January 15, 2023
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 15.01.2023, 13:43
CULTURE DAY – Romania celebrates today National Culture Day, marked annually on January 15, when the birth of national poet Mihai Eminescu is also celebrated. On Friday, President Klaus Iohannis decorated artists, personalities and important cultural institutions. The distinctions were awarded as a sign of appreciation for the work done and the major impact on the cultural space in the country and abroad. In the last two centuries, the cultural elites have inspired Romanian society to step on the road to Western modernization and democratization – said President Klaus Iohannis, who added that Romanians are proud of personalities whose works have enriched national and universal heritage and spirituality. In turn, PM Nicolae Ciuca said that January 15 is an important day not only for the Romanians but also for all people who love Romanian culture. A number of museums in the country have free entrance today and extended opening hours. National Culture Day is also celebrated abroad, in cities like Brussels, Budapest, Warsaw, Stockholm and Beijing, where the Romanian Cultural Institute has organized a number of events. The Republic of Moldova, with a majority Romanian speaking population, also celebrates National Culture Day and Eminescu’s anniversary today.
SCHENGEN – The Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Notis Mitarachi, will visit Bucharest and Sofia next week, in support of the two countries’ Schengen accession. He said Athens took this decision because the extension of Schengen through the accession of Romania and Bulgaria will be directly beneficial for Greece, as it will be connected by road with other EU member states. At the same time, Greece claims that the enlargement of the Schengen area will help boost economic activities. He also said he would have talks with the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU and with the European Commission on this matter. We recall that while Croatias application for Schengen accession was accepted in the JHA Council in Brussels, on December 8 last year, Romania and Bulgaria were faced with the opposition of Austria and the Netherlands, although they successfully completed the evaluation procedures for joining the free movement area as early as 2011.
VIRUSES — The number of respiratory infections is on the rise in Romania. At least 15 people died from flu so far and the number of infections with the flu virus surged by 40% in one week alone, according to the Public Health Institute. Around 15 cases of Flurona, a double infection with flu and Covid, have also been reported since the start of the cold season. The situation is expected to improve next month when experts forecasting a drop in the number of infections. Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable categories, so pediatric assistance centers have been opened across the country. Wearing face masks in hospitals and crowded areas is highly recommended.
WAR — Ukraine has firmly condemned the attacks on civilians and has once more denounced the “Russian terror”, after the series of missile attacks on Saturday by the Russian forces. Dozens of people have been killed and injured during an air raid over an apartment block in the Eastern city Dnepr. Other cities, such as Kyiv, Kharkov and Odessa were also bombarded on Saturday. The Ukrainian minister of energy said the upcoming days would be difficult in terms of energy supply, after Russian missiles stroke energy infrastructure in a number of regions. (EE)
