September 29, 2018 UPDATE

For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here

Newsroom, 29.09.2018, 18:26

FUND – The Romanian Ministry of Public Finance
has launched a bill aimed at defining the legal framework for the Sovereign
Development and Investment Fund for public debate. The fund will be a Romanian
judicial entity whose organization and functioning are regulated by Government
decree. The Fund will be a joint stock company owned entirely by the Romanian
state. According to the Finance Ministry, the Fund is aimed at developing and
financing sustainable investment projects using its own funds. It will bring
together 33 state-owned companies, with a total social capital of some 2
billion euros.

MEETING – Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu
met with counterparts from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Sri Lanka, Bahrain,
the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Laos on the sidelines of the UN General
Assembly held in New York. Additionally, the Romanian official met with his
Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto. According to a Ministry release, the
two officials looked at ways to improve bilateral relations, based on the Strategic
Partnership between the two countries, EU and NATO membership and mutual
respect. Talks focused on topics of mutual interest, especially supporting the
European track of states in the Western Balkans and the need to diversify
energy transport routes, in order to ensure energy security at regional and
European level.

LAW ENFORCEMENT – The Romanian Police has identified
32 vehicles wanted internationally. Eight were reported as stolen in the United
Kingdom, five in Belgium and Spain each, four in Italy, three in Germany, two
in France and one in Poland, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania
each. The Romanian Police recommends prudence to people who want to buy a
second-hand vehicle in trade fairs abroad and to ask the buyer for all the proper
car identification documents.

GUAM – Ex-soviet states making up the so-called
GUAM group – Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and the Republic of Moldova, will
join efforts to consolidate their positions and defend territorial integrity,
GUAM officials said as part of a GUAM Parliament Assembly held in Chisinau.
GUAM officials have criticized Russia’s involvement in fueling territorial
conflicts and military aggression, particularly in Georgia and Ukraine. GUAM
was set up in 2006, with the aim of developing cooperation between members,
consolidating stability and joint security at European level. The Republic of
Moldova is currently holding the rotating presidency of GUAM. Chisinau is
facing increased pro-Russian separatism in Transdniestr, a region the broke
with Moldova in 1992 in the wake of an armed conflict that killed hundreds and
that ended with the military intervention of Russian forces.

TSUNAMI – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has conveyed
its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of Friday’s earthquake
and ensuing tsunami that hit Sulawesi Island, the Republic of Indonesia, which
killed hundreds and left scores wounded or missing. The Ministry also expressed
compassion and solidarity with the Indonesian people and authorities, also in connection
to the high number of victims and the level of damages. Most casualties were
reported in Palu city on the western coast of the island.

RECORD – 4,807 people, mostly high-school children
from all over the country, on Saturday set a new world record in Alba Iulia,
central Romania, making up the largest human image of a country. The map of
Romania had the number 100 highlighted at its center, standing for the
celebration of the Great Union Centennial in 2018. The previous record was held
by Myanmar, where 3,466 people made a human representation of their country in
February 2018.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis players Irina Begu and
Raluca Olaru on Saturday lost 7-5, 6-3 to Olga Danilovic of Serbia and Tamara
Zdansek of Slovenia in the women’s doubles final at the tournament in Taskent,
Uzbekistan, totaling 250 thousand dollars in prize money. Olaru has previously
won the Taskent doubles twice, in 2008 alongside Olga Savchuk of Ukraine and in
2016 with Ipek Soylu of Turkey. Begu won the women’s singles in 2012.

(Translated by V. Palcu)