Brexit. The framework of the
\nEuropean Union’s future relations with the UK is again being discussed today in
\nBrussels. The EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier is to present the stage of
\ntalks on the UK’s withdrawal from the community bloc. The talks with the
\nEuropean relevant ministers, including Romania’s Victor Negrescu, will focus on
\nthe progress of talks, aspects related to the border between Ireland and
\nNorthern Ireland and the framework of the future relationship with the UK. Ahead
\nof the meeting in Brussels, Victor Negrescu said Romania, which will hold the
\nEU Council presidency when Brexit is due to happen, on March 30 next year, is
\nprepared for the failure of talks with the UK on the withdrawal agreement. The main
\ngoal remains however the protection of the rights of the European citizens
\nliving in the UK, the Romanian official also said. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
New entity. The Sovereign Development and Investment Fund will be
\nestablished by government order, with the Constitutional Court saying this is
\nnot possible through law, says finance minister Eugen Teodorovici. The Court
\ndebated on Wednesday three objections raised independently by the president and
\nthe opposition and accepted the point that the creation of the Fund falls
\nwithin the government’s, not Parliament’s, powers. The law provided that 33
\ncompanies in which the Romanian state is a share-holder will become part of the
\nSovereign Development and Investment Fund, whose registered capital is to amount
\nto around 2 billion euros. The Social Democratic Party, the senior member of
\nthe ruling coalition, says the Fund is an instrument that can help boost large
\ninfrastructure projects, investments in agriculture, Romania’s
\nindustrialisation and the creation of new jobs. The opposition, however, views
\nit as a means of facilitating corruption. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Rome camp. The undersecretary of state in the
\nministry for Romanians abroad Victor Ionescu and MP and representative of the
\ncommittee for human rights, religious affairs and national minorities Florin
\nManole were on a working trip to Italy this week to discuss with Romanian
\ncitizens of Roma ethnicity. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the
\ndelegation had talks with residents of Camping River, a camp on the outskirts
\nof Rome, who presented their difficult situation. Their camp is about to be
\ndismantled, which means they should be relocated. The Romanian officials met
\nItalian authorities to find ways to cooperate and provide support. The Italian
\nside emphasised the need to follow the legal procedures in respect of the land on
\nwhich the camp is located and provide financial support to rent another space
\nfor relocation or for repatriation. The Romanian undersecretary of state also
\ntravelled to Naples, Bari and Catania, and his talks with the Italian local
\nofficials, police and social assistance services highlighted the good
\nintegration of the Roma communities. There are jobs for the Roma in Romania,
\nsaid Victor Ionescu, and an information campaign in this respect can be carried out
\nand also expanded abroad with the help of the foreign ministry, Romanian
\nassociations and Romanian parishes. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Migrants. Ten Pakistani and Indian migrants trying to enter Romania
\nillegally were found by the border police in Botosani county, north-eastern
\nRomania. They were travelling on foot and did not carry identity papers. The
\nborder police have established that they were trying to cross the border into
\nRomania illegally in order to reach a Schengen area country. The ten persons
\nwere handed over to the Ukrainian authorities for further inquiries, based on a
\nreadmission agreement between Romania and Ukraine. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Moldova. The
\nexistence of the separatist region of Transnistria and the presence of the Russian troops in this
\narea are the biggest risks and threats for the Republic of Moldova, according
\nto this country’s National Defence Strategy approved by the Moldovan
\nParliament. The document also includes the conflict in the east of the
\nneighbouring Ukraine and foreign propaganda. Voted by the pro-European parties,
\nthe Strategy has been met with criticism by the pro-Russian Socialist MPs, who
\nview it as being against Moscow. Transnistria de facto broke away with
\nChisinau in 1992 after an armed conflict that killed hundreds of people and that
\nended with the intervention of the Russian troops who sided with the
\nseparatists. Moscow is still to fulfil a commitment taken in 1999 to withdraw
\nits troops from Transnistria, despite repeated calls from the United Nations,
\nNATO and the OSCE. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Festival. Electric Castle Festival
\nis under way in Bon\u0163ida, Cluj county, western Romania until Sunday. The festival
\nis hosted by Bonffy Castle, one of the most beautiful baroque structures in
\nRomania. Tens of Romanian and international acts are performing on the
\nfestival’s nine different stages. Organisers hope to attract more than 135,000
\npeople. They also say that this year they have adopted a zero tolerance policy against
\nviolence and that they plan to recycle all the waste generated. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Water polo. The
\nRomanian men’s water polo side today face Russia in their final Group D match
\nat the European Championships in Barcelona. In their previous two matches,
\nRomania defeated Slovakia 9-5 and lost to defending champions Serbia 5-11. The
\ncontinent’s best 16 sides are taking part in the competition. At the previous
\nedition two years ago, Romania finished tenth. Their highest ranking in the
\nEuropean competition is the fourth place in 1993 and again in 2006.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A roundup of some of the main stories in Romania today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":75903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-102895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsflash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n