3rd May
2007
US troops presence in Romania – approved by
Parliament
Parliament voted yesterday the stationing of US troops on Romania’s territory.
Prime Minister Calin Poescu Tariceanu, too, was at Parliament Wednesday to lobby
for the entry and stationing of US military forces in Romania. The head of the
cabinet outlined that the passage of such decision confirms the strategic partnership
between Romania and the US and represents “a proof of steadfastness in the
relationship with the US.”
“Two years have already passed since the signing of the agreement between
Romania and the United States over the activities of the US armed forces stationed
on Romania’s territory. We are in process of implementing the provisions
of this agreement, which boosts the strategic partnership between Romania and
the USA,” the PM outlined.
All the parties, save for the Greater Romania party (PRM), who abstained, voted
in favour of the request made by interim President Nicolae Vacaroiu over the entry
and stationing of US troops in Romania Liberal Senator Norica Nicolai said that
the presence of US troops in Romania will represent “a stability factor
and a factor ensuring security needs.”
In his turn, the leader of the Democrat group in the Chamber of Deputies, Cristian
Radulescu, said that the passage of this document is a “history-laden”
moment. “Twenty years ago it was a dream we would not have even dared to
dream of such reality. This moment today is the outcome of a historic evolution,
of a collective effort and of a political will manifested over years,” the
Democrat deputy said.
Toro T. Tibor, a deputy with the Hungarian Democratic Union in Romania (UDMR),
said that the relationship between Romania and the US, the strategic partnership
with the US, is a major pillar of security and national defence strategies.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) also agreed with the request, yet it asked Government
for transparent notifications over the deployment of foreign troops on Romania’s
territory.
The Social-Democrat Vice-president, Cristian Diaconescu, outlined that the agreement
is not due to bear any effect on the security interests of any other state, adding
that the notifications on the military operations on Romania’s territory
are not only an obligation but also a means by which Romania ensures the information
needed by our partners and Romania’s neighbours.
PRM MPs abstained from voting, acting on a recommendation by the party’s
president, Corneliu Vadim Tudor. In a PRM release to the press, C.V. Tudor said
that the deployment of armed troops on Romania’s territory “could
make us vulnerable as a country and a nation, exposing us to great risks,”
adding that he would not like “Romania to become neither a foreign colony
nor a springboard for certain attacks” or “a buffer area between the
big nuclear powers.”
Prior to the vote, the Parliament was confused about the letter of the interim
President regarding the stationing of the US forces in Romania. Initially, after
the session of the two Standing Bureaus of Senate and Chamber of Deputies, the
secretary of the Chamber of Deputies, Valeriu Zgonea, announced that Parliament
will only take note of Vacaroiu’s letter.
Subsequently, Zgonea went back of the announcement, stressing that the Senators
and Deputies will approve through open vote this request.
The interim President Nicolae Vacaroiu addressed last week a letter to the leadership
of the Legislative, through which he requested Parliament’s approval for
the entry and stationing of the United States forces on the territory of Romania,
over the whole period of applicability of the Agreement between Romania and US
regarding the activities of the US forces stationed on the territory of Romania,
signed in Bucharest, on December 6, 2005. Vacaroiu also proposed Parliament to
approve the request of the American party and of Premier of Romania that President
may decide to supplement by up to 500 the number of persons approved by Parliament
over a period that would not exceed 90 days.
1,500 US soldiers expected at Mihail Kogalniceanu base
The agreement regarding the US military facilities was ratified by the Senate
of Romania on July 20, 2006.
The agreement between Romania and USA regarding the American military facilities
on the Romanian territory includes the obligations of the parties in the political,
military and security domain, in the financial and budgetary sector, in the sector
of services and public utilities, and also legal provisions and implications.
The locations considered by the American party are Smardan training grounds, Babadag
training grounds and the boarding and landing ramp, Mihail Kogalniceanu air base,
and Cincu training grounds. Colonel John Ingham, chief of the Bureau for Romanian-American
Military Cooperation in the Domain of Defence, Bucharest, declared on December
8, 2006, that 1,500 US soldiers are expected at Mihail Kogalniceanu, and the American
state will spend USD 34 M for the upgrading of the barracks which belonged to
the 34 Mechanized Brigade from Mihail Kogalniceanu, where the US troops will be
installed.
Source: Nine O'Clock.
European Film Festival starts today at Romanian
Peasant Museum
The European Film Festival opens today at the Romanian Peasant Museum with the
Italian film ‘La Terra’ . A total of 46 films from 24 countries will
have been shown by May 13 in Bucharest and four other cities in Romania. ‘la
Terra’, which won the Best Camera Award at the Shanghai Film Festival, was
also a nominee in six categories for the David di Donatello Awards. The film depicts
the drama of a broken home. A man returns home to southern Italy to wake up to
the reality of dealing with all of his family’s problems.
The 11th European Film Festival will also unfold in Craiova, Timisoara, Sibiu
and Iasi. This year, the event brings “the cinematographic and gastronomic
diversity”, the defining elements of the multiculturalism on the European
continent, as the organisers – The representation of the European Commission
in Bucharest, the Romanian Cultural Institute and the Union of Film Makers in
Romania announced. Outdoor projections will be another novelty at this year’s
festival.
In Bucharest, the films will be shown at the Studio Cinema, the Romanian Peasant
Museum, Palace Hall and the E-Uranus – a new, unconventional, area for entertainment,
considered as a genuine ‘cultural platform’ for the entire family.
Nine of the 46 films selected deal with topics related to the culinary art, in
the “Food films” section. The second special session is dedicated
to short feature films in the competition ‘Europe at high school’,
which met with great success last year.
Films from the festival will also be shown in Craiova, May 11-13, Timisoara –
May 16-18, Sibiu – May 17-20 (in the city’s Grand Square, and Iasi
– May 22-24.
The Viewer Prize category will be awarded this year too, with the winning film
to benefit from the support of the Orange Company, the official sponsor of the
festival. The winner will be announced in the closing night gala, at Studio Cinema,
May 13, when the film ‘Offset’ (script written by Cristi Puiu, Razvan
Radulescu and Didi Danquart). The film’s director, Didi Danquart will attend
the film’s presentation.
The workshop ‘Drafting the script and developing the project’ is addressed
to professionals in the Romanian film and television industry and is part of the
project ‘Phare Pre-media Support’.
Film buffs will watch this year films from Great Britain, France, Poland, Germany,
Spain, Finland, Ireland, Belgium, Slovakia etc., but co-productions too: Denmark-Sweden-France
or France-Italy-Argentine-USA.
Source: Nine O'Clock
Convertibles see 20 times higher growth than market
average
Convertible car demand in the first quarter of this year soared by 400%, to almost
110 units, compared with the 27 cars delivered in the similar period of last year.
During 2006, according to the statistical data provided by the Association of
Car Makers and Importers (APIA), almost 300 open-topped cars were sold.
The overall growth rate of the car market in the first quarter of this year stood
at 19.4%, from 4.3%, the increase posted in the first quarter of last year, with
a total number of 70,192 vehicles (passenger cars and commercial vehicles) sold.
The new generation of coup?-cabrio (CC) models was in demand on the Romanian car
market particularly owing to the versatility feature offered by metallic retractable
roof that can easily turn the car from coup? to cabrio.
The best-selling CC in the first quarter of 2007 was VW Eos with 61 units.
The new Peugeot 207 CC, produced on the small-class platform of the French carmaker,
is to be launched this May, while the new Ford Focus CC presented in the Geneva
auto show in 2006 will be launched in the second half of this year.
In the first quarter, the weakest performer in terms of sales, according to APIA
data, was the Audi A4 Cabrio, with just one unit delivered. Neither Porsche, nor
Mercedes did any better.
What the situation of the luxury convertibles category points to is the fact that
for the time being despite their penchant for luxury cars, Romanian consumers
still prefer fixed-roof cars.
Cars of a much lower price segment did not do any better, either.
Though in Romania there is not such a large diversity on the segment of soft-top
convertible cars as in the segment of hardtop convertibles, demand was much bigger
for the former segment in the first quarter of the year. The offer for the time
being includes only two models, Audi TT and Saab 93, but it is about to increase
in the near future as the representatives of Autoitalia, the importer of Alfa
Romeo brand, state they are in talks to bring the Spider model in Romania.
Car sales on the Romanian market last year reached a total of 297,162 units, an
increase of 15.8% from the 256,414 units that were sold in 2005, taking the market
to an estimated value of 3.5 billion euros.
Source: ZF.ro
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