April 3, 2016

Romania celebrates 12 years since it became a full-fledged NATO member/ The protest by family physicians will continue in Romania on Monday/The Zaventem airport, the largest in Brussels, is being partially reopened today

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Mihai Pelin, 03.04.2016, 12:10

ANNIVERSARY – Romania is today celebrating 12 years since it became a full-fledged member of the North Atlantic Alliance. On this occasion, the Romanian Defence Ministry headquarters are opened to the public and visitors are invited to attend a military ceremony devoted to Romanias joining NATO. A weapons handling exercise will be organised for the public and various themed exhibitions will also be mounted. NATO accession is one of the most remarkable successes of Romanias contemporary foreign policy, President Klaus Iohannis said in a message conveyed on this occasion. Romania, to which NATOs increasing relevance and efficiency as a fundamental pillar of Euro-Atlantic security is a major goal, capitalises on its well-defined strategic profile and actively contributes to NATOs missions and operations, the president also said.

PROTEST – The protest by family physicians will continue in Romania on Monday. They warn they will not issue prescriptions, nor referrals to specialists, just like Friday. Some of the family doctors have announced they will not make free of charge medical check-ups, either. The situation is generated by the delayed signing of this years framework agreement and by the fact that the document does not provide for optimal funding for basic medical assistance. Doctors state their refusal to retroactively sign contracts, as has happened so far, the more so as in some cases they had to pay for the prescribed medication. They warn to go on a token strike in the following days, if their requests are not met. Last week, family doctors picketed the Health Ministry headquarters

BRUSSELS– The Zaventem airport, the largest in Brussels, is being partially reopened today, approximately two weeks since the attacks that made scores of victims and reduced to rubble the entrance to the departures terminal. The resumption of flights is possible after the airport police officers trade unions reached an agreement with the government. The trade unionists threatened to go on strike in the absence of additional security measures in the wake of the attacks. All passengers will now be thoroughly checked before entering the airport building, and only passengers with tickets and IDs will be allowed access in the check-in hall. Also, the luggage will be checked before being brought into the building. Furthermore, the airport will no longer be connected to the city by common transportation means. Access will be possible only by taxis and personal cars. Over 23 million people transit the Zaventem airport every year. The airports closure following the March 22 attacks incurred daily losses of 5 million Euros.

CONFLICT-The heaviest clashes in the past 20 years started in the Caucasian region of Nagorno-Karabach, leaving over 30 people dead so far. The two sides point an accusatory finger to each other for the start of violence. Russian president Vladimir Putin has expressed deep concern about the situation and launched an appeal to the two sides to immediately halt the hostilities. The resumption of clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh will be high on the agenda of next weeks meeting of the OSCEs Minsk group for solving the separatist conflict in the region, a group co-chaired by Russia, the United States and France. Since the late 1980s, Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought for the region of Nagorno-Karabah, with a predominantly Armenian population, but annexed to Azerbaijan. The area was the stage of a war, which killed over 30,000 people and left hundreds of thousands destitute, between 1988 and 1994.

NAVAL EXERCISE – Three warships belonging to the Turkish Fleet, which are taking part in a naval exercise in the Black Sea, are today arriving in the port of Constanta. According to Radio Romanias correspondent, the Turkish commander will meet with representatives of the Romanian Naval Forces and the local authorities. The Turkish military, who will stay in Constanta until Monday, will visit the Romanian Navy Museum and other tourist objectives in the region. Also, a cooperation protocol will be signed between Turkish and Romanian firms active in the defence industry.

SPORTS – The womens volleyball team CSM Bucharest is today meeting, away from home, the Turkish team Trabzon Idman Ocagi, in the second round of the Challenge Cup finals. On Wednesday, the Romanian volleyball players secured a 3-1 win, on home turf, in the first round of the finals. So, they will need only two sets to grab the trophy, the first in the history of Romanian womens volleyball. In the last but one round of the competition, CSM, led by an Italian coach, secured a double victory against another representative of Turkey, Bursa BBSK, the defending holder of the trophy. It is for the first time that a Romanian womens volleyball team plays a European cup final.

(Translated by Diana Vijeu)