September 10, 2021 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 10.09.2021, 21:04

MESSAGE Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has sent a letter to his US
counterpart, Joe Biden, on the commemoration of 20 years since the terror
attacks on September 11th 2001, the bloodiest in US history. The
Romanian president says that after the attacks, the pain and suffering turned
into solidarity and a common goal in the USA as well as all over the world, in
allied and partner countries, Romania included. According to Iohannis, the
general determination to face common challenges remains a valuable lesson,
always relevant in a period marked by threats coming from some states and
non-state entities. President Iohannis has reiterated Romania’s staying with
the American people, its commitment to fighting terrorism and violent extremism,
irrespective of ideology as well as in consolidating common values, like,
democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and rule of law.

COVID-19 In the past 24 hours Romania has reported 2,520 new Covid -19
infections out of roughly 44 thousand tests conducted. 43 people have been killed by the virus in the past 24 hours. Most of the infections have been
reported in capital Bucharest, 345, in Timis, western Romania, 138, Cluj, in
the north west and 124 in Constanta in the south of the country. All the
counties and the capital Bucharest are still in the so-called green tier in
terms of infections. 4,298 people are being treated in hospitals and 543 in
ICUs. Since the vaccine rollout kicked off in Romania in late December last
year, 5.2 million people have been fully vaccinated. The state of alert in
Romania has been extended for another month starting today.

POLL Four out of five respondents
(81%) say the EU should only grant funding to the member states that observe
democratic principles and the rule of law, according to an Eurobarometer poll
made public on Friday by the European Parliament, ahead of the State of the EU
debate due on September 15. The Eurobarometer shows evident
public support for transparency and effective control of the EU funds provided
as part of the NextGenerationEU programme. According to the poll, 53% of the EU
citizens (58% in Romania) fully agree, and another 32% (29% in Romania) tend to
agree, that efficient control should be in place. Asked about issues the
European Parliament should pursue as its priorities, the respondents mentioned
fighting climate change, poverty and social exclusion, supporting the economy
and creating new jobs, public health, migration and asylum. The Eurobarometer poll was conducted between August 17 and
25, online, in all the 27 member states, with roughly 1,000 interviewees in
most countries.

INFLATION In Romania, the year-on-year
inflation rate reached 5.3% in August, from 5% in July, as non-food prices went
up by 7.92%, food prices by 2.7%, and the prices of services rose by 2.97%,
according to data released on Friday by the National Statistics Institute.
According to a report delivered in August by the National Bank governor Mugur
Isărescu, the central bank updated its inflation forecast for the end of this
year to 5.6%.

(bill)