Constantin Codreanu

Romanian parliamentarians have called on Bucharest to withdraw the Romanian citizenship of the Moldovan Prime Minister, Ion Chicu, after he suggested that Romania was one of the most corrupt countries in Europe, and used harsh language about Romanian officials.

Romania's parliament is to discuss a bill that would allow ethnic Romanians from non-EU countries in the Balkans to get jobs in Romania more easily than other non-EU citizens, to meet a growing labour shortage.

MPs from a number of parties submitted the bill to the Senate last week. It must now be discussed by parliamentary commissions and in plenary sessions.

The National Council of the Cultural Association Pro Bessarabia and Bucovina, the Committee for the Romanian communities abroad of the Deputies Chamber and the Ministry for Romanians Everywhere on Saturday organized, at the Parliament Palace, a festivity in celebration of the Centenary of the Great Union of the Romanians.

Romania says it will issue 14 working and diplomatic passports to clergy of the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, which is canonically subordinate to the Romanian Orthodox Church.

The Orthodox Church in the former Soviet republic is split between the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia and the Metropolitan Church of Moldova, which is subordinate to the Moscow Partriarchate.