Day of Photographic Art in Romania
Romania is celebrating its Day of Photographic Art on Monday. A Romanian government ruling in January 2010 established the celebration on January 11 in order to coincide with the birth date of Carol Popp de Szatmary, a celebrated painter, lithographer and photographer seen as the world’s first combat photographer as he took pictures in the battlefield during the first year of the Russian-Turkish War, later known as the Crimean War (1853-1856). Szatmary was born on January 11, 1812 in the Romanian Transylvanian town of Cluj-Napoca. He was the first certified photographer in Romania, being also one of the first 10 photographers in Europe. Carol Popp de Szathmary was the official photographer of the Romanian ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza and of the first king of tge country, Carol I of Romania. Most of his life he worked and lived in Bucharest, where he died on July 3, 1887.
Romania – the Netherlands joint briefing
A joint briefing was scheduled on Monday between Romania’s Foreign Minister Lazăr Comănescu and Stella Runner Grubačić, the Dutch Ambassador to Romania, on the occasion of the launching conference of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Netherland took the EU rotating presidency at a time when the block should face such challenges as the refugee crisis and recent terror attacks. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte promised first results in the first three months of the country’s EU mandate in his attempt to contain the migrant influx through a closer co-operation with Turkey and means of further securing EU’s external borders. Slovakia is expected to become the next EU president country in July.
New head of IMF Mission to Romania
A Pakistani-born diplomat is expected to replace Andrea Schaechter as head of the International Monetary Fund mission to Romania. Reza Baqir is due in the capital Bucharest for a three-day visit on Tuesday in order to meet Romanian government officials. The announcement on Monday was made by Guillermo Tolosa, the IMF resident representative for Romania and Bulgaria. A PhD graduate of the US-based Berkeley University in California, Mr. Baqir formerly worked for the IMF as head of the Debt Policy Division of IMF’s Strategy, Policy and Review Department before joining the Fund’s Department for Europe. His missions also included countries such as Ghana, Cyprus, Jamaica, Greece, Portugal, Ukraine, and the Philippines.
„Scientists” behind bars
New „scientists” appeared in detention centers across Romania after such inmates as well-known businessmen Dan Voiculescu and George Copos had the chance to lop 30 days off their terms for each paper published. Detainees in a high security prison of Arad, in the west of the country, also managed to write and publish lots of books getting help from experts on the outside such as the academics at the Vasile Goldiş Vest University in the city. The books include such most „scientific” titles as „Judgement at the Court of First Instance in the Civil Code”, „Civil Action in the Criminal Code – a New Regulation”, „Evolution and Creation” or „Mediation, a Real Opportunity”. A similar case was reported in the Romanian western town of Reşiţa where an academic with the local Eftimie Murgu University became the scientific adviser of a former football referee who was detained for taking a Ron 310,000 bribe. „Discovery, Training and Formation of a Football Referee” was the title of the book.
Alexandru Danga
