CRIMEA
\n-Romania
\nhas been and will continue to be a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s sovereignty
\nand territorial integrity and is firmly committed to the policy of
\nnon-recognition of Crimea’s illegal annexation by the Russian Federation,
\nRomanian PM Florin Citu said Monday in Kiev, at the opening of the Crimean
\nPlatform Summit. He also said Romania supports Ukraine’s aspiration to become a
\nEU and NATO member. The Romanian official also said that the response to to the
\nchallenges to regional security and stability at the Black Sea is the
\nconsolidation of democracies in this region as well as of cooperation and
\ndialogue. Ukraine convened the international summit
\nto build up pressure on Russia over the annexation of Crimea. 44 countries and
\ninternational organizations are attending, including 14 heads of state,
\ngovernment and EU representatives. Ukrainian officials say that the
\nmilitarization of the peninsula and Moscow’s aggressive policy in the region
\nconcerns all countries in the Black Sea region. Florin Citu met in Kiev with
\nhis Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, occasion on which he reiterated
\nRomania’s availability to boost bilateral cooperation. The Romanian PM also
\nvoiced Bucharest’s wish for the rights of the Romanian minority in Ukraine to
\nbe respected. The Romanian official also discussed with the US Energy
\nSecretary, Jennifer Granholm, about the partnership for nuclear projects and
\nRomania’s commitment to cooperate in energy-related matters. <\/p>\n
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CORONAVIRUS – 415 new cases of Covid-19 infection have
\nbeen reported in the last 24 hours out of 15,000 tests performed, the Strategic
\nCommunication Group announced. Most cases were reported in the capital
\nBucharest – 56, and in the counties of Cluj – 50, Ilfov – 33 and Constanta -
\n23. Also, 13 related deaths were reported. Since the onset of the pandemic,
\nalmost 34,500 people infected with the novel coronavirus have died. Romania
\ncontinues to be in the green zone, but the number of infections is on the rise.
\nSome 1,378 people are treated in hospital of whom 193 in ICUs. At national
\nlevel, the vaccination rate remains low. Over 5 million people in Romania have
\ncompleted the full vaccination scheme. <\/p>\n
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AUGUST 23 – President Klaus Iohannis on Monday conveyed a message
\nmarking Black Ribbon Day, also known as the Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for
\nthe victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. The president said
\nthe infamous Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, signed on August 23, 1939, marked the
\nbeginning of Europe’s tragedy, a milestone that paved the way for a string of
\ndeadly abuses, tearing apart territories by dividing Central and Eastern Europe
\ninto spheres of influence. The so-called non-aggression pact shattered the
\nhopes and ideals of European nations, triggering the Second World War, with
\ndevastating consequences for mankind, the president’s message reads. Klaus
\nIohannis also referred to King Michael I’s act of courage, on August 23, 1944,
\nwhen he broke ties with Nazi Germany, supported by the Romanian Army. Let us
\nkeep in mind the lesson of that great moment of political prowess as a symbol
\nof vertical thinking, unity and morality, the president said. The European
\nParliament in 2008 designated August 23 as a Europe-wide day of Remembrance for
\nthe victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. In 2011, the
\nRomanian Parliament designated August 23 the Day of Remembrance of the Victims
\nof Fascism and Communism. <\/p>\n
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US-ROMANIA RELATIONS – Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuc\u0103 and the head of
\ngeneral staff, General Daniel Petrescu, on Sunday met with a delegation of the
\nUS Congress, discussing security in the Black Sea region and major investment
\nprojects aimed at consolidating military infrastructure in Romania. The US
\ndelegation was led by Senator Richard Shelby, the head of the US Senate
\nCommittee on Appropriations. According to a Defense Ministry release, talks
\nfocused on hot topics on the security and defense agenda and elements
\npertaining to US-Romanian cooperation, at bilateral level as well as at NATO
\nlevel. Minister Nicolae Ciuc\u0103 said the American military presence on Romanian
\nsoil is evidence of the USA’s firm commitment to ensuring security and
\nstability, reiterating the importance of consolidating this presence. <\/p>\n
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FESTIVAL – 27 events were scheduled for Monday on the sidelines of the
\nInternational Theatre Festival in Sibiu. The Play Stock Exchange opened its
\ndoors on Monday in Sibiu, titled Outdoor performing arts: purpose and
\nrelevance at local, national and international level. Over 100 performances
\nand events have brought together thousands of spectators from across the world
\nduring the first three days of the festival. Performances were held on outdoor
\nstages, as well as online. The 28th edition of the Festival runs
\nuntil August 29 under the slogan Building hope together. Over 2,000 artists
\nfrom 38 countries are attending the festival, the biggest such event in Romania
\nand one of the most important of its kind in Europe. <\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A roundup of domestic and international news<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":105208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-105312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsflash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n