|
|
|
RADOR: News from Romania, 97-06-13
June 13, 1997
CONTENTS
[01] A Controversial American Decision
[02] Romanian President's Indignation
[03] Polish Foreign Minister Is Visiting Romania
[04] Greek Catholic Churches Return to Their Legal Owners
[05] An emergency Ordinance Approved by the Romanian House of Deputies
[06] American Investments in Romania
[07] Weather in Romania
[08] Currency Rates
[01] A controversial American decision
"American president Bill Clinton has decided that the US will support only
three candidacies at the Madrid summit in July - Hungary, Poland and the
Czech Republic - for integration into NATO", the White House has announced.
The decision has aroused vivid reactions, includung among participants in
Brussels meeting of the NATO foreign ministers. In a declaration made to
the press in Bucharest, Romanian foreign minister Adrian Severin expressed
his belief that, in the time left till the NATO summit in Madrid,
Washington will continue its analysis and will make a decision that will
achieve a corrJct balance between the foreign policy interest of the US and
the domestic policy interest of the American Administration. Romania is
ready to continue talks with the American Administration in order to supply
all the necessary information for a decision to be made on the
strengthening of the Alliance. At the end of his statement, the Romanian
foreign minister said that, regardless of the decision made at the Madrid
summit, Romania would continue to consolidate its reform and the rule of
law and would be consistent in achieving its goals of European and Euro-
Atlantic integration. RRI-RADOR, June 13
[02] Romanian president's indignation
President Emil Constantinescu has expressed his consternation over the
rejection, by the House of Deputies in the Romanian Parliament, of the
request forwarded by the justice minister for the lifting of parliamentary
immunity of Gabriel Bivolaru, deputy for the Party of Social Democracy in
Romania, the main opposition force in the country. Bivolaru is acJused of
having caused great damage to the Romanian Bank for Development, by taking
credits which he never returned; he illegally acquired several hotels and
fraudulently transferred important amounts of hard currency to a Scottish
bank.
President Constantinescu considers that the deputies have misunderstood the
institution of parliamentary immunity. In his opinion, the gesture of the
deputies is a defiance of the law and an offence to justice and he called
on parliament to make a clear-cut distinction between political
responsability and criminal offence.
The Head of the State has stood for the restriction of immunity to the area
of statements and political opinions, as it is in the Western countries as
well as for the reduction of the number of votes necessary for the
suspension of immunity from a two-third majority to a simple majority. The
opposition considers that such a measure would leave parliamentary immunity
at the goodwill of the majority in parliament, and it could causJ the out
break of political revenge. The Bivolaru case comes against the background
of the anti-corruption offensive launched by the authorities emerged from
the November 1996 elections and it might be placed in line with the dispute
of ideas on the relationship between politics and morality. Parliamentary
immunity was lifted only once in post-communist Romania, in the case of
nationalist senator Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The lack of similar cases has led
to speculations that the commomn interest of the MPs go beyond party
interest and discipline. According to Romanian philosopher Mihai Sora,
"this shows that Romanian political life is lacking in civic morality".
RRI-RADOR, June 13
[03] Polish foreign minister is visiting Romania
"Romania is a very important partner for us, a country which plays a role
of stability in the region" - this statement was made by the Polish foreign
minister Dariusz Rosati at a joint press conference with his Romanian
counterpart Adrian Severin. The Romanian Joreign minister described the
talks with Mr Rosati as "a very important step on the way of achieving an
davanced partnership between Romania and Poland, meant to join efforts of
the two countries at a political, economic and cultural level within
regional and sub-regional cooperation. The two foreign ministers agreed
that a conference on Romanian-Polish-Ukrainian cooperation be held in
October this year, after the Madrid summit. RRI-RADOR, June 13
[04] Greek Catholic churches return to their legal owners
On Thursday, the Romanian Senate approved the draft law on the use of the
churches by the Church United with Rome - the Greek Catholic Church. Under
the law, in the localities with more churches used by the Romanian Orthodox
Church one of them should be given to the Greek Catholic believers upon
their request. In November 1948, former communist regime outlawed the Greek
Catholic denomination and its properties were transferred to the Romanian
Orthodox Church. RRI-RADOR, June 13
[05] An Emergency ordinance approved by the Romanian House of Deputies
The House of Deputies in the Romanian Parliament discussed and passed the
draft law which, in its turn, approves the the emergency ordinance meant to
amend the Law on the privatisation of commercial companies. The new
elements in the law are transparency of the privatisation process following
the establishment of a price for the sale of assets according to the supply-
demand ratio. The House also passed the bill on the priority payment of
budget obligations. RRI-RADOR, June 13
[06] American investments in Romania
On Thursday, Romanian president Emil Constantinescu received John Reed,
chief executive of the American banking group City Corp. and president of
its main branch, the City Bank. The American guest said that he had got
updated on the long-term development strategy of the Romanian economy,
pointing out that during his visit to Romania he intended to examine
business opportunities in the country. Upon meeting with RomJnian prime
minister Victor Ciorbea, Mr Reed expressed his interest in the development
of the financial market in Romania saying that City Bank would invest in
Romania as part of the privatisation process in the banking sector. RRI-
RADOR, June 13
[07] Weather in Romania
Weather in Romania will be warm and sunny allover the country. Temperatures
will range from 15 centigrades in the morning to 30-32 centigrades at noon.
RADOR, June 13
[08] Currency rates
1 USD = 7,203 lei; 1 DEM = 4,175 lei; 1 CHF = 4,984 lei; 1 FRF = 1,236 lei;
1 GBP = 11,759 lei; 1 XEU = 8,136 lei. RADOR, June 13
|
