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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-05-12
May 12, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] "Operation Cigarette 2": Further Hearings;
[02] "Operation Cigarette 2": Further Arrests;
[03] "Operation Cigarette 2": PNTCD Is Satisfied with the Inquiry;
[04] Prime Minister Vasile Met Speakers of the Both Houses in Parliament;
[05] PD leader Petre Roman Believes Electoral Law Should Be Amended;
[06] PRM Statement to the Senate;
[07] President Constantinescu Has Asked Parliament to Approve Joint
Military Exercises in Romania;
[08] Romanian Foreign and Defence Ministers Attend WEU Ministerial Council
Meeting in Rhodos;
[09] Romania's NATO Accession and Defence Budget;
[10] Romania to Attend a NATO Congress and Exhibition in Brussels;
[11] German Interest in Romanian Reform Process.
[01] "Operation Cigarette 2": further hearings
The inquiry into the cigarette smuggling affair on the Otopeni Military
Airport continued on Monday when SPP Capitain Catalin Tanase was
interrogated. The captain had to answer questions concerning his activity
during the night of ApriM 16/17. On Monday the prosecutors have also
interrogated the former driver of Colonel Trutulescu, Warrant Officer
Constantin Mirea. The prosecutors have decided to extend the arrest
warrants of Shahim Izar and Valentin Vasilescu to another 25 days.
Journalist Mihai Ghezea, who accompanied Trutulescu to Arad, came to the
Military Attorney's Office for testimony as witness. He is expected to
return to the Attorney's Office in the next days for further interrogation.
RADOR
[02] "Operation Cigarette 2": further arrests
The Military Attorney's Office is to issue further arrest warrants this
week. The prosecutors expect the arrests to include army officers suspected
of being involved in the "Operation Cigarette 2". Latest arrests also
included Rozalia Ionescu, the owner of the company who ordered the
cigarette transport. According to Romanian Transport Minister Traian
Basescu, Rozalia Ionescu was also the recipient of the cigarette boxes
unloaded at the military airport during the nightMof April 16/17. According
to a communique issued by the SPP, its Justice Committee is to take the
necessary measures against those involved, retirement included. RADOR
[03] "Operation Cigarette 2": PNTCD is satisfied with the inquiry
The ruling Christian Democrat National Peasant Party (PNTCD) is satisfied
with the inquiry into the "Operation Cigarette 2". At a press conference on
Monday, PNTCD President Ion Diaconescu has reiterated that a special
parliamentary commission to investigate the affair was not necessary as it
only could hamper the inquiry. "We hope the case will be successfully
solved", Mr Diaconescu said. RADOR
[04] Prime Minister Vasile met the speakers of both Houses in Parliament
Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile met PNTCD President Ion Diaconescu, the
speaker of the House of Deputies, and the leader of the Democratic Party
(PD) Petre Roman, the speaker of the Senate, on Monday. Mr Diaconescu has
informed that the talks focused on issues concerning the session of thM
parliament on Tuesday and ways of solving the problem of the RENEL bank
accounts. RADOR
[05] PD leader Petre Roman believes electoral law should be amended
The speaker of the Romanian Senate, PD leader Petre Roman believes that the
electoral law should be amended by the end of the year at the latest as the
next elections should be organised according to a new law. According to the
same source, the PD is supporting the voting of individual nominations at
least when senators are elected, and a 5% electoral threshold. As far as
the political coalitions are concerned, the PD is proposing an additional 3
% for each party in the coalition. RADOR
[06] PRM statement to the Senate
At a session of the Romanian Senate on Monday, the leader of the far right
Greater Romania Party (PRM) has presented a photograph which, as he put it,
showed a house that Dragos Constantinescu, the son of President Emil
Constantinescu, recently bought. According to the PRM leader, the 600,000
USD house belonged Mo the State Protocol Fund. In reply, Chief Commissioner
for the Defence, Senator Nicolae Alexandru has recalled one of his previous
statements and said he believed the PRM had its own intelligence service
opertating in parallel with the official ones. RADOR
[07] President Constantinescu has asked parliament to approve joint
military exercises in Romania
On Monday, Romanian President Emil Constantinesch has asked the parliament
to approve future join military exercises in Romania between May 14-18.
Participants will include US and French troops. The Romanian spendings are
to be covered by the National Defence Ministry (MApN). The president's
request is to be debated during the joint parliament session on Tuesday.
RADOR
[08] Romanian foreign and defence ministers attend WEU Ministerial Council
meeting in Rhodos
The WEU Ministerial Council has opened a session on Monday in the Greek
Island of Rhodos. Participants include foreign and defence ministers of the
WEU member, associate-membMr and observer states, Romania included. The
Romanian delegation led by Foreign Minister Andrei Plesu and Defence
Minister Victor Babiuc is to attend separate and joint meetings of foreign
and defence ministers in 28 European countries. In a statement before
leaving for Greece, minister Plesu said: "Firstly, the WEU is to discuss
its ability to solve local crises as well as issues concerning cooperation
abilities between defence ministries in member countries. Then, of course,
the situation in Kosovo will be subject to further debates as well as the
stability in the region and the European states' capacity to find
reasonable solutions". RADOR
[09] Romania's NATO accession and defence budget
Although the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council stopped short of discussing
an eventual second wave of expansion, General Degeratu is still optimistic
and believes that the debates around the issue should resume. Romanian
Chief of Staff General Degeratu believes that the Alliance should complete
Mthe work it already started, and then go on with the enlargement process.
He expressed the hope that the NATO summit in Washington was not supposed
to be just a meeting of celebration. RADOR
[10] Romania to attend a NATO congress and exhibition in Brussels
The first NATO Congress and exhibition on "NATO in the 21-rst Century
opened on Monday in Brussels under the auspices of NATO and the
International Center for Seminars and Symposiums along with the editorial
office of "NATO's 16 Nations and Partners for Peace" publications. The
guests include both NATO Member and Partner States. Participants are
invited to present the views of the countries they represent concerning
their future relations with NATO. Romania has its own exhibition stall
under the title of "Romania and NATO - Allies for the Future".
[11] German interest in Romanian reform process
While on a visit to Bucharetst, the president of the European Affairs
Commission in German Bundestag, Norbert Wicziorek, said that Germany waM
extremely interested in recent developments in the Romanian reform process.
The statement was made at the end of the meeting on Monday with Romanian
Senate Speaker Petre Roman. The officials in Bonn hope that the Government
in Bucharest was soon to solve all economic problems and Romania could
start its EU accession negotiations, he said. In Mr Wicziorek's opinion,
the priorities of the Vasile Cabinet include the reform of public
administration, infrastructure and banking legislation. In his turn,
Senator Petre Roman has admitted that most German investors claimed their
businesses were hampered mainly by the existing bureaucracy in Romania.
RADOR
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