September 15, 2019 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 15.09.2019, 19:15

IAEA Romania’s
Foreign Minister, Ramona Manescu on Monday is attending the opening of the
General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According
to a communique by the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Manescu will be
having talks with IAEA interim director, ambassador Cornel Feruta as well as
with representatives of the participant
countries. The Romanian delegation is expected to reiterate its support for the
continuation and consolidation of the IAEA role at world level and to highlight
the national nuclear programme, which is up to the highest international
standards in terms of safety and security. The General Conference is the
highest decision-making section of the IAEA, which has convened in September every
year since its foundation in 1957 to assess and approve the organisation’s
schedule and budget. Decisions are also made on topical issues for the member
states and the international community.

VOTING Until October 19th,
Romania’s diplomatic missions are expected to submit proposals to the Foreign Ministry
for the polling stations to be set abroad for the upcoming presidential
election this autumn. In an attempt to offer support to the Romanian nationals
living abroad who want to cast their ballot in the election, the application
term was extended until September 15th, allowing voters to opt for
voting in a polling station abroad or for postal voting. We recall that the
election’s first round is on November 10th and the second round two
weeks later.

FESTIVAL The George Enescu International Festival, which has
Radio Romania as co-producer, reached its 16th day on Sunday with a series of concerts
given by the radio choir and the National Orchestra of the Romanian Radio
Broadcasting Corporation under the baton of British conductor Paul Daniel. The
Romanian artists performed fragments from Benjamin Britten’s opera, Peter
Grimes. This year’s edition of the festival, which is due to come to an end on
September 22nd, is expected to bring together 25 hundred of the world’s best
musicians who will be performing in no less than 84 concerts and recitals.
Events part of this festival are to be hosted by the Romanian capital and other
cities across the country as well as by countries like Germany, France, Italy,
Canada and the Republic of Moldova. Radio Romania has been co-producer of this
festival since its very first edition back in 1958.

MEETING
Romania will be represented at the General Affairs Council of the EU in
Brussels on Monday by George Ciamba, its Minister Delegate for European
Affairs. High on the talks agenda are the Multi-annual Financial Framework
2021-2027 as well as preparations for the European Council due over October
17th-18th. Minister Ciamba held talks with the Finnish presidency of the EU on
the multi-annual financial framework on September 9th. The Romanian minister
assured his Finnish counterpart Tytti Tuppurainen, of Bucharest’s support for
the progress of the negotiation process, to which Romania contributed
significantly during its mandate at the helm of the European Union in the first
half of this year.

USR A congress of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR) on
Sunday validated Dan Barna to run for the presidential seat and has elected the
new members of the National Office. We recall that USR has forged an alliance
with PLUS, the party of Romania’s technocratic Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos.
Barna is the candidate of this USR-PLUS alliance for the presidential election
in Romania in November.

IRAN An
Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander on Sunday said that U.S. bases and
aircraft carriers in the region were within range of Iranian missiles. The
statement comes after the United States has accused Iran of leading attacks on
Saudi oil plants, raising tensions in the Middle East. US president Donald Trump
has condemned the drone attack, carried out by Iranian-backed rebels, which
knocked out more than half of the Kingdom’s output. US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo has accused Iran of being behind the attack underlining that the USA is
ready to work with its partners and allies to
ensure that energy markets remain well supplied and Iran is held accountable
for its aggression.

DEFEAT Romania’s national volleyball
side conceded a 1-3 defeat to Italy in group A of the European Championship
underway in Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovenia and France. Romania was also
thrashed by France in its first game and is going to play Greece on September
16th and Portugal, two days later. Bulgaria ranks first in group A, while
Romania occupies the last but one position with no points. The first four sides
in the group qualify for the round of 16.

(translated by bill)