Romania’s GDP fell by 10,5% in the second quarter of 2020
The National Institute of Statistics (INS) in Romania maintains the estimate of over 12% on the contraction of the economy in the second quarter of the year, compared to the first three months of the year. The data published today also show that compared to the same quarter of 2019, the gross domestic product registered in the second quarter of this year a decrease of 10.5%. The INS notes that almost all branches of the economy have contributed to the decline in gross domestic product, for example, the industry, which has a share of almost 20% of GDP, has reduced its activity by more than 14 percent.
The annual meeting of Romanian diplomacy continues in digital format
The plan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the creation of a more efficient early warning mechanism for emergency situations is on the agenda of the Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy which continues Tuesday in digital format, for the first time, due to the pandemic. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, says that the current crisis brought by the new coronavirus amplifies major processes in international relations and, therefore, Romanian diplomacy must adapt. Participants will discuss the major and European trends created or accelerated by de COVID-19 pandemic, as well as aspects related to Romanian diplomacy in the current context.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the number of foreign tourists in the Danube Delta
Only nine cruise ships out of the almost 300 scheduled at the beginning of the year have reached the Danube Delta so far. The pandemic reduced the number of foreign tourists to only two percent compared to last year and, implicitly, drastically decreased the revenues of companies that offered services for cruise ships. Only one of the three economic agents from Tulcea that offers services to river cruise ships announced at the beginning of the year that they are waiting for about 280 vessels in ports. Thus, over 500 groups of tourists from Western Europe were to visit Delta. However, the new coronavirus pandemic postponed the opening of the cruise ship season, so this year only 9 ships docked in July and August in the ports of the county, and another 4 are expected in September. Although the number of tourists has dropped dramatically, so far no COVID-19 outbreak has been reported on any of the ships crossing the German River to the Delta.
Magda Baciu
