May 7, 2025 UPDATE (2)
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 07.05.2025, 19:59
CURRENCY – The Romanian national currency, the Leu (RON), continued to depreciate on Wednesday against the Euro, which the National Bank estimated at 5.09 lei, up 6.1 bani (1.22%) from the previous quotation of 5.03 lei, reporting a new historical high. The Leu also lost ground against the US dollar, which was marked at 4.48 lei, up 3.8 bani (+0.86%), compared to Tuesday, when it stood at 4.45 lei. The national currency also depreciated against the Swiss franc, calculated at 5.44 lei, up 5.3 bani (0.99%), compared to 5.39 lei, the previous quotation, also reporting an all-time high. The price of gold rose by 3.57 lei (0.73%) to the value of 487.12 lei, from 483.55 lei in the previous session, also a historical high.
RESPONSE – Bucharest rejects the statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said Russian troops invaded Ukraine because Romania and Bulgaria accepted to host American bases on their territories. The spokesman of the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, Andrei Ţărnea, emphasized that Russia threatens regional security and has started an unprovoked war in Ukraine. “Romania’s NATO accession represents the sovereign will of the citizens of Romania and the allied nations. At the same time, Romania’s NATO membership does not pose a security threat to anyone. This is clear and evident. President Putin is using the same well-known narratives, which served as a pretext for a brutal war of annexation (…) Romania will continue to defend its security interests in full sovereignty, in its dual capacity as a NATO ally and a member state of the European Union”, the Foreign Ministry representative said.
EUROPE DAY – To mark Europe Day, on Friday, the debate “ÎmprEUnă – Romania and our Europe: present and future” will take place in Bucharest, an event reflecting on Romania’s European path and the common values shared within the EU, the Presidency announced. The event will bring together approximately 200 guests, including 150 students and high-school 12th graders, ambassadors of the European Union Member States, as well as representatives of the European institutions: the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Investment Bank. The list of keynote speakers includes Roxana Mînzatu, Vice-President of the European Commission, and Ramona Chiriac, Head of the European Commission Office in Romania.
DEFENSE – Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr on Wednesday met with his counterpart from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ruben Brekelmans, at the ‘Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniţă’ 86th Air Base in Feteşti. The two officials analyzed the current state and prospects for deepening Romanian-Dutch bilateral cooperation in the field of defense, with a focus on collaboration as part of defense projects and initiatives at EU and NATO levels, in the context of preparations for the North Atlantic Alliance summit in the Hague in June. Talks also referred to aspects of bilateral cooperation, especially the European F-16 Training Center operating at the 86th Air Base, as well as the impact of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine on Euro-Atlantic security.
GAZA – Nine Romanian citizens and members of their families have been successfully evacuated from the Gaza Strip and brought home, in the context of the deteriorating security climate in the region. They were flown back to Romania onboard a Spartan aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces, after being transported to Jordan by a consular team of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the previous day.
CONCLAVE – The doors of the Sistine Chapel have now sealed behind the 133 cardinal electors under the age of 80 who will vote until they elect a leader for the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. The world will now await white smoke to arise from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, which will announce the designation of the new Pope. The fastest elected Pontiff in history was Pius VII, who, in 1939, ascended the papal throne after only three rounds of voting. Meanwhile in Bucharest, a holy mass was celebrated at the St. Joseph Roman Catholic Cathedral, in celebration of the start of the conclave at the Vatican. (VP)
