August 12, 2023 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 12.08.2023, 19:20

RATE
According to data released by the National Institute for Statistics (the INS) in
July Romania’s inflation rate went down to 9.4% from 10.3% in June while prices
in food products went up by 16.24% and in non-food products by 4.25%. According
to the same sources, prices for services went up by 11.65%. Sugar, air
transportation and potatoes saw the highest price hikes this year, whereas oil
is the only commodity, whose price went down. According to the INS, the medium
average salary in Romania stood at nearly 930 Euros in June, 11 Euros higher
than in May this year. For the Social-Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel
Ciolacu, the lower inflation rate shows that the government’s measures aimed at
curbing inflation proved to be successful. He said the Executive would
cooperate with the country’s Central Bank in the fight against the rising
prices.

HOLIDAY
Romanians are in a four-day mini-holiday as August 14th is a bank
holiday in Romania where St. Mary is being celebrated a day later on August 15th.
Various events have been staged on this occasion all over the country and tens
of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Nicula Monastery in Cluj,
north-western Romania. The Summer Well festival is underway until August the 13th
in Buftea close to Bucharest and the days of the Braila city are being
celebrated in this town in south-eastern Romania. Numerous tourists are being
expected in the mountains resorts in the Prahova Valley, southern Romania these
days, as well as on the Romanian Black Sea coast, which will be seeing its
busiest weekend. Hotel owners in the seaside resorts are expected to provide
accommodation to over 100 thousand tourists. Over 8 thousand police troops and
6 thousand gendarmes have been deployed to ensure safety and order during this
mini-holiday.

NAVY Romania’s naval forces are these
day staging a series of activities devoted to Romania’s Navy Day culminating on
August 15th when the Romanians are celebrating the Dormition of the
Mother of God, St. Mary, who is the protector of sailors. Events are underway
in the capital city and the port-cities on the Black Sea, Constanta and
Mangalia as well as on the Danube at Braila, Tulcea and Galati. These events
will reach the climax on august 15th in Constanta, where the sailors
will be presenting after a four-year recess the demonstrative exercise
‘Romanian Naval Forces 2023’. After the opening ceremony involving helicopters
and fast boats carrying the flags of Romania, NATO and the EU, the
school-frigate Mircea will be sailing in front of the participants. The
aforementioned vintage vessel has for decades been Romania’s honorary
ambassador on the world’s seas and oceans.

GRAIN Romania will be
taking additional measures aimed at doubling the Ukrainian grain transit
through its facilities. The Romanian authorities want to supplement the number
of pilots guiding the Ukrainian vessels carrying grain on the Danube to the
Black Sea. Upon a meeting held in Galati, eastern Romania, on Friday, an event
that brought together representatives of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the
United States and the European Commission, the Romanian transport minister
Sorin Grindeanu spoke about the possibility for Ukraine to use other ports on
the Danube besides Braila and Galati. According to him the number of pilots
guiding the aforementioned grain shipments is to increase to 60 until the end
of August. The United States has pledged financial assistance to the neighbours
of Ukraine helping them to buy pilot boats to support regional efforts in this
respect, the US embassy has announced. According to the same sources, the
United States remains committed to the partnership with the Ukraine’s government
and people – including by providing financial support and supplies by expanding
alternative transport routes and streamlining the border crossing points.

(bill)