Mediafax quoted the statement made by Gerhard Schroder, German Chancellor yesterday: " The matters still debated on with view to fulfilling Romania's EU admission negotiations will be set during the next days". Schroder said: " We are starting from this point: Commission members will notice this month Romania's and Bulgaria's maturity and capacity to integrate in the European Union. I see now reason why negotiation fulfilling should be postponed, if the Commission and the two candidate states are well - meaning". Yesterday the German Chancellor had a meeting with Prime - Minister Adrian Nastase during the Romanian - German conference on economy, held in Essen. The two officials focussed on the stage of Romania's European integration process. (D.E.) Bush won another 4-year mandate to the White House. John Kerry admitted defeat yesterday evening. The Democrat called his opponent and said he admitted failure. Yesterday the Republican did not officially have the 270 votes of the Electoral College, necessary for validating another 4 - year mandate. Bush had 254 votes and Kerry had only 252. Kerry admitted defeat just when the two sides were waiting for the final counting in Ohio. The Democrat candidates disobeyed the advice from Vice President John Edwards, who has asked him to wait till after the final counting. Bush won the popular vote too, with 51% from the total number of votes. Kerry only managed to get 48%. Economy analysts predict dollar growth, but they are reserved with the oil price. Iliescu: "There is enough time to reach decision on acquitting Cozma" Yesterday President Iliescu was ambiguous when he had to say whether he would acquit Miron Cozma, the miners' leader, or not. During his election visit to Barlad, the state president said there was "enough time" to reach decision on the request to acquit Cozma. When journalists asked him if he intended to acquit Miron Cozma, President Iliescu only answered: "Come on, don't ask me silly stuff!" The Miron Cozma case got hot again after PSD (the Social - Democrat Party) Senator Adrian Paunescu had asked that his sentence should be reduced. One day after Paunescu's claim, the French miners' unions released a Presidency reaction to the request to acquit Cozma. The document clearly shows that Iliescu is willing to acquit the leader of miners from Valea Jiului. (C.E.)