IMF is steadily becoming the big bad wolf, in the eyes of Romanian politicians, one newspaper reads on Friday. Elsewhere in the news, Romania exported ammunition worth 3.6 million euro in 2008 to Georgia. On a lighter tone, Romania proposed the new successful Romanian movie, Police. adjective for the Best foreign movie category in the Oscars.
It seems that Romanian politicians found an escaping goat in the IMF, Gandul reads. Romanian Transports minister Radu Berceanu explained yesterday that the government ceased all investments in infrastructure at the request of the IMF.
He underlined that IMF officials urged the government to cut salaries and put on hold any investments. It seems that the upcoming presidential elections this Fall makes all politicians disconsider anti crisis measures for the time being.
Berceanu's declarations follow the IMF decision to accept Bucharest request to increase the budgetary deficit threshold to 7.2% of GDP, from 4.6% initially imposed by the Fund. The official reason put forward is that the estimates for the country's economic evolution got worse than expected.
Berceanu confessed that the IMF urged the government to cut salaries and decrease spendings to get more money for investments. However, according to Berceanu, the IMF's proposal works in theory, but not in practice.
Cotidianul reads that Romania exported ammunition to Georgia worth 3.6 million euro, just in 2008. Even though the export is not illegal, it might be detrimental to our country's relation with Russia.
One year after the conflict between Georgia and Russia escalated, Moscow warned that all Western countries arming Georgia should not expect good bilateral relations with Russia, Russian Foreign Affairs minister, Grigori Karasin declared in an interview for daily Izvestia.
Karasin referred mostly to Ukraine, which he threatened with economic sanctions if it will continue to arm Tbilisi. Russia's Ambassador to Bucharest, Aleksandr Ciurilin declared, however, that he does not hold any information that Romania arms Georgia.
Even so, Romania delivered by the end of 2008 ammunition worth 3.6 million euro. Ambassador Ciurilin declared for the newspaper that it does not take a lot to ignite a frozen conflict.
On a lighter tone, most newspapers today read about Romania's decision to propose the latest successful Romanian movie, Police. adjective to the Best Foreign Movie category of the Oscars.
The decision was made by Romania's National Cinema Center. Contacted by Cotidianul, the movie's director, Cornel Porumboiu declared that he forgot all about this story, as he is on holiday. He underlined however that he signed the distribution contract for the US, but he does not know when will the movie be launched there.
Police. adjective received the FIPRESCI award and the Jury Award for Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Festival. Romanian movie critic, Chirilov declared that Porumboiu's movie received a lot of praises in the US press, which ensures the visibility of the movie.
