Radio România Internațional

Tag: measles

  • May 29, 2024 UPDATE

    May 29, 2024 UPDATE

    Elections – The president of the Permanent Electoral Authority, Toni Greblă, has made a series of clarifications about the ballot on 9th of June, when Romanian voters are casting their votes in the local and European Parliament elections, held on the same day for the first time. Over 200,000 candidates have registered in the competition for the local elections and 494 for the European Parliament. He said there will be almost 19,000 polling stations around the country and 915 abroad, double compared to the previous elections. The foreign ministry sent as early as last week the materials needed for the voting process to the Romanian diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad. The list of voting stations abroad is available on the foreign ministry’s internet page in the section dedicated to the European Parliament elections. In another move, the Central Electoral Bureau said it would provide real-time updates online about voter turnout on election day.

     

    Measles – Romania has recorded over 16,500 new measles cases and 16 casualties in the last year, said the Public Health Institute in Bucharest. Most infections were reported in the centre of the country and in the capital city. The World Health Organization has published a report warning that measles cases are growing at an alarming rate around the world, amid a drop in vaccination rates. At over 60,000, the number of cases recorded in Europe this year is higher than in all of 2023. More than 56,000 cases were reported in the first three months of the year alone, as well as 4 deaths. According to the World Health Organization, Romania has the 5th highest rate of measles infections in Europe and the highest in the European Union, with some 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

     

    Bookfest – The 17th edition of the Bookfest International Book Fair was officially opened on Wednesday in Bucharest, in a ceremony attended by high-ranking officials from Romania and the neighboring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population). The fair brings together 200 exhibitors and 150 publishing houses from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, the guest of honor this year. Until Sunday, lovers of the written word will be able to attend over 400 events: book launches, debates, thematic workshops, games for children and a raffle with surprise prizes. A project co-financed by the Ministry of Culture, Bookfest International Book Fair is organized by the Association of Romanian Book Publishers. At the previous international editions, the guest countries were: Spain, Hungary, France, the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Poland, the Czech Republic, Israel, Sweden, the United States, Great Britain, Japan and Italy. Bookfest has local editions in Timisoara (west), Cluj-Napoca (north-west), Târgu Mures, Brasov (center) and another international edition in Chişinău, the capital of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    Emissions – The European Council and the European Parliament adopted the final form of the zero-emissions industry law, which offers advantages for investments in clean technologies. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, through this document, the EU aims to obtain, by 2030, at least 40% of the production of clean technologies that it needs to be done on the territory of the EU. In order to reduce emissions, the law also provides for carbon dioxide storage projects, and European companies that produce oil and gas have very clear obligations to ensure these deposits for injection. The target is 50 million tons of carbon dioxide injected into these deposits by 2030. And, as Romania is the second European producer, domestic companies have the obligation to make available deposits for the injection of 9 million cubic meters.

     

    Chişinău – The visit of the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to the Republic of Moldova is “a strong sign of support”, the Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Wednesday. During a press conference with Antony Blinken, she thanked the United States and other partners for the support given to the Republic of Moldova in order to strengthen energy security, modernize the agricultural sector and support exports. “Through unity and with the support of our partners, we will stand by our people and move forward,” Maia Sandu said.

     

    Acquittal – In Romania, the High Court of Cassation and Justice definitively acquitted the former Economy Minister, Adriean Videanu, and the businessman Ioan Niculae for setting up an organized crime group and for embezzlement in the Romgaz case. The damage was estimated by the prosecutors at over 60 million Euros. The defendants had also received an acquittal at the trial court, in December 2022, on the grounds that “the fact does not exist”, and on Wednesday, the panel of five judges rejected, with a majority, the appeals submitted by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism – DIICOT and the Romgaz Company. DIICOT claimed that Ioan Niculae’s company would have illegally received gas from Romania’s domestic production at very low prices, i.e. approximately a quarter of the market price. (LS)

  • Measles alert

    Measles alert

    The anti-vaccination campaigns, which gained momentum with the COVID19 pandemic, are starting to show effects. Romania, where the voices against inoculation are increasingly strong, especially on social media, ranks 5th in Europe in terms of the rate of measles infections and first in the European Union, according to the World Health Organization.

    The WHO report also shows that at the level of the whole of Europe, the number of diseases registered this year will exceed that of all the cases reported in 2023 – over 60,000. In the first 3 months of this year alone, over 56,000 cases of illnesses and 4 related deaths were reported. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, which has a devastating effect especially on the health of children under 5 years of age.

    Over 16,500 new cases of measles appeared in Romania within a year, and 16 people died from this disease, the Public Health Institute in Bucharest has reported. Most illnesses were recorded in the center of the country and in the Capital.

    The vice-president of the National Society of Family Medicine, Gindrovel Dumitra, told Radio Romania that the only ones protected against measles are those who have been vaccinated and those who have already had the disease. He also emphasized the fact that measles has no specific treatment and urged all parents whose children have fallen ill to see a doctor immediately. Gindrovel Dumitra:

    “Once they have contracted the disease, there is no way to treat it with antiviral or antibiotic medication. It is simply just a supportive treatment, to help the body to overcome this event and at the same time we can administer a series of other substances that help prevent other related effects. That is why it is mandatory to see a doctor, precisely to try to avoid complications and implicitly death through the therapeutic means that we have available at this moment.”

    Dumitra said that the current anti-vaccination trend was present in Romania and in the world even before the pandemic, but that it grew when some people who got vaccinated found that, after a certain time, their immunity to COVID19 decreased again. He stressed that the measles vaccine provides lifelong immunity. According to WHO statistics, almost 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants are registered in Romania.

    Last year, of the children under 5 who contracted the disease, more than 75% had not received a single dose of the measles vaccine. The measles vaccination rate in Romania was 81% in 2021. It was 86% in 2019, before the outbreak of the pandemic, and exceeded 90% in 1990. (MI)

  • Measles and vaccination

    Measles and vaccination

    Romania continues to face a measles epidemic, said the health minister, Alexandru Rafila. He stated that there are several counties that are more affected and, in general, outbreaks occur where there are communities with a low degree of vaccination coverage. Measles, he went on to say, is reported throughout the European Union, but in Romania probably more than in other countries, and this situation can be seen on the maps of the European Center for Disease Control. Minister Rafila encourages parents to immunize their children, as vaccination can be done at the family doctor’s office. Measles is an infectious disease that is easily transmitted, especially in unvaccinated children, but sometimes the evolution gets serious, and complications can occur. According to the Health Ministry, vaccination coverage with the first dose at the national level is 78%, and 62% with the second dose.

     

    Doctors point out that many unvaccinated children end up being hospitalized with measles, and some of them develop serious complications, which can be avoided by getting the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine, which offers protection against three diseases. The vaccine is included in the National Vaccination Schedule and is administered free of charge. Although measles has been considered for a long time a childhood disease, specialists warn that adults can also get sick, and the evolution can be very severe, the patient needing hospitalization, as they can develop complications, the most dangerous being pneumonia and respiratory failure, as well as neurological disorders such as encephalitis.

     

    Physicians draw attention, at the same time, to the fact that the disease is transmitted extremely easily in the family, in communities, and that one can get contaminated while waiting to be consulted in the hospital units. Recently, minister Alexandru Rafila has underlined that vaccination programs greatly reduce morbidity and mortality, especially among children. He made this statement in the context in which fewer and fewer parents get their children vaccinated through the national program, as the specialists found out. As to adults, they are not better in terms of vaccination. Currently, measles vaccination coverage is only 60%. In this context, doctors believe that the target of education programs in Romania must be vaccination across the lifespan. According to a recent study by the World Health Organization, vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives over the past 50 years, the equivalent of six lives every minute. According to the WHO, vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in history, helping to prevent diseases that were once feared.  (LS)

  • Spotlight on vaccination

    Spotlight on vaccination


    With around 2,000 measles cases reported this year, of which 10% in the last week of November alone, the Romanian health ministry declared a measles epidemic earlier this month. Measles is a contagious disease that spreads easily, especially in unvaccinated children, doctors have explained, and its development may be serious and lead to complications. The rate of vaccination against measles has tended to decrease in the last ten years in Romania, with only 78% of eligible children having had their first shot nationwide at this moment. Even fewer, 62%, have had their second dose. Health minister Alexandru Rafila explains what the move to declare a measles epidemic means:



    “Its a procedure that allows public health authorities, together with family physicians, to make the vaccination activity more efficient. Moreover, it makes it possible to administer the booster shot at an earlier age in order to protect children who are at currently at risk. Vaccination rates have dropped in Romania not just against measles, but against all the vaccines included in the national vaccination programme, but the appearance of these measles cases is worrying because with low vaccination rates, the risk for the disease to spread is higher, especially in communities. Besides the pain of the children who become infected, there is also a risk of death, which can be immediate, but also a few years down the line, because measles can lead to complications such as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis that sets in a few years after first contracting measles and which is deadly. This is not something we should just accept as long as we can prevent this disease through vaccination.”



    The health ministry recalls that it has recently adopted the national vaccination strategy precisely in order to eliminate such public health risks posed by diseases that can be prevented through vaccination. Important steps have in fact been made to improve access to vaccination by subsidising its cost. The strategy aims to increase vaccine acceptance among the population and to achieve a 90% vaccination rate for all vaccines included in the national vaccination programme and a 70% lifelong vaccination rate for the at-risk groups against diseases that can be prevented through vaccination. (CM)


  • May 4, 2020

    May 4, 2020

    MEASLES — As many as 119 new cases of measles were confirmed last week in seven Romanian counties. Since the beginning of the measles epidemic, in 2016, the total number of infections has reached 20,000 and the number of deaths 64. UNICEF warned on Friday that some vaccination campaigns had been suspended as health workers were diverted to fighting COVID-19. UNICEF and the World Health Organization warned in mid-April that approximately 117 million children worldwide risked contracting measles as dozens of countries curtailed vaccination programmes to battle the pandemic.



    INDUSTRY – The Dacia plant in Mioveni, owned by the French group Renault, has fully resumed operations as of today, more than a month since the employees’ contracts had been suspended. During the period of inactivity, employees have received 85% of their base wages, in keeping with their labor contracts. Some of the company’s operations have been resumed starting April 21st. The other car producer in Romania, the Ford plant in Craiova, also stopped operations on March 19 and has resumed production today.



    PANDEMIC – The European Union is today hosting an online conference for governments and organisations to pledge money to support the search for a vaccine to the novel coronavirus. Ahead of the event, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Italy’s PM Giuseppe Conte, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Erna Solberg the Prime Minister of Norway have drawn up a joint message saying: “Our aim is simple: on the 4th of May we want to raise, in an online pledging conference, an initial 7.5 billion euros (8 billion dollars) to make up the global funding shortfall estimated by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) and others. (…) The funds that we raise will kick-start an unprecedented global cooperation between scientists and regulators, industry and governments, international organisations, foundations and health care professionals. “



    INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS DAY – International Firefighters Day is celebrated every year on May 4th, in recognition of their extraordinary commitment, courage and sacrifice. Firefighters are one of the groups in the forefront of the coronavirus crisis response. In many countries they are involved not only in their traditional role, but also in helping to assure other essential services to their communities such as driving ambulances, delivery of medicines and food, covid-19 testing or retrieval of the deceased. In 2019, almost 240 000 persons were employed as firefighters in the 22 EU member states with available data, representing 0.1% of total EU employment. According to the Eurostat, in 2018, the EU member states’ government expenditure on fire-protection services amounted to 29.5 billion euros. This expenditure is equivalent to 0.5% of total government expenditure. Higher figures are reported by Romania, with 0.8% of the government expenditure and Bulgaria with 0.9%.



    CORONAVIRUS ROMANIA — Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, is today holding a new meeting with the Government members on the COVID-19 epidemic and further steps to be taken in dealing with it. The head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, said on a TV programme on Sunday evening that after May 15, when the state of emergency is expected to be lifted, people will have to wear protective masks on public transport and avoid crowds. The death toll from the coronavirus is 803 in Romania today according to the authorities. There are over 13,500 confirmed infections and over 5,200 recoveries across the country. Over 2,300 Romanian citizens have been infected with the coronavirus abroad, of whom almost 100 have died, most of them in Italy. (Translated by Elena Enache)





  • 15 February 2020, UPDATE

    15 February 2020, UPDATE

    Conference. Romania’s goal to join
    the Schengen area was highlighted by acting prime minister Ludovic Orban at a
    meeting on Saturday with his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the Munich Security
    Conference. He gave assurances that Romania is fully prepared and advocated for
    a boost of Dutch investments in the Romanian economy. The interim defence
    minister Nicolae Ciuca, who was also in Munich, spoke at a round table event about the
    need for careful monitoring of the security developments in the Black Sea area,
    emphasising the need to consolidate the NATO presence in the region. He also
    underlined the crucial strategic importance of the Black Sea area for
    European and Euro-Atlantic security. Dozens of heads of state, ministers, heads
    of businesses and representatives of international organisations and the
    academic community are in Munich to discuss security threats in the
    Euro-Atlantic area, the crises in its vicinity and the relationship between the
    European Union and NATO.






    Energy. The
    United States will finance energy projects worth 1 billion dollars in countries
    in Central and Eastern Europe that are members of the Three Seas Initiative to
    consolidate their energy independence from Russia, US Secretary of State Mike
    Pompeo said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. Our aim is to galvanise private sector investment
    in their energy sectors, said Pompeo. The Three Seas Initiative, launched
    in 2015, is a group of 12 EU states located between the Baltic, Adriatic and
    Black Seas, namely Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia,
    Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.
    The aim of the initiative is to consolidate cooperation among its members in
    areas such as energy, infrastructure and security, especially in the face of
    Russia, which some of these states view as a direct threat. Like the United
    States, the Three Seas Initiative states are opposed to the North Stream 2
    pipeline aimed at doubling the direct supply of Russian gas to Western Europe
    across the Baltic Sea, thus bypassing the eastern part of the continent. The
    United States has adopted sanctions against the companies associated with the
    construction of the pipeline, saying the project would increase Europe’s
    reliance on Russian gas and thus strengthen Moscow’s influence.




    Coronavirus. The death toll caused by the new coronavirus in continental
    China has exceeded 1,500, while the first death in Europe was reported in
    France. The victim is an 80-year-old Chinese tourist who has been in hospital
    in Paris since the end of January. A joint mission with China led by the World
    Health Organisation begins an outbreak investigation this weekend. One Romanian
    citizen of the 17 on board the cruise ship Westerdam that docked in Cambodia
    has been sent to Romania. The Romanian foreign ministry says all crew and
    passengers tested negative for coronavirus. In Bucharest, the health ministry
    says no case has been reported in Romania. However, a Romanian citizen from the
    Diamond Princess cruise vessel, found in the Japanese territorial waters,
    tested positive for the new pneumonia virus and was transferred to a Japanese
    hospital. Romania’s diplomatic mission in Japan is in contact with the Romanian
    citizen in hospital and the other Romanian nationals on board the vessel.




    Environment. Romania’s environment
    minister Costel Alexe and the European environment commissioner Virginijus
    Sinkevičius on Friday met in Brussels to analyse the solutions proposed by the
    Romanian government to close the infringement procedures triggered by the European
    Commission against Romania over illegal logging and its failure to finalise a
    national air quality control programme. The two officials also discussed issues
    related to biodiversity, the expansion of the Natura 2000 network, the
    development of the air quality monitoring system, waste management and
    environmental funding programmes, according to a statement by the Romanian
    environment ministry. The European Commission on Wednesday sent a letter to
    Romania urging it to properly implement the EU Timber Regulation, which
    prevents companies in this sector to place on the market products obtained from
    illegal logging. The European Commission has given Bucharest one month to take
    the necessary measures.




    Measles. Measles cases are on the
    rise in Romania, with 53 new cases reported this week. The total number of
    cases is 19,381, including 64 deaths. According to the National Centre for
    Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases, the new cases were located
    in five counties. Measles is a contagious disease that often leads to
    complications. One in four people developing measles needs hospitalisation and
    for one patient in 1,000 cases the disease is deadly. Prevention against
    measles is achieved through vaccination.




    Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Simona
    Halep, world no. 2, is seeded first at the WTA tournament in Dubai, the United
    Arab Emirates, worth 2.6 million dollars, and which gets under way on Monday.
    Halep plays straight into eight finals, where she will be facing the winner
    between Alison Riske of the US and Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. Halep won the Dubai
    tournament in 2015. Sorana Cirstea, world no. 69, will play against Germany’s Julia Goerges (31 WTA), while Ana Bogdan, world no.
    90, faces China’s Shuai Zhang (32 WTA). In other tennis news, another Romanian
    player, Patricia Tig,
    world no. 105, failed to qualify for the finals of the WTA tournament in Hua
    Hin, Thailand, being defeated by Poland’s Magda Linette, world no. 42, in the
    semifinals. (CM)

  • 15 February, 2020

    15 February, 2020

    Conference. The Romanian
    acting prime minister Ludovic Orban is attending the 56th edition of
    the Munich Security Conference which brings together top level representatives
    of political and business circles and which comes to an end on Sunday. In his
    opening remarks on Friday, Germany’s president Frank-Walter
    Steinmeier criticised the great powers the United States, China and Russia for
    making the world less safe through their stance on international politics.
    Dozens of heads of state, ministers, heads of businesses and representatives of
    international organisations and the academic community are in Munich to discuss
    security threats in the Euro-Atlantic area, the crises in its vicinity and the
    relationship between the European Union and NATO.




    Energy. The
    United States will finance energy projects worth 1 billion dollars in countries
    in Central and Eastern Europe that are members of the Three Seas Initiative to
    consolidate their energy independence from Russia, US Secretary of State Mike
    Pompeo said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. Our aim is to galvanise private sector investment
    in their energy sectors, said Pompeo. The Three Seas Initiative, launched
    in 2015, is a group of 12 EU states located between the Baltic, Adriatic and
    Black Seas, namely Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia,
    Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.
    The aim of the initiative is to consolidate cooperation among its members in
    areas such as energy, infrastructure and security, especially in the face of
    Russia, which some of these states view as a direct threat. Like the United
    States, the Three Seas Initiative states are opposed to the North Stream 2
    pipeline aimed at doubling the direct supply of Russian gas to Western Europe
    across the Baltic Sea, thus bypassing the eastern part of the continent. The
    United States has adopted sanctions against the companies associated with the
    construction of the pipeline, saying the project would increase Europe’s
    reliance on Russian gas and thus strengthen Moscow’s influence.




    Coronavirus. The death toll caused by the new coronavirus in continental
    China has exceeded 1,500, while the first death in Europe was reported in
    France. The victim is an 80-year-old Chinese tourist who has been in hospital
    in Paris since the end of January. A joint mission with China led by the World
    Health Organisation begins an outbreak investigation this weekend. One Romanian
    citizen of the 17 on board the cruise ship Westerdam that docked in Cambodia
    has been sent to Romania. The Romanian foreign ministry says all crew and
    passengers tested negative for coronavirus. In Bucharest, the health ministry
    says no case has been reported in Romania. However, a Romanian citizen from the
    Diamond Princess cruise vessel, found in the Japanese territorial waters,
    tested positive for the new pneumonia virus and was transferred to a Japanese
    hospital. Romania’s diplomatic mission in Japan is in contact with the Romanian
    citizen in hospital and the other Romanian nationals on board the vessel.




    Environment. Romania’s environment
    minister Costel Alexe and the European environment commissioner Virginijus
    Sinkevičius on Friday met in Brussels to analyse the solutions proposed by the
    Romanian government to close the infringement procedures triggered by the European
    Commission against Romania over illegal logging and its failure to finalise a
    national air quality control programme. The two officials also discussed issues
    related to biodiversity, the expansion of the Natura 2000 network, the
    development of the air quality monitoring system, waste management and
    environmental funding programmes, according to a statement by the Romanian
    environment ministry. The European Commission on Wednesday sent a letter to
    Romania urging it to properly implement the EU Timber Regulation, which
    prevents companies in this sector to place on the market products obtained from
    illegal logging. The European Commission has given Bucharest one month to take
    the necessary measures.




    Measles. Measles cases are on the
    rise in Romania, with 53 new cases reported this week. The total number of
    cases is 19,381, including 64 deaths. Measles is a contagious disease that often leads to
    complications. One in four people developing measles needs hospitalisation and
    for one patient in 1,000 cases the disease is deadly. Prevention against
    measles is achieved through vaccination.




    Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Simona
    Halep, world no. 2, is seeded first at the WTA tournament in Dubai, the United
    Arab Emirates, worth 2.6 million dollars, and which gets under way on Monday.
    Halep plays straight into eight finals, where she will be facing the winner
    between Alison Riske of the US and Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. Halep won the Dubai
    tournament in 2015. Sorana Cirstea, world no. 69, will play against Germany’s Julia Goerges (31 WTA), while Ana Bogdan, world no.
    90, faces China’s Shuai Zhang (32 WTA). In other tennis news, another Romanian
    player, Patricia Tig,
    world no. 105, failed to qualify for the finals of the WTA tournament in Hua
    Hin, Thailand, being defeated by Poland’s Magda Linette, world no. 42, in the
    semifinals. (CM)



  • September 14, 2019 UPDATE

    September 14, 2019 UPDATE

    EU The Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici believes it is absolutely necessary for any major initiative of the new European Commission to take into account the interests of all member countries, and not only of the stronger, more influential members. According to a news release issued by the ministry, Eugen Teodorovici took part on Friday in a meeting of the Eurogroup in inclusive format and in an informal meeting of the EU ministers for economic and financial affairs (ECOFIN), organised by the Finnish presidency of the Council of the EU. The Eurogroup talks focused on the budget for convergence and competitiveness. The agenda of the ECOFIN meeting, which continued on Saturday, included topics like hybrid threats and the resilience of financial market infrastructure, enhanced action on climate change and rebooting the capital markets union. While in Helsinki, Minister Teodorovici also had a meeting with the vice-president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Pierre Heilbronn, with regard to the Banks projects in Romania and its future strategy, as well as to the national strategy to develop the Romanian capital market.



    ELECTION The Permanent Electoral Authority of Romania has drawn up and posted for public debate a draft law endorsing the Guidelines for financing the campaigns for the 2019 presidential election. Meanwhile, the Romanians who live abroad only have Sunday left to announce how they intend to vote in this election. By filling in an online form at www.votstrainatate.ro, people may choose to vote by post or at polling stations abroad. Also, beginning Thursday and until October 19, Romanian diplomatic missions may request to the Foreign Ministry the set-up of polling stations abroad. The first round of Romanias presidential election is scheduled on November 10, with the runoff due on November 24.



    VISIT The Minister for the Romanian diaspora, Natalia Intotero, is in Italy until September 18, to discuss with representatives of the Romanian communities in that country about the options for voting in the forthcoming presidential election. Meetings are held in Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Cagliari, Catania, Cosenza, Bari, Naples and Rome. Other topics approached also include human trafficking and the problems facing the Romanian nationals in various economic sectors in Italy, which is the host of the largest Romanian community abroad (around 1.2 million people).



    MILITARY Nearly 300 troops from Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, the USA and Ukraine have taken part this week in a new training module as part of the multinational exercise Black Sea Rotational Force 19 (BSRF), held in the town of Babadag, in the south-east of Romania. The module included tactical shooting drills, first aid simulations as well as practice involving command and control procedures. BSRF is an annual exercise conducted by the US Marine Corps Forces Europe in the Balkan, Black Sea and Caucasus region. The exercise is aimed at enhancing the inter-operability of the armed forces, by means of joint training for peacekeeping and counter-insurgence operations.



    MEASLES In Romania, the total number of confirmed measles cases is close to 18,300, according to the latest report made public by the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control. In the past week 54 new cases have been reported. Complications caused by this disease have killed 64 people in Romania since the start of the epidemic.



    TERRORISM The White House confirmed on Saturday that Osama bin Ladens son and successor as Al-Qaida leader, Hamza bin Laden, was killed, Reuters and AFP report. According to the US Presidency, Hamza bin Laden was killed in a counter-terrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region. Hamza bin Laden was regarded as the favourite son and virtual successor of Osama bin Laden, the founder of the terrorist network behind 9/11, was was also killed in 2011, in Pakistan.



    TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Patricia Ţig, Ana Bogdan and Jaqueline Cristian Saturday managed to get past the qualifiers in the Korea Open. Two other Romanians, Mihaela Buzărnescu and Irina Begu, are also taking part in the competition. Mihaela Buzărnescu was defeated on Saturday by Japans Nao Hibino, 4-6, 6-0, 0-3, in the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Hiroshima (Japan).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 16, 2019

    June 16, 2019

    MOLDOVA The PM of Romania Viorica Dăncilă sent a support message to her counterpart from the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and invited her to Bucharest on her first official visit in this capacity. According to a news release issued on Sunday by the Government, Romania is confident that the new Cabinet in Chisinau will carry on the EU accession efforts and successfully implement the required reforms, the Association Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement with the EU. PM Dăncilă also reiterated Bucharests willingness to carry on the Strategic Partnership for the European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, which is at the core of the two countries bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, PM Maia Sandu has called for the resignation of the Constitutional Court judges, who Saturday cancelled their previous rulings that dismantled Parliament and invalidated the new government, thus favouring the Democratic Party headed by tycoon Vlad Plahotniuc. On Friday the Democratic Party relinquished power and its leader left the country.



    NO-CONFIDENCE A no-confidence motion tabled by the right-of-centre opposition in Romania against the Government made up by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats will be discussed on Tuesday in Parliament. According to the document, Romania immediately needs a government with a pro-European stand and focusing on the countrys development priorities, namely education, healthcare, public investments and attracting European funds. The motion signatories, the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union, Peoples Movement Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, believe Viorica Dăncilăs Cabinet must be dismissed over the repeated attempts at issuing emergency orders in the field of the judiciary and the poor handling of the EP elections. For the motion to pass, it needs 233 votes. PM Dăncilă, who is also the interim president of the Social Democratic Party, has asked the Social Democrat MPs to attend the meeting, but to abstain from voting.




    WHITSUNDAY Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians around the world, including in Romania, celebrate today the Pentecost, the event which, 50 days after Easter, marks the establishment of the Christian Church. According to the New Testament, this is when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 12 Apostles. Following a sermon given by St. Peter, 3,000 people were baptised and formed the first ever Christian community. In Romania, 23,000 police, gendarme and other forces are mobilised to ensure public order and safety during the events organised on Whitsunday and Whit Monday.




    THEATRE The 26th edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS) continues. This years motto is “The Art of Giving. Scheduled for Sunday are a Japanese theatre performance and a concert by the French artist Adam Naas. A total of 540 events are held as part of the Festival until the 23rd of June, bringing to Sibiu more than 3,300 artists and guests from 73 countries. According to the organisers, FITS is a celebration of the performing arts, from theatre to dance and music, but book launches, exhibitions and conferences are also organised on the sidelines of the event. This is the largest and more complex theatre festival in Romania and in Europe, and Radio Romania is one of the co-producers.




    MEASLES 207 new cases of measles have been confirmed this week in 19 counties in Romania and in the capital Bucharest, according to data made public by the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control. The largest number of cases was reported in Suceava County – 67, Neamţ County – 42 and Sălaj County – 19, among unvaccinated children. Since the onset of this epidemic, the number of cases has reached 17,340, and 64 people died so far.




    FOOTBALL 12 teams, Romania included, are taking part as of today in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship hosted by Italy and San Marino. Romania plays in Group C alongside England, France and Croatia. The first matches in Group A are played on Sunday, with Poland taking on Belgium and Italy facing Spain. Romania will play its first match on Tuesday, against Croatia. This is the second participation in a final tournament for Romania, after the one in 1998. The top ranking team in each of the 3 groups, as well as the best of the second-placed teams in each group, will move forward to the semi-finals. The final is scheduled for June 30.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 22, 2019 UPDATE

    April 22, 2019 UPDATE

    UKRAINE EU officials sent their congratulations to the winner of the presidential elections in Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, noting that the vote emphasised commitment to democratic values in this country at war, situated on the borders of the Union. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, also congratulated Volodimir Zelenski. Iohannis voiced his confidence that through dialogue and joint efforts, the two presidents will be able to contribute to consolidating and diversifying the relations between the two countries, in support of Ukraines territorial integrity, security and modernisation. These developments will benefit all the citizens of Ukraine, including the Romanian minority, reads the message sent by President Iohannis. In turn, the Russian PM Dmitri Medvedev said that Moscow has an opportunity to improve relations with Ukraine with this new presidency, although he added he does not want to have “illusions in this respect. The television actor Volodimir Zelenski Sunday won the presidential election in Ukraine by a landslide, defeating the outgoing president Petro Poroshenko.



    TERRORISM The government of Sri Lanka ordered a state of emergency beginning Monday at midnight, for public security reasons. The announcement comes in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed nearly 300 and wounded another 500 people. According to a government spokesperson, the attacks were coordinated with the help of an international terrorist organisation. The victims include 37 foreign tourists. The police announced that 24 people have been arrested. Within a few hours on Sunday, several blasts were reported in 3 churches and 4 luxury hotels in this Indian Ocean island. Schools and universities will stay closed, and Stock Exchange operations suspended. The airport will also remain closed. The international community, Romania included, has condemned the attacks in Sri Lanka.



    BORDER The relevant authorities in Romania and the Republic of Moldova have put together an action plan to streamline border crossing during the Easter holiday. The plan includes increased personnel in checkpoints, the use of all lanes and coordination with local Border Police units. The Romanian Border Police also called on the corresponding institutions in Bulgaria and Hungary to increase the staff in checkpoints, if necessary. The Romanians working abroad are coming home for Easter, and checkpoints are rather crowded these days. More than 4,000 border police will be on duty every day to ensure efficient checks on national borders during this period.



    IMMUNISATION Over 82,000 measles cases were reported in Europe, physicians warned during the World Immunisation Week which started on Monday. Of the 72 deaths caused by this disease in Europe, 62 were in Romania. Experts have once again warned that immunisation saves millions of lives every year and is recognised as the most efficient healthcare intervention. Last week, over 100 cases of measles were confirmed in 12 counties in Romania and in Bucharest, according to the latest data made public by the National Centre for Transmittable Disease Monitoring and Control. The largest number of cases was among unvaccinated children.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • 30 March 2019, UPDATE

    30 March 2019, UPDATE

    Energy. The European
    commissioner for climate action and energy Miguel Arias Canete will be in
    Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday, according to the European Commission Representation
    in Romania. On Monday, he will attend a meeting on the regional cooperation
    initiative in the field of energy in Central and South-East Europe, an event
    bringing together ministers and senior representatives from EU states and the contracting
    parties of the Energy Community. On Tuesday, Miguel Arias Canete will attend the
    first informal meeting of the energy council. The first energy ministerial
    meeting between EU member states and the Eastern Partnership states will also
    be held, with a view to consolidating regional energy cooperation.




    Quadrilateral meeting. The prime
    ministers of Romania, Viorica Dancila, Bulgaria, Boyko Borisov, and Greece,
    Alexis Tsipras, and the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, adopted a
    joint declaration at the 4-way meeting held at Snagov Palace, near Bucharest.
    According to a government press release after Friday night’s meeting, the four
    countries say in the declaration that they agree that the EU enlargement
    process, which is a priority of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the
    EU, remains an opportunity to demonstrate the European Union’s transformative
    power at a time when the Union is faced with difficult challenges. Romania,
    Bulgaria and Greece have hailed the efforts and progress made by Serbia’s
    government in the EU accession process and encouraged Serbia to maintain the
    pace of reforms. The four leaders meeting in Bucharest also reiterated support
    for regional projects of common interest, particularly in the area of
    transports, energy, information technology and communications, as well as youth
    and sports, in order to promote the development and overall connectivity of the
    region.




    United Nations. The
    Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu has reiterated in New York Romania’s
    commitment to supporting the United Nations’ peace-keeping activities. He attended
    a UN ministerial meeting on uniformed capabilities, performance and protection.
    According to a foreign ministry statement published on Saturday, the Romanian
    official briefed UN members on the cooperation between the Department of Peace
    Operations and Romania’s Mihai Viteazul Gendarmerie School of Applications. On the
    sidelines of the meeting, Teodor Melescanu met the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and expressed an interest in Romania’s expanding cooperation
    with the United Nations in its capacity as current holder of the presidency of
    the Council of the EU.




    Measles. The number of measles cases
    has grown in Romania despite the fact that more children are being vaccinated.
    More than 80 new cases have been confirmed this week. Since the end of 2016,
    when the measles epidemic broke out, around 16,300 cases have been reported,
    including 60 deaths. More than 15,300 of those who got the virus had not been
    vaccinated. Measles is a contagious disease which often leads to complications.
    Doctors have emphasised the importance of vaccination, especially of children.
    The health ministry has been running vaccination campaigns in underprivileged
    areas. While in 2017 Romania had the highest number of measles cases in the
    European Union, last year it fell to 10th place.






    Education. New tests for elementary
    school children in years 3 and 7 and different types of baccalaureate exams are
    some of the changes to the education system proposed by the education minister Ecaterina
    Andronescu, who has launched a project to this effect. She wants to introduce
    four types of baccalaureate exams: science, socio-humanistic, vocational and
    technological. She also proposes that children are consulted about their future
    careers beginning in year 7 of elementary school and that year 4 classes should
    also have teachers specialised on various subjects besides a generalist
    teacher. These proposals will be subject to public discussions with teachers,
    trade unions and parents.



  • January 12, 2019

    January 12, 2019

    EU Romanias PM Viorica Dancila will be on a visit to Strasbourg on Monday and Tuesday. She will present to the European Parliament the priorities of the first Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union and have meetings with EU officials. On Friday, during talks with the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and with members of the College of EU Commissioners in Bucharest, Viorica Dancila emphasised that the Romanian presidency will seek to achieve consensus among Member States over the multi-annual financial framework, and is looking for “small, but reliable steps in this respect. According to the Romanian PM, the talks held on Friday between members of the Romanian Government and of the College of Commissioners were structured into 3 thematic sections and focused on EU priorities like the single market, the consolidation of the Economic and Monetary Union, migration, security and justice.




    CHURCH Pope Francis, who will make a visit to mostly-Orthodox Romania between May 31st and June 2nd, will have a meeting with Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church, a Romanian Patriarchy spokesman announced. He emphasised that the good relations between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church translate, among others, in the hospitality with which Romanian communities have been received in many countries, especially in Italy, where many Romanian parishes hold religious services in locations made available by the local Catholic communities. On Friday the Vatican and the Romanian Presidency confirmed the Popes visit to Romania. He will visit the capital city Bucharest, the cities of Iaşi (in the north-east) and Blaj (centre), as well as the Marian shrine in Şumuleu Ciuc (centre). Pope Francis is the second Pope to visit Romania, after John Paul II who was in 1999 the first head of the Catholic Church to visit a mostly Orthodox country since the East-West Schism of 1054.




    MEASLES 36 new measles cases have been confirmed in 8 counties in Romania over the past week, according to data from the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control, posted on the website of the National Institute for Public Health. Most cases have been reported in counties Teleorman (south), Sălaj (north), Maramureş (north), Neamţ (east) and Prahova (south). The total number of measles cases confirmed in Romania so far is 15,600, with 59 deaths also reported. The most frequently affected are non-vaccinated children.




    DEFENCE The Romanian Defence Ministry has suspended the procurement procedure for 4 multirole corvettes worth 1.6 billion euro. The head of the Armaments Department, Andrei Ignat, has notified the Military Prosecutors Office with respect to the corvette procurement operation, based on reasonable suspicions regarding the lawfulness of the procedure, likely to affect national security interests. The bid, which should have been completed last year, has been postponed several times. Competing for the contract are 3 major international companies: Damen, from the Netherlands, Fincantieri of Italy and Naval Group from France.




    PASSPORTS The new Romanian electronic passports, to be issued as of this week, will be virtually impossible to forge, said the head of the Directorate General for Passports Mirel Toancă on Saturday. He said each page of the new documents includes a stylised image of a well-known Romanian historic or tourist site, such as the Danube Delta, the Scărişoara Cave or Sighişoara medieval citadel. The fees for the issue of the new passports remain unchanged, and the ones valid at present will remain in use. Simple electronic passports are valid for 10 years, and temporary ones are valid 1 year.




    WEATHER Europe continues to be ravaged by massive snowfalls and freezing temperatures. In the south-east of Germany, 4 regions initiated emergency plans after several days of continuing snowfalls. Several flights have been cancelled in Munich and Frankfurt, and traffic was disrupted on several roads. Schools have been closed. Major problems are also reported in Austria, where Innsbruck authorities advised people to stay indoors to avoid prospective avalanches. In Hungary, authorities have issued a code yellow alert for snow storms in the north-east of the country and a code red warning for freezing temperatures. Around 20 people have died in Europe in the past week because of the extreme weather conditions.





    MACEDONIA Greeces PM Alexis Tsipras congratulated his Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev, after a historic vote in Skopje to rename the country “The Republic of North Macedonia. Zoran Zaev won by a narrow margin the 2-thirds of the parliamentary votes needed for this goal, with the nationalists in Opposition boycotting the meeting. This is the last but one major obstacle to the settlement of a decade-long dispute with Greece over the name “Macedonia, which Athens claims for the north of Greece. According to the BBC, the next step is the ratification of the agreement by the Greek Parliament, paving the way for Macedonias prospective accession to the EU and NATO.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • September 22, 2018

    September 22, 2018


    POLITICS – A reshuffling of the ministers members of the Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, will take place after the family referendum of October 6-7. The Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea has announced that the reshuffle will be decided at the next meeting of the executive committee, and one of the skills that a minister must have is good communication. One of the offices that is likely to see a new occupant is that of Secretary General of the Government, currently held by Andreea Lambru. She could be replaced by the former judge with the Constitutional Court Toni Grebla, acquitted in a case of corruption investigated by the National Anticorruption Directorate. We recall that on Friday night, most leaders of the Social Democratic Party decided to keep supporting Liviu Dragnea, at the end of a very long meeting of the executive committee of the party. The meeting was held after a few top-level members signed an open letter requesting the resignation of Liviu Dragnea as president of the party and as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The authors of the letter claimed, among other things, that Dragneas legal problems had turned into a major weakness for the party, particularly considering the forthcoming European Parliament and presidential elections due in 2019 and the local and legislative elections scheduled for 2020.



    INDICTMENT – The chief of the Romanian Gendarme Forces, col. Ionuţ Cătălin Sindile, his Senior Deputy Chief col. Gheorghe Sebastian Cucoş, Major Laurenţiu Cazan, the chief of the Bucharest Gendarme Directorate, and Chief Commissioner Mihai Dan Chirică, secretary of state with the Interior Ministry, have been indicted in relation to the anti-Government protest of August 10th in Bucharest. They are under investigation, among other things, for complicity in abuse of office and abusive behavior. We recall that, during the August 10th protests, violent clashes took place between the participants and the gendarmes, and the latter used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. As many as 770 people have filed criminal complaints. The interior minister Carmen Dan has recently stated that the protest was approached as an event posing risks to public order, and that the gendarme intervention was lawful.



    MEDAL – Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, on Friday awarded the Nihil Sine Deo royal decoration to the US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm. Just like the King Michael I Loyalty Medal and the Cross of the Royal House of Romania, Nihil Sine Deo is granted by decision of the chief of the Royal House. It was introduced in 2009 and it may be granted to leading social, scientific, educational, cultural, spiritual, economic, political and military personalities. The medal can also be awarded to Romanian or foreign current and former ambassadors having made a noteworthy contribution to Romanias international relations.



    BREXIT – Brexit negotiations have reached a deadlock, the British PM Theresa May said after the summit in Salzburg, where no progress was recorded. The Union is not willing to compromise in any way, that was the conclusion of the summit, which had Theresa May say that the EU does not treat Great Britain with respect. In a more optimistic tone, the President of the European Council Donald Tusk has voiced conviction that a compromise benefiting both parties is still possible and has recommended that the British should reanalyze their proposals. One of the thorniest issues is that of the type of border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and Ireland, which is a member of the EU. Another source of tension is economic relations, as the British would like to benefit from at least part of the advantages provided by the single European market even after Brexit. The European leaders have decided that Brexit negotiations are due to end next month and, if real progress is made, a new summit of the heads of state and government will be held in November, to render the understanding with the UK official.



    MEASLES – 85 new cases of measles have been confirmed in Romania this week, according to the National Center of Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. Most cases were reported in unvaccinated children. In all, the number of confirmed cases has exceeded 15,500, of which 59 have been fatal. Measles is an infectious disease that often causes complications. According to physicians, one in four measles patients needs hospitalization, and to one in 1000 people infected, the diseases is fatal.



    BUCHAREST – Events on the Days of the City of Bucharest continue today, marking 559 years since the Romanian capital was first mentioned in official records, as well as 100 years since the Union of December 1, 1918, when the Romanian provinces were united into a nation state. This evening, the worlds best multimedia artists will display spectacular light and laser shows on the walls of the Parliament Palace during the iMapp Bucharest international contest, which has reached its 5th edition. The Days of the City of Bucharest will end on Sunday with an extraordinary concert by the famous Rod Stewart.



    SEMINAR – The 17th international seminar Penser lEurope ends today in Bucharest, at the Romanian Academy. The participants in this years edition, titled Romania – Europe 1918-2018, organized by the Romanian Academy and the National Foundation for Science and Art in collaboration with the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences with the French Institute, tackled topics such as the fulfillment of the European nations ideals, hopes and worries triggered by WWI, the existence of several European cultural models, the indestructible relation between France and Romania, Europe today and its prospects. The first edition of the international seminar was held in 2002.




  • September 21, 2018 UPDATE

    September 21, 2018 UPDATE


    POLITICS – Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, was confirmed on Friday as president of the party, after winning a vote of confidence held during a special meeting of the leadership. On the occasion, Dragnea announced that a new meeting of the partys leadership will be held in October, when a potential reshuffle might be on the agenda. Fridays meeting was held after a few top-level members signed an open letter requesting the resignation of Liviu Dragnea as president of the party and as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The authors of the letter claimed, among other things, that Dragneas legal problems had turned into a major weakness for the party, particularly considering the forthcoming European Parliament and presidential elections due in 2019 and local and legislative elections scheduled for 2020. The signatories also requested that PM Viorica Dǎncilă, the executive president of the Social Democratic Party, should act as interim president until the next special congress of the party.



    INDICTMENT – The chief of the Romanian Gendarme Forces, col. Ionuţ Cătălin Sindile, and senior deputy chief col. Gheorghe Sebastian Cucoş, were indicted on Friday in relation to the anti-governmental protest of August 10th in Bucharest. They are investigated for complicity to abuse of office. Major Laurenţiu Cazan, the chief of the Bucharest Gendarme Directorate, and chief commissioner Mihai Dan Chirică, secretary of state with the Interior Ministry are also indicted in this case. Also on Friday, the main opposition parties called for the resignation of the four and also of the interior minister Carmen Dan. We recall that during the August 10th protests violent clashes took place between the participants and the gendarmes, and the latter used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Military prosecutors started a criminal investigation into the gendarme intervention. As many as 770 people filed criminal complaints. The interior minister Carmen Dan has recently stated that the protest was approached as an event posing risks to public order, and that the gendarme intervention was lawful.



    INITIATIVE – the Save Romania Union opposition party filed in Parliament on Friday some 450,000 signatures in support for the initiative titled “No convicts in public offices”, so the total number of such signatures now stands at 780,000. According to a communiqué issued by the party, the initiative has complied with the two requirements imposed by the law: more than 500,000 valid signatures and at least 20,000 signatures in 21 counties. According to this initiative, art 37 of the Constitution would include an addition, reading that individuals with final sentences cannot hold offices in the local governments, in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate or the office of president of the country, until the consequences of the respective sentence are removed.



    PENSIONS – The Government of Romania has discussed a new pension bill with representatives of trade unions and employer associations. This was the first 3-party meeting on the topic, organised in line with a special calendar agreed on for the endorsement of this law. PM Viorica Dăncilă says the new pension law will first and foremost address inequities in the public system. While the deputy president of the Romanian Employers Association Dan Matei Aghaton announced the organisation supports the new bill, the trade union leader Bogdan Hossu pointed out that some aspects, such as special working conditions, unfair employee penalties, and minimum wage increases, will have to be regulated by means of further pieces of legislation.



    ADOPTIONS – The Government of Romania has earmarked additional funds for child protection and has taken measures to encourage adoption. The goal is to step up the procedure for and extend the period in which a child is regarded as adoptable, and to reduce red tape in the field. New financial incentives have also been introduced. The adoption process in Romania is rather complex, and the country ranks among the last in Europe with only 800 adoptions per year, although the number of abandoned children is around 55,000.



    MEDAL – Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, on Friday awarded the “Nihil Sine Deo” royal decoration to the US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm. Just like the King Michael I Loyalty Medal and the Cross of the Royal House of Romania, Nihil Sine Deo is granted by decision of the chief of the Royal House. It was introduced in 2009 and it may be granted to leading social, scientific, educational, cultural, spiritual, economic, political and military personalities. The medal can also be awarded to Romanian or foreign current and former ambassadors having made a noteworthy contribution to Romanias international relations.



    MEASLES – 85 new cases of measles have been confirmed in Romania this week, according to the National Center of Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. Most cases were reported in unvaccinated children. In all, the number of confirmed cases has exceeded 15,500, of which 59 have been fatal. Measles is an infectious disease that often causes complications.



    BUCHAREST – This weekend, the Days of the City of Bucharest will be marking 559 years since the Romanian capital was first mentioned in official records, as well as 100 years since the Union of December 1, 1918, when Romanian provinces were united into a nation state. Major international musicians were invited to perform in the city, including pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir on Friday and pop-rock star Rod Stewart on Sunday. On Saturday, the worlds best multimedia artists will display spectacular light and laser shows on the walls of the Parliament Palace. A symphonic concert and multimedia show opened the Bucharest Days series on Thursday night, when the fountains in the Union Square were reopened, after extensive revamping works. Built in the late 80s under the communist regime, the fountain system downtown Bucharest is one of the longest in the world, 1.4 km, with 16,200 m² water surface area.




  • September 1, 2018 UPDATE

    September 1, 2018 UPDATE

    PSD– The leadership of the Social Democratic Party, PSD, the main party in the ruling coalition, on Saturday gathered in the Romanian Black Sea resort of Neptun, to attend a session of the National Executive Committee. The seven- month activity report by the cabinet led by Viorica Dăncilă and the stage of implementation of the measures included in the governing program were among the focal points of the talks held by the Social-Democrats. Also, the PSD leadership, jointly with the parliamentary groups established the strategy for the autumn parliamentary session, having the pension law as a priority.



    FINANCES – The Romanian Finance Minister, Eugen Teodorovici, considers it a good omen the fact that Standard & Poor’s rating agency has confirmed the rating and stable outlook of the Romanian economy, thus confirming that Romania continues to be attractive to foreign investors. Standard & Poor’s confirms Romanias rating for long and short terms debts in hard currency and local money at BBB-A-3, with a stable outlook. According to the agency, the rating is supported by the moderate level of the foreign debt and by solid growth perspectives. However, the GDP per capita stood at 10,000 USD in 2017,one of the lowest in the EU. Standard & Poor’s analysts claim the low level of incomes and wealth are impacting Romanias rating, just like many other factors like the budget deficit, the poor institutional and governmental efficiency and last but not least political uncertainty. As regards 2018, Standard & Poor’s expects the real growth of the GDP will slow down to 4.3%, against the backdrop of a consumption which will get back to normal and a decreasing external demand.



    MEASLES – Some 90 cases of measles have been confirmed in Romania this week, the National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced on Saturday. The number of cases registered since the start of the outbreak has exceeded 15,000. Some 60 people have died of measles so far. Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the measles virus and which very often leads to complications.



    ASF- Bulgaria has reported a first outbreak of African swine fever, ASF, in a household in the north-east. The Bulgarian government has recently erected a 133 km long fence alongside its border with neighboring Romania, to stop wild boars from entering into Bulgaria. In Romania, some 800 ASF outbreaks have been confirmed in Romania since June. The Bucharest authorities continue to take measures to prevent the spread of the virus, and pigs have been culled in the areas where the presence of the virus has been confirmed, that is in a quarter of Romanias counties. The authorities have imposed preemptive restrictions on the sale of pork and veterinary -safety checkpoints have been set up on the borders of the counties where the virus has been confirmed. The Romanian government has given assurances the affected pig owners will receive damages.



    MULTINATIONAL EXERCISE – Some 40 Romanian military of 61st Mountain Troops Brigade “General Virgil Bădulescu are taking part in the Multinational Exercise “Rapid Trident 18 which is unfolding in Yavoriv, Ukraine, over September 1-15. The drills which are organized by the United States Army Europe, USAREUR, jointly with the Ukrainian Armed Forces are aimed at training military for the planning and execution of coalition-led multinational operations, at brigade and battalion level.



    GEORGE ENESCU FESTIVAL – The 16th edition of the George Enescu International Festival opened its doors in Bucharest on Saturday. No less than 270 budding musicians from 39 countries, among whom 22 from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, will compete in the four sections – Composition, Violin, Cello and Piano. This is the 60 year anniversary of the festival dedicated to the famous composer, violinist, pianist and conductor George Enescu. The festival, which comes to a close on September 23, will bring to the public a number of exceptional recitals with three great musicians, who are going to also be members on the festival’s jury. Among the guests are Italian violinist Salvatore Accardo, Swedish pianist Peter Jablonnski and British cellist Raphael Wallfisch.