Category: Newsflash

Romania makes a common front with its allies as far as Syria is concerned, Romanian President Traian Basescu said at the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy, currently under way in Bucharest. President Basescu has said that an official stand in the case of Syria will be made public after the UN experts present their conclusions. According to Traian Basescu, as many as 10 000 Romanians are currently living in Syria. At the same meeting in Bucharest, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Titus Corlatean, has said that the Bucharest authorities are concerned about the situation in Syria and has pointed out that it is important that the UN mission in this country should conclude their investigation into the potential use of chemical weapons as soon as possible. Titus Corlatean has underlined that Bucharest firmly condemns all actions that violate human rights.

The American forces are ready for a military action in Syria in case president Barack Obama approves it, the US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Tuesady, when he accused Syria of having used chemical weapons. In his turn, the British Premier David Cameron announced the Parliament would convene on Thursday to decide over Britain’s stand as far as Syria is concerned. UN experts continue their investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, in an attack that occurred near Damascus last week. The experts have collected samples from the area near Damascus where, according to the Syrian opposition and the western countries, the Syrian army of killed hundreds of civilians in an attack with chemical weapons. The Russian Foreign Ministry has again called on the US and the international community to be cautious, stressing that a military intervention would have catastrophic consequences for the countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid Mouallem, has said that his country will defend itself in case of a military intervention by the Western countries and that Syria owns protection means that will take the world by surprise.

The beginning of the works on the Iasi — Ungheni pipeline, which connects Romania to the Republic of Moldova, is a remarkable moment in the cooperation between the two countries and the EU. The statement was made today by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Iurie Leanca, at the inauguration ceremony. Attending the event, the European Commissioner for Energy, Gunther Oettinger, has stated that this pipeline has a strategic importance for both countries. The ceremony was also attended by the Romanian Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, who had previously congratulated the Moldavan citizens on the 22nd anniversary of their country’s independence from the Soviet Union.

Romania’s President Traian Basescu has voiced worries over the rise of unemployment and the accelerated drop in foreign direct investment. According to the head of state, who quoted figures provided by the National Statistics Institute, the unemployment rate in Romania reached 7.6% in June, one percent higher than in the same month in 2012. In the first quarter of 2013, foreign direct investment dropped by 20%. Against this background, the president called on the Romanian government to boost public investment and use European funds.

Prime minister of Romania Victor Ponta is on a two-day visit to the Republic of Moldova. Ponta will have meetings with his counterpart Iurie Leanca, together with whom he will take part in the official opening of works on the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline, and will take part in the Siret – Prut – Dniester Euroregion Forum. The event will also be attended by the EU commissioner for energy, Gunther Oettinger. The ministers in the Romanian delegation will also discuss with their Moldovan counterparts issues related to energy, education and healthcare. The topics approached will include the interconnection of the two countries’ energy networks, the grants offered by Bucharest to Moldovan students and the prospective establishment of an emergency rescue service in the Republic of Moldova.

The Romanian Economy Minister, Varujan Vosganian, will pay a formal visit to Kiev on Tuesday, together with a government delegation. The purpose of the visit is the resumption of negotiations with the Ukrainian side with a view to recovering the money spent by Romania in the building of the Active Ore Enrichment Works in Krivo Rog. The total amount is estimated at around one billion dollars. The building of the works in Krivo Rog started in 1983, when the Soviet Union still existed, and involved the participation of the Democratic Republic of Germany, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania. In 1990, the building works stopped.

In Romania, over 55 thousand high school graduates on Monday sat for the first written test in this year’s second Baccalaureate session. The first baccalaureate session, held this summer, was marred by a major incident, involving fraud in a high school in Bucharest whose principal was arrested. According to the Education Ministry, the national pass rate in the June-July session of the Baccalaureate this year was 55%.

The new Romanian Transport Minister is 41 year old Ramona Manescu, a member of the National Liberal Party since 1990 and member of the European Parliament since 2007. The office had been vacant since the resignation of the former minister, liberal Relu Fenechiu, who was sentenced to prison for influence peddling. Prime Minister Victor Ponta was the interim transport president.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry once again warns the Romanian citizens to avoid traveling to Egypt until security is restored. The Foreign Ministry said a state of emergency is still in place in several Egyptian provinces, and a curfew is valid in several regions, including Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Sinai and Suez. Tensions remain high in this country after 10 days of tough military interventions against the Islamists who organised protests calling for the reinstatement of former president Mohamed Morsi. He was removed from office by the military on July 3rd. Over 1,000 people have been killed in the last few days in the clashes.

The annual meeting of the Romanian diplomacy, organized by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, starts in Bucharest on Tuesday. The Foreign Minister of Lithuania, Linas Antanas Linkevicius and the minister of Foreign Affairs and European integration of the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gherman are special guests. The agenda of talks includes European affairs, the eastern neighborhood, Romania’s relations with global players in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, supporting Romanian communities abroad, economic and cultural diplomacy.

Romania is taking part, until August 31st, in the Film Festival in Douarnenez, France, with a number of films that have won awards in major festivals. Among them is “Child’s Pose”, directed by Calin Peter Netzer, winner of this year’s Golden Bear in the Berlin Festival. “Child’s Pose” is a psychological drama on the distorted relations between a dominating mother and her adult son. The film takes part in the competition for the 2014 Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards. Another film screened at Douarnenez is “Beyond the hills”, by Cristian Mungiu, which won the 2012 Cannes awards for best script and best actress.

Romanian writer Mircea Cartarescu is the winner of the big prize for poetry at the International Literary Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia. The director of the festival has stated that the award was granted not only to an exceptional writer, but also to a vital culture, which asserted itself despite all difficulties. Romania is represented at Novi Sad by six poets and an anthology of contemporary poetry.

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said the official visit he would pay next week to Chisinau represented a clear-cut message of support for the Republic of Moldova, confirming the good relations between the two governments. Ponta went on to say that he would attend the events marking Independence Day together with his Moldovan counterpart Iurie Leanca. The two officials will also inaugurate the outset of construction works for the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline. The authorities in Bucharest have announced their plans to complete construction works for the Romania-Republic of Moldova gas interconnector by the end of the year.

Liberal Party president Crin Antonescu has announced that Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Sunday accepted the nomination of euro-MP Ramona Manescu for the position of Transports Minister. Prime Minister Victor Ponta will present the nomination to president Traian Basescu. The Liberals had originally put forth two names to fill the vacant office of Transports Minister after Liberal MP Relu Fenechiu stepped down, sentenced to prison for abuse of office. These were Nini Sapunaru and Ramona Manescu. Relu Fenechiu is the first Romanian Minister since the demise of communism in 1989 ever to receive a conviction while in office. The conviction is not final.

The trial of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, due to start on Sundayin Cairo, was postponed since the defendants could not be brought into the trial room for security reasons. Supreme Leader of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie and his lieutenants, Khairat al-Shater and Rashad Bayumi are being presently detained, charged with “incitement to murder” of public protesters. They are being tried jointly with another 29 people for involvement in the string of violence in this country. Egypt is currently undergoing a spell of great turmoil. On July 3 street protests turned violent after the Egyptian army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood speaks of a coup d’etat”, holding daily protests. The death toll is already in the thousands.

The Bashar Al-Assad regime has sanctioned an investigation by a team of UN experts in the Damascus suburbs where there are suspicions regarding an alleged chemical weapon attack, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday. Also on Sunday US State Secretary John Kerry held a telephone discussion with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem about the alleged chemical weapon attack of August 21^st in Damascus. The Syrian opposition blames the regime for killing over 1,300 people in a chemical weapon attack close to Damascus. The Government has so far dismissed the accusations regarding the use of poison gas.

Romanian tennis player Simona Halep went up 4 places in WTA standings, and is now ranked 19^th, after winning the New Haven Premier tournament in the United States, the fourth title in her career. In the final match Halep outperformed Petra Kvitova, ranked 9^th in WTA standings and seeded third in the competition, final score 6-2, 6-2. Simona Halep is the fourth Romanian ever to aceed to the WTA Top 20 after Virginia Ruzici, Irina Sparlea and Ruxandra Dragomir. Halep is also the first Romanian athlete to make it to the elite of the world’s best 20 tennis players after a break of more than 13 years.

Radu Jude’s short film entitled “Cloud Shadow” scooped the Best Short Film Award at the Sarajevo International Film Festival, held between August 16th and 24th, reads an official website press release. Another two Romanian film directors won prizes at this year’s edition. Bogdan Mirica won the Arte International Relations CineLink award for his project “Dogs”, while Adrian Sitaru was awarded the CNC CineLink prize for his project called “Fixer”. The 2013 edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival also paid tribute to Romanian filmmaker Cristi Puiu. The “Homage” section of the festival is devoted to filmmakers whose “uncompromising vision has shattered many taboos in film and society and has drawn the attention of both public and critics”.

The English side Tottenham Hotspur has signed Steaua Bucharest’s central defender Vlad Chiriches, aged 23, Steaua headcoach Laurentiu Reghecampf announced on Saturday. Reghecampf said the two sides have agreed on the terms of the transfer. Chiriches will play his last match for Steaua in the return leg against Legia Warsaw next week, if he recovers from his recent hip injury. According to Steaua Manager Tottenham will pay 9.5 million euros for Chiriches, a record high for the Romanian club. Chiriches made his debut at Steaua in January 2012.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry further recommends to the Romanian citizens to avoid travelling to Egypt until the situation in that country is restored to normal. Romanian foreign minister, Titus Corlatean, has recently had a phone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart, Nabil Fahmy, and he underlined that the only real option to solve the crisis in Egypt is to start a process of national reconciliation and to invite all political forces in Egypt at the negotiation table. The Romanian Foreign Ministry also recalls that a state of emergency was declared by the Cairo authorities on August the 14th. Egypt is going through a difficult crisis which deepened on July the 3rd, when the army removed from power Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. The Muslim Brotherhood, the party of former president Morsi, organises daily protests, calling for his return to power. Over 900 people have died in clashes between the law enforcers and the protesters in recent days.

The Romanian car Dacia, belonging to the French Group Renault has become the most successful car make in Europe, after the volume of its sales increased considerably, a survey carried out by the daily “Financial Times” writes. The British paper also notes that Dacia has managed to stand out, although its cars were not designed for the developed markets, in a first stage. The makes produced in Romania sell for small prices, because of low production costs and the simplicity of the design. Furthermore, the trend followed by West European consumers to save money during the economic crisis has led to an increase in the volume of Dacia car sales. Renault has announced that the sales of the Romanian make accounts for 24% of the total volume of sales made by the group in Europe, in the first half of the year. In Romania, the production capacity is of 350 thousand cars per year. The exports made by the Dacia Plant last year accounted for 7.7% of Romania’s exports.

The High Representative of the Romanian Government for the Republic of Moldova launches a literary contest for the Romanians around the world, on the occasion of the Romanian Language Day, to be celebrated on August the 31st. The literary contest of poetry and essays is entitled “The Romanian language is my country.” According to a communiqué issued by the government, the literary works can be submitted by August 31st at the following e-mail address: limbaromanapatriamea@gmail.com. The best literary pieces will be published in a first volume bearing the name of the contest, and the winners will be invited to attend the Days of the City of Bucharest, as honorary guests. The Government will also organise, between August the 30th and September the 1st, film screenings from and about the Republic of Moldova, at the Patria Cinema Hall in Bucharest.

State secretary Bogdan Aurescu on Saturday expressed Romania’s commitment to supporting the Romanian language publications issued abroad. Aurescu made the statement during a conference entitled “The Presence of mass media in the Romanian language issued outside the borders of the country”, held in Mangalia, on the Black Sea Coast, between August the 19th and 25th. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, during the talks with Romanian journalists from abroad, the Romanian official approached the current challenges facing the print press, as well as the broadcast media in the Romanian language, issued or airing abroad, laying emphasis on the main difficulties and concrete ways to overcome them. During the exchange of ideas, the participants focussed on the situation of the Romanian language media in Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and its impact on the efforts to promote and preserve the Romanian cultural identity.

The 13th edition of the “Transylvanian Citadels” Medieval festival is unfolding in the central town of Sibiu until Sunday. This year’s edition brings to Sibiu six medieval music bands from Romania, Hungary, Germany, Serbia and Latvia. Other highlights include commedia dell arte shows, theatre performances, traditional puppet shows for children, juggling and street animation.

The Romanian government is drafting a new salary law, meant to eliminate disparities between the salaries of state sector employees, junior minister for social dialogue, Doina Pana, has announced. She gave, as an example, the existing situation at the government, where some of the employees earn more than the prime minister, or the abnormal situation registered at some ministries, where the ministers have smaller incomes than some of their subordinates. Doina Pana has also said that the law, which will impact all state institutions, will reduce the gap between the lowest and highest salary in the sector.

The draft law on suspending the special pensions of the magistrates who receive a final sentence for corruption charges and who get expelled from magistracy for this reason is now publicly debated in Romania. The provisions of the draft law are to be applied retroactively- that is -also in the case of those sentenced before the law comes into force, irrespective of the moment they retired. Justice minister, Robert Cazanciuc, has recently explained that the magistrates who are currently receiving special pensions, will benefit from that pension until the law takes effect. The special pensions of the magistrates amount , in some cases, to some 3,500 Euros (15,000-16,000 Romanian lei), in the context in which the average pension in Romania stands at 180 Euros ( 795 lei).

“The Child’s Pose” directed by Romanian Calin Peter Netzer, who won the Golden Bear in Berlin this year, will be screened at the 36th edition of the Film Festival in Douarnenez, France, which runs until August the 31st. “The Child’s Pose” is a psychological drama on the sick relation between a dominating mother and her grownup child. The film is Romania’s proposed entry to “the best foreign film” category at the 2014 Oscars. Apart from this feature film, other Romanian movies will be projected at the festival in France, among which “Beyond the Hills”, directed by Cristian Mungiu, which won prizes for best script and best female in a leading role at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

The Romanian Ministry of Economy has submitted to the European Commission a pre-notification on the amendments to the legislation in the field of renewable energy, but it has not received any request from Brussels regarding the investors’ complaint. The Romanian government has decided to postpone until March 2017 the granting of green certificates for hydropower and solar stations and until 2018 for wind power stations. The decision has dissatisified the energy giant CEZ, the biggest investor in renewable energy in Romania, that said it had filed a complaint to the European Commission in the wake of Romania’s decision, which might bring it losses worth as many as 66 million Euros a year. The Czech group entered the Romanian market in 2005, investing over 1 billion euros.

The Romanian make Dacia belonging to the French group Renault boasts the biggest increase in sales in Europe, despite the crisis, says the Financial Times. According to the British paper, the main strength of the Dacia cars is their price. In Great Britain for instance, a Dacia Duster car costs 9,000 pounds, nearly 4000 pounds less than rival makes cost. Renault has reported that its Romanian make provided 24% of the group’s sales in Europe in the first half of the year. In Romania, the group’s production capacity stands at 350,000 cars a year; car nr.5 million will be made at the beginning of 2014. In 2012, the Dacia plant’s activity provided 7.7% of Romania’s exports. The performance ranks Dacia first in the chart of this country’s exporting companies.

A memorial to the victims of Stalinist deportations was inaugurated on Friday in Chisinau, the capital of the ex-Soviet Republic of Moldova with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population. According to documents, over 60,000 people were deported in several waves to Siberia and Kazahstan in the 1940s and 1950s in a crackdown campaign against Romanians in Bessarabia, the historical name of the Republic of Moldova after it was occupied by the Soviet Union. The event has a symbolic significance given that in the Republic of Moldova, even after the proclamation of its independence in 1991, there were forces trying to deny the crimes of the Soviet regime.

The EU foreign affairs head Catherine Ashton said “the international community must now act with a sense of urgency and responsibility” to end the violence in Syria. The increasing loss of life in this country and the possible use of chemical weapons makes it urgent that the international community find a political solution to the conflict. The UN Secretary general Ban Ki-moon has said in Seoul that any use of chemical weapons would constitute a “crime against humanity” and urged the regime to co-operate with an immediate investigation. Russia has joined international calls for the inspectors to be given access to the site of the alleged massacre. The Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov and his American counterpart John Kerry discussed the issue over the phone and said they want an objective investigation conducted by the UN. The Syrian opposition has accused the government of having used chemical weapons that killed 1,300 people near Damascus, after lots of footage with civilian victims were posted on the Internet. The Syrian government denied the allegations.

The supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi have called for mass demonstrations on “Friday of martyrs’” against the military power. FP reports that that is a test of the Brotherhood’s ability to mobilize the masses of supporters after the dismantling of their leadership and the death of hundreds of supporters of the ousted president during heavy clashes over the last week. The army and the police go ahead with the bloody crackdown on pro-Morsi protesters ; Mohamed Morsi is the first democratically elected president coming from the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi is detained in a secret place by the army, being accused of accessory to murders.

Tens of people were killed hundreads were wounded in two explosions on Friday in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. Twin car bombs exploded outside mosks at the end of the religious service on Friday. The blasts hit amid soaring tensions in Lebanon as a result of Syria’s civil war, which has sharply polarized the country along sectarian lines and between supporters and opponents of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. On August 15, a car bomb rocked a Shiite stronghold of Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut, also killing 27 people and wounding over 300.

Early elections will be held in the Czech Republic on October 25 and 26, the country’s president Milos Zeman announced on Friday, Reuters and Associated Press report. The ballot will end a period of political stalemate triggered by a corruption and spying scandal that unseated the previous centre-right cabinet, headed by Petr Necas. According to pinion polls the center-left Social Democrats will be the biggest party in the new parliament. The leader of the Social Democrats , Bohuslav Sobotka, told Reuters that his party could rule in a minority government supported by the Communist party or other factions in parliament. It would be the first time since the 1989 Velvet revolution that the Communist party could have a direct impact on government policies.

Romanian foreign minister, Titus Corlatean, announced on Thursday that a joint government session Romania-Bulgaria will be held in Sofia this autumn. He made this statement fresh from a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart, Kristian Vigenin, who is currently on a visit to Romania. Titus Corlatean underlined the need to develop cross border projects, such as building other bridges over the Danube, apart from the already existing ones, and to boost two-way trade exchanges, which exceeded 3 billion Euros in 2012. In another move, the two foreign ministers also expressed confidence that a decision on the two countries’ Schengen accession, in two stages, starting with the air borders in a first stage, will be made at the Justice and Home Affairs Council by the end of the year. In March, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland stood against Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession, evoking the insufficient steps taken in the effort to reform the judiciary.

Romanian foreign minister, Titus Corlatean, underlined in a phone conversation he had on Thursday with his Egyptian counterpart Nabil Fahmy, that the only real option for solving the crisis in Egypt is starting a process of national reconciliation and inviting all political forces in Egypt to the negotiation table. The phone talk was occasioned by the special meeting of the EU foreign ministers, held in Brussels on August the 21^st, and devoted to the recent events in Egypt. That country has been going through a deep crisis, which deepened even more on July the 3^rd, when the army ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. In another move, former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak got transferred on Thursday from jail to a military hospital in Cairo, where he will undergo medical treatment, after a court ordered his being released on bail. Hosni Mubarak, aged 85, having a fragile health condition, is to be retried, as the prosecutors have appealed. He is tried for the crimes committed during the reprisal of the 2011 revolution and, in a first stage, for two corruption cases.

European Energy Giant CEZ, currently the largest investor in renewable energy resources in Romania, has filed an official complaint with the European Commission whereby it deplores Romania’s decision to postpone the granting of green certificates, which causes CEZ to suffer an annual loss of 66 million euros, Reuters reports. CEZ, which currently runs the largest onshore wind farm in Europe located in Romania, claims that the new regulations introduced by Romanian authorities and applied retroactively go against EU fundamental principals. In June, the Government in Bucharest decided to postpone until March 2017 the granting of green certificates for hydroelectric and solar power plants and for January 2018 all certificates for wind-powered plants. Moreover, by this date the value of certificates is estimated to go down, while Romania might still operate further adjustments to the support programme.

Terrorism and cyber-crime are the most salient threats confronting mankind, which is why NATO and the UE must take urgent measures to build defence systems, Romanian Defence Minister Mircea Dusa told Agerpres. The Romanian official argued that against the backdrop of the ongoing economic crisis, each country has been cutting back on their defence budget. Every state and organization, whether it’s NATO or the EU we’re talking about, is now trying to rethink its military capabilities. Dusa also said that the UE is due to clearly define its military capabilities for the next period at the European Council meeting of December.

Romanian tennis player Simona Help, currently ranked 23rd in WTA standings, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the New Haven tournament in the US, totalling 690,000 dollars in prize money, the official website of the event reports. In the second round Halep outperformed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, currently ranking 20th in world standings. In the quarterfinals Halep will go up against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, ranked 26th in WTA standings. Halep has had an excellent run this season, so far winning three WTA tournaments.

Romanian foreign minister, Titus Corlatean, has said that during Wednesday’s special meeting of the EU foreign ministers, Romania pleaded for the condemnation of all acts of violence in Egypt. In another move, Romania stood for the need to capitalise on the role played by the EU in Egypt, which continues to be a key-partner in the region. The Romanian foreign minister hailed the fact that the EU goes ahead with its component of granting assistance and support to Egypt in the economic and social field, a stand supported by Romania.

An Egyptian court on Wednesday ordered the release on bail of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, tried in a corruption file. His attorney said he might be released on Thursday. Hosni Mubarak is accused of having received gifts from a state-owned newspaper. He is also tried for complicity in the killing of protesters during the revolution of 2011, that forced him from power. The former Egyptian president has already been sentenced to life in jail in that file, but a retrial was later ordered by the Court of Cassation.

Problems related to the anti-missile defence shield and ways to support strategic stability have been approached by the deputy Russian foreign minister, Serghei Riabkov and US under-secretary of state, Rose Gottemoeller. “Issues relating to the further cooperation between Russia and the US in the field of arms control and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction have been tackled. Problems regarding the anti-missile defence shield are analysed in detail”- reads an official communiqué issued by the Russian side.

The US National Security Agency (NSA) can monitor up to 75% of the total internet traffic in the country, Wall Street Journal reports in a story quoting former and current officials of the agency. Wall Street Journal emphasises that this figure is a lot higher than previously communicated by the authorities in Washington, after the data revealed by the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden regarding the American surveillance programmes. The Agency announced at that stage that it was only interested in 1.6% of the total data traffic, and that only a very small part of the data is actually selected for examination. Edward Snowden, who was given asylum in Russia for one year, was the first to reveal that NSA is monitoring the American citizens’ telephone and internet traffic.

Holland’s Ministry for Social Affairs has reconfirmed its decision to lift restrictions concerning Romanian and Bulgarian citizens starting on January 1, 2014. The confirmation came at the request of the Embassy of Romania, after the Dutch minister for Social Affairs Lodewijk Asscher had recently suggested an orange-code warning should be in place as regards the increase of the movement of labour within the EU. He said the migration of Romanians and Bulgarians will have negative effects for the citizens of the destination countries.

The beatification of monsignor Vladimir Ghika, on August the 31^st in Bucharest will be the most important event for the Catholic believers here and not only, after the visit paid to Romania by Pope John Paul II, the spokesperson for the Roman-Catholic Archbishopric in Bucharest announced on Wednesday. The beatification is the last stage before holiness. Vladimir Ghika was born in 1873 and received the Orthodox baptism. Later on he embraced Catholicism and attended theology courses in Rome. With the Pope’s special approval, he became the first priest to give masses both in the Latin and Byzantine rites. After 1939, he returned to Romania and gave masses in Bucharest. He was arrested by the communists in 1952 and died in prison, at 82 years of age.

The Diaspora Festival continues in the southeastern Romanian town of Mangalia, until Sunday. The project is aimed at strengthening the ties between the Romanians abroad and their home country, and brings together Romanian authorities and Romanians living abroad, who have a chance to discuss and solve the problems they are facing. They say they have difficulties in terms of access to education and mass media in their mother tongue.

Romania’s former international football player Costica Stefanescu, 62, died on Tuesday after jumping from the fifth floor of the hospital he was in. He suffered from an incurable disease. Costica Stefanescu was the captain of the great team Universitatea Craiova, which dominated the Romanian football in the early ‘80s, and was the first Romanian football team to qualify into the UEFA semi-finals in 1983. Dubbed “the defence minister”, Stefanescu was also a captain of the national football team, with which he played 66 games.

Romania’s football champions, Steaua Bucharest, ended in a draw (1-1) the match played on home turf on Wednesday evening against the Polish side Legia from Warsaw, in the Champions League group playoffs. In Europa League, three other Romanian teams, Astra Giurgiu, Pandurii Târgu Jiu and Petrolul Ploiesti, are trying to get into the groups stage, and will play on Thursday against Maccabi Haifa (Israel), Sporting Braga (Portugal), and Swansea City (Wales) respectively. The second leg is scheduled for next week.

The Romanian foreign minister Titus Corlatean is taking part on Wednesday in an emergency meeting in Brussels, focusing on the situation in Egypt, where the crackdown on pro-Morsi protesters continues, after Mohammed Morsi, the country’s Islamist president, was ousted by the military in July. In Cairo, security forces arrested the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie (aged 70), for incitement to violence. Mohammed Morsi, who won the election of 2012 in Egypt, is also a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights announced its intention to send observers to assess the situation in Egypt, where over 900 people were killed in the past week. The USA and other western countries called on the parties to show restraint.

The Liberal Party, currently a member of the ruling Social-Liberal Union, is due to advance a new name to fill up the vacancy at the head of the Transports Ministry, after Liberal MP Ovidiu Silaghi turned down the nomination. Silaghi made the decision public after the National Anticorruption Directorate requested that the Prosecutor General’s Office start criminal proceedings against him. Silaghi is being charged with influence peddling during his mandate as Transports Minister in 2012. Prime Minister Victor Ponta is interim Transports Minister until the end of the week. The position was left vacant in July, when Relu Fenechiu stepped down after receiving a 5 years imprisonment sentence for accessory to abuse of office in a court case that caused damages of 1.7 million euros. Relu Fenechiu is the first Romanian Minister ever to be sentenced while in office since the demise of communism in 1989. The sentence is not final.

The Romanian Ministry of Tourism has granted passport of ambassador for tourism to eight Romanian personalities who will be promoting our country during their travels abroad. These are athletes Gabriela Szabo and Iolanda Balas, rowers Ivan Patzaichin and Elisabeta Lipa, tennis player Ilie Nastase, folk artist and musicologist Grigore Lese, cartoonist Stefan Popa and pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir. The title of Ambassador for Tourism is aimed at capitalizing on Romania’s assets by means of promoting our country and its human values at international level.

Minister Delegate for Romanians Worldwide Cristian David says the Diaspora Festival” held in Mangalia, southeastern Romania, sets the premises for organising the first Global Congress of Romanians. Minister David insisted on the need to develop long-lasting and sound relations between authorities in Bucharest and Romanians across the world, given that over 3 million Romanian nationals live in the European Union alone. Attending a similar event held last week in Izvorul Muresului, central Romania, representatives of Romanian communities in neighbouring countries said Romanians are feeling discriminated against while their minority rights are being violated.

The Czech deputies Tuesday decided to dissolve the lower chamber of the Parliament, paving the way for early elections this autumn, in order to put an end to the political crisis in this country. One week ago, the government resigned, after a no confidence vote in Parliament. The expert cabinet headed by left-wing economist Jiri Rusnok was appointed by president Milos Zeman in July, to replace the right-of-centre government led by Petr Necas. The election date will be set after Milos Zeman has had consultations with the leaders of the main parties. Under the Constitution, a period of 60 days is allowed for the organisation of snap elections.

Romania’s football champions Steaua Bucuresti will play on Wednesday against the Polish side Legia Varsovia, in the Champions League play-offs. In the Europa League playoffs, three other Romanian teams – Astra Giurgiu, Pandurii Târgu Jiu and Petrolul Ploiesti — will play on Thursday with Maccabi Haifa (from Israel), Sporting Braga (Portugal), and Swansea City (Wales), respectively. Pandurii Târgu Jiu are playing on home turf, while Petrolul and Astra away from home. The second leg is scheduled for next week.

EU Foreign Affairs Ministers will hold an exceptional meeting on Wednesday in Brussels in order to examine the developments in Egypt and to agree on a common stand on this matter, a European Commission spokesperson has announced. The decision was made during an emergency meeting of EU ambassadors charged with security problems on Monday after clashes have been reported between supporters and opponents of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Hundreds were killed and several thousand injured over the last days in Egypt in a bitter standoff between Morsi’s supporters and the riot police that intervened in order to disperse the crowds. Scores of Egyptian inmates, members of the Muslim Brotherhood, lost their lives on Sunday in circumstances the police still deem as unclear. Apparently they died intoxicated with tear gas while being transferred to a prison near Cairo. Authorities claim they were trying to escape. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy have called on both sides to put an end to all violence.

The National Anticorruption Agency has called on the Prosecutor General’s Office to notify the Chamber of Deputies with respect to filing a request to start criminal proceedings against MP Ovidiu Silaghi for influence peddling. In 2012, while he was Transports Minister, Silaghi allegedly asked businessman Nelu Iordache, who runs a group of businesses, to open new air routes in exchange for extending the contracts Iordache had signed with the National Highway and National Roads Company. Silaghi allegedly took a 200,000-euro bribe to influence decision-makers within the aforementioned company.

The autumn session of the baccalaureate, which lasts until August the 26th, started on Monday in Romania, with a Romanian language and literature test. Over 87 thousand high school graduates are taking the baccalaureate this autumn. The first session of the high-school leaving examination, held in summer, was marred by a major incident, when a case of fraud was discovered in a high school in Bucharest, whose headmaster has been arrested. According to the Education Ministry, the passing rate in the baccalaureate exceeded 55% at national level, in the June-July session.

Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has expressed readiness to “eradicate terrorism”, referring to the rebels who have been fighting against the regime for the last two years and a half, the official press agency, Sana, has reported. According to the UN, the conflict in Syria has taken a death toll of 100,000 lives and prompted 2 million other Syrian nationals to flee their conflict-ravaged country. In another move, a team of UN inspectors is currently in Damascus to assess whether or not chemical weapons have been used in Syria, against the backdrop of mutual accusations being formulated by both the regime of president Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian opposition. The Syrian government has agreed to the arrival in Syria of a UN team of experts, after it had earlier accepted a series of conditions imposed by the United Nations in order to assure the security and efficiency of the mission.

South Korea and the US on Monday started joint military drills, simulating an attack launched by Pyongyang. Started against the backdrop of eased tensions between the two neighbours and rivals, the drills will last 12 days and will involve the participation of 80 thousands South Korean and US troops. Previous drills had stirred the irritation of Pyongyang, who regarded them as a provocation and a repetition for a future invasion. After months- long tensions on the peninsula, the two Koreas have resumed contacts and signed several agreements. The re-opening of the Kaesong inter-Korean industrial compound, closed down in April, makes the object of one of those agreements.

The Romanian Government’s Department for Policies for the Romanians Around the World is organising in the southeastern sea resort of Mangalia the Week devoted to the associative environment and the Romanian language press from aboard. The ultimate goal of the event is to boost relations between the Romanians living abroad and their country of origin, by promoting the Romanian language, culture and traditional values. Debates, conferences and seminars on such issues as tourism, trade, the business environment, European funds, education and culture, folk art and the mass media are among the highlights of the event.

Four Romanian football teams are playing the first round matches of the European competitions’ playoffs this week. In the Champions’ League, Romania’s champion, Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday will meet the Polish team Legia Warsaw on home soil. In Europa League, the Romanian teams Astra Giurgiu, Pandurii Targu Jiu and Petrolul Ploiesti on Thursday will meet Maccabi Haifa of Israel, Sporting Braga of Portugal and Swansea City of Wales, respectively. Pandurii will play on home soil, whereas Petrolul and Astra away from home. The return matches are scheduled for next week.

The Department for Relations with the Romanians living abroad, within the Government of Romania, organises as of Monday, in the Romanian Black Sea town of Mangalia, a Week devoted to Romanian-language mass media and associations abroad. The event is designed to help strengthen the ties between the Romanians living abroad and their home country, by promoting the Romanian language, culture and traditional values. The series will include debates, roundtables, conference and workshops on various topics: tourism, business, European funds, education and culture, folk art, associations and mass media.

The number of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens who might arrive to Great Britain next year is actually a lot smaller than originally estimated, according to a report by a pro-migration group. According to the document, the difference is substantial — 20 thousand as against 300 thousand. The report was worked out by an organisation that brings together politicians, trade union leaders and top management staff with private companies, which appreciate the benefits of migration. At present, Romanians and Bulgarians may only work in the UK if they have a visa obtained by their employers, if they are self-employed or get seasonal jobs. On January 1, 2014, the citizens of the two countries will have full employment rights in the UK.

Applicants for the citizenship of the Republic of Moldova will have to prove they are familiar with the Constitution of the country by taking a test in the Romanian language. Chisinau endorsed a modification of the relevant legislation to that effect. Previously, applicants were allowed to choose between Romanian and Russian for the language of the test. The modification was suggested by the Education Ministry. The Moldovan Education officials argued that it was illogical to have the test given in two languages.

The European Union is prepared to review its relations with Egypt, unless the violence ends, the president of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and the president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso said on Sunday in a joint statement. They urged the parties to show restraint and prevent the escalation of the violence. Hundreds of people died and thousands were wounded in Egypt in the past few days in the clashes that followed the crackdown on the support rallies for the ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.

A new transport minister will be appointed next week. According to prime minister Victor Ponta, who made this announcement, the first task for the new minister is to finalise the privatisation of the Freight Division of the Romanian Railway Corporation, a commitment included by Romania in an agreement signed in 2011 with the IMF and the EU. Prime minister Ponta has been the interim transport minister since last month, when Relu Fenechiu had to step down, after being sentenced to 5 years in prison as an accomplice to aggravated misuse of authority.

Romania has the largest number of home owners in Europe, with 97% of the citizens having an apartment or house, according to the latest data made public by the European statistics bureau, the Eurostat. Next come Lithuania and Croatia, both with over 92%. Germany and Switzerland are on the last positions. In average in the EU over 70 out of 100 people own a home.

The Romanian foreign ministry has called on the authorities in Cairo to immediately put an end to the violence in Egypt. In an interview to our radio station, the Romanian foreign minister Titus Corlatean said the EU should play an important role in finding a political solution based on dialogue, transition and free elections in Egypt, the outcome of which should be respected by all parties. Meanwhile, the Romanian foreign ministry warned that the crisis may spread throughout Egypt, urged the Romanian tourists to postpone their holidays at the Red Sea, and called on tour operators not to jeopardise people’s lives. On August 14^th the authorities in Egypt declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in Cairo and elsewhere in the country.

The minister for social affairs of the Netherlands, Lodewijk Asscher, requested a modification in the European legislation, to counter what he called the excessive freedom of movement that East-European immigrants take advantage of, EFE news agency reports. According to the Dutch official, East-European migration into countries like the Netherlands or Great Britain has negative effects on these countries’ poorer and less educated citizens, who see their jobs threatened by the East Europeans who accept much lower salaries. Lodewijk Asscher believes the EU has failed to combat these negative effects of the freedom of movement in the Community, and the issue should become one of the priorities on the EU agenda. The Netherlands has constantly opposed Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen border-free area, claiming insufficient reform of the judiciary was the main reason.

The participants in the Summer Camp in Izvorul Muresului (Central Romania) on Friday called for just and equitable funding to be granted for both cultural programs for the Romanians living in the counties with a large ethnic Hungarian population (Harghita, Covasna and Mures) and for preserving the identity of the Romanians living near the borders of Romania and in the Balkans. The participants have said the ethnic Romanians need schools, places of worship, magazines and radio programs in the Romanian language. “We believe that the ten million Romanians living outside Romania’s borders are part of the Romanian nation and, just like the Romanians living within the borders of the country, they have the right to preserve their national identity”, a final declaration read out by Eugen Popescu, acting president of the National Foundation for the Romanians Around the World writes.

The number of Romanians and Bulgarians working in the UK has gone up 26% in three months, according to recent official data from the national British statistics agency. 141,000 Romanians and Bulgarians got hired between April and July, as compared to 112,000 in the previous three months. The temporary labor restrictions imposed on citizens of the two countries, which joined the EU in 2007, run out at the end of this year, and numbers of migrant workers are expected to go up.

2013 is European year of citizenship, and the EU holds a multitude of events to better inform them of their rights and to be better informed on their opinion of community policies. Starting early this year, European commissioners were involved in many such events, such as public debates hosted in a number of European cities. The upcoming schedule includes 20 events soon to be held. In Bucharest, on October 28, the European commissioner for agriculture, Dacian Ciolos, will be attending one such event. According to the latest Eurobarometer figures, 74% of citizens consider themselves European, but 42% are not aware of what rights that entails.

Romanian tennis player Simona Halep continues her excellent run in the Cincinnatti tournament in the US, with prizes over 2.4 million dollars. She qualified to the quarter finals after winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 against Australian player Samantha Stosur, 11th favorite in the competition. Halep also defeated in the previous round the winner at Wimbledon this year, French player Marion Bartoli. Halep meets in the quarter finals the number one favorite in the world, Serena Williams, after earning 49,040 dollars and 225 WTA points for qualifying. The Romanian athlete has won this year three WTA competitions.

The majority Christian Orthodox believers in Romania, alongside Greek-Catholics and Roman-Catholics celebrated the Assumption or Dormition of Virgin Mary on August the 15^th. On this day, tens of thousands of pilgrims went to the monasteries across Romania which have Virgin Mary as their patron saint. Over 2.2 million Romanians bear the name of Maria, and its derivative forms, celebrating their name day on August 15^th. As Virgin Mary is considered to be the protector of sailors, Navy Day was also marked on August the 15^th, by military and religious ceremonies, drills, games and artistic shows, in Bucharest and other towns, especially those on the banks of the Danube and on the Black Sea Coast, including the city of Constanta.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry draws attention to the Romanian citizens willing to travel to Egypt and to the Romanian nationals who are already on the Egyptian territory that the crisis-situation continues there and recommends to them to avoid the areas situated in the proximity of the headquarters of the main governmental institutions and political parties, where protests are usually staged. The Romanian Foreign Ministry recalls that the Egyptian authorities have instated a state of emergency and imposed curfews. The Romanian Foreign Ministry is following with concern the developments in Egypt and backs the EU’s appeal to both sides to show restraint. The Romanian Foreign Ministry deplores the loss of human lives and material damage, reiterates the need to observe the fundamental human rights and civil liberties and encourages the dialogue between the two sides.

The operation carried out by the Egyptian army and police forces to disperse the supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and the violence which propagated to the whole country left over 500 people dead, mostly civilians, an official with the Egyptian Health Ministry announced on Thursday. US president, Barack Obama, has deplored the violence in Egypt, a country that, in his opinion, has embarked on a dangerous path. He has also announced the cancellation of the US-Egyptian drills scheduled for next month. Against the backdrop of violence, France and Germany have joined Great Britain and summoned a meeting with the Egyptian ambassadors in Paris and Berlin, respectively, calling on them to make efforts for an end to be put to bloodshed in Cairo. Until Wednesday, the clashes between the supporters and the contesters of Mohammed Morsi, and the security forces, caused the death of over 250 people.

Romanian Simona Halep, 25^th seed (WTA), on Wednesday defeated Marion Bartoli, 7^th seed (WTA), the holder of the Wimbledon title, in the second round of the Cincinnati tennis tournament: 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Halep has qualified for the next stage of the tournament, when she meets Australian Samantha Stosur, 11^th seed (WTA). Shortly after the match with Simona Halep, Marion Bartoli, 28, announced her withdrawal from professional tennis tournaments, to the surprise of her co-nationals.

Romania’s GDP went up in the second quarter as opposed to the first by 0.3%, according to the National Institute of Statistics, with economic growth gauged at 1.7% as against last year’s similar period. Last week, the National Bank adjusted its expectation for growth this year to over 2%, based on the evolution of exports, industrial output and a good farming year. Also, the IMF upped its economic growth forecast for Romania to 2.25% next year. The Eurozone came out of recession in the second quarter, with 0.3% growth as opposed to the first quarter. This comes after a year and a half of economic downturn, the longest since the adoption of the Euro in 1999.

Romania’s new program with the International Monetary Fund does not provide for tax-increases for the entire population of the country, the IMF representative to Bucharest, Guillermo Tolosa, has told the Agerpres news agency. He has said that the only changes brought to the taxation system will be an increase in the excise duties for luxury items, to compensate for the VAT cut for bread, and the payment of social securities, for those who obtain incomes from letting their dwellings. This is expected to lead to the better funding of the healthcare system. In late July, Romania agreed to sign a new agreement, also a precautionary one, with the IMF and the European Commission, after successfully completing a similar one, in June. The document is to be submitted to the IMF board for approval in autumn.

Romania’s administrative regionalization process will be carried out on European basis and not on ethnic criteria, Romanian foreign minister Titus Corlatean said on Wednesday at the Summer Camp held at Izvorul Muresului, in central Romania, and devoted to the situation of the Romanians living outside the borders of the country. He explained that the process of regionalisation should be carried out to the benefit of all citizens, irrespective of the ethnic group they belong to and that the autonomy-based models are not accepted, neither in Europe, nor in Romania. The Romanian foreign minister has also stood against the use of warring rhetoric in the bilateral relation with Hungary, adding that Romania should have an open dialogue with Budapest, which should also include divergent issues. Corlatean made this statement against the backdrop of strong declarations with autonomist connotations having been recently made in Transylvania by the leader of the far right Hungarian party, Jobbik, followed by the ensuing statements made by Romania’s President, Traian Basescu, according to whom Romania should assume the role of setting Budapest straight.

The majority Christian Orthodox believers in Romania, alongside Greek-Catholics and Roman-Catholics celebrate the Assumption or Dormition of Virgin Mary on August the 15th. Over 2.2 million Romanians bear the name of Maria, and its derivative forms, celebrating their name day on August 15th. As Virgin Mary is considered to be the patron saint of sailors, Navy Day is also marked on August the 15th, by military and religious ceremonies, drills, games and artistic shows, to be held in Bucharest and other towns, particularly those on the banks of the Danube and on the Black Sea Coast.

Wednesday’s issue of the French daily “Le Monde” carries an eulogising article on the Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest, as part of a series entitled “Improbables musées” (Improbable Museums), which presents 12 original and exquisite European museums. When referring to the Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest, the author of the article notes the way in which the artefacts are exhibited, be they clothes, tools, objects of cult, rugs and carpets, crosses, vases, icons and clocks, which make up an eclectic collection boasting a voluntary and naïve style…illustrative of the simplicity of life in the countryside. The Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest was set up in 1906, based on a decree signed by King Carol I. In 1996, the museum won the trophy “European Museum of the Year”.

The Hungarian foreign minister stated that Hungary and Romania share an interest in protecting ethnic minorities, and said that Hungary has a healthy dialog with Romania on this topic. This pointed statement came after the speech made on Monday by Romanian president Traian Basescu, who said that Hungary has become a point of instability in terms of minority issues, and that Romania would quote ‘put Budapest in its place’, unquote. The head of state said that some top Hungarian politicians attending cultural events in Romania have overstepped the limit of decency. These declarations were in reply to separatist statements made by the leader of the far right party Jobbik of Hungary while on visit to Romania. The Budapest diplomatic service pointed out that Hunagry is committed to stability in the region and to guaranteeing the rights of ethnic minorities.

The trial in Bucharest of the 6 Romanians suspected of stealing paintings from the Kunsthal Gallery in Rotterdam, Holland has been postponed for 10 September. The lawyers representing the defendants claim that no painting has been harmed. It is hoped that the hiding place of the paintings will be identified by September. In October last year, seven paintings were stolen in less than two minutes from Kunsthal. The stolen items included famous paintings by, among others, Picasso, Monet, Gauguin and Matisse. It is suspected that the paintings were brought to Romania and burned. Expert analysis indicated initially that the ash does come from burning canvas painted in oil. The damages, in this case, would exceed 18 million Euro.

US State Secretary John Kerry said he did not believe that the announcement made on Sunday by Israel regarding building new homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem will affect peace negotiations, scheduled for Wednesday in Jerusalem. Kerry said that the US is still opposed to new settlements, considered illegitimate by the EU and Russia. The EU called on Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from undermining the negotiations, in spite of the announcement. Israeli-Palestinian negotiations resumed in late July in Washington after three years, and will continue on August 14 in Jerusalem, then in Jericho, in the West Bank.