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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-05-18
May 18, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Celebrations of Romanian Revolution's 150-th Anniversary in
Transylvania;
[02] Albanian Foreign Minister on a Visit to Bucharest.
[01] Celebrations of Romanian Revolution's 150-th anniversary in Transylvania
Celebrations of the 150-th anniversary of the Romanian Revolution in
Transylvania have taken place on the Freedom Fields near the Trasylvanian
city of Blaj on Sunday. Romanian President Emil Constantinescu has attended
a religious service at the Gloria Memorial followed by a wreath-laying
ceremony. Participants included the spekaers of both the Romanian Senate
and House of Deputies, government officials, senior members of the ruling
Christian Democrat National Peasant Party (PNTCD), Democratic Party (PD),
National Liberal Party (PNL) and Romania's Alternative Party (PAR) as well
as the opposition Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR), Romanians'
National Unity Party (PUNR), Greater Romania Party (PRM), and other leaders
of civil bodies. RADOR
In his address to participants, the Romanian president has recalled the
basic ideas as poited out in the creed of the 1848 generation making an
impact on Romanian history: national unity, civic, economic and spiritual
freedom. President Constantinescu said he has tried to make his people feel
proud of being Romanians. Among other things, the president said: "The
politician should dedicate his thought, deeds and life to the nation. We
should distinguish ourselves as a democratic nation in harmony with all
other democratic countries in Europe. Today, Romania could a model of
stability in a conflict area, a respected voice around the world, preparing
for major changes". RADOR
In a statement to the RRA on Sunday, Romanian President Emil Constantinescu
has expressed his satisfaction with the ceremony in Blaj: "The ceremony has
recalled the touching event in the past, the moments of national unity on
the Fields of Freedom where neither political nor ethnic or religious
difMerences disturbed the celebrations. We have proved that poverty,
economic difficulties and all other sorts of hardships could not result in
social, ethnic or political violence. And it is the wisdom of the Romanian
people that made us succeed in proving it". RADOR
Participants in the ceremonies on the Freedom Fields in Blaj have also
included Interior Minister Gavril Dejeu, European Integration Minister
Alexandru Herlea, Culture Minister Ion Caramitru, the Deputy Speaker of the
House of Deputies Andrei Chiliman, PDSR leader Ion Iliescu, PUNR President
Valeriu Tabara, PAR President Varujan Vosganian, the Speakers of both the
Romanian Senate and House of Deputies, PNTCD leader Ion Diaconescu and PD
leader Petre Roman as well as PNTCD Vicepresidents Remus Opris and Victor
Ciorbea. PNTCD leader Ion Diaconescu said that "the ceremony was an
occasion to recall the glorious past of our people and pay our eternal
tribute to our ancestors, the founders of modern Romania". PD leader PMtre
Roman referred to the "lesson of dignity we should learn from our
ancestors" while PAR leader Varujan Vosganian has reitertaed the idea of
"modernising Romania while securing the moral strength of the people". PDSR
leader Ion Iliescu said that the "1848 revolution was similar to the
revolution in December 1989 as they both shared the same commitment to
create a society dedicated to the people". PUNR President Valeriu Tabara
believes that "all the Romanians should have met here today, when we needed
the same ideals and principles of the past that our ancestors expressed
many years ago" while the Mayor of Cluj, Gheorghe Funar, has mentioned the
"need of restoring the spiritual and territorial unity of the Romanian
people". RADOR
[02] Albanian foreign minister on a visit to Bucharest
Albanian Foreign Minister Pascal Milo has arrived in Bucharest for an
official visit. While at Baneasa Airport, the Albanian minister said he
would have talks with Romanian officials concerning both biMateral
relations between the two countries and recent developments in the region,
the Kosovo crisis included. "I believe that the time has come to revigorate
the relations between Romania and Albania", Mr Milo declared. Referring to
the crisis in Kosovo, the Albanian foreign minister has indicated that,
according to the Government in Tirana, the dialogue and not the military
could end the conflict. RADOR
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