March 22, 2018 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 22.03.2018, 20:23
MESSAGE Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday conveyed a message of congratulations to Vladimir Putin, the president elect of the Russian Federation, the presidential administration in Bucharest has informed. In his message president Iohannis has voiced confidence over the benefits of the relations between the two countries on a pragmatic and predictable basis through constructive dialogue in accordance with norms and principles of the international law. Vladimir Putin got elected on Sunday for another six-year term in office as president of Russia, this being his fourth mandate so far.
MARKET The head of diplomacy in Budapest, Peter Szijjarto, on Thursday said in Targu Mures, central Romania, that after Germany, Romania is Hungarys second largest export market. According to him, trade exchanges between the two countries have in the past year stood at roughly 8 billion euros. The Hungarian official has pointed out that the two countries will enjoy a tighter economic cooperation in the future, which is to raise the two countries GDPs and budgets.
SKRIPAL A court in Britain has given doctors permission to take blood samples from Sergei Skripal and his daughter so that tests can be carried out by experts with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical weapons, Reuters announces quoting a spokesman for the court. Britain blames Moscow for having used a nerve agent called Novichok to poison the Russian double agent and his daughter in what could be the first use of such a weapon in a Western country after WWII. Russia has denied any involvement.
LABOUR In 2017 Bulgaria and Romania registered the lowest labour costs in the European Union (5.1 and 5.5 euros respectively), data released by the statistical office of the European Union Eurostat shows. At the opposite end there are Luxembourg, Denmark and Belgium. The average EU level stood at 23.1 euros while 26.9 euros was reported in the Eurozone.
WEATHER Romanias Interior Minister Carmen Dan called a winter task force meeting of all the authorities that deal with winter-related problems. Previously local authorities decided to shut down all schools and kindergartens on Friday in Bucharest and other counties in the south. A similar measure was adopted in late February. Meteorologists have issued a code yellow alert against strong wind and heavy snowfall in place since Thursday afternoon until Friday evening for southern Romania. On Thursday evening a new code orange alert against heavy snowfall and strong wind will take effect. Temperatures are expected to range 10 degrees below the normal average for this time of the year. The noon reading in Bucharest was 0 degrees Celsius.