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Home , Eduard Hellvig, Government of Romania, Ioan Mang, Leonard Orban, Ovidiu Ioan Silaghi, Thierry de Montbrial

Embassy of in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

No. 8/ 5th Year 1st – 15th of May 2012

Politics 1. Presidents of Romania and Republic of wish acceleration of joint energy projects 2. President Basescu believes construction of Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline might be completed in 2014 3. PM presented the programme for government and the members of the Cabinet 4. Members of the Romanian Cabinet 5. Prime Minister Victor Ponta: We are determined to work together for the good of Romania and Europe 6. PM Victor Ponta: “NATO can count on Romania as a serious, reliable and predictable member of NATO” 7. The office of Foreign Minister has changed hands 8. State Secretary Bogdan Aurescu received the delegation of Japan‟s parliamentary League of Friendship with Romania 9. Thierry de Montbrial launched 'Romanian Journal' in 10. MFA Biking Tour Economics 1. Romania‟s Pavilion at EXPO 2012 Yeosu officially opened 2. Romania, 4th in the EU in terms of March 2012 retail trade growth 3. First Duster cars arrive in the UK 4. Group invests over 35m Euros in training Romanian workers 5. Kirchhoff inaugurates plant in Craiova that will work for Ford Romania 6. Romania exports 80pct of its organic honey production 7. Pound trades at 5.54 lei Culture 1. The Ambassador of Romania visited the University of Essex 2. Shakespeare International Festival in Bucharest 3. East Meets East: The Romanian New Wave in the Olympic Boroughs 4. Poet and broadcaster Robert Şerban debuts in London at the British Library 5. Fairytale Images and Books 6. Glorious new sound with dazzling Romanian pianist-composer Lucian Ban and legendary violist Mat Maneri 7. Enescu presented at the Newbury Festival by the Văcărescu – Tsunakawa Duo 8. Alexandra Dăriescu premiers Lipatti‟s “Concertino” with the Orchestra of St Paul's 9. After the New Man: Photographic Exhibition by Dana Popa 10. Meet “the ROlympians” 11. Bucharest Calling! Ioana Paun presents new work in London 12. Norman Manea: Royal Society of Literature Fellowship Ceremony and Book Launch 13. The Body Adorned: Folk Romanian Costume, Inspired by Queen Maria‟s Style 14. LEARN ROMANIAN IN ROMANIA 15. Sergiu Celibidache 100 Festival

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

 Politics

Presidents of Romania and Republic of Moldova wish acceleration of joint energy projects

President Traian Basescu and his counterpart from the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae Timofti, decided during the meeting in Bucharest to accelerate the development of energy projects already established, including Iasi-Ungheni (north- east country) gas pipeline.

'We had discussions on how we can contribute to the binding of the Republic of Moldova to the , via Romania, as the border country for the Republic of Moldova, and we decided together to accelerate the development of the already established projects, among which Iasi - Ungheni gas pipeline, Falciu, Gotesti and Suceava Balti power lines, installation of optical fiber between Isaccea and Chisinau, Iasi-Ungheni- Chisinau railway upgrading, building bridges over the Prut and many other projects. Extremely important is that the gas pipeline to link the gas system of Romania to that of the Republic of Moldova is partially funded by the EU, going that the two countries will bring their own contribution to the project ', President Traian Basescu said in a joint statement with Nicolae Timofti, held at Cotroceni Palace.

President Basescu was keen to thank Timofti for his first bilateral visit paid to Bucharest, in the footsteps of the one to Brussels. He stressed that, during the talks with his Republic of Moldova counterpart, issues related to the strategic partnership between Romania and the Republic of Moldova and its EU joining were also discussed.

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President Basescu believes construction of Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline might be completed in 2014

President Traian Basescu said that concerning the interconnection of the energetic infrastructures of the Republic of Moldova to those of Romania, an important project is the construction of the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline that might be completed around 2014.

'At this moment, being financially backed by the European Union we try to interconnect the energetic infrastructures of the Republic of Moldova to those of Romania and implicitly of the EU. We have various projects and I would not want to limit ourselves only to the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline, because we rely on the power lines Falciu-Golesti and Suceava-Balti - these are new electric lines, for 400 kW, to be able to make a more rapid and better transfer of energy. Moreover, by increasing the capacities of our power lines, we shall succeed in interconnecting also a part of the capacities of providing power energy of and to UE and the other way around,' President Traian Basescu told public Radio Romania News station.

President Basescu stressed there is no political party in Romania adopting a different approach on the Republic of Moldova or not backing the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline project.

'In addition, there is also the project aiming to upgrade the Iasi-Ungheni railway, the project aimed at installing the optical fiber between Isaccea and Chisinau. The gas pipeline is not the sole project. When the issue of funding Romania's interconnection to and was discussed at the meeting of the European Council, we raised also the problem of the interconnections. Of course, it is a partial funding, of 50 percent, with the rest of the amount to be paid by Romania and the Republic of Moldova. At today's talks, I told President Timofti that out of the nonrefundable aid of 100 million, Romania is ready to fully cover the costs that have to be borne by the two states. At present, as regards this gas pipeline and the connection Falciu-Golesti and Suceava-Balti, the electrical connection, I can tell you that the feasibility studies are currently conducted,' the head of state also said. (ActMedia, 10 May, 2012)

PM Victor Ponta presented the programme for government and the members of the Cabinet

Bucharest, May 7th/ – Press Office/ “We aim at a radical change of the mode of governance, a change in attitude, priorities, direction and people wherever it might be the case”, declared Prime Minister Ponta.

Details of the full statement of the Prime Minister, please enter:

http://www.gov.ro/pm-victor-ponta-we-aim-at-a- radical-change-of-the-mode-of-governance-a- change-in-attitude-priorities-direction-and-people- wherever-it-might-be__l2a117076.html

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

Members of the Romanian Cabinet

Prime Minister – Mr. Victor Viorel Ponta Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Public Finance – Mr. Florin Georgescu Minister of Administration and the Interior – Mr. Minister of Foreign Affairs – Mr. Minister of Justice – Mr. Titus Corlatean Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development – Mr. Daniel Constantin Minister of Labour, Family and Social Protection – Mrs. Mariana Câmpeanu Minister of Economy, Trade and Business Environment – Mr. Daniel Chitoiu Minister of Transport and Infrastructure – Mr. ; Minister of Environment and Forests – Mrs. Minister of Regional Development and Tourism, Mr. Minister of National Defence – Mr. Corneliu Dobritoiu Minister of Education, Research, Youth and Sports – Mr. Minister of Health – Mr. Vasile Cepoi Minister of Communications and Information Society – Mr. Minister of Culture and National Patrimony– Mr. Minister of European Affairs – Mr. Minister for Relation with Parliament – Mr. Mircea Duşa Minister Delegate for Administration – Mr. Victor Paul Dobre Minister Delegate for the Business Environment – Mr. Lucian Isar Minister Delegate for Social Dialogue – Mr. Liviu Marian Pop

Prime Minister Victor Ponta: We are determined to work together for the good of Romania and Europe

Bucharest, May 9th/ Government of Romania – Press Office/ Today, Prime Minister Victor Ponta has attended, along with Cabinet members a meeting with ambassadors of EU Member States accredited to Bucharest.

Prime Minister has stated that on May 9, on Europe‟s Day, it is the best opportunity to reaffirm the determination of the Romanian Government to fulfill all commitments at European level. "This special day is the best opportunity to assure you that we are really determined to work together for the good of Romania and Europe," the Head of the Executive has sent to European ambassadors accredited to Bucharest.

Prime Minister said that yesterday, the Chamber of Deputies passed by a large majority the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance within Economic and Monetary Union, step designed to convey to Europe a message of accountability, predictability and our commitment of collaboration within the European Union.

At the same time, Prime Minister Victor Ponta has sent today a message on the occasion of Europe‟s Day: "Today, we celebrate Europe Day! It marks 62 years since the first step towards a united Europe, a Europe of solidarity first and foremost - the fundamental principle which underlies the future of European construction and, unfortunately, the principle hardest hit by latest years‟ austerity. Therefore, I strongly believe that it is high time for economic recovery to occur under the rule of solidarity and sustainable growth and employment to take the place of

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

austerity. This is, both the belief and mission that I assume for European Romania! Many Happy Returns of the day to all Romanian citizens, European citizens! "

PM Victor Ponta: “NATO can count on Romania as a serious, reliable and predictable member of NATO”

The new Government is fully committed to observing the commitments undertaken by Romania as NATO Member State, PM Victor Ponta has stated after meeting Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO. “I came here, together with the New Minister of Defence, just to give you a very strong and clear message that even coming from a different political coalition, the new Government is fully committed with Romania‟s participation and obligations as a full member of NATO (…). Of course, we realize it is very important for our country and for NATO to be together and to follow together the same schedule in the Afghanistan issue, and to work together in the missile defence system and all the other projects that we have together”, the Head of the Executive has stated. PM Victor Ponta has added that the North – Atlantic Alliance can count on Romania as a serious, reliable and predictable ally of NATO.

Secretary General of NATO, Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen has mentioned he very much appreciates Romania‟s commitment to Alliance, despite economic difficulties. “Romania knows that our security is priceless. You make an important contribution to our operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo and you are an importance voice in our dialogue and decision – making between allies”, the NATO Secretary General has outlined in the joint press conference, adding that he has approached with the Romanian Prime Minister aspects related to the main priorities for Chicago Summit, smart defence and partnerships. In this context, he welcome Romania‟s active stance on smart defence, and referring to hosting the missile defence system, he stated “You are making an important contribution to our shared security”, the Secretary General of NATO showed, outlining at the same time Romania‟s contribution to other joint projects of the Alliance as well.

Answering a question on the Afghan issue, PM Victor Ponta has stated that the new Cabinet shares the views of President and of former Governments, that Romania should fully honor the commitments undertaken in Afghanistan.

“All our decisions are not going to be taken unilaterally, but fully coordinated with our partners, and according to the schedule and calendar that have been together approved by all the NATO members”, Prime Minister has added.

The office of Foreign Minister has changed hands

Bucharest, May 8th/ MFA Press Release/ Minister Andrei Marga has taken over on 8 May 2012 the office of head of the Romanian diplomacy, during a ceremony also attended by his predecessor, .

Foreign Minister Andrei Marga assured the audience that a major concern during his term in office would be to continue the big projects and to enhance the performance of the Romanian

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______diplomacy. “We must think of continuity in relation to what the outgoing team leaves behind, considering that responsibility here is bigger than in other areas – comparable to the highest responsibilities of the State,” said the head of the Romanian diplomacy.

“We will try to supplement this continuity with the concern to seize the change taking place in the world so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should best rise to the challenge of the international context,” stated Minister Andrei Marga. Moreover, his mandate will focus on finding solutions to issues on the external political agenda, issues of major interest such as Romania‟s accession to the Schengen Area, a substantial Romanian participation in NATO‟s Chicago Summit, deepening of the relationship with the Republic of Moldova, capitalizing on strategic partnerships, with the USA in particular, and putting the relations with countries like , the PR of China or the Russian Federation on a new track.

“The foreign policy of Romania should become a matter of consensus between political forces, a matter of national consensus, it must go beyond its shaping, approval and implementation within the limits of a ruling party or coalition,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs concluded.

Minister Andrei Marga thanked his predecessor for the activity conducted and invited him to keep reflecting on foreign policy aspects and to remain a trusted partner.

In turn, Cristian Diaconescu reiterated his availability for open collaboration in the future with the head of the Romanian diplomacy. “We had a very interesting and useful discussion for both sides. Currently we trust that the projects and main lines of Romania’s foreign policy will be further backed and that the main theme actions in which the Romanian diplomacy is involved will be completed,” stated Cristian Diaconescu.

At the end of the conference, Minister Andrei Marga said he was confident he would develop very good cooperation with the staff of the institution, based on the criteria of professionalism and perfect accountability for the actions undertaken.

~

Andrei Marga, a philosophy professor and former rector of the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj- Napoca (western Romania), was born on May 22, 1946, in Bucharest. A philosophy graduate (1971). PhD in philosophy prepared in and received in Cluj-Napoca with the thesis 'Herbert Marcuse's Philosophy' (1976).

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Minister of Education (December 5, 1997- December 28, 2000), in the Ciorbea, and Isarescu Governments.

From 2008 to 2012 he served as rector of the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, holding this position in the period 1993-2004 as well. Dean of the Faculty of History and Philosophy, Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (1990-1992); pro-rector of the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (1992-1993).

Andrei Marga is Doctor Honoris Causa of several important universities in Romania and abroad. A Herder Prize laureate in 2005. In 1999, the distinguished Cluj professor was awarded the French decoration 'Grand officer of the National Order of Merit.'

On April 2, 2001 he was elected on the board of the freshly set up European Universities Association (EUA). In 2002 Professor Andrei Marga was awarded the medal 'Les Palmes Academiques' by the French Ministry of National Education, the oldest French distinction, which is granted to a civilian for outstanding academic merits.

In November 2009, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano conferred on him the Order of Merit 'Stella della solidarieta italiana in grado di Cavaliere'.

Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church bestowed on him, on March 16, 2011, in a ceremony carried out at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Cluj-Napoca, the highest distinction of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the 'Patriarchal Cross,' for merits in the development of theological education and in the dialogue promotion between religion, science, philosophy and art.

In 2010 Andrei Marga became a member of the Writers' Union of Romania.

He is married to Delia-Felicia Marga, PhD, a university lecturer at the Faculty of Economic Science and Business Administration of the Babes-Bolyai University. (ActMedia, May 8, 2012)

State Secretary Bogdan Aurescu received the delegation of Japan’s parliamentary League of Friendship with Romania

Bucharest, May 3rd/ MFA Press Office/ Romanian State Secretary Bogdan Aurescu met on 3 May 2012 with a delegation of the Parliamentary League of Friendship of the National Diet of Japan, led by the Secretary General of the League, Takashi Ishizeki.

State Secretary Bogdan Aurescu underlined the very good level of

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______the political dialogue between Romania and Japan, which has imprinted the current strategic- type character on the bilateral relationship, and highlighted the importance of inter- parliamentary dialogue in the continuous development of cooperation between the two states. He likewise spoke of the value of organizing an intense schedule of working contacts on topics of interest to both countries, respectively high-level contacts. The Romanian State Secretary pointed out the importance, for instance, of the project of linking Bucharest to Henri Coanda International Airport by an underground line, a project co-funded by the Japanese side. He also showed how important it is for the Romanian side to make permanent, at the end of 2012, for holders of Romanian passports, the regime of travelling without a visa, for touristic purposes, and requested the support of the guests in this regard.

The Japanese delegation has shown its interest in the development of parliamentary relations, as well as at government level, respectively in the intensification of economic cooperation, including through consistent Japanese investment in the Romanian economy. The Japanese side also indicated its intention to undertake all the necessary efforts to ensure a decision in made on rendering permanent the visa exemption regime for Romanian citizens.

During the discussions, both sides insisted on their willingness to identify new areas of collaboration with a view to developing the good relations between Romania and Japan. Concurrently, views were exchanged on the relations between the EU and Japan, as well as on the developments in the Korean Peninsula, the similarity of the two sides‟ views being noted.

Thierry de Montbrial launched 'Romanian Journal' in Bucharest

Thierry de Montbrial, one of the great personalities of the European intellectual world, renowned specialist in economics and political science, visited Romania between May 9-11, on the occasion of the official launch of his book 'Romanian Journal'.

One of the artisans of concepts that have built and shaped the world in recent decades, Thierry de Montbrial is founder and president of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), which aims at preparation of studies and analyzes on topical international issues and at facilitation of exchange of ideas between political decision takers, researchers and other leaders at home and worldwide.

With 30 permanent researchers and a vast network of affiliated researchers, 80 partner organizations and 15 research programs in progress, IFRI organizes annually over 200 conferences and debates in , Brussels and in other capitals of the world, serves as host to

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more than 10,000 guests and publishes over 100 studies and reports.

In recent years, IFRI was the host of many heads of state and government: the President of France, Nicholas Sarkozy, the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitri Medvedev, the former Chinese President Hu Jintao, Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, Mikhail Saakachvili, the President of Georgia, Vaclav Klaus, the Czech President, Jose Manuel Barroso, the EC President.

Since 2008, IFRI organizes the , an event which offers the opportunity to the most important world decision takers, leaders of international stature, leaders of major multinational and nongovernmental organizations to discuss global governance issues.

A fine analyst of the systems that govern a world in full globalization process, Thierry de Montbrial travels a lot and is acquainted with a large part of the world's most powerful people.

In the last 22 years, Montbrial visited Romania and talked with the most important people of the moment, from the heads of state and government of post-revolution Romania to personalities on the Romanian political, economic and cultural scene.

In Romania, Thierry de Montbrial received the National Order 'Star of Romania' in the ranks of Officer, Commander and Grand Officer from presidents Emil Constantinescu, Ion Iliescu and Traian Basescu, as a sign of high appreciation for his contribution to the development of academic, human, political and cultural ties between France and Romania and for the talent and dedication he has proved in the entire academic career, for his personal contribution to enriching the universal cultural heritage. (ActMedia)

MFA Biking Tour

Bucharest, May 5th/ MFA Pres Office/ Romanian diplomats and representatives of the diplomatic corps and of international organisations accredited to Bucharest took part on Saturday, 5 May, in the Biking Tour of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an event arranged by the National Union of Civil Servants as part of actions to mark MFA‟s 150 years of diplomacy.

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

 Economics

Romania’s Pavilion at EXPO 2012 Yeosu officially opened

Bucharest/ May 12th/ MFA Press Office/ The Pavilion of Romania at Yeosu, entitled “Delta”, was officially inaugurated on 12 May 2012, during a ceremony hosted by the president of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the Commissioner of the Romanian Pavilion, Ferdinand Nagy. The official opening was marked by the playing of the national anthem, the hoisting of the flag and the cutting of the ribbon of the Pavilion.

The opening ceremony was attended by the ambassador of Romania to Seoul, Calin Fabian, BIE Secretary-General Vicente Gonzales Loscertales, Andrei Mihailescu, the architect of the Pavilion, and David Choi, representative of A&A, the company that built the pavilion.

“Romania’s Pavilion at EXPO 2012 Yeosu stands out both by the original architectural design and by the high-tech equipment – augmented reality, a Kinect application, 3D displays and LED curtain. The cutting-edge technology at the pavilion invites the visitor to interact in the process of getting knowledge about Romania, notably the Danube Delta and the Black Sea. We firmly believe that the Pavilion of Romania will become one of the most attractive and popular pavilions at the site of the exhibition,” said Commissioner Ferdinand Nagy.

BIE Secretary General Vicente Loscertales appreciated the concept of the pavilion as being representative for Romania and offering an extremely attractive environment for all visitors of the pavilion. In his turn, Romania‟s ambassador to Seoul, Calin Fabian, thanked BIE and the organizers of the world exhibition for the opportunities offered to the participants to present the culture and specificity of each country and wished success to the team coordinating Romania‟s participation in EXPO 2012, Yeosu, Republic of Korea.

The opening ceremony was followed by an official tour of Romania‟s Pavilion, the guests being able to use all interactive systems at the Pavilion, the chief attractions being the Kinect applications that allow visitors to discover and interact with the dance, music and costumes of the Danube Delta, with pottery and Romanian traditional crafts, and the 3D display showing views of the Danube Delta and the Dobrogea region. The Pavilion of Romania was then opened to the broad public, the daily visiting hours being 09.00 – 21.00.

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

On the occasion of the opening of world exhibition, BIE President Ferdinand Nagy attended on 11 May the show arranged by the EXPO organizers, preceded by a meeting with the President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-back.

Background

The core theme of the national concept Romania presents at Yeosu is the Danube Delta, which falls within the general theme of EXPO 2012: “The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities.”

The concept of Romania‟s participation in Expo 2012 Yeosu focuses on the uniqueness and ecological importance of the Danube Delta and its protected areas, generated by bio and ethnodiversity, in the context of sustainable development. The Danube and the Black Sea are major components of the country‟s natural blessings, defining its position on the European continent.

Romania, 4th in the EU in terms of March 2012 retail trade growth

Retail trade in Romania increased by 1.2 percent in March 2012 on a monthly basis, the 4th largest rise in the European Union, according to preliminary data released by the Eurostat official statistic office of the EU.

Bigger rises were recorded in Bulgaria (3.9 percent), (2.6 percent), Austria and the UK (1.9 percent).

In March 2012 compared with February 2012, the volume of retail trade rose by 0.3 percent in the euro area (EA17) - , Germany, Ireland, , France, Italy, , the , Austria, Portugal, Finland, Greece, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia and Estonia - and by 0.7 percent in the EU27 - EA17 plus Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Among the member states for which data are available, total retail trade rose in ten, fell in nine and remained stable in Ireland and Sweden. In February, retail trade fell by 0.2 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.

In March 2012, compared with March 2011, the retail sales index dropped by 0.2 percent in the euro area, but grew by 1.0 percent in the EU27. Among the member states for which data are available, total retail trade rose in fifteen and fell in six. Romania recorded a rise of 2.8 percent.

Data released by Romania's National Statistics Institute (INS) indicate that the volume of retail trade in Romania, with the exception of retail trade of motor vehicles and motorcycles in unadjusted terms was up 18.8 percent on a monthly basis. In terms adjusted for the number of business days and seasonality, the rise was 1.2 percent on the same basis. (ActMedia, May 8, 2012)

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First Dacia Duster cars arrive in the UK

Twenty-two Dacia Duster SUVs have been recently unloaded from a ship in the UK, being the first out of several thousands to come this year on the car market in this country, reads Capital magazine.

The interest in this vehicle seems to grow in this country. In barely a few weeks, 5,500 Britons subscribed to the Dacia newsletter awaiting the price list to come out.

According to Dacia officials, the full price list and the features specific for the UK market will be released on June 28. The cars for sale will be delivered to the dealers this autumn and the clients will get them in January 2013. A new version of Dacia Sandero will launch in the UK in January as well.

Dacia said for now that Duster will have a minimum price below 10,000 pounds, and the development manager Rafael Treguer said that the British dealers who have already seen the Dacia models to be sold in the UK gave a positive feedback.

Dacia cars will sell within Renault UK network and possibly online, a way tested by now only in Italy and the Netherlands, Capital reads. (ActMedia, May 8, 2012)

Renault Group invests over 35m Euros in training Romanian workers

Renault Group has invested over 35 million Euros in the last eleven years in training the employees from Romania, after having taken over Dacia, reported the representatives of the carmaker.

As early as since 2000, Renault gave a special attention to the training of its employees. Thus, it established a complex training mechanism: two training centres, one in Mioveni and the other one in Bucharest, 520 trainers with a lot of work experience within the company and partnerships with Romanian providers of professional training, the release reads.

In the last 11 years, the employees of Renault have benefited by 5.5 million hours of training in production, quality, engineering, logistics, management and support functions, starting from 900 specialized topics.

In addition, there are 13 dexterity schools and 11 DOJO locations for the operators working in the fabrication departments in Mioveni.

The schools of dexterity are special areas located outside the assembly lines where the new workers learn the basics before starting the job. The DOJO areas are places where the employees working in the fabrication domain learn the safety rules, the rules of environmental

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

protection, as well as the mandatory parts of the protection equipment specific to each department.

As many as 520,000 training hours have been devoted to 15,200 workers in 2011 alone, the equivalent of the hours of class 490 students take in a year.

The main entities of the Renault Group in Romania are the Dacia plant based in Mioveni, the engineering centre Renault Technologie Roumanie, the commercial direction Renault Commercial Roumanie and Molds Dacia. (ActMedia, May 2, 2012)

Kirchhoff inaugurates plant in Craiova that will work for Ford Romania

Kirchhoff Automotive, one of the world's largest producers of systems of motorcar bodiesin Craiova (southern Romania), inaugurated the first plant it opened in Romania, which will work for the Ford company.

The Kirchhoff Automotive plant in Craiova was built on the industrial platform near Ford Craiova and will produce the largest part of the components for the new model Ford B-Max. The investment amounts to about 12 million Euros and by the end of this year they are to employ about 200 people in the new plant that covers a 12,000 sq m area.

According to the representatives of Kirchhoff Automotive, the plant in Craiova was built in 11 months by a team of employees of the company from Germany, Poland, Hungary and Ireland.

'We are happy that, together with Ford Motor, by means of our investments in the newest member of the European Union, we can witness the building of a new part of Europe. The automotive industry is one of the peak industries, with positive effects on the development of the local economy. Moreover, we trust the general economic climate in Romania and the potential of this country. The automotive industry is dynamic and the tradition Romania boasts in point of the motorcar market has already made it easier to recruit skilled working force,' said Arndt Kirchhoff, president of Kirchhoff Automotive.

At present about 70 people work in the plant in Craiova and the unit has the latest technological equipment. The production of the model Ford B-Max will start in mid-May. The about 200 employees will work with state-of-the-art technological equipment and the massive iron components to be used for B-Max will be brought from the Kirchhoff plant in Hungary, will be finished in Craiova by welding and then assembled in the vehicles produced by the Ford plant.

In the world Kirchhoff Automotive currently has about 10,000 employees, 29 plants in 12 countries and posted 1.35 billion Euros in turnover in 2011. (ActMedia, May 2, 2012)

Romania exports 80pct of its organic honey production

Romania exports 80 percent of its organic honey production, the main markets being Germany and the Nordic countries, the adviser in the Ministry of Agriculture, Daniela Rebega, told AGERPRES on the occasion of the National Honey Fair.

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'Unfortunately, 80 percent of honey produced in an organic system, about 3,650 tonnes in 2010, went to export in bulk, especially to Germany and the Nordic countries, markets with the highest consumption of honey', Daniela Rebega said.

She stressed that, in 2011, the estimated production of organic honey was at least 5 percent higher than in 2010, taking into account the increased number of producers registered in the system and the number of bee colonies.

'The number of Romanian beekeepers certified as organic, or in conversion, increased from 867 in 2010, to 927 last year, while the number of bee families reached 106,525 last year from 98,100 bee families in 2010', explained the MADR adviser. Most producers in the system are located in Mures - 104, with 14,000 beehives and in Brasov - 11,500 beehives.

According to the quoted source, entering the organic system requires compliance with some strict rules and subsequent certification of the hives, of the bee families and of the production by a certification body accredited by MADR.

'Beekeepers who want to enter the organic system must use only treatments with natural substances to combat diseases of bees, and bees must be taken only to pastoral cultures that are certified or to locations with certified spontaneous flora. Also, a prerequisite is that the honeycomb must be of wax, and the conversion period of at least a year ', Daniela Rebega also said.

Quality of honey and bee products certified as organic is closely linked to the treatment of hives, quality of the environment, but equally to the conditions of extraction, processing and storage of beekeeping products.

MADR representative pointed out that beekeepers can receive EU support for conversion to the ecological system from the total funds allocated by the EU to organic farming.

'Last year, beekeepers from the system received 378,000 euros from the 3 million euros allocated to organic , but we asked Brussels to increase that amount by an additional one million euros', she underlined.

Organic honey must contain on the label the Community logo, the leaf, but also the country of origin code, and prices are usually 20 to 100 percent higher than those of the honey produced in the conventional system.

In Romania, the first certified organic beekeeping producers were registered in 2000, and an annual increase has been recorded, from 132 in 2005, to 335 in 2006, then to 584 producers in 2008, as well as a number of 15 processors, 22 traders, an importer and eight exporters.

If, in 2000, Romania produced only 6 tonnes of certified organic honey, in 2005 it increased 100 times, to 610 tonnes, in 2008 to 2,300 tonnes and in 2009 to 3,200 tonnes. (ActMedia, May 1, 2012)

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

Pound trades at 5.54 lei

The exchange rate of the national leu currency resulting from the quotations announced on Monday by the banks authorized to operate on the currency market is as follows:

CURRENCY SYMBOL RON 1 British pound GBP 5.5404 1 euro EUR 4.4373 1 US dollar USD 3.4479 1 Swiss franc CHF 3.6951 100 Japanese yen JPY 4.3087 1 Russian rouble RUB 0.1136 1 new Turkish lira TRY 1.9080 1 gram of gold XAU 173.1626 1 SDR XDR 5.2888

 Culture

The Ambassador of Romania visited the University of Essex

Embassy of Romania – London/ The Ambassador of Romania visits the University of Essex

On 8 May 2012, HE Dr Ion Jinga, Ambassador of Romania to the Court of Saint James‟s, visited the University of Essex, at the invitation of the Romanian Students Society.

At the University of Essex are currently enrolled 10000 students representing 135 nationalities. are one of the biggest communities, with a total of 302 students in 2012.

During the visit, the Ambassador of Romania met with Jules Pretty, Pro- Vice-Chancellor, and with a group of professors from the university; then he talked with members of the Romanian Students Society and delivered a speech on the topic: “Romania – five years in the European Union”.

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

At the meeting with the University‟s management various issues were tackled, such as tuition fees, recruitment policies, the activity of the Romanian Students Society, joint research projects with Romanian universities, social insertion of the Roma community in the EU member states, and the Romanian Students, Professors and Researchers Conference.

The Ambassador talked with members of the Romanian Students Society about the access of Romanian citizens on the British labour market, scholarships, going back to Romania after graduation and finding employment, internships at the Embassy of Romania in London. The labour and social affairs attaché discussed with those interested aspects related to work permits. There were present students from Political Sciences, International Relations, Philosophy, Sociology, IT and Economics.

In front of an audience of Romanian, British and international students, the Ambassador of Romania gave a PowerPoint presentation about Romania‟s experience in the European Union, the pre-accession period, the advantages of its membership, the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the UK, and the history of the bilateral relation.

Mrs Anne-Marie Martin, director COBCOE, was also invited to address the audience, and gave a talk on “Fifteen years of British-Romanian growth, trade and investment”. The two lectures were followed by a Q&A session.

At the end, the Ambassador of Romania and Mrs Anne Marie-Martin were awarded the title “Honorary Member” by the Romanian Students Society.

Shakespeare International Festival in Bucharest

Bucharest/ Agerpres/ The eighth Shakespeare International festival over April 30-May 2 offered the public three performances: "Hamlet", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Oro De Otelo", staged by three great contemporary directors.

According to a release issued by ArCuB, the festival started, at the Odeon Theatre, Majestic Room, with "Hamlet", after William Shakespeare, directed by Nikolay Kolyada, a performance given by the Kolyada Theatre in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Nikolay Kolyada is one of the most controversial stage directors of this time. His theatre plans to go to the viewers' hearts by putting comic and the tragic elements side by side. Born out of passion and rigour, Kolyada's performances are described as being naïve and sentimental, a kind of lubok (wood engraving specific to folk art illustrating pictures that are between what pertains to magic and what pertains to aesthetics). The Kolyada Theatre is known and wins prizes the world over; it attends national and international festivals and is prepared to take its audience by surprise with new performances and projects.

The second day of the festival occasioned the performance of "Romeo and Juliet", after William Shakespeare, directed by Oskaras Korsunovas and played by the actors of the Municipal Theatre in Vilnius, Lithuania. It took place at the Bulandra Theatre, in the Liviu Ciulei Room.

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

The evening continued in the ArCuB Room with a working demonstration given by the Odin Teatret from Holstebro, Denmark, on texts from "Othello" and "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, starring Tage Larsen and Julia Varley.

On the last day of the festival in Bucharest the ArCuB Room hosted the launch of Eugenio Barba's book titled "On Directing and Dramaturgy. Burning the House", which appeared in the Yorick collection of the Nemira Publishing House.

The day ended with the play "Oro de Otel", after William Shakespeare, directed by Eugenio Barba, a performance given by the Odin Teatret from Holstebro, Denmark.

The 8th prestigious Shakespeare International Festival, whose honorary president is Maestro Radu Beligan, started this year in Craiova (southern Romania) on April 23, with "Shakespeare's Sonnets", a performance directed by Robert Wilson and Rufus Wainwright and given by the Berliner Ensemble.

The Craiova festival held till May 1 several remarkable foreign and Romanian performances, whereas in Bucharest the performances started on April 30 and will last until July 12.

East Meets East: The Romanian New Wave in the Olympic Boroughs

23/04 - 29/06/2012 @ Romanian Cultural Institute London and Four Corners Four internationally-acclaimed Romanian filmmakers are part of an exciting project dedicated to young people from London‟s East End. It is a unique and special opportunity to learn from some of the best names in recent Romanian cinema, who will bring their contribution to the community‟s development in the Olympic boroughs.

The project entitled „East Meets East‟ is part of the Romanian Cultural Institute‟s programme during the Cultural Olympiad 2012. It addresses to teenagers coming from disadvantaged environments and aims to offer them the chance to develop valuable skills in the process of filmmaking.

We are honoured to have on board:

· director Radu Muntean, winner of the Golden Owl Award for Best Film at the Leeds International Film Festival and numerous official selections at international festivals - Un Certain Regard Cannes, New York, Gijón etc. Selected filmography: Tuesday, After Christmas, The Paper Will Be Blue, Boogie, The Rage, Vorbitor.

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

· actress Anamaria Marinca, BAFTA award winner in 2005 for Channel 4's Sex Traffic and Best Actress at Palm Springs and Stockholm International Film Festival. Selected filmography: 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days, Holby City, Storm, The Countess, The Last Enemy, Hotel Babylon.

· screenwriter Alexandru Baciu, Best Screenplay Prize at Hamptons International Films Festival. Selected filmography: Tuesday, After Christmas, Principles of Life, Gruber's Journey, Boogie, Vorbitor.

· editor Catalin Cristutiu, Gopo - Romanian National Film Award winner. Selected filmography: If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle, Medal of Honor, The Happiest Girl in the World, California Dreamin‟.

They will all work with and help twenty selected students to learn about scriptwriting, storyboarding, sound, camera, acting, editing and post-production.

There will be three free workshops and masterclasses which will take the participants through the filmmaking process from script to screen and will encourage new skills in different aspects of filmmaking, as well as helping to build confidence, boost creativity and develop teamwork and social skills.

East Meets East is a partnership between the Romanian Cultural Institute and Four Corners Film, with support from East End Film Festival.

The event will take place throughout April, May and June, followed by a screening gala of a short film created by the participants and one making-of documentary at the East End Film festival which takes place between 3 and 8 July 2012. When: 23 April – 29 June 2012; Where: Romanian Cultural Institute London and Four Corners.

Poet and broadcaster Robert Şerban debuts in London at the British Library

16/05/2012 @ The British Library, Conference Centre, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB

Chaired by BBC journalist Rosie Goldsmith

We are delighted to present Romanian poet Robert Şerban at the prestigious European Literature Night – an international reading marathon for all lovers of literature, held simultaneously in 20 capital cities across Europe and Asia.

Now in its fourth year, the event at the British Library in London will play host to nine groundbreaking writers from

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and Sweden. Ranging from crime writing to literary explorations of love, from historical novels to horror, from short story mazes to concise contemporary verse, the authors selected are considered extremely relevant for their national literatures and will create a pan-European dialogue on fresh writing.

Robert Şerban is a writer, journalist and tv show host. His poetry has been translated into several and appeared in Of Gentle Wolves: An Anthology of Romanian Poetry by Calypso (2011). He will read a selection of poems from his latest volume, Paraphine Death, and will then engage in a dialogue with the public.

European Literature Night is a UK-based initiative involving 24 European cultural institutions (EUNIC London) as well as the European Comission Representation in the UK. The event promises an astonishing insight into European literature in .

When: Wednesday 16 May, 6.30 - 8.30pm

Tickets £7.50 (£5 concessions), available at http://boxoffice.bl.uk or 01937 546546.

Fairytale Images and Books

18/04 - 18/05/2012@The Romanian Cultural Institute London, 1 Belgrave Square

Join us for celebrating Romania‟s presence at the London Book Fair, with a special exhibition of book illustrations created by the Romanian Illustrators’ Club, which reaches its 7-year anniversary since they started to concoct “images that tell stories” – as was the title of their first exhibition in Bucharest in 2005.

“The Club has over 50 members, but it is not an institution; at the heart of the Club there are artists that enjoy talking, drinking tea and working together” – says Stela Lie, the coordinator of the Club.

At the beginning, the Club‟s exhibitions presented mainly works of art, most of them by professionals prepared to become, occasionally, illustrators. After various collaborations with ICR, CreArt, AER- Bookfest, ARCUB and books printed and edited by themselves, like fanzines, they launched Bookataria de texte şi imagini – a book for which the artists invited 39 well-known authors to write new texts that they illustrated with an exuberant creativity.

The exhibition Fairytale Images and Books, conceived by Stela Lie and Irina Dobrescu, presents for the first time almost everything the Club has created in seven years, each artist

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______with his/her own books, plus Bookataria 1: fantastic landscapes, out- of-this-world animals, medieval and digital fairytales characters, sumptuous ballrooms, crinolines and harlequins, delicious sweets from grandmother‟s cupboard. An impressive harvest of fresh texts and images that you must not miss! The exhibition continues until 18 May, Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm. Free entrance.

Glorious new sound with dazzling Romanian pianist-composer Lucian Ban and legendary violist Mat Maneri

17 - 19/05/2012 @ "Vortex Jazz Club" London

Deco Heart, the musical pairing featuring Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri, will perform three exclusive UK shows ahead of the autumn release of their self-titled album. Working at the edge of jazz, contemporary classical and downtown NY improve, the duo present a set of jazz musings and downtown skronk, a joyously upbeat affair.

For their show at London‟s Vortex, the first of their three-night UK run, one of the giants of improvised music, special guest saxophonist Evan Parker, will join Deco Heart. In Derby, the show will feature the ever-inventive vibraphone player Corey Mwamba.

Born in Transylvania, Lucian Ban now resides in New York, and is a fully fledged member of the downtown scene and at the forefront of contemporary modern jazz. Described as "one of the most gifted pianists to move to New York in the past decade" and cited as “playing with a sensibility and fluency that recalls Vladimir Horowitz as much as McCoy Tyner”, Ban has twice been nominated as Best European Jazz Musician in the prestigious Hans Koller Awards.

Yet it is through his Enescu Re-Imagined project that Ban made his mark in the UK, and first collaborated with Mat Maneri uncovering a unique musical rapport. The show was performed at London Jazz Festival, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London. It was, suggested the Guardian, “a rare combination of uninhibited but coherent solo and collective improv, shrewd arrangement and dazzling thematic writing”.

Classically trained, Mat Maneri has been charged with the accolade of “changing the way the jazz world listens to violin and viola”. The freewheeling scope of his musical imagination has led Maneri to become the go-to guy from artists such as paul Bley, Cecil Taylor and Matthew Shipp, John Medeski, Michael Formanek, Tim Berne as well as leading several of his own critically acclaimed ensembles.

Programme: Thu May 17, Vortex Jazz Club, 8.30pm 11 Gillett Street, London, N16. Tickets: £12 | 020 7254 4097 | www.vortexjazz.co.uk

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

Presented in partnership with Jazz North East Fri May 18, Literary & Philosophical Library, 8pm 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 1SE Tickets: £ 10 (£ 8 concessions) | 0191 232 0192 Presented in partnership with Derby Jazz Sat May 19th, Voicebox Arts Centre, 6:30pm Forman Street, Derby DE1 1JQ Tickets: www.voiceboxuk.com

Enescu presented at the Newbury Festival by the Văcărescu – Tsunakawa Duo

25/05/2012 @ Corn Exchange Recital Hall, Newbury

Horia Văcărescu and Chiho Tsunakawa will perform an uplifting programme at the Newbury Festival, which includes masterpieces by Brahms, Debussy, Enescu, Schubert and de Falla.

The violin-piano duo was formed at the beginning of 2010, while the two musicians were studying at the Royal College of Music in London. The duo has already had many successes and built a solid reputation internationally. In the UK, it made appearances at major venues, reaching as far as Wales and Scotland. The two musicians also toured Japan and Romania, and their performance at the Great Hall of the Bucharest Athenaeum was received to standing ovations.

The Romanian violinist Horia Văcărescu brings something new to the musical scene. Combining a high mastery of the instrument that evokes a past era with an intense and emotional approach, his performances are a delight. The distinguished musician Rivka Golani has described him as "a great talent".

A remarkable young pianist, Chiho Tsunakawa was born in Japan and studied piano from the age of 3. Tsunakawa has given solo performances on NHK Radio in Japan and her Schubert's Trout Quintet performance at the Wigmore Hall was broadcast on radio in London. She has been a prizewinner over 25 times in competitions.

When: Friday 25th May, 12.30pm (finishes approx 1.30pm) Where: Corn Exchange, Newbury Tickets: £8.00-£32.00

Alexandra Dăriescu premiers Lipatti’s “Concertino” with the Orchestra of St Paul's

26/05/2012 @ LSO St Luke's, 161 Old Street, London EC1V 9NG

Alexandra Dăriescu, the exceptionally talented and accomplished young pianist, joins the Orchestra of Saint Paul's at LSO St Luke‟s with a programme of classical and Romanian timeless pieces: Beethoven‟s Emperor concerto, the charming Concertino in the Classical Style by Dinu Lipatti (UK premiere), Romanian Folk Dances by Bartók and Jupiter Symphony by Mozart.

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

Under the baton of conductor Ben Palmer, acclaimed for his innovative programming, the Orchestra of Saint Paul's (OSP) resident in Covent Garden has developed a reputation for imaginative and stylish performances. In addition to a thriving concert series in its home venue, OSP makes annual visits to the Southbank Centre's Purcell Room and St John's, Smith Square. OSP is unique among modern instrument chamber orchestras in playing music of the baroque, classical and even romantic periods entirely without vibrato.

Featured as BBC Music Magazine‟s Rising Star in June 2011, Alexandra Dariescu has taken London's most exquisite classical music circuit by storm, thanks to her impeccable technique and stunning charisma. Selected by Young Classical Artists Trust in 2008, Alexandra was a Laureate at the Verbier Festival Academy where she won the CUBS Bank Verbier Festival & Academy Prize. She went on to win the Guildhall Wigmore Hall Prize and the Romanian Ambassador„s prize for her outstanding contribution to promoting Romania‟s image in the UK.

Highlights in Alexandra‟s 2011/2012 season include her debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York, performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Barbican Centre, Grieg piano concerto at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge, Shostakovich piano concerto No. 1 with the Orchestra of St Paul‟s at the Southbank Centre in London and Rachmaninov piano concerto No. 2 with York Symphony Orchestra.

When: 26 May 2012 :19:30 Where: LSO St Luke‟s, 161 Old Street, London EC1V 9NG Tickets: £12 £16 £20 (20% student discount) or on Barbican Centre website

After the New Man: Photographic Exhibition by Dana Popa

26/04 - 26/05/2012@Foto8, 1-5 Honduras Street, London EC1Y 0TH

Fascinated with her homeland, photographer Dana Popa returns to Romania and looks at the generation born here just before or after the fall of the Communist regime. After the New Man is an intimate portrayal of a society that is slowly healing, of youth and fleeting memories of a bygone era that still permeates the selves and the landscapes. The exhibition is organised in association with Foto8 Gallery.

Traces of Popa‟s own childhood pervade not only through the blocks of flats and through the cars from another era, but in the mindsets of old and young.

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

This legacy of the recent past and the ubiquitous Western-inspired ideals of lifestyle and consumerism construct a portrait of a displaced generation, struggling to reconcile their place in history.

The exhibition brings together Popa‟s own socially engaged work with her old family photographs and remnants from the past.

Dana Popa (b. 1977) studied a Masters degree in Documentary Photography at the London College of Communication. Her work focuses on contemporary social issues with a particular emphasis on human rights. „Not Natasha‟ was Popa‟s first major body of work, which looked at the effects of sex trafficking on girls and families in The Republic of Moldova who had firsthand experience of it. The project has been exhibited around the UK, Europe and US and was published as a book (Autograph ABP, 2009). Popa is based in London.

Related Events Artist‟s talk with Dana Popa - Tuesday 1 May, 6.30pm. The exhibition continues until 26 May 2012. Opening hours: Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm; Sat 11am - 4pm.

Meet “the ROlympians”

29/05 - 26/07/2012 @ Romanian Cultural Institute London, 1 Belgrave Square Produced and curated by the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, and designed by Arnold Estefan, the exhibition opens under the patronage of HE Dr Ion Jinga, the Ambassador of Romania to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in the presence of guests of honour Mr Octavian Morariu, President of the Romanian Olympic and Sport Committee and Mr Ivan Patzaichin, multiple Olympic champion.

"The ROlympians" is set up in partnership with the Embassy of Romania in London, Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Museum of Romanian Sport, National Museum of , and with the support of Adevărul Newspaper, Historia Magazine, National News Agency AGERPRES, National Authority of Sport and Youth. It includes photos kindly provided by Nicolae Alexa, Roald Aron, Marian Iliescu, Paul Neagu Estate, Petrică Tănase and Marian Vilău.

Part of the Romanian Cultural Programme during the London Olympic Season, in short the ROlympics, this photographic depiction of athletic and cultural excellence celebrates our most enduring international achievements in sports and arts. The heroes of tracks and arenas meet

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______the demigods of letters, stage and music to form an immortal community of Romanian “Olympians”, blessed with talent and glory.

“The ROlympians” (ROlimpienii) brings together legendary gold medallists such as Nadia Comăneci, Iolanda Balaş and Ivan Patzaichin with renowned artists Constantin Brâncuşi, Angela Gheorghiu, Herta Müller and many more, revealing subtle correspondences and solidarities between athletic and artistic achievements born from a passion to succeed. It offers fresh insight into over 60 stories of success, through witty ideas, images and illustrations, designed by visual maverick Arnold Estefan, who he has exhibited at La Triennale, Paris (2012); No Pass Biennial, Budapest (2009); MNAC, Bucharest (2006); and Play Gallery, Berlin (2004).

Join us also for the launch of the ROlympics, the Romanian Cultural Programme during the London Olympic Season for ears, eyes, and palates.

When: Tuesday 29 May, 7.00pm. The exhibition continues until 26 July. Free admission.

Bucharest Calling! Ioana Paun presents new work in London 05/03 - 06/07/2012@Theatre Royal Stratford East

Our former artist-in-residence, theatre director and performance artist Ioana Păun, will work across all areas within the Theatre Royal Stratford East, being inspired by the theatre's life, its artists and its community. She will create new work to be presented in June 2012.

Ioana Păun, born in 1984, is a theatre director and performance artist based in Bucharest and a member of the réaltympanica site-specific collective and Romanian based tangaProject theatre group. She graduated from the MA programme at Goldsmiths College in London and UNATC in Bucharest. Ioana's latest work is revolving around public space and social dynamics that she explores and represents using everyday culture resources: trenSformers (creative interventions in Romanian trains, documenting regional perceptions), X Street (a headphone live art piece where the audience, driven in a minibus through the London 2012 Olympics neighbourhood, penetrate private places through sound) or L-V:8-16 (a show based on the collective experiences of her generation from the „90s onward). She is also interested in teenage culture in Romania and is currently devising two high school projects with other Romanian young artists. She is also working with réaltympanica on a video live streaming project, creating site specific reconstructions of different European realities in a foreign country. The project has a pilot phase in Pécs, Hungary, during Europe Mania Festival.

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

Norman Manea: Royal Society of Literature Fellowship Ceremony and Book Launch

31/05/2012 @ Romanian Cultural Institute London, 1 Belgrave Square

“Norman Manea is a superb writer who gives an extraordinary testimony of a rich and dramatic life under one of the most grotesque and ferocious dictatorships and, later, in a peripatetic exile full of adventures, he writes about all of it without bitterness or resentment, and with great liberty of spirit, fantasy, and even humour.”

Mario Vargas Llosa

The Royal Society of Literature, Yale University Press and the Romanian Cultural Institute are proud to present Norman Manea‟s RSL Fellowship ceremony, hosted by Colin Thubron (President of the RSL) and Anne Chisholm (Chair of the RSL), followed by a book launch and reading by the author from his latest novels The Lair and The Fifth Impossibility: Essays on Exile and published by YUP. The books explore the language and psyche of the exiled writer, conveying a profound perspective on our troubled society.

Norman Manea is a major Romanian contemporary novelist and essayist, whose distinguished international reputation has seen him ranked as a potential candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature. He first published in Communist Romania in the 1960s, producing a string of socially critical works that led to his departure in 1986. He now lives in New York. His works have been translated into more than 20 languages. He is also the recipient of world famous literary prizes, including the MacArthur Award (U.S.), the Nonino Prize (Italy), the Prix Médicis Étranger (France), the Nelly Sachs Prize (Germany). He is a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts and was honoured by the French government with the title Commandeur de l‟Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Admission free but booking essential at: [email protected] | 0207 752 0134. When: Thursday 31 May, 7 - 9pm

Body Adorned: Folk Romanian Costume, Inspired by Queen Maria’s Style

24/03/2012 - 06/01/2013@Horniman Museum and Gardens, 100 London Road SE23 3PQ

One of the attractions of the The Body Adorned: Dressing London Exhibition at the Horniman Museum is a superb Romanian traditional costume, with a lavish pattern favoured by the rich peasant families at the beginning of the 20th century. The Queen Maria of Romania herself used to wear similar costumes at some public events, as a sign of her attachment to her adopted country. The Horniman Museum has an outstandingly rich collection of about 800 Romanian costumes, objects and archive photos, which will form the basis of another exhibition in 2014.

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

The Body Adorned: Dressing London exhibition reveals how a diverse population clothe and adorn their bodies to find their place in the metropolis. Over time, saris, tattoo parlours, nail bars, distended ears and scarification have become a visible, everyday part of the London cityscape. But how did cultural adornments become integrated into urban London life? The exhibition considers how the movement of people, objects and ideas influenced London dress in the past and explores body adornment in today‟s world city of London.

In April 2012, the Horniman Museum will launch a display of Easter Decorated Eggs in the Balcony Gallery, part of the Object in Focus Series. The special temporary display will be accompanied by two sessions of craftswoman-led workshops on Painted Eggs.

When: 24 March 2012-06 January 2013 Where: Temporary Exhibition Space, Horniman Museum. Free entry.

Since 2005 the festival has been held under the High Patronage of their Royal Highnesses Princess Margareta and Prince Radu. (ActMedia, March 30, 2012)

Sergiu Celibidache 100 Festival

The Sergiu Celibidache Foundation launches the tv ad spot promoting the first edition of Sergiu Celibidache 100 Festival, due in Bucharest, on May 3 - July 7.

The spot is authored by Sister& Co Advertising Agency, and for the first time, it shows precious images of the concerts played under Maestro Sergiu Celibidache's baton, frames taken over from the Romanian Television archives.

Sergiu Celibidache 100 Festival happens under the high patronage of Romania's President, in partnership with Bucharest City Hall and it includes several master classes by outstanding instrumentalists and brings together students like Ida Haendel (Violin), Helmut Nicolai (Chamber Music), Dorin Marc (double bass), Michael Martin Kofler (Flute), Rony Rogoff (Violin) and Enrique Garcia Asensio (conducting), all willing to learn the Maestro Celibidache's techniques

Likewise, Maestro's former students and remarkable musicians and first class Romanian orchestras, namely

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro

Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

Enrique Garcia Asensio, Mark Mast, Markus Theinert, Rony Rogoff, Cristian Mandeal, Ida Haendel, Misha Dacic, Peter Sadlo, Wolfgang Gaag, Dan Grigore, Dorin Marc, German Brass, Henschel Quartett, Romanian Youth Orchestra, the George Enescu Philharmonics and the Moldova Philharmonics of Iasi will perform concerts at the Bucharest-based Romanian Athenaeum.

On this special occasion, Maestro's composition Haz de necaz (Smiling in the Face of Adversity) has world premiere.

The event also shows a photography exhibition, films and book launches, all paying homage to the unique personality of Maestro Sergiu Celibidache.

A conductor and a composer, Sergiu Celibidache was born, in city of Roman, Neamt County (eastern Romania), on June 28 1912.

A nonconformist, contradictory artistic personality, Celibidache despised routine, mediocrity, commercials and he was a philosopher, who promoted personal original, amazing theories and absolutist, exclusivist conceptions on creation and art works, a brilliant, vivacious man, full of irony and sarcasm, he was of an overwhelmingly rich culture. In his last years Celibidache accomplished an impressive career, becoming a live myth, a legend of the baton, in the contemporary musical world. He passed away at Neuville-sur-Essonne, near Paris, on Aug 14, 1996. (ActMedia, May 3, 2012)

LEARN ROMANIAN IN ROMANIA , Culture and Civilization

Braşov, Romania - 18th edition, July 3rd – 28th, 2012

Program Coordinator: Ana Borca [email protected] +40 317 100 672; Fax: +40 21 230 1373 Director of the Domestic Programmes Department

Oana-Valentina Suciu [email protected] Phone: + 40 31 71 00616, Fax: + 40 31 71 00606

THE ROMANIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE Domestic Programs Department 38, Aleea Alexandru 011824, Sector 1 – Bucharest http://www.icr.ro/cursuri_brasov

Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro