December 14, 2020 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 14.12.2020, 19:51

TALKS After a first round of talks on Monday with
the political groups, which made it to Parliament following the election on
December 6th, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said the proper conditions for
the designation of a Prime Minister to form a new government have not been met.
The Romanian president said that a new round of talks is needed and announced
he would summon the new Legislature on December 21st. The Social Democrats who
obtained the largest number of votes in the election, proposed doctor Alexandru
Rafila for the position of Prime Minister to head a national unity government.
The National Liberal Party has proposed the incumbent Finance Minister Florin
Citu, while the USR-PLUS alliance, who came in third, proposed the former
technocratic Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos. The fourth largest group in
Parliament AUR, proposed Calin Georgescu, who has been described as an
international expert in sustainable development.

THANKS Maia
Sandu, the pro-Western president elect of the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking
Republic of Moldova held talks with Romania’s ambassador to Chisinau Daniel
Ionita whom she thanked for the consistent support Romania offered to the
Republic of Moldova. The Moldovan official stressed out the need for
re-establishing bilateral cooperation between Romania and the Republic of
Moldova for the benefit of their citizens. Sandu said the visit to be paid by
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis late this year is very important and voiced
hope that this is the first step in a long term productive cooperation.

UN Romania has been and will continue to be an active
member involved in the proper functioning of the United Nations, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, said at the celebration of 75 years of the
organization’s existence and 65 years of Romania’s UN membership. The head of
diplomacy considers that Romania has demonstrated a genuine and lasting
commitment at all levels: maintaining international peace and security,
sustainable development and promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of
law. The official added that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the
importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges. In this
context, Bogdan Aurescu stressed that there is a need for an efficient
Organization, able to respond adequately to pre-existing challenges to peace,
security and human rights, as well as emerging challenges and trends in the
context of the current pandemic crisis.

INVESTMENTS In Romania, the Agency
for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR) has so far made payments of 7 billion
Euros through the National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020, the degree of
absorption on this program exceeding 70%, AFIR announced on Monday.
Beneficiaries were farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and local public
authorities. The National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020 provides
non-reimbursable funds from the European Union and the government for the
economic and social development of the rural area.

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