Salary – In Romania, the average net salary rose to 4,876 lei (about 980 Euros) in February, up 17 lei compared to the previous month, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics. The lowest values are still in the field of clothing manufacturing, and the highest in information technology. As to the evolution of consumer prices, the average wage was actually slightly lower than in January, but, compared to February 2023, it increased by 14%. The minimum wage in Romania will increase, from July 1, from 3,300 lei to 3,700 lei (740 Euros).
Aid – The European Commission sent the member states the proposal to extend the measures regarding state aid, in the context of the crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine. Until June 30, the EU countries can grant a series of facilities to limit the negative effects of the conflict in such domains as agriculture and energy. The Commission made this decision following the difficulties faced by European farmers in particular and as a result of their consultation through the online survey completed on March 27. According to the survey, the markets of the member states are still unbalanced by the effects of the war, and also by the measures taken by the EU to support the Ukrainian export of agricultural products. According to the commission’s proposal, member states can grant state aid of up to 280,000 Euros to agricultural companies, up to 335,000 Euros to those in the field of fishing and aquaculture and up to 2.25 million Euros to those in the rest of the affected sectors. A second type of aid is aimed at compensating energy costs, and primarily targets the large industrial consumers.
Tennis – Romania is led by Ukraine 2-0 after the first matches played, on Friday, in the USA, in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers. Elina Svitolina defeated Jaqueline Cristian, and Ana Bogdan lost to Lesia Ţurenko. Today, Bogdan will face Svitolina, and the last singles match will pit Cristian against Ţurenko. The pair Liudmila Kicenok/Nadia Kicenok and Mara Gae/Anca Todoni will meet in the doubles match. Romania and Ukraine have met four times so far, with the Romanians leading with the score 3-1. In November, Romania defeated Serbia in the play-off to stay in the World Group of the competition, while Ukraine defeated Lithuania.
Middle East – The American forces in the Middle East and the Israeli forces are on alert to respond to a possible Iranian attack. Tehran has threatened to respond to the April 1 attack, blamed on Israel, on a building belonging to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, in which a prominent commander of the Revolutionary Guards was killed. According to the Radio Romania News and Current Affairs (RRA) correspondent, Israel’s defense system announced that all the military departments of the army are prepared for the conflict with Iran at any moment it may occur. In order to prepare in advance the reaction to a possible launch of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or drones, the Israeli air force keeps patrolling and observation planes in the air 24 hours a day, and all interception systems are on high alert.
Kyiv – The situation on the Eastern Front has deteriorated considerably in the last few days, the Ukrainian Chief of Staff, Oleksandr Sîrski, said on Saturday. He said that this was mainly due to a significant intensification of the Russian offensive after the presidential election in Moscow. Kyiv has been asking its Western allies for months for more ammunition and anti-aircraft defense systems. However, the aid is running out due to political blockages in Washington, which forces the Ukrainian military to save ammunition, the press agencies write. The Ukrainian military are also having difficulty in the recruiting process, to face larger and better-equipped Russian forces. (LS)