Loading ...Chairman of the Romanian Senate Mircea Geoana said on Wednesday evening in Brussels, he was optimistic about the identification at the European Council of a balanced formula between the various energy paths included in the package of energy projects presented by the European Commission (EC).
'I do not believe there's about a competition between Nabucco and South Stream, but there's a need for balance between the northern and southern area.
'I do not believe there's about a competition between Nabucco and South Stream, but there's a need for balance between the northern and southern area.
I believe everyone will understand that these alternative corridors for the south Europe represent not only an economic or commercial dimension, but in the first place a strategic one for ensuring energy independence. Besides, they do not represent a hostile gesture to a third country, but the attempt of finding formulas that should gather geopolitical balance and economic yield alike,' said Geoana at the end of the meeting held with European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia.
A topic approached by the Chairman of the Senate, who is accompanied to Brussels by Vice Premier Dan Nica at the meeting with Almunia was the relationship between the facility of supporting the balance of payments and the International Monetary Fund. In this respect, the Romanian side requested that in the talks that will be held in Bucharest 'conditions imposed on Romania should not sacrifice the convergence between Romania and the European average and allow a social balance and a volume of investments that should lead to the fast recovery of the Romanian economy.
Geoana resumed the statements made on Wednesday in Bucharest according to which an important rectification of the state budget is needed because the deficit of 2 percent initially established is not in line with the evolution of the economic situation and because the Romanian economy needs investments under the current economic circumstances, bring about a rise in the budget deficit.
Another topic approached during the talks with Joaquin Almunia referred to the way of finding a mechanism through which commercial banks which operate in Romania should be determined or encouraged to restart crediting in the Romanian economy and whether an agreement will be reached with the IMF and the support of the reserve of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), one should examine whether the minimal compulsory reserve, eventually diminished \ , might be used for the resumption of crediting in foreign currency.
Mircea Geoana said that the high officail of the European body expressed availability as regards the request for outdistancing structural and cohesion funds from the final years of the current financial outlook (2012 and 2013) towards 2009 and 2010. Referring to the European Spring Council that starts on Thursday in Brussels , Mircea Geoana said that he expected the leaders of the 27 EU states show solidarity and coherent vision, avoiding the protectionist tendencies.
'This beginning of economic nationalism, sometimes aggressive, is a real virus at the foundation of the European construction. I hope for the existence of a coherent vision of Central Europe. It is important not to set up artificial division lines,' said Geoana.
Vice-Premier Dan Nica for his part said that the finalisation of the assessment by the European Commission experts who are in Bucharest is expected next week.
Vice-Premier Dan Nica for his part said that the finalisation of the assessment by the European Commission experts who are in Bucharest is expected next week.
The Romanian side is hoping the solution will be realistic. 'As I told Commissioner Almunia , the preliminary figures of January show that the level of foreign investments turns Romania into an attractive country,' said Dan Nica.
On Thursday, Mircea Geoana and Dan Nica, as representatives of the Social Democratic Party (PSD, in the ruling coalition) will take part in the meeting of the European Socialist Party.
On Thursday, Mircea Geoana and Dan Nica, as representatives of the Social Democratic Party (PSD, in the ruling coalition) will take part in the meeting of the European Socialist Party.
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