Radio România Internațional

Tag: drought

  • August 12, 2022 UPDATE

    August 12, 2022 UPDATE


    Drought. Almost 340,000 hectares of agricultural land in 33 Romanian counties are affected by drought, according to the latest data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture. More than 182,000 hectares cultivated with wheat and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye) and almost 27,000 hectares of barley, spelt and oats have been destroyed by drought. Over 30,000 hectares of rape and almost 60,000 hectares of corn are in the same situation.



    Fires. Romania has sent dozens of firefighters and specific equipment to France to help put out the wildfires affecting the southwestern Gironde region. 77 Romanian firefighters and 17 pieces of equipment are on mission at the request of the French Government, through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has thanked Romania and the other countries that are helping to extinguish the fires in his country, describing the gesture as a demonstration of European solidarity



    Budget. The budget adjustment bill published on the website of the Romanian Finance Ministry provides for revenues higher by almost 4.3 billion Euros but also for an increased budget deficit, by almost 538 million Euros The Ministries of Labor, Health, Energy, Agriculture and Transport will receive most of the money. The Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Special Telecommunications Service will have their budgets significantly reduced. The additional amounts allocated to the Labor Ministry are intended to cover welfare and compensation for energy bills to families with low incomes. The positive budget adjustment made by the Finance Ministry covers interest rate payments, secures the Government reserve fund available and state aid for some companies. As to the Energy Ministry, the extra money is intended for personnel expenses and the support scheme for compensating electricity and natural gas prices.



    Housing. Romania ranks second among the European countries with the cheapest housing, after Bosnia and Herzegovina – according to a recent study carried out by the Deloitte Company. The ranking was made based on the average cost per square meter. In Romania it is 1,266 euros, calculated at the prices in the main cities. The most expensive homes are in Cluj-Napoca (north-west), followed by Bucharest and Brasov (centre). The study also shows that, at European level, the highest house prices are in Great Britain, with an average of over 4,900 euros per square meter, followed by Austria, France and Germany



    Production. Romania had the strongest drop in industrial production in the European Union in June. The evolution comes in contrast to the general situation on the continent, where industrial production registered an increase beyond expectations, both in the euro area and at the level of the entire Union. The data for the month of June were published on Friday by the EUROSTAT Office. The countries with the strongest industrial production growth rate were Ireland (6.7%) and Malta. At the opposite pole, the states with the strongest decline, from one month to the next, are Romania, where this indicator decreased by 3.9 percent, and Belgium.




    ROBOR. The Romanian Interbank Offered Rate, known as ROBOR, based on which the cost of loans with variable interest is calculated, has returned to a value below the threshold of 8% per year. The National Bank of Romania has announced that the index dropped to 7.98% on Friday, from 8.02% per year as reported the day before. At the beginning of 2022, the 3-month ROBOR index was 3.02% per year.



    Covid. More than 5,700 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections have been registered in Romania in the past 24 hours, 750 less than the previous day, the Romanian Health Ministry announced on Friday. Most new cases have been reported in Bucharest, Cluj and Timis. 3,800 Covid patients are hospitalized, of whom 300 in intensive care. 20 related deaths were also reported in 24 hours.



    Football. Three Romanian football teams qualified, on Thursday, at home, for the play-offs of the Europa Conference League and have chances to reach the groups stage. FCSB defeated the Slovak team FC DAC 1904 Dunajska Streda 1-0 in the second leg of the third preliminary round, after winning the first match 1-0. In the next stage, FCSB will meet Viking Stavanger (Norway). CFR Cluj defeated the Belarusian team Shahtior Soligorsk 1-0, after their first match ended in a draw, 0-0. The Romanian champions will play in the play-offs against NK Maribor from Slovenia. Universitatea Craiova defeated the Ukrainian team Zaria Lugansk 3-0, after winning 1-0 in the first match. In the next stage, U Craiova will face Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC from Israel. The fourth Romanian team from the Europa Conference League, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, was eliminated by the Swedish team Djurgaardens IF.




    Swimming. Romanian swimmer David Popovici has qualified for the final of the 100 m freestyle at the European Aquatics Championships in Rome, with a time of 46 sec / 98 hundredths, a new European record, established in the semi-finals on Friday evening. Popovici (17 years old), the defending world champion in the 100 and 200 m freestyle, had achieved a record of the European Championships with 47 sec / 20 hundredths. The final of the 100m freestyle race will take place on Saturday. The world record of the event is held by the Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho (46 sec / 91 hundredths), from 2009. Romania is represented in Rome by a delegation of 11 athletes. (MI)





  • August 11, 2022 UPDATE

    August 11, 2022 UPDATE

    Agriculture – In Romania, wheat crops are affected by the drought on an area of ​​over 180,000 hectares, while the total affected area reached on Thursday almost 330,000 hectares in three quarters of the counties, according to data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development . The line minister, Petre Daea, announced that this years wheat production is by 15% – 18% smaller than that recorded in 2021. According to the agriculture minister, there is enough wheat to cover Romanias internal needs, namely 2.5 – 3 million tons, and even to ensure a surplus for export.



    Fire – Romania will provide emergency external humanitarian aid to France to extinguish the devastating forest fires there, and a ground intervention module is going to be sent. 7 firefighting officers and 70 non-commissioned officers as well as 17 pieces of equipment have been mobilized. The aid will be granted based on the request for international assistance made by the French government, through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The module will be transported by two C17 planes, which will pick up the components from Bucharest and Timisoara. The two aircraft are from the Papa Air Base in Hungary, a NATO structure that provides strategic air transport capabilities. They will be used with the support of the Romanian Defense Ministry, using the flight resources intended for it. Similar aid by Romania was granted to Greece.



    Refugees – The number of Ukrainian citizens with employment contracts in Romania has reached almost 6,500, said the labor minister, Marius Budăi. More than 4,000 contracts were registered after the start of the war. Most are in the manufacturing industry, and also in constructions, hotels, restaurants and trade. More than a quarter of Ukrainians, over 1,200, opted for jobs in Bucharest. On the other hand, the Border Police announced that, on Wednesday, about 13,500 Ukrainian citizens crossed the border into Romania. Starting from February 10 (pre-conflict period), until August 9, almost 1.9 million refugees entered the country, but most of them only transited Romania to other European countries.





    Covid – Almost 6,500 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections have been registered in the last 24 hours in Romania, over 800 less than the previous day, the Romanian Health Ministry announced on Thursday. About a fifth of the new cases are in re-infected patients. About 300 people are in intensive care. In the last 24 hours, 29 Covid patients have died.



    Inflation – The annual inflation rate in Romania dropped to 14.96% in July this year, from 15.1% in June – the National Institute of Statistics announced on Thursday. Natural gas, oil, potatoes and fuel are at the top of the price hikes in July, followed by energy, plane tickets, flour and corn flour. Telephony services are the only ones that got slightly cheaper, the rest of the products and services registering price increases. According to the data presented, on Tuesday, by the Central Bank governor, Mugur Isărescu, the National Bank of Romania increased the inflation forecast for the end of this year to 13.9% and estimates an inflation rate of 7.5% for the end of next year. (LS)

  • August 11, 2022

    August 11, 2022

    Drought. In Romania,
    wheat crops are affected by drought on an area of ​​over 180,000 hectares,
    while the total affected agricultural area has extended to almost 330,000
    hectares in two thirds of Romania’s counties, according to the data provided by
    the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The relevant minister, Petre
    Daea, has announced that this year’s wheat production is 15% – 18% lower than
    that recorded in 2021. According to the minister, however, there is enough
    wheat to cover Romania’s internal needs, meaning 2.5 – 3 million tons, and to
    even ensure a surplus for export.







    Inflation. The annual inflation rate in Romania dropped to 14.96% in July this year, from 15.1% in June, the National Institute of Statistics has announced. Natural gas, oil, potatoes and fuel are at the top of the price hikes in July, followed by energy, plane tickets, flour and sorghum. Telephone services are the only ones that got slightly cheaper. According to the data presented on Tuesday by the governor of the Central Bank, Mugur Isărescu, the National Bank of Romania revised the inflation forecast for the end of this year to 13.9% and estimates an inflation of 7.5% for the end of next year.






    Ukraine. Prime Minister
    Nicolae Ciucă has stated that the Government of Romania has no data to justify
    the concern regarding the situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in
    neighboring Ukraine. He says that the authorities in Bucharest constantly
    monitor data related to the environment, and the state institutions have taken
    all measures to inform and protect the population in good time. The UN Security
    Council is convening urgently today to discuss the situation of the plant in
    Zaporizhzhya, which Kiev and Moscow accuse each other of having bombed. At
    least 14 people died from the bombings on Tuesday night in the area around the
    nuclear power plant, the largest of its kind in Europe. The G7 group of the
    most industrialized countries accused Moscow of endangering the Ukrainian
    region around the plant, occupied by Russian troops.

    Embargo. The European embargo on Russian coal has come into force, four months after it was adopted as part of the fifth package of sanctions against Moscow, at a time when the EU is facing strong tensions over its energy supply, France Presse reports. It is the first EU sanction to hit the Russian energy sector. Until last year, the EU would import 45% of its coal from Russia for 4 billion euros a year, and countries such as Germany and Poland, which used it for electricity production, were particularly dependent on it. In the context in which the annual European consumption of coal, a polluting fossil fuel, fell from 1,200 to 427 million tons between 1990 and 2020, the closure of numerous mines on the continent contributed to the increase of Europeans’ dependence on imports.






    Refugees. The number of
    Ukrainian citizens with employment contracts in Romania has reached almost
    6,500, according to the Minister of Labor, Marius Budai. More than 4,000
    contracts were registered after the start of the war. Most are in the
    manufacturing industry, followed by construction, hotels, restaurants and
    commerce. More than a quarter of Ukrainians, over 1,200, opted for jobs in
    Bucharest. On the other hand, the Border Police announced that, on Wednesday,
    about 13,500 Ukrainian citizens crossed the border into Romania. Since February
    10, before the conflict, until August 9, almost 1.9 million refugees entered
    the country, but most of them only transited Romania to other European
    countries.






    Motorway. Works are
    starting for the construction of the A7 Motorway, which will connect the cities
    of Ploieşti, in the south of Romania, and Paşcani, in the east. It is the
    largest investment of this kind financed by the NRRP in the European Union. A
    Romaian – Bulgarian joint venture is starting today the organization of the
    construction site on lot 2 of the 28 km- long Ploiesti-Buzau section, which
    should be ready in 20 months. Starting August 22, an Italian builder will be
    working on the first lot, out of a total of 13. Dubbed the Moldavian Motorway, A7
    will measure almost 440 kilometers.






    Rowing. Romania participates
    with 11 crews and 39 athletes in the European Rowing Championships in Munich.
    Among the tricolor athletes present at the competition in Germany are the
    Olympic champions Ancuța Bodnar and Simona Radiș, who will compete in the
    double sculls event. At the previous edition of the European Rowing
    Championships, Romania won six medals, two gold and four silver. Recently, at
    the Canoe Sprint World Championships in
    Halifax (Canada), Romanian Cătălin Chirilă became world champion in the canoe
    single 1,000-meter event and world vice-champion in the 500-meter race. In
    another development, the European Swimming Championships start today in Rome. 11 Romanian athletes will participate in
    swimming, diving and high diving events. In swimming, David Popovici, double
    world champion, is announced as the big favorite in the 100 m and 200 m
    freestyle races. (MI)



  • Severe drought in Europe

    Severe drought in Europe

    France is on high alert. Italy reports
    billions of euros in agricultural damage. The Netherlands, Germany, Poland,
    Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia face the difficulty of providing animal feed. In
    Spain, the volumes of water stored in reservoirs are currently over a third
    lower than the ten-year average.




    As for Portugal, water in reservoirs for
    hydroelectric plants is at half the seven-year average. Let’s not forget the
    fires affecting countries in southern Europe! And all these have a common cause
    – excessive heat and severe drought.




    Romania is no exception. Almost 243,000
    hectares in 30 counties, i.e. three quarters of the country, are affected by
    drought. The most recent data centralized by the Ministry of Agriculture and
    Rural Development show that the affected area is increasing compared to the end
    of last week, when 28 counties announced that approximately 230,000 hectares
    were affected by the lack of water.




    The crops of wheat and triticale, a hybrid
    of wheat and rye, suffered the most: the affected area rose to 133,000
    hectares. Next are the areas cultivated with barley, sorghum, oats and rye -
    20,000 hectares, rapeseed – 24,000 hectares and corn – 40,000. Farmers are
    desperate and say that losses will be huge. The Minister of Agriculture, Petre
    Daea, has promised them a guide of good practices, developed together with the
    Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the most valuable specialists in Romania,
    because, in his opinion, drought can be combated not only through irrigation,
    but also by using applied technologies and choosing the right varieties.




    Regarding irrigation, by 2027, Romania is
    supposed to have 2.6 million hectares of irrigable surface, for which 1.5
    billion euros have been provided from the national budget, minister Petre Daea
    has also stated. In a post on social media, he says that the implementation of
    the irrigation system rehabilitation program recently approved by the
    Government must be done day by day, without interruption.




    The official also called for
    responsibility: the destruction over the years cannot be overlooked. Forest
    vegetation that has occupied the entire section of irrigation canals, damaged
    canals or pressure stations in ruins are evidence of recklessness and lack of
    action. The rehabilitation works have started, but it is important to take care
    and preserve what we have, not destroy it, the Minister of Agriculture has
    stressed.




    In Romania, however, there are also numerous
    counterexamples, that is, well-managed works in the field that are reflected in
    the products obtained, the quality of which is in no way inferior to that of
    any other holding in the flagship countries of European agriculture.




    Mention should be made of the fact that
    wheat harvesting has been completed in Romania, the entire production is
    stored, and the quantity obtained will ensure the country’s consumption needs,
    with availability for export. (MI)

  • August 3, 2022

    August 3, 2022


    AID In Romania, the people affected by recent natural disasters will receive state aid, after the government approves a draft resolution in this respect today. The largest sums, around EUR 2,000, will go to the families and individuals whose households have been affected to an extent of over 75%. In the case of fatalities, the families of the deceased will receive an additional EUR 1,500, irrespective of the number of victims. Meanwhile, the Romanian Waters Administration says the strategic water reserve in the countrys main 40 lakes, although decreasing since early July, is able to cover the needs of all relevant beneficiaries. According to current data, nearly 800 localities have introduced water supply restrictions, and the drought continues, especially in the east. As regards crops, a total of 205,000 hectares of farmland have been affected so far.



    AGRICULTURE Romanias grain yield is enough to cover the domestic demand and some exports, the agriculture minister Petre Daea said today, as 96% of the crops have already been harvested. High temperatures and extensive drought have affected crops, particularly sunflower and maize, across the country. Romania is one of the largest grain exporters in the EU and an active exporter to the Middle East. Last year the country had record-large crops, including 11.3 million tonnes of wheat. The domestic grain yield is generally 2-3 times higher than the domestic demand.



    COVID-19 The next variants of the new coronavirus will most likely be not very aggressive, but easily transmitted, the head of the Matei Bals Institute for Infectious Disease, Adrian Marinescu believes. He says the pandemic has reached a stage where we cohabitate with the virus, and many of the infected people perceive the disease as similar to a common cold. The health minister Alexandru Rafila does not rule out a 7th pandemic wave in Romania this autumn, when schools and universities resume classes. On Wednesday over 9,100 new COVID-19 cases were reported, most of them in Bucharest and in Cluj and Timiş counties. Nearly 4,000 COVID patients are hospitalized, of whom nearly 550 are children. 284 patients are in intensive care, and 41 COVID-related deaths have also been reported.



    TAIPEI The EU called for the tensions related to the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan to be settled through dialogue and for all communication channels with China to remain open, so as to avoid errors. China has its army on high alert in response to the visit, which it sees as a provocation. Chinas defence ministry announced “targeted military operations”, and the East Command of the Peoples Liberation Army said they involved live-fire drills near Taiwan-a self-ruled island that China views as part of its territory. In Washington, the Biden administration says there is no need for the Chinese authorities to turn this visit into a crisis. The White House spokesman for national security, John Kirby, said the House Speaker has the right to visit Taiwan, but highlighted that the trip was not a violation of Chinese sovereignty or of the One China Policy. The visit, which was not supported by US president Biden, is the first by a US official at this level in 25 years.



    REVOLUTION The prosecutor general of Romania, Gabriela Scutea, today announced the “Revolution Case” was referred back to the supreme court. In this case, the ex-president Ion Iliescu, former deputy PM Gelu Voican Voiculescu and Iosif Rus, former Military Aviation chief, are charged with crimes against humanity. According to the investigation, a widespread “terrorism” psychosis was created, which led to chaotic gun fire, fratricide, conflicting military orders. According to military prosecutors, this psychosis was induced deliberately, through disinformation and diversion, and resulted in over 850 dead, 2,380 wounded, hundreds of people illegally arrested and psychological trauma. Initiated in Timișoara in December 1989, the Romanian anti-communist revolution led to the flight, capture, summary trial and execution of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife Elena. (AMP)


  • August 2, 2022 UPDATE

    August 2, 2022 UPDATE

    NATURAL GAS The Romanian state owned company
    Romgaz has announced it completed the acquisition of shares from the American
    company ExxonMobil as part of the Neptun Deep natural gas extraction project in
    the Black Sea. The energy minister Virgil Popescu said on a social network that
    the completion of the USD 1 billion transaction is an important step ahead for
    Romania in its effort to achieve energy independence, at a difficult time for
    the entire Europe. Romania, which is currently the European country the least
    dependent on Russian gas, owns large reserves in the Black Sea – around 200
    billion cubic meters. Most of it is in the Neptun Deep perimeter, which Romgaz
    will develop alongside OMV Petrom. Meanwhile, in the Midia perimeter, nearly
    120 km off Romania’s Black Sea coast, Black Sea Oil&Gas has already began
    extraction.


    ROMA Improving the quality of life of Romania’s
    Roma minority, based on active citizenship, social and economic inclusion and
    the Roma cultural heritage is a priority for the government of Romania. This
    message was conveyed by PM Nicolae Ciucă on the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day.
    The foreign ministry mentioned that the suffering inflicted on the Roma in concentration
    and extermination camps run by the Nazi and their allies during WW2 were
    unfortunately ignored for too long by the general public. This is why the
    foreign ministry supports national and international initiatives to promote
    research and commemoration of the Roma genocide. The institution also condemns
    hate speech against this community. The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis
    also pointed out in a message that stigmatizing and discriminating against minorities
    must be penalised harshly.On August
    2, 1944, nearly 3,000 Roma at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp were killed by the
    Nazi regime. Overall, some 500,000 Roma people were killed in Europe during the
    Holocaust.


    DROUGHT In Romania, the total area affected by drought has reached
    over 190,000 hectares in 24 counties, 30,000 hectares more than the previous
    day, the Agriculture Ministry announced. According to weather experts, temperatures
    will gradually rise until August 8, in most parts of the country. Moreover, the
    Danube river flow is half the multi-annual average for the month of August. The
    National Waters Administration announced that the strategic water reserve in
    the main 40 lakes in the country is 3.19 billion cubic metres, down from 3.45
    billion in early July.


    COVID-19 The health minister Alexandru Rafila does not rule out a 7th pandemic wave in
    Romania this autumn, when schools and universities resume classes. In
    his opinion, wearing face masks in public transportation means and closed areas
    is critical to keeping the pandemic under control. On Tuesday over 11,600 new
    COVID-19 cases were reported, most of them in Bucharest and in Cluj and Timiş
    counties. More than 4,000 COVID patients are hospitalized, of whom nearly 600
    are children. 277 patients are in intensive care, and 38 COVID-related deaths
    have also been reported, including a child.


    TAIWAN U.S. House of Representatives Speaker
    Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday with a clear message for China. She said the
    US commitment to supporting Taiwan’s democracy is more important than ever.
    Nancy Pelosi’s visit, which was immediately condemned by the Chinese
    authorities, is the first by a US House of Representatives speaker in 25 years.
    On Wednesday she will have meetings with Taiwan officials. Beijing responded immediately,
    denouncing what it called a very dangerous attitude on the part of the US.
    Taiwan has had its own government since the communist victory on continental
    China in 1949, but Beijing views it as one of its own provinces and threatens
    to resort to force should the island proclaim its independence.


    TENNIS -
    Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (WTA 16) qualified to the round of 16 of
    the Washington tournament after defeating the Moldovan Cristina Bucsa (WTA
    123), 6-3, 7-5. Halep will be up next against the winner of the match between
    American Madison Brengle and Russian Ana Kalinskaya. Also, the Romanian-Czech
    pair Monica Niculescu/Lucie Hradecka (WTA 250) qualified to the quarterfinals
    after a victory against Emma Răducanu (UK) /Clara Tauson (Denmark), 6-4, 6-1.
    Niculescu and Hradecka will be up next against Americans Makenna Jones/Sloane
    Stephens. (AMP)

  • July 28, 2022

    July 28, 2022

    COVID — The number of Covid-19 cases in Romania has been constantly decreasing since the spring, but it has recently started to increase again. 9,339 people were confirmed with Covid-19, on Thursday, in Romania. The total number of infections is below that of the previous day, but by almost 50% higher than last week. The number of those who need hospitalization also continues to increase: over 3,700 people, of whom 253 are in intensive care. There are about 600 children with Covid in hospitals. Specialists say that the current variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, can bypass the protection given by both vaccination and the disease, and recommend the immunization of people from vulnerable categories. Anti-Covid vaccines adapted for the Omicron variant should be available in Romania as of the autumn.



    Funds — The prime minister Nicolae Ciucă has said Romania’s absorption rate of European funds as part of the 2014-2020 financial exercise stands at 64.5%, a level similar to that of Germany and only slightly lower than France, but ahead of older member states like Belgium (59%) and Italy, Spain and The Netherlands (each with a little over 56%). According to Ciucă, Romania absorbed 22 billion Euros out of the 35 billion it is allocated in the 2014-2020 period.



    Drought – Drought has so far affected 150,000 hectares of farmland in 20 different counties across Romania, said the agriculture ministry, based on daily reports on the state of the crops. The irrigation systems are struggling to cope, owing to the drop in the level of the water used to feed the irrigation stations. The biggest such station, in Brăila county, in the south-east, was shut down because of the low Danube water flow. The station was providing water for 250,000 hectares of land in the region. The water flow of the river Prut, in the east, is also dropping, having already reached a record low level. Agriculture minister Petre Daea said the animal breeding sector is also affected by drought.



    Olympics — On Wednesday, Romania won the gold medal in the womens team artistic gymnastics competition of the 16th summer edition of the European Youth Olympics Festival in Banska Bystrica (Slovakia). Amalia Puflea, Amalia Ghigoarţă and Sabrina Voinea have had the upper hand over the representatives of Germany and Italy. After three days of competitions Romania has four medals: gold in the artistic gymnastics event, two silver medals won by Amalia Puflea in the individual all-around event and Aissia Claudia Prisecariu in the 200 m backstroke swimming event as well as a bronze medal won by Ana Maria Vişan in athletics, in the disc throw event. Romania is represented at the 2022 European Youth Olympics Festival by 92 athletes in 8 sports disciplines – athletics, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, judo, volleyball, handball and tennis. At the previous summer edition that took place in Baku, in 2019, Romania won no less than 19 medals: 4 gold, 10 silver and 5 bronze.



    Visit — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will receive the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, on Friday in Bucharest, on the occasion of her official visit to Romania, at the invitation of the Romanian head of state. It is the first direct bilateral meeting of the two heads of state after the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) received the status of candidate country to EU accesion. According to the Presidential Administration, Klaus Iohannis will reiterate Bucharests firm support for boosting the reform process in the Republic of Moldova, necessary for European integration. At the same time, the two officials will tackle regional developments in the context of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine as well as the ways to counteract its negative effects on Chisinau. Topics of central interest on the bilateral agenda will also be addressed, such as the energy security of the Republic of Moldova and sectoral cooperation in key areas – the Presidential Administration also shows. (LS)

  • Requests to assist Romanian farmers

    Requests to assist Romanian farmers

    Crops across Romania have been affected by this years unprecedented drought, and farmers are beginning to measure their losses, fearing that they will not break even this season.



    The biggest problems are reported in the south and east of the country, where water reserves are dwindling. The farmers in some areas have already asked the local authorities to take the necessary measures to declare a state of disaster in agriculture.



    In order to support the farmers affected by the drought, Bucharest has asked the European Commission to approve an advance payment accounting for 70 to 85% of the direct payments under the environment and climate measures in the 2014-2022 National Rural Development Programme.



    The government intends to give EUR 51.6 million in aid to fruit and wine growers and to pig and poultry breeders. Of this amount, EUR 25.5 million will come from EU funds, and the balance from the national budget, the agriculture ministry explained. Moreover, investments in local irrigation systems are planned, amounting to EUR 100 million, under the 2023-2027 National Strategic Plan.



    According to the data centralised by the institution, the drought has so far destroyed the crops on nearly 107,000 ha in 20 Romanian counties. Because of the drought, the Danube river flow Monday morning reached a minimum of 1,950 cubic metres per second, as against the 2,500 cubic metre per second on average at this time of the year. Hydrologists warn that the river flow would continue to drop this entire week, to as little as 1,850 cubic metres per second.



    For this reason, Dolj County in southern Romania for instance is facing an unprecedented situation in the last 70 years: crops can no longer be irrigated using the Danubes water, after the river level dropped 7 cm in one day.



    The head of the Romanian Farmers Association, Daniel Botănoiu, warns that the extreme drought affects this years crops, but will also have an impact on the next agricultural year, because works cannot be conducted in time and at the required quality standards. He believes that on the one hand the irrigation system must be adapted to the new technologies so as to ensure maximum efficiency, and on the other hand drought-tolerant plant species should be used.



    While farmers are struggling with the drought, the news from weather experts is hardly encouraging. This drought is only the beginning, difficult times are ahead, says the president of the Romanian Meteorological Society Ion Sandu, who urges the authorities to take measures for the forthcoming period. (AMP)

  • July 26, 2022

    July 26, 2022

    Drought. The Bucharest government has requested the European Commissions approval to grant an advance of 70 to 85% in direct payments for environmental and climate measures from the National Rural Development Program 2014-2022, to help farmers affected by the drought. Also, the Executive wants to grant fruit growers and winegrowers, as well as pig and poultry farmers an aid of 51.6 million euros, of which 25.5 million euros from European funds, and the rest from the national budget. According to data centralized by the Ministry of Agriculture, the drought has so far affected almost 107 thousand hectares of agricultural land in 20 counties across Romania.



    Gas. The EU energy ministers are meeting today to discuss plans to reduce the Unions dependence on Russian gas. The Commission had proposed a voluntary reduction of consumption by 15%, with the possibility of a mandatory regime in case of emergency. However, the plan was opposed by several member countries, which are either less dependent on Russian gas, or have sufficient stocks for the winter. That is why the initial proposal was modified, so that the energy ministers could approve it today. According to the version seen by the Reuters agency, exemptions from the 15% cap are provided for the gas used in critical industries, such as the metallurgical one. Europe is already facing a drop in supplies from Russia, with Gazprom announcing a further reduction in flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Russia has been accused of using energy as a weapon, and the European Commission has warned that a total shutdown of gas supplies is likely .



    Washington. The Romanian Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, is in the United States, for talks on the development of the civil nuclear program and strengthening the strategic partnership in the field of energy. In a post on Facebook, he writes that he had a very good dialogue in Washington with representatives of the American and Canadian companies that are part of the project that provides for the construction of units 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant (southeast Romania ). Virgil Popescu also discussed with the representatives of the NuScale company, which is building the small modular reactor at Doicesti (south). “Together with the American, Canadian and French partners, we are modernizing and developing nuclear energy in Romania”, the Romanian Energy Ministry said.



    Visit. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, is in Romania today, at the invitation of the head of Romanian diplomacy, Bogdan Aurescu. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is one of Romanias main partners in the Middle East region, and the meeting of the two dignitaries will focus on the prospects and concrete ways of developing Romanian-Jordanian relations in the main fields of cooperation, namely education, trade, agriculture, medicine , IT&C, cyber security and defense, the MAF says. At the same time, means of increasing the volume of commercial exchanges and investments will be discussed, starting from the already existing potential. At the same time, Bogdan Aurescu and his Jordanian counterpart will address the main political issues of common interest, including recent developments in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.



    Infocons. Romanians can very easily find out what the emergency numbers in the country and abroad are, info about European alerts regarding food and non-food products, as well as the list of ranked accommodation units and licensed travel agencies. All this through the Infocons application, which can be downloaded on the mobile phone, can call emergency numbers and also provides information on waiting times at the Romanian border crossing points. The application is free and can be used both in European Union and non-EU countries. It contains over two million products, including the updated list of civil protection shelters in Romania.



    Covid. The number of cases of coronavirus infection is again on the rise in Romania, with 5 thousand new cases reported on Monday, three times the figure reported the previous Monday. The same increase has been reported in hospitals. There are some 3,600 hospitalized patients, of whom 204 serious cases, in intensive care. Most new cases have been registered in Bucharest and in the counties of Cluj, Constana, Timis and Brasov. The national infection rate for a period of 14 days is 2.1 per one thousand inhabitants. So far, Romanian authorities have not taken any anti-pandemic measures.



    Migrants. Several migrants were discovered when trying to leave Romania, through the Nădlac II Border Crossing Point (west), hidden in the trunks of four cars driven by Romanians. They were citizens of Morocco, India and Syria, who had planned to fraudulently get to a Schengen Area state. Also, four Afghan asylum seekers, who were attempting to illegally cross the border into Hungary, were found in another truck, also driven by a Romanian driver. (MI)

  • July 25, 2022 UPDATE

    July 25, 2022 UPDATE

    DROUGHT Drought has affected
    106,389 hectares of land in Romania, according to figures published by the
    agriculture ministry. The southern counties of Teleorman, Olt and Dolj have run
    out of water for irrigation because of the significant drop in the Danube’s
    river flow, agriculture minister Petre Daea announced on social media. Waters
    have retreated so much that they no longer reach the pumping stations feeding
    the irrigation system, with part of the Danube’s bed now looking like sandy
    beach. In the areas where irrigation was used, the state of the crops is good.
    Daea said the authorities are speeding up investment works to rehabilitate the
    national irrigation network and to bring Danube water closer to pumping
    stations. The minister recently said there is no reason yet to declare a state
    of disaster over the drought.

    TALKS
    The Romanian state secretary for strategic affairs, Iulian Fota, Monday had
    talks in Bucharest with the US deputy under-secretary for national security Kelli
    Ann Burriesci, who is on a regional tour in Europe. The US official was later
    received by the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu. Talks focused on Romania’s
    participation in the Visa Waiver Program
    and on means to strengthen bilateral cooperation to this end. Bogdan Aurescu reiterated
    that including Romania in the Visa Waiver
    program is a top political goal for Bucharest and a topic of particular
    interest to the Romanian public.     He also
    highlighted the importance of the successful implementation of a joint
    awareness raising campaign and voiced Romania’s willingness to work together
    with the US to help reduce the visa rejection rate.


    COVID-19 In Romania,
    the number of coronavirus infections is on the rise. Nearly 5,000 new cases
    were reported on Monday for the last 24 hours, most of these in Bucharest,
    Cluj, Ilfov, Constanta and Brasov counties. Around 3,400 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised,
    204 of them in intensive care. Most of the patients in critical condition are
    unvaccinated. Five COVID-related deaths have also been reported.


    CORRUPTION Lucian
    Duţă, the former chief of Romania’s National Health Insurance Agency (CNAS), Monday
    received a final 6-year prison sentence. He was charged by the National
    Anti-Corruption Directorate for receiving EUR 6.3 million in bribe in exchange
    for awarding a public service contract to 2 software companies. The Bucharest Court
    of Appeals upheld the ruling pronounced by the court of first instance in
    November 2020, and the court’s decision to seize the EUR 6.3 million from Lucian
    Duţă.


    ENERGY More than
    3,500 MW of renewable energy will be installed in Romania in the coming period,
    both solar, using photovoltaic panels, and wind-generated, according to data
    provided by a consultancy firm in the field. Almost 700 such projects have been
    submitted on the platform made available by the energy ministry to receive
    funding under the recovery and resilience plan. The secretary general of the
    employers’ association in the field of renewable energy Mihai Verşescu said
    investment is needed in this sector, but that business people are reluctant because
    of frequent legislative changes. He emphasised that while funding sources are
    available, legislation is needed to ensure predictability.


    EMPLOYMENT Five out
    of ten Romanian employees changed their jobs in the last two years, according
    to a poll published by an online recruitment platform. Many job applicants look
    for less stressful jobs and more benefits. Four out of ten people who change
    their jobs were driven by higher pay, 27% because they had lost their jobs a
    result of a wave of redundancies, and 3% because their employers did not agree
    to their working remotely. 35% of respondents said they are currently looking
    and applying for new jobs and only 21% are completely satisfied with their
    current jobs. In conclusion, Romanians seeking new employment want better pay,
    the possibility to work from home, more additional benefits besides their wages
    and the possibility to relocate abroad.


    TENNIS The Romanian
    tennis player Irina Begu won the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo, Italy, worth
    200,000 US dollars in prize money. In Sunday’s final, she defeated Italy’s
    Lucia Bronzetti in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. This is Begu’s fifth WTA title,
    having also won in Tashkent in 2012, Seoul in 2015, Florianopolis in 2016 and
    Bucharest in 2017. Begu also played the finals in Budapest, Marbella, Moscow
    and Cleveland. She is 31 years old and is ranked 45th in the world. Until now,
    Irina Spârlea had been the only Romanian player to win the singles title in
    Palermo, in 1994 and 1995. (CM, AMP)

  • Water supplies – a worrying situation

    Water supplies – a worrying situation

    In Romania, a country with few functional irrigation systems,
    agriculture is largely dependent on the weather. Pedological drought, which
    means a low reserve of water in the soil, is destroying hectares of crops again
    this year, bringing farmers to the brink of bankruptcy. The situation has been confirmed
    by the Director of the National Meteorological Administration, Elena Mateescu.
    In an interview for the Agerpres agency, she says that, this summer, Romania is
    going through a period in which the precipitation deficit is significant, and
    the situation is very unlikely to change, which will certainly make this
    agricultural year one of the driest in history.




    According to specialist estimates, the most affected crops are corn and
    sunflower, while Moldova (east) is the region most seriously affected by the
    extreme pedological drought, with the lowest amount of precipitation in
    history, 322.6 liters per square meter this year. In addition, several counties
    in the south have announced that there is no water left for irrigation because
    the level of the Danube has dropped significantly. The Ministry of Agriculture
    says that the area affected by pedological drought, where harvesting has been
    completed, has increased to approximately 70,000 hectares in 14 counties, and a
    damage assessment is underway.





    However, the Minister of Agriculture, Petre Daea, claims that at this moment there is no need to declare a state of calamity due to the drought. He also says that the projects developed and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture have focused on three main objectives. Petre Daea:


    The first objective is to build the pumping stations, to equip them
    with modern, automatic equipment, which would consume less electricity. We then need to clean the drainage sections
    of the canals in such a way that the water goes smoothly to the pressurization
    stations. And the third objective is to waterproof the canals.




    Irrigation is not the only problem; providing water to the population has also become an
    issue. As a result of the severe drought lately, water has been rationalized in
    several localities in the south and east of Romania, and authorities are still
    looking for solutions to ensure the population’s consumption needs.




    And
    the weather doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. After a weekend with temperatures that reached 40 degrees Celsius, but
    also with storms and powerful winds that uprooted trees and destroyed roofs,
    Romania started a new hot week. Meteorologists say that most of the country will be under yellow
    and orange code warnings at least until Thursday.




    Maximum temperatures of up to 40 degrees are forecast again for Tuesday,
    especially in the western and southern regions. Against the background of this
    big heat wave, the Ministry of Health has published on its website several
    recommendation for the population. (MI)

  • Romania struggles with drought

    Romania struggles with drought

    70% of Romania’s territory is affected by drought,
    according to the authorities, who are calling on the population to make sensible
    use of water resources so that they are sufficient for everyone. Meteorologists
    are forecasting two more weeks of drought, with very little precipitation and
    very high temperatures, which will imply measures to protect resources to
    ensure drinking water in the long and medium run.




    It is necessary to act quickly, using all domestic and
    European resources available in order to protect Romanian agriculture and
    farmers, said prime minister Nicolae Ciucă, who on Tuesday called the first
    meeting of an inter-ministerial committee to manage to effects of climate
    change on agriculture, including those caused by drought. The situation this
    year is very complicated. We have done our best to increase the amount of
    irrigation, but this was not possible in many areas, so many crops are
    damaged, said agriculture minister Petre Daea. As a short and medium term
    goal, the committee aims to implement the necessary measures to enhance the
    industrialisation capacity of agricultural production and support farmers to
    prepare and carry out the autumn work.
    The prime minister said the authorities are preparing the autumn
    negotiations to make it possible for the European funds available under the
    country’s recovery and resilience plan to also be used to expand the irrigation
    system.




    Under the circumstances, the Romanian national water
    management company warned that with the country’s water reserves dropping, the
    population should use water resources more sensibly so that they are sufficient
    for everyone. At the moment, the water service is restricted in over 200
    localities due to the drought and very high consumption. The authorities said
    measures would be taken to further restrict consumption, in order to protect
    water resources and ensure drinking water in the medium and long run.




    The situation is dramatic across most of the
    continent, not least because of the wildfires caused by extreme temperatures.
    Significant damage has been recorded in France, where tens of thousands of
    hectares of land have been destroyed by fire, and tens of thousands of people
    have been evacuated. North of Athens, the Greek authorities recorded a number
    of wildfires within 24 hours. Spain and Portugal are also struggling with
    wildfires, where hundreds of victims were reported because of the heat wave
    sweeping across most of Europe. (CM)

  • July 19, 2022

    July 19, 2022

    TALKS The president of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas is on an official
    visit to Romania today, at the invitation of president Klaus Iohannis. The 2
    leaders will discuss ways to encourage and strengthen bilateral cooperation in
    areas of mutual interest, particularly political dialogue, home affairs,
    education, economy and trade. The agenda of talks also includes regional
    developments in the Middle East, the progress and prospects of the Peace
    Process, the security situation and the consequences of Russia’s illegal
    aggression against Ukraine, the Romanian Presidency says. Also today, president
    Iohannis is scheduled to receive Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs and
    minister for defence, Simon Coveney.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had a meeting on
    Monday with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, on the sidelines of the
    Foreign Affairs Council held in Brussels. According to the Romanian Foreign
    Ministry, the Greek party thanked Romania for the assistance given by Romanian
    fire-fighters in containing the recent wildfires in Greece. The 2 officials
    also discussed the situation in Ukraine, with a focus on the consequences and impact
    at regional and EU level of Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked military campaign
    in that country. They highlighted the importance of ensuring energy security, a
    sector in which Romania and Greece have converging interests and approaches.
    Bogdan Aurescu welcomed the consolidation of bilateral dialogue and cooperation
    in this field, mentioning the recent opening of the Greece-Bulgaria natural gas
    interconnecting pipeline, a major step in consolidating the energy security of
    the countries in the region.


    EDUCATION Romanian students won 3rd place in the world, after
    Singapore and Lithuania, at the International Geography Olympiad. As many as
    209 students from 54 countries took part in this year’s competition. This
    success comes after the outstanding performances of Romanian students in other
    international competitions. They won 2nd place at the International
    Physics Olympiad organised online by Switzerland, while Romania’s team won 1st
    place in Europe and 5th in the world at the International Maths
    Olympiad in Oslo, out of 105 competing countries.


    LOAN The World Bank
    and Romania Tuesday signed a EUR 600 mln development policy loan, with a focus
    on inclusive green economic growth, the WB announced. This is the first of 2
    such financing operations, and is accompanied by USD 24.2 mln non-reimbursable
    financial assistance. The WB is currently running 10 investment projects in
    Romania, totalling USD 1.78 bln, in addition to 31 technical and analytical
    assistance projects worth USD 104 mln.


    COVID The Romanian
    health ministry Tuesday announced 7,658 new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the last
    24 hours, over 4,000 more than on Monday. The number of patients in intensive
    care has also increased to 136, and 9 people died from the disease in 24 hours.


    EU ACCESSION The European Union Tuesday opened the accession
    negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, the president of the European
    Commission, Ursula von der Leyen announced. The 27 EU member states Monday
    night agreed to open accession talks, after Skopje and Sofia signed a protocol
    that eliminates the last remaining obstacles. North Macedonia has been a
    candidate country since 2005, and Albania since 2014.


    UKRAINE The president of Russia Vladimir Putin and the president of
    Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are attending a summit in Tehran today, together
    with their Iranian counterpart Ibrahim Raisi. According to the BBC, following
    the sanctions introduced by the West, Putin will use this opportunity to prove
    that Moscow still has strong allies. Putin will also have separate meetings
    with the leaders of the two states. Turkey negotiated with Russia and Ukraine
    to unblock Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, while Iran and Russia are
    looking for new trade routes to bypass sanctions, the BBC also says. Meanwhile,
    in Ukraine, Russian forces carried on the shelling of Nikopol, with scores of
    attacks launched during the night. Several people, including a child, were also
    wounded after Russian missiles hit Odessa.


    DROUGHT Nearly half of the EU territory is facing drought risks, the
    European Commission warns, as a new heat wave has hit the continent. France,
    Romania, Spain, Portugal and Italy will likely have to handle a drop in
    agricultural yield, especially grains, the Commission explains. Germany,
    Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia will also be affected. In turn, the
    European Commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarčič said that the worst
    is yet to come. Europe is struggling with an extreme heat wave these days, with
    temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius reported in France and the UK, and even
    43 degrees in some areas in the north of Spain. Wildfires
    also destroyed thousands of hectares of land in
    France, Greece, Portugal and Spain, forcing thousands of residents and tourists
    out of those regions. (AMP)

  • Fighting drought, an emergency

    Fighting drought, an emergency

    Several counties across Romania are struggling with the effects of drought, with crops on extended areas being damaged by the lack of precipitation. In the west of the country, in the Nădlac border area, for example, more than 40% of the 13,000 hectares of land owned by farmers are cultivated with corn, but large sections of these crops are damaged, and investments are at threat. According to farmers, this is the worst drought in more than 30 years, with the growth of corn and wheat stunted by the lack of water. Farmers are complaining that the irrigation systems built in the communist period have fallen into disrepair in the post-communist era and have become unusable. The areas in the south and south-east of the country are also struggling with the drought. Animal breeders are complaining about the lack of fodder.



    To combat drought and in the context of the climate change whose effects are becoming increasingly visible in Romania as well, the government is preparing a long-term programme and strategy. Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă said an inter-ministerial committee will begin work this week to analyse the effects and impact on agriculture caused by climate change, such as the continued drought seen recently. The committee includes the ministries of agriculture, the environment, investments and European projects, finance, the economy and entrepreneurship. The aim is to use European money and funds from the state budget to develop the irrigation network and support farmers. Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă:



    “On the one hand, wed like to identify the measures that we can take, using both governmental funds, from the state budget, as well as European funds, to develop the irrigation networks, support the farmers affected by the consequences of drought, and, of course, also develop production capacities in the agrifood industry so that we can develop production capacities that ensure enhanced added value.”



    The minister for agriculture Petre Daea announced that from 20th July, farmers can access loans with interest rates of only 2% under a new government subsidy scheme. “This mechanism also offers guarantees with respect to the autumn seed planting, creating the crops that will ensure the needed quantities of products next year”, said the minister.



    The government has taken these measures at the request of farmers, who are strongly affected by the continued drought and who have repeatedly called for measures to help with seed planting on land affected by drought. (CM)

  • July 18, 2022

    July 18, 2022

    Visit. The President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, will pay a formal visit to Romania on Tuesday, at the invitation of President Klaus Iohannis. The two leaders will assess opportunities to stimulate and strengthen sectoral aspects of bilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest, with a focus on political dialogue, home affairs, education, economic and trade. The agenda will also include an exchange of views on developments with a regional impact in the Middle East, the stage and prospects of the Peace Process, the security situation and the effects of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, a presidential communiqué reads. Also on Tuesday, President Iohannis will receive the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defense of Ireland, Simon Coveney.



    FAC. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is attending in Brussels a meeting of the heads of diplomacy of the EU member states – the Foreign Affairs Council, where he will plead for further supporting Ukraine, including by allocating a new financial tranche through the European Peace Facility. According to a statement from the MFA, Bogdan Aurescu will support the idea of maintaining pressure on Russia and strengthening the sanctions regimem against it. The head of the Romanian diplomacy will also present the latest measures adopted by Bucharest to facilitate grain exports from Ukraine, including the opening of new border crossing points, as well as Romania’s agreement for the transit of Chilia and Bâstroe canals by ships carrying grains under third country flags. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba will also give a video speech at the meeting. At the same time, the foreign ministers are to approve a political agreement to unblock the fifth tranche, worth 500 million euros, under the European peace instrument to finance the purchase of arms supplied to Ukraine. The debate comes in the context in which the European Commission proposed, on Friday, new sanctions against Russia, including a ban on Russian gold exports to the EU.



    Ambassador. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has today received Japan’s ambassador to Romania, Hiroshi Ueda. According to a Government communiqué, fundamental issues of bilateral relations were addressed, the Japanese side emphasizing the importance of updating the future framework of the Romanian-Japanese Strategic Partnership, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and given Japan’s direct interest in the region, in supporting the humanitarian aid for Ukraine and the neighboring states, Romania and Poland in particular. Regarding bilateral projects, objectives were reviewed such as the construction of the bridge over the Danube in Braila, which is to be completed by the end of the year, and a metro line, which will be started soon, with Japanese management. The Romanian Prime Minister once again conveyed Romania’s condolences for the tragic death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.



    Refugees. According to the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate, some 152 thousand people crossed Romania’s borders on Sunday. Of them, 11.100 were Ukrainian citizens. Since the war broke out in neighboring Ukraine, more than 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens have crossed Romania’s borders.



    Drought. This week, the Government of Bucharest starts preparing a longer-term strategy to combat drought, in the context in which the effects of climate change are increasingly affecting agricultural crops. The executive wants to use European money, but also money from the state budget to develop the irrigation system and to support farmers who have been affected by the drought. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has announced that an inter-ministerial commission has been set up to that end, which will start working this week.



    Wildfires. Part of Western Europe continued to fight devastating wildfires this weekend, a consequence of a heat wave that, according to meteorologists, could break several temperature records earlier this week. Record temperatures are expected in Portugal, France and the United Kingdom. In France, the red code alert for extreme temperatures has been activated in 15 departments and the orange code in another 51. Britain could have the hottest day today, with temperatures estimated to reach up to 41 degrees Celsius. The Met Office has issued a red heat warning in large parts of England, from York and Manchester to London and the south-east. In Spain, the heat wave that has hit the country for several consecutive days has so far killed more than 300 people, according to local media.



    Olympiads. Romanian students won four gold and one silver medal at the International Physics Olympiad, organized online by Switzerland and which brought together 369 competitors. They now rank second in the world, along with South Korea. The Chinese team won first place and the USA the third place. Romania’s mathematics team also won first place in Europe and fifth place in the world at the International Mathematical Olympiad in Oslo, with two gold and four silver medals. China and Korea came in first, followed by the United States and Vietnam. The competition in the Norwegian capital was attended by 105 countries. We recall that in May, the Romanian Olympic mathematics team won six medals and the first place in teams at the 39th edition of the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad which took place in Agros, Cyprus.



    Rugby. The Romanian rugby national team was defeated by the Uruguayan team 26-20, on Sunday, in a test match held in Montevideo. The South Americans thus got their revenge after the defeat a week ago, when the Romanians won 30-22. The national rugby team has already qualified for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, which will take place in France. It is part of Group B, along with South Africa, Ireland, Scotland and the Asia-Pacific qualifying team. (MI)