October 8, 2016 UPDATE
Slovak president Andrej Kiska pays a two-day state visit to Romania as of Monday/ Over 100 young IT professionals are currently developing software and computer programs to the benefit of citizens and public administration
Roxana Vasile, 08.10.2016, 12:20
VISIT– Slovak President, Andrej Kiska, will pay a two-day state visit to Romania, as of Monday, at the invitation of his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Presidential Administration, the main aim of the visit is to consolidate bilateral ties, at political, economic and sectoral level and to boost cooperation on European issues of topical interest, in a context marked by many challenges. Given that Slovakia is currently holding the half-yearly presidency of the EU Council, the talks will mainly focus on the European agenda, and President Iohannis will present Romanias stance on the future of Europe- the aforementioned source also says. Iohannis will also underline the need to further strengthen economic cooperation, starting from the historical record high of two-way trade exchanges reported in 2015, worth 2.4 billion Euros, which is on the rise. On Tuesday, the two presidents will open the Romanian-Slovak Business Forum and will meet, in the western town of Nadlac, with representatives of the Slokav community in Romania.
GovITHub- A digital marathon, GovITHub, is held at the headquarters of the Romanian Government at the weekend. Over 100 young IT professionals are developing software and computer programs in an effort to enhance the quality of public services and improve the citizens relation with the state institutions. Among others, they develop an app meant to keep the Romanians in the diaspora updated of the latest developments in Romania, user-friendly governmental platforms or an app allowing citizens to report dangerous drivers or major-traffic related incidents. In a post on his Facebook page, Romanian PM, Dacian Ciolos, says the young peoples energy, skills, competence and passion stand proof of Romanias ability to modernise itself, and of the fact that even the most valuable resources can be mobilised if the State shows openness.
DACIA CARS – The newly uplifted Logan and Sandero models produced by the Dacia Romanian car manufacturer will enter production line in the following weeks, when they are launched on the local market, says Yves Caracatzanis, General Manager and President of Automobile Dacia. Also, the new Duster EDC with automated gearbox is expected in the first half of 2017. Data released by Dacia show that at the European level, Duster is the second best selling compact car among natural persons, whereas Sandero ranks third. We recall the first Dacia car was produced in Romania back in 1966. The make belongs, as of 1999, to the Renault Group and accounts for 30% of the French Groups volume of sales.
HURRICANE MATTHEW – A Romanian officer from the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations will lead the team which will assess the damage produced by hurricane Matthew in Haiti. Colonel Marius Dogean will also coordinate international assistance, including aid relief operations to the disaster-affected population. Boasting an extensive experience in the field of civil protection, with a career spanning over 15 years, Marius Dogean was designated by the European Commission head of the EU Civil Protection Team which will go to that Caribbean island, where approximately 900 were killed by the hurricane. Colonel Dogean also travelled to and worked extensively in Jordan, in 2012, during the crisis caused by the massive flow of refugees from Syria, and a year later in the Philippines, following Typhoon Hayian. He was also one of the national experts dispatched by the European Commission to the conflict area in Southern Sudan, on an assessment mission.
COLECTIV TRAGEDY – Approximately one year after tragedy struck the Bucharest-based Colectiv nightclub, justice takes its course, with a trial being opened into the case. 64 people died and over 100 others got injured in the fire which accidentally broke out on the night of October 30 to 31, 2015. The three owners of the club are accused of manslaughter, bodily harm and of not taking the legal work health and safety measures. The indictment compiled by the Prosecutor Generals Office shows, among others, that they encouraged and permitted the access of a large number of people, far beyond the allowed limit, in the absence of emergency exit ways, also accepting the organisation of an indoor pyrotechnical show, in spite of improper insulation. The owners of the pyrotechnical company, one of their employees and two legal persons are being tried in the same case. The huge collective emotion produced by the Colectiv tragedy generated massive anti-corruption rallies in Romania, which led to the resignation of the coalition cabinet led by Social-Democrat Victor Ponta, on November 4, and its replacement by the technocratic government led by Dacian Ciolos.
PARTY LEADER – The National Council of the National Liberal Party, the second largest party in the Romanian Parliament on Saturday confirmed Alina Gorghiu as the Liberals only president, following the resignation tendered by Vasile Blaga from the position of party co-president. On September 28, Blaga stepped down, after anti-corruption prosecutors announced he was subject to legal restrictions pending trial in a corruption case. The acts of corruption were reportedly carried out in the 2009-2012 period, when Blaga was interior minister and later on Senate Speaker, and he favoured the preferential granting of contracts. In exchange for this influence peddling, he would have received commissions worth 10% of the value of contracts, that is 700,000 Euros for himself and the party he was a member of, the Liberal Democratic Party, which later merged with the National Liberal Party. (Translated by D. Vijeu)
