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Romanian Pres Says Magyars Were Fair In Talks On Kosovo

20:26, 18 Feb. 2008
Romanian president Traian Basescu stated that the Magyar minority party (UDMR) was fair in the talks held Monday at his office, but he added that he scolded the party, saying that in regions Harghita and Covasna "there are aspects that might be interpreted as ethnic purification” against Romanians.

Romania Opposes Kosovo Independence

20:08, 18 Feb. 2008
Romanian president Traian Basescu stated, after talks with political parties, that Romania maintains its stance and does not acknowledge the independence of the Kosovo province for reasons such as the grant of collective minority rights and lack of observance for Serbia’s territorial integrity.

Trial Of Syrian Justice Evader Ends, Court Expected To Reach Verdict

20:06, 18 Feb. 2008
The trial of Syrian businessman Omar Hayssam, previously sentenced by the Bucharest Court of Appeals to 20 years in jail for the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq in 2005, ended Monday and the Supreme Court is expected to reach its verdict after the defense and prosecution pleadings had been heard.

Romanian Health Min Holds Ground On Drug Price Freeze

19:43, 18 Feb. 2008
Romanian hospital managers that accept, through additional document, the hike of medicine prices over the values mentioned in the national catalogue will pay the difference on their own, health minister Eugen Nicolaescu told MEDIAFAX.

Bucharest’s Intl Airports To Be Closed During NATO Summit

16:44, 18 Feb. 2008
Bucharest’s international airports "Aurel Vlaicu" Baneasa and "Henri Coanda" Otopeni will be closed during the Bucharest-hosted NATO summit in April, and operators will use other airports in the country, said Monday Antonel Tanase, state secretary in the Ministry of Transports.

Romania Deems Kosovo’s Unilateral Independence Illegal

16:39, 18 Feb. 2008
Romanian President Traian Basescu said Monday at the beginning of his meeting with parliament parties that the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo is an action Romania considers "illegal".

Romanian Lawmakers To Adopt Declaration Regarding Kosovo

15:33, 18 Feb. 2008
Romanian lawmakers meet Monday evening to adopt a Declaration regarding Kosovo, said Senate chairman Nicolae Vacaroiu, adding the country’s position is "firm" and will “not recognize the independence” of the province.

Romanian President Meets Party Leaders To Discuss Kosovo

15:25, 18 Feb. 2008
Romania’s president Traian Basescu invited leaders of parliament parties to a meeting Monday at 16.00 (local time) for talks about the recent events in Kosovo, official sources told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Public Healthcare Units To Outsource Dialysis Services – Draft

15:15, 18 Feb. 2008
Dialysis services in public healthcare units in Romania will be privatized and the private entities to take over these centers will sign a four-year agreement with hospitals, according to a draft government decision under public debate.

Slovak Ambassador Sees No Reason For Romania To Have The Fate Of Kosovo

14:50, 18 Feb. 2008
The Ambassador of the Slovak Republic in Romania, Dagmar Repcekova, told a news conference Monday she sees no reason why the Kosovo model should be applied in Romania, saying Transylvania “does not have the bloody history Kosovo does”.

Over 65,000 Romanian Public Servants On Go-Slow Strike

11:12, 18 Feb. 2008
Over 65,000 public servants affiliated to the Sed Lex union went on go-slow strike for two hours Monday, demanding the immediate drafting of the government decision regarding the promotion of public servants, a unitary salary law and the negotiation of salary grids, union leader Vasile Marica said.

Romania’s Position To Kosovo Remains Unchanged – Foreign Ministry

10:04, 18 Feb. 2008
Romania’s position towards Kosovo remains unchanged, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Ilie Banica told MEDIAFAX Sunday, adding the minister would make a statement on the matter on Monday.

Hungarian Minority Party Urges Romania To Recognize Independent Kosovo

17:20, 17 Feb. 2008
Romania’s Hungarian minority party UDMR said in a press release Sunday it considers the declaration of independence of Serbia’s breakaway province of Kosovo is a natural consequence of changes in Central Europe and Western Balkans and believes Romania “should not postpone recognizing the province”.

Romania’s Deployment Of Troops, Observers In Kosovo Needs Parliament Vote – Opp Leader

17:02, 17 Feb. 2008
Romania’s leftist opposition social democrat leader Mircea Geoana told a news conference Sunday that Romania’s decision to deploy NATO troops and observers to Serbia’s breakaway region of Kosovo should be made based on a vote in parliament.

Romanian Automobile Craiova Sale To Ford Might Be Complete By Early April – Official

15:27, 17 Feb. 2008
The head of Romania’s privatization agency AVAS, Teodor Atanasiu, told a news conference Sunday he expects the contract Romania signed with US giant Ford for its auto-assembly plant Automobile Craiova to take effect early April.

Romania’s Ruling Liberals Not Afraid Of Early Elections – Official

14:49, 17 Feb. 2008
The vice-president of Romania’s ruling Liberal Party, Teodor Atanasiu, told a news conference on Sunday the party is not afraid of early elections, but is not keen on triggering them either.

Rejected Justice Min Candidate Sues President Next Week

14:36, 17 Feb. 2008
Romania’s rejected candidate for justice minister, liberal senator Norica Nicolai, said Saturday evening she already spoke to the two lawyers who are to defend her in the legal actions she starts next week against President Traian Basescu, who refused to appoint her justice minister.

Romanian Far Right Party Proposes Paying Hungarians To Leave Romania

16:45, 16 Feb. 2008
The secretary general of the far-right Greater Romania Party, or PRM, Gheorghe Funar, told a news conference Saturday the party will ask parliament to approve the grant of a bonus for discontent Hungarians to leave the country.

Romanian Gendarmerie To Use Dogs In Avalanche Search And Rescue

13:51, 16 Feb. 2008
The first nine dogs trained in avalanche victim search and rescue will enter service with the Romanian Gendarmerie starting with next Friday, after being trained for five weeks in the Sinaia Gendarmerie Training Center.

Four Bulgarian Nationals Dead, Five Injured In Major Car Crash C Romania

12:53, 16 Feb. 2008
Four people died and five were injured Friday night when the driver of a microbus transporting Bulgarian citizens tried to overtake another car and smashed into three vehicles on the opposite lane in central Romania.

Romanian Govt Might Make New Changes To Car Tax

19:29, 15 Feb. 2008
The Romanian government is considering a hike in the pollution tax for very old cars, with non-euro, Euro 1 and Euro 2 engines, and a change in the sum paid for new cars, through a system in which CO2 emissions will represent the main calculation criterion.

Romanian Rebuffed Justice Min Nominee To Sue Pres

19:22, 15 Feb. 2008
Romanian National Liberal Party vice president Norica Nicolai told MEDIAFAX that she would take legal action against president Traian Basescu, who violated her fundamental constitutional right to accede to a public position through the reasons for rejecting her as justice minister candidate.

Romanian Defense Minister Maintains Stance On Chad Issue

19:12, 15 Feb. 2008
Asked whether Romania’s participation in the Chad mission was debated within the meeting of the country’s national defense council on Friday, defense minister Teodor Melescanu said that nothing had changed in the meantime.

No Ford, Renault Comments On Vosganian Car Tax Statement

17:58, 15 Feb. 2008
Carmakers Ford and Renault stuck to their business plans and did not comment the statements made by Romanian economy and finance minister Varujan Vosganian, who said that the two large constructors would drop local investments if the car tax were eliminated.

Romanian Constitutional Court Motivates Justice Ministry Nomination Decision

16:27, 15 Feb. 2008
The Romanian Constitutional Court published Friday the motivation for the decision in the Norica Nicolai case, showing that the president is allowed to reject the minister nominee one time, since the prime minister remains sole nominator of ministry candidates.

Higher Excises To Drive Cigarette Prices In Romania Up 35-40%

15:30, 15 Feb. 2008
The proposal to increase excises for cigarettes to make up for a potential lowering to 5% of the value added tax on basic food products would lead to a 35-40% increase in cigarette prices, encouraging contraband, tobacco producers say.

Three Romanian Sailors Abandoned On Chinese Airport

14:24, 15 Feb. 2008
Three Romanian sailors are abandoned since two days ago on Dalian airport in China, with no money or immediate possibilities to return to Romania, said Friday Adrian Mihalcioiu, official of the International Federation of Transporters in Romania.

Romanian President Meets EU Military Committee Head Before Kosovo Mission

13:58, 15 Feb. 2008
Romanian president Traian Basescu met Friday with General Henri Bentégeat, chairman of the European union Military Committee.

Former Justice Min Called To Answer To Anticorruption Prosecutors

12:31, 15 Feb. 2008
Romania’s former justice minister Tudor Chiuariu on Friday appeared before anticorruption prosecutors to answer questions on the signing of a government decision regarding a certain piece of land within the administration of the Post Office.

New Car Registrations In Romania Up 34.5% On Yr In Jan

11:14, 15 Feb. 2008
The number of new car registrations in Romania increased 34.5% on the year in January, to 29,495 units, preliminary data from the European Association of Car Makers, or ACEA.

Heavy Metal Band Manowar To Play Bucharest July 7

11:02, 15 Feb. 2008
US heavy metal band Manowar will have a concert in Bucharest on July 7, organizer Kompas Events said.

Romanian Govt Changes Car Tax Calculation Method Again

10:14, 15 Feb. 2008
The draft ordinance regarding Romania’s car tax will be amended, introducing new rules to correlate the level of the tax with that of polluting emissions, after the country consults with the European Commission, Prime Minister Tariceanu said.

Romanian PM, Security Adviser Met Taubman For Talks On NATO Summit – Sources

20:38, 14 Feb. 2008
Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu and his security adviser, Stejarel Olaru, met US Ambassador in Bucharest Nicholas Taubman, while one if the topics covered was the NATO summit in April.

Social Democrat Submits Draft To Cancel Car Tax

19:42, 14 Feb. 2008
Social democrat senator Serban Nicolae submitted Thursday with Romania’s Senate a draft law on eliminating the country’s car tax.

Romania’s AVAS May Hike Stake In Oil Co Petrom

19:16, 14 Feb. 2008
Romanian privatization authority AVAS might increase its stake in oil company Petrom (SNP.RO) to at least 25%, by transferring a stake from Romanian investment fund Fondul Proprietatea, in order to benefit from a firmer position in the decision-making process.

Draft Law Initiators To Decide Whether Draft Needs OK Of Other Institutions

19:13, 14 Feb. 2008
The institution initiating a draft normative act will decide, depending on the area regulated, if the draft needs the go-ahead from the High Council for National Defense, the High Council of Magistrates, the Competition Council and/or the Court of Accounts.

Romanian Econ Fin Min Asks Financial Guard To Focus On Big Game

19:06, 14 Feb. 2008
Romanian economy and finance minister Varujan Vosganian asked the financial guard to redirect control activities towards large tax evasion, especially regarding VAT and excises, and to correctly state the risk zones in the area.

Romanian Local Authorities Remain Quite Centralized – Fitch

17:19, 14 Feb. 2008
Local authorities in Romania are still strongly centralized, even though EU accession, coupled with legislative changes in the past two years might have significant contributions in their efficient and effective decentralization, according to financial evaluation agency Fitch Ratings.

Syrian Justice Evader Lawyers Say Panel Of Judges Is Incompatible

16:34, 14 Feb. 2008
The lawyers of Syrian businessman Omar Hayssam and of Mustafa Tartoussi Thursday submitted a request to change the panel of judges assigned to try Hayssam’s flight from the country.

Pedophile Who Aggressed Two Children Is In Police Custody

14:41, 14 Feb. 2008
The man who molested two children, a seven year-old boy and an eleven year-old girl, was caught by the Bucharest police and during questioning, confessed his crime, on Thursday said Christian Ciocan, spokesperson with the Bucharest Police.