BUCHAREST (AFP) – The US ambassador to Bucharest yesterday criticized plans to change Romanian law, which he said would make it harder to fight crime and corruption – but drew a sharp response from a leading politician. “I am quite concerned ... about recent moves by the Parliament to weaken the ability of prosecutors and law enforcement officials to combat a wide range of serious crimes, including bribery and corruption,” said Ambassador Nicholas Taubman. Senior Romanian officials had briefed him on the “serious, negative impact” that the proposed changes would have, he said. Taubman’s remarks drew a sharp response from the speaker of parliament, Bogdan Olteanu. Olteanu retorted that Taubman owed his diplomatic appointment to having funded the election campaign of US President George W. Bush, “which in Romania would be considered an act of corruption, an immoral act.”

BRUGES/PRAGUE (Combined reports) – Turkey and Western Balkan countries must be allowed to join the European Union when ready, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said yesterday. “Countries that are already on the accession path – Turkey and the Western Balkans – must be given full membership as soon as they fully meet the criteria,” Miliband said in a prepared speech at the European College in the Belgian city of Bruges. Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek pledged yesterday to accelerate talks on Turkey’s EU membership bid when Prague takes over the presidency of the bloc. “During the Czech presidency we can intensify negotiations,” Topolanek said at a joint conference at the start of an official visit to Prague by his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Reuters, AFP)

A Romanian man convicted of plotting a car bomb attack was sentenced to 12 years in prison yesterday. Ioan Florin Lesch was found guilty of planning to carry out a car bomb attack in the western city of Timisoara to protest the country’s alliance with the United States in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lesch planned to detonate the car in a public place in Timisoara, authorities said. (AP)

Prime Minister Sali Berisha yesterday nominated his legal adviser to replace Albania’s justice minister, after he resigned amid allegations of corruption. Enkeleid Alibeaj, 34, was tapped to replace Ilir Rusmajli, who stepped down on Wednesday following claims by the head of Albania’s prison service that he was promoting his brother’s construction company for a bid to build a new detention facility in the western city of Durres. (AP)