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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-08-06
August 6, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] President Emil Constantinescu met Romania's Minister for European
Integration Alexandru Herlea;
[02] A Multicultural University - the PNL Central Permanent Bureau's
Option;
[03] PNL: Further Controversy over the Bell Helicopters Affair;
[04] SIE Chief Hearing Delayed;
[05] Special Government Measures Following Hot Weather;
[06] Victims of Hot Weather;
[07] Alfa Cartel Against Private System of Pensions;
[08] Prime Minister Radu Vasile on a Visit to Israel;
[09] Irish Justice Ministry's Concern over Romanian Immigrants.
[01] President Emil Constantinescu met Romania's Minister for European
Integration Alexandru Herlea
A communique issued by the Presidential Press Office says that President
Emil Constantinescu is expected to ask the prime minister, the speaker of
the House of Deputies and the speaker of the Romanian Senate to accelerate
Romania's process of European integration and focus on both the
approximation of the country's legal system to the European law and the
economic and institutional reform. The president has expressed his position
during his meeting on Wednesday with Romania's Minister for European
Integration Alexandru Herlea. The minister provided details about the
current stage in the drawing up of Romania's National Programme for EU
Integration and the European Commission's possible opinion of Romania's
progress after the adoption of the Agenda 2000. RADOR
[02] A multicultural university - the PNL Central Permanent Bureau's option
At its meeting on August 5, the Central Permanent Bureau of the National
Liberal Party (PNL) discussed the issue concerning the setting up of
Hungarian language teaching university. PNL first vicepresident Valeriu
Stoica said the party's leadership decided to support the multicultural
model. "There are several versions of the issue", the minister said.
"Firstly, the Babes-Bolyai University is already a Romanian- Hungarian
multicultural university. Another university may open in another town, in
Targu Mures for instance, as I believe that another univerity in Cluj would
not be appropriate. It should be a multicultural university using the
languages of all Romania's national minorities", Mr Stoica concluded.
RADOR
[03] PNL: further controversy over the Bell Helicopters affair
The Central Permanent Bureau of the PNL has decided to ask the Romanian
Government to draw up a document including all political, strategic-
military and economic arguments for and against the Bell Helicopters
contract. PNL first vicepresident Valeriu Stoica said his party would be
able to express its position only after such a document could be examined.
The PNL leader pointed out that the decision over the issue should belong
to the government as "only the government, and not a particular party, was
supposed to take over the responsibility for the project". According to Mr
Stoica, the procedures may not be delayed as long as Finance Minister
Daniel Daianu has actually signed the contract. The PNL first vicepresident
has expressed his party's further support of the finance minister. RADOR
[04] SIE chief hearing delayed
The parliamentary commission monitoring the activity of Romania's Foreign
Intelligence Service (SIE) has decided to postpone the hearing of the SIE
chief planned on August 6. Chief commissioner George Serban has explained
that the SIE chief should be interrogated along with his deputy, Corneliu
Grigoras. As general Grigoras could not be found, the hearing of the SIE
chief was useless, deputy George Serban said. RADOR
[05] Special government measures following hot weather
A draft law allowing the working day to be reduced or cancelled on hot
weather conditions is to be submitted to the government within a week. The
project referes only to public institutions, utilities or commercial
companies lacking air conditioning. The law is also stipulating a reduction
in the working programme from eight to six our and free protection food and
cool drinks. The ministries responsible - the Labour and the Finance
Ministries - are to evaluate the resulting costs and the fiscal
implications the project involves. RADOR
[06] Victims of hot weather
17 people died in the last two weeks following the hot weather. The
meteorologists have warned that high temperatures would persist in the
southern parts of the country, exceeding those in 1945. Romania's Labour
Ministry is preparing a legal document stipulating reduced working hours at
temperatures over 40 centigrades while the City Hall of the 5-th Sector in
Bucharest has already reduced its working programme from eight to six
hours. RADOR <P>
[07] Alfa Cartel against private system of pensions
The trade union confederation Alfa Cartel says the emergency law on the
private system of pensions is the result of group interests and the pension
system restructuring should not be achieved without previous public debates
as such decisions would have major consequnces for the population. The Alfa
Cartel's National Executive Bureau reminds the Labour Ministry that any
legal initiative should be discussed by the three-party commissions before
its submission to the government. RADOR
[08] Prime Minister Radu Vasile on a visit to Israel
The Prime Minister Radu Vasile's official visit to Israel has ended with a
meeting hosted by the Romanian ambassador to Israel. Participants included
Romanian officials and intelectual Jews of Romanian descent. When asked to
brief the journalists on hos four days of talks, meetings and contacts with
Israeli politicians and businessmen, The Romanian prime minister said his
visit was very special and exceeded the usual ordinary relations between
two governments. According to the prime minister, both the official and
private talks have concentrated on economic and political matters of mutual,
regional and national interest. The prime minister said he was convinced
that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would come to Romania
shortly. RADOR
Prime Minister Radu Vasile paid a visit to Nazareth on Wednesday afternoon.
The Galati-born mayor of the town, Menahem Aliav, gave him a warm welcome
along with the key and the badge of Nazareth. The mayor has mentioned the
existing relations between the Association of Romanian Jews and Romania.
"The town of Nazareth and the town of Alba Iulia, as actually Romania in
all, have established relations of brotherhood", Mr Aliav added.
[09] Irish Justice Ministry's concern over Romanian immigrants
The Greek police has arrested 46 Romanian illegal immigrants on Tuesday.
Another 70 Romanian immigrants were arrested by the French police while
they were preparing to leave for Ireland. On Saturday, the Italian police
has detained a minibus full of Romanian illegal immigrants and then sent it
back to Austria. The Romanians seem very interested in taking advantage of
all the weaknesses the European immigration system may have. Ireland seem
to be the Romanians' main target, but the Irish Government has announced
measures aimed at making them change their mind. The Irish Ministry of
Justice is preparing a draft law stipulating fines and prison terms for
ship commanders, plane pilots and truck drivers who illegally bring such
refugees to the country. The Irish authorities and public opinion were
actually terrified after the last wave of Romanian refugees, most of them
Gypsies, broke into the country in their attempt to benefit from the Irish
social assistance system. According to the Irish law, a refugee may stay in
Ireland up to three or four years until his case is solved, the same source
says. RADOR
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