Radio România Internațional

Tag: Greece

Les sapeurs-pompiers roumains à l’étranger

Cet été, la
Roumanie a connu des vagues successives de chaleur excessive, sans pour autant
être confrontée à des incendies de végétation, même si le risque de leur
apparition existait toujours. Dans ces conditions, les sapeurs-pompiers ont effectué
des missions dans des autres Etats-membres de l’Union européenne gravement ravagés
par les incendies et qui avaient demandé l’assistance internationale.

La Grèce est un
de ces Etats qui ont demandé de l’aide dans leur combat contre le feu.
L’Inspection générale pour les situations d`urgence (IGSU) de Bucarest a
informé que mardi les sapeurs-pompiers roumains avaient accompli avec succès
leur mission d’éteindre l’incendie de la ville d’Alexandroupolis et ont été
déployés par la suite dans la région de Dadia pour une autre intervention. Ils
y travaillent pour éteindre un incendie étendu sur plus de 3 kilomètres -
précise encore l’Inspection. D’ailleurs, 52 sapeurs-pompiers roumains ont œuvré
pour localiser et éteindre l’incendie dans la proximité de l’hôpital
d’Alexandroupolis. Au total, 56 sapeurs-pompiers avec 10 camions-pompe, un
véhicule de première intervention et de commandement et un car étaient partis
lundi pour la Grèce, suite à la demande à l’assistance internationale faite
dans le contexte des incendies de végétation qui ravagent ce pays. La Roumanie
avait transmis tout de suite, soit le 20 août dernier, son intention d’aider la
Grèce au Centre de coordination de la réaction d’urgence de la Commission
européenne par le Département pour les situations d’urgence par l’Inspection
générale pour les situations d’urgence, en tant que point national de contact.

D’ailleurs, ce
n’est pas la première mission des sapeurs-pompiers roumains, cet été, en Grèce,
Dans la deuxième moitié du mois de juillet et début août, des dizaines de
sapeurs-pompiers déployés de Bucarest ont aidé à éteindre les incendies qui
ravageaient la Grèce continentale ainsi que plusieurs îles.

Le Premier
ministre Marcel Ciolacu a félicité les sauveteurs roumains pour leur altruisme,
leur courage et leurs efforts. « La Roumanie et l’Europe sont solidaires avec
le peuple grec, qui a besoin de soutien, et nous espérons qu’ensemble, nous
pourrons revenir à la normale au plus vite ! », a déclaré le chef du
gouvernement de Bucarest.

Par ailleurs,
l’Inspection générale pour les situations d’urgence a annoncé que les sapeurs-pompiers
déployés en Corse avaient été impliqués dans les opérations censées éteindre un
incendie forestier à proximité du village de Corte. C’était la première mission
des sapeurs-pompiers roumains en Corse, aux côtés des équipages de sapeurs-pompiers
militaires et civils de France. Ils ont été assistés par 2 hélicoptères et 2
avions bombardiers d’eau. L’Inspection précise que le 15 août dernier la
Roumanie avait envoyé en Corse une équipe spécialisée d’une vingtaine de sapeurs-pompiers
afin d’éteindre les incendies de forêt.

23 August 2023
August 22, 2023 UPDATE

Strike – Trade unionists with Romanias Fiscal Administration organized a token strike on Tuesday morning, also picketing the headquarters of the Finance Ministry in order to protest the measures proposed by the Romanian government to cut budget expenditures. Trade union leader Dorin Modure said that some of the claims refer to maintaining the employees incomes and a proper statute. He said there were several abortive attempts at negotiating with the government and he does not rule out the idea of an all-out strike, unless the protesters claims are met.

Fires – The Romanian firefighters sent to Greece successfully completed, on Tuesday, the mission of extinguishing the fire in the town of Alexandroupolis. Later they were sent to the Dadia area for another intervention. Here they are acting on a front of over three kilometers, shows a press release from the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. Romania has deployed in Greece a specialized national module for extinguishing forest fires, consisting of 56 firefighters, ten fire-fighting trucks, a first response and command vehicle and a bus. The firefighters were deployed following the request for international assistance from Athens. In Bucharest, the Romanian Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning which says that there is a high risk of fires in several Greek tourist areas, such as Attica, the Peloponnese, Mount Athos, the Ionian islands of Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Lefkada and the northern islands of Samothraki and Thassos.

Brancusi – The famous sculpture “The Kiss” by the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi has arrived in Bucharest, where it stays for ten days. The work, which is part of the collection of the Art Museum in Craiova, southern Romania, is on display at the Art Safari Love exhibition in downtown Bucharest where it can be admired until August 30th. This masterpiece was made in 1907 and was presented to the public in 1910 during the Young Artists exhibition in Bucharest. The Kiss is an internationally acknowledged masterpiece, being considered the first modern sculpture of the 20th century. The sculpture is the first in a series that the artist worked on for more than 40 years.

Drugs – People who drive without a license or are convicted by the court for causing fatal accidents as a result of not complying with traffic rules will have the legal right to drive again only after 5 years from ending the sentence, according to a draft law that is awaiting the final vote in the Chamber Deputies of the Romanian Parliament. Senator Robert Cazanciuc stated that this provision, already approved by the Senate, aims at tightening the Anastasia Law, in force from July 10, 2023. The law in question was initiated by Cazanciuc in memory of a 4-year-old girl killed by a woman who was driving without having a license and establishes that no drunk, drugged or unlicensed driver who causes a fatal accident can escape jail anymore. At present, the legislation stipuates that the license can be obtained by these drivers six months after the end of their sentence. The bill is again making headlines after, over the weekend, a 19-year-old driver, under the influence of drugs, hit a group of young people with his car, killing two and injuring three. The driver had been stopped by the police just a few hours before and, although drugs were found on him, he was allowed to leave. Moreover, it has not been tested for drugs either. As a result of the indignation produced in the public space, the Judicial Inspectorate officials announced that they will verify, at the national level, the files in which investigations are carried out for the possession of forbidden substances and crimes committed under their influence.

Athens – At the informal meeting held in Athens by the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on the community blocs enlargement towards the Western Balkans,the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has presented Romanias support for Ukraine, as well as the challenges the Romanian farmers are facing against the background of the situation caused by the Ukrainian grain exports and has proposed the setting up of a European mechanism to manage these exports. He has also briefed the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on the situation at Romanias borders, adding that the country needs additional financial support in order to step up the process of streamlining its infrastructure. Ciolacu has also requested the European official to step up joint efforts for Romanias Schengen accession. In Athens, the Romanian official also had talks with his Greek counterpart as well as with president Zelenski whom he assured of Romanias support for Ukraine until its final victory and afterwards for the countrys reconstruction. (LS)

22 August 2023
August 6, 2023 UPDATE

WAR President Klaus Iohannis Sunday released a message occasioned by
the centennial of the War Heroes Mausoleum in Mărăşeşti (east). The president
points out in the message that in the most important battle of the 1917 campaign
in World War I, in Mărăşeşti, the Romanian Army with support from the Allies
managed to stop the offensive of the Central Powers and stabilised the front
line for the rest of the war. Construction works on the Mausoleum, erected in
memory of the over 5,000 officers and soldiers who died then, started on August
6, 1923, at the initiative of the Romanian Orthodox Women Society, and ended in
1938. The president’s message also says that the current military conflict in
Ukraine is a reminder of the horrors of war and of the duty to strengthen
Romania’s resilience and defence capacity. A NATO and EU member state, Romania is
at present a pillar of regional stability, a major security provider in
South-Eastern Europe, and it benefits from the most reliable security
guarantees in its history, Klaus Iohannis also says in his message.

HEALTHCARE The task group entrusted with drawing up Romania’s
healthcare digitisation strategy had a first meeting in Bucharest on Sunday. According
to the line minister, Alexandru Rafila, electronic and information technologies
will improve Romanians’ access to healthcare services, will help reduce errors
and optimise management and resource planning in the sector. Calls for
proposals have already been opened for the introduction of electronic
technologies in 200 hospitals and the National Health Insurance Agency, and in
mid-August further calls will be opened for the development of the national
telemedicine system. Romania can spend EUR 400 mln for the digitisation of the public
healthcare sector, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

FIRES The Romanian
fire-fighters deployed to Greece worked on Saturday and Sunday together with
their Greek colleagues to put out a fire in the Aragonitis area, around 55 km
from the village of Vilia, in the region of Attica, the General Inspectorate
for Emergencies announced. According to the institution, at the request of the
Greek liaison officers, the Romanian unit supported the Greek fire-fighters
with 4 fire engines, personnel rotating every 4 hours, and additional lighting
equipment. Scores of Romanian fire-fighters have already taken part, over the
past few weeks, in similar missions to support the Greek authorities manage
extensive wildfires.

CATHOLICS The South
Korean capital city Seoul will host the next edition of World Youth Day, in
2027, Pope Francis announced on Sunday during a religious service in Lisbon
held at the end of the 16th edition of the event. Initiated in 1986 by
Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day, the largest international gathering of
Catholic youth, is organised every 2 or 3 years and comprises cultural and
religious events. The 2023 edition, postponed by a year because of the Covid-19
pandemic, brought 1.5 million worshippers to Lisbon, where Pope Francis, 86, Sunday
concluded a 5-day visit to Portugal, his 42nd international trip since his election in 2013.
The World Youth Day editions with the largest numbers of participants were in Manila
in 1995 (5 million people), Rio de Janeiro (3.7 million) and Krakow (3 million).
Around 11% of South Korea’s 52-million population are Catholic.

GAMES Romania came
out 2nd in the Francophonie Games hosted by Kinshasa (Congo), after
Morocco, with a total 17 gold, 9 silver and 12 bronze medals. Third came
Cameroon. On Saturday, the Romanian athletes won 2 medals, a silver and a
bronze, in African wrestling. Romania participated in the Games with 57
athletes, competing in athletics, women’s basketball, freestyle and African
wrestling, road cycling, table tennis and judo. The 9th Francophonie
Games were held between July 28 and August 6. (AMP)

6 August 2023
August 6, 2023

FIRES The Romanian
fire-fighters deployed to Greece worked on Saturday and Sunday together with
their Greek colleagues to put out a fire in the Aragonitis area, around 55 km
from the village of Vilia, in the region of Attica, the General Inspectorate
for Emergencies announced. According to the institution, at the request of the
Greek liaison officers, the Romanian unit supported the Greek fire-fighters
with 4 fire engines, personnel rotating every 4 hours, and additional lighting
equipment. Scores of Romanian fire-fighters have already taken part, over the
past few weeks, in similar missions to help the Greek authorities manage
extensive wildfires.

BORDERS Road traffic across
Romanian borders is difficult these days as Romanians leaving or returning from
their holidays are queuing at checkpoints. According to the authorities, queues
of tens of minutes are reported at Romania’s western and south-eastern entry checkpoints.
Vehicle queues are recurrent every summer, although all available lanes are
open, because of the high volume of checks border police are required to
complete.

UNTOLD The 8th edition of UNTOLD, one of
the largest music festivals in Europe, held in Cluj-Napoca, central Romania,
ends today. The theme of this year’s festival was Phoenix Light. The 4-day
festival brought together well-known international artists like Armin Van
Buuren, Goran, David Guetta, world-famous DJs like Martin Garrix, as well as
many Romanian artists. Theme parties were organised, and music fans were
entertained by international acrobats, animators, dancers, drummers from Romania,
France, Spain, UK and Germany.

HAFERLAND Today is the last day of Haferland Week
Festival, currently in its 11th year, held near Sighișoara, the only
medieval citadel still inhabited in south-eastern Europe. This is one of the
most important events devoted to the culture of Saxons, a group of German ethnics
that settled in Transylvania in the Middle Ages. The festival is held in 10
localities in the region of Haferland (Oat Country). The theme of the event
attended by officials and public personalities from Romania and Germany, was sustainability
in Haferland’s Saxon villages. On Sunday, an event entitled The brass band is
playing up the hill was followed by a religious service at the fortified church
in Criţ. The public also attended woodworking, painting, weaving and embroidery
workshops.

GAMES Romania came out 2nd in the Francophonie Games hosted
by Kinshasa (Congo), after Morocco, with a total 17 gold, 9 silver and 12 bronze
medals. Third came Cameroon. On Saturday, the Romanian athletes won 2 medals, a
silver and a bronze, in African wrestling. Romania participated in the Games
with 57 athletes, competing in athletics, women’s basketball, freestyle and
African wrestling, road cycling, table tennis and judo. The 9th
Francophonie Games were held between July 28 and August 6. (AMP)

6 August 2023
August 4, 2023 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY The Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu has
officially confirmed that a tour of Africa is being prepared for Romania’s
President Klaus Iohannis. Romania aims to bring ties with Sub-Saharan
Africa to a higher level, adapted to the new Romanian and African realities and
the new strategic interest of each partner. This revival will be done by
pursuing common values and interests, mainly in political and economic terms,
said the Romanian official.

DANUBE Naval traffic is very intense at the exit from the Danube to
the Black Sea, after Russia attacked the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail. Romania’s River Administration of the Lower Danube in Galati
decided to only allow vessels to go out to sea and only then to sail in the
opposite direction. Since Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement that allowed
the safe export of Ukrainian grain to the Black Sea, the Danube has been used
as an export route for agricultural products from Ukraine.

NATURAL GAS PM Marcel Ciolacu says the Black Sea natural gas
extraction project Neptun Deep is a strategic one, which will turn Romania into
the largest natural gas producer in the European Union. The Domino and Pelican
Sud development plans were confirmed by the National Agency for Mineral
Resources, a post on the Government’s Facebook account reads. According to the
government, OMV Petrom and Romgaz will invest up to EUR 4 bln at this stage of
the project, which will generate an output of around 100 billion cubic metres
of natural gas, beginning in 2027.

HOSPITALS Electrical systems in around 300 hospitals in Romania have
been checked, and the estimated budget for revamping them is over EUR 140 mln,
the healthcare minister Alexandru Rafila announced. He said the money would
come from EU funds under regional programmes, and that the electrical and fire
safety systems in 21 hospitals have been completely reconstructed. Rafila also
announced a programme called Good and safe meals for patients, for the revamping
of kitchen and catering units in more than 250 public healthcare institutions,
with a budget of roughly EUR 450 mln.

FIREFIGHTERS PM Marcel Ciolacu congratulated the Romanian rescuers
who Friday completed their mission in Greece, for their altruism, courage and
efforts, and wished good luck to the Romanian fire-fighters that will replace
them in helping the Greek authorities and population struggling with extensive
wildfires. Romania and Europe stand by the Greek nation in need of support,
and we hope that together we will bring things to normal as soon as possible,
Marcel Ciolacu said. On Friday Romania deployed a new wildfire specialist unit
to Greece. Ninety Romanian fire-fighters replaced their colleagues who took
part in a similar mission in the past 2 weeks, under the EU Civil Protection
Mechanism.

BORDERS The Border Police Inspectorate announced that measures to reduce
traffic congestion at checkpoints on the Romanian-Hungarian and
Romanian-Bulgarian borders continue this weekend. The institution announced
that personnel will be increased to the maximum capacity allowed by the
existing infrastructure, and mobile check units will be used. Around 3,800 border
police will be working every day at checkpoints around the country. The border
police also recommend the use of the Trafic On-line app on www.politiadefrontiera.ro,
to check out live estimates on waiting times. (AMP)

4 August 2023
July 28, 2023

WEATHER The PM of Romania Marcel
Ciolacu requested all the institutions in charge to centralise data on the damages
caused by the extreme weather over the past few days in Romania. Measures will
be taken subsequently to address the situation and to avoid similar occurrences
in the future, a government spokesperson said. According to the General
Inspectorate for Emergencies, over 50 localities in 19 counties and the capital
city Bucharest have been affected this week by storms and heavy rainfalls.
Several people died, and houses, buildings and vehicles have been damaged.

CANCER The government endorsed a National Plan on
Cancer Prevention and Treatment. The new programme facilitates quick access to
prevention measures, diagnostic, treatment and palliative services. The
healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, said investments would be made in the
field of oncology, and all services for patients would be free of charge,
including advanced radiation therapy. He added that the government would also
develop an innovation fund, mainly benefiting cancer patients. The plan will be
implemented in several stages over the next 5 years. Representatives of the
Federation of Cancer Patients Associations however are unhappy with the absence
of implementing rules for the plan, without which, they argue, it is impossible
to know how long it would take from diagnosis to the start of the actual
treatment.

DISSIDENT The High Court of Cassation and Justice in
Bucharest Thursday upheld a ruling clearing two former Communist political
police officers, Marin Pîrvulescu and Vasile Hodiş, of the charges related to
the torturing of dissident Gheorghe Ursu.
They were originally tried for crimes against humanity. The construction
engineer, poet and writerGheorghe Ursu was investigated by the Securitate in the ’80s,
after he sent letters to Radio Free Europe and kept a diary of the horrors
of the communist regime. He was arrested in September 1985 and died 2 months
later, after being beaten while in detention. After
Thursday’s ruling of the supreme court, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu said she would have liked not to see
any form of repression and torture validated. The Group for Social
Dialogue, a political and social NGO, says the supreme court’s decision to
acquit the torturers of the dissident Gheorghe Ursu is the most radical form of
rehabilitation of communist totalitarianism. Prosecutors are looking into
exceptional methods to challenge the ruling.

GREECE The Romanian foreign ministry warns the Romanian
nationals who are in Greece or intend to travel there that the local
authorities said the risks of wild fires remains high today in several parts of
that country. The situation is particularly serious in Rhodes, where 92
Romanian fire fighters are also deployed. In order to better respond to this
phenomenon, the European Commission announced plans to create its own firefighting
fleet, and procure an additional 12 aircraft to this end, deployed around the
Mediterranean, where most wildfires are reported.

SECURITY
The US Senate Thursday night endorsed the National Defence Authorisation Act
(NDAA), which included a bill on Black Sea security. With this decision, the US Senate confirms the
status of the Black Sea as a region of critical geo-strategic importance and
paves the way for enhanced US engagement in the region. The US Senate’s
decision also confirms the county’s strong support for a comprehensive US
presence in the Black Sea region, jointly with its allies and partners, in
strategic areas such as security and defence, economy, energy and democratic resilience, the
Romanian Ambassador to Washington Andrei Muraru
said. The bill endorsed by the Senate is to be reconciled in September with the
version of the NDAA already approved by the House of Representatives. A bill
similar to the
Black Sea Security Act is also pending in the House, with good chances to be
included in the reconciliation procedure and in the final text of the NDAA sent
to president Joe Biden.

FOOTBALL Three
Romanian teams played last night in the Europa Conference League qualifiers. Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe won, 2-0
away from home, the match against the Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia. Romanian
champions Farul Constanța also won their home match against FC Urartu, 3-2, while former champions CFR Cluj drew
at home against the Turkish side Adana Demirspor,
1-1. The return leg is scheduled for August 3. (AMP)

28 July 2023
July 27, 2023

WILDFIRES
Forty Romanian fire fighters are
relocated today from Attica region on Greece’s Rhodes Island, heavily affected
by uncontrolled wildfires, the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergencies
announced. They travel by sea together with 3 fire engines and a 10-ton fire
truck, as well as a personnel transport vehicle. According to the Romanian Foreign
Ministry, high fire risks continue to be reported today in several parts of
Greece, while the weather is expected to change radically, with strong storms
forecast especially in Thrace, Macedonia, Khalkidhiki and the north-eastern
Aegean coast. Romanian citizens who plan on traveling to Greece in this period
are advised to get fully informed of the situation ahead of leaving, and those
who are already in the affected areas are urged to comply with the instructions
issued by local authorities and follow official sources of information.

NATURAL GAS Romanians will have safe access to natural gas, even in
the case of lower temperatures than usual in the winter season, as Azerbaijan guaranteed
Romania access to a capacity of up to 1 billion cubic metres of natural gas if
necessary. The statement was made by the energy minister, Sebastian Burduja, who
had a meeting in Bucharest with his counterpart E.S. Parviz Shahbazov. The
filling level for Romanian storage facilities is over 75.5%, significantly over
the level promised by Romania to the EU, and nearly 700 million cubic metres
more than we had at the same time in 2022, the minister said in a social media
post on Thursday. He added that he discussed with the energy minister of Azerbaijan about ways
to develop the strategic partnership, bilateral investments and joint projects in the energy sector, including a green corridor to connect the Caspian Sea to
the Black Sea. The cooperation between Romania and Azerbaijan in the energy
sector entails major benefits not only for the two countries, but for the
security of Europe as a whole, Sebastian Burduja pointed out.

UKRAINE The Russian army hit the port
infrastructure in the region of Odessa (southern Ukraine) in an overnight
missile attack that killed a security guard and damaged a cargo terminal, the
local authorities announced on Thursday morning. The ports in the Odessa region,
at the Black Sea or the Danube River, have turned into the preferred targets of
the Russian army, after Moscow recently terminated a deal allowing Ukraine to
export grains to international markets.

MOLDOVA The Russian
Federation will have to downsize its Chişinău Embassy personnel, according to a
decision made by the Moldovan authorities and already communicated to Russia’s
ambassador in that country. Russia will keep 10 diplomats and 15 technical and
support personnel, on a par with the number of staff of the Moldovan embassy in
Moscow. According to Moldova’s foreign minister Nicu Popescu, Moldova has been
for decades the target of hostile policies and activities on the part of the
Russian Federation, and many of the Russian embassy’s activities were aimed to
destabilize the country. In Moscow, the foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria
Zaharova, said the decision was ungrounded and a further step taken by Chişinău
towards deteriorating bilateral relations.

WEATHER The weather cools
significantly in Romania, where after a heat wave with temperatures above 40
degrees Celsius, the highs are expected to range only between 19 and 28
degrees, with some 25 degrees reported in Bucharest at noon. Thunderstorms
made victims the previous day, with a 64 year old woman dead as a tree uprooted
by the wind fell over her car on the Transalpina
road in Alba County, and two siblings in Botoşani County struck by lightning on
a field. In Harghita County railroad transport was disrupted after several
trees fell on the tracks, several localities in Iaşi County were left without
drinking water and the Black Sea port of Constanţa was closed because of the
strong wind.

SPORTS
The athletes Constantin Popovici and Cătălin Petru Preda won the first medals
for the Romanian team at the 2023 World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka
(Japan). Today they ranked first and second in the high diving competition.
Popovici, 34, is Romania’s first world high diving champion. Twenty-three
athletes took part in this event. (AMP)

27 July 2023
May 22, 2023

STRIKE An all-out strike has been initiated today in Romanian public
undergraduate education. According to trade unions, taking part are over 150,000
teachers and 70,000 non-teaching staff, disgruntled with the government’s
salary policies. A two-hour token strike in higher education is also scheduled
for today.

EDUCATION The new undergraduate and higher education bills are discussed and voted on as of today in the Senate, the
decision-making parliamentary body in this respect.
At the end of last week’s talks in the Senate’s committee on education, the
representatives of students and parents said that over 90% of their requests were
answered in the new legislation. In turn, the religious denominations welcomed
the amendments to the new bills. With respect to the undergraduate education,
the National Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, in power, say the bill meets students’
educational needs, supports teachers’ career development and fosters quality and
equity in the education system. The draft law includes measures to enhance
safety in schools and to ensure the access of children with special needs to
regular classes. The opposition, on the other hand, believes these important issues
noted by civil society are not solved.

VISIT The president of Germany, Frank-Walter
Steinmeier, will make an official visit to Romania on the 24th to 26th
May, at the invitation of president Klaus Iohannis. According
to the Romanian presidency, the visit is a major landmark for the excellent
Romanian-German relations. Talks will focus on extending and deepening
bilateral cooperation in political, security and economic areas. The Romanian
presidency also mentions that Germany is a reliable ally of Romania,
contributing to the security in the region, and also the country’s main trade
partner and the second-largest foreign investor in the national economy. The
two heads of state will also exchange opinions on current security developments
and on consolidating the defence posture in NATO’s eastern flank. During
his visit to Romania, the president of Germany will also travel to Sibiu
(centre) and Timisoara (west).

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign
minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in the meeting of the EU Foreign
Affairs Council in Brussels. The EU foreign ministers discuss measures to
mitigate the effects of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. According to the
Romanian foreign ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s firm, multidimensional
and continuing support for Ukraine and will express hopes that an agreement
will be reached as soon as possible on the 8th support package for
the Ukrainian air forces under the EU Peace Facility. Minister Aurescu will
also highlight the importance of keeping pressure on Russia by consolidating
sanctions, and will reiterate the idea of setting up a special international tribunal
for the crime of aggression to prosecute Russian crimes of aggression during
the war in Ukraine.

TECHNOLOGY Bucharest Tech
Week, the largest technology and innovation trade fair in Central and Eastern
Europe, has begun in Bucharest today. The event brings together over 70 speakers,
national and international tech experts, and 1,500 professionals from over 100
companies operating in various fields. The first 5 days are devoted to
conferences on innovation, HR, retail, Java and Software Architecture, under
the heading Business Summits. The largest technology and innovation
exhibition, Tech Expo, will also be open to the public over the weekend of 26 May.

GREECE The right-of-centre party headed by Greece’s incumbent PM,
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has won Sunday’s parliamentary election, but failed to get
absolute majority. New Democracy won over 41% of the votes, and will have 146 seats
in parliament. Its left-of-centre rivals, Syriza party, won 21% of the votes
and 71 seats in parliament. The 3% threshold has been reached by 5 of the 36 parties
that took part in the election. Kyriakos Mitsotakis ruled out a coalition
government. Unless the winning parties manage to form a government, early
elections will be held on 25 June.

FOOTBALL Farul Constanţa
won Romania’s football championships, after defeating FCSB 3-2, on home turf
on Sunday night, in the 9th round of the Super League. Farul managed a spectacular come-back in the championship final,
after FCSB had been leading 2-0. (AMP)

22 May 2023
May 21, 2023

EDUCATION
In Bucharest, the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă, the Social Democratic leader Marcel
Ciolacu and the labour minister Marius Budăi invited trade unions in public
education to talks in order to avoid an all-out strike announced for tomorrow. Unionists
said protests could only end when the solutions to their demands, particularly
concerning salaries, were introduced in officially endorsed legislation. The
finance minister Adrian Câciu said the teaching staff’s demands could have been
solved, if Romania had received the money in the second disbursement round
under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which is currently suspended
because of targets that have not been met in the field of energy, for which the
National Liberal Party is responsible. On the other hand, PM Nicolae Ciucă said
the solution to the unions’ demands has to do with the unified salary law that
the labour ministry headed by the Social Democrats has failed to finalise in
spite of the support of the entire ruling coalition. Amid these disagreements, the
president of the Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu, demanded that
negotiations on the new cabinet make-up following the PM rotation should be
suspended until the issue in the education sector has been solved, and the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, a junior partner in the ruling
coalition, agreed. The Liberals on the other hand argue that the government
transition should be completed quickly in order to maintain stability and
balance. Under a protocol signed by the 2 parties, on 26 May the Social
Democrats should take over the prime minister post from the Liberals, for the
next 1,5 years, until the next general elections.

MOLDOVA
A large-scale rally is held in Chişinău today, at the
initiative of president Maia Sandu, in order to prove Moldovans’ support for
the country’s EU accession. Europe is the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of
Moldova is Europe. Moldova is not alone, the president of the European
Parliament, Roberta Metsola said in Romanian at the European Moldova National
Assembly. Participants adopted a resolution confirming the support of Moldovan
citizens for the country’s EU accession efforts. The rally takes place as the Republic
of Moldova, an EU accession candidate country, would like to begin accession
negotiations by the end of this year. For this stage to begin, Moldova must
complete 9 recommendations, which will be assessed by this autumn in a European
Commission report. In Bucharest, the Organisation of Moldovan Students
organised a similar rally in front of Moldova’s Embassy. Scores of people
watched the speeches in Chisinau jointly with the Moldovan Ambassador to
Bucharest, Victor Chirila.

UKRAINE The US president Joe Biden Sunday announced new military aid
measures for Ukraine, following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. The new aid package will
consist of ammunitions, artillery and armoured vehicles, Joe Biden explained, just
days after approving the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. According
to Reuters, this new package is worth up to USD 375 mln and is designed to
strengthen Ukraine’s defence in the war against Russia. The British PM Rishi
Sunak also announced in Hiroshima that his country would start training
Ukrainian pilots this summer, to support Ukraine’s air forces in the conflict.
Rishi Sunak added that no one wants peace more than Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but
the terms for peace, he added, should be based on Ukraine’s principles. In the
3-day summit in Japan, the G7 nations voiced their willingness to stand by
Ukraine in the long run.

FLOODING
In Italy, code red alerts for heavy rainfalls with landslide risks are valid
today as well, in the Emilia Romagna region in the north of the country, already
affected by unprecedented flash floods. Fourteen people died and 36,000 others
were evacuated by the authorities. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent
in Italy, in Ravenna province alone, the most severely hit by the floods, over 16%
of the territory has been evacuated. A preliminary estimate by Confagricoltura,
the association of Italian farmers, indicates that the flooding in Emilia
Romagna caused crop damages of over EUR 1.5 bln.

GREECE
Greece is holding elections today for its single-chamber 300-seat parliament, with
around 9.5 million people expected to take part in the vote. As many as 36 parties
and political associations are running for parliamentary seats, for which they
need at least 3% of the votes. The most likely to win is incumbent PM Kyriakos
Mitsotakis’s party, New Democracy, with 33% of the voting intentions in polls. The
left-of-centre Syriza party, headed by Alexis Tsipras, is predicted to carry
26% of the votes. A novelty in this election is the scrapping of the 50-seat
bonus for the winning party. Unless the parties manage to form a new
government, early elections will be held in July, with a return to the previous
bonus system. (AMP)

21 May 2023
March 4, 2023 UPDATE

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 March 2023
March 4, 2023

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

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

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

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

4 March 2023
December 3, 2022 UPDATE

Meeting — During his two-day working visit to Greece, where he participated in the meeting of the leaders of the European Peoples Party, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis had talks with his Greek counterpart, Mrs. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Talks focused on the diversification of energy, road and railway interconnection projects in the Balkans, Romanias actions in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees as well as the bilateral and European measures and actions, through the Solidarity Corridors, meant to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian grains, in order to prevent food crises in vulnerable third countries. The Greek officials reiterated, during the talks, Greece’s full support for Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area.

Disability — ‘People with disabilities have the same rights as anyone else and they should not be affected because of their special needs’ – the Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, said Saturday in a message on the International Day of People with Disabilities. He mentioned that the Government had a special project through which people in this category benefit from support worth 5,000 Euros to purchase assistive devices and technologies, other than those financed by the Social Health Insurance Fund. At the same time, in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) almost 197 million Euros are provided for projects related, among other things, to the creation and modernization of the social infrastructure for people with disabilities and to the integration of inactive people and disadvantaged workers into the labor market.

Schengen – The Netherlands is getting closer to a vote in favor of admitting Romania and Croatia to the free movement Schengen Area, but not Bulgaria, which it believes does not meet the necessary conditions for the time being. A final decision will be made by the Government, after the debates in Parliament – the Dutch press announces. On the other hand, Sweden no longer opposes Romanias entry into the area of free movement of people and goods. A vote on this topic was given in the Commission for European Affairs of the Swedish Parliament, based on a proposal made by the Executive. In Bucharest, the decision was welcomed by the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu. The only country that seems, at present, to have objections is Austria. The decision regarding the admittance of Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria into Schengen would be made at the meeting of the European Ministers of Interior and Justice on December 8, a unanimous vote being needed.

Gaudeamus — The 29th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair, organized by Radio Romania, will take place in Bucharest, from Wednesday to Sunday. 200 participants will offer the public an extremely varied range of editorial products, on different supports, suitable for all ages and fields of interest, music and educational games. More than 600 editorial events and related projects have been announced. All stands will also be found in virtual format on the gaudeamus.ro website. Radio Romanias Gaudeamus book fair is financed by the Ministry of Culture.

G7 — The head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andrii Iermak, said that the price ceiling for Russian oil agreed upon by the G7 countries, together with Australia, should be reduced to 30 dollars per barrel to hit the Russian economy hard. The G7 countries and Australia, as well as the EU countries, decided to cap the price at 60 dollars per barrel. The measure, aimed at reducing Russias income in the context of the war against Ukraine, is complementary to the European embargo on Russian oil imported by sea that comes into force on Monday. More specifically, through this capping measure, the EU forbids European companies involved in the delivery of Russian oil by sea (transportation, insurance, etc.) to offer their services, if the delivered oil exceeds the threshold of 60 dollars per barrel. The price of Russian oil is currently around 65 dollars per barrel, so this measure will have, at least for now, a limited impact on Russian oil exports. Moscow has already warned that it will not deliver oil to the countries that impose price caps.

Export – Romania started, on Saturday, the export of gas to the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) through the Iaşi-Ungheni pipeline, the Transgaz representatives said. According to them, it is the first time that gas is transported from Romania to the Republic of Moldova through this pipeline. On November 22, Chişinău officials stated that Gazprom would reduce natural gas deliveries to the Republic of Moldova by 56.5% from December 1, accusing that only a part of the amount of gas that Russia delivers to this country through the pipelines that cross Ukraine actually reaches the Republic of Moldova. (LS)

3 December 2022
December 3, 2022

Meeting — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, continues on Saturday his two-day working visit to Greece. He participates in the meeting of the leaders of the European Peoples Party. On Friday, Klaus Iohannis had discussions with his Greek counterpart, Mrs. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who reiterated her countrys full support for Romanias accession to the Schengen Area. President Iohannis also discussed with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about the diversification of energy, road and railway interconnection projects in the Balkan area. At the same time, Klaus Iohannis spoke about Romanias actions in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees. Bilateral and European measures and actions were discussed, through the Solidarity Corridors, meant to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian grains, in order to prevent food crises in vulnerable third countries.

Special needs — ‘People with disabilities have the same rights as anyone else and they should not be affected because of their special needs’ – the Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, said Saturday in a message on the International Day of People with Disabilities. He mentions that the Government has a special project through which people in this category benefit from support worth 5,000 Euros to purchase assistive devices and technologies, other than those financed by the Social Health Insurance Fund. At the same time, in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) almost 197 million Euros are provided for projects related, among other things, to the creation and modernization of the social infrastructure for people with disabilities and to the integration of inactive people and disadvantaged workers into the labor market.

Schengen – The Netherlands is getting closer to a vote in favor of admitting Romania and Croatia to the free movement Schengen Area, but not Bulgaria, which it believes does not meet the necessary conditions for the time being. A final decision will be made by the Government, after the debates in the Parliament next week – the Dutch press announces. On the other hand, Sweden no longer opposes Romanias entry into the area of free movement of people and goods. A vote on this topic was given in the Commission for European Affairs of the Swedish Parliament, based on a proposal made by the Executive. In Bucharest, the decision was welcomed by the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu. The only country that seems, at present, to have objections is Austria. The decision regarding the admittance of Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria into Schengen would be made at the meeting of the European Ministers of Interior and Justice on December 8, a unanimous vote being needed.

Gaudeamus — Next week, the 29th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair, organized by Radio Romania, will take place in Bucharest. From Wednesday to Sunday, 200 participants will offer the public an extremely varied range of editorial products, on different supports, suitable for all ages and fields of interest, music and educational games. More than 600 editorial events and related projects have been announced. All stands will also be found in virtual format on the gaudeamus.ro website. Radio Romanias Gaudeamus book fair is financed by the Ministry of Culture.

G7 – The G7 countries, together with Australia, agreed on Friday to cap the price of Russian oil at 60 dollars per barrel, after an agreement in this sense was previously reached by the 27 EU countries. The measure, whose objective is to reduce Russias income in the context of the war against Ukraine, is complementary to the European embargo on Russian oil imported by sea that comes into force on Monday. More specifically, through this capping measure, the EU forbids European companies involved in the delivery of Russian oil by sea (transportation, insurance, etc.) to offer their services, if the delivered oil exceeds the threshold of 60 dollars per barrel. The price of Russian oil is currently around 65 dollars per barrel, so this measure will have, at least for now, a limited impact on Russian oil exports. Moscow has already warned that it will not deliver oil to the countries that impose price caps. (LS)

3 December 2022
July 17, 2022

PROGRAMME A third edition of the Start-Up Nation
programme, which is aimed at developing entrepreneurial abilities among the
young people and facilitating their access to financing, is to kick off on July
19. Candidates must submit their applications until September 1st
and the budget is expected to be around 440 million euros. Grants of up to 20
thousand Euros will be available for the creation of new jobs and this edition comes
with a first; grants also available for the Romanians abroad. The scheme will
be valid until December 2027 and pays will be done by December 31st
2028.

CENSUS The census of population and houses in Romania has been
extended with a week, until July 24th in order to reach a degree
close to 100%. Romanians can wait for a reviewer or can go to the special
points operated by district halls, which have lately been visited by a large
number of people, the head of the National Institute for Statistics Tudorel
Andrei has announced. People unwilling to participate in the census are to be subjected
to fines up to 600 euros.

WEATHER The heat wave that continues to intensify
in southern Europe has caused large bush fires on the Croatian coast and in
Crete. Wildfires have also been affecting Spain and firefighters have been
deployed to Extremadura, the west of the country. 3 thousand people have been
evacuated from the southern region of Malaga. Emergency services are fighting
the fires affecting the French region of Gironde. Temperatures are on the rise
and wildfires have destroyed several forest areas in Morocco and are presently
threatening residential areas in south-western Turkey.

IRRIGATIONS The Ministry of Agriculture in
Romania has earmarked 1.5 billion Euros for streamlining the country’s infrastructure
of irrigations and drainage. The funds are to be made available until the year
2027. The Ministry has launched the project for public debates as it is aimed
at adjusting the agriculture to the latest climate changes and curbing their
effects over farm production and the environment. Under the law, the number of
new irrigation networks is to increase from 89 to 150. The surface covered by
the new irrigation network is also expected to increase from 1.8 million to 2.6
million hectares.

ATHENS A large cargo plane An-12 crashed in northern Greece on Saturday
night killing all eight crew on board, the Greek public television has
announced. According to the same sources, the plane was being operated by a
Ukrainian air company. Citizens in the area have been advised to keep windows
closed and refrain from using air conditioning as the plane was carrying 12
tons of toxic military products. The plane took off from the Serbian city of
Nis and was bound for Amman in Jordan. Witness reports suggested the Antonov
An-12 plane caught fire while still in the air.

(bill)

17 July 2022
August 30, 2021

COVID-19 Valeriu Gheorghita, the man in
charge of Romania’s vaccine rollout, has told a private TV channel that the
daily number of Covid infections in Romania is expected to go above 2,000 in
mid-September instead of the initial estimates of 15-16 hundred. Gheorghita
expects the situation to worsen because of the Delta variant, which is to
become dominant even in Romania. According to him, the high degree of mobility
and people interaction largely contributes to spreading the virus. 868 new
cases were reported by the authorities on Sunday after over 30 thousand tests
had been carried out, which means an infection rate of 2.8%. More than 2000
patients are being treated in hospitals, 269 in ICUs. 19 Covid-related
fatalities have been reported. In spite of these alarming figures, the interest
of the Romanians in getting the vaccine is still low, only 56 hundred people
got the jab yesterday. And since the rollout kicked off in late December last
year only 5.1 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated.

FIREFIGHTERS Romanian Prime Minister,
Florin Citu, on Monday congratulated the Romanian firefighters who joined the
international efforts aimed at putting out wildfires in Greece. According to a
post on the government’s Facebook page, firefighters from Romania did an
excellent job in Greece. We recall that Romania had deployed to Greece 142
firefighters, 8 fire engines, three tankers, a command center as well as
equipment and other elements of logistics. The 142 Romanian firefighters got
promoted on Monday upon a request by the Interior Minister Lucian Bode and the
head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat. They have
also been awarded the DSU Honorary Medal. This is the second squad of
firefighters from Romania to intervene in Greece. In early August Romania had
deployed 100 firefighters to Greece and 23 fire engines.

FESTIVAL On the third day of the
‘George Enescu’ Festival, music lovers are going to enjoy on the stage of the
Romanian athenaeum, the performances offered by the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, an
orchestra with artists from 10 countries in Northern Europe, such as Sweden,
Estonia, Denmark and Russia. Pianist Maria Joao Pires is performing pieces of
Mozart at the Athenaeum accompanied by the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. Under the baton
of conductor Kristjan Jarvi, music lovers will be delighted to listen to
Enescu’s second symphony in A major as well as to his own creation entitled
‘Aurora’. Tonight the Palace Hall in Bucharest will be hosting a concert given
by London Symphony Orchestra. Last night, this famous orchestra presented
Ondrej Adamek’s ‘Where are you’, a piece specially made for mezzo-soprano
Magdalena Kozena and the great conductor Sir. Simon Rattle. 32 orchestras from
14 countries are participating in this anniversary edition of the George Enescu
International Festival.

TENNIS 4 out of the 5 Romanians on the
US Open’s main board are having matches today. Romanian Simona Halep will be up
against Camila Giorgi of Italy while Irina Begu plays Andrea Petkovic of
Germany. Ana Bogdan, also from Romania, has been pitched against Rebeka
Masarova of Spain, while Gabriela Ruse, at her first participation in this
prestigious tennis event will be playing Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech
Republic. The fifth Romanian on the main draw, Sorana Carstea will be taking on
Veronika Kudermetova of Russia on Tuesday.

AGE On January 1st 2021
Romania’s resident population stood at 19.2 million people, 142 thousand less
than in the same period of 2020, data released by the National Institute for
Statistics shows. The main cause of this decrease is the negative birth rate as
the number of deceased exceeded the number of those born by over 120 thousand.
Urban population and women are main categories accounting for 53.6%, 51%
respectively of the total population. At a rate of 124 old persons against 100
youngsters below 15 years, the phenomenon of demographic aging is deepening in
Romania, the same data reveals.

(bill)

30 August 2021