September 24, 2019
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 24.09.2019, 14:00
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY – President Klaus Iohannis is today attending the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. The agenda of the 74th session includes such topics as stepping up multilateral efforts to eradicate poverty, quality education, climate action and inclusion. The Romanian President will give a speech before the UN General Assembly and take part in the high-level political forum, which will focus on accelerating the implementation of the 2030 sustainable development agenda. The 2030 Agenda is a global action program adopted four years ago, with the aim of facing economic, social and environment-related challenges. Eradicating poverty, zero hunger, health and prosperity, clean water, decent work and economic growth are but some of the goals UN leaders plan on achieving globally by 2030. On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, President Iohannis will also have a series of bilateral meetings and attend the reception hosted by US President Donald Trump.
MURDER – Romania’s General Prosecutor, Bogdan Licu, has today said that the Romanian authorities do not have any official data according to which the Dutch citizen who alledgedly killed an 11-year old girl from the county of Dambovita, southern Romania, committed suicide once back in his country. Even if that confirms, the investigation will continue to establish if there are other victims, given that the 47-year old Dutch citizen had previously travelled to Romania at least four times. On Monday, officials with the Romanian Police announced that the man suspected of having murdered the girl died, after driving his car into a truck.
VISIT – Prime Minister Viorica Dancila is on a one-week working visit to the United States. She is accompanied by Defense Minister Gabriel Les and Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici. Dancila is today meeting in New York with the US Secretary of Energy, James Richard Perry. Also in New York, the PM signed a loan agreement with the World Bank, worth 500 million euros. The money will be used to increase the access of citizens in less developed areas to medical care. Dancila also met with David Harris, the president of the American Jewish Committee, and reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to fighting anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance. The agenda of the visit also includes meetings with American business people, whom she will present with the advantages of investing in Romania. The prime minister has also stated she plans to meet representatives of the Romanian community in the United States.
EUROPEAN PROSECUTOR – EU Council negotiators are today meeting in Brussels with the new team of negotiators of the European Parliament, to discuss about the appointment of Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi as European Chief Prosecutor. The former head of the National Anticorruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has received the backing of the Council of the European Union in her race for the position of European chief prosecutor. On Thursday the Committee of Representatives of European Union Member States gave Kovesi 17 of the 22 votes in favor. The European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO) will be founded next year and start its activity in 2021. According to European law, the European prosecutor is jointly appointed by Parliament and the Council for a one-time seven-year term in office.
BANKRUPTCY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry and the Tourism Ministry, together with travel agencies’ representatives have set up a crisis cell following the unexpected bankruptcy of the tour operator Thomas Cook, one of the world’s biggest travel services provider. This also affects Romanian tourists and the authorities want to take measures to bring them back home, Minister Bogdan Trif said on Radio Romania. Thomas Cook, the British travel company and airline, declared bankruptcy early Monday morning. About 600,000 travellers were left stranded.
COMMISSION – The future European Commission, headed by Ursula von der Leyen, has designated the French Eric Mamer as her spokesman. Deputy chief spokesperson in the media relations team will be Romanian Dana Spinant. Mrs. Spinant is currently director in charge of the budget, communication and general affairs in the Commissions Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy. Before that, she was a head of unit in charge of irregular migration (2015-2017) and drugs policy (2010-2014). Prior to joining the Commission, Dana Spinant worked for 15 years in journalism.
TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no. 6 in the world, has qualified to the 8th finals of the WTA tournament in Wohan, China, after defeating Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-2. Halep will next be up against Elena Rîbakina of Kazachstan.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
