May 4, 2018 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 04.05.2018, 20:25
MEETING Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Friday participated in the informal meeting of heads of state from Bulgaria, Austria and Romania held in the Bulgarian city of Ruse. The three countries are successively holding the presidency of the EU Council this year and in the first semester of 2019. Talks focused on the present European agenda and were aimed at facilitating the best coordination and cooperation during the three EU Council presidencies. Romania will take over the EU presidency in the first semester of 2019. Also on Friday, President Iohannis participated with his Bulgarian and Austrian counterparts, Rumen Radev and Alexander Van der Bellen respectively in a conference on the ‘Sustainable Development of the Danube Region and Regional Interconnection. Iohannis pointed out that the EU must become stronger and that differences in the economic development of its regions must be constantly reduced. The history of the EU development has shown that ‘our strength resides in unity, solidarity, cohesion and a future vision, ambitious and innovative. These guiding principles and values are at the foundation of the European project. Romania believes they must remain the foundation of its future development for our common benefit, the Romanian official went on to say, adding that ‘the EU remains an indispensable project.
SYMBOL Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has described professor Doina Cornea, who died last night at the age of 89, as ‘a symbol of the Romanian courage and anti-communist resistance. The head of the Romanian state has conveyed a message of condolences to the family and all those who knew and loved the anti-communist campaigner who was Doina Cornea. Numerous personalities from Romanias political, cultural and civil society have deplored the death of the one who back in 1982 became known for her public criticism against Nicolae Ceausescus dictatorship; her anti-communist activity was made public by the international radio stations with programmes in Romanian. Sacked by the University of Cluj, in northwestern Romania, beaten by the agents of Ceausescus political police, the Securitate and serving a house arrest sentence, Doina Cornea became one of the leading figures of the anti-communist revolt of 1989. She was also one of the first personalities to protest the abuses committed by the new post-communist left-wing government. She was praised and appreciated by former Pontiff Pope John Paul ll and by Romanias former sovereign, King Michael l.
VISIT Romanias Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Thursday and Friday paid a formal visit to Morocco. The Romanian official held talks with high-ranking Moroccan officials during which he underlined the importance Romania attaches to reinvigorating and diversifying cooperation with countries in Africa, with its traditional partners in the Maghreb region. The head of the Romanian diplomacy has underlined the excellent bilateral relations between Romania and Morocco based on a friendship spanning more than 50 years, as well as the desire of the Romanian side to step up bilateral political dialogue at all levels. Melescanu has mentioned the upward trend in boosting bilateral exchanges in the past years, the Moroccan Kingdom becoming Romanias first trade partner in Africa and the Middle East. Stepping up investment and the association of Romanian economic operators with economic projects Morocco runs both at home and on the African continent, were major issues on the Romanian Foreign Ministers agenda.
TENNIS Romanias tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu on Friday qualified for the finals of the WTA tournament in Prague with more than 226 thousand dollars in prize money after a win against Italian challenger Camila Giorgi. The Romanian will be playing Petra Kvitova, the tournaments second favourite, in the finals on Saturday. Buzarnescu will be playing her second WTA finals after the one in Hobart, Australia early this year.
(translated by bill)
