Radio România Internațional

Tag: visit

  • April 21, 2024

    April 21, 2024

     

    PRESIDENT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis will be on an official visit to South Korea on April 22 through 24th, at the invitation of his counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol. South Korea is the first Asia-Pacific country with which Romania upgraded its diplomatic relations to a Strategic Partnership level, in 2008. During the Romanian president’s visit to Seoul, this Partnership will be consolidated under a document setting the cooperation directions for the next 10 years. Agreements will be signed in fields such as defence, nuclear energy, investments and foreign trade, emergency cooperation and disaster management, culture, mass-media, youth and sports.

     

    AID After months of postponements, the US House of Representatives Saturday night endorsed a USD 61 bln aid package for Ukraine. This is part of a bigger, USD 95 bln amount that also comprises security aid for Israel and Taiwan. The bill needs to be passed by the Senate as well, but the Democratic majority in the Senate is in favour of the aid. President Joe Biden has already called on the Senate to rush the vote. The aid comes at an extremely difficult time for Kyiv, which desperately needs weapons and ammunitions to withstand Russia’s growing offensive. The vote was welcomed by Western countries and Ukrainian leaders, but Moscow said the aid would only result in more Ukrainians getting killed because of the regime in Kyiv.

     

    EMPLOYMENT In Romania, the employment rate in the 15 to 64 age bracket was 63% last year, the National Statistics Institute announced. According to recently released data, the employment rate was higher among men (some 72%) than women (54%). The highest employment rate was reported last year among higher education graduates (nearly 90%), as opposed to 37% among people with little formal education. According to statistics, employees still account for 86% of the employed population, whereas self-employed and unpaid family workers only made up 13% of the total employed population. Also, around 83% of job holders were employed in the private sector.

     

    BREXIT The British PM Rishi Sunak rejected a European Commission proposal concerning a post-Brexit agreement enabling British youth to live, study and work in the EU and European youth in UK for up to 4 years, France Presse reports. The scheme was intended for young people aged 18 to 30, who would have benefited from visa exemptions and fair tuition fees. London said however it was unwilling to reopen talks concerning the freedom of movement and the strict regulation of the terms of stay in UK.

     

    CHINA The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is to travel to Beijing and Shanghai next week, in a move to appease tensions and to stabilize the relationship between the US and China. The talks scheduled to take place Wednesday through Friday would focus on “strengthening lines of communication to reduce the risk of miscalculation and conflict,” a senior State Department official said. Blinken “will raise clearly and candidly our concerns on issues ranging from human rights, unfair economic and trade practices, to the global economic consequences of PRC industrial over-capacity.  The Secretary will also reiterate our deep concerns regarding the PRC’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base,” the official said. According to the US State Department, there are indications that the relations between the US and China have improved. Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in California in November, resuming communication after a one-year break. The meeting was followed by high-level government talks. The Secretary of the Treasury, Jenet Yellen, also traveled to China this month, for talks with Chinese government officials and US company executives. (AMP)

  • April 19, 2024 UPDATE

    April 19, 2024 UPDATE

    Visit – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, will pay an official visit to the Republic of Korea from April 22-24, at the invitation of his counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol. The Republic of Korea is the first country in the Asia-Pacific region with which, in 2008, Romania raised relations to the level of Strategic Partnership. On the occasion of the upcoming visit by President Iohannis to Seoul, this Partnership will be consolidated through a document that will establish the directions of cooperation in the next 10 years. Relevant documents will be signed regarding defense, nuclear energy, investments and foreign trade, cooperation in emergency situations and disaster management, cooperation in the fields of culture, mass media, youth and sports. In the Republic of Korea, Romania’s President will also have meetings with representatives of the Romanian community and the business environment and will visit an exhibition of traditional Romanian art.

     

    Brussels – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, participated, on Wednesday and Thursday, in Brussels, in the extraordinary meeting of the European Council. The talks focused, among other things, on the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the EU-Turkey relations and the new European pact for the single market competitiveness. According to a Romanian presidency communiqué, Klaus Iohannis reiterated that Ukraine, along with the Republic of Moldova, remain issues of absolute priority and insisted on the need for a security approach that includes the entire Black Sea region. He also pleaded for the rapid advancement of the process of EU accession of the two states, within a predictable and sustained process. Regarding the situation in the Middle East, the European leaders reiterated their solidarity with the Israeli people and called for the de-escalation of the situation in the region.

     

    Abu Dhabi – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, said in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, that the Romanian government wants to continue the partnerships it already has with companies from the Emirates. In this way, the Port of Constanţa is consolidating its strategic and logistic capacity in the run up to the recovery and reconstruction process of Ukraine, said the Romanian PM. Moreover, the Romanian Transport Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, announced that on May 15 the new terminal in the Port of Constanţa will be inaugurated, a joint project developed by the port company from Dubai and the Administration of the Port of Constanța, worth 82 million Euros. He pointed out that Romania was interested in attracting new financing to increase the port capacity in reducing ship unloading/loading times and smoothing the flow of ships in the port’s basins. The statements come in the context of the discussions that the Romanian delegation had on Friday with the management of the Dubai Ports company, at the end of the visit to the Middle East.

     

    Attack – Friday’s attack near the city of Isfahan in Iran, apparently carried out by drones and attributed to Israel, worries the international community, which asks both countries to stop the confrontation. In turn, Iran minimized the impact of the explosions, did not directly accuse Israel and promised not to respond militarily. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the Iranian nuclear facilities in the Isfahan region suffered no damage and reiterated the call for restraint. “We must do everything possible for all parties to stop the escalation of the conflict in this region,” said, in turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. And the G7 group announced that it would carry out a diplomatic effort to ease tensions between Israel and Iran. Tehran launched a missile and drone attack against Israel last Saturday in retaliation for the bombing – attributed to Israel – of the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, which killed seven members of the Revolutionary Guards, the Islamic Republic’s ideological army. Israel threatened with reprisals for this attack.

     

    Handball – The Romanian national handball team was assigned to Group B, along with the teams of Montenegro, the Czech Republic and Serbia, at the European Women’s Handball Championship – EHF EURO 2024, following to the drawing of lots held on Thursday evening, in Vienna. Romania, which won the first group of the preliminaries with the maximum score, was part of the second most valuable urn, while Montenegro was top seed. The 16th edition of the EHF EURO for women will take place between November 28 and December 15, in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland, with the participation of 24 teams, eight more than in the previous editions. Romania participated 14 times in the European Women’s Championship, obtaining only one medal, bronze, in 2010.

     

    Planes – Three F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft purchased by Romania from Norway landed, on Friday, at the 71st Air Base ‘General Emanoil Ionescu’ from Câmpia Turzii (central Romania), and are to be assigned to the 48th Fighter Squadron. According to a defense ministry communiqué, the purchase of the new planes and the related package of goods and services will ensure the increase of Romania’s security by ensuring the defense of the national and NATO airspace, in peacetime and in crisis situations. “Through the gradual arrival, throughout this year and the next, of the 32 multi-role F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, which will provide two more squadrons of the Air Force, Romania is strengthening its air defense capabilities at a level adapted to security challenges from the region”, Minister Angel Tîlvăr said.

     

    Ukraine – NATO member states agreed on Friday to provide Kyiv with additional air defense systems, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after a special meeting of allied defense ministers. ‘In addition to the Patriot, there are other weapons that allies can provide, including the French SAMP/T system, and many others that do not have systems available have pledged financial support to acquire them for Ukraine’ Jens Stoltenberg also said in Brussels. Also on Friday, the foreign ministers of the G7 states pledged to “strengthen the air defense means of Ukraine” against Russian attacks. In the final statement issued at the end of the three-day meeting on the Italian island of Capri, they say they are examining ‘all possible options’ to use frozen Russian assets to help Kyiv ahead of the G7 summit of heads of state and government, scheduled to take place in mid-June also in Italy. On Saturday, in Washington, the House of Representatives will vote on the 61 billion dollar package proposed by the Biden administration for Ukraine. (LS)

     

  • April 19, 2024

    April 19, 2024

    VISIT Over April 22 and 24, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will be paying a formal visit to the Republic of Korea, upon the invitation of his counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol. The Republic of Korea is the first country in the Asia-Pacific area with which Romania raised its relations at the level of strategic partnership in 2008. On the occasion of Iohannis’ upcoming visit to Seoul, this partnership will be consolidated through a document, which sets the cooperation directions for the next 10 years. Relevant documents are expected to be signed in the field of defence, nuclear energy, investment and foreign trade, cooperation in emergency situations and disaster management, cooperation in the field of culture, mass-media, youth and sports. In the Republic of Korea, the Romanian president will be meeting representatives of the Romanian community and business environment and will be visiting an exhibition of Romanian traditional art.

      

    SPORTS Lots drawn on Thursday night in Vienna have distributed Romania to Group B, together with the sides of Montenegro, the Czech Republic and Serbia at the European Women’s Handball Championship – EHF EURO 2024. The competition’s 16th edition will be hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland over November 28 and December 15. Romania has participated in the aforementioned competition 14 times and obtained only one medal, bronze in 2010. In another development, Romania’s delegation at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris has been credited with winning 10 medals, two gold, three silver and five bronze, according to a virtual ranking drawn up by Nielsen Gracenote research company, quoted by Reuters. Romania comes 25th in the aforementioned ranking in terms of the total number of medals. 80 Romanian athletes have so far qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris.

     

    ATTACK The US embassy in Israel has today called on its employees and their families to limit movement around the country a couple of hours after the explosions attributed to Israel in Iran. The explosions were heard near the city of Isfahan, where military bases and elements of the Iranian nuclear programme are located. Explosions have also been reported in Syria and Iraq, countries where pro-Iranian Shia militias are being located. Iran has denied the attack whereas Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it. Earlier Israel had threatened with responses after the Iranian drone attack on April 13 launched in retaliation for the killing of several Iranian officers in an alleged Israeli bombing in Damascus. Allies have called on Israel not to respond, whereas Tehran threatened with more retaliation in case of an Israeli response. The two states have for years been involved in an indirect conflict. Israel has been behind a series of sabotages in Iran as well as the assassination of several scientists and officers involved in the country’s nuclear programme. Israel has also bombed several Iranian objectives in Syria. In turn Iran is supporting anti-Israeli militias such as Hezbollah and Palestinian groups Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

     

    TOUR The Middle East tour of the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu ends today in Abu Dhabi where he is expected to have talks with representatives of Dubai Port World. The talks he had on Thursday with officials from the United Arab Emirates focused on attracting investment in Romania’s transport, energy and agriculture infrastructure. The Romanian delegation is next visiting the Sheik Zayed Bin mosque, the largest in the Emirates. Prime Minister Ciolacu’s four days of talks in Qatar and the UAE focused on ensuring security in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The head of the Romanian Executive said that Romania remains committed together with the European Union, the United States and regional partners to contributing to the efforts aimed at deescalating the situation in the Middle East.

     

    (bill)

     

  • Cooperation in the field of security

    Cooperation in the field of security

    More than two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Romania continues to play a key role in international efforts to support the administration in Kyiv. From logistics and information support, to the efforts made to support Ukrainian grain exports, Bucharest has proven its usefulness and value as a NATO and EU member state. Consequently, as early as 2022, Romania was placed by the Kremlin on the list of “unfriendly” countries, and criticism and even threats from Moscow have multiplied. In this context, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, James O’Brien, traveled to Bucharest as part of a tour that also includes visits to Bulgaria, Switzerland and Slovenia.

     

    During the meeting he had with the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, the American official stated that the US is working with Romania regarding the security risks arising in the context of the war in Ukraine. He emphasized the cooperation in the field of aerial, maritime and land surveillance for the detection and stopping of Russian drones that have reached the Romanian territory. O’Brien has also said that Romania has done a lot to build its own capacity in all these dimensions and appreciated the cooperation between Bucharest and Kyiv, which he said is ‘essential for the Ukrainian people’ and ‘also helps Romania be safer’. ‘The longer Ukraine can fight Russia and keep Russia occupied and Russia withdraws, the safer Romania will be. Our work with Romania is to make sure that the fight cannot expand and that Romania can well defend its territory and people against any risk of this battle coming its way’ O’Brien said. In turn, the representative of the Romanian government highlighted the need to strengthen the allied presence on the NATO’s entire eastern flank and said that this aspect is imperative for the security and stability of the extended Black Sea region and beyond.

     

    Despite the tense security context, Romania has not reduced its diplomatic efforts for full accession to the Schengen Area, a right that has been denied to it for years for political reasons. Starting from March 31, both Romania and Bulgaria were included in the European free travel area only with air and maritime borders, Austria being the country that until now has prevented, by veto, the introduction of Schengen rules at land borders as well. In a discussion held in Bucharest with her Romanian counterpart, the German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, praised the efforts made by Romania for European solidarity in the matter of asylum, as part of its effort to fully join the Schengen area. On the other hand, the Romanian Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, has expressed his hope that the Schengen rules will be introduced at Romania’s land borders this year. (LS)

  • April 15, 2024

    April 15, 2024

    Attack – “Neither the region nor the world can afford more war,” António Guterres told the body’s Security Council as it met to discuss Saturday’s Iranian attack. “The Middle East is on the brink,” he warned. “The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate” insisted Antonio Guterres. The Iranian attack, called “Operation Honest Promise”, was a response to the strike that destroyed the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, an attack in which seven members of the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, lost their lives. Iran has put the blame on Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied. Since the Iranian revolution of 1979, Israel has been the avowed enemy of the Islamic Republic. So far, Tehran has not attacked Israel head-on, and the two countries have usually clashed through third parties, such as the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

     

    Visit – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is paying an official visit to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this week. The main topics of discussion concern the fields of energy, port infrastructure, agriculture and IT. Investment opportunities in Romania, in the field of renewable energy, both offshore and on-shore, will also be addressed. The parties also intend to develop the public-private partnership to support large-scale projects, both in the highway and railway infrastructure. One such project, said Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, is Moldavia’s Highway. Topics of regional and international interest will also be discussed.

     

    Energy – The Romanian Energy Ministry is organizing, on Monday, in collaboration with several entities, an event dedicated to the first cyber security exercise organized in Romania. According to the institution, the purpose of the exercise is to establish the level of preparation of the energy companies in order to face potential cyber attacks. Based on the exercise, a risk assessment will be made, and according to the results, procurement plans for goods and services in cyber security will be established, said the quoted source.

     

    Strike – The Romanian employees of the National Trade Register Office, on Thursday, will go on a Japanese-style strike, at the national level, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES news agency on Monday. They request the Government to take urgent steps to increase salaries by 15%, given that the Office is the public institution with the lowest salary level in the judiciary field. At the same time, the trade unionists demand the granting of increased benefits for risk and neuropsychological overload, a right that is granted to all other categories of employees from the ‘Justice’ occupational family. The trade unionists announced, for the period April 23-25, rallies at the national level in all counties, and on April 26 a rally at the headquarters of the Justice Ministry. In August, the collective labor conflict will be started, the trade unionists also announced.

     

    Price – In Romania, the average price of one liter of gasoline increased, compared to last month, by 3.2%, while one liter of diesel oil increased by one percent. With an average price of one liter of gasoline of 1.47 Euros and of diesel oil of 1.51 Euros, Romania ranks 3rd in the European Union, in the top of the countries with the cheapest fuel, after Bulgaria and Malta. The price of oil could increase, today, after Iran’s attack on Israel, according to some analysts, quoted by the Reuters news agency. Everything depends on how Israel and the West choose to fight back.

     

    Art – The Romanian Culture Minister, Raluca Turcan, is starting today a five-day visit to Italy, in the context of Romania’s participation in the 60th edition of the Venice Art Biennale. Raluca Turcan will participate in the opening of the exhibition “What Work Is” by Şerban Savu, presented at the Romanian Pavilion at this year’s edition of the Biennale, as well as at the New Gallery of the Romanian Institute of Culture and Humanistic Research in Venice. According to a Ministry of Culture press release, Romania’s participation in the Venice Biennale is a constantly renewed declaration of membership to European and world culture. The Culture Ministry traditionally supports the Romanian presence at the Venice Biennale, one of the most prestigious cultural events in the world. (LS)

  • April 1, 2024 UPDATE

    April 1, 2024 UPDATE

    Deepfake – The National Cyber Security Directorate Romania published a “Guide to Deepfakes”, aimed at protecting and educating the general public on cyber security risks. The Guideline provides detailed information on deepfake production and identification. The authors are confident that by understanding these concepts, users are more aware of the related risks and may take adequate protection measures. Deepfake is a form of digital manipulation using advanced AI techniques to create false images or audio-video materials. According to the institution, this may have a severe impact on society, as it erodes public confidence in online information.

     

    Banking – The consumer credit reference index (IRCC) dropped to 5.90% per year, from 5.97% 3 months ago, the National Bank announced. This is the first significant decrease of the index in the past 12 months, and will lead to smaller interest rates as of this month. In June the IRCC is expected to decrease further, to 5.84%. The downward trend will help bring down interest rates for mortgage loans for nearly half a million Romanians. Meanwhile, the 3-month ROBOR index which influences the costs of variable-rate loans in the national currency has reached 6.06% per year, as opposed to 6.05%. IRCC is the index used for setting the interest rates for variable-rate loans in the national currency since May 2019, when it stood at 2.36%. It was designed by the government as a solution to offset the effects of the ROBOR index, which had been rising from one month to the next at the end of 2018.

     

    Parliament – The Parliament of Romania convenes on Tuesday in a joint meeting to mark 20 years since the country joined the North Atlantic Alliance and 75 years since the establishment of NATO. Parliament will adopt a declaration on this occasion. Also this week, the Chamber of Deputies is scheduled to give its final vote on a government bill introducing penalties for breaches of the EU regulation on the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases in appliances such as refrigerators or AC systems. The penalties may reach EUR 20,000 in fines, and 6-month to 3-year prison sentences. Deputies in the specialist committees are also to discuss as of this week new draft regulations on the compulsory motor insurance, stipulating fines 15 times higher than in the past for uninsured drivers and a ceiling of EUR 400 on self-paid car repairs. Also this week, the Senate is to discuss the merger of local elections with the European Parliament elections, scheduled for June 9th.

     

    Protests – The Romanian Post Workers’ Union went on an all-out strike on Monday, but the postal offices’ activity is taking place normally in most counties of Romania, as the management of the institution claims. The protesters demand an increase in salaries by a net amount of 400 lei (approx. 80 euros) and an increase in the loyalty bonus. They draw attention to the fact that the pay of 90% of the employees will be, as of this summer, at the level of the minimum wage. According to the authorities, it will increase to 3,700 lei (approx. 740 euros) from July 1. The company management announced that the demands of the employees are justified, but that there have already been significant salary increases. The Romanian Post is a national operator and is owned by the state.

     

    Drills – Joint exercises of the Moldovan, Romanian and American military are taking place in the Republic of Moldova until April 19. The Moldovan Defense Ministry announced that they would train, will exchange experience and increase the level of interoperability. The drills will take place in the training centers of the National Army of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    Visit – The special representative of the United States of America for the economic recovery of Ukraine, Penny Pritzker, arrives in Bucharest in two days. She will visit the UN Refugee Agency Center at the Romexpo Exhibition Compound, together with Romanian officials and the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec. She will talk about the life of refugees in Romania and their role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. At the same time, Penny Pritzker will meet with members of the Romanian Government and private sector leaders to discuss regional cooperation, including emergency energy assistance for Ukraine and the long-term benefits of infrastructure investments. (AMP, LS)

  • March 27, 2024

    March 27, 2024

    Visit – The National Bank supports and encourages initiatives aimed at the development of the capital market in the Republic of Moldova, and as an institution responsible for prudential supervision and the stability of the financial market, we want to facilitate the free movement of capital and financial services, the governor of the National Bank of Moldova, Anca Dragu, said on Wednesday in Bucharest. She emphasized that these are actually chapters of negotiation for Moldova’s accession to the European Union, “chapters in which the National Bank has a leading role, so that the Republic of Moldova should enjoy prosperity and economic stability”. Romania commits and continues to commit unconditionally to supporting the European path of the Republic of Moldova, said, in turn, the speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă. They participated, on Wednesday, together with the Moldovan Prime Minister, Dorin Recean, and the head of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu, in a forum organized by the Stock Exchange, an event that promotes solid economic cooperation and the interconnection of the capital markets between the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

     

    Bessarabia – Romania is among the staunch supporters of the European future of the Republic of Moldova, as its citizens wish, the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in a message on the occasion of the Day of Bessarabia’s Union with Romania. The Romanian Cultural Institute – ICR and its representations abroad are organizing a series of cultural events to mark 106 years since this historic moment. Today, at the National Art Museum of Romania, a painting exhibition is opened that includes 100 works by artists from the Republic of Moldova, and the National Theater in Bucharest will host performances in which Romanian and Moldovan actors will participate. On March 27, 1918, the Chisinau State Council voted in favor of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, Bessarabia being a Romanian province annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812, after the Russian-Turkish war (1806-1812). This historical act opened the process of the unification of Romania, completed on December 1, 1918, through the Union of all the Romanian provinces which were then under foreign rule. 22 years later, in the summer of 1940, following an ultimatum, Stalin’s Moscow annexed both Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, territories that currently belong to the former Soviet Republics of Moldova and Ukraine, respectively.

     

    Brancusi – The Pompidou Center in Paris hosts an exhibition-event dedicated to Constantin Brâncuşi, considered the father of modern sculpture, which can be visited until July 1. Hundreds of sculptures, photographs, sketches and archival images are on display in the exhibition which includes Brâncuşi’s Workshop, the place where the great Romanian artist created and lived, alongside works borrowed from major international museums. All of Constantin Brâncuşi’s works from the Romanian heritage are exhibited, sent by the National Art Museum of Romania and the Art Museum in Craiova (southern Romania). ‘Brâncuşi is an artist who was very little exposed during his life, as he preferred to invite his contemporaries to come to his workshop. He liked to control all dimensions of the presentation of his sculptures’, explains Ariane Coulondre, curator of the exhibition, in a press release. The Brâncusi Retrospective at the Pompidou Center, the first in the last almost 30 years and the largest ever organized event, is held with the support of the Romanian Embassy in France and the Romanian Cultural Institute.

     

    Deficit – Romania’s budget deficit reached, after the first two months of the year, almost 29 billion lei (about 6 billion Euros), accounting for 1.67% of the Gross Domestic Product, show data published by the Finance Ministry. The deficit is almost double compared to the same period of last year. The Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, however, that it would observe the 5% threshold estimated for the end of the year. The economy is self-financing and we will have the largest economic growth in Europe, the Romanian PM also said.

     

    Handball – CS Dinamo Bucharest defeated the Danish team Bjerringbro Silkeborg, score 37-34, on Tuesday evening, at home, in the first leg of the play-off of the EHF European League men’s handball competition. The second leg will take place on April 2, in Silkeborg. Trained by the Spanidh Xavi Pascual, the Romanian champions start with the first chance in the return leg to qualify for the next stage. Afterwards, the winners of the quarterfinals will play in the Final Four Tournament (semifinals and finals). The German team Fuchse Berlin is the holder of the trophy. (LS)

  • February 20, 2024

    February 20, 2024

    VISIT The Romanian Senate Speaker, Nicolae Ciucă, who is on an official visit to Madrid, has talks scheduled today with the head of the People’s Party in Spain, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, and the secretary general for defence policy, Juan Francisco Martinez Nunez. Mr. Ciucǎ will also have a meeting with the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Spain and Portugal, Timotei. On Monday, after the meeting with his counterpart, Pedro Rollan Ojeda, Nicolae Ciuca announced that the Romanians living in Spain may hold dual citizenship as of this year.

     

    ELECTIONS The leaders of the Social Democratic Party and National Liberal Party in Romania’s ruling coalition are meeting again on Wednesday to decide on whether to merge this year’s elections, after the talks so far have failed. The Liberals want the local elections to take place this summer concurrently with the elections for the European Parliament, while the Social Democrats want the parliamentary elections due this autumn to be held jointly with the second round of the presidential election. Save Romania Union, in opposition, threatened to take any legislation merging the elections to the Constitutional Court. This year all 4 types of elections are scheduled in Romania (local, parliamentary, and presidential ballots, and elections for the EP).

     

    HEALTH Some 3.3 million sick leaves were given in Romania last year, which is significantly below the over 4 million reported in 2022. Most sick leaves were taken by cancer patients and pregnant women. The head of the National Health Insurance Agency, Valeria Herdea, says this is not about the number of sick leave days taken by people, but about the fact that many citizens have health problems. Recently, the government has issued an order introducing a 10% tax on sick leave allowances. The authorities argued this was to discourage the practice of taking sick leaves for minor health problems. But the order triggered discontent especially among cancer patients. The Senate withdrew the provision, and the order is to be discussed next in the Chamber of Deputies.

     

    AUTOMOTIVE The Romanian automotive market will likely see a moderate 5% growth this year, the Romanian Automobile Producers and Importers Association (APIA) announced. The Association expects EV sales to continue to increase, and sales of diesel vehicles to drop in 2024.

     

    MISSION The European Union has launched its own naval mission to protect commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Romania may also take part in the mission. Greece will provide a commander for its operational headquarters, while Italy will provide the force commander. According to the Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani, since November Houthi rebels have been attacking commercial vessels on this route, allegedly in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza.

     

    TABLE TENNIS Romania’s men’s team have qualified in the round of 32 of the world table tennis championships in Busan, South Korea, after defeating Iran, 3-1 on Tuesday. On Monday, Romania’s women’s team went straight into the eighth-finals. Taking part in the men’s and women’s competition in South Korea are 40 teams. The top 8 teams at the World Championships are qualified in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. (AMP)

  • February 14, 2024

    February 14, 2024

    VISIT A Romanian
    delegation headed by PM Marcel Ciolacu is on a visit to Rome as of today. The
    main item on the agenda is the 3rd joint meeting of the 2 countries’
    governments, held 13 years
    after the previous inter-governmental summit. An economic forum will also be organised,
    attended by business people from the 2 countries. PM Ciolacu has meetings today with
    members of the Romanian community in Italy, and is to be received by His
    Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican. Also today, the Romanian official has
    talks with the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri. On Thursday Marcel Ciolcacu
    will have an official meeting with the PM of Italy, Georgia Meloni, followed by
    joint press statements. Italy is home to the largest Romanian community abroad,
    comprising more than 1.1 million citizens, and is Romania’s second-largest
    trade partner, with exchanges accounting for approx. 9.5% of the country’s
    foreign trade.


    CYBER ATTACK Several hospitals in Romania, including
    in Bucharest, have been targeted by a cyber-attack that encrypted data on their
    servers, the National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) announced. Most of the
    healthcare units affected by the incident had safety copies of their data.
    According to the health ministry, exceptional security measures have been
    implemented, with many units in the healthcare system disconnected from the
    internet for further inquiries. The Directorate Investigating Organised Crime
    and Terrorism Offences has started a criminal investigation.


    FARMERS The European Commission has officially endorsed a regulation which
    grants a one-year exemption from the rule requiring farmers to keep 4% of their
    arable land fallow. The rule, designed to help improve environment
    conditions, had sparked protests across the EU, including in Romania. In exchange, farmers
    are now required to grow nitrogen fixing crops such as lentils or peas. The new
    regulation is intended to give farmers more flexibility, while also protecting
    biodiversity and land quality. The measure is to be applied for the year 2024. Member
    States have 15 days to notify the Commission of the implementation option that they
    choose out of the 2 alternatives available.


    STUDENTS Romanian schoolchildren may
    have free of charge access to museums, concerts, theatre and opera shows,
    movies and other cultural and sports events organised by public institutions,
    within approved budgets, under a new bill passed in the Senate and backed by
    all parliamentary parties. In a society threatened by the absence of role
    models, museums and other informal learning venues should be available to
    students free of charge, and this facility is an investment in their
    educational future, the bill authors argue. The draft law is to be forwarded to
    the Chamber of Deputies for the decisive vote.


    TRANSPORTS Special lanes for EU and third-country lorries will be
    operational in several Romanian checkpoints as of this week, the public road
    company has announced. This is one of the measures agreed on with the carriers
    that have been protesting in Romania over the past month, and it is designed to
    reduce waiting times at the border. Moreover, carriers will no longer be
    charged additional fees for weight 5% over the accepted ceiling. A new round of
    talks on separate flows for EU and non-EU lorries was held on Tuesday by the
    transport ministry, the public road company and road transport operators.


    INTERESTS The
    National Bank of Romania has decided to keep the monetary policy interest rate
    at 7% per year, the institution announced. The key interest rate has not been
    changed since last January, when the National Bank decided to raise it from
    6.75% to 7% per year. A balanced mix of macroeconomic policies and structural
    reforms, including the use of EU funding to encourage the country’s growth
    potential in the long run, are vital to maintaining macroeconomic stability and
    to strengthening the Romanian economy’s capacity to withstand negative
    developments, the institution said.

    NATO Eighteen NATO member states will reach the 2% of GDP defence allocation
    target in 2024, the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg announced on
    Wednesday, ahead of a meeting of NATO defence ministers. According to Reuters, he
    also said that EU member states will invest a combined USD 380 bln in defence
    this year. The decision to earmark at least 2% of GDP to defence dates back to
    2006, but only some member states have reached this target. After Russia
    invaded Ukraine in February 2022, NATO member countries reiterated this
    commitment. Romania has channelled over 2% of its GDP for defence for several
    years, and after the start of the war in Ukraine it has committed to invest
    2.5% of GDP in Army equipment. (AMP)

  • February 13, 2024 UPDATE

    February 13, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT The PM
    of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, will be on an official visit to Rome on February
    14-15, and will take part in the 3rd joint government meeting of Romania and
    Italy, held 13 years after the previous inter-governmental summit. PM Ciolacu
    will have meetings with the PM of Italy, Georgia Meloni, and will attend a
    meeting of the 2 official delegations and the signing of bilateral documents. His
    agenda also includes talks with the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, and a
    meeting with the Romanian community in Italy. Italy is one of Romania’s most
    important economic partners, and the Economic Forum focusing on areas such as IT&C,
    energy, the processing industry, infrastructure and the agri-food industry is
    another excellent opportunity to improve our economic cooperation, PM Marcel
    Ciolacu said. Marcel Ciolacu will also be received by His Holiness Pope Francis
    at the Vatican.


    INTERESTS The
    National Bank of Romania Tuesday decided to keep the monetary policy interest
    rate at 7% per year, the institution announced. The central bank will also keep
    the credit facility interest rate at 8% per year and the deposit facility
    interest rate at 6% per year, and also maintain the current levels of the
    compulsory minimum reserve rates for banks’ national and foreign currency
    liabilities. The key interest rate has not been changed since last January, when
    the National Bank decided to raise it from 6.75% to 7% per year. A balanced mix
    of macroeconomic policies and structural reforms, including the use of EU
    funding to encourage the country’s growth potential in the long run, are vital
    to maintaining macroeconomic stability and to strengthening the Romanian
    economy’s capacity to withstand negative developments, the institution said. An
    updated forecast by the central bank reconfirms the prospects of an increase of
    the annual inflation rate in the first months of this year, following the
    increase of existing indirect taxes and the introduction of new ones, and of a
    subsequent downward trend, at a slower pace than in 2023 and than originally
    expected.


    CYBERSECURITY On Tuesday 4 more hospitals in
    Bucharest and elsewhere in the country were added to the list of 21 public and
    private healthcare units affected since last weekend by a large-scale cyber
    security incident, the National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) announced. A crypto
    currency ransom demand has been received, amounting to approx. EUR 157,000, but
    the attackers only provided an email address, without disclosing the name of
    the group claiming the attack. Both the DNSC and other cyber security
    authorities involved urge the victims not to contact the perpetrators and not
    to pay the ransom. The healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, has told Radio
    Romania that some of the hospitals have managed to fix the problems, and the
    authorities will come up with a new technical standard designed to prevent such
    actions. Other public institutions in Romania have been targeted by cyber-attacks
    in the past.


    FARMERS On
    Tuesday the European Commission officially endorsed a regulation which grants a
    partial exemption for farmers from the rule binding them to keep 4% of their
    arable land fallow. In exchange, they are required to grow nitrogen fixing
    crops such as lentils or peas. The measure comes after large-scale farmer
    protests across the EU, including in Romania. Member States who wish to apply
    the derogation at national level need to notify the Commission within 15 days
    of entry into force of the Regulation so that farmers can be informed as soon
    as possible.


    WRD World Radio Day was celebrated on Tuesday, and this year’s theme
    was A century of information, entertainment and education. To mark this
    celebration, Radio Romania’s stations broadcast interviews with journalists,
    media experts, teachers, public figures and listeners, and their programmes
    featured debates on the future of radio and broadcasts from the European
    Broadcasting Union. The UNESCO declaration on World Radio Day, entitled Radio,
    the Trusted Guide in a Changing World, can be found on the websites of all
    Radio Romania’s stations.


    WRESTLING The
    Romanian athlete Denis Florin Mihai won the bronze in the Greco-Roman style 55
    kilo category of the European Wrestling Championship in Bucharest on Tuesday, after
    defeating Georgia’s Nugzari Tsurtsumia. Mihai ranks 4th in the world
    standings and was the bronze winner in last year’s European Championships. Romania
    takes part in the event in Bucharest with 30 athletes, 10 in each style.


    POLO Romania’s men’s water polo team will play for the 9th
    place at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, after defeating China 9-7 on Tuesday. In
    the match for the 9th and 10th places, scheduled on
    February 15, Romania takes on the USA. Romania finished 8th last
    month in the European Championships held in Croatia, and the team’s best performance
    to date at a World Championship is a 5th place in 1975. (AMP)

  • January 31, 2024 UPDATE

    January 31, 2024 UPDATE

    PROTESTS In Romania, local administration
    staff in rural areas were on a token strike on Wednesday, with demands
    primarily related to salaries. According to trade unions, almost 11,000
    employees in over 800 town halls in the country signed for the protest. Unionists threaten with an all-out strike
    starting on February 5 unless their demands are met. On the other hand, trade
    unions in the healthcare sector announced they would carry on protests, as the
    government’s current offer to raise salaries by 13.9% this year is not what
    they had expected. Solidaritatea Sanitară Union Federation notified the
    government of their plans to go on an all-out strike. According to the
    federation, under the law the government has 10 days to negotiate with the unions
    and avoid a labour dispute.






    DEFICIT Romania ended the year 2023 with a
    budget deficit of 5.68% of the GDP, as against the 4.4% originally forecast
    when the state budget for last year was drawn up. The deficit is however below
    the 6.3% estimated by the European Commission in its forecast. According to
    data supplied by the Finance Ministry, the difference between revenues and
    expenditure was almost EUR 18 bln.








    REPORT With 46 points out of 100, Romania
    remains one of the EU countries with the poorest results in the implementation
    of anti-corruption measures, according to Transparency International’s annual
    Corruption Perceptions Index. The organisation’s recommendations for Romania
    include updating the legislation in the field of public integrity, improving
    organisational and decision-making transparency, standardising and clarifying
    administrative procedures.






    EU
    Romanian President Klaus Iohannisis in Brussels to take part in a
    ceremony organised by the European Commission in memory of Jacques Delors (1925
    – 2023), a former European Commission president between 1985 and 1995, and to
    attend an extraordinary meeting of the European Council on Thursday. The
    Council meeting will focus on an agreement on the main elements of the proposed
    revision of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. The most important
    decisions are the support for Ukraine, including military support under the
    European Peace Facility, in keeping with the country’s needs. Klaus Iohannis
    will firmly plead for Ukraine to remain a top priority on the EU agenda.






    VISIT The Turkish foreign minister, Hakan
    Fidan, was on a visit to Bucharest, for a meeting with his Romanian counterpart
    Luminiţa Odobescu. The Turkish official also had talks with Prime Minister
    Marcel Ciolacu and the Senate Speaker, Nicolae Ciucă. According to the Turkish
    media, Hakan Fidan is meeting with his counterparts in Albania, Bulgaria and
    Romania ‘to discuss bilateral relations, as well as current regional and global
    developments’. Romania and Turkey signed a Strategic Partnership in 2011,
    followed by a joint action plan, signed in 2013 by the two countries’ foreign
    ministers. (AMP)

  • January 21, 2024 UPDATE

    January 21, 2024 UPDATE

    Protests – The Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation, made up of several national organizations of Romanian farmers, requested the authorities in Bucharest to take all steps to convince the European forums to support the measures that can protect farmers in the Union from the effects of the sale of cheaper cereals from Ukraine. The Alliance made this move in the context of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting due on Tuesday, to discuss the proposals from five states, including Romania, regarding the regulation of Ukrainian grain trade. The Romanian farmers are asking for the introduction of a European system for monitoring the transport of Ukrainian agricultural products, a system that should guarantee that they reach their destination and do not remain on the route. Also dissatisfied with the drop in grain prices generated by Ukrainian imports, Romanian farmers protested, these past days, throughout the country, temporarily blocking customs offices at the border with Ukraine. Cheaper than those in the EU, Ukrainian cereals do not have to meet European quality standards.



    Parliament — The Romanian Senate was convened, on Monday, in an extraordinary session, to adopt the emergency ordinances recently issued by the government in the context of the farmers and transporters protests. There are several laws – one of them refers to the excise duty on diesel fuel, while other modifies regulations in the field of road transport. The government adopted the ordinances on Thursday as an urgent response to the requests of farmers and transporters who have been protesting throughout the country for more than 11 days. The emergency ordinances were proposed after negotiations from the Ministries of Agriculture and Transport. One of them modifies road transport regulations. The new provisions will allow category B license holders to also drive agricultural or forestry tractors with a maximum speed of 40 km/h on public roads. Another amendment eliminates the obligation to carry out the periodic technical inspection of slow vehicles, respectively of those whose maximum designed speed is up to 25 km/h. Regarding the diesel fuel excise duty, the Government decided to postpone until June 1 the application of a European directive by which diesel and kerosene must have the same tax mark. The ordinances were adopted to respond to an emergency situation, during the parliament recess, so, according to the Constitution, the Parliament must be convened to turn them into laws. In this case, the Senate is the first chamber notified.



    Weather — The bad weather affected several areas in Romania. In Bucharest, more than 20 cars were damaged by fallen trees as a result of the heavy snowfalls. On some sections of national roads, road traffic was temporarily blocked due to the layer of snow and ice formed on the road. Currently, traffic unfolds in winter conditions, and the Traffic Police called on drivers not to travel if their cars are not equipped with winter tires. Railway traffic was also affected. On some sections of the railway trains are running at low speed. Other trains are delayed due to broken rails due to the low temperatures. Also, the air traffic at Bucharest’s airports takes place in winter conditions. Delays are reported for some flights due to aircraft de-icing actions, which are carried out after the boarding of passengers.



    Meeting — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, had a meeting with her Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, in Bucharest on Sunday. He is part of the delegation led by Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh currently on an official visit to Romania. Luminiţa Odobescu and Bui Thanh Son welcomed the state of bilateral relations established 74 years ago and emphasized the need to continue efforts to strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Ms. Odobescu reiterated her commitment to identifying opportunities for cooperation in such domains as trade, culture and education, digitalization, cyber security, medicine and pharmacy. The Romanian Foreign Minister has given assurances, at the same time, that Romania will remain a constant supporter of the consolidated cooperation between the EU and Vietnam. On Sunday, the Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh was present at the signing of a memorandum of collaboration between the Romanian Institute for Research and Development in Information Technology and the Institute of Technology and Digital Transformation in Vietnam.



    Bratislava – Slovakia rejects Ukraines admission into NATO, the PM Robert Fico said on the public radio. He pointed out that he was going to travel, on Wednesday, to Ukraine, to the border town of Uzhhorod, for discussions with his counterpart, Denîs Şmîhal. “I will tell him that we will block and express our veto for Ukraines accession to NATO because it would be nothing but the basis for a third world war”, said Fico, criticized by his opponents as “pro-Russian”. Slovakia, which has been a NATO member since 2004, has long been one of Ukraines staunchest supporters in its defensive campaign against the Russian invasion launched in February 2022. However, after Prime Minister Ficos left-wing nationalist government took over in October 2023, Slovakia decided to stop supplying Kyiv with weapons, although Bratislava continues to send demining systems and diesel generators in case of Russian attacks on power plants. At the 2023 Vilnius summit, NATO stated that Ukraine would be offered an invitation to join when the conditions allow it.



    Sculptor – The sculptor Vlad Ciobanu, one of the most valuable fine artists in Romania, passed away at the age of 75. Since 1990 he had taught at the Bucharest National University of Arts. Throughout his career he received numerous awards, including the Prize of the Union of Fine Artists for Sculpture, in 2005. Vlad Ciobanu was the coordinator and curator of several editions of the International Sculpture Symposium ” Brâncusi Workshops” from Târgu Jiu, southwest Romania , in the period 2005-2021. He wrote numerous articles, papers and essays about the famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi. He had numerous solo or group exhibitions in the country and abroad, in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Serbia, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, France. Important monuments signed by Vlad Ciobanu can be found, among others, in Alexandria (south) – “Unknown Hero”, Alba Iulia (centre) – “King Ferdinand”, Onești (east) – “Dimitrie Cantemir”. The Artoteca Gallery, in Bucharest, hosted the last solo exhibition by Vlad Ciobanu called “Pilgrim” between December 4, 2023 and January 8, 2024. At the end of the exhibition, Maestro Vlad Ciobanu gave an interview, possibly his last interview, for our radio station, which you can listen to in one of the future editions of World of Culture.



    Handball – CSM Bucharest defeated, at home, the Swedish team IK Savehof, 35-26, on Sunday evening, in a match from Group A of the Women’s Handball Champions League. After a more difficult start, the Romanians took control and dominated the match until the end. CSM Bucharest will play their next match on February 3, away from home, against Gyori Audi ETO KC (Hungary). Also on Sunday, the handballers from CS Rapid Bucharest were dramatically defeated, in an away match, by the Danish team Ikast Handbold, 30-29, in Group B of the Champions League. It was the second consecutive away match that Rapid lost by one goal difference. The Rapid players will play the next match at home, on February 4, against the vice-champion FTC-Rail Cargo Hungary. (LS)

  • December 12, 2023 UPDATE

    December 12, 2023 UPDATE

    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)

  • December 6, 2023

    December 6, 2023

    Measles – The Romanian Health Ministry has declared a national measles epidemic. The measure comes after the confirmation of almost 2,000 cases since the beginning of the year. In the last week of November alone, almost 200 cases were reported. The Ministry officials emphasize that the number of cases has increased alarmingly and more and more children need hospitalization in the pediatric and infectious disease wards. The measure taken by the authorities facilitates the vaccination of children aged between 9 and 11 months, as well as the recovery of those who are not vaccinated or whose vaccination schedule is incomplete. Measles is an extremely contagious viral disease, which can lead to complications such as encephalitis and pneumonia and even death. The symptoms of infection are similar to those of a cold, except that the temperature can rise up to 41 degrees C, the eyes are sensitive to light, and the rash first appears on the face and then spreads to the whole body. Anyone is at risk if they have not had the disease or are not vaccinated against measles.



    Visit – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, continues his official visit to the US, together with the Ministers of Economy, Defense and Foreign Affairs. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the government delegation left Washington and arrived in New York, where meetings are scheduled today with the president of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, as well as with the president of the World Jewish Council, Ronald Lauder. On Tuesday, the Romanian PM discussed with members of the American Congress on the strategic partnership between the two countries in the fields of defense, security, energy and trade. After the meeting with the Secretary for Energy, Jennifer Granholm, Ciolacu stated that the projects of units 3 and 4 from Cernavodă (south-east) and that of the small nuclear unit from Doicesti (south) remain a priority, in the context in which Romania has set ensuring energy independence as one of its main objectives.



    Handball–Romania’s womens national handball team will play, on Thursday, in the Danish city of Herning, against Germany, its first match in the main Group III of the World Championship. Later, the Romanian players will meet Poland and Japan. The two top ranking teams qualify for the quarterfinals. Romania entered the group with 2 points, after, in the first phase of the competition, it defeated Chile and Serbia and was outranked by Denmark. The star of the Romanian national team, Cristina Neagu, four times appointed the best handball player in the world, has not yet played. Romania is the only team that has participated in all 26 editions of the World Womens Handball Championship and its record includes one gold medal (1962), two silver medals (1973, 2005) and one bronze medal (2015). In the previous edition, the Romanian handballers ranked 13th.



    JHA – The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, stated, after the Council of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) meeting, on Tuesday, in Brussels, that the Commissions objective remains to make a decision, this year, on the extension of Schengen and the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the free travel area. From Washington, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu explained that the political moment was not favorable for Romania to ask for a new vote in the JHA Council on Tuesday, but he expressed optimism that this could happen soon. Last year, Austria voted, in the JHA Council, against the admission of both countries to the Schengen area, while the Netherlands had reservations only regarding Bulgaria. For Schengen accession, unanimity is needed.



    PISA – The average scores obtained by Romanian students were similar to those recorded in 2018 in Mathematics, Reading and Science, according to the Program for International Student Assessment – PISA 2022, launched in Bucharest. Asia, led by Singapore, stood out once again in this educational program, carried out by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The results show that Romania is below the OECD average in all three areas tested. The main striking fact of the PISA 2022 edition consists in an “unprecedented drop in the performance” of students, according to specialists. Among the main reasons are: the health crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis in the attractiveness of the teaching profession, which affects more and more countries, as well as the quality of teaching, the lack of support for teachers and students or cooperation in schools, or even the involvement of parents in schooling, which decreased compared to 2018. (LS)

  • December 5, 2023

    December 5, 2023

    Conference– Romania is interested in developing, using and producing green technologies, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis said on Monday, at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai. Klaus Iohannis underlined, during the Sustainable Innovation Forum 2023 event, that in order to effectively respond to climate change, governments must develop a strong partnership with businesses, financial institutions, research and innovation entities and NGOs. He pointed out that the large university centers, such as those in Bucharest and Cluj (north-west), are innovating in the field of sustainable construction materials and applications for energy efficiency. At the same time, Romanian companies support the progress of heat pump technology, essential for the decarbonising of the building heating and cooling sector, president Iohannis added.



    Visit — The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is meeting, today, in Washington, with representatives of the American companies Lockheed Martin and Google. The Romanian PM’s agenda also includes today discussions with members of the American Congress. Previously, he met with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, with the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, and with the Secretary for Energy, Jennifer Granholm.



    JHA — The Justice and Home Affairs Council continues today in Brussels. The Schengen issue is back on the agenda, being tackled from the perspective of the efficient management of the migration issue. It is a recurring analysis of the state of the Schengen area based on key indicators, such as the number of asylum seekers who have been rejected. Romania and Bulgaria have run several pilot projects regarding migration management. Both the Commission and the Spanish presidency of the Council are supporters of the entry of the two states into the Schengen area. We remind you that Romania and Bulgaria received, as part of the JHA Council of December 8-9, 2022, a negative vote from the Netherlands and Austria for joining the free travel Area. On Monday, on the first day of the Council meeting, talks focused on holding Russia accountable, from a penal and financial point of view, for the invasion of Ukraine, as well as on making the European Public Prosecutors Office more efficient. The member states’ ministers and the European chief prosecutor, Laura Codruţa Kovesi, analyzed the latest legislative proposal regarding the transfer of proceedings in criminal matters. As for how Russia can be held accountable for the war in Ukraine, talks focused on how to bring the culprits to justice, as well as on how to use the Russian frozen assets in the international space for the reconstruction of Ukraine.



    Handball — Romania’s national womens handball team takes up, this evening, the strong Danish team, in the last match in group E of the World Championship hosted by Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The Romanian players won the other two games, against Chile and Serbia, and are qualified for the main groups, where they will face Germany, Poland and Japan. Romania is the only team that participated in all 26 editions of the World Womens Handball Championship. Their record includes a world title, two silver medals and one bronze medal. (LS)