November 16, 2018 UPDATE
Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed the decree to appoint Ecaterina Andronescu education minister/ The EP President Antonio Tajani and other European high ranking officials will pay visits to Bucharest
Newsroom, 16.11.2018, 19:26
APPOINTMENT – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed the decree to appoint Ecaterina Andronescu education minister. Ecaterina Andronescu replaces Valentin Popa who stepped down in late September. This is for the fourth time that Ecaterina Andronescu holds the education portfolio. On Wednesday, the new minister delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba was sworn in, before the Romanian President. He replaced Victor Negrescu, who tendered his resignation. George Ciamba is a career diplomat and has been working at the Romanian Foreign Ministry since 1990.
VISIT – European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and leaders of political parties and other EU high-ranking officials will visit Bucharest next week, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has announced. The visit is aimed at discussing aspects of high interest for the future of the European Union and the management of important programmes, such as the multi-annual financial framework, Brexit, the future of the EU post-Brexit and the security policy, ahead of Romania’s taking over the EU Council presidency on January 1, 2019. Prime Minister Dancila said Romania is ready to take over and carry out successfully the EU Council presidency, saying that the events timetable is finalised and all working mechanisms have been created.
MOLDOVA – The Romanian-Moldovan inter-government committee will convene twice a year, Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip announced during the 11th meeting of the committee hosted by Chisinau. Prime Minister Filip said close cooperation involves concrete projects and that economic relations between the two states are on an upward trend, with many joint projects with high priority for the Republic of Moldova. These include cooperation with a view to boosting energy security, interconnecting electricity grids as well as social projects, such as refurbishing kindergartens using funds from the Romanian state. On the other hand, the European Commission has approved the four large infrastructure projects submitted for funding under the 2014-2020 Romania-Moldova Joint Operational Programme, with a total worth of 40.5 million euros, of which the EU will cover 24.3 million.
JUSTICE– The Romanian Ministry of Justice on Friday launched the program “Justice worth 53 million Euros, of which 45 million Euros worth of non-reimbursable financial assistance from Norway. The program will be implemented in the 2018-2024 time frame. It includes several projects in such domains as correctional services, the efficiency and efficacy of the judicial system, the consolidation of the rule of law, domestic violence and violence based on gender difference. Justice minister Tudorel Toader has underlined the importance of the programs for the judicial system, mentioning that the 2014 – 2021 exercise enjoys a double level of allocation as compared to the previous one. Norways ambassador to Bucharest, Lise Kleven Grevstad has underlined that the launch of the program is a reference point of the cooperation between Norway and Romania in the field of justice.
PROTEST – The metro employees in Bucharest will go on an all out strike as from November 21, between 4 AM and 4 PM, for an indefinite period of time. The announcement was made by the metro trade union leader, Ion Rădoi. We recall that on Thursday the subway employees went on a token strike, with train traffic being halted between 4 AM and 4 PM. Trade union representatives demand a 42% pay rise, whereas the Metrorex management granted a capped increase of 18%. Some 700,000 people travel by metro in Romanias capital city every day.
MILITARY – After nearly 2 and a half years of training and a wide-ranging exercise held in Cincu shooting range, Brasov County, central Romania, the first NATO Multinational South-East Brigade has been declared combat ready. Attending the 2018 Scorpions Fury exercise were 1,800 military backed by 250 pieces of military equipment. The exercise involved real-life firing drills to prove the increase of interoperability.
GAUDEAMUS FAIR – The 25th edition of the Gaudeamus International Educational Book Fair organized by Radio Romania continues until Sunday. This years edition is devoted to the Great Union Centennial and marks 90 years since the public radio was founded. Over 300 publishers are attending and organizers have prepared over 900 events, including book launches, screenings, debates and lectures.
RADIRO – Starting November 18 Bucharest plays host to one of the most important music events of the year: the International Radio Orchestras Festival – RaDiRo. The festival marks 90 years since the public radio was founded and 100 years since the Great Union. The Radio Concert Hall and the Auditorium Hall of the Fine Arts Museum will host 8 symphonic concerts and 4 jazz concerts. This year’s guests include pianist Mihai Ritivoiu and cellist Andrei Ionita, alongside the famous vocalist Aura Urziceanu. Europe’s oldest radio orchestra, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra from Germany, will return to Romania this year along with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra of Great Britain, Svizzera italiana – Lugano of Switzerland and RTE National Symphony Orchestra from Ireland. All concerts are broadcast live on Radio Romania and the Romanian Television Corporation, as well as members of the European Radio Broadcasting Union.
