May 14, 2019

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 14.05.2019, 14:00

COUNCIL -
Romanian Agriculture Minister Petre Daea is today presiding the meeting of the
EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels. The main topic on the agenda is
the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy Reform Package. Ministers will also
exchange views on the new delivery model set out in the Commission proposal for
a regulation on the CAP strategic plans. On the sidelines of the Council
meeting, ministers will discuss a strategic long-term vision for a climate
neutral economy from the point of view of agriculture, as well as the declaration
of cooperation for a smart and sustainable digital future for European
agriculture and rural areas.

EASTERN
PARTNERSHIP – Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu called
for continuing reforms and modernization processes in ex-soviet states from the
Eastern Partnership. On Monday Minister Melescanu attended the Eastern
Partnership ministerial meeting in Brussels, bringing together Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The Romanian
official hailed the 10th anniversary of the Partnership, coinciding
with the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union, as a good
opportunity to reassert the importance of the partnership to both EU citizens
and the citizens of the Eastern Partnership.

MILITARY -
An Italian military unit is deployed by NATO at the Mihail Koglniceanu base in
southeastern Romania, charged with carrying out air policing missions for the
first time in Romania. Over the next four months, 130 Italian military, pilots
and technical crew and four Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft will join Romanian Air
Force military and MiG-21 Lancer jets to carry out these missions under NATO
command. The joint air policing missions are aimed at developing the reaction
and deterrence capacity and consolidate interoperability between the two
countries’ Air Forces. The deployment of the Italian unit to Romania is part of
the action plan for ensuring NATO operational capacity in response to security
challenges on the Alliance’s eastern flank.

CANNES FESTIVAL – The 72nd edition of the Cannes Film
Festival is kicking off today and will run until May 25. Romania is represented
in the official and alternative film sections. Corneliu Porumboiu this year
competes for the Palme d’Or with his latest feature La Gomera / The
Whistlers, his first film produced abroad, on La Gomera island in Spain and in
Singapore. The short reel program entitled Romanian Short Waves will also be
featured in the Short Film Corner devoted to short reels and young talent. Among
the 13 short reels selected are Bogdan Muresanu’s Christmas Gift, Adi Voicu’s
The Last Trip to the Seaside and Today Artist, Tonight Taximetrist by
Dumitru Grosei. Also representing Romania is filmmaker, screen writer and
producer Catalin Mitulescu as a jury member for the Cinefondation and short
reel section.

EUROVISION -
The first semi-final of the Eurovision song contest is today taking place in
Tel Aviv. Representatives of 17 countries will tonight compete for a place in
the final. Last year’s winner, Netta Barzilai, will open the contest with a
remix of the song that won the trophy in 2018, Toy. Easter Peony, Romania’s
representative, will perform On a Sunday in the second semi-final on May 16.
The final will take place on May 18. The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest will
bring together representatives of 41 countries enrolled in the race for the
trophy.

TENNIS -
Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (113 WTA) is today playing Daria Kasatkina of
Russia (21 WTA) in the opening round at the WTA tournament in Rome, totaling
3.4 million dollars in prize money. Also today, Mihaela Buzarnescu (29 WTA) is
playing the former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia (27 WTA).
In the second round world no. 2 Simona Halep will play the winner of the match
pitting Merketa Vondrousova against Barbora Strycova, both from the Czech
Republic.

(Translated by V. Palcu)