Romania

Romania is among the EU members in favour of a tax and budget pact, but it has to change the constitution to meet the challenges. Nine of the ten EU states that are not members of the single currency area – Romania amnong them – have indicated their willingness to …

Romanian President Traian Basescu has said the EU needs to send positive signals to Turkey, stressing that the EU candidate country brings an important contribution to the EU’s wider neighborhood, including the Middle East and North Africa. “Turkey brings an important contribution and is an important actor in the union’s …

Despite strong pressure from other EU countries, the Netherlands has refused to agree to Bulgaria and Romania joining the open border Schengen zone. The two countries have not still done enough to combat corruption and organized crime, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. The EU will consider the question again …

On 1 December, talks between Moldova and the pro-Moscow separatist region of Trans-Dniester concluded in Lithuania with an agreement for more meetings at the beginning of next year. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Audronis Azubalis

The EU decided to launch negotiations on a deep and comprehensive free trade area with Georgia and Moldova in order to boost economic growth and investment with the Eastern European partners. The negotiations will tackle a broad range of trade and economic issues so as to achieve a closer economic …

Parliament in Chisinau has set December 16 as the date for new presidential elections. In its second attempt in less than a month to pick a president, Moldova’s parliament has scheduled presidential elections for December 16.

Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat says he regrets Russia’s announcement that it will open voting booths in Moldova’s separatist Transdniester region for the upcoming Russian elections. Filat said in Prague on November 29 that his government had specifically asked Moscow not to organize polling areas in Transdniester. “This is a …

The EU summit on December 9 will discuss Bulgaria and Romania’s Schengen bid. In September the Netherlands and Finland blocked the two countries’ entry into the passport-free Schengen Area. Technically both Romania and Bulgaria are fit to join, but the Netherlands and Finland imposed a veto over corruption issues in …

On 28 November, the European Commission adopted the second part of the 2011 regional Action Plan for the Eastern Neighbourhood, addressing challenges in sectors relevant for the whole region, such as integrated border management, territorial co-operation, youth, climate change and transport.

Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Edward Nalbandyan has met visiting Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Theodore Bakonski on a recent visit to Armenia. Nalbandyan said that the traditional friendship between the two countries created a favourable ground for the further