THE WEEK IN REVIEW
February 12-16, 2024
Leyla Cheamil, 17.02.2024, 12:15
The Prime Minister of Romania visits Italy
Romania and Italy are entering a new stage of development of their consolidated strategic partnership, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday in Rome. He pointed out that the joint statement he signed with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni lays the foundations for an action plan that will strengthen relations between the two states at another level. “I appreciated the openness of Ms. President Meloni regarding the intensification of economic cooperation, but also for the valorization of the Romanian diaspora living in Italy, as well as the Italian community in our country,” said Ciolacu, in joint statements made alongside his Italian counterpart. Marcel Ciolacu conveyed to the Romanians in Italy that the authorities in Bucharest are at their disposal, and thanked the Italian Prime Minister and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies of this country for unblocking the situation regarding the settlement of the pension files of the Romanians who worked in the Peninsula. At the same time, the head of the Government expressed his hope that Prime Minister Meloni will also support the steps to complete the negotiations on the agreement between the Romanian Orthodox Bishopric and the Italian Cabinet, started in 2012, regarding the status of Romanian Orthodox clergy, in the context in which the Orthodox Bishopric provides essential support for Romanians in Italy. During the joint meeting of the two Governments, the main topic was related to the economic dimension, given the fact that bilateral trade exceeded 20 billion euros in 2023, a new record. “Italy is Romania’s second trade partner. At the same time, I notice, with satisfaction, that the Romanians over here have reached the second place in a ranking of foreigners who open businesses in Italy, with tens of thousands of companies and individual enterprises”, highlighted Ciolacu. He also launched a call to Italian companies to invest in Romania. On the other hand, the meeting of the Cabinets from Bucharest and Rome also provided the opportunity to discuss topics on the European and international agenda. Also on Thursday, Prime Minister Ciolacu was received at the Vatican, in a private audience, by Pope Francis, and then he discussed with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The visit of the Romanian delegation to Italy ended with an Italian-Romanian economic forum. On Wednesday, on the first day of his visit to Italy, the head of the Bucharest executive had a meeting with the mayor of Rome and representatives of the Romanian community in the Peninsula.
Economic forecasts
The National Bank of Romania has slightly lowered its inflation forecast at the end of this year to 4.7%, and anticipates a value of 3.5% for the end of 2025. The Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu, says that there are, however, a number of internal and external factors that can leave their mark on the evolution of inflation, among the most important being the conduct of fiscal policy, as well as the developments related to the two unfolding military conflicts. On the other hand, the Central Bank does not rule out a decrease in the monetary policy interest rate, after recently deciding that this indicator should remain at 7% per year. According to the governor of the NBR, Mugur Isărescu, the reduction of the reference interest rate, taken into account by any bank when granting loans to clients, individuals or companies, can only take place after two consecutive months of falling inflation. For its part, the National Institute of Statistics shows that Romania’s economy grew by 2% in 2023. The increase is above the level recorded both in the EU and in the euro zone, where the gross domestic product grew by only 0.5 percent.
Cyber attack on hospitals in Romania
26 hospitals in Romania, including Bucharest, were affected, this week, by a cyber attack that encrypted the data from the servers of these units, announced the National Cyber Security Directorate. Most of the affected medical units, however, had backups. The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, stated for Radio Romania that some of the affected units managed to fix their problems, and the competent institutions will develop a new technical standard aimed at preventing such actions that destabilize the medical system. The national organized crime division has opened a criminal case, in which criminal investigations are carried out in rem, in connection with the cyber attack. In the past, computer attacks have also targeted public institutions in Romania.
Gold and bronze medals for Romanian athletes
Mihaela Valentina Cambei was awarded the title of the best European weightlifter of the year 2023, on Monday, in Sofia, Bulgaria, after winning three gold medals in the 49 kg category, at the European Championships, announced the Romanian Weightlifting Federation on its Facebook page. On the other hand, on Thursday, Romanian athlete Andreea Beatrice Ana won the gold medal in the 55 kg category, at the European Wrestling Championships for seniors in Bucharest, after defeating Mariana Drăguţan from the Republic of Moldova in the finals . Also on Thursday, Romanian athlete Cătălin Preda won the bronze medal in the men’s high jump event (27 meters), at the World Swimming Championships in Doha, Qatar. Romanian Constantin Popovici, the holder of the world title, ranked only eighth. At the World Championships in Fukuoka, last year, Popovici won the gold, and Preda took the silver. Popovici also won gold at the 2022 European Championships, where Preda also took the silver.
