Moldovans

A government decision to gift Moldovans three days off work next week is being seen as an attempt to blunt an opposition protest called for August 26.

August 27 and 31 are already public holidays, but a government initiative to declare the rest of the week off amounts to an invitation to Moldovans to head off on vacation, some political analysts say.

Romania's parliament is to discuss a bill that would allow ethnic Romanians from non-EU countries in the Balkans to get jobs in Romania more easily than other non-EU citizens, to meet a growing labour shortage.

MPs from a number of parties submitted the bill to the Senate last week. It must now be discussed by parliamentary commissions and in plenary sessions.

It is Romania's duty to really support the Republic of Moldova and the Moldovans, while "bombastic speech in an electoral key" do not help the citizens of either of the two countries, President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday after touring the Bucharest International Auto Show (SIAB).

Politicians in Bucharest have reacted with dismay and in some cases with anger after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday presented his Moldovan counterpart Igor Dodon with an ancient map of Moldova that includes parts of modern Romania.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said in opening remarks to the Diaspora Estival (The Summer of the Diaspora) Programme in the Black Sea resort of Eforie Nord on Monday that the image of Romania in countries like Britain and Italy also depends on the Romanians who go there and on what they say about their country.

The two teams that left Romania in the Mongol Rally - Mamaliga (Polenta) Warriors and Dracula Khan - this weekend reached Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, respectively, and their journey included a visit to a body shop in Georgia, meeting other teams in the rally, continual driving to the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan for 36 hours and a lunch served in a yurt.

Romanian officials on Tuesday expressed support for the government of neighbouring Moldova and urged Russia not to encourage separatists in Moldova's Transdniester region in their quest to join Russia.

“Romania together with its EU and NATO partners should show their commitment to supporting Moldova’s independence and territorial integrity,” Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said.