Romanian President, Labor Minister On Working Visit To Berlin
President Traian Basescu and Labor Minister Mariana Campeanu will attend roundtable discussions Wednesday in Berlin on European youth employment outlooks.
The roundtable is hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and will be attended by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, Council of Europe president Herman Van Rompuy, European Parliament president Martin Schulz, European Investment Bank president Werner Hoyer, and heads of state and government of EU member states. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Romania Targets Strategic Partnership With China
Romania wants to conclude a strategic partnership with China meant to secure a strong collaboration in various fields, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Tuesday at the end of talks with the Chinese president and prime minister.
Ponta said the partnership targets political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries, as well as in other fields.
Ponta also said that Romania’s Minister-delegate for Infrastructure Projects Dan Sova would sign a memorandum of partnership with China Development Bank. (Jurnalul National)
President Asks Lawmakers To Reverse Law On Rompetrol Deal
Romanian President Traian Basescu requested the Parliament reverse its vote on the law approving a memorandum of understanding between the government and Dutch-registered Rompetrol Group, saying lawmakers have breached the principle of separation of powers.
The government and Rompetrol in February signed an agreement under which the latter has agreed to buy back 26.69% in its refining unit Rompetrol Rafinare (RRC.RO) in exchange for $200 million. In addition, the government has pledged to withdraw a series of lawsuits filed against Rompetrol as a precondition to the sale agreement.
“In this case, the court actions could have been withdrawn based on a transaction between the Finance Ministry and the Rompetrol Group which could have been approved by a government decision. However, the government decided to draft a bill on the matter,” Basescu said in the reexamination request. (Romania Libera)
Falling Copper Prices Make CupruMin’s Sale More Difficult
Romania’s Economy Minister Varujan Vosganian on Tuesday said the privatization process of state-owned copper producer CupruMin might also include a preliminary negotiation phase, arguing that things “got a bit complicated” due to plunging copper prices.
Speaking at a press conference, Vosganian said Romania cannot conclude a long-term contract for CupruMin’s sale while considering prices that keep falling, therefore, he added, the Government ought to find ways to guarantee a minimum price for the prospective buyer.
Vosganian said CupruMin needs major investments, considering that it lacked such projects over the past seven-eight years. (Jurnalul National)
Bulgarian Farmers Irked By Cheap Romanian Vegetable Sales
Bulgarian farmers in the Vidin area have started raising signatures for a petition denouncing the sale in Bulgaria of cheap vegetables brought from neighboring Romania, Bulgarian Focus news agency reported.
Local farmers are disgruntled that Romanians from the Calafat area come over and sell their own vegetables at lower prices.
The new bridge over the Danube, connecting Calafat to Vidin was opened on June 14 and will be exploited by a Romanian-Bulgarian joint-venture. Over 100,000 vehicles are estimated to cross the bridge annually. (Romania Libera)
One Romanian Killed, One Injured In Insurgent Attack In Kabul, Afghanistan
One Romanian citizen was killed and another injured in an insurgent attack Tuesday in Kabul, Afghanistan, the Romanian Foreign ministry announced.
At least seven people were killed in the attack claimed by the Taliban, which targeted a transport company that collaborated with NATO. (Romania Libera)