April 1, 2014
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Mihai Pelin, 01.04.2014, 12:14
Price tags for natural gas, fuels and cigarettes are subject to increase in Romania, as of April the 1st. There will be a 2 per cent natural gas price increase for the population, as well as a 5 per cent increase for industrial consumers, while smokers will have to pay up to 50 Bani more for a pack of cigarettes. The controversial 7 Eurocents excise duty for a liter of fuel takes effects also as of today, triggering an average 40 Bani increase for the price of fuels. However, maximum tariffs will decrease, in the case of Romania’s telecom operators setting the tariffs among them, in order to set up the end-price for a landline call point, but also for a mobile call point.
The Parliament in Bucharest today will be holding a solemn session celebrating a decade since Romania has joined NATO. Among the invited guests at the event are the country’s President Traian Basescu, Prime Minister Victor Ponta, members of the government, as well as Romania’s former presidents Ion Iliescu and Emil Constantinescu. During Romania’s ten-year long NATO membership, around 40 thousand Romanian military were on peace-keeping missions in the West Balkans, Afghanistan, Irak or Northern Africa. 25 of them were killed in action and 140 were wounded. We recall that on March 29, 2004 Bucharest submitted the accession ratification instruments at the headquarters of the US Department of State, since the USA is the holding country the north Atlantic Alliance’s Treaty, while on April the 2nd 2004 the ceremony was held to mark Romania’s official flag hoisting at NATO”s headquarters in Brussels. Promoted by the entire political class, and receiving massive support from the republic opinion, Romania’s NATO admission bid was preceded by the invitation the allies had extended, for the country to take part in the NATO summit held in Prague in 2002.
NATO member states’ foreign ministers, Romania’s Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean included, in Brussels today will be taking part in a meeting mainly focusing on the Crimean crisis. According to a press release by the Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, participants will be examining the stage and prospects of NATO-Russia relations, ways of enhancing cooperation with Ukraine and the steps to be taken in order to boost NATO’s relation with its eastern partners, the Republic of Moldova included. We recall the Republic of Moldova is a former Soviet republic, with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population. Meanwhile Russia has not ceased to step up pressure on Ukraine, despite a partial troops withdrawal from the two countries’ common borders, international new agencies have headlined. Russia energy giant Gazprom as of today has increased the price for the gas delivered to Ukraine, a country, which, according to Gazprom, has pending debts standing at more than one and a half billion dollars.
Russia continues to step up pressure on Ukraine, despite an initial troops withdrawal from the two countries’ common border, international news agencies have headlined. The Russian energy giant Gazprom as of today has increased the price for the natural gas delivered to Ukraine, a country which, according to Gazprom, has pending debts standing at more than one billion and a half dollars. In another move, according to the AFP, the Parliament in Moscow is preparing to pass a law aimed at simplifying procedures for the granting of Russian citizenship to Russian-speaking populations, mainly for those in Ukraine and the Transdniester, a breakaway region on the territory of the Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet republic, with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population). Meanwhile the West is poised to take steps further in its relation with Russia, against the backdrop of Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
The US Secretary of State John Kerry in Jerusalem today has held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a bid to reach an agreement over the peace process with the Palestinians. This past Monday, on the West Bank’s Ramallah Kerry met with representatives of the Palestinian administration. The latter underscored peace talks would only be resumed provided Jewish settlers stop relocating on the West Bank and in West Jerusalem altogether. After a whistle-stop visit to Brussels where he will be taking part in a NATO meeting, on Wednesday Kerry will be returning to the region, for a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
