February 19, 2023 UPDATE

ART On Sunday, the National Day devoted to Romania's greatest sculptor, Constantin Brancusi, Romania's Art Museum was offering guided tours around a special gallery presenting his works of art. The aforementioned gallery boasts the largest Brancusi collection in Romania including works such as 'The Sleep', 'Head of a Child' 'the Prayer', or a replica of the 'Gate of the Kiss'. Children were invited to attend a workshop entitled 'Bird hidden in Stone', a special event designed and staged by experts from the Georges-Pompidou Centre in Paris. On this occasion, Romania's Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca conveyed a message, saying that through his works of art, the great sculptor forged his own artistic identity revolutionizing sculpture and has left behind a valuable heritage, which is impressive through its universality at the same time bearing the hallmark of the simplicity and wisdom of the Romanian peasant. Romania today celebrates 147 years since the birth of this great artist.

CULTURE On Sunday, the last day of the programme through which the city of Timisoara, in western Romania, launched its mandate of the European Capital of Culture, new artistic events took place, including a spectacular Puppet Parade staged jointly by the European capitals of culture in 2023. So puppeteers from Veszprem, Hungary jointly with the artists of the Hungarian State Theatre 'Csiki Gergely' in Timisoara presented the big puppets especially made for the official launch in Veszprem last month. The cities of Timisoara in Western Romania and the Hungarian city of Veszprem are sharing the title of the European Capital of Culture in 2023 with the city of Elefsina in Greece.  One of the main highlights of last Saturday was the retrospective exhibition of the great surrealist artist Victor Brauner housed by the Art Museum, which was also a premiere for Romania. The inaugural programme also included a digital culture festival as well as scientific experiments, light shows and ballet performances in front of the Opera House in Timisoara. According to the city mayor Dominic Fritz, everybody is welcome to Timisoara. "There were three days in which we showed that all the things that bring us together are more than those that separate us. The values that built this city - innovation, multiculturalism, diversity - have been seen and heard by the entire Europe", the mayor went on to say.

AID The West must provide more military aid to Ukraine and speed up its deliveries, the EU Foreign Policy Chief Joseph Borrell said in Munich on Sunday. In a speech he delivered during the Security conference underway there, the EU high official said that much more had to be done and much quicker. Borrell went on to say that he supported an Estonian proposal for the European Union to buy ammunition on behalf of its member states to increase its military support to Ukraine. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu held talks with a delegation of the US Congress headed by Mike Turner, chief of the House Intelligence Committee, on the sidelines of the Security Conference in Munich on Saturday. During the talks he had with Mike Turner, who is also co-chair of the Friendship Group with Romania, Aurescu hailed the Congress' support in the efforts to strengthen NATO's Eastern Flank and highlighted the importance of the US assistance in the transatlantic security, including through the beefed-up military presence in Romania. The members of the US delegation have highlighted the major role Romania plays among the US allies. Mike Turner has thanked Minister Aurescu for the exceptional efforts Romania made as part of the multidimensional support granted to Ukraine and for its role as a leader in ensuring regional security.  

HANDBALL Romanian handball side SCM Ramnicu Valcea has qualified for the quarter finals of the women's competition EHF European League after a 28-26 win against Hungarian side Praktiker-Vac in their last match in Group D. SCM has thus ended in the second position after the group's leader Thuringer of Germany. In the Champions League, vice-champions CSM Bucharest have qualified for the quarters whereas title holder Rapid Bucharest for the play-offs in the round of 16.

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