A round-up of the main stories in Romania today.
Israel embassy. The Palestine Embassy in Bucharest says it is following with concern the intention of the Romanian government to move the country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In the ambassador's opinion, the move would be in breach of international law and contradict the position of the Romanian state on solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The European Commission recalls that all EU member states' embassies are in Tel Aviv, in keeping with a UN Security Council Resolution. Moving Romania's embassy to Jerusalem is in a stage of evaluation and analysis that has just begun, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest said on Friday, adding that the process would also include consultations with all relevant institutions and sides involved. The Foreign Ministry's explanations came after the President's Office said president Klaus Iohannis had not been informed or consulted about the government's intention to launch this process. The president reacted to an announcement made on Thursday by Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition, that the government signed a memorandum on the start of procedures to relocate the country's embassy to Jerusalem. Dragnea said the gesture would have an important symbolic value for a strong and influential state like Israel and that Romania must move its embassy, thus following the example of the United States. The President's Office says, however, that at this point, the relocation would be in breach of international law. Ludovic Orban, the leader of the National Liberal Party, in opposition, has recalled that the decision to move Romania's embassy to Jerusalem can only be made by the country's president and has urged the government to abandon any institutional plans in this regard.
Amendments. The Romania 100 Platform created by the former technocratic prime minister Dacian Ciolos and some of his aides says that through the proposed amendments to the criminal code and the criminal procedure code the government coalition formed by the Social Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats is preparing to turn Romania into "a criminal paradise", showing complete disregard for the victims of crimes. The most important people in the state make their own laws, Romania 100 also says, referring to the legal problems of the Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea and of the Liberals and Democrat's leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu. The Romania 100 Platform warns that the proposed amendments jeopardise Romania's position within the European Union. The National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union, in the parliamentary opposition, have also criticised the intention of the parliamentary majority to amend the two criminal codes. The coalition says, however, that it merely seeks to harmonise the codes with rulings of the Constitutional Court, the European Court of Human Rights and the relevant European Directive. Parliament will start debating these amendments on the 2nd of May.
Protests. Railway workers will hold a new big rally in Bucharest on Monday. On Friday, more than 2,000 trade union members staged a protest outside the headquarters of the Transport Ministry and the Government. Dumitru Costin, the leader of the National Trade Union Bloc, says the only solution is going on a general strike. The trade union wants the adoption of a railway worker status that would guarantee a number of salary rights, solutions for the recovery of the freight division of the Romanian Railways Company and, more importantly, more investment to maintain and develop the country's railway network. More than 700 speed restrictions are in place in Romania, which has Europe's 7th longest railway network, while the railway company's 1,200 trains are composed of only 300 carriages. Transport Minister Lucian Sova issued a statement saying he supports the promotion of a railway worker's status and that increasing investment is a priority.
North Korea. China has welcomed North Korea's announcement to halt nuclear and ballistic tests and says it supports the economic development and denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un said on Saturday that his country would halt nuclear tests and the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The move comes one week ahead of talks with the South Korean president Moon Jae-in. North Korea's president is then expected to meet the US president Donald Trump at the end of May or the beginning of June. Trump has also welcomed North Korea's decision.
Fed Cup. Romanian and world number one Simona Halep on Saturday defeated Viktorija Golubic in Cluj Napoca in the opening match of the Romania-Switzerland tie as part of the Fed Cup World Group play-offs. In the second match on Satruday, Irina Begu faces Timea Bacsinzky. On Sunday, Halep plays Bacsinzky, while Begu plays Golubic. In the doubles, Halep and Begu will be facing Patty Schnyder and Jil Teichman. The winning team will play in World Group I in the next season. Romania ranks 10th and Switzerland 6th in the Fed Cup classification.
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