February 17, 2023 UPDATE

VISIT Marcel Ciolacu, president of the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Friday said after the talks he had in Rome with the Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi that Romania had wanted an updated strategic partnership with Italy since 1997. The Romanian official underlined that this diplomatic binder is also meant to help the community of 1.2 million Romanians, for whom Italy has become a second home. Ciolacu has extended thanks to the Italian official whom he described as one of the strongest voices in support of Romania's Schengen accession. On Thursday, the Romanian official held talks with the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, about the staging of a bilateral economic forum in the Italian capital. Ciolacu met his Italian counterpart, Lorenzo Fontana, in Rome also on Thursday. 

CULTURE The city of Timişoara, in western Romania, has officially become for one year, the European Capital of Culture. Approximately 16,000 people are expected to participate in the 130 events taking place this weekend, on the occasion of the official opening of the program. The entire city will be animated by concerts, exhibitions, street performances, theater plays, film screenings and workshops, all under the slogan "Shine your light - Light up your city!" More than 100 Romanian and foreign officials, including about 40 ambassadors, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the European Commissioner Adina Vălean have confirmed their participation in the opening gala at the Palace of Culture in Timișoara. Moreover, Adina Vălean will hand the local authorities the "Melina Mercouri" award, worth 1.5 million Euros, which is awarded to cities that have fulfilled their commitments in the "European Capitals of Culture" program.

HANDBALL Romania's handball champions, Dinamo Bucharest on Thursday conceded an away defeat to French side Paris Saint Germain. The French secured a 33-26 win in the 12th leg of the Champions League. With 11 points, Dinamo has qualified for the competition's next leg and is presently ranking fifth in a group dominated by PSG with 20 points. The Romanians will be also playing Danish side GOG on February 23rd and SC Magdeburg of Germany on March 2nd. Only the first two sides in every group will qualify for the quarter finals, while the sides ranking between the third and sixth positions will go into play-offs.

EARTHQUAKE A moderate earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.3 on the Richter scale, occurred on Friday in Gorj county (southwest Romania), at a depth of 15 kilometers, according to the data of the National Institute for Earth Physics. The intensity of the earthquake was revised from 4.4 to 4.3 degrees, following the operator's calculations. On Tuesday, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake occurred in Gorj county, the biggest ever produced in that area. The day before, the area was shaken by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake. On March 4, 1977, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2, the worst to hit Romania, resulted in the death of 1,570 people, most of them in Bucharest, and caused property damage estimated at over two billion dollars at the time. The earthquake generated an economic and social crisis that, according to historians, the communist dictatorship of the time could not overcome until its collapse in 1989.

 (bill&LS)