December 30, 2013 UPDATE
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Roxana Vasile, 30.12.2013, 18:22
VOLGOGRAD- Romania’s President, Traian Basescu, on Monday sent a message of condolence to the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, following the terrorist attacks in Volgograd. The Romanian President assured his Russian counterpart of his full support in the effort to crack down on terrorism, a scourge which threatens the fundamental values the two countries believe in. In turn, Prime Minister Victor Ponta sent a letter of condolence to his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev, expressing the Romanian government’s compassion for and solidarity with the families of the victims and the Russian people. Security measures have been tightened in all major railway stations and airports across Russia, in the wake of two attacks carried out in the southwestern city of Volgograd. On Monday, a blast was reported onboard a trolleybus and on Sunday a suicide bomber carried out an attack in the main railway station of the city, taking scores of lives.
ROMANIAN TOURISM-A campaign meant to promote Romanian tourism in the country and outside its borders will be carried out in 2014. According to the National Authority for Tourism (NAT), 25 million Euros will be spent with street advertising and commercials. Bids will be organised, for the promotion of Romanian tourism on television and in the print press, not only in Romania but also in such countries as the US, Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy. NAT says that, by this campaign, it intends to make Romania’s country brand better known, and the 25 million Euro sum to be spent with the promotion comes from European funds. Data released by the National Institute of Statistics show that in the first 10 months of the year, some 1.5 million foreign tourists came to Romania, that is 3.3% more than in the same period of last year.
ROMANIAN ECONOMY-The European Commission has confirmed the fact that Romania tops the European Union’s 2013 macroeconomic performance chart, said Cristian Socol, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta’ s advisor for macroeconomic issues. Socol also said that Romania’s macroeconomic picture for 2013 confirms the country’s sustainable convergence towards the European Union’s developed states. Among Romania’s strongest points in 2013 were the qualitative fiscal consolidation (the budget deficit standing at 2.5 % of the GDP, the lowest post-accession deficit), the strong deflation process (the lowest inflation rate after 1989) the adjustment of the foreign deficit (the current account deficit standing below 2% of the GDP) the economic growth exceeding all expectations, the fourfold growth of the European finds absorption rate and the record high of the industrial and agricultural output, as well as of the volume of exports.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACROSS THE EUROZONE-The European Council’s President Herman Van Rompuy is expecting a recovery of the economic activity across Europe in 2014. Rompuy said economic growth is likely to be registered all across the Euro zone, except for Slovenia and Cyprus. In another move, in an interview on a TV station, Herman Van Rompuy staved off fears whereby elections for the European Parliament, scheduled for the month of May, will be leading up to a spectacular rise in popularity of the Euro-sceptical populist parties. Rompuy also expressed confidence that an overwhelming majority of the European citizens would be in favour of the European Union.
IRAN-Technical negotiations between experts from Iran and of the P5+1 Group, made up of the US, France, Great Britain, Russia, China and Germany were resumed in Geneva on Monday. The negotiations are meant to define ways to implement the agreement signed on November the 24th by Teheran and the six world powers. The preliminary agreement provides for easing economic sanctions on Teheran for six months, in exchange for Iran’s halting its nuclear program. The West suspects Iran of trying to develop the nuclear bomb under the cloak of its civil nuclear program, an accusation dismissed by Iran.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER-Chancellor Angela Merkel along with the members of the German government were “shocked” by Formula One legend Michael Schumachers skiing accident, the spokesperson for the German government has said. The seven time F1 world champion, was severely injured while skiing in the Meribel resort in the French Alps on Sunday. After the accident, Schumacher was taken to a hospital in Grenoble, in south-eastern France. He is in an induced coma, after having suffered a head injury. On January the 3rd, he turns 45 years old.
