November 13, 2014 UPDATE
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Valentin Țigău, 13.11.2014, 20:06
Candidates in the upcoming presidential runoff, incumbent Prime Minister, Social-Democrat Victor Ponta, from the present ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democrats, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Conservatives and his opponent, Klaus Iohannis, representing the Christian-Liberal alliance have been carrying on their election campaign. On November 16th 18,284,326 eligible voters are expected to cast their ballot in 18,884 polling stations across the country. In the first round of the presidential election 294 polling stations were opened abroad, most of them in Italy, Spain, France, the Republic of Moldova and in other countries. We recall that on November 2nd Prime Minister Ponta got 40.44% of the votes, while Iohannis mustered 30.37%. Turnout in the first election round stood at 53.17%.
The European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday ratified the Republic of Moldova’s Association Agreement with the European Union. Moldovan Prime Minister Iurie leanca hailed the decision of the European Parliament, describing the event as a historic one. The European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, Johannes Hahn said the ratification of the document was a major achievement for the Republic of Moldova as well as for the European Union, which was essential for the enhancement of transparency and economic growth and for the support of the Republic of Moldova’s stability and prosperity. The Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union was signed in Brussels on June 27th 2014. The Association Agreement was subsequently ratified by the Republic of Moldova’s Parliament on July 2nd. The document is to take effect after it has been ratified by parliaments of the 28 EU countries. Neighboring Romania was the first EU country to have ratified the agreement.
Romania brings 25 inventions to the 63rd edition of the EUREKA International Exhibition of Invention, Research and New Technologies. The event is being held in Brussels as of this Thursday. On Friday, Romania’s Day is organized at the national stand, mounted under the aegis of the Education Ministry. Technological brokerage as well as business events will be organized for Romanian inventors.
Romania is one of the countries with the biggest growth of its monthly industrial output rate, according to data made public by the European Statistical Office, EUROSTAT. The EUROSTAT report also shows the industrial production across the European Union and the Euro zone grew by 0.6% in September 2014, as compared to the previous month the same year. The aforementioned data also reveals that in September, the biggest industrial production growth rate was reported for Croatia, 4.6 %, the Czech Republic, 4.5 %, Republic of Ireland, 4.1 %, Hungary, 2.7 % and Romania, 2.4 %.
Romania’s national football squad in Bucharest on Friday will be taking on Northern Ireland, in a Group F match counting towards the 2016 European Championship preliminaries. Romania has so far clinched a 1-0 away win against Greece, managed a 1-all home draw against Hungary, and won the away match against Finland, 2-0. Northern Ireland tops Group F table with 9 points, while Romania is on the runner-up position, with 7 points. At European or world level, in the last 14 years Romania has participated in a final tournament only once, in the 2008 European Championship jointly hosted by Austria and Switzerland.
More than 270 companies from 14 countries take part in the 32nd edition of Romania’s Tourism Fair to be held in Bucharest starting on Thursday and all through to Sunday. Organizers have revealed that the fair is the proper venue for those interested in discovering the most attractive tourist destination in Romania and elsewhere. Tour operators from Austria, Bulgaria, the Russian Federation, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Republic of Moldova, Palestine, Romania, Spain, Turkey and Hungary will be presenting their offers for the winter holidays, as well as various other holiday offers for the summer of 2015. The novelty of the fair this year is Palestine’s participation in the event, which is an absolute first, and which was made possible by Romania’s National Tourism Authority.
Healthcare experts in West Africa on Thursday called on the G20 states to step up aid in order to contain the Ebola epidemic, according to AFP. The fight against the spread of the virus is one of the issues to be tackled this coming weekend by G20 officials convening for the summit held in the Australian city of Brisbane. According to the World Health Organization, the death toll caused by the Ebola epidemics stands at more than 5,000 people, with most of the cases being reported in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
The UN Security Council has voiced concern over the risk of a total war in eastern Ukraine. NATO has announced that Russian military convoys have moved into the separatist regions, while the OSCE has warned that a weapons inflow in the rebel-controlled territories might trigger the opening of other theaters of operation. Moscow has rejected the accusations leveled by NATO as being ungrounded, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated it was of utmost importance for Kiev to initiate a direct and constant dialogue with the newly elected authorities in Donetsk and Lugansk. Fights have intensified especially after the November 2nd election held in the separatist regions, which Kiev and the West have not recognized. According to the OSCE, more than 4,000 people have died in Ukraine since the outbreak of the conflict in April this year.
