Newsflash 11.07.2013
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Mihai Pelin, 11.07.2013, 20:20
Romania wants to kickstart its partnership with France, the country’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta said in Bucharest on Thursday after the meeting he had with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault. During the talks, the Romanian official reiterated Romania’s interest in the EU accession of the neighboring Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet country with a Romanian-speaking majority and called on France for support in this respect. Prime Minister Ponta believes that a possible solution to the problems confronting the Roma minority would be to create better conditions in Romania so that they may not leave the country and he appreciated the constructive position adopted regarding this issue by the executive in Paris. In turn, the French Prime Minister said that together the two governments would succeed in finding a solution to this issue he described as sinuous. In another development, a memorandum in the field of education and research as well as a cooperation agreement for the management of radioactive waste have been signed. Also on Thursday, Jean- Marc Ayrault met Romania’s president Traian Basescu. On Friday, the French Prime Minister and his Romanian counterpart will be visiting the Dacia-Renault Centre in Titu, southern Romania and at night they will be attending a reception at the French embassy occasioned by the National Day of France.
Romania had 2.2% economic growth in the first quarter of the year, according to data quoted today by PM Ponta, who presented the national plan for strategic investment and job creation. According to that plan, the Romanian government plans to attract investments worth minimum 10 billion Euro, creating 50,000 jobs by the end of the year. The executive identified five strategic areas to focus on, energy, mineral resources, agriculture, industry and infrastructure. The government relies on improving political and economic relations with Europe and Asia. In 2012, direct foreign investments attracted by Romania went down for the fourth year in a row, reaching 1.6 billion Euro, 11% lower than 2011. In the first four months of the year, DFI were worth a total of 322 million Euro, 35% down from the same period last year.
Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean on Thursday started an official two day visit to South Korea. According to the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, the main purpose of the visit is to create opportunities for developing and improving South Korean investments in the Romanian economy, in a strategic partnership. Corlatean is scheduled to meet the South Korean PM, the foreign minister, as well as the vice-chairman of the National Assembly. He is also scheduled to meet members of the business community, while inaugurating the honorary consulate of Romania in Daejon, and will visit Hankuk international university, which has a Romanian department.
Romanian economy minister Varujan Vosganian, meeting his Moldovan counterpart Valeriu Lazar, proposed a joint Romanian-Moldovan business forum to boost mutual investment in the two economies. Vosganian also proposed holding a meeting in Iasi before the meeting of the joint government commission in October. Romania is the most important European trade partner for Moldova after the Russian Federation. Trade in 2012 was over 1.2 billion dollars.
Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa attended on Thursday a ceremony held for the departure to Afghanistan of 500 members of the Black Wolves Infantry Battalion in Iasi. They will be running security missions in Zabul, granting humanitarian aid in the region and training the Afghan security forces. Last week, a Romanian special operations unit went to Afghanistan to assist US special forces. 1,100 Romanian soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan at this point.
Romania’s football champions Steaua Bucharest, won the SuperCup, the 6th they hold, after defeating 3-0 Petrolul Ploiesti, holders of the Cup. The match, which opens the new season, was played on Wednesday night in Bucharest. Astra won 1-0.
