September 3, 2020

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 03.09.2020, 13:55

GOVERNMENT The Romanian government is today
expected to endorse an emergency ordinance bill on certain measures needed for
the National Plan for Re-launch and Resilience. Romania needs such a plan in
order to be able to access European money allotted through the Recovery and
Resilience Facility. The country has been earmarked 30 billion Euros out of a
total 80 billion. This mechanism is the first and most important pillar of the
750 billion euro Recovery Package the European Commission announced in May. The
government is tackling several bills on funding the installation of
photo-voltaic panels at SMEs and enterprises from the hospitality industry in
Romania. Also high on the agenda is another emergency ordinance bill allowing
employees who didn’t pay their social security contributions to pay them in six
years since the contract was signed. The government believes that such a
measure can bring more money to the budget.

NAVALNY Western leaders and
institutions have firmly condemned the poisoning of Russian opposition leader
Alexei Navalny and called on Moscow to provide explanations and assurances that
the culprits will be brought to justice. Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan
Aurescu says that Navalny’s poisoning is completely unacceptable and has called
for a thorough and impartial investigation. On Wednesday, Germany announced
that Navalny, presently in a hospital in Berlin, was poisoned with a novichok
nerve agent. The use of chemical weapons under any circumstances, is completely
unacceptable and a breach of international law, the head of the European
diplomacy Josep Borrell said. The White House has also voiced concern regarding
the incident pledging cooperation with its allies to bring the culprits to
justice. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian government, says the
authorities in Moscow are ready to cooperate with the German executive to
uncover the circumstances of Navalny’s poisoning. This fourth-generation nerve
agent has been used to eliminate numerous Kremlin critics, although Moscow has
always denied any allegation.

COVID-19 The number of Covid infections
in Romania stands at 90 thousand with a death toll over 37 hundred. The
country’s president Klaus Iohannis has again appealed for compliance with
prevention rules and regulations as worrying figures have been reported during
the pandemic. The president believes the school year can begin on September 14th
in Romania, but unless the situation improves, authorities are considering
alternative scenarios.

VISIT Romania’s
Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is today being received by Israeli president
Reuven Rivlin after which the Romanian official is going to Ramallah to meet
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and other Palestinian officials.
On Wednesday, the head of the Romanian diplomacy held talks with Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi. Aurescu and
Ashkenazi signed a cooperation programme between Romania and Israel in the
fields of culture, economy and trade. The two officials tackled the latest
developments in the Middle East. Aurescu pointed out that Romania had
constantly stood, including at the EU level, for a sustainable peace solution
and the resumption of direct talks with the Palestinians.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Patricia
Tig today takes on Donna Vekic of Croatia in the second round of the US Open
underway in Flushing Meadows, New York. Another Romanian, Sorana Cirstea will
be taking on Johanna Conta of Britain in the same competition stage. Tig and
Cirstea are Romania’s only representatives in the singles contest. In the men’s
doubles, Romanian Horia Tecau and his Dutch team mate Jean-Julien Rojer are
today taking on Salvadorian Marcelo Arevalo and Jonny O’Mara of Britain.
Yesterday, the pair made up of Romanian Raluca Olaru and Sara Sorribes of Spain
was outperformed by the Czech-Slovakian pair Lucie Hradecka/Andreja Klepac.

(translated by bill)