October 31, 2018 UPDATE

On November 1, Radio Romania celebrates 90 years since its first broadcast

Newsroom, 31.10.2018, 18:58

RADIO ROMANIA — On November 1, Radio Romania celebrates 90 years since its first broadcast was aired. The series of events organised on this occasion continued on Wednesday with a concert given by the Radio Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Horvath. On Thursday, an extraordinary concert will be given by the National Radio Orchestra, alongside the Academic Choir and the Radio Children’s Choir, under the baton of Cristian Mandeal. Also on Thursday, the national public radio will air the inaugural episode of the first radio sitcom in Romania, titled “Undeva în 28” ( “Somewhere in 28”).

MOTION — The Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday rejected by voting the simple motion tabled by two opposition parties, the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union, against justice minister Tudorel Toader. He had been accused by the signatories of having abandoned justice in the hands of criminals. In response, Toader said during the debates held in a plenary session on Tuesday that he took action so that citizens be not sent to court unjustly. We recall that minister Tudorel Toader initiated the procedure to remove from office Romania’s General Prosecutor, Augustin Lazar, whom he reproached that he had stirred constitutional conflicts and of having a political public discourse, making accusations of the legislative and executive power. Toader’s arguments in favor of Augustin Lazar’s removal from power have been rejected by the latter and a large part of the magistrates as ungrounded. Toader evoked similar arguments in the case of the former head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, whom Klaus Iohannis had to revoke following a ruling issued by the Constitutional Court.

PITTSBURGH — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has firmly condemned the armed attack against a synagogue in Pittsburgh, the US, on October 27, which left many victims, a communiqué released by the Romanian Foreign Ministry reads. The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemns any Anti-Semitic gesture and supports the efforts made by the international community in preventing, fighting and punishing acts of racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, the communiqué also reads. 11 people have been killed and six injured on Saturday, when a man opened fire at the believers in a synagogue in Pittsburgh. The perpetrator of the attack will be prosecuted, among others, for anti-Semitic crime and he might get a death penalty. This has been the most violent anti-Semitic attack carried out in the US over the past decades.

ROMANIAN-SWISS RELATIONS –President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday will receive the President of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset, who is paying an official visit to Bucharest. The two officials will approach ways to develop bilateral relations, aspects related to the focal points on the European agenda, including Switzerland’s financial contribution to the EU Cohesion Fund, as well as regional issues. The visit to Romania comes against the backdrop of efforts to boost bilateral dialogue and Romania’s holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. Klaus Iohannis will assure the Swiss side of Romania’s further support for promoting an open, constructive and mutually advantageous dialogue, between the EU and the Swiss Confederation.

IMF — An IMF mission led by the head of the IMF mission to Romania, Jaewoo Lee, will be in Bucharest between November 6 and 12, the IMF Resident Representative in Romania and Bulgaria, Alejandro Hajdenberg has said. According to him, the IMF team will analyse the latest economic and financial evolutions in Romania, will update the macro-economic outlooks and will discuss about the 2019 budget. Romania has no ongoing financing agreement with the IMF, but that financial institution is analyses the evolution of the Romanian economy every year.

MEETING – Romanian PM Viorica Dancila has announced her participation in a new Romania-Bulgaria-Greece-Serbia high level meeting held in Varna, Bulgaria. The meeting will occasion a continuation of the of talks on the region’s interconnection in terms of transport, energy and telecommunications, as well as a presentations of the objectives of Romania’s EU Council Presidency starting January 1st, 2019.

EU – Romania takes over, on Thursday, the rotating presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, for a 12-month term, until October 31st, 2019. The EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) is a macro-regional strategy adopted by the European Commission in December 2010 and endorsed by the European Council in 2011. The Strategy was jointly developed by the Commission, together with the Danube Region countries and stakeholders, in order to address common challenges together. The Strategy seeks to create synergies and coordination between existing policies and initiatives taking place across the Danube Region.