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RADOR: News from Romania, 00-01-03
3 January, 2000
CONTENTS
[01] Romanian President's Message for the New Year
[02] President Emil Constantinescu Is Paying a Five Days Visit to Israel
[03] Romania in the OSCE Troika
[04] Tax Reform Program Adopted by the Government
[01] Romanian President's Message for the New Year
In his New Year message, president Emil Constantinescu expressed his
conviction his country and the entire world would enter a period of quick
and positive changes, after a very tormented decade and century. Shortly
reviewing the difficulties Romania had to overcome in 1999, Constantinescu
also appreciated the achievements in the legislative and economic field,
and especially those in foreign policy. "We, Romanians, had to face all
along this millennary a history determined mostly by the need to resist to
the great empires neighbouring us. We were always against our own will
outside the important alliances or part of alliances that did not match our
interests", he said, adding that the negotiations with the European Union
and the Partnership with NATO mean Romania was becoming part of a union of
sovereign and prosperous states. In his opinion, quoted by RADIO ROMANIA
ACTUALITATI, Romanians should no longer fear they might lose their
independence, their sovereignty, their national unity, their faith, and
their cultural identity. RADOR
[02] President Emil Constantinescu Is Paying a Five Days Visit to Israel
Romanian president Emil Constantinescu starts on Monday a five days visit
to Israel, RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI informs. In the interval January 3-5,
during the official part of the visit, president Constantinescu will meet
his Israeli counterpart, prime minister Ehud Barak, members of the Israeli
Cabinet and representatives of the main political parties, both governing
and in oposition members in the Knesseth, representatives of the Romanian
born Israelis and businessmen. Constantinescu will also visit the
University in Jerusalem and the Memorial "Yad Vashem", dedicated to the
marthyrs and heroes of the Holocaust. In Jerusalem the Romanian head of
state will meet Patriarch Diodoros I, who will confer him the Great Order
of the Knights of the Holly Tomb, while in Bethlehem he will meet the
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The unofficial part of the visit will be
an ecumenical one, during which president Constantinescu will attend in
Bethlehem the religious celebrations marking 2000 since Jesus Christ's
birth. RADOR
[03] Romania in the OSCE Troika
Starting with January 1, Romania became part of the OSCE troika, as future
president of the Organization in 2001. RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI informs
the other two members of the troika are Norway, the Organization president
in 1999, and Austria, OSCE president this year. RADOR
[04] Tax Reform Program Adopted by the Government
The tax reform program adopted by the Romanian Government is meant to stop
the deterioration of public finance and to offer a solid basis to the
budget, prime minister Mugur Isarescu said, quoted by RADIO ROMANIA
ACTUALITATI. The Government decided to reduce the taxes on profit from 38%
to 25% and the added value tax from 22% to 19%. Starting with February 1 a
new, simpler accise duty system will be implemented. RADOR
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