The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola is on a visit to Bucharest
The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola is visiting Bucharest, two days after the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was in the Romanian capital. On Monday afternoon, Mrs. Metsola will adress the Romanian lawmakers, with a message of support for the country’s effort to join the Schengen area. She is also due to meet high ranking Romanian officials, starting with President Klaus Iohannis, with whom she will have face-to-face talks, followed by a joint press statement. The head of the European legislature will then head to the Government Headquarters, for a meeting with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, and in the evening she will address the Romanian senators and deputies gathered in a joint session. Members of the Government, Romanian MEPs and heads of diplomatic missions and international representations accredited in Bucharest are invited to the event. Last week, at the meeting of the European Council in Brussels, the President of the European Parliament expressed her disappointment with the decision to postpone the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area and said that the two countries were ready and deserved to be part of the free movement area.
Foreign tourists have spent more than three billion lei in Romania this year
Foreign tourists arriving in Romania have spent more than three billion lei in the first nine months of the year, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. According to the NIS, trips for professional and business purposes were the main reason for their stay in the case of more than half of the foreign citizens who came to the country, while visits for private purposes represented the second reason. The main means of transport used to travel to Romania was the plane, used by almost three quarters of the tourists, while 16.5% of them came with their own cars, and just over 5% have used buses.
President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on the occasion of the Jewish Hanukkah holiday
On Sunday, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on the occasion of the Jewish Hanukkah holiday, saying that the lights of the menorah celebrate faith, life and fraternity and keep alive the memory of those who took part in building modern Romania. „The celebration of light urges us to also reflect on the threat of extremism and xenophobia that is proliferating in the contemporary world and from which Romania is not spared”, the president also said, adding that the painful lessons of history must always represent an impetus that make people reject and strongly condemn hate speech.
Mădălina Brotăcel
