December 8, 2013 UPDATE
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news.
Bogdan Matei, 08.12.2013, 16:47
FREIGHT CARRIERS-Romanian freight road carriers will go on strike for an indefinite period of time, as of Monday, in token of protest against the 7 Euro-cent increase in the excise levied on fuels, the National Road Confederation has announced. The confederation also claims that the Transport Ministry hasn’t complied with all commitments it has made as regards the improvement of the legislative framework regulating the activity of road carriers. The strike might affect shop supplying and traffic, if truck drivers run at low speed or stop on the side of the road. The National Road Confederation is representing over 7,500 carriers in Romania.
SHALE GAS-The US company Chevron has resumed works in Pungesti, eastern Romania, after they were brought to a halt on Saturday, because of the locals’ violent protests against the project of exploring shale gas. On Sunday, few protesters gathered in the area, but they were dispersed by the gendarmes, our correspondent in the area reports. Locals and green watchdogs are opposed to the extraction of shale gas, based on the hydraulic fracturing method, which might pollute underground water and cause earthquakes.
VISIT-Georgian Foreign Minister, Maia Panjikidze, will pay an official visit to Romania on Monday, at the invitation of her Romanian counterpart, Titus Corlatean. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the focal points on the agenda of the talks include the stage and prospects of bilateral cooperation, as well as Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, as the country has recently initialled the EU Association Agreement and wants to join NATO. Georgia Is Romania’s main trading partner in South Caucasus, two way trade exchanges standing at some 200 million Euros in 2011 and 2012. In turn, Romania is the main contributor to the EU’s Civil Mission in Georgia, which is monitoring the observance of the Russian-Georgian ceasefire agreement, following the armed conflict august 2008.
ROMANIAN ETHNIC MINORITIES— The Democratic Movement of the Romanians in Serbia (DMRS) has made public its intention to continue the fight for the emancipation and national rebirth of the over 300,000 members of the community. According to the DMRS president, Natasha Tosici, Serbia’s path to the EU can’t be secured without the decision makers’ guaranteeing democratic norms for the ethnic Romanians, who are loyal to the country they live in. Tosici says the ethnic Romanians are still facing problems, although tuition in their mother tongue has been introduced in schools, in the towns with a majority Romanian population. She has added that the unity of the community is jeopardised by the artificial linguistic division: Romanians versus the so-called “vlachs”, a concept supported by Serbian nationalist circles. We recall that Romania supports neighbouring Serbia’s European aspirations and calls on Serbia to treat national minorities according to EU norms.
SYRIA- European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, has called on the Syrian regime and opposition to put an end to the conflict which broke out 1,000 days ago and to make access possible for humanitarian aid to reach the population. The European official has expressed hope that the problem will be solved at the International Conference in Geneva, scheduled for January 22nd 2014. The conference will be attended by representatives of the Syrian regime, with the exception of President Bashar al-Assad, as well as by representatives of the moderate opposition. Since March 2011, Syria has been facing a violently stifled uprising and a military conflict between the opposition forces and those loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad. According to the UN, the death toll stands at over 115,000 people dead.
FILM-Ada Solomon, one of the best-known film producers in Romania received the “Eurimages” trophy for co-production, at the European Film Academy Gala in Berlin on Saturday. The prize comes to confirm the decisive role played by co-productions in the European filmmaking industry. In another move, Romanian actress, Luminita Gheorghiu, who played the leading role in “Child’s Pose” was nominated in “best actress in a leading role category”, but the prize went to Veerle Baetens, from the “The Broken Circle Breakdown”. “Child’s Pose” got the Golden Bear at the 2013 Berlinale and has been submitted by Romania for consideration for “Best Foreign Language Film”, at the Oscars next year. The prizes of the European Film Academy are considered to be the European equivalent of the Oscars.
HANDBALL-Romania’s national women handball team will meet Australia, in its second match counting for the World Handball Championship’s Group D, hosted by Serbia. In its first match played in the competition on Saturday, Romania outperformed Tunisia, 27-17. Playing in the same group are Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic. Over the years, Romania has won three world medals: gold in 1962, and silver in 1973 and 2005, respectively. Romania is also the only country to have participated in all final tournaments of the World Championships, as of 1957.
