December 2, 2022

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 02.12.2022, 13:55

VISIT – Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, is paying a two-day
visit to Greece, where he will meet with his Greek counterpart, Katerina Sakellaropoulou
and Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. According to the Presidency,
the visit confirms the continuous top-level dialogue and close cooperation
between Romania and Greece with respect to hot topics on the current agenda.
Talks will also focus on the potential of developing bilateral relations in the
fields of economy and investments, culture, education, civil protection and
tourism. Special attention will be devoted to infrastructure and
interconnection projects, including in the energy sector, designed to curb
dependency on Russian gas and boost the energy security of both Romania and
Greece. Other topics on the agenda for talks include Russia’s illegal war in
Ukraine and the consequences of this conflict at several levels.

UNESCO – The Romanian traditional embroidered blouse known as ‘ie’
was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity. Romania had submitted the application jointly with the Republic of
Moldova. The decision of the UNESCO Committee convened in Rabat, Morocco, comes
in recognition of the identity and value of this element, also sending out a
strong signal to Romanian and Moldovan cultural institutions that they should
support and promote the art of the traditional embroidered blouse, which
represents the centerpiece of the Romanian traditional festive outfit. Lipizzan
horse breeding traditions in Romania and other European countries are also part
of the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity.

BUSINESS – The number of foreign startups in Romania has gone up in
the first ten months of the year by 30.7% compared to the same period of last
year, the National Trade Register Office reports. Some 6,100 new businesses were
set up this year with a total capital of 35 million USD. By the end of the
October, over 243 thousand companies with foreign capital participation
operated in Romania, with a total subscribed capital of 67 billion USD. The
largest number of companies with foreign participation had Italian investors, while
Dutch businesses had the largest share of capital.

WAR IN UKRAINE – President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that
Ukraine will restrict the activity of Russian-affiliated religious
organizations on its territory and will challenge the status of the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church, which is still connected to the Moscow Patriarchate. The
announcement comes after Ukrainian security services searched several church
buildings in November. Ukrainian services confiscated a few thousand USD and
pro-Russian literature. Ukraine has two separate Eastern Orthodox
ecclesiastical bodies: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which in spring
broke ties with the Moscow Patriarchate due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,
and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which in 2019 was formally recognized
by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople as a separate, independent and equal
member of the worldwide communion of Orthodox churches.

DIALOGUE – The presidents of the United States of America and
France, Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron respectively, have expressed their joint
intention of coming up with a solution to end the war in Ukraine without
reducing however their countries’ assistance to Kyiv. During a visit paid to
Washington by the French president, the White House leader said he is ready to
talk to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, if the latter is willing to
reach a solution to end the war. Prior to the invasion of Ukraine on February
24, president Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken had warned Russia
about the consequences of such an attack. Since then, the US president has had
no direct contact with Moscow, although high-ranking US officials maintained
communication channels open. In turn, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron,
confirmed his readiness to talk to Vladimir Putin, particularly regarding
sensitive topics such as civilian nuclear power and the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The
last official meeting between Macron and Putin was held on September 11.

NATIONAL DAY – December 1, the National Day of Romania, was
celebrated on Thursday at home and abroad. Despite the rain, thousands of
people attended the military parades held in Bucharest and Alba Iulia. Over
1,500 servicemen took part in the event, alongside 150 military from Belgium,
France, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Portugal, the USA and the
Netherlands, as well as from other countries part of NATO structures in
Romania.

GAUDEAMUS – The 29th edition of the Gaudeamus Book
Fair hosted by Radio Romania kicks off next week. 200 publishers will be
exhibiting their latest and current releases in various formats, addressing all
age brackets and fields of interests, music as well as educational games. 600
events have been announced in addition to various related projects. Pavilions
are also available online on gaudeamus.ro. The Gaudeamus Book Fair is
financed by the Ministry of Culture. (VP)