May 19, 2016
For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.
Newsroom, 19.05.2016, 12:00
NATO – Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu on Thursday and Friday is attending the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers held in Brussels. On this occasion, the Minister and his NATO counterparts will be signing Montenegros NATO Accession Protocol. The meeting is an important step ahead of the NATO Summit to be hosted by Warsaw on July 8-9, 2016. The Protocol represents a moment aimed at reasserting NATOs ‘open doors policy. Talks will also focus on consolidating collective defense and responding to the security developments on the Alliances eastern and southern flanks, its role in projecting stability as well as support for partner states. At the same time NATO officials will also refer to strengthening the NATO-EU Strategic Partnership.
PLANE CRASH – An EgyptAir airliner carrying 66 people onboard flying from Paris to Cairo went off the grid off Karpathos Island in Greece while transiting Egyptian airspace, the Greek Airport authority reports. Most passengers were Egyptian and French. One theory still standing is that the plane could have been hijacked, given that the aircraft was relatively new, the pilot had over 6,000 hours of fly time and the weather was good when the plane disappeared from the radar. France has already set up a task force to further investigate this case.
EXERCISE – Romanian Naval Forces are as of today taking part in a series of military exercises in the Black Sea, jointly with the French frigate Jean Bart. The F 70-A frigate is part of an anti-air battleship squadron engaging in air and maritime operations and crisis response missions. The frigate can intervene in any conflict area across the globe together with other allied or international military platforms. On Friday, the frigate will host a ceremony on board marking 20 years since a partnership was struck between the “Jean Bart primary school in Constanta and the Marasesti frigate.
EU REPORT – The European Commission on Wednesday made public a package on the 2016 European Semester, including country-specific recommendations to EU Member States. For Romania, the recommendations reflect the country report the Commission published in February 2016, referring to the fiscal and budgetary policy, financial stability, social policy, employment, education, healthcare, public administration and infrastructure. The Romanian Government says that the national reform program and the convergence program include measures responding to these recommendations, aligned to the governing program and to the assumed strategic priorities. The Commissions recommendations will be discussed as part of the European Council meeting in June and formally adopted in July.
CANNES – Cristian Mungius latest feature Graduation, competing for the Palme dOr at the International Film Festival in Cannes, is being premiered today. This is Mungius third participation in the official selection. In 2007 Mungius 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days won the grand prize. In 2012, Beyond the Hills scooped the awards the best screenplay and best leading actress. Graduation is also being premiered today in Bucharest, with 4,000 people being able to watch the film concurrently with the jury and audience in Cannes. The film will be screened in other cities across Romania. This year, competing in the main section at Cannes is also Cristi Puius Sieranevada, screened last week and well-received by the critics, and Dogs by Bogdan Mirica, competing in the Un Certain Regard section.
TENNIS – Two Romanians have reached the final preliminary phase of the Roland Garros tournament, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, totalling 32 million dollars in prize money. Marius Copil, 190th ranked in ATP rankings, will play Roberto Carballes Baena (115 ATP), while Adrian Ungur, 204th ranked in ATP standings, will play Frances Tiafoe of the United States, 188 ATP. In the womens competition, Sorana Cirstea (99 WTA) and Andreea Mitu (114 WTA) are competing to qualify to the main draw. Simona Halep, Irina Begu, Monica Niculescu and Alexandra Dulgheru have already secured qualification.
FOOTBALL – Spanish football club FC Seville on Wednesday won the Europa League trophy in the final match hosted by Basel in Switzerland. Seville defeated FC Liverpool of England 3-1. This is the third consecutive Europa League title for Seville. The club has won the trophy five times in the last 10 years in the 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons, a record in the history of European football.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
