September 4, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 04.09.2023, 20:05

VISIT – The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, paid an official visit to Berlin on Monday, for talks with her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, and the European policy advisor to the German Chancellor, Undine Ruge. The meetings reconfirmed the complex and strong bilateral relationship between Romania and Germany. The Romanian official firmly condemned once again the Russian Federations attacks on the Ukrainian people and civil infrastructure, including on the Ukrainian ports on the Danube, near the border with Romania. She pointed out that the attacks on the night of September 3 did not generate direct military threats to the Romanian territory or the country’s territorial waters and that the Defense Ministry is closely monitoring the national territory, waters and air space and contributes to strengthening the defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, in keeping with domestic and allied plans. The Romanian minister pleaded, on the other hand, for further European support to the Republic of Moldova, in order to strengthen its resilience in the face of current threats, including through the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova, an initiative launched by Romania, Germany and France.

PARLIAMENT – Romanian senators and deputies on Monday started the second ordinary parliamentary session of the year, which focuses on the special pensions bill and other projects needed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Moreover, a package of fiscal measures that is being discussed at present in the ruling coalition and for which PM Marcel Ciolacu will take responsibility in Parliament, is expected.

LAWS – The National Liberal Party, part of the ruling coalition in Romania, decided by vote to support the Government’s taking responsibility in Parliament for the legislative package of fiscal-budgetary measures. The Liberal leader, Nicolae Ciucă, said however that there are three important conditions that his party will not give up, namely: reducing public spending, tackling fiscal evasion and promoting fiscal measures. Ciucă also referred to other measures that the Liberals want to be adopted by the Executive, such as maintaining the single tax rate.

MEETING — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, will receive, on Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, on the occasion of his visit to Cincu (centre), at the invitation of the Romanian side, the Presidential Administration has informed. The two officials will have political consultations and will visit together the troops stationed at the Getica National Joint Training Center in Cincu. They will address the soldiers from Luxembourg who are part of the NATO battle group in Romania. President Iohannis and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel will discuss about the consolidation of the deterrence posture on NATO’s Eastern Flank, the continuation of the multidimensional support offered to Ukraine, as well as about the support for vulnerable partners in the region, with an emphasis on the Republic of Moldova, a country seriously affected by the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

CREVEDIA – Another patient injured in the explosions that took place in Crevedia (south of Bucharest) died Monday morning, the Romanian Health Ministry announced. According to the source, the man had burns on 95% of his body. This is the fourth person to die after the Crevedia explosions. One person severely injured, treated in a Bucharest and another five people who had been transferred abroad for medical care are intubated and their condition is critical.

OLYMPIAD – Romanian students won three silver and one bronze medal at the International Informatics Olympiad. The Society for Excellence and Performance in Informatics has announced that the awards ceremony of the 35th edition of the Olympiad took place in Szeged, in neighboring Hungary, attended by over 300 competitors from 90 countries. Romania remains in second place in the world ranking of awards obtained over time at the International Informatics Olympiad, with 127 medals: 33 gold, 58 silver and 36 bronze, together with Poland, after China, which ranks first. (EE)