December 1, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 01.12.2023, 20:00

NATIONAL
DAY – December 1 marks the National Day of Romania, celebrating 105
years since the unification of Romanian principalities into a single state. On
December 1, at the end of the Great War, representatives of Romanians from
Transylvania (center), Banat, Maramureș and
Crișana (west), voted in favor of the unification with the Kingdom of
Romania, thus breaking with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Previously, on
November 28, a similar decision was taken by the General Congress of Bukovina,
another province that was previously ruled by the Habsburgs. On March 27, 1918,
after the collapse of the Russian Empire, the People’s Gathering of Bessarabia
also voted the unification with Romania. In the summer of 1940, following an
ultimatum, the USSR annexed both Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, today parts
of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, respectively.

PARADE – 105
years since the Great Union, it is important to reflect on our achievements and
progress, president Klaus Iohannis said on Friday during a reception marking
the National Day of Romania. In terms of achievements, the president referred
to Romania’s EU and NATO membership. Despite the crises of recent years that
peaked with the start of the war in Ukraine, Romanian economy is robust,
investments are on the rise, while citizen safety is guaranteed, all of which
were made possible owing to stable governance, the president added. 2024 will
see European Parliament elections, parliamentary, local and presidential
elections, which will decide the future course of Romania. There is much to be
done, and the delayed change needs to happen soon, Klaus Iohannis said. Some 80
cities across Romania hosted military parades on this occasion. In Bucharest,
over 2,400 military and specialists with the Defense Ministry, the Interior
Ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications
Service and the Penitentiary Administration took part in a special military
parade. 250 foreign military from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, the
Republic of Moldova, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the USA and the
Netherlands also took part. 130 vehicles
and 40 aircraft, in addition to 23 types of military and air equipment used by
allied participants were displayed in Bucharest.

CONFERENCE – The UN Climate
Change Conference hosted by Dubai in the UAE has launched with the historic
decision to compensate poor countries most vulnerable to global warming.
Attending the Conference are 140 heads of state and government, including
president Klaus Iohannis.

365 DAYS OF ROMANIA – Eight Romanian
brands will live the American Dream in the iconic Times Square in New York
starting December 1 and running through 2024 as part of the project titled 365
Days of Romania in Times Square. The project enables Romanian brands to take part
and share strong messages on the most iconic billboard in the world – Nasdaq, organizers
say. The first brand to be presented in Times Square on December 1 is Arctic,
the most powerful Romanian brand according to a survey conducted this year by
Unlock Market Research & Biz. Other brands such as Romstal, Vola.ro, Aqua
Carpatica, Bittnet Group, Eazy Insure, Metaminds, 5toGo will all start their
advertising campaigns in 2024. (VP)