The company has recently announced new book publishing businesses in Bosnia and Serbia, its fifth and sixth new country launches in the past two years.

Thomas D. Gardner, President of Reader's Digest International, said the decision to publish the magazine in Romania followed successful launches of the company's book and music publishing businesses in that country, beginning 18 months ago.

"We chose Romania for the newest edition of Reader's Digest because we see the conditions for a great fit with our magazine," Gardner said in remarks prepared for local ceremonies to celebrate the launch. "Romanians have a passion for reading, expressed in their famous love of books and magazines."

The first issue of the Romanian Reader's Digest went on newsstands today.
It features an in-depth survey about the aspirations of Romanian youth ahead of European Union integration, an exclusive U.S. Reader's Digest report on survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and a story on the threat of avian flu, which has been identified in Romania.

The Romanian edition will have an initial print run of 150,000 copies and will target an audience aged 30-55.

RDA today also announced the launch of its new book publishing businesses in Bosnia and Serbia. Its first book is "Discovering the Wonders of the World," "a strong-selling title in neighboring countries", said Lubos Beniak, Managing Director of RDA's Central Europe Region.
The company now operates in nine Central European countries and publishes in eight languages.

RDA began its book publishing business in Romania in April 2004, at the time marking the company's first new-country venture in nearly a decade. The local entity is called Editura Reader's Digest. RDA's books published in Romania so far include "Discovering the Wonders of the World," "Great Mysteries of the Past" and "Curing Everyday Ailments the Natural Way." It also has begun offering musical collections, beginning with "150 Best Loved Melodies."

The publishing ventures in Bosnia and Serbia are being operated in cooperation with the Slovenian publishing house Mladinska knjiga, which also partners with RDA in Slovenia and Croatia. Mladinska knjiga is the leading publisher in Slovenia, a distinction it has held for more than 60 years dating to the time of the former Yugoslav federation. The company publishes more than 400 book titles a year with print runs of almost 2 million copies.

The Reader's Digest Association Inc. is a global publisher and direct marketer of products that inform, entertain and inspire people of all ages and cultures around the world. RDA markets products in more than 60 countries worldwide. Its most recent launches were in Croatia, Romania, Slovenia and Ukraine. The company had revenues of $2.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005. Global headquarters are located