February 23, 2023

MOLDOVA The president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, is in Bucharest today for a working visit. According to the Presidency, political talks between presidents Klaus Iohannis and Maia Sandu are part of the comprehensive and close cooperation at bilateral and European level, and confirm Romania's clear and firm support for Moldova and its resilience. Projects of shared strategic interest will be discussed, concerning fields like energy, transportation, healthcare, education and IT&C, with a focus on initiatives designed to connect Moldova with the EU, to the benefit of its citizens. The 2 officials will also discuss the progress of Moldova's EU accession efforts and Bucharest's support in this respect, and will exchange opinions on security challenges and ways to mitigate the economic, social and humanitarian effects of Russia's aggression in Ukraine. In Bucharest, Maia Sandu will also have meetings with PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Chamber of Deputies speaker, Marcel Ciolacu.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu is taking part today and on Friday in the events organized by the United Nations to mark 1 year since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Today he is scheduled to speak at the 11th special emergency session of the UN General Assembly, convened in order to adopt a resolution aimed at restoring comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Romania is a co-sponsor of the resolution. On Friday, the Romanian foreign minister will speak at a minister round-table of the UN Security Council, with Ukraine again in the focus of attention. The Romanian official will present Bucharest's efforts to support the over 3.6 million Ukrainian refugees who have crossed into Romania and to facilitate the transit of nearly 13 million tonnes of grains from Ukraine. He will also reiterate Romania's firm support for the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and his country's commitment to an active contribution to international peace and security.

TRAVEL Over 151 companies from several countries are taking part in the spring edition of the Romanian Tourism Fair that begins in Bucharest today, offering up to 50% discounts on holiday packages and special promotions for luxury destinations. The event promotes the most interesting and profitable tourist offers in Romania and abroad. The 10 participating countries include Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Hungary.

EARTHQUAKE A new earthquake measuring 3.9 in magnitude was reported in Gorj County, south-western Romania on Wednesday night, according to the National Physics of the Earth Research and Development Institute. On February 13, a 5.2 tremor was reported in the same area, followed the next day by a 5.7 earthquake. Seismologists announced that over 800 aftershocks followed the quake on February 13, but their number and magnitude declined in the following period. The region of Oltenia is known for a weak to moderate seismic activity, with very rare events over 5 on the magnitude scale.

FOOTBALL CFR Cluj, the only Romanian team still playing in the European competitions, takes on Lazio Rome today on home turf in the play-offs for the Conference League eighth-finals. A week ago, in the first leg, the Romanian side lost 0-1, after a modest match in spite of their opponents being one player down for 75 minutes. Last season the Romanian champions left Conference League in the group stage, whereas Lazio reached the eighth-finals of Europa League. (AMP)