July 12, 2018 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 12.07.2018, 19:25

NATO After the NATO summit in Brussels,
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that Romania obtained two
very important things – an operational command center and an improved status of
the multinational brigade stationed on its territory. According to president
Iohannis, after this operational centre has been completed about 400 officers
from all NATO countries will be present in Romania. The multinational brigade
has got a permanent statute and Romania will continue to negotiate with the
NATO partners so that the region may benefit from a more substantial NATO presence.
Iohannis has also mentioned that upon a Romanian initiative, a fresh round of
talks devoted to the Black Sea region was being held during the summit. In
another move the US president Donald Trump has obtained from the allies pledges
they will contribute 33 billion dollars to defence spending.

DECISION Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis said on Thursday that he would make a decision on the appointment of
the new head of the country’s Department for Investigating Organised Crime and
Terrorism (DIICOT). President Iohannis made it clear he would not negotiate
with anybody the proposal coming from the Anti-mafia Prosecutors’ Office. On
June 11th, Justice Minister Tudorel Toader proposed Felix Banila as
head of DIICOT after the latter had been endorsed by the Higher Council of
Magistracy.

FUNDS The government in Bucharest on Thursday
approved new funds to remove the effects of the latest flooding that struck
Romania. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has said she wants to restore the
infrastructure including the national and county roads. The Prime Minister has
also announced a programme enabling children from the families affected by
flooding to spend their holidays in summer camps free of charge. The Education
Ministry has announced that 15 hundred places have been made available for
these children in summer camps.

GROWTH The European Commission has maintained estimates regarding
Romania’s economic growth in 2018 and 2019, at 4.5% and 3.9% respectively.
According to mid-term estimates published today by the Commission, the budget
deficit would reach 3.4% of the GDP in 2018, to then grow to 3.8% in 2019. The
rate of inflation would grow to 4.2% this year, and then go down to 3.4% in
2019. The unemployment rate is expected to stand at 4.5% in 2018 and 4.4% in
2019. The current account deficit will register a 3.6% of the GDP in 2018, and
3.9% in 2019.

(translated by bill)