Comitetul Economic şi Social European (CESE), instituţie din sistemul UE, a solicitat printr-o rezoluție, admiterea României şi Bulgariei în Spaţiul Schengen. CESE a solicitat şi un Consiliul extraordinar Justiţie şi Afaceri Interne în acest scop.
MOLDOVA The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis had talks on Tuesday with
his Moldovan counterpart, Maia Sandu, during which he reiterated Romania’s
support for Moldova’s EU accession efforts. Romania, Iohannis emphasised, firmly
supports the opening of EU accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova.
Wednesday through Friday president Iohannis takes part in the EU – Western Balkans
Summit and the European Council meeting in Brussels, in which context he will
plead for a decision with respect to the start of accession negotiations with
Ukraine and Moldova. Also on Tuesday, the Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu had a telephone
conversation with the Moldovan PM Dorin
Recean, in which he reiterated Bucharest’s steady support for the neighbouring
country’s EU accession. The two prime ministers also discussed bilateral
cooperation projects, especially in the field of cross-border energy
interconnection and the financial assistance provided by Romania for Moldova’s
development.
SCHENGEN The Romanian interior
minister Cătălin Predoiu highlighted, in a statement following the Salzburg
Forum in Slovenia on Tuesday, the progress made in the talks concerning Romania’s
Schengen accession. He said he had talks regarding the technical options for a
decision to be made in December. As regards the fears concerning the transfer
of illegal migrants in Austria, Predoiu explained that those concerns exclusively
relate to the migrants originally registered in Romania. According to the
current Dublin regulation, once captured in Austria and proved to be illegal
migrants, these individuals are returned to the country from which they came, the
Romanian official added. In 2023, 120 people were in this situation, Predoiu
mentioned.
ECONOMY Romania’s budget deficit in 2024 will be
below 5% of GDP, lower than at the end of this year. According to the Romanian
government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal
Party, next year substantial additional funding will be earmarked for public
education, healthcare, transports and investments. Under the draft 2024 state
budget, salaries in the public sector as well as pensions will be raised. The
government promises that all these increases will be operated without
concurrent tax raises. The leaders of the ruling coalition parties rely on a
planned set of measures to increase budget revenue collection and curb tax
evasion, as well as on the digitization of the national tax agency.
AGREEMENT
The Romanian foreign ministry took note of the publication of the Russian
Federation’s government decision to withdraw from the bilateral agreement of
2005 concerning the opening of a Romanian consulate general in Rostov-on-Don. According
to a news release issued on Tuesday, Romania has not been officially notified
yet on this decision. At present, apart from the embassy in Moscow, Romania
also operates a consular office in Rostov-on-Don and one in Sankt Petersburg. This
summer the Romanian foreign ministry requested Moscow to reduce the number of
diplomatic personnel at the Russian embassy in Bucharest by 40.
VISIT The PM of
Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, Tuesday received the foreign minister and deputy PM of
the Republic of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, in which context the head of the
Romanian government emphasised that the excellent dynamics of bilateral
relations ensure great potential to the bilateral cooperation towards the
interconnection between Europe and the Caspian Sea region. According to a news
release issued by the Romanian government, the Romanian PM hailed the upward
trend of the political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two
countries and mentioned that Kazakhstan is Romania’s largest economic partner
in Central Asia. As regards the cooperation in the energy sector, the two
parties agreed to encourage cooperation in order to enhance the security of
energy supplies for the EU member states as well as for the Republic of Moldova
and Ukraine, reads the news release. The two officials also discussed the
regional security situation in the context of Russia’s military aggression in
Ukraine.
TENNIS The
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep will be heard at the Court of Arbitration
for Sport in Lausanne on February 7-9, in proceedings initiated by Halep
against the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). In October, the twice
Grand Slam winner lodged an appeal with the CAS against her 4-year suspension
for doping. The Romanian athlete was penalised for two separate violations of
the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme, the first one concerning the identification
of a banned substance at the 2022 US Open, and the second one concerning
irregularities in her biological passport. (AMP)
Summit. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will participate, from Wednesday until Friday, in Brussels, in the EU Western Balkans Summit and in the European Council, in which context he will support the decisions regarding the opening of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. According to the Presidential Administration, Klaus Iohannis will support the granting of candidate status for Georgia, as well as the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, when the necessary progress is made to meet the accession criteria. He will also insist on accelerating the accession process of the Western Balkan states.
Moldova. The Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, had a telephone conversation on Tuesday with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, majority Romanian), Dorin Recean, during which he reiterated the strong support of the Bucharest Government for Chisinaus European path. According to a Government press release, Prime Minister Ciolacu emphasized the active support that Romania is giving to the neighboring state for the start of the EU accession negotiation process, in the context of the European Council that will take place this week. The two prime ministers also discussed bilateral cooperation projects, especially in the fields of cross-border energy interconnections and the financial assistance that Romania provides for the development of the Republic of Moldova.
Budget. In 2024,Romanias budget deficit will stand below 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, lower than the one that will end this year. According to the Romanian Government, important additional sums will be granted next year to Education, Health, Transport and Investments. According to the 2024 draft budget, the salaries of budget employees and teachers, as well as pensions will increase. All these pay rise and budget allocation increases will be made without increasing taxes as well, says the Government. The heads of the governing coalition are counting on a future package of measures to increase collection and reduce tax evasion, as well as on the digitization of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration.
Schengen. According to President Klaus Iohannis, Romanias accession to the Schengen Area would send a strong message of solidarity and unity from the European Union. The president has called for a positive decision in this regard as soon as possible. In turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu believes that some of Austrias conditions for accepting Romania in the area of free movement, starting with the airports, are not exaggerated. From the opposition, the Save Romania Union states that Romania deserves a full admission to Schengen and calls on the authorities to come up with a concrete plan to achieve this goal.
Awards. The Ministry of Education is organizing, today, an award ceremony for the students winners of this years international Olympiads, the teachers who trained them and the schools where they study. 138 students who obtained 164 medals, prizes and mentions at 28 international Olympiads and regional competitions will be awarded at the event hosted by the National Theater in Bucharest. They have won 6 gold medals with maximum score, 51 gold medals or first prizes, 55 silver medals/second prizes, 30 bronze medals/third prizes, and 22 honorary mentions or equivalent diplomas respectively.
Handball. Romanias national team ended their participation in the World Womens Handball Championship in Denmark, Norway and Sweden with a victory, defeating Poland 27-26, on Monday evening, in the last match of the third main group. Thus, Romania has finished in third place in the group and has not fulfilled its objective at this final tournament, namely the qualification for the quarter-finals. The Romanians ranked 12th in the final ranking of the competition and will very likely not participate in the 2024 Olympics. Romania is the only national team that has participated in all 26 editions of the Womens World Handball Championship. It has a world title (1962), two silver medals (1973, 2005) and one bronze medal (2015). At the previous edition, Romania ranked 13th. (MI)
Tant
qu’ils ne sont pas admis à l Espace Schengen de libre circulation, les Roumains
et les Bulgares continueront à se sentir des citoyens de seconde zone,
avertissent depuis des années les responsables politiques de Bucarest et de
Sofia. Le thème est d’autant plus pressant que l’Union s’apprête à choisir en
juin prochain, une nouvelle assemblée parlementaire. Or, l’exclusion des deux
pays de la zone de libre circulation ne fait qu’alimenter le taux électoral des
partis eurosceptiques et anti-européens.
Membres
de l’UE depuis 2007, la Roumanie et la Bulgarie sont bloquées depuis plus de
dix ans, dans l’antichambre de l’espace Schengen, tandis que d’autres pays,
tels la Croatie, membre de l’Union depuis 2013 seulement, a été déjà cooptée dans la zone de libre circulation. A l’heure où l’on parle,
l’Espace Schengen permet à plus de 400 millions de citoyens européens de
voyager librement, sans être soumis à des contrôles aux frontières. Sur
l’ensemble des pays communautaires, seules la Roumanie, la Bulgarie, Chypre et
l’Irlande se trouvent toujours aux portes de Schengen qui se sont ouvertes, en
revanche, à quatre Etats non membres : la Suisse, le Royaume du
Liechtenstein, l’Islande et la Norvège. Pour que des nouveaux membres soient
admis, il faut d’un vote unanime de la part des autres. Or, les Pays Bas se
sont déjà prononcés contre l’admission de la Bulgarie, tandis que l’Autriche a
bloqué l’adhésion de la Roumanie.
Lundi,
le ministre autrichien des Affaires Intérieures, Gerhard Karner, a annoncé
avoir avancé sur la table de la Commission une série de mesures que celle-ci
devrait mettre en place avant que son pays n’accepte l’intégration de Bucarest
et de Sofia à Schengen, à travers l’ouverture des frontières aériennes. Il
faudrait tripler le nombre de policiers aux frontières pour une protection
renforcée des frontières extérieures de l’UE, a-t-il réclamé. L’Exécutif
européen devrait investir dans l’infrastructure de protection des frontières
bulgaro-turque et roumano-serbe. Et pas en dernier lieu, il faudrait que ça
soit la Roumanie et la Bulgarie qui gèrent les demandeurs d’asile, notamment
ceux afghans et syriens qui traversent ces deux pays avant d’arriver en
Autriche, a fait savoir M. Karner.
A Sofia,
le premier ministre Nikolai Denkov, cité par le correspondant Radio Roumanie
sur place, a qualifié sur le coup toutes ces prétentions comme étant
inacceptables. Et lui de préciser que son gouvernement refuse d’assumer des
réfugiés venus d’Autriche. Plus malléable, la classe politique de Bucarest, a
nuancé son discours. Le premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu a félicité Vienne pour
son annonce qu’il a présenté comme une sorte de victoire personnelle, tandis
que l’opposition l’a considérée comme de la poudre aux yeux. Tant que les
Roumains continuent à faire la queue aux frontières et que l’économie perd des
dizaines de millions d’euros par jour, les propos de Vienne ne changent rien,
ont martelé les partis roumains en opposition. La cheffe de la diplomatie
roumaine, Luminita Odobescu, a, quant à elle, appelé à la prudence. Il
faudrait, a-t-elle dit, attendre l’accord du Parlement néerlandais sur la levée
du véto à l’adhésion de la Bulgarie avant de planifier les prochaines étapes de
l’intégration roumaine à la zone de libre circulation.
Cât timp nu
vor fi primiți în Spațiul Schengen, de liberă circulație, românii și bulgarii
vor continua să se simtă cetățeni de mâna a doua ai Uniunii Europene -
avertizează, de ani buni, presa și clasa politică de la București și Sofia.
Tema devine cu atât mai presantă cu cât, anul viitor, în iunie, Uniunea își va
alege un nou Parlament, iar frustrarea provocată de această excludere
nemeritată alimentează cota electorală a partidelor eurosceptice ori de-a
dreptul antieuropene din cele două țări.
Membre ale structurilor comunitare
încă din 2007, România și Bulgaria sunt ținute în anticamera Schengen de mai
bine de un deceniu, în timp ce Croația, intrată în Uniune abia în 2013, a fost,
deja, cooptată, acum un an, în spațiul de liberă circulație. Acolo, peste 400
de milioane de oameni pot călători liber, fără controale la frontierele
interne. Dintre statele membre ale Uniunii Europene, doar Bulgaria și România,
precum și insulele Cipru şi Irlanda nu fac parte din Spaţiul Schengen. Acesta
cuprinde, în schimb, patru ţări non-UE: Elveția, Liechtenstein, Islanda și
Norvegia.
Pentru admiterea de noi membri, e nevoie de acceptul unanim al celor
vechi, iar Olanda a blocat, până acum, candidatura Bulgariei, în timp ce
Austria a obstrucționat primirea României. Luni, ministrul de Interne în
guvernul conservator de la Viena, Gerhard Karner, a anunțat că a prezentat
Comisiei Europene măsuri pe care aceasta să le implementeze înainte ca Austria
să fie de acord cu intrarea României şi Bulgariei în Schengen, prin deschiderea
graniţelor aeriene. Este nevoie, spune el, de progrese în domeniul protecţiei
frontierelor externe terestre ale Uniunii, prin triplarea numărului de
poliţişti.
De asemenea, Comisia trebuie să aloce fonduri pentru infrastructura
de protecţie a frontierelor bulgaro-turcă şi româno-sârbă. În plus, ministrul
Karner solicită preluarea de către România şi Bulgaria a solicitanţilor de
azil, în special afgani şi sirieni, care-ar fi trecut pe aici înainte de a
ajunge în Austria. La Sofia, premierul Nikolai Denkov, citat de corespondentul
Radio România, a calificat, imediat, pretențiile austriece drept inacceptabile
și a precizat că guvernul său refuză să preia migranţi din Austria. Mai
maleabilă, clasa politică românească a reacționat nuanțat.
Premierul social-democrat
Marcel Ciolacu s-a felicitat pentru anunțul Vienei, pe care și l-a arogat drept un succes
personal, în timp ce opoziția l-a calificat drept praf în ochi, cât timp
românilor nu li se deschid și frontierele terestre, unde așteaptă la cozi
nesfârșite și unde economia națională pierde zeci de milioane de euro pe zi. Ca
diplomat profesionist, ministrul de
Externe, Lumința Odobescu, a îndemnat la prudență și a amintit că
trebuie aşteptat şi acordul Parlamentului Olandei pentru ridicarea vetoului
pentru Bulgaria şi abia după aceea pot fi planificate etapele următoare ale
aderării la Schengen.
In the absence of the unanimity of the EU member states, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area is not yet possible, although both have, for many years, met all the technical criteria required. Moreover, projects are underway that are strengthening the border of the European Union better than ever. Austria and the Netherlands stick to their unfavorable position, at least for now. Last year, at the Justice and Home Affairs Council, Austria voted against the acceptance of both countries in Schengen, while the Netherlands voiced reservations only with regard to Bulgaria.
Under these conditions, currently, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is waiting to find out what decision the Netherlands will adopt regarding the acceptance of Bulgaria, after the early legislative elections recently held in Romanias neighboring country:
“First of all, Romania and Bulgaria, as you well know, come together in this. We are first waiting for the decision of the Netherlands regarding Bulgaria and we will see what Romania will do next”.
As for Austria, Foreign Minister Luminiţa Odobescu says that, recently, communication on this matter has improved, and efforts are continuing to reach a mutually agreed solution. Luminiţa Odobescu:
“There is a dialogue with the Austrian side, the matter is still being discussed, there are diplomatic steps. We are supported in this by both the European Commission and the other member states. We are working to identify a solution as soon as possible and, obviously, we will see in the next period what are the exact steps to be taken.”
According to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the moment was not favorable from a political point of view for Romania to ask for a new vote at the JHA Council that took place on Tuesday evening, in Brussels. However, this could happen this month, within an extraordinary council meeting.
“We could not be on the agenda, unless we wanted to force a vote that we would have known in advance, not necessarily the vote of Austria against Romania, we would have known very clearly the vote of the Netherlands against Bulgaria. The procedure in the Netherlands is more complicated than in Romania, it is first voted on Parliament, and then the Prime Minister goes with a mandate from Parliament to vote in a European Council. The only solution, at this moment, is to wait for the reaction of the Netherlands – and it will come soon. And you know that I also had discussions with Mr. Frans Timmermans regarding Bulgaria and the convening of an extraordinary JHA meeting on this matter.”
Tuesday evening, at the end of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson, stated that the European Commission still wanted a decision on the enlargement of the Schengen area, by accepting Romania and Bulgaria this year. Spain, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the Union, also wants Romania and Bulgaria to become members of the area of free movement of persons and goods before December 31. (MI)
Repatriations of Romanians from Gaza continue
Romania will continue the dialogue with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities for the evacuation of the Romanian citizens and their family members in the Gaza Strip, depending on the developments on the ground and the agreement of the parties involved, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. Moreover, a consular team will remain available in the area of the Rafah border-crossing to Egypt to provide further assistance. The first group of almost one hundred Romanian citizens and their family members were evacuated from the Gaza Strip and transported to Romania from Cairo with a TAROM aircraft. There are also other groups of Romanians who requested permission from the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to transit the border crossing point to Egypt. On board the first aircraft were the PM Marcel Ciolacu and the FM Luminiţa Odobescu, who met in Cairo with the evacuated persons. The head of the Romanian diplomacy declared that the security situation is extremely difficult and complex, which requires a permanent updating of the evacuation plans. And Marcel Ciolacu gave assurances that Romanian citizens and family members will continue to be supported by the Romanian Government to reach extended families and integrate into Romanian society.
Important decisions made by the Romanian Government
The Romanian government adopted, during Thursday’s meeting, the new pension law, which provides for two increases for 2024. The document also establishes the recalculation of all pensions according to new criteria, so that the inequities in the system should be eliminated. At the end of the government session, the labor minister Simona Bucura-Oprescu said that the pension law is a stable and sustainable law, which will eliminate inequities, and which is based on respect for contributions and work. She expressed confidence that budgetary resources will be found for the implementation of the two expected increases in 2024 and evoked a better collection of revenues and the reduction of tax evasion. The executive wants the pension law to be adopted by Parliament by November 20.
Klaus Iohannis in Brussels
The best option is for Romania and Bulgaria to enter the Schengen Area together, and all negotiations and all attempts to convince those who are still reluctant on this issue are converging towards this, President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday in Brussels. The Romanian president talked with the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, and participated in the signing of a memorandum of collaboration in the nuclear field, but the official visit had more stakes. One of them concerned the support for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, all the more so since, on the same day, in Brussels, the European Commission gave the green light to the European Council to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Moreover, Belgium will take over the presidency of the EU Council in January and will manage both the agenda and the framework of these negotiations. Thus, the discussion extended from economic aspects to defense aspects, especially since a contingent of the Belgian army is in Romania to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. At the end of his visit to Brussels, Klaus Iohannis was received by His Majesty Philippe, King of Belgium, at the castle in Laeken.
F-16 aircraft in Romania
On Tuesday, the Netherlands sent the first five F-16 fighter planes to Romania, to the air base in Feteşti (south), which will be used to train the Ukrainian pilots. The European F-16 Training Center was established there as a result of the collaboration between the Romanian and Dutch defense ministries. Given the current geopolitical context and Romania’s strategic position in the Black Sea region, this center becomes essential for cross-border collaboration, strengthening security and consolidating solidarity within NATO. The Romanian defense ministry reminds that this center will be an international hub for the training of F-16 aircraft pilots and will facilitate the increase of interoperability between allies. Romania thus joins other allied nations in supporting the training of Ukrainian pilots for the future use of F-16 aircraft. The center will contribute to the creation of common operational standards and to strengthening the capacity of the North Atlantic Alliance to face the complex challenges in the Black Sea region and in Eastern Europe.
The first Romanian judge at the International Court of Justice
Romanias former foreign minister, the current presidential adviser Bogdan Aurescu was voted, on Thursday, a judge at the International Court of Justice, thus becoming the first Romanian to occupy this position. This represents a victory of the Romanian diplomacy, says the Romanian Foreign Ministry, pointing out that Romania promotes a foreign policy based on respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as for international law. In a congratulatory message, President Klaus Iohannis writes that this is a success of Romanian diplomacy, which reflects our firm commitment to the international order based on rules. The judges of the International Court of Justice are elected for nine years by the General Assembly and the UN Security Council, from a wider list of candidates. (LS)
Gaza – La Roumanie continuera le dialogue avec les autorités israéliennes et égyptiennes pour évacuer le reste des ressortissants roumains et des membres de leurs familles se trouvant dans la Bande de Gaza, en fonction des évolutions sur le terrain et de l’accord des parties impliquées, annonce le ministère des AE de Bucarest. Une équipe consulaire sera toujours disponible dans la région du poste frontière de Rafah entre la Bande de Gaza et l’Egypte, afin d’offrir son assistance. D’ailleurs, la frontière a été rouverte jeudi durant les procédures d’évacuation des ressortissants étrangers qui ont reçu la permission des autorités israéliennes et égyptiennes de partir vers l’Egypte, dont 51ressortissants roumains et les membres de leurs familles. Les autorités de Bucarest ont évacué plusieurs groupes de ressortissants du Gaza et membres de leurs familles à nationalité roumaine pour les transporter en Roumanie à bord d’avions de la compagnie nationale Tarom via le Caire. Par ailleurs, selon la Maison Blanche, Israël a annoncé jeudi une trêve de quatre heures dans les combats dans le nord de la Bande de Gaza afin de permettre le retrait des civils – une première depuis le début de la guerre. Les alliés de l’OTAN ont affirmé soutenir les pauses humanitaires dans la guerre entre Israël et le Hamas, afin de permettre l’accès des aides dans la Bande de Gaza. Selon le secrétaire général de l’Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, la législation internationale devrait être respectée et les civils devraient être protégés dans ce conflit.
Avions – L’Allemagne déploiera 4 avions Eurofighter en Roumanie pour appuyer, à compter de la fin novembre la mission de police de l’air de l’OTAN. Cette décision survient quelques semaines après les attaques russes sur les ports ukrainiens sur le Danube. Ces attaques perpétrées dans le voisinage immédiat de la frontière avec la Roumanie, ainsi que les fragments de drones retrouvés sur le territoire roumain, ont fait augmenter les risques de sécurité pour l’Alliance, dont les membres se sont engagés à se défendre réciproquement. D’ailleurs, en septembre dernier, le chef de l’OTAN, Jens Stoltenberg avait qualifié de « déstabilisatrices » ces attaques russes près de la frontière roumaine, malgré l’absence d’indices de l’intention de Moscou de frapper un membre de l’Alliance. Ce n’est pas pour la première fois que les Forces aériennes allemandes soutiennent la mission de police des ciels de l’OTAN en Roumanie. L’Alliance ne cesse de consolider sa présence militaire le long du flanc est, après l’invasion russe en Ukraine en février 2022.
Schengen – L’un des objectifs les plus importants de la présidence hongroise de
l’UE l’année prochaine sera la promotion de l’adhésion de la Roumanie à
Schengen, si cette dernière n’a pas lieu d’ici là – a déclaré le ministre
hongrois des Affaires étrangères, Peter Szijjarto. Selon un communiqué de presse du ministère des Affaires étrangères de
Budapest, ce dernier a souligné que le gouvernement hongrois attachait une
importance stratégique à la coopération entre les deux pays. « La base et la ressource la plus
importante de cette coopération stratégique réside dans la communauté magyare
qui vit en Roumanie » – a déclaré Szijjarto. Il a ajouté qu’il était
dans l’intérêt national de la Hongrie que la Roumanie adhère le plus rapidement
possible à l’espace Schengen. La Roumanie, a souligné le ministre, est
aujourd’hui le deuxième marché d’exportation de la Hongrie et cette coopération
économique et commerciale pourrait devenir encore plus étroite avec l’entrée de
ce pays voisin dans l’espace Schengen. La Hongrie assumera la présidence
tournante du Conseil de l’UE au second semestre 2024.
Retraites – L’Exécutif de Bucarest a adopté ce jeudi la nouvelle loi des pensions de retraite, qui prévoit deux majorations pour l’année prochaine. Aux termes du nouveau document, les retraites seront recalculées d’après de nouveaux critères, afin d’éliminer les iniquités du système. L’objectif du gouvernement est de faire adopter la loi par le Parlement avant le 20 novembre. Aux dires du premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu, la nouvelle loi des retraites éliminera le seuil des dépenses avec les retraites de 9,4% du PIB. Parallèlement, le premier ministre a promis de ne pas introduire des majorations d’impôts l’année prochaine mais il a sollicité un plan de mesures visant à augmenter le niveau des collectes au budget d’Etat.
Tourisme – L’édition d’automne de la Foire de Tourisme de la Roumanie se déroule du 9 au 12 novembre à Bucarest. Elle est considérée comme le plus grand événement du domaine. A part les discounts pour les réservations en avance, les agences proposent aussi des offres du type Black Friday. On propose toute une variété de séjours en Roumanie et à l’étranger, des circuits touristiques complexes sur tous les continents, y compris pour des destinations exotiques. D’ailleurs, deux nouvelles destinations sont proposées cette année aux Roumains à la recherche de paquets inédits de vacances : La Grande Canarie, en Espagne, et la ville de Faro, au Portugal.
Météo – En Roumanie, les températures devraient progresser dans les jours à venir. L’instabilité sera pourtant au rendez-vous, avec des nuages et des pluies sur le sud-ouest, mais aussi sur l’ouest, le nord-ouest, le centre mais aussi sur le reste du territoire. Quelques chutes de neige sont également possibles en haute montagne. Les maxima iront de 10 à 19 degrés avec des minimas durant la nuit de 3 à 14 degrés.
Gaza – Romania will continue the dialogue with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities for the evacuation of the other Romanian citizens and their family members in the Gaza Strip, depending on the developments on the ground and the agreement of the parties involved, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. A consular team will remain available in the area of the Rafah border-crossing to Egypt to provide further assistance. The border was reopened on Thursday, when the evacuation procedures continued for foreign citizens who received permission from the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to transit this point, to Egypt, including 51 Romanian citizens and their family members. In the past few days, several groups of Romanian citizens and their family members were evacuated from the Gaza Strip and transported to Romania by a TAROM aircraft from Cairo. In another development, the White House shows that Israel on Thursday announced a four-hour daily break in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip to allow civilians to withdraw – a first since the beginning of the war. Previously, the NATO allies said they support the humanitarian pauses in the war between Israel and Hamas, to allow the access of aid to the Gaza Strip. According to the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, international law must be respected and civilians must be protected in this conflict.
NATO — Germany will deploy four Eurofighter planes to Romania to support NATOs air policing mission starting at the end of November. The decision comes a few weeks after the Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube. The attacks, carried out right next to the Romanian border, as well as the remains of drones found in Romania, have increased the security risks for the military alliance whose members have a mutual defense commitment. In September, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the Russian strikes near the border as “destabilizing,” even though there were no indications that Russia intended to strike a NATO member. The German air forces have previously supported NATO’s air policing mission in Romania, in the context in which the alliance strengthened its military presence along the eastern flank, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022.
Schengen — One of the major objectives of Hungary’s EU presidency in the second half of 2024 will be to promote Romania’s integration into Schengen, unless progress is made on the matter before, the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said. According to a press release issued by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, he emphasized that the Hungarian government attaches strategic importance to the cooperation between the two countries. “The most important base and resource of this strategic cooperation is the Hungarian community that lives in Romania, said Szijjarto. He added that Romania becoming a member of the Schengen area is a clear national interest of Hungary. Romania, the Hungarian foreign minister said, “is Hungary’s second-largest export market and its Schengen membership will obviously make our economic and trade relations much stronger.” Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2024.
EU – The European Commission recommended the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Commissions favorable opinion must be approved by the 27 members at the December 14-15 EU summit. Until then, the states in question will have to carry out some key measures. From Bucharest, the NATO deputy general secretary, the Romanian Mircea Geoană, welcomed the EC announcement. The official expressed certainty that Ukraine will become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance and showed that there is no fatigue regarding the efforts of the allied countries to support Kyiv in facing the Russian aggression.
Tourism –Bucharest will see, between November 9 and 12, the autumn edition of the Romanian Tourism Fair, considered the most important tourism event in the country that takes place in a physical format. Besides discounts for early booking, some agencies also promote Black Friday discounts. Those interested can find offers both in the country and abroad, complex tour on all continents, including to new or exotic destinations. This year there are two new destinations for the Romanian market: Gran Canaria, in the Spanish Canary Islands, and Faro, in Portugal.
Pensions — The Romanian government adopted, during Thursdays meeting, the new pension law, which provides for two increases in the coming year. The document also establishes the recalculation of all pensions according to new criteria, so that inequities in the system are eliminated. The executive wants the pension law to be adopted by the Parliament by November 20. According to PM Marcel Ciolacu, the new pension law will remove the threshold of 9.4% of the GDP, representing pension expenses. At the same time, the prime minister announced that next year there will be no tax increases, but requested a plan of measures to increase revenue collection to the state budget.
Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse will play against the Serbian Mia Ristic, on Friday, in Kraljevo, in the first singles match of the play-off of the Billie Jean King Cup competition between Romania and Serbia. In the second singles match, which will also take place on Friday, the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian will play against Aleksandra Krunic. On Saturday, Cristian will be up against Ristic, and then Ruse will play against Krunic. The doubles match will pit Katarina Kozarov/Natalija Stevanovic from Serbia against Irina Bara/Monica Niculescu from Romania. The winning team will qualify for the final tournament of the competition, and the losing team will play in Group I. Serbia leads Romania 2-1 in direct matches, after winning with the score 2-1 in 2007, in the first round of Group I, Europe/Africa zone, and with the score 2-1 in 2008, in the same phase. In 2014, in Bucharest, Romania won 4-1 and advanced to the Fed Cup World Group, the current Billie Jean King Cup. (LS)
Die Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, Věra Jourová, ist am Montag zu einem offiziellen Besuch nach Rumänien gereist und traf in Bukarest mit Staatspräsident Klaus Iohannis zusammen. Die Gespräche zwischen der Brüsseler Beamtin und dem rumänischen Präsidenten drehten sich hauptsächlich um die Themen Rechtsstaatlichkeit und Justizreformen, die Unterstützung für die Ukraine und die Lage im Nahen Osten. Ein weiteres Gesprächsthema war der Beitritt Rumäniens zum Schengen-Raum. Die Aufnahme Rumäniens in den Raum der Freizügigkeit wird vorerst ausgesetzt, nachdem Österreich den bereits mehrfach verschobenen Beitritt Rumäniens abgelehnt hat. Die Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission und Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu diskutierten das Thema Schengen. Die beiden diskutierten auch über den Rechtsstaat, den Kampf gegen Desinformation und den digitalen Wandel. Věra Jourová traf auch mit Justizministerin Alina Gorghiu zusammen, die über Reformen in diesem Bereich sprach. Am Treffen nahmen auch Vertreter der großen Staatsanwaltschaften teil. Meine Botschaft an die Behörden ist, dass das rumänische Justizsystem gut funktioniert. Es gibt immer noch neue Gesetze, die umgesetzt werden müssen. Dies sollte nicht für Brüssel, sondern für das rumänische Volk getan werden“, sagte die Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission. Die Empfehlungen des Berichts zur Rechtsstaatlichkeit, das Dienstrentengesetz, ebenso wie Maßnahmen zur Sicherung angemessener Personalressourcen, da im März kommenden Jahres etwa 600 neue Richter in das System aufgenommen werden, wurden diskutiert. Es ist unser Ziel, eine nachhaltige Korruptionsbekämpfung zu haben, eine gute Arbeit der Direktion zur Bekämpfung des organisierten Verbrechens und des Terrorismus zu leisten“, sagte Alina Gorghiu. Am Montag besuchte die Brüsseler Beamtin auch das Europäische Kompetenzzentrum für Cybersicherheit in Bukarest. Es ging dabei um den Input Rumäniens im Politikprogramm für die digitale Dekade, die Umsetzung der Reformen der digitalen Transformation des Nationalen Konjunktur- und Resilienzplans sowie die Ergebnisse des Europäischen Kompetenzzentrums für Cybersicherheit. Das Land verfügt über ein enormes Potenzial an Schulen, die Experten hervorbringen und eine große Anzahl von Frauen, was im Vergleich zu anderen Mitgliedstaaten einzigartig ist“, sagte Věra Jourová. Sie wies darauf hin, dass im Konjunkturpaket 5 Milliarden Euro für die Digitalisierung, das 5G-Netz, Bildung, E-Government und Unternehmensdigitalisierung bereitgestellt werden sollen.
Vicepreşedinta Comisiei Europene pentru valori şi transparenţă, Vera Jourova, a făcut, luni, o vizită oficială în România, unde s-a întâlnit cu președintele Klaus Iohannis. Subiectele de discuţie dintre oficialul de la Bruxelles și șeful statului român au cuprins statul de drept şi reformele din justiţie, precum şi sprijinul pentru Ucraina şi situaţia din Orientul Mijlociu.
O altă temă de discuție a constituit-o aderarea României la spaţiul Schengen. Includerea țării în spațiul de liberă circulație rămâne, deocamdată, în stand-by, după ce Austria a spus nu aderării României, amânată, deja, în repetate rânduri. Subiectul Schengen a fost discutat de vicepreședinta Comisiei Europene și cu prim-ministrul Marcel Ciolacu. Acesta din urmă a precizat că a mulţumit oficialului european pentru sprijinul acordat pentru aderarea României la spațiul de liberă circulație.
Alte teme de discuții dintre cei doi au fost mecanismul statului de drept, combaterea dezinformării şi tranziţia digitală. Vera Jourova s-a întâlnit și cu ministrul Justiţiei, Alina Gorghiu, cu care a abordat reformele din domeniu. La întrevedere au participat şi şefii marilor parchete din ţară.
Mesajul meu către autorităţi este că România stă bine la sistemul judiciar. Mai sunt legi noi care trebuie implementate şi trebuie făcut acest lucru nu pentru Bruxelles, ci pentru poporul român, pentru a avea acces la un sistem judiciar foarte bine pregătitˮ, a afirmat vicepreședinta Comisiei Europene.
Pe agenda de discuţii s-au aflat şi recomandările din Raportul privind Statul de Drept, legea pensiilor de serviciu, dar şi măsurile pentru asigurarea adecvată a resursei umane, având în vedere că, în martie anul viitor, vor fi aproximativ 600 de noi magistraţi în sistem, ca urmare a promovării examenului Institutului Național al Magistraturii şi a examenului de admitere în magistratură pe baza vechimii de 5 ani. Suntem atenţi să adoptăm legislaţie predictibilă, să avem o activitate a DNA susţinută, o activitate a DIICOT pe temele importante, de la trafic de droguri la trafic de persoaneˮ, a declarat Alina Gorghiu.
Tot luni, oficialul de la Bruxelles a făcut o vizită de lucru la Centrul european de competenţe în materie de securitate cibernetică din Bucureşti. Temele abordate au fost parcursul României în programul european Digital Decade, implementarea reformelor prevăzute în Componenta 7 – Transformare Digitală din Planul Naţional de Redresare şi Rezilienţă, precum şi rezultatele Centrului european de competenţe în materie de securitate cibernetică şi importanţa securităţii cibernetice.
Există un potenţial enorm în această ţară, avem şcoli care generează experţi, un număr mare de femei, ceea ce este unic comparativ cu alte state membreˮ, a afirmat Vera Jourova. Aceasta a amintit că, în planul de redresare şi rezilienţă, sunt destinaţi 5 miliarde de euro pentru digitalizare, pentru reţeaua 5G, educaţie, pentru e-guvernare şi digitalizarea afacerilor.
SCHENGEN The European Commissioner
for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, says that the good results obtained by
Romania and Bulgaria in the management of pilot projects on migration are an
additional argument in favor of the accession of the two states to the European
Free Movement Area – Schengen. The statement was made at the Home Affairs
Council meeting in Luxembourg. Several countries pleaded for Romania and
Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. Austria and the Netherlands, which opposed the
accession last December, did not present any argument.
SUMMIT The transformation of
Romania’s economy into a green and digital one is a long-term process, which
requires a strong national plan and must be embraced by all political, business
and civic forces, the Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, told the
participants in the second Climate Change Summit. According to him,
mitigating the effects of climate change in the short, medium and long run, is
a priority for the Cabinet. He also stated that in collaboration with the
private sector, solutions for the future can be developed, so that Romania in
2030 will be better prepared to deal with climate challenges. In turn, the
President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, stated that the impact of climate change
is global and appreciated the fact that part of the Summit is taking place in
universities. He stressed that young people must have opportunities to
participate in the process of decarbonisation and acceleration of the green
transition.
HEALTH The government of Romania Friday approved three National
Healthcare Strategies for the next 7 years: a general strategy on public health
and healthcare, and 2 specific ones, focusing on fighting in-hospital
infections and on vaccination, respectively. The healthcare minister Alexandru
Rafila explained that the vaccination strategy encourages lifelong
immunisation, and is designed to preserve low risks of re-emergence of serious
diseases like polio, measles and rubella in Romania. He also emphasised that
the strategy has nothing to do with compulsory vaccination, but assigns tasks
to public institutions and the medical professionals with respect to information
and resources. Also on Friday, the government increased the amounts paid to the
households affected by flooding, landslides and other natural conditions. Money
has also been earmarked from the reserve fund for carrying on investments in
transportation and unblocking healthcare payments.
AID The National Committee for
Emergency Situations in Romania has decided to provide aid to the population in
Gaza Strip. The humanitarian aid will consist, among other things, of food,
water, beds, mattresses and tents. The transport will be provided with the
support of the Romanian Ministry of Defence and international organisations,
the Romanian Government has announced.Meanwhile, hundreds of Romanians
with medical qualifications have enrolled on the health ministry’s website to
go to Israel and help if necessary, although Romania has not received any
request in this respect up to this point.
THEATRE The 33rd edition
of the National Theatre Festival started in Bucharest on Friday. Until October
30, under the motto Laboratories of the Sensitive the public will be able to
watch 30 Romanian productions and 3 foreign plays. The programme also includes roundtables,
conferences, exhibitions, book launches, reading and radio shows, as well as
creative workshops and Q&A sessions with artists. (AMP)
The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, praised Romanias progress in terms of border control, migration and asylum, during talks at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. I am optimistic, because Romania and Bulgaria prove every time and with every project that they are ready, the European official said. According to a press release of the Interior Ministry in Bucharest, the delegations of Romania and Bulgaria presented the measures adopted to strengthen border control and EU security.
A focal point of the Romanian delegation’s intervention was the presentation of the excellent results of the pilot project that Romania and the European Commission agreed on in March 2023, which has already been implemented at the border with Serbia for the last 6 months, the press release reads. The European official was impressed by the success of the project, emphasizing that, due to the excellent results of the measures implemented by Romania, the country is a model for all member states. Moreover, the Commissioner said, the good results achieved by Romania and Bulgaria in the management of pilot projects regarding migration, are one more argument in favor of the country joining Schengen. In its turn, the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU reconfirmed that the completion of the two countries’ accession process is its priority, for which it will continue to work, in the hope that it will be a success.
It should also be mentioned that a number of member states recognized the progress made by the two countries and supported, in Luxembourg, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. Austria and the Netherlands, which had blocked the accession of the two countries at the end of last year, did not present at the Council any argument for blocking their entry.
The Home Affairs Council does not involve a vote or a promise for securing Schengen accession for Romania and Bulgaria, but the fact that all member states discussed the subject once again, cannot be overlooked. All these took place in the context of the Council’s decision to resume checks at some of the continents most important borders, against the current European background marked by migration and terrorist threats. Thus, the EU interior ministers admitted, during the meeting, that member states must better check migrants and asylum seekers and expel faster those considered a security risk. Consequently, ten countries have introduced temporary checks at their borders, some on their entire border, and others only on parts of it. The main reason is the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which could increase the risk of violence inside Europe, as it happened in the case of the attack in Belgium. (EE)
Summit. The transformation of Romanias economy into a green and digital one is a long-term process, which requires a strong national plan and must be assumed by all political, business and civic forces, the Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, told the participants in the second “Climate Change Summit”. According to him, mitigating the effects of climate change in the short, medium and long term is a priority for the Bucharest Executive. He also stated that in collaboration with the private sector, solutions for the future can be developed, so that Romania in 2030 will be better prepared to deal with climate challenges. For his part, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, stated that the impact of climate change is global and appreciated the fact that part of the Summit is taking place in universities. He stressed that young people must have opportunities to participate in the process of decarbonization and acceleration of the green transition.
Schengen. The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, says that the good results obtained by Romania and Bulgaria in the management of pilot projects on migration are an additional argument in favor of the accession of the two states to the European Free Movement Area – Schengen. The statement was made at the Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg. Several countries supported the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen. Austria and the Netherlands, which opposed the accession last December, did not present any argument.
Aid. The National Committee for Emergency Situations in Romania has decided to grant support to the population of the Gaza Strip. The humanitarian aid will consist, among other things, of food, water, beds, mattresses and tents. The transport will be provided with the support of the Romanian Ministry of Defense and international organizations, the Romanian Government has announced.
Bonuses. The Bucharest government will adopt, in todays meeting, the decision by which career bonuses will be granted for teaching and auxiliary staff, as well as professional career bonuses for non-teaching staff in the state education system, supported by non-refundable external funds. These are the amounts promised by the Executive during the teachers strike in May, of 1,500 lei (the equivalent of 300 euros), and 500 lei respectively (100 euros). Also today, the Government will approve the National Health Strategy for the next seven years.
Israel. Israel will evacuate the city of Kyriat Shmona, on the northern border with Lebanon, threatened by the strikes of the pro-Iranian Islamist group Hezbollah, the Israeli army announced today, quoted by international news agencies. According to the source, about 25,000 residents will move “in reception houses, financed by the state”. On the eve, the army reported an attack with anti-tank rocket launchers from the Lebanese territory and responded by attacking “Hezbollah infrastructure”. Air raids were also launched against the Islamists. Since the start of the war triggered by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, clashes on the Israeli-Lebanese border have left around twenty dead on the Lebanese side, mostly fighters, as well as a Reuters journalist and two civilians. On the Israeli side, at least three people were killed.
Ukraine. Ukrainian troops are facing fresh attacks by the invading Russian army in the largely destroyed eastern town of Avdiivka and are making progress in their counteroffensive on the southern front, senior military officials in Kiyiv say, quoted by international news agencies. The commander of the Ukrainian army, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi says that “the enemy keeps attempting to break through our defenses and surround” Avdiivka. According to the source, the Russians are bringing new assault and armored units there and striking with aviation and artillery. In the south, the Ukrainians claim to have advanced 400 meters near the village of Verbove, in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Theater. The 23rd edition of the National Theater Festival begins in Bucharest today. The official opening will take place at the National Theater and will be followed by the first performance of the guest show “Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists” from Portugal. The festival will last 11 days and will offer the public 30 productions from Romania and three foreign shows. The program also includes debates, conferences, exhibitions, book launches, reading and radio shows, as well as creative workshops and meetings with artists. (MI)
Deficit. Romania’s budget
deficit is to decrease to 5.7% of the GDP, following the application of the law
on fiscal-budgetary measures for which the Government has recently assumed
responsibility and which was declared constitutional on Wednesday. The PM
Marcel Ciolacu stated that the new deficit target could be assumed through a
budget adjustment in the next period. Next week, the government representatives
will have a meeting with the stakeholders, to set the level of the minimum
salary in constructions and agriculture, so that these sectors’ employees
should not be affected by the payment of the health contribution, from October
1, as provided by the current law. PM Ciolacu criticized the opposition Save
Romania Union-USR because when they were in the government coalition, they
included fiscal reform measures in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan,
which they are now opposing. On the other hand, USR considers the decision of
the Constitutional Court unfair and says that the law is an attack on the
incomes of citizens who work honestly in Romania. USR has also announced that
they will file a simple motion against the finance minister.
Green economy. The transformation of Romania’s economy into a green and digital one is a
long-term process, which requires a strong national plan and to be assumed by
all political, business and civic forces, states Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu
in a message conveyed to the participants of the second edition of the
Climate Change Summit. According to him, mitigating the effects of
climate change in the short, medium and long term is a priority for the current
cabinet, aiming at the same time to increase the resilience and sustainability
of the energy and agricultural system, improving the management of water and
mineral resources. He also states that both through the National Recovery and
Resilience Plan, as well as other European and national financial instruments,
and in collaboration with the private sector, solutions for the future will be
developed, so that Romania in 2030 will be better prepared to face the climate
challenges.
Schengen. The Justice and
Home Affairs Council, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the
European Union, took place in Luxembourg on Thursday, which also addressed
issues regarding the Schengen Area. A central point of the intervention of the
Romanian delegation was the presentation of the excellent results of the Pilot
Project agreed by Romania with the European Commission in March 2023, which was
implemented at the border with Serbia in the last 6 months. Among the concrete
results of this project are an updated, more effective national legislation in
matters of asylum and return, participation in the Frontex Joint Reintegration
Services Program, an IT system for managing return cases aligned with the IT
system of the Frontex Agency, equipment and efficient border control systems.
The European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson, was impressed
by the success of the project, emphasizing that, through the excellent results
of the measures implemented by Romania, it is a model for all member states.
She also appreciated that the Romanian authorities have been implementing, in
advance, the provisions of the new Pact on migration and asylum. A number of
member states actively intervened in favor of the accession of Romania and Bulgaria
to the Schengen Area, and the Spanish Presidency reconfirmed that the
completion of the process is its priority. We recall you that, at the end of
last year, a unanimous decision regarding Romania’s entry into the Schengen
area could not be adopted, due to Austria’s opposition. The Netherlands opposed
Bulgaria’s accession.
Israel.
Israel has announced that it hit Hezbollah
targets in Lebanon, and the Radio Romania correspondent reports that the
Israeli army is preparing to face a new front in the north of the country.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant has stated that Hezbollah is 10 times stronger
than Hamas. In humanitarian terms, Israel approved the entry of aid into the
Gaza Strip, from Egypt, through the Rafah crossing. In another move, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whom he met in Israel on Thursday, that Britain
stands in solidarity with his country, adding that it is also important to
provide humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. In Cairo, Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II called for an immediate end
to the conflict in Gaza, accusing Israel of applying collective punishment. The
European Parliament adopted a resolution by which it strongly condemns the
brutal attacks by Hamas, calls for the immediate release of all hostages,
recognizes Israel’s right to self-defense, but emphasizes that any of its
actions must strictly respect international humanitarian law. Meanwhile, the
Israeli forces have continued to launch rockets towards the Gaza Strip and
announced the liquidation of several Hamas leaders.
Missing. Israeli
authorities announced the disappearance of a person with dual citizenship,
Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Bucharest said on Thursday. Until this moment, the Embassy of Romania in
Tel Aviv and the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa have not received
requests for consular support regarding the disappearance or death of other
Romanian citizens in the State of Israel, and they are constantly maintaining
contact with the Israeli authorities, says the MFA. According to the
Israeli authorities, so far, four citizens with dual Israeli-Romanian
citizenship have died and two are missing.
Festival. The city of Iasi, in
eastern Romania, is hosting the 11th edition of FILIT – the Iasi International
Festival of Literature and Translation which started on Wednesday, an event
attended by guests from 25 countries. This year’s event takes place under the
high patronage of the European Commission’s representation in Romania and the
National Commission of Romania for UNESCO. Writers,
translators, editors, festival organizers, literary critics, booksellers, book
distributors, managers and journalists are attending FILIT. Until October 22,
various events are scheduled, such as literary meetings with prestigious
writers, white nights of poetry and music, workshops and professional round
tables, concerts and readings. (MI)