Romania's GDP growth leads the EU

Romania's GDP growth leads the EU

Quarterly economic growth registers at 1.7 percent in Romania, Eurostat says. In other business news: Turkey ranks third in a list of the world's friendliest destinations for Muslim travellers; Albania encourages Italian investment.

The GDP in Romania grew by 5.1 percent this year. [AFP]

Romania registered the highest GDP growth among all EU countries in the last quarter of 2013, according to Eurostat data. Over the period Romania's economic growth stood at 1.7 percent compared to 0.4 percent for the EU as a whole. On an annual basis Romania's GDP expanded by 5.1 percent.

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Cyprus-based messaging app provider Viber Media has been acquired by Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten for $900 million. Viber will add 300 million users to Rakuten's existing 200 million users.

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Greece's economy contracted less than expected in the last quarter of 2013. Over the period, GDP shrank by 2.6 percent after dropping 3 percent in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, unemployment reached a new high of 28 percent in November from 27.7 percent in October.

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Bulgaria and Turkey agreed to suspend transit permits by March. The decision came after a three-day blockade of the main border checkpoint by truck drivers over a dispute involving one-off transit traffic permits.

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The first office of the Chinese Southeast European Business Association (CSEBA) has opened in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. The organisation, aimed at supporting Chinese investors seeking to invest in the region, plans to open offices in 24 countries, including Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey, Greece and Moldova.

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Hundreds of Cypriot state utility and port workers...