July 17, 2017 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 17.07.2017, 20:22

FISCAL MEASURES The ruling coalition in Bucharest on Monday talked a series of fiscal measures such as the introduction of the solidarity tax or the tax on turnover. After the Finance Ministry has conducted simulation studies over the impact of such a tax, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has announced the tax on turnover will not be applied. Tudose has also explained that research is being carried out over the introduction of the solidarity tax. Social-Democrat Liviu Dragnea, president of the main party in the ruling coalition has recently said that the Finance Ministry is conducting simulation studies over the effects of such measures, envisaged in the governing programme. However, the largest opposition political group, the National Liberal Party has cautioned that the new fiscal measures as well as the artificially raised salaries can affect the private companies in Romania and the country’s economic development.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Monday participated in the proceedings of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. On this occasion Melescanu highlighted Romania’s involvement in the process of implementing the Global Strategy for the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy as well as its readiness to actively continue contributing to this process. The participants also tackled migration, focusing on the central-Mediterranean route, the latest developments in Libya and the north-Korean file. On the sidelines of the meeting, the head of the Romanian diplomacy also met his counterparts from France, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Slovakia, Miroslav Lajcak.

TALKS Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose on Monday talked by phone with his counterpart from neighboring Bulgaria Boiko Borisov about bilateral cooperation within the EU strategy for the region of the Danube and the Black Sea. The two also tackled the issue of the border checkpoint Kainargea-Lipnitsa, which remains closed in spite of being fit with the right infrastructure. The two high officials agreed upon a meeting of the two governments in September.

POLICE The head of the Romanian police, Bogdan Despescu, on Monday met in Budapest the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Pinter Sandor and his counterpart Karoly Papp. High on the talks agenda was cooperation in fighting organized crime and illegal migration. Other issues tackled were the safety of road traffic and combating cross-border crime.