October 3, 2014 UPDATE
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Bogdan Matei, 03.10.2014, 19:50
George Maior, director of the Romanian Intelligence Service on Friday announced his intention to tender his resignation after the presidential election in November. Maior has added that the future president of Romania will have to make a decision in this respect based on an assessment of his activity as head of the Romanian Intelligence Service. A former social-democrat politician, Maior was appointed in 2006 by the incumbent center-to-right president Traian Basescu, who said that in order to avoid any suspicions regarding the politicization of the special services he would have politicians from the opposition at the helms of these institutions. Maior’s announcement comes after last month, the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Teodor Melescanu, a former member of the National-Liberal Party, resigned and announced his candidacy for the presidential seat.
Romania understands best the need to help the Republic of Moldova now and not later and it is assuming the role of an entrance gate for the Moldovan products on the EU market, Romanian agriculture minister Daniel Constantin said in Chisinau. The Romanian official held talks with his German counterpart Christian Schmidt and with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-soviet country with a Romanian-speaking majority) Iurie Leanca; high on the agenda were ways of supporting the neighboring country, whose produce have been subjected to an embargo on the Russian market since summer. The ban came into effect after the pro-Western government in Chisinau had concluded the association and free trade agreement with the EU. As of September 1st, Chishinau can export 50 thousand tons of fruit to Romania free of custom duties.
The campaign for the presidential elections of November kicked off on Friday in Romania. The 14 candidates enrolled in the race for Cotroceni Palace need to win over some 18 million Romanians eligible for casting their votes. The first ballot will be held on November 2nd, while the second on November 16th. Some 18,550 voting polls will be set up nationwide and another 294 abroad. Most of the polling stations abroad will be in Italy 51, in Spain 38, the United States 22, the Republic of Moldova 21, Great Britain 11 and in France 9. According to a communiqué issued by the ministry, the polling stations are hosted by Romania’s diplomatic and consular missions, in the Romanian cultural institutes abroad, in the operation theatres in Afghanistan as well as in other locations, which provide the right conditions for the fair and neutral unfolding of the election process.
Romania’s Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean on Friday attended the 5th edition of the Black Sea Summit. The Romanian official called for an overarching cooperation with a view to achieving a genuine development and solidarity in this region. Talks focused on the latest developments in the region, but also on the impact of the Association Agreements Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have signed with the European Union. Minister Corlatean said that one of Romania’s main objectives is to consolidate the potential of the Danube area as a corridor facilitating exchanges between European markets and the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea or Central Asia. Several clear-cut projects are already ongoing in Romania as part of the Danube Strategy, bringing direct benefits to the Black Sea region, such as protecting maritime eco-systems, Corlatean has said.
