Radio România Internațional

Tag: summer

  • July 30, 2023

    July 30, 2023

    GOVERNMENT The government
    prepares to pass a set of fiscal measures in the coming days, designed to bring
    more money into the state budget and to keep the deficit close to this year’s
    target of 4.4% of GDP. As of this autumn, employees in agriculture,
    constructions and IT may have to contribute 10% of their incomes to the public
    healthcare fund. The government also intends to keep only 2 VAT rates, 9% for
    foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and hospitality services, and 19% for all other
    sectors. Governmental sources say the ruling coalition are also discussing a
    reorganization of the public sector, by scrapping 200,000 posts which are
    currently vacant. At the same time, the Cabinet is working on measures to support
    citizens cope with the rising inflation. The government is considering an
    increase in minimum wages in 2 stages: to roughly 670 euro in September and to
    750 euro as of January next year. But the plan is opposed by private
    entrepreneurs, who say they cannot afford to raise minimum wages for employees.
    According to a recent poll, should this measure be introduced, more than half
    of the private entrepreneurs in the country said they would raise prices for
    their products and services or downsize their staff.


    FIRE A Romanian fire fighter unit specialising in
    wildfires is leaving for France today, as part of a redeployment programme
    organised by the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and
    Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). As many as 40 Romanian fire fighters
    with fire engines, water tanks and other equipment will be stationed in
    Marseilles, on the Mediterranean Coast.


    TRIBUTE The Bucharest National
    Opera orchestra performs tonight for the first time at the Musikverein hall in
    Vienna, in a tribute concert to the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu. The
    year 2023 was declared the year of Ciprian Porumbescu, to mark 170 years since
    the birth and 140 years since the death of the famous composer. The concert
    will consist exclusively of works by Ciprian Porumbescu: New Moon, the first
    Romanian operetta, the Ballad, the Romanian Rhapsody. The soloists, choir
    and orchestra of the National Opera House in Bucharest are conducted by Daniel
    Jinga, with special guests including maestro Gheorghe Zamfir and the soloist
    Maria Coman.


    UKRAINE A Ukrainian drone
    attack on Moscow hit 2 office buildings last night, the mayor of Russia’s
    capital city Sergei Sobyanin said, according to France Presse. According to the
    Russian defence ministry, a drone was shot down and 2 others were neutralized but
    crashed into a building compound. This was the latest in a string of attacks
    that Moscow blames on Kyiv, while also claiming the US and their NATO allies
    have provided assistance to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities say
    at least 2 were killed and 1 wounded in a Russian missile attack on the city of
    Zaporizhzhia.


    SPORTS Romania finished 4th
    at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in Maribor (Slovenia), with 9
    gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals. This is the best performance for Romania in
    this competition, after the ones in 1995 (Bath) and 2003 (Paris), when it came
    out 3rd. On Saturday, the last day of the event, Romania won 2 gold medals,
    thanks to Alin Şavlovschi, in the men’s 2,000 m hurdles race and Bianca Maria
    Tiţa, Ştefania Balint, Maria Denisa Capotă and Alexandra Ştefania Uţă, who won
    the women’s relay race with a new competition record (2’06”13). Romania’s
    women’s handball team won the silver after losing the final to France, 32-27. Three other
    medals were won in the tennis competition, by Giulia Safina Popa in the women’s
    singles, Giulia Popa and Alexia Tatu in women’s doubles and Yannick Theodor
    Nicolas Alexandrescou/Alejandro Mateo Berge Vega Nourescu in the men’s doubles.
    In the gymnastics competition, Alexia Gabriela Vânoagă won the silver in the
    beam final. Romania participated in the Festival with a team of 92 athletes. (AMP)

  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash




    Krakow
    and the region of Malopolska in Poland are these days hosting the European
    Games. On Wednesday, Romanian athletes won 2 more medals. In boxing, Lăcrămioara
    Perijoc qualified into the semi-finals of the 54 kg category, thus securing a
    spot in the Paris Olympics. She will take on Turkey’s Hatice Akbaş, the
    category’s defending world champion, and if she loses, she still gets the
    bronze medal. In teqball, the Romanian athlete Kinga Barabasi, no 5 in the
    world, has secured a place in the women’s final, after defeating Nanna Lind
    Kristensen (Denmark) in the semi-final on Wednesday. The other finalist is
    Amelie Julien of France.




    Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse failed to
    move up to the main competition of the Wimbledon, after losing the 2nd
    qualification round to Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Gabriela
    Ruse gets GBP 21,750 and 20 WTA points. Irina Begu, Sorana Cîrstea, Ana Bogdan and
    Jaqueline Cristian are taking part in the main draw, with Begu seed no 29.




    Also in tennis, Monica Niculescu and Eri
    Hozumi are playing the semi-finals of the WTA 250 tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany.
    In the quarter-finals, the Romanian – Japanese pair defeated seeds no 2, Yana
    Sizikova (Russia) and Kimberley Zimmermann (Belgium), 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.




    Romanian football teams have started their
    summer training season. Rapid Bucharest, currently on a training session in
    Slovakia, drew 1-all against Dunajska Streda in a friendly played on this
    occasion. On Saturday, they are playing another friendly against the Hungarian
    side Győr, and next Wednesday they are scheduled to play against Slovakian
    champions Slovan Bratislava. (AMP)

  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash




    Krakow
    and the region of Malopolska in Poland are these days hosting the European
    Games. On Wednesday, Romanian athletes won 2 more medals. In boxing, Lăcrămioara
    Perijoc qualified into the semi-finals of the 54 kg category, thus securing a
    spot in the Paris Olympics. She will take on Turkey’s Hatice Akbaş, the
    category’s defending world champion, and if she loses, she still gets the
    bronze medal. In teqball, the Romanian athlete Kinga Barabasi, no 5 in the
    world, has secured a place in the women’s final, after defeating Nanna Lind
    Kristensen (Denmark) in the semi-final on Wednesday. The other finalist is
    Amelie Julien of France.




    Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse failed to
    move up to the main competition of the Wimbledon, after losing the 2nd
    qualification round to Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Gabriela
    Ruse gets GBP 21,750 and 20 WTA points. Irina Begu, Sorana Cîrstea, Ana Bogdan and
    Jaqueline Cristian are taking part in the main draw, with Begu seed no 29.




    Also in tennis, Monica Niculescu and Eri
    Hozumi are playing the semi-finals of the WTA 250 tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany.
    In the quarter-finals, the Romanian – Japanese pair defeated seeds no 2, Yana
    Sizikova (Russia) and Kimberley Zimmermann (Belgium), 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.




    Romanian football teams have started their
    summer training season. Rapid Bucharest, currently on a training session in
    Slovakia, drew 1-all against Dunajska Streda in a friendly played on this
    occasion. On Saturday, they are playing another friendly against the Hungarian
    side Győr, and next Wednesday they are scheduled to play against Slovakian
    champions Slovan Bratislava. (AMP)

  • Large-scale music events in Romania

    Large-scale music events in Romania

    After years of COVID-related restrictions, this summer
    returned some of the most eagerly-awaited music festivals to the Romanian
    public.


    One such event, which brings tens of thousands of
    people to the Romanian Black Sea coast every year, came to a close on Sunday,
    after 4 days and nights of music and fun. The 4th edition of Neversea,recognised as the
    largest music festival held on a beach in Europe, this year brought to
    Romania 150 artists from over 20 countries. The last night at Neversea saw
    the performance of US rapper TYGA, one of the most popular artists of the
    moment. As with the previous nights, the opening performance came from a
    Romanian artist, and Delia managed to charm the audience once again.


    Delia: Great vibe, there was a very interesting flow
    of energy between myself and the crowd. I loved it. I can say I was nervous, although I rarely get
    nervous performing.


    Every day, over 60,000 people of all ages came to see
    the performances on the Neversea beach. Edy Chereji, a member of the organising
    team, had this to say:


    Edy Chereji:2022 Neversea is the first post-pandemic event
    held without restrictions and obviously people’s enthusiasm was tremendous, a
    lot of people came with a thirst for fun, and this edition virtually made up
    for 3 lost years.


    Other notable acts included DJ Dimitri Vegas &
    Like Mike and Tujamo (Germany) who wrapped up the festival in Constanţa.


    The 26th Gărâna International Jazz Festival,
    held in western Romania, also came to a close, after 4 nights packed with gigs
    by Romanian and international jazz legends. For the first time ever, three of
    the nights were devoted to jazz musicians from Norway, Finland and Sweden,
    while the best Romanian musicians came together in the Romanian Jazz Meeting. Soft
    Machine, who celebrate a music career spanning 55 years, and Charles Lloyd, on
    his last European tour, were also among the highlights of the event. There were
    27 concerts in all, 3 film screenings and an album release.


    Also last week, the Sibiu State Philharmonic organised
    the ‘Summer Concerts: Romanian-American Music Days,’ a festival which, for the
    19th year, has offered the public performances by international
    musicians in unconventional venues, with genres ranging from Baroque and Classical
    to symphonic rock, film scores and pop music. This year’s highlight was a
    concert called ‘Sophisticated Lady’, by the Bucharest Jazz Orchestra.


    Summer continues with other music events like Electric
    Castle, between July 13 and 17, Untold, between August 4 and 7, Summer
    Well, on August 12-14 and Living Rock, on August 19 to 21. (AMP)

  • April 29, 2022

    April 29, 2022

    VISIT The PM of Bulgaria Kiril
    Petkov is on a working visit to Romania today. He will be received by president Klaus Iohannis and will also have talks
    with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. The agenda of the visit also includes a meeting with the European
    Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, and
    the signing of an agreement between the Romanian and Bulgarian governments
    concerning the opening of the Giurgiu – Ruse ferryboat checkpoint. During the visit of the Bulgarian delegation,
    the Romanian defence minister Vasile Dîncu will have talks with his Bulgarian
    counterpart Dragomir Zakov.


    PARLIAMENT The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel
    Ciolacu, announced meetings in the forthcoming period between the leaders of
    the parliaments of Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova. A meeting
    may take place in Iaşi (eastern Romania), near the Moldovan border, he added.


    ECONOMY The National Strategy and Forecast Commission revised its economic
    growth estimate for this year from 4.3% predicted in winter down to 2.9% in its
    latest report. According to the Commission, the reassessment was triggered by
    the effects of the conflict in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia, while
    the new pandemic wave in China is also expected to deepen trade logjams,
    especially in the automotive industry. The
    Romanian central bank’s deputy governor Leonardo Badea also said, in a
    specialised conference, that the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have
    generated significant economic and fiscal problems.The IMF expects
    Romania’s GDP to go up 2.2% this year, while the World Bank’s estimate is 2.9%.


    CYBER ATTACKS Today’s cyber-attack on websites of Romanian public and
    private institutions was claimed by a cyber-crime group called Killnet, the
    National Cyber Security Directorate announced. A number of Distributed Denial
    of Service (DDoS) attacks targeted websites belonging to the government,
    defence ministry, border police, the passenger railway corporation CFR and OTP
    Bank, and was claimed to be in response to Romania’s support of Ukraine in the
    military conflict with Russia. Prague
    also accused a pro-Russian hacker group of committing cyber-attacks against websites
    run by the Czech public administration, hospitals and private entities on April 21.


    VETERANS Several military ceremonies are held today
    to mark the War Veterans Day in Romania. The defence minister Vasile Dîncu and
    the chief of staff gen. Daniel Petrescu will attend the events at the Monument
    of Heroes in Bucharest, while similar events will take place across the country
    and abroad. Also today, defence ministry officials will have an informal
    meeting in Bucharest with war veterans, children, students, and troops from
    theatres of operations.


    UKRAINE NATO warns that the West must be prepared
    for a long-term conflict. Its deputy secretary general Mircea Geoană said that the
    coming days and weeks may prove decisive, but that the war in Ukraine is likely
    to last longer-perhaps months or even years, depending on many factors. Russia
    carries on its offensive to get full control over the regions of Donetsk and
    Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and to create a land corridor to Crimea, the
    Ukrainian Army announced. Moscow also increased the number of drones flying
    over Odessa region on aerial reconnaissance missions, while local officials say Russia disseminates fake news and
    disinformation in an attempt to induce panic among the civilians in the region.


    FESTIVAL The French Institute in Bucharest, jointly with Europavox,
    organises a series of round tables, panel discussions and workshops entitled What’s
    Next for European Music on May 4 and 5. The participants will look at the
    music sector after the pandemic, opportunities in a new European framework,
    current financing opportunities in the EU, the European culture in solidarity
    with Ukraine, and digital communication in the context of the Covid-19
    pandemic. The debates will be held in English. During the same period, artists
    from 6 European countries will perform in Bucharest as part of the first
    Europavox Festival edition held in Romania.


    MAY
    DAY     The summer
    season officially begins this weekend in Romania. Hotel owners expect nearly
    30,000 tourists to spend May Day on the Black Sea coast. Data centralised by a
    tour operator indicate that over 100 hospitality units are ready to receive
    their guests, with the resorts of Mamaia and Costineşti in the highest demand. (AMP)

  • Optimistic economic forecast

    Optimistic economic forecast

    Romania will have the highest economic growth rate in the EU this year, according to the summer forecast of the European Commission, which predicted the Romanian economy will grow by 7.4% this year and by 4.9% next year.



    The new forecast for 2021 is 2.3% higher than the spring estimates, because, according to the European institution, the Romanian economy performed strongly in the first quarter. The confidence of consumers and business people has also remained high so far. Private consumption is expected to stay sound, backed by the lifting of COVID restrictions, particularly in the fields hit severely by the pandemic, and by the increase in salaries in the first months of the year, the Commission said.



    Moreover, investments will remain strong in 2021-2022, supported by both the private and public sectors. Exports are set to improve in line with the ongoing recovery in Romanias main trading partners but the contribution of net exports to growth is expected to remain negative over the forecast horizon, the Commission believes. Growth is projected to continue into 2022, although at a slower pace.



    PM Florin Cîţu says these forecasts are the consequence of the private sector responding well to the measures implemented so far, and having confidence that all the reforms announced by the government will be implemented.



    Meanwhile, professor Mircea Coşea, Ph.D., explains what these figures actually mean for Romania, in his opinion:


    Mircea Coşea: “This 7% growth is actually not growth but recovery. In macroeconomic terms, there is a major difference between recovery and economic growth. What we are actually doing is recovering, that is, getting back to where we were. This is not necessarily to mean we will live better. Moreover, if we look at whats behind these figures, we will see things are rather disquieting. A recovery at this record-rate for the EU is not healthy. Compared to other countries around us, this extremely high figure means that in fact Romania does not rely on a proper economic foundation, but on loans.



    At EU level, the economy is expected to grow by 4.8% this year and 4.5% in 2022, after economic activity above expectations in the first quarter and after the easing of COVID containment measures in the second quarter. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Festivals postponed

    Festivals postponed

    Major festivals, which had become a tradition in Romania and used to be scheduled every summer, were officially cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic and of relevant restrictions.



    Untold was due to take place between July 31 and August 2 in Cluj-Napoca (north-west), while Neversea was scheduled for early July in Constanţa, on the Black Sea coast.



    According to organisers, the decision was made in the context of the uncertainties looming over the events industry and of the strict conditions under which people are allowed to meet. The Culture Ministry presenting Parliament with a bill banning events with more than 1,000 people in attendance until August 31, 2020, did not help either.



    It is with broken hearts, but also with the belief that this is the best decision for the health and safety of all Romanians, that we have decided to postpone this years Untold and Neversea for 2021, the organisers of the 2 festivals announced.



    Summer Well, held every summer for the past few years near Bucharest, was also rescheduled for next year, and so was Electric Castle, another festival due in Cluj in mid-July. This was a very difficult decision and we are aware of the disappointment and sadness it brings not only to our fans, but also to all those who make this festival possible every year, said the organisers. Also in Cluj, another landmark event, Jazz in the Park, was cancelled over the COVID-19 pandemic.



    Those who have purchased tickets for this years festivals may choose to use them for the forthcoming editions, or to get a refund, where possible.



    Starting on June 1, Romanian authorities allow concerts and other performances held outdoors, with a maximum of 500 people in attendance, seated 2m from each other and wearing protective face masks throughout the shows.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The Week in Review, August 11-18

    The Week in Review, August 11-18

    The first budget revision of 2019


    The Government in Bucharest on Monday made the first budget revision this year. The Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has said the budget revision is a positive one and it secures the payment of salaries and pensions by the end of the year. The Finance Ministry, the Development Ministry, Labour Ministry, the Environment Ministry as well as the Romanian Intelligence Service will receive more money from the state budget. On the other hand, the Transport Ministry, the Ministry for the Business Environment and the Education Ministry will have their budgets slashed. The Finance Minister has said that in the first quarter of the year the economic growth stood at 5% and that the 2.76% budget deficit target is not being exceeded.



    Eugen Teodorovici: “The budget revision secures the payment of salaries and pensions and the amounts needed for investment projects under way and for new projects set to begin by the end of the year. Funds will not be slashed, but certain overestimations, made when the 2019 budget was drawn up, will be corrected.



    Teodorovici has also said the budget revision will make available over one billion Euros for local communities, for social welfare expenses and for investment.



    The Liberals, in the parliamentary opposition, say the rectification is based on false figures. The President of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, says:



    Ludovic Orban: “This budget shows in fact that the PSD-ALDE ruling coalition squandered the money collected from taxes and duties, spent public money in an unjustified manner, on things that have nothing to do with the interests of the Romanian citizens. Consequently, we have reached the point where the funds needed for vital expenses, for ensuring the activity of public services for the Romanian citizens, are threatened.



    The Social Democrats have also been criticized for the budget revision by their junior partners in the ruling coalition, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE). ALDE has asked for a new governing programme and a restructured and competent Cabinet.




    15 August- Romanian Navy Day


    August 15 is US Navy Day, celebrated in all the country’s marine and river ports. The most important events are held in Constanta, the biggest port city on the Black Sea. Over 15,000 people attended the show put on by the navy, with dozens of ships and aircraft. Over 3,000 military seamen took part in the biggest naval exercise of the year. They were joined by ships and aircraft from Italy, Ukraine, and the US. American destroyer the USS Porter was there next to Italian ships, while Italian Eurofighter jets ran mock dogfights.



    The star of the events was the training sail ship Mircea, which was decorated by President Klaus Iohannis, celebrating 80 years since it was baptized into the military navy. Attending the manifestations, the president recalled the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for both NATO and the EU. Defense Minister Gabriel Les warned that the security situation in the Black Sea forced NATO to adopt a defense and deterrence measure. Navy Day festivities were also held in the Danube ports of Tulcea, Braila, and Galati, as well as in the capital Bucharest.




    The 2019 Izvoru Muresului Summer University


    This week, the town of Izvoru Muresului in Harghita County hosted the 17th edition of the Summer University. The theme this year was Romania and Romanians Across the World One Year from the Centennial of the Great Union. Topics included the preservation of identity among Romanians in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova in view of geopolitical evolution, as well as Romanian policy related to Romanians living abroad.



    The events were attended by people from Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, and many other countries, with lectures by academics from the country and abroad, representatives of civil society, as well as the media. Presidential adviser Sandra Pralong said in the keynote speech that the Romanian state has to pay more attention to the needs of Romanians living outside the country. Secretary of State for the Ministry of Culture and National Identity Alexandru Pugna recalled that a 2019 executive order allocated 4 million Euro for churches abroad, in order to support Romanian communities, helping their parishioners preserve their Romanian identity. Representatives of Romanians from the counties of Covasna, Harghita, and Mures called for the creation of a government structure to protect the cultural identity of Romanian communities in those counties.




    Two Romanian football teams have qualified for the next stages of European competitions


    Romanian football champions CFR Cluj have qualified for the Champions League play-offs, where they will play against Czech champions Slavia Prague. Their presence has been secured in the Europa League group games. Vice-champions FCSB have won their away game on Thursday against FK Mlada Boleslav, 1-0, qualifying for the Europa League play-offs. In the first leg in Bucharest the score was blank. In order to make it to the groups of the European competition, FCSB has to get past the Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes. Universitatea Craiova was halted in the third preliminary round by getting routed by AEK Athens.

  • August 17, 2019

    August 17, 2019

    VISIT The head of the Romanian state, Klaus Iohannis, will be on an official visit to Washington D.C. on August 19 and 20, at the invitation of the US president, Donald J. Trump. The 2 leaders will have a meeting on August 20, to discuss ways to strengthen and further develop the strong and dynamic strategic partnership between Romania and the US, in all its components. The Romanian president will emphasise on this occasion that his country will remain a reliable ally and strategic partner of the USA, one of the priorities of Romanias foreign policy being to consolidate the trans-Atlantic relation and Euro-Atlantic security. Klaus Iohannis said he also intended to talk to Donald J. Trump about the American troops in Romania and about the countrys capacity to host more US troops. The issue of US visa requirements for Romanian citizens will also be approached. Meanwhile, according to the White House, the US president looks forward to celebrating the 30th year since the fall of communism and the 15th year of Romanias NATO membership with president Iohannis. Klaus Iohannis and Donald Trump previously met at the White House in 2017, when they discussed the prospects for deepening and broadening the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US.



    UNIVERSITY The 17th edition of the Izvoru Mureşului Summer University comes to a close today in Harghita County, central Romania. This years theme was “Romania and the Romanians abroad, one year since the Great Union Centennial. The topics approached include means to preserve the identity of Romanian communities in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova in the context of regional geopolitical developments and the Romanian national interest, the policies of parliamentary parties and public institutions with respect to the Romanians abroad and the Romanians in multi-ethnic communities in the country. Attending the works were students from Romania and from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and the diaspora, academics from the main universities in Romania and abroad, civil society and mass media representatives.



    VOTE Nearly 9,000 Romanians living abroad had registered to vote by mail on the www.votstrainatate.ro portal 20 days since its release. According to the Permananet Electoral Authority, this is more than the total number of registrations for mail voting for the 2016 parliamentary elections. The website www.votstrainatate.ro has been created to ensure better records on the Romanians living abroad and to help keep them better informed on the voting process ahead of this Novembers presidential election. The Ministry for the Romanians Abroad also launched an information campaign in this respect and announced that over 5.5 million Romanians have left the country. In the recent elections for the EP, tens of thousands of Romanians queued for hours in polling stations abroad, and many of them eventually failed to cast their ballots.



    PIPELINE The BRUA pipeline, designed to carry natural gas from the Caspian and the Black Sea to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria, will only be completed in December 2020, one year behind schedule, according to the financial report for the first half of this year made public by the Romanian company Transgaz. The reasons for the delay include problems in the bidding process, the need to amend the legislative framework, the discovery of archaeological sites, adverse weather conditions for extensive periods of time as well as delays in the negotiations with some of the land owners or users, the company explains. Last month, the Romanian Economy Ministry announced having finalised almost half of the pipeline, and around 80-90% of the 3 compressor stations. Stage I of the BRUA project requires total investments of nearly 500 million euro, of which the EU has offered a 179-million grant. The Government of Romania holds about 60% of the stock of Transgaz, with the remaining shares traded in the stock market.



    MILITARY The National Defence Ministry will organise at the Mihail Kogălniceanu 57 Air Base, in the south east, a ceremony to mark the dispatch of the ‘Carpathian Pumas’ unit on a mission in Mali. The Romanian troops will take part in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. The around 120 members of the Romanian unit, accompanied by 4 IAR-330 Puma L-RM helicopters, will be in charge of medical evacuation, transportation of troops and materials, passenger transport, air patrol and monitoring activities beginning mid-October. At present Romania has 1,033 troops involved in missions abroad.



    SONGS All Romanians are invited to vote for one month to choose the 6 songs representing Romania in the first EU Songbook. So far 65,000 people in 26 countries have voted for their favourites, says the organiser of the event, the European Union Songbook organisation, on its website. The EU Songbook is a non-profit organisation without political or financial connections with Brussels. The first edition of the Songbook will be published on Europe Day, May 9, 2020.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)