4 February, 2016
Top Romanian-US defense meeting, EU security
Newsroom, 04.02.2016, 11:59
The head of the Romanian presidential chancery, Dan Mihalache, and Romanian Ambassador to the US, George Cristian Maior, met on Wednesday James Townsend, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for NATO and Europe. They saluted the plan issued by the US presidency to boost 4 times the budget for defending Europe in 2017. Romanian officials believe that this is a reflection of ongoing efforts to discourage eastern threats by bolstering alliance security.
Romanian Minister of Defense, Mihnea Motoc, takes part today and tomorrow in the informal meeting of defense ministers of EU countries, to discuss major points on the defense and security agenda. The Ministry of Defense in Bucharest said that the meeting would emphasize cooperation in running defense missions and operations. Taking part in the talks are also deputy NATO Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow, and UN undersecretary for peace missions Herve Ladsous.
In Bucharest, the National Center for Transmittable Disease Monitoring and Control announced that one Romanian has died from swine flu, a 38 year-old man in Bucharest. This is the first fatal swine flu case this year. The victim had not received any flu shots, and died of complications due to various other conditions. The National Public Health Institute published data according to which 72 patients with flu have been confirmed within the last week alone. So far, 563,000 people have been vaccinated. Swine flu has killed over 150 people in Ukraine so far.
In Romania, the weather is generally unstable and cold as compared to previous days. There is a warning of stronger winds until Friday all across the country. There are temporary frozen drizzles and light snow, especially in the northern and western regions, as well as in the mountains. Temperatures are between 0 and 13 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 13 degrees centigrade.
The Romanian National Tourism Authority takes part in the Destinations 2016 Tourist Fair in London. The fair, running between February 4 and 7, is the largest in the UK, with 35,000 visitors annually, with 800 companies participating from all areas of tourism, from over 90 countries and territories. The Romanian stand accommodates nine companies. Transylvania is the top priority, since Lonely Planet has designated the Romanian region as the nr. 1 tourist destination this year.
Almost 2,300 journalists and media professionals have been killed all over the world since 1990, of which 112 this year alone, according to International Federation of Journalists annual report. France takes first place after the deadly Charlie Hebdo attack in 2015, close to Iraq and Yemen, each with 10 journalists assassinated. 2006 is the single worst year, with 155 journalists losing their lives violently. According to the agency, the most dangerous countries for journalists in the last 25 years are Iraq, the Philippines, Pakistan, Russia, Algeria, India, Somalia, Syria and Brazil.
Economic forecasts issued by the EC indicate that Romania will reach a peak economic growth rate of 4.2% in 2016, going down to 3.7% in 2017. The European executive in autumn expected these figures to stand at 4.1% in 2016 and 3.6% in 2017. According to estimates, the main engine of economic growth is still domestic demand, while the net contribution from exports stays negative. At the same time, reducing the VAT from 24 to 20% in January, as well as raising the national minimum wage are expected to stimulate consumption and raise the economic growth rate to 4.2% in 2016. The World Bank has upped its expected figures for this year for the Romanian economy, to 3.9% for this year, and 4.1% next year.
