July 21, 2016 UPDATE

Turkey to temporarily suspend the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Newsroom, 21.07.2016, 12:15

Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos received on Thursday in Bucharest a delegation of the US Congress. On this occasion, Ciolos said Romania was a stability element in an area marked by uncertainties. The sides discussed, among other things, about the bilateral Strategic Partnership, the military base in Deveselu and Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver programme.

Turkey will temporarily suspend the European Convention on Human Rights after announcing a state of emergency following the attempted coup. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Thursday that Turkey would follow the example set by France when it did so following last Novembers attacks by Isis militants in Paris. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the three-month state of emergency in Turkey would enable authorities to act quicker and more efficiently against the coup plotters. In his turn, German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Ankara to limit the duration of the state of emergency. Meanwhile, around 60,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended, detained or put under investigation since the coup was defeated.

The status of the Romanians living in Great Britain will be a priority for the Romanian authorities, said the Romanian Ambassador to London Dan Mihalache during a hearing organized by the Home Affairs Committee of the House of Commons on the Brexit issue. Dan Mihalache voiced concern as regards the British debate on the current rights of the EU citizens in the medium and long run, because, he says, these citizens need certainties. The Ambassador also mentioned that he rejected any discriminatory treatment relating to the date on which the Romanian citizens arrived in Great Britain.

The European Commission has approved the relocation of 265 million Euro that was not spent between 2007-2013 from the Sectoral Operational Programme to projects in the SMEs and research sectors in Romania. The European Commissioner Corina Cretu believes that Romania thus stands better chances of properly funding successful projects under the Sectoral Operational Programme for Enhancing Economic Competitiveness. According to the EU official, the European Commission and Bucharest authorities will keep on making efforts for the money allocated for the 2007-2013 programming period to be fully spent in Romania.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected the appeal of 68 Russian athletes seeking to overturn the ban imposed by the IAAF, following allegations of doping. However, the arbitration court stressed the decision is not binding on the International Olympic Committee, which has the final say as the supreme organizer of the games. The IOC said it would study and analyze the full decision and make its own final ruling on the participation of Russian athletes in the coming days. The Olympics open in Rio on August 5.

(Translated by Elena Enache)