September 10, 2013

The Canadian company Gabriel Resources will analyse all possible options, including suing the Romanian state, if the bill on starting gold and silver mining works in Rosia Montana is not passed. Gabriel Resources has taken note of the statements made by Prime Minister Victor Ponta and several other ministers of the Romanian Government, according to whom the bill on Rosia Montana, recently endorsed by the Executive, is to be rejected before being debated by the two chambers of Parliament. Environmentalists say the use of cyanide to extract gold poses a major threat to the environment, leading to irreversible pollution. Thousands of people opposed to the project have protested every day for more than a week in Bucharest and other cities in Romania, as well as abroad. On the other side of the barricade, trade unions in the mining sector have called on authorities to vote for the resumption of mining in an area faced with serious unemployment.

Russia is working on a concrete plan of putting Syria’s chemical weapons under international control and discussing the details with Damascus, the Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov has announced. Also today, the French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has said that France will propose an UN Security Council resolution setting out conditions for Syria to place its chemical weapons under international control and accept they will be dismantled. According to Fabius, the resolution would warn of ‘extremely serious consequences for Damascus if it breached those conditions. The US President Barack Obama who will address the American nation today, said he might postpone a military intervention in Syria if Damascus accepts Russia’s proposal to place its chemical weapons under international control. Obama has also said he is not sure if the US Congress backs a military action against Syria. More on this after the news.

The Romanian labour minister, Mariana Câmpeanu, is today meeting in Brussels with her Belgian counterpart, Monica De Coninck. On Monday, the Romanian official took part in a summit meeting in the Hague regarding the free movement of workers in the EU, organised by the Dutch ministry of social affairs and employment, jointly with local and central authorities. January 1, 2014 is the end of the seven-year long restriction period stipulated in Romania’s and Bulgaria’s EU Accession Treaty.

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies has today passed a bill allowing for the stray dogs to be euthanized unless adopted or claimed in 14 days after being brought to a shelter. The Chamber of Deputies is the decision-maker in this case. The issue of stray dogs has been brought to media’s attention, after a four-year-old kid died last Monday after being brutally attacked by a pack of stray dogs near a park in Bucharest. According to the last canine census, Bucharest is home to 64,000 stray dogs.

The Romanian brand Dacia, held by the French car maker Renault is today presenting its new Duster model at the Frankfurt Car Show. The new model has a more confortable inerior and a bigger boot. Duster, the first SUV of the brand, was launched in 2010 and has been one of Renault’s best selling models on both emergent and developed markets. Over 70 models and concept will be presented at the current edition of the Frankfurt Car Show, to end on September 22nd. Experts say that the stars of the show are the electrical and hybrid models, as well as the prototypes that use the latest technologies and design ideas.

Romania’s national football side is today playing against Turkey in Bucharest in the 2014 World Cup preliminaries. After the three-nil home win against Hungary, the morale is high in the Romanian camp. In the event of a victory, Romania could become the odds-on favourite for the second place in the preliminary group D for next year’s World Cup. A result like this will ensure Romania a place in the group’s play-offs.