December 18, 2018 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 18.12.2018, 20:03

DEFENCE Romania’s Defence Minister
Gabriel Les met NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the headquarters of
the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels on Tuesday. The talks between the two
officials focused on security in the Black Sea region, on consolidating the
deterrence and defence position on NATO’s eastern flank, the preparations for
Romania’s taking over the EU rotating presidency on January 1st next
year and Bucharest’s priorities for this mandate. According to a communiqué
issued by the Defence Ministry, the meeting between the two officials proved to
be another opportunity for Romania to reiterate its firm commitment to the
defence and security strategy promoted by NATO.

AWARD Academician Eugen Simion, head of
the Department of Literature and Philology with the Romanian Academy, is winner
of the 2018 Alfred Nobel Gold Medal awarded by the International Society of
Philology. The award ceremony is to take place early next year at the European
Parliament headquarters in Strasbourg and will be followed, according to
regulations, by a ceremony in the recipient’s country of origin. The
International Society of Philology has been awarding the aforementioned gold
medal for almost a century now. The event, held every five years, was designed
as an equivalent of the Nobel Prize in Literature in recognition of
accomplishments in the field of grammar, literary criticism and history.

CSAT
Romania’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) is to convene again on Wednesday after
its previous session was suspended by president Klaus Iohannis on December 11th
upon a request from the Council’s members. According to the Presidential
Administration, the agenda included topical issues concerning the country’s
defence and national security, which sparked off prolonged debates. Talks also
focused on the plan of providing equipment for Romania’s armed forces between
2019 and 2028, the CSAT schedule for the next year, the future plan for Romania’s
armed forces carrying out various missions in theatres of operations abroad as
well as the National Plan for Information Priorities for 2019.

FORUM The relationship between Europe and Africa is developing and
we want to turn it from a relation in which Europe has offered assistance, into
a relation between equal partners, ready to cooperate and develop together,
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has said in Vienna, at the meeting of heads
of state and government, held on the sidelines of the Europe-Africa Forum. He
has also said that Romanian will further promote consistent action to support
the alliance between the two continents, among which granting scholarships to
young Africans. The Europe-Africa Forum is intent on consolidating the
long-term partnership between the EU and Africa and lays emphasis on boosting
sustainable investments, creating jobs and taking cooperation to the digital
era.

COMMEMORATIONS The series of events
commemorating the martyr heroes of the 1989 Anti-Communist Revolution in
Romania, continued in Timisoara, in the west. December 18th goes
down in history as the day when the young people protesting against the
communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu were shot dead on the steps of the
Metropolitan Cathedral in Timisoara. Vigil candles were lit on Tuesday on the
steps of the Cathedral in remembrance of that day. A day of mourning was
decreed in Timisoara on Monday in memory of those who, 29 years ago, lost their
lives, being killed by the repressive forces of the communist regime. Masses
and memorial services have been performed and floral tributes have been
paid.