September 15, 2014

News and current affairs from Romania

Ştefan Stoica, 15.09.2014, 11:52

Around 3.2 million students in primary and secondary schools in Romania started school year today. The Ministry of Education has announced a number of changes, such as new subjects, digital textbooks for first and second grade, optional programs for 5th to 12th grade, and stricter ethical guidelines for teachers. The national evaluation before high school and the high school graduation exam have undergone no changes.

Representatives of the Romanian government and the National Bank started this week technical consultations with the IMF and the European Commission, its international lenders, held for the first time in Brussels. They are meeting to analyze recent economic evolutions, Romania’s progress in implementing the requirements of the latest loan agreement, as well as issues related to the second budget adjustment operated by Romania this year. Last week, PM Victor Ponta said that official negotiations for evaluating the loan agreement will start in Bucharest in late November.

In Lvov, in Western Ukraine, a multinational military exercise takes place today, until September 26, called Rapid Trident 14, attended by the US and 14 other countries, including Romania. About 1,300 troops, mostly from NATO or the Partnership for Peace, will conduct peacekeeping missions such as patrol, military convoy escort, and IED neutralization. This exercise occurs against the background of the tense situation in eastern Ukraine. The cease-fire agreement signed on September 5th in Minsk, Belarus between has been violated several times in the last few days.

Several Air France Flights on the main international airport in Bucharest have been affected by the general strike started today by the main pilot unions of that airline. They are protesting against the project of forming a low-cost branch of the national company, Transavia. At least half of Air France flights have been cancelled, a situation that could worsen over the next few days. The Bucharest Foreign Ministry advises Romanian citizens booked on Air France flights to contact the company before going to the airport for confirmations or rescheduling.