July 23, 2024
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 23.07.2024, 13:55
ENERGY – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday in Bucharest that only with energy security, accessible energy for the economy and for the people and economic competitiveness can the decisive step be taken towards the next vital objective, that is obtaining clean, green energy. The Prime Minister attended the Business Forum of Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation, where high-ranking representatives from the public and private energy sectors discussed energy security and transition, infrastructure projects and how cities apply clean, green strategies. On the other hand, Marcel Ciolacu announced that Romania will negotiate with the new European Commission a seven-year agreement to re-enter the 3% deficit target, saying the country is in a period of ‘accelerated’ development and it is very important that the investments continue.
DROUGHT – Against the background of the severe drought affecting Romania, water supply is restricted in about 450 cities, towns and villages, most of them in the eastern part of the country. Many farmers say that they have lost their crops, especially where irrigation is not possible. In trying to support those affected, the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, had a first meeting on Monday with commercial banks representatives, whom he asked for solutions to cover rates and interests on loans for farmers facing drought. The affected area so far is almost 2 million hectares for corn and sunflower and 100,000 hectares for wheat and rapeseed. Water levels are also dropping. More on this topic, after the news.
STUDENT CAMP – The Prefect’s Office in Harghita County (central Romania) has announced that that the institutions of the Interior Ministry will ensure public order between July 23 and 28, when the ‘Tusványos’ 2024 Summer University and Student Camp are held in the town of Băile Tuşnad, also attended by the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban. 80 police officers from the public order, traffic, criminal investigations and special operations structures will be present daily in the area and in its vicinity.
SUPPORT – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, mentioned, once again, Romania’s support for the neighboring Ukraine, invaded by the Russian troops, and emphasized the need to speed up the European Union’s assistance, including the military one, granted to Kyiv. At Monday’s meeting in Brussels with her European counterparts, Odobescu reaffirmed Romania’s support for the formula for ending the war proposed by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskky, which she believes is capable of guaranteeing sustainable peace, respecting territorial integrity and the principles of the UN Charter.
CONCERT – The Orchestra and Choir of the Bucharest National Opera will hold, on Wednesday, a sacred music concert at the “Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael” Orthodox Cathedral in Paris. The Romanian Opera tour ends on July 25, at the Romanian Embassy in Paris, with another concert, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Romanian House at the Olympic Games. On Monday, Romanian artists performed in the gardens of the Versailles Palace, an event also held in the context of the Summer Olympics. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Paris, the extraordinary concert entitled “Éthos Roumain” is a project financed by the Government of Romania, through the Department for Romanians Everywhere, in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute in Paris. The event aims to increase the visibility of Romanian culture and its promotion abroad, as well as to strengthen the cultural ties between Romania and France.
FOOTBALL – The Romanian football champion, FCSB is up against the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv this evening on home turf, in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the Champions League. The return match is scheduled for July 31, in Budapest, Hungary, because, due to the security situation in the region, the Israeli teams cannot host international matches at home. (EE)
