Romanian foreign minister on a trip to Hungary
Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu in expected to meet Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán and his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijártó in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Monday. While on an official visit to Hungary, Mr. Meleşcanu will address for the first time an annual meeting of Hungarian diplomats. „My message will be clear as both our countries wish to reshape their relations”, Mr. Meleşcanu told reporters. Also in Budapest, the Romanian diplomat is expected to meet representatives of the Romanian communities in Hungary.
Romanian PM meets ExxonMobil officials
Romania’s Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu is expected to meet officials of the ExxonMobil, an American oil and gas corporation, on Monday. Economy Minister Mihai Tudose, Cabinet Secretary General Mihai Busuioc are also expected to attend the meeting. ExxonMobil was the first American oil and gas company to work in Romania, operating from 1903 to 1948 as Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey. In continued partnership with the University of Bucharest, the ExxonMobil Romania venture office recently sponsored field safety training for more than 80 geoscience students.
The company has been present in Romania’s upstream sector since November 2008, when it acquired an interest in the deepwater Neptun Deep block in the Black Sea, and has had an established downstream business since 1992.
A new secretary general for Romanian opposition’s PNL
MEP Cristian Buşoi may become the next secretary general of the opposition right-wing National Liberal Party (PNL). Mr. Buşoi may replace Marian Petrache who resigned following corruption allegations. Mr. Petrache is expected to answer allegations of blackmail and bribe during 2007-2008, when he worked as secretary of state in the country’s Interior Ministry. This is not the first time when Mr. Petrache appears before prosecutors. As head of Ilfov County Council, Marian Petrache is expected to answer allegations of election rigging. Cristian Buşoi is a Romanian physician and politician. A PNL member, Mr. Buşoi entered the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for the western county of Timiş County in 2004. Between 2007 – 2013, he was a member of the European Parliament, a position he regained in 2014.
Fugitive ex-MP still under international arrest warrant
A former Romanian MP is still under international arrest warrant as authorities never gave up the probe against him. The announcement was made by Romanian Interior Minister Carmen Dan on Monday. Sebastian Ghiţă, a former deputy of the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD), is still one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives. He is on trial for his alleged involvement in the so-called „Blair Affair”. In 1916, Romanian prosecutors questioned former Prime Minister Victor Ponta about allegations that he misused his authority as PSD leader to persuade former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to come to Romania. They accused Mr. Ponta of offering Sebastian Ghiţă, a local businessman at the time, a seat in parliament in exchange for paying €220,000 (£184,000) to cover the costs of a visit by a political figure. Mr. Ghiţă told reporters that „the figure” was Mr. Blair. In exchange for sponsoring the visit, Ponta, who was prime minister from 2012 to 2015, allegedly promoted Ghiţă within the party to help him win a parliamentary seat and a four-year term in the Chamber of Deputies. Ponta and Ghiţă both deny wrongdoing.The arrest warrant against Mr. Ghiţă was issued on January 5 after he failed to appear before a court in the county of Prahova.
Alexandru Danga
