The Week in Review, 13-19 May 2018
A roundup of the main developments in Romania this past week
Mihai Pelin, 19.05.2018, 14:06
Romanias President, Klaus Iohannnis, at the Sofia summit
The latest evolutions related to the US decision to withdraw from Iranian nuclear deal have been on the agenda of talks at the informal meeting of the European Council in Sofia, which also hosted the EU-Western Balkans Summit, the first of its kind in the past 15 years. The European perspective of the six countries in the Western Balkans has been confirmed and they have been promised some 10 billion Euro worth of assistance for energy projects and infrastructure investments. Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, has underlined in Sofia the importance of projects in such domains as connectivity, infrastructure, energy and digital networks to enhance the convergence between the EU and the Western Balkans region, also by giving an impetus to macro-regional strategies, such as the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. Romanias President has also recalled that our country will host, in 2019, the Sibiu Summit on the future of Europe and he underlined that a strong and united Union will also serve as a strong anchor for the Western Balkans, in their effort to reform and develop themselves.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrei Plenkovici, on a visit to Bucharest
Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă and her Croatian counterpart, Andrei Plenkovici, signed in Bucharest on Friday a declaration of intent between the two governments on boosting bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and security. Viorica Dăncilă has said that other domains of bilateral cooperation will further be education, agriculture and tourism. In turn, the Croatian PM has hailed the stage of bilateral relations in recent times, which he described as very good, as well as trade exchanges, which exceeded 300 million Euros. The Croatian Prime Minister has also had official talks with president Klaus Iohannis.
The relocation of the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in the focus of attention of the Bucharest authorities
The Romanian Foreign Ministry has taken note of the decision made by the Ramallah authorities to urgently recall the Palestinian ambassador to Bucharest for consultations and underline the need to avoid any actions which might compromise the peace process. The Romanian Foreign Ministry says solid political dialogue is needed and reiterates Romanias principled position, namely a two state solution, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. The Foreign Ministry of the Palestinian Authority has recalled its ambassador to Bucharest in the context in which Romania was one of the countries which blocked the EUs joint declaration on the relocation by the EU member states of their diplomatic missions from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The issue of relocating the embassy has been approached by president Klaus Iohannis and PM Viorica Dăncilă. The head of state has underlined that it is mandatory for Romanias foreign policy to be pursued solely in the interest of the country, and domestic tensions on foreign policy issues should immediately come to an end. In turn, Viorica Dăncilă has said that in her capacity as head of the government, her main responsibility is to implement the governing program, including the chapter devoted to foreign policy. In the same line, the president of the National Liberal Party (in opposition), Ludovic Orban, has filed a criminal complaint against PM Viorica Dăncilă and the leader of the Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, whom he accused of high treason and the disclosure of state secret information, respectively.
New measures to boost investments in the Romanian economy
The Romanian Government is soon to adopt new measures to boost major investments in the Romanian economy, PM Viorica Dăncilă has said. She announced that this year the government aims to increase the level of foreign investments to one billion Euros. Romanias economic growth in the first quarter of the year standing at 4.2%, is the fifth largest in the EU, the double of the community average, deputy PM Viorel Stefan has announced. He explained that the governments intention is to make investments the main engine of development. In another move, larger amounts of money will go to the state budget for investments and better public services, Viorel Ştefan has said.
Sports journalist and commentator Cristian Ţopescu and theatre and film director, Lucian Pintilie, have passed away
Athletes, coaches, sports commentators, actors and common people alike paid their respects to the late Romanian sports commentator Cristian Ţopescu, who passed away on Tuesday, at 81 years of age, in a Bucharest hospital. In his long career in the public television, where he made his debut as a reporter, back in 1967, Cristian Topescu made over 5,000 live transmissions, from the Olympic Games, World and European Championships. In token of appreciation for his activity, he received the “Star of Romania National Order in rank of Knight, and the title of Citizen of Honour of the City of Bucharest.
Another outstanding personality, Romanian theatre and film director Lucian Pintilie, passed away on Wednesday at 84 years of age. During his career, he was praised mainly for his critical view of the world, an exquisite, daring and sarcastic style. He staged anthological shows, such as Cherry Orchard (1967) or Inspector General (1972), forbidden by the communist censorship after the third performance. Lucian Pintilie made memorable films such as The Reconstruction; For Whom the Bell Tolls Mitică, films that were also banned during the communist period. In 1973, he left for Paris, where he continued his career, also staging remarkable shows in Germany, the UK and the US. After the fall of communism, he returned to Romania and made a series of films, among whom The Oak (1992), An Unforgettable Summer (1994) and “Too Late (1996), all of them being included in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival.
(translated by: Diana Vijeu)
