October 19, 2020

President Klaus Iohannis attends The Three Seas Virtual Summit and Web Forum./ Foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu has talks with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo as part US trip.

Newsroom, 19.10.2020, 13:55

Coronavirus Romania. The Committee
for Emergency Situations is meeting today in Bucharest as the coronavirus
incidence rate for the last 14 days has surpassed 3 per 1,000 inhabitants in
the capital city. Prime minister Ludovic Orban last night said the committee
would make wearing face masks mandatory in all public and enclosed spaces in
the city. Orban explained the measures are intended to reduce interaction
between people as much as possible. The committee is also considering closing
cafes, restaurants, cinemas and theatres. The city’s school inspectorate is
also meeting today to discuss the possibility that teaching be moved online as
of tomorrow. 59 new deaths and 2,466 new daily cases were reported on Monday in
Romania out of 8,000 tests conducted. 757 people are in intensive care. The
death toll stands at 5,931.

Coronavirus world. Globally, the
number of coronavirus cases passed 40.2 million, while fatalities are nearing
1.2 million. The US, India and Brazil are still the worst hit countries, while
almost half of all cases are in North, Central and South America. Infections
are also rising in Europe, with 150,000 new cases being reported on average each
day. Record daily figures have been recorded in Italy, The Netherlands,
Germany, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, Cyprus and the Czech Republic. Parts of the
UK are in lockdown and new restrictions have been imposed in France and Italy.
A World Health Organisation official was quoted by Reuters as saying that
global fatalities caused by Covid-19 may reach 2 million before an effective
vaccine is distributed.

Forum. Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis is attending today The Three Seas Virtual Summit and Web Forum organised
by Estonia in videoconference format. The Three Seas Initiative is a political platform
launched in 2015 whose main goal is to provide political support to improve the
cooperation and interconnection of states in the region of the Adriatic Sea,
the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea in areas such as energy, transport,
telecommunications and environmental protection. The Three Seas Initiative
business forum is held online this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
President Klaus Iohannis is expected to convey a message in the opening of the
forum, alongside the other presidents from the region.

Trip. Romanian foreign minister
Bogdan Aurescu is having political consultations with US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo during a visit to the US at the invitation of his American
counterpart. Held as part of the 140th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between Romania and the US, Aurescu’s
trip is aimed at reconfirming the main elements of the Strategic Partnership
and assessing projects of mutual interest. Talks focus on issues such as
bilateral cooperation in the political, military, energy and economy areas,
including priority strategic interconnection projects promoted by Romania as
part of the Three Seas Initiative. Minister Aurescu is also expected to again call
for Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver programme. First scheduled for last
April, his visit to the US was postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

UN. The Romanian military who took
part in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in
Mali were awarded medals for their service as peacekeepers. According to a statement from the defence
ministry, the chief of defence staff, lieutenant-general Daniel Petrescu on
Sunday visited the troops from the Carpathian Pumas helicopter unit stationed
at Camp Castor in Mali, where Romania has deployed 120 military and four IAR-330L transport helicopters. 57 other countries are
also taking part in the UN mission in Mali. (CM)