July 11, 2016 UPDATE
Canada to announce decision on visa regime for Romanians, Bulgarians early this autumn
Newsroom, 11.07.2016, 00:05
CANADA VISAS – Canada confirmed on Monday in Brussels its promise to announce early this autumn a decision as concerns lifting visa requirements for Romanians and Bulgarians, the only EU citizens which cannot travel freely to Canada. Also in Brussels, the chief of staff to Romanias PM Dragoş Tudorache said that Romania had clear expectations regarding the removal of visa requirements for Romanian citizens. The Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum discussed the topic with Romanian and Bulgarian officials, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos. Romania and Bulgaria have announced they will not ratify the EU-Canada trade agreement until Canada has lifted visa requirements.
ASIA VISIT – Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos started on Monday a tour of Asia, beginning with a four-day official visit to Vietnam. On Friday and Saturday he is to attend the 11th Europe-Asia Summit, in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator. The main aims of the visit are resuming political contact with Asian states, as well as recovering traditional markets for Romanian exporters, while encouraging investment in Romania. The agenda in Hanoi includes talks with the PM, President, and other Vietnamese officials. Ciolos will also attend the Romania-Vietnam Economic Forum, with a delegation of over 20 business representatives from Romania, to identify new business opportunities that would fully take advantage of the future EU-Vietnam free trade agreement.
LAW – President Klaus Iohannis Monday endorsed a law that binds supermarkets to stock their shelves with at least 51% Romanian products, and forbids them from requiring fees and services from suppliers. Retailers with an annual net turnover of below two million Euro are exempt from the new regulations.
NATO SUMMIT – Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc said on Monday that the Romanian delegation to the recently concluded NATO summit in Warsaw covered all the issues it was mandated to approach by Romania’s Higher Defence Council. He emphasized the fact that NATO’s new deterrence posture, with a strong forward presence, which is of major interest to Romania, is manifest on the eastern flank of the Alliance in the Baltic area, and in the Black Sea region.
ASSASINATION – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has expressed its deepest regrets after the death of Romanias honorary consul to El Salvador, Emanuel Ricardo Salume Barake, and sent condolences to his family. The Ministry, which stays in touch with the local authorities, has also expressed hopes that the perpetrators of the murder will be brought to justice. Emanuel Ricardo Salume Barake was appointed honorary consul of Romania in 1994. Honorary consuls are not employees of the Romanian Government, nor paid for their services. They are chosen from among the Romanian or foreign citizens living in a particular state, the Romanian Foreign Ministry explains.
UK Prime Minister – Home Secretary Theresa May is set to be Britains new Prime Minister by Wednesday evening, as David Cameron announced on Monday. May said that under her leadership the UK will stay fully committed to leaving the EU, in spite of her support for the “remain campaign in the referendum. Brexit will be a success, and together we will build a better Britain, May also said. Theresa May was the only candidate left in the race for Tory leadership after her main challenger, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom withdrew. The new PM will have to call Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which regulates the procedure for member countries to leave the European Union, and sets a 2-year deadline for finalising the separation, AFP reports.
