VISIT Over April 22 and 24, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will be paying a formal visit to the Republic of Korea, upon the invitation of his counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol. The Republic of Korea is the first country in the Asia-Pacific area with which Romania raised its relations at the level of strategic partnership in 2008. On the occasion of Iohannis’ upcoming visit to Seoul, this partnership will be consolidated through a document, which sets the cooperation directions for the next 10 years. Relevant documents are expected to be signed in the field of defence, nuclear energy, investment and foreign trade, cooperation in emergency situations and disaster management, cooperation in the field of culture, mass-media, youth and sports. In the Republic of Korea, the Romanian president will be meeting representatives of the Romanian community and business environment and will be visiting an exhibition of Romanian traditional art.
SPORTS Lots drawn on Thursday night in Vienna have distributed Romania to Group B, together with the sides of Montenegro, the Czech Republic and Serbia at the European Women’s Handball Championship – EHF EURO 2024. The competition’s 16th edition will be hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland over November 28 and December 15. Romania has participated in the aforementioned competition 14 times and obtained only one medal, bronze in 2010. In another development, Romania’s delegation at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris has been credited with winning 10 medals, two gold, three silver and five bronze, according to a virtual ranking drawn up by Nielsen Gracenote research company, quoted by Reuters. Romania comes 25th in the aforementioned ranking in terms of the total number of medals. 80 Romanian athletes have so far qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris.
ATTACK The US embassy in Israel has today called on its employees and their families to limit movement around the country a couple of hours after the explosions attributed to Israel in Iran. The explosions were heard near the city of Isfahan, where military bases and elements of the Iranian nuclear programme are located. Explosions have also been reported in Syria and Iraq, countries where pro-Iranian Shia militias are being located. Iran has denied the attack whereas Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it. Earlier Israel had threatened with responses after the Iranian drone attack on April 13 launched in retaliation for the killing of several Iranian officers in an alleged Israeli bombing in Damascus. Allies have called on Israel not to respond, whereas Tehran threatened with more retaliation in case of an Israeli response. The two states have for years been involved in an indirect conflict. Israel has been behind a series of sabotages in Iran as well as the assassination of several scientists and officers involved in the country’s nuclear programme. Israel has also bombed several Iranian objectives in Syria. In turn Iran is supporting anti-Israeli militias such as Hezbollah and Palestinian groups Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
TOUR The Middle East tour of the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu ends today in Abu Dhabi where he is expected to have talks with representatives of Dubai Port World. The talks he had on Thursday with officials from the United Arab Emirates focused on attracting investment in Romania’s transport, energy and agriculture infrastructure. The Romanian delegation is next visiting the Sheik Zayed Bin mosque, the largest in the Emirates. Prime Minister Ciolacu’s four days of talks in Qatar and the UAE focused on ensuring security in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The head of the Romanian Executive said that Romania remains committed together with the European Union, the United States and regional partners to contributing to the efforts aimed at deescalating the situation in the Middle East.
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