December 26, 2013
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Corina Cristea, 26.12.2013, 12:00
Orthodox and Greek-Catholics from all over the world including from Romania are today, on the second Christmas Day, celebrating the Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God — the oldest festivity to honor Virgin Mary. Also today Orthodox believers in Romania are celebrating St. Nicodemus of Tismana who erected the first monasteries in Wallachia back in the 14th century. In his Christmas message, Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church spoke about the Christian family and about the joy of having children. He urged believers to become more responsible. At the Vatican, Pope Francisc pleaded for the end of wars, denouncing any kind of violence, human trafficking and child exploitation. Pope Francisc has urged everyone to look for peace and care for others.
2013 was a boom year for green farming in Romania and prospects are even more optimistic for the year to come, shows a report published by the Association of Green farmers in Romania, called Bio Romania. Next year, members of the aforementioned association intend to display their products on a surface of four hundred square meters at the BioFach Nuremberg, the world’s largest fair of organic farming. According to the same communiqué, Romania was designated the country of the year at BioFach. Bio Romania has so far participated in the most prestigious world fairs, promoting Romania’s biofarming techniques at BioFach Nuremberg, BioFach Baltimore, Anuga, World Food Moscow or MENOPE in Dubai.
Romania’s foreign minister Titus Corlatean is in Jerusalem for talks with the president of Israel Shimon Peres. High on the agenda are discussions on bilateral cooperation at political, economic and cultural levels, as well as international issues. Corlatean, who is on a Middle East tour, which took him to Israel and the Palestinian territories, where he held talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, said the diplomatic process must come up with peaceful solutions observing the principle of co-existence of the two states and peoples. The head of Romanian diplomacy said that any unilateral measure must be avoided as well as any attempt to leave the peace talks.
Europeans have become more optimistic when it comes to their economic situation, shows the latest Eurobarometer poll published in Brussels. 43% of the interviewees believe the EU is on the right track to get out of the crisis and face global challenges. In another move, the number of Europeans who believe the impact of the present economic crisis upon the labour force has reached its climax, has risen by 4%, from 36% in spring to 40% at present. The poll shows there are many pending problems, such as the unemployment rate, the economic recovery, the inflation rate and the public debt. 40% of Europe’s citizens see inflation as their main personal concern.
Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan has appointed ten new ministers in an attempt to reshuffle the government in Ankara. The Prime Minister’s decision came after three ministers had resigned amid a corruption scandal involving their sons. According to press agencies, the new government reshuffle will enable Erdogan to reestablish his authority in Turkey, following a year of unrest and anti-government protests.
On Friday, Russia is to host an international conference on neutralizing Syria’s chemical arsenal. The event will bring together experts from Russia, the United States, Syria, the UN and from the Organisation for Prohibiting Chemical Weapons. Against the background of international pressure and fearing a foreign military intervention, the regime in Syria accepted the destruction of its chemical arsenal. In another move, the EU on Wednesday condemned the bombing campaign launched by the Syrian regime against the civilians in Aleppo. Catherine Ashton, head of the European diplomacy has made an appeal for the immediate cessation of violence, calling on all sides to comply with the agreement on participating in the peace conference in Geneva on January 22nd, which is expected to give an impetus to the process of finding a peaceful solution to the conflict. Since March 2011, Syria has been confronted with revolts, brutally repressed by government troops, as well as clashes between the inssurgents and troops loyal to incumbent president Bashar al-Assad.
