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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-10-16
October 16, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Laws Promulgated;
[02] Senate Proceedings;
[03] House of Deputies Proceedings;
[04] Cabinet Meeting;
[05] PD Press Conference;
[06] PSDR Press Conference;
[07] PNL Press Conference;
[08] PAR Press Conference;
[09] Regulations for Admission to Colleges and Training Schools;
[10] The Romanian President Met the Chief of Staff of the Polish Army;
[11] Fourth Meeting of Romania-EU Association Committee;
[12] Final Account of a Meeting in Budapest.
[01] Laws promulgated
Romania's President Emil Constantinescu has promulgated a series of laws on
Thursday. The documents included the Law ratifying the loan agreement
between Romania, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Romania's National
Telecommunications Company ROM TELECOM signed in Luxembourg and Bucharest
on November 12 and 14, 1997, concerning the second part of the financing
for the telecommunication development project, the Law allowing Romania's
accession to the Statute of the Inter-Eurropean Organisation of Fiscal
Administrations signed in Slovakia on Septeber 29, 1997, and the Law
allowing growing facilities for developing rural tourism. RADOR
[02] Senate proceedings
At its session on Thursday, the Romanian Senate has adopted the draft law
approving the Emergency ordinance 92/1997 encouraging direct investments.
The document stipulates tax relief for foreign and domestic investors using
funds for developing their own businesses or participating in new projects.
According to the law, the businessmen investing more than 1 million dollars
(or their equivalent in lei) benefit from a tax relief similar to the
capital they invested. The senate has also adopted the law approving the
Ordinance 9/1998 allowing an exchange of agriculutre cupons for purchasing
veterinary medicines, mixed animal fodder, spare parts for farming machine-
tools or diesel fuel. RADOR
[03] House of Deputies proceedings
At their meeting on Thursday, the Romanian deputies have adopted a series
of draft laws such as the draft law amending and completing the law on the
restructuring of Romania's Savings Securities (CEC), the law amending and
completing the Ordinance on audio and video licences, the law allowing
Romania's National Bank (BNR) to issue precious metal-made coins of
numismatic value, and the low approving the Government Ordinance on stamp
taxes for notarial activities. RADOR
[04] Cabinet meeting
At the meeting on Thursday, Industry and Trade Minister Radu Berceanu has
presented Romania's Cabinet with a report concerning preparations carried
out to ensure the energy resources during the winter. He said the
government intended to cut the price of energy products, but one however
should pay for them. As far as the domestic customers are concerned, gas
and energy meters are to be introduced in the very next future. RADOR
[05] PD press conference
The vicepresident of the Democratic Party (PD), Alexandru Sassu, told a
press conference on Thursday that the two draft law protecting the tennants
and the draft law on property returns could lead to serious social troubles
as they were not a solution but a 5-year delay in the dispute between
owners and tennants. The PD leadership has announced the party would amend
the two draft laws in parliament and support only the project establishing
the tennants' protection at institutional level. RADOR
[06] PSDR press conference
At a press conference on Thursday, the leadership of the ruling Romanian
Social Democrat Party (PSDR) has expressed its concern about the vote in
parliament and the anti-NATO speeches made by the Opposition. PSDR leader
Sergiu Cunescu said the attitude could lead to the wrong impression that
Romania did not want to join NATO anymore. Mr Cunescu said that recent
opinion polls denied such allegations. RADOR
[07] PNL press conference
The president of the National Liberal Party, Mircea Ionescu Quintus,
believes that Romania's position on the Kosovo crisis answers to both the
country's political and moral commitments to NATO and its commitments to
Yugoslavia. At a press conference on Thursday, the PNL leadership has
welcomed the appointment of stage director Cristian hadjiculea as president
of Romanian Television's Administration Council and expressed the hope the
public television would become more balanced and objective. Answering press
reports about alleged disputes between Democrats and Liberals over the law
protecting the tennants and the law on property returns, PNL first
vicepresident Valeriu Stoica said such disagreements were not serious. He
explained the Democrats' attitude by the party's fear of losing its
supporters. Referring to the Law on land reform, Mr Stoica shared the PD
proposal of a draft law to be drawn up by the government. RADOR
[08] PAR press conference
At a press conference on Thursday, Romania's Alternative Party (PAR) has
presented the Right-Wing doctrine of national security. PAR leader Varujan
Vosganian said the Right-Wing believed that the guarantee for the
Romanians' basic rights and liberties, the political and economic stability,
the elimination of threats to Romania's national interests, an enforcement
of Romania's position as pillar of security and stability in Europe and
around the world - all these could ensure Romania's national security. Mr
Vosganian said the Right-Wing believed the Romanian Army was one of the
pillars of the country's moral revival, and therefore, the civil community
should authorise and help the army's reform by increasing its annual budget
by 1.2 billion lei at least. RADOR
[09] Regulations for admission to colleges and training schools
The board of Romania's National Education Ministry (MEN) has completed the
regulations allowing the pupils graduating the eighth form to enter
colleges and training schools. According to new regulations, the college or
training school candidates covering the number of admissions already
planned may be accepted according to the mark average following their
eighth form graduating exams. After the eighth form graduating exams, the
music, fine arts, theatre, ballet, sports or theology colleges as well as
police or navy colleges should carry out skill tests. The tests should get
a mark between 1 and 10, and the average should be 50% of the general
average added to the gratuating average. College and training school
candidates exceeding the number of admissions already planned should take a
test according to the profile of the school they applied for. RADOR
[10] The Romanian president met the Chief of Staff of the Polish Army
While at the Cotroceni Palace on Thursday, Romania's President Emil
Constantinescu met the Chief of Staff of the Polish Army, Army General
Henryk Schumsky. The Chief of Staff of the Romanian Army, Division General
Constantin Degeratu has also attended the meeting. RADOR
[11] Fourth meeting of Romania-EU Association Committee
The headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels hosted the fourth
meeting of the Romania-EU Association Committee. The Romanian delegation
included state secretaries, directors and counsellors in several ministries
led by Romania's Minister for European Integration Alexandru Herlea. The
meeting on Thursday focused on general issues concerning the current stage
of relations between Romania and the EU. The way Romania was meeting the EU
accession criteria was also subject to debates. The meeting reviewed
Romania's activity according to the 1998 annual report sent to the EU
experts last month. RADOR
[12] Final account of a meeting in Budapest
The meeting in Budapest of the Romanian-Hungarian Intergovernment
Commission for cooperation and active partnership has ended on Wednesday.
The second session was aimed at analysing the activity of the ten working
subcommissions set up according to bilateral agreements previously reached.
Commissioners have agreed on the setting up of new commissions such as the
commissions on religious, youth, sports, health and social issues. The
subcommission on minority affairs has already started its activity. The
meeting however focused mainly on examining the activity of the
subcommission for economic affairs and new opportunities of developing
trade between Romania and Hungary. Participants have expressed satisfaction
with their cooperation under the CEFTA Agreement. They have also decided to
open new border crossing points and modernise the existing ones. The
cooperation between the two sides was actually appreciated as an example
since the bilateral basic Treaty was signed. The commission has decided to
present the foreign ministries and then the governments in the two
countries with concrete proposals designed to improve bilateral cooperation
in various fileds. At a press conference after the meeting, the Hungarian
Foreign Ministry's State Secretary Zsolt Nemeth and the director general
for political affairs in Romania's Foreign Ministry, Mihnea Constantinescu,
have organised a press conference aimed at providing details about the
event. RADOR
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