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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-03-17
March 17, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Banking law promulgated
[02] House of Deputies: draft laws passed
[03] Government officials met trade union and employers' delegates
[04] PNTCD reiterates its support for Prime Minister Ciorbea
[05] PNTCD leadership criticises the newly created PNR
[06] PUNR deputies protest
[07] A German MP on a visit to Cotroceni Palace
[08] Andrei Plesu - Panaiotis Rumeliotis meeting
[09] "Strong Resolve '98" training exercise
[10] Romanian-Moldovan conference
[11] Future French Speaking Week in Bucharest
[01] Banking law promulgated
The Romanian President Emil Constantinescu has promulgated the banking law
yesterday at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. The law refers to banking
institutions, commercial companies legally established and Romanian
branches of foreign banking institutions legally created. A communique
issued by the Press Office of the Romanian Presidency says that, compared
with the former Law 33/1991, the current law provides more details allowing
the approximatiSn of Romanian legislation to European standards in the
field. The new law includes clear regulations concerning terminology and
basic conditions for authorising the newly established banking institutions
as well as cases when the authorisation is rejected or withdrawn. RADOR,
March 17
[02] House of Deputies: draft laws passed
Romanian deputies have adopted yesterday the report by a mediation
commision concerning the draft law to approve the Emergency Ordinance (OG)
73/1997 on insuring and crediting the autumn and winter emergency supplies
for remote areas in the Danube Delta. Deputies have also adopted the
mediation commission report concerning the draft law to approve OG 43 on
the legal status of national routes. Other adopted documents include the
mediation commission reports concerning the draft law to approve OG 34/1997
on completing and amending VAT regulations and the mediation commission
report concerning the draft law on the Romanian National Bank (BNR) status.
Debates haSe started around the Emergency Ordinance amending accise duties
for oil products. RADOR, March 17
[03] Government officials met trade union and employers' delegates
Yesterday at Victoria Palace, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea met
the leaders of the four major trade union federations to discuss the draft
Budget for this year. After the meeting, the prime minister said the trade
unionists' demands have been taken into account: financial resources of 1,
500 billion lei were found to increse the budget for some ministries. The
new funds include 500 billion lei for agriculture and 400 billion lei for
health. The Budget also include 2,800 billion lei for reform, 500 billion
lei for the closing up of mines and 200 billion lei for the EXIMBANK
capital. Draft Budget could be adopted during the Cabinet meeting today.
CSDR trade union leader Radu Colceag said that the draft Budget was
generally unchanged, but some amendments were made however due to trade
unions' pressure aimed at persuSding the Government to find additional
solutions for increased spendings in some ministries. Quoted by the same
source, CNSRL Fratia (Brotherhood) trade union leader Pavel Todoran said he
was displeased with the existing draft Budget and he pleaded for more
meetings with Government officials in order to find solutions preventing a
new drop in the standard of living. In his turn, Romanian Labour Minister
Alexandru Athanasiu has informed that the raise in the salaries would
represent 60% of the consumer prices while other categories of public
workers could get additional money representing 90% of the consumer prices.
RADOR, March 17
[04] PNTCD reiterates its support for Prime Minister Ciorbea
The leader of the governing Christian-Democrat National Peasant Party
(PNTCD) says tha Government activity proves a growing efficiency. At a
press conference on Monday, Ion Diaconescu said his party and the
Democratic Convention in Romania (CDR) were reiterating their support for
Prime Minister Sictor Ciorbea who was not to be replaced. He said the
parties wishing to change the Cabinet should try to reach their goal
through Parliament. Referring to the versions some PNTCD members have
announced, Ion Diaconescu has stressed that such versions did not concern
the PNTCD, but they could be taken into account only if the Government were
to resign. On the other hand, the PNTCD leader has urged the Government to
start solving the existing problems and present the draft Budget to
Parliament as soon as possible. Mr Diaconescu has expressed his belief that
the Budget would be adopted, but he expressed doubts that this would happen
in time, according to law. He even said the Budget was supposed to be
adopted by April 7 or 10. In the end, the PNTCD leader said he would ask
the prime minister to present the Budget on Tuesday. RADOR, March 17
[05] PNTCD leadership criticises the newly created PNR
The PNTCD leadership has criticised the newly created Romanian National
Party (PNR). At a pSess conference on Monday, PNTCD Vicepresident Ion Ratiu
said the decision to set up the PNR was actually a diversion against PNTCD.
Ion Ratiu said the former Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) chief harmed
the PNTCD spiritual identity and therefore he would personally take the
case to court and solve the situation which, as he put it, "was an attempt
to usurp the PNTCD identity". The Transylvanian party of PNR has merged
with the PP (Peasant Party) in the former Romanian Kingdom creating the PNT
(National Peasant Party) - one of the two major Romanian parties before WW
II. RADOR, March 17
[06] PUNR deputies protest
PUNR deputies have left the House session on Monday wishing to express
their protest against the manner the Romanian Television (TVR) has
presented the recent PUNR National Council meeting in Brasov. According to
the same source, PUNR MPs have announced that they were not supposed to
attend any other parliament session or political dialogue with the
governing coalitioS until the DEI board (TVR Department of Information
Programmes) was not being dismissed and a new Administration Council
designated. RADOR, March 17
[07] A German MP on a visit to Cotroceni Palace
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu met Mr Klaus Franke yesterday, the
president of the German-Romanian friendship group in Bundestag. According
to the same source, the meeting focused on ways of improving cooperation
between the governments and parliaments in the two countries. RADOR, March
17
[08] Andrei Plesu - Panaiotis Rumeliotis meeting
Romanian Foreign Minister Andrei Plesu met Panaiotis Rumeliotis on Monday,
coordinator of the stability and good neighbourhood process in South-East
Europe. Previously a French initiative adopted in 1995 when the peace
agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina was signed, the project - known as the
Royaumont Process - was then adopted by the EU. According to the same
source, the agreement is promoting projects aimed at consolidating good
neighbouhooS relations and ensuring stability in the region while observing
the implementation of the peace agreement in former Yugoslavia. Mr
Rumeliotis said that Romania, as one of the EU Applicant States, has to
play a major role in the process. At the same time, he stressed he invited
the Romanian Government to get more involved and have a more efficient
contribution to the process. RADOR, March 17
[09] "Strong Resolve '98" training exercise
NATO "Strong Resolve '98" training exercise has started in Norway, Portugal
and Spain on Monday. After more than a week of preparations, shooting and
parachute sessions, escort and fact finding missions, 50,000 troops from
NATO and PfP countries are involved in the biggest military exercise NATO
has ever coordinated in Europe. The exercise is simulating a peace-keeping
operation during a civil war in a non-existent country. Romanian troops are
expected to participate in peace-keeping operations, air raids, escort and
ambush exercises. After cooperatingSwith their Portugese and German
collegues, the programme now includes joint exercises with Hungarian
troops. RADOR, March 17
[10] Romanian-Moldovan conference
A symposium on "Romanian-Moldovan Cooperation in Developing Scientific
Technology and the Process of European Integration" was hosted by the
Romanian Academy in Bucharest under the auspices of President Emil
Constantinescu, the Centre for European Integratioan Studies, UNESCO, and
the Romanian Association of Terminology TERMIROM. The conference focused on
scientific and technical terminology issues concerning a future Romanian-
Moldovan data base for the INTERNET. Gerlado Cavalcanti, Secretary General
of the Latin Union, has announced a scientific and techical terminology
prize for the Romanian version. Participants included diplomats, Foreign
Ministry (MAE) officials, etc. Admitting the importance of the project,
Sorin Dimitriu, the President of the State Ownership Fund (FPS) said the
Romanian Academy was to benefit from thS FPS financial support. RADOR,
March 17
[11] Future French Speaking Week in Bucharest
MAE Deputy Director Andrei Magheru, Executive Secretary of the National
Consultative Council for French Speaking has been in Paris recently to
attend the general assembly of "The Friends of Maurice Beaumont"
Association. In a statement to the Romanian Radio, Mr Magheru said his
visit was aimed at starting preparations for the 12-th session of the
Ministerial Conference of the French speaking countries in early December.
Participants are expected to include foreign ministers of the 52 French
Speaking Member States. He recalled that March 20 is the International Day
of the French Speaking Countries, and the National Consultative Council,
headed by Romanian Foreign Minister Andrei Plesu, has decided to transform
the day into a French-Speaking Week. Events were expected to open with a
session hosted by MAE and participants would include Romanian and foreign
diplomats of the French speaking countriesSto Bucharest along with members
in the National Consultative Council. Other events could include
conferences, concerts, book exhibitions coordinated by the Romanian-French
Cultural and Scientific Cooperation League, the same source reports. RADOR,
March 17
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