July 11, 2017
Romanian PM talks to high EU officials in Brussels; Romanian Foreign Minister attends informal OSCE meeting
Ştefan Stoica, 11.07.2017, 13:57
BRUSSELS — Romanian Social Democratic Prime Minister Mihai Tudose is in Brussels today, on his first official visit abroad. He meets the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, the president and vice-president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Junker and Frans Timmermans, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, and the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani. The head of the Romanian government will assure EU officials that his country is a reliable partner, living up to its commitments. Tudose will also present the priorities of his government, especially economic ones, Romanias stance on the future of the EU, the stage of preparation for taking over the presidency of the European Council in 2019, and ways to improve absorption of European funding.
OSCE — Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu takes part today in Austria in the informal meeting of OSCE member state foreign ministers. The agenda includes topics related to European security, fulfilling the commitments made by member states in military, political, economic, environmental, and human resource areas. Participants will also discuss OSCE plans for preventing violent extremism, the crisis in Ukraine, and frozen conflicts, especially the one in Transdnestr, the separatist region the east of the Republic of Moldova.
MILITARY — The biggest military exercise in Romanias region, Saber Guardian 2017, has begun, to end on July 20th. Participating are 25,000 troops from 23 NATO and partner countries. The exercise will take place in Romania, Bulgaria, and, for the first time in the Black Sea region, Hungary. In Romania, drills take place in 20 locations. Simulations will be held for rapid deployment accompanied by tanks and armor, with air support. There will be live fire exercises, waterway crossings, as well as medical evacuations and treatment. The exercise begins on the 20th anniversary of the signing by President Clinton in Bucharest of the strategic partnership between the US and Romania.
TENNIS — Romanias best tennis player, Simona Halep, number two in the world, plays today in the semi-finals of the Wimbledon tournament against British player Johanna Konta, ranked seventh in the world. Halep qualified by defeating Viktoria Azarenka of Belarus, who used to hold the top position in the world. If she wins, she will take over the top position in the WTA, since German player Angelique Gerber has been eliminated. Also in the eighth finals, this time in the doubles, the Romanian-Taiwanese pair Monica Niculescu/ Chan Hao-Ching defeated the Brazilian-Croatian pair Beatriz Haddad Maia/ Ana Konjuh, and will face in the quarter finals the US- Czech pair Cici Bellis- Marketa Vondrousova.
EDUCATION — In Romania, the bill on dual education was sent back to Parliament by President Klaus Iohannis. The bill was introduced by economic operators as potential employers and partners in education. According to the head of state, the law in its present form will have negative effects on the quality of education. The National Liberal Party, in the opposition, saluted the presidents decision, while the government said that they want to submit for public debate by autumn this form of education.
