August 30, 2013
For a roundup of news from Romania, click here.
Corina Cristea, 30.08.2013, 12:09
The regime in Damascus is illegitimate and criminal, the prime minister of Romania Victor Ponta said on Friday, and added that Bucharest was in permanent contact with the Western capitals. He said his cabinet was preparing an official statement on the Syrian issue, which would be made public after consultations with Romania’s international partners. However, Ponta explained, any major decision taken by Romania in this respect will have to be first endorsed by the Higher Defence Council and Parliament. Meanwhile, the Romanian Foreign Ministry once again urges Romanian citizens to immediately leave Syria, as the situation there is worsening. The Ministry explains that the only open routes are the terrestrial ones, to Syria’s neighbours, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. The Romanian citizens in Syria are also advised to contact the Romanian Embassy in Damascus (via telephone, fax or internet), to communicate their contact details. According to Foreign Ministry estimates, between 12 and 14 thousand Romanians are currently in Syria.
A Romanian medical team travelled by a Defence Ministry aircraft to neighbouring Hungary, after 3 Romanian citizens died and 18 others were injured on Friday in a traffic accident. According to the Romanian authorities, the patients, at least one of whom is in a serious condition, have been taken to five hospitals in Hungary. The bus with Romanian tourists was involved in a chain accident on a motorway 25 km from Budapest. This June 19 Romanians died and close to 30 others were injured in Montenegro, after their bus fell into a crevice.
Four former US ambassadors to Romania have submitted a request to the US Congress to relax the conditions of the Visa Waiver program, giving citizens from countries like Romania, Poland, Croatia and Bulgaria the opportunity to travel for 90 days without a visa to the US. This initiative comes against debates in Congress on immigration reform. The four believe that the Visa Waiver program needs amending, as they believe it is a hindrance to relations with allies, affecting negatively the US economy.
Over 800 members of ethnic minorities in Romania are taking part until Sunday in the 11th edition of the ‘Pro Etnica’ International Festival in Sighisoara, the only medieval fortified city in South East Europe that is still inhabited. The event promotes intercultural dialog, and offers an opportunity for the participants to present their culture, history and traditions, through music, workshops, conferences, and round tables with discussions on topics revolving around that issue. There will also be a fair where craftsmen from minority communities will make available to visitors their traditional products.
Romania’s football vice-champions, Pandurii Tg-Jiu, Friday found out their opponents in Europa League. Pandurii, who play for the first time in a European cup, will have to face Fiorentina (from Italy), Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk (from Ukraine) and Pacos Ferreira (Portugal). Pandurii qualified into the group stage after having defeated another Portuguese team, Sporting Braga. In the other European inter-club competition, Champions League, Steaua Bucharest will meet the British side Chelsea London, Schalke 04 from Germany and FC Basel from Switzerland.
Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, 21st seed and 19th in the WTA standings, qualified for the third round of the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year. Halep defeated 6-2, 6-1, after 59 minutes of play, Croatian tennis player Donna Vekich, who ranks in the 65th place in the world standings. The players qualified to the third round get 93,000 dollars each.
