In the lineup today: the significance of Saint Andrew Day, a national holiday, marked every year in Romania on November 30, Romanian wines are presented and promoted in Ireland on Romanias National Day, Christmas markets open across Romania.
Tag: Saint Andrew
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November 30, 2020 UPDATE
National Day — Due to the new coronavirus pandemic, on December 1, Romania’s National Day, a small ceremony will be organized, which will be attended by physicians, other medical staff and foreign ambassadors. Small ceremonies attended only by the local authorities will also be held in other big cities of Romania. The Romanian Foreign Ministry celebrates Romania’s National Day this year through a digital diplomacy project, and also through its diplomatic missions and consular offices. The project is a virtual dialogue and meeting space devoted to Romania’s friends and partners, to the Romanian communities and citizens from abroad and it has a novel form, adapted to the global health situation. The National Day of Romania will be celebrated by the Romanian Cultural Institute through a series of online events aimed at promoting the Romanian culture and civilization. On Romania’s National Day Niagara Falls will be lit up in the colors of the Romanian flag between 9:45 p.m. and 10.00 p.m. local time thanks to an initiative of the Romanian Embassy in Ottawa and to the show “Us Romanians” produced by Raul Dudnicşi from Arad and broadcast all over Canada through the OMNI channel. According to the Romanian Television Corporation, the moment can be watched online at www.cliftonhill.com.
Covid-19 Romania — Another 3,826 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania out of 10 thousand tests, which points to a contamination rate of over 33%. Since the onset of the pandemic, the number of contaminations countrywide has exceeded 475 thousand, according to data published on Monday by the Strategic Communication Group. 138 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 11,331. Romania reports a record number of Covid-19 patients in ICUs, 1,251. The slight drop in the spread rate of the new coronavirus reported in the past week in Romania is one of the first effects of recent measures taken by the authorities, says President Klaus Iohannis. He urged the population to continue to strictly observe the health protection rules while waiting for the anti-Covid-19 vaccine to arrive. President Iohannis announced that the first immunization phase will include the medical staff and the vulnerable people while mass immunization will most probably take place in spring.
Meeting – The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu participates on December 1 and 2 in a video conference of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states. The agenda of the meeting includes such topics as the consolidation of NATO’s political dimension, the relations with Russia and China, the situation in Afghanistan and security in the Black Sea region. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate, among others, the Black Sea’s strategic importance for Euro-Atlantic security and will highlight the need to carry on with the efforts of consolidating the allied presence in the region as well as of strengthening coherence on the NATO eastern flank. The foreign ministers will participate in 3 working sessions, one in allied format on December 1, and the other two, on December 2, also involving the participation of some of the NATO partner states.
Saint Andrew — Christians from around the world, including from Romania, celebrated on November 30 the Saint Apostle Andrew. Considered the patron saint of Romania, the apostle of Jesus Christ preached the Christian faith to and baptized the inhabitants of Dobrogea (southeast). Saint Andrew died a martyr in the town of Patras, Greece, crucified on an X-shaped cross. As many as 700 thousand Romanians are named Andrei — the Romanian for Andrew.
Ceremonies — The Romanian Defense Ministry organized on Monday, on Saint Andrews’ Day, a military and religious ceremony for the re-consecration of the Heroes’ Cross on Caraiman Peak, in the Bucegi Mountains, also known as The Commemorative Cross to the Romanian Heroes of the First World War. The Cross was renovated with Europeans funds. The monument is located at an altitude of almost 2,300 meters and was included in The Guinness Book of Records as the highest cross located on a mountain peak. It is more than 39 meters high, with the length of the horizontal arm of about 15 meters. The cross was erected between 1926 — 1928 upon order of one of the 4 monarchs of Romania — King Ferdinand and his wife, Marie.
Film — Conrad Mericoffer, the Romanian actor playing the main character in the film Poppy Field directed by Eugen Jebeleanu won the Best Actor Award in the Retueyos official section of the Gijón International Film Festival hosted by Spain. He also won the Best Actor Award granted by the jury of the 38th edition of the Turin Film Festival, from Italy. The drama Poppy Field, the cinematographic debut of director Eugen Jebeleanu, was first presented at the 24th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights International Festival (PÖFF). Made after a script by Ioana Moraru, the film presents a day in the life of Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer), a young gendarme from Bucharest. (tr. L. Simion)
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November 30, 2020
Covid- 19 Ro – The slight drop in the spread rate of the new coronavirus reported in the past week in Romania is one of the first effects of recent measures taken by the authorities, says President Klaus Iohannis. He urged the population to continue to strictly observe the health protection rules while waiting for the anti-Covid-19 vaccine to arrive. President Iohannis announced that the first immunization phase will include the medical staff and the vulnerable people while the mass immunization will most probably take place in spring. 5,554 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania the Strategic Communication Group announced on Sunday. The total number of cases has exceeded 470 thousand since the onset of the pandemic and about 70% of the patients have recovered. 148 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 11,193. Romania reports a record number of Covid-19 patients in ICUs, 1,250. Bucharest has the highest number of new Covid-19 cases reported daily.
Saint Andrew — Christians from around the world, including from Romania, celebrate on November 30 the Saint Apostle Andrew. Considered the patron saint of Romania, the apostle of Jesus Christ preached the Christian faith to and baptized the inhabitants of Dobrogea (southeast). Saint Andrew died a martyr in the town of Patras, Greece, crucified on an X-shaped cross. The Romanian PM Ludovic Orban congratulated all those bearing the name of Saint Andrew adding that, in the context of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Saint Andrew can be celebrated with the same faith also at home. As many as 700 thousand Romanians are named Andrei — the Romanian for Andrew.
Weather – Bucharest and another 7 counties in south and southeastern Romania are under a code yellow alert for snowfalls until tonight. In the rest of the territory, rainfalls will be reported in isolated areas and snowfalls in the mountains. Glazed frost may occur locally. The noon reading in Bucharest was 2 degrees C, with the highs ranging from 0 to 5 degrees C. The weather in Romania will be very cold early next week, especially during the night and in the morning.
National Day — Due to the new coronavirus pandemic, on December 1, Romania’s National Day a small ceremony will be organized, which will be attended by physicians, medical staff and foreign ambassadors. Small ceremonies attended only by the local authorities will also be held in other big cities of Romania. The Romanian Foreign Ministry celebrates Romania’s National day this year through a digital diplomacy project, and also through its diplomatic missions and consular offices. The project is a virtual dialogue and meeting space devoted to Romania’s friends and partners, to the Romanian communities and citizens from abroad and it has a novel form adapted to the global health situation. The National Day of Romania will be celebrated by the Romanian Cultural Institute through a series of online events aimed at promoting the Romanian culture and civilization. On Romania’s National Day Niagara Falls will be lit up in the colors of the Romanian flag between 9:45 p.m. and 10.00 p.m. local time thanks to an initiative of the Romania Embassy in Ottawa and to the show “Us Romanians” produced by Raul Dudnicşi from Arad and broadcast all over Canada through the OMNI channel. According to the Romanian Television Corporation, the moment can be watched online at www.cliftonhill.com.
Basketball – Romania’s men’s basketball team takes on today, away from home, in Valecnia, the world champions Spain in Group A of the preliminaries of the European Championship- FIFA EuroBasket 2022. On Saturday the Romanian team was defeated by the Polish team 91-61. Group A also includes Israel. After 3 stages, Romania is on the last position in the group. The last matches in the group will be played next year, in February. The first three teams in each group will qualify to the final tournament. (tr. L. Simion)
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November 30, 2019 UPDATE
NATIONAL DAY – Alba Iulia on Saturday hosted a series of
ceremonies marking the National Day of Romania and the Great Union. Military
events, floral tributes, concerts and film screenings were held on this
occasion. On Sunday, December 1, some 4,000 military and specialists with the
Defense and Interior Ministries, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the
National Penitentiary Administration, in addition to 200 pieces of military
technology, will take part in the national military parade held in Bucharest on
December 1. According to the Defense Ministry, some 500 military from Romania’s
21 allied or partner countries will be taking part as well. Depending on the
weather, over 50 aircraft will be participating in the parade. The public will
also be able to visit an open-air exhibition. Various events will be held in
other cities in Romania. The national flag will be displayed on all military
buildings while all maritime and river ships will be dressed up overall.
Romanian military in theatres of operations in Afghanistan, the Western
Balkans, Mali, Iraq and Poland are also organizing military ceremonies and
specific activities on this occasion. December 1 became Romania’s National Day
after the December 1989 anti-Communist revolution and it marks the completion,
at the end of WWI, in 1918, of the process of creating the Romanian unitary
nation state, when all the provinces included in the neighboring multinational
empires, with a majority Romanian-speaking population, came under the authority
of Bucharest.
PUBLIC ORDER – Over 27,000 employees of the
Interior Ministry will be working to ensure public order and intervene in case
of emergency on December 1, the National Day of Romania. According to a press
release issued by the Interior Ministry, some 660 events will be held to mark
this day at national level. To ensure public order, law enforcement officers,
gendarmes, firefighters and paramedics have been mobilized. The measures are
meant to prevent and combat anti-social behaviors, ease road traffic,
especially in areas where restrictions are in place, as well as to provide
emergency medical care, where needed.
SAINT ANDREW – Christians on Saturday celebrated
St. Andrew the Apostle’s Feast Day. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of
Romania, after he preached the word of Jesus Christ in present-day Dobrogea, in
southeastern Romania. Saint Andrew died in Patras, Greece, crucified on an
X-shaped cross. President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message to all Romanians at
home and abroad, to celebrate the spiritual identity of the Romanian people on
this special day, and use the celebration to strengthen the Romanian people in
unity and cohesion. Some 700,000 Romanians celebrated their name day.
NATO – London on Tuesday and
Wednesday is hosting the NATO summit, celebrating 70 years of NATO existence.
High on the agenda are the fight against terrorism, arms control and relations
with Russia and China. Representing Romania will be president Klaus Iohannis.
According to the presidency, Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s contribution
as a NATO member and the need to continue determent and security efforts on the
eastern flank and in the Black Sea region.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
– The new European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen will start its
activity on December 1. Member States have decided the new Commission will have
only 27 commissioners, after Great Britain refused to make a nomination.
Romanian Adina Valean from the European People’s Party has been appointed
Transport Commissioner. The College of Commissioners will convene on December 4
to make several administrative decisions.
HANDBALL – The
Romanian women’s team lost 31-16 to Spain in the first Group C fixture at the
World Cup held in Japan. Romania was drawn in Group C alongside Senegal,
Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Hungary. The top three teams will advance to the
next phase. From 1957 to 2017, Romania has never missed a World Cup. Our
country won silver in 2005 in Russia and bronze in 2015 in Denmark.
EURO 2020 -
One million tickets will be made available over December 4-18 to the fans of
the 20 teams qualified to the European Football Championship 2020, the Romanian
Football Federation reports. The general public will be able to purchase part
of the tickets. Fans will be able to purchase tickets over December 4-8. The
fans of the four teams that will qualify after the playoffs, including Romania,
if our team eventually qualifies, will be able to buy tickets once matches are
concluded at the end of March, 2020. Over half of these tickets will be in the
lowest-price category, which is 30 Euros for Baku, Bucharest and Budapest and
50 Euros for the other host cities. The 2020 edition of the UEFA European
Championship is the biggest ever held, with over 3 million tickets, 82% of
which being available to the fans.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
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November 30, 2019
NATIONAL DAY – Alba Iulia on Saturday hosted a series of
ceremonies marking the National Day of Romania and the Great Union. Military
events, floral tributes, concerts and film screenings were held on this
occasion. On Sunday, December 1, some 4,000 military and specialists with the
Defense and Interior Ministries, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the
National Penitentiary Administration, in addition to 200 pieces of military
technology, will take part in the national military parade held in Bucharest on
December 1. According to the Defense Ministry, some 500 military from Romania’s
21 allied or partner countries will be taking part as well. Depending on the
weather, over 50 aircraft will be participating in the parade. The public will
also be able to visit an open-air exhibition. Various events will be held in
other cities in Romania. The national flag will be displayed on all military
buildings while all maritime and river ships will be dressed up overall. Romanian military in theatres of operations in
Afghanistan, the Western Balkans, Mali, Iraq and Poland are also organizing
military ceremonies and specific activities on this occasion. December 1 became
Romania’s National Day after the December 1989 anti-Communist revolution and it
marks the completion, at the end of WWI, in 1918, of the process of creating
the Romanian unitary nation state, when all the provinces included in the
neighboring multinational empires, with a majority Romanian-speaking
population, came under the authority of Bucharest.
PUBLIC ORDER – Over 27,000 employees of the
Interior Ministry will be working to ensure public order and intervene in case
of emergency on December 1, the National Day of Romania. According to a press
release issued by the Interior Ministry, some 660 events will be held to mark
this day at national level. To ensure public order, law enforcement officers,
gendarmes, firefighters and paramedics have been mobilized. The measures are
meant to prevent and combat anti-social behaviors, ease road traffic,
especially in areas where restrictions are in place, as well as to provide
emergency medical care, where needed.
SAINT ANDREW – Christians on Saturday celebrated
St. Andrew the Apostle’s Feast Day. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of
Romania, after he preached the word of Jesus Christ in present-day Dobrogea, in
southeastern Romania. Saint Andrew died in Patras, Greece, crucified on an
X-shaped cross. President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message to all Romanians at
home and abroad, to celebrate the spiritual identity of the Romanian people on
this special day, and use the celebration to strengthen the Romanian people in
unity and cohesion. Some 700,000 Romanians celebrated their name day.
NATO – London on Tuesday and
Wednesday is hosting the NATO summit, celebrating 70 years of NATO existence.
High on the agenda are the fight against terrorism, arms control and relations
with Russia and China. Representing Romania will be president Klaus Iohannis.
According to the presidency, Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s
contribution as a NATO member and the need to continue determent and security
efforts on the eastern flank and in the Black Sea region.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
– The new European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen will start its activity
on December 1. Member States have decided the new Commission will have only 27
commissioners, after Great Britain refused to make a nomination. Romanian Adina
Valean from the European People’s Party has been appointed Transport
Commissioner. The College of Commissioners will convene on December 4 to make
several administrative decisions.
HANDBALL – The
Romanian women’s team lost 31-16 to Spain in the first Group C fixture at the
World Cup held in Japan. Romania was drawn in Group C alongside Senegal,
Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Hungary. The top three teams will advance to the
next phase. From 1957 to 2017, Romania has never missed a World Cup. Our
country won silver in 2005 in Russia and bronze in 2015 in Denmark.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
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November 29, 2018 UPDATE
MOTORWAY – Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis
on Thursday ratified the law on the Union Motorway, which will cross the
Carpathians and link the cities of Iasi in Moldavia to Targu Mures in
Transylvania. The president said the motorway could stop the fierce migration
of the workforce to the eastern part of the country and capitalize on the
region’s development potential. This project also holds a particular strategic
importance, as it will firmly contribute to the European Union accession of the
Republic of Moldova. The motorway will start on the Romanian-Moldovan border on
a new bridge over the river Prut and end with a connection to the Brasov-Bors
motorway, on the Hungarian border. Each year the government will earmark budget
allocations to this project. The Transport Ministry will oversee the project
and will kick off procedures to attract investment within 30 days of the law
taking effect.
STUDY – Romania’s population will drop by approximately 5 million
inhabitants by 2050, a study carried out by a US research company warns. The
main causes behind this sharp drop include migration, population aging, the low
birth rate and an even lower fertility rate. According to the latest study
conducted by the Association of Human Reproduction in Romania, one in five
couples faces infertility issues. Experts claim public policies and concrete
measures are needed to encourage and support young people to become parents.
GOVERNMENT – The
government will continue to implement public policies to benefit the country
and its citizens, Romania’s prime minister Viorica Dancila has promised.
Together with her cabinet, she took part in a special government meeting on
Thursday in Alba Iulia, central Romania, dedicated to the celebration of
Romania’s National Day on 1 December, in a year when the country celebrates 100
years since the creation of the Romanian nation state. Alba Iulia is the city
where the Great Union was accomplished in 1918. Viorica Dancila
announced that the building sector would be considered a priority and of
national importance for the Romanian economy, and that a minimum gross salary
of some 640 euros would be set in this field. January 1 will also see a 5-time
increase on average of the allowances of war invalids, veterans and widows.
Last but not least, the government will approve the creation of a Food Trade
National Society, a commercial mechanism meant to promote the local resources
and agricultural products. Before the government’s meeting, the prime
minister visited the Union Memorial, one of the most spectacular projects
celebrating the Centenary of the Great Union. The structure is 22 m high and
will be unveiled on 1 December, in the presence of president Klaus Iohannis.
FEAST DAY – Orthodox, Eastern -Catholic and Roman-Catholic
Christians in Romania on Friday celebrate the feast day of Saint Andrew the
Apostle, the patron saint of Romania. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, Saint
Andrew preached and converted people in Dobrogea, eastern Romania. Over 700,000
Romanians celebrate their name day on Friday.
HANDBALL – The Romanian women’s handball team is in France where it
will play the Czech Republic in the European Championship’s Group D on
Saturday. Romania will next play Germany on December 3 and Norway on December
5. The first three teams in each group will advance to the next phase. Coached
by Ambros Martin of Spain, Romania is taking part in the Championship for the
13th time. Two years ago it ranked 5, while its best performance was
in 2010, when it scooped bronze.
(Translated by V.
Palcu) -
November 29, 2017 UPDATE
MINIMUM SALARY – The Romanian Government on Wednesday decided to increase the minimum gross salary from 1450 to 1900 lei, the equivalent of some €410. According to specialists, the measure will stimulate employment and discourage illegal work. Romania is currently faced with a serious shortage of workers, especially in construction, agriculture, IT and health-care. Maintaining the current level of penalty point under the totting up system is also on the agenda of the Executive. As the value of this point is calculated depending on the minimum salary, maintaining its current level has been proposed to prevent traffic fines from growing excessively.
MILITARY – Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor and US Ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, attended Wednesdays signing of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the purchase of Patriot missile systems. Minister Fifor thanked the USA and said Romania would become an important ally for NATO. The surface-to-air Patriot missile system will become operational by mid-2020. Romanias President Klaus Iohannis on Monday ratified the law on the purchase of Patriot missile systems, after last week the Chamber of Deputies adopted it as the decision-making body. Romania plans on purchasing seven Patriot missile systems worth $3,9 billion.
NORTH KOREA – Romanias Foreign Ministry has firmly condemned the launch of a new ballistic missile by North Korea, labeling it a threat to regional and international peace and security. North Koreas repeated challenges are violating the resolutions of the UN Security Council, the Ministry also writes, calling on North Korea to prevent the situation from further escalating and resume dialogue with the international community. North Korea has announced the successful testing of a new type of inter-continental missile, which can hit any part of the US territory. The test, carried out after a two-month break, has been condemned by the US, Japanese and South-Korean authorities, as well as by the European Union. The UN Security Council has called an emergency session to discuss new sanctions against Pyongyang.
INVESTMENT – European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu has approved two new investment projects in road and water infrastructure, worth some €252 million. €76 million from the European Regional Development Fund will be invested in works on the European road E 79, which will link Romania to Hungary, Bulgaria and Greece. Also, some €176 million from the Cohesion Fund will be invested in water management and distribution infrastructure in urban areas in Vrancea County, in the east.
MINIVACATION – Thursday is the first day of a 4-day mini-vacation, occasioned by the celebration of Saint Andrew, Romanias patron saint, and Romanias National Day on December 1. Romanians have chosen to spend this extended weekend in the country, mostly in resorts on Prahova Valley, in Bukovina, in the north and in spas. The average budget allocated for such trips is approximately €170 per person. On the other hand, the Romanians who have chosen to go abroad will spend on average €320 per person. On December 1, Romanias National Day, the main event on the celebration agenda is the military parade in Bucharest, which will be attended by some 3,500 military staff, fighter jets and military vehicles.
CANADA – The Romanian Defense Ministry has recalled that, as of December 1, Romanian citizens will be able to travel to Canada visa free, for periods of maximum 6 months, for tourist purposes. Those who intend to travel by plane will have to first get an Electronic Travel Authorization – eTA. The others will only have to have a valid passport. The Romanian Foreign Ministry hails the decision made by the Canadian authorities to liberalize the visa-regime for the Romanian citizens, the outcome of years of diplomatic cooperation, also with the participation of the European Commission.
HANDBALL – As of December 1st, Germany will be hosting the World Womens Handball Championship. Romania is part of Group A, alongside France, Spain, Slovenia, Angola and Paraguay. On December 2nd, in their first match, the Romanian squad will take on the team of Paraguay. At the previous World Championship, in 2015, Romania won bronze. The Romanian team is the only team to have participated in all the 22 editions of the World Championship held so far. (Translated by M. Ignatescu & V. Palcu)