September 24, 2017

Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor met with his Canadian counterpart/ Enescu festival ends today

Leyla Cheamil, 24.09.2017, 13:51

INVICTUS GAMES — Romania is for the first time taking part in the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The Invictus Games is the only sporting event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women. Invictus Team Romania is made up of 15 soldiers wounded in theatres of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. They will take part in six individual events: archery, athletics, indoor rowing, power lifting, cycling and swimming. Also, the Romanian team will compete in the sitting volleyball competition. The Romanian Invictus team met with Prince Harry of Britain, the one who established the competition in 2014 in London. Since then a number of cities have been selected to host future Games.

AEROBIC GYMNASTICS — Romania came out on top of the team ranking on Saturday at the 10th European Aerobic Gymnastics Championship under way in Ancona, Italy. The result is based on the qualification results of either individual men or individual women, mixed pairs, trios and groups. Romania comes first, followed by Russia and Hungary.

GERMAN ELECTIONS — More than 61 million Germans are expected to cast their vote today, in the parliamentary elections. Angela Merkel is hoping for a fourth term as Chancellor, even if her party, the Christian Democratic Union, is not likely to get majority and will therefore have to bring in partners to form a coalition. According to the latest opinion polls, Mrs. Merkels party and its Bavarian branch – the Christian Social Union – would get 36% of the votes. Second, with 23%, comes the Social Democratic Party, headed by the former President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz. Angela Merkel is preferred by 48% of the voters, while Martin Schulz is supported by only 22% of the voting population.

TRADE – Romania’s deficit in the farm and food products sector stood at 916 million euros at the end of May, up by 60% as against the same period in 2016. Official data show that exports went up in the first five month of the year by almost 7%, while imports increased by more than 19%. Wheat remains the most exported product followed by sunflower and corn. In terms of imports, an important increase was reported in the January-May period. The EU has been Romania’s biggest trade partner in the farm and food sector.

MEETING — Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor met with his Canadian counterpart Harjit Singh Sajjan on the sidelines of his official visit to Canada on the occasion of the Invictus Games Toronto. Emphasised during the talks was the consolidation of bilateral ties, with Canada being an active supporter of Romania’s initiatives within NATO. Minister Fifor thanked the Canadian official for the support that Canada granted to Romania by taking part in joint air police missions within NATO, and by participating in the Multinational Division South-East and the Multinational Brigade, and also in multinational drills held in Romania and the Black Sea. Minister Fifor underlined Canada’s significant contribution to the implementation of the decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Warsaw.

GEORGE ENESCU FESTIVAL – The George Enescu International Festival, held every two years in Romania, ends today. On the last day of the event, in the Grand Orchestras of the World series, performing will be the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam conducted by Daniele Gatti. Some three thousand artists have been invited to participate in this years edition of the festival held over September 2nd – 24th. The first edition of the George Enescu Festival was held in 1958. In 1971, the communist regime decided to put an end to it, and the festival was only resumed after the fall of the regime in 1989.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, no. 52 WTA, is today playing against the Chinese Yafang Wang, no. 147 WTA, in the first round of the WTA tournament in Wuhan, China, with some 2,300,000 dollars in prize money. Also today, another Romanian, Raluca Olaru and Ukrainian Ludmila Kicenok will be up against Raquel Atawo/Darija Juraq, in the first round of the women’s doubles. Simona Halep, no.2 in the WTA rankings, is second seed at the tournament and she will go straight to the second round.

(Translated by Elena Enache)