OPYMPIAD – Romanian students won five medals at the 15th edition of the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad held in Chorzow, Poland. According to the Romanian Ministry of Education, the gold medal and the highest score in the competition in the theoretical test was won by Andrei Dragomir, a student with the Bucharest International High School of Informatics. Teofil Voicu with the “Emil Racoviţă” National College in Cluj-Napoca and Mendel Mendelsohn and Bogdan Ciocârlan, students with the Bucharest International High School of Informatics won silver medals, while George Vladimir Necula, with the same high school in Bucharest, won a bronze medal. Students from 53 countries took part in the competition.
ECONOMY – One of Romanias objectives in the upcoming period is to win back traditional markets in Asian countries, such as Singapore, Vietnam and Japan, said the Romanian Minister of Economy, Radu Oprea. He emphasized that the Romanian economy must capitalize on the markets and trade agreements signed by the European Union with Asian countries. Oprea also said that in October the joint commission with South Korea will take place, and in November – the one with Vietnam, areas with very high collaboration potential.
SEASIDE – The autumn edition of the “Holiday for all” program on the Romanian Black Sea coast is about to be launched. In September, tourist packages will be up to 70% cheaper compared to peak season rates. So far, 48 hotels have signed up for the program, offering tourists approximately 5,000 accommodation places. Over 100 accommodation units are expected to join the program, so that more than 40,000 tourists can benefit from it. Most hotel units will keep last years rates.
DECISION – Romania plans to ensure the transit of more than 60% of the Ukrainian grain exports to the international market in the future, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said after Friday’s meeting, in Bucharest, with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Şmyhal. The two officials decided that in the upcoming period, the grain transit from Ukraine to the international market, via Romania, to be doubled, from two to four million tons per month, but with the protection of Romanian farmers.
ENERGY – Helleniq Renewables, a Greek subsidiary of one of the main energy groups in South-Eastern Europe, Helleniq Energy Holdings, has signed a contract for the construction of four photovoltaic parks in Romania, with a total capacity of 211 megawatts. The agreement was signed with Mytilineos Energy. The projects will be gradually developed until 2025, and the total annual production of renewable energy will cover the needs of 100,000 households. In parallel, Helleniq Renewables signed another agreement, for the development of a portfolio of photovoltaic parks with a capacity of 600 megawatts, also located in Romania, in the southern part of the country.
EUROSTAT – Romania registered in June the most significant advance in the European Union in the field of construction works, of 3.6%, followed by Sweden and the Czech Republic, according to the European Statistics Office. At the opposite end are Germany, France, Slovakia and Hungary. Eurostat data also shows that construction works decreased in June by 1% in the eurozone and by 0.6% in the European Union, compared to the previous month, when a slight advance was registered. (EE)
