Romania’s economy grew by 7% in 2017 compared with 2016./ Defence minister Mihai Fifor attends NATO meeting in Brussels.
Economy. Romania's economy grew by 7% in 2017 as compared with the previous year, which accounts for the highest growth rate in the last 9 years, according to data published by the National Institute for Statistics on Wednesday. In the last quarter of last year, the growth of the GDP slowed down compared to the similar period in 2016 to reach 6.9%, from 8.8% in the third quarter. The annual inflation rate went up in January this year to 4.3% from 3.3% in December last year, as a result of higher food and non-food prices compared with January last year. Experts are worried, however, about the boom of the Romanian economy. France Presse news agency quotes analyst Cristian Paun as saying that Romania, which had the strongest growth rate in Europe thanks to vigorous consumption, is neglecting investment and will have to prepare for difficult consequences. The European Commission has also warned that the main driving engine of economic growth was household consumption as a result of lower taxes and higher salaries and that public investment has dropped for the second year in a row.
NATO. The Romanian defence minister Mihai Fifor is today attending a two-day meeting in Brussels of his counterparts from other NATO countries. According to a defence ministry release, on the first day, the participants will be discussing planning and policy for nuclear deterrence. Talks will focus on the modernisation of the Alliance, the adjustment of NATO's institutional and command structure, European defence and cooperation between NATO and the European Union. Another important issue on the agenda is the NATO members' allocation of 2% of their GDPs to defence. Prior to the meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said more European defence spending and capabilities can strengthen NATO, but only if the EU's efforts are a complement and not an alternative to NATO.
Flu. The number of deaths caused by the flu virus in Romania has reached 29, the National Public Health Institute announced on Wednesday. More than 800,000 people have received the flu vaccine. Doctors recommend the population to get the vaccine amidst a growing number of flu cases. Health minister Sorina Pintea says, however, that there is no question of an epidemic in Romania. She says prevention is the most important thing, and that public health directorates and hospitals must take the necessary measures.
Asylum. Almost 5,000 people submitted asylum applications in Romania last year, more than double compared with 2016. Of them, more than 1,300 qualified for refugee status or subsidiary protection and another 1,500 people benefited from other forms of protection and were signed up for integration programmes. 174 foreign nationals were relocated from Greece and Italy and 43 Syrian refugees arrived in Romania as part of the extra-EU relocation scheme. Most asylum applicants come from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Literary prize. The Romanian writer Mircea Cartarescu wins the Thomas Mann prize for literature in 2018, one of the most prestigious German literary prizes. The 25,000-euro prize is granted jointly by the city of Lübeck and the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts and will be handed on the 17th of November. According to the jury, in the past four decades, Mircea Cartarescu has become the most important voice in Romanian literature, first through his poetry, then through his novels, short stories and essays, while his unusual, polyphonic romantic trilogy "Blinding" earned him a place in world literature. Cartarescu is the recipient of many national and international prizes, including the Leipzig Book Award for European Understanding in 2015. His work is available in German, English, Italian, French, Spanish, Polish, Swedish, Bulgarian and Hungarian.
Tennis. Four Romanian tennis players are today playing in the Doha tournament in Qatar, worth 3.1 million dollars. World no. 2 Simona Helep plays Russia's Ekaterina Makarova, Sorana Cirstea plays Belgium's Elise Mertens, Mihaela Buzarnescu plays Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, while Monica Niculescu faces Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova. Mihaela Buzarnescu is also playing in the doubles competition in Doha.
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