October 15, 2016

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Newsroom, 15.10.2016, 12:00

MEETING – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis next week will take part in the European Council meeting held in Brussels, the presidents spokesperson Madalina Dobrovolschi has announced. The agenda of the meeting, scheduled for October 20 and 21, will include such topics as managing migration, trade policies as well as the external relations of the European Union, with a focus on the Russian Federation.

BILATERAL RELATIONS – As part of his participation in the EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting in Bangkok, Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu held bilateral talks with the heads of delegations of other states in the region, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei and Cambodia. The meetings occasioned a review of bilateral relations, with a focus on Romanias interest in developing dialogue and cooperation in a number of fields, while also increasing the frequency of top-level political and sectorial contacts. Lazar Comanescu highlighted the importance Romania gives to boosting economic and trade relations with states in the region, including by stepping up direct contacts between business communities and identifying cooperation opportunities both at bilateral level, as well as at the level of the two regional groups, the EU and the Association of South-East Asian Nations. On Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister expressed his condolences to the Thai authorities following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, saying that the monarch was appreciated internationally for his important role in promoting the modernization and sustainable development of the Kingdom of Thailand.

TRAVEL ALERT – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has issued a travel alert for Turkey, informing Romanian citizens traveling to or transiting Turkey that the Parliament in Ankara has voted to extend the state of emergency nationwide by another three months starting October 19. In this context, given the growing security instability in the region, especially around the capital city Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, the Ministry advises caution and awareness, urging Romanian citizens to avoid getting involved in public manifestations or events that might escalate in violence. The Ministry informs it remains in permanent contact with the Turkish side with respect to providing real-time updates on further developments. On Friday, two missiles were fired on the headquarters of a fishing company in Antalya, southern Turkey, a travel destination favorite among Romanians.

COOPERATION – The excellent level of cooperation between Romania and the state of Bavaria, as well as the interest for developing and expanding it were highlighted during the talks held in Munich between Minister Delegate for Relations with Romanians Worldwide, Maria Ligor, and representatives of the authorities of the State of Bavaria. The agenda of the visit also included meetings with Bavarian Parliaments vice-president Inge Aures and members of the local Government. Maria Ligor suggested the start of a bilateral cooperation with a view to introducing Romanian-language teaching for Romanian students at secondary education level, based on the success models in other European states. Minister Ligor also met with representatives of the Romanian community, including members of the professional associations, such as doctors, lawyers, social integration experts, as well as associations of Romanian-born German ethnics.

EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE – The city of Novi Sad in Serbia has been designated as European Capital of Culture in 2021, the first time a city outside the European Union is awarded this prestigious title. The capital of the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural province of Vojvodina, home to 30,000 Romanian nationals, Novi Sad is located some 150 km from Timisoara, western Romania, which last month was also designated European Capital of Culture in 2021. This is the second Romanian city to receive this award, after Sibiu in 2007.

SYRIA – The United States and Russia are today brokering a new ceasefire in Syria in Switzerland. Washington has stopped bilateral negotiations with Moscow due to the Kremlins decision to support the Bashar al-Assad regime in its assault on the rebel-held eastern Aleppo. President Barack Obama has urged his team to continue diplomatic efforts by holding multilateral talks with key countries in order to put an end to civil war in this country. According to our Moscow correspondent, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he would submit clear-cut proposals to his US counterpart, US Secretary of State John Kerry with respect to a new ceasefire in Syria, saying however his expectations were low for this meeting. Also attending the ceasefire talk in Switzerland will be delegates of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Egypt.

(Translated by V. Palcu)