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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-07-01
July 1, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Senate Proceedings;
[02] House of Deputies Proceedings;
[03] National Minority Council Meeting;
[04] Chief Commissioner for SIE Control Resigned;
[05] The Law on Raising Salaries for Health Workers Promulgated;
[06] Former Romanian Sovereign on a Visit to Craiova;
[07] Romanian President Emil Constantinescu on a Visit to Azerbaijan;
[08] Italian Foreign Minister on a Visit to Romania;
[09] Recent Remarks by Russian Ambassador to Bucharest;
[10] Press Conference Organised by the Romanian Delegation Attending the
Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly Summer Session;
[11] EUO Defence Commissioners on a Visit to Romania;
[12] Entry Visas for Romanians in the Czech Republic;
[13] TVR Administration Council Elected.
[01] Senate proceedings
Debates over the draft law on salaries in the state-financed sector and
bonuses for public managing positions have continued on Tuesday in the
Romanian Senate. Mr Dan Mircea Popescu, a senator representing the
opposition Party of Jocial Democracy in Romania (PDSR), has announced that
his MP group would not vote the draft law, and warned that the law would
only lead to chaos and confusion and might have unexpected social
consequences. RADOR
[02] House of Deputies proceedings
The Permanent Bureau in the Romanian House of Deputies has decided that the
director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) should present a report
clarifying the status of Romanian MPs in connection with their alleged
activity as former Securitate agents. The deputies have also adopted the
Emergency Ordinance on Reform Council restructuring, the report of the
mediation commission concerning the draft law allowing the Romanian
Government to issue emergency ordinances, the draft law on public property
rights and their legal framework, the report of the mediation commission
concerning taxes on entertainment and amendments to the law on bonus rights
for senators and deputies. The deputies have ended their debates over
articles in the drJft law amending the Penal Code. Debates over the draft
law on local public finance have started. RADOR
[03] National Minority Council meeting
The meeting of the National Minority Council took place at Victoria Palace
on Tuesday. Its agenda included, among other things, a report concerning
the promotion of the new framework-plan for education in high schools and a
report concerning recent developments in the special programme supporting
development in the county of Tulcea. RADOR
[04] Chief commissioner for SIE control resigned
Deputy Adrian Vilau, the chief commissioner for the control of Romania's
Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE), has resigned on Monday. In a letter to
Petre Roman, the leader of the ruling Democratic Party (PD), Mr Vilau
claims that recent efforts forcing him step down have no relation with the
democracy and the moral reform. He says that his conscience is clean and
accusations concerning his former Securitate activity do not make him feel
guilty. RADOR
[05] The law on raising salaries for helath workers promulgated
Romanian President Emil Constantinescu has promulgated the law on raising
salaries for health workers. According to the law, basic salaries for such
workers raise retroactively by 25% (since February 1, 1998). Starting from
July 1, another 10% raise is added. The basic salaries will start from 358,
000 lei according to position rating. Another 15% of the basic salaries is
granted to MDs. RADOR
[06] Former Romanian sovereign on a visit to Craiova
Following an invitation by Corneliu Coposu Foundation, the former sovereign
of Romania, King Michael I, and his wife, Queen Ana of Bourbon-Parma, have
arrived in the city of Craiova on Tuesday. The three-day visit in town will
include the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Art Museum, the Romanescu Park, the
Prefecture and the City Hall, the Charles I College and other Craiovan
sites of major interest. His Majesty is also expected to visit other towns
and villages in the county of Dolj such as CalJfat and Bailesti. The king's
agenda also includes a meeting with teachers and students at the University
of Craiova and a concert performed by Oltenia Philarmonic Orchestra.
RADOR
[07] Romanian President Emil Constantinescu on a visit to Azerbaijan
While in the Azeri capital of Baku on Tuesday, Romanian President Emil
Constantinescu has expressed his satisfaction with the talks he had with
his Azeri counterpart Geidar Aliev. The talks focused mainly on economic
issues such as the oil transport route to Western European countries and
the so-called "Route of Silk" that the Azeri officials had recently
mentioned. The president said that such cross-continental routes were some
of Romania's major interests and the officials in Bucharest and Baku
decided to coordinate their efforts in promoting the initiatives around the
world. President Aliev admitted that the Baku-Constantza link was of major
importance for Caspian Sea oil exports to Europe, and the Azeri officials
were carefully examiniJg the project. The two countries have decided to
open embassies in Bucharest and Baku for a better coverage on issues of
mutual interest such as transports, industry and trade. Two agreements were
signed between the two countries: a Romanian-Azeri cooperation agreement on
joint international transport and another agreement signed between the
Romanian and Azeri Chambers of Industry and Trade. RADOR
[08] Italian foreign minister on a visit to Romania
While in Bucharest on Tuesday, Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini said
there were privileged relations between Romania and Italy and his country
would further support Romania's efforts to join the EU. According to the
RRA, Mr Dini said that, along with Romanian authorities, he would examine
ways of developing economic and cultural relations between the two
countries and ensure a political dialogue in future. On Wednesday, the
Italian foreign minister was expected to meet his Romanian counterpart, the
prime minister and the speakers ofJthe two Chambers in Romanian Parliament.
RADOR
[09] Recent remarks by Russian ambassador to Bucharest
Russia reiterates its opposition to the NATO expansion as it reiterated
even before and after the NATO summit in Madrid. The statement was made on
Tuesday by Russian Ambassador to Bucharest Valery Keniakin who attended a
public conference organised by the Manfred Woerner Association. He said
Russia could not accept the crossing of a so-called "red line" as the line
included all the former Soviet countries. Russia will radicaly review its
relations with NATO in case such a situation will emerge, he added. The
Russian ambassador said he would not want to overestimate the threat of an
alleged Romania NATO membership to Russia. He informed that he participated
in the drawing up of the Romanian-Russian bilateral agreement and therefore,
he could not refer publicly to the remaining differences between the two
countries as he did not discussed the issue with the Romanian partners. The
amJassador pointed out that the basic political treaty between Romania and
Russia did not depend on Romania's relations with NATO or the Republic of
Moldova. RADOR
[10] Press conference organised by the Romanian delegation attending the
Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly summer session
At a press conference on Tuesday, organised by the Romanian MP delegation
who attended the summer session of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary
Assembly, Mr Gyorgy Frunda, a senator representing the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), said his party would like the
Hungarian language teaching state university in Romania to address all
those wishing to learn in Hungarian, but practical training might be
learned in both languages. Mr Frunda condemned press allegations concerning
the remarks made recently in Strasbourg by Mr Jannson, the CE raporteur for
Romania. The UDMR senator claimed that "there was a big difference between
what Mr Jannson said while he was visiting RomaniJ and what he said while
in Strasbourg". Therefore, he informed he sent all press reports to Mr
Jannson and asked him to clearly express his position over the issue.
RADOR
[11] EUO defence commissioners on a visit to Romania
The defence commissioners of the EUO Assembly are visiting Romania these
days for talks with Mr Petre Roman, the speaker of the Romanian Senate, and
the MP commissioners for defence and foreign affairs. Quoting a communique
issued by the Senate Office for Press and Image, the RRA reports that the
visit is expected to last three days (June 30 - July 2). Mr Roman already
met the EUO Assembly President Luis Maria de Puig as the EUO official has
been visting Romania in February this year. RADOR
[12] Entry visas for Romanians in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is to introduce entry visas for Romanians. The
announcement was made by the interior minister of the Czech Republic in an
interview with the "Lidove Noviny" daily in Prague. According to the
newspaper, theJminister said that Czech authorities were "ready to
introduce entry visas for Romanians, Russians, Albanians, Bulgarians and
Turks in the very next future". In an interview with the same newspaper,
the Czech Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "We should approximate our
legislation to the EU conditions". He recalled the warning made recently by
the Austrian interior minister who threatened that Austria could block
Hungary and the Czech Republic's accession to the EU unless they introduced
entry visas for Romanians. The Czech newspaper says that the number of
illegal immigrants crossing the Czech territory to get into Austria raised
up to 15,000 in the first three months of the year, 30% more than in a
similar period last year. Most illegal immigrants come from the Balkan
states and Asia. RADOR
[13] TVR Administration Council elected
The employees of Romanian Television (TVR) have elected their
representatives in the Administration Council on Tuesday. TVR's legal
situation was solvJd nine years after the revolution in December 1989. TVR
workers were entitled to propose two full councillors and two deputy
councillors in the Administration Council. There were 12 candidates on the
list: six for the position of full councillor and another six to stand as
their deputies. The councillors included philosopher Gabriel Liiceanu,
trade union leaders Dumitru Iuga and Dona Tudor and TV producers George
Borcescu, Cristian Topescu and Florin Craciunoiu. 11 positions in the
Administration Council belong to political parties, minorities, the
Romanian Government and Presidency. The proposals should be submitted to
the Permanent Bureaux in the Romanian Parliament and then ratified in an
extraordinary session. 61% of the TVR employees have attended the voting
and philosofer Gabriel Liiceanu and trade union leader Dumitru Iuga were
elected as full councillors while Constantin Sarbov and Mihaela Orzea as
deputy councillors. RADOR
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