December 3, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 03.12.2023, 18:47

Energy.
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Sunday met the United States Special
Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in
Dubai. Iohannis highlighted the need to expand cooperation between Romania and
the United States in the field of low carbon power generation and reiterated
his country’s commitments to work closely with Washington to develop and
implement small modular reactors. Also on Sunday in Dubai, president
Iohannis said Romania sought to expand its solar energy production capacity. He recalled
that by September 2023, almost 97,000 Romanian users had installed over 1.2
gigawatts of distributed energy sources interconnected to the national electric
grid, the majority relying on photovoltaic solar technology. At the climate
summit on Saturday, the Romanian president said his country was firmly
committed to step up measures to mitigate climate change based on a combination
of renewable sources and nuclear energy.

Visit.
Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu on Sunday began a working visit to Washington DC and New York. He will have talks with the American partners about
advancing joint economic projects, boosting American investments and
consolidating political and security support. Ciolacu is accompanied by the
ministers of defence, foreign affairs and the economy. Sunday’s agenda featured
a visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington and talks with
representatives of the Romanian community in the Washington, Virginia and
Maryland areas. On Monday, Ciolacu will lay flowers at the National Arlington
Cemetery before meeting US defense secretary Lloyd Austin and US secretary of
state Antony Blinken. On Tuesday, Ciolacu will meet representatives from Lockheed
Martin and members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. On Wednesday
in New York, the Romanian prime minister will meet the president of the World Jewish
Congress Ronald S. Lauder, the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres and the
president of the UN General Assembly Dennis Frances.

Middle East. Israel on Sunday intensified its attacks on Hamas targets
in the Gaza Strip, while calls to protect the Palestinian civilians have grown.
The Israeli army carried out strikes in the north of Gaza, while also
intensifying attacks in the south. Strikes were reported in the refugee camp in
Jabalia and the cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah. Israel said it killed at least
five terrorists and destroyed hundreds of tunnel shafts. Prime minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said there was no other way to win the war but to continue the
offensive, but the United States warned him about the rise in civilian
casualties. More than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to the
Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. There are also over 1,200 Israeli
casualties, including almost 400 soldiers. More than 130 hostages are still
held captive by the Islamists. The number two of Hamas’ political bureau said
that if Israel wants them released it will have to release all Palestinian
prisoners after a ceasefire.

Football.
Following a draw hosted by Hamburg on Saturday Romania will play in Group E at
the European Football Championship in Germany, alongside Belgium, Slovakia and playoff winner B, either Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel or
Iceland. The competition will be held between 14th of June and 14th
of July 2024. Romania will play for the sixth time at the European Football
Championship, after 1984, 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2016, their best result being
the quarterfinals in 2000. In the preliminary campaign for Euro 2024, Romania
won Group I without losing a match. (CM)