VISIT The presidents of Romania and
Chile, Klaus Iohannis and Gabriel Boric respectively have agreed to develop
cooperation between the two countries in fields like trade exchanges,
investment, green energy, the environment and climate change, civil protection,
education, culture, research, innovation and digitalization. The two high
officials met at the La Moneda Palace in Santiago, during a visit, which is part of the Romanian
president’s South-American tour. Iohannis said that Chile is one of Romania’s
traditional partners in Latin America as well as an economic partner with a
major potential. Iohannis has announced that the first Romanian language
lectureship in South America will be set up this year at the University of
Chile. A memorandum has also been signed during Iohannis’ visit to Chile for
cooperation in emergency situations, such as earthquakes and wildfires.
Iohannis has visited Brazil and will leave for Argentina.
EXTRADITION The former president of the County Council in Neamţ, north-eastern Romania, Social-Democrat Ionel Arsene will not be extradited to Romania where he must serve a prison sentence of six years and eight months on corruption charges. A court in Italy has rejected the extradition application filed by the Romanian authorities. The politician had fled the country shortly before the sentence was pronounced and went to Italy to join the other indicted Romanians who found refuge in that country. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Italy, extradition in that country is conditioned by the so-called ‘double criminality’ requirement, which means the act that is the subject of the criminal procedure for which extradition is requested must be provided as a crime both in Italian and in foreign criminal law.
GOLD
Romanian athlete Nicoleta Anghel walked away with gold from the European
Wrestling Championships in Croatia after a win against Turkish opponent Buşe Tosun in the 72 kilogram
category. This has been Anghel’s best performance so far after the bronze medal
she reaped in Kaspiysk, Russia and the world’s third performance she obtained
last year in Belgrade. Anghel has also brought the second continental title for
Romania that she won in Zagreb after that claimed by Andreea Beatrice in the 55
kilogram category. Romania has so far won four medals, all in the women’s
contest, two gold and two bronze, claimed by Catalina Axente in the 76 and
Kriszta Tunde Incze in the 65 kilograms category.
STRIKE Trade unions in Romania’s education system have commenced the
procedure of gathering signatures for an all-out strike after their claims have
been rejected by the authorities. According to a press communiqué released on
Saturday, the decision to launch this extreme form of protest is all the more
so justified as under the latest emergency ordinance on new fiscal-budgetary
measures, the government intends to implement more measures with an additional
negative impact for the employees in the country’s education system. Several
major trade unions in the field are going to again picket the headquarters of
the Romanian government over 25th and 26th of April and
stage a protest march, which is expected to be attended by 15 thousand trade
unionists on May 10th.
(bill)