April 28, 2015
For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.
Roxana Vasile, 28.04.2015, 12:00
VISIT — Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis today met with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The president said the Romanian community in Italy is well integrated, contributes to Italy’s growth and represents a bridge between the two countries. Preisdent Iohannis and Prime Minister Renzi reviewed economic and cultural bilateral relations, as well as Moldova and Georgia’s efforts to join the EU. On Monday, Iohannis met with his counterpart Sergio Mattarella and with representatives of the Romanian community. Klaus Iohannis announced he would pay a second visit to Rome on May 15, as part of his visit to the Vatican.
STRASBOURG — Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta is on an official visit to Strasbourg, where he is meeting with high-ranking EU officials, such as European Parliament president Martin Schulz, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Commission first vice-president Frans Timmermans and vice-president Jyrki Katainen. Additionally Victor Ponta will meet with EU Commissioners Vera Jourova and Margrethe Vestager. Among others, the Prime Minister will present economic progress and the measures recently introduced by the Government in the economic and social fields, and will also exchange views regarding hot topics on the European agenda.
MOLDOVA — European Council president Donald Tusk is today paying an official visit to the Republic of Moldova. After meeting with president Nicolae Timofti, the EU official gave assurances that the EU would remain a firm supporter of Moldova, although the Moldovan authorities should make it their priority to combat corruption and solve the banking crisis. In turn, Nicolae Timofti discussed the enactment of Moldova’s Association Treaty with the European Union and said that Moldova’s top priorities were consolidating the rule of law and strengthening democratic institutions. The Moldovan president gave assurances that Moldova would honour its commitments towards the EU. Donald Tusk is also due to meet with Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici and Parliament Speaker Adrian Candu. His visit to Chisinau and Kiev comes ahead of the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Riga, to be held on May 21 and 22.
STRIKE — Public servants in the local administration are today staging a full-day strike nationwide. Clerks are dissatisfied with the Government’s lack of interest in the problems generated by the low salaries in the sector. The activity of public institutions has been suspended almost entirely, with the exception of funeral services and payment services for fines that need to be paid within 24 hours. On May 27 trade unions have announced a rally in Bucharest, where some 3,000 people are expected to turn up. Union leaders have started gathering signatures with a view to staging an all-out strike in October over an indefinite period of time.
EARTHQUAKE — The death toll of the earthquake in Nepal has gone up, the number of dead now exceeding 4,300. Meanwhile some 8,000 people are reported wounded. 100 people were killed in Western China and India. Of Nepal’s 28 million inhabitants, a total of 8 million have been affected by the quake. Over 1.4 million people are in need of food, water and shelter. Rescue teams are still trying to reach isolated regions close to the quake’s epicentre. The quake wrought havoc in the capital city Kathmandu and triggered a mass exodus of refugees. The quake also resulted in avalanches on Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, where hundreds of people were preparing for the start of the climbing season. 18 climbers are reported dead. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, some 36 Romanian citizens have been officially identified in Nepal, and the list is constantly being updated. No information has surfaced so far regarding any Romanians being killed. 4 Romanian climbers were on Mount Everest when the avalanche hit.
NPT — Reducing the arsenal of nuclear weapons worldwide as well as cutting back on Iran’s nuclear programme rank high on the agenda of the Conference on reviewing the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which kicked off last night at the UN headquarters in New York. The main concerns are linked with the lack of any visible progress in nuclear disarmament in the US and Russia, which together hold over 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal. Experts estimate that there are currently over 16,000 nuclear weapons across the world. US Secretary of State John Kerry argues however that there is still room for a historic progress towards a nuclear-free world, if an international consensus is reached for Iran to end its nuclear programme.
VIOLENCE — A state of emergency was declared last night in Baltimore, the largest US city on the East Coast, located some 60 km away from the federal capital city. The decision was taken after an outbreak of violence on Monday evening following the funeral of a 25-year-old African-American who died in police custody. The crowds clashed with the riot police, torched patrol cars and looted businesses, hurled stones and bricks, wounding some 15 police officers. 27 people have been detained. The police will review video surveillance of last night and use it carefully to make arrests.
