Tag: News

Centre. The Romanian government is today approving a bill on the creation of a Centre of excellence for public administration in the field of sustainable development. This will support innovation in the public sector and the formation and fostering of a future-orientated mindset in public administration, the government said. The centre will support the creation of a regional network in the area of sustainable development in Romania’s 8 development regions and the coordination of their activity at national level. The government will also approve a draft emergency order on the establishment of measures for the drafting of a social national plan for climate needed by Romania to be able to access non-reimbursable external funds as part of the Social Climate Fund.

Romania-Egypt. Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu today had official talks with Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat. The two officials reiterated their countries’ common interest in consolidating dialogue and cooperation, both with respect to bilateral relations and in regional and international matters. Minister Odobescu conveyed Romania’s appreciation for Egypt’s efforts to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East and Africa and thanked the Egyptian authorities for their help with the repatriation of Romanian citizens from the Gaza Strip. She also reiterated Romania’s support for the consolidation of the EU-Egypt Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership. The Egyptian minister, who co-chairs the mixed committee for economic, technical and scientific cooperation between Romania and Egypt, voiced her country’s interest in developing economic and sectoral relations with Romania. She also referred to the extended efforts of the government in Cairo for the development of international economic partnerships and the efficient management of the economic effects of regional crises.

Defence. Romania is ready to fulfil its obligations for maintaining security, said defence minister Angel Tîlvăr on Tuesday in Pristina, where he met the command of the KFOR peace keeping mission, to which Romania has a significant contribution, and with the Romanian military deployed to this theatre of operations. The minister is visiting the Western Balkans at the start of a new rotation of a large number of the troops deployed to Pristina, in Kosovo, and to Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Hertegovina. As a NATO and EU member state, Romania is ready to fulfil its obligations and support allied efforts to maintain security and promote peace in the Western Balkans, said Angel Tîlvăr. He is travelling to Sarajevo today for talks with his counterpart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, the commander of the European Union’s Force in Bosnia and Hertegovina, the commander of the NATO force in Sarajevo and Romanian military stationed at this base.

Holocaust. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday issued a statement on the National Day of Commemorating the Holocaust, saying terrorism, hatred, violence, disinformation and hate speech are again gaining ground and that it is the responsibility of today’s generations to put a stop to them. He reiterated the commitment of the Romanian state to democratic values and the respect for human dignity. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu also said anti-Semitism is tragically a reality today, but that it is our duty not to make it a reality of the future.

Nobel. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to the American researcher David Baker from the Washington School of Medicine for computational protein design and to the British researchers Demis Hassabis and John Jumper from Google Deepmind for protein structure prediction, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has announced. In 2023, the prize was shared by Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. The prizes will be awarded during a special ceremony held on 10^th December, on the day when Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, passed away in 1896. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has so far announced this year’s prizes for medicine and physics.

Commemoration. The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest hosted an event to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack of 7^th October 2023 in Israel. The event was also attended by prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, Israel’s ambassador to Bucharest Lior Ben Dor, ministers, senior officials, diplomats, ambassadors and MPs. On Monday, one year after the atrocious Hamas attacks against the State of Israel, the Romanian government reiterated its firm condemnation of the attacks and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas. In a statement, the government said Romania supports the efforts of the international community to achieve a ceasefire resulting in the release of hostages and a continual, safe and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. “Bucharest will never cease to support efforts aimed at securing sustainable peace in the Middle East”, the statement concludes.

Heritage. Heritage experts and top European and Romanian officials gathered in Bucharest to discuss public policy priorities for the protection of cultural heritage at EU level as part of the European Cultural Heritage Summit held between the 6^th and the 8^th of October. The event is organised by the Europa Nostra network under the patronage of the Romanian president and with the support of the European Commission, the ministry of culture and Bucharest City Hall. Researchers, decision makers, artists, historians and leading figures from civil society and the community of European heritage are meeting today for an event entitled “European Heritage Policy Agora – Upholding Quality Principles in Heritage Conservation”. Talks will focus on the concept of quality in the restoration and preservation of cultural heritage, as well as the priorities for the future agenda of the European Commission. The participants will analyse the links between the EU’s major policies, such as the Green Deal and New European Bauhaus, and the key documents on the preservation of heritage, such as the European Quality Principles and the Davos Baukultur Quality System.

Law. The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday passed a bill stipulating that causing or facilitating prostitution or obtaining a profit from prostitution by minors is punishable with 7 to 15 years in prison or 10 to 20 in case of persons with previous convictions for crimes against sexual freedom and integrity, child pornography,  people trafficking, child trafficking and pimping. The bill amends and supplements the Criminal Code in respect of the criminalisation of people trafficking and pimping. The crime of exploitation will also include obliging a person to commit acts covered by criminal law.

Nobel. John Hopfield, from the United States, and Canadian Geoffrey Hinton won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in the field of machine learning using artificial neural networks. According to a press release from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, “This technology was originally inspired by the structure of the brain. In an artificial neural network, the brain’s neurons are represented by nodes that have different values. These nodes influence each other through connections that can be likened to synapses and which can be made stronger or weaker. The network is trained, for example by developing stronger connections between nodes with simultaneously high values.”

Schengen. The European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson supports Romania’s and Bulgaria’s also entering Schengen by land by the end of the year. She told the European Parliament in Strasbourg that this is the message she will convey to the Justice and Home Affairs Council taking place in Luxembourg on Thursday. The statement was made during a European Parliament debate on the reintroduction of border controls by some EU and Schengen member states and its effects on the free movement area. Ylva Johansson emphasised that this must be a temporary and last resort measure.

Elections. 16 candidates were admitted to the race for the presidency of Romania. Mandatory documents must be submitted until October 10, when the list of competitors will become definitive. The first round of the presidential elections is scheduled for November 24, and the second for December 8. The presidential election campaign officially begins on October 25. More on this after the news.

State aid. The European Union announced on Monday that it approved a state aid scheme requested by Romania under which the government is to channel 500 million euros into investments in the local production of biofuel. The financing will be made through direct subsidy out of the EU Modernisation Fund and targets the production of advanced biofuels with a view to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The aid, which can be granted by the end of 2025, will help step up the development of renewable energy and the fulfilment of the Union’s medium and energy objectives, the Commission also said.

Summit. Almost 800 professionals promoting the preservation of cultural heritage from Europe and Romania as well as officials gathered in Bucharest for the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2024, an event organised, between October 6 and 8, by Europa Nostra – the largest and most representative heritage network in Europe. The agenda of talks covers public policy priorities at the European level, as well as in the relationship with the Romanian authorities. Specialists in the field celebrate the best built heritage conservation projects that won the Europa Nostra competition. Among them are two projects from Romania – The Saxon Church in Alma Vii (center) and the Church of Saint Michael in Cluj-Napoca (north-west).

Tribute. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, On Monday paid tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack committed one year ago by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in southern Israel and reiterated the EU’s call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the unconditional release of all hostages. The attack committed by Hamas “caused immense suffering not only to the people of Israel, but also to the innocent Palestinians”, said von der Leyen, who promised humanitarian and financial assistance for the Palestinian people and Lebanon. Bucharest hosted a ceremony on Monday to commemorate the victims of the Hamas attack one year ago. The Romanian foreign ministry and government again called for an immediate ceasefire and the foreign ministry said in a statement that Romania never stopped calling over the past year for the immediate release of the hostages held in Gaza, constantly reiterating the need to protect civilians. On October 7, 2023, Hamas commandos entered southern Israel, where they killed over 1,200 people and kidnapped some 250. The Israeli Defence Forces retaliated with an intense bombing campaign, followed by a complex ground operation against Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip.

Francophonie. President Klaus Iohannis on Sunday visited Romania’s pavilion at the Francophonie Village in Paris. The over 30 participants presented concerts, films, debates and other cultural activities over the course of a few days. Iohannis began his trip to France on Friday to attend the Francophonie Summit. In his address, he said education in French is a tool that can be very important for the professional success and mobility of young people. He added that as a “lighthouse” of the Francophonie in the region, Romania is aware of its responsibility and mission, and its commitments within the global framework of Francophone solidarity, actively supporting the mobility of young Francophone students and researchers and the education of women and girls. President Iohannis also recalled that last year in March, Bucharest hosted the economic and commercial mission of the International Organisation of the Francophonie.

Schengen. The entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area is, once again, on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council held in a few days’ time. Hungary, the country which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council and which supports the full entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the European ​​free movement area, will present the current stage of the full implementation of the Schengen Acquis by the two countries, following the elimination of air and sea border controls at the end of March. In order to establish the date of the elimination of land border controls, a new unanimous decision by the Council members is needed. The final meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council this year will be held in the first part of December.

Heritage. Between the 6^th and the 8^th of October, Bucharest is playing host to the European Cultural Heritage Summit and the award ceremony of the Europa Nostra prizes. Experts in cultural heritage will discuss the public policy priorities at European level and in respect to the Romanian authorities and will celebrate the best projects for the preservation of the built heritage that won the Europa Nostra competition. Two projects from Romania are among them, namely the Saxon Church in Alma Vii, in the centre, and St. Michael’s Church in Cluj Napoca, in the north-west. The event is hosted by the National Museum of Art in Bucharest.

Elections. Saturday was the deadline for the submission of candidacies for the presidential elections  in Romania. The first round will be held on 24^th November and the second on 8^th December. The candidates include  the leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu, the president of the National Liberal Party, also in government, Nicolae Ciuca, the leader of the Save Romania Union Elena Lasconi, and the former NATO deputy secretary general Mircea Geoana. The final list of presidential candidates will be published on 10^th October, after all challenges filed with the Constitutional Court of Romania are solved.

Tennis. The all-Romanian pair Monica Niculescu and Gabriela Ruse won the doubles title at the WTA 125 tennis tournament in Hong Kong. They defeated Nao Hibino and Makoto Ninomiya of Japan in three sets, 6-3, 5-7, 10-5. Another Romanian player, Ana Bogdan, ranked 120 in the world, lost to Japan’s Mai Hontama, world no 116, and missed qualifying for the main draw in the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan, China. She was defeated in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6.

Schengen. The entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area is, once again, on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council held in a few days’ time. Hungary, the country which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council and which supports the full entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the European ​​free movement area, will present the current stage of the full implementation the Schengen Acquis by the two countries, following the elimination of air and sea border controls at the end of March. In order to establish the date of the elimination of land border controls, a new unanimous decision by the Council members is needed. The final meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council this year will be held in the first part of December.

Heritage. Between the 6^th and the 8^th of October, Bucharest is playing host to the European Cultural Heritage Summit and the award ceremony of the Europa Nostra prizes. Experts in cultural heritage will discuss the public policy priorities at European level and in respect to the Romanian authorities and will celebrate the best projects for the preservation of the built heritage that won the Europa Nostra competition. Two projects from Romania are among them, namely the Saxon Church in Alma Vii, in the centre, and St. Michael’s Church in Cluj Napoca, in the north-west. The event is hosted by the National Museum of Art in Bucharest.

Elections. Saturday was the deadline for the submission of candidacies for the presidential elections  in Romania. The first round will be held on 24^th November and the second on 8^th December. The candidates include  the leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu, the president of the National Liberal Party, also in government, Nicolae Ciuca, the leader of the Save Romania Union Elena Lasconi, and the former NATO deputy secretary general Mircea Geoana. The final list of presidential candidates will be published on 10^th October, after all challenges filed with the Constitutional Court of Romania are solved.

Middle East. At least 24 people were killed and 93 wounded on Saturday night in an air strike carried out by Israel against a mosque and school in Gaza where displaced persons were sheltering. Monday is the one-year commemoration of the Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 kidnapped, which led to the start of the war. 42,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed so far, and almost the entire population of Gaza has been displaced in the conflict, which has also caused a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel has repeatedly come under criticism for the way it is waging this war. On Saturday, thousands of people took to the streets around the world, including London, Rome, New York, Washington and Cape Town to call for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza and Lebanon. A similar event was held in Paris, where president Emmanuel Macron called for the halt of arms sales to Israel. The 88 members of the International Organisation of La Francophonie meeting in Paris, unanimously called for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Lebanon, which is also a member of this organisation.

Tennis. The all-Romanian pair Monica Niculescu and Gabriela Ruse won the doubles title at the WTA 125 tennis tournament in Hong Kong. They defeated Nao Hibino and Makoto Ninomiya of Japan in three sets, 6-3, 5-7, 10-5. Another Romanian player, Ana Bogdan, ranked 120 in the world, lost to Japan’s Mai Hontama, world no 116, and missed qualifying for the main draw in the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan, China. She was defeated in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6.

Football. The Romanian football squad are training in Mogosoaia ahead of their Nations League matches against Cprus, on 12^th October, and Lithuania, on 15^th October, both away. In their group so far, Romania defeated Lithuania 3-1 at home and Kosovo 3-nil, leading the group with 6 points. The 2024-2025 Nations League season is also important ahead of the qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Francophonie. Romania is promoting a vision of the Francophonie in which education, research, mobility and young people’s access to the labour market occupy a central place, president Klaus Iohannis posted on social media. He began a two-day visit to France on Friday to attend the Francophonie Summit. The 19th High-level Conference of the heads of state or government of the 88 member states, full members, associate members and observers of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) has the theme “Create, innovate and do business in French” (Creer, innover, entreprendre en francais). According to a statement from the president’s office, the participation of the Romanian president in the Francophonie Summit is an opportunity to highlight the country’s contribution to the global effort to transform and adapt multilateralism and the role of the Organisation, in a context marked by major challenges to the rules-based international order. President Iohannis is expected to attend a round-table discussion on the subject of the integration of Francophone young people into the labour market and the political priorities in the Francophone world. He will call for the consolidation of university and academic Francophonie, which is one of Romania’s major contributions to the Organisation.

Moldova. Only a few weeks ahead of presidential elections and a referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union, Romania’s prime minister Marcel Ciolacu promised on Friday in Chişinău that his country would continue to support Moldova to achieve its European dream. After being received by president Maia Sandu, who is tipped to win a new term in office, Ciolacu said that in order to maintain Moldova on course for Europe it was important for Sandu to win the elections and for the referendum on EU accession to pass successfully. He added that joint projects and investments would continue in the coming period. Prime minister Ciolacu also met his counterpart Dorin Recean, who called for deeper cooperation in the area of infrastructure and in the economic and trade areas, which would bring Moldova closer to Europe. He said economic and trade exchanges had grown constantly, and Romania was the biggest and most stable market for Moldovan exports.

Repatriation. More Romanian citizens and their family members will be repatriated from Lebanon, the defence ministry in Bucharest said on Friday. A Romanian Air Force cargo plane is carrying out a new humanitarian mission to Lebanon, taking around 10 tonnes of food products from the state reserve and bringing back on its return journey people who have requested assistance from the foreign ministry, amid the deterioration of the security situation in the Middle East. 69 people were repatriated from Lebanon on Thursday, according to the foreign ministry in Bucharest. More than 1,100 Romanian nationals and family members informed the Romanian embassy in Beirut of their presence  in Lebanon.

Football. The Romanian football champions FCSB won their second match in  in the new Europa League format, after beating the Greek champions PAOK Thessaloniki 1-nil on Thursday evening. The Greek team is managed by the Romanian coach Razvan Lucescu. In the first match of the group, FCSB defeated the Latvian side RFS 4-1at home. FCSB, Lazio, Lyon, Tottenham and Anderlecht are the only teams with maximum points after two Europa League legs. The next match of the Romanian champions is also away, against the Scottish side Glasgow Rangers.

Academic year. Most state universities in Romania begin courses today, while private universities set their own date for the start of the academic year. 52 state universities offer over 2,200 different degrees and study programmes, and 34 private universities offer 338 degrees and specialisations.

Cooperation. Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday received a delegation led by the minister president of the German federal land of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, who is paying a working visit to Romania. Two joint declarations were signed aimed at consolidating cooperation between the Romanian government and the government of Baden-Württemberg and bilateral cooperation in the area of civil protection. The former declaration reiterated the good collaboration between the two sides and the joint support for the Republic of Moldova. The signing of the two documents is an extremely important step towards deepening and expanding bilateral cooperation, all the more so as Baden-Württemberg is Romania’s biggest commercial partner among all German lands, said prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. The level of trade exchanges reached 8.32 billion euros in 2023. Ciolacu also highlighted the contribution of the sizeable Romanian community in Baden-Württemberg to deepening bilateral cooperation.

Parliament. Romanian senators and deputies are meeting tomorrow in a joint parliamentary session to appoint the members of the National Bank’s board of directors. Political sources say the current governor Mugur Isărescu, who has held this post since 1990, has the backing to secure yet a new term. Also on Tuesday, Parliament will also discuss two requests from president Klaus Iohannis, one regarding the participation of the Romanian Army in the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine command and another referring to the creation on national territory of a maritime training facility for Ukrainian personnel. The two chambers of Parliament will also be briefed on Romania’s allowing the transition of equipment and material assets donated by Sweden to Ukraine and on its hosting a US naval forces special operations contingent for a period of two years.

Middle East. Romania’s foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescuhas again advised Romanian citizens to avoid travelling to Lebanon owing to the security situation in the region. She advised Romanian citizens already in Lebanon and who cannot leave the country to inform the Romanian embassy in Beirut of their whereabouts. “We are in permanent contact and coordinating with our colleagues at the embassy and our counterparts in the region. We are also coordinating through our consulates with the embassies of the other EU member states and the other partners in the region”, the Romanian foreign minister also said.

Tennis. Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian lost to Karolina Muchova in straight sets today, 6-1, 6-3, in the third round of the WTA 1000 tennis tournament in Beijing, worth almost 9 million dollars in prize money. Last Saturday, Jaqueline Cristian defeated world no. 10 Barbora Krejcikova in three sets, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Weather. The Romanian authorities on Sunday decided to evacuate 23 localities in the east of the country, as heavy rain, wind and floods are expected. The interior ministry also decided to double its rapid reaction staff on stand-by in the areas under a red and orange code alert and to send text messages to the population to warn of bad weather. It was also decided to consolidate the sandbag barriers created in flood-risk areas. Flash floods are also expected. Warnings are in place from Sunday evening until Tuesday across most of the country. The Romanian Waters National Administration says it is keeping a close eye on the Romanian section of the Danube. People have been advised not to cross waterways and stay clear of water banks, and, in case of strong winds, to stay away from trees, electricity poles and advertising boards, while car trips to the areas where warnings are in place are to be avoided. Over the next 24 hours, temperatures are also expected to drop. Wind speed is expected to range from 50 to 70 km/hour and snow is expected at altitudes of over 1,700 m. The highs of the days will be between 10 and 19 degrees Celsius.

Visas. Romania’s foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu emphasised how important it is for Romania to join the US Visa Waiver program. On a trip to the US to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, Odobescu said that, despite a series of procedures yet to be finalised, she received positive signals in respect of Romania’s application. She said the team effort of the foreign and interior ministries and the prime minister’s office must continue until the goal is achieved that Romanian citizens would no longer need visas to travel to the US. The government pledged to fulfil the technical criteria for joining the US Visa Waiver program by September 30^th this year, which is when the US fiscal year comes to an end. The conditions include a refusal rate below 3% of visa applications for business or tourism travel to the US during the previous fiscal year.

Middle East. The Romanian foreign ministry has again urged Romanian citizens to avoid travelling to Lebanon owing to the deterioration of the security situation in the region and those who find themselves there and cannot leave the region to inform the Romanian embassy of their whereabouts. The ministry says it is in constant contact with the embassy staff and via its consulates, with the embassies of the other EU member states and other partners in the region. The conflict between Israel and the Lebanese terrorist organisation Hezbollah has escalated after the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by the Israeli security forces. Iran-backed Hezbollah responded with a new rocket attack against Israel and promised to continue the fight. After the Hamas attack on Israel on 7^th October 2023 and Israel’s operations in Gaza, Hezbollah has carried out air strikes from the south of Lebanon to the north of Israel, in solidarity with Hamas.

Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep will be facing Australia’s Arina Rodionova in the first round of the Hong Kong WTA125 tournament on 1^st October. Halep, who got a wild card to play in that competition, is currently ranked 1,130 in the world and hasn’t played since May, when she withdrew from the first round of Trophee Clarins in Paris. Two-time Grand Slam champion Halep returned to professional tennis on 20^th March as her doping ban was reduced from 4 years to 9 months. Another Romanian player in action in Hong Kong will be Gabriela Ruse, no. 93 in the world, who will face Alycia Parks of the US, no. 128 in the world. The Hong Kong tournament is taking place between 30^th September and 6^th October.

Visas. Romania’s foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu emphasised how important it is for Romania to join the US Visa Waiver program. On a trip to the US to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, Odobescu said that, despite a series of procedures yet to be finalised, she received positive signals in respect of Romania’s application. She said the team effort of the foreign and interior ministries and the prime minister’s office must continue until the goal is achieved that Romanian citizens will no longer need visas to travel to the US. The government pledged to fulfil the technical criteria for joining the US Visa Waiver program by September 30^th this year, which is when the US fiscal year comes to an end. The conditions include a refusal rate below 3% of visa applications for business or tourism travel to the US during the previous fiscal year.

Weather. Bad weather warnings have been updated and extended in Romania. A red code alert for torrential and heavy rain is in place in Galaţi county, in the south-east, from Sunday night until Monday morning. Heavy rain and wind are in fact expected until Tuesday morning across most than half of Romania. The yellow and orange code alerts remain in place today and are extended until tomorrow morning. The south-west is under a yellow code, and the north-east, south-east, the south and the mountains are under an orange code, while snow is expected in the mountains at altitudes of over 1,700 m. The weather is also becoming unstable and significantly colder in the capital Bucharest. Rain is expected later in the day, while temperatures will not go beyond 25 degrees Celsius.

Flooding. The Bucharest-Ilfov Inspectorate for Emergency Situations warned of extreme weather events on Sunday and Sunday night and urged people to seek protection and comply with the advice given by the authorities. The Inspectorate said text alerts were issued for the inhabitants of Bucharest. Across the country, the fire fighting services have despatched more equipment to boost their operational capacity. The Romanian Waters National Administration says it is keeping a close eye on the Romanian section of the Danube, with waters expected to swell in the coming days following heavy rain. A water flow of 9,000-9.500 cubic metres per second is expected as a result. Sandbag barriers have been created along the river in the sections more vulnerable to flooding to protect nearby settlements.

Middle East. The Romanian foreign ministry has again urged Romanian citizens to avoid travelling to Lebanon owing to the deterioration of the security situation in the region and those who find themselves there and cannot leave the region to inform the Romanian embassy of their whereabouts. The ministry says it is in constant contact with the embassy staff and via its consulates, with the embassies of the other EU member states and other partners in the region. The conflict between Israel and the Lebanese terrorist organisation Hezbollah has escalated after the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by the Israeli security forces. Iran-backed Hezbollah responded with a new rocket attack against Israel and promised to continue the fight. After the Hamas attack on Israel on 7^th October 2023 and Israel’s operations in Gaza, Hezbollah has carried out air strikes from the south of Lebanon to the north of Israel, in solidarity with

Journalist. The National Audiovisual Council in Bucharest on Saturday called for the protection of the Romanian journalist Mircea Barbu, a correspondent for the online publication HotNews. The Council also condemned the decision of Russia’s Federal Security Service to start criminal investigations against the Romanian journalist and two other foreign journalists, who only did their duty in the areas of conflict between Ukrainian and Russian forces. The Romanian foreign ministry also emphasised on Friday that the the media must be protected, not silenced. Moscow says the three journalists illegally crossed the Russian border from Ukraine to conduct reports in the occupied region in Kursk where the Ukrainian army launched a surprise attack on 6 August, the first by a foreign army into Russia since WWII.

Drones. Inhabitants in the north of Tulcea county, near the Danube river, last night received text alerts on their phones during Russia’s drone attack on targets in neighbouring Ukraine. Later, the defence ministry in Bucharest said the Russian troops carried out new strikes against civilian and port infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania. To monitor the situation, 4 planes were lifted belonging to the Romanian Air Forces planes and the Spanish Air Forces as part of the enhanced air policing mission. According to the defence ministry, it is possible that one of the drones may have crossed the Romanian airspace briefly, but no impact with the ground was reported. The defence ministry firmly condemned Russia’s new strikes against Ukrainian civilian and port infrastructure targets, which it described as unjustified and in grave contradiction to international law.

Journalists. Russia’s Federal Security Service opened criminal investigations against three journalists, two American and one Romanian, who allegedly crossed the Russian border illegally from Ukraine to report on the occupied region of Kursk, said France Presse, quoting Russian news agencies. The Romanian journalist, by the name of Mircea Barbu, works for HotNews.ro. A total of 12 investigations were started against 12 foreign journalists under similar charges. The journalists are not believed to be in Russia, but are facing up to 5 years in prison under the Russian criminal code. We recall that the Ukrainian army launched a surprising attack in the border region of Kursk, the first by a foreign army into Russia after WWII.

Storm. The Romanian authorities will mobilise additional forces in the counties where they are expecting problems caused by Storm Ashley. Heavy rain is expected around the country starting on Sunday afternoon for at least 24 hours, while temperatures will drop significantly, from 34 to 15 degrees Celsius. Operative meetings were held at the government, with the Romanian authorities preparing for extreme weather phenomena. The situation on the Danube is also being monitored, but the director general of the Romanian Waters, Sorin Lucaci, is not expecting great problems. According to hydrologists, the flow of the river Danube on entry into the country will reach 7,600 cubic metres per second, and even up to 9,500 cubic metres after the rainfalls and the water brought by the rivers.

Researchers. The Researchers’ Night is today celebrated in Bucharest and other cities in Romania, with events and activities meant to show the public what it means to be a researcher and how interesting research work is. The National Natural History Museum in Bucharest invites science lovers to discover, among others, invisible details of specimens through electronic microscope. The Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy exhibits fragments of meteorite recovered from various places around the planet, as well as models of the main types of special vehicles currently used to explore space. In the Children’s Park in Bucharest, researchers present innovative projects, original experiments and demonstrations of natural phenomena and latest technology. Every year at the end of September, researchers from 23 countries and over 400 cities in Europe are celebrating the contribution of science to the sustainable development of a better society.

Foreign workers. Romania has become an increasingly attractive destination for foreign workers, owing to economic growth and local deficit of labour in various sectors. The number of individual employment contracts last year passed 200,000. Most workers come from Asia, states with a modest living standard. Experts are warning that integrating foreign workers is not easy, but their contribution to the local economy is essential for maintaining the pace of development. The Romanian authorities wish to introduce a legislative framework to help migrants. According to the National Institute for Statistics, Romania had an active population of 8.4 million people in the April-June period, of whom 7.9 million were in employment and 421,000 unemployed.

Football. FCSB defeated the Latvian side RFS 4-1 on Thursday evening at the National Arena in Bucharest, in the first leg of the new Europa League format. The Romanian champions will play seven matches in the group, taking on Glasgow Rangers, Manchester United, PAOK Thessaloniki and Olympiakos Piraeus, as well as Hoffenheim. FCSB is the only Romanian side playing in the European cups.

UN. However insecure the world is today, the answer to our problems will always be more cooperation and more solidarity, said Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis in his address at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. He also highlighted Romania’s efforts and contribution to solving current global challenges, from security crises such as the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict to the major challenges facing the world. Iohannis pointed out that security is not a regional, but a global matter, and that the war waged by Russia in Ukraine has affected nations and people around the globe.

Ukraine. The United States said on Wednesday that it will send military aid to Ukraine worth 375 million dollars at a time when Kyiv is trying to convince the West to authorise the use of long-range missiles against Russian territory, France Presse news agency reports. The new aid package includes munitions, armoured vehicles and rockets, says the US State Department. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday told the UN General Assembly in New York that his country at war with Russia will never agree to a peace imposed by the big powers. He also accused Russia’s president Vladimir Putin of planning to attack Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure.

Economy. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development significantly revised downwards its economic growth forecast for Romania this year, as the lower outsourcing demand has hit the IT sector, according to a report published today. The EBRD expects Romania’s GDP to grow by 1.4% this year, down from its previous estimate of 3.2% in May. For next year, the EBRD expects a 2.6% growth, down from the 3.4% figure proposed in May. The increase in the minimum wage in Romania and Bulgaria has stimulated demand but led to a growth in the trade deficit and added to inflationist pressure, the report also says. The EBRD recalls that the latest forecasts of the Tax Council in Bucharest indicate an increase in the budget deficit to around 8% of GDP this year. The International Monetary Fund also revised downwards its forecast concerning Romania’s economic growth this year, from 3.8% in October last year to 2.8% in its World Economic Outlook published in April this year. Last week, the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis revised its estimates concerning GDP growth down to 2.8% from 3.4% previously.

Schengen. The European Commission has reiterated its position that Romania and Bulgaria are prepared for a full entry to the Schengean area. A spokesman for the European Commission said Romania and Bulgaria are ready and must fully benefit from Schengen membership in response to a question about the consequences of introducing internal border controls by a number of Schengen states. Ten days ago, Germany introduced 6-month controls on all its land borders in order to combat illegal migration. Romania partly joined the free-movement Schengen area at the end of March this year, with air and sea controls lifted but land border controls still in place, owing to a lack of consensus in the EU Council, with a decision in this respect yet to be made.

Children. The number of Romanian children whose parents are working abroad dropped by 17% in the last year, according to statistics. More and more parents are returning to their home country and are able to support their children financially without having to leave the country. However, more than 60,000 children from around 50,000 families live apart from their loved ones. An alarming fact is that some of these children end up in the special protection system, where they are faced with the additional challenge of adapting to new environments and lack of constant contact with their parents. Specialists say the presence of a parent figure is essential for the emotional and social development of children.

Football. The Romanian football champions FCSB are today facing the Latvian side RFS at home in the first leg of the new Europa League format. FCSB will play a total of 8 matches in the group, taking on clubs like Rangers FC, Manchester United, PAOK Thessaloniki and Olympiacos Piraeus. FCSB are the only Romanian side to play in European competitions this season.

UN. President Klaus Iohannis will be heading Romania’s delegation at the 79^th session of the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York on the 24^th and 25^th September. The main theme is “Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for everyone everywhere”. According to a statement from the Romanian president’s office, Klaus Iohannis will give an address on Wednesday, in which he will call for maintaining multilateral dialogue, especially in a UN format, as an essential element of regional and global security. He is also expected to highlight his country’s efforts and contribution, at all levels, to finding solutions to current global challenges, from security crises like the war in Ukraine or the conflict in the Middle East, to major challenges facing the world, including the climate emergency and cyber threats.

Agriculture. The Romanian minister for agriculture and rural development Florin-Ionuţ Barbu is attending the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels. Talks focus on the situation of agricultural markets, especially in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and an assessment of the second year of the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy’s strategic plans. The ministers will also exchange views on the future annual consultations between the European Union and the United Kingdom on the fishing quota for 2025, as well as the annual consultations between the European Union and Norway and the coastal states for next year. The Council will discuss a Commission proposal to update fishing quotas for 2024 and 2025 for certain fish stocks to take into account the latest scientific approvals and events.

Elections. The Romanian foreign ministry has published a guide for postal voting ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections this year. The voter registration deadline for Romanian citizens with their domicile or residence abroad is 10^th October for the presidential elections and 17^th October for the parliamentary elections. Registration is made by filling in an online form available at votstrăinătate.ro, a website managed by the Permanent Electoral Authority.

Budget. The Romanian government is to approve a budget amendment proposed by the finance ministry that factors in growing incomes and expenditures leading to a higher budget deficit, and following a downwards revision of the economic growth rate. Healthcare, education and transports will receive more money. Prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu said on Saturday that he also supplemented the budgets of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation and the Romanian Television, to make up for the big salary gaps between the two public institutions. The budgets of the economy ministry and those of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will be slashed.

Handball. The Romanian women’s handball vice-champions CS Rapid Bucharest lost 37-29 to the German side HB Ludwigsburg at home on Sunday evening, in a Champions League Group B match. Rapid will next play Team Esbjerg away on 6^th October. The Romanian side are in 4^th place in their group, with 3 points in 3 matches. Previously, the Romanian champions CSM Bucharest defeated the Croatian side RK Podravka Vegeta Koprivnica 29-28 away, while CS Gloria 2018 Bistriţa-Năsăud lost at home to the Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana 30-35. CSM have four points in three matches played, and Gloria two points. The latter will play their next match away against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria on 5^th October, while CSM will face the Danish side Nykobing Falster Handbold at home on 6^th October.

Defence. The Bucharest Nine meeting of defence ministers was hosted in Bucharest by Romania’s defence minister Angel Tîlvăr. The B9 initiative includes Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Slovakia. The talks focused on the security situation in the region, amid the growing threat posed by Russia. Minister Tîlvăr called for a coordinated and robust response from NATO. He also said that the B9 states are deeply concerned about the repeated incursions of Russia’s drones and rockets into NATO airspace and the escalation of tensions along NATO’s borders. A number of NATO states neighbouring Ukraine have seen Russian drones and rockets entering their airspace, with Romania and Latvia being the most recent cases.

Ukraine. In Bucharest, on Wednesday, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, called on the Romanian partners to consider the possibility of shooting down Russian drones near the country’s airspace. After the meeting with the Romanian foreign minister Luminița Odobescu, Sybiha said that he was “grateful” for Bucharest’s “historic” decision to donate a Patriot system to Ukraine. “It is very important to strengthen the defence of Ukraine. It is a shield not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe”, the Ukrainian official said. Minister Odobescu reiterated Romania’s support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and again firmly condemned Russia’s war of aggression, which is an attack against the international rules-based order. Romania recently looked into the possibility to amend the legislation to allow the military to destroy suspicious drones entering its territory, after several Russian drones have illegally ended up in the Romanian airspace in the last year.

Storm Boris. More than 20 people have been killed in the torrential rain and flooding in Central and Eastern Europe brought over by storm Boris, the worst in Europe since 1997. Romania reported seven deaths, with casualties also reported in Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy. Flood warnings are still in place in Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia. In Romania, the authorities have begun assessing the damage caused by the floods in Galaţi county, in the east, which was worst hit. The government has approved emergency aid for the families affected.

Electricity. Electricity prices in the south of Europe are almost five times higher than in the Scandinavian countries and almost twice as high as in central and western Europe, according to an analysis made by Eurelectric, the European electricity industry association. Recently, the Greek government called on the European Union to react urgently to the increase in electricity prices in Central and Eastern Europe, also as a result of Russian strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. It also announced an initiative to create an intervention mechanism in partnership with Romania and Bulgaria, to be activated in the event of high prices. According to its own estimates, the European Union needs to invest almost 600 billion euros in modernising its electricity grids by 2030 to be able to take over more energy from renewable sources.

Industry. The Romanian government is planning to take measure to reindustrialise the economy, said prime minister Marcel Ciolacu on Wednesday. He said a national plan for big industry would be launched, consisting in a package of measures worth some 2 billion euros and centres around three main pillars. These include a support scheme for strategic investments in the processing industry, with a budget of 500 million euros; a national programme to support big industry, with a budget of 1 billion euros for the big companies; and, thirdly, a state-aid scheme worth 250 million euros for companies seeking investments in the production of industrial raw materials.

Energy. The Romanian government will ask for compensations from the European Union for the significant differences in energy prices between the west and the east of Europe, said energy minister Sebastian Burduja. He gave assurances that the domestic energy production is sufficient in the event of a mild or moderately cold winter, and in the event of a harsh winter, Romania has an interconnection capacity that allows it to supply the needed demand. According to official data, natural gas storages are filled up to 96.53%, which is 177.7 million cubic metres more than last year. Romania is still the European Union’s second largest gas producer.

Visa Waiver. Romania is very close to fulfilling all technical criteria to enter the Visa Waiver Program, said the country’s ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru. He had talks with the US secretary of homeland security Alejandro Mayorkas about the joint actions to be carried out by the two countries in the coming period for Romania to join the Visa Waiver Program. Muraru said Romania is weeks away from meeting the last technical requirement, the rejection rate. Under US law, an obligatory condition for a country to be considered eligible for the Visa Waiver Program is for the rejection rate of visitor visas to be under 3% in the year before joining the program.

Russia strike. The Romanian foreign ministry firmly condemns the Russian strike against a grain vessel in the Black Sea waters. “This is an unprecedented escalation of the actions of the Russian Federation in its illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine. The deliberate attack against a commercial vessel is a grave violation of humanitarian international law regarding warfare at sea”, said the foreign ministry in a statement. The ministry calls on the Russian Federation to put an end to all attacks against commercial vessels and to comply with the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. A Russian missile hit a commercial vessel in the Black Sea that was carrying grains from Ukraine to Egypt, with no casualties reported, said Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.

Tennis. Romania’s Cezar Creţu will face Yunchaokete Bu in the opening march of the Davis Cup World Group II in tennis held on Friday and Saturday in Craiova, in the south. In Friday’s second match, Filip Cristian Jianu will face Yi Zhou. Saturday begins with a doubles match between Victor Cornea and Bogdan Pavel of Romania and Fajing Sun and Rigele Te of China. In the final singles matches, Jianu will be playing Bu, while Creţu will be playing Zhou. The Romanian team, whose non-playing captain is Gabriel Trifu, also features Gabi Adrian Boitan, while China’s team, with Di Wu as non-playing captain, also features Aoran Wang. Romania and China never faced each other in the Davis Cup before.

Handball. The Romanian men’s handball champions Dinamo Bucharest categorically won their first match in the new Champions League, as they defeated the Danish side Fredericia Handbold Klub 37-28 in Group A, on Thursday evening at home. On Wednesday, in the first two group matches, Sporting Lisbon defeated Orlen Wisla Plock cu 34-29, while Paris Saint-Germain Handball defeated RK Eurofarm Pelister Bitola 31-29. Dinamo will next face the Polish side Orlen Wisla Plock away on the 18^th of September. Romania also has three women’s teams in competition in the Champions League, all of whom played last weekend: Gloria Bistriţa defeated CSM Bucharest, while Rapid Bucharest defeated Buducnost Podgorica.

Legislation. Romania needs to complement legislation on reaction to the entry into its airspace of hostile or unauthorised drones is the conclusion of a meeting of the Senate’s defence committee with representatives of the defence ministry, said the committee chair Nicoleta Pauliuc. She added that talks focused on the need to urgently pass new legislation that allows the defence ministry to fulfil its missions. “There is no risk of us not being able to fulfil our missions, our airspace is defended given that we are in NATO”, said explained. The defence ministry spokesman Constantin Spînu gave assurances that Romania’s airspace is well defended at the moment. However, the legislation in the field needs to be improved. The package of laws on national security will soon be adopted by the government and later sent to Parliament, he added. The debate was sparked after a number of Russian drones have this year ended up illegally in the Romanian airspace, in the context of the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Inflation. The annual inflation rate in Romania dropped in August to 5.1% from 5.42% in July, amid a rise in the price of food products by 4.25%, of non-food products by 4.35%, and of services by 8.60%, according to data published on Wednesday by the National Institute for Statistics. The National Bank of Romania revised its inflation forecast for the end of the year down to 4%, from 4.9% previously, and expects it to reach 3.4% at the end of 2025, according to the data presented in August by the governor of the National Bank Mugur Isărescu.

Elections. The electoral period for the presidential election in Romania begins on Thursday with the establishment of the Central Electoral Bureau, according to the timetable approved by the Romanian Government. The Bureau’s members will be appointed through a drawing of lots, and a day later the president of the bureau will be elected by secret ballot. Next, candidacies must be submitted by October 5 at the latest and the election campaign will begin on October 25. Romanian citizens with their domicile or residence abroad can vote by mail, and the deadline for submitting requests in this regard is September 24. The first round of the presidential election will take place on November 24, and the second on December 8. Romanians will also be voting on December 1, on the National Day, to elect their representatives in Parliament.

Energy. Half of the European Union’s electricity production this year came from renewable sources, according to a report published by the European Commission on Wednesday. Moreover, the Union managed to reduce its dependency on Russian gas considerably, and EU consumption dropped significantly amid measures to increase energy efficiency, the report also says. Gas reserves for the upcoming winter were ensured ahead of the deadline of 1^st November and now account for 90% of storage capacity. In Romania, this level was almost 90% at its six storage facilities as early as August.

Olympics. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday at a ceremony to award Romanian athletes who won medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris that it is essential for sport to find its well-deserved place on the list of national priorities. He underlined that the medal won in Paris are the symbol of the regeneration of Romanian sport. In both the Olympic and Paralympic, Romania obtained a total of four gold, four silver and three bronze medals.

Music. The 12^th edition of the Bucharest Music Film Festival event will take place between September 14 and 22 in George Enescu Square in the centre of Bucharest. According to the organizers, the latest edition introduces a new concept, providing the public with evening performances in a variety of musical genres, from classical to jazz, and from film music to pop fusion, bringing together hundreds of musicians and renowned orchestras. The event is organised by the Capital City Hall, through ARCUB – the Cultural Centre of the City of Bucharest and forms part of Bucharest Days, which celebrates 565 years since the city was first mentioned in historical documents.