Embassy of in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

No. 8/ 4th Year 15th – 30th of April 2011 Politics

1. Ceremony is held as Regele Ferdinand frigate leaves on mission 2. Romanian and Moldovan Presidents agree on quickly drawing up action plan for implementing strategic partnership 3. President Aliyev: There is very good cooperation context on natural gas with Romania 4. President Basescu met King Abdullah II in Amman 5. Romania maintains target of accessing euro area in 2015 6. ForMin Baconschi to visit London to prepare President Basescu's official visit 7. ForMin Baconschi, Minister Davutoglu discussed options for boosting bilateral cooperation 8. Iraq's gates are open to Romanian companies 9. Foreign Affairs Minister Baconschi signs convention on avoiding double taxation 10. Qatar Crown Prince professes to Minister Baconschi his resolution to consolidate economic relations with Romania 11. Romania prepares technical aspects of accommodating Tunisian immigrants from Italy 12. Swedish companies are interesting by Constanta-Istanbul submarine power cable 13. British Ambassador to : Well qualified work force is an advantage of Romania but it needs fiscal and legislative predictability 14. The Ambassador of Romania attended the Royal wedding ceremonies at Westminster Abbey

Economics

1. Romania FDI inflow rises to EUR294M in Jan-Feb 2. BCR expecting Romanian economy to advance 3.9 pct in 2012 3. Centre of Excellence in Research in Targu Mures, with IBM expertise 4. Den Braven Romania sales increase 25 percent in first quarter 5. Thirty companies showcasing Romania's export offers at Sharjah 2011 General Exhibition 6. Pound trades at 4.56 lei

Culture and Education

1. Romanian legendary Dan Grigore in London 2. The Ambassador of Romania lecture at the University of Oxford 3. Romania at „Children and Families across Borders” London International Fair 4. Annual meeting of the Romanian medical professionals living in the UK 5. Romania at the London International Wine Fair 2011 6. "Strangers in the night" with Florin Piersic and Medeea Marinescu 7. Romania public art sales up 124% on year in 2010 8. Bookfest 2011 at 6th edition

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

• Politics Ceremony is held as Regele Ferdinand frigate leaves on mission Bucharest, April 22 /Agerpres/ - President Traian Basescu took part in a ceremony held in the Black Sea port of Constanta as The Regele Ferdinand frigate was leaving for NATO's Unified Protector operation aimed at enforcing an arms embargo on Libya, with the head of state underscoring this is an important mission of the Romanian Navy meant to curb the number of victims in the civil war in Libya. "It is for the first time since World War Two that the Romanian Naval Forces are engaged in a real combat mission. It is a mission resulting from the United Nations' Security Council resolution, from the resolution of the Romanian Supreme Defence Council. An important mission that has as its first and foremost goal to reduce the number of the victims in the civil war in Libya, by the ban you will have to enforce on the arms imports by sea", Basescu said. He stressed the mission The Regele Ferdinand will take part in will contribute to saving human lives, while at the same time being a mission accomplished in the name of Romania. "Romania now has the capability to project its forces not only on land, but its naval forces too at a distance from its territorial waters. It is a positive development of the Romanian Army's combat capability and it is high time the Navy, but the mission they carry out, confirmed that all types of forces are capable of fulfilling NATO missions", the Romanian leader added. Basescu underscored that the Romanian Army is being highly praised on the Afghanistan front, it was highly praised in Iraq and the Romanian Air Forces provided the air patrol system for the Baltic states in the last years. "Today, the Romanian Navy is called to an important mission in the Mediterranean. The name of the ship sends us back to history, while at the same time projecting us forward. The Ferdinand destroyer was one of the ships to have earned glory in World War Two, today The Ferdinand frigate must continue the Romanian Navy's tradition", President Basescu said in addressing the ship captain and crew. Defence Minister Gabriel Oprea, in turn, said that the Romanian Army, by its participation in the new mission of the Unified Protector operation, reconfirms Romania's status of an important vector of regional security and of regional stability provider, by acting where the national interests and the pledged international commitments call it. "I want to assure the entire crew of the frigate of my esteem and respect in my capacity of national defence minister, for the efforts made and for their training to the highest standards in a short time, so that we should be able to report the Romanian President - the Armed Forces commander-in-chief - today that the National Defence Ministry is ready to begin carrying out

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

the mission. All the professionals acting in the ship crew and in the entire command chain know what they have to do in detail and they have the determination to successfully fulfil this new mission", Defence Minister Oprea said. The frigate, commanded by Commodore Mihai Panait will carry a crew of 205 sailors and conduct embargo enforcement missions in the Mediterranean Sea. Aboard the frigate are also two officers of the Romanian Navy who will become part of the General Staff of the NATO Allied Maritime Command based in the Mediterranean. The Regele Ferdinand frigate took part in the Active Endeavour operation in the Mediterranean in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010, where it carried out specific missions aimed to prevent and combat terrorism and illegal trafficking, alongside other ships and forces under NATO command. Romanian and Moldovan Presidents agree on quickly drawing up action plan for implementing strategic partnership Bucharest, April 28 /Agerpres/ - President Traian Basescu said that, together with interim President of the Republic of Moldova Marian Lupu, he established that the action plan for putting into effect the strategic partnership for European integration should be drawn up as soon as possible. "I and President Lupu have practically approached the whole range of domestic and foreign political questions. Our message to the President and the parties in the Alliance [for European integration] is that we want an alliance as solid as possible that should guarantee the progress of the Republic of Moldova to Europe. Together with President Lupu I have established that, as soon as possible, we should have to draw up the action plan for putting into effect the statement on the strategic partnership for European integration between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, a statement signed by me and President Ghimpu at that time," said President Basescu at the end of the official talks with Marian Lupu. Romanian President Traian Basescu made it clear that the talks with interim President of the Republic of Moldova Marian Lupu were very good and observed the tradition of the dialogue between Bucharest and Chisinau in the past two years. "Let us hope that this tradition will be consolidated, because something that is maybe highly important to the Romanian-Moldovan relationship has happened, namely that what we agree on will happen. I am convinced that this manner of working will continue in the bilateral relationship," said President Basescu. According to him, the sides also approached the priorities of the Republic of Moldova concerning the EU. President Traian Basescu reiterated Romania's support to the European road of the neighbour country.

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"I have assured President Lupu of our entire support. ... Last but not least, we have dealt with the priorities in the bilateral relation and they were to be found first of all in the energy field, projects of interconnecting our power grids and the gas carrying pipes. We have also held talks about using the money allocated through the Eastern Partnership," concluded President Basescu. Romanian President Traian Basescu also told visiting interim President of the Republic of Moldova Marian Lupu that this moment's priority is to make good use of the non-repayable assistance given by Bucharest. "At the last meeting of the (Romanian and Moldovan) heads of state, nearly all of those established were enforced, be it the small-scale border traffic law, the bilateral legislation, Romania's and Moldova's adoption of the law on the non-repayable assistance and many others. The important thing now is to first and foremost make good use of the non-repayable aid to the Republic of Moldova by feasible projects approved in line with the European standards. I hope our two countries' governments will respond fast", President Basescu said. The Moldovan interim leader thanked for the financial support granted by the Romanian state. "I am quite sure that the strategic cooperation between our two countries will be discussed during this visit and that we'll draw certain lines for strengthening and diversifying such cooperation", added the interim President of the Republic of Moldova. Interim President Lupu paid an official visit to Romania at the invitation of the Romanian Head of State. The Moldovan interim President visited Romania a year after his predecessor Mihai Ghimpu, who on April 27, 2010 signed with Basescu a document on establishing a strategic partnership between Chisinau and Bucharest aimed at Moldova's European integration. An agreement by which Romania pledges to give 100 million Euros in non-repayable financial assistance to Moldova over four years was also signed at the time. President Aliyev: There is very good cooperation context on natural gas with Romania There is a very good context for the cooperation of our two countries on natural gas, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said at the end of the official talks with visiting Romanian President Traian Basescu. 'With respect to the energy sector, our cooperation is constantly developing. We supply Romania oil. Our state oil company is developing its activity in Romania and I believe there is a very good context for cooperation on natural gas. We have recently signed a declaration together with the EU relating the southern corridor and in this respect we plan to cover the EU energy needs. We have very important gas

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resources and there are several ways by which they can be carried to the world markets', the Azeri President stressed. Aliyev praised the relations between Azerbaijan and Romania as being exceptional; in this respect, he underscored that Romania is part of the Nabucco project and AGRI project. 'I hope the relations between Azerbaijan and Romania will have the role of also boosting the relations between Azerbaijan and the EU. There is also a kind of cooperation within the Eastern Partnership, we also had successfully collaborated in the energy sector, while in other fields we are part of pretty good collaboration actions and the prospects are also very good. I think such ties are very successful ties, in the future at least', the Azeri leader underscored.

He stressed that the relations between Azerbaijan and Romania cannot be confined to the cooperation on energy alone, given that there is very good cooperation in the humanitarian sector as well. President Traian Basescu in Baku also talked with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev about the possibilities of involving the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) in the privatisation moves the Romanian state is planning to start by end-2011. 'We also talked today about other possibilities of including SOCAR in economic projects by involving it in the privatisation process Romania will start by end-2011. The fact that a company as important as SOCAR also became a fuel supplier on the Romanian market, with the prospect of expanding the fuel distribution network towards the population, is a very important thing for us, as it helps create a more powerful competition that will control prices both for population and industry,' President Basescu said at the end of the official meeting with Aliyev. President Basescu paid a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan. (ActMedia, April 21, 2011) President Basescu met King Abdullah II in Amman The phase in the relations between Romania and Jordan and the consolidation of the two countries' partnership was the focus of the talks held by President Traian Basescu and King Abdullah II in Amman, on the occasion of a working visit paid by the Romanian head of state to the Hashemite Kingdom. President Basescu held official talks with King Abdullah II on the bilateral cooperation and the current developments in the Middle East and North Africa, the President's Office said in a release, adding the Romanian leader is paying the visit on an invitation from Jordan's King. The two heads of state agreed that the Romanian-Jordanian relations are characterised by a dynamic of the political and diplomatic dialogue on all levels, by converging security interests and by the common wish to expand the economic cooperation, the release stressed.

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

President Basescu and King Abdullah agreed to strengthen the bilateral partnership in such strategic areas as power and mineral resources, transportation and related infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, industrial investment and trade, the Presidential Administration added. On the regional issues, Basescu underscored that Romania understands the democratic aspirations of the Middle East and North Africa peoples and it backs the advancement towards democracy by dialogue. The Romanian President communicated the Jordanian leader the appreciation for the role played by the Hashemite Kingdom in providing peace and stability in the Middle East, for the king's initiatives aimed a maintaining the Arab consensus and for his moderate and balanced rhetoric on the international scene. On the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, President Basescu said Romania encourages - both via the European Union and on a bilateral level - the fast resumption of direct talks that should lead to long-lasting comprehensive peace based on the solution of two states that should coexist in peace and security. He also voiced support for Jordan's initiatives in this respect. President Basescu expressed the Romanian support to see the ‘advanced status' gained by Jordan in relation with the European Union in last October become reality, the release said. (ActMedia, April 21, 2011) Romania maintains target of accessing euro area in 2015 Bucharest, April 29 /Agerpres/ - The Government through the Convergence Programme adoption, decided that Romania maintained its target of accessing the euro area in 2015, Premier told a press conference at the Victoria Palace, at the end of the Executive meeting. "We have no reason to give up this target. Romania has met and keeps meeting its objectives through the measures it has taken for accessing the euro area in 2015. In other words, today we do what it must be done for Romania to access the euro area in 2015. ... Romania prepared its grounds for accessing the euro area, on condition that it does not take any back-steps in the coming years," Premier Emil Boc said, referring to the fiscal consolidation measures already established by the Government for the current year and for 2012. He showed that the decision of the Executive was made after having consulted President Traian Basescu and National Bank of Romania (BNR) Governor Mugur Isarescu. The decision also enjoyed the support of the ruling coalition, as shown by the outcome of its meeting. Moreover, during the Government meeting, the establishment of a ministerial committee for the accession to the euro currency was decided, the presidency of which is going to be ensured by the Prime Minister, with the BNR Governor as vice president. The ministerial

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

committee will monitor Romania's meeting its objectives in order to be prepared to access the euro area in 2015, the Premier said. The specific date of accession will be set after the discussions with the European partners and, together with them, a date of 2015 will be set for Romania's accession to the euro area, the Head of Executive explained. ForMin Baconschi to visit London to prepare President Basescu's official visit Romanian Foreign Minister will be paying a visit to London, the UK, on May 16, at the invitation of his UK counterpart William Hague, spokesperson for the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) Doris Mircea told a news conference on April 28, 2011.

Minister Baconschi's visit will occur in the context of the actions carried out by Romania and the UK to consolidate the bilateral relations between them and to revitalise the strategic partnership between the two countries, and also to prepare an official visit to London of Romania's President Traian Basescu.

'Talks with the UK foreign secretary will focus on cooperation in justice and home affairs; boosting commercial exchanges between Romania and the UK; Romanian-UK cooperation in the field of security and within NATO; the latest developments in the Middle East, and the fight against terrorism, all aspects of shared interest. At the same time, the two officials will also discuss current European affairs, including energy security, the EU enlargement, Moldova and cooperation in the Black Sea region,' said Doris Mircea. (ActMedia, April 29, 2011) ForMin Baconschi, Minister Davutoglu discussed options for boosting bilateral cooperation Bucharest, April 20 /Agerpres/ - Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Baconschi paid a working visit to Ankara meeting with his counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. The discussions included topics such as the bilateral and regional cooperation, the progress Turkey recorded in its bid to adhere to the European Union and an assessment of the international relations the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (MAE) said in a release. "The Romanian-Turkish bilateral ties are excellent and we discussed the best options to boost the level of our cooperation. We decided to strengthen the bilateral dialogue in 2011, including in the key sectors, such as trade and investments, energy, transports, tourism, culture and civil emergencies," the release quotes Minister Baconschi as saying. The visit of the Romanian top diplomat to Ankara took place in the context of Turkey's being Romania's fifth-largest economic partner and the top partner by trade with non-EU states and members of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), the above-quoted source reports. According to the MAE, the dignitaries reiterated their interest to put into practice the joint projects in the energy sector, as a strategic cooperation domain. The two foreign ministers

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______reaffirmed their solid support with respect to the Nabucco gas pipeline, a key element of Europe's southern gas corridor. "At the same time, it emerged the proposal to set up a working group to identify and promote some cooperation projects on other markets, especially in the Middle East and in Central Asia. The Romanian Foreign Minister restated the proposal of building the submarine power cable between Constanta (southeastern Romania) and Istanbul, by stressing this might turn into an important project for the region. Also the very good cooperation in the transport field was praised, mainly the maritime transport, with the two officials hailing the inauguration of the ro- ro transport line between Constanta and Istanbul and encouraging the expansion of this initiative to other ports from Turkey," the release says. Baconschi also underscored the fact that Romania is constantly backing Turkey to speed up the negotiations with the European Union, by praising the efforts made so far, MAE reported. At the meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, the focus was on the special feature of the bilateral relations and the moves aiming to establish a partnership framework with strategic possibilities. "Also Romania and Turkey's common status of allies within NATO and the support for the EU adherence were stressed too. Minister Baconschi unveiled Romania's economic developments and the fresh opportunities for boosting Turkish investment in Romania. The Minister said Romania will continue to be a true friend of Turkey given its EU accession bid and a close partner within NATO," the MAE release says too. Iraq's gates are open to Romanian companies Bucharest, April 21 /Agerpres/ - The message of the Iraqi Government to the Romanian companies is that the Iraq's gates are open to both the companies already operating in Iraq and to those that are considering starting up in business there; through bilateral political dialogue cooperation is attempted to be enlarged and the fields for cooperation to be multiplied, visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told a joint news conference in Bucharest with Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi. "I believe Iraq is a safe country these days. You can do business from Basra to Anwar, in the northern parts and the central parts. Right now, there are many tens of European companies, operating in the southern, central and northern parts of Iraq. Right now, there are Romanian companies there looking for opportunities. What we are trying in our bilateral talks is to enlarge this cooperation, to attract Romanian companies to operate in various fields where they used to operate. There are many Romanian companies having operated many years in Iraq; they have experience and are now ready to come or return to an open market and Iraq has this business potential. This is our message to Romania: Iraq is ready to welcome you, the gates are widely open," said Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari.

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

He thanked Romania for continual support to the development of Iraq's energy, oil and construction fields. In his turn, Romanian Foreign Minister Baconschi thanked Iraqi Foreign Minister for his personal support to the Romanian Government's opening a consular office and a business office in Erbil, northern Iraq. "A delegation of the Romanian Foreign Ministry will soon leave for Erbil to establish all the details and I believe this way we create the platform for Romanian companies landing in the region. There are cement, oil, energy, civil engineering, industrial engineering, chemicals and petrochemicals Romanian companies that want to set up shop or return to Iraq," said Baconschi, adding that bilateral trade between Romania and Iraq is on the rise. Zebari also showed that the current surges in oil prices could continue because of the latest developments in the Arab world - military operations, regime changes as well as the effects of the natural calamities that hit Japan on the capabilities of nuclear-power plants to supply power. He mentioned that Iraq is a member state of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and thus obliged to obey the quotas and regulations of the organisation, but the Iraqi Government is doing its best to increase Iraq's output of oil products. "We are doing our best to increase production, but the increase will not happen this year; maybe later in the years to come, especially because Iraq has offered huge contracts to all companies to improve the Iraqi oil industry, to increase the Iraqi oil production facilities. Work is being done on both the oil and the natural gas fields," said the Iraqi Foreign Minister. Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari paid an official visit to Romania, having met high-ranking Romanian officials of the Romanian Government and Parliament. The Romanian Foreign Ministry reports that during the official talks the Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister had in Bucharest emphasis was placed on identifying ways to strengthen the political and diplomatic dialogue, the involvement of Romanian companies in projects for the reconstruction of Iraq, as well as on defining ways to capitalise - in the line of bilateral cooperation - on the positive impact of Romania's participation in the Multinational Force in Iraq until the end of its mandate there in late July 2009. Foreign Affairs Minister Baconschi signs convention on avoiding double taxation Bucharest, April 26/ Agerpres/ - Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Baconschi during a visit paid to Saudi Arabia, signed the convention on avoiding double taxation between the two countries. "This is a visit that will open new prospects both for the economic cooperation and the political dialogue," a release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) quotes Minister Baconschi as saying. During the talks he held with the Saudi officials the Romanian chief diplomat pointed to the

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______interest taken by our country in attracting investors from the Gulf area, especially from Saudi Arabia. "We want much more numerous Saudi investments in the Romanian economy, Romania's economic potential being emphasized during the Romania-Gulf Cooperation Council Economic Forum that was held in Bucharest in March," the above-mentioned release quotes Minister Baconschi as saying. The meeting with the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Saud Al Faisal, has a special importance in the Romanian-Saudi bilateral cooperation as it is the first visit paid by a Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, informs the MAE release. The direct dialogue between the two ministers gave the opportunity for a deep-going examination of the bilateral achievements in the 16 years since the Romanian-Saudi diplomatic contacts were established. In this context the two chief diplomats voiced willingness to make relations more dynamic in point of the political dialogue, the sectoral cooperation, with emphasis on the economic one, and to widen the legal framework. The meeting also offered the opportunity for an exchange of opinions on a number of files of common interest for the two states as well as for the international community. According to the source mentioned before, the Bucharest chief diplomat emphasized the importance to leave behind the moment of stagnation in the Middle East peace process. They also made an exchange of opinions on the recent developments in some states in North Africa and the Middle East and Minister Baconschi stressed Romania's willingness to go on getting involved in the steps taken by the international community with a view to stabilizing the region, reads the MAE release. The two ministers voiced deep concern for the situation in Syria and emphasized the fact that the authorities in Damascus must put an end to the violence leading to losses of human lives and start implementing the social reforms they promised to the population. Speaking of the Romanian-Saudi cooperation within international bodies, the two ministers confirmed the consistency and substantiality of this cooperation. The meeting between Minister Baconschi and the Saudi chief diplomat was also followed by signing the memorandum of understanding on bilateral political consultations between Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the programme of cooperation between the Romanian Diplomatic Institute of Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of Diplomatic Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reads the above-mentioned source. Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Baconschi goes on a tour to the Gulf area over April 25-29 at the invitation of his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar. Besides meeting his Saudi counterpart, Prince Saud Al Faisal, the Romanian chief diplomat met Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Governor of the Riyadh Province, Abdullah Zeinal Alireza, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Prince Waleed bin Talal, representative of the business sector, new Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Abdul Latif Al Ziyani and other Saudi high officials.

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

Qatar Crown Prince professes to Minister Baconschi his resolution to consolidate economic relations with Romania Bucharest, April 28 /Agerpres/ - Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Baconschi met Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al- Thani, Crown Prince and heir apparent of Qatar, the latter voicing resolution of the Qatari side to work for consolidating the bilateral economic relations reads a press release issued by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). According to the source mentioned above, the dialogue with the Qatari high official highlighted the swift evolution of the bilateral relations since the inception of diplomatic relations between Romania and this Gulf state, in October 1990. The Romanian chief diplomat also stressed the fact that the direct political dialogue between the two states proved the constant interest the authorities take in building up a strong bilateral relation. Minister Baconschi proposed to resume the activity of the Joint Romanian-Qatari Commission whose main purpose is to identify and implement projects in tourism infrastructure, banking, health and renewable energy, R&D, agriculture. This initiative was embraced by the Qatari side, underlines the MAE release. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani appreciated the relations between Romania and Qatar and, in the context of the Romania-the Gulf Cooperation Council Economic Forum, he asserted the determination of the Qatari side to work for strengthening bilateral economic relations. The Crown Prince said that Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani personally supported the demarches leading to improved relations with Romania, reads the above-mentioned source. A stronger bilateral Romanian-Qatari relation comes naturally to complement the traditional dialogue with the Arab world, in the context of Romania's allegiance to the European Union and the NATO and Romania's interest in consolidating the cooperation with third countries, also reads the MAE release. Minister Baconschi paid a visit to the Gulf area between April 25 and 29, taking the invitation extended by his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar. Romania prepares technical aspects of accommodating Tunisian immigrants from Italy Rome, April 21 /Agerpres/ - Romania's Secretary of State for European Affairs and his Italian counterpart Alfredo Mantica met in Rome, the talks approaching topics such as the European solidarity Romania showed when it proposed to accommodate 200 Tunisian immigrants, the Romanian State Secretary. "We discussed both aspects regarding our bilateral relations and the high level contacts, and approached

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______issues of common interests on the European agenda allowing the two countries to harmonize their objectives such as Romania's joining the Schengen Space and the support Italy has been constantly giving our country to achieve this goal, unconditioned by other European stances, Romanian Secretary of State said. The Romanian Secretary of State for European Affairs also mentioned the political endorsement statement that Alfredo Mantica made during the consultations held in Bucharest, in January. Secretary of State Aurescu also expressed his satisfaction that Romania continues benefiting from Italy's support in the respect. We were talking about strengthening the entire Schengen Space, given the recent developments in Northern Africa and the Mediterranean Space, and about how our countries can work together on the asylum policies," Bogdan Aurescu pointed out. The Romanian State Secretary also received the Italian party's gratitude for the European solidarity Romania has recently showed through the voice of President Basescu, in its decision to take over 200 Tunisian immigrants who might be sheltered in the refuge camps in Romania. "Our colleagues of the Ministry of Administration and Interior will soon give full details about how the Tunisian refugees" selection and transfer to Romania, Aurescu told Agerpres. During the meeting in Rome it was also tackled the topic of the European Neighbourhood, particularly regarding the Southern countries where Italy is extremely acutely interested in, for the time being. During the bilateral talks Romania presented its opinions on the events in North Africa, particularly focusing on Libya. The talks' agenda also scheduled issues such as the European Strategy for the Danube Region and the Adriatic-Ionian Strategy, the developments in the Eastern Neighbourhood, in the Western Balkans and the Black Sea area, in the context of the Romanian chairmanship in office of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, during the first half of 2011. "We also discussed a conference project on the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea to organize together with Italy, during the time ahead." Aurescu stressed. A key issue the talks also approached was the economic relations between Romania and Italy. "There are very good prospects to develop these ties, and they remind us that the Italian Romanian commercial exchanges exceeded ten billion Euros, late last year, given that Italy is the second biggest foreign investor in Romania," the Romanian State Secretary stressed. Swedish companies are interesting by Constanta-Istanbul submarine power cable Secretary of State for European Affairs with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu in Bucharest, had consultations with his Swedish counterpart Frank Belfrage, an occasion on which they discussed both items on the European agenda and the project of the submarine power cable connecting Constanta (south-eastern Romania) to Istanbul. 'We have also talked about an important bilateral project we are in favour of: the Constanta- Istanbul submarine power cable. The governments of both countries attach much importance to the finalization of this project,' Secretary of state Aurescu said at the end of his consultations with the Swedish official.

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______

During the Bucharest meeting they approached such subjects as the cooperation in the energy field, especially as regards the support to modernizing the energy field in Romania. 'We currently have a very active bilateral cooperation; I should say there are no bilateral problems between us. To Romania Sweden is a privileged partner in the EU,' said Aurescu. In June 2010 Transelectrica and the Swedish company Vattenfall Power Consultant AB signed the service contract on the feasibility study, the environment study and the task books included, for the project 'Submarine Cable Romania-Turkey (HVDC Link)', the value of the contract being 1.24 million Euros. This project was previously agreed upon by the authorities in Romania and Turkey and aims to make the electric power trade between the two countries easier, mainly for meeting the increasing needs of electricity consumption in Turkey as well as turning to account Romania's potential of export bound production, a potential that is significantly on the increase thanks to the new Greenfield projects in Dobrogea (south-eastern Romania). (ActMedia, April 18, 2011)

British Ambassador to Bucharest: Well qualified work force is an advantage of Romania but it needs fiscal and legislative predictability British Ambassador to Bucharest, Martin Harris talks in an interview about Romania and the challenges faced by British investors, what are their expectations. In his opinion, Romania’s work force is well qualified, which is an important advantage for Romania. The Ambassador offers the example of the pharmaceutical producer GSK who built a factory to supply the local market in Brasov, central Romania but soon discovered that the labour force is so well qualified that the factory became one of the best GSK factories across the world especially in terms of qualified chemist engineers. When asked about the main problems that British investors face in Romania, Ambassador Marin Harris said that there are many opportunities in Romania for them but the main challenges are to convince small British companies to export in Romania for their first time. He said that the main issues for them is to find the right contacts, to know the potential sectors and where there is potential for sales. However, he said that bigger investors face more serious issues like the lack of fiscal and legislative predictability, the necessity of an efficient judicial system. To Great Britain, Romania is the closest market that is currently developing: it has tremendous potential and is a big market, HE Ambassador Martin Harris said. About the crisis in Romania, the British representative said that Romania has managed to limit the effects of the recession and is slowly but steadily turning towards growth. The difficulty, in his opinion is to find new sources for a future sustainable growth. Regarding the commercial exchange between the two countries, HE Martin Harris said that the key exports from Great Britain to Romania are textiles, cars and pharmaceuticals. The main imports, he said are telecommunications equipments, electronic machinery and clothes. (ActMedia, April 18, 2011)

The Ambassador of Romania attended the Royal wedding ceremonies at Westminster Abbey Embassy of Romania - London / On April 29, 2011, the Ambassador of Romania, Dr Ion Jinga, attended the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales with Miss Catherine Middleton. The ceremonies took place at Westminster Abbey in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh,

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Prince Charles of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, as well of other members of the British Royal family. Amongst the 1,900 guests were friends of the young royal couple, high officials of Great Britain and the Commonwealth states, representatives of other royal families, ambassadors, personalities of the cultural life and sports. The Heads of Mission in London representing countries with which the United Kingdom has diplomatic relations had the privilege to be invited by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The event, organised according to the high standards of the British royal protocol, was exceptional, unique through its significance and beauty, by the natural charm and distinction of the young royal couple. The Royal wedding won the hearts, admiration and respect of the attendants of the Wedding service as well as of the hundreds of thousands of people who came from all over Great Britain and the all over the world to express their joy and admiration towards Prince William and his spouse. Following the ceremonies at Westminster Abbey, the Ambassador of Romania and Mrs Daniela Jinga participated at the reception offered by the British Foreign Secretary William Hague at Lancaster House, from where they could see the appearance at the balcony of the Buckingham Palace of Their Royal Highnesses Prince William and Princess Catherine Elizabeth – who, after the marriage, were bestowed upon the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

• Economics Romania FDI inflow rises to EUR294M in Jan-Feb Romanian foreign direct investment, or FDI, rose to EUR294 million in January to February, from EUR140 million in the same period a year earlier, the central bank. Intra-group loans amounted to EUR267 million, while equity stakes (consolidated with estimated net loss) stood at to EUR27 million. FDI entirely covered the country's current account deficit in the first two months. Romania's current account deficit narrowed to EUR44 million in January-February, from a gap of EUR747 million in the year-earlier period, on a much lower trade deficit. (ActMedia, April 18, 2011)

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BCR expecting Romanian economy to advance 3.9 pct in 2012 Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) has upwardly adjusted its projections of Romania's economic growth in 2012, from 2.6 percent to 3.9 percent, under a BCR specialist report presented by BCR senior economist Lucian Anghel. Private consumption should increase by 1.5 percent in 2011 and by 3.7 percent in 2012, after a 2-precente decrease in 2010. Retail sales should get back to growth - 1.6 percent in 2011 and 3 percent in 2012 - after a 5.3-percent drop in 2010.BCR is also expecting a rise in foreign direct investment from 2.6 billion Euros in 2010 to 4 billion Euros in 2011 and 4.5 billion Euros in 2012. Inflation rate December to December should decline from 8 percent in 2010 to 5.2 percent in 2011 and 4.7 percent in 2012. Unemployment should also decrease from 6.9 percent in 2010 to 6.2 percent in 2011 and 5.6 percent in 2012.BCR is expecting the National Bank of Romania (BNR) to keep its monetary policy rate at 6.25 percent in 2011 and possibly increase it to 6.75 percent in 2012. (ActMedia, April 18, 2011)

Centre of Excellence in Research in Targu Mures, with IBM expertise The Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Research in Targu Mures (central Romania) has been signed in the presence of Premier Emil Boc, IBM Research Global Vice-President Thomas Reeves and Targu Mures Mayor Dorin Florea, reads a release of the Targu Mures City Hall. 'After signing the contract, IBM will contribute with the know-how, the expertise, and will provide patents for the centre, which will employ top researchers of the Transylvanian Universities, and their training and improvement will be carried out in the IBM research centres all over the world,' the release stresses. According to the document, the Memorandum of Understanding is s step forward in implementing the Digital Mures strategy and the centre will include top researchers of the Transylvanian Universities, working in healthcare and life sciences innovation. 'Benefiting from a university environment and from a highly competent medical sector, with a local administration determined to support it and to set its grounds on innovation and research, Targu Mures plans to found the first 'Scientific City for Medical Research and Information' in the world. This is one of the distinct components of the Digital Mures strategy, which, as the Targu Mures City Hall adviser has presented it, keeps within the plan of Mayor Dorin Florea on the future development of the city. According to the estimations, the Digital Mures strategy in the coming years will generate thousands of jobs by attracting important investors, both in the IT&C field, as well as in the field of medical and pharmaceutical research,' the press release also points out. The Centre of Excellence will create, besides the specific advantages, various other opportunities, such as the researchers' training in the most modern research centres of the world, the employment of Romanian researchers and the repatriation of those living abroad, European fund or other kind of fund attraction for cities, universities and central administration, the development of Transylvania in particular and of Romania in general. The Romanian Government and IBM had talks on several occasions this year concerning the establishment of the 'Transylvania' Centre of Excellence in Research in Targu Mures, as part of the Digital Mures strategy, created to support the city's becoming a regional axis of scientific

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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ______research and progress in the fields of healthcare, pharmaceutics, nanotechnology and life sciences. (ActMedia, April 27, 2011) Den Braven Romania sales increase 25 percent in first quarter The Den Braven Company in Romania in the first three months of the current year registered total sales amounting to 8.1 million Euros, increasing 25 percent compared with the similar period of 2010, namely 6.5 million Euros, informs a release of the polyurethane foam and hot melt producer. The advance was determined mainly by the increase in export sales, but also by the growth registered in the market shares in Romania. The company's sales on the domestic market in the interval January-March 2011 increased 3 percent, to 3 million Euros, the most significant sales being done through the large store chains specialized in the distribution of construction materials. Den Braven Romania managed to increase its market shares in the second year of crisis, too, holding over 50 percent of the market segments of polyurethane foam, silicone sealant and hot melt, according to a market study carried out by the Mednet Research centre. In the first three months of 2011, the exports of Den Braven Romania accounted for 4.8 million Euros, 46 percent higher than the one registered in the similar period of 2010. In the same interval, sales in the Republic of Moldova increase 5 percent, to approximately 350,000 Euros. For 2011, the company planned a 10 percent increase in the turnover, based on the 2011 sale strategy, which aims at a growth in the market shares in Romania, as well as at an expansion of the export demand. In 2010 Den Braven Romania witnessed total sales worth 39.5 million Euros, increasing 28 percent from the 30.8 million registered in 2009. The group opened the representative office in Romania in October 1997 and has over 250 employees in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova. The Den Braven Group between 2007 and 2009 invested approximately 20 million Euros in a plant at Buftea (near Bucharest) producing polyurethane foam, hot melt and rigid polyurethane foam systems, the only plant of the kind on the domestic market and in Eastern Europe, Agerpres reports. The Romanian Branch currently exports around 80 percent of the entire production to over 30 countries on four continents. In the summer of 2010 the Den Braven Group was taken over by the Egeria-Wagram Dutch Consortium, which administrates assets accounting for over 1.5 billion Euros and which decided to maintain the development of the group's production capacities and the turnover increase. (ActMedia, April 20, 2011) Thirty companies showcasing Romania's export offers at Sharjah 2011 General Exhibition Bucharest, April 27 /Agerpres/ - Thirty Romanian companies showcased Romania's export offers at a Sharjah 2011 General Exhibition, in the United Arab Emirates, April 24-29, 2011, the Romanian Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Milieu (MECMA) reports.

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The companies were displaying industrial equipment, furniture, night dresses specially designed for the Middle East markets, food ingredients, traditional Romanian foods (Topoloveni plum marmalade), marble, construction materials, wood products, clothing, footwear, glass objects, electrical equipment, environmental protection equipment and services, renewable energy, higher education and research services, consumer products, over 600 square metres at a Romanian pavilion. The event was organised by MECMA in cooperation with the Romanian Centre for the Promotion of Foreign Trade and Investment and professional business associations. The leadership of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIB), attended the event and announced it seeks to make the exhibition permanent so that CCIB may preserve the presence in the Middle East markets of both the participating companies and those who might seek long presence in such markets in the future. To this end, MECMA supported the presence of Romanian products at the exhibition centre for one month, while the exporting companies and foreign organisers extended the display to up to one year. Held at the same time with an International Islamic Exhibition, the general exhibition has been visited by both business people from Islamic countries and by business people from India, China, Thailand, Turkey, Indonesia and Australia. Pound trades at 4.56 lei The exchange rate of the national leu currency resulting from the quotations announced on 29 of April, by the banks authorized to operate on the currency market is as follows:

CURRENCY SYMBOL RON 4.5659 1 British pound GBP

1 Euro EUR 4.0744 1 US dollar USD 2.7408 1 Swiss franc CHF 3.1594

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• Culture and Education Romanian legendary pianist Dan Grigore in London Embassy of Romania – London/ On 5 May 2011, at 7pm, in celebration of Europe’s Day, under the patronage of the Ambassador of Romania in the United Kingdom, Dr Ion Jinga, at the prestigious venue situated in 1 Belgrave Square, the Romanian Cultural Institute and the Enescu Society in the UK, are presenting a great recital by the world-renowned Romanian pianist, Dan Grigore. Dan Grigore is one of the best Romanian . Concert pianist, professor, mentor and public figure, the artist made a name for himself at a very early age when, impressed by his precocious virtuosity, Princess Maria Cantacuzino Enescu granted him the rarely allowed privilege of practising on Enescu’s . Dan Grigore performed on the most prestigious stages all over the world being renowned for an impressive and diverse repertoire, as well as for an extraordinary discography and publications. For his outstanding contributions to the Romanian and European Culture, Dan Grigore have been bestowed distinctions and important prizes including, the greatest Romanian distinctions, The Grand Cross of the Orders Star of Romania and Faithful Service, as well as the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres awarded by the French government. The evening’s program will cover some of the best pieces ever written for piano. In May, Dan Grigore is the special guest of the Series “Enescu Concerts”. Admission is free but seats are limited. Early booking is well recommended. Please reserve your seats at Phone: 020 7752 0134, e-mail: [email protected]

The Ambassador of Romania lecture at the University of Oxford Embassy of Romania – London/ On 10 May 2011, The Ambassador of Romania to the United Kingdom, Dr Ion Jinga, will deliver a lecture on "Romania: from the crossroad of empires to a hub of European values " at the University of Oxford, Faculty of History, as part of the Central European Seminar Series. Organised by Dr Marius Turda (Associate Professor, Oxford Brookes University), the seminar proposes group discussions with students and academics currently engaged in research on Central and Eastern European issues in Oxford. This year between the guest speakers are Ambassadors of Central and Eastern European countries accredited to London. Dr Robert Evans, Regius Professor of Post-Medieval History of Central and Eastern Europe, will moderate a discussion forum.

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Romania at „Children and Families across Borders” London International Fair Embassy of Romania – London/ On 10-11 May 2011, the Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom will be present with a national stall at Children and Families across Borders– CFAB UK World Market. The Romanian stall is organised with the support of the Romanian Ministry for Regional Development and Tourism. Children and Families across Borders–CFAB UK World Market is a world wide charity where over 100 countries are represented through the Diplomatic Missions accredited in London. Traditionally, the Kensington Town Hall is hosting the fair which is organised under the patronage of HRH Princess Alexandra.

Annual meeting of the Romanian medical professionals living in the UK Embassy of Romania – London/ On 14 May 2011, the Embassy of Romania to London will host the Annual meeting of the Romanian health care professionals working in the United Kingdom, organised by the Romanian Medical Society in the UK (SMR-UK). The event will conclude with a private view of a painting exhibition featuring works made by the Romanian doctors living in the UK and their fellow colleagues from Romania. The exhibition will be opened between 14 – 21 of May 2011, Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm.

Romania at the London International Wine Fair 2011 Embassy of Romania – London/ On 17-19 May 2011, Romania will be present at the London International Wine Fair & Distil with a national stall brought over by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Environment and the Romanian Trade Promotion Centre with the support of the Wine Exporters and Producers Association of Romania. The London International Wine Fair is one of the most important specialty events held in Europe offering the chance for the importing companies, producers, agents, restaurant owners and all other in the business to meet and trade.

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"Strangers in the night" with Florin Piersic and Medeea Marinescu Embassy of Romania - London/ At the invitation of Ambassador of Romania in London, Dr Ion Jinga, Romanian theatre lovers had the opportunity to meet again with Florin Piersic. Due to the large number of confirmations, the Embassy has organised two performances, on Saturday, April 16, and on Sunday, April 17, 2011. Over 400 spectators from London and other cities of the UK answered to the invitation of the Embassy of Romania in 1 Belgrave Square, in both days. The acclaimed and well-beloved Romanian actor Florin Piersic played with charm and ebullient humour, this time alongside the actress Medeea Marinescu, in the romantic comedy „Strangers in the night” by Eric Assous, translated into Romanian by famous Romanian actor Radu Beligan, who is also the show’s director, and Radu Dorneanu.

Opening the two performances, the Ambassador of Romania reviewed the artistic career of the two protagonists. „He was named not only Mărgelatu but also The Big Piersic or Our National Florin (Guilder). Recently, he arrived on horseback, in the city of Cluj, his hometown, at the inauguration of a movie theatre which bears his name: Florin Piersic”. It is said of him that is: - “A talent untouched by the years”. - “A phenomenon of nature”. - “A cyclone: he comes and goes as he pleases.” The great Radu Beligan said he feeds himself and lives on Florin Piersic. It is also said that: - His life philosophy is: give love and receive love in return. - He is as seductive and volcanic as always, - Since young (speaking about youth, he is the same young man, especially when he says he turned 40 years old since he turned 35 years old!) he illuminated with his beauty and extraordinary grace both Romanian stage and film. It is also said that he is travelling from past to present and from present to past and would be impossible to

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imagine the future without whom it was said until recently, The Adored young talent of the Bucharest National Theatre; playing again Othello. What he will do when he comes on stage: - He will tell you to switch off the phones. - He will say one of his countless introductory stories, always different, always captivating. - At the end, you will realize that, this evening, you’ve been served happiness. Medeea Marinescu is one of the most valuable actresses of her generation. The beautiful and talented young actress comes from a family of filmmakers. She made her film debut, aged only 3, in the movie “Winter of the ducklings” by Mircea Moldovan, and received recognition after the leading role, Mirabela, in the children’s fantasy film of Ion Popescu Gopo’s and Natalia Bodiul’s, “Maria Mirabela”. After graduating in 1996 at Academy of Theatre and Film Bucharest, professor Florin Zamfirescu’s class, Medeea Marinescu performs at Bucharest National Theatre and played until today in 18 movies including the French movie „Je vous trouve tres beau”, highly appreciated in Europe”. For two hours, the two actors have held audiences in a real carousel of suspense, feelings and emotions transmitted by them impressing those present. Strangers in the night is the story of two complete strangers, at first sight, who, through a breath- taking series of twists, link together. The play has proven greatly successful among the Romanian audience in London, the two actors being rewarded for their dedication with long and well deserved applause. The event was dedicated to the Romanian community living in Great Britain and was organised in partnership with Romanian on-line food-shop Albinuţa and PiLON Constructions Company, with the kind support of Mrs and Mr George Iacobescu, Mr Andrei Vandoros and Blue Air Company. Romania Public Art Sales Up 124% On Year In 2010 Public art sales in Romania increased 124% in 2010, compared to 2009, to EUR8.3 million, and the average annual yield stood at 40%, according to the second edition of the Artmark Index, launched by the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

The Romanian art market index launched monitors and processes all public art sales in Romania for the past 16 years (1995 - 2010) and the evolution of over 1,000 Romanian artists. The average annual yield of the Romanian art market was 36% over the past 16 years, higher than the average yield of investments in gold, real estate or commodities in the same period.

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According to the index, the best selling Romanian artists of the past 16 years are Rudolf Schweitzer-Cumpana, Theodor Pallady, Leon Alexandru Biju, Nicolae Vermont, Nicolae Tonitza, Iosif Iser, Samuel Mutzner, Adam Baltatu, Gheorghe Petrascu and Octav Bancila. The index includes a ranking of the top 100 most traded Romanian artists. The ranking is dominated by Nicolae Grigorescu, whose works occupy the top four spots. (ActMedia, April 20, 2011) Bookfest 2011 at 6th edition Bucharest, April 26 /Agerpres/ - The sixth edition of Bookfest 2011 International Book Show, is due at the Bucharest-based Romexpo Exhibition Center, on May 25-29, Romanian Publishers' Association (AER) informs. In a welcoming "house of the books", for five days long, the event is to bring together Romanian and international publishers, culture personalities, journalists and friends, all age, of the Show's star guest, the Book. "Bookfest is a sign of continuity, for an already long time," Romanian Publishers' Association (AER) president Grigore Arsene told Agerpres, stressing that all the big publishing houses to attend this year edition, will propose important launches of books by well-known authors. Over 100 publishing houses, among which Humanitas, Curtea Veche and Adevarul Holding have booked 80 percent of the exhibition's space, so far, Arsene pointed out. After having Spain as a special guest, in 2010, this year, Bookfest will have Hungary as a special guest, which Romania is related to, through old cultural dialogue traditions. In the respect, AER aims at emphasizing Hungary's rich cultural heritage and boosting Romanian readers' interest in knowing it more deeply. Hungary has been holding the EU Council's Presidency, during the first half of the year. The visitors are invited to join the talks about and among the Hungarian and the Romanian writers, simultaneous interpretation services being provided. The organizers also offer concerts by Mircea Tiberian, Mike Godoroja & the Blue Spirits and the Taxi Band, while the Hungarian guests are to show two performances. It was AER that started Bookfest, in 2006, as an appropriated exhibition framework to the Romanian book publishers and it supplies information to booklovers. The entrance is free between 10 am and 10 pm, local time, on all the five days of the event. AER was founded in 1991 and is the main professional association of the Romanian publishers in all fields of cultural interest, and it promotes writing and reading high quality books, and enables the readers' access to books, contributing thus to the free movement of the ideas, as well as to the integration of the Romanian culture and language into the world values circuit.

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