October 19, 2018

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 19.10.2018, 13:27

TOUR
Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila’s Middle East tour continues with a
visit to Kuwait. Earlier in the United Arab Emirates, the head of the Executive
in Bucharest held talks with local officials and business people whom she
encouraged to invest in Romania. Dancila and her counterpart Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum have signed a joint statement in Abu Dhabi on setting up an
economic strategic partnership. Trade, investment, agriculture, tourism,
research and innovation are the priority domains the business environments of
the two countries will cooperate on. Prime Minister Dancila has also met
representatives of the Chambers of Trade and Industry from the United Arab
Emirates as well as the Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs Ahmed Al Jaber.
The Romanian official presented legislative facilities the authorities in
Bucharest implemented in order to build an attractive business environment.

VISIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is today attending the 12th
Asia-Europe Summit (ASEM) in Brussels. EU leaders are trying to strengthen
their ties with Asian countries and Russia in order to support free trade and
fight climate change as opposed to the isolationist policy of US president
Donald Trump. The 28 heads of state and government from Europe are to be joined
by more than 20 Asian leaders, including premiers from China, Japan and Russia.
High on the meeting’s agenda is connectivity at all levels: political,
economic, cultural, digital, institutional and inter-human. The Asia-Europe
meeting was set up in 1996 as a forum of dialogue and cooperation between the
two continents. The summit is staged every other year, alternatively in Asia
and Europe.

CESAER Leaders of Europe’s top universities are today having talks in
Bucharest on the future of science and technology in the presence of the
European Commissioner for Regional Development Corina Cretu. The Polytechnics
University in Bucharest is presently hosting the 31st edition of the
CESAER General Assembly the most important association at European level
representing universities specialized in science and technology. The event is
being attended by representatives of 50 universities as well as by leading
figures from the world of research and higher technical education. The CESAER
General Assembly has been staged in Romania for the first time to celebrate 200
years since the foundation of the Polytechnics University in Bucharest.

HANDBALL Serbian Dragan Djukic has been
appointed headcoach of the Romanian women’s handball champions CSM Bucharest.
Djukic 56, who is replacing Swedish Magnus Johansson, has also trained Pick
Szeged of Hungary, Vardar Skopje of Macedonia, Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel as
well as the national teams of Montenegro, Israel, Great Britain, Switzerland,
Macedonia or Jordan. The Serbian technician has also coached Romanian side HC
Odorhei. CSM’s first game under his guidance will be against Norwegian side
Vipers Kristiansand in the Champions League group D. The Romanians have so far
clinched a home win against Hungarian squad Ferencvaros but lost their away game
against German side Bietigheim.

COMMISSION The Venice Commission is today approving the final opinion on the
amendments to the Justice Laws in Romania this year, tanking into account the
emergency ordinance recently adopted by the government in Bucharest. The
debates today are also being attended by the president of the special
Parliament Committee for Justice Laws with the Romanian Parliament, Social-Democrat
Florin Iordache. In a preliminary report this summer, the Venice Commission pointed
out that the amendments to the three justice laws promoted by the PSD-ALDE
government coalition would undermine the independence of the judges and
prosecutors at the same time eroding the Romanians’ trust in the country’s
legal system. The Commission has made a series of recommendations including one
according to which the president and the Higher Council of Magistracy should
keep their role in the appointment and sacking of higher prosecutors and
delaying regulations concerning the retiring magistrates. Field Minister
Tudorel Toader said the latest ordinance had been adjusted in keeping with the
Venice Commission recommendations.

(translated by bill)