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Italian FM Stunned By Romania’s Allegations Of Xenophobic Behavior – Press

20:05, 11 Feb. 2009
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini on Wednesday voiced his surprise over Romanian counterpart’s allegations of xenophobic behavior among Italian officials, saying his country has always been a place of “tolerance and hospitality,” news agency Adnkronos reported.

Romanian Pres Asks Govt To Settle Sterling’s Black Sea Exploitation Issue

19:46, 11 Feb. 2009
Romanian president Traian Basescu asked Wednesday the Government to settle the issue regarding the blocks in the Black Sea that are exploited by Canada’s Sterling Resources.

Romanian Pres Wants Clean Secretaries Of State

19:27, 11 Feb. 2009
Romanian president Traian Basescu said Wednesday, at the ceremony in which the interior minister was sworn in, that "there are controversial secretaries of state," adding two secretaries of sate are mentioned in debates on connections with the oil segment.

Romanian Pres Deplores Alleged Media Campaign Against Govt

19:25, 11 Feb. 2009
Romanian president Traian Basescu accused mass-media company owners of trying to discredit the state’s authorities and asked the government counter this thesis through its actions.

Romanian Cos Benefit From RON2.38B In State Aid – Privatization Auth

18:46, 11 Feb. 2009
Romania’s privatization authority AVAS has granted so far state aid worth 2.38 billion lei (EUR1-RON4.2729) to 80 companies, AVAS president Mircea Ursache said Wednesday.

Embassies Ask Romanian PM To Raise Pvt Pension Contribution At 2.5% This Yr

16:36, 11 Feb. 2009
Five diplomats of the countries dominating the private pension market in Romania, with a market share of over 80%, asked prime minister Emil Boc to reconsider the decision to freeze the level of contributions to private pensions, as the 2% level would have long term effects on future pensioners.

Romania To Lower Car Tax, Pay Back Tax Differences

16:35, 11 Feb. 2009
Romania’s pollution tax on cars will be reduced from the current values which is triple compared to July 2008 and vehicle owners who paid the tripled tax might get their money back.

Danube Delta Governor Liviu Mihaiu Dismissed – Romanian Environment Min

16:28, 11 Feb. 2009
Journalist Liviu Mihaiu will no longer be the Governor of Romania’s Danube Delta, environment minister Nicolae Nemirschi said Wednesday, after the Government meeting.

Romania’s Former PM To Solve Black Sea Resources Scandal In Court

16:08, 11 Feb. 2009
Romanian former Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said Wednesday he would solve the scandal related to Black Sea reserves lease to Canadian company Sterling Resources in court, as he "would not tolerate the lies of" ex-secretary of state Iulian Iancu and of current Premier Emil Boc.

Romanian Pres Signs Decrees Appointing Dan Nica Deputy Premier, Interior Min

15:34, 11 Feb. 2009
Romanian president Traian Basescu Wednesday signed the decrees appointing Dan Nica interior minister and deputy prime minister.

Snow, Blizzard Expected In Northern, Eastern Romania Thursday

15:34, 11 Feb. 2009
Meteorologists issued a yellow code warning, expecting snow and blizzards in northern, central and eastern Romania Thursday through Friday morning.

European Commission Presents Justice Report On Romania Thursday

15:31, 11 Feb. 2009
The European Commission will present the monitoring report on the Romanian justice system Thursday, Commission spokesman Mark Gray said in a press conference Wednesday.

International Drug Distributors Import From Romania On Price Freeze

13:28, 11 Feb. 2009
International drug distributors took advantage of the recent drug price freeze and the depreciation of the Romanian leu against the euro to buy pharmaceutical products from Romania at low prices and resell them on their main markets.

Romania’s Kronospan Sebes Puts 100 Employees On Technical Unemployment

12:59, 11 Feb. 2009
Romania’s wood panel producer Kronospan Sebes temporarily ceased Wednesday its MDF (medium-density fibreboard) production line, sending on technical unemployment around 100 out of its total 500 employees, the company announced Wednesday.

Romanian Border Police Find 60 Gas Pistols In Bulgarian Citizen’s Luggage

11:44, 11 Feb. 2009
The border police in Arad, western Romania, found on Tuesday night 60 gas pistols in the luggage of a Bulgarian citizen traveling by train to Bucharest from Vienna.

Romania’s Housing Agency ANL Has New GM As Of Wed

20:25, 10 Feb. 2009
Pavel Belinski, councilor in Romania’s southern county of Olt and former owner of a construction company, will replace Gheorghe Popescu on Wednesday in the position of general manager of the National Housing Agency ANL.

Junk Car Program To Function As Of March ’09 – Romanian PM

20:03, 10 Feb. 2009
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said after the meeting with the headship of the Romanian carmaker Dacia that the Rabla program (“Junk Car”) will be enforced as of March.

Romania’s Lower House Committee OKs Biometric Passports

18:26, 10 Feb. 2009
The Defense Committee of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday approved an ordinance on the introduction of biometrics indentifiers in national passports.

Hungarian Police Offers Reward For Information On Third Murder Suspect

18:05, 10 Feb. 2009
The Hungarian police offers a EUR3,500 reward to the person who offers information leading to the arrest of Sztojka Ivan, suspect in the murder of Romanian handball player Marian Cozma, Magyar media reported.

Romanian High Court Of Justice Suspends Trial Of Ex Ministers, Sends File To Const Court

16:44, 10 Feb. 2009
The trial in which Romanian former ministers Decebal Traian Remes and Ioan Muresan are indicted on corruption charges was suspended and the file was sent to the Constitutional Court, as the High Court of Justice admitted their lawyers’ request to this purpose.

Pastry Shop In Central Romania Sells „Obama” Chocolate Croissants

15:29, 10 Feb. 2009
The owner of a pastry shop in the central Romanian city of Alba Iulia has found a new way to boost sales by naming one of his pastry products "Obama”, to honor the new U.S. president.

Ford Craiova Asks Local Auth To Stop Construction Near Car Plant

15:23, 10 Feb. 2009
The management board of Ford Romania Tuesday asked local authorities in Dolj, southern Romania, to intervene and to stop the issuing of authorizations to build homes near the car plant in Craiova.

Romanian Govt Control Body Checks All State Auth Related To Black Sea Lease

15:17, 10 Feb. 2009
Romania’s Government Control Body began to check, at the Government's General Secretariat, the Prime Minister's Chancellery and the ministries of Justice, Environment, Foreign Affairs, all the documents allowing Canada’s Sterling Resources to extract crude oil and natural gas from the Black Sea.

European Court Of Justice Rules Against France Over Free Movement Of Romanians, Bulgarians

15:01, 10 Feb. 2009
The European Court of Justice ruled against France Tuesday for failing to transpose into national legislation all the provisions regarding the free circulation of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, whose countries joined the European Union in 2007, AFP reported.

Romanian Father’s Day, Mother’s Day Law Submitted To Parliament

14:57, 10 Feb. 2009
Romanian democrat liberal MP Mircia Giurgiu told MEDIAFAX he has submitted in the Chamber of Deputies the draft law "instating Father’s Day and Mother’s Day."

Sterling-Exploited Black Sea Blocks Contain Unevaluated Gas Quantity

14:57, 10 Feb. 2009
The blocks in the Black Sea that are exploited by Canada’s Sterling Resources contain natural gas, but their exact quantity has not been evaluated yet, the president of Mineral Resources Agency ANRM, Gelu Agafiel Maracineanu, said Tuesday.

ArcelorMittal Unionists Protests In E Romania, In Ten European Countries, Brussels

14:52, 10 Feb. 2009
Nearly thirty employees of the steel mill ArcelorMittal in Galati, eastern Romania, are protesting Tuesday since noon at the entrance of the steel mill, while protests are organized simultaneously in other ten European countries where the group is present, and in Brussels.

Romanian Dignitaries’ Wages To Hike In 2010 If The Economy Allows It – PM

14:07, 10 Feb. 2009
Wages of Romanian dignitaries and people in public office, frozen for this year, will be increased in 2010 only if the country’s economy allows wage hikes for this category of staff, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday.

Romania’s 09 Junk Car Progr Might Fail On Limited Loan Access

13:56, 10 Feb. 2009
Romania might not meet its objective to replace 60,000 cars of the national fleet in 2009, as access to loans via the “Junk Car” program is more difficult than last year, the Automotive Manufacturers and Importers Association, or APIA, said Tuesday.

Camorra Mafia Member Arrested In Bucharest

13:48, 10 Feb. 2009
An Italian citizen who is a member of the Camorra mafia, wanted in Italy for money laundering and blackmail, was arrested by Romanian police in capital city Bucharest.

Romanian Handball Player Marian Cozma To Be Buried Friday

13:42, 10 Feb. 2009
Romanian handball player Marian Cozma, who was killed Saturday night, will be buried Friday, in Pipera Cemetery in Bucharest, Cristian Gatu, head of Romania’s Handball Federation, told MEDIAFAX Tuesday.

Romania To Face Tough Period On Budget Execution In Apr-May – Econ Min

12:55, 10 Feb. 2009
The Romanian economy is seen facing a tough period in April to May as regards the country’s budget execution, economy minister Adriean Videanu said Tuesday in a debate on Realitatea TV.

Romanian Otopeni Airport To Be Reachable By Train, Bus Line

12:47, 10 Feb. 2009
The railroad line between Bucharest’s Gara de Nord and Otopeni will be functional within a few days, and a ticket will cost 6 lei (EUR1 = RON4.2450), said Romanian transport and infrastructure minister Radu Berceanu.

Romanian Deputy PM To Be Heard In Parliament To Fill Interior Min Position

12:38, 10 Feb. 2009
The standing offices of Romania’s two chambers of parliament will discuss Tuesday about having deputy prime minister Dan Nica, also nominated for interior minister, heard in Parliament, Chamber of Deputies vice-president Ioan Oltean told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Govt To Redistribute Money Left Unspent In 2008 To Local Authorities

11:42, 10 Feb. 2009
The Romanian government will redistribute to local authorities funds that weren’t spent in 2008, after it had previously decided to have that money returned to the state budget, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday.

Romanian Ex Mins Use Unconstitutionality Defense In Graft Case

11:20, 10 Feb. 2009
The case in which Romanian former ministers Decebal Traian Remes and Ioan Muresan were sent to trial on corruption charges could be suspended and the files sent to the Constitutional Court, as lawyers challenged the constitutionality of the phone taps presented as evidence.

Romania Might Face EC’s Excessive Deficit Sanctions –PM

11:19, 10 Feb. 2009
The Romanian Government hopes that Romania won't face excessive deficit sanctions from the European Commission, though recent data indicate this is a possibility, Premier Emil Boc said Tuesday.

Hungarian Police Official Accuses Raffael Sandor Of Stabbing Romanian Handball Player

09:28, 10 Feb. 2009
A high-ranking official of the Hungarian police said Monday on Hungarian public television that Romanian handball player Marian Cozma was stabbed and killed by Raffael Sandor, one of the three arrested late Sunday in Austria, MTI reported.

Romanian Car Registrations Tumble In Jan

19:47, 09 Feb. 2009
Romanian new car registrations dropped by 53.1% on the year in January, to 13,815 units, while 5,941 used cars were registered in January, down 52.2% in the same month a year earlier.

Italy Urged To Revise Behavior, Language Toward Romanians

19:42, 09 Feb. 2009
The Romanian Embassy in Rome urged Italian authorities to revise their attitude and language toward Romanian nationals, following a series of recent attacks against Romanians on Italian territory, Romania’s Foreign Ministry said Monday.