March 4, 2023 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 04.03.2023, 19:24
Earthquake — 46 years were marked on Saturday since the devastating earthquake of March 4, 1977, in Romania. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale, was strongly felt throughout the country, especially in the south and east. More than 1,500 people lost their lives then, most of them in Bucharest. Most of the deaths in Bucharest occurred as a result of the total or partial collapse of dozens of buildings. The 1977 earthquake had its epicenter in the Vrancea area (east), the most active in Romania. However, recent earthquakes in the south, where such phenomena are very rare, prompted the authorities to start a national campaign to evaluate the buildings where schools and hospitals are operating, to see if they are vulnerable to earthquakes. If this is the case, they will be refurbished, after previously identifying the funding sources. In Bucharest, the first rapid visual evaluations of buildings ahead of the consolidation process are to begin by September. Among the buildings that will have priority are the blocks of flats with at least three stories built before 1968, as well as the buildings where educational or medical units are operating. The Minister of Development, Public Works and Administration, Cseke Attila, declared on Saturday that almost 400 buildings from all over the country that are to be consolidated currently benefit from over 6 billion lei (about 1.2 billion Euros) worth of funding from national and European funds.
Greece — A Romanian citizen was identified among the people who died following the serious railway accident that took place in Greece, on the night of February 28 to March 1, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday. The Consulate General of Romania in Thessaloniki has informed the family of the deceased person, with whom they are in direct contact. The repatriation of the body will be carried out after the completion, by the Greek authorities, of all the specific procedures in such special situations, shows a Foreign Ministry press release. On Friday, more than 5,000 people demonstrated in Athens and Thessaloniki in memory of the 57 people who lost their lives in the railway accident on the railway line connecting the two cities. Violence was reported between the demonstrators and the police, who resorted to tear gas. The “Hellenic Train” company is accused of negligence that led to this catastrophe. The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appointed a commission of experts to investigate the causes of the accident.
Gaudeamus — In Craiova (south), the first stage of the Gaudeamus Book Fair Caravan, organized by Radio Romania, is taking place, which marks both the beginning of the national book fair season and of the spring season. Opened on March 1, the Fair is waiting for literature lovers until Sunday with almost 14,000 books published by over 50 of the most prestigious publishing houses in Romania and abroad, with games, teaching aid equipment and music, with debates, book launches and presentations and prize contests. For the first time in the history of almost three decades and 133 editions of the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair, the honorary president of the Craiova Fair is a very young writer – Jonathan Agostino Ottobrino, a student who, up to the age of 12, has already had many achievements, having published two volumes and having won numerous literary prizes. After Craiova, Radio Romania will also organize Gaudeamus Book Fairs in Cluj-Napoca (north-west) in April, Oradea (west) in May, Sibiu (center) in August and Iasi (east) in September.
Climate — Romania has joined 17 other UN member states to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate change, the Romanian Foreign Ministry informs. Initiated by the state of Vanuatu, the action aims to clarify the obligations of the countries of the world against the effects of climate change and to protect vulnerable states. So far, 112 of the 193 UN member countries have shown support for the initiative.
Kyiv – The European Public Prosecutors Office – EPPO is prepared to fight against criminals who hide the origin, destination or right of ownership of goods and assets that fall under the EU sanctions, said on Saturday the European Chief Prosecutor, the Romanian Laura Codruța Kovesi, who was in Ukraine where she participated in the “United For Justice” conference in Lviv. According to the official, this would help slow Russias war effort and, with confiscations following prosecutions, this would even help fund the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war. Laura Codruța Kovesi also said that she traveled to Ukraine to take a stand against the “new avatar of radical evil” and that the EPPO must also be given powers in the area of verifying compliance with EU sanctions against Russia.
Visit – The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will travel to Japan on Monday, where he will pay a three-day official visit, during which he will have meetings with Emperor Naruhito and the Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The main aim of the visit is to raise the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership, by signing a joint declaration in this regard. Also next week, after the visit to Japan, president Klaus Iohannis will also pay a state visit to Singapore, the first at this level in the last 20 years. The visit is aimed at initiating bilateral investment projects, given that Romania has become the third largest supplier of IT services to Singapore from the European Union. (LS)
