September 20, 2017
Romanias President Klaus Iohannis will deliver a speech today before the UN General Assembly in New York/ The Romanian Parliament calls on Ukraine to reassess the new education law
Bogdan Matei, 20.09.2017, 13:53
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will deliver a speech today before the UN General Assembly. His speech will focus on the importance of having a world order based on principles and regulations, the rule of law at international level, the need to strengthen the UNO and adapting it to current challenges. In another move, the Romanian President will underline the need to have an efficient response to the major threats to international peace and security. Klaus Iohannis will attend an event titled “Education for peace”, organised by Romania and enjoying the participation of high-ranking officials. The Romanian President will underline the role played by education in conflict-prevention. Also in New York, the Romanian President will attend an event organised by the UN Secretariat and meant to launch an important report promoting the equality of chances between men and women. Klaus Iohannis will also have bilateral talks with the Moldovan PM, Pavel Filip, and the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, respectively.
WASHINGTON — The Romanian defence minister Mihai Fifor has met in Washington with the White Houses Deputy National Security Adviser, Ricky Waddell. The Romanian minister has hailed the excellent cooperation between Romania and the US, both at bilateral level and within NATO, and the US official has pointed to the extremely positive agenda of cooperation between Bucharest and Washington in the following years. Mihai Fifor has also reiterated Romania’s commitment to allot 2% of the GDP for defence, whereas the American side has shown interest in supporting NATO’s efforts to fully secure the eastern flank of the Alliance and underlined that the US will further be committed to Europe.
UKRAINIAN EDUCATION LAW — The Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies, gathered in a plenary session in Bucharest, have issued a declaration on the new education law in neighbouring Ukraine. The Romanian MPs say they are following with concern and maximum attention the latest developments generated by the recent adoption by Ukraine’s Supreme Rada of this law which drastically infringes upon the rights to education in the native language of the ethnic Romanians in Ukraine. They are launching an appeal for a fast settlement of this situation, by well intended actions and goodwill, in the spirit of cooperation, inclusive dialogue and the strict observance of European standards in the field of national minority protection, abiding by the relevant multilateral and bilateral agreements, that Ukraine is a signatory to. On Tuesday, the Hungarian Parliament adopted a similar resolution, condemning the new law, which –in the opinion of the Hungarian MPs- does not observe the commitments made by the Kiev authorities and infringes upon the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. The law drastically limits the access to education in the native language of many ethnic minority communities in Ukraine. This stipulates that Ukrainian should be the only teaching language in high-schools and faculties, and education in the languages of the ethnic minorities is possible only in nursery and primary schools. Almost half a million ethnic Romanians are living in neighbouring Ukraine, most of them in the Romanian territories annexed by the former USSR in 1940, following an ultimatum, and taken over by Ukraine, in 1991, as a successor state.
BUCHAREST — Romania’s capital city, Bucharest is today celebrating 558 years since it was first mentioned in documents. The name of today’s city was first mentioned in a document issued in 1459, by the then ruler of Wallachia, the famous Vlad the Impaler. In order to mark the event, the city hall has organised over the past few days, open air parties, concerts, vintage costume parades, fairs and exhibitions. Bucharest became Romania’s capital city in 1862. In the inter-war period, Bucharest was dubbed “Little Paris”, due to its elegant architecture. Romania’s main economic engine, Bucharest is considered to be a city difficult to manage, because of an old and insufficiently developed infrastructure and of heavy traffic.
MEXIC/EARTHQUAKE — A provisional death toll is expected to rise after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake stroke 120km from Mexico City, collapsing buildings and killing at least 250 people. It was the most powerful earthquake since the one which hit Mexico City in 1985, killing over 9,000. The tremor had the epicentre close to the border between the Puebla and Morelos states, in the centre, at a depth of 51 km. Many world leaders have expressed their sympathy with Mexico and offered their support to that country, which was still recovering from a fatal earthquake in the south of the country in early September.
TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (no. 55 WTA) has today been defeated by Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia (no.71 WTA), 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, in the eighth finals of the Seoul tennis tournament, with 250,000 US dollars in prize money up for grabs. Irina has also qualified to the doubles quarterfinals, alongside the Czech player Krystina Pliskova. The two will play the all Thai pair Luksika Kumkhum/ Peangtarn Plipuech. Romania’s second player in Seoul, Sorana Cîrstea (no. 52 WTA), will meet in the eighth finals American Nicole Gibbs (no.121 WTA). We recall that Irina Begu is the holder of the Seoul tournament title in 2015.
