Radio România Internațional

Tag: G20

June 8, 2019

G20 The Romanian finance minister Eugen Teodorovici is heading the EU Council delegation at the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting held this weekend in Fukuoka, Japan. According to a news release issued by the Finance Ministry, the agenda of talks includes topics like financing for development, global economy, international taxation, global imbalances, population ageing, investments in infrastructure and financial sector issues. The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will adopt an official declaration comprising the outcomes of the meeting, the news release also says.

UN The Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleșcanu Friday attended the elections in the UN Security Council held in New York. Romania was a candidate for a non-permanent seat in the Council in 2020 – 2021, but was outrun by Estonia, which won with 132 votes against Romanias 58. The Security Council includes 5 permanent members with veto rights: the USA, Russia, China, France and the UK. Another 10 members have 2-year terms, after which they are replaced by countries from the same region. Next year 5 seats will be vacant, 2 for Africa, one for Asia-Pacific, one for Latin America and the Caribbean and one for Eastern Europe. To be elected in the UN Security Council, a country needs the support of two-thirds of the General Assembly members, which means at least 129 votes out of the 193 voting member states.

TENSIONS PM Viorica Dăncilă called for respect for Romanias state symbols and for public order, and urged responsibility in all political statements and actions concerning the situation in Valea Uzului, Harghita County. She also emphasised that a political approach of the situation is not likely to contribute to a constructive solution, and criticised attempts at deriving political capital by certain politicians. The Romanian Police opened a criminal investigation concerning the destruction of the access gate to the Valea Uzului graveyard, where military of various nationalities are buried, after on Thursday members of several Romanian organisations forced their way into the war cemetery to commemorate the Romanian soldiers buried there. According to the gendarmes, tensions were reported, but there were no violent clashes between the Romanian and the Hungarian ethnics in the area, as some Hungarian politicians had claimed.

TIFF The Ambassador of France to Bucharest, Michele Ramis, is in Cluj today to attend the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF). This years guest of honour is France, in the context of the France-Romania cultural season. A special programme is devoted to French cinema, including a complete Michel Gondry retrospective, a portrait of director Agnes Varda, music concerts, and the most original French project in TIFF, Uzina de filme (The Film Factory), a film studio where the public can experience a film shooting from scratch. The French Ambassador will also attend a concert entitled Soundtrack of Dreams and will participate in the TIFF closing gala. Established in 2002, TIFF is the first and largest film festival in Romania. Twelve works take part in the official competition this year, but a total of over 200 films will be screened as part of this 18th edition of the Festival.

RESIGNATION Theresa May Friday stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party and implicitly as a PM, after failing to persuade the Commons to accept her Brexit agreement with Brussels, leading to a postponement of Britains withdrawal from the EU to October 31st. May stays in office until a replacement is chosen, which will likely take place in the second half of July, as the Conservative Party announced. The official campaign is set to begin on Monday, with 11 contenders for Theresa Mays position in the party.

MOLDOVA The pro-Russian president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, Saturday postponed signing a decree to dissolve the parliament, because MPs may still reach an agreement. He said the republic is on the verge of being destabilised, which is why he urged citizens not to start or join protests and turbulence. Dodon added that, if necessary, on Monday he will hold consultations on dissolving the national parliament. Moldovas Constitutional Court had ruled that parliament was to form a government by June 7, otherwise the head of state could dismantle parliament. MPs said that since their election had been confirmed on March 9, they have until June 9 to form a government.

FOOTBALL Romanias football team drew against Norway on Friday, 2-all away from home, in the Group F qualifiers for the 2020 European Championships. On Monday Romania will play away from home against Malta. In the first 2 matches in the group, played in March, the Romanians were defeated by Sweden in Stockholm, and won at home against Faroe Islands. Spain tops the Group F standings with 9 points, followed by Sweden with 7, with Romania coming in 3rd with 4 points. The top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament. The drawing for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 final tournament matches, 3 in the group stage and one in the 8th-finals. In related news, Romanias team will play this month in the European Under-21 Football Championships in Italy and San Marino, in Group C, alongside England, France and Croatia.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

8 June 2019
08.06.2019

G20 – Le ministre roumain des finances,
Eugen Teodorovici, se trouvera à la tête de la délégation du Conseil de l’Union
européenne à la réunion G20 des ministres des finances et des gouverneurs des
banques centrales, qui a lieu aujourd’hui et demain à Fukuoka, au Japon. A l’agenda
de la réunion – des thèmes tels le financement du développement, l’économie
globale, l’imposition internationale, les déséquilibres mondiaux, le vieillissement
de la population, les investissements dans l’infrastructure et les problèmes du
secteur financier. En fin de réunion, les ministres des finances et des
gouverneurs des banques centrales du G20 présenteront les résultats de leurs
travaux dans un communiqué officiel, précise le ministère des finances de Bucarest.

Conseil de sécurité – Le ministre roumain des Affaires étrangères, Teodor Meleșcanu, a
participé, à New York, à l’élection des membres non permanents du Conseil de
sécurité des Nations Unies. La Roumanie a candidaté pour un siège de membre non
permanent pour le mandat 2020-2021, mais elle a perdu devant l’Estonie, les
deux Etats ayant obtenu 58 et respectivement 132 votes. Le Conseil de sécurité,
qui compte 15 membres, est l’organe principal de l’ONU et c’est le seul
organisme mondial à pouvoir autoriser une guerre. Il est formé de cinq membres
permanents ayant le droit de veto (les États-Unis, la Russie, la Chine, la France
et le Royaume Uni) et de dix membres non permanents, élus pour une durée de
deux ans, renouvelés par moitié tous les ans avec des pays de la même région
géographique. L’année prochaine se libéreront cinq sièges : deux pour
l’Afrique, un pour l’Asie-Pacifique, un pour l’Amérique Latine et un pour
l’Europe de l’Est. Pour être élu au Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU, un pays doit
avoir le soutien des deux tiers des membres de l’Assemblée générale, soit au
moins 129 votes sur les 193 Etats membres de l’ONU.

JAI – La
ministre roumaine de l’Intérieur, Carmen Dan, a présidé, vendredi, à Luxembourg,
la réunion du Conseil Justice et Affaires Intérieures de l’Union européenne, la
dernière réunion JAI du mandat roumain à la présidence du Conseil de l’Union.
Dans le cadre de la section Affaires intérieures du Conseil JAI, des mesures
concrètes ont été proposées pour la gestion du phénomène migratoire, y compris
l’adoption d’un règlement pour la création du Fonds d’immigration et d’asile.
Quant à l’entrée de la Roumanie et de la Bulgarie dans l’espace Schengen, Mme
Carmen Dan a déclaré qu’il n’y avait pas d’unanimité à ce sujet au Conseil JAI.
Vendredi, également, la ministre roumaine de l’Intérieur a participé à la
signature du Plan d’action Europol-Frontex, aux côtés de Catherine de Bolle,
directrice exécutive d’Europol, de Fabrice Leggeri, directeur exécutif Frontex,
et des commissaires européens Dimitris Avramopoulos et Julian King.

TIFF
– L’ambassadrice de France en Roumanie, Michèle Ramis, se trouve à Cluj
(nord-ouest), au Festival international du film Transilvania (TIFF), qui met à
l’honneur, cette année, le cinéma français, dans le cadre de la Saison croisée France-Roumanie.
Cette mise à l’honneur inclut un focus sur la cinématographie française, une rétrospective
intégrale Michel Gondry, un portrait de la regrettée réalisatrice Agnès Varda,
plusieurs concerts et le projet le plus inédit de la Saison croisée au TIFF, intitulé
« L’usine de films amateurs». L’ambassadrice de France assistera
aussi au ciné-concert « Soundtrack of Dreams » et au Gala de clôture
du TIFF, où elle remettra le Prix du jury des jeunes francophones TV5 Monde,
Institut français, RFI Roumanie. Fondé en 2002, TIFF
est le premier et le plus important festival de longs-métrages de Roumanie.
Cette année, 12 films sont inscrits dans la compétition officielle, mais le
public et les spécialistes ont pu assister aux projections de plus de 200 réalisations.

Football -
L’équipe de Roumanie de football a terminé, hier soir, à égalité (2 buts
partout) le match contre l’équipe de Norvège, comptant pour le Groupe F de qualification à
l’Euro 2020. Lundi, les Roumains affronteront, toujours en déplacement, la
sélection de Malte. Lors des deux premiers matchs du groupe, les tricolores
roumains ont perdu à Stockholm, 1-2, devant la Suède, et ont gagné à domicile
contre l’équipe des Îles Féroé, 4-1. Pour cette édition du Championnat européen,
ce sont les deux premières équipes de chaque groupe qui se qualifieront. Dans le Groupe F, les deux premières équipes
sont celles d’Espagne et de Suède, la Roumanie étant troisième. Le tirage au
sort du tournoi final de l’Euro 2020 aura lieu le 30 novembre, à Bucarest. La
capitale roumaine accueillera également quatre parties de la compétition, trois
de la phase des groupes et un match des huitièmes de finale. Par ailleurs, la
sélection Under-21 de Roumanie sera présente au tournoi final du
Championnat européen, organisé par l’Italie et le Saint-Marin, dans le Groupe
C, aux côtés de l’Angleterre, de la Croatie et de la France.

Météo – Le
temps reste chaud et instable en Roumanie, avec des températures maximales
entre 24° et 33°C. Une vigilance jaune aux averses orageuses est en vigueur
dans 20 départements et la capitale, Bucarest, tandis qu’une vigilance orange
concerne 11 autres départements Les météorologues roumains ont prolongé
l’avertissement à l’instabilité atmosphérique jusqu’à lundi matin. Des
vigilances orange et jaune aux inondations concernent tout le cours roumain du
Danube, pour les deux semaines à venir. Des vigilances orange aux inondations
sont aussi en vigueur sur plusieurs rivières de 26 départements du centre, du
sud, de l’est et de l’ouest du territoire. A Bucarest, la température était de
27° et le ciel était en train de se voiler, à midi.

8 June 2019
07.06.2019 (mise à jour)

Economie – Les représentants du Fonds monétaire international en Roumanie ont présenté vendredi les conclusions de leur évaluation annuelle de l’économie roumaine. Selon eux, parallèlement à une croissance reposant principalement sur la consommation, l’économie roumaine se caractérise par des décalages macroéconomiques encore plus sévères et par une hausse de l’inflation et du déficit fiscal et de compte courant. Le chef de la mission du Fonds, Jaewoo Lee, a tiré la sonnette d’alarme, en affirmant que si les politiques fiscales ne changent pas, le progrès dans le domaine de la convergence aurait à souffrir, en touchant notamment les retraités et les personnes en situation précaire. La Roumanie aurait besoin d’une consolidation fiscale, d’un renforcement de sa politique monétaire et d’une plus grande souplesse du taux de change, tout comme d’un plus de prédictibilité et d’une amélioration de la gouvernance. La Roumanie ne déroule à présent aucun accord de financement avec le FMI, mais l’institution financière internationale procède à une évaluation annuelle de l’évolution de l’économie roumaine. C’est un exercice de surveillance obligatoire pour tous les Etats membres.

G20 – Le ministre roumain des Finances, Eugen Teodorovici, sera à la tête de la délégation du Conseil de l’UE à la réunion G20 de Fukuoka, au Japon, des ministres des Finances et des gouverneurs des Banques centrales. Selon un communiqué du Ministère roumain, la réunion prévue les 8 et 9 juin portera principalement sur des thèmes tels le financement dans le domaine du développement, l’économie mondiale, l’augmentation de l”imposition, les déséquilibres dans le monde, le vieillissement de la population, les investissements dans l’infrastructure et les problèmes financiers. JAI – La ministre roumaine des Affaires intérieures, Carmen Dan, a présidé vendredi, à Luxembourg, la réunion du Conseil Justice et Affaires Intérieures de l’Union européenne, la dernière réunion JAI du mandat roumain à la présidence du Conseil de l’Union. Dans le cadre de la section Affaires intérieures du Conseil JAI ont été proposées des mesures concrètes pour la gestion du phénomène migratoire, y compris l’adoption d’un règlement pour la création du Fonds d’immigration et d’asile. Quant à l’entrée de la Roumanie et de la Bulgarie dans l’espace Schengen, Carmen Dan a déclaré qu’il n’y avait pas d’unanimité à ce sujet dans le Conseil JAI. Vendredi toujours, la ministre roumaine des Affaires intérieures participe à la signature du Plan d’action Europol-Frontex, aux côtés de Catherine de Bolle, directrice exécutive d’Europol, de Fabrice Leggeri, directeur exécutif Frontex, et des commissaires européens Dimitris Avramopoulos et Julian King.

ONU – Le ministre roumain d’Affaires étrangères, Teodor Meleșcanu, a participé, à New York, à l’élection du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies où la Roumanie s’est portée candidate pour un siège de membre non permanent pour le mandat 2020-2021. Pourtant, ce fut l’Estonie qui a remporté le mandat. Le Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies est formé de cinq membres permanents pourvus de droit de veto (États-Unis, Russie, Chine, France et Grande Bretagne) et de dix élus pour une durée de deux ans, renouvelés par moitié tous les ans avec des pays de la même région géographique. L’année prochaine se libéreront cinq sièges : deux pour l’Afrique, un pour l’Asie-Pacifique, un pour l’Amérique Latine et un pour l’Europe de l’Est. Pour être élu dans le Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU, un pays doit avoir le soutien des deux tiers des membres de l’Assemblé générale, soit au moins 129 votes sur les 193 Etats membres de l’ONU.

Congrès – Le Comité exécutif du PSD, principal parti au pouvoir en Roumanie, a annoncé avoir fixé le 29 juin son prochain congrès. A cette occasion, les participants devront modifier le statut du parti, choisir la nouvelle direction sociale- démocrate et présenter le candidat du parti aux élections présidentielles. Le Congrès intervient après l’arrestation de l’ancien chef de file du PSD, Liviu Dragnea, condamné à trois ans et six mois de prison ferme pour des faits de corruption.

Ministres – Le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis, a signé vendredi les décrets de nomination d’Ana Birchall à la tête du Ministère de la Justice, de Roxana Mînzatu, à celui des Fonds européens et de Natalia Intotero, au Ministère des Roumains du Monde entier, a fait savoir vendredi l’Administration présidentielle. Le 29 mai dernier, la première ministre Viorica Dancila a transmis à Klaus Iohannis les propositions de nomination de nouveaux ministres. Parmi ceux-ci figurait aussi Titus Corlatean que Mme Dancila proposait au poste de vice premier ministre chargé de la mise en place des partenariats stratégiques. Une proposition que le chef de l’Etat a rejetée, en qualifiant Corlatean « d’artisan du désastre des élections de 2014 ».

Météo – En Roumanie, l’instabilité touchera la plupart du territoire, notamment les régions collinaires et montagneuses de l’est, le sud-est et le centre. Le ciel sera couvert surtout dans l’après midi et des orages feront leur apparition, accompagnés de la grêle. La quantité d’eau risque de dépasser, par endroits, les 40 litres sur mètre carré. Les températures iront de 24 à 33 degrés. Les météorologues ont prolongé la vigilance à l’instabilité et aux risques d’inondations jusqu’à lundi. D’ailleurs, une alerte jaune aux inondations concerne le Danube pour les deux semaines à venir. 26 rivières de plusieurs départements du centre, du sud, de l’est et de l’ouest de la Roumanie sont placées en vigilance orange aux inondations.

7 June 2019
UE la summitul G20

Deschiderea Uniunii Europene către comerţul deschis şi echitabil, necesitatea reformării Organizaţiei Mondiale a Comerţului ori susţinerea Acordului de la Paris privind schimbările climatice au fost câteva dintre temele susţinute de liderii blocului comunitar la summitul G20, desfăşurat în capitala argentiniană Buenos Aires. Comunicatul comun al ţărilor membre ale G20 reţine, însă, doar un compromis minimal în privinţa comerţului şi confirmă retragerea Statelor Unite din Acordul de la Paris.

Liderii principalelor economii mondiale observă problemele comerciale actuale, dar se abţin de la orice condamnare a protecţionismului în acest document negociat până în ultima clipă şi care a fost făcut public de Argentina, ţara gazdă. Liderii G20 subliniază, de asemenea, că sistemul comercial multilateral îşi ratează obiectivele şi susţin reforma necesară a Organizaţiei Mondiale a Comerţului, pe fondul înmulţirii confruntărilor dintre Statele Unite şi partenerii lor comerciali. Grupul G20 promite să evalueze stadiul acestei reforme a OMC blamate de Donald Trump, dar contestată din alte motive şi de Beijing, în cursul summitului de anul viitor din Japonia.

Necesitatea reformării OMC a fost susţinută şi de preşedintele Comisiei Europene Jean Claude Juncker: Noi, ca europeni, credem cu tărie într-o economie deschisă şi echitabilă, adică, în comerţ. Comerţul cu restul lumii este mai important ca niciodată pentru Europa, pentru a putea sprijini cele 36 de milioane de locuri de muncă în întreaga Uniune – cu două treimi mai multe decât în anul 2000. În prezent, Europa exportă aproape 20 de milioane de joburi în afara Uniunii, un milion dintre acestea doar în Statele Unite. Am lansat, luna trecută, o nouă alianţă cu Africa, pentru a da un impuls ambelor continente, pentru investiţii sustenabile şi pentru a crea, în următorii 5 ani, circa 10 milioane de locuri de muncă în Africa. Să nu subestimăm dimensiunile vecinătăţii noastre cu Africa – ea a devenit tot mai importantă, iar noi o vom sprijini.Sigur, trebuie să elaborăm reguli; pe unele le-am adoptat deja cu ani în urmă, suntem pe cale să reformăm Organizaţia Mondială a Comerţului, cooperăm foarte bine cu Statele Unite. Cât despre schimbările climatice, reafirmăm angajamentul Uniunii Europene faţă de Acordul de la Paris.

Membrii G20 semnatari ai Acordului de la Paris privind combaterea schimbării climatice subliniază, în comunicat, că acesta este ireversibil şi se angajează la aplicarea sa deplină, ţinând totuşi cont de capacităţile specifice, având în vedere diversele situaţii naţionale. Unele ţări emergente susţin că au nevoie de mai mult ajutor decât statele avansate, pentru tranziţia energetică. În ce le priveşte, Statele Unite reamintesc într-un paragraf distinct că au denunţat Acordul de la Paris. Ele susţin că sunt angajate în favoarea creşterii economice, accesului la energie şi securitate, utilizând toate tehnologiile şi sursele energetice disponibile, însă protejând mediul.

12 December 2018
Întărirea rolului monedei euro la nivel mondial

În discursul privind starea
Uniunii, pe care l-a susținut în luna septembrie, președintele Jean-Claude Juncker a subliniat
importanța strategică a monedei euro și necesitatea asigurării faptului că
moneda unică își poate îndeplini pe deplin rolul pe scena internațională.

În
contextul în care va beneficia de sprijinul deciziilor viitoare de consolidare
a uniunii economice și monetare a Europei, de finalizarea uniunii bancare și de
înregistrarea de progrese în ceea ce privește uniunea piețelor de capital,
moneda euro trebuie să își dezvolte rolul la nivel mondial și să reflecte pe
deplin ponderea politică, economică și financiară a zonei euro. În acest scop,
Comisia evidențiază beneficiile unui astfel de rol internațional consolidat al
monedei euro pentru UE și pentru sistemul financiar internațional și propune
inițiative menite să stimuleze credibilitatea și atractivitatea monedei unice.
În cadrul acestui demers, Executivul european a adoptat o recomandare privind
rolul internațional al monedei euro în domeniul energiei, promovând o utilizare
pe scară mai largă a monedei euro în acest sector strategic.

O
utilizare pe scară mai largă a monedei euro în economia mondială oferă un
potențial important pentru o mai bună protecție a cetățenilor europeni și a
întreprinderilor europene împotriva șocurilor externe și pentru sporirea
rezilienței sistemului financiar și monetar international, afirmă Pierre Moscovici,
comisarul pentru
afaceri economice și financiare, impozitare și vamă. În opinia sa, realizarea
de progrese în ceea ce privește finalizarea uniunii economice și monetare este
necesară nu numai pentru promovarea creșterii și a stabilității pe plan intern,
ci reprezintă totodată și un proiect important care să susțină autonomia
europeană într-o lume globalizată.

Pierre Moscovici
a vorbit despre importanța monedei euro la nivel mondial: Nu putem trata acest
subiect doar din punct de vedere statistic. Nu știu toate cifrele
pe de rost, dar dacă vă gândiţi la ce pondere au Statele Unite în PIB-ul
mondial, o să vedeți că situația e destul de similară cu cea a UE. Suntem
aproape la egalitate, suntem prima şi a doua putere mondială în acest moment.
Însă dacă luaţi în considerare rolul dolarului și rolul monedei euro, veţi
observa o diferență flagrantă. În concluzie, rolul nostru politic, economic,
strategic, forța monedei noastre și capacitatea acesteia ne îndreptăţesc să
jucăm un rol mult mai important decât unul strict statistic legat de ponderea
la PIB-ul mondial. Stiți că UE e membră a grupului G20, mai multe ţări europene
fac parte din acest grup, și cred că este absolut necesar ca rolul nostru
geopolitic să fie dublat de un rol mai important în plan internaţional al
monedei euro. Avem potenţial și trebuie să acţionăm în acest sens.

Aproximativ 340 de milioane de cetățeni
europeni utilizează bancnotele și monedele euro în fiecare zi în cele 19 state
membre ale zonei euro. Circa 60 de țări din întreaga lume utilizează sau vor
utiliza euro ori și-au legat propria monedă de euro.

12 December 2018
November 30, 2018 UPDATE

NATIONAL DAY – On December 1st, when Romania’s National Day is celebrated, the country marks 100 years since the creation of the Romanian nation state. On this occasion, around 450 public events are held at home and abroad, to be attended by over 550 thousand people. Around 4000 military and specialists with the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Protection and Guard Service will march in Bucharest, together with 200 military vehicles while 50 aircraft will fly over the Triumphal Arch. As many as 500 foreign soldiers will also take part in the December 1st parade. “The moment of December 1st, 1918 would not have been possible without the sacrifice of soldiers on the battlefields, without the wise political elites that strove to turn into reality the national ideal of Romanians in the historical provinces, without the contribution of the royal family and of the national minorities,” Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, said on Friday. The centenary is not only about Romania of the past but also about Romania of the future, President Iohannis went on to say. Alba Iulia, the central Romanian city where on December 1st 1918 the Romanian nation state was proclaimed, is hosting as of Friday a new edition of the Congress of Romanian Spirituality, attended by representatives of Romanian communities from all over the world. A series of cultural events are also being held on the occasion of the National Day at the Romanian Cultural Institute offices abroad, in collaboration with Romania’s diplomatic missions.

CHRISTMAS FAIR — The Bucharest Christmas Fair opened on Friday marked the start of the winter season through a series of events and shows. The fair will be open for one month. Also as of Friday nine million Christmas light adorn the capital city, three times more than in previous years. Over 40 kilometers of boulevards and streets have been decorated.

G20 – G20 member nations are struggling to reach agreement on major issues including trade, migration and climate change as world leaders gathered in the Buenos Aires for a summit that started on Friday. This is the first G20 summit ever held in South America. The summit takes place amid new tension with Russia over Ukraine and a US trade row with China. US President Donald Trump has cancelled a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in protest at Russias seizure of Ukrainian naval boats. Trump’s move may also be connected to the internal investigation regarding suspicions of Russian interference in the elections for the White House, commentators believe. The two-day summit in Buenos Aires will be a major test for the Group of 20 industrialized nations, whose leaders first met in 2008 to help rescue the global economy from the worst financial crisis in seven decades, but which now faces questions over its relevance to deal with the latest round of crises, Reuters reports. Before the start of the summit, the US, Canada and Mexico signed a new trade agreement. Saying that all three countries will benefit from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, President Trump said “it is probably the largest trade deal ever made.”

RELIGIOUS SERVICE — On December 1st Patriarch Theophilos II of Jerusalem and All Palestine will attend alongside Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church the ceremonies in Alba Iulia marking Romania’s National Day and the 1918 Great Union Centennial. The two patriarchs officiated a religious service on Friday, dedicated to St. Apostle Andrew, celebrated on Nov 30 and considered the protector of Romania. The religious service was held at the new national cathedral in Bucharest, inaugurated a week ago. His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos announced that the delegation of the Jerusalem Patriarchate brought with them a fragment of the holy relics of Saint John Jacob for the new cathedral. Patriarch Daniel said that the relics will be placed in one of the chapels at the basement of the National Cathedral which will be dedicated to Saint John Jacob. The Patriarch of Jerusalem arrived in Romania Thursday morning to lead the celebrations of the first patronal feast held in the National Cathedral.

INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in the eurozone dropped in November to 2% from 2.2% the previous month, according to preliminary data made public by Eurostat on Friday. Previously, Eurostat announced that the annual inflation rate went up in October to 2.2% in the eurozone and the EU while Estonia and Romania reported the highest inflation rates in the EU, of 4.5% and 4.2% respectively. Also in October, the unemployment rate stood at 4%,which is below the European average of 6.7%. On the other hand, in Bucharest the Finance Ministry announced that Romania’s general consolidated budget accounted for almost 21 billion lei, that is 4.5 billion euros, in the first 10 months of the year, which is 2.2% of the GDP. From January to October 2018, revenues to the state budget were by almost 12% higher than in the same period last year. Expenditure also grew, by 18% more than in the same period of 2017. The Government says that the budget deficit in 2019 will stay at maximum 3% of the GDP.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball team is in France where it will play the Czech Republic in the European Championships Group D on Saturday. Romania will next play Germany on December 3 and Norway on December 5. The first three teams in each group will advance to the next phase. Coached by Ambros Martin of Spain, Romania is taking part in the Championship for the 13th time. Two years ago it ranked 5th, while its best performance was in 2010, when it scooped bronze. (Translated by Elena Enache)

30 November 2018
November 30, 2018

FEAST DAY – Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic believers from all over the world, Romania included, are today celebrating St. Apostle Andrew. He is the first of Jesus Christ’s apostles who preached Christianity in the south of Romania, in Dobruja. Saint Andrew is also the patron saint of Romania. Saint Andrew preached in Dobruja and in today’s Ukrainian territory, in Great Scythia, and in Byzantium. He then went to Greece and preached the Gospel, going up to Patras town where he died a martyr’s death. He was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Over 700 thousand Romanians named after St. Andrew celebrate their name day today.

CELEBRATIONS – Alba Iulia, the central Romanian city where on December 1st 1918, the Romanian nation state was proclaimed, is hosting as of today a new edition of the Congress of Romanian Spirituality, attended by representatives of Romanian communities from all over the world. This is only one of the events held on Friday and Saturday in the city, in celebration of 100 years since Romania became a nation state. Military and religious ceremonies at the monuments of the personalities and heroes that played an important role in the unification of all Romanian provinces have been scheduled for today. According to local authorities, over 100 thousand people are expected to attend celebrations in Alba Iulia on December 1st. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis will host a reception on the occasion on Romania’s National Day. According to Klaus Iohannis, the centenary is not only about the past, but also about the future Romania. Being a Romanian is now the same with being a European, and means being part of a community of values that treasures freedom, democracy, solidarity, the respect for human dignity and for the rule of law, Iohannis has said. On December 1st, around 450 public events have been announced with over 550 thousand people expected to attend.

RELIGIOUS SERVICE – Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Theophilos II of Jerusalem and All Palestine officiated a religious service on Friday, dedicated to St. Apostle Andrew, celebrated on Nov 30 and considered the protector of Romania. The religious service was held at the new national cathedral in Bucharest, inaugurated a week ago. His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos announced that the delegation of the Jerusalem Patriarchate brought with them a fragment of the holy relics of Saint John Jacob for the new cathedral. Patriarch Daniel said that these relics of ‘the Romanian Saint from the Holy Land’ will be placed in one of the chapels at the basement of the National Cathedral which will be dedicated to Saint John Jacob. The Patriarch of Jerusalem arrived in Romania Thursday morning to lead the celebrations of the first patronal feast held in the National Cathedral. On Saturday, Patriarch Theophilos will also attend, alongside patriarch Daniel, the ceremonies in Alba Iulia marking Romania’s National Day and the 1918 Great Union Centennial.

G 20 – G20 member nations are struggling to reach agreement on major issues including trade, migration and climate change as world leaders have gathered in the Buenos Aires for a summit starting on Friday. This is the first G20 summit ever held in South America. The summit takes place amid new tension with Russia over Ukraine and a US trade row with China. US President Donald Trump has cancelled a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in protest at Russias seizure of Ukrainian naval boats. Trump’s move may also be connected to the internal investigation regarding suspicions of Russian interference in the elections for the White House, commentators believe. The two-day summit in Buenos Aires will be a major test for the Group of 20 industrialized nations, whose leaders first met in 2008 to help rescue the global economy from the worst financial crisis in seven decades, but which now faces questions over its relevance to deal with the latest round of crises, Reuters reports. Overhanging the summit in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, is a bitter trade dispute between the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, which have imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of each other’s imports.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball team is in France where it will play the Czech Republic in the European Championships Group D on Saturday. Romania will next play Germany on December 3 and Norway on December 5. The first three teams in each group will advance to the next phase. Coached by Ambros Martin of Spain, Romania is taking part in the Championship for the 13th time. Two years ago it ranked 5, while its best performance was in 2010, when it scooped bronze.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

30 November 2018
Modernizarea Organizaţiei Mondiale a Comerţului, în atenţia Comisiei Europene

Comisia Europeană a prezentat un prim set de
idei privind Organizaţia Mondială a Comerţului (OMC), menite să modernizeze
Organizaţia şi să confere normelor comerciale internaţionale capacitatea de a
face faţă provocărilor economiei globale. Propunerile Uniunii Europene vizează
trei domenii cheie – actualizarea cadrului de reglementare a comerţului
internaţional astfel încât să reflecte economia globală de astăzi, consolidarea
rolului de monitorizare al Organizaţiei Mondiale a Comerţului şi depăşirea
impasului iminent referitor la sistemul organizaţiilor de soluţionare a
litigiilor.

Comsiarul european pentru comerţ, Cecilia Malmström: În ultimele decenii, sistemul comercial multilateral a oferit un cadru
stabil, previzibil și eficient pentru întreprinderile din întreaga lume,
ajutând multe economii să înregistreze o creștere rapidă De asemenea, în
prezent, OMC este indispensabilă în ceea ce privește asigurarea unui comerț
deschis, echitabil și reglementat. În ciuda succesului său, Organizația
Mondială a Comerțului nu a putut să se adapteze suficient de bine la economia
globală aflată în rapidă schimbare. A sosit momentul să acționăm pentru ca
acest sistem să poată răspunde actualelor provocări ale economiei globale și să
funcționeze din nou pentru toată lumea. Iar UE trebuie să își asume un rol de
lider în acest sens.

Organizaţia Mondială a Comerţului este în prezent din ce în ce mai
afectată de proceduri inflexibile şi de conflictele de interese existente între
ţări, iar propunerile de informare vizeaza să remedieze această situaţie şi să
facă sistemul eficient şi benefic pentru toate statele sale membre. Uniunea
Europeană a început deja colaborarea cu alţi parteneri din cadrul OMC: cu SUA
şi Japonia, în cadrul discuţiilor trilaterale; cu China, în cadrul grupului de
lucru special constituit în cursul celei mai recente reuniuni la nivel înalt
UE-China; precum şi cu alţi parteneri, cel mai recent în cadrul reuniunii
ministeriale a G20. Potrivit Bruxelle-ului, în săptămânile care urmează, UE va
continua să discute aceste prime idei cu diverşi parteneri din cadrul OMC, în
vederea elaborării unor propuneri concrete pe care să le prezinte organizaţiei.

25 September 2018
08.07.2017 (mise à jour)

G20 — Le sommet du G20, accueilli par la ville allemande de Hambourg, s’est achevé par une déclaration finale. Selon l’AFP, les leaders des grandes puissances ont fait des concessions au président américain Donald Trump sur les sujets liés au climat et au commerce, dans l’espoir de le maintenir au sein du groupe. Les pays du G20 ont pris acte du retrait de Washington de l’Accord de Paris sur le climat et lui permettent de continuer sa politique divergente en la matière, est-il dit dans la déclaration. Le président de la France, Emmanuel Macron, a fait savoir la tenue, le 12 décembre prochain, à Paris, d’un sommet axé sur la réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Se référant au domaine économique, la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel a précisé qu’un consensus avait été trouvé sur le libre échange et sur la poursuite de la lutte contre le protectionnisme. Des rencontres bilatérales ont eu lieu en marge du sommet. Lors de son entretien, samedi, avec la première ministre britannique, Theresa May, Donald Trump a assuré que Washington allait très vite conclure un accord commercial avec Londres. Pendant l’entrevue, vendredi, du président américain avec son homologue russe, Vladimir Poutine, les deux hommes ont convenu d’un cessez- le-feu dans le sud-ouest de la Syrie, qui devrait entrer en vigueur dimanche à midi. Par ailleurs, l’accord de libre échange UE – Canada sera appliqué de manière provisoire à compter du 21 septembre, ont annoncé samedi les deux parties. Le président de la Commission européenne, Jean-Claude Juncker, et le premier ministre canadien, Justin Trudeau, sont tombés d’accord sur cette date, en attendant la pleine mise en œuvre du document, après sa ratification par les Parlements de tous les pays membres de l’UE.

Message — La Roumanie respecte tous les engagements assumés dans le cadre de l’UE. C’est le message que va transmettre, la semaine prochaine, à Bruxelles, le chef du cabinet de Bucarest, Mihai Tudose. Il y rencontrera les hauts officiels européens, à savoir les présidents de la Commission européenne, du Conseil et du Parlement européens, a fait savoir samedi Victor Negrescu, ministre délégué aux Affaires européennes. Ce dernier a également précisé que la coopération internationale et le domaine des Affaires européennes étaient des priorités de l’Exécutif roumain.

Tennis – Le duo formé du Roumain Florin Mergea et du Pakistanais Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi s’est qualifié samedi dans les 8e de finale du tournoi de Wimbledon. Les deux ont vaincu la paire autrichienne formée de Julian Knowle et de Philipp Oswald, sur le score de 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5). Toujours samedi, la joueuse de tennis roumaine Sorana Cîrstea (63e WTA) n’a pas obtenu son billet pour les 8e de finale de cette compétition. Elle s’est inclinée devant l’Espagnole Garbine Muguruza, tête de série n.14, sur le score de 6-2, 6-2. En échange, Simona Halep, numéro 2 mondiale, s’est qualifiée vendredi pour les huitièmes de finale, en s’imposant devant la Chinoise Shuai Peng, sur le score de 6-4 / 7-6. Sa future adversaire sera la Bélarusse Victoria Azarenka.

Météo – Dans le prochain intervalle de 24 heures, il fera chaud dans l’ouest et le sud, où l’inconfort thermique va atteindre le seuil critique des 80 unités. Le ciel sera variable, temporairement couvert. Des averses orageuses sont attendues par endroits sur le relief, ainsi que dans les régions du sud-est du pays. Les températures maximales s’étaleront entre 26 et 37 degrés.

8 July 2017
July 8, 2017 UPDATE

G20 — The G20 Summit ended in Germany with a final declaration. According to FP the leaders of major world powers made concessions to the US President Donald Trump with respect to climate change and trade, hoping to maintain him within G20. The final declaration was adopted at the end of two days of the summit, marked by strong tension in Hamburg, which was the stage of violent protests. The G20 member states took note of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on fighting global warming and allow it to further pursue a different policy in that field, the declaration also writes. French President, Emmanuel Macron, has announced that a new summit on reducing greenhouse effects will be held in Paris on December 12. In the economic field, German chancellor Angela Merkel said an agreement was reached to endorse free trade and reject protectionism. Bilateral talks were also held on the sidelines of the summit. US President Donald Trump on Saturday gave assurances during a meeting with British PM Theresa May that his country will very soon sign a trade agreement with the UK. As regards Friday’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two leaders agreed on putting in place a ceasefire in southwestern Syria, to take effect as of Sunday at noon. In another move, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada will be temporarily enforced, as of September 21, the two sides announced on Saturday. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau, agreed at the G20 Summit on the aforementioned date, waiting for the full enforcement of the agreement by the national parliaments of all EU member states.

VISIT – Romania complies with all pledges it has made to the EU- this is the message to be conveyed in Brussels next week by Romanian PM Mihai Tudose. He will meet with all EU high officials, the Presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament, respectively, the minister delegate for European affairs, Victor Negrescu announced on Saturday. Negrescu also added the government pays special heed to international cooperation and European affairs.

MILITARY EXERCISE — US bombers on Saturday carried out bomber drills in South Korea, in response to North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test. The aircraft flew from the Pacific island of Guam and dropped neutral bombs in a demarcated area, being escorted by Japanese and South-Korean fighter planes, BBC reports. The US air forces have announced that North Korea’s actions are a threat to America’s allies and to the United States’ territory and expressed readiness to launch attacks if need be.

FESTIVALS — Over 150,000 people are expected to attend the Neversea music festival, taking place in Constanta this weekend, the biggest of the festivals taking place on the Romanian Black Sea Coast this summer. The event gathers many famous artists, such as Tiesto, Afrojack, Jason Derulo, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Fatboy Slim, Years&Years, and Ella Eyre. At the same time, the small village of Garana in south-western Romania is the venue for the 21st edition of the International Jazz Festival, the most complex outdoor event of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, bringing onto the stage 18 bands. Tourists can also enjoy the mountain routes in the area, outdoor film screenings, theatre shows, yoga classes and fairs.

TENNIS– The pair made up of Romanian tennis player Florin Mergea and Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi on Saturday qualified for the Wimbledon third round, the third largest grand slam tournament of the year. They defeated the all-Austrian pair Julian Knowle/Philipp Oswald, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5). Also on Saturday Romanian woman tennis player Sorana Cirstea, no. 63 WTA failed to qualify for the next stage of the competition, after loosing to Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, 14th seeded, 6-2,6-2. We recall that Romania’s best-ranked woman tennis player, second seeded Simona Halep has already qualified for the eighth finals, after defeating China’s Shuai Peng no.37 WTA. Simona Halep will next meet Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

8 July 2017
July 8, 2017

G20 SUMMIT – The G20 Summit in Hamburg comes to a close today, with the participants issuing a final declaration that they have negotiated until late at night. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Germany the participants have tried to identify compromise formulas to reduce the differences between the US President Donald Trump and the other leaders on free trade and climate change. The declaration may acknowledge the existence of irreconcilable differences of opinion with president Trump, but the German chancellor Angela Merkel says this should not encourage other nations that without having the US by their side they should not comply with the commitments they have made under the Paris Climate Agreement, the BBC reports. Chancellor Merkel and the presidents of Russia and France, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron, respectively, have today had a meeting during which they have reached an agreement on the importance of putting in place a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, as agreed upon under the agreements reached in Minsk. On Friday, during their first meeting, the US and Russian leaders agreed on establishing a de-escalation zone in south-western Syria. The US and Russia will play the role of guarantors of this cease-fire deal, to take effect as of Saturday, at midnight. Fresh protests are organised on the last day of the summit. The Hamburg Police intervened last night with armoured vehicles to remove roadblocks raised by anti-globalisation protesters. Several shops have been vandalised by masked people. Law enforcers used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the violent protesters.

MILITARY EXERCISE – US bombers have today carried out bomber drills in South Korea, in response to North Koreas recent intercontinental ballistic missile test. The aircraft flew from the Pacific island of Guam and dropped neutral bombs in a demarcated area, being escorted by Japanese and South-Korean fighter planes, BBC reports. The US air forces have announced that North Koreas actions are a threat to Americas allies and to the United States territory and expressed readiness to launch attacks if need be.

FESTIVALS – Over 150,000 people are expected to attend the Neversea music festival, taking place in Constanta this weekend, the biggest of the festivals taking place on the Romanian Black Sea Coast this summer. The event gathers many famous artists, such as Tiesto, Afrojack, Jason Derulo, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Fatboy Slim, Years&Years, and Ella Eyre. At the same time, the small village of Garana in south-western Romania is the venue for the 21st edition of the International Jazz Festival, the most complex outdoor event of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, bringing onto the stage 18 bands. Tourists can also enjoy the mountain routes in the area, outdoor film screenings, theatre shows, yoga classes and fairs.

TENNIS– Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, no. 63 WTA is today facing Spains Garbine Muguruza (no.15 WTA), trying to qualify for the eight finals of the Wimbledon tennis tournament. Romanias best-ranked woman tennis player , second seeded Simona Halep has already qualified for the eight finals, after defeating Chinas Shuai Peng no.37 WTA. Simona Halep will next meet Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. In the mens doubles, the pair made up of Florin Mergea and Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi is today meeting in the second round of the tournament, the Austrian pair Julian Knowle/Philipp Oswald.

8 July 2017
08.07.2017

G20 — Le sommet du G20, accueilli par la ville de Hambourg, dans le nord de l’Allemagne, prend fin aujourd’hui par une déclaration dont les négociations se sont prolongées tard dans la nuit. Selon le correspondant de Radio Roumanie sur place, on cherche des formules de compromis afin d’aplanir les divergences d’opinions entre le président américain Donald Trump et les autres leaders au sujet du libre — échange et des changements climatiques. Il est possible que, suite à cette déclaration, l’on admette l’existence d’écarts irréductibles, mais la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel estime que cela ne devrait pas encourager d’autres nations à avancer l’argument selon lequel, en l’absence des Etats-Unis, elles ne sont pas tenues de respecter les engagements assumés qui découlent de l’Accord de Paris sur le climat, note la BBC. La chancelière allemande et les présidents de la Russie et de la France, Vladimir Poutine et Emmanuel Macron, ont eu aujourd’hui une entrevue, lors de laquelle ils sont tombés d’accord sur la nécessité de mettre en place un armistice dans l’est de l’Ukraine, comme prévu dans les accords de Minsk. Vendredi, à l’occasion de leur première rencontre directe, le chef de la Maison Blanche et le leader russe se sont mis d’accord sur la création d’une zone de désescalade dans le sud-ouest de la Syrie. Les Etats-Unis et la Russie se porteront garants de cet armistice qui devrait entrer en vigueur samedi à minuit. De nouvelles protestations sont attendues aujourd’hui à Hambourg. Les forces de l’ordre sont intervenues, dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi, avec des blindés pour enlever les barricades dressées par les manifestants altermondialistes. Plusieurs commerces ont été saccagés. Les policiers allemands ont essayé de disperser les manifestants au moyen de canons à eau et de gaz lacrymogène.

Crans Montana — Monica Gheorghiţă, secrétaire d’Etat aux Affaires bilatérales globales, a participé à la 28e édition du Forum Crans Montana, organisé à Barcelone, en Espagne les 6 et 7 juillet, précise un communiqué officiel. A l’agenda de la réunion ont figuré des thèmes liés à la gestion des défis politiques, diplomatiques et sécuritaires contemporains, ainsi que les changements climatiques, la migration, la sécurité énergétique et le développement durable. La responsable roumaine a eu une intervention dans le cadre du panel « Le potentiel de la route de la soie. Coopération avec la Méditerranée, le Moyen Orient et l’Afrique ». Monica Gheorghiţă a souligné, dans son allocution, les bénéfices de la mise en place des objectifs fixés par ce programme pour les trois régions, confrontées à différents défis, depuis les conflits armés jusqu’aux problèmes démographiques.

Festivals — Plus de 150.000 personnes sont attendues à la première édition du plus grand festival sur la plage de la Mer Noire, le Festival de musique électronique Neversea, organisé ce week-end à Constanta (sud-est). Une centaine d’artistes de renom international monteront sur scène. Parmi eux: Tiesto, Afrojack, Jason Derulo, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora ou Fatboy Slim. Par ailleurs, Gàrâna, petit village du sud-ouest de la Roumanie accueille en cette fin de semaine le festival international de Jazz arrivé à sa 21e édition. Cet événement est considéré comme le plus complexe rendez-vous du jazz en plein air en Europe Centrale et Orientale. Une vingtaine de groupes doivent se produire cette année sur la scène de Garâna, mais le public aura aussi loccasion dassister à des projections de films ou à des représentations théâtrales.

Tennis — La joueuse de tennis roumaine Sorana Cîrstea dispute ce samedi une place dans les 8e de finale du tournoi de Wimbledon, avec l’Espagnole Garbine Muguruza. Simona Halep, numéro 2 mondiale, s’est déjà qualifiée vendredi pour les huitièmes de finale, en s’imposant devant la Chinoise Shuai Peng, sur le score de 6-4 / 7-6. Sa future adversaire sera la Bélarusse Victoria Azarenka. Dans l’épreuve de double messieurs, le duo formé du Roumain Florin Mergea et du Pakistanais Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi s’est qualifié au deuxième tour, où il affrontera les Autrichiens Julian Knowle et Philipp Oswald.

Météo — Le temps est légèrement instable et il fait chaud sur l’ouest et le sud du pays. Des pluies à verse accompagnées de phénomènes électriques sont signalées sur le relief et localement dans le nord, l’est et le centre du territoire. Des chutes de grêle sont également possibles. Les températures maximales iront de 26 à 34 degrés. Dans les régions du sud-ouest, l’inconfort thermique accentué va atteindre le seuil critique des 80 unités. Il faisait 27 degrés à midi dans la capitale, Bucarest.

8 July 2017
07.07.2017

G20 – Les chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement du G20, des pays développés et émergeants, se réunissent à compter d’aujourd’hui à Hambourg, dans le nord de l’Allemagne, pour débattre des sujets liés au commerce, aux changements climatiques ou encore à la menace nucléaire nord-coréenne. Le moment phare de la réunion sera la première rencontre directe entre le président américain, Donald Trump, et le leader russe, Valdimir Poutine. Selon la presse, on s’attend à ce que leurs discussions touchent des sujets sensibles, tels la crise ukrainienne, la guerre en Syrie, les sanctions économiques imposées par l’Occident à Moscou ou encore les suspicions concernant l’implication des services secrets russes dans l’élection présidentielle américaine. Par ailleurs, les autorités allemandes ont mis en place des mesures de sécurité strictes, après les heurts violents entre les forces d’ordre et les protestataires anticapitalisme. Selon l’AFP, la police a révisé à la hausse le bilan des affrontements de la nuit de jeudi à vendredi, qui ont fait 111 blessés parmi les forces de l’ordre.

PIB – Au cours des 3 premiers mois de l’année, le PIB de la Roumanie a connu une croissance de 5,7% par rapport à la même période de l’année dernière, selon les données publiées aujourd’hui par l’Institut national de la statistique. Comparé au 4e trimestre de 2016, le PIB du premier trimestre de 2017 a été supérieur de 1,7% en termes réels. Dans son dernier rapport, la Banque Mondiale a révisé à la hausse, à 4,4%, ses prévisions de croissance économique pour l’année en cours, par rapport aux 3,7% estimés en janvier. A son tour, le FMI a révisé à la hausse, de 3,8 à 4,2% ses estimations visant l’évolution de l’économie roumaine pour cette année. A Bucarest, la Commission nationale des prévisions affirme que la Roumanie aura une croissance économique de 5,2% cette année.

Festivals – Plus de 150.000 personnes sont attendues à partir d’aujourd’hui au Festival de musique électronique Neversea, organisé ce week-end à Constanta (sud-est). Des mesures de sécurité exceptionnelles ont été prises pour assurer le bon déroulement de cette première édition du plus grand festival sur la plage de la Mer Noire. Trois jours durant, une centaine d’artistes de renom international monteront sur scène, parmi eux : Tiesto, Afrojack, Jason Derulo, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Fatboy Slim et autres. Par ailleurs, Gàrâna, petit village du sud-ouest de la Roumanie accueille ce week-end le festival international de Jazz arrivé à sa 21e édition. Cet événement est considéré comme le plus complexe rendez-vous du jazz en plein air en Europe Centrale et Orientale. Une vingtaine de groupes doivent se produire cette année sur la scène de Garâna, mais le public aura aussi l’occasion d’assister à des projections de films ou à des représentations théâtrales.

Tennis – La sportive roumaine, Simona Halep, numéro 2 mondiale, doit rencontrer, ce vendredi, la Chinoise Shuai Peng, au 3e tour du tournoi de Wimbledon. Une autre joueuse roumaine Sorana Cîrstea (62e WTA) s’est qualifiée jeudi pour le troisième tour du même tournoi, son adversaire, l’Américaine Bethanie Mattek-Sands, ayant abandonné sur blessure le match. Samedi, Sorana Cîrstea disputera une place dans les 8e de finale avec l’Espagnole Garbine Muguruza. A l’épreuve de double messieurs, le duo formé du Roumain Florin Mergea et du Pakistanais Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi s’est qualifié au deuxième tour, où il affrontera les Autrichiens Julian Knowle et Philipp Oswald.

Météo – Il fait beau sur la plupart du territoire en ce vendredi en Roumanie. Le ciel est couvert sur les montagnes. Les températures maximales de la journée iront de 23 à 34 degrés. Nous avions 25 degrés et du soleil à midi à Bucarest.

7 July 2017
A la Une de la presse roumaine 06.07.2017

Dans la presse du jour, la participation de Donald Trump au sommet de Varsovie ne passe pas inaperçue. Bien au contraire, la presse en ligne suit de près le sujet. Plusieurs réunions cruciales sannoncent ces jours-ci : celle de Varsovie et celles des G20 à Hambourg. Enjeux.

6 July 2017
July 5, 2017 UPDATE

SUMMIT – On Thursday, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis is attending a summit of the Three Seas Initiative, namely the Baltic Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea, hosted by Warsaw. The heads of state and representatives from 11 other Central and Eastern European countries, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary, are taking part. The US president Donald Trump will also attend the summit as a special guest. The purpose of the Initiative is to provide political support for the cooperation and interconnection between the economies of the countries in the geographical area bordered by the three seas in fields such as energy, transport, telecommunications and environmental protection.

EMA – Relocating to Bucharest the European Medicines Agency, EMA, continues to be a major objective of the Bucharest government, says PM Mihai Tudose, in a press release issued by the cabinet on Wednesday. According to the aforementioned source, the prime minister called on the Health Ministry and the National Medicines Agency, in their capacity as institutions with responsibilities in preparing Romanias candidacy file for relocating the EMA to Bucharest, to finalise this file, so as to observe the deadline set at European level, namely July 31. Last month, after the summer European Council in Brussels, President Klaus Iohannis said, in his turn, that the new cabinet should secure an agreement on relocating the EMA, after Brexit, from Great Britain to Romania. Other countries willing to host EMA include France, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary and Bulgaria, which have already forwarded their offers.

BACCALAUREATE – 71.4 % of the Romanian high-school graduates passed this years first session of the baccalaureate exam, the education minister Liviu Pop announced on Wednesday. He recalled that last year only 66.7% of the high-school students passed the exam. Pop also said less than 10 high schools in Romania reported that no candidate passed the exam. The counties with the highest performance rates are Sibiu (in the centre), Bacau, Iasi (both in the north-east) and Cluj in the west, with over 80%, whereas the lowest rates were registered in Ilfov – 42% and Giurgiu – 50% (both in the south). Raluca Turcan, first vice-president of the National Liberal Party, in opposition, has noted that this year 70,000 high-school pupils add to other 800,000 high school pupils who do not hold a diploma either because they failed to pass the baccalaureate exam or they dropped out high-school. Turcan says the results of the baccalaureate exam show the authorities must take urgent measures to support the education system.

PUBLIC MEDIA SERVICES – The Constitutional Court of Romania says it will discuss, on the 12th of July, a complaint by the main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, in respect of an amendment to the law regulating the activity of the public radio and television services. The National Liberal Party says the law irremediably compromises the statutes, organization and activity of these two autonomous public services of national interest. The Liberals also say the law does not clarify the legal status of the two services given the change in the way they are funded following the elimination of a number of duties at the beginning of the year. They moreover argue that the new law eliminates the states constitutional obligation to consolidate ties with the Romanians living abroad from an identity, ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious point of view following the repeal of an article providing funding for the production and broadcast of programmes for the Diaspora. This, in the Liberals opinion, will lead to a blocking of the activity of Radio Romania International and TVR International. The law in question was adopted on the 20th of June by the Senate, the decision-making body in this case.

WTO – Romania will continue to promote the multilateral trading system, the elimination of barriers hampering free trade and the elimination of discriminatory treatment in international commerce, Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu said in Bucharest on Wednesday, in a meeting with the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Ricardo Azevedo. Melescanu assured the WTO official of Romanias support during his term in office as Director General of the organization. In turn, Azevedo hailed the evolution of the Romanian economy and encouraged the promotion of investment, particularly in education and infrastructure, as well as fiscal stability, which can be instrumental in making the Romanian market attractive for investors, and in reducing regional gaps. Set up in 1995 and having Romania among its founding members, WTO is an international institution which establishes international trading regulations.

VISIT – The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, will pay a visit to Israel next week, at the invitation of the Speaker of the Knesset, Yuli-Yoel Edelstein. According to a memorandum endorsed by the Standing Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, Dragnea will travel to Israel over July 11-13, and the delegation accompanying him will be made up of five other deputies and a senator. According to a communiqué issued by the Chamber of Deputies, the visit brings into the spotlight the common wish to develop bilateral relations between the two countries and to boost dialogue at parliamentary level.

G20 – The G20 summit taking place on Friday and Saturday in Hamburg may turn out to be one of the most conflicting since the creation of this forum, with bilateral tensions being fed by the international developments and essential disagreements with the US president Donald Trump, the France Presse news agency notes. According to the agency, the talks between Trump and the Chinese president Xi Jinping are set to be difficult following the launch of North Koreas first intercontinental missile on Tuesday, seen as a provocation to America on its national day. China, which is North Koreas main ally, said earlier that its relationship with the US had been affected by “some negative factors, after a US war ship sailed close to an island claimed by China. Hamburg will also host the first meeting between Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, with the latter expected to propose the normalisation of relations between the two countries, relationships that have been strongly affected by the crisis in Ukraine, the war in Syria and accusations of Russias interference in the American elections. The France Presse also notes that the relations between Germany and Turkey have continued to deteriorate after a failed coup against president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July last year. Turkey became even more vexed with Germany when the latter rejected a request from Ankara that Erdogan be allowed to address members of the ethnic Turkish community living in Germany on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

5 July 2017