17 April, 2016 UPDATE

The Romanian authorities send their condolences to the families of the people killed in the earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador

Newsroom, 17.04.2016, 18:40

President Klaus Iohannis has sent a message of condolence
to his Ecuadorian counterpart Rafael Correa following an earthquake that killed
more than 200 people in Ecuador. Earlier, the Romanian president conveyed a
similar message to the Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, saying his thoughts
go out to the people affected by the devastating earthquakes that have hit
Japan in recent days. The foreign ministry has also sent its condolences to the
families of the people killed in the quakes and those who were injured. Tens of
people have died and around 1,000 have been wounded in two earthquakes that
struck south Japan and which damaged buildings and bridges, as well as water
and electricity supply networks.

The government’s Department for Romanians Abroad is
working on the creation of new information centres in the neighbouring states
by the end of the year. According to the minister delegate for Romanians abroad
Dan Stoenescu, these centres will be established in the Republic of Moldova,
Ukraine, Serbia and Albania and will seek to promote education in the Romanian
language. He explained the centres will be created in collaboration with universities
and high schools in these countries and will promote cultural activities for
the Romanian ethnic communities in these regions and those who wish to learn
more about Romania. Stoenescu also announced the start this year of a programme
called The Ambassadors of the Romanian Language, which will see philology
students and graduates teach classes in villages abroad with a Romanian ethnic
population.

The president of France’s far-right National Front and
member of the European Parliament Marine Le Pen said the European Union has not
adjusted to the challenges of the 21st century. She said her party
is not financed by Russia. Le Pen made these comments at an international
conference held in the Romanian mountain resort of Sinaia and organised by the
Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom.
Previously, the Liberal MEP Cristian Busoi said Le Pen’s presence at the
conference would cultivate Romanians’ lack of trust in the European Union and
would support, more or less openly, Russia’s interest in dividing and
conquering Europe. The Social Democrat MEPs Victor Bostinaru and Ioan Mircea
Pascu also called on the relevant authorities to explain who authorised
Romania’s hosting this conference and why. They warned that apart from the
National Front, the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom also brings
together other far-right parties such as the Freedom Party of Austria, Vlaams Belang from Belgium and
Italy’s Northern League, which are hostile towards the European Union and NATO
and have a favourable attitude towards Russia, which the two Romanian MEPs say
finances most of these political groups.

The Romanian
foreign ministry has welcomed the lifting of labour restrictions for Romanian
and Bulgarian workers in Switzerland as of June 1st. The ministry
says this measure will consolidate political and economic cooperation between
Romania and Switzerland. The Swiss government has said that if the inflow of
Romanian and Bulgarian workers exceeds the average of the last three years by
10%, it may activate a safeguard clause in 2017 or 2018 and impose new
restrictions on its labour market that would remain in place until May 31st
2019.

The Romanian teams participating
in the 5th European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad have obtained five
silver and three bronze medals, according to the education ministry. As host
country, Romania entered the competition with two teams of four girls each, and
all eight participants walked away with a medal. Attending the awards ceremony,
minister Adrian Curaj said he hoped initiatives of this kind would draw an
increasingly large number of school children to scientific subjects.

(Translated by: C. Mateescu)