September 18, 2016 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 18.09.2016, 12:15

REPORT – Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Monday is presenting a report on the countrys economy before Parliament. The Prime Minister will give details regarding the current budget framework. Parliamentary factions are also expected to address the plenary session. Ciolos will appear before Parliament after the National Forecast Committee has upgraded the economic growth forecast for this year to 4.8%. Earlier this year, the institution estimated a 4.2% growth of Romanias GDP. Over the next three years, the committee has maintained its economic growth forecast to 4.3, 4.5 and 4.7% respectively. The GDP per capita is expected to grow steadily in coming years, from 8,581 euros in 2016 to 10,587 euros in 2019.

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY – Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos will attend the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, held in New York over September 19-22. On Tuesday, among others, Dacian Ciolos will attend the opening session of the Assembly, as well as the Summit of leaders on the global crisis of refugees, hosted by the USA, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, Jordan, Mexico and Sweden. Prime Minister Ciolos will also hold bilateral talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Egyptian President Abdel Al-Sisi and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. Ciolos is also invited to a reception hosted by US President Barack Obama and the first Lady Michele Obama, in the honor of heads of delegation. On Wednesday, Dacian Ciolos will meet with representatives of the Jewish communities in the USA, as well as with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the president of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thompson. On the last day of his visit, the Prime Ministers agenda includes a breakfast meeting with US investors from Romania.

CELEBRATION – Celebrations continued on Sunday in Bucharest to mark 557 years since the city was first officially documented. A number of cultural events were held on this occasion, including concerts, exhibitions, workshops, arts and crafts fairs, theatre plays, street concerts, parades and chariot rides in squares and parks. Music bands from Spain, Italy and France took part in the event. Bucharest was first documented on September 21, 1459, in an official document issued by Vlad the Impaler, the ruler of Wallachia at the time, which subsequently inspired Bram Stokers famous novel Dracula.

EXPLOSION – The Governor of the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo on Sunday described the explosion of the previous night in the district of Chelsea as the result of a bomb, without linking it to international terrorism. The blast injured 29 people and resulted in severe material damage. Romanias General Consular Office in New York is taking steps to ascertain whether any Romanian citizens are among the victims. The Consular Office is monitoring the case and is ready to provide assistance. In another incident in a trade center in Minnesota, 8 people were wounded in a shooting involving a white male, whom the Police shot dead. According to the Islamic State-affiliated Amaq agency, the perpetrator was a jihadist combatant. Since 2014, Islamic State terrorists, currently holding large areas in Syra and Iraq, have staged numerous bloody attacks around the world, killing hundreds of people.

PROTESTS – Trade unions in the healthcare sector are preparing a series of protests. On Monday, Sanitas Foundation employers associations will start collecting signatures for starting strike actions, while as of September 20, each Tuesday will be devoted to protesting in front of a state institution. The same federation has also scheduled protests in October. The decision follows the recent Government emergency ordinances, regulating the salaries of medical staff, and which do not include major salary raises for auxiliary staff, employees of Public Health Care Directorates and social workers.

SCULPTURE – Romanians on Sunday could see Constantin Brancusis Wisdom of the Earth sculpture on show at the National Bank of Romania Museum. Access was free of charge, with no preliminary reservation required, Culture Minister Corina Suteu said, who described the move as a gesture of gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of donations to procure Cosntantin Brancusis work. So far some 800,000 euros have been collected, but an additional 5 million euros are required. People can still make donations until the end of the month.

(Translated by V. Palcu)