Romania’s New President As a result of the two rounds of Presidential Elections, on November 2 and 16 2014, the new President of Romania is Mr. Klaus-Werner Iohannis, the candidate of the Christian Liberal Alliance (ACL). The investiture ceremony takes place on Sunday, 21st of December, in the Romanian Parliament. (Agerpres)

Voting in Belgium At the first presidential elections round, the total number of Romanian citizens who voted in Belgium was 6452, of which 6419 ballots were valid. By candidates, the votes were: Klaus-Werner Iohannis - 3015 votes, Victor Ponta – 577, Elena Udrea – 524, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu – 272, Corneliu Vadim Tudor – 191, Dan Diaconescu – 116. The rest was divided between the other candidates. At the second round of elections, the total number of Romanian citizens who voted in Belgium was 13 082, of which 13 040 ballots were valid. Klaus-Werner Iohannis won 12 222 votes, Victor Ponta won 818 votes.

Government Reshuffle The new government proposed by Prime Minister Victor Ponta has been validated on Monday, 15 December, by the joint Chambers of the Parliament with 377 to 134 votes. The new cabinet is as follows: Gabriel Oprea (deputy-prime minister, Interior), Liviu Dragnea (Regional Development), Daniel Constantin (Agriculture), Rovana Plumb (Labour), Nicolae Banicioiu (Health), Mihai Tudose (Economy), Darius Valcov (Finances), Robert Cazanciuc (Justice), Eugen Teodorovici (European Funds), Ioan Rus (Transports), Ioan Vulpescu (Culture), Bogdan Aurescu (Foreign Affairs), Mircea Dusa (Defence), Gabriela Szabo (Sports and Youth), Sorin Grindeanu (Communications), Angel Tilvar (Diaspora), Eugen Nicolicea (Relation with the Parliament), Sorin Cimpeanu, (Education), Andrei Gerea (Energy and SMEs), Gratiela Gavrilescu (Environment), Liviu Pop (minister-delegate for Social Dialogue) (Nine O’Clock)

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu attends the North-Atlantic Council

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, participated on December 2 to the North-Atlantic Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The meeting agenda focused on the implementation of the decisions taken at the NATO Summit

held in UK, focusing on the Alliance Action Plan to enhance response level, and on the NATO response to risks arising from the Alliance's Eastern Neighbourhood. The head of Romanian diplomacy reviewed the security developments on NATO's Eastern flank, with a focus on the extended Black Sea region. (MFA)

The opening of the Integrated Centre for Advanced Laser Technologies (CETAL) at the Magurele-based National Institute for Laser, Plasma & Radiation Physics

On 21 October, Prime Minister Victor Ponta and Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy, attended the opening of the Integrated Centre for Advanced Laser Technologies (CETAL) at the Magurele-based National Institute for Laser, Plasma & Radiation Physics. Prime Minister Ponta

stated his wish to see a true Laser Valley growing in the area, in the upcoming years. The Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI - NP) project on building the most advanced infrastructure worldwide is aimed at studies on extreme light photonic radiation. The first stage of the project is co-financed by the EU, based on an agreement reached with the National Authority for Scientific Research. (Government of Romania)

The first visit of the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs The new Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs visited on 1

st of December 2014, the

National Day of Romania, the Republic of Moldova, where he was received by Mr. Nicolae Timofti, the President of the Republic, Prime-Minister Iurie Leancă and

the vice-prime-minister, minister of foreign affairs and European Integration, Natalia Gherman. (MFA)

Romania will take over the Presidency of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance On 4 December 2014, Romania was designated to take over the Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016. The decision was taken by consensus by the 31 IHRA member states at the plenary meeting hosted in Manchester by the Organization's British Presidency. IHRA, formerly called ITF (Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research), is an inter-governmental organization founded in 1998 at the initiative of the Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson. Appointing Romania to take over the Presidency of the Organization is the expression of the recognition of the efforts made by the Romanian authorities to preserve the memory of the Holocaust (MFA)

No 8 October-December 2014

NEWSLETTER

Embassy of Romania in Belgium

omania in Belgium

Updated macroeconomics Romania

GDP: increased by 1.9% at the end of the 3rd

trimester comparatively to the 2nd

trimester

GDP growth estimates for 2014: approx. 145,4

billions Euro, representing + 2,4%

Inflation rate: 1,54%

Exchange rate: 4.45 RON (December 11)

Estimated budget deficit for 2014: under 2%; 1.3 % at the end of the 3

rd trimester

International trade for the first 9 months 2014: exports grew by 7.1% compared to the

same period of 2013, and imports by 6.6%.

Unemployment rate: 5.11% (end of September 2014), with less - 0.38% than September 2013

According to Bloomberg, Constanta harbour is emerging as Europe’s biggest grain transport hub Constanta, whose natural harbour on the Black Sea has welcomed ships since at least the sixth century B.C., is emerging as Europe’s biggest grain transport hub in the $4.2 billion global wheat trade, announced Bloomberg on October 17. Grain volume passing through the port was up 30 percent by August from a year earlier and will top last year’s record by year end, according to port spokeswoman Monica Velicu. Cargill Inc., the largest closely held U.S. Company and freight handler Transport Trade Services SA, that finalized in August an investment of 15 million Euro and more than doubled grain capacity at their Canopus Star terminal at Constanta from 50 000 tonnes to 110 000 tones. (Bloomberg, Mediafax)

Latest figures on economic exchanges Romania – Belgium The value of the bilateral trade increased up to 1288.74 million Euro within the first 7 months of 2014. The exports accounts for 539.17 million Euro (increasing with +3.17% compared to the same period of 2013), and the imports, for 749.56 millions of Euro (increasing with +4.59%). On September 30, the number of Romanian companies with Belgian capital increased up to 3181. The total invested capital (direct investments from Belgian companies) is 324.11 million Euros (ranked 17

th among foreign investors in Romania). The main sectors of investments were:

industry, services, trade, tourism, agriculture, construction and transport.

Black Sea Ferry Line Constanta - Batumi (Georgia) - Ilyichevsk (Ukraine) was inaugurated on October 16

Black Sea ferry line that will link Romania’s Constanta port to Batumi (Georgia) and Ilyichevsk (Ukraine) ports was inaugurated on October 16, in the presence of Iulian Matache, state secretary, Ministry of Transport and officials from Georgia and Ukraine. During the official ceremony, the Ro-Ro/Rail/Passenger ferry Greifswald, the largest in the world, arrived in the port of Constanta from Ilyichevsk and started its journey to Batumi. The transport connection will function with

ships of Ukrferry LLC, which is the actually ship-owner of Ro-Ro ferry line in partnership with the Romanian company Romcargo Maritim in Constanta, initiator and manager of the new shipping line. (Sources: Ziarul Financiar, The Romania Journal)

Romania plans to build 230 million Euro Gas Pipeline to transport natural gas from the Black Sea Romanian Energy Minister underlined on December 2 the importance of building the 230 million-euro Dobrogea-Podisor natural gas pipeline. Romania hopes to finalize the project with the support of the European Commission. The pipeline would bring Black Sea natural gas into the Romanian transportation system. OMV Petrom Company and ExxonMobil Group discovered in 2012 in the Black Sea a deposit estimated at 42-84 billion cubic meters of gas. Gas production from the bedding is expected to begin towards the end of this decade. (Sources: Mediafax, Stratfor)

New meeting of CAROMB – Romanian-Belgium Business Club On December 4, the founders of the Romania-Belgium Business Club CAROMB met in Anvers to the LANGE WAPPER Club to sign the new Statute of the CAROMB, in the presence of Romania’s Ambassador in Belgium and of the economic counsellor of the Embassy, as honorary members of the Club. The aim of CAROMB is to create and develop a business network useful for investors, entrepreneurs and managers that have businesses in Belgium and/or in Romania or for those businessmen interested into developing new projects both in Romania and Belgium. More information about the Club at: www.caromb.eu

The participation of the Economic Counsellor of the Embassy to the launch of the Review “The European Times Magazine Latest edition - Romania 2014” (Maastricht, 18 November 2014) On18 November 2014, the representative of the Economical and Commercial Office (ECO) of the Embassy participated to the launch of the journal The European Times Magazine, Latest edition - Romania 2014. The event was organized by the Company Big Media Group in Belgium that is also the Editor of the review. On this occasion, the representative of the ECO delivered a short presentation of the Romanian economy and of the investment opportunities in Romania

Trends in Romania’s economy

International colloquium dedicated to prince and scholar Dimitrie Cantemir

On 17 October, the Royal Academy of Belgium hosted the international colloquium Les Prémices des Lumières en Europe Orientale. Autour du prince roumain Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723. Academics, professors and researchers from Romania, Belgium, France and Greece participated at the Palais des Académies of Brussels on the occasion of a plenary session to celebrate the personality of the Romanian prince Dimitrie Cantemir. The colloquium was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Romania in Belgium and the Permanent Secretary of the Royal Academy of Belgium, Hervé Hasquin. The historians Răzvan Theodorescu and Dan Berindei, members of the Romanian Academy, Vlad Alexandrescu, professor at the University of Bucharest, the researchers Cristina Birsan and Mihai Nasta held interventions during the event. In the evening, the Residence of the Ambassador of Romania in Belgium hosted a distinguished concert of the Romanian group Imago Mundi which interpreted ancient Romanian music and compositions of Dimitrie Cantemir (Album Isvor, 2012, Casa Radio).

Meeting of the Ambassador of Romania with Pascale Delcomminette, Administrator General of WBI and AWEX At a meeting on 4 November, the Ambassador of Romania and Pascale Delcomminette, the new Administrator General of Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI) and the Walloon Agency of Exports and Investments (AWEX) made a review of the activities and events organized in 2014 by the Embassy and encouraged the further development of relations between Romania and the Walloon region particularly in the area of clusters. Romania is interested in transferring the Walloon experience in the area of clusters and competition poles to the sectors of the Romanian economy with highest potential for development.

Official opening of the exhibition Roads to 1989. Central and Eastern Europe 1939-1989 On 18 November, at the Solidarity 1980 Esplanade in Brussels (in front of the European Parliament), the exhibition “Drumuri către 1989. Europa Centrală și de Est 1939-1989” was officially inaugurated. The exhibition was dedicated to the anniversary of 25 years since the change of political regimes in the region. The project was initiated by the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (www.enrs.eu) and was promoted by the Embassies of Romania and Germany in Belgium, with the support of the Embassies of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia, the Commune of Ixelles and the Information Office of the European Parliament. The inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schultz, the Mayor of the Ixelles Commune, Willy Decourty, and the ambassadors of the Central and Eastern European states.

Ceremony of unveiling of the statue of Prince Dimitrie Cantemir in Brussels

On 21 October, the official ceremony of unveiling of the statue of Dimitrie Cantemir was organized in the Square Egide Rombaux of Anderlecht - Brussels, in the presence of the Minister of foreign affairs of Romania. At the ceremony participated the Mayor of the commune of Anderlecht, Eric Tomas, the

Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in Belgium, the Ambassador of Turkey in Belgium, as well as representatives of the federal and regional Belgian authorities, representatives of the Rotary Club of Bucharest and Brussels and members of the Romanian community in Bruxelles who contributed to the success of this project of special symbolic significance.

Meeting of the Minister Delegate for Romanians abroad, Bogdan Stanoevici, with members of the Romanian community in Belgium On 22 November, the minister-delegate for the Romanians abroad, Bogdan Stanoevici, held a meeting with personalities of the Romanian community in Belgium and representatives of associations and projects active at the level of the Romanian community. The meeting, organized by the Romanian Embassy, offered an opportunity for an open dialogue on the needs and priorities of the Romanians in Belgium and the tools to approach these needs at the level of the Department for the Romanians abroad.

Meeting of the Ambassador of Romania with Anne Barzin, Acting Mayor of Namur On 25 November 2014, the Ambassador of Romania had a meeting with Anne Barzin, Acting Mayor of the town of Namur. The discussions reviewed the actions of decentralized cooperation organized in 2014 and explore new projects for 2015. The Romanian side pleaded for the introduction of a more important economic dimension in the relation of cooperation between the cities of Namur and Cluj-Napoca.

Flanders Grand Centenary Commemoration ceremonies On 28 October, Ambassador Stefan Tinca represented Romania on the occasion of the Commemoration Ceremonies of 100 years since the beginning of First World War organized by Flander’s government, in a series of events which took place at Ypres and Nieuwport. The festivities marked the commemoration of victims of war and conveyed a strong message of unity.

Famous caricaturist Stefan Popa Popa’s special guest at the Belgian Federal Parliament On 26 November, the world-renowned Romanian caricaturist Ștefan Popa-Popas was invited at the Federal Parliament of Belgium for a live session of portraits and caricatures of Belgian politicians. The extraordinary event enjoyed the participation of numerous Belgian MPs, such as the Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives, Siegfried Bracke, the federal minister of health, Maggie De Block, the leader of the Group of the francophone socialists, Laurette Onkelinx, the president of the interparliamentary friendship group Romania-Belgium, Muriel Gerkens.

Our activities

Gala dinner offered by the Ambassador of Romania at the Cercle Royal Gaulois On 28 November, at Cercle Royal Gaulois, the Ambassador of Romania in Belgium offered a gala dinner having as special guest the Municipality of Craiova, represented by Mayor Olguta Vasilescu. The event was organized around a special concept that combined music, gastronomy and fashion design.

25 years anniversary from the creation of the Association Operation Villages Roumains - Belgium Between 4-6 December, the Association Operation Villages Roumains (OVR) Belgium organized with the support of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) of the EU and the Embassy of Romania in Belgium, a series of events dedicated to the anniversary of 25 years since its creation. The event enjoyed the participation of the president of the CoR, Michel Lebrun and the Administrator General of the organization Wallonie Bruxelles International (WBI), Pascale Delcomminette, as well as representatives of the academic and associative fora of Romania and Belgium. The discussions and debates over three days focused on successful examples of decentralized cooperation between Romania and Belgium during the 25 years of partnership. A special presence at the event was that of the representatives of OVR Republic of Moldova. The projects of cooperation presented on this occasion revealed the interest for developing a dynamic relationship of cooperation between OVR francophone (France, Belgium, Switzerland) and OVR Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

Concert of maestro Corneliu Gheorghiu and launching of the book Despre Pianistică On 13 December, the Embassy of Romania and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Brussels organized a concert on the occasion of the launching of the French translation of the book Despre Pianistică by maestro Corneliu Gheorghiu. The concert, organized at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Brussels, was performed by maestro Gheorghiu with the mezzo-soprano Mariana Iacob and benefited from the presence of the Ambassador of Romania and the RCI director, as well as a numerous audience.

Christmas Concert of the Psalmodia Transilvanica choir On 10 December, the Ambassador of Romania attended a Christmas songs concert at the Romanian Orthodox Church „Sfântul Nicolae” performed by the choir Psalmodia Transilvanica of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Cluj-Napoca. On 12 December, courtesy of the priests of Sf Nicolae church, the choir Psalmodia Transilvanica interpreted Christmas songs for our team, in the main hall of the Embassy.

Celebration of the National Day of Romania

In the evening of 1 December 2014, the Ambassador of Romania offered a gala reception on the outstanding premises of the Royal Museum of the Army dedicated to the celebration of the National Day of Romania. The reception took place in the hall 1914-1918 and offered to over 350 guests the privilege to enjoy, for the first time on Belgian soil, the exhibition Romanians and the Great War (Les Roumains et la Grande Guerre/De Roemenen en de Groote Ooorlog) organized with the support of the National History Museum of Romania and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Brussels. The exhibition focuses on the realities of the Eastern front of the Great War and will remain in Belgium until the end of 2018. The first public presentation of the Exhibition was organized at Flander’s Department for Foreign Affairs and was opened by Mr. Koen Verlaeckt, Secretary general of the Department and Mr Stefan Tinca, ambassador. The exhibition was opened for the public between 4-19 December 2014.

EMBASSY OF ROMANIA In the Kingdom of Belgium

Phone: +32 (0)2 345 26 80

Fax: +32 (0)2 346 23 45

Rue Gabrielle 105,

B – 1180 Bruxelles

If you want to know more about our

activities, please visit our website

http://bruxelles.mae.ro

or write us at

newsletter@roumanieamb.be

Our activities

Future events:

6 January 2015 – Ambassador’s visit to Bruges

20 January 2015 – meeting at the Embassy with Romanian NGO’s from Belgium to discuss 2015 projects

6th February 2015 – debate about tourism in Romania within Brussels Tourism Fare (Brussels EXPO)

Early March – new meeting of Romania – Belgium Business Club (CAROMB)

Mid- March – concert celebrating le Jour de la Francophonie