Ministers from Romania, Bulgaria and Greece meet in Bucharest to talk about Western Balkans EU integration
Foreign Ministers from European Union Members Romania, Bulgaria and Greece are meeting in Bucharest on Monday to discuss, among other issues, about the prospects for Western Balkans countries to enter the European Union. The „Trilateral” tradition dates back in 1995, when the first meeting between the three ministers was held. The six Western Balkans candidate countries for EU accession are Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo. The latter state is not recognized, though, by five EU member states, including Romania and Greece. The integration of Western Balkans countries, which is due after 2025, only depends on their efforts to meet the criteria, Brussels has repeatedly said.
The Romanian Social Democratic Party has elected its leaders, at an extraordinary Congress held on Saturday
The Social Democratic Party (PSD), the governing party in Romania, has elected its new national leadership – the Executive President, the General Secretary and 16 regional presidents – at an extraordinary Congress, organized in less than a month after it was announced by the party’s leader, Liviu Dragnea. Viorica Dancila, the current Prime Minister, was elected as Executive President, after her initial rivals, Ecaterina Andronescu and Nicolae Banicioiu, withdrew from the race, before the voting took place, complaining that they weren’t allowed to address delegates at the Congress. At the end of an hour long speech, PSD President Liviu Dragnea asked those present: „Do you still want me to be your president?”, and the audience has broken into applauses with an affirmative answer. There was no voting of confidence for Liviu Dragnea.
Romania is an honorary guest at Leipzig International Book Fair
Romania will be a guest of honor at this year’s edition of Leipzig International Book Fair in Germany, which starts on March 15th. The Romanian Culture Ministry will organize more than 60 events at this fair with the participation of famous Romanian writers, such as: Mircea Cartarescu, Nora Iuga and Andrei Plesu. A special moment will be the event opened by the Romanian-German writer Hertha Muller – a concert performed by Ada Milea, an audio and visual show, where the laureate of the Nobel for Literature Prize in 2009 will sign the German translation of the texts. The International Book Fair in Leipzig is one of the most important events of this kind in Europe and one of the oldest in the world.
Mădălina Brotăcel, RADOR
