23 towns and villages in 12 Romanian counties affected by floods
Torrential rains in the last 24 hours affected 23 towns and villages in 12 Romanian counties on Sunday. Tens of houses were severely damaged by rains and melting snow with seven cars destroyed and eight roads blocked, according to a report of Romania’s General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations issued on Monday. Villages around Goleşti in the southern Romanian county of Vâlcea still face a power outage affecting over 400 consumers. Other heavy rains are expected during the day with high winds and melting snow. Romania is bracing for more extreme weather after being hit by devastating storms over the weekend.
Romania’s ROBOR hits 2.92 percent
Romania’s Interbank Offer Rate (ROBOR) hit 2.92 percent, according to figures issued by the country’s National Bank (BNR) on Monday. The current ROBOR rate is the highest since October 2014 when it hit 2.94. The BNR index accelerated its rise since April 13 when it hit 2.07 percent. BNR unexpectedly raised borrowing costs for the first time in almost a decade as inflation bounced back and its economy expanded at one of the continent’s quickest paces. ROBOR rise means higher credit costs for borrowers.
High US official on a visit to Romania
US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Wess Mitchell is in Romania’s capital Bucharest on Monday as part of a European tour including Zagreb, Prague and Brussels. Mr. Mitchell is expected to meet Romanian high-ranking officials and independent analysts on regional security ad economic co-operation. The US official is the head of an American delegation at the 6th meeting of the US-Romania Strategic Partnership Dialogue. Mr. Mitchell is also expected to address students at the Bucharest university. Established as Assistant Secretary of State on October 12, 2017, Wess Mitchell is responsible for diplomatic relations with 50 countries in Europe and Eurasia, and with NATO, the EU and the OSCE. Prior to joining the State Department, Dr. Mitchell spent twelve years at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a think-tank dedicated to the study of Central Europe. A co-founder of CEPA, he served as President and CEO from 2009 to 2017 and Director of Research from 2006 to 2009. Dr. Mitchell played an instrumental role in CEPA’s growth to become a leading transatlantic think-tank with offices in Washington, DC and Warsaw, Poland.
Elisabeth Leonskaja, in Romania again
Famous Russian-born pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja is expected to perform with Romanian George Enesco Philarmonic at the Grand Atheneum Hall in the capital Bucharest on June 20 and 22. Her tour also includes a piano recital on June 23. Previously known as Elisabeta Leonskaia, she was born to a Jewish-Polish family in the Georgian capital Tbilisi (then capital of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic) on November 23, 1945. Leonskaja left the Soviet Union in 1978 before establishing herself as an artist in the Austrian capital Vienna. She is well-known to Romanian audiences as she is the winner of the George Enesco International Piano Contest in 1964. She was 18. Her Bucharest concerts will include Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor.
Alexandru Danga/adanga
