Romania

Turkish export representatives are contemplating a plan to alleviate truck congestion at the Türkiye-Bulgaria border by transporting vehicles to Romania via sea routes, aiming to resolve the bottleneck through maritime logistics, local media has reported.

The percentage of US visa denials for Bulgarians has steadily decreased in recent years, with 2024 marking a significant improvement at just 6.02%. This figure, the lowest since 2006, is still above the threshold needed for Bulgaria to join the US Visa Waiver Program, which requires the denial rate to remain under 3%.

Bulgarian businesses are facing significant financial losses due to delayed membership in the eurozone and Schengen area, missing out on billions in export potential. An analysis by Allianz Trade, a global leader in trade credit insurance, reveals that Bulgaria's exports could grow by 5.8% annually upon eurozone entry.

On January 10, Romania will officially be accepted into the US Visa Waiver Program, marking the cancellation of visa requirements for Romanian citizens traveling to the United States.

Since the beginning of 2025, Moldova, including the breakaway pro-Russian region of Transnistria, has been grappling with a severe energy crisis following the cessation of gas deliveries by Russian gas giant Gazprom. The move has left parts of the country without heating and water, as temperatures hover around freezing.

Today, approximately a third of Orthodox Christians worldwide are marking Christmas Eve, as they observe the holiday on January 7, according to the Julian calendar. This includes nations and regions such as Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Bosnian Serb Republic, Georgia, Belarus, Armenia, and Ethiopia, along with the monastic community of Mount Athos and Jerusalem.

Türkiye's most popular holiday destination Antalya welcomed a record 17.28 million visitors last year, with Russians topping the list.

In 2024, for the first time, more than 1 million Turks residing abroad visited the Mediterranean city, according to data from the provincial directorate of culture and tourism.

Starting from January 1, 2025, travelers with children no longer need to provide declarations of consent from absent parents when crossing into Greece and Romania, as announced by Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, Director of the Border Police. This change applies to travel to these two countries, following the removal of land border checks between Bulgaria, Romania, and the Schengen area.

Bulgaria's tourism sector is set to achieve a record-breaking year in 2024, according to the Ministry of Tourism. The country welcomed 10.7 million foreign visitors between January and September, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by 200,000 tourists.

Greeks allocate a higher percentage of their income to housing than citizens of other European Union member states. The average across the EU is 19.7%.