August 21, 2016 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 21.08.2016, 12:15
The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on Saturday evening in Gaziantep, Turkey, which killed scores of people and wounded many others. Such acts targeted at innocent people are unacceptable, say the Romanian Foreign Ministry representatives, who sent a message of condolence to the grieving families and expressed solidarity with the Turkish people. Bucharest authorities have also given assurances that Romania remains committed, together with Turkey, to fighting terrorism. The suicide bomber was a 12 to 14 – year-old boy, the Turkish president announced. He also added that the Islamic State terrorist group was behind the attack that targeted a Kurdish wedding party. According to news agencies, the town of Gaziantep, located near the border with Syria, is home to several Islamic Sstate terrorist cells.
24 people who intended to illegally cross the Romanian border coming from Serbia (in the south west) were caught last night by the Romanian border police. The arrested persons, 13 adults and 11 children, are immigrants of Turkish origin. According to the Border Police, the Romanian authorities have increased security measures at the border with Serbia, after this week, small groups of immigrants have tried to illegally cross the Romanian border on two occasions. In another development, illegal migration at Romania’s borders has dropped significantly by over 40% in the first 7 months of 2016 as compared to the same period of last year- show data published by the Romanian Border Police. As many as 600 foreign citizens have tried to illegally cross the country’s borders since the beginning of the year, as compared to more than one thousand last year. One hundred of them have been returned to the neighboring border authorities based on the readmission protocols and agreements Romania concluded with its neighbors. Of the total number of illegal migrants, most were organized in groups accompanied by more than 30 guides, Romanian and foreign citizens, who were, in turn, arrested by the border police.
The Romanian High Court of Cassation and Justice will decide Monday whether to extend the remand in custody of the former deputy governor of the National Bank of Romania, Bogdan Olteanu. At the end of July, he was accused by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate’s prosecutors of influence peddling, after, in 2008, when he was the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies representing the National Liberal Party, he asked for and received from a businessman one million euros and electoral support in exchange for appointing a certain person to the position of governor of the Danube Delta. Olteanu is the first national bank official ever arrested by prosecutors. The investigation targets his activity before becoming deputy governor of the national bank in 2009.
The Romanian PM Dacian Cioloş will pay an official visit to the Republic of Moldova on Thursday, in the context in which, early this month, the Romanian Government approved the disbursement, for August 24, of a first installment worth 60 million euros of the non-reimbursable financial aid package for the Republic of Moldova of 150 million euros. The two sides have agreed on a number of obligations that the Republic of Moldova has to fulfill for this first installment to be disbursed, such as the setting up of a roadmap for reaching an agreement with the IMF, the passing of laws meant to improve the business environment, etc. The Republic of Moldova also has to present a plan for updating the reform strategy in the justice sector and a national anti-corruption strategy.
This year’s eagerly awaited Romanian thriller, Dogs, directed by Bogdan Mirica, has won 2 awards at the Sarajevo festival, one of the most important film events in Europe. On Saturday night, during the closing gala, Romanian actor Gheorghe Visu received the Heart of Sarajevo award for best actor. The French weekly Telerama compares Visu, aged 60, whose career includes over 40 roles, to the cowboy film stars. The Romanian film has also received the Jury’s Special Mention. Beginning with 23 September, the film Dogs will be shown in Romanian cinemas, and during the coming months it will also be shown at festivals in Canada, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and Spain.
(translation by Lacramioara Simion)
