EUROPEAN COUNCIL – Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday
\nwill attend the European Council meeting in Brussels devoted to Brexit.
\nAccording to the presidency, heads of state and government will discuss in the
\nEU27 format the latest developments in the Brexit file, as well as Theresa
\nMay’s latest request for a new deadline. European Council President Donald Tusk
\nsaid the EU might extend the deadline for Brexit, provided the British
\nParliament ratifies the agreement with the EU. <\/p>\n
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CAMPAIGN – The Government supports Romanians worldwide to help them
\nunderstand their rights and obligations, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said
\nTuesday at the launch of the third edition of the national campaign
\nInformation at home! Safety everywhere!. The campaign addresses Romanians who
\nstudy, work and live abroad. The program is run in every city and will help
\npresent the most important elements of legislation of countries of destination,
\nregarding work conditions and consular assistance services, the Prime Minister
\nsaid. According to Viorica Dancila, the campaign also comprises information
\nprogrammes the Government is currently running, such as Diaspora start-up,
\nStart-up Nation, Homecoming bonuses. Launched in 2017 in three counties and
\nextended last year at national level, the campaign has proved very efficient, Prime
\nMinister Dancila added. Official data points to a drop in the number of victims
\nof human trafficking, as a result of the effort to inform citizens over the
\nrisks they expose themselves to when working as seasonal or illegal workers
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ACCUSATIONS – Romania’s Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar on
\nTuesday dismissed public accusations claiming he denied parole to several
\nanti-communists dissidents during his time as a member on the Parole Committee
\nof the prison in Aiud. Lazar said he did not handle cases investigating crimes
\nagainst the communist regime. He added he is not an officer, agent or informer
\nof intelligence services. The attacks were launched to coincide with my
\ncandidacy for a new mandate of prosecutor general, Augustin Lazar went on to
\nsay. <\/p>\n
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CITIZEN INITIATIVE – Romania’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday
\nruled that the citizen initiative to revise the Constitution, under which
\npeople who receive final sentences should no longer be allowed to occupy public
\npositions, is in line with the fundamental law. The initiative was signed by approximately
\n1 million people and will be submitted to Parliament for debate and vote. To
\nmodify the Constitution, a referendum must be staged and meet the required
\nquorum, whereas the citizen initiative must pass in Parliament. <\/p>\n
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DIGITIZATION – Romania supports development and innovation in the
\nfield of agriculture and culture, and women’s participation in digital economy,
\nRomanian Minister of Communications, Alexandru Petrescu said on Tuesday at the
\nthird edition of the Digital Day. The event is organized in Brussels by the
\nEuropean Commission. Minister Petrescu has said that the signing, on Tuesday,
\nof joint declarations on the digitization of agriculture and of the cultural
\nheritage and also opportunities for women to make a career in the digital
\nsector are important topics on the agenda of the Romanian Presidency of the
\nCouncil of the EU.<\/p>\n
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DRILL – Sea Shield 2019, a military drill involving the
\nparticipation of more than two thousand servicemen from six countries, is
\nunderway in Constanta, Romania’s main Black Sea port. Participants will be
\ntraining in order to be able to respond to various types of attacks, coming
\nfrom submarines, battleships or warplanes in the Black Sea. According to
\nVice-admiral Alexandru M\u00eer\u015fu, the Romanian Navy Chief of Staff, the structure
\ncoordinating the exercise, the drill’s scenario is a fictional one being by no
\nmeans provocative. NATO has beefed up its presence in the Black Sea from 80 to
\n120 days per year and the NATO Mine Countermeasures Group made up of ships from
\nthe Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania is proof of the
\nAlliance’s commitment to protecting the eastern flank, preventing conflicts and
\nkeeping peace in the region.<\/p>\n
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EXERCISE – Vigorous Warrior 19, the most complex multinational
\nmedical exercise in the history of NATO, continues until Friday in three
\nlocations in Romania, namely, Bucharest, Cincu and Constanta. The purpose of
\nthe exercise is joint training to provide multinational medical support in NATO
\noperations, thus practicing the necessary procedures to provide continuous
\nmedical care, strategic medical evacuation, increasing the level of training
\nand response to a possible chemical, biological or improvised device incidents.
\nThe exercise, organized by Romanian Defense Ministry in collaboration with the
\nMedical Department of the National Defense Ministry and the NATO Center of
\nExcellence for Military Medicine, is attended by representatives from 38
\ncountries, most of them NATO members. <\/p>\n
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IMF – The IMF has downgraded its economic growth forecast for
\nRomania this year to 3.1% and to 3% for 2020, also estimating an increase in
\nthe inflation rate and the current account deficit. As regards consumer prices, the IMF estimate
\nhas gone up for 2019, to an annual inflation rate of 3.3% as compared to the
\nprevious 2.7% estimate. The inflation rate is expected to stand at 3% in 2020. The
\nIMF also downgraded its estimate regarding Romania’s current account deficit to
\n5.2% as compared to the original estimate of 3.4%. The IMF has also downgraded
\nits global economic forecast to 3.3% this year. <\/p>\n
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MEDALS – Romanian athletes Loredana Toma and Irina Lepsa on Tuesday
\nwon six medals, three gold, two silver and one bronze in the 64-kg category at
\nthe European Weightlifting Championships in Batumi, Gerogia. Romania has so far
\ngrabbed 12 medals in this year’s edition, of which six gold, two silver and
\nfour bronze. 14 Romanian athletes are taking part in the championships, which
\ncounts as a preliminary qualifying stage for the Tokyo Olympics next year. <\/p>\n
(translated by V. Palcu)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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