will also plan its moves for the autumn parliamentary session. The Liberals have tried and failed to have a special session convened this summer, in order to set up an investigation committee focusing on the violent clashes during the August 10 anti-government protest of Romanian expats. The Liberals also seek to have the Interior Minister Carmen Dan removed from office by Parliament.




    FESTIVAL – The Golden Stag music festival celebrates 50 years of existence in 2018. After a 9-year break, the international pop music competition held in Brasov, central Romania, will be resumed on Wednesday with a special gala devoted to the Union Centennial. Romanian and international artists will hold concerts, including James Blunt, Amy Macdonald, Andra, Delia, Loredana, Carlas Dreams and Horia Brenciu. The Festival, to be held between August 29 and September 2, will bring together 18 competitors from 15 countries. During the same period, book lovers are invited to the Gaudeamus Caravan, an event organised by Radio Romania.




    MOLDOVA – The Republic of Moldova citizens and expats took part on Sunday in a protest organised by ACUM Resistence Movement, created after the elections for the Chisinau city hall, won by the pro-Europeans, were cancelled. The participants criticised the corruption of the current ruling class, the invalidation of the elections in Chisinau and the new mixed election system. The protest took place ahead of todays celebration of 27 years since the small ex-Soviet state proclaimed its independence from Moscow.




    TENNIS – Three of the 6 Romanian players taking part in the US Open are playing their first matches today. Number 1 in the world Simona Halep is facing Kaia Kanepi (Estonia), Irina Begu takes on the American Jennifer Brady, and Ana Bogdan plays against the Czech Marie Bouzkova. The other Romanians are Mihaela Buzărnescu, who is to play against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, Sorana Cîrstea, scheduled to play against the American Alison Riske, and Monica Niculescu, who will take on the Israeli player Julia Glushko. The only Romanian in the mens competition is Marius Copil, who takes on the Croatian Marin Cilic, number 7 in the world.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 31, 2017

    August 31, 2017

    DIPLOMACY – The Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy continues in Bucharest today with a conference on the role of the Romanian business community in economic diplomacy. During Wednesdays meeting with the Romanian ambassadors and consuls abroad, President Klaus Iohannis called on diplomats to promote the rule of law and focus on protecting the rights and interests of the Romanian citizens abroad. The head of state also discussed the importance of the strategic partnership with the United States and urged the Romanian diplomats to support the trans-Atlantic relation. This years meeting of Romanian diplomats was themed A changing world: the goals of Romanias foreign policy.



    EXCISES – Romanian carriers criticise the Governments decision to increase fuel excises, and predict dark times will come for Romanian transports. The Romanian Federation of Transport Operators says each additional eurocent in the price of petrol and diesel will have a direct impact on the competitiveness of Romanian road carriers and will force many international transport operators to buy fuel from abroad. On Wednesday the Government decided to increase fuel excises in 2 stages, as of September 15 and October 1, respectively. Finance Minister Ionuţ Mişa explained that the measure would be introduced gradually so as not to generate a shock, consisting in higher prices and lower consumption, which would affect the state budget.



    LANGUAGE DAY – Today is the Romanian Language day, celebrated on the last day of August since 2013. On this occasion, the Ministry for the Romanian diaspora is organising in Bucharest, in a partnership with the Romanian Academy, a conference on Romanian language revival and renewal in the diaspora, while the Romanian Cultural Institute organises activities in major cities abroad. Conferences, roundtables, book launches, recitals and exhibitions are organised in Istanbul, New York, Madrid, Tel Aviv and Warsaw. The Romanian Language Day is also celebrated in the Republic of Moldova, and according to the ambassador of Romania to Chisinau, Daniel Ioniţă, this is further proof of the profound unity of the people living on the two banks of Prut River.




    JUDICIARY – The Romanian Justice Ministry has made public the bill modifying the laws on the judiciary, on which Minister Tudorel Toader has requested the official opinion of the Superior Council of Magistrates. The bill, which is intended to make the management of courts and prosecutor offices more efficient, stipulates changes primarily in terms of the professional assessment, promotion, and appointment to senior positions of staff in the judicial system. Some of the changes announced a while ago by Minister Tudorel Toader concern the appointment of the prosecutor general and of the chief prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism by the Superior Council of Magistrates based on a nomination by the Justice Minister, and the setup of a special directorate to investigate offences committed by magistrates. The measures have been criticised and prompted street protests. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate says this is a form of pressure on the work of prosecutors, while the Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazar, says that if endorsed, the bill would affect the independence of magistrates and the activity of judicial institutions.



    FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team is preparing for the game against Armenia, to be played on Friday on home turf, and the one against Montenegro away from home on Monday, as part of the preliminary Group E of next years World Football Cup hosted by Russia. The unchallenged leader of the group is Poland, with 16 points, followed by Montenegro and Denmark, with 10 points each, Romania and Armenia, 6, and Kazakhstan, with 2 points. In this preliminary campaign, the Romanian team is for the first time in its history managed by a foreign coach, the German Cristoph Daum.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)