AgerpresBuletin 25914

201701-16
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NEWS OF THE DAY
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ForMin Melescanu to participate in Foreign Affairs Council meeting

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu will participate
on Monday, January 16, together with the counterparts of the European Union member states, in the
monthly meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), which will take place in Brussels, informs a
Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) press release.
The meeting will begin with a review of the main themes on the European agenda in the first
semester of 2017, including in the context of the Maltese presidency of the EU Council, on which
some ministers will have an opinion exchange. Moreover, the officials will analyse the recent
developments in Syria and the modalities through which the Union can contribute to the efforts of the
international community for solving the crisis.
On the discussion agenda there will be briefings on the EU-Morocco relations and the
negotiations on the peace process in Cyprus.
During the working lunch, the European Foreign ministers will have a discussion on the stage
of negotiations within the Peace Process in the Middle East, including following the Paris Conference.
AGERPRES
ID: 4790443; Data: 2017-01-16 08:24:58; Redactori: paa/paa
PM Grindeanu about first days of governing: There is no school for PM; I believe I
managed situations well
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu made a review of his first
days of governing, stating that "there is no school for Prime Minister" and that, from his point of
view, the situations which appeared were managed very well.
When asked on the Romania TV private television station if he adjusted at the Victoria Palace
in the eleven days of governing, Grindeanu responded that he entered straight in the situation caused
by the bad weather. "I have entered straight to the Code Red (...) and I believe that we, as a team with things coordinated by the Interior Ministry - have managed well the situations which appeared.
(...) It's not about adjusting (...) there is no school for the Prime Minister, like there is no school for
the President. Everywhere I have passed as a politician, wether we are talking about being the Deputy
Mayor of Timisoara, a Deputy, the President of the County Council or the Minister of
Communications, I have tried to do my job as good as I could.
NEWS OF THE DAY, ISSN 1222-8605
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Furthermore, Sorin Grindeanu mentioned that he lives in Bucharest and his family remained
in Timisoara.
"I live in Bucharest, alone, the family doesn't. The family remained in Timisoara (...) I still
didn't get, given these full days, to have a serious talk with pro and against arguments in respect to
moving my family to Bucharest. (...) I believe my family will remain in Timisoara. I have two small
children who are just normal children, they have friends, they have absolutely everything there. All
the connections are in Timisoara (...) Certainly, now I am the Prime Minister of Romania, but all my
political career so far is tied to (...) Banat, Timis and the things I have done there," Grindeanu stated.
AGERPRES
ID: 4790463; Data: 2017-01-16 08:43:07; Redactori: rod/paa
Grindeanu on meeting with Iohannis: We had a discussion as decent as possible and in a

correct institutional frame work
Bucharest, Jan 15 /Agerpres/ - Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu characterized the meeting he
had on January 11 with the President Klaus Iohannis as being "as decent as possible," specifying that
this took place "in a correct institutional framework".
Asked on Sunday at Romania TV private broadcaster how would he define the start of
cohabitation with the President Iohannis, PM Grindeanu answered: "I am not a person of conflict".
Also, asked if Iohannis invited him to this discussion through SMS, Grindeanu answered that
the invitation was made in an institutional way.
"I, myself, do not promote and do not like conflict - neither me, nor my colleagues, as long as
we are respected and each of us understands the limits of the institutions we lead. The moment you try
to exceed your attributions, things are not admitted. (...) The discussion was as decent as possible and
in a correct institutional framework," Grindeanu stated.
The Prime Minister has specified that he presented the head of state the 2017 state budget.
"I have not been invited to Cotroceni to talk about the deficit, I was invited there together
with the Finance Minister to discuss the state budget and how we envisage the budget on 2017 (...) It
was a discussion as correct as possible, institutional, without any excesses (...) I had the updated
information from the National Prognosis Commission, which meant to have an up-to-date radiograph
on what we discuss as a macro-economic framework," Grindeanu stated.
On the other hand, Sorin Grindeanu said that he acknowledges the merits of the team he is
part of.
"I am a normal person and I acknowledge the merits of everyone. We work in a team (...) not from now, or from the current elections, but (...) before the local elections - which was formed and
led by the head of our party, Liviu Dragnea (...) He placed each of us so that we can bring the
maximum potential and following the evaluations made by him. Here is not a place to play
individually, and the team, at this moment, is as solid as possible," Grindeanu stated. AGERPRES
ID: 4790484; Data: 2017-01-16 09:04:35; Redactori: kan/paa
Tennis: Sorana Cirstea qualifies for second round of Australian Open

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea qualified on Monday
in Melbourne for the second round of the Australian Open tournament, after defeating Russian player
Irina Khromacheva, with a score of 6-2, 6-1.
The Romanian player (WTA's 78th) won in an hour and 11 minutes, in her first face-off with
Irina Khromacheva (ranked 92nd in the WTA), who didn't manage to score any of the six break balls
she gained.
The next opponent of Sorana will be Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain, WTA's 10th) or Jana
Cepelova (Slovakia).
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Cirstea, who didn't attend last year the tournament in Melbourne and in 2014 and 2015 lost in
the first round, secured a 80,000 AUD cheque and 70 points in the WTA.
Irina Begu also qualified for the second round, after defeating Kazakhstani Iaroslava
Svedova, with a score of 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, while Simona Halep was defeated by the US player Shelby
Rogers, with a score of 6-3, 6-1, and Patricia Tig was outrun by Puerto Rican Monica Puig, with a
score of 6-0, 6-1.
On Tuesday, in the first round, the other two Romanian players will perform on the main
panel in singles, Monica Niculescu (against Russian Ana Blinkova) and Ana Bogdan (against Russian
Elena Vesnina). AGERPRES
Scheduled events for Monday, January 16, 2017

DIPLOMACY:
- Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu participates in Foreign Affairs Council meeting
in Brussels
- Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu meets EU High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini
JUSTICE:
- Former President Ion Iliescu, called for hearings at General Prosecutor's Office in Mineriada
Case
ECONOMY:
- Natural gas exports and imports in first 11 months of 2016
English News Desk
Editor-in-chief: Razvan-Adrian Pandea (pra)
Telephone: +40212076171 / +40212076262
Email: emisie@agerpres.ro
www.agerpres. AGERPRES
Ion Iliescu heard in "Mine riad" case

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Former President Ion Iliescu arrived on Monday morning at
the Prosecutor General's Office in order to be heard by the military prosecutors in "the Mineriad"
case, in which he is charged with crimes against humanity. AGERPRES
Port of Constanta, closed because of fog

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The navigation maneouvers have been suspended on Monday
morning in the Port of Constanta (the north, south and river-sea sectors) starting at 9:45, because of
the intense fog coming from the sea, according to the Constanta Harbour Master's Office.
Constanta Harbour Master's Office Director Alexandru Mezei told AGERPRES that
navigation maneouvers could be shortly suspended in the other maritime ports, Midia-Navodari and
Mangalia.
The measures will be taken if the port authorities find that visibility has declined too much,
under one maritime mile, and there are ships asking for approvals for entrance or departure or for
leaving the dock. AGERPRES
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UPDATE Ion Iliescu heard in "Mineriad" case

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Former President Ion Iliescu arrived on Monday morning at
the General Prosecutor's Office in order to be heard by the military prosecutors in "the Mineriad"
case, in which he is charged with crimes against humanity.
When asked by the journalists, upon entering the General Prosecutor's Office if he considers
he is guilty for what happened in June 1990, the former head of state responded: "Of course not." He
refused to answer any other questions.
Last week, military prosecutors have heard several persons who were charged in this case Gelu Voican Voiculescu, Miron Cozma and Adrian Sarbu, but also several witnesses, the most known
being writer Andrei Plesu.
"Among the others investigated in "the Mineriad" case are the following persons: former
President Ion Iliescu, former Prime Minister Petre Roman, former Director of the Romanian
Intelligence Service (SRI) Virgil Magureanu, former Deputy Chairman of the National Salvation
Front, former Deputy of Romania's Prosecutor General and Chief of the Military Prosecution
Directorate General (in reserve) Mugurel Cristian Florescu.
Military prosecutors claim that in the period 11 - 15 June 1990, the defendants have decided,
organized and coordinated "a generalized and systematic attack," launched against the civil
population, against the manifestations in the University Square in Bucharest respectively, as well as
against the population residing in Bucharest, an attack which involved the participation of armed
forces of the Interior Ministry (MAI), National Defence Ministry (MApN), Romanian Intelligence
Service (SRI), as well as a number of over ten thousand miners and other workers from multiple areas
of the country. AGERPRES
Chambe r Speaker Dragnea: SRI control commitee must call Hellvig for hearings
Bucharest, Jan 15 /Agerpres/ - The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea,
stated that, from what he knows, Florian Coldea is a very skilled professional, but the parliamentary
committee for the control of the SRI (Romanian Intelligence Service) must call for hearings the
director of SRI, Eduard Hellvig, to check the disclosures made in the last period regarding Coldea.
"I do not know many things about Florian Coldea, but, from what I have read, from what I
have heard, from what I have discussed with others in the last period, in the last 2-3 years, what I can
say about him, from what I know, he is a very skilled professional. I do not know much about Eduard
Hellvig's grip of steel or grip of velvet, but I think he had a very good collaboration relation and work
relation with Mr Florian Coldea. I do not know what Mr Coldea will do, wether he will come back on
his position or not, there are all sorts of discussions, only they and President Iohannis know, probably.
Beyond that, what I think it is not good for the Romanian state is the scandal that was generated on
these disclosures. One consequence is the suspension of Mr Coldea, but the scandal itself affects the
credibility of the SRI, which is one of the most important pillars for national stability and security.
Everyone says that the SRI, as well the SIE [Foreign Intelligence Service], as well the Ministry of
Interior and the DGIPI [Directorate General of Information and Internal Protection], as well other
structures, must be very well structured and stable, and enjoy the internal and international prestige.
The SRI is part of a network of intelligence services with our partners from NATO, and not only very
important but the exchange of information should not be affected by this scandal," Dragnea said on
Antena 3 private television broadcaster.
He added that the new Committee for the control of the SRI, which will be formed on
Monday in Parliament, must investigate all the things that have been said in the last period about SRI
General Florian Coldea.
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"A lot has been discussed wether the new SRI Committee must investigate these things. In my
opinion, the new SRI Committee must do this thing, must call Mr Hellvig for hearings, I think he also
wants this thing because any non-investigation, if I may say so, is not doing anything than expanding
this Ministry, this lack of information, lack of knowledge. A hearing and an objective checkup, made
very seriously and very professionally is in the benefit of everybody, the institution and Parliament,
and public opinion and the state. I think that at the SRI Committee, director Hellvig will have the
possibility, in an official and institutional environment, to answer the questions and clarify many
things that should be clarified. This is a scandal which should not be closed, in the sense of being
swept under the carpet, it must be clarified and move on, the institution is much too important," the
Speaker of Chamber of Deputies mentioned.
Dragnea has specified that there is no agreement so that PNL (National Liberal Party) take the
leadership of the Committee for the control of the SIE and the PSD (Social Democratic Party) take the
control of the SRI, however the PSD will have four seats out of nine in the SRI Committee.
AGERPRES
Hydrocarbon production of OMV Petrom decreased 3.4 pct in Q4 2016

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The Austrian Group OMV, owner of Petrom, announced on
Monday that hydrocarbon production in the fourth quarter of 2016 decreased slightly to 315,000
barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day, from 309,000 boe per day in the similar period of 2015,
however the contribution of OMV Petrom decreased to 170,000 boe per day in Q4 2016 from 176,000
boe per day in Q4 2015, the press release of the OMV group informs.
Furthermore, the refining margin of OMV (an indicator of the oil and natural gas business
profit) decreased to USD 5.59 for one boe in Q4 2016, from USD 5.90 per boe in Q4 2015. In the case
of OMV Petrom, the refining margin decreased to USD 7.14 for one boe in Q4 2016, from USD 7.75
per boe in Q4 2015.
However, the total sales of OMV refined products increased in the last quarter of the last year
to 7.92 million tons, from 7.64 million tons in the similar period of 2015, as well and the sales of
natural gas, from 28.7 Twh up to 29.8 Twh.
"OMV expects the operational profit (Clean CCS EBIT) of Q4 2016 to be lower than the one
of Q3," the OMV press release specifies.
Financial results of Q4 2016 are going to be published by the OMV group on 16 February.
OMV, the biggest industrial company listed of Austria, has 51.01 pct of OMV Petrom's
shares, the Romanian state, through Ministry of Energy, has 20.64 pct, Fondul Proprietatea - 18.99
pct, and 9.36 pct of shares are traded freely on Bucharest Stock Exchange. AGERPRES
Iliescu's lawyer: Ion Iliescu refused to make statements in "Mineriad" case

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Former President Ion Iliescu refuzed to make a statement at
the General Prosecutor's Office, where he was called in for hearings on Monday by the military
prosecutors, in order to bring to his knowledge that he is considered to be a defendant in "the
Mineriad" case, being charged charged with crimes against humanity.
Ion Iliescu stayed approximately an hour in the Prosecutor's Office headquarters and upon
exiting he refused to talk to the journalists.
Instead, his lawyer Andrei Georgescu stated that the former President didn't make any
statements in this case.
"He didn't make any statement. The criminal prosecution against him has started. He acquired
a new quality, being a defendant. We are to prepare the defense. This case was reopened in 2014. It is
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a reopening ordinance issued by former Prosecutor General Nitu. We have to assess it, to see what lies
there and to see the content of the case," lawyer Andrei Georgescu stated.
According to him, Ion Iliescu reacted "very well" when he was announced by the prosecutors
that he is a defendant in this case.
Last week, military prosecutors have heard several persons who were charged in this case Gelu Voican Voiculescu, Miron Cozma and Adrian Sarbu, but also several witnesses, the most known
being writer Andrei Plesu.
"Among the others investigated in "the Mineriad" case are the following persons: former
President Ion Iliescu, former Prime Minister Petre Roman, former Director of the Romanian
Intelligence Service (SRI) Virgil Magureanu, former Deputy Chairman of the National Salvation
Front, former Deputy of Romania's Prosecutor General and Chief of the Military Prosecution
Directorate General (in reserve) Mugurel Cristian Florescu.
Military prosecutors claim that in the period 11 - 15 June 1990, the defendants have decided,
organized and coordinated "a generalized and systematic attack," launched against the civil
population, against the manifestations in the University Square in Bucharest respectively, as well as
against the population residing in Bucharest, an attack which involved the participation of armed
forces of the Interior Ministry (MAI), National Defence Ministry (MApN), Romanian Intelligence
Service (SRI), as well as a number of over ten thousand miners and other workers from multiple areas
of the country. AGERPRES
Code Yellow for snowfalls in 4 counties in south-west and south-east;starting Monday

evening wind advisory nationwide
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The National Weather Administration (ANM) issued on
Monday a Code Yellow advisory for snowfalls and blizzard, which is valid starting this evening in
four counties in the south-west and south-east of Romania, while the rest of the country, also starting
on Monday evening, will be under a wind and slight snowfall advisory.
According to meteorologists, in the interval between 16 January, 23:00 hrs and 17 January,
14:00 hrs, in Caras-Severin, Mehedinti, Calarasi and Constanta counties the gusts of wind will
temporarily exceed 55 - 60 kilometers per hour and at times there will be moderate quantities of
snowfalls that might be scattered. At the same time in the south - east of Constanta county mixed
precipitation will occur.
Moreover, in the interval 16 January, 23:00 hrs - 18 January, 20:00 hrs, in the south and south
- east regions of the country the wind will intensify, reaching speeds of 40 - 50 kilometers per hour
and locally, in Ialomita, Buzau, Braila, Tulcea and Vrancea counties, the gusts of wind will exceed 55
- 60 kilometers per hours. In Banat, Oltenia, the southern half of Muntenia and Dobrogea snowfalls
will temporarily occur, but in small quantities.
Furthermore, in Bucharest area the wind will temporarily reach 40 - 50 kilometers per hour
and there will be time intervals when it will snow in small quantities.
Depending on the weather developments, the ANM will update the advisories issued on
Monday. AGERPRES
Gas imports increase to 614 pct in first 11 months; production decreases 13.5 pct
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Romania imported, in the first 11 months of 2016, a quantity
of 876,100 tones of oil equivalent (toe) usable natural gas, 614.6 pct (753,500 toe) higher than the one
imported in the similar period of 2015, according to the centralized data of the National Institute of
Statistics (INS).
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Domestic production of natural gas totalized 6.768 million toe in the period JanuaryNovember 2016, by 1.060 milion toe (13.5 pct) lower than the one in the first 11 months of 2015.
According to the project Romania's Energy Strategy, published on the Ministry's website,
annual production of natural gas is expected to decrease slightly, to an average of 9-10 million cubic
meters in the period 2016-2030.
The document mentions that the natural gas production will decrease after reaching a new
peak of 132 TWh in 2025, as a consequence of production from Black Sea, 96 TWh in 2030 and 65
TWH in 2050. The low price scenarios foresee a decrease to zero in gas production starting 2045.
AGERPRES
Euro trades at 4.5064 lei

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The exchange rate of the national leu currency resulting from
the quotations announced on Monday by the banks authorized to operate on the currency market is as
follows:
CURRENCY
SYMBOL
RON
1 Euro
EUR
4.5064
1 US dollar
USD
4.2559
1 Swiss franc
CHF
4.2031
1 British pound
GBP
5.1302
100 Japanese yen
JPY
3.7248
1 Moldovan leu
MDL
0.2097
1 Russian rouble
RUB
0.0715
1 new Turkish lira
TRY
1.1297
1 Chinese renminbi
CNY
0.6167
1 gram of gold
XAU
164.5108
1 SDR
XDR
5.7335
The exchange rates of the currencies included in the list are based on the quotations of the
banking companies authorized to carry out operations on the currency market. This list does not make
it compulsory to use the exchange rates of currencies and gold in actual transactions of currency
exchange and book entries. AGERPRES
Law enabling Gove rnment to issue ordinances, promulgated by President Iohannis

Bucharest, Jan 16 / Agerpres/ - The President Klaus Iohannis signed on Monday the decree
promulgating the Law enabling the Government to issue ordinances, the Presidential Administration
informs on Monday.
On January 5, the Chamber of Deputies adopted, in its quality of decisional forum, the Law
enabling the Government to issue ordinances during the parliamentary vacation.
According to the provisions, the Government will be enabled to issue simple ordinances
during the parliamentary vacation in the following areas: public finances and economy; administration
and regional development; health, labor and social protection; European funds; education and
research; agriculture and rural development; tourism; entrepreneurship and business environment;
communications and informational society; extending and modifying some terms provided in the
normative acts with the power of law.
On January 6, the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR), and the
People's Movement Party (PMP) have contested the law on the grounds of it not respecting the
constitutional rigors.
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The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) decided on January 12, that the Law on enabling
the Government to issue ordinances is constitutional, after it rejected the notification addressed by 88
Members of Parliament from PNL, USR and PMP.
Also on Monday, the head of state signed the decree of promulgation the Law regarding the
adopting of emergency ordinance (OUG) no. 44/ 2016 for changing and completing the Law no. 334/
2006 regarding the financing activity of political parties and electoral campaigns. AGERPRES
ID: 4791211; Data: 2017-01-16 14:56:35; Redactori: kan/pra
Ciolos:Budget hole, 'smoke screen' by those who look for excuses to not accomplishing
electoral promises
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - There is no such hole in the budget on 2016, says former
Premier Dacian Ciolos, adding that this idea is in his opinion a 'smoke screen' of those who are
looking for excuses to not being able to accomplish the promises the PSD and ALDE (Social
Democratic Party, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats) have voiced in the electoral campaign.
"There is no such hole in the budget of 2016. If such a 'hole' existed, it should have had an
impact upon the deficit. I have closed the year with a 2.6pct deficit, smaller than initially presumed
(of 2.8pct), which proves that we have ruled responsibly and cautiously in a year with a lot of
electoral pressure. This idea could rather be considered a 'smoke bubble' of those who are looking for
excuses in order to explain why they cannot carry out promises voiced in the electoral campaign by
the PSD and ALDE," Ciolos writes on his Facebook page.
He thinks that at the very most one can talk about 'a too ambitious estimate' when the budget
projection on 2016 was done as regards the non-reimbursable external funds chapter, but adds that the
initial estimate was carried out by the Ponta Government in 2015, the Ciolos Cabinet only taking over
this estimate that existed at the then Ministry of Public Finance when the budget was adopted.
"In 2015, the Ponta Government estimated that around 12.3 billion lei could be cashed from
European funds in 2016. The estimate proved totally unrealistic, given that the European financing
programmes were stalled or way delayed. Should we look at everything that Romania has received in
2016, we could say we had a record collection, by over 7 billion euro, the largest amount of money
Romania has ever received since its integration, in 2007, in only one year, so far," Dacian Ciolos
explains.
According to Ciolos, the PSD government has failed to absorb European funds in its first two
years, 2014 - 2015, only drawing 0.44 billion lei.
The former Premier says that in the last years the incomes from the European funds were way
too much overestimated and adds that the non-achieving of some budget incomes estimated in 2016
has no negative impact on the budget of 2017.
Referring to the budget amendment carried in November 2016, Ciolos explains that
considering the economy's evolution in the first half-year, which recorded a 5.2pct growth a positive
budget amendment is justified for the second half-year, given that the real incomes were higher than
estimated.AGERPRES
ID: 4791245; Data: 2017-01-16 15:07:25; Redactori: mav/pra
Inte rnational Monetary Fund's mission visits Bucharest starting Wednesday

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - A mission of the International Monetary Fund will be in
Bucharest starting with Wednesday for a first contact with the new governmental team, says the
Public Finance Minister, Viorel Stefan.
"It's a courtesy call, we'll have no other talks," specifies Stefan.
The small-team mission is to be headed by the IMF head of mission for Romania, Reza Baqir.
The visit will last a week.
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Currently, Romania has no financing agreement underway with the IMF, but the international
financier is assessing the evolution of the Romanian economy annually, based on Article IV
consultations.
The latest agreement that has been closed without a clear conclusion in September 2013 was
worth two billion euro, but the Bucharest authorities did not access funds. The goal of the preventive
agreement was to protect the Romanian economy from eventual financial markets' moves. It was the
10th such agreement concluded by Romania with the IMF in the last 23 years and the 3rd asked for by
Romania from the IMF, since the beginning of the 2009 economic crisis.AGERPRES
Culture Minister Vulpescu congratulates Mircea Cartarescu for being awarded 'Mihai
Eminescu' - Opera Omnia
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The Culture Minister, Ionut Vulpescu congratulates Mircea
Cartarescu for receiving the 'Mihai Eminescu' - Opera Omnia National Awatd and calls the laureate
'one of the most important contemporary writers."
"The awardee of the 26th edition of the 'Mihai Eminescu' - Opera Omnia National Prize is
Mircea Cartarescu. One of the most important contemporary writers, Mircea Cartarescu has also stood
out through an interesting exegesis of the poetry of Mihai Eminescu, as well as through the
postmodern conversion of the euphony and languages of our classical poetry," the minister wrote on
his Facebook page.
"I congratulate him for this prize that is piling up to his impressive record," added the
minister.
Vulpescu also expresses his opinion that the said awards that were bestowed on Sunday do
honour to "the Romanian culture as a whole."AGERPRES
University study: Romania, not in favourable context for introducing electronic vote in
short-term
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Romania is not in a favourable context for introducing
electronic vote in short-term, show the authors of a study on this topic, conducted within the Babes
Bolyai University (UBB).
The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) carried out a survey on the topic of the
opportunity to introduce electronic voting in Romania. According to the team that carried out the
research, this method to exercise the vote is often invoked in the public space by politicians or
representatives of the civil society, as a solution for solving problems such as low vote participation,
vote access, especially for Romanians abroad or low confidence in elections.
"Our report brings into discussion other states' experience with electronic vote, international
recommendations, problems related to online security visible in the context of the USA elections but
also the spread of internet use in Romania for operations that need confidentiality and a high security
level, as banking operations and online shopping. Based on all these elements, we consider that
Romania is not in a favourable position for introducing short-term electronic vote, but that the
Permanent Electronic Authority must assume as soon as possible the launch of an extensive debate on
this issue, in order to identify the best technical solutions and to prepare some pilot projects," stated
George Jiglau, chair of CSD and lecturer at Political Sciences Faculty, at UBB Cluj.
According to the studies' conclusions, a series of European countries that discussed or
initiated the implementation of the internet vote abandoned or postponed it. Thus, specialists believe
that the fact that only Estonia, a country with a reduced electorate, adopted and used nation-wide the
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internet vote, is due mainly to voting security concerns but also to lack of confidence in exercising
this voting method and the lack of political consensus.
"It is preferable for the large-scale internet vote implementation to be accomplished after
solving the following problems: the vote's secrecy, securing it through an efficient technical solution,
a satisfying degree of technological literacy, the enhancement of voters' skills to use the system. For
all the citizens to benefit from the internet vote, it is recommendable that the Romanian Government
support the public's internet access: supporting the introduction of the internet in rural areas,
endowing rural libraries with internet connection computers by extending the Biblionet60 project, the
introduction of public courses for IT knowledge," the study further shows.
The percentage of people who use the internet has risen from 5 percent in 2004 to 59 percent
in 2014, according to ec.europa.eu/eurostat data.
The Center for the Study of Democracy is a think-tank set up in 2006 within the Political
science Department of the Faculty of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, of UBB,
where it functions as an accredited research centre. AGERPRES
ID: 4791472; Data: 2017-01-16 16:52:03; Redactori: isc/pra
Chambe r of Deputies Secretary Ciolacu: Dragnea, invited at Trump's investiture

ceremony, to go for s ure
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The chair of the Deputies' Chamber, Liviu Dragnea, was
invited and will attend the inauguration ceremony of the USA elected president, Donald Trump,
announced on Monday, the Chamber's secretary, Marcel Ciolacu.
"We received an internal memo in the Standing Bureau, regarding the Deputies' Chamber and
Social Democratic Party leader, Mr Liviu Dragnea's invitation to participate in Washington D.C., in
the Inauguration Ceremony of the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump and in the
related events occasioned by this moment. The invitation was launched by one of the two VicePresidents of the USA Presidential Inaugural Committee, from January 17 to 21. The chairman's
travel was obviously unanimously approved," declared Ciolacu at the end of the Deputies' Chambe r
Standing Bureau's session.
He added that Dragnea "will certainly attend" this event, to which the Prime Minister Sorin
Grindeanu was also invited. AGERPRES
Events dedicated to 158th anniversary of Union of Principalities unde r 'Romania was

born in Iasi' logo
Iasi, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The Mayor of northeastern city of Iasi, Mihai Chirica on Monday
revealed in a press conference the programme organised by the City Hall on the 158th anniversary of
the Union of Moldova and Wallachia.
The mayor told the journalists that the programme covers several events to kick off on
Monday, 23rd of January.
"The events will unfold under the logo: 'Romania was born in Iasi', as a historical recognition
of the fact that Romania was born in Iasi because the Union of the Romanian Principalities was inked
here . On 23rd of January, the National Defence College Foundation is coming to Iasi to stage a
national conference dedicated to the 158th anniversary of the Union of Moldova and Wallachia. (...)
Obviously, the momentum will be on the 24th of January when all the Iasi inhabitants are expected to
show up," said Mihai Chirica.
According to the agenda presented by the mayor, from 10:00hrs am to 11:00hrs am in the
Union Square a first part of the folk festival 'We are Romanian' will commence where Daniela
Condurache and Ion Paladi of the Republic of Moldova, along Petrica Matu-Stoian, Cristian
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Pomohaci will concert. This moment will be followed with 11:00hrs am through 12:00hrs by official
events, a Te Deum, official statements, wreaths laying and the well-known 'Hora Unirii' folk dance.
Starting 12:00hrs the second part of the folk festival begins in the Union Square with concerts by
Stefan Pintilie, Niculina Stoican, Gheorghe Turda, Nina Cuciuc, Nicusor Iordan.
"From 12:30hrs in parallel to the folk music, we start to share pies, cheese crullers, mulled
wine and tea. The officials who will have the pleasure to get to Iasi will take off for 'Trei Ierarhi' /
'Three hierarchs' monastery to lay wreaths at the tomb of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza," said the mayor.
Also on the 24th of January, book launches, scientific lectures, as well as other activities
delivered by school institutions will be staged at the Union Museum.
"This programme is also stressing on the first national celebration dedicated to the 24th of
January, a reason why we invite all of the Iasi inhabitants to attend the event, to be there, next to us.
We shall hand over tricolour flags and badges. We'll try to make it the event of 24th of January
something similar to the events of 1st of December, so the Romanian spirit is felt everywhere," added
the mayor of Iasi, Mihai Chirica.AGERPRES
PNL's Turcan about SRI situation: Untimely for Parliament to become institution
stooping to politicking
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The interim leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL),
Raluca Turcan, declared on Monday, in relation to the case of the Romanian Intelligence Service
(SRI), that it is untimely for Parliament to become an institution that stoops to the "politicking game"
of the parliamentary majority.
"We discussed today in the unification commission [of the PNL] and this is the idea that
ensued: we are currently having multiple investigations under way, there is the Prosecutor's Office
investigation, the investigation inside SRI, we have institutions that can intervene if there were any
abuses - and there is information in the public space that these have occurred, as well as decisions
that go against the public interest - I am referring to the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) and
the Judiciary Inspection. These institutions should take a stand, finalize their investigations and
afterwards we should talk about Parliament. I believe it is highly untimely for the Parliament to
become, from an institution that makes laws and represents citizens, in an institution that stoops to
politicking games of those who currently hold the parliamentary majority," stated Turcan, at the
Parliament's Palace, asked whether she would support a parliamentary investigation in relation to the
SRI case.
She added that Parliament's role is to serve the citizens.
"And regarding last year's 10 billion lei deficit and as concerns this investigation commission,
the Parliament is simply being used as a revenge tool in the connivance Ghita-Dragnea, in the
connivance Ghita-Basescu and I do not believe this is our role. Our role is to serve the citizens," the
PNL leader further said .
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, stated, on Monday, that, from what
he knows, Florian Coldea is a very skilled professional, but the parliamentary committee for the
control of the SRI (Romanian Intelligence Service) must call for hearings the director of SRI, Eduard
Hellvig, to check the disclosures made in the last period regarding Coldea.
Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Eduard Hellvig decided last week, on
Thursday, to create a special committee following the information which appeared in public referring
to General Florian Coldea and until the checks are complete Coldea is placed at the SRI's Director
disposal, a release of the institution informs.
According to the quoted source, General Coldea's duties were taken over by Eduard Hellvig.
General Florian Coldea was the target of allegations made during a recording broadcast at
private broadcaster Romania TV in which former deputy Sebastian Ghita, currently missing, said that
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General Coldea had blackmailed former Prime Minister Victor Ponta to determine the latter to
propose National Anticoruption Directorate (DNA) head Laura Codruta Kovesi to her current
position. AGERPRES
Presidency: Romania to be represented by its ambassador in Washington at Donald

Trump's investiture ceremony
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Romania will be represented at the inauguration ceremony of
the United States of America's President-elect Donald Trump by our country's ambassador in
Washington, since no foreign delegation is officially invited to the said event, says the Presidential
Administration in a release on Monday.
"According to the US practices on the new presidents' inauguration ceremonies, the heads of
the diplomatic missions accredited in Washington are the only ones formally representing their heads
of states and governments at the investiture events. No foreign delegation, nor heads of state or
government, according to this tradition is officially invited on this occasion. This rule has been
reconfirmed explicitly on the occasion of the investiture of President Donald Trump, the way it has
been underlined in the invitation sent by the State Department, on behalf of the Joint Congressional
Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to all of the diplomatic missions in Washington," reads the
release by the Presidential Administration.
The paper also says that delegations of representatives from certain bodies or political parties
who participate in the events organised on the official ceremonies' sidelines do not formally represent
the Romanian state.
"Romania will be represented according to the above-mentioned tradition by Romania's
ambassador to the United States of America," specifies the Presidential Administration.AGERPRES
MApN: Army Chief of Staff Ciuca to attend NATO Military Committee

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Nicolae Ciuca, Chief of the Romanian Army General Staff
(SMG) will participate, on January 17 and 18, in Brussels, in the 176th session of the NATO Military
Committee, informs the National Defence Ministry (MApN).
According to a press release sent on Monday to AGERPRES, the agenda of the reunion
includes the discussion of current military aspects regarding the Afghanistan Resolute Support, as
well as challenges and current threats for NATO.
At the same time, there will be sessions dedicated to NATO partnerships with Ukraine,
Georgia and other partner states participating in the Mediterranean Dialogue and in the
Interoperability Platform.
The Defence leaders of the Military Committee reunite, twice a year, in order to discuss about
current and future missions and operations and in order to formulate the directions necessary to the
consolidation of the allied position of deterrence and defence, as well as about the long-term NATO
adaptations, reminds the cited release. AGERPRES
Parliamentary investigation on budget revisions in 2016 approved by Parliame nt

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The joint plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies and the
Senate on Monday passed a draft decision to carry out a parliamentary investigation by the joint
budget committees in order to check the conditions in which the state budget revisions in August and
November 2016 were completed.
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The draft decision passed by 248 ayes to 102 nays.

According to the draft decision, the budget-finance committees with the two chambers of the
Parliament will have to identify the answers to several questions, among which: 'What is the way in
which the potential incomes were established so that a positive rectification could be done?', 'What are
the state bodies that have foretold upon these incomes and which was the incomes' level proposed by
each body?', 'To what extent were the total incomes of the consolidated general budget achieved at
31.12.2016?', 'What were the estimates for the total incomes of the budget at the moment of the
budget construction for 2016?'.AGERPRES
Romania participates in FITUR Touris m Fair in Spain

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - Romania will present itself as a tourist destination in Spain, at
the International Tourism Fair FITOUR (Feria Internacional de Turismo) Madrid, that will take place
during the interval January 18-22, 2017, informs on Monday, the Ministry of Tourism.
The European continent continues to remain in the top preferences of Spanish tourists, mainly
for distance- and price-related reasons. According to the Ministry of Tourism representatives, in
recent years, there is a revival of the interest in Europe's countries and in Romania.
Within the Romanian tourism promotion strategy, the Spanish market represents a priority
market, the figures of the number of arrivals of Spanish visitors and of the nights spent in
accommodation units in Romania indicate that Spain ranks in top 10 countries to send tourists to
Romania.
Spain ranks eighth as regards tourist arrivals in Romania, with 91,951 tourists, in 2015, on the
rise by 16.2 pct as compared to 2014. From the point of view of nights spent in accommodation units,
Spain ranks eight as well, recording 162,543 nights, in 2015, on the rise by 20.7 pct comparing with
2014.
The main forms of tourism preferred by Spaniards are cultural circuits, nature and active,
rural tourism, city breaks.
"Beside this favourable situation, it must be taken into account the fact that in Spain, the main
community of foreign residents is the Romanian one (over 900,000 officially-recorded people).
Although decreasing compared to the past years, the GDP of Spain is situated around 1199,06 billion
dollars, which places it among the countries whose citizens can allocate a significant budget to
spending on vacations ", according to representatives of the Tourism Ministry.
The Romanian stand will have a 121,5 square meters surface in which a number of 26 travel
agents, tour operators, tourism associations and local authorities in the country will exhibit. The stand
will permanently run short presentation films about the Romanian tourism products.
FITUR (Feria Internacional de Turismo) is the most important manifestation of fairs and
exhibitions dedicated to tourism in Spain, attended by specialists in the field of world tourism.
AGERPRES
ForMin Melescanu, EU's Federica Mogherini meet in Brussels

Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The Foreign Affairs Minister, Teodor Melescanu, met the
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica
Mogherini, on Monday in Brussels, with whom he talked about the developments in the Republic of
Moldova and the Eastern Neighbourhood, the implementation stage of the EU's Global Strategy and
the NATO cooperation, alongside the situation in Syria, informs a relevant ministry (MAE)'s release.
The Romanian chief diplomat participated in the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC's) reunion
earlier in Brussels, where the main topics on the European agenda in this year's first quarter were
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addressed, among which the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood of the EU, the implementation of
the Global Strategy of the EU, and the Western Balkans.
According to the MAE release, the main topic covered by the FAC agenda was Syria, with
the European Foreign ministers assessing the stage of the international community's efforts to solve
the crisis. In this context, Minister Teodor Melescanu hailed the new cease-fire and stressed the
importance of observing it as a necessary step to resuming intra-Syrian negotiations. Likewise, the
Romanian chief of diplomacy said it is imperative that the EU continues efforts oriented to the
contacts with the regional partners, as well as to the humanitarian and post-conflict reconstruction
dimension, and expressed Romania's availability to back these efforts.
During a working lunch, the Foreign Affairs ministers have addressed the Peace Process in
the Middle East, following the Paris Conference. Minister Teodor Melescanu emphasised the crucial
importance of resuming the dialogue and cooperation between the two sides, with a view to achieve a
two-state solution, as the only viable option, the MAE release adds.
On the reunion's sidelines, minister Teodor Melescanu participated next to his counterparts of
Bulgaria, Greece and Croatia in a four-party informal meeting where they debated the developments
in the EU's Southern Neighbourhood and the regional situation.
The Romanian chief diplomat has also had brief meetings with his counterparts of Germany,
France, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Hungary and Austria, as they approached current topics of
the bilateral, international agenda, the MAE release concludes.AGERPRES
Judges' Trade Union publishes letter from CSAT referring to intelligence services'
competencies in justice
Bucharest, Jan 16 /Agerpres/ - The National Union of Judges of Romania (UNJR) has
published, on Monday, a letter referring to the extension of competencies of the Romanian
Intelligence Service (SRI) in the area of justice, received from the Supreme Council for the Country's
Defence (CSAT) in February 2016, following a request formulated by the magistrate association.
"In the context of the discussion on the involvement of the Romanian Intelligence Service in
justice, the National Union of Judges of Romania makes available to the public a document released
to the association by the Supreme Council for the Country's Defence on February 16, 2016, referring
to the extension of competencies of the SRI in the area of justice. (...) The letter from the CSAT was
received after, on December 8, 2015, the UNJR requested the Supreme Council for the Country's
Defence, on the basis of Law no. 544/2001 regarding access to public information, communicate all
the decisions that regard the relationship between the intelligence services of the state and the
judiciary," the UNJR release mentions.
According to the same source, the official response of the CSAT shows that the attributions of
the institutions able to fight corruption and organized crime have as central reference points Law
51/1991 regarding the national security of Romania.
"Arguing that the 'elaboration and adoption of Law no. 51/1991 was done in an incipient
period of post-communist democracy, in which corruption did not gain the hallmarks of a
phenomenon', instead of modifying the law, as it would be constitutional, in 2005 'CSAT integrated
the problem of corruption in the structure of the National Security Strategy, as a risk factor and
security objective'. This artifice, to complete the law by secret decisions, represents a dangerous
precedent for the rule of law, hindering citizens' knowledge of the reach of the competencies of a state
institution," the UNJR release shows.
In the CSAT letter presented by the UNJR there is clear mention that, later on, the concept
was also included in the National Security Strategy of 2010, which defined corrupt ion as a
vulnerability, and the Intelligence Strategy set down that "one of the main action directions of the SRI
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be that of signalling high-level corruption cases, effecting the state's policies, including for the
purpose of preventing access to public positions of corrupt persons."
In the opinion of the UNJR, this paragraph results that the CSAT drew up tasks for the SRI
that "are not in the known legal framework, such as the prevention of access of 'corrupt persons' to
leadership positions, even though they were not convicted through a binding court decision."
"Moreover, these prior checks, made by an intelligence service outside the criminal court
framework, without a procedure existing and with the person checked having no possibility to know
the content of the report, in order to defend themselves from the accusations, it is possible they were
applied in the case of leadership positions in the judiciary," the release also mentions.
The CSAT letter also mentions that the interinstitutional cooperation relations of intelligence
services and criminal investigation organisms, in what regards the combating of corruption and
organized crime, have materialized, among other things, in information exchanges between the Public
Ministry and the establishment of joint teams to combat risks derived from criminal
activities.AGERPRES
ID: 4791786; Data: 2017-01-16 19:34:16; Redactori: pra/mav
Englis h Service Team, January 16, 2017

Editor-in-chief Razvan-Adrian Pandea (pra)
Editors
Simona Iacob (isc)
Rodica Ionita (rod)
Carolina Novac (kan)
Adina Panaitescu (paa)
Maria Voican (mav)
Secretary
Atena Alexe Timocicu (ate)
AGERPRES
ID: 4791801; Data: 2017-01-16 20:00:19; Redactori: pra/pra
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201701-16

Piaa Presei Libere nr. 1,

NEWS OF THE DAY

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