July 16, 2016 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 16.07.2016, 12:15

There
are signs that the situation in Turkey is coming back to normal after the
attempted military coup on Friday night. Customs are now operating normally and
there are no travel restrictions. A communiqué issued by the Turkish Embassy in
Bucharest reads that all institutions are operational. According to the
Romanian authorities, there are no Romanians among the victims. The Romanian
Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu, who is attending the Asia-Europe Summit in
Mongolia, said on Radio Romania that Turkey remains a key partner to both the
EU and NATO, despite the attempted coup. He has given assurances that the
Romanians who are currently on Turkish soil are given full support, and the
ministry’s website contains all the necessary information regarding the current
situation in Turkey and on travel conditions. We recall that during the coup
staged in Ankara and Istanbul, fire exchanges and explosions were reported.
Over 200 people were killed and more than 1,150 wounded. Some 1,500 military
staff have been arrested. The US and the EU have voiced support for the Turkish
government.

Romania’s
President Klaus Iohannis is in permanent contact with the competent Romanian
authorities with regard to the situation in Turkey, a strategic partner to
Romania and a NATO ally, the presidential administration has announced.
According to the same source, the country’s stability, on the basis of a full
respect for democracy and the democratically elected authorities in Turkey is
important to regional, European and international security. In another move,
the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that a crisis cell has been
activated to analyse the most effective ways to provide consular assistance to
the Romanian citizens currently on Turkish soil and also the political implications
of the recent events. The Foreign Ministry recommends Romanian citizens to
avoid travelling to and around Turkey. A team of the Romanian Consulate in
Istanbul is at the Ataturk International Airport to help the Romanians there.

France
is in mourning following Thursday’s attack in Nice, which killed 84 people and
wounded more than 100, including two Romanians. Another two Romanians are
reported missing and Romanian and French authorities are now trying to clarify
the situation. The French media reports that the Islamic State terrorist
organization has claimed the bloody attack. We recall that a Franco-Tunisian
man driving a 25-tonne lorry ram through the crowds who had gathered on the
city’s waterfront for a firework display to celebrate France’s National Day.
The UN Security Council has described the attack as barbaric, and the US
president Barack Obama has said his country stands in solidarity with France,
its oldest ally. In Bucharest, president Klaus Iohannis has sent a message of
condolence to the grieving families and has said the scourge of terrorism,
which seeks to plant fear and despair, will not succeed in dividing Europe in
its fight for and belief in freedom and democracy.

Alongside
Spain, Romania has proposed the setting up of an international court against
terrorism. The initiative was set forth at the Asia-Europe summit in the
Mongolian capital Ulan Bator and was supported by several countries, the
Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos has announced. He has also stated that this is aimed
at strengthening the international community’s capacity to react in such
situations. 50 heads of state and government from European and Asian countries
attending the Asia-Europe Summit discussed the current economic situation,
climate change, the fight against terror and migration. On the sidelines of the
summit, the Romanian Prime Minister had several meetings with counterparts from
the participating countries. Previously, Ciolos went to Vietnam, in a bid to
relaunch bilateral economic and cultural relations.

The
Minister Delegate for Liaison with Romanians Abroad Maria Ligor, who is
currently on a visit to Great Britain, met in Norwich on Saturday with the
family owning the shop that was set on fire on July 8th. The
minister conveyed a message of solidarity from the Romanian authorities and
encouraged the reporting of any xenophobic and discriminatory acts to the
British institutions and the Romanian Embassy in London. At the Norwich City
Hall Ligor was welcomed by Mayor Marion Maxwell and other members of the Local
Council, to whom she thanked for the solidarity displayed by the local
community, which supported the affected family after the incident.

The
Romanian national women’s handball team won the bronze medal a the Under-20
World Championship in Moscow, after defeating Germany on Friday, 26-25. In the
semi-finals the Romanian players lost 25-28 to Denmark. Early this month, the
Romanian men’s team won the World University Handball Championship in Malaga,
Spain, and the women’s team got silver at the same competition.