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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-09-09
September 9, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] UDMR's Request of a Hungarian Language Teaching State University under
Debate;
[02] Joint Session in Romanian Parliament;
[03] Senate Proceedings;
[04] House of Deputies Proceedings;
[05] President Constantinescu Is Back from Baku;
[06] Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on a Visit to Romania;
[07] NATO Deputy Secretary General for Science and Environment on a Visit
to Bucharest;
[08] Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Communique.
[01] UDMR's request of a Hungarian language teaching state university under
debate
Romania's governing coalition leaders met at the Victoria Palace on Tuesday
for further debates over the issues they already discussed at their meeting
last Friday. The main topics on the agenda - the request made by the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) concerning the
setting up of a Hungarian language teaching state university and the
consequences of the party's alleged withdrawal from Romania's Government on
September 30 unless the Cabinet would accept its demand. Participants in
the meeting included Prime Minister Radu Vasile, Ion Diaconescu - the
leader of the ruling Christian Democrat National Peasant Party (PNTCD),
Petre Roman - the leader of the Democratic Party (PD), Mircea Ionescu
Quintus - the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Sergiu Cunescu -
the leader of the Romanian Social Democrat Party (PSDR), Varujan Vosganian -
the leader of Romania's Alternative Party and UDMR leader Marko Bela.
About an hour after the meeting started, PD leader Petre Roman left the
room but he stopped short of making any statement to the press. As the
other party leaders said later, no solution was found to end the dispute,
but the talks were expected to resume next Monday.
UDMR leader Marko Bela has admitted that no solution was found yet, but he
said the coalition leaders were to consult their MP groups in the attempt
to find a solution satisfying both sides. He however stressed that the
Education Law should be designed to provide unlimited rights concerning the
mother tongue education.
Referring to the vote in the House of Deputies' Education Commission, PAR
leader Varujan Vosganian said that a new round of voting was needed, but
further talks were expected only after the prime minister's answer to the
letter the chief commissioner would draw up.
Prime Minister Radu Vasile sounded rather optimistic about reaching a
compromise to answer the UDMR demands. RADOR
[02] Joint session in Romanian Parliament
At a joint session on Tuesday, the Romanian Senate and House of Deputies
have answered a request by Romania's President Emil Constantinescu
concerning the participation of foreign army units in training exercises on
Romanian territory in September-November 1998. The session has also
included the swearing-in ceremony of Stere Gulea as member in the Romanian
Television (SRTV) Administration Council. RADOR
[03] Senate proceedings
At its session on Tuesday, the Romanian Senate has passed two draft laws
approving some government ordinances: Ordinance 3/1998 on changes to accise
duties on oil products, Ordinance 4/1998 on regulations redeeming corporate
accise duties this year, and Ordinance 82/1997 on accise duties regime and
other indirect taxes. The Senate has also decided some changes in its
budget spendings and revenues: a 2.5 billion lei cut in the Senate's budget
will go to the Health Ministry. RADOR
[04] House of Deputies proceedings
At their meeting on Tuesday, the deputies have adopted articles in the
draft law on organising Romania's Official Monitor and two draft laws on
provisions concerning the consumer protection and the people's protection
against illegal commercial activities. The deputies have also adopted the
draft law on the status of legal adviser. RADOR
[05] President Constantinescu is back from Baku
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu was back from the Azeri capital Baku
on Tuesday. The president has attended an international conference on
"Restoring the Silk Route" where the Baku Declaration and the Europe-
Caucasus-Asia multilateral basic Agreement were signed. According to the
Baku Declaration, the participants express their commitment to support the
initiatives aimed at ensuring the transport corridor between Europe, the
Caucasus and Asia. The multilateral agreement includes the general
cooperation framework concerning the railway, route and naval transport,
and the customs. Under to the agreement, the TRACEKA route becomes an
institution and a new cooperation and communication means between regions.
RADOR
[06] Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on a visit to Romania
At the Cotroceni Palace on Tuesday, Romania's President Emil Constantinescu
met his Peruvian counterpart Alberto Fujimori who was given a warm welcome
on the occasion of his first official visit to Romania. After a 30-minute
private meeting between the two presidents, the official delegations met
for formal talks. President Constantinescu was awarded The Sun of Peru -
the Great Brilliant Cross while the Peruvian president was awarded The Star
of Romania - the Great Collar, an order founded by Alexandru Ioan Cuza
(ed.n. a famous Romanian ruler in the 19-th century), cancelled by
communists and then restored recently by the Romanian rulers today.
President Fujimori met Prime Minister Radu Vasile and then was awarded the
Doctor Honoris Causa Title of the Agriculture and Veterinarian University
in Bucharest. RADOR
[07] NATO deputy secretary general for science and environment on a visit
to Bucharest
NATO's Deputy Secretary General for science and environment, Yves Sillard,
has arrived in Bucharest on Tuesday following an invitation of Romania's
Research and Technology Minister Horia Ene. The three-day visit will
include meetings with Romanian ministers and the Romanian president. He is
expected to present a project concerning the protection of the Danube Delta
as drawn up by NATO experts. The NATO official met Romanian Foreign
Minister Andrei Plesu on Tuesday evening. Mr Plesu said after the meeting
that the scientific dimension of NATO would offer Romania the opportunity
to accelerate its NATO integration process.. The guest said that scientific
programmes were very important for the political future as they were
creating closer links between the NATO countries and partners while
encouraging the development of the science. RADOR
[08] Ukrainian Foreign Ministry communique
A communique issued by the Press Office of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
(MZS) is meant to be an answer to recent reports in the Romanian newspaper
"Ziua" concerning the Odessa authorities' decision to introduce the
Moldavian language teaching as a substitute for the Romanian language. The
communique says that the "Romanian press has launched recently a political
propaganda campaign against Ukraine in connection with the alleged ban on
the Romanian language teaching in some schools in the Odessa province.
According to such reports, the Ukrainian side is breaking the Romanian-
Ukrainian good neighbourhood and cooperation Treaty by violating the
Romanian minority rights. Much to our surprise, some Romanian Foreign
Ministry (MAE) officials were participating in the campaign. MZS wishes to
express its concern about such accusations as some of them come from
Romanian MPs and other Romanian officials. MZS believes that such
accusations are absolutely groudless as the education realities in the
Odessa province are quite different". (...) According to recent figures
reported by the Odessa State Administration, no official changes have
appeared in the minority status during the last eight years (...). On the
other hand, the Ukrainian side is concerned about the serious problems the
Romanian Ukrainian minority is facing. We may only mention that Ukraine is
publishing some Romanian language newspapers, including the "Concordia"
published by the Supreme Rada, while the only Ukrainian language newspaper
in Romania, "Vilne Slovo", is about to cease its appearance. RADOR
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