Romanian FM attends 2015 Security Conference in Munich
European and American leaders have gathered in Munich for the 2015 Security Conference, one of the most important forums to discuss pressing issues on the world agenda. The Ukraine crisis and the threats represented by terorrist groups like Al Qaeda or ISIS are expected to prevail.
Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is also attending the conference to express Romania’s assessments and approaches on these matters with a focus on the rising instability in the greater Black Sea region and the persistance of frozen conflicts.
Romania’ s FM is going to have bilateral meetings with several counterparts attending the event, with high international officials and leaders of Germans of Romanian origin. Minister Bogdan Aurescu is also to meet representatives of the Atlantic Council think tank for talks on regional matters.
NATO is going to consolidate its presence in Central and Eastern Europe with an operations centre and regional headquarters hosted by Romania. Other operations centres will be set up in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. NATO’s response force will be doubled to 30,000 persons (5,000 troops) under British command and will become operational next year. Our country is already hosting 500 US troops in two military bases, at Mihail Kogalniceanu and Deveselu.
„Big Brother laws” up for review
The so-called „Big Brother laws” regarding access to cyber-traffic data are going to be up for review on the President’s initiative. According to a press release by the Presidency, the laws need to reach a state of balance between abidance by individual liberties, on one hand, and the fight against terorrism, cybercrime and corruption, on the other hand.
President Klaus Iohannis means to overcome the deadlock created after the cyber security laws had been rejected by the Constitutional Court on grounds regarding access to private data which could inflict abuse by the authorities.
Official statistics: Average gross wage in Romania – 580 euros, net wage – 415 euros
The average gross nominal wage in Romania was 2.582 Ron (580 euros) last December, 7 percent higher against the previous month – according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics. The average net nominal wage has registred a similar evolution and reached 1.866 Ron (415 euros). The highest wage rates, reaching 6.000 Ron (1300 euros) have been registered in oil-extraction an natural gas industries and the lowest (1.000 Ron – 220 euros) in the hotel-and-restaurant industry. The average net nominal earnings have gone up by 6 percent against the previous year.
German Ambassador to attend inauguration of the Ice Hotel in the Fagaras Mountains
A tourist complex featuring an all-ice hotel, an ice church, several igloos and a winter park – unique concept in Central and Eastern Europe, is officially inaugurated today at Bâlea Lac, 6,500 ft in the Fagaras Mountains at the side of Transfagarasan Highway, Romania’s most spectacular road.
This is the 10th winter in a row since the first ice hotel was built here and the event is going to be attended by the German Ambassador to Romania Hans Werner Lauk. Romanian artists and performers are also invited to the inauguration. A young Romanian balerina, Francesca Baciu, is this year’s image of the Ice Hotel at Balea Lac.
Kidney Transplant Center in Timisoara to be reopened
Kidney transplants are going to be resumed in the Western city of Timisoara after a 10-year break caused by inappropriate conditions of the operating rooms by Health Ministry’s standards. The Kidney Transplant Center has now been alloted refurbishing funds by the County Council and all its operating rooms and wards are going to be modernized. Presently, the center is only dealing organ harvesting which are subsequently sent to Cluj Napoca or Bucharest.
Snowfall and blizzards expected all over Romania
The weather is getting colder starting today, with snowfall and strong winds expected all over the country, but mainly in the southern half. A code yellow warning for bilzzards has been issued for 22 counties, starting 4 PM on Friday until 2 PM on Saturday. The Banat region in southwestern Romania is going to be the most affected by wind blasts whose speeds will reach up to 50 miles per hour. Weathermen recommend drivers to make sure their cars are properly equipped for winter especially when in mountain areas.
Bianca Ioniţă
