Tag: News from Romania

NAVY DAY – Navy military this morning started preparations for the parade celebrating the 113th anniversary of the Romanian Navy, which will take place on Saturday in the port of Constanta on the Romanian Black Sea coast. Some 2,000 navymen and civilians, as well as 35 ships of various categories will take part in the parade, while 9 aircraft will be overflying the events. 21 cannon shots will mark the event, which this year coincides with the 155th anniversary of Romanian Modern Navy.

MOLDOVA – The instatement of a pro-European Government with a majority in Parliament has pulled Moldova from the brink and set it on the right track, Moldovan Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet told Deutsche Welle. The European Council Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland recently said Moldova is at the brink, with the risk of turning into Europes upcoming security crisis. According to Valeriu Strelet, Chisinau is already offsetting delays reported in the implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU signed last year. The Moldovan official admitted that Jaglands statement has “an inkling of truth, mostly regarding the adoption of measures needed to move forward.

NEGOTIATIONS – Political representatives of Moldova and Trandniestr are today meeting as part of a new round of negotiations regarding the settlement of the issue of Transdniestr, a pro-Russian breakaway region in Moldova. International observers and third parties were invited to attend in the 5+2 format. The 5+2 format comprises, alongside Moldova and Transdniestr as equal parties, the OSCE, the Russian Federation and Ukraine as mediators, and the EU and the USA as observers. The format was set up in 2005, although negotiations broke down shortly. Talks resumed in late 2011, although no round of talks has been held since June 2014. We recall that Trasdniestr proclaimed its independence in 1992 after a short armed conflict that killed hundreds of people.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player WTA 3rd ranked Simona Halep ranks 7th in a list of the worlds highest paid sportswomen released by Forbes magazine. According to this source, Halep had earnings of 6.8 million dollars in the last year. Seeded 2nd in the Toronto tournament, Halep on Wednesday knocked out Jelena Jankovici of Serbia, ranked 23rd in WTA standings. In the next round Halep will take on Angelique Kerber of Germany. In the doubles competition, Irina Begu and Raluca Olaru have qualified in the quarterfinals after brushing aside the pair made up of Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez of Spain. In the quarterfinals the Romanians will play Carolin Garcia of France and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia.

UKRAINE – Violence escalated at the outskirts of Mariupol in Ukraine, one of the last cities in the separatist East currently controlled by Kiev authorities, France Press reports. Clashes between Government forces and pro-Russian militias continued yesterday for the third day in a row, midway between the port of Mariupol and Donetsk, a hotbed of pro-Russian separatism. The EU and Ukraine accuse Russia and the rebels of undermining the ceasefire agreement signed in Minsk. Since April last year some 6,800 people were killed in the separatist conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

GREECE – Greek MPS are today debating the agreement signed with international lenders, while a vote on this matter is scheduled later today. The document provides for new budget adjustments and reforms in exchange for the third bailout package worth some 86 billion euros over the course of three years. Brussels has warned that in order to come into force, the agreement must be politically sanctioned. The Eurogroup will convene to discuss this issue on Friday. If the agreement is ratified, Greece is to receive the first instalment by August 20, when this country needs to pay 3,2 billion euros as part of its debt to the European Central Bank. Greeces debt amounts to over 320 billion euros, of which 65% to Eurozone and the IMF. On July 1 Greece defaulted on its payments.

IMMIGRATION – The European Commission has again called on Member States to accept distribution quotas for refugees and immigrants, in the context of escalating tension in Greece, currently the stage of clashes between security forces and immigrants on Kos Island. Over 125,000 immigrants have arrived in the Greek islands since the beginning of the year, of which 50,000 in July alone, according to the European Agency for Border Protection FRONTEX. Hungary is an important transit hub. To stop the wave of immigrants, the Hungarian army is building a 4-meter-high wall on the Serbian border. We recall that Brussels will earmark 2.4 billion euros over the 2014-2020 period to 19 countries, including Romania, in order to help them secure their borders and accommodate immigrants.

CORRUPTION – The European Parliaments Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on Thursday discussed the situation of Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who recently eluded a request by the Anti-Corruption Directorate to lift his parliamentary immunity. Anti-corruption prosecutors had requested Parliament to green-light the criminal investigation of the Prime Minister for a possible conflict of interest. The head of government, who is currently recovering after a knee surgery, is being investigated for forgery of deeds under private signature, accessory to recurrent tax evasion and money laundering during his years as a lawyer. In Bucharest, a close associate of his, Sebastian Ghita, is also being investigated for corruption. Ghita was forbidden to carry out responsibilities as MP, after prosecutors on Thursday came up with new charges against him. Ghita is being investigated, alongside other politicians and businessmen, including the Prime Ministers brother-in-law, Iulian Hertanu, in a case involving a contract co-funded from European money. On Wednesday, the prosecutors announced Sebastian Ghita was to be prosecuted for other acts of corruption as well, namely influence peddling, tax evasion, money laundering, accessory to detouring the destination of EU money and corrupting voters at the 2012 parliamentary elections and at the 2014 presidential elections. Sebastian Ghita claims he is innocent, and that his case was built for political reasons. He says hes been constantly pressured and threatened, the real target being the resignation of Prime Minister Ponta.

SUMMIT – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis is representing Romania at the European Council summer summit in Brussels. The agenda includes topics such as migration, European security and defence, economic growth, competitiveness and employment, the president has said. EU leaders are also tackling economic topics, such as the crisis in Greece and British-EU relations. Other topics on the agenda are the strategy for a European single digital market recently put forth by the Commission, and the report on the European economic and monetary union, a document recently drafted by the Commission in cooperation with the European Council, the European Central Bank, the Eurogroup and the European Parliament.

MILITARY – The United States, in cooperation with its allies, will deploy some 250 tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers to Baltic States and Central Europe. The US Defence Department said the measure was aimed at supporting training and exercises carried out by military units deployed on a rotation basis in Europe. Heavy weaponry and combat vehicles will go to seven countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, reads a US Embassy press release. After Russias annexation of Crimea, US and NATO military have been deployed on countries on NATOs eastern flank. This presence is aimed at reassuring NATO allies in the face of a resurgent Russia.

FISCAL CODE – The European Commission and Romanian authorities have failed to reach an agreement on the Fiscal Code, but it would make a decision at the upcoming meeting of the EUs Finance Ministers of July 14, regarding the status of the financial agreement with Romania. Additionally, the IMF will cancel its assessment mission to Romania for next month, given that the Commission will already have presented its conclusions, Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici announced on Thursday. According to the Romanian official, the European Commission is concerned regarding the impact of the new fiscal code on the budget as of next year. The new Fiscal and Fiscal Procedure Codes are to come into effect on January 1, 2016. Among the main provisions is the VAT cut from 24 to 19%, slashing the tax on special constructions as well as the excise duty on fuel. Additionally the authorities want to eliminate the 16% tax on dividends. Minister Teodorovici said that Romania stands by its financial commitments, especially regarding structural reforms.

BILATERAL RELATIONS – Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is today attending the 2015 Global Security Forum (GLOBSEC 2015) in Bratislava, focusing on global security threats posed by islamist groups and Russia. Attending are leaders of Central and Eastern Europe and British Prime Minister David Cameron. According to an official Foreign Ministry release, Minister Aurescu will outline Romanias vision in relation to security developments on the EUs southern and eastern borders and will discuss Bucharests expectations ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw of July 2016. GLOBSEC is an important foreign policy and security forum, held every year since 2005 and bringing together decision-makers, experts and opinion builders from the political and military spheres, as well as businessmen and representatives of the media.

ALLIANCE – Two ruling coalition parties, the Liberal Reformist Party and the Conservative Party are today signing a merger protocol. The new faction will be called the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The future right-wing party will have a single parliamentary group and will have common candidates in next years local and legislative elections. The Liberal Reformist Party, led by Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu, and the Conservative Party, currently led by Agriculture Minister Daniel Constantin, are currently part of the ruling coalition, alongside the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Social-Democratic Party.

INVESTIGATION – A pre-trial 30-day arrest was today presented before the High Court of Cassation and Justice for Bucharest District 1 Mayor Liberal Andrei Chiliman. Anti-corruption prosecutors arrested Chiliman last night, accusing him of setting up an organized crime group and accessory to recurrent influence peddling. According to prosecutors, ever since he won his first term in office in 2004, Chiliman demanded and pocketed payments tantamount to 10 to 15% of the value of public works contracts handed out based on preferential criteria. The total prejudice of this case stands at some 9 million euros. Another two city hall advisors, as well as the former treasurer of the National Liberal Party have been detained as part of the investigation.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player WTA 3rd-ranked Simona Halep is playing Kristina Mladenovic of France in the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Birmingham. On Thursday, in the round of 16, Halep brushed aside Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-3 after only 50 minutes of play. Halep is also playing in the womens doubles today, where together with Heather Watson of Great Britain she will face Yung-Jan-Chan of Taiwan and Jie Zheng of China.

GREECE – Greece and Russia today signed a preliminary agreement for the building of a Russian-backed gas pipeline in Greece. The document was signed by Russian president Vladimir Putin and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Sankt Petersburg, against the backdrop of Greeces financial difficulties, caused by disagreement with the countrys international lenders. According to the German press, Russia is willing to prepay up to 5 billion euros in transit fees to Athens. Greece needs 7.2 billion euros by the end of the month to avoid default on its debts.

MIGRATION – The European Commission has harshly criticized Hungarys decision to build a security wall on the Serbian border to keep migrants out and has recommended an alternate solution to the problem. Budapest has recently announced its plans to build a four-meter-high wall alongside the Serbian border (175 kms), which is now a favourite border crossing point for immigrants coming in from Syria, Afghanistan and other countries, in an attempt to reach countries with high living standards in Northern and Western Europe. In Denmark, the Peoples Party, known for its stand against immigration, got the highest score in its recent history at the legislative elections on Thursday, grabbing 21% of the vote, thus becoming the main political faction right of centre. In another development, the EU announced that it would kick off its naval operations on Monday to combat networks of traffickers ensuring the transport of refugees from Africa and the Middle East into the Mediterranean.

ATTACK – US president Barack Obama has condemned the armed attack on a church in South Carolina, calling for modifying the arms and munitions legislation. The White House leader said guns are too easily available in the US, while shootings have multiplied in recent years. Nine people were killed on Wednesday evening in an armed attack on an African-American church in Charleston. The alleged attacker, a white male aged 21, was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon in a nearby town.

MEETING – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday is meeting his Portuguese counterpart Anibal Cavaco Silva in Bucharest. The meeting follows Iohanniss visit to Zagreb, Croatia, where he met with his counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. Romanias expertise at EU level, cooperation within the EU and the issue of national minorities ranked high on the agenda for talks.

GOVERNMENT – Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Gabriel Oprea has taken over the attributes of Prime Minister Victor Ponta for four days, pending a knee surgery Ponta will undergo in Turkey. Victor Ponta said he had confidence in Romanian physicians, although he chose to undergo surgery abroad so as to enjoy what he has termed “some peace and quiet. Having sustained a knee injury during a basketball game two weeks ago, Victor Ponta hopes he would be able to return to the basketball court by December. On Monday, the Prime Minister was summoned by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for a deposition in a case where he is being investigated for corruption. Ponta called for a one-week postponement of the deposition due to his knee surgery.

MOLDOVA – Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Wednesday will visit the Republic of Moldova. He will meet with president Nicolae Timofti, Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu and his counterpart Natalia Gherman. Minister Aurescu will also meet with leaders of political factions and will open the Romanian Information Centre with the Comrat State University in Gagauzia. On Thursday, Minister Aurescu will attend a meeting of Foreign Ministers of states of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), ahead of Romanias rotating presidency of the Organization. Analysts say the visit sends out a signal of support for Moldovas European aspirations, despite the tense political turmoil. On Friday, Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici tendered his resignation, accused of having forged his Baccalaureate diploma. On Sunday, the pro-Moscow left prevailed in the first ballot of the local elections.

ASSESSMENT – A delegation of the European Commission is as of Tuesday in Bucharest for an assessment of the current financial programme, which Romania plans to finalise this autumn. The topics will include the progress in structural reforms, the energy sector, transports, the professional management of state-owned companies and the stage of the privatisation process in general. The EC experts will also discuss the fiscal relaxation measures taken by the Romanian government, in light of their impact on Romanias medium-term budget deficit objective.

PENSIONS – The Parliament in Bucharest on Tuesday adopted a bill providing special pensions to MPs. A senator or a deputy who had three terms in office will receive an allowance equivalent to a thousand euro, while any MP who has served a single term will receive some 350 euros. Those members of Parliament with final sentences for corruption will not get the special pension. The Government says the law is necessary, given that the regime of interdictions and incompatibilities prevents MPs from engaging in any sort of commercial activities. The Liberal opposition has on the other hand voted against the bill, saying it might seek an appeal with the Constitutional Court, although originally the signature list for the bill included Liberal MPs. Unpopular due to its stand in favour of senators and deputies investigated for corruption, Parliament enjoys one of the lowest trust rates among Romanians at present.

EXERCISE – Troops from 25 NATO countries take part, as of Wednesday, in a large-scale exercise in central Romania. TRIDENT JOUST 15 is a collective defence operation run by NATO. Another multi-national exercise, ROUSOFEX 15, begun on Tuesday in eastern Romania, involving special operations forces from Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, the US and Turkey.

SPORTS – The kayak double team, made up of Roxana Borha and Elena Meroniac won the silver medal in the 500 m race on Tuesday. This is the first medal for Romania at the European Games in Baku. Borha and Meroniac, European champions in the 1,000 m event and European vice-champions in the 500 m race, were outperformed by Serbia, with Hungary coming in third. Meanwhile, WTA third-ranked Simona Halep qualified to the second round of the tournament in Birmingham after defeating Naomi Broady of Britain 6-4, 6-2.

POLITICAL CHANGES – Gabriel Oprea, the leader of the National Union for the Progress of Romania in the ruling coalition has warned that his party might leave the Cabinet unless the Social-Democrats and Prime Minister Victor Ponta modify the provisions of the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes. The announcement follows Fridays motion of no-confidence the Liberal opposition filed against the Government coalition. The vote failed, with only 194 votes in favour, as compared to the 278 the motion required to pass. Earlier last week the National Anti-Corruption Directorate announced that Prime Minister Victor Ponta was being investigated for forgery of deeds, tax evasion, money laundering as a lawyer and for conflict of interest as acting Prime Minister.

ANNIVERSARY – Romania and the United States mark on June 14, 2015, 135 years of diplomatic relations. Over the last 25 years both countries made efforts to build, maintain and consolidate relations that are now flourishing under the Strategic Partnership, reads a US embassy press release. The US wants to further cooperate with Romania to build a world-class economy and to ensure the rule of law means equal justice for all. The US also wants to preserve one of the best military partnerships in the world at present, in order to defend freedom against regional and global threats. In turn, PM Victor Ponta said Romania stands by its commitment to consolidate its privileged alliance with the US, and that the partnership is a sign of mutual trust and a guarantee of the security, development and prosperity of both countries.

MILITARY – The US is ready to deploy heavy weaponry including tanks and up to 5,000 military in Romania, Baltic states and other East-European countries to counter Russias future aggressions, the New York Times reports. If the US executive approves Pentagons proposal, this will be the first time since the end of the Cold War for the US to deploy heavy weaponry to these countries. Washington is to greenlight the deployment of troops and military equipment ahead of the Summit of NATO Defense Ministers scheduled this month in Brussels.

VISIT – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis on Monday and Tuesday is visiting Croatia, in response to an invitation extended by Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. President Iohannis will also hold talks with PM Zoran Milanović and Parliament Speaker Josip Leko. On Tuesday, the Romanian president will be presenting floral tributes to the monument “Voice of Croatian Victims – The Wall of Pain.

BILATERAL RELATIONS – Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is on Monday attending the ministerial meeting of the Central European Initiative. The meeting will review the recent developments in the region, with a focus on European integration. On the sideline of the event, the Romanian minister will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from participant countries.

COMMEMORATION – Romanians on Monday mark 126 years since the death of their national poet Mihai Eminescu, considered the greatest European Romantic poet. Numerous cultural institutions are holding literary criticism seminars, poetry recitals and theatre shows inspired by Eminescus works. Events are also being held in the Republic of Moldova and abroad. January 15, the birthday of Mihai Eminescu, has been declared Day of National Culture in Romania and Moldova.

TENNIS – Simona Halep has been seeded 1st in the WTA tournament in Birmingham, due to start on Monday and totalling 665,900 dollars in prize money. Halep will play directly into the second round, where she will play either Naomi Broady of Britain or Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia. Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu are also playing in the womens singles.

HANDBALL – The Romanian mens handball team on Sunday outperformed Italy on home turf 44-25 in a match counting towards the 2018 European Championship preliminaries. With four wins in four matches, Romania has won the group and qualified to the next phase. On Saturday, in Cluj, the Romanian womens team lost 24-28 to Serbia, the defending world vice-champion, but nevertheless qualified to the World Cup of December. In the first leg played last week, Romania defeated Serbia 32-26. Romania is the only womens team to qualify to every edition of the World Cup.

PROTEST – Romanians with loans in the Swiss currency on Sunday held a protest against politicians and the National Bank in the matter of the Swiss franc crisis. Protesters say that 5 months after the crisis started, authorities have done little to solve the problem. Banks are being protected while clients are bearing the costs. Protesters accuse bankers and the Central Bank of misinforming clients regarding the risks of this type of credit. National Bank spokesman Dan Suciu said that over 65,000 people were reported having loans in the Swiss currency, of which 36,000 have asked for their loans to be converted or re-structured.

DRILL – A Romanian Air Force unit, made up of 22 military, pilots, technical staff and tactical experts and a Spartan carrier are taking part in the European Air Transport Training 15 military drill in Beja, Portugal. Taking part are 550 military from 11 European countries, 15 carriers and F-16 fighter jets and helicopters. The drill is aimed at practicing and consolidating tactics and procedures to carry out daytime and nighttime air transport operations, low-altitude flights, landings on short strips, coordinating air and land forces and air-ground and air-air response actions.

ANNIVERSARY – Romania and the United States mark on June 14, 2015, 135 years of diplomatic relations. Over the last 25 years both countries made efforts to build, maintain and consolidate relations that are now flourishing under the Strategic Partnership, reads a US embassy press release. The US wants to further cooperate with Romania to build a world-class economy and to ensure the rule of law means equal justice for all. The US also wants to preserve one of the best military partnerships in the world at present, in order to defend freedom against regional and global threats. In turn, PM Victor Ponta said Romania stands by its commitment to consolidate its privileged alliance with the US, and that the partnership is a sign of mutual trust and a guarantee of the security, development and prosperity of both countries.

POLITICAL CHANGES – Gabriel Oprea, the leader of the National Union for the Progress of Romania in the ruling coalition has warned that his party might leave the Cabinet unless the Social-Democrats and Prime Minister Victor Ponta modify the provisions of the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes. The announcement follows Fridays motion of no-confidence the Liberal opposition filed against the Government coalition. The vote failed, with only 194 votes in favour, as compared to the 278 the motion required to pass. Earlier last week the National Anti-Corruption Directorate announced that Prime Minister Victor Ponta was being investigated for forgery of deeds, tax evasion, money laundering as a lawyer and for conflict of interest as acting Prime Minister.

ELECTION – Local elections are today taking place in the Republic of Moldova. Analysts say the vote is of great geopolitical interest, given that voters are split in terms of their pro-European and pro-Russian sympathies. In the capital city Chisinau, home to a third of the countrys population and accounting for half of its GDP, polls reveal a tight score between acting Mayor Liberal Dorin Chirtoaca, an outspoken advocate of close relations with Romania and the West, and former Communist Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanîi, running now for the pro-Russian Socialist Party. Elections are being held against growing public discontent with the power, accused of being corrupt and ineffective. On Friday, Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici resigned in the wake of a nationwide scandal involving accusations of having forged his Baccalaureate diploma.

MINERS RAIDS – Romania on Saturday marked 25 years since the so-called “miners raids of June 13-15, 1990, which ended a large-scale violent protest against the leftist government that came to power after the demise of the communist dictatorship in December 1989. Against the backdrop of violent incidents in Bucharest, that the Army had already quashed, the then president of the country, Ion Iliescu, claimed the right was planning a coup and urged the people to protect the countrys democratic institutions. The raids of the Jiu Valley area miners, who came to Bucharest and attacked the University building, the offices of opposition parties and independent newspapers, resulted in six deaths, hundreds of people wounded and more than a thousand abusive arrests. Last year the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Romania continue investigations into the 1990 miners raids.

FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team on Saturday held Northern Ireland to a blank draw away from home, in a match counting towards preliminaries of the 2016 European Championship in France. With four wins and two draws in six matches, Romania is the leader of Group F with 14 points, followed by Northern Ireland with 13 and Hungary with 11. The next fixtures will see Romania take on Hungary and the Faeroes Islands away from home and Finland and Greece at home. Romania last qualified to the European Championship in 2008.

MILITARY – The US is ready to deploy heavy weaponry including tanks and up to 5,000 military in Romania, Baltic states and other East-European countries to counter Russias future aggressions, the New York Times reports. If the US executive approves Pentagons proposal, this will be the first time since the end of the Cold War for the US to deploy heavy weaponry to these countries. Washington is to greenlight the deployment of troops and military equipment ahead of the Summit of NATO Defense Ministers scheduled this month in Brussels.

SEMINAR – On Monday and Tuesday Bucharest is playing host to the regional seminar “Objectives for Sustainable Development for Parliaments in Central and Eastern Europe. The event is organized by the Chamber of Deputies in agreement with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and brings together MPs from Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Georgia, Serbia and Hungary and is aimed at highlighted the role of national parliaments in the effective implementation of sustainable development objectives.

CANDIDACY – Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, aged 67, formally announced her candidacy in the 2016 presidential elections on behalf of the Democratic Party. In a speech held in New York, Clinton referred to current president Barack Obama, during whose term she acted as Secretary of State, her husband Bill Clinton, two-time president of the US, but also former president Franklin Roosevelt, who promoted equal rights, job security and the elimination of privileges. Hillary Clinton ran for office in 2008, but lost the nomination bid to Barack Obama.

GREECE – Negotiations continued on Sunday in Brussels between the Government in Athens and the European Central Bank, the IMF and the European Union regarding Greeces external debt. Greece needs to pay 1.6 billion euros to the IMF by June 30. The Greek Government announced its readiness to introduce reforms, although it opposes slashing pensions and increasing VAT, as required by its international lenders. Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Greece had no other option but to comply with the decisions of its lenders it wants to continue receiving credit and avoid defaulting on its payments.

REFUGEES – Some 100 refugees tried to forcibly cross the French border after several days ago France shut down the border, denying access to refugees from the Italian town of Ventimiglia. Italian PM Matteo Renzi announced he would meet with his British counterpart David Cameron on June 17 in Milan and on June 21 with French president Francois Hollande to find a solution to support the refugees. Some 57,000 illegal immigrants from Africa and the Middle East landed in southern Italy this year after crossing the Mediterranean. Many on them currently live in improvised shelters around Rome and Milan, spreading fear among the local population and tourists.

HANDBALL – The Romanian mens handball team is today playing Italy on home turf as part of the 2018 European Championship preliminaries. On Wednesday, Romania defeated Italy 28-22 and is currently top of the groups table. On Saturday in Cluj, the Romanian womens team lost 24-28 to Serbia, the defending world vice-champion, but nevertheless qualified to the World Cup of December. In the first leg played last week, Romania defeated Serbia 32-26. Romania is the only womens team to qualify to every edition of the World Cup.

INVESTIGATION – Romanias Prime Minister Victor Ponta said he would not resign, as President Klaus Iohannis has urged him, after the National Anti-Corruption Directorate opened a criminal investigation in his name. The President said this is an impossible situation for the Prime Minister of Romania to stand charges, and has warned that the worst-case scenario right now would be a political crisis. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate on Friday announced that the leader of the Social-Democratic Party, Prime Minister Victor Ponta is prosecuted for having forged documents, for accessory to aggravated tax evasion and money laundering in a corruption case involving the energy companies Turceni and Rovinari. The allegations relate to his work as a lawyer and to certain judicial counselling contracts involving Victor Ponta. In the same case, anti-corruption prosecutors also decided to prosecute Ponta for conflict of interests while acting Prime Minister. On Friday, Prime Minister Victor Ponta sent a letter to the embassies of the United States and EU countries in Bucharest, saying he would use all legal means at his disposal to prove all evidence brought against him are ungrounded. We recall that in the case involving the Rovinari and Turceni energy companies, the former transport minister in the Ponta Cabinet, Dan Sova, has been prosecuted for abuse of power. He is accused of having cashed in hundreds of thousands of euros to forge agreements that brought the state damages worth 16 million euros. On Friday, prosecutors brought further accusations against Sova and placed him under judicial control for 60 days. The Directorate has asked the Senate twice to green-light Sovas detainment, but every time Senators refused to allow it.

MOTION – The National Liberal Party, the main opposition party in Romania, on Friday submitted to Parliament a censure motion against the Government headed by the Social Democrat PM Victor Ponta, on the issue of postal voting. The Liberals are accusing Ponta of having violated, at last years election, the right to vote of the Romanians outside the country borders and of blocking the staging of partial elections in the country, in numerous counties, towns and villages, which have been left without the administrative leadership elected in 2012, at the local elections.

CVM – Romania has reported significant progress in recent years under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), although additional efforts are necessary before this process is finalized, European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans said on Friday in Bucharest, after meeting with president Klaus Iohannis. The Romanian president underlined that he would continue to help, as far as the Constitution allows him, consolidate reforms of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. The two officials als tackled Romanias Schengen accession and regional developments. On Friday, the European Commission vice-president also met with representatives of judicial institutions to discuss the CVM. On Thursday, upon attending a forum on the functioning of European institutions held in Giurgiu, southern Romania, Timmermans said the mechanism monitoring the justice systems of Romania and Bulgaria would remain in place as long as necessary.

UKRAINE – The UN Security Council met in an emergency session on Friday. The Council called on all parties involved in the Ukrainian conflict to observe the ceasefire provided by the peace agreements signed in February in Minsk. An upsurge of violence gripped the separatist east over the last few days, killing tens of people. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko believes Russia is preparing a large-scale ingression in Ukraine. Since Wednesday, clashes between Ukrainian military and pro-Russian insurgents have escalated. The United States and the European Union have condemned the renewed violence, saying that this is by far the worst violation of the February ceasefire signed in Minsk. According to the Kremlin however, the deterioration of the situation in the Donbas region is directly linked to the upcoming G-7 Summit, where the US and the EU are expected to coordinate positions and renewing and possibly expanding sanctions on Russia, press agencies report.

GREECE – The IMF has conceded to grant the Greek government a reprieve for the payment of the instalment due this month of its huge debt, deferring it to the end of June. Greece was due today to pay back over 300 million dollars – the first instalment of four. The IMF announced it would consolidate the 1.6-million Euro debt due in June, specifying that member states have the possibility of consolidating several instalments into a single one. Greece is negotiating with its creditors, the EU and the IMF, an agreement to release the last batch of international loans, worth 7.2 billion Euro, allowing it to pay its debts, according to France Press. Greek finance minister Alexis Tsipras talked in Brussels with EC President Jean-Claude Junker about this agreement, but the two failed to reach an agreement. In spite of this, Tsipras continues to claim that his country would pay its debts.

DEATH – Tarik Aziz, the former Iraqi Foreign Minister in Saddam Husseins regime passed away on Friday, aged 79, in a hospital in southern Iraq, after several years spent in detention, Reuters reports. A close follower of Hussein up until his demise in 2003, Tarik Aziz surrendered to the Americans when US troops invaded Iraq that year. The former Foreign Minister was sentenced to death in 2010, being accused with crimes against humanity for his oppression of religious parties in the 1980s. The only Christian in Saddam Husseins inner circle, Tarik Aziz was one of the best-known Iraqi leaders.

EASTERN PARTNERSHIP SUMMIT — Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is as of today attending the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga, Latvia. Leaders of the 28 Member States will meet with their counterparts from Ukraine, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Republic of Belarus to agree on the next cooperation phase. The Eastern Partnership is an integral part of the EU Neighbourhood Policy, involving six countries from the former USSR, in an attempt to bring these countries into the EU family. The Partnership was made official at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Prague, in May 2009.

VISIT — Prime Minister Victor Ponta met with his Moldovan counterpart Chiril Gaburici in Chisinau today. The two officials signed a Memorandum of cooperation on the projects needed to inter-connect the two countries’ gas and energy networks. The Moldovan Prime Minister said the document creates the circumstances for integrating Moldova on the EU energy market. Prime Minister Gaburici also said Romania became Moldova’s most important trade partner in 2014. In turn, Victor Ponta said Romania remained the most vocal supporter of Moldova’s European aspirations.

CELEBRATIONS— Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians in Romania are today celebrating the Ascension of resurrected Jesus to Heaven, this year coinciding with the feast day of Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen, observed by both Orthodox and Catholic Christians. Also today the Orthodox Church pays heed to its heroes who gave their lives on the battlefield, in concentration camps to defend their homeland, their freedom and dignity. Floral tributes are presented at monuments to heroes and in great mausoleums in Bucharest and other cities.

SURVEY — One third of Romanians see justice as the most important democratic public institution, according to data included in a recent survey conducted by Inscop. Ranking second is the presidency, with over 22% of responses, the Government with nearly 20% of responses and Parliament with 15.6%. At the same time, the barometer reveals that over 70% of Romanians would sign a petition to support a public cause, with only 22% of respondents saying they would refuse to sign. The survey was commissioned by the paper Adevarul and conducted by Inscop on a sample population of 1,085 people, with a maximum error margin of plus/minus 3%. Respondents were interviewed at home by survey representatives.

CORRUPTION — Former Finance Minister Darius Valcov has been indicted by anti-corruption prosecutors in a case where he is being investigated for influence peddling. Presently under pre-trial arrest since April 2, Valcov is accused of awarding preferential contracts as Mayor of Slatina to a businessman while pocketing 20% of their value. Prosecutors also claim that in the 2010-2013 period Valcov got 2 million euros worth of bribes and another 2 million lei by means of intermediaries.

BAN — The Romanian Foreign Ministry says it has received no information concerning the decision to ban entry to the United States to certain Romanian citizens. On Tuesday, a US State Department official said that former and current officials from Romania and Bulgaria have been declared undesirable on US territory as a result of corruption accusations. The US Embassy has confirmed the information, adding that the identity of the people in question has been kept secret under the US law.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Marius Copil, ranked 207th in ATP standings, has advanced to the last qualifying round in the men’s singles of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament in France. In the second round Copil knocked out John-Patrick Smith of Australia. Also in the second round Victor Hanescu is playing Kyle Edmund of the UK. Another two Romanian tennis players, Sorana Cirstea and Patricia Tig are today competing in the women’s singles. Sorana Cirstea, ranked 145th in WTA standings, is going up against Mariana Duque-Marino, 102nd placed in the standings, while Patricia Tig, 176th-ranked, is facing Shahar Peer of Israel, 119th in the standings.

FOOTBALL — Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday evening won the League Cup after defeating Pandurii Targu Jiu 3-nil on National Arena stadium in Bucharest. Pandurii Targu Jiu therefore lost their first final in domestic competitions to a Steaua lineup that relied mostly on substitutes. Steaua’s chances of completing a historic treble this season are still high. Steaua has won the League Cup and will play Universitatea Cluj in the Romanian Cup final on May 31. In the championship, Steaua is 2nd-placed, but is separated by only 1 point from current leader ASA Targu Mures.

EUROVISION — The second semi-final of the Eurovision song contest is taking place today in Vienna. Romania’s representative, the band Voltaj, is already qualified in Saturday’s final with their song All Over Again. The song is part of an awareness-raising campaign regarding the situation of children whose parents leave them at home, seeking jobs abroad. So far, Albania, Armenia, Russia, Hungary, Serbia, Belgium, Estonia, Greece and Georgia have qualified to the final.

INCIDENT – Seven Romanians were in a bus where an improvised explosive device was found on Saturday in Hungary, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced, after having instructed the Romanian Embassy in Budapest to get more information on the incident. The Romanians continued their journey on the same bus, after Hungarian experts removed the device. The vehicle was registered in Bulgaria and was travelling from Prague (the Czech Republic) – Varna (Bulgaria), via Romania, and the homemade bomb was found in the luggage compartment, in a bag, tied to a petrol can. An investigation has been started. An individual who took the bus in Prague and unexpectedly got out in Budapest is a suspect in the case, and investigators do not rule out a terrorist plot.

KIDNAPPING — A Foreign Ministry task force in Bucharest is checking the information regarding the kidnapping of a Romanian citizen last month in Burkina Faso and the audio message sent by the jihadist group “Al Murabitun”, which claimed the kidnapping. In a recording sent to a news agency in Mauritania, and whose authenticity is yet to be confirmed, the group’s new leader demands that the Romanian government “took the hostage release negotiations seriously.” The terrorist announced, 5 days ago, the affiliation of “Al Murabitun” to the IS. The Romanian citizen was a member of a patrol team securing the perimeter of a mine. According to the Foreign Ministry, the task force is in permanent contact with the authorities in Burkina Faso, who deployed a substantial military contingent in the area in view of identifying the kidnappers. Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has immediately returned from Brussels, where he was taking part in a meeting with his European counterparts.

IMF — IMF and European Commission representatives are in Bucharest, as of Tuesday, for a technical mission. For a week, they will discuss with the Romanian authorities the measures included in the new Fiscal Code, which is currently under review in Parliament, and the status of structural reform implementation. According to economic analysts, the parties will try to successfully finalise the current stand-by agreement between Bucharest and the international financing institutions. Talks will likely be difficult, given that the Romanian government has recently adopted fiscal relaxation measures on which the IMF had expressed doubts. Signed in September 2013 for a two-year period and amounting to around 2 billion euros, this is the third loan Romania has requested from the IMF since the start of the economic crisis.

INTERPOL — The war on terror is a global challenge facing all states, as cross-border crime poses a serious threat to each state’s national security, Romanian Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea said, addressing the 43rd edition of Interpol’s European Regional Conference held in Bucharest. Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said today’s society is confronted with multiple threats targeting international security. The Interpol official said that illegal migration, cyber crime and the flux of foreign combatants are “major threats to stability in Europe and not only”. According to the UN, some 20,000 foreign combatants from 100 countries crossed Europe using forged passports, heading to conflict zones in the Middle Est. Attending this year’s conference are delegates from 50 countries, as well as representatives of international organizations.

APPOINTMENT — President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday signed the decree to appoint Daniel Horodniceanu as prosecutor-chief of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). Nominated on April 9 by Justice Minister Robert Cazanciuc, Horodniceanu will stay in office for three years. The office was left vacant after former DIICOT Chief Prosecutor Alina Bica was arrested in a corruption case.

CVM — A group of European Commission experts is in Bucharest to assess progress reported in the field of justice by Romania under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. On Tuesday, experts talked with representatives of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Ministry of Justice, the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Court, regarding topics pertaining to the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. European experts also met with Senators and Deputies in Parliament’s judicial committees. Talks focused on modifying the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Code, the revision of the Constitution and the process of legislative consultation.

ETHNIC MINORITIES — Ethnic minorities have been a constant factor of balance and stability in the Romanian political system in the last 25 years, president Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday during his meeting with members of the Group of National Minorities in the Chamber of Deputies. According to a presidency press release, minority representatives called for their right to preserve their cultural identity and to study in their mother tongue. Additionally they raised the issue to granting Romanian citizenship to those who completed their studies in Romania. This would all require a nation-wide project that the entire society needs to commit to implement. Additionally, talks with the president tackled the issue of returning properties illegally seized by the Romanian state to ethnic and religious communities, and adopting a legal framework for protecting historic monuments.

MEETING — Romanian Defence Minister Mircea Dusa on Tuesday met with his Moldovan counterpart Viorel Cibotaru, who is paying a two-day visit to Bucharest. Among others, the two officials discussed the consolidation of political and military dialogue between the two countries. Minister Dusa highlighted Bucharest’s willignness to provide technical and financial assistance to strengthen Moldova’s defense capabilities. The two defence ministers also talked about identifying a solution to facilitate the involvement of Moldova in EU-led operations and missions.

BOOKFEST — The 10th edition of Bookfest International Book Fair kicks off in Bucharest on Wednesday. Some 200 publishers will have over a million volumes on display, of which 4,000 new releases. For five days, guests will be able to attend over 300 events, including book launches, debates, conferences, screenings and interactive events. This year’s guest of honour is the Czech Republic. The pavilion of this country will host a series of events aimed at fostering Czech literature and raise an interest among Romanian readers for Czech contemporary and classic writers.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Marius Copil, ranked 270 in WTA standings, qualified to the second round of the Roland Garros tournament in Paris, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Copil defeated Pedro Sousa of Portugal in three sets. Adrian Ungur lost to Luca Vanniin of Italy in two sets. In the women’s competition, Romania is represented by several athletes, including WTA 3rd ranked Simona Halep, who last year played the final against Maria Sharapova of Russia.

ANTI-CORRUPTION — Romania is fighting an intense anti-corruption battle, president Klaus Iohannis told the German publication ARD. The president said anti-corruption is not his hobby, but a necessity for Romania to continue its development. The president criticized the recent proposals to amend the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes, saying that if Parliament should greenlight them, he would challenge them at the Constitutional Court. In turn, Anti-Corruption Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi said the bills to modify the codes are aimed at limiting the attributions of prosecutors and investigation possibilities, after the recent investigations have caused panic to spread among politicians.

MEETING — Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday is joining his counterparts from EU Member States as part of a new meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. Participants will examine the recent progress in the peacemaking process in the Middle East, after the set up of a new Government in Israel. On the sideline of the meeting, Aurescu and his counterparts will meet with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, as well as with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.

ILLEGAL LOGGING — The Government has put up for debate two emergency ordinances suspending exports of logs and firewood until August 31, after which date any wood sales will be strictly monitored. According to the Government, the two ordinances re aimed at regulating the wood market until the Forestry Code comes into effect. The document is again on the table of the Chamber of Deputies, after president Klaus Iohannis called for a re-analysis of the law. The president and the Liberal opposition claim some of the Code’s provisions are allegedly in breach of European standards. In response, the Social-Democratic Party accused the Liberals of advocating the interests of foreign businesses in the wood industry. For the second consecutive weekend, protests were staged in Bucharest and other cities against illegal and abusive logging in the past 25 years.

IMF — A technical mission of the IMF and the European Commission will visit Bucharest in May 19-26. Talks with Romanian authorities will focus on the new Fiscal Code and the status of implementation of the provisions in the programme signed with the IMF and the EC. The current agreement, the third since the economic crisis of 2009, will come to an end this autumn. The agreement was signed in September 2013 over a period of two years and is worth 2 billion euros. The European Commission has called on Romania to take all the necessary measures to finalize the term of the precautionary stand-by financial assistance programme.

EU DEFENCE — Romanian Defence Minister Mircea Dusa on Monday is attending the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting and the discussion panel of the Executive Board of the European Defence Agency. The main topic on the agenda of the panel is the forthcoming European Council meeting on security and defence, to be held in late June. The Foreign Affairs Council meeting will review the status of military operations and missions carried out under the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. Other topics are linked with the need to revise the EU Security Strategy from the perspective of changes in the global security context, and with the implementation of measures aimed at ensuring the access of SMEs to the military equipment market.

NATO — Europe’s security has deteriorated significantly in recent years, Hungarian Defence Minister Csaba Hende said on the sideline of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly meeting held on Sunday in Budapest. Minister Hende said that Eastern and Southern Europe is confronted with mounting pressure exerted by the waves of immigrants from Northern Africa and the Middle East. The Hungarian official said instability in the Middle East was caused by the events of the Arab Spring, but also by the crises in Yemen and Syria, which contributed to the rise of extremism and the consolidation of the Islamic State.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Simona Halep is again ranked 3rd in WTA standings. Halep went down one place after being knocked out of the Rome tournament, won by Maria Sharapova of Russia, who is now ranked 2nd. Last year’s finalists in Roland Garros, Halep and Sharapova will this month play in a new edition of the Grand Slam tournament in France.

ILLEGAL LOGGING — The Government has put up for debate two emergency ordinances suspending exports of logs and firewood until August 31, after which date any wood sales will be strictly monitored. According to the Government, the two ordinances re aimed at regulating the wood market until the Forestry Code comes into effect. The document is again on the table of the Chamber of Deputies, after president Klaus Iohannis called for a re-analysis of the law. The president and the Liberal opposition claim some of the Code’s provisions are allegedly in breach of European standards. In response, the Social-Democratic Party accused the Liberals of advocating the interests of foreign businesses in the wood industry. For the second consecutive weekend, protests were staged in Bucharest and other cities against illegal and abusive logging in the past 25 years.

IMF — A technical mission of the IMF and the European Commission will visit Bucharest in May 19-26. Talks with Romanian authorities will focus on the new Fiscal Code and the status of implementation of the provisions in the programme signed with the IMF and the EC. The current agreement, the third since the economic crisis of 2009, will come to an end this autumn. The agreement was signed in September 2013 over a period of two years and is worth 2 billion euros. The European Commission has called on Romania to take all the necessary measures to finalize the term of the precautionary stand-by financial assistance programme.

EU DEFENCE — Romanian Defence Minister Mircea Dusa on Monday is attending the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting and the discussion panel of the Executive Board of the European Defence Agency. The main topic on the agenda of the panel is the forthcoming European Council meeting on security and defence, to be held in late June. The Foreign Affairs Council meeting will review the status of military operations and missions carried out under the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. Other topics are linked with the need to revise the EU Security Strategy from the perspective of changes in the global security context, and with the implementation of measures aimed at ensuring the access of SMEs to the military equipment market.

ANTI-CORRUPTION — Anti-Corruption Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi on Sunday told a private television station that the latest investigations have caused panic to spread among the political class, which might explain its attempts to limit the remit of prosecutors. Kovesi referred to Parliament’s recent attempts to restrict procedures linked to the detention of MPs. It’s difficult to say whether the current political class supports anti-corruption efforts, given that every two weeks new bills are tabled to modify the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes, and thus limit the attributions of prosecutors or prosecution proceedings, Kovesi went on to say.

NATO — Europe’s security has deteriorated significantly in recent years, Hungarian Defence Minister Csaba Hende said on the sideline of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly meeting held on Sunday in Budapest. Minister Hende said that Eastern and Southern Europe is confronted with mounting pressure exerted by the waves of immigrants from Northern Africa and the Middle East. The Hungarian official said instability in the Middle East was caused by the events of the Arab Spring, but also by the crises in Yemen and Syria, which contributed to the rise of extremism and the consolidation of the Islamic State.

MOLDOVA — A large-scale rally was held on Saturday in Moldova in favour of the union of Romania with the Republic of Moldova. Participants celebrated the 1812 annexation of the historical province Bessarabia by the Russian Empire. Unionists have launched a petition-signing campaign, calling the Grand National Assembly for the Union with Romania on July 5. In another development, the Romanian leader of a unionist online platform was declared persona non-grata in the Republic of Moldova and was extradited for allegedly endangering national security. According to the Moldovan Interior Ministry, the suspect said the decision was linked with the rally he was planning to organize on Saturday in Chisinau. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has demanded clarifications, while Romanian MPs have signed a joint declaration expressing their disapproval towards the Moldovan authorities’ actions.

BOMB ATTACK — A foreign national, member of the European Union Police Mission to Afghanistan, was killed on Sunday in a suicide car-bomb attack close to Kabul airport. Another two Afghan civilians were killed in the attack, which was claimed by Taliban terrorists.

ECONOMIC GROWTH – According to the preliminary Eurostat estimates made public today, Romania and Cyprus reported the highest economic growth rate in the EU in the first quarter of 2015, as compared to the previous quarter, that is 1.6%. Romania and Cyprus are followed by Spain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, France, Hungary. According to Eurostat, economic growth went down in Lithuania, Estonia, Greece and Finland.The highest annual growth rates were reported in Romania – 4.2% and Hungary – 3.1%. A lower annual growth rate was reported only in Finland.

CYBER SECURITY – As from today, Romania has a Centre for Innovation in Cyber Security, a pilot project for which the US Administration has given an 800,000 dollars worth of grant. The project was launched at the Regional Cyber Security Summit in Bucharest coming to an end today. Advanced technologies will be tested at the Innovation centre, a centre of regional importance. The Regional Cyber Security Summit was organized by the Romanian government jointly with the US Department of Commerce. Companies and government officials, experts in cyber security in the public and private environment from 17 European countries, Romania included and the USA discussed policies of strengthening defense capabilities against information attacks, which both citizens and institutions can fall victim to.

MEETING – As from today, Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu is attending the two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers. The debates, also attended by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, will focus on security challenges in the Eastern and Southern vicinity, the process of political transition and security in Afghanistan and in the region. In another development, the NATO-Ukraine Commission will look into the Ukrainian conflict and its impact on Euro-Atlantic security. On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, Bogdan Aurescu will have meetings with his counterparts of NATO member and partner countries.

FORESTRY CODE– Romanian deputies are today going to cast a decisive vote on the request for the new Forestry Code to be reexamined, made by Romanias president Klaus Iohannis. Following heated debates, the expert parliamentary commissions on Tuesday rejected the request. The amendments requested were also turned down by the Senate, the MPs of the ruling coalition and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania voting against them. In case it is rejected, the draft code can only be challenged at the Constitutional Court. Romanias president asked for the Forestry Code to be reexamined since in his view, it curtails the activity of woodworking companies and creates the premise for a discriminatory treatment. In another development, the Government notified the National Anti-Corruption Directorate about tens of possible corruption cases in the field of forestry in the 2009-2012 period. Moreover, last weekend, thousands of people in several towns of Romania protested against illegal deforestation.

UKRAINE – Russian Foreign Minister, Serghei Lavrov and US Secretary of State, John Kerry met in Soci, a resort on the Russian Black Sea coast showing the first signs of relaxation between their countries after over one year of Ukrainian crisis and the wish to take joint action on big international issues, FP reports. John Kerry had his first meeting with his Russian counterpart after Russias annexation of Crimea and its involvement in the conflict between pro-Russian separatists and government forces in Eastern Ukraine. Kerry put forward the idea of Western sanctions against Moscow being lifted if the ceasefire was complied with in Ukraine. The two ministers also addressed the war in Syria and the Iranian nuclear programme. In Soci, John Kerry was also received by Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

EARTHQUAKE – At least 90 people died and nearly 2,000 were injured in the second powerful quake that hit Nepal in the last three weeks. The tremor measuring 7.3 degrees had its epicenter at the border with China and was also felt in India. The previous quake of April 25th killed at least 8,000 people and injured nearly 18,000. It was the most devastating quake in that country in the last 80 years, Reuters reports.

ATTACK – At least 43 people were killed and another dozen were today wounded in an attack by gunmen on a bus in Karachi, Southern Pakistan, FP reports quoting the local media. At least six gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on a bus packed with Shiite Muslims. The attack has not been claimed yet. FP reports that in the last few years, attacks have intensified against the Shiite Muslim minority, accounting for about 20% of the Sunni-dominated population of Pakistan, numbering some 200 million inhabitants.

FILM – The independent Romanian short film “Ramona directed by Andrei Cretulescu has been selected for the “Semaine de la Critique section of the International Film Festival kicking off in Cannes today. In the same section, the Romanian young film critic Irina Trocan is a member of the editorial team, along with three other youths from Germany, France and Mexico. “One Floor Below by Radu Muntean and “The Treasure by Corneliu Porumboiu have been selected for the “Un certain regard section. “One Floor Below deals with the conscience problem of a murder witness. The“Treasure is the story of two men going through surprising incidents in their bid to discover a treasure.

TENNIS – Three Romanian female tennis players have qualified for the second round of the Rome tournament with 2.4 million dollars prize money. Irina Begu, seeded 31st, will play against German Angelique Kerber, favourite nr. 9 and Alexandra Dulgheru, seeded 72nd, with meet Czech Lucie Safarova, seeded 14th. Simona Halep, nr. 2 seed and the second favourite of the tournament, will play against American Alison Riske. The pair made up of Simona Halep and Italian Francesca Schiavone have qualified for the eighth finals.

CEREMONY — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis on Thursday attended in Poland the ceremonies marking 70 years since the end of WWII. Alongside Polish President, Bronislaw Komorowski, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the EC President Donald Tusk and other political leaders, Klaus Iohannis attended an overnight ceremony in Gdansk, the place where the Solidarity Movement took shape. The event organised in Poland is regarded as a gesture of defiance for the Victory Day parade, which will be organised in Moscow’s Red Square on Saturday, the BBC reports. Several western leaders have announced they will not attend the events in Moscow, due to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

NATO — Romanian defence minister Mircea Dusa on Thursday held talks in Bucharest with the Commander of NATO Special Operations Headquarters, lieutenant general Marshall Webb. The Romanian minister hailed the good cooperation between Romania’s special operation forces and similar NATO structures, during drills and particularly on missions on theatres of operation. In turn, general Webb underlined the excellent cooperation relation with the special operation forces, saying that Romania is a regional leader in the field. General Webb, who is currently on an official visit to Romania, took part in a planning exercise in the field of special operations.

BILATERAL RELATIONS — Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday met with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijarto in Budapest. Bogdan Aurescu stressed the importance that Romania and Hungary have a ‘pragmatic, stable and efficient’ bilateral relation. Aurescu expressed confidence that the two states can work together in ‘a framework of honesty’ in order to solve all pending matters on the bilateral agenda, such as the protocol of the Romanian-Hungarian special cooperation committee on national minority issues. In turn, the Hungarian official said the two countries were strategic allies and partners, as the success of one depends on the success of the other. Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday paid a visit to Budapest, discussing minority-related problems, economic and cross-border cooperation, as well as other hot topics on the European agenda.

SUMMIT — Prime Minister Victor Ponta met on Thursday in Bucharest with US charge d’affaires Dean Thompson. The two discussed about the cyber security summit that will take place next week in Romania. Representatives of 17 Central and South-East European countries, both EU and NATO member and non-member states on Monday and Tuesday will attend the Regional Cyber Security Summit in Bucharest. The event, organised by the Ministry for the IT Society, jointly with the US Trade Department will bring together companies and government officials, cyber security experts from both the public and private sector from Central and South-Eastern Europe, the USA and Romania. The participants will present the cyber security policies pursued in their countries and will approach such issues as cyber threats and vulnerabilities, in an attempt to identify international and regional cooperation opportunities and to exchange good practices in the field.

FILM — For three weeks Romanian film enthusiasts will get to watch 55 features from 26 countries, as part of the European Film Festival, which kicked off this Thursday in Bucharest. The Festival is for the first time a parallel event devoted to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The organisers want to develop a platform for professional exchanges between the EU and the two countries. Films from and about Moldova and Ukraine will be screened, followed by debates on production and co-production topics, attended by experts from the two countries. The European Film Festival will run until May 31 in Bucharest, Craiova, Iasi, Targu Mures and Hunedoara.

CAR SALES — Dacia sales in Great Britain have gone up in April by 17% as compared to the same period of last year. The hike is mostly due to economic growth and cheap loans, the British Association of Car Makers and Traders announced on Thursday. In 2014, Dacia sold over 24,000 cars on the British market, a 37% increase as against 2013. Ford, Volkswagen, Open and Nissan are currently the best-seeling brands in Britain, which is the EU’s second largest car market, after Germany, but ahead of France, Italy and Spain. The Romania brand Dacia was bought by Renault in 1999. Re-branded in 2004 with the release of the new Logan model, in the eight ensuing years Dacia grew into one of the important brands on the European car market.

VISIT — Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis today met with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The president said the Romanian community in Italy is well integrated, contributes to Italy’s growth and represents a bridge between the two countries. Preisdent Iohannis and Prime Minister Renzi reviewed economic and cultural bilateral relations, as well as Moldova and Georgia’s efforts to join the EU. On Monday, Iohannis met with his counterpart Sergio Mattarella and with representatives of the Romanian community. Klaus Iohannis announced he would pay a second visit to Rome on May 15, as part of his visit to the Vatican.

STRASBOURG — Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta is on an official visit to Strasbourg, where he is meeting with high-ranking EU officials, such as European Parliament president Martin Schulz, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Commission first vice-president Frans Timmermans and vice-president Jyrki Katainen. Additionally Victor Ponta will meet with EU Commissioners Vera Jourova and Margrethe Vestager. Among others, the Prime Minister will present economic progress and the measures recently introduced by the Government in the economic and social fields, and will also exchange views regarding hot topics on the European agenda.

MOLDOVA — European Council president Donald Tusk is today paying an official visit to the Republic of Moldova. After meeting with president Nicolae Timofti, the EU official gave assurances that the EU would remain a firm supporter of Moldova, although the Moldovan authorities should make it their priority to combat corruption and solve the banking crisis. In turn, Nicolae Timofti discussed the enactment of Moldova’s Association Treaty with the European Union and said that Moldova’s top priorities were consolidating the rule of law and strengthening democratic institutions. The Moldovan president gave assurances that Moldova would honour its commitments towards the EU. Donald Tusk is also due to meet with Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici and Parliament Speaker Adrian Candu. His visit to Chisinau and Kiev comes ahead of the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Riga, to be held on May 21 and 22.

STRIKE — Public servants in the local administration are today staging a full-day strike nationwide. Clerks are dissatisfied with the Government’s lack of interest in the problems generated by the low salaries in the sector. The activity of public institutions has been suspended almost entirely, with the exception of funeral services and payment services for fines that need to be paid within 24 hours. On May 27 trade unions have announced a rally in Bucharest, where some 3,000 people are expected to turn up. Union leaders have started gathering signatures with a view to staging an all-out strike in October over an indefinite period of time.

EARTHQUAKE — The death toll of the earthquake in Nepal has gone up, the number of dead now exceeding 4,300. Meanwhile some 8,000 people are reported wounded. 100 people were killed in Western China and India. Of Nepal’s 28 million inhabitants, a total of 8 million have been affected by the quake. Over 1.4 million people are in need of food, water and shelter. Rescue teams are still trying to reach isolated regions close to the quake’s epicentre. The quake wrought havoc in the capital city Kathmandu and triggered a mass exodus of refugees. The quake also resulted in avalanches on Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, where hundreds of people were preparing for the start of the climbing season. 18 climbers are reported dead. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, some 36 Romanian citizens have been officially identified in Nepal, and the list is constantly being updated. No information has surfaced so far regarding any Romanians being killed. 4 Romanian climbers were on Mount Everest when the avalanche hit.

NPT — Reducing the arsenal of nuclear weapons worldwide as well as cutting back on Iran’s nuclear programme rank high on the agenda of the Conference on reviewing the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which kicked off last night at the UN headquarters in New York. The main concerns are linked with the lack of any visible progress in nuclear disarmament in the US and Russia, which together hold over 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal. Experts estimate that there are currently over 16,000 nuclear weapons across the world. US Secretary of State John Kerry argues however that there is still room for a historic progress towards a nuclear-free world, if an international consensus is reached for Iran to end its nuclear programme.

VIOLENCE — A state of emergency was declared last night in Baltimore, the largest US city on the East Coast, located some 60 km away from the federal capital city. The decision was taken after an outbreak of violence on Monday evening following the funeral of a 25-year-old African-American who died in police custody. The crowds clashed with the riot police, torched patrol cars and looted businesses, hurled stones and bricks, wounding some 15 police officers. 27 people have been detained. The police will review video surveillance of last night and use it carefully to make arrests.

EU SUMMIT — Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is on Thursday attending the EU summit convened to address the growing number of immigrants from Northern Africa coming to Europe. EU leaders will also look at ways of supporting EU states worst affected by the immigration phenomenon and of boosting cooperation with the immigrants’ countries of origin. A catastrophic shipwreck last week killed some 800 people in the Mediterranean Sea. Since the start of 2015, some 1,750 immigrants drowned trying to cross into Europe, 30 times more than the same period of last year. Some 20,000 immigrants have already arrived in Italy, the country reporting the largest number of immigrants from Northern Africa.

INVESTMENT — Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu wants to attract more investors from Luxembourg, arguing that this country currently ranks 9th in a ranking of foreign investors in Romania, with over 2 billion euros invested. Minister Aurescu claims there is already an excellent cooperation potential, and that the visit of his counterpart Jean Asselborn on Wednesday signals the quality of bilateral relations. In turn, Minister Asselborn said that all countries that have met 100% of Schengen accession technical requirements and display political will should be granted the possibility of joining Schengen. Regarding Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen, Minister Asselborn said a solution must be found to solving this deadlock. Luxembourg will take over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council on July 1.

CORRUPTION — Anti-corruption prosecutors on Wednesday called on the Supreme Court to give a final sentence to Deputy Prime Minister Liviu Dragnea in the referendum case, where he is being investigated alongside another 74 people. Prosecutors say the witnesses called to testify to Dragnea’s defence contacted him in advance in order to square their statements. Liviu Dragnea was indicted on October 7, 2013 for having used his influenced illegally to tip the balance of the referendum vote of July 29, 2012, held to suspend president Traian Basescu. Another current and former members of the Social-Democratic Party, which took charge of organizing the vote, are also being investigated. Although 87% of Romanians voted in favour of suspending president Basescu, the referendum was invalidated for lack of quorum. Liviu Dragnea has repeatedly dismissed all accusations.

LEGISLATION — The law on funding political parties and election campaigns, which the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis had sent back to Parliament for re-examination was passed on Wednesday by the Senate and will go next to the Chamber of Deputies. On Tuesday the Electoral Code Committee had approved the largest part of the requests made by the Romanian president, including those related to the way in which political parties can obtain loans from natural persons and legal entities. According to the law the documents and information which the Permanent Electoral Authority may ask during election campaigns can be exclusively related to the activity of the parties that involves revenues and expenses.

DRILL — The multinational military exercise “Wind Spring” under way in the south east of Romania gives a message to all countries outside NATO, namely that the NATO states are working and will always act together, said general Adrian Bradshaw, the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. He insisted on the defensive nature of the operation and thanked Romania for its intention to increase the budget of national defence by 2% of the GDP. General Bradshaw visited together with the Romanian defence minister, Mircea Dusa, one of the military bases in the south east of Romania, where the Wind Spring drill is taking place until April 30th. Participating in the military exercise are more than 2,200 soldiers from the UK, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and the US. The exercise is part of the joint training activities taking place both in Romania and abroad as part of the “Atlantic Resolve” operation through which NATO and the US show their support for ensuring stability and regional security, given the current security situation in the area.

TRIAL –Trial of the former Romanian minister of development, Elena Udrea started on Wednesday at the High Court of Cassation and Justice. On Tuesday she was called by prosecutors before the court being charged with bribe taking, abuse of office and the use of documents for unlawfully obtaining European funds. In the case, which is linked to the organization of a sports gala in Bucharest, another 7 people are involved, among whom the former economy minister, Ion Ariton, and the former president of the Romanian Boxing Federation, Rudel Obreja. A close friend of the former president Traian Basescu and considered the most influential politician in his entourage, Elena Udrea is also being investigated in other corruption cases.

PIPELINE — Romania, Bulgaria and Greece have signed an agreement to interconnect their natural gas networks. The so-called “Vertical pipeline” will be constructed starting March 2016 and will be finalized by the end of 2018. The first step in the project was made in December 2014, after the Russian energy giant Gazprom announced they would give up the South Stream project. The new “Vertical pipeline” will be financed with 220 million euros from European funds.