President Basescu to Romanian diplomats: Agreement regarding the antimissile shield should be finalised before the Lisbon Summit
Date: 02-09-2010
President Traian Basescu appreciated on Wednesday at the Annual Reunion of Romanian Diplomacy that the agreement regarding the anti-missile shield should be finalised before the NATO summit in Lisbon. “ The agreement must be finalized, I think, before the NATO summit in Lisbon, summit on whose occasion we should insist that the anti-missile shield becomes a NATO reality, not only bilateral relations, for example US-Romania” Traian Basescu said. The president mentioned the fact that the issue of the anti-missile shield was considered at the NATO summit in Bucharest. He also mentioned that Romania was the last but one country which left Iraq, assuming the obligations pledged.
« Romania has never had with the US such a strong relationship. We are linked through security, military and economic interests. The trade exchanges with the US over the last three years surpassed two billion and we hope to make it better, and American investment becomes more consistent. They surpass one billion at present and we hope to have them increased” he said.
In this context, the head of state referred to the US support for projects of renewable energy.
« We know very well that Romania’s position is supported both as regards the Nabucco project and the liquified gas terminal in Constanta. I hope the study the US is making connected to the location of the liquefied gas terminal in Constanta will be presented before the end of this year” he said. Traian Basescu added that Romania will have to consolidate strategic partnerships with France and Poland.
Basescu complained to the ambassadors for the fact they did not manage to bring a EU agency to Bucharest
President Traian Basescu reproached the Romanian ambassadors on Wednesday at the Annual
Reunion of Diplomacy the fact that Romania missed the chance to bring the Agency for Energy Regulation to Bucharest, drawing their attention that next year another European agency is going to be set up.
During the annual reunion of Romanian diplomacy Traian Basescu told the ambassadors that in the future there should never be such incidents.
« Practically we have started the process of gathering allies for a vote in favour of Romania when the other two states we have been competing against had already ensured the support as Romania had not presented any offer or had not requested any support and the diplomats in Europe know such things, as well as those at the headquarters” the president said.
The head of state required the diplomats not to miss the next opportunity of bringing a European agency to Romania.
« It is a major objective. As far as I know, next year there should be set up another agency and I want us to be prepared to make Romania the right offer for the European agency to have its headquarters in Romania” Basescu said.
Basescu : the former ambassador of Sweden, « airplanes go-between » - a new episode of the scandal F-16 vs. Grippen
Traian Basescu said on Wednesday that the former ambassador of Sweden turned into a “ plane go-between” referring to the lobby made by the Swedish authorities to make Romania accept the offer of the Grippen company to equip the army with multi-tasking aircraft. We mention the fact that CSAT decided in March 2010 to buy for 1.3 billion dollars American aircraft F-16 second-hand, a decision attached by the Swedish representatives. The former ambassador of Sweden Mats Aberg finalised his mission to Romania in June 2010. The present ambassador of the Swedish Kingdom could be contacted to comment on the president of Romania statement.
Background information:
Immediately after the CSAT of 23 March, several PR, lobby and advocacy companies started a campaign to raise the awareness of the politicians and mass- media as regards the superiority of the offer made by the Swedish company Grippen.
The CSAT arguments for acquiring American second-hand planes were: the US strategic partnership, the low cost for acquisition and interoperationality with the planes used by NATO member states. As a reply, the Grippen advocates brought as argument the price, the economic compensation clause ( the supplier is due to investments of at least 80% of the contract worth) and the aircraft quality.
An important argument of the supporters of the Swedish company was the lack of transparency of the CSAT decision, taken without a bid. Moreover, Romania was criticized for the fact that they did not join the Code of Behaviour for Military Acquisition, Romania being the only state among the EU27 not to have signed this agreement which means the fact that armament acquisition is transparent. Romania had offers for five types of multi-tasking aircraft: Rafale, F-18, F-16 block 51 and 52, Grippen and Eurofighter – Typhoon.
Romania will not recognize Kosovo as an independent state
Romania will not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and Belgrade and Pristina should pursue negotiations, Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Wednesday, thus re-affirming the Bucharest stand on the issue. He made the statement at an annual reunion of Romanian Ambassadors. The President argued that a consultative stand of the International Court of Justice on the issue was not made following a thorough judgment of the case.
Basescu's statement comes after German Foreign minister Guido Westerwelle said during a trip to Kosovo several days ago that 22 countries have recognized the independence of Kosvo and another five - Romania, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Slovakia were hesitating to do so. He urged the five that following an International Court decision to follow the "clear majority". He said the concerns of some EU member countries that the independence of the Albanian-majority region would become a precedent were not founded.
Westerwelle had previously warned that Serbia had little chance to join the EU unless it adopted a cooperating attitude towards Kosovo.Romania has its own opinion in this regard, which was re-affirmed by Foreign minister Teodor Baconschi on Wednesday. Unless Western Balkans country will have a clearer accession prospect, especially Serbia, or if the fatigue of EU enlargement will remain, there is a risk of tensions and lack of stability in the region.
Traian Basescu: In 2011 we will register economic growth but we will not have investment funds
Romania needs to continue plans to adjust budgetary spending, President Traian Basescu declared on Wednesday at the annual reunion of Romanian diplomats. He said that the government needs to balance spending with resources Romania generates. In his speech, Basescu declared that the country will register an economic growth in 2011 but the government will not manage to have a fund for investments. Here are his declarations:it is a positive sign that exports increase, that industries are increases but constructions are still decreasing; the main problem is the state budget: the reality must be known: next year, the deficit of the pensions budget will be 3.2 billion euro / 600 million euro will be the unemployment budget deficit
Foreign Affairs minister Baconschi announced a 30% cut of consular taxes starting September 1
Starting September 1st, consular taxes have been reduced by 30%, Romanian Foreign Affairs minister Teodor Baconschi announced at the annual reunion of Romanian diplomats. The situation of Romanians living abroad was a concern of all state officials present at the Bucharest reunion.Baconschi declared that that many Romanians from the diaspora announced their dissatisfaction regarding the increase of consular taxes.
