April 13, 2025 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 13.04.2025, 20:00
A roundup of local and international news.
EXPO2025 – The Romanian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, was inaugurated on Sunday. Between April 13 and October 13, at the World Expo – the largest international public diplomacy event – 158 international participants are exploring the theme ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’, which is based on the idea of international collaboration and collective involvement to identify solutions to the current challenges of humanity. The exhibition space intended for Romania has a ground area of approximately 900 square meters and is located near the ones of Great Britain, the Netherlands and Poland. Romania aims to bring to the attention of the international community the diversity and richness of its natural resources, the quality of its human capital, as well as its cultural and technological potential.
PALM SUNDAY – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest organized, on Sunday afternoon, the traditional procession on the streets of the city dedicated to the celebration of Palm Sunday, a Christian holiday that marked the triumphal entry of the Son of God into Jerusalem. The procession was attended by believers and priests from the Roman Catholic communities and parishes in the Capital and its surroundings. On Saturday, on the eve of the holiday, the Orthodox believers, the majority in Romania, also participated throughout the country, in impressive numbers, in the already usual street pilgrimages occasioned by the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. The Palm Sunday Pilgrimage is a prayer in procession and a moving gathering of the clergy and the faithful, a confession of faith, a blessing for the city and a joy for the pilgrims, said Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Palm Sunday celebration opens Holy Week or Passion Week, the most dramatic in the earthly life of Jesus Christ, which will culminate with His death by crucifixion on the cross, then with His Resurrection, celebrated this year by all Christians on the same date – Sunday, April 20.
FORUM – Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu pleaded, at a diplomatic forum organized in Antalya, Turkey, for a strategic approach of the European Union in the Black Sea area. He said that this region is gaining increased strategic relevance due to the key role it plays in ensuring Euro-Atlantic security, as well as for Europe’s energy security and global food security. The head of Romanian diplomacy stressed the importance of regional cooperation, exemplified by the creation, in 2024, at the initiative of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, of the Operational Group for Combating Marine Mines in the Black Sea. Hurezeanu expressed his hope that this cooperation model will be extended to other areas of common interest, such as the protection of critical infrastructure and combating hybrid threats, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest said.
WAR – The Russian attack that killed more than 30 people and injured about 100 in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday, one of the deadliest in recent months in the country, exceeds the limits of decency, the US envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said. As a former military official, I know what targeted strikes are, and this is unacceptable, he wrote on the social network X. French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also condemned the Russian attack. President Volodymyr Zelensky launched an appeal to put pressure on Moscow to stop the war in Ukraine. He accused his counterpart Vladimir Putin of ignoring the American proposal for a complete and unconditional ceasefire. Ukraine and Russia agreed last month to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure, but the two sides have since accused each other of violating the moratorium. Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
DISEASE – Romanian authorities are taking additional measures to reduce the risk of foot-and-mouth disease. The disease is spreading in Europe, with four outbreaks already confirmed in neighbouring Hungary. The head of the control department within the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, Florin Căpăţână, explained that the transport of live animals, feed, straw, compost and manure from Hungary to Romania will be prohibited. Imports of meat and meat products and untreated milk from the affected areas will also be blocked, and access control points from Hungary will be monitored by specialized personnel. Florin Căpăţână also warned that all batches of animals susceptible to the disease – sheep, cattle, goats and pigs – originating from intra-community trade will be tested. Romania has one of the 15 laboratories authorized in the European Union to diagnose foot-and-mouth disease at the highest bio-security standards. (EE)
