RADOR: News from Romania, 98-12-02

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From: RADOR Press Agency <http://indis.ici.ro/romania/news/rador.html>

December 2, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] December 1, Romania's National Day

[02] Bucharest, the 'Capital' of French Speaking Countries;

[03] Romanian Foreign Minister to Attend the Meeting of the OSCE Ministers' Council;

[04] CNN Report Denied.

[01] December 1, Romania's National Day;

"The 1918 generation was a generation of heroes, and this is why we should anwer an essential question: did we deserve their sacrifice? I know it is a troubling and painful question, but when I think about those days in December 1989 when the Romanians defeated the communist oppression, then say "yes", and I add: if we prove we are able to achieve all the ideals we fought for and build a modern Romania, if we are able to eliminate all the remains of the former dictature and make a performant economy and efficient institutions work, if our victory will be rewarded by accepting Romania's integration into NATO and the EU, if we shall meet all these conditions, then we may proudly say we knew how to make our present resemble the past we so much praise. All these depend on us", Romanian President Emil Constantinescu said in his message on the occasion of Romania's National Day. The president added: "We have the right to hope that, today for once, the Romanians will show to themselves and to the whole world that they are out of any sterile and damaging dispute. We hope they will show the good sense their ancestors used to prove and their common commitment to work for the country's own good. We respectfully and gratefully praise the history of the past. Let's join our forces and challenge the history of tomorrow". RADOR

Military parade in Bucharest

In the presence of Romanian President Emil Constantinescu, a military parade was taking place in the Constitution Plaza of Bucharest on Tuesday. A swear-in ceremony of latest private unit preceded the parade. The prime minister, the speakers of the two Houses in parliament, MPs, Cabinet ministers and foreign diplomats along with thousands of people have attended the parade, one of the greatest in recent years. President Constantinescu said that Romania's National Day made him feel proud of being a Romanian. He added that the parade was an opportunity allowing the Romanian Army to assure the people they could rely on it. RADOR

Solemn session at Romania's Academy

The solemn scientific session dedicated to the 80-th anniversary of the Great Union in 1918 has ended at the Romanian Academy on Tuesday. According to the RRA, President Constantinescu has also attended the meeting. In his opening speech, Eugen Simion, the president of the Romanian Academy, pointed out the role the institution had played in thriving the Romanian State. More than ever today, the Romanian Academy should unite the country's dispersed political forces, wake the community up from its apathy and restore the Romanians' confidence in the future. RADOR

Solemn session in Romania's Parliament

At a joint solemn session on Thuesday, the Romanian Senate and House of Deputies celebrated Romania's National Day on December 1 and the 80-th anniversary of the Great Union in 1918. Speeches were made by MPs representing all parliamentary groups, the Opposition included. They all have praised the contribution of Iuliu Maniu, Ionel Bratianu and Vasile Goldis to achieve the Great Union. They paid a tribute to the Romanian Army for its crucial contribution to the union act. The speakers pointed out that reconciliation and national unity were needed these days more then ever.

The solemn session in parliament was attended by representatives of all political parties despite Opposition's further parliamentary strike. Major MPs such as Ion Iliescu, the leader of the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR), Teodor Melescanu, the leader of the Alliance for Romania Party (ApR), and Valeriu Tabar, the leader of the Romanians' National Unity Party (PUNR), did not however attend the meeting. RADOR

The Opposition in Alba Iulia

Celebrating the 80-th anniversay of the Great Union, the opposition parties have attended a solemn rally in the Transylvanian city of Alba Iulia on Tuesday, organised by PDSR. Participants included PDSR leader Ion Iliescu, PUNR leader valeriu Tabara, the vicepresident of the Greater Romania Party (PRM), Dumitru Badea, the president of the Romanian Home Union (ed.n. Uniunea Vatra Romaneasca - UVR), Zeno Opris, Razvan Teodorescu, the president of Romania's Democratic Forum, and representatives of the "Avram Iancu" Patriotic Association.

A joint statement adopted at the meeting in Alba Iulia says: "Concerned about recent attempts by political groups inside and outside Romania to question the future of Transylvania and support the province's autonomy on ethnic criteria or the country's federalisation, we declare that the future of the Romanian State cannot be subject to dispute. The country's future is guaranteed by the Constitution. We accept all the legal measures to ensure equal rights for all the Romanian citizens in compliance with European standards. On the occasion of the 80-th anniversary of the Great Union, we call on the Government, the Presidency and the ruling parties (the Democratic Convention in Romania - CDR, the Democratic Party - PD and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania - UDMR) to acknowlege if they are considering Transylvania, the unity of the Romanian State and the equal rights for all the Romanian citizens as priorities and how do they intend to act and achieve such tasks. The participants in the solemn meeting at Alba Iulia on December 1, 1998, express their full support o Romania's unity and sovereignty as national state". RADOR

Congratulations

The Press Office of the Romanian Presidency says that President Constantinescu was offered congratulations on the occasio of Romania's National Day. The US President William Jeffersin Clinton, HM Queen Elisabeth II of Great Britain, French President Jacques Chirac, German President Roman Herzog, the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin, the President of the People's Republic of China, Jiang Zemin, and Canada's Governor General Romeo Leblanc congratulated the president and the Romanian people on the occasion. RADOR

Romania's National Day abroad

The Romanian embassies to countries around the world have organised on Tuesday a series of events celebrating Romania's National Day. Officials in the Republic of Moldova, Kiev, Moscow, Belgrade and Hungary have attended cultural religious and other events organised by the Romanian embassies. Canadian Romanians, businessmen and politicians have attended receptions at the Romanian embassy to Toronto and Montreal while diplomats and representatives of the Romanian community in France have attended an extraordinary concert in Paris. A reception in London on Tuesday evening was expected to include politicians and British citizens of Romanian descent. RADOR

[02] Bucharest, the capital of French speaking countries

[03] Romanian foreign minister to attend the meeting of the OSCE Ministers' Council

[04] CNN report denied

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