Premium
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said in southeastern Constanta on Thursday that the Government will ensure the financing of investments and the completion of infrastructure projects to ensure the multimodal interconnection of the seaport with the European transport infrastructure.
"Whether we like it or not, we have a big advantage. Romania has the main gateway in the southeastern area of Europe, which is the Port of Constanta. Our thinking must be to make the most of this strategic advantage that we have for the benefit of Romania. A port with very good parameters, a port where experience is accumulated, a historic port and a port that can benefit from a spectacular development. Of course, this requires investment in port infrastructure, in transport infrastructure within the port and infrastructure to ensure connectivity and especially to reduce waiting times for carriers, both on rail and on road. (...) We will provide funding to increase the competitiveness of Constanta Port, but it is necessary to complete some fundamental investments for goods and people to reach Europe or come from Europe to the port of Constanta. We need the completion of transport infrastructure projects up to the western border, which ensure interconnection with European transport infrastructure, so that those who want to transport goods or people can choose Romania, not other routes or other ports, because there is a competition," Ludovic Orban said.
In this context, the Prime Minister criticized the lack of sustained investments in large-scale projects for the unitary development of multimodal transport infrastructure in Romania.
"Constanta has many comparative advantages, only that between the comparative advantages that any carrier analyzes there are the links with the European infrastructure; how fast and safe the goods can be transported on the territory of Romania. Or here, unfortunately, many governments, especially left-wing, have left last transport infrastructure and these fundamental projects for Romania's economic development. They treated them as a Cinderella of Romania's economic policies. For us, investments in transport infrastructure, first of all in completing transport infrastructure that allows the exploitation of the Port of Constanta, the geostrategic position of Romania, represent top priority. When the construction of the barge terminal was conceived, the thought was to be able to transport by barges on the Danube," Orban said.
The head of the Executive also reiterated that there is an urgent need for investments to support river transport on the Danube all year round," Orban said.
"And here, those who came afterwards, threw in the drawers the investment projects aimed at ensuring the navigability of the Danube. We have to ensure the standard seaworthiness requirements because otherwise few will venture onto the Danube, as long as they run into all kinds of obstacles on the river and risk delaying, increasing their costs, or even endangering their wares. Investing in ensuring seaworthiness standards on the Danube, modern traffic management systems and infrastructure development, including the development of Danube port infrastructure, is a priority for the Government I lead. We also need a little diplomacy, to convince the Bulgarians, we certainly need a more extensive negotiation at European level that really allows us to make the most of the competitive strategic advantages that we have," the Prime Minister concluded.
