US missile shield in Romania becomes operational
A US missile shield becomes operational at Deveselu in southern Romania on Thursday with Romanian, US, and NATO officials attending a special ceremony on the occasion. Participants include NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Assistant State Secretary Robert Work, Admiral Mark Ferguson, Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, US Naval Forces Europe, and US Naval Forces Africa, US Ambassador Hans Klemm, Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş, Romanian Foreign Minister Lazăr Comănescu, Romanian Chief of Staff General Nicolae Ionel Ciucă and others. The Deveselu facility is part of NATO defensive system in Central and Eastern Europe. NATO decided in 2010 to create a missile shield based on US technology. The project is due to be completed in 2020, with installations in Poland. The western alliance insists the role of the planned shield is a “purely defensive” response to external threats. However, its assurances are sure to fall on deaf ears in Moscow. The event led to a quick reaction from Russia with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov pointing out on Thursday that the „activation of a US-backed missile shield in Romania is seen as a threat to Russia’s national security”.
Romania’s IMF forecast
„Growth is expected to reach 4.2 percent in 2016, largely due to the one-off stimulus to consumtion from recent fiscal expansion, ad dcelerate to 3.6 percent in 2017. Inflation is expected to continue growing ad the current account deficit to wide frther bacause of import growth. Two main risks to the economic outlook are electoral and external uncertainties. On the domestic side, populist measures in an election year could negatively affect market confidence and undermine investment. On the external side, a deterioration in emerging market risk perception could trigger capital outflows, a depreciation of the currency, and a substantial increase in the external debt-to-GDP ratio”. The statement belongs to the IMF Executive Board who concluded its 2016 Article IV consultation with Romania on Wednesday.
Romanian emergency hospital under investigation
The emergency hospital in the eastern Romanian town of Tulcea is under investigation following a scandal concerning the filthy hospitals across the country. The Tulcea hospital is seen as the main provider of disinfectants produced by Hexi Pharma, the manufacturer of diluted products aimed at incresing the company’s profits. Consequently,
the dilution led to a growing number of hospital-acquired infections in Romania in the last few years. Contracts between the hospital in Tulcea and Hexi Pharma are now under scrutiny as „trade relations” between the two bodies started in 2012, said Tulcea Prefect Marin Bădiţă in a statement on Thursday. The scandal led to the resignation of Health Minister Patriciu Achimaş Cadariu.
Romanian films at Cannes Film Festival
„Sieranevada”, a film by Romanian director Cristi Puiu, is expected to open at the Film Festival in Cannes on Thursday. It is the first film to be released as part of the race for the festival’s Palme d’Or. Starring Mimi Brănescu in the leading role and a cast of Romanian actors including Rolando Matsangos, Marian Râlea, Sorin Medeleni, Judith State, Dana Dogaru, Tatiana Iekel, Bogdan Dumitrache, Andi Vasluianu, and others , the film is the story of a doctor in his forties about to spend a day at a family gathering to commemorate his deceased father. For the author of the hugely-acclaimed „The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu” (2005) it is the first time when one of his films is included in the Cannes competition. The second Romanian entry at Cannes is Palm d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu’s „Graduation”. A third Romanian film at the festival, in the „Un Certain Regard” selection, is „Dogs”, a thriller by Bogdan Mirică set in a remote village in eastern Romania. Other Romanian entries at Cannes include „4:15 PM, End of the World” by Cătălin Rotaru and Gabi Virginia Şargă (short flm selection) and „All Rivers Run to the Sea” by Alexandru Badea (Cinéfondation selection).
Alexandru Danga
