October 15, 2020 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 15.10.2020, 19:47

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The
Government has extended by another 30 days the state of alert in Romania.
Another 4,013 new infections and 73 fatalities have been reported in the last
24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 168,490 and the
national death toll to 5,674. Also there are currently 721 people in intensive
care. The authorities have also launched the first test allowing for the
simultaneous detection of COVID-19 and seasonal flu. Health Minister Nelu
Tătaru announced that based on an emergency decree that is currently being
drafted, minor and medium cases of SARS-CoV-2 as well as asymptomatic patients
will be treated at home and the patients will remain under the surveillance of
family physicians. Serious cases will be hospitalized.

EUROPEAN COUNCIL – EU leaders
attending the European Council meeting in Brussels concluded their first round
of talks regarding upcoming relations with the UK. Attending the meeting,
President Klaus Iohannis said progress has been insufficient in this respect,
although negotiators have been encouraged to continue their efforts. The
President said Romania is in favor of an agreement, which is the best possible
way to guarantee a partnership between the EU and the UK. President Iohannis
also pointed out an agreement would also favor the Romanian citizens living in
Great Britain, but also Romanian businesses in this country. High on the agenda
of the meeting is also the COVID-19 pandemic and combating climate change.

TALKS – The Government
will support the European Commission in its efforts to pass the 2021-2027
multiannual financial framework and all details related to the Economic
Recovery program, adopted by the European Council, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban
has said. The Romanian official on Thursday had talks with EU Commissioner for
Budget and Administration, Johannes Hahn, on a visit to Bucharest. The agenda
for talks also includes the upcoming EU budget, the Recovery and Resilience
Facility and the rule of law.

MEETING – Romania’s Foreign
Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday had a conversation over the telephone with
his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, about boosting bilateral
relations, the strategic partnership and cooperation between the two countries
in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis. According to a Foreign Ministry
press release, both parties also expressed a willingness to celebrate the
centennial of bilateral relations in 2021, as well as to sign over the course
of next year a document in order to establish the Strategic Partnership between
the two states. Foreign Minister Motegi took the opportunity to underscore the
fact that Romania is an important partner for Japan. On the other hand,
Minister Bogdan Aurescu reiterated Romania’s gratitude to Japan for the
latter’s decision to donate 12,200 tablets of Avigan (Favipiravir), an
experimental drug used to treat coronavirus-related conditions.

SANCTIONS – The European Union
on Thursday adopted new sanctions against Russian officials close to President
Vladimir Putin, deemed responsible for the poisoning of Russian opposition
figure Alexei Navalny. Sanctions were also taken against a state-run research
facility in Russia. We recall Alexei Navalny passed out during a domestic
flight in Siberia on August 20. Two days later he was transported to Germany in
a coma. Army lab results confirmed
Navalny had been poisoned with a Novichok military-grade nerve agent. Russia
denied any involvement in the matter. On Wednesday, Russia’s Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov warned Russia will respond with sanctions of its own.

ACADEMY AWARDS – Alexander Nanau’s
documentary colectiv will be nominated by the National Cinema Center for the
2021 Academy Awards in the Best international feature section. This is the
first time Romania will nominate a documentary film for the Oscar Awards. American
film distributors announced they would enroll colectiv also in the Best
documentary section, which will increase its chances of being selected.
colectiv has also been shortlisted at the European Film Academy Awards and
can be voted in the European documentary section. The film tells the story of
the Colectiv nightclub fire of October 30, 2015, which killed 64 people.

(Translated by V.
Palcu)