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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-11-17The Press Agency of the Romanian Radio (RADOR Society) Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: RADOR Press Agency <http://indis.ici.ro/romania/news/rador.html>November 17, 1998CONTENTS
[01] Romanian president on a visit to Slovenia and Bosnia and HerzegovinaRomanian President Emil Constantinescu left for Slovenia on Monday following an invitation by his Slovenian counterpart Milan Kuchan. In a statement made before leaving the Otopeni Airport, President Constantinescu said "the visit in Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina proved the major role Romania would like to play in achieving the regional security architecture based on dialogue and cooperation and able to ensure and then preserve stability in the region. In particular, we shall concentrate on developing our relations with Slovenia, a country which, like Romania, is making further steps in its attempt to join the European and Euro-Atlantic structures". RADORThe first part of President Constantinescu's visit to Slovenia included official talks with his Slovenian counterpart and contacts with other Slovenian officials. Addressing journalists at the Presidential Palace in Ljubljana, President Constantinescu said Romania and Slovenia shared similar strategic options in their attempt to join the EU and NATO. Referring to the emerging Balkan conflicts, he popinted out that such tensions had long term damaging effects on all sides involved. As far as the politics are concerned, the extremist movements are threatening to gain power while, economically, a long-lasting recession may favour growing underground economy, corruption, smuggling and organised crime. RADOR Slovenian President Milan Kuchan said relations between the two countries were part of the new European concept, but their cooperation was however influenced by the Euro-Atlantic integration process. Milan Kuchan believed that Romania and Slovenia were both among the first candidates to join NATO, thouch each of them had different interests and economic and political positions. The task is the same, but there are different ways to hit it, the Slovenian president added. RADOR On Tuesday, the Romanian president is expected to meet the speaker of the National Assembly and then have a new round of talks with his Slovenian counterpart Milan Kuchan. The last point on the presidential agenda will include a private meeting with Slovenian scientists. As the RRA reports, President Emil Constantinescu will return to Timisoara on Tuesday evening. RADOR President Constantinescu will fly to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday morning for a visit to the Romanian troops in the region. The president will be back in Bucharest the same day. RADOR [02] Romania will attend a meeting of the WEU Ministerial CouncilThe meeting of the WEU Ministerial Council opened in Rome on Monday for talks over the future of the only defence organisation in Europe. The Romanian ambassador to Italy, Constantin Grigorie, said the first day of the meeting included talks between EU officials, WEU observers and associates over ways to ensure further contacts between the WEU, EU and NATO to decide the role the WEU could play in establishing the European security and defence. RADORRomanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) State Secretary Elena Zamfirescu and Defence Minister Victor Babiuc will represent Romania at the talks on Tuesday with the WEU East-European associates. The Romanian ambassador to Italy says the second day of the meeting will include separate talks between delegations of the defence and foreign ministries in the 28 participant countries. RADOR Ambassador Constantin Grigorie said that "Defence Minister Babiuc and the delegation representing the Romanian National Defence Ministry (MApN) will attend a meeting on WEO operational issues while the MAE delegation will attend attend a meeting on regional security issues mainly concentrationg on South-East Europe and recent developments in Albania the Yugoslav province of Kosovo". RADOR [03] Romania may join the European and Euro-Atlantic structures, US senator Gordon Smith believesWhile visiting Bucharest on Sunday and Monday, the US senator Gordon Smith met Romanian officials and addressed participants in a conference on religious freedom. before leaving on Monday, the senator told a press conference at the Cercul Militar National (ed.n. National Military Circle) that Romania made major progress but there were still a lot of things to do. There was a time when Romania was "absolutely still", the senator said while admitting that, on the other hand, the country was now facing economic changes. Gordon Smith said he was in Romania to encourage the authorities in Bucharest to continue the process of reform. The Republican senator is supporting NATO's expansion and believes the US will help Romania achieve the goal. RADORGordon Smith, a Republican senator of Oregon, said that, considering the changes the country was now facing, Romania could join the European and Euro-Atlantic structures. The senator believes that only the long term projects can make Romania achieve the goal. He said he supported Romania's NATO and EU integration, and the US were supporting the process. Mr Smith recalled the meeting between President Constantinescu and President Clinton, a historic meeting establishing closer contacts between the two presidents. The senator did not question Romania's future NATO membership, but when would it happen because that was the only question, he believed. The American ambassador to Romania, James Rosapepe was also attended the press conference. RADOR [04] Romanian foreign minister on a visit to UruguayThe first day of the official visit the Romanian Foreign Minister Andrei Plesu is paying to Uruguay included meetings with the secretary general of the Latin American Integration Association, Antonio Antunez, and Jorge Fernandez, director of the Mercosur Adminsitrative Secretariate. On Monday, minister Plesu met the acting foreign minister of Uruguay, Roberto Angel Rodriguez Piolli, and Uruguayan President Julio Maria Sanguinetti. An agreement was signed at the end of the meeting between the two foreign ministers. RADOR[05] International seminar on crisis administrationA seminar on "Crisis Administration and Solutions to Conflicts" organised by the "George Marshall" European Centre for Security Studies and the MApN Department for defence policies opened at the National Military Circle in Bucharest on Monday. Participants include representatives of the Romanian Presidency, MPs, government, ministerial and intelligence services officials, academics and civilians. MApN military and civilian experts have also attended the meeting. The seminar's coordinator is Rober Kennedy, director of the Marshall Centre in the German resort of Garmisch- Partnekirchen. RADOR[06] German ambassador to Bucharest on a visit to SibiuThe new German ambassador to Romania, Wolf Dietrich Schilling, paid his first official visit to the Transylvanian city of Sibiu on Monday. The German ambassador held talks with county prefect Dorin Parvu, County Council president Nicolae Nanu and the mayor of Sibiu, Dan Condrat. The ambassador also met representatives of the German community in the city, the bishop of the Protestant Chruch, Dr Christoph Klein, and leaders of the German Democrat Forum. The ambassador's visit is also expected to include a tour of the city and areas of tourist and historic interest. RADOR[07] Meeting of governing coalition leadersParty leaders in the governing coalition have agreed to support Mugur Isarescu for a new mandate as governor of Romania's National Bank (BNR). At a meeting on Monday evening, the leaders have also agreed that the BNR Administration Council should not include politicians. They support Emil Ghizari, Constantin Ionete and Ion Cernat for a new mandate as BNR deputy governors while the other five members of the board are to be appointed at a meeting on Tuesday. The Democratic Party (PD) withdrew the nomination of Eugen Dijmarescu for the position of BNR deputy governor as Mr Dijmarescu is a well-known politician. As far as the Education Law is concerned, the Christian Democrat National Peasant Party (PNTCD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the PD believed that the mediation commission should review the project while the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) said the commission on educational matters should review and discuss the amendments to the law. RADOR[08] PNTCD leader warning: the alternative to the reform means the return of the communists to powerThe president of the PNTCD, Ion Diaconescu, believes that the Romanian society is devided between the people supporting the reform and the people against it. The PNTCD leader told a press conference on Monday that the first group includes the governing coalition while the leader of the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) is leading the alternative group sharing communist mentalities and missing the will to achieve the reform, the PNTCD leader pointed out. He believes there is no midway: the current government achieves the reform or communists return to power. RADORReferring to PD accusations against the PNTCD, Ion Diaconescu said he felt offended in his position as leader of the PNTCD and the Democratic Convention in Romania (CDR) and would ask PD leader Petre Roman for an explanation. Mr Diaconescu rejected any comment to PD accusations and said it was not the PNTCD to blame for them. The party leadership welcomed the press conference announcing the unification of the Liberls and said it would examine the PNL proposals and provide full support to concrete measures leading to economic recovery. PNTCD first vicepresident Gabriel Tepelea warned that the good cooperation between his party and the PNL depended on "how much their politicians would give up self-pride and unite to achieve the coalition's main goal: the economic recovery". The PNTCD president said he could not see why coalition parties announced their own governing programmes. "We should present our programmes together and assume responsibility for the decisions we make", Mr Diaconescu concluded. RADOR The Press Agency of the Romanian Radio (RADOR Society) Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |