May 30, 2021 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 30.05.2021, 19:25

DAY
We need the competence of all Romanians to build a prosperous country so that
all those who emigrated may come back home with joy, the country’s president
Klaus Iohannis said on Sunday in a message conveyed on the occasion of the Day
of the Romanians from all over the World, the country celebrates on the last
Sunday of May. The head of the Romanian state thanked all the Romanians abroad for
the responsibility and solidarity they showed with those who stayed at home. He
recalled the difficult moments we had been through during the pandemic, which
proved tough for both the Romanians abroad and their relatives at home. According
to the president, since Romania benefits from European funds, which are to ease
massive investment in all areas, the country is going to enter an ample process
of development and reforms. The Day of the Romanians from All Over the World
represents a moment in which we are considering the importance of keeping
identity and national values every Romanian keeps in their heart, Foreign
Minister Bogdan Aurescu has underlined in his message. According to him,
strengthening the dialogue and the ties with members of the Romanian communities
is the Foreign Ministry’s key priority together with the promotion of the
historical and cultural heritage.

GYMNASTICS According to the Romanian Gymnastics
Federation, our athletes have walked away with gold from the group finals of
the 16th edition of the World Aerobic Gymnastics Championship held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The victor team
includes Gabriel Bocser, Teodora Cucu, Daniel Tavoc, David Gavrilovici and
Mihai Alin Popa. At the present edition of the aforementioned competition,
athletes from Romania have also reaped silver in the teams contest and bronze
in the trio event. The teams ranking is based on the best results won in trio,
mixed, aerobic dance and the men’s and women’s individual events.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Ana
Bogdan on Sunday qualified for the second round of the tournament in Roland
Garros, the year’s second Grand Slam after a two-set win 6-1, 6-3 against
Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto. In the competition’s second round Bogdan will
be up against Naomi Osaka of Japan who on Sunday eliminated Romanian Patricia
Tig, 6-4, 7-6. The other Romanians on the main draw in Paris are Sorana
Cirstea, Mihaela Buzarnescu, Irina Begu and Irina Bara. Injuries have prevented
Simona Halep, the world’s third tennis player and Roland Garros champion in
2018 from attending this year’s edition of the prestigious French competition.

PNL The national council of the
National Liberal Party (PNL), Romania’s main ruling political force on Sunday
decided to stage the party’s congress on 25th September and voted on
the committee to stage the event. The participants also established the election
procedures inside the party. Before the proceedings kick-off, the country’s
incumbent Prime Minister Florin Citu announced his intention to run for the
party’s presidency, underlying the party’s need for a new impetus. The party’s
vice-president, Florin Citu pledged that PNL would stay in power for at least 8
years and that together they would be changing Romania into a liberal country
where all citizens were going to live happily. According to the incumbent PNL
president Ludovic Orban, we are going to witness a beautiful presidential race,
proving to the Romanians the Liberals are actually relying on strong human
resources and are able to rule the country properly.

COVID-19 The number of Covid-19 infections continues
to go down in Romania. The entire Romanian territory including capital city
Bucharest are in the so-called green zone with an infection rate below 1 per
thousand. 158 new infections were reported on Sunday as well as 29 fatalities.
443 people are in intensive care. Vaccine rollout has been stepped up in
Romania with more than 76 thousand vaccinations in the past 24 hours. Marathon
vaccination campaigns and drive-through centers were staged across Romania
during the weekend, while mobile units went to crowded places in an attempt to
make the vaccine available to as many people as possible. Since the vaccine
rollout kicked off in December last year, more than 3 million people have been
fully vaccinated in Romania. According to the authorities, over one million
Pfizer doses are to arrive in Romania, this being the biggest quantity of
vaccine Romania has received so far. This type of vaccine can be administered
to children with ages between 12 and 15, after the European Medicines Agency
has recommended it for this age bracket.

VISIT The EU
Vice-president for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight Maros Sefcovic
will be paying a visit to Romania on Monday, the European Commission
Representation in Bucharest has announced. The EU high official is going to have
talks with Romania’s Prime Minister Florin Citu, with Leonard Orban, the
presidential adviser for European Affairs as well as with the presidents of the
two Parliament Chambers, Anca Dragu and Ludovic Orban respectively. Sefcovic is
expected to deliver a speech at the Atlantic-Black Sea Security Forum 2021
hosted by the Aspen Romania Institute and will be attending the inauguration
ceremony of the Euro-Atlantic Center for Resilience.

(bill)