Romania News

BUCHAREST, Romania An earthquake registering 4.4 on the Richter scale shook the region of Vrancea in eastern Romania late on Friday (July 24th). It was also felt in Bucharest.Meanwhile, several minor earthquakes, with a magnitude of about 4.0 were registered in Macedonia’s region of Valandovo on Friday and Saturday.

BUCHAREST Romania received the first part worth EUR1.5 billion of the loan from the European Commission. Romanian authorities signed an agreement for supporting a program with funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Commission, World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

BUCHAREST, Romania Prosecutor-General Laura Codruta Kovesi and the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) on Thursday (July 23rd) requested that former Youth and Sports Minister Monica Iacob Ridzi lose her immunity, which would clear the way for a criminal investigation against her.

Romania has taken a number of welcome steps since the European Commission’s 2008 report to re-launch the reform process and a “new momentum” had been established which has resulted in a series of positive steps, the EC said in its July 22 report on the country’s performance under the Co-operation …

BUCHAREST, Romania The Supreme Court decided on Friday (July 17th) to suspend the trial of former Transport Minister Miron Mitrea on corruption charges, local media reported. Mitrea is accused of having taken bribes when he was in the minister position worth almost 200,000 euros between 2000 and 2004, to appoint …

BAILE TUSNAD Romanian President Traian Basescu was treated to boos and hisses as he spoke during an open university event organized for his country’s ethnic Hungarians. Those gathered in the town of Baile Tusnad reacted negatively to his statement that Romania is a national, united, sovereign and independent state.

BUCHAREST Foreign ministers of Romania, Serbia and Hungary will gather on Saturday for the fourth ministerial meeting in Timisoara in western Romania. The meeting will be attended by Romanian Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Hungarian Foreign Minister Balazs Peter.

Moldova asked the European Union on Thursday to take action to stop what it said was Romanian interference in its affairs.Romanian President Traian Basescu has angered Moldova’s leaders by backing the country’s liberal opposition in a parliamentary election set for July 29.

SOFIA Bulgaria’s outgoing Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev announced on Friday that Iraq pledged to pump 15 billion cubic meters of gas through Nabucco pipeline starting from 2014-2015.

BRUSSELS The EU commission is next week set to recommend that Bulgaria and Romania continue to stay under a special monitoring mechanism beyond 2009, due to their slow progress in justice reforms and the fight against corruption and organised crime. The commission reports, due on Wednesday (22 July), take stock …