September 17, 2015
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 17.09.2015, 12:00
Social Democrat Prime Minister Victor
Ponta and party member Dan Sova, a member of the Senate, have been indicted by
the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for corruption. On June 5, prosecutors
announced Ponta was being investigated for forgery, conspiracy to commit tax
evasion and money laundering, in a case related to the investigation into legal
council contracts at the Turceni and Rovinari energy compounds. Prosecutors
also noted that a further investigation was due against Ponta for conflict of
interest in his current position of head of government. Former minister of
transportation Dan Sova is being investigated for abuse of office. He allegedly
received kickbacks worth hundreds of thousands of Euros for contracts that
deprived the state of over 16 million Euros. As the first post-communist prime
minister of Romania being prosecuted, Ponta denied all accusations.
Until 2023 Romania will have to pay over 4.8
billion euros to international lenders out of the stand-by loan contracted in
2009, the Public Finance Ministry has announced. The IMF loan has been paid in
full but Romania still has to reimburse 4.8 billion euros to the World Bank and
the European Commission. In 2009, Bucharest signed a 24-month loan of 12.95
billion euros with the IMF, part of an aid package approved by the IMF, the EU
and the World Bank. Under the agreement, Romania has received seven out of the
eight installments envisaged. The eighth was considered, upon the request of
the Romanian authorities of a precautionary type, and was not used. Romanian
Prime Minister Victor Ponta has said that Romania no longer needs loans from
the IMF and the European Commission adding that in a period of unrest in the
region and in Europe, agreements with these institutions are a good thing. In another
development, a World Bank delegation has arrived in Bucharest, as Romania’s
latest agreement with international lenders is due to expire this month.
US diplomat Hans Klemm has been sworn in
as US ambassador to Romania in a ceremony at the Department of State attended
by US Secretary of State John Kerry. According to Romania’s embassy in the USA,
in his address, Kerry presented Romania as a trusted ally of the USA,
underlining the excellent relation between the two countries and cooperation in
promoting stability at regional and global levels. Kerry has hailed Romania’s
efforts in fighting corruption, saying that Bucharest is an example in this
respect. In turn, HE Hans Klemm said that as ambassador he would focus on
developing Romanian-US relations, adding that providing support in the
anti-graft fight in Romania would be one of his priorities.
Romania’s Higher Defence Council is to
convene today for talks on defence strategies and public safety as well as ways
of handling the migrant crisis in Europe. In a Parliament address President
Klaus Iohannis said yesterday that Romania had expressed solidarity with the
countries affected by this crisis and was acting in observance of human rights.
The Romanian president stood for a realistic approach based on dialogue and
talks with member countries and against a bureaucratic one. Also high on the
council’s agenda is the plan of implementing the country’s national defence
strategy, order and public safety as well as the White Chart of Defence.
Romanian Defence
Minister Mircea Dusa and Chief of Staff, lieutenant general Nicolae Ciuca are
today taking part in a series of events as part of the HISTRIA 15 military
exercise. Around 7,000 employees of the defence, public order and national
security institutions over September 7th and 16th have
been involved in the exercise, whose eventual aim is the training of management
and execution structures at national level for the planning and carrying out of
various missions. In the western Romanian city of Arad, over September 14th
and 19th, around 500 military are also taking part in the Platinum
Lynx 15.2, exercise, jointly with Europe-based American military.
