March 23, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of the main domestic and international news
Newsroom, 23.03.2024, 19:49
CONDOLENCES Romania’s Foreign Ministry has conveyed condolences to the victims of the recent terror attack that left hundreds of dead and wounded in Moscow. In a post on the X network formerly known as Twitter, the diplomacy in Bucharest has underlined that Romania firmly condemns any form of terrorism or attacks against civilians. The Kremlin announced on Saturday the arrest of 11 people, including four perpetrators of the attack on a packed concert venue on Moscow’s outskirts, claimed by a Jihadist group known as the Islamic State. Gunmen donning camouflage suits opened fire with automatic rifles against the people attending a concert on Friday. According to AFP and Reuters, the death toll stands at 150 and is expected to rise. Health Ministry sources have announced that 115 people have been admitted to hospitals, including five children. Parliament sources have announced on Telegram, that two suspects have been apprehended in the region of Briansk after a car chase. Other suspects have taken refuge in a forest nearby.
BORDER According to the Border Police General Inspectorate over 190 thousand people, Romanian and foreign citizens, as well as 57 thousand vehicles crossed Romania’s borders on 22nd of March. 96,119 people entered Romania yesterday, including 8,489 Ukrainian nationals. Since 10 February 2022, two weeks before the Russian invasion, 7,600,853 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. According to the same sources, procedures at Romania’s border checkpoints are done under the national and community legislation.
FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side ended in a one-all draw their friendly against Northern Ireland in Bucharest on Friday. Romania will next play Columbia on neutral ground in Madrid on Tuesday. These are the first two training matches of our squad before EURO 2024 in Germany in summer. In June, Romania will be playing also in friendlies against the selections of Bulgaria and Lichtenstein. At the final continental tournament, our side is part of Group E where it will be playing Belgium, Slovakia and the winner of the tie game on Tuesday pitching Ukraine against Iceland. On Thursday night in the tie semis, Iceland secured a 4-1 win against Israel and Ukraine clinched a 2-1 win in Bosnia.
SCHENGEN Romania’s entry into the border-free area of Schengen is a feasible objective by the end of the year, Romanian Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu has said. According to him, the Romanian side has already completed the preparations for the country’s accession with its air and maritime borders approved by the EU Council and scheduled for the end of this year. Predoiu explains that Romania and Austria are cooperating very well in the field of border security, combating the illegal migration and cross-border crime and says that he has proposed his Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, to extend this collaboration beyond the Schengen issue with emphasis on fighting drugs and human trafficking. On March 31st, the Romanian and Bulgarian citizens will be able to travel to Schengen countries without border controls in ports and airports. According to statistics, 70% of the Romanians who travel by plane abroad have as their destination countries within Europe’s border-free area.
SHORTAGE Romania is presently witnessing a shortage of trained physicians and nurses, according to data released by the Healthcare Ministry. Over 86 hundred jobs are available in this field while the small towns and villages are bearing the brunt of the present crisis. Over 300 communes across the country lack family physicians while over half of towns and villages have reported a shortage in medical personnel. In the county of Salaj, in north-western Romania, the issue has been partially solved by hiring retired doctors and setting up secondary working units. In order to attract the young doctors, who aren’t interested nowadays in getting a job in rural areas in Romania, the communes affected by the shortage have invested in upgrading their clinics, as well as the other facilities that may benefit the medical personnel such as dwelling places or transport networks.
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