July 17, 2016 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 17.07.2016, 12:29
TENNIS Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, the odds-on favourite of the BRD Bucharest Open, on Sunday won the finals of this competition against Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia, whom she beat in two sets, 6-0, 6-0. This is Halep’s second BRD Open trophy after the one she reaped two years ago. It is also Halep’s 21st WTA finals and the 13th title she has won in her career. In another development, Spain has trounced Romania 4-1 in the Davis Cup’s second round of the Europe/Africa zone. In the last games on Sunday Florin Mergea conceded defeat to Roberto Bautista, 4-6, 3-6, 2-6, while Adrian Ungur was defeated in two sets 3-6, 6-7 by Pablo Busta.
COUP Turkey is Romania’s strategic partner, its NATO ally and the country’s stability on the basis of observing democracy and democratically-elected institutions is important for regional, European and international security, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in an official communiqué issued after the aborted coup in Turkey, which left almost 300 dead. According to the authorities in Bucharest, there are no Romanians among the victims. The Romanian embassy and consular offices in Turkey are granting support, if need be, to those nearly 10 thousand Romanian citizens currently on holiday in this country. Bucharest has already sent two humanitarian transports to Istanbul with support from the Romanian Foreign Ministry, which set up a crisis cell. Apparently the situation in Turkey returns to normality, with no borders closed or travel restrictions. The Turkish embassy in Bucharest says that all institutions are functioning properly. Turkish president Recep Erdogan has called on the USA to extradite cleric Fetullah Gulen, whom he considers responsible for the coup. Washington has pledged support in investigating the coup but has called on the authorities in Ankara to prove that Gulen is guilty indeed. Roughly 6,000 people, including tens of generals, justices and prosecutors have been arrested all over Turkey for alleged participation in the aborted coup. The authorities in Ankara say they are considering reintroducing the death penalty 10 years after being abolished.
MISSING A Romanian who was on holiday in Nice with his wife and son has been reported missing following the terror attack on Thursday. The boy was found on Saturday in a hospital close to the site of the attack, and according to the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, his condition is stable, while his mom has been identified with severe wounds. In a phone call with his Romanian counterpart Dacian Ciolos, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has given assurances that the authorities ‘are doing their best to clarify the situation’. France is today in mourning for the 84 people who lost their lives in the attack on France’s national day claimed by ISIS. Seven people in connection with the Tunisian attacker have been arrested. According to French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneueve, the attacker seems to have been radicalized very quickly. The French official has mentioned a new type of terror attacks, which proves the complexity of the anti-terror fight.
SUMMIT Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said during the ASEM summit held in Ulan Bator that Romania could be a major transport hub, thanks to its opening to the Black Sea. In a statement to Radio Romania, Ciolos has said that thanks to the Danube, Romania can assure the transport of the goods arriving in the port of Constanta to the entire Europe. The Prime Minister has underlined Romania’s readiness to get involved in such projects adding that Bucharest has already started talks with countries riparian of the Black Sea, the Caspian and countries from Central Asia on this issue. On Friday and Saturday Ciolos took part in the 11th ASEM Summit hosted by Mongolia to mark 20 years since the opening of the political dialogue between Asia and Europe, ‘a major event in the economic and political relations between European and Asian countries’ as it was described in a communiqué issued by the Romanian government. Against the background of the latest terror attacks, the Romanian official has said that setting up an international tribunal against terrorism, a Spanish-Romanian initiative, would be a clear message that action can be taken at a multilateral level with instruments that are stronger than political statements.
