|
I had the same situation. I'm going to search the charity shops!
It's all happening in Bucharest. First a religious summit and now this:
Events and political meetings have already started in Bucharest on the eve of the 11th Francophony Summit, the biggest event of its kind ever held in Romania. The capital is prepared to host delegations representing the 710 million inhabitants of Francophone countries on 5 continents.
With the meeting of the Standing Council of Francophony, the series of events as part of the 11th Francophony Summit got under way in Romania's capital city, Bucharest, on Monday. The Summit, between September the 28th and the 29th, is this year held for the first time in a European capital other than Paris. The 63 delegations, representing 53 member states and 10 observer states, will be joined by 180 representatives of Francophone towns who on Tuesday and Wednesday will attend the General Assembly of the Francophone Mayors' Association and by a large number of delegates from important international organisations.
17,000 Romanians have been involved in the preparations for this event of an unprecedented extent here in Romania and at the same time the costliest ever: 9 million euros, plus external funding from France, Canada and Switzerland. The guests, among whom over 30 heads of State or Government, will be accommodated in Bucharest's 4 and 5 star hotels. Thousands of policemen will watch over their security and hundreds of doctors in seven hospitals will be on call. The Otopeni International Airport will see a 20% rise in flights.
To ensure the security of the official motorcades, a special lane has been created along the main thoroughfares linking the airport to the Parliament Palace which hosts the events. To help ease the traffic, school pupils and students as well as the employees in the public sector have been given three days off. Bucharest's Mayor General, Adriean Videanu, says that the city is prepared for this event both logistically and in terms of a rich Francophone cultural offer, so that the summitteers may appreciate Romania's efforts and become its friends.
“It is no easy thing to host 63 delegations, at the level of heads of state and members of the International Association of Francophone Mayors. There will be cultural events, meant to highlight both the Francophone values and the relationship between Romania and the Francophone world. At the same time, Bucharest provides a big business opportunity at present”.
The Francophony Summit will confirm, Among other things, the continuity of the Francophone tradition in Romania, thus instilling a feeling of pride in Romanians. To Bucharest Mayor Adriean Videanu, the event is also a special challenge:
“This is a challenge because the Francophony Summit is, apart from the size and importance of the event, part of the spirit of the Romanian people”.
|