Radio România Internațional

Tag: Gaza

  • January 23, 2024

    January 23, 2024

    CELEBRATION On January 24 Romanians
    will celebrate 165 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities,
    Moldavia and Wallachia, under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Military and
    religious ceremonies will be held in major cities across the country, as well as performances,
    exhibitions, events in museums and other cultural institutions. In Focşani, in
    the south-east, a large-scale celebration will be held, including a military
    parade and the traditional Union Round Dance in the town’s central square. The
    city of Iaşi, in the north-east, will host a ceremony at the statue of ruler Alexandru
    Ioan Cuza and a military parade. In Bucharest, the George Enescu Philharmonic
    Orchestra will give a special concert. In January 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was
    elected ruler both in Moldavia, and in Wallachia, and under the 1866
    Constitution, the United Principalities started using the official name of
    Romania.


    VISIT Moldova’s deputy PM and minister of foreign affairs and European integration, Nicu Popescu, is on a working visit in
    Bucharest today, where he is to have talks with his Romanian counterpart,
    Luminiţa Odobescu, and other officials, MOLDPRES
    news agency reports. The 2 foreign ministers will discuss means to develop and
    consolidate the bilateral partnership, and the next steps in Moldova’s EU
    accession negotiations. The European Council recommended the start of EU
    accession negotiations with Ukraine and the R. of Moldova in December.


    DIPLOMACY The president
    of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, at the annual meeting with the
    ambassadors accredited to Bucharest, that Romania will continue to
    stand by Ukraine. Iohannis emphasised that due to Bucharest’s efforts over 33
    million tonnes of Ukrainian grains, accounting for more than 60% of the
    products carried through the EU’s Solidarity Corridors, transited Romania. Klaus
    Iohannis added that Romania will stand by Moldova and Ukraine in their
    negotiations for EU accession, and emphasised that it is crucial for the 2
    countries to continue to receive financial support and know-how for the
    consolidation of their public institutions and economy. As for the situation in
    the Middle East, he voiced support for a two-state solution, in line both with
    the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and with Israel’s right
    to security. In this context, president Iohannis mentioned that Romania conducted
    a very difficult operation providing assistance and support to the Romanian
    citizens in that region. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
    Romanian authorities involved in the evacuation of the Romanian nationals
    there, as well as to thank our partners in Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan for
    their support, Klaus Iohannis added.


    UKRAINE
    The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu stated in Brussels on Monday
    that EU member countries must use all means to help Ukraine in its war
    against Russia. Attending a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, she
    emphasised that Ukraine must remain a priority on the EU agenda. It is
    important for us to maintain pressure over Russia, and Romania supports a new
    set of sanctions against Russia, the Romanian official added. Meanwhile, the
    conflict carries on, with Russia attacking Kyiv and Kharkov with missiles this
    morning. Stay tuned for more after the news.


    VIETNAM Over 2,000 Vietnamese nationals are legally
    employed in Romania, said the president of Romania’s Chamber of Commerce and
    Industry Mihai Daraban at the Romania-Vietnam Economic Forum held in Bucharest
    in the presence of Vietnam’s PM, Pham Minh Chính. Daraban called on
    decision-makers in both countries to create a predictable environment for
    employment, because the Romanian economy needs more workforce.


    NATO Turkey’s
    Parliament is today discussing the ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO, said
    the private tv station CNN Turk, quoted by France Presse. The foreign policy
    committee in the Turkish Parliament last month endorsed the ratification, but a
    vote in a plenary session is also necessary before the protocol may be signed
    by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO
    countries yet to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession. Ankara cited Stockholm’s lack
    of cooperation in extraditing to Turkey a number of individuals suspected of
    ties with terrorist organisations, especially in the Kurdish region, while
    Budapest says Swedish politicians have made a habit of criticising Viktor
    Orban’s conservative regime, AFP reports.


    ISRAEL The
    Israeli Army announced today that 24 Israeli troops were killed in the Gaza
    Strip clashes in the last 24 hours, making it the worst daily toll for the
    Israeli Army since the start of the war against Hamas, Reuters reports. Last
    week, Israel launched an offensive to capture the town of Khan Yunis, which
    Israel says is now the main stronghold of the Hamas terrorists responsible for
    the October 7 attack in the south of Israel in which 1,200 people were killed.
    Some 26,000 people died in Gaza since the start of Israel’s military
    operations, the healthcare authorities in Gaza announced. (AMP)

  • January 22, 2024

    January 22, 2024

    Visit. The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, has stated that the time has come for relations between Romania and Vietnam to move to the ‘next level’, after almost seven and a half decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. After the discussions in Bucharest with his Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Minh Chinh, Ciolacu pointed out that Romania was one of the main promoters of the development of Vietnam’s relations with the European Union and stated that he wanted Romania to become the main partner of that country in terms of its commercial access on the European market. He also proposed to his Vietnamese counterpart a partnership aimed at promoting medicines produced in Romania in the Southeast Asian area. For his part, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized his country’s interest in developing partnerships in fields such as science, technology, innovation, agriculture. The head of the Hanoi government will be received by President Klaus Iohannis.










    Senate. In Bucharest,
    the Senate was convened, today, in an extraordinary session to adopt the
    emergency ordinances recently issued by the Government, in the context of the
    farmers’ and transporters’ protests. There are several normative acts,
    including one on the excise duty on diesel fuel, and another modifying
    regulations in the field of road transport. The emergency ordinances were
    approved by the executive during the parliamentary recess and, according to the
    Constitution, Parliament must be convened within five days to turn them into
    laws. On the other hand, the first day of the three-day rally authorized by the
    Capital City Hall in front of the Parliament building was, on Sunday, a
    failure. Only a few people came and it was not about farmers or transporters.
    The protest continues, however, near the capital and across the country. The
    demands of farmers and transporters remain the same, from the reduction of the mandatory
    insurance fees and the recovery of a percentage of the excise duty on fuels, to
    fiscal fairness and the shortening of border crossing times.












    IMF. An IMF mission
    will come to Bucharest next week, approximately four months after the previous
    visit, to analyze the latest economic and financial developments. According to
    a press release, the institution estimates an economic growth of 2.3% for
    Romania this year and a budget deficit of 6% of the GDP. The IMF recommends authorities
    in Bucharest to implement additional reforms, of some two percent of the GDP.
    At the end of the previous visit, the head of the mission for Romania, Kees
    Martijn, said that the fiscal package adopted by the government was a step in
    the right direction, but other reforms were needed, especially regarding taxes,
    to increase revenues, efficiency and fairness.






    FAC. The head of Romanian
    diplomacy, Luminiţa Odobescu, is participating, today, in Brussels, in the Foreign
    Affairs Council. The main topics on the agenda are Russia’s aggression against
    Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, reads a press release issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest.
    There will be both formal debates in the EU-27 format, as well as informal,
    separate discussions, with the participation of several foreign ministers from
    the region. On the sidelines of the FAC meeting, there will be an informal
    breakfast with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, S.H. Shoukry, in
    preparation for the tenth meeting of the EU-Egypt Association Council, on
    January 23, 2024. Minister Odobescu also has a meeting with the Secretary
    General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg.






    Gaza. Intense Israeli
    air raids and street fighting with Hamas militants continue in the Gaza Strip,
    where Palestinian medical officials have reported that the death toll has
    exceeded 25,000. As street fighting intensifies between Israeli forces and
    Hamas militants in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, the southern town of
    Khan Yunis is being hit by heavy Israeli bombardment. Meanwhile, the United
    States, Qatar and Egypt continue their attempts at mediation, but Hamas demands
    that Israel end the war and withdraw its forces before the hostages are
    released, an option rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    During the night, the hostages’ relatives and sympathizers gathered near the
    prime minister’s official residence to demand an agreement for their release.
    The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, is meeting today
    with the families of the hostages, and then with Prime Minister Benjamin
    Netanyahu and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant. (MI)





  • January 16, 2024 UPDATE

    January 16, 2024 UPDATE

    Protests – Further talks took place on Tuesday afternoon at the headquarters of the Romanian Transport Ministry, attended by the representatives of the main professional associations, but not of those who are protesting across the country. Employers say that they reached a consensus with minister Sorin Grindeanu and a protocol with very clear deadlines was signed, which benefits the transport of people and goods, even for those who are protesting. The president of the COTAR confederation, Vasile Ştefănescu, says that immediate measures have been established to streamline traffic in customs points, and in relation to the legislative changes that he considers necessary, including the elimination of unfair competition and unauthorized activities, the setting-up of working groups has been agreed. Discussions were also held with the professional associations at the Agriculture Ministry. The authorities promised a constant dialogue with the farmers representatives and to make decisions following consultations within working groups. Minister Florin Barbu says that at this moment the claims presented by farmers have all been solved.



    Schengen – Romania and Bulgaria have made considerable efforts to meet the criteria for Schengen accession – says the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. He is convinced that the partial accession of the two countries with maritime and air borders, as of March 1, is a first step and a good sign. De Croo made the statements in Strasbourg, where he went on Tuesday to present his countrys priorities to the members of the European Parliament. 2024 will be a crucial year, because much is at stake for Europe; the stake is very high for the West, it will be a year in which our democracies and freedoms will be put to the test – says the Belgian Prime Minister, referring to the elections for the European Parliament, as well as the presidential election in the US.



    Videoconference – The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, had a video conference call with his counterpart from neighboring Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, on Tuesday. According to a Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué, the two ministers discussed the evolution of the Russian Federations war of aggression against Ukraine, almost two years after the start of the conflict. “I told Minister Umerov that Romania condemns in the harshest terms the Russian aggression, the attacks on the Ukrainian population and civil infrastructure, actions that have intensified in recent weeks, and I assured him that Romania continues to support Ukraine, alongside allies and partners” said the defense minister Tîlvăr. The two officials also discussed concrete measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of defense, with emphasis on the importance of training Romanian and Ukrainian pilots at the European F-16 Training Center in Romania.



    Polo – Romanias mens polo team finished 8th in the European Championship in Croatia, after being defeated by Serbia 18-7 in the last match on Tuesday. Romania had won all matches in Group D, 12-8 against the Netherlands, 13-5 against Slovenia and 8-7 against Slovakia, and in the play-off it defeated Georgia 18-11. In the round of 16, the Romanians were outclassed by Spain 7-24, and in the first match for the 5th to 8th places they lost to Montenegro 11-18. At the last edition of the championship final, from 2022, Romania ranked 10th. The best European ranking was 4th place, in 1993 and 2006. Next the Romanian national team will participate in the World Championship in Doha, in Qatar, where it will play in group D, against Hungary (on February 5), Kazakhstan (on February 7) and Italy (on February 9).



    Gaza – Israeli army tanks have returned to the north of the Gaza Strip, from where they left last week – residents of the area told international media on Tuesday. Violent explosions were reported there, after two weeks of relative calm. At the time, Israel had announced the withdrawal of its forces from the north as part of a transition to smaller, targeted operations against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The army claims that, overnight, it killed dozens of Hamas fighters in the clashes in Beit Lahiya, also in the north of Gaza Strip. The health authorities in Gaza say, in turn, that in the last 24 hours, Israeli bombings have killed 158 people in the enclave, raising the death toll of the war to 24,285 people. (LS)

  • January 9, 2024

    January 9, 2024

    Government. The Romanian government should adopt a decision by the end of this month for the implementation of the National Plan to combat school violence and drug use. Students will attend health education courses and will be able to be tested with the parents consent for drug use, according to the National School Safety Plan. Compared to the measures applied so far, the document provides for the establishment of action groups at the level of each pre-university education unit, which will include specialists from the institutions that have undertaken this program. The aim is to combat the trafficking and consumption of psychoactive substances in schools, stop bullying, but also violent crimes. The pre-university education law obliges school principals to report cases of violence against students to the national number 119, and minors involved in such acts, together with their parents, must attend counseling sessions. In case of a refusal, the provision can be applied by court decision.



    Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel again on his latest regional tour aimed at preventing the escalation of the Gaza war. According to our correspondent, the head of the US diplomacy will try, once again, to convince the Israeli government to restrict its military operations in order to protect Palestinian civilians. The US would like the Israeli authorities to officially declare that they are moving to the third phase of the war, in which they will reduce their forces in the Gaza Strip and give up massive bombing. Israel is going through a very difficult moment, but has real chances of integration with its Arab neighbors, said Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv, where he already met with President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Israel Katz. On Monday, the Israeli army managed to liquidate two field commanders, one in Lebanon, a member of the leadership of the elite force of the Hezbollah organization, and the second in Syria, who was responsible for Hamass missile attack program on Israel from Syrian territory.



    Unemployment. In Romania, the unemployment rate in November 2023 was 5.4%, a value equal to that recorded in October last year, according to the data published on Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics. The unemployment rate among men was 0.9 percentage points higher than for women. The high level of the unemployment rate among young people (15-24 years), of 21%, continues to be worrying, the NIS warns.



    Health-care. The Romanian Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, has announced that new memoranda on unblocking jobs in the system have been finalized. He stated that he hopes that the Government will approve the memoranda as soon as possible, so that the employment contests can be organized and the vacant positions can be filled. The Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, has also stated that the issue of jobs in the health-care will be resolved this week.



    Invoicing. The national e-Invoice system took receipts worth a total of 16 billion lei (3.2 billion euros) in just seven days since it was introduced for transactions between companies , the Romanian Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, has announced. He has stressed again that the system designed to reduce VAT fraud, introduced on January 1 this year, will work in parallel with the classic one until the middle of this year, when it will become mandatory. Starting July 1, companies that do not report invoices electronically will be fined up to 5,000 lei (1,000 euros). Last year, following fiscal and anti-fraud inspections, the state collection budget was supplemented by 11 billion lei (2.2 billion euros), Minister Boloş also said.



    Handball. The European Mens Handball Championship starts in Germany on Wednesday, a competition that will end on January 28. Romania will play in Group B, along with Austria and the strong teams of Spain and Croatia. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the main groups. Romania had not qualified for a European Championship since 1996.



    Weather. The weather is cold in most of Romania, even frosty in the east. The severe weather of the last few days has affected this part of the country, where several localities were left without electricity. In Galati county (south-east), the red intervention plan was activated after a minibus with 17 passengers overturned due to powerful gusts of wind. The authorities temporarily closed traffic on several sections of the national road. Several trains are delayed on the railway. In Iaşi county (northeast), after the heavy snow and blizzard on Monday, the authorities agreed to keep schools, high schools and kindergartens closed today. The activity is also suspended in some educational units from other counties. (MI)


  • January 7, 2024

    January 7, 2024

    Saint John. Orthodox Christians and Greek Catholics celebrate, today, Saint John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament and the only one who knew the Messiah, whose coming he had prepared. The Jews recognized him as a prophet and would come to get baptized in the waters of the Jordan, to repent their sins. The meeting with Jesus also took place in Jordan. John introduced Jesus as the Messiah. Almost two million Romanians are celebrating their name today. Old-style Christians also celebrate Christmas on January 7th.



    Israel. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, was received, on Sunday, in Amman by King Abdullah II of Jordan, who asked him to put pressure on Israel to obtain an immediate truce in the Gaza war against the terrorist group Hamas, FP reports. Blinken arrived in Jordan on Saturday night as part of a new tour of the Middle East in an attempt to prevent an escalation of the conflict. The Hashemite sovereign also emphasized the need to put an end to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The king said that there will be no peace and stability in the region without a just settling of the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state solution, Palestinian and Israeli. From Jordan, Blinken will go to Qatar, the emirate that acted as a mediator between Israel and Hamas since the end of November. From there, the US official will travel to Abu Dhabi, to Saudi Arabia – on Monday – and then Israel. In another move, the Israeli army has announced that it has completed the destruction of the command structure of the terrorist group Hamas in the north of the Gaza Strip. The army spokesman said that Israel had killed about 8,000 militants in northern Gaza and that Israeli forces were now focusing on destroying Hamas in the south and center of the Strip.



    Ukraine. Last night, Russia launched attacks with drones and three cruise missiles at Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force has announced today, adding that their air defense systems destroyed more than 20 of the drones. The Air Force reported that Russia attacked the south and east of Ukraine in particular, Reuters reports. The Japanese foreign minister, Yoko Kamikawa, is visiting Ukraine today, where he will meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitro Kuleba, as well as other officials. Minister Kamikawa will once again confirm to the Ukrainian side that Japans consistent policies to support Ukraine remain unchanged even in the current difficult international situation, the press service of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, quoted by news agencies.



    Handball. The Romanian womens handball champion, CSM Bucharest, takes on, today, the Montenegrin team Buducnost, in group A of the Champions League. CSM is in the fourth position, and the leader of the group is Gyor (Hungary). On Saturday, the other representative of Romania in the Champions League, Rapid Bucharest, was dramatically defeated by the Slovenian team Krim Mercator Ljubljana, 25-24, away from home, in Group B. Rapid is the penultimate in the group, and in first position is Esbjerg, from Denmark.



    Weather. Precipitations have covered all regions of Romania. It is predominantly raining, but snow will soon take over many regions. A yellow code alert will be in place starting this evening, as meteorologists say there will be strong winds, snow falls and blizzard affecting in particular the east and southeast of the territory. During the night from Sunday to Monday and in the first part of Monday, in the east, south and southeast, there will be mainly rains that will turn into snow falls. Meteorologists have also announced that starting Monday the weather will cool significantly, so that on Tuesday the highs of the day will be negative, ranging from minus 8 to 0 degrees Celsius. Its currently raining in the capital Bucharest, the maximum of the day stood at 10 degrees Celsius. (MI)


  • Omlu a Anlui 2023 la Radio România Internaţionalu

    Omlu a Anlui 2023 la Radio România Internaţionalu



    Vruţ soţ, Radio România Internaţionalu u dusi ninti adetea pritu cãftarea minduitãllei tu lao –ascultãtorlli şi ufilisitorlli di Internetu, şingirili suţiali, ta s’apufuseascã cari di personalităţli a kirolui di adzã alãsarã toru, nai cama multu tru 2023, tru noima hãirlãticã, tru lumi.


    “Omlu a Anlui 2023 la RRI” fu aleptu Antonio Guterres, Secretarlu Gheneralu ONU.


    Ia cumu Christer Brunström, ditu Suedia, u exighisea alidzearea:


    “Easti zori mari s’aflli unã persoană cari avu cadealithea contributu ti thimilliuseari unã lumi ma bunã tru anlu 2023. Ma mulţãlli di tu arada-a oamiñiloru cari eara tu amprotusa-a hãbãrloru feaţirã tamamu alliumtrea. Cu tuti aestea, după unã isapi faptã cu ngãtanu, lu-pripusirã Antonio Guterres, Secretarlu Ghenearalu a Națiunilor Unite. El fu unã boaţi vãrtoasã cari cãftã dãnãsearea-a ceamauniloru armati și a polimiloru di fuvirseari, cundillindalui tutunãoarã cã easti ananghi ta s-acãţãmu tu isapi alãxerli climatiţi. Ti amãrtie, s’pari, că ma mulţãlli di liderlli mundialli nu-lu-ascultă”.



    Deapoa, Malik Momin Raza Khokhar, di Pakistan, yinea cu aestã giuvapi: “Angajamentulu a lui andicra di diplomație și coopeararea internațională alăsã torlu, ti niagãrşeari tu sţeana mundialã, di lu-feaţi un simbulu a nãdiillei şi a progreslui tru cilãstãsearea ti aflari simfunia globalã.”



    Dupu Gutteres ascultătorlli şi ufilisitorlli RRI, lu aleapsirã Pãpãlu Francisc şi laureata Nobelu trã Iriñe, activista iraniană trã ndrepturli a omlui Narges Mohammadi.



    Nica eara alepţã şi jurnaliştilli di lumea tutã cari s’ncuntreadzã ti polimu, maxusu tru Ucraina și Gaza, și cari ma largu pitrecu hãbãri tiñisiti mplini di averu, acaã banal ã easti tu piriclliu, ti populu palestinian şi victimili a polimlui ditu Cumata Gaza. Anamisaa di liderlli pripuşi trã “Omlu Anlui 2023 la RRI” eara şi prezidentulu ali Ucrainã, Volodimir Zelenski, Vãsillelu Charles III-lu ali Mari Britanie, Tsai Ing-Wen, prezidenta-a Taiwanlui, premierlu israelianu Benjamin Netanyahu, dimarhulu di Timişoara, Capitală Europeană a Culturãllei tu 2023, Dominic Fritz.



    Eara pripusã tu harea di “Omlu Anlui 2023”, anamisa di alţãlli, cantautoarea şi activista suţialã americană Taylor Swift şi Hosai Ahmadzai, prezentatoari TV ditu Afganistan.



    Autoru: Eugen Cojocariu


    Armãnipsearea: Taşcu Lala




  • Omul Anului 2023 la Radio România Internaţional

    Omul Anului 2023 la Radio România Internaţional

    Dragi prieteni, Radio România Internaţional a continuat tradiţionala anchetă
    de opinie printre ascultători şi utilizatorii de Internet şi reţele sociale pentru
    a decide care dintre personalităţile prezentului şi-a pus amprenta cel mai mult
    în 2023, în sens pozitiv, asupra lumii.


    Omul Anului 2023 la RRI a fost desemnat Antonio Guterres, Secretarul
    General ONU. Christer Brunström, din Suedia, explica astfel alegerea:

    Este
    foarte greu să găsești o persoană care a contribuit cu adevărat la crearea unei
    lumi mai bune în anul 2023. Majoritatea oamenilor care au dominat știrile au
    făcut exact invers. Cu toate acestea, după o analiză atentă, îl propun
    pe Antonio Guterres, Secretarul General al Națiunilor Unite. El a fost o voce
    puternică care a cerut încetarea conflictelor armate și a războaielor de
    agresiune, subliniind totodată nevoia de a aborda schimbările climatice. Din păcate, se pare că majoritatea
    liderilor mondiali nu-l ascultă.

    Iar Malik Momin Raza Khokhar, din Pakistan,
    argumenta: Angajamentul său față de
    diplomație și cooperare internațională a lăsat o amprentă de neșters pe scena
    mondială, făcându-l un simbol al speranței și progresului în căutarea armoniei
    globale.


    Gutteres a fost urmat, în preferinţele ascultătorilor şi utilizatorilor
    RRI, de Papa Francisc şi de laureata Nobel pentru Pace, activista iraniană pentru drepturile omului Narges Mohammadi.


    Au mai fost nominalizaţi jurnaliştii din întreaga lume care se opun războiului,
    în special în Ucraina și Gaza, și care continuă să transmită informații
    corecte, riscându-și viața, poporul palestinian şi victimele războiului din
    Fâşia Gaza. Printre lideri propuşi pentru Omul Anului 2023 la RRI s-au mai aflat
    preşedintele Ucrainei, Volodimir Zelenski, Regele Charles al III-lea al Marii
    Britanii, Tsai Ing-Wen, preşendinta Taiwanului, premierul israelian Benjamin
    Netanyahu, primarul Timişoarei, Capitală Europeană a Culturii
    2023, Dominic Fritz.


    Au mai fost propuşi Omul Anului 2023, între alţii, cantautoarea şi activista
    socială americană Taylor Swift şi Hosai Ahmadzai, prezentatoare TV din
    Afganistan.

  • Les Roumains de Gaza

    Les Roumains de Gaza

    A l’heure où l’on parle les conflits armés locaux ne sont pas sans échos au niveau mondial. Bien que la Roumanie semble être loin du nouveau point chaud du Proche Orient qui est la Bande de Gaza, l’Etat roumain et la population roumaine ne sont pas indifférents face aux évolutions tragiques de ce coin du monde. Bien au contraire, il existe des centaines de milliers de citoyens israéliens d’origine Roumaine ou des descendants de ceux-ci et une bonne partie d’entre eux ont la double nationalité roumaine et israélienne.

    Citoyens roumains, à double nationalité et familles mixtes

    D’ailleurs, depuis de décennies, dans de nombreux pays, d’Algérie jusqu’en Syrie, vivent de nombreuses familles mixtes, formées notamment de Roumaines mariées avec des ressortissants arabes venus faire leurs études supérieures en Roumanie. La Bande de Gaza n’y fait pas exception. Et depuis le déclenchement du conflit sanglant dans la région, le 7 octobre dernier, les ressortissants roumains de la zone et leurs familles reviennent au premier plan de l’attention de l’Etat roumain. Une fois le conflit éclaté, les rapatriements n’ont pas tardé. Samedi dernier, un nouveau groupe de 14 personnes évacuées de Gaza – des ressortissants roumains et des membres de leurs familles – sont arrivées en terre roumaine, a fait savoir le ministère des AE de Bucarest. Elles ont franchi le point de frontière de Rafah et ont été accompagnées par les représentants de l’ambassade de Roumanie d’Egypte jusqu’au Caire, d’où elles ont pris l’avion pour se rendre en Roumanie. Jusqu’ici 302 personnes – des citoyens roumains et des membres de leurs familles – ont été évacuées de la Bande de Gaza, précise la diplomatie de Bucarest, qui reste en contact permanent avec le autorités israéliennes et égyptiennes, pour faciliter l’évacuation des autres ressortissants roumains qui le demanderont, le tout en fonction des évolutions sur le terrain et en accord avec les parties impliquées.

    Pourtant, toutes les nouvelles qui nous arrivent depuis la zone de conflit ne sont pas encourageantes.

    Le ministère des AE de Bucarest a annoncé le décès d’un autre otage pris par le Hamas, un citoyen à double nationalité roumaine et israélienne. Selon l’ambassade d’Israël à Bucarest, il s’agit d’une jeune femme de 27 ans, Inbar Haiman de son nom, une étudiante qui créait des ouvrages d’art de rue impressionnants et s’était fait connaître en Israël sous le nom de Pink, ayant laissé une trace unique dans le monde de l’art moderne, lit-on sur son compte Facebook. Elle avait été enlevée par les terroristes du Hamas le 7 octobre dernier, alors qu’elle participait au festival de musique Nova.

    Et puis, une semaine auparavant, les autorités israéliennes et roumaines avaient confirmé le décès d’un autre otage, toujours à double nationalité roumaine et israélienne, un homme kidnappé lui aussi au premier jour du conflit et mort dès les premiers jours de captivité. Selon le ministère des AE de Bucarest, une seule personne d’origine roumaine, à double nationalité en fait, reste entre les mains des terroristes du Hamas. L’Ambassade de Roumanie à Tel Aviv reste en contact avec les autorités israéliennes à ce sujet, précise encore la diplomatie de Bucarest.

  • Romanians and the Gaza conflict

    Romanians and the Gaza conflict

    In todays world, there is no local armed conflict without global impact and effects. Romania seems far from the epicenter of the new carnage in the Middle East, the Gaza Strip, but neither the state nor the Romanian citizens are indifferent to the tragic developments there. There are hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens originally from Romania or their descendants, and many of them also hold Romanian citizenship. There have also been for decades, in many countries, from Algeria to Syria, mixed families, generally founded by Romanians who married Arabs who had come to study in Romania.



    The Gaza Strip is no exception, currently the theater of the bloody offensive launched more than two months ago by the Israeli army against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, after the atrocities committed by the latter in southern Israel, on October 7. A new group of 14 people, Romanian citizens and members of their families, evacuated from the Gaza Strip, arrived in Romania on Monday, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest has announced. According to the source, these people arrived in Egypt on Saturday, through the Rafah border point, and were later taken over by the representatives of the Romanian embassy in Cairo. They were accompanied to the Egyptian capital, from where they were boarded for Romania.



    So far, 302 people, Romanian citizens and their family members, have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip, says the Romanian MFA, which adds that it stays in contact with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities, in order to facilitate the evacuation of other citizens as well, in case there are requests in this regard, depending on developments on the field and the agreement of the parties involved.



    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the death of another hostage with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, in the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli embassy in Bucharest announced her identity: 27-year-old artist, Inbar Haiman, killed, according to the embassy, ​​by Hamas terrorists. She was a student, she made extraordinary works of street art and was known in Israel and the world as Pink, an unmistakable signature – the embassy says on its Facebook account. She had been kidnapped by terrorists on October 7, while she was attending the Nova music festival.



    About a week ago, Israeli and Romanian authorities also confirmed the death of another hostage with dual citizenship, a man kidnapped also on October 7 and who allegedly died in the first days of captivity. According to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among the people held hostage by terrorists in the Gaza Strip there is currently only one Romanian with dual citizenship. The Embassy of Romania in Tel Aviv maintains contact on this issue with the Israeli authorities, the ministry has also stressed. (MI)


  • December 17, 2023 UPDATE

    December 17, 2023 UPDATE

    Budget. Parliamentary procedures for the adoption of the 2024 budget begin on Monday morning. The deadlines are very tight and the entire legislative process should be completed in just three days. On Monday and Tuesday, the debates will take place in the specialized committees, first to approve the allocations for each field of activity, then the members of the budget-finance committees must complete the reports. The plenary debates would begin on Tuesday evening, and the final vote is expected the following day, Wednesday, December 20. The drafts of the state budget law and the state social security budget law for 2024 include the pension and salary increases already announced, a percentage of approximately 7% of the gross domestic product for investments, significantly higher allocations than this year for education, transport or health. According to the calculations presented by the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the Government estimates an economic growth of 3.4%, a budget deficit of 5% and an average annual inflation of 6%. The parliamentary opposition in Bucharest, however, believes that the draft budget for 2024 has nothing to do with the real needs of Romanian society and is only an electoral document. The Save Romania Union estimates that the deficit will be much higher than in the executives calculations, because revenues are overestimated and certain expenses are not included. The party announced that it has submitted over 400 amendments to the draft budget, changes which it claims would correct the normative act.



    Commemoration. It was a day of mourning on Sunday in the western city of Timisoara, in memory of the heroes who lost their lives during the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989. December 17 is the day when dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu ordered the repression forces to open fire on the demonstrators. Memorial services were held in churches and at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timisoara, and wreaths were laid by local authorities and revolutionary associations at the monuments dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Saturday was an open gates day at the Museum of the “Revolution Memorial” Association in Timisoara.. There were also exhibitions, concerts, a festive meeting of the City Council and a march in memory of the martyred heroes. The revolt against the communist regime in Romania broke out in Timişoara on December 16, 1989 and then spread, starting December 21, to Bucharest and other cities across the country. In total, over 1,000 people died and around 3,000 were injured in the fighting that took place in the only country in Eastern Europe where the regime change took place violently.



    Hostage. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has stressed that Romania is with the international community in supporting the efforts of the State of Israel to release all the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. “The death of the 27-year-old artist Inbar Haiman, Pink, killed by Hamas terrorists, deeply saddened me. My heart goes out to her family and friends”, he wrote on social media on Sunday. According to the prime minister, negotiations to resolve conflicts are the viable solution for restoring peace and security in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest had announced, on Saturday, the death of another hostage with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, in the Gaza Strip, and the Embassy of the State of Israel in Bucharest announced her identity. The MFA communique reiterates the need for the release of all hostages in the Gaza Strip and emphasizes that, currently, only one Romanian with dual Israeli and Romanian citizenship is still a hostage there. The Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv is in permanent contact with the Israeli authorities.



    Schengen. Hungary will veto Bulgarias entry into the Schengen Area if Sofia does not remove the transit tax for Russian gas, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday in a statement, Reuters reports. While Western European countries have made great efforts to get rid of Russian gas, landlocked Hungary has received 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas a year from Russia under a deal signed in 2021, mainly via Bulgaria and Serbia. We recall that at the European Council on Friday in Brussels, the Netherlands officially announced that it agreed with Bulgarias entry into the European area of ​​free movement. In this context, the only country that should change its position and accept the accession of Romania and Bulgaria – states that technically meet the necessary criteria – to Schengen is Austria. Over the last year, Vienna has spoken out against the enlargement of the free movement area, citing the fact that it is not functional as many unregistered migrants arrive in central and western Europe. Late last year, Austria voted against the accession of either country in the Schengen area, while the Netherlands opposed only Bulgaria.



    AUR.The President of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), George Simion, participated in the annual conference of the Fratelli dItalia party, led by the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. Simion, whose parliamentary group is in opposition in the Bucharest Parliament, stated that the solution to defend the Latin and Christian roots of Europe is for a center-right government to be established in Brussels, and the patriotic parties to win all the electoral battles to come. In a press release, AUR reported that Simion and Meloni discussed the possibility of establishing an alliance and emphasized the common roots of the two peoples, Italian and Romanian. The event, organized by the party led by the head of the government in Rome, brought together conservative and reformist European leaders, but also personalities from the business world, such as Elon Musk. On Saturday, George Simion had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.




    Oil. In the first ten months of 2023, Romania extracted 4% less oil than in the same period last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest. Crude oil imports amounted, in the indicated period, to 6.35 million TOE and were 12 percent below those recorded in the first ten months of 2022. According to the National Strategy and Forecast Commission, this years crude oil production was estimated to approximately 3 million tons of oil equivalent, down 2.3% compared to last year. The commission signals that Romanias crude oil production will be on a downward trajectory in the period 2023-2026, with an average annual rate of -2.2%, a consequence of the natural decline of deposits and the maintenance of existing production units.(MI)

  • UPDATE: MAE anunță decesul unui ostatic cu dublă cetățenie, israeliană și română, în Fâșia Gaza

    UPDATE: MAE anunță decesul unui ostatic cu dublă cetățenie, israeliană și română, în Fâșia Gaza

    UPDATE:

    Decesul tinerei artiste de 27 de ani Inbar Haiman, Pink, ucisă de teroriştii Hamas, m-a întristat profund. Sunt alături de familia şi prietenii săi şi le transmit întreaga compasiune. România rămâne alături de comunitatea internaţională şi susţine eforturile Statului Israel de eliberare a tuturor ostaticilor răpiţi de teroriştii Hamas. Negocierile pentru soluţionarea conflictelor este soluţia viabilă pentru restabilirea păcii şi securităţii în regiune, mesaj reiterat în dialogul avut săptămâna aceasta cu Moshe Arbel, ministrul de Interne al Israelului, şi cu membri ai familiilor unor cetăţeni israelieni de origine română ţinuţi ostatici în Fâşia Gaza, a transmis duminică premierul Marcel Ciolacu, într-o postare pe Facebook.

    Ambasada Statului Israel la Bucureşti a făcut cunoscută identitatea ultimului ostatic cu dublă cetăţenie, israeliană şi română, ucis în Fâşia Gaza, fiind vorba despre o tânără artistă de 27 de ani.

    Ministerul Afacerilor Externe a anunţat sâmbătă decesul unui alt ostatic cu dublă cetăţenie, israeliană şi română, în Fâşia Gaza.

    ”Am aflat cu profundă tristeţe vestea care confirmă decesul tinerei Inbar Haiman, ucisă de teroriştii Hamas. În vârstă de doar 27 de ani, Inbar avea cetăţenie română şi era studentă la Arte. Executa lucrări de artă stradală deosebite şi numele sub care era cunoscută în Israel şi în lume era ‘Pink’, semnătura ei inconfundabilă”, precizează Ambasada Israelului pe Facebook.

    În prezent, o persoană cu dublă cetăţenie, israeliană şi română, se mai află ostatică în Fâşia Gaza, arată sursa citată, context în care Ministerul Afacerilor Externe reiterează necesitatea eliberării tuturor ostaticilor din Fâşia Gaza.

    * * *

    Ministerul de Externe de la București a anunţat, sâmbătă, decesul unui alt ostatic cu dublă cetăţenie, israeliană şi română, în Fâşia Gaza.

    Comunicatul MAE reiterează necesitatea eliberării tuturor otaticilor din Fâşia Gaza şi subliniază că, în prezent, un singur român cu dublă cetăţenie mai este ostatic acolo. Diplomatia de la Bucuresti precizează ca Ambasada României la Tel Aviv menţine contactul cu autorităţile israeliene. Amintim că, in cursul acestei luni, MAE a anuntat decesul altor doi ostatici cu dublă cetățenie, israeliană şi română, în Fâşia Gaza

  • December 17, 2023

    December 17, 2023

    Budget. The 2024 state budget and social insurance bills enter parliament debate in Bucharest on Monday, the two draft laws being analyzed by the specialized committees. On Tuesday, the two Chambers will start the debates in joint session. The final vote is expected on Wednesday. The Romanian government approved, on Thursday evening, the draft laws on the state budget and the state social insurance budget for next year. In 2024, the executive relies on the absorption of European funds and counts on increasing the collection of fees and taxes through a better functioning of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration and of the customs, as well as on reducing tax evasion. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, spoke of an increase in revenues from 27% to 30% of the Gross Domestic Product. He says that in the 2024 budget, the sums allocated for investments, but also for education, are the largest in the history of Romania. The opposition claims, however, that the budget is based on unrealistic figures, and a major problem next year will be the payment of pensions.



    Commemoration. Its a day of mourning today in the western city of Timisoara, in memory of the heroes who lost their lives during the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989. December 17 is the day when dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu ordered the repression forces to open fire on the demonstrators. Today, memorial services are held in churches and at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timisoara, and wreaths are laid by local authorities and revolutionary associations at the monuments dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Saturday was an open gates day at the Museum of the “Revolution Memorial” Association in Timisoara.. There were also exhibitions, concerts, a festive meeting of the City Council and a march in memory of the martyred heroes. The revolt against the communist regime in Romania broke out in Timişoara on December 16, 1989 and then spread, starting December 21, to Bucharest and other cities across the country. In total, over 1,000 people died and around 3,000 were injured in the fighting that took place in the only country in Eastern Europe where the regime change took place violently.



    Hostage. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has stressed that Romania is with the international community in supporting the efforts of the State of Israel to release all the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. “The death of the 27-year-old artist Inbar Haiman, aka Pink, killed by Hamas terrorists, deeply saddened me. My heart goes out to her family and friends “, he wrote on social media today. According to the prime minister, negotiations to resolve conflicts are the viable solution for restoring peace and security in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest had announced, on Saturday, the death of another hostage with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, in the Gaza Strip, and the Embassy of the State of Israel in Bucharest announced her identity. The MFA communique reiterates the need for the release of all hostages in the Gaza Strip and emphasizes that, currently, only one Romanian with dual Israeli and Romanian citizenship is still a hostage there. The Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv is in permanent contact with the Israeli authorities.



    Schengen. Hungary will veto Bulgarias entry into the Schengen Area if Sofia does not remove the transit tax for Russian gas, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday in a statement, Reuters reports. While Western European countries have made great efforts to get rid of Russian gas, landlocked Hungary has received 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas a year from Russia under a deal signed in 2021, mainly via Bulgaria and Serbia. We recall that at the European Council on Friday in Brussels, the Netherlands officially announced that it agreed with Bulgarias entry into the European area of ​​free movement. In this context, the only country that should change its position and accept the accession of Romania and Bulgaria – states that technically meet the necessary criteria – to Schengen is Austria. Over the last year, Vienna has spoken out against the enlargement of the free movement area, citing the fact that it is not functional as many unregistered migrants arrive in central and western Europe. Late last year, Austria voted against the accession of either country in the Schengen area, while the Netherlands opposed only Bulgaria.



    Alert. The population of several communes in Tulcea county, in the south-east of Romania, received a new RO-ALERT warning message on the night of Saturday to Sunday about the possibility of objects falling from the airspace, in the context of the war started by Russia against neighboring Ukraine. Citizens were advised to take protection and shelter measures, if the situation required it. According to the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the structures responsible for the defense of the territory of Romania and NATO have identified possible attacks on some Ukraine targets in the border area with the Romanian state. Following the RO-ALERT message, no call was received to signal the fall of objects on the territory of Romania. We recall that three days ago, a drone used by Russia in the attack on the Ukrainian region of Odesa fell near the border with Romania, in the area of ​​a locality in the same county. The, too, the citizens received a warning message. (MI)


  • 15.12.2023 (mise à jour)

    15.12.2023 (mise à jour)

    Elargissement – L’élargissement de l’Union européenne, la révision du cadre financier pluriannuel 2021-2027, l’appui à l’Ukraine, la situation au Proche Orient, la sécurité et la défense, la migration ainsi que le futur agenda stratégique de l’UE ont figuré parmi les thèmes de la réunion du Conseil européen auquel a participé aussi ces jeudi et vendredi le président roumain Klaus Iohannis. Il a félicité la République de Moldova et l’Ukraine pour le début des négociations d’adhésion à l’UE et a souligné que la décision du Conseil européen était « historique ». Le chef de l’Etat a également réitéré le soutien de Bucarest à ses deux voisins. Le Conseil européen a décidé, ce jeudi, d’entamer des négociations d’adhésion avec la République de Moldova et l’Ukraine, sur proposition de la Commission Européenne. Dans le même temps, le Conseil a décidé d’accorder à la Géorgie le statut d’Etat candidat, et a donné une évaluation positive à la Bosnie Herzégovine pour son début de parcours européen.

    Schengen – Egalement au Conseil européen, le premier
    ministre espagnol Pedro Sanchez a déclaré vendredi qu’il aimerait voir la
    Roumanie et la Bulgarie dans l’espace Schengen avant la fin 2023. Ce thème est compliqué
    et qu’il y a « beaucoup à négocier » dans ce dossier a précisé également à Bruxelles le président
    roumain Klaus Iohannis. Il a eu une réunion informelle à l’invitation de la
    présidente de la commission européenne Ursula von der Leyen, à laquelle ont
    participé aussi le chancelier autrichien Karl Nehammer et le premier ministre
    bulgare, Nikolai Denkov. Par ailleurs, les Pays-bas ont officiellement annoncé
    vendredi leur accord sur l’entrée de la Bulgarie dans l’espace de libre
    circulation européenne. Dans ce contexte, l’Autriche est unique Etat qui
    devrait changer sa position et accepter l’adhésion de la Roumanie et de la
    Bulgarie à Schengen – les deux Etats remplissent techniquement les critères
    nécessaires. Les autorités de Vienne se sont prononcées depuis une année contre
    l’élargissement de l’espace de libre circulation, invoquant le fait que
    celui-ci ne fonctionnait pas puisque de nombreux migrants non-enregistrés
    arrivent dans le centre et l’ouest de l’Europe. A la fin de l’année dernière,
    l’Autriche a voté dans le cadre du sommet Justice et Affaires Intérieures
    contre l’accès des deux Etats à l’espace Schengen, alors que les Pays-Bas se
    sont opposés uniquement dans le cas de la Bulgarie, mais les deux Etats sont
    analysés dans un dossier commun.

    PNRR – La Roumanie a envoyé ce vendredi à Bruxelles la troisième demande de paiement du Plan National de Relance et de Résilience – a déclaré le Premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu lors de la réunion du Comité interministériel pour la gestion du Plan National de Relance et de Résilience. La valeur de celle-ci s’élève à 2,7 milliards d’euro, ce qui représente le montant moins le préfinancement qui a été déjà reçu, et couvre 74 objectifs et jalons correspondants aux trimestres 3 et 4 de l’année 2022.

    Eurostat – La moitié de la population de l’Union Européenne âgée de 16 à 74 ans possède au moins des compétences numériques de base, selon les chiffres rendues publics vendredi par l’Office européen de la statistique. Selon l’Eurostat, le taux le plus bas est enregistré en Roumanie. La situation est meilleure en Bulgarie et en Pologne mais ces deux Etats sont également en dessous de la moyenne européenne. En tête du classement se trouvent les Pays-Bas et la Finlande, avec 80% de la population ayant des connaissances numériques de base, suivies par le Danemark avec un taux de 70%. L’indicateur des compétences numériques est un des facteurs clé qui établit la vision de l’Union européenne pour la transformation numérique. L’objectif pour l’année 2030 est d’arriver à un taux de 80 % des citoyens européens âgés de 16 à 74 ans ayant au moins des compétences numériques de base.

    Gaza – La Roumanie se joint à la communauté internationale dans le
    but de soutenir les efforts d’Israël pour libérer les personnes prises en
    otages par Hamas – a transmis le Premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu. Celui-ci a
    rencontré à Bucarest le ministre de la Défense israélien Moshe Arbel, et les membres des familles de quelques citoyens
    israéliens d’origine roumaine qui avaient été kidnappés dans la Bande de Gaza.
    Dans le même contexte, le chef de l’Exécutif a réitéré que « la désescalade
    est une solution viable pour rétablir la sécurité dans la région ».

    Météo – Au cours
    des prochaines 24 heures, la météo sera assez normale pour la mi-décembre en
    Roumanie avec des maxima allant de -1 à 7 degrés. Il y a des nuages sur la
    moitié sud, où des pluies et des chutes de neige isolées sont constatées. Ciel
    variable sur le reste du territoire.

  • Opt români și familiile acestora, evacuați din Gaza

    Opt români și familiile acestora, evacuați din Gaza

    Un grup de opt persoane, cetăţeni români şi familiile acestora, evacuate din Fâşia Gaza, a ajuns, duminică, în România, informează Ministerul Afacerilor Externe.



    Pe 7 decembrie, nouă persoane, cetăţeni români şi membri de familie, au ajuns în Egipt prin punctul de frontieră Rafah, fiind preluate ulterior de către reprezentanţii Ambasadei României în Egipt. Persoanele au fost însoţite până la Cairo, de unde opt dintre acestea au fost îmbarcate spre România, iar una a rămas în Egipt, precizează MAE.



    Potrivit MAE, acţiunea s-a realizat în urma eforturilor complexe ale Celulei de Criză Interinstituţionale, prin intermediul Ambasadei României la Cairo şi al Oficiului de Reprezentare al României la Ramallah.



    Până în prezent, 288 de persoane, cetăţeni români şi membri de familie ai acestora, au fost evacuate din Fâşia Gaza.



  • December 9, 2023 UPDATE

    December 9, 2023 UPDATE

    Diphtheria – The Romanian Health Ministry announced on Saturday that medical doctors detected strains of non-toxigenic cutaneous diphtheria in two men aged 38 and 40, drug users, infected with HIV. According to the quoted source, the two were admitted to an infectious diseases hospital in Bucharest, with skin lesions, but their evolution is favorable. The last case of diphtheria with toxigenic strains was registered in Romania in 1989. This type of diphtheria is prevented by vaccination from the first year of life, with the vaccine included in the National Program, the Health Ministry informs.



    Ukraine — The Romanian FM, Luminiţa Odobescu, reiterated, on Friday, Romanias support for opening accession negotiations between the EU and Ukraine, a topic which, along with the launch of a similar action for the Republic of Moldova, will dominate the European summit scheduled, in one week, in Brussels. During the discussions in Bucharest, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Ştefanișina thanked Romania for the constructive dialogue related to the prospects of accession and pointed out that her country made enormous efforts to overcome the obstacles in the way of reforms. The deputy prime minister also recalled that the Ukrainian parliament adopted, on Friday, the amendments to the National Minorities Law, in order to implement the latest recommendations of the European institutions. On November 8, 2023, the European Commission positively assessed Ukraines reforms in the field of rule of law and fighting corruption, but asked Kyiv to make rapid improvements to the law on the use of national minorities languages ​​in the education system and the public space, according to the Venice Commissions recommendations. The decision to launch accession negotiations requires unanimity from the 27 member states, but is threatened by the opposition of the Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.



    Timişoara – 80,000 people have so far visited the Brâncusi Exhibition, open at the National Art Museum in Timişoara (western Romania) until January 28, 2024. According to the authorities, it is the most successful event of the European Capital of Culture program and represents the debut of major artistic projects. Timişoara officially ended the European Capital of Culture program with a festive gala held on Friday evening at the Palace of Culture. “Timişoara 2023 has shown that we can imagine a creative and prosperous future of solidarity, not just for our city, but for the entire Europe, said the mayor of the city, Dominic Fritz. The events that mark the end of the Timişoara European Capital of Culture program will end on Sunday with the concerts given by Jessie J and Roisin Murphy, international stars with thousands of fans around the world.



    Handball — Romania’s womens handball team defeated Japan 32-28, in the second match of the main groups at the World Championship organized in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In the first game, they lost to Germany. With four accumulated points, the Romanian handballers are ranked 3rd in a group led by Germany and Denmark. Their last match is on Monday, against Poland. Romania is the only team that participated in all 26 editions of the World Womens Handball Championship and has a gold medal, two silver medals and one bronze. In the previous edition, the Romanian players took 13th place.



    Swimming – The Romanian athlete David Popovici ranked only fourth in the final of the 200 m freestyle, on Saturday, at the European Short Course Swimming Championships (25 meters) in Otopeni, near Bucharest. Popovici, the defending European champion, had qualified for the final with the best time. On Friday, Andrei Ungur won the first medal for Romania, bronze in the 100m backstroke.



    Tel Aviv – Israel on Saturday continued bombing the Gaza Strip in the war against Hamas, after the US vetoed a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is apocalyptic, according to NGOs. France Presse reports that Washingtons blocking the UN Security Council resolution was quickly condemned by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas terrorists, who have been in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007. The Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said a ceasefire would prevent the collapse of the Hamas organization. The war was triggered by a bloody attack committed on October 7 by Hamas commandos who infiltrated the Israeli territory, an attack in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities. Approximately 240 people were taken hostage and taken to Gaza, where 138 are still being held. (LS)