RSS
Ponta met Austria's President in Vienna
Premier Victor Ponta told the meeting with President of the Republic of Austria Heinz Fischer on Monday that the result of the local election in Romania was better than he had expected. 'The result of the election was better than we had expected. We must be frank and say that it was also a negative vote to the former Government,' Ponta told the President of Austria.
Premier Victor Ponta pays an official visit to the Republic of Austria and is accompanied by Minister of Transports Ovidiu Silaghui and by Minister Delegate for the Business Environment Lucian Isar.
The Prime Minister also met president of the National Council of the Republic of Austria Barbara Prammer.
PM: Austria and its companies are of great value to Romania
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, accompanied by Romania's Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Ovidiu Silaghi, Minister-delegate for the Business Milieu Lucian Isar and state adviser Eugen Teodorovici on Monday attended a Romania-Austria Business Forum, organised at the headquarters of Austria's Federal Economic Chamber as part of Ponta's official visit to Austria.
In the opening speech, Ponta underscored that the Romanian Govermetn should be pro-active in its relation with the big Austrian companies investing in Romania, telling the participants that he came to Vienna to convey a strong message that Austria and its companies are of great value to Romania.
'I have come here to express my gratitude to all the Austrian companies having invested and created jobs in Romania and also to convey a positive message that we are interested in your investments and that we want to find solutions that will not just secure them, but that will also encourage you to invest more and be more confident in the future of my country,' said Ponta, admitting that Romania still have to make improvements in areas such as the fight against corruption and red tape and improving its intake of European funds.
Minster-delegate Isar introduced to the forum the priorities in the Ponta Cabinet's government programme.
'Given the ongoing global economic instability, the Government has to continue the efforts to create a business milieu that will boost economic relations between Austria and Romania,' said Isar.
Isar also mentioned that the new government has an ambitious programme to boost investments, create jobs, stimulate the business milieu and secure the best conditions for economic conversion. At the same time, among its main priorities are also supporting economic recovery, restructuring the Government-owned enterprises to cut closes and developing the energy sector.
The development of the energy sector, a distinct chapter in the programme of the new Romanian Government, includes speeding up the establishment of the Hunedoara and Oltenia energy compounds as well as national projects of strategic interest in the energy field: the Tarnita-Lapusesti waterpower plant, units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda nuclear-power plant, as well as new energy-generating groups at Rovinari, Isalnita, Iernut, Braila, Galati and Borzesti.
The business partnership between Austria and Romania has so far proved successful, said Isar, adding that there are opportunities that could raise interest in the energy sector: in the area of waterpower plants, the filed of coal-generated energy and the natural gas sector.
State adviser to PM Ponta Eugen Teodorovici talked about investment opportunities and focused on Romania's accessing European funds.
He also mentioned the measures taken by the Government to standardise the award documentations in the case of environmental projects, saying the effects of this measure will be positive, particularly as it reduces the number of challenges.
In his turn, Chairman of the Austrian Chamber of Economy (WKO) Christoph Leitl pointed out that Romania is a partner state and above all a friendly country, which bid for EU membership had been supported by Austria form the very beginning.
'Economic growth in Romania is a chance for Austrian companies; there are very many opportunities in the areas of infrastructure, energy and environmental technology,' said Leitl, adding that there are thousands of Austrian companies currently investing in Romania that employ over 100,000 Romanian workers.
'Changes and improvements need to be achieved and the new government is ambitious and wants to solve such issues. Austria can contribute investment and share its expertise,' said Leitl.
Commercial councilor with the Austrian Embassy in Bucharest Rudofl Lukavsky pointed to the acknowledgement by Austrian companies of the opportunities in Romania, saying that Romania is a market with potential but also with risks.
General Manager Stefan Einfalt of the company that owns the Voestalpine Steel Service Center Romania SRL in the southern Romanian city of Giurgiu, and Manager of Renewable Power Gmbh Dieter Meyer presented the experience of their companies in Romania through data and facts.
Romania is one of Austria's leading trade partners in South-Eastern Europe, Agerpres reports. Austria's exports to Romania increased by 11 percent over the past year, to a current 1.9 billion euros. By its numerous investments in virtually all fields of business, Austria is the second largest foreign investor in Romania, with a massive presence in the fields of alternative energy, tourism and transport infrastructure.
Victor Ponta: I appreciate any company creating at least one job for Romanians
Premier Victor Ponta in Vienna on Monday in a debate at the Federal Economic Chamber of Austria said that he appreciated any company creating at least one job and offering a salary to Romanian employees.
'I came to voice my gratitude for all Austrian companies that have invested money and created jobs in our country and to give a positive message that we are interested in your investments and that we want to find solutions not only to guarantee them, but also to encourage you to invest more and to have more faith in the future of my country,' Premier Ponta said.
He admitted that there were areas in which Romania had to improve, mentioning the fight against corruption, the bureaucracy, and the lack in the capacity of absorbing European funds, for the infrastructure improvement in the first place, but also for the health and education systems.
The Romanian Premier told those present in the forum works that he came to Austria in order to give a strong message that this country and its companies were very important to Romania.
'I believe that Romania has a significant potential and I believe that Austria has made a strategic decision of investing in Romania,' Victor Ponta also said.
The Romanian Prime Minister appreciated that in the future there would be a competition among the European governments for creating a more favourable business environment. In this context, Ponta voiced his hope that he would be able to prove that he was not only the youngest Prime Minister in Europe, but also the most friendly with the business environment.
He also said that Romania's Government had to be proactive in relation with the big Austrian companies investing in Romania.
Victor Ponta pointed out that during the day he would meet the most important Austrian investors in Romania, OMV representatives included.
WKO president: Romania, Austria's major economic partner in South-East Europe
'Romania is Austria's major economic partner in South-East Europe,' said president of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO) Christoph Leitl during the AWO Rumanien Romania-Austria economic forum, where Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Romanian ministers, Austrian officials and representatives of the business milieu in Austria and Romania were present.
The bilateral trade between Romania and Austria amounted to 3 billion euros, stressed Christoph Leitl, adding that Austria's exports to Romania went up by 11 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 1.9 billion euros. On the other hand, the imports went up to 18.4 percent, reaching 1.11 billion euros.
'The economic growth in Romania is a great opportunity for our companies,' said Leitl, adding that a thousand Austrian companies invest in Romania at the moment and the amount of investments has reached 10 billion euros. The Austrian companies create 100,000 jobs for the Romanian employees.
'Nevertheless, it is room for changes and improvement, and the new government has great ambitions and wants to change all the current issues. We can contribute by investments and expertise,' Christoph Leitl stressed.
The Romanian Head of Government stressed during the opening speech of the forum that the Romanian Government must be proactive in its relation with the major Austrian companies investing in Romania and told those present at the meeting that he came to Vienna to send a 'strong message' that Austria and its companies hold a great importance for Romania.
Victor Ponta is against harsh austerity measures when there is no urge to growth
'I do not like the word ‘austerity' very much, ‘fiscal discipline' sounds better,' Romanian Premier Victor Ponta on Monday, in Vienna, told a press conference, which was also attended by president of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Christoph Leitl, Agerpres quotes APA as saying.
The Romanian Premier rejected the idea of taking the harsh saving measures by any means and, in his capacity as chairman of the Social Democratic Party, pleaded for stimulating growth and combating unemployment, thus supporting the anti-austerity outlook offered by new French President François Hollande, informs APA.
'It will be very difficult for Europeans to resist a triple A, which is for austerity, austerity and austerity again,' said Ponta, who voiced hope that Europe would also concentrate on the creation of new jobs.
As for Greece, Ponta hopes that a stable coalition government will come to power in Athens.
'Any sign of weakness affects the entire region,' said Victor Ponta, who added that 17 percent of the Romanian banking system was in the hands of Greek banks.
The Romanian Premier added that the National Bank of Romania and Romania's Government managed to keep the exchange rate under control although it was not easy as the leu had been affected in the past few weeks by the uncertainty referring to Greece possibly getting out of the Eurozone.
After the victory in the June 10 local election, Ponta said he was also confident in what refers to a success of his party in the legislative election in autumn.
'Considering the latest success in the election [the local election of June 10], I am optimistic enough about our getting the majority,' said the Premier, who added that this was a positive signal for the business climate too, as it signals political stability.