Tag: News from Romania

CEREMONY — Romania’s president Traian Basescu on Saturday attended the investiture ceremony of his Ukrainian counterpart pro-Western president Petro Poroshenko. Elected after an early presidential ballot on May 25 after six months of internal protests, followed by the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation and rising tensions in Eastern Ukraine, Poroshenko said the main priority of his term was to ensure the stability in Russian-speaking regions. Upon being sworn in office, Poroshenko said he would not compromise to Russia over his country’s European path and the status of Crimea other than Ukrainian territory. In turn, president Basescu expressed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

VISIT – Three members of the US Senate Committee for Foreign Affairs visited Romania on Saturday. Former Republican president candidate John McCain, his colleague Ron Johnson and Democrat Chris Murphy met with president Traian Basescu, representatives of the Government and Romanian MPs. Seen as two of the most influential US Congressmen and famous for the vocal opposition to Moscow, McCain and Johnson also visited the Republic of Moldova in April to express US support to the pro-Western power in Chisinau, against the backdrop of rising tensions in neighbouring Ukraine. The visit to Bucharest follows after last month US vice-president Joe Biden visited Romania, while Pentagon leader Chuck Hagel met Romanian Defence Minister Mircea Dusa on Thursday in Constanta on the Romanian Black Sea Coast.

CONGRESS — The People’s Movement Party on Saturday elected former Liberal-Democrat Minister Elena Udrea as its new leader. Udrea was elected leader over second-favourite Daniel Funeriu, also a former Liberal Democrat MP. Elena Udrea said the candidate for the presidential elections of November will be Cristian Diaconescu, former Social-Democrat minister, seen as a close advisor to president Traian Basescu. At the latest European Parliament elections the newly founded party grabbed 6% of the votes, obtaining two of Romania’s 32 seats in the European Parliament.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Simona Halep ranked 4th in WTA standings lost on Saturday the Roland Garros finals against Maria Sharapova of Russia. As of Monday, Halep will be ranked 3rd in WTA standings. This was the first time that Halep, who has been declared the woman tennis player with the greatest ascension in 2013, qualified to a Grand Slam final. The last woman tennis player from Romania to play in a Grand Slam final was Virginia Ruzici, back in 1980, also at the Roland Garros, a tournament that she had won years before, in 1978.

COMMEMORATION — A Romanian folk art monument devoted to the 66,000 Romanian military killed, wounded or reported MIA in the war against Nazi troops in Czechoslovakia in WWII was unveiled in Dobroutov, the Czech Republic. The Romanian Foreign Ministry writes a crucifix will be placed where on June 2, 1945 a wooden cross was raised by Romanian soldiers in the memory of those who lost their lives in battle. The ceremony marking the event follows after the Czech Republic celebrated 69 years since the end of WWII and 20 years since it signed the Treaty of Friendly and Cooperation Relations with Romania.

PILGRIMAGE — Some one hundred thousand Christians from all over the world on Saturday arrived on Mount Sumuleul Mic near Miercurea Ciuc, central Romania, to attend a Pentecost pilgrimage. Attending the pilgrimage was also be Hungarian president Janos Ader, who is on his first visit to Romania alongside his wife. The pilgrimage to Mount Sumuleu is considered on the largest events of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, and has been a tradition for over four centuries.

CEREMONY — Romania’s president Traian Basescu on Saturday attended the investiture ceremony of his Ukrainian counterpart pro-Western president Petro Poroshenko. Elected after an early presidential ballot on May 25 after six months of internal protests, followed by the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation and rising tensions in Eastern Ukraine, Poroshenko said the main priority of his term was to ensure the stability in Russian-speaking regions. Upon being sworn in office, Poroshenko said he would not compromise to Russia over his country’s European path and the status of Crimea other than Ukrainian territory. In turn, president Basescu expressed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Meanwhile, pro-Russian separatists have shot down a Ukrainian air force jet close to Slaviansk, a hotbed of Russian separatism. Kiev sources say the aircraft was carrying humanitarian aid for the population. In Donetsk, rebels have taken control of a hospital.

VISIT – Three members of the US Senate Committee for Foreign Affairs are today visiting Romania. Former Republican president candidate John McCain, his colleague Ron Johnson and Democrat Chris Murphy will meet with president Traian Basescu, representatives of the Government and Romanian MPs. Seen as two of the most influential US Congressmen and famous for the vocal opposition to Moscow, McCain and Johnson also visited the Republic of Moldova in April to express US support to the pro-Western power in Chisinau, against the backdrop of rising tensions in neighbouring Ukraine. The visit to Bucharest follows after last month US vice-president Joe Biden visited Romania, while Pentagon leader Chuck Hagel met Romanian Defence Minister Mircea Dusa on Thursday in Constanta on the Romanian Black Sea Coast.

COMMEMORATION — A Romanian folk art monument devoted to the 66,000 Romanian military killed, wounded or reported MIA in the war against Nazi troops in Czechoslovakia in WWII will be unveiled in Dobroutov, the Czech Republic. The Romanian Foreign Ministry writes a crucifix will be placed where on June 2, 1945 a wooden cross was raised by Romanian soldiers in the memory of those who lost their lives in battle. The ceremony marking the event follows after the Czech Republic celebrated 69 years since the end of WWII and 20 years since it signed the Treaty of Friendly and Cooperation Relations with Romania.

WARNING — The Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has issued a warning, informing Romanian citizens that as of Saturday, June 7 and until Monday, June, 10 PM, all freight vehicles with a total weight beyond 7.5 tonnes are forbidden from transiting neighbouring Hungary. The Ministry recommends all Romanian citizens to access relevant websites as well as the website of the Foreign Ministry, www.mae.ro for regular updates.

CONGRESS — The People’s Movement Party in opposition is today holding internal elections to choose its leaders. Its current president MP Eugen Tomac has decided not to seek a second mandate. Three MPs are seeking his place, among whom former Liberal-Democrat Minister Elena Udrea and Daniel Funeriu. At the latest European Parliament elections the newly founded party grabbed 6% of the votes. The congress will be held concurrently with negotiations between the National Liberal Party and the Liberal-Democratic Party, both in opposition, over their fusion into a right-wing alliance that is to designate a common candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections of November. We recall that the Social-Democratic Party won the European Parliament elections in Romania with 37% of votes, grabbed 16 of Romania’s 32 seats in the European Parliament.

SIBIU FESTIVAL — The 21st edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival continued on Saturday with a string of performances, exhibitions, conferences, workshops and book launches. Theatre critics rank Sibfest the 3rd largest festival of its kind in the world, after those in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Avignon in France.

PILGRIMAGE — Some one hundred thousand Christians from all over the world are today expect to arrive on Mount Sumuleul Mic near Miercurea Ciuc, central Romania, to attend a Pentecost pilgrimage. Attending the pilgrimage will also be Hungarian president Janos Ader, who is on his first visit to Romania alongside his wife. The pilgrimage to Mount Sumuleu is considered on the largest events of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, and has been a tradition for over four centuries.

TENNIS — Romania tennis player Simona Halep is today playing Maria Sharapova of Russia in the Roland Garros finals, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. On Thursday in the semi-finals, the Romanian outperformed Andrea Petkovic of Germany in two sets. It is for the first time that Halep, who has been declared the woman tennis player with the greatest ascension in 2013, qualifies for a Grand Slam final. The last woman tennis player from Romania to play in a Grand Slam final was Virginia Ruzici, back in 1980, also at the Roland Garros, a tournament that she had won years before, in 1978.

HANDBALL — The Romanian men’s handball team is today playing Sweden as part of the first leg of the 2015 World Cup playoffs. Romania’s coach Christian Gaudin expressed confidence ahead of the match and in the potential of the handballers, although recognizing the team from Sweden is favourite to win the game. The return leg will be played on June 15 in Goteborg.

ABSORPTION OF EU FUNDS — The European Commission doesn’t want the Strategic Partnership with Romania to be politicised, spokesperson of the EU Commissioner for Regional Development Johannes Hahn said on Friday in Brussels. The EU official denied there were any deficiencies, lack of transparency or alleged frauds in Romania’s absorption of EU funds, as claim certain online publications in Bucharest. Shirin Wheeler said the Government had a flexible and transparent dialogue with the Commission, while Romanian authorities have responded positively to all recommendations of European officials. Evidence of that is the fact that none of Romania’s programmes is suspended at present. According to the latest European Commission figures, Romania’s rate of absorption went beyond 45%, Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels reports.

ARRESTS– The Bucharest Court of Appeal on Friday decided to place businessman Dan Adamescu under pre-emptive arrest for 30 days for bribe giving. The decision is not final and can be challenged. Seen as the second richest Romanian in the country, Adamescu is accused of having bribed two judges in exchange for favourable rulings in the cases of insolvency of companies he owns shares in. In another development, the vice-president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority and a director with ENEL, an important electricity supplier, have been detained for bribe giving and influence peddling. In other court cases, the head of the infrastructure and public services department of the Bucharest City Hall was arrested for abuse of office, forgery of deeds and influence peddling. Also, a former director of the Bucharest Public Transport Utility was arrested for abuse of office in a court case causing the state a prejudice of some 820,000 euros.

D-DAY 70th ANNIVERSARY-19 of the most important world leaders, among whom US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Queen Elisabeth II of Great Britain and Russian President Vladimir Putin, celebrated on Friday, on the French beaches of Normandy, 70 years since the decisive moment of victory over Nazi Germany, in WW II. The ceremonies were however overshadowed by the Ukraine crisis and the tense relations with Russia, following Crimea’s annexation. The Allies’ Landing, also known in history as D-Day, proved a vital move for the liberation of France, the annihilation of Germany’s troops in Western Europe and the end of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime.

MEETING — Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday met in Paris with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko on the sideline of the celebration of 70 years since the landing of Allied forces in Normandy. According to sources close to president Francois Hollande, the meeting lasted 15 minutes and resulted in some progress with a view to solving the crisis in Ukraine. Putin also had an informal meeting with his US counterpart Barack Obama. On the ground, pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine are allegedly controlling some 200 km of the Ukrainian border with Russia. The Ukrainian army is deployed in what it has termed an anti-terrorist military operation in southern Ukraine, to appease the separatists rebellion. Violence has escalated in Donetsk and Luhansk, where dozens were killed and scores of civilians were wounded in clashes between Ukrainian military and pro-Russian rebels.

ECONOMY– A joint mission of the IMF, the European Commission and the World Bank is currently in Bucharest, until June the 16th, on a third assessment of the precautionary stand-by agreement signed with Romania last autumn. On Friday, representatives of the international lenders had talks at the Health Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the National Bank of Romania. The talks were mainly aimed at finding solutions to introduce a 5% reduction in employer social security contributions, as of July the 1st. Following this week’s talks with representatives of the international lenders, the Romanian government has approved a series of measures meant to render the railway sector more efficient. These measures are part of Romania’s general transport master-plan.

THEATRE– The 21st edition of the International Theatre Festival, the largest event of its kind in Romania, opens its doors in the central Romanian town of Sibiu. For ten days, hundreds of events, put up by 2,500 actors, artists and directors from 70 countries will turn Sibiu into a huge stage. The highlights of the festival will include theatre shows, dance, music, street performances, circus shows, exhibitions, reading sessions and conferences. Theatre critics rank Sibfest the 3rd largest festival of its kind in the world, after those in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Avignon in France.

TENNIS– Romanian tennis player Simona Halep will go up one position in WTA standings on Monday, being ranked 3rd in the world, irrespective of the result she will have scored in Saturday’s Roland Garros final against Russian Maria Sharapova. Halep has reached the finals of the second largest Grand Slam tournament of the year after defeating German Andrea Petkovic in two sets. It is for the first time that Halep, who has been declared the woman tennis player with the greatest ascension in 2013, qualifies for a Grand Slam final. The last woman tennis player from Romania to play in a Grand Slam final was Virginia Ruzici, back in 1980, also at the Roland Garros, a tournament that she had won years before, in 1978.

ARREST — National Anti-corruption Prosecutors have detained the director of the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture Dorel Benu and the head of the Suceava Police Department as part of a corruption case involving the misuse of EU funds. Benu faces corruption allegations in some 240 court cases, referring to illegal subsidies granted to natural and legal persons, as well as to certain parishes and monasteries. A total of 20 people are currently being investigated.

MEETING — US president Barack Obama on Wednesday is meeting in Warsaw with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko. On Tuesday Obama expressed his country’s support for Ukraine, particularly at economic level, and has called on Moscow to use its influence to pacify pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine. The White House leader also expressed his country’s commitment to guaranteeing the security of its allies in Eastern Europe. Obama said he would ask Congress to disburse 1 billion dollars to deploy new troops in the region. The developments in Ukraine will also rank high on the agenda of the G7 summit, which is due to start on Wednesday evening in Brussels. This will be the first summit after Russia was excluded from G8 and the G8 summit in Sochi was cancelled.

UKRAINE — Kiev authorities are considering the possibility of declaring martial law in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where the army has mounted a strong counter-offensive against pro-Russian separatists. Two Ukrainian military were killed and another 45 wounded in clashes over the last 24 hours, a Ukrainian official involved in the operation has announced. The offensive continues on Wednesday near Slaviansk, a hotbed of pro-Russian separatism. In another development, forces loyal to the self-proclaimed Republic of Luhansk have occupied a military base in this city.

IMF MISSION TO BUCHAREST — Talks continue in Bucharest between Romanian authorities and the joint delegation of the IMF, the European Commission and the World Bank, which is in Bucharest on a new mission to assess Romania’s standby agreement concluded with these institutions last autumn. IMF representatives yesterday discussed technicalities at the Finance Ministry and met with National Bank officials. Talks focused on monetary policy, inflation and the stability of the banking sector. IMF officials also met with the members of the joint parliamentary budget and finance committees. The main topic of interest was the Government’s intention to cut back 5% on employers’ social security contributions, as well as means of implementing this measure without increasing the budget deficit.

ELECTIONS — The presidential elections in Damascus came to a close on Tuesday, with the final results expected to be made public on Thursday. Current president Bashar al-Assad is expected to win by a large margin, despite the three years of ongoing civil war, the BBC reports. Described as a hoax by the opposition, the election was harshly criticized by Western powers. Syria has entered its fourth year of civil war, which has so far killed over 160,000 people and forced nearly 10 million people, tantamount to half of the country’s population, into exile.

REPORT — Romania reported a 3.8% economic growth in the first three months of the year, up by 0.1% as compared to the last quarter of 2013, recent data made public by the National Institute of Statistics read. Industry had the largest contribution to the increase of the country’s GDP, accounting to 2.3%. According to the report, constructions, financial mediation services, insurance brokerage, professional activities and administrative services have had a negative impact on the evolution of the gross domestic product.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ranked 4th in WTA standings, is today playing Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals of the Roland Garros tournament in Paris. Halep has two wins and two losses against the Russian player. In the event of a victory, the Romanian player will play either Sara Errani of Italy or Andrea Petkovich of Germany in the semi-finals. In the doubles event, the pair made up of Florin Mergea and Marin Draganja of Croatia will play Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez of Spain.

FOOTBALL MATCH — Romania’s football team is tonight playing Algeria in a friendly match in Geneva, Switzerland. Algeria will play at the forthcoming World Cup to be held in Brazil. This will be the last friendly match played by Romania ahead of the 2016 European Championship qualifiers. In a friendly match on Friday, Romania outperformed Albania 1-nil.