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Romanians Cast Ballots In Presidential Election, National Referendum

07:18, 22 Nov. 2009
About 18 million Romanian eligible voters are expected to cast ballots Sunday to elect a new president and say whether they want the country’s Parliament downsized to a single chamber and a maximum 300 lawmakers instead of the current 471.

Romanian, Moldovan Presidents Discuss Recent Agreements

16:22, 21 Nov. 2009
Romanian President Traian Basescu and Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat held, Saturday, a telephone conversation on the application of the agreement for small traffic around the border, as well as the opening of Romanian consular offices in Moldovan cities Cahul and Balti, and Romanian city Iasi.

Romanian Presidential Debate Marked By Attacks, Irony

23:08, 20 Nov. 2009
In the debate organized Friday, Romanian presidential candidates Mircea Geoana, Crin Antonescu and Traian Basescu used a wide array of rhetoric instruments, from stinging irony to shifts in pace and harsh retorts, but they didn’t hesitate to use low blows either.

Kraft Foods Plant In C Romania Halts Production

18:59, 20 Nov. 2009
The Kraft Foods plant in central Romanian city Brasov halted production starting Thursday and all 220 employees left in the plant will receive layoff notices by the end of the month.

Romanian Chicken Farmers To Raise Prices As Of January 1, Over Elimination Of Subsidies

16:58, 20 Nov. 2009
Chicken meat will be at least 20% more expensive on the Romanian market as of January 1, 2010, as farmers will raise prices to compensate for the lack of subsidies starting next year, Romanian Bird Breeders National Union (UNCPR) president Ilie Van told MEDIAFAX.

Romanians Vote For New President Sunday Hoping To Break Political Gridlock

16:22, 20 Nov. 2009
Romania’s 18 million eligible voters are expected to cast ballots Sunday, November 22, to elect a new president that should appoint a Parliament-endorsed prime minister to carry through reforms conditioning the east European country’s IMF-led EUR20 billion rescue loan.

Romania Gets EC Warning Over Failure To Meet Air Quality Standards

15:47, 20 Nov. 2009
Romania and seven other European Union member states received a warning with regard to their failure to improve air quality, and the main problems the European Commission referred to were emissions of tiny airborne particles known as PM 10.

Romania Exits World Top 10 Riskiest States As Debt Risk Improves

15:09, 20 Nov. 2009
Romania has improved its credit default risk over the third quarter of 2009 and is no longer among the world’s 10 riskiest issuers of sovereign bonds, being replaced by Lebanon, according to a report from London-based Credit Market Analysis.

Ten Thousand Romanians Took Luxury Vacations This Year, But Lowered Travel Budgets

14:50, 20 Nov. 2009
Ten thousand Romanians bought luxury vacation packages this year, 25% more than in 2008, despite the economic crisis, but they did lower their travel budgets, Romania’s association of tour operators’ association ANAT said Friday.

AH1N1 Flu In Romania: 105 New Infections, 1,756 Total Cases

14:08, 20 Nov. 2009
Romania’s Health Ministry Friday confirmed other 105 new infections with the AH1N1 flu virus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 1,756, and most cases were reported in capital city Bucharest (41), Valcea county (13) and Bacau county (10).

Romanian Transport Min Introduces Crossing Passes On Two Bridges Over Danube

12:46, 20 Nov. 2009
Romania’s Transport Ministry Friday introduced annual passes including 50 or 100 crossings on Danube bridges Giurgeni-Vadul Oii and Fetesti-Cernavoda, and the passes prices range from 160 lei to 4,760 lei (EUR1=RON4.2778), depending on vehicle type.

Romanian President Refrains From Talking About Country’s EU Commissioner

10:15, 20 Nov. 2009
Romanian President Traian Basescu said Thursday there were talks about Romania’s future EU commissioner during the EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels but said he doesn’t want to discuss the issue publicly to avoid jeopardizing the country’s chances for a substantial portfolio.

Romania’s President Wants Talks With Political Parties On Govt’s Draft Budget

10:14, 20 Nov. 2009
Romania’s President Traian Basescu said Thursday evening on public television he will not promulgate the draft amendments to the Law on the organization of the Government empowering the Cabinet to draft the state budget for 2010 until he has talks with political parties.

Yes Vote In Referendum Should Trigger Constitution Revision – Romanian President

10:11, 20 Nov. 2009
Romania’s President Traian Basescu said Thursday evening on public television that Romania’s Constitution will need to be entirely revised if the November 22 referendum for a single-chamber Parliament gets a yes vote.

Romania Backs NATO Expansion To W Balkans, Serbia Is Key To Peace In Region – President

21:09, 19 Nov. 2009
Romanian President Traian Basescu said Thursday that Romania unreservedly supports NATO expansion to the Western Balkans, to include Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, describing Serbia as the “key to peace” in the region.

ING Bank Romania Head: Ctrl Bk To Protect Leu At Any Cost

21:09, 19 Nov. 2009
Romanian central bank seems determined to spend as much as needed to support the leu, which is seen depreciating by year-end and further appreciating once with the revival of European markets, according to ING Bank Romania’s head Misu Negritoiu.

Romania Ready To Send More Troops To Afghanistan To Staunch Taliban Insurgency – President

21:04, 19 Nov. 2009
Romanian President Traian Basescu on Thursday said Romania is closely analyzing the possibility of increasing the number of troops in Afghanistan, adding that, "if Taliban forces are not defeated in Afghanistan, they will move on to the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea."

EIU Sees Stronger Romanian Leu In ’10, At 3.97 Units

18:35, 19 Nov. 2009
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) expects the Romanian leu to stand at 4.33 units versus the euro at year-end, and to gain ground up to 3.97 units per euro at the end of 2010.

Romania To Donate 400,000 Doses Of Anti-Flu Vaccine To Moldova

17:21, 19 Nov. 2009
Romania will donate 400,000 doses of anti-flu vaccine to the Republic of Moldova, with details to be settled soon.

EIU: Romania-EU Relations Still Tense Over Thin Progress In Fighting Corruption

17:06, 19 Nov. 2009
Romania’s relations with the European Union remain complicated due to long-delayed reforms of the judiciary and high corruption levels, a report of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) showed.

Romanian Ex-PM Tariceanu Says Govt Coalition With Democrats Is Possible But Unlikely

16:25, 19 Nov. 2009
Romania’s former prime minister, liberal Calin Tariceanu, said Thursday that if President Traian Basescu obtains a new term there could be a government formed by democrat liberals and liberals, but the alliance is unlikely given the “sad” experience previously gained in such an alliance.

Rompetrol Sees Romanian Fuel Pump Prices Up By 7% In ‘10

16:24, 19 Nov. 2009
Romanian fuel pump prices are likely to grow by 5% to 7% on the year to an average of 4.2 lei (EUR1=RON4.2778) per liter in 2010, on earmarked excise duty increases and potential higher crude oil prices, Rompetrol Downstream said Thursday.

IMF Likely To Give Romania Next 2 Tranches Mid March – Official

15:09, 19 Nov. 2009
The International Monetary Fund is likely to disburse the next two tranches of its EUR13 billion loan to Romania mid-March, IMF representative Tonny Lybek said Thursday.

Bucharest Appeals Court Rejects NGOs’ Request To Suspend National Referendum

15:06, 19 Nov. 2009
Romania will hold the national referendum to downsize the Parliament on the same day with the presidential elections due on November 22 after the Bucharest Court of Appeals rejected Thursday the request of non-government organizations to suspend the referendum as inadmissible.

Romania MOF Upgrades GDP Estimate, Sees Contraction Of 7%-7.5% In ‘09

12:32, 19 Nov. 2009
Romanian Finance Ministry revised upward its forecast for economic growth in 2009 and it now expects the gross domestic product to shrink by 7%-7.5%, from a decline of 8% initially estimated, a ministry official said Thursday.

Romania Fin Min: Hiking VAT, Flat Tax A Mistake

12:25, 19 Nov. 2009
Romania would make a “big mistake” to increase the value added tax and the flat tax, as changing them after the effort it took to keep them at the current levels would be procyclic policy, an official of the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

Tax Hikes Unavoidable If Romania Public Sectors Doesn’t Adjust – Ctrl Bker

11:40, 19 Nov. 2009
Romania won’t be able to avoid tax hikes in the coming period unless the authorities implement appropriate adjustments in the public sector, a central bank official said Thursday.

IMF: Parent Banks Reaffirm Commitment To Romania

10:49, 19 Nov. 2009
The parent banks of Romania’s top nine lenders on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to keep their exposure to the country and ensure capital adequacy levels over 10% for their subsidiaries, the International Monetary Fund said in a statement.

Romanian Subway Unionists Obey Court Decision, Halt Protests

19:52, 18 Nov. 2009
Romanian subway union leader Ioan Radoi said Wednesday that Metrorex employees will abide by court decision and resume normal subway traffic Thursday.

Bucharest Court Decides Subway Strike Is Illegitimate

19:44, 18 Nov. 2009
The Bucharest Court decided Wednesday that the general strike organized by subway employees is not legal and the protest is to be ceased.

Parent Bks Consider 5% Variation Band To Romania Exposure – Sources

16:39, 18 Nov. 2009
The parent banks of Romania’s top nine lenders, alongside officials of the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and of Romanian central bank, are considering a 5% variation band to their exposure cap on the Romanian market, participants to the talks told MEDIAFAX Wednesday.

Invest Fund 3TS Cisco Growth Buys Minor Stake In InternetCorp

16:37, 18 Nov. 2009
Romania's online media company InternetCorp on Wednesday said the investment fund 3TS Cisco Growth bought a minor stake in the company, without disclosing either the deal value or the stake size.

Romanian Subway Unionists Reject Court Panel, Strike Legitimacy Trial Suspended

16:14, 18 Nov. 2009
Romanian subway unionists Wednesday rejected the Bucharest Court panel trying the legitimacy of their general strike after their exceptions were overruled and the trial has been suspended until the court decides whether to assign a new panel.

Romania Registered No Deaths Over AH1N1 Virus, But Reported 6 Severe Cases – Official

15:31, 18 Nov. 2009
Romania hasn't registered any deaths because of the AH1N1 flu virus so far, but six severe infection cases were registered and the patients are on life support, Health Ministry state secretary Adrian Streinu-Cercel told a news conference Wednesday.

Romania’s Public Debt Rises To 28.08% Of GDP In Jan-Sep

14:54, 18 Nov. 2009
Romania’s public debt rose to 28.08% of the gross domestic product at the end of September from 21.78% of the GDP at the end of last year, according to Finance Ministry data released Wednesday.

Romanian Court Trying Legitimacy Of Subway Strike Halts Debates On Technicalities

14:34, 18 Nov. 2009
The trial in which the management of Romanian state-owned subway company Metrorex calls on the Bucharest Court to rule on the legitimacy of its employees’ general strike was adjourned Wednesday on technicalities just minutes into the debates.

Romania Made No Capital Repairs On Railway Infrastructure Btw ’08-’09 – Transp Min

14:06, 18 Nov. 2009
Romania’s railroad company CFR SA made no capital repairs on the country's railroad infrastructure during 2008-2009, not on a single kilometer of railway track, although nearly 5,500 kilometers of railway tracks require urgent repair works, Romania's Transport Ministry said Wednesday in a report.

U.S. Backs No Candidate In Romania’s Presidential Race – Ambassador

12:24, 18 Nov. 2009
U.S. Ambassador to Bucharest Mark H. Gitenstein said Wednesday in a press release that the United States has no candidate in Romania’s presidential race due this weekend and no agency of the United States Government is taking actions to influence this race.

Accident-Free Romanian Drivers To Pay Less For Insurance In 2010

11:41, 18 Nov. 2009
Romanian insurance companies will introduce as of January 1, 2010 the bonus-malus system used in civil liability car insurance (RCA), whereby drivers who have not had an accident in 2009 will pay a 10% lower premium in 2010, Romanian insurance regulator head Angela Toncescu said Wednesday.

Romanian RCA Car Insurance Policies To Be Issued Electronically Only Starting 2010

11:39, 18 Nov. 2009
Mandatory civil liability car insurance policies (RCA) will be issued electronically only as of January 1, 2010, Angela Toncescu, head of the Romanian insurance regulator CSA, said Wednesday.