August 28, 2021 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 28.08.2021, 20:00

COVID-19 – 1,015 new cases of
COVID-19 infection were reported on Saturday out of some 43,000 tests, the
Group for Strategic Communication reports. 19 related fatalities have also been
reported, while 243 people are in intensive care. Romania is ready for the
fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Florin
Cîţu said on Saturday. The Prime Minister claims anesthesia and intensive care
units have maintained their capacity of receiving COVID patients, and
vaccination patients can still vaccinate up to a 100 thousand people every day.
The Prime Minister also referred to the importance of vaccination and testing
for all health workers, as well as the personnel in education, law enforcement
and the army.

MOLDOVA – Romania
supports the modernization of the Army of the Republic of Moldova, Romania’s
Defense Minister, Nicolae Ciucă said during a meeting with his Moldovan
counterpart, Anatolie Nosaty. The two officials tackled topics pertaining to
bilateral military cooperation. Minister Nosaty said Romania is a trusted and
strategic partner of the Republic of Moldova, expressing gratitude for the
constant assistance coming from Bucharest in the field of defense. He also
referred to the training of Moldovan Army personnel in relevant Romanian
institutions, the expertise offered in drafting strategic documents as part of
the Initiative for Consolidating Defense Capabilities, as well as assistance
aimed at combating the COVID-19 pandemic. General Ciucă on Friday attended, alongside
President Klaus Iohannis, the military parade marking 30 years since the
proclamation of independence of neighboring Moldova. Created on a part of
Romania’s eastern territories, annexed by the Soviet Union through an ultimatum
in 1940, the Republic of Moldova won its independence after the abortive coup
in Moscow against the then Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. Adopted on August
27, 1991 by Parliament in Chisinau, the declaration of independence was
recognized by Romania on the same day. The Republic of Moldova got
international recognition on March 2, 1992 upon its accession to the United
Nations Organization.

AFGHANISTAN – The
crisis task force set up by Romanian authorities managed to evacuate 5 Afghan
nationals from Kabul, who were admitted on Kabul airport and subsequently
evacuated with support from Romania’s international partners, the Foreign
Ministry in Bucharest has announced. The Afghan citizens – an exchange student
studying in Romania and two journalists together with their families, are now
safe outside Afghan territory. The task force has issued and submitted
documents to the five Afghan citizens, conforming they are under the protection
of the Romanian state. The Ministry says Romania will continue to take steps to
evacuate Afghan nationals who worked together with Romanian troops and
international organizations, students in Romania, vulnerable categories such as
journalists, human rights activists, magistrates and members of their families.
All 49 Romanian citizens who wanted to leave Afghanistan have been evacuated.
At the same time, the task force maintains contact with the nine Romanian
citizens who are still in Afghanistan and who have notified Romanian
authorities they do not wish to be evacuated.

IMF – The most important economic policy
Romania needs to adopt right now is a swift implementation of the anti-COVID-19
vaccination campaign, and that requires a significant amount of financial
resources, a recent report of the IMF shows. The report also states that
support measures dealing with the economic fallout of COVID-19 should be
redirected to the most affected sectors, whereas fiscal policy should focus on
a fair distribution of the fiscal burden and the improvement of tax collection.
The IMF also recommends the reform of state-owned companies. Romania should
also capitalize on the historic opportunity provided by the Recovery and
Resilience Plan, as well as EU structural funds. For 2021, Fund experts expects
a strong economic recovery in Romania, with a GDP growth of 7%. The main
challenge remains the risk of negative and unpredictable changes in the
evolution of the pandemic.

FARMERS – Young farmers
starting a business in the field of agriculture can apply for non-reimbursable
funds of up to 70,000 Euro starting Friday. The total budget stands at 100
million Euro, of which 30 million is reserved for farmers in mountainous
regions. The funds will be disbursed for a maximum period of three years, in
two installments: 75% upon signing the funding contract, and 25% depending on
the correct implementation of the business plan, until December 31, 2025. The authorities will be providing financial assistance to small farms as well, and all
applications can be submitted until November 26.

FESTIVAL – A new edition
of the George Enescu International Festival started on Saturday in Bucharest,
with the famous Romanian Rhapsody no. 2 performed in the opening concert. This
year the Festival has reached its 25th edition, marking 140 years
since the birth of the great Romanian composer. Over 3,500 artists will take
part over August 28 – September 26 in the festival. Concerts will be held in
Bucharest, Sibiu, Timişoara, Iaşi and Constanţa, and will be divided in four
sections: Great World Orchestras, Concerts and Recitals, Music of the 21st
Century and Enescu and his Contemporaries. Russian conductor Vladimir Jurowski,
this year’s artistic director, says the event will bring together the most
important musicians from all over the world, helping promote the values of
united Europe. Radio Romania is co-producer of the Festival. (VP)