April 20, 2022
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 20.04.2022, 13:58
EMBASSY – Romania’s embassy in Kyiv will reopen in the nearing future, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu announced. Activity will be resumed after the technical and security preparations have been completed. According to a press release, the speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, will travel to Kyiv on April 27 and will visit the areas affected by war. Senate Speaker, Florin Citu, will also travel to Kyiv, at an unspecified date, to visit the war-torn areas and discuss with Ukrainian officials about the country’s post-conflict reconstruction plans.
CONCLUSIONS – Western countries will continue to support Ukraine with money and weapons, NATO, EU and G7 leaders said Tuesday after a video-conference held at the initiative of the US president Joe Biden. World leaders condemned the crimes committed by the Russian army in the Ukrainian cities and agreed to impose new sanctions on Russia. President Klaus Iohannis mentioned at the meeting the importance of EU and NATO unity and firmly condemned the crimes against civilians committed by the Russian military. He once again emphasized the need to create the NATO battle group on Romania’s territory as soon as possible.
VETERANS DAY — Events marking Veterans Day, organized by the Romanian Defense Ministry, are held as of today in the capital Bucharest and all large garrisons across Romania. Marked every year on April 29th, Veterans Day will start this year with a concert held at the National Opera House in Cluj Napoca. Performing will be the Defense Ministry’s Orchestra and the Tronos Choir of the Romanian Patriarchy. The same concert will be held at the National Opera House in Bucharest a day later. Visits to the war veterans, a campaign aimed at expressing gratitude towards them and wreath laying ceremonies will also be held.
HOMAGE – Romanian MPs have today held a minute’s silence in memory of pianist Radu Lupu, one of the most important personalities of Romanian culture, who died on Sunday in Switzerland, aged 76. Radu Lupu held concerts on the most prestigious stages of the world, accompanied by great orchestras, won a Grammy in 1995 for an album of two Schubert piano sonatas and an Edison Award a year later for a disc of three major piano works by Schumann. The Romanian Culture Ministry also expressed its sorrow over the passing of this brilliant pianist.
UKRAINE — On the 56th day of Russian invasion of Ukraine, the heaviest fighting was reported in the Donbas region. The situation in Mariupol continues to be very serious. A Ukrainian military commander asked the international community, in Facebook message, to rescue the soldiers who took shelter in the Azovstal steel plant. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres denounced the Russian offensive in Eastern Ukraine and called on the parties to cease fire for a 4-day humanitarian break occasioned by the Orthodox Easter.
REFUGEES – Over 750,000 people entered Romania since the onset of the war in Ukraine, the Romanian Border Police has announced today. On Tuesday, in 24 hours, some 88,586 people entered the country, of whom 7,384 Ukrainian citizens, by 11% more than on the previous day. The number of staff at the Romanian checkpoints has been supplemented. (EE)
