assistance

Romania will reduce the number of social services and beneficiaries, whose eligibility for assistance will be tied to their efforts to find work and their children's school performance, says a government paper obtained by MEDIAFAX.

Romania and the European Commission reached agreement on a EUR5 billion balance-of-payments loan, to help Romania weather the financial crisis.

Until now, 68 Romanian citizens and 11 Palestinian citizens requested help from Romanian authorities in Tel Aviv, Israel, to be evacuated from the Gaza Strip.

The Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry states the urgent need for ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and expresses officially concern regarding the escalation of the situation in the area, the ministry said in a statement Sunday.

The Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry said until Sunday, GMT 1000, 55 Romanian citizens, (14 women, five men and 36 children) and nine Palestinian citizens requested consulate assistance in leaving the Gaza Strip.

Romania’s Embassy in Israel received until Saturday, by GMT 1000, 40 requests for consulate assistance in leaving the Gaza Strip, of which 34 come from Romanian citizens (9 women, 3 men and 22 children), and 6 from Palestinian citizens, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.