September 18, 2017
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Newsroom, 18.09.2017, 19:20
Bad weather — The Romanian PM Mihai Tudose on Monday announced the implementation of an integrated public alert and warning system for major risk situations, which will consist in emergency text messages sent to the population’s mobile phones. The alerts will be issued depending on the emergency situation occurring at regional level such as severe weather phenomena, large-scale fires, explosion risks and other catastrophes and risk situations. Also a public awareness and training campaign will be started for the population to learn how to use the system. The prime minister and the interior minister on Monday visited the regions in western Romania worst affected by the recent extreme weather phenomena. The PM coordinated the Emergency Situation Command, a body that assessed the damage and identified rapid intervention and support measures for the affected people and communities. 8 people died and almost 140 were injured on Sunday during the violent storms that hit several counties in the west, center and north of Romania.
UN General Assembly – On an official visit to the US, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will meet Tuesday, in New York, with the President of the UN General Assembly and with his counterparts from Estonia and Egypt. Klaus Iohannis is participating in New York in the 72nd meeting of the UN General Assembly that will be opened on Tuesday, when the American President Donald Trump will deliver a speech. Tuesday’s agenda of President Iohannis includes participation in the lunch offered by the UN Secretary General, in a traditional meeting with the heads of the Jewish organizations in the US, in a reception organized by the EU and in another reception offered by President Donald Trump. On Wednesday Klaus Iohannis will meet with the Moldovan prime minister Pavel Filip, will participate, alongside other presidents, in the launch of the “HeForShe” report and the “Making education for peace” event and will also have a bilateral meeting with the UN Secretary General. On Thursday Klaus Iohannis will go to Philadelphia where he will visit the Independence Hall and will meet with the representatives of the Romanian community.
Washington — The Romanian defense minister Mihai Fifor, who is paying a 6-day working visit to Washington, will meet with the American Secretary of Defense James Mattis, with the deputy national security advisor Ricky Waddell, with members of the US Congress and with representatives of the main companies in the American defense industry. According to the Romanian Defense Ministry, Romania’s Strategic Partnership with the US is one of the fundamental pillars of Romania’s defense and security, remaining an essential priority in the current, complex regional and international security environment.
Motion — The simple motion which asked for the resignation of the education minister, Liviu Pop, was rejected Monday in the plenum of the Senate with 68 votes ‘against’, 41 votes ‘for’ and 9 abstentions. Entitled “A Romania without quality education is a poor Romania” the motion was filed by the main opposition parties, the Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union. Liviu Pop said that he drafted a report on the realities of the Romanian education system, as requested by the initiators of the motion.
Visit — The European Commissioner for Security Union Julian King said Monday in Bucharest, after a meeting with the Romanian justice minister, that all countries would have benefits if Romania was admitted into the Schengen area. The European Commissioner also highlighted that a good cooperation between the EU members was important for fighting terrorism. He recalled that Romania did not experience a terrorist attack directly, but that Romanian citizens were affected by such incidents when abroad. The fight against terror, the exchange of information and implementing the legislation recently adopted in the field of security were the main topics approached during the talks Commissioner King held with the Romanian officials. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu is also in Romania for 2 days. On Monday she met the local authorities in Zalau (northwestern Romania) and together with the minister delegate for European funds, Rovana Plumb, discussed with the citizens issues such as the future of Europe and regional development policies.
Enescu Festival — On Monday, on the 17th day of the prestigious George Enescu International Festival, hosted by Romania every other year, the Romanian Atheneum will be host to Anoushka Shankar and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Also in Bucharest, the Grand Palace Hall is host to the Orchestre Nationale de France, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach, while pianist Viktoria Vassilenko and violinist Erzhan Kulibaev, a winner at the festival in 2016, will be performing in the city of Sibiu. Over three thousand artists from across the world perform in this years festival, in Bucharest and seven other cities all over the country. The festival, which began in 1958, and suspended by the communist regime between 1971 and 1989, ends this year on September 24th. (translation by L.Simion)
