June 2, 2017

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

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Newsroom, 02.06.2017, 14:22

DOCUMENT At the UN headquarters in New York, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Teodor Melescanu has submited the instrument of ratification of the Paris Accord on climate change, a communique issued by the Romanian diplomacy has announced. According to Melescanu, coordinated implementing the strategies on sustinable development and climate change is in line with Romania’s commitment as an EU and NATO member. In turn, Miguel de Serpa Soares, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, has said the ratification by Romania of the Paris agreement over climate change contributes to maintaining the subject on the international agenda. Minister Melescanu is in New York to promote Romania’s candidacy as a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council for a two-year mandate over 2020 and 2021. Since its UN accession in 1955, Romania has had four such mandates.

DECISION A decision by US president Donald Trump to withdraw the United States from the Paris Accord on climate change has attracted international criticism. A spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has called it a major disappointment for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote international security. French president Emmanuel Macron says that he respects Trump’s decision but describes it as a mistake both for the US and the world. The White House leader has invoked the level of contributions and the effects on the economy, adding the accord has negative consequences for the US industry and its workers disadvantaging it against China, India or other emerging powers. The Paris Accord, signed by 195 states, is intended to combat climate changes by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

CONGRESS The opposition Save Romania Union (USR), the third largest political group in Romania’s Parliament, has announced its intention to stage a congress for electing a new leader, upon the unexpected resignation on Thursday of its founding president Nicusor Dan. The USR vice-president Elek Levente, the head of the USR branch in Cluj northwestern Romania, has become the group’s interim president. Nicusor Dan stepped down after the USR National Bureau had decided to opose new Constitution amendments over redefining the family as the union between a man and a woman. A project over revising the fundamental law has already been passed by the Chamber of Deputies and if passed by the Senate the Romanians would be called to cast their vote in a referendum. The aforementioned Constitution amendments have been requested by three million Romanians.

TIFF Over 200 feature films and short reels will be screened as of today in Cluj Napoca, northwestern Romania, in the 16th edition of the Transylvania International Film Festival — TIFF 2017. Over 12 hundred Romanian and foreign invitees are attending the screening, concerts, workshops, debates and launches during the country’s most important cinema event, which has Radio Romania as its partner. Romanian actress Tora Vasilescu is to be awarded a prize for excellence during the festival, which is also to be attended by French film star Alain Delon, at his first visit to Romania.

TALKS We are having a constructive dialogue at European Commission level for a better preparation of Romania’s taking over the EU Council Presidency in 2019, the Romanian Minister for European Affairs, Ana Birchall says. The Romanian minister has held talks on the issue with Jean-Eric Paquet, deputy Secretary General of the European Commission. ‘Assuring the EU presidency represents one of our priorities. We have been EU members for 10 years now and I believe we have the maturity of turning a big challenge into an opportunity. Talks with European Commission officials are vital for ensuring a successful mandate at the helm of the EU Council in the first half of 2019’, Minister Birchall also says.

TENNIS The world’s fourth tennis player Simona Halep of Romania will be playing Russian Daria Kasatkina, no. 28 WTA, in the third round of the Grand Slam tournament of Roland Garros. Halep clinched a two-set win against Tatjana Maria of Germany in the second round. Another Romanian in the competition, Sorana Cirstea has conceded defeat to Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. In the doubles, Romanian-Dutch pair made up of Horia Tecau and Jean Julien Rojer will be playing in the round of 16 the winners of the game pitching Tunisian-Italian pair Jaziri/Seppi against Croatian-Spanish pair Dodig/Granollers.