Tariceanu Says USL Could Be Rebuilt If Liberals Score Under 25% In EP Elections
Senate Chairman Calin Popescu Tariceanu said Monday the Social Liberal Union (USL) could be rebuilt after EP elections if the Liberal Party, which quit the coalition, misses its target of a 25% vote.
“I believe the USL can get back together right now, there’s no need to wait for European Parliament elections. The Liberal Party seeks to get a score of at least 25% in these elections and it would be useful to have a considerable liberal presence in the European Parliament. At the same time, however, I believe failure to meet this target will have consequences on the party’s alliance policy and its positioning on the Romanian political scene,” said Tariceanu. (Gandul)
President Basescu Says Putin Is Trying To Rebuild USSR
Romanian President Traian Basescu said he believes Russian leader Vladimir Putin is looking to rebuild the Soviet Union, which could spell great danger for the Republic of Moldova.
“If we look at the map we see this chain of frozen conflicts around the Black Sea, which could be activated at any time,” said Basescu, referring to conflicts in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Georgia), Crimea (Ukraine), and Transnistria (Moldova). (Evenimentul Zilei)
Lamb Meat Prices To Grow At Least 10% This Year
Lamb, traditionally eaten in Romania for Easter, will see a price growth of at least 10%, from RON23 a kilo to RON25, farmers said.
The main reasons cited for the price increase were lower subsidies and higher taxes.
Around 30% of spring lambs will remain in farms, while the rest will be slaughtered for Easter and exports. (Curentul)
Foreign Direct Investments Up 26.8% In 2013
Romanian foreign direct investment increased 26.8% on the year in 2013, to EUR2.38 billion, the highest level in the last four years.
Foreign direct investment rose 8% on the year to 244 million euro in January. Equity stakes consolidated with estimated net loss reached EUR119 million, while intragroup loans amounted to EUR125 million, central bank data showed. (Curierul National)
Foreign Tourists Spent EUR1.08B In Romania In 2013
The 1.71 million foreign (non-resident) tourists who traveled to Romania in 2013 spent a total 4.79 billion lei (EUR1.08 billion), mostly on accommodation.
Foreign tourists who traveled to Romania for business reasons, to participate in summits, conferences, fairs and exhibitions, accounted for 58.0% of the total number of foreign tourists visiting the country.
Most foreign tourists came from Germany (228,590), Italy (181,900) and France (118,650). (Adevarul)
Romania Resumes Adoptions To The United States
Romania has resumed international adoptions to the United States. Two mixed families, where one of the spouses is Romanian, adopted three children aged 4, 5 and 6.
The Romanian Office for Adoption said international adoptions for Romanians living abroad were resumed on April 7, 2012.
The first adoptions to the United States were approved in the past month. (Adevarul)