October 3, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of the latest local and international news
Newsroom, 03.10.2024, 20:14
SUMMIT Romania’s development depends on investment and initiative and our country needs people with a western attitude towards work – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday during a summit for the Romanians the world over staged in Bucharest. The head of the Romanian Executive said that over 3 million Romanians migrated between the years 2008 and 2022. However, Ciolacu said that last year was for the first time when 190 thousand Romanians returned home. Also attending the event, the Senate president, Nicolae Ciuca, voiced his wish that the Romanians in the Diaspora come back home, adding the state’s involvement in easing their return is ‘absolutely necessary and important’.
DRONES The construction of Europe’s first drone carrier kicked off at the Damen Shipyard in Galati, eastern Romania, on Thursday. This multi-role ship, which is being built for the Portuguese navy and will be used in rescue and research missions, has been designed to launch underwater, surface and aerial drones. Other three military vessels are being built for European states at the Damen Shipyard.
DEFICIT The Romanian minister for investments and European projects, Adrian Câciu, said a 7-year plan to reduce the budget deficit would be presented by the October 15 deadline set by the EC. According to Câciu, the plan is accompanied by reforms included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The measures mainly consist in cutting unnecessary expenditure by public institutions and improved collection of government revenues.
YOUTH European youth born in 2006, including in Romania, may enroll in the 2024 DiscoverEU programme, which provides free travel across the Union. A dedicated European Commission webpage is available for young people to enroll in order to win one of the 35,000 free travel permits and discount accommodation and meal cards. Each permit allows for one trip between March 2025 and May 2026. Winners may choose certain destinations in Europe, including ones on the DiscoverEU cultural route that connects EU capital cities, UNESCO sites and European heritage sites. Applications may be submitted until October 16. More than 300,000 youth have benefitted from this programme since its launch in 2018.
WB The country partnership framework between the World Bank and Romania for 2025-2029 was launched in Bucharest. PM Marcel Ciolacu says that in the next 3 years the estimated funding for Romania from the WB group will be over USD 6 bln, in favourable financial terms. The money is intended to help bridge the gap between the more developed and integrated urban communities and the poorer and more isolated rural environment. A USD 500 mln loan agreement has also been signed, for the funding of disaster risk management policies.
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