November 29, 2013 UPDATE
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România Internațional, 29.11.2013, 21:11
The Republic of Moldova and Georgia on Friday signed the association and free trade agreements with the EU, at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius. Attending the Summit, Romanian President Traian Basescu hailed the signing of the agreements and pointed out that Moldova still has a long way to go beforeaceeding to the EU. From Vilnius, President Basescu headed to Chisinau where he met with his counterpart Nicolae Timofti. The latter thanked Romania for having supported firmly and constantly his country’s bid to the EU and announced his presence in Bucharest on December 1st, to celebrate Romania’s national Day.
EU leaders have warned at the summit in Lithuania, that they will not tolarate Russian interference in their negotiations on closer integration with Ukrain and other Eastern European countries. The European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said that Ukraine should have the liberty to decide its foreign policy. In his turn, the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said that certain actions of Russia as regards the former Soviet, are incompatible” with the way things should work in Europe. Ukraine has refused to sign at the summit in Vilnius, the Association Agreement with the EU
In Alba Iulia, central Romania, the Congress of Romanian Culture began on Friday. Taking part are delegates from 23 countries on several continents. The theme of this year’s edition, the 17th, is “The State of the Romanian Community 95 years after the Great Union of 1918”. The Romanian provinces were brought together in a nation state in Alba Iulia, on December 1st, 1918. After the fall of communism, this day was proclaimed the National Day of Romania. The day will be celebrated around the country, culminating with the traditional military parade in Bucharest on Sunday, the largest in 20 years. This year, 140 American, French, Polish and Turkish soldiers also take part in the parade. Romania’s national day is also marked by Romanian diplomatic missions around the world, through classical and jazz music concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances, film screenings and receptions.
On Romania’s national day the members of the Romanian royal family will make a symbolic trip in the royal train from the mountain resort of Sinaia, in the center, to Bucharest. Princess Margareta, prince Radu, prince Nicolae and princess Elena will be accompanied by the Romanian transport minister, Ramona Manescu. This symbolic trip retraces the long tour of Romania King Ferdinand and Queen Marie made in 1919-1920 in order to meet the Romanians from the principalities which, through the will of their inhabitants, united with the mother country — Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia. The royal train started being used by the Royal House of Romania in June 1928 during the first reign of King Mihai I. It was used by King Carol II (1930-1940) and Mihai I (1940-1947) and also during the Communist times when it was a presidential train.
New York is hosting, until December the 3rd, the 8th edition of the most important Romanian film festival in the USA, called “Making Waves.” The event takes place at the prestigious Lincoln Centre, where the public can watch movies by Nae Caranfil, Corneliu Porumboiu, Iulia Rugină, Adrian Sitaru, as well as the Romanian submission for the Oscar, the film “Child’s Pose” by Călin Netzer, winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. For the first time, the festival has a theme this year, which is “Propaganda,” the organiser of the event, Corina Şuteu has told Radio Romania.
