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RADOR: News from Romania, 97-12-11
December 11, 1997
CONTENTS
[01] Georgian President Eduard Shevarnadze on a Visit to Romania
[02] Ethnic Hungarian Crisis
[03] President Constantinescu Goes to Luxembourg and Germany While His
Foreign Minister Goes to Copenhagen
[04] Regret
[05] World Bank Loan to Romania
[06] Weather in Romania
[07] Currency Rates
[01] Georgian President Eduard Shevarnadze on a visit to Romania
Romania and Georgia are interested in transporting oil and natural gas from
the Caucasus to Europe - this was the main topic of the talks in Bucharest
on Wednesday between the Romanian President Emil Constantinescu and his
Georgian counterpart Eduard Shevarnadze. The two officials also examined
the TRACECA project of processing and transporting fuels from the Caucasus
to Central and Western Europe. Mr. Shevarnadze said that the resources
could follow the ancient 'silk road' on which both Romania and Georgia have
key- positions. The Georgian president also said that Bucharest and Tbilisi
have similar interests now as well as in the near fututre. The two
countries have agreed on reaching a partnership, thus strengthening
bilateral cooperation at regional, European and world level. In his turn,
the Romanian president has praised Mr. Shevarnadze saying that he is one of
the greatest politicians in recent years who made an important contribution
to ending the Cold War. RRI-RADOR, December 11
[02] Ethnic Hungarian crisis
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu met representatives of the governing
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) at the Cotroceni
Palace in Bucharest on Wednesday. The talks follow the voting of some
articles in the education law on Tuesday, when the UDMR senators expressed
their discontent. After the talks, President Constantinescu reiterated his
position concerning the need to teach history and geography in Romanian in
the secondary and high schools. In exchange, the Romanian president said
that the education law must ensure the ethnic minorities' possibility to
receive education in the mother tongue at all levels, including the right
to set up a university with tuition in the Hungarian language. President
Constantinescu added that the obserance of all the promises made to the
Hungarian ethnic minority is beneficial for the interest of the Romanian
state, because it calls for a similar treatment of the Romanian ethnic
minorities living in the neighbouring countries, who wish to receive an all
level-education in their mother tongue. RRI-RADOR, December 11
[03] President Constantinescu goes to Luxembourg and Germany while his
foreign minister goes to Copenhagen
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu will be heading the Romanian
delegation at the EU summit in Luxembourg on December 12/13. The summit
agenda includes issues concerning the EU enlargement, the start of the EU
accession negotiations and the pre-accession strategy. Romania is
participating in the summit along with all the other EU candidates. A
Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) spokesman has announced that the Romanian
president will pay an official visit to Germany between December 16/18
while Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Severin will attend the OSCE
Ministerial Council in Copenhagen on December 18/19. RRI-RADOR, December
11
The Romanian ministers who signed the pro-monarchist declaration expressed
their regret on Wednesday over their gesture. Along with other
personalities of Romanian public life, Culture Minister Ion Caramitru,
Public Information Minister Sorin Botez and Agriculture Minister Dinu
Gavrilescu have signed a declaration occasioned by te forthcoming
anniversary of 50 years since the communist have forced King Michael to
abdicate on December 30 1947. They all pointed out that they signed the
document because it denounces the abolition of monarchy and the instalation
of the communist regime. In another development, a communique issued by the
press offce of the former Romanian sovereign King Michael I says that
neither the King nor any other member of the Royal Family were consulted or
involved in working out the declaration. "According to His Majesty's stand,
there are other priorities in Romania such as the economic recovery, the
consolidation of its political system and the integration into the European
structures", the communique adds. RRI-RADOR, December 11
[05] World Bank loan to Romania
The World Bank has approved a 25.5 million dollar loan in support of the
privatisation programe in Romania. In a declaration issued by the World
Bank, quoted by REUTERS, it is pointed out that the money is going to be
used in agriculture and the loan is aimed at facilitating the good
functioning of the land maret. RRI-RADOR, December 11
[06] Weather in Romania
Weather in Romania will be cold and cloudy all over the country.
Temperatures will range from -4 centigrades in the morning to 3 centigrades
at noon. RADOR, December 11
[07] Currency rates
1 USD = 7,935 lei; 1 DEM = 4,430 lei; 1 CHF = 5,446 lei; 1 FRF = 1,323 lei;
1 GBP = 13,090 lei; 1 XEU = 8,766 lei. RADOR, December 11
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