Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
No. 12/ 6th Year POLITICS
1. President Basescu participates at the ASEM Asia-Europe Meeting in Milan 2. President Basescu presented the agenda of the European Council meeting in Brussels 3. President Basescu: the Army has a duty and mission to defend the Black Sea territory Romania 4. President Basescu remarks on the results of the parliamentary elections in Ukraine 5. New ambassadors appointed to Romania, received at the Cotroceni Palace 6. King Mihai of Romania is part of the country’s national history, PM Victor Ponta says 7. ForMin: Romania took an important step in the waving of visas to Canada 8. China, a priority of Romania’s policy for developing ties with the Asian countries 9. Romanian Naval Forces will train together with the US ships Mount Whitney and Cole as part of the Black Sea Resolve exercise
ECONOMICS
1. PM Ponta: Romania increasingly competitive, determined to seek full OECD membership 2. PM Ponta: Private financial markets trust Romania more than we do 3. Romania exports may exceed 50 billion euros this year 4. Romania to achieve an annual economic growth of 5-6 percent in the medium term 5. Romania issued the first time euro-dominated bonds on the foreign capital market
SOCIAL
1. A Slice of History: Romanian Army’s Day by Dr Ion Jinga, the Ambassador of Romania to the UK 2. Government adopted the measures taken concerning the Ebola virus 3. Romania will sign with Bulgaria memorandum to build two new bridges over the Danube 4. The most powerful laser in Europe, inaugurated in Magurele
CULTURE
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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
1. Suceavea County’s monasteries, flames of faith and artistic creation cores 2. Les films de Cannes a Bucharest festival 3. The Putna Monastery, ‘the Jerusalem of the Romanian nation’ 4. RONOG 2014, the first international conference of internet and telecommunications operators organized in Romania 5. Russia, the guest honour of this year’s edition of Gaudeamus International Book Fair
POLITIC
1. President Basescu participates at the ASEM Asia-Europe Meeting in Milan
President Traian Basescu said that at the incoming Asia-Europe summit, Romania will be campaigning for as deep as possible liberalisation solutions in the economic ties between Asia and the EU.
'The summit is important because it discusses the merits of the economic relations and a sustainable development of the two regions. In my opinion, the most important thing, the sensitive issue of the first session, regards the liberalisation of trade between the two continents, Asia and Europe. As far as Romania is concerned, we will support solutions that will lead to an as deep as possible liberalisation of trade between Asia and the EU, in line with the EU precepts,' Basescu said at the Henri Coanda Airport before leaving for the summit. As far as security is concerned, he said that Romania's positions on Ukraine and the Middle East are known, adding that Romania will back up its traditional positions of the past ten years. He mentioned that the ASEM Asia-Europe Meeting in Milan on Thursday and Friday will have three sessions, with the first to tackle the economic relations between South-East Asia and Europe, the second to discuss cooperation between Asia and Europe in solving global issues, and the third strictly for the heads of state, security issues. The President said the last part of the meeting will not be included in the conclusions of the summit.
'The measure was likely taken because there is the certitude of a difficulty reaching a consensus, given that the issues to be discussed regard the situation in Ukraine, the peace process in the Middle East, the latest developments in the South China Sea, the current situation in Korea and other highly sensitive issues,' he said. The President added that attending the summit in Milan will be 21 Asian countries and 30 European countries - the EU member states plus Switzerland and Norway - the president of the European Council, the president of the European Commission and the secretary general of the Southeast Asia 2
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Treaty Organisation.
2. President Basescu presented the agenda of the European Council meeting in Brussels
Romanian President Traian Basescu said at the Henri Coanda International Airport that the need to multiply gas supply sources, as well as a possible failure of Ukraine-Russia negotiations will be on the agenda of the European Council meeting in Brussels. The head of state issued a press statement before flying to Brussels. Basescu told journalists that the agenda of the European Council meeting includes topics such as climate change as regards the 2021- 2030 period, the energy security strategy, the measures and actions of the EU in response to the Ebola outbreak. In addition, those attending the meeting will take a decision as regards the validation of the new European Commission that has just been given the green light from the European Parliament.
Basescu also said the talks on climate change target the 2021-2030 period, as the United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place next year in Paris and the EU must set up its objectives and seek to team up with all the other major economies, the U.S., China, the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China). At the meeting of the General Affairs Council, where Romania was represented by the Government, the East-European countries, the former communist countries and the old EU member states have struck a balance, Basescu pointed out. "It means that at this Council, the most important thing is not to ruin the balance already achieved at the negotiations at Government level. Of course, if other options are expressed by the heads of state or government, although it's hard to believe that the Governments did not have the mandate of those attending the Council, talks will be resumed. But I hope that we'll manage to reach conclusions based on the things decided by the ministers at the meetings held over the past two days," Traian Basescu said.
The President added that another topic to be discussed in Brussels regards the EU energy security strategy, the stake being the interconnection between gas transport and electricity networks.
3. President Basescu: the Army has a duty and mission to defend the Black Sea territory Romania
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President Traian Basescu said at Carei that the Romanian Army has a duty and mission to defend the Black Sea territory Romania has won in a court case before the International Court in The Hague.
'A new mission for the Romanian Army that emerged in the past ten years is the defence and preservation of the Black Sea land won in the International Court in the Hague. Romania's war fleet and the land troops deployed in Dobrogea have a duty and mission to defend these 10,000 square kilometres in the Black Sea, which means huge resources for the national energy system,' Basescu told a Romanian Army Day ceremony at Carei. He concluded his speech by thanking the Romanian Armed Forces for how they conducted their missions under his ten-year presidential tenure. 'The mission of the Romanian Army has always been fully consonant with the interests of the Romanian nation, and today, on this anniversary, allow me as the commander-in-chief to thank the Romanian Army for its part in the history as well as for how they conducted their missions under my ten-year presidential tenure,' said Basescu.
4. President Basescu remarks on the results of the parliamentary elections in Ukraine
President Traian Basescu hailed the result of the parliamentary elections carried out in Ukraine on Sunday, according to a Presidential Administration release.
'The massive voting in favour of the pro-European parties, on the one hand, the Ukrainian people's will for the country to continue the path to the European integration and, on the other hand, the determination of the winning political parties of answering to the majority will of the Ukrainian electorate,' shows the message of the head of state on the elections of Ukraine.
He underscores that 'Romania will be a loyal partner of Ukraine on this extremely difficult path, but which represents the only correct option.'
According to the polls broadcast after the ballots closed, the bloc of President Petro Poroshenko and the People's Front headed by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk each obtained 21.6 per cent of the votes. The next positions are taken by Samopomici party (10.6 per cent), made up the young militants and combatants who fought against the pro-Russian separatists, the allies of former president Viktor Yanukovych joint in the Bloc of Opposition (9.6 per cent), the Radical Party (7.5 per cent), headed by Oleg Lyashko, and the Batkivshchyna party of former PM Yulia Tymoshenko (5.8 per cent).
5. New ambassadors appointed to Romania, received at the Cotroceni Palace
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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
President Traian Basescu welcomed at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace ten new ambassadors appointed to Romania to receive their letters of credence. He welcomed Kazakhstan's ambassador to Romania Daulet Batrashev; Austria's ambassador Gerhard Reiweger; Turkey's ambassador Osman Koray Ertas; Palestine's ambassador Fuad Karim Saliba Kokaly; Iran's ambassador Hamid Moayyer; Lithuania's ambassador Arvydas Pocius; Egypt's ambassador Mohamed Alaaeldin Aly Shawky Elhadidi; Jordan's ambassador Saker Malkawi, Bosnia- Hercegovina's ambassador Nina Sajic, as well as Australia's ambassador John Griffin. The Presidential Administration reports in a press release that in his conversation with President Basescu, Kazakhstan's newly appointed ambassador to Romania Daulet Batrashev underscored Kazakhstan's interest in boosting bilateral trade and economic cooperation with Romania. In his turn, President Basescu confirmed Romania's support for Kazakhstan's joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO), given that Kazakhstan is European Union's most important trade partner in Central Asia.
In his conversation with Gerhard Reiweger, Austria's ambassador to Romania, President Basescu mentioned the excellent bilateral relationship between the two countries, voicing hope that they will manage to boost economic cooperation in terms of commercial exchanges and investment. About the energy area, President Basescu underscored the importance of projects to secure the increase in energy independence at a national and European level. In his turn, ambassador Reiweger thanked President Basescu for his contribution to the consolidation of ties between Austria and Romania, saying that his diplomatic mission will focus on consolidating bilateral relations in various areas of common interest. Talks with Turkey's ambassador Osman Koray Ertas focused on the importance of consolidating and diversifying the bilateral economic relationship between the two countries, given that Turkey is Romania's main foreign trade partner outside the European Union, as well as the major importance of Turkey to ensuring stability and security in its region. President Basescu also appreciated Turkey's involvement in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terror group, which is a threat not only to the Middle East, but to the entire world community as well. Basescu hailed the appointment of Palestine's new ambassador Fuad Karim Saliba Kokaly, pointing out that Romania is supporting the creation of a viable Palestinian state. In his turn, the Palestine's ambassador underscored Palestine's interest in diversifying and intensifying commercial exchanges with Romania. In his conversation with Hamid Moayyer, Iran's ambassador to Romania, Basescu voiced trust that Iran will meet its commitments under the November 2013 agreements with the International Atomic Agency (AIEA) as well as hope that the economic relations between Romania and Iran will resume, underscoring the interest of the Romanian business community in diversifying deliveries to Iran. In his turn, ambassador Moayyer said Iran will act constructively toward halting the ascension of ISIL in the Middle East.
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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
Lithuania's new ambassador in Romania Arvydas Pocius talked about the opportunities for deepening and boosting high-level political dialogue, as well as the efforts to be deployed to secure energy independence. President Basescu voiced appreciation over Lithuania's contribution to the regional security policy in the context of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, saying he is convinced that the two countries' shared NATO membership will contribute in the future to the consolidation of cooperation between Romania and Lithuania. In his conversation with Egypt's ambassador Mohamed Alaaeldin Aly Shawky Elhadidi, the President said Romania is closely following the ongoing developments in Egypt, while being solidary with the Egyptian people's efforts to inaugurate a stable democracy that will meet the legitimate aspirations for security and prosperity. In his turn, ambassador Mohamed Alaaedin Aly Shawky Elhadidi voiced Egypt's interest in deepening its bilateral relationships and conducting an open dialogue designed to encourage the development of the security and economic areas in the Romanian-Egyptian cooperation.
Jordan's new ambassador to Romania Saker Malkawi extended Jordan's satisfaction over its bilateral cooperation with Romania that has enlarged over the last years to include defence, healthcare and education. He also mentioned Jordan's concerns with providing security and stability in its region. In his turn, President Basescu underscored Romania's wish to intensify economic exchanges with Jordan, hailing Jordan's participation in the international coalition against the ISIL group. In his conversation with Nina Sajic, President Basescu voiced trust that Bosnia-Hercegovina will consolidate its institutional and constitutional reforms after its October 12 elections that are meant to deepen its European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Ambassador Sajic reiterated Bosnia-Hercegovina's trust in Romania's assistance, in accordance with the shared idea about European security that in order for the European security to be fully consolidated it has to include the Western Balkans.
In the end, in his conversation with John Griffin, Australia's ambassador to Romania, the President underscored the need for international cooperation to be enlarged in the context of the latest developments in Eastern Europe. In his turn, ambassador Griffin underscored the importance of a framework cooperation agreement being concluded between the European Union and Australia in order to improve and deepen bilateral relations in areas of practical cooperation between Romania and Australia.
6. King Mihai of Romania is part of the country’s national history, PM Victor Ponta says
Prime Minister Victor Ponta says King Mihai of Romania is part of the country's national history and a moral standard that elicits the respect and appreciation of the Romanian society. 'His Majesty, King Mihai, is celebrating today his venerable 93rd birth anniversary. This is a moment of joy and solemnity before a symbol of Romania, a leader who has always shown us what honour, dignity and love for the country really mean. King Mihai is part of Romania's national history, a moral 6
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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
standard eliciting respect and appreciation from the Romanian society. Mine is an attitude of natural condescendence to our past, to what we are as a nation, to the people who made history and who are our pride,' Ponta says in a message issued on October 25, King Mihai I's birthday. The day, says Ponta, should remind Romanians of King's urge to unity to Romanians, 'which is more topical today than ever before.' 'This day should remind us of one of King Mihai's message that he has always sent to Romanians. It is his urge to unity, which is more topical today than ever before. ?United among us and with our neighbours and brothers,' His Majesty said in his memorable speech three years ago before the Romanian Parliament, that can restore our dignity and respect. Happy birthday and good health to His Majesty, King Mihai!' Ponta says in his message.
7. ForMin: Romania took an important step in the waving of visas to Canada
Minister Titus Corlatean stated that the discussions regarding the waving of visas by Canada intensified over the last months, and Romania took an important step in this sense through the inclusion on the list of certain democracies, but it did not give any deadline to start it.
Asked what Romania gets in exchange for the decision to represent the interests of Canadian citizens in Syria ( decision approved on Tuesday in the government ) Titus Corlatean said that Bucuresti did not require anything in exchange, as it is the Romanian state duty to help its partners.
‘We have decided at the request of certain international partners and European partners and outside Europe, Canada is the last example mentioned, to offer support and consular assistance to the citizens belonging to these states. The last request came from Canada, we took into consideration, without any doubt. It is not about negotiations, we didn’t ask anything in exchange, it is our duty, of the Romanian state in relation with our European and Euro-Atlantic partners and possibly others if they request to be helped’ the minister of foreign affairs said.
Corlateanu said that there are several states which benefit from the support offered by Romania to their citizens in Syria. ‘I will mention publicly only the Republic of Moldova, I assure you there are several states’ he said.
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8. China, a priority of Romania’s policy for developing ties with the Asian countries
The People's Republic of China represents a priority of Romania's policy for developing ties with the Asian countries, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Daniel Constantin said in the opening of the 9th edition of the 16+1 Forum "China and the States in Central and Eastern Europe".
"The People's Republic of China represents a priority as far as Romania's policy for developing relations with the Asian states is concerned. Also when it comes to trade, in the Asian region, China ranks first both in the export and import of agri-food products. As I have recently noticed, Romania has become more and more visible on the Chinese market and the companies from this country are interested in investing especially in Romania's agricultural sector, both due to the advantage in business terms and [Romania's] EU member state status," Constantin said. He also said that the European model of agriculture is based on a competitive, market-oriented sector, which it's aimed at the same time at "protecting the environment, protecting and promoting the traditions and providing better living conditions for the residents of rural areas."
The forum, held for the first time outside of China, includes debates on topics such as food security, climate change and implementing sustainable rural development.
Romania hosted, within the international trade fair of farming products and equipment - INDAGRA 2014, the 9th edition of the 16+1 Forum "China and the States in Central and Eastern Europe".
Attending the event are delegations and business people from Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary and China. Along ministers from European countries will be Han Changfu, China's Minister of Agriculture.
9. Romanian Naval Forces will train together with the US ships Mount Whitney and Cole as part of the Black Sea Resolve exercise
Minister Titus Corlatean stated that Servicemen of the Romanian Naval Forces will train together with the crews of the US ships Mount Whitney and Cole as part of the Black Sea Resolve exercise, that will take place on Thursday, October 23, in the territorial waters and contiguous zone of Romania, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) informed.
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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
The Romanian Naval Forces are participating in the exercise with the King Ferdinand frigate, the Pescarusul (Gull) missile boat, two IAR 330 Puma helicopters and a detachment of servicemen serving in the Naval Forces Group for Special Operations that will participate in actions destined to exercise procedures of sea denial, the quoted source mentions. The Romanian Air Forces are to participate in the exercise with three MiG-21 LanceR fighters. The activities to be carried out at sea have as a purpose the joint training of Romanian and American servicemen through conducting exercises focused on sea denial, submarine search and discovery, as well as procedures to identify and pursue air targets. Undertaken under the banner of the Romanian-American partnership, the Black Sea Resolve exercise represents a follow-up to the actions taken in the spirit of developing good cooperation and raising the confidence and security level in the Black Sea. The two American warships will dock in the port of Constanta between October 20-23, when an official visit to the Fleet Command is scheduled, together with social-cultural and sports activities of the crews at the Museum of the Romanian Navy and the sports complex of the Mircea cel Batran Naval Academy.
During their stay in port, the American servicemen are also set to hold workshops as well as concerts, the latter at the Regina Maria National Arts College, where the US Navy Forces Band will play, accompanied by the Romanian Naval Forces Band.
ECONOMICS
1. PM Ponta: Romania increasingly competitive, determined to seek full OECD membership
Premier Victor Ponta said that Romania has made efforts to meet a set of high standards, regarding primarily competitiveness and transparency, and that the Government plans to seek for Romania full membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
"The efforts Romania has made lately towards fulfilling high standards regarding primarily competitiveness, transparency, the functionality of public institutions and legislation, which are all requirements the OECD has clearly established, all these efforts are definitely in Romania's interest too; in the first place they are in the interest of our development as a society and in the interest of the foundation we are trying to create for sustainable development in the coming years. I wanted to be here this morning to publicly state what is also set forth in the strategic documents of the Government of Romania, namely Romania's intention, decision and determination at governmental and institutional level — but I am convinced this also applies for the private sector — not just to fulfill all OECD 9
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standards, but also to acquire full membership of the organization following the activities that are being carried out in nearly 20 working groups, committees and forums dedicated to particular areas," the Prime Minister said at the launch of project "Analysis of the impact of regulations in force on the competitive environment in key sectors of the Romanian economy," a partnership developed among the OECD, the Romanian Government and the Competition Council.
Victor Ponta added that the Government is both willing and determined to achieve the high standards of the OECD."Romania has made important steps, it has been through painful moments and reforms — the most painful were probably those that followed the 2008 crisis — but today, Romania is getting ever more competitive, its economy is increasingly more competitive, which is confirmed by the 17- notch jump [in the ranking of the most competitive countries], but mainly by the statistical figures we receive every month and every quarter," the Premier explained.
Ponta added that in the Government's view "a fair, transparent competition with as few as possible monopolies and as few as possible economic privileges represents in fact Romania's chance for development.""We permanently tried to support fair competition through legislation and public policies, for all those acting on the Romanian market to enjoy. (...) Beyond that, the state's role is to smoothen and combat the laws of fierce competition in other areas: education, health. But the paramount condition for having the resources in place for equal access to education, health, justice, is to have a strong economic performance in 2014 and in the years ahead. In an open European Union and an increasingly open global market, economic competitiveness and increasing the level thereof, our market's openness and equal competition conditions for the economic actors are absolutely essential," declared the Prime Minister.
2. PM Ponta: Private financial markets trust Romania more than we do
Private financial markets trust Romania more than we do, Prime Minister Victor Ponta declared at the government offices of Victoria Palace; he was referring to the country's bonds issue at an interest rate below 3 percent, the press office of the Executive informed . 'It's a favourable international context for Romania. Yesterday, for the first time in our post-1989 history, Romania has issued bonds on the international capital market [at an interest rate] below 3 percent. Under 3 percent - Romania has never paid that in interests for its bonds. (...) This means on one hand that the private financial markets trust Romania much more than we do, and that every financing obtained in this period will add a lesser burden for the coming years, because now we have older loans at very high interests. When the interest is below 3 percent, I think every Romanian citizen who uses to go to banks knows the meaning of getting a credit below 3 percent. This means that when these loans reach their maturities, Romania will pay smaller interests. Indeed, our interest costs are lower by the year. This is just one sign of confidence, and I'm saying again I am glad for people abroad trusting Romania sometimes more than we do,' Ponta said.
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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
Romania has issued for the first time euro-denominated bonds on the foreign capital market at an interest rate below 3 percent, the Government's Press Office reported in a release to AGERPRES.
"Romania issued bonds with 10 month-maturity, worth 1.5 billion euros, the yield being 0.72 percent lower compared to the 3.701 percent annual yield obtained at the last similar euro-denominated issue for 10 years, launched this April. The investors' significant appetite for the Romanian state bonds resulted in a quick subscription, 2.5 times more than the issued volume, in attractive financial conditions, without paying the share premium, at a yield of 2.973 percent per year," the source says.
According to the release, this transaction enables Romania to "partially pre-fund the foreign needs for funding for 2015, reinforcing the level of the forex financial reserve."
"The low level of the average cost and the diversified participation of investors reflect Romania's credibility abroad, a result of the economic policies and the appreciation for the development of the fiscal consolidation and the structural reforms the incumbent Government has adopted over the past two years," the release reads. The source also mentioned that the issue was managed by HSBC, Raiffeisen Bank International, Societe Generale and Unicredit Bank. As for the allocation of the bonds, they went to various investors from Germany/Austria (23 percent), Central and Eastern Europe (12 percent), Italy (10 percent), Romania (10 percent), the U.S. non- residents (9 percent), the rest of Europe (9 percent), Benelux (5 percent) and Asia and the Middle East (4 percent). As regards the distribution of bonds by categories of investors, the managers of funds won 62 percent, with the rest of the bonds being allotted to insurance, pension funds (21 percent), banks (13 percent), central banks and other types of investors (4 percent).
3. Romania exports may exceed 50 billion euros this year
Six years after the outbreak of the economic crisis, the global economy is still convalescing. The head of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde recently warned that economic recovery is “uneven”. While the United States and Britain appear to have overcome the crisis, economic growth is still weak in the eurozone countries, which face a 40% chance of sliding into recession. Christine Lagarde based her prediction of the contraction of the Italian economy to 0.2%, France’s insignificant 0.4% growth rate and the weakening of the German economy, which has been the driving engine of the eurozone and whose growth rate only reached 1.4% in 2014. The International Monetary Fund has urged European banks to revise their business model fundamentally, as they are at the
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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
moment unable to support economic recovery. Speaking of banks, there have also been rumours about the pullout of some major international banks from Romania, but, fortunately, they haven’t been confirmed. Under the circumstances, banks are reticent about giving loans, something the president of the Romanian Banks Association Radu Gratian Ghetea has admitted.Cristian Ghetea: “Our main goal as banks is not economic recovery as such but finding clients who need our loans. So we are interested in giving credits, because this is how we can justify our existence. Unfortunately, the situation is complicated at the moment.” The economy minister Constantin Nita says Romania needs a 5% annual growth rate to join the ranks of advanced economies, instead of its current 2-3%.Constantin Nita: “For the time being, I don’t think our growth rate can exceed 2 or 3%. The economic context is not favourable. Things may change, however, in the future. Secondly, we won’t achieve a high level of performance and boost exports with 40 or 50 year-old equipment.” The good news is that Romanian exports may this year exceed 50 billion euros after last year’s 49 billion. Moreover, direct foreign investment grew by 27% in the first 8 months of the year compared to the similar period of 2013, exceeding 1.4 billion euros according to the National Bank of Romania.(Source: balkans.com)
4. Romania to achieve an annual economic growth of 5-6 percent in the medium term
Romania can achieve an annual economic growth of 5-6 percent in the medium term, necessary to reach the development level of the West-European countries, provided it continues to take action to maintain the fiscal discipline, Minister of Public Finance Ioana Petrescu said on Tuesday at the EU- South East Europe Summit organized by The Economist. Ioana Petrescu said that in this period, the economies of southern Europe can increase, although prospects for economic development worldwide and in Europe have been revised downwards. "Southern Europe can increase, despite the prospects for economic decline in the euro zone and I believe that at this point, we must accelerate the engine of growth in the region. For Romania, the growth prospects for 2014 have been revised upwards [by the International Monetary Fund], from 2.2 percent this spring to 2.4 percent this autumn. It was no mistake or good luck. It was the result of concrete measures we have adopted to achieve economic growth in the medium and long term," Petrescu explained. She also mentioned that this year Romania's budget deficit target is 2.2 percent, and the structural deficit target no more than 1.7 percent of GDP. "This is the context in which Romania has achieved an important fiscal consolidation, the second largest after the one in Greece, as of 2009. In 2009, the structural deficit exceeded 9 percent of GDP,
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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
and it currently amounts to around 1.7 percent. We got these results by maintaining fiscal discipline," the finance minister said. Ioana Petrescu also made reference to the measures adopted this year to give a boost to the business environment, i.e. the tax break for the reinvested profit, the 5 percentage points cut in social security contributions [CAS], the state aid schemes for boosting job creation, and the scrapping of over 90 taxes that made the firms' activity more difficult. Petrescu also talked about the need to reduce tax evasion and the measures adopted by the Government in this regard. The participants attending the EU-South East Europe Summit titled "On the road to stability and growth" organized in Bucharest by The Economist will debate the regions' economic prospects.
5. Romania issued the first time euro-dominated bonds on the foreign capital market
Romania has issued for the first time euro-denominated bonds on the foreign capital market at an interest rate below 3 percent, the Government's Press Office reports in a release. "Romania issued bonds with 10 month-maturity, worth 1.5 billion euros, the yield being 0.72 percent lower compared to the 3.701 percent p.a. yield obtained at the last similar euro-denominated issue, for 10 years, launched this April. The investors' significant appetite for the Romanian state bonds resulted in a rapid subscription, 2.5 times more than the issued volume, and attractive financial conditions, without paying the share premium, at an yield of 2.973 percent p.a." the source says. According to the release, this transaction enables Romania to "partially pre-fund the foreign needs for funding for 2015, reinforcing the level of the forex financial reserve." "The low level of the average cost and the diversified participation of investors reflect Romania's credibility abroad, a result of the economic policies and the appreciation for the development of the fiscal consolidation and the structural reforms the incumbent Government has adopted over the past two years," the release reads. The source also reveals that the issue was managed by HSBC, Raiffeisen Bank International, Societe Generale and Unicredit Bank. As for the allocation of the bonds, these were allotted to various investors from Germany/Austria (23 percent), Central and Eastern Europe (12 percent), Italy (10 percent), Romania (10 percent), the U.S. non-residents (9 percent), the rest of Europe (9 percent), Benelux (5 percent) and Asia and the Middle East (4 percent). As regards the distribution of bonds by categories of investors, the managers of funds won 62 percent, with the rest of the bonds being allotted to insurance, pension funds (21 percent), banks (13 percent), central banks and other types of investors (4 percent).
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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______
SOCIAL
1. A Slice of History: Romanian Army’s Day by Dr Ion Jinga, the Ambassador of Romania to the UK
70 years ago, on 25 October 1944, the Romanian Army liberated the town of Carei in North-West of the country. It was the complete liberation of North-West Transylvania from foreign ruling and administration, following the outrageous Vienna Diktat in 1940 arbitrated by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. In the autumn of 1940 Romania was completely isolated on the international arena. Its main allies in the inter-war period were France and the United Kingdom, but in June 1940 France capitulated and Britain was under siege. On 26-27 June, the Romanian government was forced to accept Soviet ultimatums and allowed Moscow to take over Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, both historical Romanian provinces which rejoined the Kingdom of Romania after WW1, in application of the principle of self-determination proclaimed by the US President Woodrow Wilson. In Budapest, Regent Miklós Horthy, who had established close relations with Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, saw the opportunity and asked his friends to put pressure on Romania to give up Transylvania. The alliance with Nazi Germany had already made possible Hungary's gaining of Southern Czechoslovakia in 1938 and Subcarpathia in 1939. Foreign Ministers Joachim von Ribbentrop of Germany and Galeazzo Ciano of Italy met on 30 August 1940 at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna and simply produced a map detailing what the settlement was to be: North-West Transylvania, a land of 43,492 km² with a population of 2.4 million, was given to Hungary. According to Romanian census of 1930, the population in North-West Transylvania was 2,393,300: Romanians - 1,176,900 (50%); Hungarians - 912,500 (38%); Germans - 68,300; Jewish - 138,800 (one year after the Vienna Diktat, the Jewish population was only 47,400); Other - 96,800. These figures are confirmed by the Hungarian historian Árpád E. Varga who writes: "The census conducted in 1930 met international statistical requirements in every respect. In order to establish nationality, the compilers devised a complex criterion system, unique at the time, which covered citizenship, nationality, native language and religion". The Romanian Foreign Minister Mihail Manoilescu collapsed when he saw the map and had to be revived. The Daily Telegraph's correspondent in the Balkans wrote on 8 October 1940 in his article "Hungary wants more. Vienna Diktat was not a settlement at all": "When the time comes for peace- making, a country like Hungary, therefore, will have a natural tendency to cash in as much as possible on the grounds that "if the Axis wins, we keep what we have; if the Axis is defeated or weakened, then the more we have, the less we are likely to lose in proportion."" In order to retake Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, on 22 June 1941 Romania entered the war against the Soviet Union. On 23 August 1944, King Michael led a successful coup with support from the Army and removed the government of Marshall Ion Antonescu. According to Western historians, 14
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the coup shortened WW2 by six months, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. The Army was under orders from the King to defend Romania against any German attacks. The King then offered to put Romania's military capabilities on the Allied side and the Romanian Army ended the war fighting hard to liberate Transylvania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Austria and Czechoslovakia, from August 1944 until the end of WW2 in Europe. Of some 538,500 Romanian soldiers who fought against the Axis in 1944-45, some 167,000 were killed, wounded or went missing, a contribution ranking Romania fourth behind the USSR, USA and Great Britain in the victory against fascism. 25 October is therefore the Romanian Army's Day. It is also King Michael's birthday. His Majesty is now 93 and continues to be a symbol of honour, dignity and love for his country. It is said that Romanian generals who led the military offensive in October 1944 postponed by one day the by one day the liberation of Carei in order to offer the victory to the King's anniversary. Today, Romania is a security provider in the region and its Army operates at the highest NATO professional standards, protecting our European democratic community of values. The proximity to the Eastern border of the Euro-Atlantic space makes my country both a gate-locker and a strategic opener of roads. Romania is now repositioned on the world chessboard in accordance with its geo-strategic location. (Source:huffingtonpost.co.uk)
2. Government adopted the measures taken concerning the Ebola virus
The Government at its meeting adopted a resolution ensuring the legal framework for implementing a 'strategic objective in the area of preventing and increasing the intervention capacity increase in combatting the infections with Ebola haemorrhagic virus,' informs a Government press release.
The release points out that the resolution adopted modifies and completes the law on the approval of the national health programmes for the years 2013 and 2014.
According to the Government, one of the modifications operated are aimed at the national programme of oncology and refers to the introduction of a new subprogramme: 'The subprogramme of imunophenotypic, cytogenetic and biomolecular diagnosis of acute leukaemia.'
Health Ministry Nicolae Banicioiu on Tuesday, referring to the measures taken concerning the Ebola virus, said that at 'Matei Bals' Institute an entire floor was reserved for a special laboratory to focus its research on Ebola.
3. Romania will sign with Bulgaria memorandum to build two new bridges over the Danube
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The government approved the signing of a memorandum with Bulgarian authorities to implement feasibility studies about the construction of two new bridges over the Danube- Silistra-Calarasi and Nikopol- Turnu Magurele, said the spokesperson for the government, Corneliu Calota. The approval was issued in the Tuesday meeting of the Romanian government.
The building of the third bridge over the Danube will cost 200-270 million euro, according to the feasibility studies made. Its location will be established in the next two months, chosen from four variants, the Bulgarian press wrote.
These variants are Oriahovo-Bechet, Silistra-Calarasi, Ruse-Giurgiu and Nikopol-Turnu Magurele, said Elena Gagov, expert in the Ministry of Regional Development in Bulgaria. In the second stage of the feasibility studies they will discuss the construction of a railway and the target price of the bridge construction project, Gagov showed. Bulgaria and Romania are ready to build more bridges over the Danube to link poor regions from the two banks of the river, to attract investments, increase traffic and back local business, according to the Bulgarian official.
He said that Transproiect 2001, the Romanian company hired to make the feasibility studies for the future bridge made three bridge options for each pair of towns, except for Silistra-Calarasi, for which there are two options. The consultant suggested two options for a tunnel under the Danube at Nikopol-Turnu Magurele and Oriahovo-Bechet. However, the construction of a tunnel is considered too expensive, since it would increase the project price by 70 million euro.
Gagov noted that for the construction of the third bridge there will be a co-financing request for EU , after establishing the location.
According to unofficial information, the Ruse-Giurgiu bridge is crossed by 1,000 trailers daily and the Vicidn-Calafat bridge by 500 trailers.
4. The most powerful laser in Europe, inaugurated in Magurele
The most powerful laser in Europe and the second worldwide, of one petawatt, was inaugurated at the National Institute for Laser, Plasma & Radiation Physics (INFLPR) of Magurele (south-east of Bucharest).
'Today, we have the special satisfaction to assist to the completion and putting into operation of a high- level worldwide research infrastructure: the Integrated Centre for Advanced Laser Technologies (CETAL) (...). The Institute hosts the most powerful laser in Europe, the second most powerful laser
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worldwide, capable to produce laser pulses of one petawatt, with a duration of 25 femtoseconds,' Minister Delegate for Higher Education and Research Mihnea Costoiu said. According to him, the CETAL infrastructure is the result of a project entirely funded from the state budget with 72 million lei within the national programme for research-development in the period 2007- 2013.
'It is unique in Europe, through the equipment range and the latest technology level. It represents an essential stage in the completion of the ELI-NP facility, the more famous project which will include two lasers of 10 petawatts,' the Minister said. He maintained that, at the same time with the CETAL inauguration, new prospects for high-level research would emerge, such as applications in physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, energy, the science of materials, ultra-advanced production technologies, which would have a significant impact for the Romanian economy. 'Even if we mention only the huge potential in the areas of particle acceleration for testing the components used in the space industry, the generation of hard X-rays for industrial applications or the protonotherapy in medicine, a spectacular direction range is being shaped up, where the Romanian research will definitely overcome the current barriers. The new generation of researchers of Romania and the next generations will have the possibility to conduct here research projects that require resources which until now were available only in a few laboratories in the USA, Germany, the UK or South Korea. CETAL will draw, it has already done this, teams of researchers from abroad, the Romanian scientific diaspora, included,' Costoiu also said. Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Romanian Academy President, Academician Ionel Valentin Vlad, National Education Minister Remus Pricopie, Defence Minister Mircea Dusa, Secretary of State with the Education Ministry Tudor Prisecaru also participated in the event.
CULTURE
1. Suceavea County’s monasteries, flames of faith and artistic creation cores
The monasteries and painted churches of northeastern Bucovina draw, for hundreds of years, people of all ages, as they are places of worship and pilgrimage in particular around the great Christian holidays. Here, for centuries was kept alive the flame of faith and, at the same time, string cores of culture and artistic creation were shaped. The medieval churches of Bucovina with exterior painting are, concomitantly, important tourist objectives of Romania, as tens of thousands of tourists make a halt here annually to admire them, as 17
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they are recognized especially for their exterior frescoes. Moldovita, Humor, Voronet, Arbore, Sucevita, Probota, Saint John of Suceava and Patrauti are the eight monasteries and churches included in the UNESCO world heritage. Moldovita was awarded in 1975 the 'Golden Apple' by the International Union of Tourism Journalists and Writers. 'Each and everyone is unique in its way, because it has a predominant theme, dominant colours. One could find nowhere the Voronet blue. The Sucevita green could not be found anywhere too. Today it's green, yet it looks like initially it was blue too. If for the Voronet and the others azurite was brought from the Balkan Peninsula, when starting to paint Sucevita the reserves were exhausted and they used azurite from Romania, which was a bit of a lower quality. (...) There are important scenes (...) They are the only in Romania and Europe with exterior painting ', the director of the Bucovina Museum of Suceava, archeologist Emil Constantin Ursu said. He highlighted that these were visited by several personalities from Romania and from abroad, among whom the current Emperor of Japan, between 1970 and 1980.
The Patrauti Church, first foundation of Steven the Great The Patrauti Church or the 'Saint Cross of Patrauti' was walled in 1487, as it is the first certain foundation of Moldova's ruler Steven the Great. The cornerstone of the monastery of Patrauti, today a church, was put on June 13 1487. The church's inscription, in Slavonic, above the entrance's portal says: "Me, Steven Voivode, Ruler of Moldova, son of Bogdan Voivode, have started to erect this Monastery in the name of the Holy Cross in the year 6995 (1487) the month of June, Day 13".
The Voronet Monastery, the Orient's Sistine Chapel The Voronet Monastery, dedicated to the Saint Great Martyr George, another foundation of Steven the Great, was erected in 1488. The Voronet Monastery was surnamed 'The Sistine Chapel of the Orient' for the grand fresco on its Western façade representing 'The Last Judgment'. Likewise, 'The Voronet blue' is believed by specialists to be unique in the entire world and as well-known as the Tiziano red or the Veronese green. Of a great artistic value is the yew wood, golden iconostasis, the royal doors being a true wooden sculptured masterpiece. It was built by Steven the Great on the very place of the wooden hermitage of Daniil Sihastrul (the Hermit) and it was painted one half of century later. Although of reduced dimensions, the monastery's church has plenty to offer to the one who chooses to come here, from the unique azurite blue to the Last Judgment's fresco, with an impressive symbolism charge and a unique composition in the art of the Christian Orient. The image of the Father God, the river of fire where the sinners find their torments, the balance weighing the good deeds and the bad deeds, the fight for souls between the angels and the demons, the heaven, the hell, the Holy Spirit symbolized by a dove, the Proto fathers of the humankind, to whom the Moldovan musical instruments (horn, cobza — a lute-like instrument) add, popular towels and robes, all are making a unique, impressive composition.
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The inside of the church maintains the iconography since the times of Steven the Great, with the Passions of Jesus, the Entrance in Jerusalem, the Prayer on the Mount of Olives, the Descent from the Cross and Saint Theodore. In 1547, the Voronet Monastery is added a porch and is made the exterior painting under the supervision of Metropolitan Grigorie Rosca, buried here. The monastic life was interrupted in 1785, after the annexation of Bucovina to the Hapsburg Empire, and resumed in 1991, with communal nuns, under the abbess Irina Pantescu, who is blessing the place nowadays. The Arbore Church, founded by Luca, Moldova's Gatekeeper The Arbore Church is another jewel of the medieval foundations' necklace, unique through the beauty of its interior and exterior frescoes. In 1503, Luca Arbore one of Steven the Great's grand boyars has erected a chapel at his Court located on the river Solca. The Arbore Church is reminding firstly of its founder, whose name it bears. Luca Arbore, who used to be the Gatekeeper of Suceava for almost 40 years, starting with 1486, has defended with courage the Seat Fortress of Suceava in 1497, for three weeks, against the Poles' siege 38 years after the church of Arbore was erected, the interior and exterior painting is started in 1541, at the initiative of Luca Arbore's sister, Ana. What is really impressive in the church's painting is its decorative quality, its warm, light colouring, the rhythm and the extreme elegance of the silhouettes. Luca Arbore was buried in the church he had built, and the inscription of his tomb in the narthex is considered the most valuable Gothic-style funerary inscription of Bucovina. It is dedicated to 'The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist' and it is part of UNESCO heritage. Humor inaugurates the chain of exterior-painted monasteries The Humor Monastery, also in UNESCO patrimony, is one of the oldest foundations of the Moldovan Middle Ages. It has inaugurated in 1530, the chain of the monasteries painted in their exterior. The exterior frescoes of Humor were made in 1535 by Toma Zugravul (the Painter), and the carftsman's full art is visible in the painting of unique value of Mary with Baby Jesus, in the Akathistos Hymn on the southern wall, in the monumental image of the Constantinople Siege. The religious place's architecture presents a special interest since here it occurs, for the first time in the construction of Moldova's churches, the open porch and a chamber called vault (Tainita), where the priceless objects were kept in the days of affliction. Moldovita, an important cultural centre in the 17th century
The Moldovita Monastery, founded by Petru Rares, dedicated to the 'Annunciation', was built in 1532, a few hundred metres from the old monastery of Alexander the Good, walled between 1402 and 1410, which collapsed subsequently due to landslides. The Moldovita Monastery is one of the oldest friars' settlements, with an important historical past, located some 15 km from the Vama village, between the Moldovita and Ciumarna creeks. The monastery is surrounded by defense walls and towers, its painting
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representing besides the religious scenes on its inside, some historical scenes on its outside — the siege of Constantinople, as well as cultural — the ancient philosophers. At the foot of the entire inside and outside painting, which unfold after a precise programme, stays a principle characteristic to the Christian art, the one to offer through painting the synthesis of the truths of religion. Inside the monastery, the Crucifixion draws attention, counted as the most valuable achievement on this topic from the churches of Bucovina. A royal stall from the times of Petru Rares, the most priceless masterpiece of this kind of Moldova, the embroideries given by Steven the Great and an embroidery epitaph of the 17th century are other few treasures kept at Moldovita. Under the rule of Alexander the Good at the Moldovita Monastery an important cultural centre, where church books were copied and garnished was operating. The most valuable manuscripts date from the 15th century. The cultural activity unfolded in the times of Alexander the Good has continued in the 17th century, when a school of copyists and miniaturists was established here, and in the 18th century too. In 1785, the monastery is closed, and by 1932 — 1934, when it resumed activity as a nuns convent, it has suffered several deteriorations. Between 1954 and 1960, it has been restored and rehabilitated. In 1975 the Moldovita Monastery received the Golden Apple award, of the International Union of Tourism Journalists and Writers and is on the UNESCO heritage list. The Saint John the New Monastery, of the times of Petru Schiopul (Peter the Lame) The Saint John the New Monastery of Suceava is a friars' monastery dedicated to the Saint Great Martyr George. The church was started to be erected during voivode Bogdan the 3rd, son of Steven the Great, in 1514, and finished under the rule of Stefanita Voda, son of ruler Bogdan in 1522, as the inscription on the top of the entrance door of the porch says. The frescoes decorating the Saint George church are made by Moldovan craftsmen with the times of ruler Petru Rares. In 1893, bishop Melchisedek after deciphering on the southern wall of the narthex an inscription from the back of the canopy under which the reliquary with the relics of Saint John New, came to the conclusion that the painting would date since the rule of Petru Schiopul. The exterior painting, done in continuation of the interior one and which gave glamour to the Suceava cathedral has suffered an accentuated deterioration during the Hapsburg rule, when it was covered in a large proportion with a layer of plaster and for this to get glued, the old painting was kicked with a hammer. The Probota Monastery, Moldova's rulers' necropolis The Probota Monastery is a foundation of Petru Rares which was a rulers' necropolis of Moldova. It was built in 1530 in the Probota village and is dedicated to 'Saint Nicholas'. The tombs of rulers Petru Rares (1527-1538, 1541-1546) and Steven Rares (1551-1552), of Lady Elena Rares and of other members of the ruling families of Moldova rest here. In 1904, on the occasion of 400 years since the death of Steven the Great, the tomb stone of his mother, Lady Oltea was brought here, and it was laid in the very vicinity of the tombs of Petru Rares and his wife's. The Probota Monastery was included in 1993 in the UNESCO heritage list. 20
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The Sucevita Monastery, the place where the 'Moldovan art's testament' was written The Sucevita Monastery closes the epoch of the great creations of the 16th century, fact which determined the French researcher Paul Henry to state that here was written the 'Moldovan art's testament'. The church of the Sucevita Monastery, dedicated to 'The Nativity' is built in the Moldovan architectural style, and makes a special note through its two small open porches of Wallachian influence, placed on its southern and northern sides. The influence of the Wallachian art is perceivable in its interior painting too, at topics less usual such as the Testimony Choir in the altar. Its exterior fresco representing the Ladder of Saint John Climacus of Sinai, on its northern side, is the largest Romanian iconographic interpretation of the faith in a first judgment immediately after death. (Source: AGERPRES.ro)
2. Les films de Cannes a Bucharest festival
Les Films de Cannes a Bucarest reaches its fifth edition in 2014 and takes place between October 24 and 30. Romanians will have a chance to see some of the movies that were screened at this year’s Cannes, both in and out of competition. Leviathan, the movie which obtained Award for Best Screenplay, opened Les Films de Cannes a Bucarest festival. The projections are taking place at Cinema Patria, Cinema Studio and Cinema Elvira Popescu. Special guests of the festival are the director Michel Hazanavicius, winner of the Oscar for The Artist, and Berenice Bejo, the actrice in the movies”The Search’, ‘ OSS 117:Cairo, Nest of Spies’ which took part to the opening gala, and during the day of Saturday they had one hour of discussion with the audience at the Elvira Popescu hall. The 67th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 14 to 25 May 2014. The Palme d’Or was awarded to the Turkish film Winter Sleep directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. The festival opened with the long delayed Grace of Monaco, directed by Olivier Dahan and starring Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly, which played out of competition. Les Films de Cannes a Bucarest was initiated by Cristian Mungiu in 2010 with the help of special Cannes delegate, Thierry Fremaux. The 2013 edition brought over 60 Cannes movies to Bucharest, out of which 13 were awarded prizes at that year’s Cannes festival.
3. The Putna Monastery, ‘the Jerusalem of the Romanian nation’
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The Putna Monastery, which national poet Mihai Eminescu called 'the Jerusalem of the Romanian nation,' is one of the most important cultural, religious and artistic centres in Romania, founded by mediaeval ruler Stephen the Great as his burial ground. The monastery was built between 1466 and 1469, and the Dormition Church followed one year later. The first father superior of the monastery was Archimandrite Iosif of the Neamt Monastery, who came here accompanied by calligraphists, the first teachers of the new school of Putna, following the example of the monastery of Neamt. The school started as a school of rhetoric, logics and grammar for the future chroniclers or clerics, shortly becoming one of the most important such centres in the entire land.
Three years after completion, the church was destroyed by fire and rebuilt. In 1653, it was again destroyed, this time by the Cossack army of Timush Hmelnitschi, ruler Vasile Lupu's son-in-law. Today's church was rebuilt in 1653-1662 by Vasile Lupu and his successors following the original base plane.
Construction on the Putna Church started after a victory of Stephen the Great at the Chilia Bastion, while its consecration was made after Stephen's victory against Tartars, on August 20, 1470 at Lipinti, near Nistru. Putna had been a monastic hearth long before Stephen the Great's foundation, a fact revealed by researches of 1980 - 1982. Besides the monastic scriptorium of the monks, the master calligraphists and miniaturists of Neamt, a tapestry workhouse was opened at Putna, where gold and silver threads were used as well as expensive silk and precious stones, along with workshops for ceramic icons, and wood and stone sculpture. Initially designed as a royal necropolis, the monastery always kept Stephen the Great's attention, with the ruler visiting it frequently and developing it continuously.
Under the rule of Iacob Putneanul (1750-1778), refurbishment works were conducted: the inner walls were consolidated, and so were the church and the belfry, the gate's tower was remade, the tambour of the belfry above the nave was remade into a Baroque style, the roof was repaired, the flooring was replaced and a new iconostasis was added, still standing nowadays. The church was built into a three-lobe shape, with thick walls of stone and brick, on a foundation of rock boulders of big size for those times. It was 37 m long, 11 m wide and 33 m high, at the belfry. The space was divided into an altar, a nave, a tomb room, a narthex and a closed porch. Here lies the tomb of Stephen the Great and Saint, covered by a baldachin of white marble and an inscription on a slate that says the brave ruler is the founder of the holy place alongside his wife Maria, the daughter of Radu Voivode. On Stephen the Great's tomb, there is a silver urn placed in a ceremony of 1871. On the northern side of the tomb room, there are the tombs of Stephan's sons - Bogdan, who died on July 27, 1479 - and Petru - who died in November 1480. In the narthex, on the southern side, there is the tomb of Lady Maria, the wife of Petru Voivode, and Stephen Voivode, the nephew of Petru Voivode. In the porch area, on the southern side, there is the tomb of Moldavia's Metropolitan Bishop Iacob Putneanul, 22
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while on the northern side there is the tomb of Suceava Metropolitan Bishop Teoctist.
All the windows in the altar, nave, tomb room and narthex are painted on the inside, ending in an arch and on the outside they have metal riles. The floor is made of marble, while the porch has stone slabs. The roof is made of brass sheets laid in a manner to imitate timber. The outside is encircled by a massive twisted band with large niches that are higher in the lower part and smaller in the upper part. The windows have stone framing. The old outer painting was destroyed in 1760 and never replaced.
The painting in the chapel is modern, of Byzantine inspiration, with many focusing elements, made by brothers Mihai and Gavriil Morosan in 1979 - 1983. The monastery's museum has an important collection of mediaeval art objects, especially from the times of Stephen the Great and his immediate successors, one of the richest and most valuable such collection in the entire Romania. The Putna Monastery is famous for its treasury of tapestries, woven works, manuscripts, silverware and church objects. Among the most valuable exhibits are the Gospel Book of Humor (1487), the Blagovestenie church bell (donated in 1490 by Stephen the Great himself) and airy tapestries from 1481, an ecclesiastical stole from 1504, an epitaph from 1490, a cover for the doors to the iconostasis from 1510, the tomb cover of Maria of Mangop from 1477 bearing her portrait. Among the valuable icons at Putna, there is a 15th century wonder-making icon of the Holly Mother and Son, allegedly brought to Moldavia by Maria of Mangop, Stephen the Great's second wife.
Among the most valuable manuscripts at Putna, there is Psaltichia, a church song book made up of two distinct parts sewn together: one probably written in the time of Alexander the Good and the other in the first years of the 16th century, at the Putna Monastery. Equally valuable is a collection of carved crosses. A three-arm hand cross from 1566, carved in cedar wood and enclosed in golden silver depicting 37 scenes, including feasts and saint portraits, is of exquisite mastery. The exhibition of old and modern Romanian arts mounted at the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris, in 1925, included many tapestries, icons, carved crosses, illustrated and locked manuscripts that created quite a stir with Paris specialists and public at large.
Putna was also a scholarly centre that hosted a higher school of Theology to train clerics for Moldavia under the leadership of Archimandrite Vartolomeu Mazareanul, as well as a school initiated by Metropolitan Bishop Iacob Putneanul (1750-1778). About one kilometre away from the Putna Monastery lies the cell of monk Daniil, the spiritual adviser of Stephen the Great. It is a cave carved into a rock in the valley of the Vitau stream that has been declared a historical monument. Daniil Sihastrul, Daniil the Hermit, was born in the early 15th century in a village close to the town of Radauti. He became a monk at the age of 16. After a time, feeling the need for more peace, he became 23
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Daniil the Hermit and withdrew to Putna, where he found a rock into which he carved a chapel. The narthex, nave and altar are still visible today, the same as a room, also carved in stone, he used as his cell. It is here that Stephen the Great came in 1451, after the killing of his father Bogdan II at Reuseni. Daniil predicted that he would soon become Moldavia's ruler, which happened indeed in 1457. Also at the urge of Daniil the Hermit, Stephen the Great founded the Putna Monastery. After the consecration of the monastery, Daniil withdrew to Voronet, on the banks of the Voronet stream, under a rock called The Hawk, where he continued his monastic life. Stephen the Great visited him again after a defeat at Razboieni in 1476, asking for his advice. Daniil advised the ruler to continue the battles against the Ottomans, predicting his victory, which indeed happened. To remember the victory, the ruler founded the Voronet Monastery. After the consecration of the new monastery, Daniil moved to the cells at the monastery, where he spent his last years. He was elected father superior and died in 1496. He was buried in the church of the Voronet Monastery. On his tombstone, ordered by Stephen the Great, writes: 'This is the tomb of our Father David, Daniil the Great Monk.' Daniil the Hermit was considered a saint in his lifetime, as he was said to heal people, draw away daemons and sooth sufferings. He was canonised by the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church in 1992.
Also close to the Putna Monastery, there is the oldest wooden church in Europe, a historical monument, the foundation of Dragos Voda, the founder of Moldavia. The old church of Putna was allegedly relocated by Stephen the Great to Volovat in 1468 to become a place of worship for the monastic community of Putna during the construction of the monastery. Legend has it that Dragos Voda, descending from Maramures, established the principality of Moldavia and built a church of oak wood in 1346 at Volovat to also serve as his burial ground.
4. RONOG 2014, the first international conference of internet and telecommunications operators organized in Romania
The InterLAN Association, with the support of EURO-IX, organized the RONOG (Romanian Network Operators Group) 2014, the first international conference of internet and telecommunications operators in Romania. The event aims to bring together specialists and communities, thus creating a communication platform focused on exchanging ideas, experiences and opinions, debate on new technologies and trends in the field, but also technical aspects that may influence the Internet in Romania. The topics to be discussed in the RONOG conference will address prospects and challenges faced by telecom operators in Romania, technical problems and upgrades of systems and equipment, information security, the benefits that operators' connecting to the Internet Exchange traffic exchange nodes offer and IPV6 implementation.
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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 RONOG 2014 will bring together over 100 participants, representatives of network operators, content providers, equipment suppliers, relevant Romanian and foreign companies, authorities in the field, prominent personalities from Romania and abroad, opinion leaders and journalists. Within the conference, presenters will provide participants with current information for the community of Internet and telecom operators.
5. Russia, the guest honour of this year’s edition of Gaudeamus International Book Fair
The fourth edition of the Days of Russian Culture in Romania will take place this year under the tagline "Read together in Bucharest", following Russia to also be the guest honour of this year's edition of Gaudeamus International Book Fair organised by Radio Romania over November 19-23, according to a release. Dedicated to Russian literature, the event is organised by the Federal Agency for mass-media and communications of the Russian Federation, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest and the Rossotrudnicestvo Representation in Bucharest. The fourth edition of the "Russian Days" event in Bucharest will open on November 18, at the Cultural Centre of Bucharest - ArCuB, with a ceremony to have among its attendees: writer Zahar Prilepin; writer Marina Stepnova, painter-poet Natalia Ovsienko, film critic Maria Kuvshinova, writer and film critic Margarita Hemlin, artist Leonid Tishkov, writer Maxim Amelin and philologist Maxim Krongauz.
On the same evening of the opening, the audience will be able to enjoy authentic Russian music, traditional craft exhibits and pictures depicting contemporary Russia. Furthermore, on November 19, at 13.00 EEST, the Russian Federation's booth will be inaugurated at the Gaudeamus International Book Fair. Here, Romanian publishing houses will launch the new Romanian-language translations of Russian authors, books edited especially for the Gaudeamus fair. As an absolute first, the golden collection "MOSFILM on DVD" will be launched, a project done together with the Litera Publishing House and daily newspaper "Adevarul", and meetings with Russian writers, critics, philologists and artists are to be organised, while the Russian coffee shop will be open to the public with tea and traditional cookies. The Days of the Russian Film, already a tradition, will also mark the 90 year anniversary of the establishment of the Mosfilm Cinema Concern.
Furthermore, ArCuB is to present theater master classes and the contemporary movie "Break Loose", with the screenplay penned by Zakhar Prilepin.
Entry to all events is free.
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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 ______
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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