April 1, 2014 UPDATE
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România Internațional, 01.04.2014, 20:27
The President of Romania, Traian Basescu, says the fiscal and budgetary policy of the cabinet headed by the Social Democrat Victor Ponta and accepted by the IMF is wrong. In a press statement on Tuesday night, Traian Basescu said this policy should be adjusted as soon as possible, otherwise Romania risks facing major macro-economic imbalances in the medium run. The solution suggested by the head of state is to return to budget expenses based on reliable budget revenues. Traian Basescu also added that Parliament should reject a government ordinance increasing the fuel excise as of April 1. An IMF mission is scheduled to hold consultations with the Romanian authorities this month.
Sitting in joint session, the two chambers of the Parliament of Romania Tuesday approved the appointment of Misu Negritoiu as president of the Financial Supervisory Authority. Parliament also endorsed the appointment of Victor Ciorbea as a non-executive member of the Board of the Financial Supervisory Authority. Negritoiu, a former Deputy, minister and head of ING Bank Romania, is replacing Dan Radu Rusanu, who was taken on remand early last month, under charges of having established a crime group and being accessory to abuse of office.
President Traian Basescu Tuesday sent a letter to the Parliament of Romania, concerning a request made by the US Embassy to expand operations at the Mihail Kogalniceanu base in the south-east of the country. The request concerns the deployment of a marine infantry corps unit of up to 600 military and of a number of military aircraft. The total number of US troops deployed for temporary missions on Kogalniceanu airport would thus be 1,600 at most. An official with the US Embassy in Bucharest said in November 2013, that the base in Mihail Kogalniceanu would become a vital transport hub for the equipment returning from Afghanistan.
The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, Tuesday had a meeting in Jerusalem with the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, in an attempt to salvage the peace talks with the Palestinian authorities. On Monday, the US official had discussed with Palestinian leaders, who made it clear that if Israel continues to build on occupied territory, the peace talks cannot continue. After a brief trip to Brussels, for a NATO meeting, Kerry is to return on Wednesday to the Middle East, for a meeting with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.
The Romanian Foreign Minister, Titus Corlatean, is taking part in Brussels in an EU — Africa ministerial meeting, which focuses on the parties’ cooperation in conflict prevention and peacekeeping. The meeting is also designed to prepare the EU — Africa Summit, due to take place on Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels.
