March 31, 2017

Prince Charles has concluded his second official visit to Romania.

Newsroom, 31.03.2017, 13:52

BREXIT — The European Council President Donald Tusk has today presented EUs draft negotiating position as regards Brexit, making clear that Britain must start to deal with its split from Europe before talks on future trade terms. The document, sent to all 27EU members, states that there must be “sufficient progress” on withdrawal talks, including a divorce bill potentially running as high as 50 billion pounds, before negotiations on future relations begin. British Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 on Wednesday with a letter calling for withdrawal and trade talks to start at the same time. Britain has chosen to leave the Union after 44 years of membership, during which time it has enjoyed a privileged status within the community bloc, pundits say.

VISIT — The heir to the British throne, Prince Charles of Wales, has today ended his second official visit to Romania at the National Theatre of Bucharest, regarded as a cultural symbol of the country. Previously he had meetings with PM Sorin Grindeanu, with Crown Princess Margareta of Romania, Custodian of the Romanian Crown and with the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. On Wednesday, President Klaus Iohannis awarded Prince Charles the “Romania Star” National Order, in Rank of Grand Cross, in token of appreciation for his activity in Romania and for helping promote the country’s image worldwide.

VISAS — All Romanian citizens can travel to Canada without visas starting December 1st. The Canadian Ambassador in Bucharest, Kevin Hamilton, has said that he wants to dissociate the EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement from the visa issue. In his opinion, these are two complementary but not identical things. Ambassador Hamilton has said that the Canadian officials evaluated Romania, they saw the progress made in terms of passport and migration regulations and concluded an agreement so that Romanian citizens will soon travel to Canada without visas. As regards the free trade agreement between the EU and Canada, Kevin Hamilton has said that Romania is positioned so as to benefit directly from the agreement. We remind you that Romania and Bulgaria conditioned their signing of the agreement on the elimination of visas for Canada.

DEBT — Romania has to pay over 39 million euros to the European Union in April, of the stand-by loan agreement taken out in 2009, with the entire amount representing interest rates and commissions. In 2017 Romania must pay 1.26 billion euros to the EU and the World Bank while by 2023 a total of 4.7 billion euros must be paid. We remind you that in 2009, in the context of the world financial crisis, Romania took out a 20-billion euro loan from the IMF and the WorldBank.

ARREST – South Korea’s former president Park Geun-hye has been arrested and jailed today over high-profile corruption allegations that ended her four-year rule and prompted an election to find her successor. She is the first woman ever elected head of state in South Korea. Prosecutors accuse Park of colluding with a confidante to extort big businesses, take a bribe from one of the companies and commit other wrongdoing.

APPOINTMENT – The former minister for the relation with parliament, Gratiela Gavrielscu, is today being sworn in as Environment Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. She will replace Daniel Constantin, the co-president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, who was revoked from his positions in the government after his party, which is part of the government coalition alongside the Social Democratic Party, has withdrawn its political support. Gratiela Gavrilescu was an environment minister during the Social-Democratic government headed by Victor Ponta.

(Translated by Elena Enache)