April 15, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA -3,852 new cases of COVID-19 infection have been reported in Romania in the last 24 hours following 37,517 tests. 195 related fatalities have also been reported during the interval, the Group for Strategic Communication announced on Thursday. 1,518 patients are currently in intensive care. Bucharest continues to be the city with the highest incidence rate. The National Committee for the Coordination of Vaccination announced Romania ranks 4th at EU level in terms the number of people who've received both doses of the vaccine, and 7th in terms of the total number of immunized people. So far, 2.4 million Romanians have received both doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine.

GOVERNMENT - The Government in Bucharest is today discussing the principles underlying the elaboration of the new public salary law, under which bonuses will be handed out only in special conditions, as well as a number of new measures for preventing and combating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic operators who have already been fined two or three times for failing to comply with anti-COVID regulations, may have their licenses revoked, according to another bill on the Government's agenda for today. Additionally, Cabinet ministers are due to discuss a memorandum on the delivery of a new batch of 300 thousand doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Romania, as well as plans for the restructuring of the Oltenia Energy Complex (in the south).

AMBASSADORS - Parliament's special committees on Thursday completed the interviews of the 25 candidates applying for ambassador positions, following their appointment by president Klaus Iohannis. The president of the Senate's foreign policy committee, Titus Corlăţean, said he is happy with the results of the interviews, which he described as serious and professional. Presidential adviser Andrei Muraru got a favorable opinion for taking over as Roamnia's Ambassador to the United States. At the end of his hearing in Parliament, Muraru expressed confidence that Romanians will be able to travel to the United States visa-free by the end of the president's term in office, in 2024. George Cristian Maior, Romania's ambassador to Washington over 2015-2021, got a favorable opinion for representing Romania in Jordan. Cezar Armeanu will be Romania's ambassador to South Korea, Răduţa-Dana Matache will represent Romania in the Philippines, Alexandrina-Livia Rusu in Luxembourg and Elena Şerbănescu in Tunisia.

AFGHANISTAN - The United States will pull back its troops from Afghanistan by the end of August, President Joe Biden has announced. The withdrawal is a consequence of the Peace Agreement signed by the Americans and the Taliban, despite the fact that there is yet no peace settlement in this country, as well as no guarantees the war will end, pundits have argued. NATO has also decided to start withdrawing its troops starting May 1, after having conducted similar operations in Afghanistan. The decision was adopted on Wednesday in the NATO Council. Representing Romania in yesterday's videoconference was Romania's Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, and Defense Minister, Nicolae Ciucă.  Our country has over 600 military deployed in NATO operations in Afghanistan right now, which it will start pulling back.

FILM - Romanian filmmaker and screen writer Radu Jude will be honored in La Rochelle Cinéma (FEMA) Film Festival to take place over June 25 - July 4. At the 49th edition of the festival, Radu Jude will be honored alongside other filmmakers and figures of world cinema. "A key figure of the Romanian new wave, Radu Jude, whose film Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn grabbed the Golden Bear in 2021, will be presenting his works", organizers have announced. Over the years a number of prestigious filmmakers were honored in the festival, including Agnes Varda, Béla Tarr, Juliette Binoche, Anouk Aimée, as well as Romanians Lucian Pintilie and Andrei Ujică. Starting 1973, the La Rochelle Film Festival has been celebrating and screening old and contemporary film productions. (V.P.)