September 28, 2015

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

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Newsroom, 28.09.2015, 12:00

The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, who is on an official visit to the US, has talks in Washington today with Vice-president Joe Biden. The two will discuss the strategic partnership between Romania and the US, the fight against terrorism and the refugee crisis facing Europe. On Sunday, at the UN Summit focusing on a new sustainable development programme for the next 15 years, Iohannis announced that Romania would revise its national strategy on sustainable development, which will focus on supporting the inclusion of people with disabilities, of the youth and of women. Also yesterday, Klaus Iohannis gave a speech on gender equality, in which he pleaded for non-discrimination and said Romania would remain fully committed to protecting and promoting womens rights. Last night President Iohannis visited New Yorks Ground Zero, dedicated to the victims of the 2001 attacks in which 2 Romanians were also killed.

The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, discussed in New York with the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Victoria Nuland, particularly about the Romanian-American strategic partnership. According to a news release issued by the Foreign Ministry, the two officials also analysed the bilateral cooperation in the field of energy security, with an emphasis on the need to diversify energy sources and transport routes. As for the political-military and security fields, the parties agreed that Romania and the US should work closely together for the preparation of the NATO Summit due in Warsaw in 2016.

Large groups of immigrants Sunday continued to cross the border between Croatia and Hungary, where they were taken over by Hungarian police and taken to the registration centres in the west of the country. From there they crossed into Austria. On Saturday, the Hungarian police registered nearly 9,500 illegal immigrants, most of them at the Hungarian-Croatian border. The UN warns that the current migrant inflow to Europe will not recede, particularly considering that living standards are worsening in Iraq as well. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that some 8,000 people get into Europe every day. In turn, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, said Europe is expecting growing numbers of refugees to come from Lebanon.

The Romanian High Court of Cassation and Justice postponed to November 23 the appeal in a case in which Liviu Dragnea, the interim president of the Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition, is being tried for frauds in the 2012 referendum on the impeachment of president Traian Băsescu. In the court of first instance, Dragnea received a one-year imprisonment suspended sentence, for having misused his influence and position in the party in order to secure the minimum number of voters for the validation of the vote. Liviu Dragnea is also the main candidate for the presidency of the party after PM Victor Ponta, who faces corruption charges, has stepped down. The election is scheduled for October 11. Ponta was sent to court for corruption offences committed while he worked as a lawyer. His Cabinet is subject to a no-confidence motion tabled by the Liberals in Opposition on grounds that the Prime Ministers legal problems may severely affect the credibility of the country.

A separatist alliance that promised the independence of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain won Sundays regional elections in Spain. With 99% of the ballots counted, the pro-independence coalition Junts pel Si (“Together for Yes) secured 62 seats in the regional parliament, whereas a far-left separatist party won another 10 seats. With a combined 72 seats, separatist parties have the majority in Parliament, France Presse notes. Around 77% of the 5.5 million Catalan voters took part in the polls. Spains PM Mariano Rajoy announced that the Government will never allow Catalonia to break away. EU politicians have warned that an independent Catalonia will not be a part of either the European Union or the Eurozone.

Romanias womens table tennis team has qualified today in the finals of the European Championships in Ekaterinburg (Russia), after defeating Ukraine in the semi-final, 3-1. In the final, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Romanias team will take on the winner in the match between Germany and Russia, which is played later today. Romania has so far won three continental titles, in 1992, 2002 and 2005.

Romanias national rugby team was defeated by Ireland, 44-10, on Sunday night on Wembley in London, in a match in the World Cups Pool D. This was Romanias second loss in the current World Cup, after 11-38 against France. Sundays game between Ireland and Romania brought a new world record attendance to a World Cup match, with 89,267 people attending. Romania is to play next against Italy and Canada.