Radio România Internațional

Tag: St. Andrew

  • November 30, 2023 UPDATE

    November 30, 2023 UPDATE


    COP28 The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis travels to Dubai on Friday, to attend the UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, with 140 heads of state expected to take part. The conference started on Thursday with the adoption of a historic decision to finance losses and damages for the countries affected by global warming. The year 2023 has been the hottest on record, with an average global temperature approx. 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels, the World Meteorological Organization announced.



    DEFENCE Romanias new Army Chief of Staff is the general lieutenant Gheorghiţă Vlad. At the swearing in ceremony on Thursday, president Klaus Iohannis said gen. lt. Vlad was entrusted with the responsibility of carrying on the Armys process of adapting to new challenges and of maintaining a high level of battle training for the troops. We need more determined measures to re-launch the national defence industry, the president also said, including through industrial cooperation, so that a larger share of the ammunition and equipment we need may be produced domestically. This and the high level of military training, will ensure a strong and credible defence capacity, adapted to the new security challenges, the head of state added.



    RECYCLING In Romania, the deposit and return scheme for beverage containers became operational on Thursday. Romania will run the second-largest programme of this kind in Europe, after the one in Germany, in terms of the number of containes processed. Romanians who pay a 10-Eurocent deposit on purchasing bottled beverages from retailers will be able to return the container to drop-off centres organised by retailers, and will be refunded their deposits without having to produce the receipt for the original purchase. Deposit-carrying containers will be introduced gradually, with a transition period until current stocks in shops are sold out.



    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu took part on Wednesday in an informal dinner ahead of the OSCE ministerial council in Skopje, organised by the rotating chairmanship holder, North Macedonia. Talks focused on Russias war of aggression against Ukraine and the need for an efficient OSCE in times of conflict. In her address, the Romanian diplomat emphasised the difficult circumstances in which the Organisation operates, in the context of Russias unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. She also reiterated Romanias solidarity with the Ukrainian people, emphasising the multi-dimensional support given to Ukraine. Luminiţa Odobescu also highlighted the negative impact on the Republic of Moldova, the social and economic difficulties facing Moldova as a result of Russias various pressures, as well as the relevance of Moldova in the security dynamics of the region.



    UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate in Romania was 5.4% in October, below the 6% EU average, the European Statistics Office announced. According to data released on Thursday, the Eurostat puts the number of unemployed people in the EU at nearly 13 million. The unemployment rate was 14.8% among youth, 6.4% among women and 5.8% among men. The lowest figure in October was reported in Malta – 2.5%, and the highest in Spain – 12%.



    HOLIDAY On Thursday Christians celebrated St. Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Romania. Historical records indicate that Saint Andrew preached in Scythia, in the north and west of the Black Sea, including present-day Dobrudja, where he ordained priests and bishops who took the word of Christ to the Dacian population between the Danube and the Carpathians. As such, he is recognised as the patron saint of Romania. He was martyred by crucifixion in the city of Patras, in Greece. (AMP)


  • November 30, 2018

    November 30, 2018

    FEAST DAY – Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic believers from all over the world, Romania included, are today celebrating St. Apostle Andrew. He is the first of Jesus Christ’s apostles who preached Christianity in the south of Romania, in Dobruja. Saint Andrew is also the patron saint of Romania. Saint Andrew preached in Dobruja and in today’s Ukrainian territory, in Great Scythia, and in Byzantium. He then went to Greece and preached the Gospel, going up to Patras town where he died a martyr’s death. He was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Over 700 thousand Romanians named after St. Andrew celebrate their name day today.




    CELEBRATIONS – Alba Iulia, the central Romanian city where on December 1st 1918, the Romanian nation state was proclaimed, is hosting as of today a new edition of the Congress of Romanian Spirituality, attended by representatives of Romanian communities from all over the world. This is only one of the events held on Friday and Saturday in the city, in celebration of 100 years since Romania became a nation state. Military and religious ceremonies at the monuments of the personalities and heroes that played an important role in the unification of all Romanian provinces have been scheduled for today. According to local authorities, over 100 thousand people are expected to attend celebrations in Alba Iulia on December 1st. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis will host a reception on the occasion on Romania’s National Day. According to Klaus Iohannis, the centenary is not only about the past, but also about the future Romania. Being a Romanian is now the same with being a European, and means being part of a community of values that treasures freedom, democracy, solidarity, the respect for human dignity and for the rule of law, Iohannis has said. On December 1st, around 450 public events have been announced with over 550 thousand people expected to attend.




    RELIGIOUS SERVICE – Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Theophilos II of Jerusalem and All Palestine officiated a religious service on Friday, dedicated to St. Apostle Andrew, celebrated on Nov 30 and considered the protector of Romania. The religious service was held at the new national cathedral in Bucharest, inaugurated a week ago. His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos announced that the delegation of the Jerusalem Patriarchate brought with them a fragment of the holy relics of Saint John Jacob for the new cathedral. Patriarch Daniel said that these relics of ‘the Romanian Saint from the Holy Land’ will be placed in one of the chapels at the basement of the National Cathedral which will be dedicated to Saint John Jacob. The Patriarch of Jerusalem arrived in Romania Thursday morning to lead the celebrations of the first patronal feast held in the National Cathedral. On Saturday, Patriarch Theophilos will also attend, alongside patriarch Daniel, the ceremonies in Alba Iulia marking Romania’s National Day and the 1918 Great Union Centennial.



    G 20 – G20 member nations are struggling to reach agreement on major issues including trade, migration and climate change as world leaders have gathered in the Buenos Aires for a summit starting on Friday. This is the first G20 summit ever held in South America. The summit takes place amid new tension with Russia over Ukraine and a US trade row with China. US President Donald Trump has cancelled a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in protest at Russias seizure of Ukrainian naval boats. Trump’s move may also be connected to the internal investigation regarding suspicions of Russian interference in the elections for the White House, commentators believe. The two-day summit in Buenos Aires will be a major test for the Group of 20 industrialized nations, whose leaders first met in 2008 to help rescue the global economy from the worst financial crisis in seven decades, but which now faces questions over its relevance to deal with the latest round of crises, Reuters reports. Overhanging the summit in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, is a bitter trade dispute between the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, which have imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of each other’s imports.



    HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball team is in France where it will play the Czech Republic in the European Championships 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 Elena Enache)

  • November 30, 2017 UPDATE

    November 30, 2017 UPDATE

    CELEBRATIONS – As many as 3,500 military and experts with the Defense Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry and the Romanian Intelligence Service accompanied by 50 aircraft and over 350 fighting vehicles will parade in Bucharest on Friday, December 1st, to mark Romania’s National Day. 300 other troops from allied and partner countries will also join the parade. Also in Bucharest, a military and religious ceremony will be held, and wreaths will be laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The national flag will be hoisted at all military institutions. December 1st will also be celebrated abroad, through cultural events staged by the offices of the Romanian Cultural Institute jointly with Romania’s diplomatic missions. A military parade will also take place in the Romanian town of Alba Iulia, where the union of the Romanian territories was proclaimed on December 1, 1918, thus sanctioning the setting up of the Romanian unitary nation state, by bringing under Bucharest’s authority all provinces with a Romanian majority population, which had been part of the neighbouring multi-national empires.




    MEETING — Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor met on Thursday with his Moldovan counterpart Eugen Sturza, who pays an official visit to Bucharest to attend the events occasioned by Romania’s National Day. According to a release by the Defense Ministry, talks focused on the stage of bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and perspectives for development. The two officials also discused about collaboration within international organisations with an emphasis on Romania’s further supporting Moldova’s bid for the EU and boosting cooperation with NATO in order to enhance the interoperability of the armed forces.




    EU BUDGET — The European Parliament convened in a plenary sitting in Brussels on Thursday approved the EU budget for 2018. The total budget for next year is 160 billion euros. “This budget delivers on what EU citizens expect from Europe: jobs and growth on the one hand and security on the other. By investing in research, infrastructure, education and SMEs, we will become more competitive and future-oriented. As for security, we have succeeded in strengthening Europol and Eurojust, so that they ensure better cooperation and coordination in fighting terrorism and organised crime across the EU”, said lead rapporteur, the Romanian Siegfried Muresan.




    UNEMPLOYMENT — The unemployment rate in the European Union was 7.4 % in October 2017, the lowest level since the end of 2008, according to data made public by Eurostat on Thursday. Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in October 2017 were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.7 %), Malta (3.5 %) and Germany (3.6 %). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (20.6 % in August 2017) and Spain (16.7 %). Romania falls below the EU average, with an unemployment rate of 4.9% in October, just as in the previous month.




    NATIONAL BUDGET – Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said on Thursday that health, education and infrastructure are the centre of the 2018 state budget. He also mentioned that the 2% earmarked for defence would be maintained. Romania’s state budget for next year is built on a 5.5% economic growth rate, and a budget deficit of 2.97% of the GDP, according a Report on the macroeconomic situation and its projection for the 2019-2021 period, made public by the Finance Ministry. The average inflation rate considered when drafting the 2018 budget is 3.1% and the exchange rate is 4.55 lei for one euro. Also, a 4.2% increase in the number of employees is forecast, at the same time with a decrease in the unemployment rate, which is expected to stand at 3.9% at the end of next year.




    ST. ANDREW’S DAY — Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic believers from all over the world, Romania included, celebrated on Thursday St. Apostle Andrew. He is the first of Jesus Christ’s apostles who preached Christianity in the south of Romania. This way Saint Andrew is also considered the patron saint of the country. Saint Andrew preached in Dobruja and in today’s Ukrainian territory, in Great Scythia, and then in Byzantium. He then went to Greece and preached the Gospel, going up to Patras town where he died a martyr’s death. He was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Over 700 thousand Romanians named after St. Andrew celebrated their name day on Thursday.




    VISAS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry recalls that, as of December 1st, 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.




    WARNING – The United States has urged all countries to sever economic and diplomatic ties with North Korea. Speaking at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss North Korea’s latest missile launch, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley warned Pyongyang that the regime will be “utterly destroyed” if a standoff over missile tests leads to war. She also said Pyongyang had brought the world closer to war with its latest test of a ballistic missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has firmly condemned North Korea’s new nuclear test, saying it is a new serious threat to regional and international peace and security and a blatant violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)








  • November 30, 2017

    November 30, 2017

    CELEBRATIONS – Romanians have todays started a four-day mini-holiday occasioned by St. Andrews’ Day, the patron saint of Romania, followed by Romania’s National Day, on December 1st. Most Romanians have chosen local destinations to spend these days off from work, their favourites being the resorts on the Prahova Valley, in the Southern Carpathians, Bukovina, in the north as well as spas and treatment resorts. The average budget allocated for this travels across the country stands at some 170 Euros per person. Romanians spending their mini-holiday abroad will however spend around 320 Euros per person. Celebrated by both the Romanians living in the country and abroad, December 1st, the National Day of Romania, is, as every year, a moment of joy. The highlight of the day is the traditional military parade in Bucharest. The approximately 3,500 Romanian military, accompanied by 50 aircraft and over 300 fighting vehicles will parade in Romania’s capital city. 300 other troops from allied and partner countries will also join the parade.




    VISAS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry recalls that, as of December 1st, 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.




    ST. ANDREW’S DAY — Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic believers from all over the world, Romania included, are today celebrating St. Apostle Andrew. He is the first of Jesus Christ’s apostles who preached Christianity in the south of Romania. This way Saint Andrew is also considered the patron saint of the country. Saint Andrew preached in Dobruja and in today’s Ukrainian territory, in Great Scythia, and then in Byzantium. He then went to Greece and preached the Gospel, going up to Patras town where he died a martyr’s death. He was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Over 700 thousand Romanians named after St. Andrew celebrate their name day today.




    WARNING – The United States has urged all countries to sever economic and diplomatic ties with North Korea. Speaking at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss North Korea’s latest missile launch, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley warned Pyongyang that the regime will be “utterly destroyed” if a standoff over missile tests leads to war. She also said Pyongyang had brought the world closer to war with its latest test of a ballistic missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has firmly condemned North Korea’s new nuclear test, saying it is a new serious threat to regional and international peace and security and a blatant violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.




    BUDGET – Romania’s state budget for next year is built on a 5.5% economic growth rate, down from this year’s 6.1% forecast, reads a Report on the macroeconomic situation and its projection for the 2019-2021 period, made public by the Finance Ministry. The domestic demand will be the engine for economic growth. The document also says that economic activity in all sectors will improve, while the budget deficit will stand at 2.97% of the GDP. The annual average inflation rate considered when drafting the 2018 budget is 3.1% and the exchange rate is 4.55 lei for one euro. Also, a 4.2% increase in the number of employees is expected, at the same time with a decrease in the unemployment rate, which is expected to stand at 3.9% at the end of next year.




    HANDBALL – As of December 1st, Germany will be hosting the World Women’s 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 Elena Enache)