May 23, 2015 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 23.05.2015, 14:31
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu will travel to Doha, Qatar, on Sunday 24 May on the occasion of the 24th EU-Gulf Cooperation Council Joint Council and Ministerial meeting. The meeting is co-chaired by the EI High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini and Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah, Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs. The meeting focuses on the latest evolutions in the extended Middle East area and the fight against terrorism, the Islamic State organisation included. Bogdan Aurescu will present Romanias stand as regards the regional evolutions with an emphasis on the situation in Iraq and Syria and the fight against terrorism. The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf often referred to as the GCC, is a regional organisation, with six members: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Set up in 1981, its objectives are to enhance coordination, integration and inter-connection among its members. The EU established bilateral relations with the GCC countries through the 1988 Cooperation Agreement, providing for the development of closer cooperation on issues such as energy, transport, research and innovation, and the economy.
Sunday is a decisive day for Poland as the second round of the presidential election is held. According to the latest pinion polls, the Conservative candidate Andrzej Duda has a slight advantage over the Liberal Bronislaw Komorowski. The later sees Polands NATO and EU membership as a guarantee for security and prosperity, while Duda promises to focus mostly on Polands national interests. Presidential prerogatives are relatively limited in Poland, and analysts say tomorrows election is a prelude for the legislative election this fall, with the same two competitors, namely, the Conservatives with the Law and Order Party, headed by the former prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, supporting Duda, and the Liberals with the Civic Platform, represented by Komorowsky.
Over 140 thousand Roman-Catholic believers went on Saturday to the Sumuleu Ciuc Mountain, in central Romania, to celebrate the Pentecost, the most extensive pilgrimage in Central and Eastern Europe. Among them was the president of Hungary, Áder János, on a private visit. The event had a special significance this year, as it marked the anniversary of 500 years since the wooden icon of Virgin Mary, believed to be miracle worker, was sculpted. The religious ceremony was attended by a large number of believers from Romania and abroad. In its turn, the Orthodox Church will celebrate the Pentecost at the end of this month.
Romania and the Republic of Moldova are preparing the setting up of a joint peace keeping battalion in the near future. According to the Foreign Ministry in Chisinau, the project has been agreed on during recent talks between the Romanian Defence Minister Micea Dusa and the Moldovan Defence Minister Viorel Ciubotaru. The Republic of Moldova sees Romania as a strategic partner in the political and military dialogue, reads a release with the Defence Ministry in Chisinau. Romania, a NATO member, and Moldova, defined by its constitution as a neutral state, have repeatedly voiced their concern at the situation in the neighbouring Ukraine, faced with the armed rebellion of the pro-Russian secessionists.
Five Romanian tennis players are in the singles main draw at Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. World no. 3 Simona Halep will face the Russian player Evgeniya Rodina, ranked 91st, in the first round in Paris. Last year, Halep lost to worlds no. 2 Maria Sharapova in the final. World no. 31 Irina Begu will take on the American player Bethanie Mattek-Sands (ranked 164), while Alexandra Dulgheru will face another American player, Nicole Gibbs (no. 97). Monica Niculescu, currently ranked 69th, meets world no. 8 Carla Suraez Navarro of Spain, and Andreea Mitu, no. 99 in the world, faces Alize Lim of France (ranked 285).
