May 20, 2017 UPDATE
For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.
Newsroom, 20.05.2017, 19:10
FAC — Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will be leading the Romanian delegation at the Foreign Affairs Council and the Summit of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, which will take place on Sunday and Monday in Istanbul, Turkey. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Summit is devoted to boosting economic cooperation at Organization level. At the same time, the Foreign Affairs Council is set to discuss documents that will be submitted for adoption at the upcoming summit.
TRUMP –Donald Trump is as of Saturday in Saudi Arabia on his first external visit as US president. King Salman bin Abdulaziz has decorated president Trump with the highest distinction ever awarded to a civilian in Saudi Arabia, for his efforts to consolidate bilateral relations. On Sunday Trump will address leaders from over 40 Muslim countries as part of a summit devoted to the fight against radical organizations. The visit is part of an eight-day tour of the Middle East with the White House leader also expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories before reaching Europe, more precisely Brussels, the Vatican and then Sicily to attend the NATO and G7 summits.
ELECTIONS IN IRAN — The president re-elect of Iran Hasnan Rohani has said he will promote greater openness for Iran on the international stage. Rohani won a second term in office after winning Friday’s first round of the presidential election, defeating his opponent, the Conservative Ebrahim Raisi. According to official results, Rohani grabbed 57% of the vote to Raisi’s 38,3%. Voter turnout stood at 73%. Pundits recall that Rohani’s first term in office was marked by the nuclear agreement reached two years ago with the world superpowers, drawing Iran out of isolation and lifting the sanctions suffocating the country’s economy. Still, the BBC writes that the religious supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds the real authority in this country, alongside the powerful Revolutionary Guards.
MEETING — French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday is meeting Italian PM Paolo Gentiloni in Paris, two days ahead of the G7 Summit to be held in Sicily, southern Italy. The main topic on the agenda is the Paris agreement on climate change, at a time when US president Donald Trump, who is also to attend the summit, threatens the US will withdraw from this process, France Press reports.
TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ranked 4th in WTA standings, on Saturday defeated Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, 20 WTA, in the semi-finals of the Rome tournament, totalling 2,7 million dollars in prize money. Aged 25, Halep defeated Bertens in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1. In the final match Simona will take on Elina Svitolina of Ukraine Last week Simona Halep won the WTA tournament in Madrid for the second year in a row. The final in Rome will be the 24th of Halep’s career, of which the Romanian won 15. (Translated by V. Palcu)
