Covid-19 update. <\/strong>The Romanian government has extended the state of alert
<\/p>\n
Cooperation. <\/strong>The Romanian Minister of
<\/p>\n
B9.<\/strong> We cannot accept the threat of the use of
<\/p>\n
Protest. <\/strong>Trade unions in the metallurgical industry on Friday
<\/p>\n
EU
<\/p>\n
Rugby.<\/strong> Romania’s national rugby team will make its debut on
<\/p>\n
Winter
<\/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":[36541,33260,35374,29120,28965,33115],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-105674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsflash","tag-alexandru-rafila","tag-b9","tag-covid-19","tag-eu","tag-rugby-europe-championship","tag-winter-olympics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nby a further 30 days from 7th February. A number of measures will remain in
\nplace, including the mandatory wearing of face masks in all indoor and outdoor
\nareas. The government also adopted the rule according to which the validity of
\nthe Covid certificate for entering Romania is nine months without the booster
\nshot. Otherwise, a negative Covid test result or proof of recovery from
\ninfection are needed. The deadline for filling in the digital form for entering
\nthe country has been extended from 24 to 72 hours. The pilots of the planes
\nflying to and from Romania and the Romanian citizens living on the border and
\nworking in neighbouring countries no longer have to fill in this form. On
\nFriday, Romania reported almost 32,000 new Covid cases and some 100 new related
\nfatalities.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
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\nHealth, Alexandru Rafila, and his Italian counterpart, Roberto Speranza, signed,
\non Friday, in Rome, a memorandum of understanding that provides for the
\ndevelopment of collaboration relations in the field, from public health
\nemergencies, training and intervention, to pandemic management . The signing
\nwas preceded by a visit to the ‘Higher Institute of Health’, where the grounds
\nof a collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health in Romania were
\nlaid. The collaboration is all the more important as there are over 1.2 million
\nRomanian citizens in Italy, a communiqu\u00e9 reads. The Italian authorities have
\nreconfirmed the commitments for the provision of medical assistance to children
\nin Romania who have oncological and cardiac diseases and for the training of
\nRomanian specialists in the field of pediatric cardiovascular surgery.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
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\nforce or outdated concepts such as that referring to the sphere of influence,
\nsaid the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday in Bucharest,
\nspeaking about concerns that Russia’s actions are seeking to undermine the
\nEuropean security architecture. Aurescu hosted a round of talks held in hybrid
\nformat and attended by the Bucharest Nine foreign ministers of the states on
\nthe eastern flank. The talks were also attended by the French foreign minister
\nJean-Yves Le Drian, who was on a trip to Bucharest, and the Ukrainian foreign
\nminister Dmytro Kuleba. Diplomatic actions to defuse the standoff on the
\nRussian-Ukrainian border have also taken place in other capitals in recent
\ndays.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nstaged a rally outside the government building in Bucharest to protest against
\nthe fact that businesses in this sector do not benefit from a cap on energy
\nprices. The government exempted non-household users who already received state
\naid from the cap on electricity and natural gas prices. Trade unions are saying
\nthe move is unfair and are asking the government to cap electricity and natural
\ngas prices to the level of December 2020 for at least another year. The workers
\nat ALRO Slatina also staged a protest yesterday, their management having cut
\nproduction and sent 1,500 workers on furlough.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
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\n
\n
\n
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<\/p>\n
\nsanctions.<\/strong> The European Union
\nhas prepared a robust and comprehensive package of sanctions
\nagainst Russia if it continues its aggression against Ukraine, the European
\nCommission president Ursula von der Leyen told the Handeslblatt and Les Echos
\nnewspapers, according to Reuters. The sanctions include limiting Russia’s
\naccess to foreign capital and exports controls, especially on technical goods,
\nvon der Leyen explained. The controversial North Stream 2 gas pipeline is also
\ntargeted by the package of sanctions, depending on Russia’s
\nbehavior if it is put into operation, she added. Russia, who annexed the
\nCrimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and supports the separatists in eastern
\nUkraine, has massed some 100,000 soldiers near the Ukrainian border, demanding
\nsecurity guarantees from the West, including that Ukraine would not be accepted
\ninto NATO. The Kremlin accused Washington of ignoring its calls for easing the
\ntension as the latter said it would deploy an additional 3,000 troops to Poland
\nand Romania, Reuters also reports.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nSaturday, on home turf, in Bucharest, against Russia, in a new edition of the
\nRugby Europe Championship, the second best continental competition, after the
\nfamous Six Nations tournament. The match is also part of the qualifyiers for
\nthe World Cup to be hosted by France. The teams rank first and second at both
\nthe 2021 and 2022 editions qualify straight
\ninto the final tournament. In the Rugby Europe Championship rankings Georgia is
\nfirst with 23 points, followed by
\nRomania and Portugal with 14 points each. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nOlympics.<\/strong> The 24th edition of
\nthe Winter Olympic Games got under way in Beijing amid concerns about the Covid
\npandemic and a diplomatic boycott from some western countries. Beijing is the
\nfirst city to have hosted both the Summer Games, back in 2008, and the Winter
\nGames. 22 Romanian athletes are taking part in the competitions, in sledding,
\nbobsled, skeleton, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, ski jumping, biathlon
\nand speed skating. On 17th January, following a rise in Covid infections and
\nthe first confirmed case of Omicron in Beijing, the organizers announced
\ntickets would not be sold to the general public and that a limited number of
\nspectators would be admitted based on invitations. The US, Britain and other
\nallied states launched a diplomatic boycott of the Games because of China’s
\nhuman rights situation. Beijing denied, however, the accusations of human rights
\nviolations. At the opening ceremony, against the background of the current
\ntense geopolitical situation, the president of the International Olympic
\nCommittee, Thomas Back, conveyed a strong message to the world: Give peace a
\nchance! (MI)<\/p>\n