Radio România Internațional

Tag: earthquake

August 11, 2024

Paris – The International Gymnastics Federation has officially confirmed that the Romanian Ana Maria Bărbosu receives the bronze medal in the floor final at the Olympic Games in Paris. The confirmation comes after the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), following the explanatory reports submitted by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. TAS allowed the Romanian gymnast to obtain the bronze medal, as the appeal filed by the American athlete Jordan Chiles was submitted beyond the regulatory deadline. Thus, the ranking of the floor final was changed, which is why Ana Maria Bărbosu climbed to third place, and the Romanian Sabrina Voinea to fourth. The American gymnast dropped to fifth place. On the other hand, the request made by Sabrina Voinea was rejected. The gold medal went to the Brazilian Rebeca Andrade, while the silver went to the American Simone Biles.

Olympics – On Sunday the Romanian athletes are competing in athletics and wrestling at the Olympic Games in Paris. Romania dropped to 23^rd place in the overall ranking, with nine medals: three gold, four silver and two bronze. Today is the last day of the Olympic Games and, this evening, the closing ceremony will take place at the Stade de France. Romania’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony will be Mihaela Cambei, silver medalist in weightlifting. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the ceremony will not be without surprises and, according to the little information given to the press, the spectators will follow a sci-fi story: beings from space will try to bring back to life the missing Olympic Games. The closing ceremony is also intended to be a relay handover for the Summer Games due in 4 years’ time in Los Angeles.

Earthquake – A 4.7 magnitude earthquake occurred, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, in the west of Romania, in the county of Arad, according to the information published by the National Research and Development Institute for Earth Physics. The earthquake occurred at a depth of five kilometers. This year, the strongest tectonic movement, of magnitude 4.3, took place in Vrancea county (east), in January, at a depth of 74 kilometers, and last year in February, an earthquake of 5.7 occurred in Gorj county (south-west), at a depth of over 6 kilometers.

Untold – The biggest music festival in Romania, Untold, ends on Sunday in Cluj-Napoca (north-west). For four days, over 250 top national and international artists were invited to entertain tens of thousands of fans from all over the world. Among the guest artists are famous performers who have been to Romania before, such as Lenny Kravitz or DJ Salvatore Ganacci, as well as some new comers such as Sam Smith and Burna Boy. The latter is the only African artist who had two sold-out events, two years in a row, at the London Stadium. Numerous law enforcement agents are present in the area, their priority being to maintain order and combat drug trafficking.

Enescu – The 19^th edition of the George Enescu International Competition starts on August 31, in Bucharest. This year, there was a historic record of entries to the Enescu Competition: 555 young people from 27 countries applied for the three sections of the competition – violin, cello and piano. Out of these, only 149 were selected to participate in the first stage of the competition. Each section will have two elimination stages, the semi-final and the final. The George Enescu International Competition is an event held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania and financed by the Government of Romania through the Ministry of Culture.

Inflation – In Romania, the inflation rate is to decrease towards the end of the year to 4%, a value lower than the one forecasted by the National Bank, namely 4.9%. The downward trend of this indicator will continue in 2025, reaching 3.4% at the end of the year, according to data presented by Governor Mugur Isărescu. He stated that the inflation forecast also took into account possible risks or uncertainties, including the conduct of fiscal and revenue policies, as well as the evolution of energy and food prices. The national bank governor also said that the inflation forecast was also the basis for the recent drop in the reference interest rate. The National Bank has recently reduced, for the second consecutive time, the monetary policy interest rate to the level of 6.5%/year from 6.75% per year. (LS)

11 August 2024
March 4, 2024

Motion. The simple motion against the Romanian Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, will be debated, today, by the Chamber of Deputies, and will be voted on Tuesday. In the text of the motion entitled ‘Minister Boloş – the inventor and guardian of the tax on sickness must go’, it is stated that the adoption of the document represents an ‘act of responsibility towards the citizens and an essential measure for the gradual restoration of trust in the state’. The initiators of the motion argue that “Marcel Boloş must leave, urgently, the Government of Romania”. Save Romania Union and Forza Dreptei MPs accuse the Minister of Finance of “taking 500,000 euros from the sick every day” – from parents with sick children, women with high-risk pregnancies and who gave birth this year. The initiators of the motion also argue that the health system needs additional money, but not from the sick, and the PNL-PSD Finance Ministers have in recent years reduced funding sources such as the percentage of the work insurance contribution to the state budget.

Budget. The Bucharest government is going to adopt this week a new normative act on cutting budget spending. The general consolidated budget deficit in January of this year stood at 0.45% – around 8 billion lei (approx. 1.6 billion euros), almost double compared to January 2023. The Executive is also working on a draft emergency ordinance regarding the merging of local elections with the European Parliament elections on June 9. The text of the emergency ordinance states that the organization of local and European parliamentary elections on the same day will save money to the state budget and stimulate a greater number of citizens to participate in the European parliamentary elections, since more voters usually turn out for the local ones . The presidential elections are scheduled for September, and the parliamentary elections will take place in December.

Moldova. The Republic of Moldova belongs to the EU, and Romania remains its main partner in this endeavor, said the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciuca, who paid a visit to Chisinau. At the meeting with the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, he stressed that Moscow’s hybrid war had not fulfilled its goals in Moldova and that’s a victory and good news for Bucharest as well. Ciuca also met with the President of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu. The officials discussed topics regarding inter-parliamentary cooperation, cooperation in the energy field and means of speeding up infrastructure projects.

Solidarity. On Sunday, Romania and Poland celebrated, for the first time, the Romanian – Polish Solidarity Day. According to the two countries’ foreign ministries, this solidarity can be seen not only in the intense political – diplomatic dialogue, but also in the military and economic fields, in education and culture. The Romanian – Poland 2024-2025 cultural season will further enrich the friendship between the two peoples, a joint statement also reads.

JHA. The EU ministers of internal affairs and justice are participating, today and Tuesday, in Brussels, in the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA). The agenda of talks includes topics such as the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime, the security situation in the context of the conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and a legislative proposal regarding the fight against the illegal introduction of migrants. Today, the European interior ministers are discussing the general situation in the Schengen area of free movement and the evaluation of the EU legislative act establishing Frontex (the EU Border and Coast Guard Regulation). Another important point is the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime. The second day of the meeting will focus on the justice component, the agenda including, among other things, a recently approved directive on the minimum standards for preventing and combating the illegal introduction of migrants. In the context of constant debates on issues related to the rule of law, the European justice ministers will also discuss the resistance of the judicial systems to the threats represented by organized crime. The priorities of the Belgian presidency of the EU Council include the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.

Earthquake. Today Romania commemorates 47 years since the strongest earthquake ever hitting the country, on March 4, 1977. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale and the epicenter was in the Vrancea Mountains (eastern Romania). It lasted 56 seconds. More than 1,500 people, mostly from the capital, lost their lives then, and around 11,000 were injured. 32 high- or medium-rise buildings collapsed in Bucharest and almost 33,000 homes were affected nationally. The earthquake was felt throughout Eastern Europe, but also in Russia, in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. After the earthquake, a state of emergency was declared on the territory of Romania, and more than 30,000 firefighters and soldiers were mobilized. According to the authorities, if an earthquake of the same magnitude were to occur today, it would cause more than 42,000 deaths. Bucharest would suffer the most, as it has around 2,400 buildings in seismic risk classes, most of them in the city center.

Handball. The Romanian women’s national handball team defeated the Croatian team, yesterday, in Koprivnica, 25-23, in Group 1 of the 2024 European Championship preliminaries. Romania has thus qualified and taken first place in the group, with 8 points, followed by Croatia, and Greece, each with 4 points. In the last matches, due in April, Romania will take on Bosnia-Herzegovina away from home and Greece on home turf. The first two teams in each group qualify for the final tournament, as well as the four best third-placed teams. The European Women’s Handball Championship will take place between November 28 and December 15 in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. (MI)

4 March 2024
January 2, 2024 UPDATE

QUAKE Romania stands
by Japan in these difficult moments, the country’s president, Klaus Iohannis,
said in a message which he conveyed on Tuesday along with condolences for the
victims’ families. We recall that authorities in that country are in a
battle against time in their attempt to find survivors after the 7.6 magnitude
earthquake on Monday, which was followed by many aftershocks. According to
provisional tolls, scores have been killed and hundreds of buildings destroyed.
Numerous fires caused by broken pipelines have been reported in the north of
the Noto peninsula, close to the quake’s epicenter. With sub-zero temperatures
at night, rescuers are making great efforts to find survivors.

WEATHER
According to sources with the Environment Ministry, 2023 was the hottest year
in the history of Romania’s weather forecasts. The average temperature stood at
12.5 degrees centigrade, two degrees above the average of the period between
1981 and 2010. At the same time, the 2012-2023 interval becomes the hottest
period in the country’s history of weather forecasts. Last Christmas also
proved to be the hottest since the beginning of weather monitoring in Romania
with 21 degrees centigrade at Calafat, in the south. And according to
Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2023 was also the hottest in Europe, where
experts have again been cautioning against the ongoing global warming, as the
greenhouse gas emissions are growing. According to Romania’s Environment
Minister, Mircea Fechet, this means that the extreme weather phenomena will
increase in frequency and intensity causing more damage and killing more
people.

PRICE HIKES The new year has brought a
series of fiscal amendments to Romanians, ranging from new VAT rises to other
majored excises and taxes. Fines have also been raised, and companies reporting
over 50 million euros in turnover will be paying taxes of at least one percent
of their turnover. Tobacco excises have been raised and so has the VAT, which
stands between 9 and 19 % in certain products and services. A special tax has
been introduced for expensive goods, such as houses or cars, and authorities
have also raised excises for sweet products. Fuel excises are also getting
higher while experts believe the new fiscal measures will translate into a
higher inflation rate and a local currency that depreciates against the Euro.
Romania’s budget deficit this year has been estimated at 5% of the GDP with an
economic growth of 3.4%. 7% of the country’s GDP has been earmarked for
investment.

GAZA Israel has pulled out its
tanks from some parts of the Gaza city announcing a new stage in its war
against the terrorist group Hamas. The new change in Israel’s tactics involves
the partial pull out of its troops from the Gaza Strip and an increased focus
on smaller-scale targeted operations. Israel says one of the key objectives is
the complete elimination of the Hamas threat and the release of the hostages
still kept by the famous terrorist group. According to Radio Romania
correspondent in Israel, the attempts to release the Israeli hostages, which
seemed to be compromised at a certain point, have these days been given a fresh
impetus thanks to the mediation efforts of Qatar and Egypt. The war in Gaza,
which broke out after the attack on Israel masterminded and conducted by the
terrorist group Hamas on October 7, when 12 hundred people were killed and 240
kidnapped, has so far caused the death of roughly 22 thousand Palestinians in
the Gaza Strip. At the same time, most of the region’s 2.3 million people
residents has been displaced.

(bill)

2 January 2024
January 2, 2024

PRICE HIKES The new year has brought a
series of fiscal amendments to the Romanians, ranging from new VAT rises to other
majored excises and taxes. Fines have also been raised, and companies reporting
over 50 million euros in turnover will pay taxes of at least one percent of
their turnover. Tobacco excises have been raised and there are VAT raises
between 9 and 19 % for certain products and services. A special tax has been
introduced for expensive goods, such as houses and cars as well as raised
excises for sweet products. Fuel excises have also been raised and experts
believe the new fiscal measures will translate into a higher inflation and a depreciated
local currency against the Euro. Romania’s budget deficit this year has been
estimated at 5% of the GDP with an economic growth of 3.4%. 7% of the country’s
GDP has been earmarked for investment.

QUAKE Authorities in Japan are in
a battle against time in their attempt to find survivors after the 7.6
magnitude earthquake on Monday, which was followed by many aftershocks.
According to provisional tolls, scores have been killed and hundreds of
buildings destroyed. Numerous fires caused by broken pipelines have been
reported in the north of the Noto peninsula, close to the quake’s epicenter. As
temperatures went below zero at night, rescuers are making great efforts to
find survivors.

GAZA Israel has pulled out its
tanks from some parts of the Gaza city announcing a new stage in its war
against the terrorist group Hamas. The new change in Israel’s tactics involves
the partial pull out of its troops from the Gaza Strip and an increased focus
on smaller-scale targeted operations. Israel says one of the key objectives is
the complete elimination of the Hamas threat and the release of the hostages
still kept by the famous terrorist group. According to Radio Romania
correspondent in Israel, the attempts to release the Israeli hostages, which seemed
to be compromised at a certain point, have these days been given a fresh
impetus thanks to the mediation efforts of Qatar and Egypt. The war in Gaza,
which broke out after the attack on Israel masterminded and conducted by the
terrorist group Hamas on October 7, when 12 hundred people were killed and 240
kidnapped, has so far caused the death of roughly 22 thousand Palestinians in
the Gaza Strip. At the same time, most of the region’s 2.3 million people
residents has been displaced.

WEATHER The
weather remains warm in Romania with temperatures higher than those usually
registered at this time of the year. Showers have been reported in small areas
in the country’s south-east. Wind has intensified at higher altitudes in the
mountainous area of the Eastern and Western Carpathians. The highs of the day
are ranging between 4 and 12 degrees Celsius while the capital city Bucharest
reports higher temperatures than usual for the winter season, of at least 10-11
degrees Celsius.

(bill)

2 January 2024
September 11, 2023

School — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced that the issue of drug consumption among young people will be included on the agenda of the next meeting of the country’s Supreme Council of National Defense. Attending today the opening of the new pre-university year at a school in Bucharest, he has emphasized that this phenomenon represents a serious challenge to national security. Klaus Iohannis has also said that he continues to support the increase in teachers salaries as of January 1, 2024. He has given assurances that he remains firm and will support all measures to make the commitments made by the Government this summer come true. The new school year started, today, in Romania, for approximately 3 million pupils and preschoolers. It will have 36 weeks of courses, and it is organized in five modules, just like the previous one. “The Green Week” and “Doing School Differently” will take place between September 11, 2023 – April 26, 2024 and can be set by schools in any of modules 1, 2, 3 or 4, in intervals of 5 consecutive working days. The school year will end on June 21, 2024. The pupils entering the 5th grade will be the first to take an additional high school entrance exam in the summer of 2027.

Drone — The Romanian Defense Ministry announced that the presence of drone fragments in a different area than those investigated previously was not confirmed. The armed forces remain on alert and will continue investigations in the areas of the national territory located in the vicinity of the areas where the Russians are carrying out attacks on the Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube, the Defense Ministry announced on Sunday. According to the quoted source, in the last 48 hours, forces and equipment of the Naval Forces, the Land Forces and other structures acted with research teams in the field and with aerial surveillance devices on an area of more than 80 square kilometers in three localities of Tulcea and Galati counties, on the Romanian bank of the Danube, near the port of Reni in Ukraine. On the other hand, the Defense Ministry strongly condemns the attacks carried out by the Russian Federation against some objectives and elements of civil infrastructure in the Ukrainian ports on the Danube. These attacks are unjustified and in serious violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, being war crimes, the Defense Ministry emphasizes. Previously, the chargé daffaires of the Russian Federation Embassy in Bucharest was urgently summoned to the Foreign Ministry where he was informed that Romania protests the violation of Romanias airspace. NATO, through Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, expressed its solidarity with Romania. The official stated that there are no indications of Russia’s intention to attack NATO, but that the attacks are destabilizing.

Volleyball — Today, the Romanian national team faces France, the defending Olympic champion, in the quarter-finals of the European Mens Volleyball Championship. The Romanians reached this stage after a dramatic victory over Croatia. Romania also met France in the groups stage, managing to defeat it surprisingly, score 3-1. The national volleyball team has not been among the top eight teams of the continent for 40 years, after finishing on 8th place in 1983. The European Championship takes place in Israel, Italy, Bulgaria and North Macedonia. The record of the Romanian players includes a European title, two silver and two bronze medals.

Exercise — The Romanian and US Naval Forces are jointly organizing, as of Monday until Friday, September 15, a multinational exercise called Sea Breeze. It will take place in the area of responsibility of the Romanian Naval Forces in the Black Sea and the Danube Delta and aims to develop teamwork between the participating countries in the field of combating explosive devices, especially sea mines, so that navigation can take place freely. Soldiers from Bulgaria, Turkey, Ukraine, France and the UK are also taking part in the exercise.

Rowing – Romania won five medals, of which two gold, at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, and finished the competition on fourth place in the overall ranking. The gold was won by the womens double scull team and the women’s eight plus one. The Romanian rowers won one silver and two bronze medals. Also, 11 of the 13 Romanian crews that participated in the world championships in Serbia qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Earthquake – Rescue teams from Morocco, supported by colleagues abroad, continue to race against time to find survivors and provide aid to hundreds of people left homeless after Friday nights earthquake, which killed more than 2,100 people and wounded more than 2,400, according to the most recent official toll. Four countries received favorable answers to their aid offers: Great Britain, Spain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that, from the information it has, there are no Romanians among the victims of the earthquake in Morocco. (LS)

11 September 2023
September 10, 2023

Drone. The Romanian foreign ministry
summoned the Russian charge d’affaires in Bucharest
to convey the protest of the Romanian side over the violation of
Romania’s air space, as new drone fragments were found on Saturday on Romanian
soil, close to the border with Ukraine, and similar to those used by the
Russian army. State secretary Iulian Fota firmly called on the Russian side to
cease attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including those that could pose any
threat to the safety and security of Romanian citizens living in the region. On
Saturday, president Klaus Iohannis said the identification of new drone fragments on the
Romanian territory indicates that an absolutely unacceptable violation has
taken place of the sovereign air space of NATO member Romania. NATO secretary
general Jens Stoltenberg, who had a phone conversation with Iohannis,
expressed full solidarity with Romania.
He also said there was no indication of Russia’s intent to strike NATO, but
that these attacks are destabilising.

Earthquake.
Morocco declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the
powerful quake that hit this country on Friday night. More than 2,000 people
have been killed and another 2,000 injured. The tremor measured 6.8 on the
Richter scale and caused a lot of panic. Searches for survivors carried out by
the army, using drones and helicopters, continue in the Atlas mountains region
and the old city of Marrakesh, which were the worst hit areas. The leaders of
the 27 EU member states together signed a joint letter to King Mohammed VI of
Morocco stating their full solidarity with the Moroccan people: as close
friends and partners of Morocco, we are ready to assist in any way You may seem
useful, the letter said. The foreign ministry in Bucharest said that according
to the information available so far to the Romanian embassy in Rabat, there are
no Romanian citizens among the victims. The embassy is in constant contact with
the local authorities in charge of managing the consequences of the quake and
with the Romanian citizens living in Morocco.

School. Almost 3
million pupils and pre-school children will begin school on Monday in Romania.
The new school year is made up of five modules and will end on 22nd
June next year. Classes will end on 7th June for 12th
year pupils and on 14th June for 8th year pupils to be
able to take their baccalaureate and national evaluation exams, respectively. As
a result of recent changes to education laws, pupils can only be expelled under
serious circumstances. Another change refers to the introduction of new
subjects: the study of the history of the Jewish people and the Holocaust,
which will be taught in 11th grade beginning this year, and the
study of the history of communism, which will taught as of next year. The
criteria for granting scholarships have also changed, with fewer pupils to
benefit. The authorities are also considering measures to prevent and reduce
drug use in schools, with emphasis on information and education. Education
minister Ligia Deca said recently
that a school safety action plan was signed and a legislative framework would
be drafted to allow for the drug testing of pupils where there is suspicion of
drug use.

Sports. CSM
Bucharest defeated the Danish side Odense Handbold 28-24 on Saturday evening at
home, in their opening match in Group A of the women’s handball Champions
League. CSM will next play the German side SG BBM Bietigheim. Another Romanian
side in this competition, Rapid Bucharest are today playing their first match
in Group B, against Team Esbjerg if Denmark. And in football, Romania’s
national side drew 1-all against Israel on Saturday evening at home in
qualifying Group I in the run-up to Euro 2024. Romania will next face Kosovo at
home.

10 September 2023
May 30, 2023 UPDATE

VISIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
will be receiving King Charles III of the United Kingdom at the Cotroceni
Palace in Bucharest on Friday. After the welcome ceremony, His Majesty will be
having face-to-face talks with the Romanian president, and is expected to meet
local authorities, representatives of civil society and members of the
diplomatic corps. The British Ambassador in Bucharest, Andrew Noble, has told the
AGERPRES news agency that His Majesty’s visit is private and that he will meet
the Romanian president as a courtesy gesture. This will be the first visit of a
British Monarch to Romania. King Charles III owns property in Romania, which he
used to visit regularly when he was Prince of Wales.

STRIKE After a new round of talks with the government in
Bucharest, trade unions in Romania’s education sector have threatened to carry
on their all-out strike as their request for a pay rise has been turned down by
the authorities. According to them, the government offered only the equivalent
of 800 euros in bonuses for teachers and 300 euros for the auxiliary personnel.
Over 15 thousand teachers protested in front of the government building and the
presidential palace on Tuesday calling on the Romanian president, who used to
be a teacher before becoming the country’s president, to get involved in the
process of finding a solution to their claims. President Iohannis has voiced
readiness to act a mediator in the talks aimed at finding a solution to the
crisis in Romania’s education system. He described the teachers’ claims as
natural and legitimate but underlined that overcoming the deadlock in education
and ending the strike are crucial for the good functioning of the school year
and for maintaining a stability climate in the educational system. Students in
schools across Romania have voiced their support for their teachers’ protests
and for their claims.

AID The National Committee for Emergency Situations, convened on
Monday by the Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, approved the granting,
free of charge, of humanitarian aid to Syria. It is intended for the population
affected by the major earthquake produced on the territory of Turkey on
February 6, which caused casualties and big material damage in Syria as well.
The support is granted based on the humanitarian assistance request initiated
by Damascus through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The Romanian
state, through the National Administration of State Reserves and the Romanian
Patriarchate, will send basic goods, food, medical devices and shelter items.
The transport will be carried out by air, with the support of the Ministry of
Defense.

UNITER The UNITER Gala, which awards the best Romanian theatrical
productions, will take place on June 12, in Timișoara, with a new concept,
specially created for the city in the west of the country, which holds the
title of Cultural Capital of Europe, the organizers announce in a press
conference on Monday. In the preamble, between June 7-10, three of the best
shows of 2022, nominated for the UNITER awards, will be presented: Oedipus King of the Marin
Sorescu National Theater in Craiova (south), Antonin Artaud. The
Cenci Family of the Vasile Alecsandri National Theater in Iasi
(east) and Seaside Stories of the Constanta State Theater
(south-east). The performances will be followed by interactive
question-and-answer sessions with the audience.

(bill&MI)

30 May 2023
March 4, 2023 UPDATE

Earthquake — 46 years were marked on Saturday since the devastating earthquake of March 4, 1977, in Romania. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale, was strongly felt throughout the country, especially in the south and east. More than 1,500 people lost their lives then, most of them in Bucharest. Most of the deaths in Bucharest occurred as a result of the total or partial collapse of dozens of buildings. The 1977 earthquake had its epicenter in the Vrancea area (east), the most active in Romania. However, recent earthquakes in the south, where such phenomena are very rare, prompted the authorities to start a national campaign to evaluate the buildings where schools and hospitals are operating, to see if they are vulnerable to earthquakes. If this is the case, they will be refurbished, after previously identifying the funding sources. In Bucharest, the first rapid visual evaluations of buildings ahead of the consolidation process are to begin by September. Among the buildings that will have priority are the blocks of flats with at least three stories built before 1968, as well as the buildings where educational or medical units are operating. The Minister of Development, Public Works and Administration, Cseke Attila, declared on Saturday that almost 400 buildings from all over the country that are to be consolidated currently benefit from over 6 billion lei (about 1.2 billion Euros) worth of funding from national and European funds.

Greece — A Romanian citizen was identified among the people who died following the serious railway accident that took place in Greece, on the night of February 28 to March 1, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday. The Consulate General of Romania in Thessaloniki has informed the family of the deceased person, with whom they are in direct contact. The repatriation of the body will be carried out after the completion, by the Greek authorities, of all the specific procedures in such special situations, shows a Foreign Ministry press release. On Friday, more than 5,000 people demonstrated in Athens and Thessaloniki in memory of the 57 people who lost their lives in the railway accident on the railway line connecting the two cities. Violence was reported between the demonstrators and the police, who resorted to tear gas. The “Hellenic Train” company is accused of negligence that led to this catastrophe. The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appointed a commission of experts to investigate the causes of the accident.

Gaudeamus — In Craiova (south), the first stage of the Gaudeamus Book Fair Caravan, organized by Radio Romania, is taking place, which marks both the beginning of the national book fair season and of the spring season. Opened on March 1, the Fair is waiting for literature lovers until Sunday with almost 14,000 books published by over 50 of the most prestigious publishing houses in Romania and abroad, with games, teaching aid equipment and music, with debates, book launches and presentations and prize contests. For the first time in the history of almost three decades and 133 editions of the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair, the honorary president of the Craiova Fair is a very young writer – Jonathan Agostino Ottobrino, a student who, up to the age of 12, has already had many achievements, having published two volumes and having won numerous literary prizes. After Craiova, Radio Romania will also organize Gaudeamus Book Fairs in Cluj-Napoca (north-west) in April, Oradea (west) in May, Sibiu (center) in August and Iasi (east) in September.

Climate — Romania has joined 17 other UN member states to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate change, the Romanian Foreign Ministry informs. Initiated by the state of Vanuatu, the action aims to clarify the obligations of the countries of the world against the effects of climate change and to protect vulnerable states. So far, 112 of the 193 UN member countries have shown support for the initiative.

Kyiv – The European Public Prosecutors Office – EPPO is prepared to fight against criminals who hide the origin, destination or right of ownership of goods and assets that fall under the EU sanctions, said on Saturday the European Chief Prosecutor, the Romanian Laura Codruța Kovesi, who was in Ukraine where she participated in the “United For Justice” conference in Lviv. According to the official, this would help slow Russias war effort and, with confiscations following prosecutions, this would even help fund the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war. Laura Codruța Kovesi also said that she traveled to Ukraine to take a stand against the “new avatar of radical evil” and that the EPPO must also be given powers in the area of verifying compliance with EU sanctions against Russia.

Visit – The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will travel to Japan on Monday, where he will pay a three-day official visit, during which he will have meetings with Emperor Naruhito and the Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The main aim of the visit is to raise the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership, by signing a joint declaration in this regard. Also next week, after the visit to Japan, president Klaus Iohannis will also pay a state visit to Singapore, the first at this level in the last 20 years. The visit is aimed at initiating bilateral investment projects, given that Romania has become the third largest supplier of IT services to Singapore from the European Union. (LS)

4 March 2023
March 4, 2023

Earthquake — Today it’s 46 years since the devastating earthquake of March 4, 1977, in Romania. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale, was strongly felt throughout the country, especially in the south and east. More than 1,500 people lost their lives then, most of them in Bucharest. Most of the deaths in Bucharest occurred as a result of the total or partial collapse of dozens of buildings. The 1977 earthquake had its epicenter in the Vrancea area (east), the most active in Romania. However, recent earthquakes in the south, where such phenomena are very rare, prompted the authorities to start a national campaign to evaluate the buildings where schools and hospitals are operating, to see if they are vulnerable to earthquakes. If this is the case, they will be refurbished, after previously identifying the funding sources. In Bucharest, the first rapid visual evaluations of buildings ahead of the consolidation process are to begin by September. Among the buildings that will have priority are the blocks of flats with at least three stories built before 1968, as well as the buildings where educational or medical units are operating. The World Bank estimates that there are 20,000 buildings vulnerable to earthquakes in Bucharest.

Greece — A Romanian citizen was identified among the people who died following the serious railway accident that took place in Greece, on the night of February 28 to March 1, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced today. The Consulate General of Romania in Thessaloniki has informed the family of the deceased person, with whom they are in direct contact. The repatriation of the body will be carried out after the completion, by the Greek authorities, of all the specific procedures in such special situations, shows a Foreign Ministry press release. On Friday, more than 5,000 people demonstrated in Athens and Thessaloniki in memory of the 57 people who lost their lives in the railway accident on the railway line connecting the two cities. Violence was reported between the demonstrators and the police, who resorted to tear gas. The “Hellenic Train” company is accused of negligence that led to this catastrophe. The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appointed a commission of experts to investigate the causes of the accident.

Visit – The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will travel to Japan on Monday, where he will pay a three-day official visit, during which he will have meetings with Emperor Naruhito and the Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The main aim of the visit is to raise the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership, by signing a joint declaration in this regard. Also next week, after the visit to Japan, president Klaus Iohannis will also pay a state visit to Singapore, the first at this level in the last 20 years. The visit is aimed at initiating bilateral investment projects, given that Romania has become the third largest supplier of IT services to Singapore from the European Union.

Gaudeamus — In Craiova (south), the first stage of the Gaudeamus Book Fair Caravan, organized by Radio Romania, is taking place, which marks both the beginning of the national book fair season and of the spring season. Opened on March 1, the Fair is waiting for literature lovers until Sunday with almost 14,000 books published by over 50 of the most prestigious publishing houses in Romania and abroad, with games, teaching aid equipment and music, with debates, book launches and presentations and prize contests. For the first time in the history of almost three decades and 133 editions of the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair, the honorary president of the Craiova Fair is a very young writer – Jonathan Agostino Ottobrino, a student who, up to the age of 12, has already had many achievements, having published two volumes and having won numerous literary prizes. After Craiova, Radio Romania will also organize Gaudeamus Book Fairs in Cluj-Napoca (north-west) in April, Oradea (west) in May, Sibiu (center) in August and Iasi (east) in September. (LS)

4 March 2023
Legislation for protection against earthquakes

During the government meeting on Wednesday, Romanias Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said that Romania is a country with a high seismic risk, adding that the procedures under which certain construction companies can get certified in various fields of activity must be soon implemented. Furthermore, the Prime Minister says that certain regulations must be adopted forcing construction companies to assume responsibility regarding the earthquake-resistant structure of a building.

The Prime Minister gave assurances that the government would carry on its efforts in the field of assessing the seismic risk and the measures to be implemented by the Executive and the local authorities for all the programmes and projects aimed at reinforcing the infrastructure

In the meantime the Romanian Ministry of Development is already running the National Programme for the Consolidation of the Buildings with High Seismic Risk, which has this year been earmarked 40 million Euros worth of budgetary credits and 100 million Euros in commitment appropriation with a 100% funding.

That means that neither the owners of the aforementioned buildings, nor the local authorities will have to reimburse the money used for their consolidation. According to official data, applications for the structural reinforcement of 400 such buildings have been registered since the beginning of the year. According to Development Minister Cseke Atilla, the first 50 projects have already been selected for funding within the National Programme for the Consolidation of the Buildings with High Seismic Risk.

Education institutions, social-cultural buildings, blocks of flats, administrative buildings and healthcare units all over Romania have been included on the list of those eligible for funding. The sum for their structural reinforcement accounts for 148 million Euros. Furthermore, on Wednesday the government decided to submit for Parliament approval a bill aimed at banning the rent of apartments in blocks of flats included in vulnerable buildings. The ban will be lifted only after the reinforcement construction has ended.

According to the Development Minister, after the aforementioned law has come into effect the rent contracts are to be terminated within 30 days at the most.

Also on Wednesday, the Executive in Bucharest endorsed an emergency ordinance on a programme entitled Safe and Healthy Schools, which proposes a simplified procedure for the introduction of vulnerable schools into the aforementioned investment programme. The list is to be drawn up by the Ministry of Education and will be submitted to the Ministry of Regional Development. According to official figures, besides the buildings to be reinforced through the National Consolidation Programme, the Ministry is funding the reinforcement of another 251 buildings through the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience (PNRR) and of another 57 buildings through the National Investment Company.

(bill)

2 March 2023
February 23, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

23 February 2023
February 21, 2023 UPDATE

UKRAINE The US
president Joe Biden Tuesday praised the Ukrainians’ resilience in the face of
the Russian invasion launched nearly a year ago. Speaking at a rally in Warsaw,
he emphasized that the US support for Ukraine remained unwavering and that the
free world condemned Russia’s aggression. Biden added that he also wanted the
people of the Republic of Moldova to be truly free, and called on participants
to applaud Moldova’s president Maia Sandu, attending the assembly. Previously,
in Moscow, president Vladimir Putin announced Russia would suspend its
participation in the New START treaty with the US on the reduction of strategic
nuclear weapons. The statement was made at the end of his state-of-the-nation address,
ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24th February,
and after the US president Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv. On Wednesday,
Biden is due to meet the leaders of Bucharest Nine, a group of NATO countries
from central and eastern Europe formed after Russia’s annexation of Crimea at
the proposal of the presidents of Romania and Poland, Klaus Iohannis and Andrej
Duda, respectively. The NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said that
with Russia’s decision on the latest START Treaty full arms control
architecture has been dismantled. Speaking at a press conference in Brussels
with the participation of Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs,
and Josep Borrell, the EU high representative for foreign affairs, Stoltenberg added
that Moscow was the aggressor in Ukraine, after Vladimir Putin had claimed that
the West was trying to destroy Russia.

PENSIONS In Bucharest, USR and the Force of the Right parties in opposition
Tuesday tabled a simple motion against the labour minister Marius Budăi, whom
they accuse of incompetence and carelessness. They argue that Budăi is
protecting special pensions (which are not based on contributions to pension
funds) thus jeopardising the EU funding Romania should receive under the
National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Meanwhile, the Senate has once again
postponed the bill reforming special pensions, for 2 weeks, until relevant ministries
have submitted estimates of its impact on the budget and stated whether the
bill complies with Resilience Plan benchmarks. The World Bank is also expected
to state its view on the matter.

TURKEY Rescuers
in Turkey are carrying out new searches for people trapped under the rubble as
a new quake hit the south-east of the country on Monday night, in the same
region as the devastating earthquakes that took place two weeks ago. According
to official reports, six persons were killed and 200 wounded in the latest
tremor. Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is running for a new term
in May if elections are held on schedule, says his country would start building
tens of thousands of new homes next month, a move estimated to cost at least 25
billion dollars. Erdogan’s rapid reconstruction plans worry architects and
engineers, who are concerned that the lack of urban planning and careful
assessment of building safety may lead to a new disaster.

CULTURE Two
books about Constantin Brâncuşi were launched in Timişoara, which this year is
holding the title of European Capital of Culture. The books, which recently
appeared in France, are written by Doina Lemny, art historian and researcher at
the National Museum of Modern Art and the Pompidou Centre in Paris. The launch
previews an extensive exhibition dedicated to the great Romanian sculptor next
autumn at Timişoara’s Museum of Art. According to the city’s mayor Dominic
Fritz, around 60,000 people attended the over 130 different events held in
Timişoara this weekend during the official opening of the European Capital of
Culture programme. The city will be playing host to around 1,000 different
cultural events all year long. (AMP, CM)

21 February 2023
Earthquake information campaign

Almost half a century ago, on March 4, 1977, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, the worst to hit Romania in the modern era, resulted in the death of 1,570 people, most of them in Bucharest, and caused material damage then estimated at over two billion dollars. About 230,000 homes were destroyed or seriously damaged and hundreds of economic units went out of business. The earthquake generated an economic and social crisis that, according to historians, the communist dictatorship of the time could not overcome until its collapse in 1989.

Experts warn that, in the event of an earthquake similar to that of 1977, hundreds of buildings could collapse, at present, only in Bucharest. Annually, over 100 earthquakes with a magnitude over 3 on the Richter scale are registered in Romania. Most of them occur in the Vrancea (southeast) seismic zone, but this month Oltenia (southwest) was also shaken, where two earthquakes over 5 caused panic and damaged blocks of flats and administrative buildings. Scared by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, the authorities in Bucharest decided to launch a national information campaign on how to react in case of an earthquake.

The government has already approved a decision by which the “Be Prepared” website should be promoted by every institution and become accessible as soon as possible to citizens. Preparing the population to know how to react during and after a possible earthquake is essential. Equally important is the way in which the directly responsible institutions must act, says the Secretary of State for Emergency Situations Raed Arafat. He announced that 30 television stations will broadcast, for a longer period, a number of videos to inform the population on how to react.

The Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă asked the authorities to pay more attention to the school infrastructure, so that pupils and students should be protected. ‘We have 70 schools that are being refurbished through a program financed by the World Bank, but we also have 118 schools that have been assessed with seismic risk class 1’ warns the prime minister.

He asked the Minister of Development, Cseke Atilla, to make a concrete plan for consolidating all buildings with a high seismic risk. Previously, he had announced that contracts had been signed for the consolidation of 240 buildings in areas exposed to seismic risk, with the help of funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Moreover, there are several programs through which the state finances the consolidation of buildings with seismic risk, and 555 million Euros will be allocated through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan alone. Around 300 requests have already been registered on the ministrys platform. (LS)

20 February 2023
February 20, 2023

Campaign. Hundreds
of aftershocks of the earthquakes in Gorj (southwest Romania), the most
significant having a magnitude of 4.3 on the Richter scale, have been recorded
in recent days. The 5.7 magnitude earthquake last week created acute panic and
damaged several buildings, but caused no casualties. Specialists with the National
Institute for Earth Physics say that the aftershocks will continue for about a
month. The authorities are launching today, at national level, an information
campaign on how to react in case of an earthquake, and this week the Government
will approve a decision by which the Be Prepared website can be
promoted by every institution and become more accessible to citizens.

FAC. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is
participating, today, in Brussels, in the Foreign Affairs Council. The talks
are focused on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in
Afghanistan and climate and energy diplomacy. The European officials will also
address developments in Iran, with an emphasis on the human rights situation
and Iran’s cooperation with Russia in the military field. The Romanian Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, will reiterate solidarity with Ukraine and stress
the need to maintain EU support for Ukraine as long as it is needed. On the
sidelines of the council, the European foreign ministers will have an informal
exchange of views with the foreign minister of the Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, introduced on the agenda at the
proposal of minister Bogdan Aurescu.

Ukraine. This morning, US President Joe Biden paid a surprise
visit to Kyiv, where he met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The American official announced additional aid in the amount of 500 million
dollars and said that new sanctions against Russia were coming this week. For
his part, Zelensky stated that he discussed long-range weaponry with Biden.
The visit was not announced for security reasons. The American president is
expected in Warsaw, where he will be received by his Polish counterpart, Andrej
Duda. On Tuesday, Joe Biden will give a speech in Poland, a key US ally, on the
same day that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will speak in Moscow,
three days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On
Wednesday, the head of the White House will meet with the leaders of Bucharest
9 (B9), including the Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis. B9 is a group of NATO
members from Eastern Europe consisting of Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia.

Moldova. The geopolitical challenges triggered by Russia’s
aggression in Ukraine, energy security and the fight against the Kremlin’s propaganda
and disinformation are topics on the agenda of the 10th Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.
The meeting takes place in the capital
of the Republic of Moldova, between February 19 and 21. Moldovan State
Secretary Constantin Borosan, from the Euronest Committee for Energy Security,
has stressed that the interconnection of the Republic of Moldova with the
Romanian gas supply system through the Iasi – Chisinau gas pipeline and the
European ENTSO-E electricity grid helped the state to overcome the worst energy
crises. The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly was established in 2011 by the
European Union and the Eastern Partnership states: the Republic of Moldova,
Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Timisoara. Timişoara (western Romania), which has officially become a
European Capital of Culture in 2023, looks forward with confidence to the
impressive show that will unfold until February 2024, said the mayor Dominic
Fritz, at the end of the program’s inaugural events. Under the slogan Light up
your city 1,000 events are scheduled for a year, with an international message
about the cultural values of the city transmitted by the hundreds of
diplomats and journalists who were in Timisoara this weekend, as well as by
those up to a million visitors who are expected here this year, as the mayor of
Timisoara stressed. For three days, this
past weekend, the city hosted concerts, exhibitions, debates, tourist tours and
a gala show attended by hundreds of guests, including dozens of ambassadors and
officials from the country and abroad. More on this after the news.

BAFTA. All Quiet on
the Western Front was the big winner of the 76th edition
of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, which took
place on Sunday evening in London. The film triumphed in seven categories,
including best director, best film and best film
in a language other than English, according to Variety and Reuters. The
feature film now holds the record for the most trophies won by a film in a
language other than English, dethroning the film Cinema Paradiso, from 1988, which won five BAFTA awards. Austin
Butler won the award for best actor in a leading role thanks to his
portrayal of Elvis Presley in the movie Elvis.
Cate Blanchett was named best actress in a leading role for her
role as a prestigious conductor whose career falls apart due to allegations of
abuse in the film Tar. (MI)

20 February 2023
February 18, 2023 UPDATE

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

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

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

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

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

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

18 February 2023