Radio România Internațional

Tag: Iohannis

  • September 28, 2024

    September 28, 2024

    Weather – Heavy rainfalls and strong winds are announced, starting this weekend, in all regions of Romania. Starting this evening, the north and west of the country will be affected, while, from Sunday, the ​​rainfalls will cover all of Romania. The most severe phenomena are forecast for the south and east of the country and the mountains, where a code orange alert will be in place. For the rest of the territory, meteorologists have issued a code yellow alert. The focus is on the amounts of water that will accumulate. Hydrologists have issued flood alerts for 18 river basins throughout the country. At the same time, sleet and snow are expected in the highest mountain areas on Sunday night to Monday, once the temperatures drop below 0 degrees Celsius. While the specialists carefully monitor the situation, teams from the Romanian Waters National Administration have prepared thousands of sandbags and intervention equipment in the areas where river flow increases are expected. Mountain rescuers in several regions have warned tourists to avoid outdoor activities this weekend. Another recommendation is that people should not spend a lot of time in the valleys, considering that the rains can form torrents. The forecast for severe weather is also valid for Bucharest, where two outdoor events have been cancelled.

     

    Candidacy – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, announced on Friday that he would end his mandate on time, would not resign from office and would not run for parliamentary elections in December. He also said that he did not support and is not supporting the amendment of the electoral legislation in favor of a single person. The announcement came shortly before the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) clarified the situation of his candidacy for the future Parliament. According to BEC, there is no need to amend the law so that the president can run on a party’s list, even if he is not a member, but he will not be considered an independent candidate. Previously, the president of the National Liberal Party had submitted a legislative initiative according to which the Romanian president could run as an independent on the lists of a party or alliance in the parliamentary elections, in the last 3 months of his mandate. We remind you that, in Romania, at the end of this year, both parliamentary and presidential elections will take place, and Klaus Iohannis ends his second and last term as head of state.

     

    Israel – The Israeli army announced on Saturday that it killed the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in an attack, south of Beirut, on the headquarters of the Lebanese Islamist armed group. Shortly after the announcement of the death of the Hezbollah leader, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, General Herzi Halevi, promised to strike anyone who threatens Israel. The Lebanese Shiite group has not confirmed the death of its leader. At the same time, the group denied that there were weapons in several civilian buildings bombed by Israel at dawn on Saturday. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health has so far confirmed around 100 dead and injured, but warned that the toll would rise as rescue operations continue, amid extensive destruction caused by the bombings.

     

    Photovoltaic power – The more than 274 million lei (almost 55 million Euros) allocated to the northwestern region of Romania were used up, on Friday, in just 2 minutes after the start of a new financing session for individuals within the Photovoltaic Green House Program. On Monday, the people from central Romania will have the possibility to enroll in the Program, and those from the other regions of the country can do that in the next 6 working days. This year, the Environmental Fund Administration allocated a record budget of 2 billion lei (about 400 million Euros), which will help 67,000 households to have reduced bills for ecologically produced electricity.

     

    Wind energy – Romania has an onshore wind capacity of 3 Giga Watts and an offshore wind resource large enough to produce more energy than it would ever need, say the World Bank representatives. According to them, Romania has the potential for a capacity of offshore wind platforms of up to 7 Giga Watts, located at least 50 km from the coast and, for the most part, in relatively shallow waters. They could be built starting in 2030, using Romania’s port facilities and a supply chain based on local products, the World Bank representatives also say.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian on Saturday qualified for the third round of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Beijing, which has total prizes up for grabs worth almost 9 million dollars, after defeating the Czech Barbora Krejcikova, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. Jaqueline Cristian needed almost three hours of play to pass the 7th seeded player. In the next round, the Romanian will face another representative of the Czech Republic – Karolina Muchova. Also on Saturday, in Beijing, Irina Begu plays in the second round against the Russian Mirra Andreeva.

     

    Car industry – The French car parts manufacturer FORVIA has revised for the second time in three months its annual sales and profit estimates amid challenges on the European and North American markets. In Europe, the company, the world’s seventh largest producer of car components, with activities in Romania as well, stated that it would accelerate plans to reduce the workforce. Thus, 2,800 posts will be eliminated by the end of this year, and 5,800 will be eliminated by the end of next year. In Romania, the company has, among others, five factories and five design and development centers. (LS)

  • August 30, 2024 UPDATE

    August 30, 2024 UPDATE

    Visit – Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis will be paying a formal visit to Chişinău at the invitation of his Moldovan counterpart, Maia Sandu. The visit comes against the background of the two countries’ celebrating the Day of the Romanian language on August 31st. Iohannis is expected to deliver a firm message of support and encouragement for the authorities and citizens of the Republic of Moldova in their efforts to modernize and democratize the country and for the irreversible implementation of the rule of law and the European roadmap – the presidential administration has announced. The president will also be making an appeal to international partners to carry on their multidimensional assistance to the Republic of Moldova mainly in the context of the aggression war Russia is presently waging on Ukraine and all the risks entailed by this situation.

     

    Sanctions – Romania supports the adoption of new sanctions against Russia. During Thursday’s informal meeting, in Brussels, of the European Foreign Ministers with their Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitro Kuleba, the Romanian FM Luminiţa Odobescu emphasized that the pressure on Moscow must be maintained and the military and energy support given to Ukraine must be continued. The issue of military aid for Kyiv was also discussed on Friday at the informal meeting of the defense ministers of the member states. The agenda of the meeting also included the operational commitments carried out under the auspices of the Common Security and Defense Policy, the EU’s level of preparation in the field of defense and the prospects for the development of the EU Satellite Center. The Secretary of State for Defense Policy, Planning and International Relations, Simona Cojocaru, who represented Romania, highlighted the essential role of the European Union Military Assistance Mission to support Ukraine (EUMAM UA), as well as of the European Peace Facility. She also reiterated the existence of challenges in the extended Black Sea region, caused by the Russian Federation’s war of aggression.

     

    Football – The Romanian football champions, FCSB, qualified to the Europa League groups after the victory obtained, on Thursday evening, in Bucharest, against the Austrian team LASK Linz, with the score 1-0, in the decisive leg of the play-off. The first leg had ended in a draw, 1 all. The vice-champions CFR Cluj (north-west) failed to qualify to the Conference League groups, after losing, away from home, score 3-0, the play-off decisive match against the Cypriot team FC Pafos. In the first leg, Cluj won 1-0. The English team Manchester United and the Scottish team Glasgow Rangers are among FCSB’s opponents in the main phase of the Europa League, according to Friday’s drawing of lots in Monaco. The other opponents of FCSB are the Greek teams PAOK Thessaloniki and Olympiakos Piraeus, FC Midtjylland – the champion of Denmark, Qarabag FK – the champion of Azerbaijan, the German team Hoffenheim and FK RFS – the champion of Latvia.

     

    Internship – 148 young Romanians finished the government internship program that started on July 1 on Friday. For two months, they worked in government departments, ministries and other central public institutions. Mihai Ghigiu, the head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, told them that they are needed in the public administration. He showed that the average age in the administration will reach 50 years, which means that in the next 6-7-8 years many areas will be left without specialists. Mihai Ghigiu encouraged the young people to go and study abroad, and to use the acquired knowledge in Romania. (LS)

     

  • August 23, 2024 UPDATE

    August 23, 2024 UPDATE

     

    EU The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu discussed, on Thursday, in Brussels, with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the future European commissioner from Romania, about the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as about a new agreement on Romania’s budget deficit, which should extend over 7 years. Regarding the position of European commissioner, Marcel Ciolacu announced that he nominated Victor Negrescu, the current vice-president of the European Parliament. During the meeting, they tackled Romania’s accession to Schengen with its land borders, with the Prime Minister stressing that Ursula von der Leyen is the “biggest” supporter of this cause.

     

    DEFENCE The Chief of the defence staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, met on Thursday, in Bucharest, with his counterpart from the French Republic, General Thierry Burkhard, who is on an official visit to Romania. The talks between the two focused on the regional security situation, the progress in achieving full operational capacity of the NATO Battle Group in 2025, and the responsibilities of the French structures deployed to Romania in strengthening the Allied deterrence and defence posture. General Gheorghiţă Vlad emphasised that, in the last two years, the excellent cooperation between the two armies to ensure collective defence were also reflected in the increased interoperability between structures and in the development of training and quartering infrastructure. The visit also included a meeting of the two heads of defence with troops from the NATO Battle Group, at the Getica National Joint Training Center in Cincu. France is the lead nation of the NATO Battle Group.

     

    US ELECTION The Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination as a candidate for the US presidency, at the Democratic National Convention. She told her supporters that the country has a chance to overcome resentment, cynicism and division. Harris promised tax cuts for the middle class. As regards abortions, she accused her opponent, the former Republican President Donald Trump, of wanting to introduce a national ban. In terms of foreign policy, Harris said that dictators around the world support Trump, the BBC reports.

     

    COMMEMORATION The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, in his message on the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Fascism and Communism, says that populism and hate speech are once again present, under various forms. He argues that this is precisely why society as a whole must stay alert to the risk of all the values embraced by Romania being pushed into irrelevance. Iohannis also mentioned the crucial decision made by King Michael I, who acted with responsibility and dignity and changed the fateful course of WWII, saving the country from imminent disaster. In turn, PM Marcel Ciolacu reiterated the government’s firm commitment to fight all forms of extremism, and to strengthen civic engagement, by educating the youth with respect to all the landmarks in recent history.

     

    SCHOOLS Students in secondary schools and high schools in Romania will have more rules to observe in the new academic year. School rules stipulate, among other things, that students cannot hold mobile phones during classes and provide for penalties in case of violations. School operation rules have also been amended. Novelties include conduct grades for each module, separate tests for 9th grade admission, and a teacher in charge of EU-funded projects in each school, as well as online or hybrid classes for students in exceptional situations. On the other hand, secondary school and high school students with final grades above 9.50 will receive merits scholarships. For this academic year, the merit scholarship minimum amount is nearly EUR 90. This amount may be increased by school boards, depending on the budget earmarked by the local authorities.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse managed to reach the singles main draw of the US Open Grand Slam tournament, which starts on Monday in New York, after defeating Alexandra Eala from the Philippines in 3 sets. Ruse will face Julia Grabher from Austria in the inaugural round. She is the third Romanian to reach the singles main draw at the US Open, after Ana Bogdan and Jaqueline Cristian entered the singles draw thanks to ranking. Cristian will play against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, seeded 12, while Ana Bogdan will meet the Dutch Arantxa Rus in the first round. (AMP)

  • August 16, 2024

    August 16, 2024

    MEDAL Romanian gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu will today receive the bronze medal she won in the floor finals of the Olympic Games in Paris. Barbosu will receive the medal from Octavian Morariu, member of the International Olympic Committee for Romania and Mihai Covaliu president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. We recall the Romanian won the medal on August 5th in Paris, but the US gymnast Jordan Chiles challenged the decision and got a higher mark, which allowed her to end up in the third position. Romania challenged the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), which ruled that the Romanian ended the competition on the third position, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea came fourth and Jordan Chiles fifth. The highest court of arbitration in sports, the CAS, has ruled down the US application to reopen the case.

     

    PENSIONS 4.6 million Romanian pensioners are to receive higher pensions by the end of the month. According to the Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, over 80% of the pensioners are to benefit from recalculated pensions. Roughly two million are to get their pensions higher by 100 Euros. For more than one million the rises will range between 500 and 1000 RON but 7,700 of them will see more than 3 thousand RON added to their initial pensions. Significant raises will see the people who worked over 40 years and didn’t benefit the correction index of the past years. According to Minister Bucura-Oprescu, no pension cuts will be operated, and people will enjoy their recalculated pensions in September.

     

    DAY ‘Romania has been acknowledged and appreciated by its allies as a solid pillar of regional security and a major contributor to the process of strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence posture on its eastern flank’ Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in Constanta, on the Romanian Black Sea coast where he participated in the events dedicated to Navy Day celebrated on Thursday. According to Iohannis, although we are living in times marked by multiple security challenges, in the context of the war Russia is waging on Ukraine, Romania is today a sure and stable country and its citizens are defended and protected against any potential threat. Thousands of tourists and citizens of Constanta gathered to watch the biggest naval show of the year, which involved the participation of over two thousand sailors and servicemen from Romania and the armed forces deployed here. The event was also attended by 15 military vessels, coast guard patrol boats, F-16 fighters, surveillance aircraft belonging to the USA and France, Puma Naval helicopters and paratroopers.

     

    WEATHER The National Administration of Meteorology has today issued fresh red, yellow and orange code alerts for hot weather in the entire Romanian territory except for two counties in the east. The extremely hot weather has been chiefly affecting the regions in the country’s west and south-west, where the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) has exceeded the critical threshold of 80 units. The highs of the day are generally ranging between 30 and 38 degrees Celsius but higher values, between 39 and 41 degrees are being expected in the west, south-west and south. Thunderstorms are expected in the mountainous and hilly regions of Romania. According to meteorologists, the heat wave is going to last for the next couple of days engulfing the entire country, including its capital city whose inhabitants are bracing themselves for more hot days and tropical nights.

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  • August 15, 2024 UPDATE

    August 15, 2024 UPDATE

    DAY Speaking in Constanta (the biggest Romanian sea port) during the festivities staged on Navy Day, the country’s president Klaus Iohannis said that Romania is acknowledged and appreciated by allies as a solid pillar of regional security and a major contributor to the process of consolidating NATO’s deterrence posture on the eastern flank. Here on the Black Sea coast, close to the aggression war, Russia is waging on Ukraine, we are clearly seeing more than ever the political, diplomatic and military efforts of Bucharest in the past years, the president went on to say. Thanks to these, Romania is today benefitting from the most solid guarantees of security, and its citizens are defended and protected against any potential threats. Iohannis told the sailors that the devotion, tenacity and the spirit of sacrifice, which define them, are an example of excellence, and the Romanian Naval Forces are a symbol of the national strength and resilience. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also congratulated and thanked the sailors. ‘Many happy returns’ on this holy day of August 15th the day of St. Mary, the protector of sailors all over the world, Ciolacu wrote on a social network. On Thursday, 122 years since the first celebration of Navy Day, Romania’s Naval Forces staged a series of events, such as demonstrative exercises, exhibitions of armament and military equipment, interactive workshops, cultural activities and concerts of military music in the major cities on the Black Sea coast, on the Danube and even in capital city Bucharest.

     

    St. MARY Orthodox believers, who are a majority in Romania, and Catholics, on Thursday celebrated the Assumption of Mary, or St. Mary, an event which marks the Assumption into Heaven of Mary, the Mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ. St. Mary is the most appreciated human being by Christians after the Holy Trinity, whom they frequently invoke in their prayers. St. Mary is the patron saint of the largest number of monasteries in Romania and pilgrims, in large numbers, took to these monasteries, which are renowned for their miracle-working icons and relics.

     

    WEATHER Romania’s Administration of Meteorology on Thursday issued a series of code red, yellow and orange alerts for extremely hot weather in most of the Romanian territory. Temperatures are expected to range between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius in seven counties in the west and south-west. Another orange alert has been issued for the counties in the north-west, center and south with a temperature-humidity index over 80 units. The lows of the day will not go below 18 degrees Celsius in most regions and  Bucharest is in for more hot days and tropical nights, with soaring temperatures up to 39 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists say that the heat wave presently affecting the country is going to be felt for the next several days in most of its territory.

     

    TALKS The Romanian Defence Minister, Angel Tîvăr, on Thursday held talks with Admiral Ercument Ratlioglu, commander of the Turkish Navy, during the latter’s visit in Romania. High on the talks agenda were security in the Black Sea region and opportunities of bilateral, regional and allied cooperation. According to a communiqué by Romania’s Ministry of Defence, Minister Tîlvăr appreciated the good cooperation between the Turkish and Romanian armed forces materialized in large-scale joint drills, air policing missions, naval operations and military presence in the multinational structures deployed on the territories of the two countries. The ‘Operative Group for Combating Mines in the Black Sea represents the outcome of the two countries’ joint efforts being also proof of the cohesion and solidarity of riparian countries: Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. It’s imperative that we work in coordination for strengthening security at the Black Sea and the naval field is one of the main interest points,’ Minister Tîlvăr says.

     

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  • July 19, 2024 UPDATE

    July 19, 2024 UPDATE

    Energy – The government is preparing a plan of immediate and medium-term measures to cover the electricity consumption needs of both citizens and companies, regardless of the weather conditions, the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday, at the end of the meeting of the Energy Command team. The immediate measures, as stated in the Government’s press release, include, among other things, the increase in energy production and the identification of a standard format for the conveyance/communication of electricity measurement data between distributors and suppliers. At the same time, the National Energy Regulatory Authority has announced that it will analyze the pricing mechanism in order to protect the final consumer from market fluctuations. Recently, the national energy system has been under pressure due to the heat wave. There have been problems with covering the energy needs, and the distribution infrastructure causes concern, as it is overloaded during periods of high temperatures, when electricity consumption is much higher than in normal periods.

     

    Meeting – At the 4th meeting of the European Political Community, held in Great Britain, Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, pleaded for cooperation in the field of energy and for the continuation of the support given to Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops, the Presidential Administration in Bucharest announced. The Romanian president stressed that the efforts to strengthen cooperation in the field of energy and connectivity ‘are essential goals for strengthening national and European resilience, in a context marked by the challenge of managing climate change, but also by developments such as those in Ukraine, which reconfirmed the need for action to limit strategic dependencies’. A meeting of the leaders from Romania, Great Britain, Poland, France and Germany with the pro-European president of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) Maia Sandu was held on the sidelines of the event. The Western partners have reiterated their determination to continue supporting the Republic of Moldova reach its goals of peace, prosperity and democracy, the quoted source said.

     

    IT outage – Numerous banks, media institutions, airports, transports, hospitals and other activities are still affected by the consequences of what is called the largest IT outage in history, produced this morning. Microsoft has suggested that multiple shutdowns and restarts of operating systems, even up to 15, would be required as an effective troubleshooting step. CrowdStrike, the cyber security company largely responsible for the outage, explained that some systems do not restore themselves automatically, but promised that it made it its mission to ensure that every customer would fully restore their systems. However, the impact of cyber security interruptions will affect some applications and consequently the activity of many companies for days. In Great Britain, for example, the Government held an emergency meeting to analyze methods of managing the problems caused by the IT outage that affected airports, banks, the health system, television channels and others. Key sectors of daily life, including health services and public transport, were also affected in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Norway. Even the 911 emergency system went down in the United States. The first to report problems were airports all over the world, including Romania, where, at the “Henri Coandă” International Airport, several flights were delayed, and the online booking and check-in at some operators were not available. Out of the 110,000 commercial flights scheduled for Friday around the world, 1,390 have been canceled by midday, according to Cirium aviation analysis company, quoted by the BBC. Passengers are advised to inform themselves before leaving for the airport.

     

    Fires – The number of wildfires in Romania in June this year was almost three times higher than in the same period of last year, the National Agency for Environmental Protection announced. Despite the measures taken by the authorities and the checks carried out, in the first six months of the year there have already been 60 fires, while throughout 2023 there were 82 such incidents. The fire affected not only stubble fields and agricultural land, but also protected areas, such as national parks. According to the relevant Agency, stubble burning causes a reduction in agricultural harvests by 25-35%. Burning releases very large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are some of the main causes of acid rain. Also, fires cause casualties among animals and birds in the affected perimeters.

     

    Aid – The European Commission has approved an amendment to an existing aid scheme notified by Romania, including an increase in the total budget by 54.4 million Euros to support tomato producers in protected spaces, such as greenhouses, and garlic producers. The Commission concluded that the measure requested by the Romanian government is necessary, adequate and proportionate to remedy a serious disruption of the economy of a member state, in accordance with European legislation. Brussels’ decision comes in the context of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine and against the backdrop of the temporary crisis framework for state aid, the EC stated.

     

    July 20 – The Day of Romanian Aviation and Air Forces is celebrated on Saturday, July 20, when the Orthodox calendar celebrates the Holy Prophet Elijah – the spiritual protector of aviators. A military ceremony and an air show will take place on Saturday morning at the Air Heroes Monument in Aviatorilor Square in Bucharest, when aircraft such as F-16, F-18 or Black Hawk will fly over the capital of Romania. (LS)

  • July 18, 2024

    July 18, 2024

    Meeting – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, today, in the fourth meeting of the European Political Community, which is taking place in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. According to a Presidential Administration press release, the program of the meeting includes a plenary session and working groups, and the discussions focus on topics such as security in Europe, support for Ukraine, challenges related to migration, protecting democracy and promoting energy security. During the debates, President Iohannis will address current issues regarding the continuation of support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression. On the sidelines of the plenary session, an informal meeting of the Coordination Group for the Republic of Moldova is scheduled. The members of the group, which includes the leaders from Romania, France, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, the EU, alongside the Republic of Moldova, will discuss aspects related to Chişinău’s resilience in dealing with multiple current threats.

     

    EP – Today, the European Parliament is voting on a proposal for Ursula von der Leyen to obtain a new mandate as President of the European Commission. To be re-elected, Ursula von der Leyen (65) needs the votes of at least 361 of the 720 MEPs. On Wednesday, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) announced that it found irregularities related to the transparency of the contracts concluded by the European Commission for the purchase of anti-COVID-19 vaccines, a case that directly targets Ursula von der Leyen. Also on Wednesday, the new European Parliament voted its first resolution, aimed at financial, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, to help it repel Russia’s attacks.

     

    Football – The winner of the Romanian Football Cup, Corvinul Hunedoara (from center-western Romania), plays, today, in Sibiu (center) against the Hungarian team Paksi FC in the decisive leg of the first preliminary round of the Europa League. In the first match, Corvinul, returning to the European cups after a break of 42 years, won, away from home, 4-0 against the vice-champion Hungary. If it passes Paksi FC, Corvinul Hunedoara will play in the second preliminary round of the Europa League with the Croatian team HNK Rijeka. The other Romanian teams participating in the European competitions are the Romanian football champions, FCSB (Bucharest), CFR Cluj (from north-western Romania) and Universitatea Craiova (south-western Romania).

     

    Campaign – The Romanian government has today launched the campaign “We qualify Romania”, whose objective, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, is to allow Romanians access to the “Visa Waiver” program. The PM claims that there is “a huge opportunity” and urged all Romanians who have valid B1 or B2 visas and those who had such a visa to apply for its renewal. The Romanian government has committed to meeting the accession criteria by the end of the American fiscal year, which ends on September 30. The renewal of the visa for the United States costs the same as a normal visa, i.e. 185 dollars (approx. 840 lei). Romania can enter the “Visa Waiver” program in 2025 if the visa refusal rate is below 3%. Over the past three years, it has fallen from 17% in 2021 to 8% last year. The “Visa Waiver” is a US government program that allows citizens of certain countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days for tourism, business, or transit through the US territory without a visa.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian plays, today, against the Italian Lucia Bronzetti, in the round of 16 of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo (Italy), with total prizes up for grabs worth over 230,000 Euros. Jaqueline Cristian has qualified for the round of 16 after defeating the Argentinean Julia Riera in two sets, 6-3, 6-2, on Tuesday. The Romanian Irina Begu has also qualified for the quarter-finals of the Palermo tournament, after defeating the Dutch Arantxa Rus, seed no. 5, score 6-2, 7-5. (LS)

     

  • June 19, 2024

    June 19, 2024

    Visit – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has today received his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, on the occasion of the latter’s official visit to Bucharest. “We have deep ties with Italy, an exceptional economic dynamic, and the soul of the relationship is the Romanian communities in Italy, very well integrated,” said Klaus Iohannis. At the same time, Iohannis expressed his appreciation for the solid community of Italian entrepreneurs in Romania. He pointed out that, last year, the two countries had bilateral exchanges worth 20 billion Euros. In terms of security, Klaus Iohannis stated that Romania and Italy would continue to work together to strengthen NATO’s deterrence role on the eastern front, as well as on the southern front. In turn, the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, said that bilateral relations are excellent on all levels. According to a Presidential Administration press release, in 2024, Romania and Italy celebrate 145 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, as well as 60 years since these relations were taken to embassy level.

     

    Election results – The final results of the European Parliament elections were announced by the Central Electoral Bureau and published in the Official Gazette of Romania. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) – National Liberal Party (PNL) alliance ranked first with 48.5% of the votes, followed by the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, with a little under 15%, the United Right Alliance, with 8.7%, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania with almost 6.5% and the SOS Romania party with a little over the required threshold of 5%. The independent candidate Nicolae Ştefănuţă was voted by 3.08% of Romanians and managed to obtain another European Parliament mandate. The voter turnout was 52.4%. The Central Electoral Bureau pointed out that, of the 33 MEP mandates going to Romania, 19 went to the PSD-PNL alliance, 6 to the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, 3 to the United Right Alliance and 2 to the SOS Romania Party and another 2 to the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania.

     

    Citizenship – The Romanian Senate has adopted, as the first chamber notified, a draft law to amend the Citizenship Law, initiated by the Government, which establishes that the Romanian citizenship can be granted, upon request, to a foreign person who is married and lives outside the borders with a Romanian citizen for at least 10 years. The current legislation stipulates that, in order to grant citizenship to a foreign citizen married to a Romanian citizen, he or she must live in Romania for at least five years, which represents, in the opinion of the initiator, ‘an obstacle’. The law also provides for the necessary measures needed to acquire the Romanian citizenship and for rules to prevent its fraudulent acquisition. Thus, biometric checks are provided for persons applying for being granted the Romanian citizenship. The draft law will be debated by the Chamber of Deputies, which is a decision-making body.

     

    Euro 2024 – Today, the European Football Championship in Germany schedules one match in Group B, Croatia-Albania, and two in Group A, between the host country team and Hungary and between Scotland and Switzerland respectively. We remind you that on Tuesday, in Group E, Romania defeated Ukraine 3-0, and Slovakia won 1-0 against Belgium. Romania’s next matches are on Saturday, against Belgium, and next Wednesday, against Slovakia.

     

    Champions League – The Romanian football champions, FCSB, from Bucharest, will play in the first preliminary round of the Champions League with the San Marino team AC Virtus 1964, according to the drawing of lots made at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon. FCSB will play the first away match on July 9 or 10, and the decisive leg in Bucharest on July 16 or 17. The winner of Romania’s Cup, the second division Corvinul Hunedoara (south-west), will face the Hungarian vice-champions, Paksi FC, in the first preliminary round of the Europa League. Corvinul will play the first away match on June 11, with the second match being scheduled in Romania on July 18. (LS)

  • June 13, 2024 UPDATE

    June 13, 2024 UPDATE

    DAY The Ministry of National Defence on Thursday staged a series of military and religious ceremonies dedicated to the Heroes Day at army bases and military installations across Romania. The name of the heroes who fell in various battles and missions were symbolically mentioned, while funeral bell tolling was heard in churches all over the country. ”We are expressing our gratitude for the heroes who survived the horrors of World War Two, for those who opposed the communist dictatorship and fought for liberty during the anti-communist revolution of December 1989, contributing decisively in the process of ousting the totalitarian regime in Romania”, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in a message. He has also voiced appreciation for those who are presently involved with the country’s defence systems. As a token of gratitude for the country’s fallen heroes in WWI, the Romanian authorities ruled in 1920 that the Heroes Day is a national holiday celebrated on the Ascension of Jesus Christ, a tradition which was resumed after 1990. The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ is the moment of his bodily ascension into heaven forty days after the resurrection.

     

    LOAN G7 Leaders, who convened in Italy, reached a political agreement on Thursday to use frozen Russian assets in an attempt to help provide Ukraine with a 50 billion dollars loan over the next year in its ongoing war with Russia, a US presidency official has been quoted by AFP as saying. Profits from the 300 billion dollars in frozen Russian assets largely held in countries like Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA will be used to back the loan. Most of the money would be in the form of a loan mostly guaranteed by the US, the same official added. The western states would rather seize the frozen Russian assets and use them in the reconstruction of Ukraine and for the purchase of weapons but such a measure, which was also asked by Kyiv, is, at least for the time being, difficult, as there are numerous obstacles, of legal, geopolitical and financial nature such as the risk of throwing the international financial markets into turmoil and weakening the Western currencies. Also on Thursday Brussels saw the meeting of the US-led Contact Group for Ukraine where Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Ukrainian troops are holding strong on the frontline while the allies are continuing their efforts to provide weapons, mainly air defence systems, such as the Patriot interceptors. He also said the Ukrainian forces are fending off Russia’s new offensive in the Kharkiv region.

     

    BILLS The Romanian Government on Thursday endorsed an emergency decree on creating a special environment budget designed to fund projects aimed at developing integrated waste management infrastructure. The beneficiaries of the aforementioned projects are inter-community development agencies at the level of counties or other structures. The move is aimed at backing the implementation of the projects promoted by the local authorities by providing investment funding aimed at completing the systems of integrated waste management. Also on Thursday, the government endorsed a series of new regulations on the prevention of cyber-attacks against medical units and the creation of a unique registry that should comprise all medical units.

     

    (bill)

     

  • May 26, 2024 UPDATE

    May 26, 2024 UPDATE

    LAW The Romanian Senate is hosting debates on Monday on a draft law initiated by the co-ruling National Liberal Party on maintaining the flat income tax for the next ten years. No other laws aimed at amending or eliminating the flat income tax, are to be endorsed until December 2033. According to the initiators, this measure is meant to ensure predictability, financial stability and a trustworthy environment for the population and investors alike. The Social-Democrats, partners with the liberals in the ruling coalition, do not support this measure yet as they were pretty much in favour of progressive taxation. The Chamber of Deputies is to vote on tougher penalties for human trafficking, slavery or child pornography. The Romanian government has recently endorsed the national strategy against human trafficking, which provides for the creation of an integrated mechanism of funds destined for the protection and support of the victims.

     

    MESSAGE In a message conveyed on the occasion of the Day of the Romanians all over the World on Sunday, President Klaus Iohannis urged the Romanians to keep their identity, language and the Romanian traditions. Iohannis added that he constantly promoted the setting up of professional communities between the Romanians abroad and those at home, thus creating a tighter connection between the business people, scientists, physicians and Romanian artists from the world over, who worked together to accomplish many successful projects. On Sunday, Bucharest saw the last day of the 7th edition of a festival known as ‘Here and There’, an event that comprises a series of activities staged by the Department for the Romanians all Over the World jointly with the Union of the Fine Artists in Romania. For three days, the event brought together Romanian artists from the country and abroad, activating in various fields of creation such as fine arts, design, music, film, etcetera and also members of academia and business environment from the Romanian communities abroad. This year’s edition has been attended by hundreds of Romanians from the Diaspora and the historical communities in 34 countries.

     

     

    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian on Sunday conceded defeat to Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the first round of Roland Garros, the year’s second Grand Slam tournament. The ninth-seeded Ostapenko secured a win in a two setter 4-6, 5-7. Three Romanians have remained on the competition’s main draw. Sorana Cirstea, who will be playing Anna Blinkova of Russia, Ana Bogdan who will be up against Elsa Jacquemot of France and Irina Begu, who will take on Argentine challenger Julia Riera.

     

    AI Romania is going to have an AI Research Institute where it intends to develop its own technological solutions, cooperate with international partners and train top experts in this field, the country’s Finance Minister, Marcel Bolos, wrote on Facebook. According to Bolos, the Ministry he’s leading has already started to use AI in order to detect anomalies as well as in its anti-fraud operations. The construction of the first center of AI research in Romania kicked off at the Technical University in Cluj Napoca through an investment of 21 million Euros.

     

    FILMS “Anora”, a thriller directed by American Sean Baker, has won the Palme d’Or trophy at the 77th edition of the Film Festival in Cannes. Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light”, a film about sisterhood in Mumbai, has reaped the Grand Prix, the festival’s second-highest honour, while ‘Emilia Perez’ of the French director Jacques Audiard, has won the Jury Prize. Romanian production “Three Kilometers to the End of the World” has reaped the Queer Palm, an alternative award given every year to productions addressing LGBT issues. Another two Romanian productions, NASTY, directed by Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu and Tudor Giurgiu, which portrays the life of Romania’s tennis legend Ilie Nastase, and “Human Violins” by Ioana Mischie have also been screened during this famous international film festival.

    (bill)

     

  • May 26, 2024

    May 26, 2024

    MESSAGE In a message conveyed today on the occasion of the Day of the Romanians all over the World, President Klaus Iohannis has urged the Romanians to keep their identity, language and the Romanian traditions. Iohannis added that he constantly promoted the setting up of professional communities between the Romanians abroad and those at home, thus creating a tighter connection between the business people, scientists, physicians and Romanian artists from the world over, who worked together to accomplish many successful projects. Bucharest is seeing the last day of the 7th edition of a festival known as ‘Here and There’, an event that comprises a series of activities staged by the Department for the Romanians all Over the World jointly with the Union of the Fine Artists in Romania. For three days, the event has brought together Romanian artists from the country and abroad, activating in various fields of creation such as fine arts, design, music, film, etcetera and also members of academia and business environment from the Romanian communities abroad. This year’s edition has been attended by hundreds of Romanians from the Diaspora and the historical communities in 34 countries.

     

    TENNIS Four players from Romania are on the main draw of the Roland Garros tournament, the year’s second Grand Slam tournament, which kicked off in Paris. Today, Jaqueline Cristian will be playing Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the competition’s ninth seed. Sorana Cirstea, Romania’s best tennis player at the moment, has been designated the tournament’s 28th seed. In the first round she will be playing Ana Blinkova of Russia. In turn, Ana Bogdan will be playing the wild car winner Elsa Jacquemot of France. Irina Begu, also of Romania, will be up against Julia Riera of Argentina. We recall that a former world number one, Romanian Simona Halep, won the trophy in 2018. In 1978, Virginia Ruzici became the first Romanian to win this famous French tournament.

     

    AI Romania is going to have an AI Research Institute through which it intends to develop its own technological solutions, cooperate with international partners and train top experts in this field, the country’s Finance Minister, Marcel Bolos, wrote on Facebook. According to Bolos, the Ministry he’s leading has already started to use AI in order to detect anomalies as well as in its anti-fraud operations. The construction of the first center of AI research in Romania kicked off at the Technical University in Cluj Napoca through an investment of 21 million Euros.

     

    FILMS “Anora”, a thriller directed by American Sean Baker, has won the Palme d’Or trophy at the 77th edition of the Film Festival in Cannes. Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light”, a film about sisterhood in Mumbai, has reaped the Grand Prix, the festival’s second-highest honour, while ‘Emilia Perez’ of the French director Jacques Audiard, has won the Jury Prize. Romanian production “Three Kilometers to the End of the World” has reaped the Queer Palm, an alternative award given every year to productions addressing LGBT issues. Another two Romanian productions, NASTY, directed by Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu and Tudor Giurgiu, which portrays the life of Romania’s tennis legend Ilie Nastase, and “Human Violins” by Ioana Mischie have also been screened during this famous international film festival.

    (bill)

  • May 23, 2024

    May 23, 2024

    SECURITY Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday said there is no direct threat for Romania but the heads of the army are ready for al possible situations. The president also said that Romania would not send troops to Ukraine and that the alternative of giving an air-defence system to Ukraine would be discussed in the country’s Higher Defence Council. In turn, chief of staff general Gheorghita Vlad has mentioned the need for increasing Romania’s response capabilities through the employment of new technologies and military gear.

     

    RALLY Several trade unions are today staging a protest meeting in front of the government building in Bucharest. The protesters have denounced a series of inequities and salary discriminations in their fields of activity. The protest involves the participation of the employees of several institutions from the filed of environmental protection, from the Trade Registry, Europol, the national archives and the National Council for Combating Discrimination in sport and among the youth. The Labour Ministry has put up for public debates a draft law on raising the wages of several categories of state employees by 10 percent this year, a move that attracted a lot of heat from trade unions.

     

    BSDA Bucharest is hosting until tomorrow the “Black Sea Defence and Aerospace“, the biggest exhibition of military technique and equipment in the region. The event has brought together over 400 producers of military equipment and technologies from roughly 30 NATO members and partner countries. BSDA showcases the latest military technologies and state-of-the-art equipment, which includes as its main attraction, the multi-role fifth-generation jet fighter, F-35, the US Air Force has for the first time brought to an exhibition in Europe. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who participated in the opening of the aforementioned exhibition, said that against the background of the bloody conflict in Ukraine, revitalizing Romania’s defence industry has become a priority of the Romanian government.

     

    TENNIS Romanian tennis players Gabriela Ruse and Cristina Dinu, last night managed to qualify for the final round of the qualifiers for the singles draw of the Roland Garros tournament, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Cristina Dinu qualified after Japanese Mai Hontama abandoned the game at 5-2 to the Romanian. In turn Gabriela Ruse clinched a two-set win 6-3, 6-4 against Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands. In the other game of the second preliminary round, Romanian player Miriam Bulgaru conceded defeat to US challenger Katie Volynets 6-0, 7-5. Sorana Cirstea, Jaqueline Cristian, Ana Bogdan and Irina Begu are directly qualified on the main draw.

     

    NASTY The Romanian feature film NASTY directed by Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu and Tudor Giurgiu is today being screened in the ‘Special Screenings’ section of the International Film Festival in Cannes. The event will also include a Q&A session hosted by the three directors. The film offers a captivating incursion into the life of Romania’s legendary tennis player Ilie Nastase, who dominated the national and international tennis back in the 70s. Besides his sheer talent, Nastase compelled recognition through an electrifying style, winning the public with his eccentric personality as well as with his volcanic and often controversial temperament. The Cannes festival is due to end on Saturday.

    (bill)

  • May 8, 2024 UPDATE

    May 8, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, was on an official visit to the US on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday he was received at the White House by his American counterpart Joe Biden. The talks focused on the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea area, as well as on strengthening security in the Euro-Atlantic area. Klaus Iohannis thanked for the substantial contribution of the United States to ensuring the security of Romania and the entire eastern flank of NATO, as well as for the recognition of the strategic role of the Black Sea in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In turn, Joe Biden expressed his special appreciation for the consistent efforts that Romania has been making for the benefit of the allied space and, at the same time, for the continuous support it gives to Ukraine. The issue of Romania’s admission to the Visa Waiver program was also addressed.

     

    EUROPE DAY The National Parliament building in Bucharest is illuminated on Wednesday and Thursday, alongside many other landmarks in over 60 European cities, to mark 9 May, Europe Day, and the one-month countdown for the European Elections (6-9 June), the Romanian Chamber of Deputies announced. Every year, May 9 marks the anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman declaration’ that set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe. On May 9th, 1950, the French foreign minister Robert Schuman proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community, whose members would pool coal and steel production, to prevent a new war between Europe’s nations. The declaration is regarded as the foundation of the European Union, which Romania joined in 2007.

     

    DEFENCE The Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr Wednesday received his Georgian counterpart Irakli Chikovani, who is on an official visit to Romania. During the talks, the two officials tackled regional security issues, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the measures taken by Romania to ensure Black Sea traffic security, and the bilateral cooperation in the defence sector. The Romanian defence minister also assured his counterpart of Romania’s support for Georgia’s European accession efforts. In turn, Irakli Chikovani emphasised the importance of the EU’s monitoring mission (EUMM Georgia).

     

    ISRAEL Romania’s Senate and Chamber of Deputies will convene next Tuesday in a special meeting devoted to the Day of Solidarity and Friendship between Romania and the state of Israel. The decision was made on Wednesday by the joint standing bureaus of the two parliamentary chambers. A law has recently taken effect, proclaiming May 14th as the Day of Solidarity and Friendship between Romania and the state of Israel.

     

    CRIMINALITY The Romanian police reports a decrease in the number of crimes registered this year during the Labor Day and Orthodox Easter break. The number of robberies, serious traffic accidents, as well as the number of the victims of such incidents dropped, said the spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Interior, Monica Dajbog. She also announced that law enforcement agencies would continue to focus on ensuring the smooth running of public events on Europe Day and Romania’s Independence Day, on May 9, as well as during the election campaign for the parliamentary and local elections, which starts on May 10.

     

    OLYMPIC GAMES After several days of sea travel on board a boat from Greece, the Olympic flame Wednesday arrived in Marseille, in the south of France, where it was welcomed by approximately 150,000 people. The former Romanian fencer Ana-Maria Brânza, an Olympic champion in the team event and twice silver medalist in the individual event, is to carry the Olympic flame together with other athletes from the 27 EU countries. Lit on April 16 in the ancient Greek site of Olympia, the flame – a symbol of the Olympic Games – will cross all of France, passing through the Antilles and French Polynesia, to reach Paris on the day of the opening ceremony, July 26. The Summer Olympics will run until August 11.

     

    RED CROSS Every year, around the world, World Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Day is marked on May 8 with local and international events and activities. They recognise the significant contribution of the movement to the provision of humanitarian aid, medical assistance and protection for those in need around the world. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was founded at the initiative of Henry Dunant (1828-1910), a Swiss businessman, after one of the bloodiest battles of the century, that of Solferino (Italy), where the Austrian and French armies clashed causing 40,000 victims. He understood the urgent need to organise medical services to provide neutral humanitarian assistance during wars. As such, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement aims to protect life and health, to prevent and alleviate human suffering without any discrimination based on nationality, race, religion, social class or political opinion. Currently, it provides vital assistance in armed conflicts, natural disasters and epidemics.

     

    UKRAINE Russia Wednesday launched a new large-scale air attack against energy infrastructure in several parts of Ukraine, military and energy officials from Kyiv have announced. The Ukrainian army said that its air defence systems were involved in countering the attacks and intercepted the missiles launched towards Kyiv. Blasts were reported in the cities of Lviv and Zaporizhzhia. In another move, preparations are being made for the Global Peace Summit aimed at finding a solution to the war that has been going on for more than two years. The summit, to which Russia was not invited, will take place in Switzerland on June 15-16, and Ukraine hopes to garner broad support to persuade Moscow to agree to terms that Kyiv deems acceptable.

     

    GAZA The Israeli army strengthened its air attacks on Gaza Strip, after taking control of the strategic crossing point to Egypt, Rafah. Meanwhile, mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States convened in Cairo, in the presence of Israeli officials, to discuss a ceasefire agreement in exchange for the release of the hostages captured by Hamas. An official for the Palestinian group told France Presse that it could be the last chance for Israel to recover the captives alive. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the recent proposals by Hamas to agree on a ceasefire do not come close to meeting Israeli demands, but Israel is participating in the negotiations. Tuesday marked seven months since Hamas attacked Israel. 1,200 Israelis died then and 250 were taken hostage, of which about 100 were released later. In response, Israel launched a large-scale offensive that practically destroyed Gaza and killed around 35,000 Palestinians. (AMP)

  • May 7, 2024

    May 7, 2024

    Visit – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, will be received, this evening, at the White House by his American counterpart, Joe Biden. Starting today, the Romanian head of state is on a working visit to the United States. According to a statement from the White House, quoted by Radio Romania’s correspondent in Washington, the two leaders will celebrate 20 years since Romania became a NATO member, and President Biden will thank his counterpart for hosting the American military in Romania and will acknowledge the numerous contributions that Romania, a staunch NATO ally, has made to the security of the Alliance’s eastern flank. The White House also says they will emphasize continued support for Ukraine, which is defending itself against Russian aggression. The two presidents will also review the many areas in which Romania and the United States work together, including energy, economic cooperation and common democratic values. On Wednesday, President Iohannis will participate in the Atlantic Council’s 2024 “Distinguished International Leadership” awards ceremony. The President of Romania will receive the highest distinction of the Atlantic Council “for his remarkable career, the exemplary leadership of Romania and the role of European and transatlantic leader”.

     

    Drill – The multinational NATO exercise “Swift Response” 24, which is also taking place on the territory of Romania, has begun. The drill will include one of the largest airborne operations in Europe since World War II, with approximately 2,000 paratroopers. All in all, 5,000 soldiers from seven allied and partner states are participating in the exercise. Romania provides air bases and ranges and participates with 2,300 soldiers and 220 technical means – the Defense Ministry announced.

     

    Cars – New car registrations in Romania increased in March by 34% compared to April 2023, the number standing at 13,276 vehicles – data published today show. In the first four months of 2024, new car registrations reached the value of 46,500 units, a level similar to that of the same period of last year. Regarding the second-hand cars registered for the first time in Romania, their volume reached almost 29,900 units in April this year. In this case, there is an increase of almost 37% compared to April 2023. In the first four months of the year, 114,000 vehicles were registered, an increase of 15.8% compared to the same period of last year. Regarding new car brands, the first five places are occupied by Dacia, Toyota, Skoda, Volkswagen and Hyundai – mentions a press release from the Romanian Automobile Manufacturers Association.

     

    Football – Today, Romanian sport is celebrating 38 years since Steaua Bucharest won the European Football Champions Cup. On May 7, 1986, in Spain, in Seville, the team, made up exclusively of Romanian players, defeated the famous FC Barcelona 2-0 in the final, after a penalty shootout. Steaua’s goalkeeper, Helmuth Duckadam, then entered the Book of Records, after he saved all four shots executed by the Catalans. In February 1987, in Monte Carlo, Steaua also won the European Supercup, with the score 1-0 with the Soviets from Dinamo Kiev. Two of the authors of those unique performances in the history of Romanian football, midfielder Lucian Bălan and defender Ilie Bărbulescu, have died in recent years.

     

    Olympics – The presidents of France and China, Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping, pleaded on Monday for an Olympic truce in all conflicts in the world during the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, a truce that could also be an opportunity to find solutions to end those conflicts, the press agencies report. The two leaders expressed this position in a joint statement given to the press in Paris, after a meeting in which they addressed international and commercial issues of bilateral interest. The French president hailed what he described as a commitment by China not to sell arms to Russia and generally not to provide it with any military aid. In turn, the Chinese president called for peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, within an international conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine. We are opposed to using the Ukrainian crisis to shift the blame to others, to smear a third country and start a new Cold War, Xi Jinping underlined, referring to the recurring criticism of Western countries on the close relations between China and Russia.

     

    Drills – NATO, the EU and the US labeled as irresponsible the military exercises for the use of tactical nuclear weapons announced by Moscow, which motivated this decision following the statements of some Western officials and the increasing involvement of the West on the part of Ukraine in the conflict with Russia. Russia’s nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and irresponsible, and NATO remains vigilant, an Alliance spokeswoman told EFE news agency. The Russian nuclear exercises are a continuation of Russia’s irresponsible behavior, a spokesman for the European Commission said in turn. And the Pentagon denounced what it called Moscow’s irresponsible rhetoric. President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian army to soon carry out military maneuvers in which, according to an announcement released on Monday by the Russian Ministry of Defense, a series of measures will be taken to train troops in the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.

     

    Table tennis – The Romanian pair made up of Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs qualified for the mixed doubles event of the Paris Olympic Games, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced on Tuesday, after the publication of the world ranking for this event. Ionescu and Szocs missed two chances of direct qualification last month, at the pre-Olympic tournament in Havirov (the Czech Republic), but they got the tickets for the Olympic Games thanks to the world ranking. If Bernadette Szocs had already secured participation in the Paris Games, with the Romanian women’s team, Ovidiu Ionescu thus becomes the 82nd Romanian athlete qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games.

     

    Statistics – The unemployment rate decreased slightly, to 5.3%, in March of this year, compared to February, according to the data issued on Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics. Among young people (15-24 years old), unemployment remains at a high level of 22.1%. The unemployment rate among men exceeded that among women by 0.8%. (LS)

  • May 2, 2024 UPDATE

    May 2, 2024 UPDATE

     

    HOLY THURSDAY Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians in Romania celebrated Holy Thursday, which commemorates the Washing of the Feet and the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. A mass devoted to the 12 Gospels was held during the evening, while the Lamentation at the Tomb, a unique religious service, will be held on Friday night. On Wednesday, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, conveyed a special Easter message, saying that the Resurrection of Christ is a celebration of the pious and merciful love of Christ, who overcame hatred, violence and death and gave people eternal life. This makes Easter a celebration of forgiveness, peace and joy, the Patriarch said, urging people to share the news of the Lord’s Resurrection with everyone around through good deeds, love and peace.

     

    PUBLIC ORDER Over 150,000 Romanians will take part in hundreds of events around the country during Easter break. To ensure public order, the interior ministry has increased the number of staff on duty, including gendarmes, police and fire-fighters. The National Cyber Security Directorate also warns that on holidays people are less careful with e-commerce platforms and they may become victims of online scams.

     

    YOUTH DAY Lawmakers will know their actions were well-inspired when young Romanians at home and abroad choose Romania to build their future, the PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Youth Day. We must provide everyone with equal opportunities and development prospects, including at institutional level, the PM added. Marcel Ciolacu says he believes in young people, with whom he has been in constant dialogue since taking office, via representative associations or through government internship programmes, aimed at familiarising young people with decision-making processes at the level of the Romanian government and subordinated institutions.

     

    AWARD Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, has been designated as one of the recipients of the 2024 Atlantic Council Distinguished Leadership Awards, which will be handed in a special gala held on May 8 in Washington. The Romanian president will be honoured for his remarkable career, exemplary leadership of Romania, and his transatlantic and European leadership role. The other recipients of the award are the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher G. Cavoli, and the Academy Award-winning actress and producer Michelle Yeoh. Each year, the Distinguished Leadership Awards brings together more than six hundred policy, business, military, artistic, and civil-society leaders to celebrate individuals, including policy leaders, business executives, military staff and artistic and humanitarian champions. Past recipients include the US presidents George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and then-Vice President Joe Biden, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, the current and former International Monetary Fund managing directors Kristalina Georgieva and Christine Lagarde. Set up in 1961, the Atlantic Council is a non-profit organisation whose staff must observe high standards of personal and professional integrity, openness and honesty in communications and interactions with one another as well as with other organisations, government officials, the media and the public.

     

    TRANSPLANT Two Romanians have a chance for a new life after having received organs from a Bulgarian donor on Thursday. According to the National Transplant Agency, the organs were sent to Romania because there were no compatible beneficiaries in Bulgaria, and the 2 countries have a cooperation protocol in this field. The surgeries were performed in Iaşi (eastern Romania), and the 2 patients’ condition is good.

     

    GAZA The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on the Palestinian organisation Hamas to accept a truce in Gaza, reiterating the United States’ opposition towards an Israeli offensive on Rafah (south). During his 7th mission to the Middle East since the conflict broke out, Antony Blinken visited Israel, expressing determination to reach a consensus “right now” to free the hostages held by Hamas for the last seven months. The US official met with a number of Israeli officials, including the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Israel, Antony Blinken argued that, while Washington firmly supports Israel’s right to self-defence, it opposes the idea of an all-out attack on Rafah, insisting on continuing to expand humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian population in Gaza. (AMP, VP)