May 29, 2022

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 29.05.2022, 14:00

WAR IN
UKRAINE – The
leaders of France and Germany have called on Russian president Vladimir Putin
to immediately start negotiations with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky,
in order to find a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. The solution to stop
the war can only be found by means of direct negotiations between Moscow and
Kyiv, with the observance of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,
French president Emmanuel Macron said. In turn, German chancellor Olaf Scholz
has called on Putin to agree to a total ceasefire and withdraw all his forces
from Ukraine. The two leaders also called for an improvement in the situation
of the civilian population in Russian-held territories and for the release of
the 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers taken prisoner at the Azovstal steelworks in
Mariupol. Macron and Scholz also called on Putin to lift the blockade on Odessa
and allow the export of Ukrainian cereals and thus avert a global food crisis.
In response, the Kremlin said Russia is willing to help find options to resume
the free export of grains, including from Ukraine. Without openly agreeing to
it, Putin is willing to allow Ukraine to export its grains only if EU countries
lift sanctions on Russian agricultural exports. Putin says difficulties on the
global market are allegedly determined by the West’s poor decision-making and
the sanctions imposed on Russia. As regards a ceasefire, the Kremlin argues
Russia is willing to resume dialogue with Ukraine. Right now peace negotiations are suspended,
while the Russian forces continue to shell Ukrainian cities.

NATO – Iulian Fota, Secretary of
State for Strategic Affairs with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, has talked to
US Senator Robert Portman about the US’s decision to increase its military
presence on Romanian territory. He expressed Romania’s commitment, alongside
other European partners, to consolidate the resilience of the Republic of
Moldova by means of concrete measures and countering the effects of the Russian
aggression in Ukraine. Talks with Senator Portman also focused on the security
developments in the region, generated by the Russian Federation’s illegal
military operations in Ukraine and its consequences on European and
Euro-Atlantic security. The two officials also tackled the priorities of the
NATO Summit of June 2022 in Madrid, with a focus on adopting decisions that
should reassert NATO’s main role, namely ensuring collecting defense and
consolidating trans-Atlantic ties, the Romanian MFA also writes.

ROMANIANS
WORLDWIDE – President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă conveyed
messages marking the Day of Romanians Worldwide, celebrated on the last Sunday
of May. Irrespective of where we are, today is a good opportunity to reflect
on everything that bounds us together and to Romania – a strong identity and
being part of a people that has over the centuries overcome great hardships,
the President said in his message. The relocation of certain companies in
Romania, against a very difficult backdrop, might represent an opportunity
encouraging Romanians to return home, president Iohannis went on to say,
recalling the importance of the Government’s actions to support, by means of
dedicated programs, Romanians who wish to return home. There are millions of
Romanians living abroad. Romanians are at the center of the Government’s
concerns, irrespective of where they are, the Prime Minister also said.
Nicolae Ciucă also said that the Department of Romanians Worldwide is helping
strengthen ties with communities of Romanians and support them in order to
preserve national identity, through education and cultural projects conducted
across ministries and in partnership with civilian society and academia. We
also want Romanians who seek employment abroad to be respected and their rights
should be observed. I am confident that memorandum signed at the level of the
line ministries in Romania and Italy will be followed by similar initiatives
with other EU states and beyond, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said.

CANNES – The Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund has won his second Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, this time for a satire criticizing the rich, entitled The Triangle of Sadness. The Grand Prix went to Close by Lukas Dhont and Stars at Noon by Claire Denis. Park Chan-Wook of South Korea won the best director award for his feature Decision to Leave. The jury award went to Eo and Le Otto Montagne, while War Pony won the award for best debut film. Alexandru Belc won the best directing award in the Un Certain Regard section with his film, Metronome.

ROLAND
GARROS – Romanian tennis player Irina Begu has advanced to the round of 16
at Roland Garros after ousting Leolia Jeanjean of France, 6-1, 6-4. Begu thus
matched her best performance at Roland Garros, after in 2016 she also reached
this stage of the women’s singles. This is Begu’s best performance in Grand
Slam tournaments, her first being to reach the round of 16 at Australian Open
in 2015.

ROWING -
Romanian athlete Cătălin Chirilă
won silver in the 500m and 1000m single canoe races held on Sunday at the World
Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland. In the 500m race, Chirilă was outrun by Martin Fuksa of the Czech Republic, two-time world champion
and several-time European champion. The bronze went to Wiktor Glazunow of
Poland. In the 1000m race, Fuksa won again the gold, while Pavlo Altuhov of
Ukraine won bronze.

WEATHER
– The National Meteorological Administration has extended the code orange alert
against heavy rain and storms in place in 12 counties in Bucharest, until
Monday morning. Hydrologists have also warned against the risk of floods. The
heavy rain and storms have disrupted road traffic in cities and on national
roads, and caused material damages. In Bucharest, dozens of trees were uprooted
by the strong wind and a few electricity poles fell. Three homes were flooded
and 30 cars were damaged. (VP)