October 23, 2014 UPDATE
For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.
România Internațional, 23.10.2014, 12:05
EUROPEAN COUNCIL — Europe’s economic situation, the Ukraine crisis and the Ebola outbreak are high on the agenda of the European Council session, which is under way in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Representing Romania is President Traian Basescu, who will also be meting the other presidents and Prime Ministers of EU member states, as well as community institutions’ newly-appointed heads, due to start their term in office this autumn, during an inaugural session focusing on energy policies and climate change. On the sidelines of the European Council sessions, president Basescu will be holding talks with his counterparts from neighbouring Bulgaria and the so called Vishegrad Group, bringing together such Central-European states as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In Brussels, Basescu will also take part in the summit of the European Peoples Party (right-of-centre, and the most numerous group in the European Parliament).
ATTACKS — The Foreign Affairs Ministry in Bucharest has firmly condemned Wednesday’s terrorist attacks of the Canadian Parliament and the national War memorial, resulting in the death of a Canadian military, according to an AGERPRESS press release on Thursday. The Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Titus Corlatean has dispatched a letter to his Canadian counterpart John Baird expressing Romania’s solidarity in such moments of difficulty, also offering condolences to the mourning families. Jointly with Canada and all the other democratic states, Romania has complied with its commitment to fight international terrorism and extremism, which pose a threat to democratic values, and citizens’ freedom and security, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Bucharest.
DRILL — Romanian military and the crews of two American ships, USS Cole guided missile destroyer and USS Mount Whitney command ship on Thursday took part in a joint drill in the Black Sea. The Romanian naval forces took part in the drill with the King Ferdinand frigate a missile carrier ship, two helicopters and a team of military of the Special Operations Naval Forces Group. Also involved in the drill were the Romanian Air forces, with three MIG 21 Lancer fighter jets. The aim of the drill is the joint training of Romanian and American military, through a series of drills including maritime interdiction, the search and discovery of submarines as well as air target identification and tracking procedures. The drill is a sequel of the joint Romanian-American action, initiated with a view to boosting up the security and confidence level in the Black Sea.
TENNIS — WTA 4th ranked Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has qualified to the semi-finals of the Champions’ Tournament in Singapore, which concludes the WTA season and brings together the world’s top 8 players. On Friday, in the Red Group, Halep will take on Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. US player Serena Williams moved over her defeat to Halep and defeated Eugenie Bouchard of Canada on Thursday. The world’s number one player is now waiting for the result of the match between Halep and Ivanovic to see whether she remains in the competition. In the White Group, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark outperformed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, while Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic eased past Maria Sharapova of Russia. Halep is the third Romanian ever to play in this competition, after Virginia Ruzici in 1983 and 1984 and Irina Spirlea in 1998.
INVESTMENT — The European Commission on Thursday has approved an investment worth 57.1 million euros as part of a project worth 69 million euros to develop large broadband infrastructure in Romania. The funds will go to developing an infrastructure some 3,000 km long in areas where no electronic communications are available. The RO-NET project will be implemented by late 2015 and will service 783 of the 2268 towns identified as “white areas”. The project will contribute to reducing the digital difference between urban and rural areas by expanding broadband Internet access.
VISIT — The Patriarch of Jerusalem Teophilos the 3rd will be paying his first official visit to Romania in response to an invitation extended by the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church Daniel. He will be bringing a part of the wooden True Cross, which will be carried during a solemn procession in Bucharest alongside the reliquaries of Saint Dimitrius and Constantin Brancoveanu. Teophilos the 3rd will be received by president Traian Bsescu, who will be granting him the “Romanian Star” award as a token of appreciation and contribution to defending Orthodox values and Christianity and consolidating relations with the Romanian Church.
STAY — Vlodimir and Olena Sytnikov’s stay in Maramures, northern Romania, has come to an end. The two are the winners of an 8-day stay in Maramures as the Grand Prize of the “20 years Together” contest organized by RRI. The competition was organized jointly with the Union of Ukrainians in Romania to mark 20 years of Ukrainian broadcasts on RRI. The two listeners stayed at the Maria guesthouse in Sapanta, the town home to the famous Merry Cemetery, and visited important places and monuments in the county, which hosts an important Ukrainian minority. Vlodimir and Olena Sytnikov told RRI editor Nicolai Onujec who accompanied them during their stay that Romania has impressed an excellent image on their minds.
INDICTMENT — Andrei Hrebenciuc, the son of former Social Democrat deputy Viorel Hrebenciuc appeared on Thursday before the High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest today, with the proposal of being kept in custody. National Anti Corruption Directorate prosecutors have accused Andrei Hrebenciuic of creating an organized crime group, aiding and abetting, influence peddling and money laundering, in the case of illegal returns of large areas of farmland and forests. Andrei Hrebenciuc’s father, Viorel, has been indicted in the same file and has stepped down from Parliament, after the National Anti-corruption Directorate prosecutors have demanded that Hrebenciuc the father be kept in custody. Alongside two other persons, Social Democrat deputy Ioan Adam and senator Ilie Sarbu, also a Social Democratic Party member and several magistrates, Viorel Hrebenciuc faces accusations of getting involved in the illegal return of tens of thousands of hectares of farmland and forests. According to the National Anti- Corruption Directorate, the estimated damage stands at more than 300 million Euros. Viorel Hrebenciuc is currently under investigation in an influence peddling case, alongside senator Dan Sova. Hrebenciuc allegedly pledged support for Sova in the latter’s bid for the position of Social Democratic Party leader, on condition that he offered his backing for a pardoning law in Parliament.
