November 15, 2026
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 15.11.2026, 14:00
President Nicuşor Dan at the Francophonie summit in Cambodia
Romanian President Nicuşor Dan is in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, for the 20th Francophonie Summit. According to the Presidential Administration, Bucharest’s main priority at the gathering is building consensus around Dacian Cioloş’s bid to become Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie for the 2027 to 2030 term. The former prime minister’s prospects received a major boost on Friday after the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the second-largest French-speaking nation after France, withdrew its own candidate, former minister Juliana Lumumba, and threw its support behind Dacian Cioloş. A former prime minister and European commissioner, Dacian Cioloş has put forward an ambitious vision to revitalize and expand the Francophone community. The move would allow Romania to strengthen its standing in the French-speaking world, deepen ties with member states, and secure broader diplomatic and economic gains. Leaders of the member states will vote on the next Secretary General during their session on November 16.
Two commercial vessels hit by drones in the Black Sea
Two merchant ships were struck by drones on Saturday evening in the Black Sea near the Sulina Channel, Romania’s Defense Ministry has announced. The vessels are a Greek-flagged oil tanker bound for the port of Piraeus and a cargo ship that had sailed from the Romanian port of Constanţa for Giurgiuleşti, in neighboring Moldova. The strikes sparked fires on board, though crews quickly brought them under control. The incidents took place amid Russian drone attacks targeting Ukraine, which prompted Romanian authorities to issue a RO-Alert mobile warning to residents in southeastern Tulcea County. No casualties or significant damage were reported, and both vessels have resumed their journeys.
Romanian economy minister on official visit to Qatar
Romania’s Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism, Daniel Zamfir, is in Qatar until November 18 to explore business and investment opportunities in energy, port infrastructure, tourism, transport, and digitalization. He is accompanied by a delegation of eight Romanian companies from both the public and private sectors. The agenda includes meetings with officials from the Qatar Investment Authority, the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Qatari Businessmen Association, and Barzan Holdings, a major player in the defense and security sector.
USA seeks direct Russia-Europe dialogue on Ukraine war
The United States is focusing on brokering direct dialogue between Russia and European nations over the war in Ukraine, following recent three-way talks involving Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv, according to US President Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner. He added that both sides in the conflict recognize that practical compromises will be required to end the fighting. Following talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi, special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were received in Moscow on Thursday by President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin leader urged the American mediators to clarify in their discussions with European leaders whether they want peace or war. He also reiterated his opposition to deploying Western troops to Ukraine as part of any peacekeeping arrangement, a step Vladimir Putin warned would threaten Russia’s national security and prolong the conflict.
Trump, Xi, and Putin to hold unprecedented trilateral summit
The Kremlin has confirmed that an unprecedented summit between Presidents Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin will take place on November 19 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, southern China, the AFP news agency reports. According to the White House, the three leaders will discuss nuclear proliferation and the war in the Middle East triggered in February by Israeli-American strikes on Iran. However, the conflict in Ukraine is not expected to be on the agenda, with Kyiv and its allies having made clear that decisive talks on European security cannot happen without them.
Cristian Mungiu’s film nominated for five European Film Awards
The drama Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu, has earned five nominations for the 39th European Film Awards, which will be held in Athens on January 16. The shortlist was unveiled at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The film is up for Best European Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress. The Romanian filmmaker is currently in the United States campaigning for the film, which is Romania’s official entry for the Oscars. Earlier this year, Fjord won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, making Cristian Mungiu a rare two-time recipient of cinema’s most prestigious prize.
Romania beats Poland 2-1 in the Nations League
Romania’s national football team claimed a 2-1 victory over Poland on Saturday evening at the National Arena in Bucharest, after the sides went into the break level at nil-nil. The Group B4 win keeps Romania’s hopes alive of avoiding a relegation playoff to stay in League B of the UEFA Nations League. To secure automatic survival, Romania must beat Bosnia and Herzegovina away in Tuesday’s final group match, while hoping Poland fail to beat Sweden. (VP)
