October 14, 2018

Newsroom, 14.10.2018, 13:11

DRILL Romania is today seeing the largest earthquake drill and simulation in
the EU in the past two decades. As part of this exercise the authorities have
set up two camps for ‘victims’ in Afumati and Voluntari, two villages close to
Bucharest, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations has announced. On
Saturday night, also as part of this drill, the Romanian president ‘declared’
the state of emergency. During the exercise, which is due to unfold until
October 18th, response capabilities are to be tested in various
simulated situations during night and day. The exercise is also to involve the
participation of international structures. According to Rayed Arafat, the head
of the Department for Emergency Situation, the exercise will gain an
international dimension as an Israeli mobile hospital with its medical
personnel has already arrived in Romania, as well as ambulances, doctors and
paramedics from Austria, Italy and Hungary. Various rescue operations are to be
simulated as well as the involvement of international structures in
distributing humanitarian aid to those affected. Observers from the EU and the
United States, as well as journalists from abroad are also attending the drill
entitled SEISM 2018. According to the National Institute for Earth Physics,
Romania has 6 major seismic zones, the most important being in Vrancea in the
country’s south. In the past two centuries Romania has seen 7 major
earthquakes, over 7 degrees on the Richter scale, the most devastating being
those in 1940 and 1977, which killed 25 hundred people and wounded over 15
thousand. The 1977 earthquake destroyed about 35 thousand buildings. Bucharest
still has over 4 thousand buildings, which cannot withstand a major
earthquake.

VISIT As of today, Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis is paying a four-day formal visit to Rome, the first by a Romanian
high official in the past 45 years. On the visit’s first day, Iohannis will be
seeing representatives of the Orthodox, Greek and Roman-Catholic churches at
the headquarters of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishopric of Italy. Iohannis will
also participate in a symbolic event, the projection of Romania’s flag colours
on Trajan’s Column in Rome. On Monday, the Romanian official is to hold talks
with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella with Prime Minister Giuseppe
Conte and with presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, Maria
Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and Roberto Fico. The Romanian president’s agenda
also includes talks with representatives of the Romanian community in Italy,
the largest Romanian community abroad, which at present stays at 1.5 million
people, as well as participation in a Romania-Italy business forum. Iohannis’
visit to Italy comes at a time when Romania celebrates 100 years since the
union of its principalities and 10 years since the two countries signed their
Strategic Consolidated Partnership.

FOOTBALL Romania’s national eleven today takes on the Serbian selection in a
match counting towards Group 4 of the newly-created Nations league. Last month
in Belgrade, the two sides ended their match in a draw, two-all. Serbia tops
the group standings with seven points, followed by Romania with 5, Montenegro
with 4 and Lithuania with no point. In another development, on Friday night, Romania’s
under-21 side secured a two-nil home win against Wales in the preliminaries of
the European Championships next year. Romania’s under-21 football team tops the
group standings and needs a draw in their next game to qualify after 20 years
for a final Under-21 final tournament.