October 19, 2013 UPDATE

For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.

Bogdan Matei, 19.10.2013, 12:00

BUDGET – Romania will keep its public spending at bay, in spite of the upcoming elections of 2014, Prime Minister Victor Ponta told the US magazine Wall Street Journal. The Romanian Government plans to maintain the trade deficit below 3% of the GDP in 2013 and 2014 and public debt below 40% of the GDP, which would make it one of the lowest at EU level. Victor Ponta said the Government would sell assets also by means of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), which should lead to an increase in transparency and corporate management.

ROMGAZ – As of Monday, Romania wants to sell 15% of the shares of the energy company Romgaz, in exchange for up to 400 million euros. The shares are to be sold both on the Bucharest and London Stock Exchange. The Government has recently completed the final procedure for listing Romgaz by establishing a selling price. Romgaz will thus become the first Romanian company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Romgaz is currently Romania’s biggest gas producer and supplier, with a quota of 50% of Romania’s internal gas output in 2012.

PROTESTS – Protests continued on Saturday against the exploration and exploitation of shale gas in Romania. Chevron wants to return to Pungesti to discuss with the locals in an attempt to explain what shale gas exploitation really means. Romania’s president Traian Basescu on Friday said investors with the US company Chevron were not the only party with an interest in Romania’s shale gas deposits. President Basescu went on to say that the Russian Federation and the energy company Gazprom want Romania not to capitalize on its shale gas resources.

US PULLOUT – The US is pulling back troops from its military base in Manas, Kyrgyzstan, at present used as a transit centre supporting US military operations in Afghanistan. Romania will take over the mission of ensuring the safe transport of US military in Afghanistan. A similar transit centre will be set up in Constanta. The Kyrgyzs Parliament this year has decided not to extend its contract with the US for lending out the military base in Manas, after Washington authorities have announced the withdrawal of all military troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

BILATERAL TALKS – Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa on Friday met with Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller at the US State Department and with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Space and Defense Policy Frank Rose. According to a press release made public on Saturday by the Romanian Defense Ministry, talks focused on the Romanian-US Strategic Partnership regarding the strengthening of Romania’s armed forces with F-16 fighter jets, as well as aspects pertaining to the activity of the international community and organizations in the field of eliminating Syria’s chemical weapon stockpiles.

US SHIELD – The official ceremony marking the start of construction works for the anti-missile shield in Deveselu, southern Romania, will be held at the end of this month. Attending the event will be Undersecretary with the US Department of Defense James Miller, Mircea Dusa told Radio Romania News and Current Affairs. Minister Dusa said that as regards the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan via the military base in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania has signed an agreement with the United States, whose terms will be established by a group of specialists. Mircea Dusa also said that next year US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel would come to Bucharest to attend the ceremony marking 10 years since Romania joined NATO.

HANDBALL – Romanian handball vice-champions HCM Baia Mare on Saturday won on home turf to Austrian side Hypo Vienna, final score 24-23, as part of the third match in Champions League’s Group A. This marks the first victory of the Romanian handballers, who had previously lost to German champions Thuringer HC and defending champions Gyor ETO. The first two teams in the group tables will qualify to the next round.

FUNERAL SERVICE– Former president of the European People’s Party and Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens was interred on Saturday in Gent, northern Belgium. A Flesmish Democrat, Martens had led nine Governments in the 1979 — 1992 period, marked by political and economic instability. He was the president of the European People’s Party since 1990, during which period he had earned the respect of his political adversaries. According to our Radio Romania’s Brussels correspondent, Romanian president Traian Basescu and Moldovan Prime Minister Iurie Leanca along with other world leaders attended the funeral service.