Romania

SOFIA Bulgarian government in line with the European Commission requirements must make connections with gas systems of Romania and Greece as soon as possible. This is what chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Digless Technology Eng. Stefan Zhelyazkov said.

The number of Romanian troops serving in peace missions abroad will number only 1,667 next year following the pullout of troops from Iraq, the country’s Supreme Defence Council, CSAT, decided on Tuesday. Romania today has 2,067 troops in operation theatres in Iraq and Afghanistan, but a 500-strong contingent will be …

Just weeks before the European Commission is due to publish an assessment on Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the EU, the French Senate cautioned against “stigmatising” the EU’s most recent members and suggested fine-tuning the Union’s Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, set up to assist the two countries after their entry. …

KUWAIT Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah met here on Sunday with Romanian Foreign Undersecretary Doro Costa. The Romanian diplomat handed Sheikh Mohammed, also deputy Prime Minister, a letter from Romanian Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu.

BEIJING A delegation of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, China’s top political advisory body, left here Sunday afternoon for good-will visits to Romania and Ukraine. 

CHISINAU Moldova’s outgoing president said the very future of the ex-Soviet state was at stake in next month’s parliamentary election and accused opposition parties yesterday of seeking its destruction. 

Romania was one of the four countries running excessive budget deficits, the European Commission has said, giving the country a deadline to 2011 to bring it in line with European Union norms. Romania would not be penalised, however, since the deadline reflected the country’s recent bail-out deal with the International …

BEIJING Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met Mircea Geoana, the president of Romania’s senate here Wednesday. Xi pledged to step up cooperation and boost ties. Xi hailed the traditional relationship and the development of bilateral ties since the two states established diplomatic relations 60 years ago. 

BEIJING Chinese top political advisor Jia Qinglin met here Monday with Mircea Geoana, the visiting president of Romania’s senate, and called on both sides to take cooperation to a higher level. 

The activation of a new safeguard clause regarding Bulgaria and Romania has been requested by the Netherlands’ Minister of European Affairs, Frans Timmermans, Romanian news agency NewsIn reports Wednesday, quoting his open letter. According to Timmermans, the implementation of the clause must happen with the publishing of the new EU …