May 21, 2016
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Newsroom, 21.05.2016, 12:00
VISIT Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos will on Sunday start an official four-day visit to the United States, during which he will be having talks with US Vice President Joseph Biden. According to a communiqué issued by the executive in Bucharest, the Romanian official will be meeting several high-ranking US officials, representatives of the business environment as well as members of the Romanian community in the Washington area. The visit is aimed at highlighting the success of the strategic partnership with the USA in the field of security but also has an economic dimension.
NATO Romania is supporting the consolidation of NATO’s eastern flank, the head of the Romanian diplomacy, Lazar Comanescu, said during the NATO foreign ministers meeting recently held in Brussels. He underlined the importance of the fact that the Alliance is paying increased attention to the security developments in the Black Sea area also pleading for an increased NATO assistance to partners in the region, such as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. NATO foreign ministers have decided to continue the mission in Afghanistan after 2016 as well. Comanescu has said that Romania has been and will continue to be one of the main contributors to the international alliance in Afghanistan.
CELEBRATION Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers are today celebrating Saints Constantine and Elena, the first Christian emperors who are also the patron saints of the Patriarchate and Cathedral in Bucharest. Constantine the Great, a Roman emperor of the fourth century A.D., made history with the edict of Milan in 313, which put an end to persecutions against Christians allowing Christianity to become a state religion. His mother Elena became famous for having discovered the cross on which Jesus Christ had been crucified and by building numerous Christian churches. Over 1.7 million Romanians are today celebrating their name day.
TENNIS Five Romanians will be playing on Roland Garros’ main draw, the year’s second Grand Slam tournament with prizes of 32 million dollars. The competition, which is due to start on Sunday will be pitting WTA sixth-seeded Simona Halep of Romania against Japan’s Nao Hibino, while Irina Begu will be playing Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the USA. Monica Niculescu will be up against French Pauline Parmentier, while Alexandra Dulgheru will be facing Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium. Sorana Carstea, also from Romania, will play against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the tournament’s first round.
FRIGATE French frigate Jean Bart has arrived in the Black Sea port of Constanta for a joint drill with the Romanian Naval Forces. The exercise is aimed at improving cooperation to carry out joint missions inside NATO. The French frigate will be joining Romanian frigate ‘Queen Maria’ and other seven Romanian warships, 800 Romanian soldiers as well as three Mig 21 fighter jets of the Romanian Armed Forces for exercises of searching and attacking submarines, artillery and anti-aircraft defence.
