Bucharest

NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was due in Romania on Thursday on his first official visit, to discuss consolidation of the Alliance's capacities on its eastern flank and open a NATO Force Integration Unit, NFIU.

Stoltenberg was due to meet President Klaus Iohannis, acting Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea and the Foreign and Defence ministers.

Bucharest to hosts its first genuine mosque / Photo: wikipedia.com

A large mosque, with a capacity to hold 2,000 people, is to be built in Bucharest by the end of 2017 with the financial support of the Turkish state.

NATO heavy equipment

The US Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday announced that Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and Baltic countries have agreed to station NATO heavy equipment on their soil, in a move aimed to strengthen the Alliance's Eastern flank in case of an emergency with Russia.

Romania's Parliament has passed a motion to authorize the construction of two NATO facilities in the capital Bucharest, in a move President Klaus Iohannis says is crucial to security in Eastern Europe.

Gabriel Oprea is Romania's interim PMFoto: Wikipedia.com

Gabriel Oprea, 54, is temporarily replacing Victor Ponta, who is recovering from knee surgery in a Turkish clinic.

Ponta announced on Sunday that he is asking President Klaus Iohannis for leave of "up to 45 days" as permitted by the Romanian constitution.

The leave follows surgery on Ponta's knee last week in Turkey. He left hospital on Sunday but said he needs weeks to recuperate.

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has announced he is vacating the office for some time for health reasons.

A government statement quoted by state-owned AGERPRES news agency reads that a leave of "up to 45 days" will be requested by President Klaus Iohannis in a letter.

Ponta will request that his deputy Gabriel Oprea be named as his replacement for this period.

The President of Portugal, Anibal Cavaco Silva, on a state visit to Romania, and the Mayor of the Bucharest's Sector 3, Robert Negoita have visited on Thursday the construction site of the Park Lake Plaza new commercial centre, near the Titan Park.

The project is a private investment worth 180 million euro and it is to be opened next year.

Romania's National Defence Strategy was presented on Thursday to the representatives of the diplomatic corps of the NATO and EU member states.

The Transport Ministry is considering the preparation of the rail freight operator CFR Marfa for privatization, after it went through an extensive restructuring process in 2014, State Secretary Iulian Matache of the Transport Ministry told a Thursday's conference organized by the Association of European Rail Industry - UNIFE.