\n
\n<\/p>\n
In Bucharest today, at the end of the talks with his Albanian
\ncounterpart, Edi Rama, the Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said that they
\ndiscussed the possibility that Albania might benefit from the energy surplus
\nproduced by Romania. The Prime Minister also said that the line ministers of
\nthe two countries will come up with proposals to improve the relations between
\nthe two countries in education and culture. Victor Ponta has also stressed
\nthat, just like Albania’s joining NATO was a major form of support for the
\nentire region, the integration of all western Balkan countries into the EU will
\nfavour Romania. Also today, the Romanian Prime Minister will receive his
\nGeorgian counterpart, Irakli Garibasvili. Georgia is Romania’s main commercial
\npartners in South Caucasus. During the visit he made last year to Tbilisi,
\nVictor Ponta sent a clear message of support for Georgia’s European and
\nEuro-Atlantic aspirations.<\/p>\n
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\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
According to the EC, Romania has managed to
\nmaintain its financial balance and stability, but the 2014 development is not
\nenough to ensure a sustainable progress. On Thursday, the EC presented the
\nreports on the basis of which it identified 16 countries as experiencing
\nmacroeconomic imbalances. The fact that Romania has not reached an agreement with
\nits international lenders on economic an fiscal measures is seen as a weak
\npoint. The report also signals the insufficient progress with regard to
\nimproving budget revenues, the reform of the pensions system, of the
\nhealth-care system and of public administration. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The new
\nPrime – Minister of the Republic of Moldova, the former Soviet country with a
\npredominantly Romanian speaking population, Chiril Gaburici, carries on in
\nBrussels today his first formal visit abroad since taking office. On Thursday,
\nhe met with the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, with whom he
\ndiscussed Moldova’s efforts to join the EU, hopefully in 2020. Tusk has
\nreiterated the EU’s support for Moldova’s territorial integrity and for a
\npeaceful settling of the situation in the pro-Russian region of Transdiestr,
\nwhich separated itself from Chisinau in 1992. Formed by the minority coalition
\nmade up of the liberal – democrats and
\nthe pro-Western democrats, the Gaburici government was endorsed last week by
\nParliament, also thanks to the pro-Russian communists’ support.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
On January 1st,
\n2015, 22 of the 28 EU member countries had national minimum salaries ranging
\nfrom 183 Euros per month in Bulgaria and 218 Euros per month in Romania, to
\n1,923 Euros in Luxembourg, according to data made public by Eurostat, the
\nstatistical office of the EU. Ten countries had minimum salaries under 500
\nEuros per month, and 7 of the minimum salaries exceeded 1000 Euros per month.
\nAs compared to 2008, minimum salaries in 2015, in national currencies, have
\ngone up in all the EU member states, except for Greece, where the minimum
\nsalary dropped by 14% and Ireland, where it remained flat. Between 2008-2015,
\nthe biggest growth was registered in Romania, namely 95%. Bulgaria and Romania
\nhave the lowest minimum salary in the EU, calculated as to the standard
\npurchasing power parity.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Three Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another seven
\nwounded in the past 24 hours, in clashes with the pro-Russia separatists in
\neastern Ukraine, military sources report. The announcement was made after two
\nconsecutive days when no victims had been reported among the Ukrainian troops,
\nwhich raised hope that the cease-fire agreement would be observed, despite the
\ninitial violence. The US secret services, though, had warned that the fighting
\nin Ukraine’s separatist east would continue all through the year 2015. The UN
\nSecurity Council is now discussing the situation in Ukraine at its first
\nemergency meeting held since the enforcement of the Minsk agreement on February
\n15th.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The
\nGerman Parliament has approved with on overwhelming majority the extension of
\nthe financial rescue plan for Greece until the end of June. Before voting, the
\nGerman Finance Minister Wolfgang Shauble had called on the Bundestag to approve
\nthe extension, because, he said, the worst – case scenario had to be avoided.
\nThis week, the Eurozone finance ministers have approved the continuation of
\nthis aid for Greece, on the basis of the reforms that Greece has pledged to
\nimplement. Greece’s leftist government has committed, among other things, to
\nsolving the issue of tax evasion and corruption. In order for the program to
\ncome into force, it must be ratified by all Eurozone parliaments. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":100004,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[28878],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-100003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsflash","tag-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n