June 17, 2016 UPDATE

For a roundup of domestic and international news click here.

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Newsroom, 17.06.2016, 12:15

DANUBE REGION — Developing tourism in the Danube Delta was high on Friday’s agenda for talks, held in Ruse, Bulgaria, between Romanian and Bulgarian authorities, in the presence of EU Commissioner for Regional Policies, Corina Cretu, and Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Vasile Dincu, Minister of Regional Development. The European Commissioner argued that one in five Europeans live and work in the Danube region, which is now home to over 110 million people. Moreover, tourism is a sector of major importance for the EU: 1 euro in 10 of the EU’s GDP comes from tourism, and nearly a quarter of the Danube’s population have revenues from tourism-related activities. Of the 600 million tourists who visit Europe every year, 125 million choose countries in the Danube Region. In this context, Romania and Bulgaria want to turn the region into a major tourist objective.

UNITED KINGDOM — Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Friday sent a message of condolences to his British counterpart, David Cameron, after the assassination of Labour MP Jo Cox. Aged 41, the pro-European Labour MP was killed on Thursday following an attack in her constituency in Birstall, northern England, one week ahead of the Brexit referendum. Prime Minister Ciolos expressed his deep regret for the abominable death not only of a politician who voiced an opinion, but also for the values the British nation shares, promotes and stands for. The Romanian official is confident such gestures would not prevent the British people, not now, not ever, from voicing their opinions freely, in private or in public.

ROAD ACCIDENT — Four people were killed and over 26 severely injured after the coach they were on was involved in a serious car accident on a mountain national road in central Romania. The authorities have issued a code red intervention alert. Tens of firemen, paramedics, police officers and security forces came to the scene to secure the area and transport the injured to the hospital in the shortest time possible. The coach was transporting children going to a folk festival in western Romania. Prosecutors have started criminal investigations into this matter.

CONSULTATIONS — Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Monday is holding consultations with his German counterpart, Joachim Gauck, during the latter’s official visit to Romania. President Iohannis will underline the interest of the Romanian side to intensify strategic relations with Germany, including with the federal lands. The Romanian president will also underline the need to consolidate economic cooperation, based on the fact that Germany is Romania’s largest trade partner and our economy’s third investor. The two presidents on Wednesday will attend a meeting of German and Romanian business people. The visit of the German president also includes a visit to Sibiu, where he will meet with representatives of the German minority. A former mayor of Sibiu, Klaus Iohannis himself is an ethnic German.

EIB — The European Investment Bank granted Romania a 300 million Euro loan in support of environmental projects as part of the large infrastructure operational program over 2014-2020, according to the Ministry of Finance. The head of the ministry, Anca Dragu, said that this loan would partially cover the states contribution to projects in water safety, waste disposal, protecting and recovering ecosystems, as well as adapting to climate change. The vice-president of the bank, Cristian Popa, specified that the loan would allow the co-financing of projects worth a total of 4.5 billion Euro.

MOLDOVA — Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu and French foreign ministry undersecretary Harlem Desir, while on a visit to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, were received by head of state Nicolae Timofti and Prime Minister Pavel Filip. Comanescu issued a strong message of support for Moldovas aspiration to join the EU. He urged officials there to keep up the pace of reform, especially in the judiciary and public administration, stabilizing the economic situation, the fight against corruption, as well as improving foreign investment and the business sector.