February 19, 2024 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 19.02.2024, 20:09
NAVALNY Hundreds of people were detained in Russia during the events commemorating the death of the opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died aged 47 in an Arctic Circle prison. The Russian opposition and Western leaders say the Kremlin is to blame for Navalny’s death. “Vladimir Putin will be held accountable for the death of Alexei Navalny,” the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said after a meeting in Brussels with the activist’s widow. Yulia Navalnaya took part on Monday in the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, where she was received with ovations. Meanwhile, the Romanian party USR, in opposition, has proposed that a street in Bucharest, where the Russian Embassy’s consular office is located, be renamed Alexei Navalny. USR says this initiative is an important step towards supporting democratic values and human rights, and reaffirming the solidarity ties with the people who fight for freedom and justice all over the world.
VISIT Romanians in Spain will be able to hold dual citizenship as of this year, the Romanian Senate Speaker Nicolae Ciucă said in Madrid on Monday, following a meeting with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Rollán Ojeda as part of a 2-day official visit to Madrid. Mr. Ciuca also had official meetings with the heads of the defence and foreign affairs committees in the upper chamber of Spain’s Parliament, with talks focusing on cooperation opportunities in the defence sector. On Tuesday, Mr. Ciuca will meet with the head of the People’s Party, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, and with the secretary general for defence policy, Juan Francisco Martinez Nunez, as well as with the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Spain and Portugal, Timotei.
DIGITISATION The Romanian health ministry Monday approved further funding for the digitisation of the National Health Insurance Agency and for the optimisation of its online platform, which includes important cyber security elements. The budget allocation for this purpose was increased from the original EUR 70 mln to EUR 100 mln. The 3rd quarter of 2025 is the deadline for the complete digitisation of the public healthcare insurance system. Over 25,000 healthcare service providers will be connected to the new platform, and the current system will not be affected. The authorities also promise the changes will ensure a user-friendly and accessible environment, including facilities for users with disabilities. New functions will be available, such as the digitisation of relevant medical documents, and inter-operability will be ensured for public administration institutions, which will be able to exchange data and resources.
AUTOMOTIVE The Romanian automotive market will likely see a moderate 5% growth this year, the Romanian Automobile Producers and Importers Association (APIA) announced. APIA expects EV sales to continue to increase, and to reach a 29% market share at year end. An important increase is also predicted for sales of light commercial vehicles and green minibuses. The Association president, Dan Vardie, says sales of hybrid plug-in cars will see a slower increase, of around 9%, while sales of hybrid vehicles will stay on an steady upward trend. He also expects sales of diesel vehicles to drop in 2024. According to Dan Vardie, last year some 15,000 EVs were sold in Romania, as compared to 500,000 in Germany.
TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea (22 WTA) defeated American Sofia Kenin (55 WTA) 6-3, 7-6 on Sunday in the first round of the WTA tournament in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), with more than USD 3.2 million in total prizes. The Romanian will face the winner of the match between the Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska (26 WTA) and the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (18 WTA) in the second round. Another Romanian, former world leader Simona Halep, won the Dubai tournament twice. Currently, she is suspended for doping and is awaiting the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. (AMP)
