Geoana: Romania should more clearly redefine its international position
Romania should more clearly redefine its position in foreign affairs and in Europe, Mircea Geoana, the Speaker of the Senate, stated yesterday during a debate titled ‘Romania’s place in the new US-Russia equation,’ Agerpres informs. Foreign policy experts took part in the debate. The meeting sought to analyze the impact that the reset of Russian-American relations has on Romania in the context of the US President Barack Obama’s visit to Russia. One of the meeting’s conclusions was that the Romanian authorities have to recalibrate the foreign policy from the point of view of our country’s strategic interest both in its relations with neighboring states and in those with the Russian Federation and the United States of America. The meeting also tackled Romania’s foreign policy opportunities, the need to amplify its own voice within the European Union in what concerns its Eastern policy and at the same time the need to strengthen its relations within NATO and the strategic partnership between Romania and the US.
Geoana underlined that Romania should update the arsenal of influence ‘that it still has but that it no longer maintains.’ ‘And we will start to build from scratch what we have built for decades,’ Mircea Geoana stated during the debate.
On the other hand, during a TV show on Monday evening, the PSD leader expressed his displeasure with the way in which public funds are managed and spent, Realitatea TV informs. ‘I believe public funds are wasted in Romania and that thing is noticed by Europe too. Romania is building highways at prices 50 times higher than any other European state,’ Geoana stated.
President Okays setting up the Commission for agriculture
President Traian Basescu on Monday signed the decision for setting up the presidential Commission for public policies of agricultural development in Romania, led by Dacian Ciolos, former Minister of Agriculture, Agerpres reports. The Commission’s target is to devise documents that will orientate the strategy and public policies for the long-term development of agriculture (within the horizon of year 2020-2025), to draft action plans on medium term (by year 2014) and short term (to be enforced in 2010) and to define Romania’s position with respect to the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. The financing of the Commission’s proceedings and staff will be provided from public funds approved through the state budget of the Presidential Administration. The Commission will operate within the Presidential Administration’s Department for Economic and Social Policies and includes representatives of employers’ organizations, trade unions, academies and universities, and consulting firms involved in the agricultural and agri-food sector.
Alexandru Gheorghe Gussi – the president’s new Education and Research adviser
President Traian Basescu appointed Alexandru Gheorghe Gussi as presidential adviser to the Education and Research Department, Mediafax informs. Gussi is replacing ex-presidential adviser on Education and Research Cristian Preda who has been elected a member of the European Parliament on PDL’s list on June 7.
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Share0 Proposed American Ambassador to Bucharest, heard by US Senate Committee
Mark Gitenstein, proposed as American Ambassador to Romania, was to be interviewed by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, beside the nominees for the positions of Ambassadors in France, UK and Denmark, Mediafax announced. After the interview, Gitenstein will take the oath at the State Department, according to the American procedure. Afterwards, he will submit his credentials to President Traian Basescu and he may start his activity as an Ambassador. Gitenstein was nominated on June 12 by the American President Barack Obama for the position of American Ambassador to Romania, due to his outstanding lobby activities at the US Commerce Chamber, to his activity as adviser of the US Senate Judiciary Committee and to his great achievements as a lawyer.
Crin Antonescu, the senator with the lowest final voting record
The president of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Crin Antonescu, was in the last legislative session the senator with the lowest final balloting record. At the opposite end of the scale stands Democrat-Liberal Senator Gheorghe David, according to a report made public yesterday by the Institute for Public Policies (IPP), Mediafax reports. According to the report on the February through June parliamentary activity, Crin Antonescu only cast two final votes of the 213 on the Senate agenda during the said interval, against Gheorghe David’s 210. The average senatorial attendance at final voting was of 60 per cent, according to IPP, with the highest rate – 70 per cent – registered by the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), followed by the group of the Hungarian Democratic Union in Romania (UDMR) – 58 per cent, the Social Democratic Party – Conservative Party (PSD +PC) group – 56 per cent and the PNL group – 50 per cent.
PDL demands approval by Parliament for Tariceanu’s prosecution
PDL would demand the approval of the Parliament for the start of a legal pursuit against former Liberal Premier Calin Popescu Tariceanu in the Sterling case, the Democrat-Liberal Deputy Sever Voinescu announced yesterday, mentioning that the issue would be discussed in the Permanent Bureau of the Chamber, Mediafax reported. The Deputy also mentioned that former Premier Calin Popescu Tariceanu failed to fulfill his constitutional duties as Premier of Romania, “by approving an issue that severely affected the Romanian state and undermined the national economy by illegitimately concession of gas and oil resources discovered on rented areas.”
In response, Tariceanu showed in an open letter to Roberta Anastase, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, that he had nothing to hide on the Sterling contract and that he intended to use no privilege and no law on Parliamentary immunity, conferred by his status as Deputy or as former PM, in order to influence this investigation.
“I consider that this case should be investigated thoroughly and carefully, as our common interest is to unveil the truth. I am ready and willing to provide my Deputy colleagues all the details needed to solve this case,” the former Liberal premier outlined.
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Share0 Italian businessman robbed by eight Roma women
An Italian businessman was robbed on Monday, at Pitesti, by eight Roma women who surrounded him and stole his wallet with documents and money, the incident taking place close to the building of Arges Tribunal, a busy area, where there are numerous pickpockets. According to Arges Police representatives, the Italian citizen told the officers that he was surrounded by the group of women, and in a few second he noticed that his wallet containing identity documents, EUR 1,000 and RON 1,000, had disappeared. The Italian managed to recover his documents, but not the money, the eight women, aged between 17 and 41, being identified and taken to the Police Section for questioning.
Seven cars involved in pileup on DN 22C
A multi-car pileup took place yesterday on National Road 22C in Medgidia. Seven cars were involved in the pileup. One person lost its life and six others were seriously injured, Realitatea TV informs. The traffic was blocked.
‘The car crash took place around noon because of a driver that carelessly entered an illegal overtaking. The result has been tragic, with one person dying and six other being seriously injured. Seven vehicles were involved in the crash. Traffic was detoured on County Road 223 and through the Nazarcea locality on National Road 2A towards Constanta. Unfortunately we cannot establish the speed of the vehicles involved,’ Laurentiu Dicu, InfoTrafic police commissioner, stated for Realitatea TV.
Bazac – All medical units shall make their spending public
The Health Ministry has launched an online application whereby all the medical units in Romania shall publish their monthly spending, so that anybody could see how the money is spent,’ Mediafax reports. The Health Ministry portal contains data on current and capital spending. According to Health Minister Ion Bazac, the publishing of current expenses by medical units is a necessary exercise in transparence, conducive to increased efficiency. How money is spent will be monitored publicly. The application is also a mechanism aimed at making managers more responsible.
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Share0 Daily expenses in Bucharest, on 107th position worldwide
The daily expenses of an inhabitant of Bucharest placed the city on the 107th position in the world in March 2009, which was a decrease to the 71st position it had reached a year ago, from the 143 cities monitored in the report of the American counseling company Mercer, quoted by The Money Channel. Tokyo had reached the first place in this chart, leaving Moscow behind, as the most expensive city in the world, in March 2009. Our neighbours from Sofia, Bulgaria, reached the 101st position this year, compared to 97th in March 2008, while living in Budapest is slightly cheaper, as the Hungarians reached the 108th position in March 2009, compared to 61st, in the similar month of the previous year. The rent of a luxury three-room apartment in Bucharest was over EUR 1,500, while it was slightly over 1,000 in Budapest and over EUR 740 in Sofia.
Sadoukhas Meralyiev, new general manager of Rompetrol
Sadoukhas Meralyiev was appointed general manager of the company Rompetrol, KazMunayGaz president, Kayrgeldy Kabyldin, announced yesterday at Constanta, according to Agerpres. Meralyiev, who had been general manager previously, replaces Dinu Patriciu, who continues to be a member of the managing committee. The businessman Dinu Patriciu sold at the end of the past month the participation of 25 per cent that he still held in The Rompetrol Group, to KMG company, which controls now entirely the Rompetrol group.
Metrorex to invest RON 350 M in moving stairways and new trains
Metrorex is to invest approximately RON 350 million in 2009 in the modernization of moving stairways in subway stations and the installation of special devices for the access of physically disabled, company representatives declared for Agerpres. Moreover, the company will invest in the finalization of the 1 Mai – Laromet section and in safety equipment. The company will use part of the sum destined to fund investments in order to finance the structure works on tunnels and stations, as well as for the restoration of the Bazilescu station. Company manager Gheorghe Udriste also outlined that EUR 50 million would be further required for the complete rehabilitation of the Pajura and Bazilescu stations until 2011.
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Share0 BCR and Credit Europe Bank cut interest rates
Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) has cut interest rates for floating rate retail loans in RON by up to 3.25 percentage points, reads a press release of the bank. The measure could be taken further to the Central Bank’s monetary policy measures ‘which create good premises for re-starting lending, therefore for a healthy economic recovery.’ After this latest cut, interest rates for BCR retail loans in RON are from 14.75 per cent per year. At the beginning of the month, BCR cut interest rates for corporate loans in RON, as well as those paid for deposits in RON and other currencies. Credit Europe Bank has announced that, starting with July 15, it would cut interest rate for term deposit accounts in RON by two percentage points. The interest rate for newly opened (or renewed before July 15) term deposit accounts in RON will drop to 12 per cent.
Over 50 pc of large companies laid off people in 2009
Over 50 per cent of Romanian companies with over 50 employees have resorted to lay-offs this year, trying to cut expenses in the crisis context, and about half of that in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises, shows a Mercury Research survey quoted by Mediafax. Companies were divided into three categories: large (more than 50 workers), medium (10 to 49 workers) and small (less than 10 workers).
Delhaize completes take-over of four Prodas Bucharest supermarkets
Belgian Delhaize Group through its Romanian subsidiary Mega Image yesterday announced the completion of the take-over of the four Prodas supermarkets in Bucharest, according to a press release. ‘Thanks to the four supermarkets, Mega Image is strengthening its position in Bucharest again. The acquisition will allow us to create sales opportunities and procurement synergies,’ says Mega Image General Manager Xavier Piesvaux. In 2008, the four supermarkets generated total revenues of EUR 12.3. In the next three months, the four Prodas supermarkets in Bucharest with areas from 400 to 750 square metres will be converted into Mega Image supermarkets.
Murfatlar, a winner at Vino Ljubljana again
Murfatlar Romania has won two medals at the Vino Ljubljana International Contest 2009, having been awarded prizes at the 2008 contest too, according to a press release. At 55, Vino Ljubljana is one of the world’s most prestigious wine competitions and the oldest worldwide. This year’s 60-member-strong expert jury from 17 countries examined 470 wine sample entries. The one and only Romanian liquored wine – and the most medalled too – the 12-year-old ‘Lacrima lui Ovidiu’
Thierry Millet, new permanent Manager of Orange Romania
Thierry Millet, former commercial manager of Orange Romania and interim manager of the company after the sudden and unexpected resignation of the British Richard Moat, would overtake the permanent position of Executive Manager of the company starting on Thursday, the mobile telephony operator announced in a press release. Thierry Miller became commercial manager of Orange Romania in October 2005, and coordinated the Customer Service, Marketing and Sales Departments.
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