Radio România Internațional

Tag: Zelensky

August 9, 2024 UPDATE

MARKET The European Union is the biggest investor in the Republic of Moldova but also the main market for the Moldovan products. Deputy Prime Minister Dumitru Alaiba, who is also development minister in the government in Chisinau, says that roughly two thirds of the country’s exports are making it to the community market and over 80% of direct foreign investment comes from the EU countries. Romania, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany are the main investors in the Moldovan economy. Thanks to the measures aimed at liberalizing trade with the EU, the exports made by the Moldovan companies have reached impressive rates, Alaiba says. The country’s export of grapes and plums, for instance, has doubled since 2021 while the export of apples has grown one hundred times.

RATE Romania’s Central Bank has revised down its inflation forecast for the end of 2024 to 4.0%, from a previous 4.9% and expects it to hit 3.4% by the end of 2025, according to data released on Friday. According to the bank’s governor Mugur Isarescu, the tendency to curb the inflation rate will continue for almost the entire projection interval, but the rate of disinflation is expected to slow down noticeably in the second part of it. It is also mentioned that the trajectory is marked by some oscillations, mainly induced by basic effects associated with past developments, such as increases in indirect taxes in January 2024, with a favorable effect in January 2025, or an increase in fuel excise duty in July 2024, with favorable effect in July 2025.

FESTIVAL The biggest music festival in Romania, Untold, which kicked off in Cluj-Napoca, north-western Romania, on Friday night, brings together major artists from Romania and abroad. Besides concerts, it will also include numerous themed events and parties, and as a novelty, on the main stage, musical pieces will be interpreted in sign language for the hearing impaired people. Authorities have announced a series of measures aimed at ensuring the participants safety. Special attention has been paid to the prevention of drugs consumption and sale.

WAR Ukrainian forces have carried on their onslaught in the Russian region of Kursk for the fourth consecutive day. The governor of Lipetsk, a region neighboring Kursk, said that last night the region was the target of a massive drone attack. According to Reuters, an air base in the area was also hit. This has been the largest Ukrainian ground attack launched on Russian territory since the beginning of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine two and a half years ago. Unlike the previous incursions, in which Russian citizens fighting alongside the Ukrainian army were involved, this time regular Kyiv forces, supported by tanks and armored vehicles, including those received from the United States and Germany, are participating. Ukraine has not officially confirmed the attack, but President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at it. According to the Financial Times, the Ukrainians have so far captured 11 villages and a total territory of 350 square kilometers.

(bill)

9 August 2024
October 9, 2023 UPDATE

Visit — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will receive, on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni Palace, his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, who is paying an official visit to Romania. According to the Romanian Presidential Administration, the visit reconfirms the continuation of Romanias unconditional support for Ukraine, in the context of Russias illegal war against this country, as well as the special nature of the relationship between the two states, its potential and the need to discuss, at the highest level, the projects and themes of common interest. “The in-depth political consultations will allow the analysis of the extensive measures decided and implemented by Romania in support of Ukraine, in order to strengthen them, as well as the discussion of the security situation in the region and at the Black Sea and the steps necessary for its management”, the quoted source also stated. Klaus Iohannis will also focus on “constructive and pragmatic approaches in the priority areas of bilateral cooperation and common interest, especially on the expansion of cross-border connections, the development of economic relations, the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, as well as the full respect of the rights of persons belonging to minorities national”.

Meeting — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis ended his four-day state visit to Portugal on Monday, with a meeting with Prime Minister Antonio Costa. Two memoranda of understanding in the fields of energy and investments and trade were signed in the presence of the two dignitaries. Also on Monday, Iohannis received the key to the city of Lisbon, in a ceremony that took place at the Municipal Palace. He stated that the successful development of the Portuguese capital remains a source of real inspiration and that the exchange of good practices is fundamental for development at the national level as well as at the level of regions and cities. Klaus Iohannis said that the exemplary relations between Romania and Portugal are strengthened by dynamic exchanges at the local level and by intense cooperation with the Lisbon City Hall. The Romanian president recalled that emblematic figures of Romanian spirituality and culture lived in this city, in the interwar period, such as ‘Mircea Eliade, a well-known historian of religions, and Lucian Blaga, a great poet and philosopher’.

Trilateral – PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday in Varna, Bulgaria, that during the Romania – Bulgaria – Greece trilateral meeting the 3 countries agreed to implement a joint action plan aimed at significant development in trilateral cooperation in sectors such as transports, energy, trade and security. “In the presence of EC officials, of the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Bulgarian PM Nikolay Denkov, we have reiterated Romanias ambition of quickly becoming a Schengen member state and an influential economic player in the region,” Marcel Ciolacu said. The Romanian official also added that Romania, in a partnership with Bulgaria and Greece, may have a greater influence in the EU, promoting its central role in the reconstruction of Ukraine and its willingness to see the Republic of Moldova and Western Balkans countries joining the European bloc as soon as possible.

Tel Aviv — The Israeli army has announced that it has taken control of all the cities near the border with the Gaza Strip and is preparing new actions, after the terrorist attacks of Hamas. The authorities in Tel Aviv promise a total siege in the Gaza Strip, from where thousands of rockets have left for Israel. In addition, says the defense minister, a siege is imposed on this territory: no electricity, no water, no gas – everything is closed. On the other hand, Reuters announces that Hamas is negotiating the release of Israeli women and children taken hostage in exchange for 36 Palestinian women and children who are in Israeli prisons. So far, it is not clear how many Israelis were abducted and taken to Gaza. According to the latest data, as a result of the escalation of the conflict, approximately 500 Palestinians were killed and 2,700 were injured. In Israel, over 700 people were killed and over 2,200 injured. Israels security cabinet declared a state of war.

Repatriation — A 22-year-old Romanian died on Monday in Israel. He had dual citizenship and was part of the Israeli Defense Forces, announced the Romanian Foreign Ministry, firmly condemning the attacks against the Israeli population. On the other hand, another 780 Romanian citizens have announced that they want to leave Israel, said the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. They will be brought by the TAROM airline, and the number of repatriated Romanians will thus rise to 1,600. The Foreign Ministry reiterates the recommendation addressed to Romanian citizens who intend to travel to Israel to reschedule their trip and follow the “Travel Alerts” section on the institutions website. A team of the ministrys Crisis Cell Rapid Response Unit was sent to Israel to support repatriation efforts.

Commemoration – In Romania, the National Day of Commemoration of the Victims of the Holocaust was marked on Monday. On October 9, 1941, the deportation of Jews from Bessarabia and Bukovina to Transnistria began. The Holocaust was recognized by the Romanian authorities in 2004, based on the conclusions drawn up by the committee led by the Nobel prize winner, Elie Wiesel. The Jews and Roma who died during the Holocaust were commemorated in Bucharest, at the memorial built in their memory. (LS)

9 October 2023
On European Values

‘The anniversary this year finds
us at a moment of deep change at global level and the consequences of the
Russian Federation’s war on Ukraine have multiplied’ Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis said in his address on Europe Day, May 9.

According to him, the European
solutions to the present-day challenges are solutions for the future of the
citizens of this continent and Romania has the capability of significantly
contributing to their implementation. Romania is a mature and responsible
member of the European Union, has a solid and credible European profile,
acknowledged and appreciated by its partners – Klaus Iohannis went on to
say.

The president has also voiced hope
that by interiorizing these reference points, the Romanian citizens will
continue to have an unflinching support for the EU’s fundamental values.

The European Parliament convened in a
plenary sitting and celebrated Europe Day in Strasbourg. Invited to present his
vision on the challenges and the future of the old continent, German chancellor
Olaf Scholz, whose country laid the foundations in the early 50s to what was to
become the EU, he urged the bloc to reform itself, not to cave in to pressure
and remain geopolitically an equal partner both in the relation with the USA
and the competition with China.

And since an aggression war is being
waged in the EU’s vicinity, a war that has changed lives, the European
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen celebrated Europe Day through a visit
to Kyiv where she said, quote: Ukraine has been fighting for the ideals that
we celebrate today to create lasting unity and peace. Von der Leyen added that
Russia has dramatically failed and Ukraine is fighting back successfully.

Furthermore, the EU official announced
the EU would impose an eleventh package of sanctions on Russia soon aimed at
eroding Putin’s war machine and his revenues. She responded cautiously though
to president Zelensky’s request on stepping up the country’s EU accession
negotiations.

The Ukrainian president has thanked
all the European states for the military, economic and political support
granted to Ukraine but showed disappointment regarding the restrictions imposed
by some neighboring countries to the exports of Ukrainian grain. Romania was
not among them. Zelensky says that he understands those exports have caused
imbalances but Ukraine needs the solidarity of all those who can help it.

(bill)

10 May 2023
May 4, 2023 UPDATE

COURT After an
unexpected visit to the headquarters of the International Criminal Court in the
Hague on Thursday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for
setting up a special court to deal with ‘crimes of aggression’. Zelensky has
delivered a speech entitled ‘There is no peace without Justice’ during which he
says that Russian president Vladimir Putin will have to appear before an
international war crimes tribunal after Ukraine wins the war. The International
Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes charges in
March. On Wednesday, Zelensky attended a summit of the Nordic countries in
Helsinki.

MEETING A two-day trilateral meeting
Romania -The USA – the Republic of Moldova on defence issues was held in
Bucharest. The event was also attended by representatives of the British
Ministry of Defence. The Romanian State Secretary for Defence Policy and
International Relations, Simona Cojocaru says that under the present security
context, the Republic of Moldova has been exposed to hybrid threats and to
Russia’s propaganda and misinformation campaigns and supporting the neighboring
country in strengthening its resilience and defence capabilities is a strategic
priority for Romania. The support proved today by Romania, the USA and the UK
shows very clearly the Republic of Moldova is not alone in this process, Simona
Cojocaru went on to say. In another development, the European Foreign Ministers
on Thursday approved a support package for the Republic of Moldova’s defence
sector of 40 million Euros and also 30 million for Georgia.

MOURNING Serbia
declared three-day mourning in memory of the victims of the massacre committed on
Wednesday at a school in Belgrade, where a 14-year-old schoolboy shot dead
eight children and the school’s security guard and wounded six other classmates
and a teacher. He is believed to have stolen the gun of his father, who
admitted he had trained him at a shooting range. The minor’s father was
arrested. The incident caused immense shock in Serbia, where, despite the large
number of weapons owned by the population, gun incidents are rare. In the wake
of the massacre, president Aleksandar Vučić announced a number of measures,
including lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 and tougher
arms and ammunitions regulations.

IMPORTS Romanian
agriculture minister Petre Daea on Wednesday briefed his visiting Ukrainian
counterpart Mykola Solskyi on a European Commission decision from 2nd
May to introduce exceptional and temporary preventive measures on imports of a
limited number of products from Ukraine. These involve wheat, maize, rapeseed
and sunflower seeds and are aimed at easing the logistical blockages involving
these products in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The new
European Commission regulations will be in place in all member states until 5th
June. The first meeting between the two ministers took place in Bucharest on 21st
April. They agreed to hold weekly talks on the amounts of products leaving
Ukraine for transit, to provide Romania with complete and accurate data.

(bill)

4 May 2023
February 28, 2023 UPDATE

HUMAN RIGHTS In his speech before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on
Tuesday, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, reiterated Romania’s firm
and unflinching support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Ukraine. The Romanian official underlined the fact that ‘tireless
efforts must be made to hold the Russian Federation accountable for the war
crimes in Ukraine and offer compensations to the large number of victims.’ Aurescu
also spoke about the latest earthquakes that severely affected Turkey and Syria
and recalled that Romania was among the first countries to offer humanitarian
assistance.

DECORATIONS On the Civil Protection Day on Tuesday, Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis awarded decorations to the servicemen, firefighters, paramedics and
volunteers who participated in the international humanitarian mission in Turkey.
According to Iohannis, Civil Protection represents a major component of the
national security and in the past decade the Romanian state has made
significant efforts to buy state-of-the-art equipment and provide professional
training to those who work in this field. The results obtained were also
superior and the professionalism of the Romanian rescuers was also acknowledged
and appreciated at international level whenever they got involved in rescue
operations abroad, president Iohannis went on to say.

WAR
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has admitted that the situation in
Bakhmut, a city besieged by Russian invasion forces, is getting more difficult
by the day. The enemy is systematically destroying anything that can be
used to reinforce our defenses, Zelensky said, who labeled Ukrainian
servicemen involved in this battle true heroes. As early as last
summer, Moscow’s troops have been trying to take Bakhmut, a key strategic
settlement that has become a symbol of the battle for the entire Donbas region.
In a statement to the Russian television, the head of pro-Russian separatists
in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, claims that all access routes to the Ukrainian
fortress in Bakhmut are in firing range. Previously, the owner of
the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced his mercenaries had captured the
village of Yahidne, just north of the city.

(bill)

28 February 2023
February 9, 2023 UPDATE

SUPPORT
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called on the EU leaders,
who had convened in Brussels, to step up arms deliveries for his country to be
able to move faster than Russia, which invaded Ukraine a year ago. We need
artillery guns, ammunitions, modern tanks long-range missiles and modern jet-fighters,
Zelensky told the European leaders adding that a free Europe is not possible
without a free Ukraine. He has also called on the EU leaders to support Kyiv’s
peace plan and hold the Kremlin accountable. Zelensky has also asked for new
sanctions against Moscow, which should focus, among other things, on the
Russian defence industry. Earlier he had told the European MPs that the defence
of the Ukrainian territory against the Russian invasion was the defence of
Europe. The Ukrainian president is on a European tour, which also took him to London
and Paris.

MEETING According to the president of the European Council, Charles Michel,
the next weeks would be decisive for the war in Ukraine. Michel has called on
the EU leaders to respond to the requests made by Kyiv for weapons and
ammunition. During the special meeting of the European council, Ukraine called
for ammunitions, artillery guns, missiles, vehicles and defence systems. In
turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said that
Ukraine can count on the EU support now and in the future. She announced that
the future set of sanctions would be targeting a series of Russian military and
political leaders and includes over 10 billion euros restrictions for exports.
On the sidelines of the aforementioned meeting, European leaders, including Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis have voiced their commitment and support for Ukraine
and its people. Besides the war in Ukraine, high on the talks agenda there are also
the economic situation in the EU and migration. Iohannis said before the
meeting that Romania is neither a source of migration nor a transit country.
The Romanian official also said that the problem is European and Bucharest
wants to participate in the process of finding some of the best solutions to
this situation. Iohannis has also underlined that the issue of migration must
not be mistaken for Schengen.

TOLL The death toll of the earthquakes that hit
Turkey and Syria on Monday continues to rise, exceeding 20,000 dead on
Thursday, and the chances of survival for the people trapped under the rubble
are diminishing. The bad weather and cold are complicating the rescuers’ task,
given that the first 72 hours are crucial to find survivors, according to the
head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik. Twitter has become inaccessible
to Turkey’s main mobile telephony providers amid growing online criticism of
the authorities’ handling of the tragedy. We had difficulties at the
beginning with the airports and on the roads, but we are better today and
tomorrow we will be even better – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on
the eve, apparently to defuse the population’s anger over the slow reaction of
his regime. In power since 2003 and a candidate for a new mandate in the May
presidential election, Erdogan also announced the distribution of 10,000
Turkish liras (the equivalent of about 494 Euros) to each family affected by
the earthquake.

OECD Romania’s accession to the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is the next step on the country’s
way to modernization, development and prosperity – the Prime Minister Nicolae
Ciucă said Thursday, in Bucharest, at a conference organized by the Government
on the benefits that member countries of this Organization have. This event
marked one year since the start of Romania’s accession process to the OECD.
Romania’s accession to the OECD has become a major foreign policy
objective and a strategic objective of the country, after accession to the
European Union and NATO – Nicolae Ciucă stated, recalling that the Organization
has under its umbrella states that represent over 70% of world trade and
approximately 90% of the capital investments value. Regarding the current
economic situation in Romania, the prime minister recalled that, in 2022, the
Gross Domestic Product increased by almost 50 billion Euros as compared to the
previous year, i.e. 4.9%, which is a significant increase.

(bill&LS)

9 February 2023
February 9, 2023

Brussels – President Klaus Iohannis represents Romania, in Brussels, in the extraordinary meeting of the European Council. Russias war against Ukraine, the economic situation in the European Union and migration are the three important topics to be discussed, this weekend, by the leaders of the 27 member states. According to the Presidential Administration in Bucharest, during the Council meeting, the commitment of the European Union and its member countries to support Ukraine at all levels will be reiterated as well as the commitment to continue to hold the Russian Federation responsible for the invasion of the neighboring country. At the same time, the European leaders will analyze the best solutions at European level to ensure the competitiveness of the Unions economy in the short and long term.

Earthquake — The death toll of the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday continues to rise, exceeding 16,000 dead on Thursday, and the chances of survival for the people trapped under the rubble are diminishing. The bad weather and cold are complicating the rescuers task, given that the first 72 hours are crucial to find survivors, according to the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik. Twitter has become inaccessible to Turkeys main mobile telephony providers amid growing online criticism of the authorities handling of the tragedy. “We had difficulties at the beginning with the airports and on the roads, but we are better today and tomorrow we will be even better” – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on the eve, apparently to defuse the population’s anger over the slow reaction of his regime. In power since 2003 and a candidate for a new mandate in the May presidential election, Erdogan also announced the distribution of 10,000 Turkish liras (the equivalent of about 494 Euros) to each family affected by the earthquake.

Rescue — Romania has sent a second search and rescue team to those areas from Turkey devastated by strong earthquakes at the beginning of the week. Currently, there are almost 120 Romanian rescuers on the ground, accompanied by specially trained dogs, equipment and transport vehicles. Bucharest decided to send humanitarian aid also to Syria, which was seriously affected by earthquakes as well. On the other hand, 26 Romanian citizens who requested support to return home were repatriated. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, there are no Romanian citizens among the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey.

OECD – Romanias accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is the next step on the countrys way to modernization, development and prosperity — the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said Thursday, in Bucharest, at a conference organized by the Government on the benefits that member countries of this Organization have. This event marked one year since the start of Romanias accession process to the OECD. “Romanias accession to the OECD has become a major foreign policy objective and a strategic objective of the country, after accession to the European Union and NATO” – Nicolae Ciucă stated, recalling that the Organization has under its umbrella states that represent over 70% of world trade and approximately 90% of the capital investments value. Regarding the current economic situation in Romania, the prime minister recalled that, in 2022, the Gross Domestic Product increased by almost 50 billion Euros as compared to the previous year, i.e. 4.9%, which is a significant increase.

EU summit — The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday, in Brussels, in the plenum of the European Parliament, that the defense of the Ukrainian territory against the Russian invasion also represented the defense of Europe. “We are defending ourselves against the most anti-European force of the modern world,” he said. Zelensky also expressed his belief that his country would join the EU after winning the war against Russia. At the same time, he thanked the European Parliament for the help Ukraine receives from the EU to defend itself against the Russian invasion. Today, Zelensky is participating, in Brussels, in a summit of the EU heads of state and government. He is on a surprise tour of Europe and left his country for the second time since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, after a first trip to Washington in December. The Ukrainian president on Monday first visited Great Britain, the biggest contributor, after the United States, in terms of military aid to Ukraine, then he went to France, where he met with president Macron and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. In London and Paris, Zelensky called for fighter jets “as soon as possible” to reject the Russian offensive. (LS)

9 February 2023
January 24, 2023

UNION Romanians are today celebrating the union of the historical provinces
of Moldavia and Wallachia, a political event, which took place 164 years ago,
in 1859, under the leadership of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The move was the
first step in the process of creating the Romanian modern state, process
completed back in 1918. Military and religious services have been staged by the
Ministry of National Defence jointly with central and local authorities at the
monuments devoted to the union of the Romanian principalities. Wreath laying
ceremonies were held at the monument of the Unknown Soldier. Present at the
event, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis says that the successes achieved back
in 1859 are a lesson of responsibility for all those who are building the
European, modern and democratic Romania. He reiterated the appeal to use all
the instruments available to complete all the reforms Romania needs and to
eradicate the malfunctions, which are still affecting this process. Thousands
of people took to the streets of Iasi, in eastern Romania to participate in a
series of events on this occasion. The country’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca
and the president of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu have also
participated in these events. In his public address on this special occasion,
Prime Minister Ciuca said the roots of the European Romania can be found in the
union completed 164 years ago – an authentic example of the unity of the
Romanians, which paved the way for the emancipation and modernization of the state.
In his opinion, the responsibility of the political class and the state
institutions is to honour this act of uniting the Romanian nation. Religious
services have been held in Orthodox churches around the country on this
occasion.

UKRAINE Several high officials in Ukraine have today announced their
resignations amid high-level corruption allegations during the war with Russia,
France Press reports. Deputy Defence Minister, Viacheslav Shapovalov, and the
deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko are among the
high officials to have stepped down. Deputy prosecutor General Oleksiy
Symonenko has also resigned amid allegations about a holiday he spent with his
family in Spain after Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council had
banned state officials from leaving the country during martial law. Amid all
these allegations, which threaten to dampen the West’s enthusiasm to help the
government in Kyiv, president Zelensky has pledged to launch a staff shake-up
in the central and local administrations including at top level. Ukraine’s
endemic corruption has been overlooked since the beginning of the Russian
invasion, but fighting the scourge is one of the key conditions for the country
to join the European Union.

NATO
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told Sweden not to expect Turkey’s
support for its NATO membership bid, after a copy of the Quran was burned in a
Stockholm protest. Sweden’s accession to NATO must be ratified by all the
member states, but the tensions between Ankara and Stockholm have escalated in
the past weeks. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May last year
after Russia had invaded Ukraine. Turkey has accused Sweden of backing groups,
which are considered terrorist by the government in Ankara. Finland’s Foreign
Minister Pekka Haavisto has today said that Finland must consider joining NATO
without Sweden.

WEATHER The weather is getting colder in Romania with temperatures, which are
normal for the time of the year. The sky is overcast in several regions in the
south-west, south and east, which can also see precipitations as rain, sleet
and even snow. Glazed frost has been reported on small areas in the south-east
and south. The wind is moderate everywhere apart from some regions in the south
and in the mountains. The highs of the day are ranging between 0 and 10 degrees
Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was two degrees.

(bill)

24 January 2023
21.12.2022

Révolution – Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis a déposé ce matin une couronne de fleurs à la croix en bois érigée sur la place de l’Université dans le centre de Bucarest à la mémoire des victimes de la Révolution anticommuniste roumaine de décembre 1989. « Gardons vivante la mémoire des héros de la révolution de décembre 1989 et de porter ensuite les idéaux pour lesquels nous avons lutté ! » a écrit le chef de l’Etat sur Facebook. « Aux martyrs de la Révolution roumaine et à tous ceux qui ont eu à souffrir durant la période de la dictature communiste nous devons la liberté dont nous bénéficions aujourd’hui et c’est à eux que nous devons remercier par le soin que nous portons à la Roumanie et à la consolidation du processus démocratique » a également déclaré dans un message le premier ministre Nicolae Ciucă. Par ailleurs, l’ambassadeur de la Belgique en Roumanie, Philippe Benoit, du Royaume Uni Andrew Noble, et le directeur de l’Institut français, Julien Chiappone-Lucchesi, ont participé mardi près de la Capitale au dévoilement d’un nouveau monument qui commémore les trois journalistes étrangers tués durant la révolution de 1989 – le belge Danny Huwe, le français Jean-Louis Calderon et le britannique Ian Henry Parry. Rappelons-le que la révolution anticommuniste roumaine s’est déclenchée à Timisoara, dans l’ouest de la Roumanie pour se répandre ensuite à travers le pays et culminer à Bucarest le 22 décembre, par la chute du régime communiste de Nicolae Ceausescu. Au total, plus de 1 000 personnes ont péri, et près de 3000 ont été blessées. La Roumanie est le seul pays d’Europe de l’Est où le changement de régime s’est fait par la violence.

Séoul – Le premier ministre roumain, Nicolae Ciucă, et le président de la Chambre des Députés de Bucarest, Marcel Ciolacu entament une visite de trois jours en Corée du Sud. Les deux responsables sont accompagnés de plusieurs ministres et élus nationaux. L’énergie, les investissements, l’éducation et l’industrie de défense seront les sujets à l’ordre du jour des rencontres avec les responsables sud-coréens. Dans le cadre d’une réunion avec le président de l’Assemblée nationale de la République de Corée, Kim Jin-pyo, le premier ministre Ciuca a évoqué la consolidation de la coopération bilatérale. « Nous sommes déterminés à consolider la coopération roumano-coréenne, de mettre en valeur tout le potentiel économique et à encourager les investissements dans le secteur énergétique », a twitté Nicolae Ciuca sur la page du Gouvernement roumain. Dans le cadre de sa visite, le chef de l’exécutif de Bucarest devra rencontrer son homologue sud-coréen, Han Duck-soo, et aux côtés du président de la Chambre des députés, Marcel Ciolacu, ont à l’agenda une réunion avec des représentants de la communauté roumaine de la Corée du Sud. Jeudi, les responsables roumains visiteront deux entreprises coréennes avant de se rendre vendredi dans la zone démilitarisée qui sépare la Corée du sud de la Corée du Nord.

Zelensky – Le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky, qui n’a pas quitté son pays depuis l’invasion par la Russie le 24 février, sera reçu mercredi à la Maison Blanche par Joe Biden avant de s’adresser au Congres américain, lors d’une visite déjà historique, selon l’AFP. Cette visite souligne que les Etats-Unis soutiendront l’Ukraine « aussi longtemps qu’il le faudra », a déclaré Karine Jean-Pierre, porte-parole de l’exécutif américain, dans un communiqué officialisant l’événement. Ce déplacement, qui sera assorti de l’annonce d’une nouvelle aide américaine qualifiée de « significative » à l’Ukraine, comprenant notamment un système antiaérien Patriot, sonne comme un défi a Vladimir Poutine. Le Kremlin a ainsi mis en garde mercredi contre de nouvelles livraisons d’armes américaines à l’Ukraine, qui n’auront pour effet que d’ « aggraver » le conflit. Les Etats-Unis, de loin les premiers donateurs à Kiev, ont fourni selon des estimations d’experts déjà près de 50 milliards de dollars d’aide au pays en guerre, dont 20 milliards en armement et assistance militaire. Sur le terrain, les combats se poursuivaient mercredi, l’état-major ukrainien rapportant des attaques et bombardements russes dans l’est et le nord-est. Au moins trois personnes ont été tuées et 14 blessées dans des frappes sur les régions de Donetsk et de Kherson, selon les autorités locales.

Médicaments – La Roumanie est confrontée en ce moment à une pénurie dans les pharmacies de médicaments anti-inflammatoires et anti-fièvre utilisés dans les cas des maladies respiratoires surtout pour les enfants. C’est la conséquence d’une augmentation de la consommation engendrée par le nombre élevé de malades cet hiver, après deux ans pendant lesquels les restrictions liées à la pandémie ont limité la circulation de tous les virus. Le ministre de la Santé, Alexandru Rafila, a déclaré que pour améliorer la situation il envisageait la restriction temporaire de l’export de certaines catégories de médicaments. Plus de détails après le journal.

Rasinari – L’Organisation mondiale du tourisme a choisi la Commune de Rasinari dans le centre de la Roumanie parmi les meilleures destinations rurales au monde. Elle se retrouve sur une liste de 32 localités de 18 Etats au monde. Selon le maire de la commune, Rasinari est sise aux pieds des montagnes, où l’air est pur, il y a des forêts de sapins, des gîtes ruraux et des itinéraires touristiques organisées. « Quiconque y arrive, a des choses à voir et à faire », affirme encore l’édile. La cérémonie de remise des prix « Best Tourisme Villages » aura lieu au mois de février, étant une reconnaissance de l’engagement pour l’innovation et la soutenabilité dans tous les aspects : économique, social et environnemental, précise encore l’OMS.

Météo – Températures légèrement à la hausse en Roumanie avec des maxima allant généralement de 4 à 12 degrés, un peu plus élevées à l’extérieur de l’arc des Carpates. Ciel variable, couvert sur l’extrême nord et nord-ouest, où des pluies sont possibles. Ciel couvert aussi à Bucarest où le mercure des thermomètres indique – 2 degrés.

21 December 2022
October 6, 2022 UPDATE

EPC The EU unity can be consolidated if Romania, Bulgaria
and Croatia are becoming part of the Schengen area, Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis said in Prague on Thursday. Leaders of 42 countries have convened in
the Czech capital for a first meeting of the European Political Community (EPC)
a new structure proposed by French president Emmanuel Macron in response to the
war Russia is presently waging on Ukraine. The Russian invasion has caused a
total geopolitical rethinking and the EPC wants to be a cooperation platform on
security issues between the EU countries and its partners on the continent, candidates
or non-candidates to accession. During the informal meeting of the European
Council, due in Prague on Friday, the EU leaders are expected to be tackling
the situation in Ukraine from the angle of the response to Russia’s escalating
the conflict as well as providing financial, political, military and
humanitarian support to Ukraine. The situation on the energy market will also
be high on the agenda from the viewpoint of the impact of the latest price
hikes and energy security.

NOBEL French writer Annie Ernaux has
reaped the Nobel Prize in literature this year. According to the Swedish
Academy in Stockholm, Ernaux has been awarded the prize for the courage and
clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective
restrains of personal memory. Last year the Nobel prize in literature went to Tanzanian-born
British novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah.

REFUGEES The Border Police
General Inspectorate (IGPF) informs that on Wednesday, 71,642 people, including
8,486 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania through border points throughout the
country, an increase of about 10% compared to the previous day. According to a
communiqué sent on Thursday, starting on February 10, 2022, two weeks before
the Russian army invaded Ukraine, 2,508,047 Ukrainian citizens have entered
Romania. Most of them continued their journey to Western European countries,
but, according to the Romanian Interior Ministry, more than 4,300 applied for
and received asylum in Romania and benefit from all the rights provided by the
national legislation. About 70 thousand others have residence permits, for the
beneficiaries of temporary protection.

IAEA The head of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will try to talk with officials in Kyiv and
Moscow about the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the occupied
southern Ukraine, the largest in Europe, which the Russians have taken hold of
as part of the so-called annexation of the region. For weeks on end, the plant
has been the target of intense bombing, for which Moscow and Kyiv have blamed
each other, and which fueled fears of a nuclear catastrophe. Russian President
Vladimir Putin has said the military situation will stabilize in
the annexed Ukrainian territories, where his forces are suffering a series of
setbacks against Kiev’s army. Ukraine had announced that it had again gained
ground in the Luhansk region (east), after the successes in Kherson (south) and
Kharkov (northeast). In what analysts call a sign of confusion in Russia, the
army’s failures prompted a senior parliamentary official, deputy Andrei
Kartapolov, a former military commander, to ask defense ministry chiefs to
stop lying about the defeats.

WAR Ukraine has announced its forces have recaptured
several localities in the southern region of Kherson, one of the four regions
partly occupied and illegally annexed by Russia. The Ukrainian counteroffensive
continues, president Zelensky has said. On Wednesday, Russian president
Vladimir Putin signed the documents for the annexation of the regions of
Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, in spite of the failures his army
is facing on the ground. Putin has also signed a decree to make official the capturing
by his forces of the nuclear power plant of Zaporizhzhia. The plant, which is the
biggest of this kind in Europe is still being exploited by Ukrainian employees.
Russia and Ukraine have been accusing each other of shelling its neighbourhood.

(bill)

6 October 2022
September 26, 2022

VISIT Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the president of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu have arrived in Japan to attend the state funeral for the countrys former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who made a significant contribution to the process of bringing up the relations between the two countries to that of a strategic partnership. Abe was killed on July 8th by a former officer with a makeshift gun while delivering a campaign speech. The two Romanian officials have today met the Parliamentary League Japan-Romania Friendship headed by president Ichiro Assawa. Talks focused on economic cooperation as Japan is the biggest Asian investor in Romania. Prime Minister Ciuca has underlined the determination of the Romanian government to boost investment given the latest encouraging dynamics of the bilateral contacts. In turn, the Japanese official has appreciated the presence in Japan of the Romanian Prime Minister and announced the all-out support for the implementation of the Japan-Romania Strategic Partnership and strengthening bilateral cooperation, including at the exterior level, against the regional and international background, which needs the protection of democracy and the rule of law. During his three-day visit to Tokyo, the Romanian Prime Minister will be meeting his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and with high officials from other countries who are attending the funeral.

REFUGEES According to sources with the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, over 90 thousand people entered Romania on Sunday, including 10 thousand Ukrainian nationals, 7.6% less than in the previous day. Since February 10, 2022, over 2.4 million Ukrainian nationals have crossed the border into Romania.

FLU Health experts are expecting the flu to have a major impact during the cold season 2022-2023. According to these experts vaccination remains extremely important to reduce the risk of the double infection with the classical flu virus and with SARS-CoV-2 mainly with the vulnerable categories. Romania has already received the first batches of anti-flu vaccines, which are available at family physicians.

FOOTBALL Romanias national football side is today playing Bosnia in Bucharest in their last game in Nations League B. We recall that the game is very important to Romania as its side is presently ranking last in its group and runs the risk of being demoted to the competitions third section. Also today Montenegro plays Finland. Romania is hankering for a win against Bosnia and also needs that Finland may not win in Podgorica.

WAR Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday in a televised interview that his troops had received from the USA an advanced anti-aircraft system, which would significantly contribute to the consolidation of their positions on the frontline. The NASAMS interceptors are effective against cruise missiles, drones as well as warplanes and helicopters. In the meantime on the ground, Russian troops have shelled several regions in southern Ukraine. According to Radio Romania correspondent in Ukraine, in Mykolaiv, Russian drones have hit several buildings and the water pipeline has been hit by a rocket. Kamikaze drones from Russia have allegedly hit several targets in Odesa, where the anti-aircraft defence managed to bring down a Russian Su-25 jet, which was strafing ground troops close to Kherson. In Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, two Russian missiles have destroyed a hospital and another building. In another development, the first Russian reservists have arrived at their military units, sources with the British Defence Ministry have announced.

HANDBALL Romanias women vice-champions CSM Bucharest managed to avoid defeat in their home game on Sunday ending 28-all against German handball side BBM Bietigheim. The match was counting towards the Group A of the Champions League in womens handball. CSM will be up against Danish side Odense on October 9th. Another Romanian side Rapid Bucharest secured a 33-26 away win against Turkish side Kastamonu. On October 9th, Rapid will be up against Danish side Team Esbjerg. Bucharest is the only city in Europe with two sides in the continents most important handball competition.

(bill)

26 September 2022
September 23, 2022

VISIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is today meeting Romanian
entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, USA. Iohannis earlier met members of the
Romanian community on the West Coast and told them that Romania is in a
complicated situation created by the war in neighboring Ukraine, but the
country is doing well and the economy is growing. According to Iohannis,
Romania has received nearly 2 million and a half refugees from that country and
has eased Ukraine’s grain exports. 60% of Ukraine’s grain exports have so far
been done via Romania and we are making efforts to increase this quantity -
Iohannis said. He said the almost 450 thousand Romanians who are living in the
USA are making an extraordinarily important bridge between the two countries.
The community of Romanians in the USA is the fifth largest after those from Italy,
Britain and Germany. We recall that on Tuesday and Wednesday Iohannis headed
the Romanian delegation attending the UN General Assembly.

MANDATE Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has handed over the
mandate of the presidency of Community of Democracies to the Foreign Minister of
Canada, Melanie Joly during a ceremony held in New York on the sidelines of the
UN General Assembly. Aurescu reviewed the highlights of the three-year mandate
of the Romanian presidency adding that during these three years, democracies,
human and international rights faced a lot of challenges, such as the Covid-19
pandemic and the unjustified military aggression against Ukraine. According to
him, under the Romanian presidency and with his support, a group of member
states on February 24th endorsed a declaration voicing their support
for the democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its
internationally-recognized borders. At the same time the signatory countries
have firmly condemned the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and have
unequivocally voiced their support for the Ukrainian people in its democratic
aspirations.

WAR
Ukrainian president
Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Russians to resist the partial military mobilisation
announced by president Putin. According to Zelensky, 55 thousand Russian troops
have been killed in this war. Want more? No? Then protest, fight back, run
away or surrender to the Ukrainian army, Zelensky says in a video message in
Russian language. He has accused the Russian citizens they are accomplices to
the crimes their troops are committing against the Ukrainians. Clashes between
the two armies have carried on both in the south and eastern Ukraine. In another
development, four regions in southern and eastern Ukraine, under Moscow’s total
and partial control, are to vote in a referendum to join Russia until Tuesday.
The polls, hastily organised after being announced this week have been widely
condemned in the west as illegitimate.

FOOTBALL Romania’s national eleven is tonight playing Finland in an away
game counting towards Group 3 in the Nations’ B League. On Monday, the
Romanians will be up against Bosnia in Bucharest, their last match in the group.
Some newspapers in Bucharest say this could be our national side’s last match
with selector Edward Iordanescu at the helm due to their poor performances in
the league, where Romania ranks last with only one win and three defeats, after
Finland, Montenegro and Bosnia.

REFUGEES Sources with the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Border
Police have announced that 82,152 persons entered Romania on Thursday, of whom
10,594 are Ukrainian nationals, 5.4% as compared to the previous day. According
to the same sources since February 10 this year, two weeks before the Russian
invasion, 2,388,009 Ukrainians have entered Romania.

(bill)

23 September 2022
September 13, 2022

VISIT Romanian Defence Minister Vasile
Dincu is paying a formal visit to Israel until Friday. According to a communiqué
by the Defence Ministry, the Minister’s agenda includes talks with his Israeli
counterpart, formal ceremonies at the ‘Yad Vashem’ memorial, the Holocaust
Museum and the Children’s Memorial as well as visits to companies in the
defence industry. The two ministers will be tackling topical issues such as
security in the Middle East and the Black Sea, as well as the stage and
prospects of bilateral cooperation in the field of defence.

UKRAINE According to Ukrainian
president Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian forces have retaken more than 6000
square kilometers from Russian control in September. Kyiv says that Russia has
given up the idea of dispatching more troops to Ukraine and Zelensky makes an
appeal to the West to step up armament deliveries to Ukraine, while the
Ukrainian troops are trying to tighten control over a big portion of land
retaken from Russia in the north-east. In another development, on Monday, the
head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi announced
that Ukraine and Russia seem to be interested in the IAEA proposal to create a
buffer zone around the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, occupied by the
Russian troops in March. Russia and Ukraine have been accusing each other of
shelling Europe’s largest nuclear plant, which affected the buildings close to
its 6 nuclear reactors, increasing the risk of a nuclear disaster.

FORUM Moldova- Romania: Capital Bridges, is the
name of the first high-level forum devoted to promoting capital markets on the
two banks of River Prut, which is taking place in Bucharest today. According to
organizers, the event has been structured on three panels and will have among invitees
Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and his Moldovan counterpart Natalia
Gavrilita. The two already held talks this morning during a working breakfast.
The forum’s agenda includes topical issues such as the international context, ways
of implementing favourable policies for the development of business and
investment climate, and strengthening ties between the capital markets of the
two countries, mainly against the background of the Republic of Moldova’s
status of EU candidate.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse joined the main
draw of the WTA tournament in Portoroz, Slovenia, a competition with more than
200 thousand Euros in prize money, after her Monday’s win against Ziva Falkner
of Slovenia. In the competition’s first round Ruse will be up against Lesia
Tsurenko of Ukraine, which defeated the Romanian 6-3, 6-3 last year in the
first round of Winner Open held in Cluj Napoca, western Romania. The
competition’s main draw also includes Ana Bogdan, who will be playing Ajla
Tomljanovic, quarter-finalist in the US Open. Ruse and Bogdan will be partners
in the doubles contest.

(bill)

13 September 2022
August 22, 2022

CONTRACT A major funding
contract for the railway network part of the Romania’s National Recovery and
Resilience Plan (PNRR), a project of roughly 1.75 billion euros has been
signed. The contract provides for streamlining the Caransebes-Timisoara-Arad
railway with a total length of 162 kilometers. According to Transport Minister
Sorin Grindeanu this is a major step towards the modernization of the railway
network in western Romania, which is part of the European transport corridor
Orient/East Mediterranean. PNRR funds are going to be used to double and
streamline the aforementioned railway in order to allow trains to run at 160
kilometers per hour. The project also provides for the modernization and
building of railway stations in certain urban areas, building pedestrian
walkways and adjusting platforms to European standards.

TALKS Romanian Prime
Minister, Nicolae Ciuca, Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, and representatives
of the National Energy Regulatory Authority have convened to assess further support
schemes for the population against the background of the latest electricity
price hikes. These are to be applied after March 31st, until when
household and non-household consumers are benefitting from subsidized gas and
electricity depending on their consumption. The government wants to invest in
new energy infrastructure projects aimed at exploiting local resources. In
another development, the executive in Bucharest might endorse this week an
emergency ordinance providing for another pay rise for state employees.
According to Finance Minister Adrian Caciu, the rise has already been applied
in the country’s education and medical sectors and will soon be applied in the
other sectors of the economy.

WEATHER
Meteorologists have again issued yellow and orange alerts for unstable weather
and heavy rain in almost the entire Romanian territory. Until Tuesday night most
of the regions are to see thunderstorms, heavy downpours, gale force winds and
in some areas hail. The heat index will remain high in south-eastern
Romania.

PROGRAMME The
Environment Fund Administration (EFA) in Romania is expected to launch next
week a programme for scrapping vehicles older than 15 years. Under the
aforementioned programme owners can get 600 Euros without the obligation of
buying a new vehicle. Half of the sum will be covered from the EFA funds and
the rest from local budgets. Through its National Plan of Recovery and
Resilience, Romania pledges to get rid of 250 thousand old polluting vehicles
by 2026.

TENNIS Romanian
tennis player Irina Begu on Sunday qualified for the round of 16 of the WTA 250
tournament in Cleveland USA, which has over 250 thousand dollars in
prize-money. The Romanian secured a two-set win against US challenger Peyton
Sterns and she will be up next against the winner of the game pitching Sofia
Kenin of the USA against other qualified player. Another Romanian in the
competition, Sorana Cirstea will be playing fourth-seeded Elise Mertens of
Belgium.

UKRAINE The invading Russian
army has again shelled objectives in several regions of Ukraine. The southern
city of Mykolaiv has been struck by several S-300 missiles and the region of
Odessa has been attacked with rockets fired from vessels in the Black Sea. The
city of Nikopol close to the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia has been hit
by scores of artillery shells amid growing fears of a potential nuclear
disaster in the region. US president Joe Biden on Sunday held talks with French
president Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German
chancellor Olaf Scholz about the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and
the support they can provide to this country. In Kyiv, president Zelensky has cautioned
against potential large-scale attacks by Russian troops around Ukraine’s
Independence Day, which marks the country’s breaking ties with the former USSR.
The event takes place on August 24, six months from the onset of the Russian
invasion. In another development, another two ships loaded with Ukrainian grain
bound for Istanbul have been authorized to leave the Ukrainian Black Sea ports
under the UN-brokered agreement signed by Ukraine, Turkey and Russia.

(bill)

22 August 2022
July 27, 2022

GOVERNMENT The government of Romania
is to pass today the implementing rules for an emergency order on rescheduling
bank loan repayments. Instalments can be deferred for a maximum of 9 months,
with citizens and companies having to prove that their monthly expenses have
increased by at least 25%. The government’s decision follows a steep rise in
inflation and a drop in people’s spending power. The agenda of today’s
government meeting also includes the provision of emergency aid to
underprivileged citizens. The Cabinet would like to spend some EUR 200,000 to
support around 250 families and individuals in difficulty either because of
fires or floods, or because of health problems. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian
refugees in Romania remain a matter of priority for the government, which plans
to take products from the state reserves and distribute them as aid to the
refugees.

ENERGY Romania is widely supported by the US, says the Romanian
energy minister, Virgil Popescu, who had working meetings on Tuesday with
officials from the US Department of State. In a social media post, the Romanian
official said he had received assurances from Washington regarding support for
the development of the Romanian civilian nuclear programme. Virgil Popescu mentioned
that the Romanian authorities plan to complete the funding for the building of
reactors 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant by the end of the year, and
that the financial support of the US partners is very important. The US also
provides the assistance required for the implementation of a small modular
reactor, the first of this kind in Romania.

DIPLOMACY Romania is deeply anchored
in a Euro-Atlantic system of values, security and unwavering solidarity, as a
result, among other things, of decades of diplomatic work, the Romanian foreign
minister Bogdan Aurescu stated today, on the celebration of 160 years since the
Foreign Ministry was established. He reviewed the history of the institution,
mentioning the outstanding personalities in Romanian diplomacy, and highlighted
the current challenges. ‘When, for the first time since 1945, the threat of a
brutal, unjustified and unprovoked war launched by Russia against our neighbour
Ukraine looms over Europe, the implications can only be of global scale. (…) Together
with our allies and partners, we are deeply committed to outlining a complex diplomatic
response to this aggression that has tragic humanitarian consequences and
incalculable economic costs,’ foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said.

AWARD The British PM Boris Johnson Tuesday presented the Ukrainian
president Volodymyr Zelensky with the Sir Winston Churchill leadership award,
news agencies report. The ceremony took place at 10 Downing Street, with
Mr. Zelensky attending by video link. Named
after one of Europe’s greatest war time leaders, the award is presented by the Churchill
International Society to honour personalities that have demonstrated
extraordinary leadership skills. Upon accepting the distinction, Volodymyr
Zelensky said that No one knows how much time and effort it will take to
achieve that victory, but the victory is worthwhile. This will become a joint
history, as prominent as it was during Churchill times.

COVID-19 Over 9,800 new SARS-CoV-2
infections were reported over the last 24 hours in Romania, out of some 30,000
tests, the authorities announced today. The number of Covid-19 patients in
hospitals has reached 3,570, with 233 patients in intensive care, and 29
COVID-related deaths were also reported. The health minister Alexandru Rafila said next week Romania might see 10,000 new cases daily. Although spreading
very quickly, this variant of the virus causes less severe forms of the disease.

EMPLOYMENT 70% of the Romanians working 2 jobs do so in order to
increase their incomes in the long run, according to a poll conducted by a
recruitment platform. According to experts, with remote work becoming
widespread, employees are more in control of their time and therefore they find
it easier to juggle with 2 jobs. Even so, most of them (72%) choose a part-time
second jobs. Asked what they find to be the most difficult when working 2 jobs,
6 out of 10 said keeping a balance between personal and professional life is
the biggest challenge. Over 52% of the respondents believe it is impossible to
have 2 jobs at the same time for more than a year. The poll was conducted in
July and involved 1,200 respondents.

WEATHER Bucharest and 14 counties in the south of Romania are today
under a code orange alert for extreme heat, with temperatures expected to reach
40 degrees Celsius in these regions according to the National Meteorology
Agency. Thermal discomfort is severe, with the temperature-humidity index (THI)
over 80. According to weather experts, periods of severe atmospheric
instability are also expected, first in the mountains and central Romania, and
later tonight in the south and south-east of the country as well. In Bucharest
at noon the temperature was 35 degrees Celsius. (AMP)

27 July 2022