15 April, 2015
News and current affairs from Romania
Newsroom, 15.04.2015, 11:59
The IMF has adjusted upwards its estimate for Romania’s GDP growth this year, setting it at 2.7%. This was part of the World Economic Outlook report issued on Tuesday by the international financial institution. Last autumn, the IMF issued an estimate of 2.4% growth for the Romanian economy in 2015. For 2016, the IMF at this point expects 2.9% growth, instead of the 2.5% that they were anticipating in October last year. Minister of Finance Eugen Teodorovici will be traveling to the US Thursday to hold talks with the IMF, EC and World Bank, its lenders, on measures introduced by the news Fiscal Code in Romania. The country is currently in a loan agreement with the IMF. The two billion dollar fund is of the stand-by type, and has not yet been accessed by Romania.
In Romania, the fight against high-level corruption is impressive, said European Commission Secretary General, Catherine Day, during yesterday’s hearing in the European Parliament on the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification in Justice for Romania and Bulgaria. The European official, however, mentioned that it was necessary to consolidate progress made in justice and in fighting low-level corruption. The hearings in Brussels were held by the European Parliament budget committee. The talks were attended by EC officials who write justice monitoring reports, and the moderator was EuroMP Monica Macovei, former minister of justice in Bucharest. Romania was represented by Minister of Justice Robert Cazanciuc and head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry continues evacuation and repatriation operations for Romanian citizens in war torn Yemen. 39 citizens and 6 family members have been repatriated so far. Four Romanians and two family members arrived in Bucharest yesterday alone. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would continue its efforts to evacuate to safety the Romanian citizens left in Yemen, and keeps in touch with them, also coordinating with the competent authorities in the region.
In Bucharest, the law on political party financing goes back to being debated in Parliament, upon request by President Klaus Iohannis. The head of state cites as reason for his decision the fact that the law allows political parties to borrow funds from individuals, including in cash, but also from legal persons other than loan institutions, which are under oversight by law. The president said that these loopholes perpetuate the undue influence of the business sector in politics. In addition, said the head of state, the law proposed by Parliament raises questions in terms of the legislative process in itself.
Over 3,000 soldiers from garrisons in southern Romania take part in an alert exercise to verify preparedness. This comes in preparation for the multinational Wind Spring 15 exercise, which starts tomorrow in Constanta, as joint NATO and partner country coordination training. The exercise will be attended by over 2,200 soldiers in full gear from the UK, Moldova, Romania and the United States, who will be running operational planning, live fire exercises and complex tactical operations.
The Russian military continues to operate on Ukrainian territory, where they set up training camps for separatist militias, according to the Pentagon, quoted by AFP. At the same time, Russia continues to keep active surface-to-air missile batteries close to the frontline, in direct violation of the Minsk accord, the Pentagon spokesman also said. Top German, French, Russian and Ukrainian diplomats in Berlin on Monday called on a cessation of hostilities and political dialog. Six Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and a journalist wounded yesterday in the pro-Russian separatist area east of Ukraine. Tensions in that region are once again mounting, barely two months after a cease-fire was signed. Around 6,100 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in east Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and the national army about a year ago.
