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The stake of the accession to the OECD is the completion of a significant process of modernization of Romania, already consolidated through the integration into the EU, but also through the accession to NATO, declared prime minister Nicolae Ciuca, who participates, on Thursday, during his visit to Paris, in the Conference of the International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA) Tackling Growing Disruption.
"The reforms undertaken by Romania in the last 30 years have strengthened our economic and social resilience. This resilience helps us manage the impact of the successive crises that not only our continent, but the whole world has faced and that we still have to deal with," Nicolae Ciuca said.
He mentioned the COVID pandemic, which had repercussions in terms of supply and production chains, followed by the energy crisis and the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Regarding the crisis in Ukraine, he called for support from the business environment and civil society.
"Romania offers a solid support platform for Ukrainian refugees, a humanitarian assistance center for Ukraine, the most efficient gateway for the transit of Ukrainian grain to the rest of the world, a safe haven for Ukrainian businesses that can and want to temporarily move. However, no government will be able to provide consistent and long-term support without business and civil society on its side. I invite you all to continue to get involved with financial support, projects, initiatives to allow Ukraine to win the war," Ciuca also declared.
The lesson learned in recent months, the prime minister emphasized, is that dialogue, cooperation and solidarity are essential not only for defending our values and way of life, but also for strengthening our resilience.
In the context, on the energy component, the prime minister said that the main stake, at this moment, is the reduction of dependence on Russian gas and oil.
"Since February, the European Union has had to accelerate its search for alternative energy routes and sources. It is very clear now that the transatlantic partnership does not only have a security and defense component, but also a very strong energy dimension. The United States contributes to the supply of LNG to replace a third of existing contracts with Russia before the start of the conflict. An unprecedented mobilization is stimulating the construction of new energy infrastructure to connect Europe to North Africa or the Middle East. From Romania to Central Europe, from Poland to Greece, new LNG terminals and interconnections are operational. This is the most suitable answer for our citizens who want leaders to act and respond to their needs with determination and ingenuity," highlighted Ciuca.
At the same time, he said, in the current context, in the face of overlapping crises, the energy transition should remain an ambitious objective.
"Moreover, additional pressure on industry and the economy must be avoided. This is the reason why Romania has continued to bet on nuclear energy, while our natural gas resources from offshore and onshore perimeters will support as transitional sources. We are preparing the energy transition, with a clear preference for a smooth progression," Ciuca also said.
He also marked the importance of the digital transition.
"In Romania, we focus on the digitization of public services for both citizens and companies. The main objective is to contribute to the deep transformation of the economy, public administration and society, increasing performance and efficiency in the public sector, by creating value based on digitization, innovation and digital technologies.(...) In a digitized society and economy, the cyber security component is crucial. Beyond the national capacities, Romania will also host the European Cyber Security Competence Center. This is of particular importance, considering the war in Ukraine and the risk of the intensification of hybrid threats," Ciuca pointed out.
The head of the executive also declared that the war, the energy and food crisis, the high inflation are not good news, but Romania has solutions at hand.
"In the case of Romania, efforts are channeled towards investments and support for those most affected by the crisis. (...) In the long term, the main factor that will influence the evolution of the GDP is the accumulation of capital, by continuing the implementation of viable investment projects and the start of new ones, boosted to a large extent by EU funds. Therefore, one of the main priorities of my Cabinet is to have an open collaboration between investors and the Government in order to find together the best development solutions," Ciuca said.AGERPRES
