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RADOR: News from Romania, 98-07-03
July 3, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Debates Between Education Commissioners in the House of Deputies;
[02] Romanian Cabinet Meeting;
[03] Proposal of Setting Up a Romanian General Consulate in Chicago;
[04] Persisting Confusion Around the Issue of Nationalised Homes;
[05] PD Pleads for Emergency Adoption of Ticu Dumitrescu Law;
[06] PNL Pleads for Amendments to Constitution;
[07] The Senate's Judiciary Commission for Discipline and Immunities
Summoned PRM Leader;
[08] Former Romanian Sovereign on a Visit to Romania;
[09] The Leader of Radiocommunication Trade Union Federation on Hunger
Strike;
[10] Aid for Flood Victims;
[11] Romanian President on a Visit to Countries in Transcaucasia;
[12] Danish Foreign Minister on a Visit to Romania;
[13] NATO's PFP Military Training Exercise in Slovakia;
[14] World Bank Involvement in Restoring and Preserving Romania's Cultural
Heritage.
[01] Debates between education commissioners in the House of Deputies
The Commission for education affairs in the Romanian House Jf Deputies has
continued its debates on Thursday over the ordinance amending and
completing the Education Law. In the first half of its session, the
commission decided that Romania's history and geography in primary schools
could be learned using mother tongue primers similar to their Romanian
version under condition that Romanian names should be written in Romanian.
In high schools and colleges, the two subjects should be taught and learned
in Romanian. The commission has also decided that, if requested, mother
tongue teaching might be used in special professional training and colleges,
but special terminology should be Romanian. The commissioners have
continued their debates over the article related to educational
restructuring, faculties and mother tongue teaching institutions included.
A decision over the issue may be made in the commission's next session.
RADOR
[02] Romanian Cabinet meeting
A Cabinet meeting has been taking place at Victoria Palace on Thursday.
Interior Minister Gavril Dejeu has presented the Cabinet with a report of
emerging tensions in mining companies following unpaid salaries. The
Cabinet has decided to provide both salary and investment funds for the
sector. A Government spokesman has announced that the Cabinet also approved
the restructuring of RENEL (ed.n. Romania's national energy supplier) after
a plan rather similar to the existing draft law. Decisions concerning the
setting up of the Romanian National Mail Company, the National
Radiocommunication Company and the National Agency for Agricultural
Advertising and Consulting have been also approved. Following a government
decision, ROMTEHNICA is allowed to reach a 1.5 billion dollar loan by
issuing Finance Ministry-guaranteed bonds for purchasing 96 American Bell
helicopters. The spokesman said the ministers of industry and transport
expressed their opposition to the project while the finance minister
abstained. Referring to Prime Minister Radu Vasile's request that all
ministJrs should submit affidavis concerning their alleged activity as
former Securitate agents, the spokesman said first results might be
announced in one or two days. RADOR
[03] Proposal of setting up a Romanian General Consulate in Chicago
Following a memorandum on Thursday, the Romanian Government has approved
the setting up of a Romanian General Consulate in Chicago aimed at
providing further support for the Romanian-American economic, trade and
technical-scientific cooperation. According to a communique issued by the
Romanian Government, more than 150,000 Romanians are supposed to live in
the Chicago-Detroit area of the US. RADOR
[04] Persisting confusion around the issue of nationalised homes
Romanian Housing and Habitat Minister Nicolae Noica said he was unable to
present the Thursday's Cabinet meeting with a report concerning the
situation of nationalised homes since he was still seeking all information
available. He explained that the ICRALs, the former state administration of
hoJsing, did not provide clear reports or it failed to submit such reports
to the City Hall and the Housing Administration Directorate. According to
Mr Noica, the existing partial reports lead to the conclusion that "there
is not a so-called problem of rentpayers or a struggle between rentpayers
and owners". RADOR
[05] PD pleads for emergency adoption of Ticu Dumitrescu Law
The vicepresident of the ruling Democratic Party (PD), Cristian Dumitrescu,
says that the so-called "file-race disturbs good functioning of major state
institutions". He told a PD press conference on Thursday that the decision-
making bodies should mainly decide on two sorts of crime: abuse of power
against private persons and abuse of power against public interests. Mr
Dumitrescu said his party would like the House of Deputies to pass the Ticu
Dumitrescu Law as soon as possible. He believes that the adoption of the
law may find the legal framework to solve the problem of the former
Securitate files. The PD leader exJressed the hope that the Senate could
adopt laws of major importance during its extraodinary session. Such laws
may include the law on regional development, the law on Romania's public
and private heritage or laws on amending regulations concerning the
activity in the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) and Military Attorney's
Offices under CSJ control. RADOR
[06] PNL pleads for amendments to Consitution
The first vicepresident of the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL), Valeriu
Stoica, has announced on Thursday that, at his party's National Council
meeting on Saturday, PNL was expected to propose some amendments to the
Constitution. Mr Stoica said PNL believed that the attributions of the two
Chambres in Parliament should be strictly defined. The PNL leader has also
reiterated that procedures of lifting MPs' immunity should be reviewed on
two issues mainly: activities under immunity should be restricted and the
number of votes needed to lift somone's immunity should drop from two
thirds to a half of each Chamber's MPs. RADOR
[07] The Senate's Judiciary Commission for discipline and immunities
summoned PRM leader
Following a complaint by Romania's justice minister, Senator Corneliu Vadim
Tudor, the leader of the far-right Greater Romania Party (PRM), was to
appear before the Senate's Judiciary Commission for discipline and
immunities on Thursday. The PRM senator has however failed to appear before
the senatorial body. In a letter to chief commissioner Rasvan Dobrescu, Mr
Vadim Tudor said his absence was motivated by the Economic Forum of
European Regions now taking place in Bucharest as he was invited to attend
the opening session of the Forum's fifth edition. According to the same
source, in his letter on July 1, the senator however expressed his goodwill,
and promised to answer the commission's request. Justice Minister Valeriu
Stoica told journalists he had no information about Mr Vadim's letter and
stopped short of making any further remarks over the issue. ThJ
commission's hearings also included the candidates to act as judges with
the Constitutional Court following proposals by the Senate. RADOR
[08] Former Romanian sovereign on a visit to Romania
While on a private visit to the country, Romania's former sovereign, King
Michael I, has left Craiova on Thursday for the Danube city of Calafat
where the first gunshots in 1877 anounced Romania's independence and self-
determination to the world. The King was also expected to visit several
towns in southern Dolj county while in the evening, the King and his wife,
Queen Ana of Bourbon Parma, were expected to attend a concert performed by
Oltenia Philarmonic Orchestra. RADOR
[09] The leader of Radiocommunication Trade Union Federation on hunger
strike
The leader of the Radiocommunication Trade Union Federation, Nicolae
Smeliakov, has announced he started a hunger strike. He said the decision
was motivated by the government's failure (at its meeting on Thursday) to
find a solution and pay the RomJnian Television and Radio's broadcast debt
to the Radiocommunication Autonomous Company. According to the communique,
the strike will continue until Mr Smeliakov's next meeting with the prime
minister, when he expects that solutions may be found to solve the
situation which already led to the closedown of the Bod station, the
biggest broadcasting station in Romania. RADOR
[10] Aid for flood victims
The Japanese Government has granted a 90,000 dollar aid of equipments and
medicine to help the people in the Romanian areas affected by recent
floods. A first transport of tents, electric generators, water filters and
cable is expected at the Otopeni International Airport on Friday while a
transport of medical equipments and medicines to answer the needs of 10,000
people for three months is expected next week.
China has granted a 50,000 dollar humanitarian aid to Romania's Red Cross
for the victims in the areas affected by floods. Chinese Prime Minister Zhu
Rong has sent a letter Jo his Romanian counterpart Radu Vasile expressing
his and the Chinese people's solidarity and compassion for those who
suffered following recent natural disasters in Transylvania and northern
Moldavia. The RRA recalls that large areas in China's southern Guangdong
province were also affected by floods this summer. RADOR
[11] Romanian president on a visit to countries in Transcaucasia
The talks on Thursday between Romanian President Emil Constantinescu and
his Georgian counterpart Eduard Shevarnadze focused mainly on the Caucasian
oil transport route linking Baku, Supsa and the Romanian port of
Constantza. President Shevarnadze said after the talks that the two
countries shared similar opinions on all the issues concerning their
bilateral relations. In his turn, the Romanian president pointed out that a
legal framework should be created for highest level coordination of all
common initiatives. In this respect, the Romanian and Georgian officials
are to appoint official delegates to answer this sort of issues. Mr
Constantinescu has announced that a ferry line was expected to open on July
17 between the Georgian port of Poti and the Romanian port of Constantza.
The transport will be free of any charges for six months. President
Constantinescu and the Romanian delegation have arrived in the Georgian
port of Poti on Thursday, and visited the oil terminal and other
facilities. The Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi may play a major role in
case the future Caspian oil pipe would open according to Bucharest and
Tbilisi plans. RADOR
[12] Danish foreign minister on a visit to Romania
Danish Foreign Minister Niles Helveg Petersen is on a short visit to
Romania following an invitation by his Romanian counterpart Andrei Plesu.
He was coming from Sofia, where he said Bulgaria had growing chances to
start EU accession negotiations in the year 2001. Irrespective of his talks
with Mr Plesu, the Danish minister's agenda also includes meetings with
Prime Minister Radu Vasile and the speakers of the two Chambres in Romanian
Parliament. At the end of his talks with Foreign Minister Plesu, Mr
Petersen said Denmark believed that the EU enlargement was the only major
means to secure a long term stability and security in Europe. Denmark was
firmly pleading for the admission of all the EU candidates and for a
growing financial aid to help them in their preaccession process. As far as
the NATO expansion was concerned, the minister said that the Washington
summit next year might not deal with the further enlargement of the
Alliance, but Romania should not temper its commitment to the process. The
two foreign ministers have also discussed issues concerning Romania's OSCE
future presidency in the year 2001 when the Caspian region might become a
priority in energy and diplomatic policies. RADOR
[13] NATO's PFP training exercise in Slovakia
Between July 3-11, Romania is participating in the multinational
"Cooperative Change '98" military training exercise as part of NATO's
Partnership for Peace (PFP) programme. The exercise around the Slovak
airbase of Silak includes several air operations coordinated by the Allied
Forces' Command in Central Europe. The Romanian team includes Army Staff
officers on MIG-21 LANCER and AN-26 planes. RADOR
[14] World Bank involvement in restoring and preserving Romania's cultural
heritage
A World Bank delegation led by Francois Ettori, the World Bank's
representative for Romania, has started a visit to the county of Sibiu on
Thursday. The delegates are examining projects designed to restore and
preserve the cultural heritage in traditional areas where Transylvanian
Saxons used to live. The World Bank delegation is accompanied by
representatives of Romania's Culture Ministry and the US "World Monuments
Fund" foundation. RADOR
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