A roundup of domestic and international news
EUROPEAN COUNCIL - On Sunday, Romania's president Klaus Iohannis will attend the special meeting of the European Council in Brussels. The EU leaders will meet to endorse the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement and to approve the draft declaration on future EU-UK relations. The declaration covers the future common objectives in the fields of trade, security and political cooperation. Once endorsed by the leaders of the countries members of the European Council, UK's withdrawal from the EU is to be officially approved by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament and ratified by the British Parliament.
BUDGET - On Friday, the Romanian Government approved the second budget adjustment this year. The Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has stated that the budget deficit has been maintained under 3% of the GDP. Also, he has said that the adjustment has brought 2 billion Euro more to the revenues chapter, and added 2.2 billion for spending, as compared to the previous budget. According to Teodorovici, Romania will maintain the government debt at 35% of the GDP, which is the fourth lowest rate in the EU. The transport, research and education ministries have lost the most as a result of this budget adjustment. On the other hand, the finance, labour and health ministries will get more money.
VISIT - The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu is on a visit to Seoul, to mark 10 years since the setting up of the strategic partnership between Romania and South Korea. Melescanu is accompanied by the minister for business, trade and entrepreneurship Stefan Radu Oprea. The two officials have met with the Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak Yon and the foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha and discussed topics such as political and diplomatic dialogue, economic cooperation, cooperation in culture, education and health, as well as issues relating to the relations between the EU and South Korea, in the run-up to Romania's taking over the presidency of the EU Council. Teodor Melescanu has stressed Romania's interest in capitalizing on the strategic partnership between the two countries, at each and every level. Also, he has reasserted Romania's firm commitment to the process of denuclearization and the consolidation of sustainable peace in the Korean Peninsula. The Romanian officials have also met with representatives of big South Korean conglomerates, to discuss potential investments in Romania. Melescanu's visit to South Korea is the first leg of a tour of the region that will end on November 27th .
HEALTH REPORT - The European Commission's report on health in the EU has been made public this month. According to the report, Romanians' life expectancy rate is among the lowest in the EU, with cardiovascular diseases and cancer reported as the main causes of death, and infectious diseases, TB in particular, as major health risks. The report also reads that Romania has the lowest spending rate among all EU's health systems, and the amounts that patients have to spend out of their own pockets are very high as compared with the EU average. Staff shortage, especially in the underprivileged areas, and the lack of proper infrastructure are also problems facing the Romanian health-care system. The report stresses, however, that authorities have taken a series of measures to improve the situation.
HANDBALL - The Russian Olympic champions were surprisingly defeated by Romania's second division team on Friday in Bucharest, in the first match of the 50th Carpati Women's Handball Trophy. In the second match of the day, Romania's first division team defeated Serbia 29-26. The finals are to be played on Saturday. The tournament in Bucharest is one last check for Romania before the European Championship in France in December, where it will play against the Czech Republic, Germany and Norway. Romania's best performance was in 2010, when it won the bronze medal.
FOOTBALL - According to the draw held in Bologna on Friday, at the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the Romanian team will be part of Group C, and will play against England, Croatia and France. Group A is made up of Italy, Spain, Poland and Belgium, and group B of Germany, Denmark, Serbia and Austria. Only the winners of each group and the best second will go to the semi-finals. The final will be played in Udine.
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