July 21, 2017 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 21.07.2017, 19:52

Chisinau — The Moldovan PM, Pavel Filip, thanked neighboring Romania for the consistent support provided to this ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population. He made this statement after his meeting in Chisinau with his Romanian counterpart Mihai Tudose, with whom he talked about intensifying bilateral cooperation. In turn, PM Tudose said the relationship between Romania and the Republic of Moldova was more than special. The Romanian PM did not have any meeting scheduled with the pro-Russian Socialist president Igor Dodon. Mihai Tudose’s visit to Chisinau was the second visit abroad in his capacity as PM, in which he was designated at the end of June. Last week Tudose went to Brussels where he told the EU officials that Romania had the huge task of making sure that Moldova was on a pro-European path.

Transdniester — The Moldovan Parliament on Friday passed a declaration through which they ask for the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Transdniester (a pro-Russian separatist region in the east of Moldova). According to the declaration, 25 years after the end of hostilities in Transdniester, the sides still do not observe the provisions of the Agreement on the peaceful resolution of the conflict. The Moldovan Parliament says the Russian troops still stationed in Transdniester represent an infringement of the constitutional provisions regarding Moldova’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and neutrality as well as a violation of the international law. The document calls on Russia to resume and finalize the withdrawal of its troops. Transdniseter de facto went out of the control of the Moldovan authorities in 1992, after an armed conflict that killed hundreds of people and that was ended following the Russian troops’ intervention on the side of the separatists.

Measles epidemic — In Romania, the number of deaths caused by measles reached 32, the National Center for Monitoring and Control of Communicable Diseases announced on Friday. The Health Ministry officials this week started a public information campaign meant to encourage vaccination. Also the line minister, Florian Bodog, announced that a package of measures would be applied in partnership with the Interior Ministry aimed at curbing the effects of the measles epidemic. Romania has been facing the biggest measles epidemic of the past years. So far, more than 8 thousand cases have been reported.

International Tennis Federation — The coach of Romania’s Fed Cup team, the former tennis player Ilie Năstase, has been suspended from any official position he was holding until 2021, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Friday. According to this organization, at a match held in Romania against the UK, in April, he used insulting words against Romania’s adversaries, against a referee and a journalist. Also Ilie Năstase received a fine worth 10 thousand dollars. According to the president of the Romanian Tennis Federation, George Cosac, the ITF’s decision is too tough and the accusations leveled against Năstase exaggerated. Năstase and the Romanian Tennis Federation can appeal the decision in an independent court in 3 weeks time. Ilie Năstase, 71, won 2 Grand Slam titles in the 1970s, being the first world leader in the tennis history. (translation by L. Simion)