April 15, 2016
For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.
România Internațional, 15.04.2016, 12:00
GLOBSEC — Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu is today attending the GLOBSEC Global Security Forum held in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Romanian official will address Romania’s priorities ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw of July, with a special focus on NATO’s adjustment process so as to properly deal with the current security challenges. At the same time, Minister Comanescu will also outline Romania’s assessment of the security developments on NATO’s eastern flank. On the sidelines of the event, the Romanian official will hold several bilateral meetings. Having reached its 10th edition, GLOBSEC has become an important foreign policy and security platform for Central Europe, bringing together high-ranking officials and renowned experts from Europe and North America.
TERRORISM — Romania reiterates its firm commitment to actively contribute to international efforts to combat terrorism, Romania’s Permanent Representative at the UN Ion Jinga said during a debate of the UN Security Council. The Romanian official added that terrorism is a permanent threat against humanity and that no country is safe from this scourge. The UN is making special efforts to build a universal coalition against terrorism, Jinga went on to say.
RESIGNATION — Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has announced the Government will next week continue talks with civil society with respect to the salaries of public sector employees, so as to come up with a commonly accepted, feasible and legal solution. On Thursday Dacian Ciolos accepted the resignation of Labour Minister Ana Costea, and is expected to make a nomination for this office over the coming period.
DACIA — The sales of the Romanian carmaker Dacia, owned by the French group Renault, reported a 4.9% hike in March at European level, with a market share of 2.3%, according to data made public by the European Carmakers’ Association on Friday. Registrations of Dacia makes in Europe stood at 41,000 units, up as compared to March 2015. Renault took over Dacia in 1999. Re-branded in 2004 with the release of the Logan make, Dacia has become a major player on the European car market.
POPE FRANCIS — Pope Francis on Saturday is paying a symbolic visit to Lesbos Island in Greece, to express solidarity with all migrants, the Vatican has announced. The visit is also an ecumenical effort, as Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople will also be present in Lesbos. Over 4,000 migrants were rescued last week in the Mediterranean. EU officials are worried Europe might face a new migration wave in the coming months. This time migrants are expected to arrive via Africa, mainly Libya, after the Balkan gateway into Europe was blocked earlier this year. Under these circumstances, Pope Francis says the situation of the refugees in Greece remains dramatic.
OIC — The Organization for Islamic Cooperation meeting continues today in Istanbul, bringing together 30 heads of state. The event is held under extremely tight security measures, after several bloody attacks occurred in Istanbul, Ankara and in the southeast of Turkey in the past seven months. Yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for unity among Muslim states so as to be more effective in combating terrorism. The Turkish official said all OIC states agreed to his proposal to set up a centre for cooperation and coordination of all law enforcement agencies in OIC member states. Moreover, Erdogan condemned the growing racism and Islamophobia in Western countries.
TENNIS — Romania’s Fed Cup team on Saturday and Sunday is taking on Germany, in the World Group playoffs. Romania’s team is made up of Simona Halep, Monica Niculescu, Irina Begu and Alexandra Dulgheru. In other news from tennis, the pair made up of Florin Mergea of Romania and Rohan Bopanna of India is today playing Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Bruno Soares of Brazil, in the doubles quarterfinals of the tournament in Monte Carlo, totalling 3.8 million dollars in prize money. In the same competition, Horia Tecau of Romania and Jean-Julie Rojer of the Netherlands were knocked out in the round of 16, after losing to Henri Kontinen of Finland and John Peers of Australia.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
