May 19, 2015 UPDATE

For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.

Newsroom, 19.05.2015, 12:15

INCIDENT – Seven Romanians were in a bus where an improvised explosive device was found on Saturday in Hungary, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced, after having instructed the Romanian Embassy in Budapest to get more information on the incident. The Romanians continued their journey on the same bus, after Hungarian experts removed the device. The vehicle was registered in Bulgaria and was travelling from Prague (the Czech Republic) – Varna (Bulgaria), via Romania, and the homemade bomb was found in the luggage compartment, in a bag, tied to a petrol can. An investigation has been started. An individual who took the bus in Prague and unexpectedly got out in Budapest is a suspect in the case, and investigators do not rule out a terrorist plot.

KIDNAPPING — A Foreign Ministry task force in Bucharest is checking the information regarding the kidnapping of a Romanian citizen last month in Burkina Faso and the audio message sent by the jihadist group “Al Murabitun”, which claimed the kidnapping. In a recording sent to a news agency in Mauritania, and whose authenticity is yet to be confirmed, the group’s new leader demands that the Romanian government “took the hostage release negotiations seriously.” The terrorist announced, 5 days ago, the affiliation of “Al Murabitun” to the IS. The Romanian citizen was a member of a patrol team securing the perimeter of a mine. According to the Foreign Ministry, the task force is in permanent contact with the authorities in Burkina Faso, who deployed a substantial military contingent in the area in view of identifying the kidnappers. Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has immediately returned from Brussels, where he was taking part in a meeting with his European counterparts.

IMF — IMF and European Commission representatives are in Bucharest, as of Tuesday, for a technical mission. For a week, they will discuss with the Romanian authorities the measures included in the new Fiscal Code, which is currently under review in Parliament, and the status of structural reform implementation. According to economic analysts, the parties will try to successfully finalise the current stand-by agreement between Bucharest and the international financing institutions. Talks will likely be difficult, given that the Romanian government has recently adopted fiscal relaxation measures on which the IMF had expressed doubts. Signed in September 2013 for a two-year period and amounting to around 2 billion euros, this is the third loan Romania has requested from the IMF since the start of the economic crisis.

INTERPOL — The war on terror is a global challenge facing all states, as cross-border crime poses a serious threat to each state’s national security, Romanian Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea said, addressing the 43rd edition of Interpol’s European Regional Conference held in Bucharest. Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said today’s society is confronted with multiple threats targeting international security. The Interpol official said that illegal migration, cyber crime and the flux of foreign combatants are “major threats to stability in Europe and not only”. According to the UN, some 20,000 foreign combatants from 100 countries crossed Europe using forged passports, heading to conflict zones in the Middle Est. Attending this year’s conference are delegates from 50 countries, as well as representatives of international organizations.

APPOINTMENT — President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday signed the decree to appoint Daniel Horodniceanu as prosecutor-chief of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). Nominated on April 9 by Justice Minister Robert Cazanciuc, Horodniceanu will stay in office for three years. The office was left vacant after former DIICOT Chief Prosecutor Alina Bica was arrested in a corruption case.

CVM — A group of European Commission experts is in Bucharest to assess progress reported in the field of justice by Romania under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. On Tuesday, experts talked with representatives of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Ministry of Justice, the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Court, regarding topics pertaining to the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. European experts also met with Senators and Deputies in Parliament’s judicial committees. Talks focused on modifying the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Code, the revision of the Constitution and the process of legislative consultation.

ETHNIC MINORITIES — Ethnic minorities have been a constant factor of balance and stability in the Romanian political system in the last 25 years, president Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday during his meeting with members of the Group of National Minorities in the Chamber of Deputies. According to a presidency press release, minority representatives called for their right to preserve their cultural identity and to study in their mother tongue. Additionally they raised the issue to granting Romanian citizenship to those who completed their studies in Romania. This would all require a nation-wide project that the entire society needs to commit to implement. Additionally, talks with the president tackled the issue of returning properties illegally seized by the Romanian state to ethnic and religious communities, and adopting a legal framework for protecting historic monuments.

MEETING — Romanian Defence Minister Mircea Dusa on Tuesday met with his Moldovan counterpart Viorel Cibotaru, who is paying a two-day visit to Bucharest. Among others, the two officials discussed the consolidation of political and military dialogue between the two countries. Minister Dusa highlighted Bucharest’s willignness to provide technical and financial assistance to strengthen Moldova’s defense capabilities. The two defence ministers also talked about identifying a solution to facilitate the involvement of Moldova in EU-led operations and missions.

BOOKFEST — The 10th edition of Bookfest International Book Fair kicks off in Bucharest on Wednesday. Some 200 publishers will have over a million volumes on display, of which 4,000 new releases. For five days, guests will be able to attend over 300 events, including book launches, debates, conferences, screenings and interactive events. This year’s guest of honour is the Czech Republic. The pavilion of this country will host a series of events aimed at fostering Czech literature and raise an interest among Romanian readers for Czech contemporary and classic writers.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Marius Copil, ranked 270 in WTA standings, qualified to the second round of the Roland Garros tournament in Paris, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Copil defeated Pedro Sousa of Portugal in three sets. Adrian Ungur lost to Luca Vanniin of Italy in two sets. In the women’s competition, Romania is represented by several athletes, including WTA 3rd ranked Simona Halep, who last year played the final against Maria Sharapova of Russia.