DEFICIT In the first 8 months of the year Romania’s trade balance
\ndeficit deepened by nearly EUR 7.4 billion, to EUR 22 billion. According to data
\nmade public by the National Statistics Institute on Monday, exports went up
\n25%, to EUR 60.3 billion, and imports rose by 31%, to roughly EUR 83 billion.
\nVehicles and transport equipment, as well as other manufactured products,
\naccounted for a large part of Romania’s foreign trade. Over 70% of the total
\nimports and exports involved the EU market. <\/p>\n
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PILGRIMAGE
\nThe north-eastern Romanian city of Ia\u015fi is hosting these days a traditional
\npilgrimage devoted to St. Paraskeva, commemorated on the 14 October and viewed
\nas the patron saint of Moldavia. Thousands of Orthodox believers from around
\nthe country and from abroad have already come to pray at St. Paraskeva’s relics,
\nhosted by the Metropolitan Cathedral. The Ia\u0219i pilgrimage is the largest
\nOrthodox pilgrimage in the country, with around 300,000 people expected to
\nattend this year. <\/p>\n
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REFUGEES Romania is better prepared to
\nreceive Ukrainian refugees, although there is no indication that their number
\nmay increase, the state secretary with the interior ministry Raed Arafat
\nsaid in Suceava, north-eastern Romania. On Sunday the Romanian official
\ntravelled to the Suceava hub for a donation ceremony also attended by the
\nFrench ambassador to Bucharest, Laurence Auer, and the Ukrainian ambassador in
\nRomania, Ihor Prokopchuk. Fifteen fire engines and ambulances were brought to
\nthe hub by 40 members of the French civil protection agency, and further
\nmaterials will reach Suceava in a few days. The largest French aid batch for
\nUkraine, consisting in over 1 tonne of pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs and
\nintervention vehicles, has reached the Black Sea port of Constan\u0163a Sud-Agigea. <\/p>\n
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\n
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UKRAINE
\nSeveral blasts were reported this
\nmorning in the Ukrainian capital city and in Lviv, Ternopil and Dnipro. The
\nRomanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu announced that Romanian diplomatic
\nstaff in Kyiv is safe, although a missile hit 850m from the Romanian embassy
\noffice. The Romanian official firmly condemns Russian missile strikes on
\ncivilian targets in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities as a blatant violation of
\ninternational human rights law. Meanwhile, Russia’s Security Council convenes today at president
\nVladimir Putin’s request, after Saturday’s
\npartial destruction of the Kerch bridge connecting Russia to Crimea. According
\nto Putin, this was a terrorist act committed by Ukraine. The Ukrainian
\nauthorities neither confirmed nor denied their involvement in the incident. In
\nWashington, the White House declined comments on the topic and mentioned it
\nwould continue to supply weapons to Ukraine. Also today, the UN is holding an
\nemergency session to discuss Russia’s recent annexation of 4 other Ukrainian
\nprovinces. Radio Romania’s correspondent in the US mentions that the UN General
\nAssembly condemned the annexation of Crimea in 2014. <\/p>\n
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AIRPORT As of today, the Bucharest Otopeni Airport is upgrading its baggage
\nhandling systems at the Departures terminal, the Bucharest National Airport
\nCompany has announced. Until next August, the number of check-in counters will
\nbe significantly reduced, and waiting time will be longer. The current baggage
\nhandling system is more than 20 years old, and its replacement requires an over
\nEUR 20 million investment. After the works, the processing capacity will be 40%
\nhigher, and 12 counters for passengers to drop off their own baggage without
\nresorting to a check-in counter will also be available, the Company announced.<\/p>\n
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VETERINARY EU experts are assessing these days the veterinary services
\nat the border check points Stamora Moravi\u0163a, in Timi\u015f County, on the border
\nwith Serbia, and at the Bucharest Henri Coand\u0103 Airport, the National Veterinary
\nand Food Safety Agency announced. The assessment comes in the context of
\nRomania’s prospective Schengen area accession. The Czech presidency of the EU
\nCouncil announced last week that in the December summit it will seek a
\nunanimous decision on Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to the passport-free
\ntravel area. <\/p>\n
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\n
\nSPORTS The Romanian team CSM Bucharest defeated
\nthe Dutch side Odense Handbold, 31-27 (16-13), on Sunday, away from home, in
\nGroup A of the women’s handball Champions’ League. Undefeated in 4 matches, the
\nRomanian team is to play next at home on 16 October, against DHK Banik Most. In
\nturn, CS Rapid Bucharest won 34-32 (19-14) against the Danish team Team
\nEsbjerg, in a home game on Sunday in Group B of the same competition. This was
\nthe 3rd win for the Romanian champions in the competition. Rapid will
\nplay next against Buducnost Podgorica, away from home, on 15 October. (AMP)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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