January 11, 2018
Click here for a round-up of news from Romania
Mihai Pelin, 11.01.2018, 15:01
UKRAINE — The Romanian government intends to offer scholarships to the Romanian pupils in Ukraine who have got special results in school, Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu has said in a ceremony of inauguration of a Romanian school, in Iordanesti village, in the Cernauti region. He said Romania will never forget about Romanian speakers, teachers can perfect their studies in Romania, as Bucharest intends to initiate such a demarche. Attending the event was also Ukrainian foreign minister, Pavlo Klimkin, as well as the education ministers in Ukraine and Romania, Lilia Grinevici and Liviu Marian Pop, respectively. Teodor Melescanu’s visit to Ukraine is aimed at assuring the educational rights of the Romanian minority in the neighbouring country and at implementing the conclusions of the Venice Commission on the new Education Law in Ukraine. We recall that in its current version, adopted by the Ukrainian Parliament and promulgated in September 2017 by President Petro Poroshenko, the Education Law limits the access of ethnic minorities to education in their languages. The Romanian community in Ukraine accounts for some 500,000 people.
EU PRESIDENCY — The Bulgarian presidency of the EU, taken over by the neighbouring country on January 1, has today been officially inaugurated in Sofia. Attending the ceremony are Bulgarian president Rumen Radev, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, the president of the European Council Donald Tusk and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. The four priorities of the Bulgarian presidency are youth and the future of Europe, the European integration of the West Balkans, security and ways to contain illegal migration, as well as the digital market. Bulgaria’s program is unfolding under the slogan “Union makes power”. The timetable of the presidency includes over 300 events. Bulgaria will host tens of summits, official and ministerial meetings. One is the European Summit devoted to the European integration of the countries in the West Balkans. We recall that Romania will hold the EU presidency as of January 2019.
TUNIS — Fresh clashes were reported on Wednesday evening between protesters and the police forces in several Tunisian towns. This is the third day of protests, fuelled by the austerity measures adopted by the government. The authorities have announced that over 200 people have been arrested and tens of policemen as well as civilians got injured in violent clashes with the protesters. Tunisia, considered by the West to be the only democratic success after the Arab spring uprisings of 2011, is facing economic difficulties. Growing discontent among the population was registered following the authorities’ announcement on January 1st on increasing fuel prices as well as the prices of some goods, on levying more taxes on cars, phone conversations, internet, hotel accommodation and other services. The austerity measures have been agreed upon with Tunisia’s foreign creditors. After the government was toppled in the wake of the 2011 uprisings, two attacks carried out by militants in 2015 had a major impact on Tunisia’s tourism and hotel industry, which contributes 8% to the country’s GDP.
TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzărnescu (no. 57 WTA) has today defeated American Alison Riske (no.89 WTA), 7-6, 6-1, in the quarterfinals of the tennis tournament in Hobart, Australia, with some 225,000 dollars in prize money up for grabs. In the semi-finals, Buzarnescu meets Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko (no. 43 WTA). Also today, the second Romanian tennis player qualified to the quarterfinals, Monica Niculescu (no. 85 WTA) has withdrawn from the competition right ahead of the match with Belgian Elise Mertens (no.36 WTA). The first grand slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open, will start on Monday, with Romanian Simona Halep, the world number one tennis player, being first seeded in the competition. She will play in the first round against the representative of the host country, Destanee Aiava (no.193 WTA). Apart from Halep, Romania will be represented by five other players: Sorana Cîrstea (no.37 WTA), Irina Begu (no.40 WTA), Mihaela Buzărnescu (no.57 WTA), Monica Niculescu (no.85 WTA), Ana Bogdan (no.107 WTA), as well as Marius Copil (no.93 ATP). Three other women tennis players are playing in the qualifiers: Alexandra Cadanţu (no.171 WTA), Irina Bara (no.183 WTA) and Alexandra Dulgheru (no.190 WTA).
