January 31, 2018
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Newsroom, 31.01.2018, 13:58
TALKS Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is having talks with European leaders in Brussels today on preparations for Romania’s taking over the rotating EU Council’s presidency in the first half of 2019. The Romanian president will be having talks with the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, during which he is going to underline Romania’s firm commitment to contributing to the consolidation of the European project. The Romanian official is expected to explain that the Romanian EU presidency will have a balanced and objective approach in the interest of the Union and the member states to contribute to the advancement of the European integration process. A major topic to be discussed in Brussels today is the situation created by the amendments to the justice laws and the anti-graft fight. The European Commission has recently made an appeal to Parliament in Bucharest to reconsider the amendments to these laws at the same time offering its support to the authorities in Bucharest. The Commission has also cautioned about the danger of backsliding concerning the justice laws, Criminal Codes and the laws on the conflict of interests and corruption. President Iohannis’ agenda also includes talks with the European Council president, Donald Tusk on the agenda of the informal session of the European Council on February 23rd, where heads of state and government are to debate upon the political priorities of the EU long-term budget.
DEFENCE Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor has today held talks in Bucharest with his Georgian counterpart Levan Izoria. High on the agenda were bilateral military cooperation and new prospects of stepping up dialogue in the field. Fifor has reconfirmed Romania’s firm commitment to supporting Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic progress. He underlined that Bucharest would continue to actively support the process of reforming and streamlining Georgia’s armed forces with a view to boosting the defence system and interoperability with the allied countries. At the same time, Fifor has hailed Georgia’s decision to join NATO’s mission Resolute Support, the Alliance’s most significant operational effort in Afghanistan. The two ministers have agreed upon a process of periodical consultations with a view to identifying new cooperation projects in the field of defence given the latest security developments in the Black Sea region.
SESSION Romania’s new government headed by Social-Democrat Viorica Dancila has today convened in its first session to correct a controversial fiscal measure. At the investiture vote in Parliament, Viorica Dancila said that the objective of her mandate is for Romania to be in the first half in the ranking of the EU economies in 2020. The Romanian official also takes into account measures to increase investments with a view to streamlining the infrastructure, to raise the people’s income, a reformed administration as well as reduced bureaucracy. The new cabinet is made up of 28 members including four deputy Prime Ministers as compared to only three of the previous cabinet.
ADDRESS In the State of the Union Address on Wednesday the US president Donald Trump said that the era of Americas “economic surrender” is over and the US is seeking to enter into new trade agreements with nations that commit to fair and reciprocal trade. The White House leader added that one of the pillars of reform in the field of immigration is to end the visa lottery — a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of American people. The US President used his first State of the Union address to push for a merit – based immigration system that admits skilled people, who want to work, and who will contribute to society. Trump has called on Congress to support an investment plan of at least 15 hundred billion dollars in the US infrastructure, one of his campaign pledges.
TENNIS Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu (WTA 99) on Wednesday qualified for the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Taipei (Taiwan) with 227 thousand dollars in prize money. The Romanian secured a 6-0, 1-6, 6-4 win against 6th seeded Zarina Diyas of Kazahstan. Niculescu will play German Sabine Lisicki in the quarters. The German challenger clinched a 6-4, 6-1 win against Nao Hibino of Japan. In the same tournament, another Romanian, Ana Bogdan will be up against Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in the round of 16.
translated by Daniel Bilt
