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RADOR: News from Romania, 99-03-12
March 12, 1999
CONTENTS
[01] Romanian-Bulgarian-Turkish Summit in Sinaia;
[02] Francisco Seixas da Costa, State Secretary for European Affiars with
Portugal's Foreign Ministry, Met Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile;
[03] Romanian-Greek High Level Diplomatic Contacts;
[04] Romanian Defence Minister Victor Babiuc Has Ended His Visit to
Holland;
[05] State Secretary Mihai Razvan Ungureanu on a Visit to Macedonia;
[06] Romanian Parliament Appeal;
[07] Prime Minister Radu Vasile Would Like the Government to Assume
Responsibility for Privatisation Law;
[08] Car Manufacturer Dacia in Pitesti Has Reached an Agreement with
Renault;
[09] Finance Minister's Warning: Higher Excise Duties on Oil Products Each
Three Months.
[01] Romanian-Bulgarian-Turkish summit in Sinaia;
While meeting in the Romanian resort of Sinaia on Thursday, the presidents
of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have signed a joint statement announcing
the setting up of a trilateral free trade area. They have also attended the
signing ceremony of an intergovernment agreement on tourism between
government officials in the three countries. During their two rounds of
talks in Sinaia, the three presidents have praised the efficient co-
operation between the three countries who is getting even more dynamic with
every day. According to presidential adviser Zoe Petre, the three
presidents have expressed their support of an agreement between the warring
sides in the Yugoslav province of Kosovo - a document which, in their
opinion, should put an end to the conflict in the region. The Romanian-
Bulgarian-Turkish summit is expected to end on Friday when the three
presidents are to sign a joint political statement concerning the
trilateral co-operation, the Kosovo conflict and NATO's expansion. RADOR
[02] Francisco Seixas da Costa, State Secretary for European Affiars with
Portugal's Foreign Ministry, met Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile
Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile met Francisco Seixas da Costa,
Secretary of State for European Affairs with Portugal's Foreign Ministry,
at Victoria Palace on Thursday. Mr Da Costa reiterated his country's
support of Romania's efforts to join the European and Euro-Atlantic
structures pointing out that Romania could count on Portugal's support.
This was the message of Portugese Prima Minister Antonio Guterres to his
Romanian counterpart. As far as the EU enlargement was concerned, the
Portugese officials said his country believed the EU institutional
framework should be reviewed to allow the applicant states join the EU as
associates. There is an absolute openness concerning the EU enlargement,
but the EU Applicant States, Romania included, should be assisted in their
efforts, Mr Da Costa pointed out. Prime Minister Radu Vasile said he
expected the Washington summit to become a sort of "Madrid Plus" as the
"open door policy" should firmly assure the candidates that they would join
the Alliance in the next future. As far as the EU accession is concerned,
the Romanian prime minister said the EU membership depended on each
applicant's economic performance and, in this respect, the EU Applicant
States should be assisted in their efforts. RADOR
[03] Romanian-Greek high level diplomatic contacts
While in Bucharest on Thursday, the Greek Foreign Minister, Gheorghios
Papandreou, has discussed issues concerning the Kosovo conflict with his
Romanian counterpart Andrei Plesu. Mr Papandreou's a few-hour visit to
Bucharest is part of a diplomatic tour including Skopje, Tirana and Sofia.
While attending a press conference at the end of the meeting, the Greek
minister spoke about a possible conference of the Balkan countries,
Yugoslavia included, which Romania was expected to host before the
resumption of the peace-talks in Rambouillet. As Romania is the current
president of the South-European Co-operation Initiative, the Greek minister
says the conference is expected to insist that the Balkan countries will
reject a review of the existing borders. Mr Papandreou has also announced
that, according to a proposal put forward by the Macedonian foreign
minister, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and FYROM should carefully
consider the situation in Kosovo. Both proposals are to be discussed by the
Greek foreign minister at a meeting with the Yugoslav President, Slobodan
Molsevic, in Belgrade on Thursday. RADOR
[04] Romanian Defence Minister Victor Babiuc has ended his visit to Holland
Holland will support Romania's accession to NATO, but, in case the
participants in the Washington summit are not supposed to make new
invitations for accession negotiations, then Holland will insist on the
"Madrid Plus" solution. The statement was made by Romanian Defence Minister
Victor Babiuc who arrived in Bucharest on Thursday at the end of a three-
day visit to Holland. Mr Babiuc and his Dutch counterpart have agreed upon
a closer co-operation between the armies and the defence Ministries in the
two countries. After the Washington summit, the state secretaries with the
Defence Ministries in both Romania and Holland are expected to meet and
decide concrete measures to promote the bilateral military co-operation
according to the decisions made at the NATO summit in Washington. RADOR
[05] State Secretary Mihai Razvan Ungureanu on a visit to Macedonia
Romanian Foreign Ministry's (MAE) State Secretary Mihai Razvan Ungureanu is
on a two-day visit to the FYROM. The second day of the visit included a
series of meetings with the two Macedo-Romanian organisations in Bitolia
and Okhrid. At a meeting with the school students in the Macedo-Romanian
High School and believers of the Macedo-Romanian Church in Bitolia, Mr Papa
Nicola, the president of the World Union of Macedo-Romanians, said that the
8,000 Macedo-Romanians living in the region were not allowed to attend the
courses in the former building of the Macedo-Romanian High School along
with other minority groupe. On Thursday afternoon, further talks were
expected in Okhrid, a town hosting another important Macedo-Romanian
community living in the FYROM. RADOR
[06] Romanian Parliament appeal
As they are waiting for the results of NATO's Washington summit in April,
the Romanian Senate and House of Deputies have adopted, at their joint
session on Thursday, an appeal to parliaments in the NATO member States.
The document is reiterating Romania's political will to continue its
efforts and join NATO as soon as possible. In this respect. the country is
trying to consolidate the rule of law, and it strongly expresses its
commitment to participate in NATO peace-keeping operations. Romania
welcomes the NATO decision proposing a reviewed strategic concept to answer
the emerging challenges since 1991 - a strategy to be approved by
governments and parliaments in NATO countries. The Romanian Parliament
calls on its counterparts in NATO countries attending the Washington summit
to press for an efficient and historic decision-making especially when the
next applicants, such as Romania, come under debate. The Parliament in
Bucharest welcomes the Alliance's responsive attitude to the general trend
of enforcing the parliament powers in decision-making, and it welcomes as
well the US Congress attempt of getting involved in NATO's restructuring
process. RADOR
[07] Prime Minister Radu Vasile would like the government to assume
responsibility for the Privatisation Law
At a meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Radu Vasile has asked his Cabinet
ministers to consider the government resposibility for the Privatisation
Law at least, government spokeswoman Adriana Saftoiu announced. She added
that, in case the government would pass an emergency ordinance, the
parliament could change some of its articles. The government's Thursday
agenda also include a series of talks with MP groups. The same day, the
prime minister designated Transport Minister Traian Basescu as chief
negotiator to reach the post-FESAL agreement with the World Bank. RADOR
[08] Car manufacturer Dacia in Pitesti has reached an agreement with
Renault
While at Victoria Palace on Thursday, Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile
along with Pierre Menat, the French ambassador to Bucharest, have attended
the signing ceremony of an agreement between Romania's car manufacturer
Cacia in Pitesti and France's Renault. The agreement allows a new round of
negotiations between the Romanian and French partners concerning the
factory's sale price as well as the investments the French partner is ready
to make in Pitesti. According to Manuel Gomez, Renault's chief executive
for international affairs, the French partner does not intend to develop
Renault's own operations, but preserv the Romanian "touch" of the Renault-
type car. Mr Gomez and Prime Minister Radu Vasile have both denied rumours
about the alleged massive lay-offs when the privatisation contract would be
reached. RADOR
[09] Finance minister's warning: higher excise duties on oil products each
three months
While speaking before the Budget-Finance Commission in the House of
Deputies on Wednesday, Romanian Finance Minister Decebal Traian Remes said
that excise duties on every oil product included in the Ordinance 50/1998
will get higher each three months, according to the leu-USD exchange rate.
The minister has also announced that he intended to change the ordinance
and include licence taxes for meat, grain and wood products as well as
building materials. RADOR
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