August 15, 2019 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

România Internațional, 15.08.2019, 19:01

NAVY DAY – The Black Sea Area is an area of geostrategic
importance to both NATO and the EU. As a member of both organizations, Romania
is part of a common security and defense area, said Romania’s President Klaus
Iohannis on Thursday in the Black Sea Port of Constanta, where he attended festivities
occasioned by the celebration of the Romanian Navy Day. Johannis also said that
ensuring national security and defense, which guarantees the safety of each
Romanian, cannot be done without proper army equipment and modernization and
constant training of the military. In turn, the Defense Minister Gabriel Les stated
that the Black Sea Region was unfortunately turning into an area of tension,
pressure, risks and threats. Romania’s strategic position on the Eastern border
of the EU and NATO creates opportunities, but also challenges for the Romanian
army and the naval forces in particular, the minister also said. The
training ship ‘Mircea’ was the focus of attention, as it celebrated 80 years
since it was first used by the Romanian Navy. The Naval and Air Forces of
Ukraine, Italy and the US participated with several detachments in the
exercises carried out at sea and in the festivities on the seafront, also in
celebration of Navy Day. Similar events took place in Mangalia, Tulcea, Braila,
Galati and Bucharest.

ASSUMPTION -
Christian Orthodox and Catholic belivers in Romania on Thursday celebrated the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into
Heaven. Special masses were held in churches and monasteries across Romania.
This year, at the Nicula Monastery in Cluj county, the relics of the Blessed
Iuliu Hossu, the first Romanian Cardinal, were brought to the place where he
would meet every year with believers coming from all over the country. Iuliu
Hossu founded the Nicula Monastery in 1936. More than 2.2 million Romanians
celebrated their name day on August 15th.

IMMIGRANTS – Six EU member countries,
including Romania, have accepted to take some of the 150 immigrants on board
the Spanish humanitarian ship Open Arms, which
has been out at sea for 14 days. France Presse reports that the Italian Prime
Minister Giuseppe Conte has stated, in a letter to the Interior Minister Matteo
Salvini, that the countries in question are Spain, Portugal, France, Germany,
Romania and Luxembourg. An administrative court in Rome has decided that the vessel
can enter the Italian territorial waters, despite the interdiction imposed by
Matteo Salvini. The ship has asked for access to Italy, stating that the
international maritime legislation permits bringing immigrants to a safe place.
A day before, Salvini had stated he would block both Open Arms and another vessel, Ocean
Viking, operated by French humanitarian organisations. Together they would
bring to Italy some 500 immigrants rescued since last week from off shore
Libya.

COOPERATION -
Romania will re-launch this autumn the European Affairs Business Cooperation
Format with France and Germany, the Romanian Minister of European Affairs,
George Ciamba, has announced on Radio Romania. The Romanian official has stated
that, given the big investments made by German and French companies in Romania,
there is a solid basis for cooperation, not only economic, but also with regard
to European affairs. George Ciamba has announced that the French Minister of
European Affairs is expected to pay a visit to Bucharest next month.

DONATION – The famous rock band Metallica has donated
250,000 Euro for the building of the first oncological hospital for children
built in Buchrest by the Give Life foundation.
The foundation has managed to collected more than 15 million Euros from private
contributions and from donations made by various companies in Romania.
Metallica gave a concert in Bucharest on Wednesday.

TOURISTS – Some 200
Romanian citizens have been transferred so far to continental Greece from
Samothraki Island, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced. The Romanian
Embassy in Athens and the Romanian Consulate General in Thessaloniki are still
monitoring the situation, and maintain contact with both the local authorities
and the Romanian citizens that are still on the island. More than one thousand
tourists, including lots of Romanians, got stranded for a week on Samothraki in
northern Greece, because of violent winds and rough seas, which did not allow
boats and ferries to get to the island.