July 16, 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 16.07.2019, 13:47
The Romanian PM Viorica Dancila is presenting today before the European Parliament the main objectives, actions and results of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, in the first half of 2019. Romanias term, the first since its accession to the EU in 2007, focused on cohesion and citizens and was appreciated as a successful one, thanks to the results obtained during that period, including the finalization of 90 legislative files and the organization of the summit in Sibiu, central Romania. Before presenting the report in the European Parliament, Viorica Dancila will have talks with the new president of the European Parliament, the Italian David Maria Sassoli.
Ursula von der Leyen has pledged before the European Parliament to launch a green deal for Europe to curb climate change if she is voted President of the future European Commission. Before the voting, she told the European Commissioners she would like Europe to become the first carbon neutral continent by 2050. To reach that goal, Ursula von der Leyen has stated she will propose a sustainable investment plan and to turn parts of the European Investment Bank into a climate bank. Also, she has stated that if she is endorsed as president of the European Commission, she stands ready for a further extension of the UK withdrawal date, should more time be required for a good reason. Ursula von der Leyen is trying to get today the endorsement of the European Parliament to become the first woman president of the European Commission, and the second German to take this office since the setting up of the institution, back in 1957. Her term would start on November 1st.
Alongside another 11 NATO member countries, Romania is taking part in the international military exercise Breeze 2019, unfolding until July 21st in the Black Sea, in the territorial waters of Bulgaria. Participating are some 2,000 military staff from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, France, Italy, Poland, Romania, the US and Turkey. The main objective of the exercise is to increase interoperability and interaction between the naval forces of the participating countries. A maritime security operation will be simulated during the exercise. There are 26 battle and auxiliary ships participating in the drills, as well as 10 planes and helicopters, the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 and the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group. Representatives of various institutions, NGOs and state-owned organisations are also participating in the exercise.
The European Union has announced it will do whatever possible to salvage the nuclear agreement with Iran and has called on Teheran again to put an end to all uranium enrichment activities that run counter to the commitments assumed under the international agreement signed in Vienna, in 2015. Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has stated that Irans recent breaches of the nuclear deal are not significant and can be reversed, following Irans admission of surpassing the limit established under the international deal. The Spokesperson for Irans atomic energy agency has stated that Iran might revert to the situation before the signing of the agreement. Concluded between Teheran and P 5+1 (China, the US, France, Great Britain, Russia and Germany), after years of efforts, the deal provides for a limitation of the Iranian nuclear programme, in exchange for lifting international sanctions. After the US left the deal, last year, Iran has repeatedly threatened to do the same, unless its interests are guaranteed.
The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.4 in the WTA rankings, will present the Wimbledon trophy to the Romanian public on Wednesday, during an event organized by the Bucharest municipality on the National Arena. Halep is the first Romanian to have won the Wimbledon trophy after the two finals lost by Ilie Nastase back in 1972 and 1976, when he played against Stan Smith of the US and the Swedish Bjorn Borg respectively. Halep has confessed that her main objective in 2020 is to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where she will represent Romania. Simona Halep will receive from the countrys president Klaus Iohannis the Order of the Star of Romania, Romanias highest civil order. (translated by M. Ignatescu)
