December 21, 2022 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 21.12.2022, 19:59

COMMEMORATION – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday laid wreaths in memory of the victims of the Romanian anti-communist revolution of 1989 in Bucharest. “Lets keep alive the memory of the heroes of the December 1989 Revolution and carry on the ideals they fought for!” the president said in a Facebook post. “To the martyrs of the Romanian Revolution and to all those who suffered during the communist dictatorship, we owe the liberty we enjoy today and we must show them our gratitude by taking care of Romania and by strengthening democracy,” Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca sid in a message. In another development, the Belgian ambassador to Romania, Philippe Benoit, the ambassador of Britain, Andrew Noble, and the director of the French Institute Julien Chiappone-Lucchesi on Tuesday participated in the inauguration of a new monument in memory of three foreign journalists who lost their lives in the 1989 anti-communist revolution in Romania – Danny Huwe of Belgium, Jean-Louis Calderon of France and the British Ian Henry Parry. We recall that the revolution started in Timisoara, western Romania on December 16th, 1989, and a couple of days later expanded to Bucharest and to other major cities across the country.

TALKS — South Korean companies potentially investing in the energy sector in Romania was one of the topics discussed on Wednesday in Seoul, by the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies Speaker Marcel Ciolacu and the South Korean authorities. The two Romanian officials also held talks with the PM of South Korea, Han Duck-Soo, on conducting solid economic projects with a big impact on the two countries’ economies, under the Strategic Partnership between Romania and South Korea. Part of the Romanian delegation in Seoul is also the Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, who discussed with the representatives of the country’s biggest energy producer. The defence industry is also on the meeting’s agenda. Also on Wednesday, Marceal Ciolacu and Nicolae Ciuca had a meeting with representatives of the Romanian community in South Korea. The Romanian officials on Thursday will be visiting two companies and a day later the demilitarized zone separating the country from North Korea.

EC – Romania will receive 60 million euros from the EU for the modernization of the rail infrastructure in the Port of Constanta, and the construction of a bridge over Prut River, in Ungheni, connecting Romania to Moldova. The European Union has decided to support with 616 million euros a total number of 35 projects. The projects have been selected among those submitted under the second Military Mobility call for proposals issued by the Connecting Europe Facility programme, the funding instrument for strategic investment in EU transport infrastructure.

PROJECT — The Romanian Senate passed on Wednesday, as decision-making body, the cyber security and defence bill. The document provides for the setting up of a National Cyber Security System, to coordinate specific activities. The bill clearly sets the authorities and public institutions with responsibilities in the field and the specific capabilities to prevent and counteract cyber threats, vulnerabilities and risks.

MEDICINES – Romania is currently facing a shortage of anti-inflammatory drugs used in the treatment of respiratory infections, especially in children. The shortage is the result of growing medicine consumption in the context of a high number of respiratory infections in the present cold season, after two years in which the measures imposed by the pandemic had limited the spread of these viruses. Romania’s Health Minister Alexandru Rafila says that in order to improve the situation he is considering to limit the export of medicines used in the treatment of these diseases. (EE)