November 10, 2013 UPDATE

A roundup of news from Romania.

România Internațional, 10.11.2013, 19:14

Diplomacy Romania’s foreign minister Titus Corlatean on Sunday met his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid ahead of the Asia-Europe Ministerial Meeting to be hosted by New Delhi on Monday and Tuesday. Mr Corlatean emphasised the excellent level of political and diplomatic relations between Romania and India, which in December will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Along these lines, he extended an invitation to his counterpart to visit Romania. The two officials also discussed the economic collaboration between their countries with a view to boosting bilateral trade and investment, as well as cooperation as members of international organisations, such as the United Nations. The Asia Europe Meeting is an informal dialogue forum launched in 1996 and includes the EU member states with the exception of Croatia, as well as Norway and Switzerland, and 20 Asian countries.

Tourism The Dracula myth is necessary for Romanian tourism to win over the international market, believes the Romanian Federation of Employers in the Travel Industry. According to the federation’s president Dan Matei Agathon, the Dracula brand is the most popular and attractive tourist myth in the world. This comment follows a recent statement by Romania’s tourism minister Maria Grapini at the London Travel Fair that Romanian authorities are working on a castle tour focused on Vlad the Impaler, and that historical tourism centring on the Dracula myth may be promoted abroad.

Film award The Romanian-Moldovan coproduction The Unsaved by Igor Cobileanski has won the FIPRESCI critics’ award at the International Film Festival in Cottbus, Germany. The film speaks about life in a small town in the Republic of Moldova and the attempts of a young man to conform to tough capitalist realities. The film is praised for avoiding the clichés of post-Soviet cinema and for its realistic, compassionate and at times humorous characters, all of which lends the film the force of a parable.

Sports Romania’s senior team has won the continental title at the European Aerobic Gymnastics Championships hosted by the French city of Arques. Russia came in second, while Italy won the third place. In the junior team competition, Romania won the silver medal, while Russia got the gold and Hungary the bronze. In the women’s individual events, the Romanian athletes Alina Radu and Lavinia Panaete won silver and bronze, respectively.