September 5, 2013
A roundup of Romanian news.
România Internațional, 05.09.2013, 13:47
The Romanian defence minister Mircea Dusa is attending, alongside his EU counterparts, an informal meeting hosted on Thursday and Friday by Lithuania, the country currently holding the EU rotating presidency. According to the defence ministry, Mircea Dusa will present Romania’s position regarding the EU’s military missions and the stage of cooperation with the country’s international partners. The meeting, which is dominated by the Syrian situation, is also attended by the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Catherine Ashton and NATO’s secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Several hundred people protested in Bucharest on Thursday for the fourth day in a row against a controversial gold mining project in Rosia Montana, in the centre. Environmental NGOs warn that the cyanide used in the exploitation process may irreversibly damage the environment. Moreover, they say the project will destroy a series of mine galleries built by the Romans considered to be unique in the world. The government, however, says opening of the mine will generate jobs and attract direct economic benefits of more than 5 billion dollars. President Traian Basescu and prime minister Victor Ponta have mentioned the idea of holding a referendum on Rosia Montana next year.
Romania’s parliament will next week discuss together with local administration representatives a draft law regulating the situation of stray dogs. Bucharest’s mayor Sorin Oprescu said the city would hold a local referendum on euthanising stray dogs. This proposal follows Monday’s tragedy when a 4-year died after being attacked by homeless dogs near a park in Bucharest. The investigation into the case was taken over by the prosecutor’s office.
Prime minister Victor Ponta confirmed on Thursday that the Government of Romania is considering a memorandum on the repurchase of a Dacian silver parade helmet and of a sculpture and several drawings by Constantin Brancusi. The costs of the purchases are yet unknown. The items belong to the American art institute in Detroit, which has defaulted on payments and intends to sell some of the works in its collections to cover its debts.
The George Enescu International Festival, the biggest cultural event hosted by Romania, is under way in Bucharest until the 28th of September. On Thursday, on the 5th day of the festival, the National Music University gave a concert of the young generation of Romanian composers, followed by concerts by Romanian orchestras at the Athenaeum and of the Paris Orchestra at the Grand Palace Hall. The series of workshops entitled “21st Century Music and Enescu and His Contemporaries” also continues.
Romania’s national football squad will meet Hungary on Friday night in Bucharest in a preliminary game counting towards the 2014 Football World Cup hosted by Brazil. With 10 points in 6 games, Romania currently rank third in Group D, after Holland and Hungary. Romania will play their next game against Turkey next week, also at home. These two games are considered decisive for Romania’s qualification to the World Cup. With the exception of Euro 2008, Romania has not managed to qualify for any of the final football tournaments held in the last ten years.
