A roundup of some of the main stories in Romania today.
EU. The candidacy of the Romanian Social Democrat Rovana Plumb for the post of European Commissioner for Transport was rejected on Thursday by the European Parliament's judicial committee, political sources in Brussels announced. Only 6 MEPs voted in her favour, 15 voted against and 2 abstained from voting. Without the approval of the judicial committee, the hearing in the Transport Committee cannot be held. The European Parliament's judicial committee had invited Rovana Plumb and Lazslo Trocsanyi, the European Commissioner nominated by Hungary, to a special hearing. Plumb was asked to clarify controversial aspects in her declaration of assets, related to a loan taken out in order to fund an election campaign.
Presidency. The Romanian foreign minister Ramona Manescu said on Thursday, in the context of Romania's taking over the presidency of the Community of Democracies, that Bucharest would promote the participation of young people in the decision-making process and the active involvement of the private sector in achieving the sustainable development goals. She made this statement at the UN headquarters in New York after an extraordinary meeting of the Community of Democracies, during which Romania officially took over this body's presidency for the next two years. The Community of Democracies is a global inter-governmental structure aimed at promoting sustainable development, universal access to justice and efficient, responsible and inclusive institutions at all levels. Romania is one of the 106 UN member states that have signed the Warsaw Declaration, on whose principles the Community of Democracies has been founded.
Talks. The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis had a brief meeting in New York on Wednesday with his Moldovan counterpart Igor Dodon, on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. President Klaus Iohannis emphasised during the talks that in Romania's view, Moldova's European path, which Bucharest firmly supports, is the only way to ensure the prosperity of the Moldovan citizens. The Moldovan president Igor Dodon emphasised that he supports the strategic partnership between Romania and Moldova, and added that Moldova's European accession remains a priority. The Romanian president also had a meeting with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter thanked Romania for supporting his country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Zelensky and Iohannis also discussed cooperation in the economic and energy fields, as well as bilateral business relations.
Chirac. The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has sent condolences to the French nation on behalf of the Romanian people following the announcement of the death of the former president Jacques Chirac. Iohannis described the latter as "a great leader and a true statesman, a genuine friend of Romania". Jacques Chirac died on Thursday morning at the age of 86. France's second longest serving president, Chirac was president for 12 years, between 1995 and 2007, but also held the position of prime minister twice, served three terms as Paris mayor, was the leader of his party and held several ministerial positions. As president, he visited Romania twice, in 1997 and in 2007.
Killing. Prosecutors received the results of the tests carried out in relation to the murder of a minor in Dambovita county, southern Romania, a week ago. They indicate that the biological samples harvested during inquiries at the scene of the crime do indeed belong the Dutch citizen suspected of kidnapping, sexual assault and murder, the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement posted on its website. Also, Interpol has confirmed that the suspect is dead following a road accident in his home country. According to the chief of the Romanian police Liviu Vasilescu, he had record in his country for crimes of a sexual nature and violence.
Moldova. Three agreements were signed on Thursday in Chisinau on the implementation of a project for the interconnection of electricity networks of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. According to the authorities, the project will contribute to ensuring Moldova's energy security. In keeping with the agreements signed, Moldova is to access 60 million euros worth of a loan from the Eurpean Bank for Reconstruction and Development. A further 40 million euros is will be provided as a grant by the European Union. The money is intended for the modernisation of energy system. The head of the EU delegation in the Republic of Moldova Peter Michalko said that by signing these agreements Moldova has made a step forward towards ensuring its energy security.
Handball. Romania's women's handball team Wednesday night defeated Ukraine, at home, 27-24, in the first match in Group 7 of the 2020 European Championships qualifiers. On Sunday Romania will play against the Faroe Islands away from home. Group 7 also includes Poland, and the 2 top-ranking teams will qualify in the final tournament. Romania's national team came in 4th in the previous European Championships, losing the bronze medal to the Netherlands.
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