National Holocaust Commemoration Day, in Romania
Several events are held on Monday in Bucharest and across the country, on the National Day of Commemoration for Holocaust victims in Romania, that is marked every year on October 9th. In Bucharest’s Memorial for Holocaust Victims, events from 1941 were remembered, when the deportation of Jews to Transnistria began. The President of the Jews Association in Romania, Liviu Beris, a survivor of the deportations, has taken part in the ceremony in Bucharest.
Liviu Beris: Despoiled of their belongings, the Jews were heading to an unknown destination, that received a new name: Transnistria. The extermination policy was enforced. Tens and hundreds of thousands of people were sentenced to death without having any guilt, except the one that they were born.
Reporter: According to the president of the National Agency for Roma people, Daniel Vasile, the future generations have an obligation to pay tributes to the victims’ memory and to prevent similar facts from happening: Our duty towards the victims of the Holocaust do not mean only to commemorate them, but also, an imperative to rise against any form of hostility towards ethnic, religious of linguistic minorities, against any form of rasism, xenophoby, and to do that it takes courage and determination from all the citizens in the European Union.
Exports have risen by 4% in the first eight months of this year
Romania’s exports have risen by 4% in the first eight months of this year and imports have increased by 7%, compared to the same period in 2015, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics. The deficit of the trade balance, namely the level by which the value of exports is exceeded by the imports has surpassed 6.1 billion euros, 1,3 billion higher than the level recorded in the first eight months of 2015. Three quarters of the total value of exports, but also imports are made of commercial exchanges with European Union member states. Important shares in the structure of imports and exports are held by cars and transport equipment and also other manufacturing products.
The Slovak President is on a two-day visit to Romania
The President of the Slovak Republic, Andrej Kiska, is starting a two-day visit to Romania, where he is due to meet his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis and representatives of the Slovak minority in Romania. President Iohannis will talk to his Slovak counterpart about the main issues on the European agenda, as Slovakia holds the half-year presidency of the EU Council. The to leaders will also discuss about the EU’s enlargement policy and its approach towards the Eastern neighbors and also the process of reflection on the future of Europe, that was launched at the informal summit in Bratislava, last month. As far as NATO cooperation is concerned, President Iohannis will reiterate the need to focus the Alliance’s attention on the Black Sea region and the Euro-Atlantic security, especially in the context of the current security challenges.
