Radio România Internațional

Tag: fair

  • December 16, 2023 UPDATE

    December 16, 2023 UPDATE

    BUDGET The 2024 state budget and social security budget bills will be reviewed by Parliament’s specialist committees as of Monday. On Tuesday the draft laws will be discussed in a joint plenary
    meeting, with a final vote expected on Wednesday. The budget is based on a 3.4%
    economic growth rate, with investments amounting to 7% of GDP and the largest
    appropriations in history for public education. PM Marcel Ciolacu dismissed
    claims that the figures are over-optimistic, and voiced his confidence that budget
    revenues would be raised from 27% to 30% of GDP. Under the bill, as of June 1
    whole-economy minimum wages will be around EUR 745. Ciolacu also said he was
    counting on better EU fund absorption, on improved tax collection and on
    curbing tax evasion.


    EU President Klaus Iohannis says the EU winter summit, which came to an
    end in Brussels on Friday, will be remembered for the historic decision to
    initiate accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The
    Romanian official encouraged the government of Moldova to step up the reforms
    required for EU integration. As for Ukraine, the president of the European
    Commission,Ursula von der Leyen, says
    the decision was a promise kept and an investment in stability and security. EU
    leaders also discussed the Israel-Hamas war, and condemned the continuing
    hostilities with growing numbers of victims among Palestinian civilians in Gaza
    and the West Bank. They argued that peace will only be achieved through a
    two-state solution. A revision of the 2021-2027 Multi-Annual Financial
    Framework, support for Ukraine, security and defence, migration and the future
    EU Strategic Agenda were also discussed at the European Council meeting on
    Thursday and Friday in Brussels.


    COMMEMORATION In Timişoara (west) events were organised to mark 34 years
    since the start of the 1989 Revolution which eventually led to the fall of
    dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu’s communist regime. The rally in support of the
    Reformed pastor László Tőkés, who was under political police (Securitate)
    surveillance, turned into an uprising against the communist dictatorship. In
    this context, the Revolution Memorial was opened to the public in Timişoara on
    Saturday. The organisers prepared a complex programme, providing information on
    the events of 1989. The commemoration also includes exhibitions, concerts, a
    special meeting of the Local Council, and a commemorative march. In this
    context, the Senate Speaker Nicolae Ciucă said in a message that the sacrifice
    and courage of Timişoara’s heroes were the foundation of today’s free and
    democratic Romania.


    UNEMPLOYMENT Around 63% of the Romanians aged 15 to 64 had a job in
    July-September, according to the National Statistics Institute. The
    unemployment rate was 5%, but among youth aged 15 to 24 the rate reaches 22%. The
    economic analyst Constantin Rudniţchi says the INS data is not very different
    from previous reports and that the Romanian labour market is below its
    potential. As for unemployment, he believes the overall trend is to look for
    and to create jobs. Rudniţchi believes the most urgent issue to be the one
    million Romanians who are outside the social and employment system, i.e. who
    are neither in school nor employed.


    AGREEMENT Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria intend to sign an agreement on
    January 11, 2024, concerning a joint plan to remove mines floating in the Black
    Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine, the Turkish defence minister Yasar Guler
    said, according to Reuters. Officials from the 3 NATO member states met with
    the authorities of Georgia, Poland and Ukraine in April 2022 to discuss the
    issue, and also discussed the plan in a NATO meeting in Brussels in October and
    in Ankara, last month. Yasar Guler explained that the initiative will only
    include Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria for the time being, and the signing
    ceremony will take place in Istanbul.


    FAIR A special Christmas fair was opened at the Săvârşin Castle of
    Romania’s late King Michael I. The organiser, Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of
    the Crown of Romania, said the event was intended to promote and preserve the
    authenticity of Christmas traditions. It is something spiritual, and we often
    forget that Christmas has grown a little too commercial. So we are glad to have
    valuable people here, she said. On the estate in Arad County, western Romania,
    a Royal Automobile Museum, a souvenir shop, the auto repair shop of King
    Michael I and a Tea House are also opened to the public. During the event, carol
    performances and handicraft exhibitions are also organised for the visitors. (AMP)

  • November 27, 2023 UPDATE

    November 27, 2023 UPDATE

    WEATHER Severe weather caused
    fresh problems in Romania, where heavy snowfalls and snowstorms affected 177 localities in 22 counties, according to the National Inspectorate for Emergencies. More than 660 vehicles were snowed under and over 540 trees were
    brought down by the wind. The most affected region was the east of the country,
    where roads were closed, railway traffic was disrupted and electricity and
    water supply discontinued. The Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport
    (south-east) was closed, and so were the Black Sea ports on the Romanian coast.
    Schools were also closed down in 5 counties in the south-east.


    BUDGET The government will continue this week to work
    on the state budget for 2024. The main challenges are related to pension
    increases and large-scale investments. PM Marcel Ciolacu says the new pension
    law is sustainable and that next year’s budget will be able to increase
    pensions twice, on January 1st by 13.8 percent and then until September 1st.
    Carrying on large investment projects is the priority of the government for 2024
    as well, the finance minister Marcel Boloş said. According to him, the budget
    of the education ministry will be increased significantly next year, especially
    in order to fund the investment projects included in the National Recovery and Resilience
    Plan. This budget must also cover the salary increase that the government
    promised in order to end an all-out strike in June.


    RECYCLING The first regional sorting centre for packaging was opened
    in Bonţida, north-western Romania, as part of the Packaging Guarantee and
    Return System to become operational as of November 30. A total of 17 such
    centres will be opened across the country in the forthcoming period. The
    environment minister Mircea Fechet explained that around 7 bln glass and
    plastic bottles as well as aluminium cans will reach recycling facilities, and
    promised that Romania will switch from storing to recycling.


    INVESTIGATION President Klaus Iohannis submitted prosecution
    requests concerning 2 former health ministers, Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana
    Mihăilă (USR party), to the justice ministry. The two are probed into for abuse
    of office with respect to the procurement of vaccines during the COVID-19
    pandemic, in a case in which the former PM Florin Cîţu is also facing charges
    of complicity to abuse of office. The latter, accompanied by his lawyers, appeared
    before the Senate’s judicial committee to review the case file against him. Cîţu,
    currently a senator with the National Liberal Party, said he would request
    Senate to suspend his parliamentary immunity. A decision in this respect will
    be made on Wednesday.


    GAUDEAMUS In Bucharest, almost 100,000 people visited the 30th
    edition of the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair, which ended on Sunday evening
    with the awarding of trophies. The most coveted book of the Gaudeamus Fair was
    designated More than the past, by Ana Blandiana, from the Humanitas
    Publishing House. Also by public vote, Humanitas, Litera and Polirom were
    designated the best publishing houses of this year’s fair. The prize for
    translation from Romanian into a foreign language was won by Şerban Foarţă for
    the volume of bilingual Romanian-German poems Schlimmericks, and
    the prize for translation from a foreign language into Romanian was awarded to
    Alexandra Coliban for the translation from English of the novel
    Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen. The Book Fair hosted over 500
    publishing events over five days. The honorary president of the edition was the
    writer and literary critic Ion Bogdan Lefter.

  • November 22, 2023 UPDATE

    November 22, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT The president of Romania
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday visited the UNESCO Heritage-listed Island
    of Gorée in Senegal, and had talks with the officials of the House of Slaves,
    now a museum. Mr. Iohannis said that Romania
    will support the efforts of Senegal’s Association for the Protection of Children
    with Mental Disabilities to ensure a better life for these children. On
    Thursday the Romanian official is to be received by his counterpart Macky Sall.
    Thursday’s agenda also includes participation in the opening of the United Nations
    House in Senegal, the opening of a traditional mask exhibition and a meeting
    with Senegalese experts who have studied in Romania. Senegal concludes the
    Romanian president’s 10-day tour in Africa, which also included Kenya, Tanzania
    and Cabo Verde.


    MILITARY Eurofighter aircraft
    from Germany arrived in Romania on Wednesday, at the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base
    in the south-east of the country, in an enhanced air policing mission (Air
    Policing South), the German Embassy in Bucharest announced. In the previous
    weeks, large-scale preparations were conducted for the deployment of the German
    contingent of 150 troops. Four Eurofighter jets will be operational as of
    November 27, strengthening the air defence of NATO’s south-eastern flank.


    GAUDEAMUS The
    Gaudeamus Radio Romania International Book Fair opened its doors in Bucharest
    on Wednesday. It is one of the most eagerly awaited cultural events of the fall,
    reaching its 30th edition. Until Sunday, more than 500 releases and editorial
    events will take place at the fair. The longest-running book fair in the
    country gathers this year almost 200 participants, mainly publishing houses,
    but also educational, cultural and press institutions.


    ISRAEL The European Union, the US and Russia
    welcomed the deal for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza, over a four-day
    ceasefire. The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said
    the Commission would use the truce to send as much humanitarian aid as possible
    to the Palestinian population in Gaza. In turn, the EU foreign policy chief,
    Josep Borrell, spoke about the European bloc’s willingness to get involved in finding
    a long-term solution to the conflict through the creation of a Palestinian
    state. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and the Israeli government have
    agreed on a 4-day ceasefire in Gaza and the release of 50 Israeli women and
    children in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners. The deal was brokered by Qatar.
    Hamas took around 240 hostages, including children and old people, during its
    attack on Israel in which another 1,200 people were killed according to Israeli
    sources. In turn, Hamas reported at least 13,300 Palestinians were killed in
    subsequent air strikes and the invasion of Gaza by the Israeli forces.



    BUDGET The 2024 EU budget was endorsed by the European Parliament convened
    in Strasbourg on Wednesday. The chief negotiator was the Romanian MEP Siegfried
    Mureşan. The EU budget currently stands at EUR 189 bln. According to Siegfried
    Mureşan, there are enough resources now to finance the European Union’s
    traditional priorities, such as the cohesion policy and the common agricultural
    policy. In these areas, Romania receives most of its non-reimbursable
    allocations. (AMP)

  • November 21, 2023

    November 21, 2023


    VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis today starts an official visit to Senegal, the last stage of his African tour. The agenda includes, among other things, a visit to the Senegalese association for the protection of children with mental disabilities, based in Dakar, a visit to the UNESCO Heritage-listed island of Gorée on Wednesday, and official talks with Senegals president Macky Sall on Thursday. President Iohannis African tour also included visits to Kenya, Tanzania and Cabo Verde.



    BUDGET The leaders of the Social Democratic Party and of the National Liberal Party in Romanias ruling coalition are holding talks today on the 2024 state budget law, which should be endorsed by December 10. According to government sources, the PM Marcel Ciolacu intends to adjust the method of earmarking ministry budgets, with appropriations granted based on programmes and projects. The participants will also discuss the replacement of the directors of agencies subordinated to the finance ministry, except for the Fiscal Administration Agency, and the reorganisation of these agencies in order to improve their operation. Also today, a meeting is scheduled between government officials, trade unions and employers associations. The head of the Romanian SME Association, Florin Jianu, says unions are expected to demand an increase of minimum wages as of January 1, 2024, but he says the business environment is unable to cope with a new increase after the one operated in October.



    ISRAEL The Senate and Chamber of Deputies are holding a secret meeting today, focusing on recent developments and the situation in Israel. The joint meeting was suggested by the MP representing the Jewish community in Romania, Silviu Vexler. Journalists are denied access to the meeting, and audio and video recording or live posts are prohibited.



    FAIR The Gaudeamus International Book Fair, organised by Radio Romania, begins in Bucharest on Wednesday. The event marks 95 years since the first broadcast of Radio Romania, 30 editions of the Gaudeamus Book Fair in Bucharest and over 140 national and local editions. Some 200 participants will organise more than 500 events as part of this years fair, which will come to an end on November 26. (AMP)


  • March 8, 2023

    March 8, 2023

    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis Wednesday had meetings with the local
    authorities of Kyoto. In this context, he said Romania and Japan are closer
    than ever, and voiced his hope that Kyoto and a city in Romania will soon become
    twin towns. It is important that we rely on each other to safeguard the
    fundamental values that define us-the will for peace and security, freedom,
    democracy and human rights, and a rule-based international order, the Romanian
    president said. In turn, the Japanese officials praised Romania as an important
    partner for Japan, sharing fundamental values like freedom, democracy and the
    rule of law. The talks were the last stage in the Romanian president’s visit to
    Japan. The main goal of the Asian tour was to elevate the bilateral relation to
    a strategic partnership level. A document in this respect, the outcome of 5
    years of negotiations and consultations, was signed on Tuesday in Tokyo, during
    a meeting with the Japanese PM, Fumio Kishida. The head of the Romanian state
    was also received by Emperor Naruhito. On Thursday and Friday Klaus Iohannis will
    be on a state visit to Singapore, where he is scheduled to have talks with
    president Halimah Yacob and PM Lee Hsien Loong.


    GOVERNMENT The
    reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be completed, the finance
    minister Adrian Câciu promised the Senate. Speaking at the Government Hour today,
    he also said economic performance is good and the budget deficit will be narrowed.
    According to minister Câciu, Romania has a structural deficiency and permanent
    expenses that require higher financing. As for interest rates, they are becoming
    more stable as the inflation rate is also coming under control. The minister’s
    presence in Parliament was requested by Save Romania Union in opposition, which
    asked minister Câciu to explain why Romania’s budget deficit has reached
    record-high levels, and financing costs are among the highest in the EU. The
    USR Senator Anca Dragu warned that Romania has borrowed huge amounts, at very
    high interest rates, which Romanians will have to repay for the next 30 years.
    The AUR Senator Claudiu Târziu said in his turn that in his opinion the finance
    ministry’s forecasts are empty words, and citizens are still overburdened with
    taxes.


    WOMEN Women in public life, including journalists,
    human rights activists and women in politics, are particularly targeted by
    intimidation, hate speech and sexual harassment, reads a joint statement signed
    by over 20 embassies in Bucharest and the representative office of the European
    Commission in Romania. In their message on International Women’s Day on March
    8, the signatories say these practices require firm and immediate response, and
    the perpetrators must be held accountable. The text also reiterates commitment
    to ensuring gender equality and to fully respecting and safeguarding the rights
    of women as human rights. We call on all states to do the same: gender equality
    and equity benefit not only girls and women, but society as a whole, men and
    boys included, the embassies and the representative office of the European
    Commission in Romania point out. The signatories include the embassies of Austria,
    Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Republic of Korea and the
    US.


    FAIR A Spring Fair has been opened in Bucharest today,
    as part of a larger campaign to promote Romanian produce and to improve
    Romanians’ access to locally-sourced, high-quality foodstuff. Taking part in
    the Fair are over 30 local producers from north-western and central Romania,
    selling meat and dairy products, fruit and vegetables, preserves and drinks. Traditional
    music and dance performances will also be organised during the 5-day long event.


    DANUBE Ukraine will cease all dredging on the Danube’s
    Chilia branch and Bystroe Canal, the Romanian transport ministry announced
    after the trilateral meeting in Ismail, Ukraine, attended by representatives of
    Romania, Ukraine and the European Commission. Also, on March 15, measurements
    will begin on Chilia and Bystroe. The EU officials agreed with Romania’s
    requests and emphasised that the top priority is to improve the capacity of the
    other Danube branch, Sulina, given that over half of the cargo transport from
    Ukraine via so-called solidarity corridors takes place on the Danube. Ukraine
    has recently conducted dredging described as legal, maintenance operations, but
    Romania argues that dredging went significantly over the allowed depth of 3.5m,
    which would have a major impact on the Danube Delta ecosystem, currently a UNESCO
    world heritage site.


    TALKS The Romanian Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken Monday
    discussed over the phone about priority topics for the bilateral Strategic
    Partnership, in the context of the war in Ukraine. The 2 officials
    appreciated the frequency of Romanian-American meetings over the past year as a
    indication of the level and depth of the strategic partnership between the 2
    countries. The agenda of the talks also included the strengthening of NATO’s
    eastern flank, the new US strategy for the Black Sea and the situation in the Republic
    of Moldova. Bogdan Aurescu also reiterated the importance of including Romania
    in the Visa Waiver programme. (AMP)

  • Romania’s Tourism Fair and its offers

    Romania’s Tourism Fair and its offers


    The 47th edition of Romanias Tourism Fair was held over February 23rd and 26th in Romanias capital city Bucharest. Romanias most interesting tourism offers and assets were presented as part of the event. Traditional craftsmen were there, obviously, they provided live demonstrations of the ancient crafts. In this weeks instalment in our regular Travelers Guide series you will find out something about the most interesting holiday destination for the coming period.



    A PR specialist with Timis Countys Tourism Promotion and Development Association, Bianca Vințan told us Timișoara was prepared to become a true capital of European Culture. Besides, Timis Countys tourism offer for 2033 was very generous.



    Bianca Vintan:



    “We invite tourists to discover the Win Road. The road comprises five small wine cellars in the Silagiu area, as well as visits to the regions local producers. Tourists can find accommodation nearby the wine cellars; they can taste the local produce or can bathe in Buzias resorts healing waters. Apart from that, lovers of nature and of the outdoor experience are invited to roll along 15 cyclo- tourism paths in Timis County. Ther also is another option, that of trekking in the Padeas area, Fardea, the Surduc lake. Loads of things for them to discover in our county. “



    Niculai Barbă is vice-president of Suceava County Council, as well as a coordinator of the National Tourism Promotion and Information Centre. Present at Bukovinas stand, Niculai Barba outlined, for all those interested, the most interesting tourism programs.



    “This year, we also have special events as part of the “Ciprian Porumbescu Year ” program. Therefore, we have developed events tourism in great numbers, in 2023. Then we present the period for which we are extremely sought-after, the Easter holiday. Booking for Easter and Christmas in Bukovina is made one year in advance. In no short supply are traditional cuisine, customs and traditions offers, traditional craftsmen, traditional music. At this edition of the fair we have come with performers of the “Ciprian Porumbescu” Ensemble, in a bid to put to good use the Romanian composers work. “



    Luminița Niculiță is one of the traditional craftsmen whose work was presented at Bukovinas stand. She came all the way from the museum-commune of Ciocănești and is surrounded by traditional handicraft items.



    “At the tourism fair we have brought a fine collection of painted eggs, typical for the region of Bukovina, especially for the museum-commune of Ciocanesti, where I hail from. Its not only the painted eggs we can brag about, we can also boast the beautiful houses with their painted façades, something unique the world over. Thanks to the painted eggs, the painted houses, of the traditions that have been preserved, our commune was declared an outdoor museum-commune. I have taken up the craft of painting eggs ever since I was four, guided by my mother, by grandparents, by aunties. I started with the simplest patterns, while now, as I am 20, I can say I already have a rich experience. Egg-painting workshops can also be staged, but we need to be announced well in advance so that we can prepare the required materials. We have tourist from all continents and from all European countries. Everybody was astonished we did not enjoy Switzerlands fame, landscape-wise. Were waiting for everybody to come over so they can see that for themselves. “



    Ramona Niță is the director of Breazas National Tourism Information and Promotion Centre. She came with special Easter and Whitsuntide offers, but also with offers off the market price, valid throughout the year.



    “For instance, we have a four-star guesthouse with an Easter package offer is made of a three-night accommodation stay with half-board and the festive Easter dinner. The double-room fee per person is 1,200 lei (243 Euros). Apart from accommodation and dinners, there also are activities such as a camp fire or dances. They have a very beautiful courtyard, with gazebos. There are also offers for the summer period. They include weekdays, and you pay four nights for the price of three, of five for the price of four. We have standard fees for the weekends, as the demand for that is very high. “



    Judith Grapă is a documentarist with the Faragas Country Museum. She presented the reasons why the Fagaras Citadel should not be excluded by tourists for their holiday options in 2023.



    “It is the only citadel of Romanias princesses. Transylvanias princes, in the 16th and the 17th centuries, offered this citadel to their wives as a wedding gift. Their ladyships, the princesses, were the ones who administered it, alongside the included estate known as the Fagaras Country. Secondly, it is one of the worlds most beautiful fortresses, which has been awarded a diploma of excellence. Thirdly, it is a very well-preserved citadel. The citadel has been partially restored and looks really fine. The first floor is open for visitors, there we have 26 rooms, the Fagaras Country Museum can also be found there. On the second floor, we have for more rooms set in the style of the 18th century. We invited you to come over mainly during the days of the Medfest, a medieval festival, a festival of the citadel days, held in the last week of August.”



    From Transylvania we travel all the way down to the Romanian Black Sea Coast. Alina Monica Rapotan is the property manager of a guesthouse in the resort of Jupiter.



    “Ours is an offer accounting for 10% off the market price. During the season, the accommodation fee for two adults and a child younger than 5 can reach 220 lei (44 euros). In June, for two adults, we can offer a fee of 140 Lei (28 Euro). We have our own kitchen and playgrounds for children, indoors and outdoors. Were in the middle of a forest. The air is fresh and were that close to the beach. “



    An executive director with Arad County Council, Dr. Andrei Ando, went to the tourism fair with an offer for three distinct regions in Arad County.



    “First off, Arad municipal city, where we promote historical and cultural tourism. Secondly, the Mures River Valley, a historical region in Arad municipal city. Here we lay emphasis on the Savirsin castle, on the traditions acknowledged by UNESCO. Then we promote the Miniș-Măderat vineyard, one of central Europes historic vineyards. There we have two sorts of wine: Cadarcă, a red sort of wine and Mustoasă of Măderat, a sort of white wine. Concurrently, at this edition of the fair, we wanted to promote Arad municipal city as a city-break destination. We have so far discussed with 22 tourism agencies so that Arad could be included in their autumn offer. We have 70 refurbished palaces in Arad city center, Romanias largest urban city center area, we have the longest string of Secession-style buildings.”



    Also available at the tourism fair were adventure or balneal tourism offer. Also the UNESCO Buzau Land geopark and the Mountainous Banat had very lively stands, teeming with ideas for a successful holiday. In Travelers Guides following editions, we shall have more on each of these destinations, so we can understand their unique selling points, capable of helping you to have a holiday to remember, in Romania. (EN)




  • February 23, 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)

  • December 9, 2022

    December 9, 2022

    SCHENGEN Romania’s and Bulgaria’s bid to join the Schengen
    free-movement area may be included on the agenda of the European Council
    meeting next week, at the request of the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis,
    political sources in Bucharest said. I am convinced we will reach the
    accession of Romania and Bulgaria during this mandate and this will be my
    priority, Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, said in
    her turn. The statement comes after on Thursday at the EU Justice and Home
    Affairs Council meeting, Austria opposed Romania’s entry.


    AMBASSADOR The
    Romanian foreign ministry announced that following Austria’s veto regarding
    Romania’s Schengen accession, the country’s ambassador to Vienna, Emil
    Hurezeanu, was recalled for consultations by minister Bogdan Aurescu. The
    embassy will be headed by an interim charge d’affairs. According to diplomatic procedure,
    the decision is an indication of Romania’s firm disagreement with Austria’s
    position and also of the deterioration of current relations with that country.


    BUDGET The draft state budget
    and social security budget of Romania were passed by the government and have
    been forwarded to Parliament for discussion. The ministries set to receive more
    funding include the defence, agriculture, transport, development and education.
    Less money than this year will be earmarked for energy, judiciary and public
    healthcare. The two bills also stipulate a 10% increase in public sector
    salaries, a 12.5% increase in pension point value and an increase of the
    national minimum wage to approx. EUR 610 per month. AUR party in opposition
    already announced it would table amendments because it disagreed with the draft
    budget.


    WORKERS Another 100,000 non-EU citizens will be given access to the
    Romanian labour market next year. The figure decided by the government is
    similar to the one approved for 2022, and it is intended to cover the labour
    deficit in sectors like constructions, hospitality, protection and guard
    services, road transport and trade.


    INVESTMENTS Net investments in the Romanian economy in the 3rd
    quarter of the year reached EUR 8 bln, up 13.3% compared to the corresponding
    quarter of last year, according to unaudited data made public by the National
    Statistics Institute today. For the first 9 months of the year, the figure is
    around EUR 19 bln, up 4.5% since 2021. Major increases were reported in
    constructions and heavy industry. According to the National Statistics
    Institute, net investments are expenditure incurred with creating new fixed
    assets or with developing, upgrading and rebuilding existing ones, and with the
    transfer of ownership on existing fixed assets.


    GAUDEAMUS The 29th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair organised by Radio
    Romania is under way in Bucharest until Sunday. The event brings together 200
    participants and a variety of editorial products on different formats, for all
    ages and areas of interest, including music and educational games. The line-up
    features 600 different events and related projects. As a first, the fair also
    has special areas dedicated to interactive activities for young visitors. All
    stands are also available online on the gaudeamus.ro website. The fair’s
    honorary president this year is poet Ana Blandiana.


    FOOTBALL The FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar has reached the
    quarter-final stage. Two matches are scheduled for today, pitting Croatia
    against Brazil and the Netherlands against Argentina. On Saturday, Morocco
    takes on Portugal and England is facing France. (AMP)

  • December 8, 2022 UPDATE

    December 8, 2022 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN The EU Justice and Home Affairs Council Thursday
    denied Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen free movement area,
    with 2 votes against. Accession requires a unanimous vote. Of the 27 member
    countries, the Netherlands and Austria voted against, with the former specifying
    that it only opposed Bulgaria’s accession. Austria argued that it feared an
    increase in illegal migration. Croatia, on the other hand, received the green
    light for accession on January 1, 2023. The European Commissioner for home
    affairs, Ylva Johansson, congratulated Croatia on its accession and said
    Bulgaria and Romania also deserved to be accepted. In Bucharest, the president Klaus
    Iohannis said the lack of consensus regarding Romania’s bid was profoundly
    unfair. The Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă said he was ‘deeply disappointed’ and
    emphasised that Austria’s vote was ‘unjustified’. The president of the Social
    Democratic Party in power, Marcel Ciolacu, said the European unity and
    stability had received a harsh blow from Austria, which in difficult times
    chose to forsake its European friends and serve Russia’s interests instead. Austria’s
    veto to Romania’s Schengen accession is an unfair and immoral attitude, lacking
    solid reasons, the deputy PM and leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians in Romania Kelemen Hunor said in his turn. In the opposition, the
    president of USR party, Cătălin Drulă, sees the JHA Council’s decision as ‘profoundly
    unfair’, and argues that the Austrian government’s position will go down in
    history as an instance of discrimination. In turn, George Simion the head of AUR
    party, also in opposition, defines the decision as a ‘failure of Romania’s current
    government and of president Klaus Iohannis’.


    FARMERS Romanian farmers will benefit from around 16 billion
    euros under the strategic plan for 2023-2027 approved on Wednesday by the
    European Commission. Some 10 billion euros account for direct payments and
    sectoral interventions, while 6 billion will be allocated to rural development.
    Romania’s agriculture minister Petre Daea said the plan also includes an
    instrument to support farmers who suffered losses as a result of natural
    disasters, with 400 million euros being earmarked to this end.


    REFUGEES The Border Police said almost 65,500 people crossed
    the border into Romania on Wednesday, including more than 7,300 Ukrainian
    nationals, down 1.2% compared with the previous day. Since 10th February 2022,
    two weeks before the Russian army invaded Ukraine, more than 3 million
    Ukrainians have crossed the border into neighbouring Romania. Most of them have
    continued their journey to countries in western Europe, but over 80,000 have
    chosen to stay, according to official figures.


    GAUDEAMUS The 29th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair
    organised by Radio Romania is under way in Bucharest until Sunday. The event
    brings together 200 participants and a variety of editorial products on
    different formats, for all ages and areas of interest, including music and
    educational games. The line-up features 600 different events and related
    projects. As a first, the fair also has special areas dedicated to interactive
    activities for young visitors. All stands are also available online on the
    gaudeamus.ro website. The fair’s honorary president this year is poet Ana
    Blandiana. (AMP, CM)

  • Gaudeamus Radio Romania

    Gaudeamus Radio Romania

    The most famous book fair in Romania returns in a physical format, after two years of pandemic. The 29thedition of the Gaudeamus fair, organized by Radio Romania, has opened in Bucharest. Until Sunday, 200 participants offer the public an extremely varied range of editorial products, on different supports, suitable for all ages and fields of interest, music and educational games. More than 600 editorial events have been announced, including book launches, debates, autograph sessions, performances and workshops as well as other projects.



    For the first time, two spaces dedicated to interactive activities for the youngest visitors have been set up within the fair. The honorary president of this year’s edition is the writer Ana Blandiana, who said that such an event helps readers and authors discover each other. She spoke about the importance of the public radio station, as organizer of the event.



    Ana Blandiana: I think that, even from the very first time I went to a Gaudeamus fair, when the fair consisted in only a few tables with books in the foyer of the Radio Concert Hall, I thought to myself: what a wonderful idea the people at the Radio had to start a book fair, for the simple reason that book fairs are generally organized by publishers, associations, publishers who are interested in organizing them, in order to sell their books. Well, Radio Romania has no interest of this kind, it is, in this sense, the most soulful fair, if I can say so. Actually, I was even asked in a radio interview: what is the difference, in your opinion, between the Gaudeamus Fair and other fairs? I had never thought of that aspect, and I remembered this thought from the beginning, that it is a fair that has no material interests, that the Radio is just a great cultural institution and that the basis of culture is reading. So, the only interest of the Radio is for people to read books.



    The role of books increased during this period full of turmoil – says, for his part, the president general director of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan Dincă: Probably in these moments, with all the threats at Romanias border, with what is happening near us, with what has happened in the last three years with this terrible pandemic, which has affected the entire world, people feel the pain and try to find comfort also in reading books, and if they do not have access to other forms of comfort such as art, culture, in written form or otherwise that could alleviate this pain, I think that books have an even more important role.



    All the stands of this year’s edition of the fair can also be found in virtual format on the gaudeamus.ro website. The book fair initiated and organized by Radio Romania is financed by the Ministry of Culture, and entry is free. (LS)

  • December 7, 2022

    December 7, 2022

    BUDGET
    The finance ministry has made public the draft state budget of Romania for next
    year. The document is based on an estimated GDP growth of 2.8%, an 8% inflation
    rate, a growing number of employees and a declining 2.7% unemployment rate. The
    ministries set to receive less money include the energy, justice and public
    healthcare, whereas the defence, development, transport and education
    ministries will receive substantially higher budget appropriations. The ruling
    coalition made up of the Social Democrats, and Liberals and the Democratic
    Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania intends to endorse the draft budget tomorrow
    and send it to Parliament the next day, for discussion next week.


    SECURITY Romania has constantly worked to
    identify solutions to enhance security at the Black Sea, the Romanian foreign
    minister Bogdan Aurescu said in Ankara on Tuesday, when he had
    a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mervlut Cavusoglu. The two officials
    discussed the best avenues for cooperation, both at bilateral level and within
    the NATO framework. They finalised and agreed on the text of the political
    declaration setting up the Romania – Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation
    Council, organised as a regular meeting of the two countries’ governments and
    focusing on strategic areas of mutual interest, which will be launched in 2023.
    Another topic approached in the meeting was cooperation in the energy sector,
    recognised by both officials as a priority, particularly in light of the recent
    challenges. An agreement was reached to strengthen joint efforts to ensure the
    security of Romania’s energy supplies by transiting Turkish territory. Also,
    the multidimensional effects of the war in Ukraine have been analysed, with
    special attention paid to the refugee crisis and food security.


    JUSTICE The Romanian justice minister Cătălin Predoiu will
    take part in the meetings of the Justice and Home Affair Council and General
    Affairs Council of the European Union, between December 7th and 14th.
    According to a JHA Council news release, on the sidelines of the two meetings the
    justice minister will also have meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg with
    counterparts from other member countries and EU officials. At the JHA Council
    Mr. Predoiu will present Romania’s position with respect to the EU judicial
    instruments and policies in the judiciary currently on the Council’s agenda. The
    home affairs section of the Council is scheduled to make a decision regarding
    the accession of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia to the Schengen area.

    ECONOMY The GDP of the European Union saw a 0.4% growth and
    that of the Euro-zone a 0.3% increase in the 3rd quarter of this
    year compared to the previous quarter, with the most substantial growth rates
    reported for Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and Romania, according to data released on
    Wednesday by Eurostat. The economic growth rate in Ireland was 2.3%, and in
    Cyprus, Malta and Romania 1.3%. The most substantial decline is reported for Estonia
    (negative 1.8%), Latvia (negative 1.7%) and Slovenia (negative 1.4%). Among EU
    member countries, the most significant annual growth rate is reported for
    Ireland (10.6%), Croatia (5.5%), Cyprus (5.4%), Malta (5.2%), Portugal (4.9%) and
    Romania (4.7%), the only negative rates being reported for Estonia (negative 2.3%)
    and Latvia (negative 0.4%).

    OIL Global oil
    prices dropped to the lowest level this year, in spite of the estimates of some
    international experts that expected the EU and G7 ban on Russian crude and the
    cap on crude prices to trigger market turbulence. In Romania, the lowest petrol
    price is EUR 1.3, and diesel is sold for EUR 1.54. On the other hand,
    neighbouring Hungary is facing a fuel crisis caused, according to AFP, by the
    price cap introduced by Viktor Orbán’s government a year ago. The fuel shortage
    comes in the context of a 30% decrease in imports as foreign companies cut down
    their sales to Hungary as a result of the price cap, the country’s association
    of independent petrol stations said.


    GAUDEAMUS The 29th
    edition of the ‘Gaudeamus’ Book Fair, organised by Radio Romania, kicked off in
    Bucharest today. Until Sunday, 200 participants will be exhibiting releases in
    various formats, addressing all age brackets and fields of interests, as well as music and educational games. 600 events have been announced in addition to
    various related projects. As a novelty, 2 areas have been arranged within the
    Fair, for interactive activities targeting the youngest visitors. Pavilions are
    also available online on gaudeamus.ro. The honorary president of this year’s
    edition is the writer Ana Blandiana.


    FOOTBALL In the FIFA
    World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, in the round of 16, Portugal smashed Switzerland
    6-1, while Morocco scored a surprising win against Spain 3-0 on penalties. In the
    quarter-finals on Friday, the Netherlands will be up against Argentina, and
    Croatia takes on Brazil, while on Saturday England will be facing defending
    champions France and Morocco will take on Portugal. The semis are scheduled for
    December 13 and 14, and the final on December 18. (AMP)

  • December 2, 2022 UPDATE

    December 2, 2022 UPDATE

    VISIT The president of Romania Klaus
    Iohannis had a meeting in Athens on Friday with his Greek counterpart, Katerina
    Sakellaropoulou, who reiterated Greece’s full support for Romania’s Schengen
    accession. The two officials praised the very good relations between the two
    countries, strengthened by cultural affinities and by a long common history,
    and emphasized the close cooperation at EU, regional and international level. Given
    the current security situation generated by Russia’s illegal military
    aggression against Ukraine, they emphasized the importance of maintaining
    trans-Atlantic unity and solidarity and reiterated the support that their
    respective countries will continue to give to Ukraine and to Ukrainian refugees,
    as well as to the R. of Moldova. The Romanian president is in Greece for a
    2-day official visit.


    COMPANIES The number of new
    companies running on foreign capital set up in Romania in the first 10 months
    of the year is 30.7% higher than in the corresponding period of 2021, according
    to the National Trade Registry Office. The 6,175 new companies have a combined
    share capital of over USD 35 million. At the end of October 2022, 243,022
    companies in Romania had foreign share capital. The largest number of companies
    had Italian investors, but the highest capital value was reported for Dutch
    companies. In related news, Romania’s software industry is growing steadily,
    with the combined turnover in the sector expected to reach a record-high EUR 11
    billion this year. According to a survey, the upward trend has been steady for
    the past 10 years, and the growth rate almost tripled during this period. In
    2021 there were over 30,000 software firms in Romania.


    GAUDEAMUS The 29th edition of the
    Gaudeamus Book Fair hosted by Radio Romania kicks off next week.
    200 publishers will be exhibiting their latest and current releases in various
    formats, addressing all age brackets and fields of interests, music as well as
    educational games. 600 events have been announced in addition to various
    related projects. Pavilions are also available online on gaudeamus.ro. The
    Gaudeamus Book Fair is financed by the Ministry of Culture.


    POLITICS The National Congress of the Alliance for the Unity of
    Romanians (AUR), a nationalist party in opposition in Romania, Friday endorsed
    its political promotion strategy for 2023. It includes building a mobile
    hospital and organising medical caravans which would also present the party’s
    views on the main areas of interest. The party president, George Simion, added
    that some of the subsidies received by the party will be used for purchasing
    school buses. The head of the party’s National Council, Claudiu Târziu, said
    national reunification is AUR’s country project and requested the governments
    of Romania and of the R. of Moldova to initiate immediate consultations in this
    respect.


    SCHENGEN The Dutch government Friday decided to agree with Romania’s
    and Croatia’s Schengen accession, but will oppose the accession of Bulgaria, on
    grounds that the country does not meet the required conditions. The Swedish
    parliament’s committee for European affairs also voted in favour of Romania’s
    accession. The Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign minister Bogdan
    Aurescu hailed the decisions concerning Romania. A possible enlargement of the Schengen
    area is one of the topics on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council
    meeting due on December 8. (AMP)

  • Romania’s Tourism Fair, the spring edition

    Romania’s Tourism Fair, the spring edition

    The spring edition of the largest tourism fair staged
    in Romania brought together generous offers for various categories of tourists,
    whether they are into cultural or treatment tourism, or whether they ‘d rather
    go for rural or business tourism offers. Visitors had the opportunity to
    discover some of Romania’s most beautiful areas. Also , they found ready-made tourism
    packages for a holiday to remember, for extremely affordable prices.


    Dana Matic, of the Visit Mureș Association, told us
    she has been taking part, for many years now, in both editions of the fair, the
    spring and the autumn edition. Dana Matic:

    Mures County has quite a few treasures
    to offer, and, as of late, because of the pandemic, we have been focusing on natural
    assets, on outdoor activities. That is why we invite
    our tourists to discover the castles. They are our strongest point. They are
    the heritage of the Hungarian nobility of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. We recommend
    a three, four-day tour, so they can visit the castles but also the mansions.


    Petru Maran works for the Sighetu-Marmatiei tourism promotion
    and information Centre. He has invited us to discover Maramures.Petru Maran:

    Ours is a very generous offer, culture-wise,
    but also in terms of adventure tourism, and my job is to present the Sighetu
    Marmatiei municipal city from a tourism perspective. When it comes to cultural tourism,
    I recommend the Maramures Museum, with its sections. I recommend the Maramures
    Village Museum, the Ethnographic Museum of Maramures, the Elie
    Wiesel Memorial House. There is a very important museum we also have in Sighetu
    Marmatiei: The Communism Victims and Resistance Memorial. You’re sure to find out
    a lot about the communist repression in Romania and about the Sighetu Marmatiei
    prison. In the historical Maramures, I recommend that you visit the Merry Cemetery
    in Sapanta and the Peri Sapanta Monastery. We cannot ignore the narrow-gauge
    train on the Vaser Valley either.


    Anca Grădinariu is a representative of the Buzau Country Association,
    which was set up with a view to promoting one of Romania’s less well-known
    regions. The Association has been submitting documentation so that UNESCO may
    recognize the Buzau Country as a geopark. The first assessment has already been
    made, or at least that’s what we’ve been told, and we also found out the region
    would most likely be granted that status in May this year. Anca Gradinariu:


    We present the offers of the
    region. We have lots of leaflets for that. And joining us is the Buzau Country ‘s
    most distinguished representative, Amelia Papazissu, a
    living human treasure who can weave using the goat hair. We’ve got wines, then
    we also have the local craft beer. There are a great many magnificent areas in
    Buzau County, still unspoiled by mass tourism, with their prose and their cons.
    The region is wild and, if we reach a certain altitude, around the Mocearu Lake,
    we have the feeling we’re in Switzerland or Iceland, the quietness there is
    impressive, what with the extraordinary guest houses, with people who are
    cooking experts. The Lopatari Mocearu Lake is my favorite region.


    A lively and colorful stall was the one of Bukovina,
    represented by Catalina Velniciuc with the Suceava County Council.


    Bukovina came to the fair with Easter and
    summer offers, many of them from business operators in the tourism sector. Representing
    Bukovina at the fair are also Tara Dornelor Eco-tourism Association, Suceava Town
    Hall and a craftsman who makes egg-painting demonstrations. A three-night accommodation
    package, breakfast, dinner and SPA access included, in a four-star facility in
    Campulung Moldovenesc costs RON 2250 per person.


    The county of Dambovita is represented at the fair by
    Georgiana Ungureanu with the Curtea Domneasca Museum Compound in Targoviste.


    Georgiana Ungureanu:

    The Dambovita County Council,
    through the Curtea Domneasca Museum Compound in Targoviste, has come to the
    fair this year to present the 16 museums in our county. Nine of them are
    located in the county capital Targoviste. Among them is Curtea Domneasca, the Princely
    Court monumental ensemble and the Chindia Tower, which also venues the Museum
    of Printing and Old Romanian Book. As a novelty, we invite tourists to visit
    the Potlogi Ensemble built in the Brancoveanu style, which has been restored. Towards
    the mountains, in Vulcana-Pandele, there is the memorial house of artist Gabriel
    Popescu that is also worth visiting. The museum has a beautiful garden where
    tourists can take some time to relax.


    Szabó Károly is the executive director of the Harghita
    Intercommunity Development Agency:


    I came here with plenty of offers, from wellness
    and gastronomy to theme parks. I have brought the best our county has to offer.
    During the pandemic we launched an initiative called Family-Friendly Harghita.
    The county is an ideal place for families and we are now licensing tourist units
    in this respect. We so far have 86 such units, that include guest houses,
    restaurants, places to visit and services that meet our criteria. All these can
    also be found the Visit Harghita application.


    Florentina Gheorghita, the head of the Botosani Tourist
    Information Centre, has also told us about her offer:


    The town of Botosani stands out due to its
    historical center, known as the Little Leipzig. Many old buildings have been
    preserved and most of them have been restored. The church where national poet
    Mihai Eminescu was baptized as well as his birthplace are located in the city center.
    We now have a project under way aimed at bringing to light the legends of the
    old center. It is said that the whole town used to be crossed by tunnels and
    underground cells which connected all houses ever since the Tartar invasion.
    People used to hide in these cells. With the help of scanners we have found
    tunnels dug six and eight meters deep.

    (Translation by EN and E. Enache)

  • Romania’s Tourism Fair

    Romania’s Tourism Fair

    The spring edition of Romania’s Tourism Fair was held
    over February 18 and February 21. It was a special edition, held exclusively
    online, enabling exhibitors to display their holiday offers for the most
    attractive domestic destinations. Also, online visitors of the fair had the
    opportunity to compare accommodation and transport fees straight on the
    platform, which also included gadget offers and holiday accessories.


    Delia Botan is Romexpo marketing manager. She gave
    us details about the success of Romania’s Tourism Fair’s first online edition.


    Delia Botan:


    The Romanians have a tremendous urge to explore the
    world, and that was obvious at the virtual version of Romania’s Tourism Fair.
    Ten thousand people registered for this edition and made roughly 32,000 visits
    on the platform, for the four days of the fair. The exhibitors’ offer was
    extremely generous for the visitors of our platform. All in all, promoted as
    part of this virtual edition were Romania’s most beautiful touristic areas, which
    were represented, as usual, by county councils and municipalities. Practically,
    we could say our visitors had their fair share of the most comprehensive
    digital experience in the field of tourism, being a couple of clicks away from
    purchasing their much-desired holiday, at once enjoying the leisure of their
    own home.


    The Descoperimromania.ro platform was one of the
    exhibitors. The platform presented the most beautiful and the most attractive
    destinations. With details on that, here is project manager Alina Rosoiu who
    also disclosed virtual visitors’ areas of interest.


    Alina Rosoiu:


    Tourists are interested in Romania, in traditions, in
    special accommodation units with a limited number of rooms. This year,
    tourists’ interest in hotel compounds has been on the wane. Extremely sought-after
    are the little guesthouses and agro guesthouses. We have a special interest in the
    Danube Delta, in the Romanian Black Sea coast, in Maramures and, last but not
    the least, in Bukovina. We have very good offers for tourists. For instance,
    Easter Holiday packages start from 200 Euros, for a stay in the Danube Delta, and
    from 150 Euros for a stay in the Danube Gorges. The pandemic, which is still
    ongoing, may scare us, yet we need to know Romania is a safe destination. We do
    our best for our guests’ safety. We’re waiting for you and we comply with all
    the sanitary safety standards in place. We’re in the middle of nature, so there
    is a minimum amount of risk. Accommodation units abide by the sanitary
    protection requirements, so it should be no problem for you to visit Romania.


    One of the most sought-after destinations at the fair
    was Maramures, as expected. Maramures
    County Council’s head of the Public Relations Department, Laura Danci, gave us
    the details on that.


    Laura Danci:


    The stand of Maramures this year was not as lively as
    it was in the previous years, sadly, because of the pandemic. We were present
    only through an online platform, yet we did have a couple of offers and we also
    came up with a new site, Visit Maramures. The offer we have come up with at the
    Tourism Fair was labelled ‘Twelve reasons to visit Maramures’ while on our new
    site, Visit Maramures, we have covered just about everything Maramures had to
    offer to tourists, from gastronomy, traditional craftsmen to cultural tourist
    routes, to landscape. In the previous years we also launched an application for
    mobile devices, Visit Maramures, where we made available all tourism
    information centers, all the guesthouses. Yet we thought that a website will be
    a lot easier to access by everybody. We took part in the fair, and the feedback
    we got was quite good. We had very many visitors, even online. Hundreds of visitors
    asked us what they could visit in Maramures and what a surprise we had, in
    three days alone, the site had 2,047 views.


    Carmen Păun is Head of the Marketing and PR Office
    of Oltenia’s Museum in Craiova, Ms Paun invites us to take a cultural trip to
    southern Romania.


    Carmen Paun:


    It has been a privilege for us, as a cultural
    institution, to receive an invitation from Romania’s Tourism Fair, the virtual
    edition, 2021. Our products have met the demands of our public, whose interest
    in digital consumption is growing: information, education, entertainment. Our
    offer entirely focused on these three components. We started off from the idea
    that the scope of a museum and its cultural products needs to go beyond the
    physical confines. So we created cultural products meant to draw the public
    especially through visual impact and then through the information we offer.


    The Museum of Oltenia is an institution which is more
    than 105 years old, it is a cultural landmark for the area of Oltenia, having a
    regional importance.


    Carmen Paun:


    It manages an impressive heritage, of which 570 items
    have been included in the treasure category. We do our job in four separate
    buildings, right at the heart of Craiova, always awaiting our visitors with our
    12 essential permanent exhibitions of three sections that we have. Also, we
    have three interactive areas and two modern conference rooms. So what we got is
    a huge potential Oltenia’s cultural sector in Craiova offers to the public. As
    of late we have also promoted educational programs. We have digitalized the
    content of our exhibitions extensively.




    Thanks to the local administration, since 2016, Dolj
    County has had a cultural-artistic route, labelled Dolj history and
    traditions, with five major assets: the Bania House, the history and
    archaeology section, and two semi-fortified buildings, cule, in
    Romanian, located in the commune of Brabova. For the refurbishment of the two cule
    alone, more than one million Euros has been invested .


    We have also reached Transylvania and we spoke to
    Sturza Ileana, with the Zlatna Tourism Promotion and Information Center.


    Sturza Ileana:


    Our virtual
    tourism information and promotion stand covered the accommodation units in the
    region, natural tourist assets, the anthropic ones, the region’s specific
    traditions and the tourist routes. For lovers of nature, we have two, maybe
    three-hour routes, but also routes lasting 13 to 14 hours or even a couple of
    days. I should also like to mention the natural assets, the limestone blocks in
    Valea Mica, the Fenes Gorges, the Bulbuci Rock. For those who are into climbing
    and sports climbing, the Fenes Gorges and the Bulbuci Rock are the perfect
    destination. We have received collaboration offers from travel agents, from
    other tourism operators and I think we have made ourselves more visible that
    before. I can infer that from the great number of viewers we had.


    Access was free of charge to the virtual edition of
    Romania’s Tourism Fair. The virtual stands could be accessed from anywhere,
    while special offers were found very quickly, thanks to the intelligent
    filtering system.



  • November 22, 2020 UPDATE

    November 22, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The total number of COVID-19 cases in Romania since the start of the pandemic passes 418,000. On Sunday, 5,800 new cases were reported. Another 131 coronavirus-related deaths were also confirmed, taking the death toll to over 10,000. A further 1,174 patients are currently in intensive care. The health minister said at present there are around 1,390 intensive care beds, with another 280 to be available in the coming period. Local lockdowns were introduced in several towns and villages with large number of cases, including around the capital Bucharest. President Klaus Iohannis said this is a measure that has proved effective in containing the epidemic. He added similar measures are being considered in many other localities, but that in the coming 2-3 weeks things will return to “somewhat normal parameters. Iohannis announced he would have a meeting on Monday with the health, interior and defence ministers, to clarify aspects related to the anti-COVID vaccination campaign, which he sees as a matter of national security.



    GAUDEAMUS Another 30 new events could be watched online on Sunday, the last day of the Gaudeamus Radio România book fair, held exclusively online this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A rich diversity of events could be accessed on the Fairs Facebook page and website. By Saturday night, the events website had reported more than 40,000 single users. Nearly 200 books were presented online. Apart from the virtual book releases on Facebook and on gaudeamus.ro, the vote for the publics favourite book continued. The Gaudeamus Radio România book fair is a cultural project with a tradition of more than 2 decades. Over 100 companies are taking part, including some of the biggest publishing houses in Romania and distributors of Romanian and foreign books, music and games.



    FILM The 5th BUZZ International Film Festival, based in Buzau and devoted to European cinema, is held exclusively online this year. Until Thursday, November 26, film lovers are invited to enjoy Romanian and European films free of charge. According to the organisers, the Festival has 4 competition sections: fiction features, documentaries, short films and student films. Most of the works in the competition are screened for the first time in Romania. This years surprises include Radu Ciorniciucs documentary, “Home, awarded in major international festivals. In the BUZZ Women section, the highlights include ‘Creativ’, a documentary by Ioana Grigore, and Nora Fingscheidts ‘System Crasher,’ winner of the Silver Bear – “Alfred Bauer Award in Berlin in 2019.



    G20 The leaders of the worlds 20 biggest economies, convening at the virtual G20 summit, hosted for the first time by Saudi Arabia, pledged to secure accessible pricing and fair access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments, and that poorer countries are not affected. According to the meetings outcome document, the participants promised to support a global project on vaccines, tests and medicines. The main topic on the agenda of the summit was the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The French president Emmanuel Macron said, “We need to avoid at all costs a scenario of a two-speed world where only the richer can protect themselves against the virus and restart normal lives. In turn, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, proposed an international treaty on pandemic, which would be very useful, he argued, even if the World Health Organisation must remain at the forefront of future health crisis management.



    PANDEMIC The total number of Covid-19 cases worldwide is now over 58 million, with nearly 1.4 million deaths and over 40.5 million people having recovered from the disease, according to Worldometers.info. The US is the worst hit country, with over 12.4 million cases and at least 261,000 deaths. The American company Pfizer and their German partner BioNTech announced they have requested emergency authorisation of their COVID-19 vaccine in the US. The US Food and Drug Administration says the goal is to have the vaccine approved in the first half of December. The 2 companies claim to be able to supply the vaccine within hours of its approval. In turn, the EU may approve 2 vaccines by the end of December, the one produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and the one produced by Moderna. Madrid is to endorse on Tuesday a large-scale vaccination plan covering a large part of the population by next summer. The Madrid region will be under lockdown in the first half of December. The Italian government also announced plans to ease restrictions prior to the winter holidays, with tougher measures to be introduced between Christmas and New Years Eve. Portugal will also close schools ahead of 2 major national holidays, in a move to prevent the spread of the disease before Christmas. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)