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President Klaus Iohannis welcomed, on Thursday, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, the delegation of the OMV Group, led by Alfred Stern, the new CEO of the group.
"Against the backdrop of the current situation on the natural gas market, the President of Romania expressed the need to protect vulnerable consumers and the economy in its entirety, following the marked increase of prices," shows the Presidential Administration in a release.
According to the quoted source, on the occasion of the meeting, the leadership of the OMV Group presented the company's development strategy in Romania for the coming period, but also the results of the current activity, as well as of the corporate social responsibility initiatives. OMV Group expressed its commitment to remain a trustworthy partner for the long-term for the Romanian state.
The discussions revolved around the challenges and opportunities generated by the process of energy transition. One of the important subjects of the meeting was the noted increase of prices for natural gas and electrical energy, a worrying aspect given that Romania is an important producer of natural gas in the region.
In the current context, President Iohannis emphasized the determining role played by natural gas and the exploitation of deposits in the Black Sea in the transition to green energy, in agreement with the European Green Plan and the horizon of the European package Fit for 55.
"The Black Sea region is and must remain a pole of regional stability and a strategic perimeter for national security. Romania disposes of real potential in the realm of natural gas production, the capitalization of which may and must ensure energy independence," the Presidential Administration mentions.
Furthermore, President Klaus Iohannis stated his support for the partnership between OMV Petrom and the Romgaz National Company in the Neptune Deep offshore project, essential both for supplying energy security, as well as for reaching the objectives regarding energy transition, Agerpres.ro informs.
"The conclusion of negotiations between the American company ExxonMobil and the Romgaz National Company creates encouraging premises for the involvement of the national producer as an active partner in exploiting natural gas in the Black Sea and for the project to be streamlined," the Presidential Administration shows.
The head of state also reiterated the necessity to invest in new energy production capacities, based largely on renewable sources, important for the energy mix assumed by Romania in the context of the new European ambitions regarding energy neutrality.
He also showed appreciation for the active involvement of OMV Petrom in local communities, through social-educational projects to ensure energy efficiency at the level of school units.
