Quintus: Liberals And Democrat Liberals Should Form Alliance Instead Of Party Merger
Liberal Party honorary president Mircea Ionescu Quintus said liberals and democrat liberals should form an alliance unless the latter party continues to refuse to let go of its name and identity for a merger.
Quintus said the Liberal Party’s by-laws stipulate the protection of the party’s fundamental values, which include its name and identity and unless the Democratic Liberal Party is willing to give up its own in a merger the only option for collaboration is a political alliance. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Adina Valean And Corina Cretu Elected EP Vice-Presidents
Adina Valean (Liberal Party) and Corina Cretu (Social Democratic Party) were elected European Parliament vice-presidents Tuesday.
Valean got 394 votes in the first round and Cretu got 406 votes in the second round. (Jurnalul National)
Romania Central Bank Keeps Key Rate At 3.5%; Cuts Forex Reserve Requirements
Romania’s central bank on Tuesday held its key lending rate unchanged at 3.5% for the third second consecutive meeting, in line with market expectations, but lowered the reserve requirements for foreign currency deposits to 16% from 18% previously.
The lower requirements will be applied starting with the July 24-August 23, 2014 period, the central bank said. The minimum reserve requirements for Romanian leu-denominated liabilities were left unchanged at 12%.
The European Central Bank recently cut its main interest rate to a record low of 0.15% and imposed a negative rate of -0.1% on bank deposits, in a move aimed at boosting inflation and kick-start lending in the eurozone. (Puterea)
First Deliveries Through Romania-Moldova Gas Pipeline Expected By End August
Romania’s natural gas pipeline linking the local city of Iasi to Ungheni city in the neighboring Republic of Moldova is expected to be operational in the second half of August, Energy Minister Razvan Nicolescu said.
“The Romanian segment of the pipeline has been completed and the Moldovan segment will be ready by August 15,” Nicolescu told Mediafax reporters. “The first gas deliveries will be technically possible starting with August 25, give or take a few days.”
The Iasi-Ungheni pipeline will be 43.2 kilometers long, of which 32.8 kilometers on Romanian territory. The pipeline will have an annual capacity of 1.5 billion to 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas.
Romania produces around 11 billion of cubic meters of natural gas a year, while its imports from Russia amount to 2.5 billion to 3 billion cubic meters a year. (Curierul National)
Seven Of Ten Romanians Prefer Large Retail Chains For Shopping
Seven out of ten Romanians prefer to do their shopping in large retail centers, because they have entertainment areas and hypermarkets, while high-street stores are nearly “non-existent” and preferred by just 2% of Romanians, according to a CBRE survey.
By comparison, one in five Europeans chooses high-street stores for shopping. (Jurnalul National)