April 2, 2016 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 02.04.2016, 12:15

NUCLEAR SECURITY The
over 50 world leaders who attended the nuclear security summit in Washington
reiterated the responsibility to maintain the security of nuclear installations
and radioactive materials against the background of a constant threat posed by
terrorism, as shown in the declaration issued at the end of the summit. In a
press release, president Klaus Iohannis, who represented Romania at the summit,
talked about a few of the commitments made by Bucharest, such as consolidating
the national nuclear forensics and
improving the transportation of nuclear and radioactive materials by
implementing a pilot system for tracking the circulation of radioactive
sources. The president stressed the fact that Romania was in the first ranks of
the countries that own the entire nuclear fuel cycle and gave assurances that
it would continue to abide by its commitments and standards. After the summit,
president Iohannis had a meeting with representatives of the Romanians living
in Washington.

ANTI-POVERTY The Romanian
Government will use European funds to combat poverty. Thus, several measures
from the anti-poverty package launched by the government will be taken in 2016
– 2017, through funds that the European Funds Ministry will present soon. One
of the measures is launching the applicant’s guide for the Human Capital Operational
Programme, which includes a project for unemployed youth, measures for children
and families, the ‘no child without identity’ project and urban
entrepreneurship. The ‘School after school’ program is part of the Package of
47 anti-poverty measures. The pilot project is an opportunity for the
underprivileged groups to carry on their education in a free after – school
system. Moreover, poor children in rural areas benefit from hot meals.

PROTEST In Romania, family doctors
will continue their protests on Monday. They say they will not issue any
subsidized prescriptions or medical letters, a form of protest they also used
on Friday. The doctors are discontent with the fact that the framework
agreement for 2016 has not been signed yet and the primary care system is under
financed. They have warned that, unless their claims are met, a warning strike
will be staged within 10 days. Last week, doctors picketed the headquarters of
the Health Ministry.

CONSTANTA PORT The Romanian Black Sea port
of Constanta ranks first in the international classification of cruise
destinations in the Black Sea, presented at the 30th Cruise
Operators’ Conference, held in Florida. Both in terms of passengers number and
the number of vessels arriving, the port of Constanta ranked first, for the
second year in a row, before the ports of Soci, in the Russian Federation, and
Burgas in Bulgaria. According to statistics, in 2015 the port of Constanta was
transited by 31,856 passengers.

BRUSSELS Zaventem airport,
the largest in Brussels, might be opened partially on Sunday, two
weeks after the attacks that claimed dozens of victims and destroyed the
departure halls. Flights can now be resumed, after airport police unions
reached an agreement with the Government to enhance security. Over 23 million people
transit Zaventem every year. The airport is still closed after the March 22nd attacks and this causes losses of 5 million Euros every day.

HANDBALL Romania’s
vice-champion HCM Baia Mare was defeated on Saturday, on home turf, by Buducnost Podgorita of Montenegro, in the
quarter finals of the women’s’ handball Champions League. The return game is
scheduled for April 10th. The other Romanian team participating in
the competition, Romania’s champion CSM Bucharest, defeated on Thursday, 26-25,
the Russian squad Rostov Don. The return game is due in Russia on April 9th.
CSM is coached by a Danish and this is its first participation in the most
important inter-club competition in Europe.

VOLLEYBALL The
Romanian women’s volleyball team, CSM Bucharest, will play against the Turkish
squad Trabzon Idman Ocagi on Sunday, in the second leg of the Challenge Cup
finals. On Wednesday, the Romanians won 3-1 in the first leg, so they only need
two sets to win the trophy, which would be a first in the history of Romanian
volleyball. In the last but one act of the competition, CSM, coached by an
Italian, defeated another Turkish team, Bursa BBSK, the current holder of the
trophy. It is for the first time that a Romanian volleyball team plays in a
European cup’s finals.