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Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland No. 6/ 7th Year 15th - 31st March 2014 POLITIC 1. President Basescu: Crimea referendum, illegal; Romania does not recognise its outcome 2. President Basescu: Romania must not fear aggression from either Russia or Ukraine 3. President Basescu calls for EPP support for Rep.Moldova's Association Agreement signing to be rushed in June 4. President Traian Basescu has short talk with Barack Obama in The Hague 5. President Traian Basescu: Strategic partnership with US is irreplaceable 6. President Basescu: What I talked with Obama and Biden about regional security I also told Lavrov 7. PM Ponta and Samaras on Transnistria: Europe's position very clear on peaceful solutions 8. PM Ponta and Rama on Putin's parallel between Kosovo and Crimea: Fundamental differences exist 9. Vice Premier Dragnea announces start of negotiations on Romania - Hong Kong double taxation agreement 10. Minister Corlatean and German counterpart: Russia's annexing Crimea flagrantly violates international law 11. Minister Corlatean: Romania did not change its position against Kosovo. There are evolutions we have to take into consideration 12. Romania gov't thinks Serbia, Kosovo as EU members represents best solution 13. Romania not insurmountably dependent on Russian energy 14. Romania is sounding alarm regarding security risks for R. Moldova 15. Gen. Patrick de Rousiers shares Romania's concerns over security situation in the region 16. Bucharest hosts meeting of NATO allied and partner SOF Commanders 17. Mircea Dusa: Romanian military's activity, worldwide appreciated 18. Romania and 11 other countries mark in joint statement elimination of HEU from within their borders ECONOMIC 1. Consolidated budget revenues up more than 10 percent in January 2. Tanasescu, EIB: Investments, productivity and unemployment crises hinder financing of non-euro economies 3. Oxford Analytica: Improving fundamentals may attract investors 4. European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos supports Cluj Innovation Days and all value- added ideas 5. New Romania-Bulgaria project: Government approves development of Turnu Magurele-Nicopole hydropower plant 6. Vasilescu: It is not true that we pay EU more than we receive; we have positive balance 7. China's Industrial and Commercial Bank planning to finance Chinese investments in Romania 1 Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. IMF Executive Board Completes First and Second Reviews Under the Stand-By Arrangement and Ex-Post Evaluation of Exceptional Access for Romania 9. IMF confirms Romania's macroeconomic performances 10. Budget on February: deficit of 3.1 billion lei, namely 0.46% of the GDP SOCIAL 1. Study on temporary work in Romania: over 52,000 temporary employees in 2013 2. Greece-Romania Business Partenariat in Tourism 3. Annual average job vacancies 30,600 in 2013 CULTURE 1. Collaboration protocol of the Foundation Princess Margareta of Romania with the association Les petits freres des pauvres 2. Dragomirna Monastery frescoes restoration project among winners of 2014 EU prize for cultural heritage 3. More than 30 companies participate in the Timisoara Tourism Fair 'The Holiday' 4. Brancoveanu@MNAR, a special program at the Art Collections Museum honoring 'Brancoveanu Year' 5. Over 3 ml euros for Putna Monastery restoration POLITICS 1. President Basescu: Crimea referendum, illegal; Romania does not recognise its outcome Romania's President Traian Basescu says the Crimea referendum is illegal, pointing to the fact that Romania does not recognise the outcome of the plebiscite, the Presidential Administration reports in a press release. 'Romania believes the ongoing referendum in Crimea is illegal and will not recognise its outcome, given that the Constitutional Court of Ukraine has ruled unconstitutional the organisation of a referendum on the Crimean Peninsula breaking away from Ukraine. Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has signed a decree repealing Crimea's declaration of independence,' Basescu says in the release issued on last week.. He adds that 'a plebiscite held under the threat of military occupation violates the rules of a democratic process that can be recognised and legitimated by the world community,' and that 'the predictable and legally ungrounded outcome' of the referendum is tantamount to Crimea's annexation. 'We are urging the Russian Federation to act in its relationship with Ukraine in line with the United Nations Charter and the rules of the international law, including with the provisions in the Budapest Memorandum,' reads the release. Basescu concludes by saying Romania is supporting Ukraine's independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty as well as the resolution of the crisis through diplomatic means. 2. President Basescu: Romania must not fear aggression from either Russia or Ukraine 2 Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Romanians must not fear aggression from either Russia or Ukraine, Romanian President Traian Basescu stated. 'There is no reason whatsoever for Romanians to fear possible aggression from the Russian Federation or Ukraine,' Basescu told Adevarul Live, a daily Adevarul webcast. He rejected of the most definite manner a possible war that would be triggered by the current situation in Crimea. 'Most definitely not, there will be no war, neither in the Black Sea region, nor in Ukraine, more less in Crimea,' said Basescu. According to him, Russia encouraged the Crimean referendum, thus failing to observe its promise, and that 'this is where the traditional risk' of Romanian-Russian relationships is embedded. 'In Budapest, in exchange for Ukraine's pledge to go non-nuclear, three great powers guaranteed Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, provided that it does not attack any of them. This is not the case, this was not an aggression by Ukraine against the Russian Federation. So, the Russian Federation, along with the US and the UK should have observed [Ukraine's] territorial integrity. But what did the Russian Federation do? It encouraged this referendum where the Russian majority voted for Crimea's return to the Russian Federation. And this is a breach of promise by the Russian Federation,' said the President, also referring to the 1994 Memorandum according to which the USA, the Russian Federation and the UK pledged to provide assistance to Ukraine against whatever act of aggression, a deal Ukraine accepted and trusted. Two of the said powers kept their word,' Basescu said, 'adopting statements, stances in the spirit of the Budapest Memorandum. Yet the Russian Federation did not observe its pledge and this is where the traditional risk of our relationship with the Russian Federation and our almost historical reservations in this bilateral relationship - theirs toward us, undoubtedly too - arise from,' Basescu told Adevarul Live, a daily Adevarul webcast. The Romanian Head of State underscored that to him, what happened in Crimea is a projection of a possible scenario that might play in the Republic of Moldova too. 'And we cannot look at this in cold blood, because this is an emotional issue. We all know that the Republic of Moldova is the second Romanian state and it wouldn't suit us to see to such a scenario applied there,' Basescu underscored. He also stressed that 'there will be no military intervention by Romania, whatsoever.' 3. President Basescu calls for EPP support for Rep.Moldova's Association Agreement signing to be rushed in June Romania's President Traian Basescu said on arriving at the spring European Council meeting that he had called for support, during the Summit of the European People's Party (EPP), for the signing date of the EU - Republic of Moldova Association Agreement and Free Trade Agreement to be moved up to the end of June. 'I called for support at the EPP (summit - editor's note) for the signing of the Association Agreement and Free Trade Agreement to be moved forward to an earlier date; let's see what happens during the meeting of the Council. I mean, to be moved up to June, by the end of June,' Traian Basescu said. 'I raised all these issues at the EPP meeting - Ukraine, Transnistria, Gagauzia and Moldova,' said Basescu. The Romanian head of state mentioned that he would also raise these issues at the European Council meeting, stressing that he hopes to get the support of the European leaders. The signing of the Association Agreements with the Republic of Moldova and Georgia and of 3 Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ____________________________________________________________________________________________ their Free Trade components is currently due to take place by the end of August, after the said documents were initialed during the November 2013 Vilnius Summit. 4. President Traian Basescu has short talk with Barack Obama in The Hague Romania's President Traian Basescu had a short talk with United States of America President Barack Obama, before the opening of the works of the Nuclear Security Summit taking place in The Hague. On the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit also, the Romanian head of state discussed with Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Before leaving for The Hague, President Traian Basescu said the the Summit mainly aimed at reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism and at preventing the purchase of nuclear material by terrorists or unauthorised organisations.