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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-04-24
April 24, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Government decisions
[02] First meeting of Radu Vasile Cabinet
[03] Senate proceedings
[04] House of Deputies proceedings
[05] Romanian Foreign Minister Plesu on a visit to Washington
[06] Turkey's support for Romania's NATO integration
[07] Swedish ambassador on a visit to Iassy
[08] Germany is interested in Romania's recent developments
[09] Romania - a major support in solving the Kosovo crisis
[01] Government decisions
Romanian Government spokesman for political affairs Razvan Popescu said the
Cabinet meeting yesterday decided to request urgent adoption procedures for
the 1998 Budget. Mr Popescu has announced that the new state counsellors
included Petrisor Gabriel Peiu, State Councellor for communications, big
companies, commercial companies and education, Sorin Fodoreanu, State
Counsellor for industrial and transport policies, Cristian Covrig, State
Counsellor for privatisation issues and promotion of foreign investments,
Adrian Serbu, State Counsellor for local public administration and relation
with political parties, Florin Vodita and Victor Chiujdea, State
Counsellors for foreign affairs, Gabriela Stoica, State Counsellor for
information, Petroniu Vasii, State Counsellor for defence and national
security issues, and Serban Romulus Dan, State Counsellor for health
issues. The spokesman added that other three state counsellors were to be
designated in a few days while the list of state secretaries was to be
finalised next Wednesday at the latest. RADOR, April 24
[02] First meeting of Radu Vasile Cabinet
During its first meeting yesterday, the Romanian Government has expressed
its opinions concerning some parliamentary initiatives, the farmers'
pension issue included. Agricultre and Food Minister Dinu Gavrilescu said
that most ministers rejected the proposal as the issue was to be solved
according to pension law. On the other hand, minister Gavrilescu said his
ministry had a different initiative concerning this same issue, but the
Cabinet did not succeed in debating it yet. However, he informed that the
Parliament might consider the ministers' opinion, though MPs were entitled
to accept it or not. RADOR, April 24
[03] Senate proceedings
The Romanian Senate has debated and adopted the draft law concerning the
Day of National Flag. Starting with this year, The Day of the National Flag
will be celebrated on June 26. 150 years ago, the three-colour flag was
proclaimed as national flag of Romania. The Senate session yesterday also
included the first round of voting to validate PNTCD Senator Ulm Spineanu
as deputy speaker of the Senate. Mr Spineanu is to replace Senator Radu
Vasile, now Prime Minister of Romania. A second round of voting was neede
as Mr Spineanu did not receive the number of votes requested, but the
procedure could not go on due to the lack of quorum. Consequently, debates
around the legal initiative allowing access to former Securitate files were
alos potponed. The session was suspended and it would be resumed on Monday
at 3 PM. RADOR, April 24
[04] House of Deputies proceedings
In its opening session on Thursday, Romanian deputies have adopted the
Emergency Ordinance to raise slaries of some public workers. The ordinance
stipulates a 25% raise in the salaries of public workers who did not get
any additional money since 1995. The hierarchical coefficient for personnel
employed as debutante, for some positions in all-level educational
institutions and ministries is to be raised as well. The ordinance
stipulates a 15% raise in the salaries of the personnel having scientific
titles. The deputies have also adopted articles in the draft law on
organising referendums. The law mentions the issues of national interest
requesting this kind of consultation and provides details concerning the
procedure. Romanian deputies have also started debates concerning the draft
law on organising the SPP (The Romanian Guard and Protection Service).
RADOR, April 24
[05] Romanian Foreign Minister Plesu on a visit to Washington
While in Washington, Romanian Foreign Minister Andrei Plesu said that April
1999 was expected to answer Romania's hopes of NATO integration and secure
the position of plausible candidate that the country was wishing to
consolidate. After meeting US Senator Gordon Smith, the chief commissioner
for European Affairs with the Foreign Affairs Committee in the US Senate,
the Romanian minister said that Mr Smith believed in Romania's chances to
join the Euro-Atlantic structures. "We have also agreed that growing
progress was made in the process of reform, privatisation and approximation
of our legal system to international legislation. Along with a US Senate
delegation, Senator Smith may come again to Romania this autumn in order to
see how things are going on the ground", Mr Plesu said. Yesterday, minister
Plesu visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington which opened five years
ago and attended a lunch at Georgetown University where he was expected to
teach if he declined the mandate of minister. RADOR, April 24
[06] Turkey's support for Romania's NATO integration
At a press conference along with his Romanian counterpart in Bucharest
yesterday, Turkish Defence Minister Ismet Sezgin said his country supported
and would support Romania in its attempt to join NATO in order to ensure
security and stability in Europe. "I hope Romania will become a NATO member
as soon as possible and bring its contribution to security in the region
and in Europe", he said. Romanian Defence Minister Victor Babiuc has
informed that, among other issues, their talks focused on ways of fighting
organised crime. Mr Babiuc said that the two armies will participate in the
fight against terrorism and organised crime, and an exchange of information
will develop between the two sides. According to Mr Sezgin, Turkey is
interested in buying Ghimbav-made Cobra helicopters and producing along
with Romania an armoured vehicle of Romanian conception. RADOR, April 24
[07] Swedish ambassador on a visit to Iassy
While on a visit to Iassy, Swedish Ambassador to Romania Niels Revelius
said that the issue concerning the minorities living in Sweden was solved
in a simple, practical and efficient way as his country did not recognise
any national minority living there. The Swedish ambassador said that Sweden
was the single indivisible motherland for all its citizens. This was an
essential element, and Sweden was never supposed to renounce it. "We accept
the same rights for all our people having Swedish citizenship, but we
pretend them to exercise the same duties to the country", the ambassador
said. The Swedish diplomat wanted to stress that the 20,000 Swedish
citizens of Romanian descent were integrated into their country of adoption,
and they became the bridge connecting the two countries. RADOR, April 24
[08] Germany is interested in Romania's recent developments
As head of a Romanian MP delegation representing the Romanian-German
Friendship Group, Mircea Ionescu Quintus has started a visit to Germany on
Thursday. His German counterpart, Bundestag member Klaus Franke said that,
following recent events on Romanian political stage and the government
reshuffle, German deputies had now for the first time the occasion to find
out how their Romanian colleages perceived the political situation in their
country. Mr Franke spoke about the wish of German investors to operate on
the Romanian market: "We would like to know how the new government was
expected to succeed in accelerating the reform. In Germany, there is
growing interest in the Romanian market and investment opportunities down
there; therefore, the ways of improving foreign investments conditions are
carefully watched". RADOR, April 24
[09] Romania - a major support in solving the Kosovo crisis
"The EU needs the advise and experience of Romanian authorities to find a
solution for the crisis in Kosovo", declared the British Foreign Office
Deputy Political Director Peter Rickett on Thursday. At a press conference
hosted by the European Commission Delegation in Bucharest, Mr Rickett said
he and the Romanian authorities reached an agreement on issues concerning
the EU efforts in its attempt to put an end to the crisis. They all
concluded that such conflicts needed international unity and those invloved
in the conflict should renounce fight and start dialogue. "From now on,
Romania will be consulted more often when the EU is about to adopt a
solution on the matter, because we want the Romanians as partners", Mr
Rickett added. The Head of the EC Delegation in Romania, Mrs Karen Fogg, is
about to have further talks on the issue with officials in Hungary and
Bulgaria. RADOR, April 24
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