June 4, 2023 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 04.06.2023, 19:19
Pentecost — The majority Orthodox Christians in Romania and the Greek Catholics will celebrate on Monday, the second day of Pentecost, dedicated to the Holy Trinity. On the second day of Pentecost in some areas of the country pots are offered to people, which should be decorated with flowers and be accompanied by a bread ring with a candle on top for those who have passed away. Beautifully decorated plates are also given away for the living. Pentecost or the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles marks the foundation of the Christian Church and is celebrated 50 days after Easter. According to the New Testament, the 12 Apostles, gathered in a house, received the Holy Spirit, who gave them the power to preach in languages they had never spoken before. Following the sermon of the Apostle Peter, 3,000 people were baptized and formed the first Christian community. In churches, on Pentecost day, the faithful receive blessed walnut leaves, symbols of the flames that appeared above the heads of the Apostles, at the time of the Descent of the Holy Spirit.
Prize – Human rights and human dignity are key elements for the construction of societies characterized by freedom, democracy and solidarity, President Klaus Iohannis said on Sunday, upon receiving the Franz Werfel Prize for Human Rights for the year 2023, during a ceremony held in Frankfurt on Main. The head of the Romanian state showed that for Romania, the people belonging to national minorities represent not only a rich cultural and human heritage, but also a real added value for the whole society. During the ceremony, the Laudatio speech was delivered by Jean-Claude Juncker, former President of the European Commission and former Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, who highlighted the merits of President Klaus Iohannis in the fight against corruption, in the observance of the rule of law and the protection of minorities. On Saturday, also in Germany, the Romanian president received the German Civic Award, granted by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, in Dusseldorf. In his acceptance speech, Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romanias support for the European values, which gives legitimacy to the citizens desire to benefit from integration into the Schengen Area. He reminded that Romania fully meets the criteria for integration, managing the external borders with responsibility and efficiency. The foundation decided to award the prize based on the evaluation of the entire political career of the Romanian head of state.
Visit — King Charles III of Great Britain continues his private visit to Romania. On Saturday and Sunday, the British sovereign walked the streets of Valea Zălanului village in Covasna county (center), where he owns three houses. Dressed casually, the king was welcomed by the locals with flowers. He talked with the villagers and tourists who came especially to see him, and he also visited some picturesque places in the area. I love to come to Romania, said the monarch. Charles III was received, on Friday, at the Cotroceni Palace, by President Klaus Iohannis. It is the first visit that a British monarch pays to Romania, and also the first foreign trip of the sovereign since his coronation, which took place last month. As a Crown Prince, Charles visited Romania several times, the first time in 1998 and he declared himself an admirer of the country. He got involved in preserving the Romanian cultural heritage, buying and restoring old houses in the countryside, which he saved from destruction. In 2017, the Presidency granted him the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross.
Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine lost, on Sunday, in three sets, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, the match in the round of 16 of the womens doubles in the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, against Jessica Pegula and CoCo Gauff, both from the USA. Ruse and Kostyuk were seeded 13th at Roland Garros, one of the most important international tennis tournaments.
Turkey – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on behalf of Romania, for his reconfirmation as President of Turkey and wished him success in fulfilling his new mandate, during the investiture ceremony that took place on Saturday. The event was attended by heads of state and government, ministers of foreign affairs, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Ankara, among whom the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. He is in Turkey also for discussions aimed at solving the objections of the Ankara administration regarding the ratification of Swedens request for NATO membership. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian officials participation in the ceremony reflects Romanias desire to strengthen the bilateral Strategic Partnership, based on consistent political dialogue and close cooperation in a wide range of sectoral fields. For Romania, Turkey is the second commercial partner outside the EU and the first destination of Romanian exports outside the Union, last year the volume of exchanges registering almost 9.6 billion dollars. Recep Tayyip Erdogan took oath as president for the third time. On May 28, in the second round of voting, he defeated the candidate of the united opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The Turkish leader dominated the countrys politics for 20 years, first as prime minister, then as president, but critics accuse him of authoritarianism and mismanagement of the economy. (LS)
