June 26, 2022 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 26.06.2022, 20:00

FLAG DAY Events were organised in county capitals and in Romanian
localities hosting military units, to celebrate National Flag Day on the 26th
June. The National Flag Day was introduced to mark the day in 1848 when the
revolutionary government proclaimed the red, yellow and blue flag as the
national colours of all Romanians. The National Flag Day was introduced under a
1998 law.

MOLDOVA Russia’s ex-president and PM Dmitri Medvedev threatens that
the Republic of Moldova will see its natural gas supplies cut and exports of
agri-food products to the Russian market banned, if Chişinău joins the West’s
economic sanctions against Moscow. Medvedev, currently the vice-president of
the Security Council, posted on his Telegram channel an extensive article on
the Republic of Moldova, which Thursday was recognised as an EU candidate country.
According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Moscow, Medvedev says the
accession process may take decades, which makes Moldova’s annexation by Romania
an easier option. And, Medvedev argues, both Bucharest and Chişinău are making
efforts in this respect. The Romanian foreign ministry says Dmitri Medvedev’s
statements are part of Kremlin’s already known false rhetoric, disseminated in
the Republic of Moldova both before, and after the illegal, unjustified and
unprovoked aggression of Russia against Ukraine.

FESTIVAL The Sibiu International Theatre Festival continues in central
Romania until the 3rd July. This year’s motto is Beauty. This 29th
edition of the festival brings together artists from around the world in
theatre, dance, cinema, musical, opera and circus performances. Concerts, book
shows and exhibitions are also organized as part of the festival. Some of the
performances taking place in cultural or unconventional venues can be watched
on the Festival’s official website, digital streaming platform www.scena-digitala.ro,
and on the event’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.

INCOMES The average monthly income per household in Romania was
nearly EUR 1,100 in 2021, up 8.9% since the previous year, according to the
National Statistics Institute. The total incomes were 3.6 times higher in
households whose members are higher-education graduates. Also, families in the
35-49 year bracket earned the most, while in terms of geographic regions the
highest incomes were reported in Bucharest-Ilfov (south), and the lowest in the
north-east of the country.

G7 The group of 7 rich democracies announced a ban on Russian gold
imports, during a summit held on Sunday, in the context of the war in Ukraine
and its impact on the energy and grains markets. According to Reuters, this
adds to sanctions already introduced against Moscow after Russia invaded
Ukraine at the end of February. The new measures will directly affect Russian
oligarchs and strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine, the
British PM Boris Johnson said. We need to starve the Putin regime of its
funding. The UK and our allies are doing just that, Mr. Johnson added.

TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep, no 19 WTA and former
world leader, will take on the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova (82 WTA), in
the first round of the Wimbledon tournament. Halep, winner of the Wimbledon trophy
in 2019, is seed no. 16 this year in the competition. Another Romanian player,
Sorana Cîrstea, 32 WTA and seed no. 21, plays against Aleksandra Krunic of
Serbia (53 WTA). Gabriela Ruse (55 WTA) has the most difficult match in the All
England Club first round, against the American Coco Gauff, no. 12 in the world.
Irina Begu (43 WTA) is facing Ekaterine Gorgodze of Georgia (112 WTA), in the
same round, while Ana Bogdan (109 WTA) plays against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska
(74 WTA), and Irina Bara (121 WTA) against Chloe Paquet of France (101 WTA). In
turn, Mihaela Buzărnescu (126 WTA) will play against Natasja Schunk of Germany (156
WTA). This year’s Wimbledon tournament has record-large amounts in prize money
(over GBP 40 million) but the WTA and ATP announced they will not assign any
points, after the British organisers decided to bar Russian and Belarusian
players from taking part, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (AMP)