Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ____________________________________________________________________________________________ No. 7/ 5th Year 15th – 30th of April 2012 Politics 1. Cristian Diaconescu, Guido Westerwelle meet in Berlin 2. ForMin Diaconescu and Secretary of State Clinton meeting in Brussels 3. Romania is advocating developing cooperation with Iraq at EU level 4. Diplomat awards for excellence in diplomacy 5. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 150 years 6. President of European Council paid his third visit to Bucharest 7. International Panel organised by Romanian chair of HCoC 8. The Romanian and Chinese prime ministers had a bilateral meeting in Warsaw 9. Censure motion has been adopted; The Government has fallen Economics 1. IMF, EC and World Bank joint delegation received at Cotroceni Palace 2. Economic growth to get to 1.7 percent in 2012 3. Twelve states, Romania included, oppose transfer of cohesion funds to richer states 4. Mergers and acquisitions to speed up in 2012 5. Chinese investment worth 15M Euros 6. Unemployment rate to drop to 7.1 percent in 2012 and to 6.5 percent in 2015 7. FAO Agriculture Ministers to meet in Romania in 2014 8. Pound trades at 5.40 lei Education and Culture 1. President Basescu says part of natural resource exploitation benefits should be invested in education 2. Ambassador of Romania visits to York and Glasgow 3. East Meets East: The Romanian New Wave in the Olympic Boroughs 4. Special screening and DVD launch of Tuesday, After Christmas 5. Poet and broadcaster Robert Şerban debuts in London at the British Library 6. Fairytale Images and Books 7. Glorious new sound with dazzling Romanian pianist-composer Lucian Ban and legendary violist Mat Maneri 8. Enescu presented at the Newbury Festival by the Văcărescu – Tsunakawa Duo 9. Alexandra Dăriescu premiers Lipatti‟s “Concertino” with the Orchestra of St Paul's 10. After the New Man: Photographic Exhibition by Dana Popa 11. Bucharest Calling! Ioana Paun presents new work in London 12. Norman Manea: Royal Society of Literature Fellowship Ceremony and Book Launch 13. The Body Adorned: Folk Romanian Costume, Inspired by Queen Maria‟s Style 14. LEARN ROMANIAN IN ROMANIA 15. European Film Festival, in May, in Bucharest 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 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Politics Cristian Diaconescu, Guido Westerwelle meet in Berlin Bucharest, April 16th/ Agerpres/ Romania's Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu and his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle met during the official visit the former paid to Berlin, on April 16-17, 2012, in the context of the 20th anniversary, on April 21 of the signing of the Treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Romania concerning Friendly Co-operation and Partnership in Europe, informs the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) release. The talks' agenda also scheduled issues of bilateral interest and topical files of the European and the international policy. The two Foreign Ministers gladly emphasized the excellent level of the political and economic cooperation between Romania and Germany, which has been proved by the frequent summit meetings, during the latest years, and the consolidation of Germany's position as Romania's first-ranked commercial partner. The bilateral exchanges between Germany and Romania exceeded 17 billion euros, late in 2011, by 25 percent higher than in the previous year. Romania's top diplomat reiterated the Romanian Government's determination to secure a favorable climate to the foreign investors, and invited the German party to increase its investments in our country, particularly in fields such as energy, banking, infrastructure, regional development. ForMin Cristian Diaconescu also underscored the considerable contribution the German minority living in Romania, and the Romanian community living in Germany make to the development of the bilateral relationships. Referring to the European agenda, ForMin Diaconescu conveyed the Romanian party's appreciation for the favourable stance the German partners took regarding Romania's joining the Schengen Space. "I want to thank Foreign Minister Westerwelle for Germany's support and constructive approach to Romania's accession to the Schengen area. I explained that we are prepared to secure the EU external borders, as it has been also confirmed at the Council in June 2011, so that I express hope that the EU states, which are still reticent about Romania's joining the Schengen 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 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Treaty will agree on the decision on our joining, due to be made in September 2012," said Romania's Minister for Foreign Affairs. The talks' agenda also scheduled topics like the economic governance, the EU financial perspectives, the EU good neighborliness policy in the Eastern space, the energy security. There was also mentioned the possibility to develop projects together with the German partners under the aegis of the EU Strategy for the Danube region. As for the foreign relations, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs pleaded for the consolidation of the European prospects of the Republic of Moldova. There were also approached the ways and manners to reinvigorate the Eastern Partnership. It was also reiterated the support for the enlargement of the European Union towards the Western Balkans. The two officials also exchanged opinions on the developments in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly on recent escalations in Syria. And they agreed on the requirement that a special attention must be paid to the assistance to the democratic transition, through political and economic support to the countries in that area, viewing their stabilization and the consolidation of the state of law and the development of a close cooperation with the European Union. ForMin Diaconescu and Secretary of State Clinton meeting in Brussels Bucharest, April 18th/ Agerpres/Romania's Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu in Brussels met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom he requested support from the US Administration so that the Visa Waiver Program may pass in a way that will allow including Romania therein as soon as possible. "Minister Diaconescu brought up for discussion the prospects for Romania being included in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), underscoring the major interest of Romania in meeting this objective. At the same time, he asked for the Obama Administration's support for having the US Senate pass the bill modifying the VWP accession criteria in a way that will allow including Romania therein as soon as possible," the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) reports in a pres release. The two officials voiced satisfaction over the consolidation and continuing enlargement of the strategic partnership, which was formally enshrined in a joint declaration on a strategic partnership for the 21st century, signed on September 13, 2011 in Washington. MAE says that as far as the bilateral cooperation projects under the Romanian-US Strategic Partnership are concerned, a document signed by Romania's President Traian Basescu and US 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 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ President Barack Obama, satisfaction was voiced over the progress with negotiating arrangements for implementing in Romania part of the US ballistic missile defence system, adding that the related agreement reconfirms robust collaboration between Romania and the US in the military area while creating the necessary bases for intensifying such cooperation. The ballistic missile defence project becomes a reality thanks to Romania's efforts, MAE quotes the American State Secretary Clinton as saying. At the meeting, Secretary of State Clinton extended thanks for Romania continuing its presence in Afghanistan. Ministers Diaconescu and Clinton underscored the need to boost trade and stimulate the interest of the US investors in the Romanian market. Romanian minister pointed out that this dimension will be a priority of a bilateral working group in charge with implementing the joint declaration, a group that was set up under the aegis of Romania's Prime Minister Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu. The Romanian chief diplomat also hailed the recent establishment of a Romanian-US Business Council that is expected to significantly contribute to consolidating the bilateral relations between the two countries in business and trade, reiterating Romania's interest in expanding and diversifying cooperation with the US in the energy field. The American State Secretary is quoted as underscoring the importance of solutions being sought that will consolidate Romania's energy security and saying that the US wants to intensify its energy dialogue with Romania. In this respect, Special Envoy of