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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-02-04
February 4, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Meeting of the Control, Co-ordination and Management Executive of the
Christian Democratic National Peasant Party (CDNPP)
[02] Democratic Party's Summit
[03] Talks for Finalizing the Document Stating the Functioning of the Main
Coalition
[04] Letter Addressed to President Emil Constantinescu by Russian Prime-
Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin
[05] In Washington the Presidential Counsellor Zoe Petre Has Attended a
Conference Concerning Euro-Atlantic Security
[06] Lukoil Buys 51% SOF Stock in PETROTEL
[07] Russian Companies Are Interested in the Romanian Oil Industry
[08] Impact on Romania of the Agreement for Worldwide Liberalization of
Telecommunications
[01] Meeting of the Control, Co-ordination and Management Executive of the
Christian Democratic National Peasant Party (CDNPP)
The CCME of the CDNPP met on Tuesday evening at the Parliament Palace .
Press was not accepted.As soon as the meeting ended, president Ion
Diaconescu made the following statement: "WF began to discuss a project for
a document stating the functioning of main coalition according to those
principles which were already agreed on January 29th and reiterated on
February 2nd when we met DP representatives. Talks referring to this are to
be continued. Our delegates had made the project. Speaking about DP
ministers'resignation and their free offices we are waiting now NLP's
answer. We have also analysed the stage of the next rules and the necessary
measures for their promotion as soon as it is possible, such as: public
clerk's regulation, ministerial responsability law, initiative referring to
the modification of regulation concerning the Chamber of Deputies and a law
referring to forests regime. Finally it was analysed the situation of those
regions where regional cenferences did not take place yet as well as the
necessary measures for that". On his turn Prime-Minister Victor Ciorbea
answered to the journalists. Referring to the document stating the
functioning of maiF coalition he affirmed that it would be signed on
Tuesday evening or on Wednesday. Speaking about DP'position towards this
document Victor Ciorbea told them he is sure the Democratic Party will sign
it because they have already accepted its principles. Victor Ciorbea also
said RDC (Romanian Democratic Convention) is to have a meeting on Wednesday
for some discussions concerning the proposals of the parties belonging to
the Convention. RADOR, February 4
[02] Democratic Party's Summit
On Tuesday evening DP's leadership met at the residence of the party on
Aleea Modrogan. There were present more than 20 leaders of the party among
which: president Petre Roman, deputy chairmen Traian Basescu, Radu Berceanu,
Cristian Dumitrescu, Adrian Severin, Alexandru Sassu, Bogdan Niculescu-
Duvaz and some other members of parliament. At the end of the meeting
politicians refused to make any statement. They only said they would
continue their negotiations connected with the document which is to be
signF They said this meeting would take place on Wednesday evening but did
not say where would they meet. RADOR, February 4
[03] Talks for Finalizing the Document Stating the Functioning of the Main
Coalition
The CDNPP's, DP's and HDUR's representatives have taken part in finalizing
off the document stating the functioning of the main coalition. During
Tuesday night they were very optimistic towards the signing of the document,
which is to take place on Wednesday. After almost 5 hours of talks Bogdan
Niculescu-Duvaz a DP member said they have already adopted a solution but
he was not authorized to declare more, because the leaders did not meet
yet. The Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (HDUR) sent a delegate to
negotiations: Mr.Gyorgy Tokai. According to his opinion the agreement is
quiet possible and it will be done very soon. On his turn Mirel Taiuc the
representative of the Christian Democratic National Peasant Party (CDNPP)
declared the solution had been found so that on WednesdayFit would be voted
by the leaders of the parties. The National Liberal Party (NLP)'s
delegation left the building without speaking with the journalists. RADOR,
February 4
[04] Letter Addressed to President Emil Constantinescu by Russian Prime-
Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin
Press office of Romania's Presidency says the head of state Emil
Constantinescu has received a letter from the President of Russian
Federation Government Viktor Chernomyrdin. This calls up with pleasure
their meeting in Vilnius and considers it a new impulse for developing
Romanian-Russian relations. He also stresses Romania's part in
strengthening the stability, the good neighbourhood as well as an European
and regional plan of co-operation. Victor Chernomyrdin does not forget to
speak about the economic potential of our country. He also writes:
"Although Russia and Romania had temporary troubles connected with the
special period of building up the market economy relations we consider our
countries have a lot of Fossibilities of enlarging and going deeply into a
co-operation in all domains". Referring to this matter it was pointed out
the greater interest of Russian companies towards the co-operation in the
following fields: fuel's production, mechanical engineering, agriculture
and others. Viktor Chernomyrdin says the economic relations between the two
countries must be also developed within the framework of common
participation for fulfilment lots of projects drawn up and worked out in
South-East Europe and the Black Sea zone. At the end of the letter
addressed to president Emil Constantinescu, Viktor Chernomyrdin considers a
meeting between both heads of government for analysing the economic co-
operation would be very important and useful. The Prime-Minister Victor
Ciorbea is invited by his Russian counterpart to pay a work visit to Russia
during this year spring. RADOR, February 4
[05] In Washington the Presidential Counsellor Zoe Petre Has Attended a
Conference Concerning Euro-Atlantic Security
In Washington the presidential counsellor Zoe Petre has attended a
conference concerning Euro-Atlantic security. Its main subject was NATO
expansion to the East and Central Europe. In her exposing Zoe Petre has
estimated the debate concerning the expansion of NATO is a part of the
larger debate referring to the Euro-Atlantic future on a brink of a new
century. According to her opinion most - but not all - of the developments
of last years in Eastern or Central Europe are irreversible. Zoe Petre has
reviewed the Romanian experience aiming at creating some regional co-
operation systems able to diminish the tensions in the region. The speaker
has referred to the experience of trilateral talks upon different problems
which derived advantage from Romania's high reputation in East and Central
Europe. The presidential counsellor has also said these security agreements
are very important but in Bucharest they are not considered a substitute of
Euro-Atlantic integration. Referring tF the new non-conventional dangers
from zone the presidential counsellor Zoe Petre has said: "When we speak
about security matters we can take into account the fact that war - from
traditional point of view - tends to lose its weight in front of other
dangers like terrorism, drugs traffic, washing of dirty money a.s.o.
Romania must belong to a security system in such a vulnerable and frail
zone" Mrs.Zoe Petre said. RADOR, February 4
[06] Lukoil Buys 51% SOF Stock in PETROTEL
On Tuesday morning the State Ownership Fund (SOF) has signed a deal laying
down the selling of the the SOF's 51% stock in the PETROTEL oil refinery to
the Russian company Lukoil. Signing the deal, the president of the SOF's
board Sorin Dimitriu said that the deal was one of the most important deals
and the second concluded by the SOF with an East European investor. The
deal worths up to 300 million dollars, no special facilities were stated
and the Russian partner has assumed all the debts of the refinery to the
Ftate - the president of the SOF said. The President of the Russian company
Vagit Alek Perov said that considering the value of the refinery they would
be able to enter the southern and eastern European market and to export
some 20 million tons in the Western market. By that the refinery would have
also access to oil processing. Alek Perov said that the refinery has now
some 2500 employees and that Lukoil has no dismissals in view. Starting on
February the crude oil delivery will begin and the refinery will start
working at its standard capacity. RADOR, February 4
[07] Russian Companies Are Interested in the Romanian Oil Industry
The Russian oil company Lukoil and the State Ownership Fund (SOF) have
signed the contract by which Lukoil bought the main stock package in the
Pitesti PETROTEL refinery. Shortly after this, 3000 employees fired last
year would be re-employed. The Russian company also has some other
investment plans in the romanian oil industry. They are trying to persuade
oneFof the five biggest refineries in Romania - RAFO Onesti - to import
some 150 thousand tons of crude oil per month. Lukoil is the main partner
of a big chain of gas stations in Romania. The Russians seem to be
interested in the Romanian market because refineries in Russian are working
at full capacity - BBC comments. The SOF entered deals with Holster -
another Russian company that has branches in some Western countries.
Holster has won auction for the Vega refinery but signing the deal was
delayed following an appeal from the Muntenia Financial Investment Trust.
RADOR, February 4
[08] Impact on Romania of the Agreement for Worldwide Liberalization of
Telecommunications
The Romanian Minister of Communications Sorin Pantis said that Romania was
one of the first countries to ratify the agreement for worldwide
liberalization of telecommunications. He has shown that: "We have
completely liberalized telecommunication services except for the basic
telephone services on which ROMTELECOM reFains monopoly until 2002,
December 31. The rest of our services are liberalized on a competitive -
and I think - modern market. Besides that, we are in the top of service
liberalizing and that is why I remind you that we have given the
opportunity to the providers of cable televisions to offer access to the
INTERNET - this makes Romania the first European country and the fourth in
the world to do that." The Minister of communications said that INTERNET
data transmission has been completely liberalized and this was "a
competitional market where some big companies are involved". Mr. Pantis
added that "the competition we have to face assures we provide quality
services." RADOR, February 4
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