April 25, 2023
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Newsroom, 25.04.2023, 13:55
VISIT The
president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is on an official visit to Argentina
today, the last stage of his south-American tour which also included Brazil and
Chile. He will be received by his Argentinian counterpart, Alberto Fernandez. President
Iohannis will affirm Romania’s willingness to work with Argentina in promoting shared
foreign policy goals, including the two countries’ position on Russia’s war of
aggression against Ukraine, and on its consequences at various levels. The
talks will also touch on the need to work together to mitigate the negative
effects of the pandemic on sustainable development, the challenges and
opportunities of cooperation in various regional formats, the importance of
consolidating democracy in Latin America and of strengthening the bi-regional
partnership with the EU. The two leaders will also discuss concrete avenues to
consolidate and broaden cooperation in key sectors such as energy, trade, IT&C,
cyber security, agriculture, education, the environment, emergency situations
and maritime security. A memorandum of agreement will be signed on this
occasion between the Department for Emergency Situations within the Romanian
Interior Ministry and the White Helmets, the Argentinian agency in charge of international
cooperation and humanitarian assistance. A bilateral cooperation document will
also be signed in the field of agriculture research. This visit by president Iohannis
in Argentina is the first at this level in 30 years.
FILM Bucharest is
hosting today the Gopo Awards Gala, celebrating the Romanian film industry achievements
this past year. The 17th edition of the even brings together over 900
Romanian film personalities. The nominations for the best fiction feature
include ‘Metronome’, ‘Immaculate’, ‘Men of Deeds’, ‘Miracle’, ‘Blue Moon’, ‘You
Are Ceauşescu to Me’. Alina Grigorei (‘Blue Moon’), Monica Stan and George
Chiper-Lillemark (‘Immaculate’), Alexandru Belc (‘Metronome’), Bogdan George
Apetri (‘Miracle’) and Paul Negoescu (‘Men of Deeds’) are nominated for best
director. The audience award, granted to the Romanian production with the best
box office performance, will go this year to ‘Teambuilding’, directed by Matei
Dima, Cosmin Nedelcu and Alex Coteţ. Actor Mircea Andreescu and actress Ioana
Crăciunescu will receive Gopo lifetime achievement awards.
SANCTIONS A political agreement on sanctions against actors
that work to destabilise the constitutional order in the Republic of Moldova
was adopted in Luxembourg on Monday by the EU foreign ministers. The Romanian
diplomacy chief, Bogdan Aurescu, emphasised that any measure designed to
improve security in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova would also benefit
Romania. Bucharest, he added, is already working with the authorities in Chişinău
on a first list of people to be subject to these sanctions.
MIGRANTS
Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, will be on an official visit to
Romania on Wednesday for bilateral talks with his Romanian counterpart Lucian
Bode, the Austrian mass media report. The main topic of discussion will be
migration in the EU, with a focus on fighting migrant smuggling and asylum
abuses, as well as protecting the EU borders. Last year the Austrian official
opposed Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession, on grounds that Romania was
on the Balkan illegal migration route. The allegation was denied at the time by
the Romanian government and by EU institutions, including the EUROPOL.
TENNIS Two
Romanian players, Ana Bogdan and Sorana Cirstea, are playing today in the first
round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid. Another Romanian Irina Begu (seed
no 31), will play straight in the second round, against the winner of the match
pitting Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) against Karolina Muchova (the Czech Republic).
Also in Madrid, Jaqueline Cristian will take on Sloane Stephens (US), while Gabriela
Ruse faces Leolia Jeanjean (France) today, in the last qualifier round of the
Madrid tournament. (AMP)