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Romania’s Hungarian Party Leader Says He Voted To Impose Minorities’ Rights

Romania’s Hungarian minority party leader, senator Marko Bela, said Sunday morning after he cast his ballot in the European Parliament election, that he voted for “a Europe that would impose minorities’ rights”.

Romanian PM Says He Voted For Party, Romania And Europe

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc cast his ballot Sunday morning in his hometown of Cluj-Napoca, northwestern Romania, saying he went to the polls “for the party, for Romania and for Europe”.

Romanians Vote For Members Of The European Parliament

Romanians began voting Sunday morning to choose 33 people who will serve as representatives of the country in the European Parliament for the next five years.

Romania Beats Lithuania 1-0 In World Cup Qualifying

Romania beat Lithuania 1-0 Saturday evening in Marijampole in the World Cup Qualifying Group 7, a first victory for the country’s national team with coach Razvan Lucescu on the bench.

Romanian President Traian Basescu Visits Romanian Troops In Afghanistan

Romanian President Traian Basescu visited on Saturday the military base in Qalat, Afghanistan, where he decorated the war flag of the 21st Battalion “Vanatori de Munte.”

Romanian Pilot Dies In Light Plane Crash

Mihai Dobre Tone, a Romanian pilot and commander of the aerodrome in Clinceni, Ilfov County, near capital city Bucharest, crashed Friday evening while practicing for an upcoming air show.

Romanian Lenders Start Cutting Interest Rates – Bks Assoc Head

Romania’s President and other statesmen will soon find out that banks do the proper thing and cut interest rates for deposits, a move that will be followed by loan interest cuts and the lending revival, the Romanian Banking Association ARB president Radu Ghetea said Friday.

Romanian Pres Says He Won’t Support Banks Until They Lower Interest Rates

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Friday he will no longer support banks unless they resume lending and lower their "outrageously" high interest rates.

S Romania Judges Decide To Discontinue Arrest Warrants Of Four Football Corruption Suspects

The Arges Court, southern Romania, on Friday decided to reject the proposal of anticorruption prosecutors to extend the preventive arrest warrants of four defendants in a football corruption case, but prosecutors immediately appealed the court’s decision.

Romania Could Start Producing AH1N1 Vaccine In Sept Or Oct If Strain Is Isolated

Romania could start producing a vaccine against the AH1N1 flu September or October if the new strain is isolated by the end of June, as the World Health Organization estimates, Romanian health minister Ion Bazac said Friday.

Min Upbeat On Romania’s Tourism Promotion Campaign To Lure More Foreign Tourists In ‘09

Romania’s tourism minister Elena Udrea said Friday in Paris, France, that she hopes Romania’s international promotion campaign will trigger an at least 10% increase in the number of foreign tourists coming to Romania in 2009.

Romania’s Promotion Video Launched In Paris

The Romanian Tourism Ministry launched Friday in Paris, France, the country’s international promotion video in the presence of minister Elena Udrea, former tennis player Ilie Nastase and gymnast Nadia Comaneci and officials of the Paris city hall and the French Tennis Federation.

Romanian President Pushes For A Modern Irrigation System As Of 2010

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Friday in the region of Insula Mare a Brailei, southeastern Romania, that the country’s current "obsolete irrigation system must be displayed at the Romanian Agriculture Museum," adding Romania should use a modern system as of 2010.

Romanian High Court Of Justice Sets RON750,000 Legal Expenses In FNI Trial

The Romanian High Court of Justice decided Thursday that Ioana Maria Vlas, Gavril Batran, Stefan Boboc, Marian Petrescu and another six people convicted in the trial involving scam fund FNI, will pay 750,000 lei (EUR1 = RON4.2143) in legal expenses.

Romanian Fund Ex-Manager Ioana Vlas’ Sentence Upheld By High Court Of Justice

The Romanian High Court of Justice decided Thursday to uphold the Bucharest Court of Appeals’ decision to sentence former fund manager Ioana Maria Vlas to ten years imprisonment in the case of the collapse of the National Investment Fund.

Romania’s Conflict With Sterling May Be Solved Amiably – MP

The dispute between Romania’s Government and Sterling Resources on the hydrocarbons explorations in the Black Sea may be solved amiably by signing a partnership between the Canadian company and local gas producer Romgaz, Thursday said Iulian Iancu, a deputy with the Social Democratic Party.

Over 50% Of Romanian Govt Acts Are Emergency Ordinances, New High

Over half of the acts approved by the Government in the first five months of the year were emergency ordinances, in numbers higher than those of similar ordinances issued between January and May, 2005 by the former Government.

Romanian Ex-Fund Manager Ioana Vlas Has $78,000 In Israeli Bank Account

Israeli banking authorities have told Romanian judicial authorities about an Israeli bank account in former fund manager Ioana Maria Vlas’ name, holding USD78,000, judicial sources told MEDIAFAX on Thursday.

Romania’s Schengen Area, Eurozone Accession Conditioned By EC Justice Report

Romania still risks sanctions from the European Commission over its justice system, which, according to procedure, can entail the suspension of the country’s voting rights in the Council, amid a growing tendency to condition Romania’s Schengen area and Eurozone accession by the EC justice report.

Bucharest Court Sentences Ex-Min’s Husband To Suspended Jail Term For Corruption

The Bucharest Court of Appeals on Thursday sentenced the husband of former Minister of European Integration to two-and-a-half years suspended prison for embezzlement of some EUR150,000 EU funding.

Romanian Pres Not Happy With Banks’ Activity

Romania’s president Traian Basescu said late Wednesday the banks’ reaction is not satisfactory and correct, adding he awaits “dynamism and courage” and also lower interest rates.

Romania’s April Net Salary Up 0.4% M-M To RON1,408

Romania's net average salary in April was at 1,408 lei (EUR1=RON4.1928), up 0.4% compared with RON1,402 in the previous month, the National Institute for Statistics, or INS, said Thursday.

Romanian Troops End Mission In Iraq

Romanian President Traian Basescu arrived Thursday in Talil, Iraq, to attend the ceremony marking the end of missions for Romanian troops in the country.

Romanian PM Deems „First House” Program Operational As Of Jun 20

Romanian citizens that do not own a home and have never taken a mortgage loan will benefit, as of June 20, from the state guarantee for a loan to acquire their first dwelling, no matter the applicant’s age, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday.

Romanian Govt Extends Car Scrap Program

Romanian government on Wednesday decided to expand the country’s car scrap program by including light commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tons and lifting number restrictions for car purchased by individuals, Prime Minister Emil Boc said.

Romania Govt To Assume Criminal, Civic Codes In Parliament – PM

Romanian government is to assume responsibilities for the criminal and civil Codes following a new meeting of the governing coalition next week and a final meet with representatives of the civil society, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday.

Inquiry Com Calls For Dismissal Of Romania Integrity Agency Chief

The inquiry commission of Romania’s Integrity Council (CNI), a representative body overseeing the activity of the National Integrity Agency (ANI), on Wednesday said will request the dismissal of ANI president Alexandru-Catalin Macovei, following evidence of conflict of interest.

Interest Rate In “First House” Should Be At Least 1 Pps Above Romanian Treasuries’ Yield

The interest rate for the "First House" program should be as low as possible so that the clients qualify for the loans, but it should be at least one percentage point above the interest rate the Romanian state pays, Raiffeisen Bank Romania’s president Steven van Groningen said.

„First House” Program Should Aim At New Constructions – Romanian ACC Producers

Romania’s “First House” program should aim at new constructions, started in 2009, and it should also finance the own building, according to the autoclaved concrete ACC producers’ association.

Romania Online Advertising Mkt Up 70% On Yr In ’08, To RON72.5M – Study

Romania’s online advertising market increased 70% in 20008, to 72.41 million lei (EUR1=RON4.1928) from RON42.6 million in 2007, according to the latest edition of Romanian Online Advertising Study (ROADS) drafted by IAB Romania and PwC Romania.

Romanians To Benefit From Free Wi-Fi Access In 345 New Hotspots Countrywide

Romanian citizens will benefit by end August from free wireless access to Internet in some 345 new hotspots nationwide, following a government program in partnership with local authorities, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday.

Romanian Lifeguards Threaten To Stop Work Citing Unpaid Wages

Romanian lifeguards in the Black Sea resort of Mamaia will no longer attempt to rescue people in danger of drowning, as they have not received their pay from the Government, National Lifeguards’ Association vice-president Adrian Rapa said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Romanian State Guarantee System For „First Home” Program To Be Simplified – PM

The Romanian state guarantee system for the “First Home” program will be simplified so that the procedures can only be unrolled through the SMEs National Guarantee Fund and the Finance Ministry, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday.

Romanian Tourism Ministry Mulls Paying Travel Agencies EUR2 Per Foreign Tourist

The Romanian Tourism Ministry plans to introduce, either this year or the next, the so-called “incoming tax”, granting bonuses to tourism agencies for each foreign tourist they bring to Romania, tourism minister Elena Udrea said Wednesday.

Romanian Ex-Fund Manager Maria Vlas Sentenced To Eight Yrs In Prison- Court

The Bucharest Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling that previously sentenced Ioana Maria Vlas to eight years in prison in the collapse of the National Accumulation Fund, or FNA, but the decision of the appeals court can be challenged.

EXCLUSIVE: Isarescu Intends To Get A New Mandate As Romanian Ctrl Bk Governor

The National Bank of Romania governor Mugur Isarescu told MEDIAFAX he is interested in obtaining a new mandate to head the central bank, a position he has filled for the past 19 years.

TI: Romanian Govt Efforts To Fight Corruption ‘Ineffective’

More than half of Romanians believe government’s actions against corruption are ineffective, Berlin-based watchdog Transparency International (TI) said Wednesday.

Massive Storm Hits 15 Romanian Counties, Bucharest

Romanian deputy prime minister Dan Nica said Wednesday that, following the storm on Tuesday, there were floods in 15 counties and Bucharest, 140 households in 44 localities, as well as 600 hectares of crops, and five national roads were damaged.

Romanian Bks Offer Rates Up To 14% For Euro, Up To 23% For RON On „First Home” Loans – Sources

More than 20 banks filed indicative offers on their effective annual interest rate, or AER, for the “First Home” program, varying between 5.5% and 14% for euro-denominated loans, and between 13% and 23% for Romanian leu-denominated loans, government sources told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Social Democrats To Analyze Ruling Coalition After EP Elections – Party VP

Romanian social democrats, part of the country’s ruling coalition, will analyze how the coalition with democrat liberals is working after elections for the European Parliament, Social Democratic Party vice-president Liviu Dragnea told MEDIAFAX Wednesday.