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Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced new visit to China next year
Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Thursday announced that he talked with the Chinese Prime Minister about a new visit to China next year.'We have also talked this morning that we want to see each other again next year in Beijing, because we celebrate 65 years of diplomatic relations - Romania was among the first countries having recognised the People's Republic of China - , on which occasion we should actually do a follow-up of this visit, see what stage we are encountered in, after six-seven months, with the projects we initiated. Therefore next year we shall know more, once we have the meeting in Beijing,' Victor Ponta said in a statement at 'Henri Coanda' International Airport, after Prime Minister Li Keqiang's departure from Romania.
The chief of Government appreciated the 'unexpectedly open' attitude of the Chinese Premier towards Romania. 'I believe, in the first place, that the speech delivered in Parliament was an unexpectedly open and informal speech. It is a certain tradition of speeches and the fact that he made a digression from what he had as a written speech for some extremely personal notes is the most important thing and, honestly, least expected, but in a positive sense,' Victor Ponta said.
Chinese investments amount to over 5 billion euros
Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Thursday announced that the value of the Chinese investments resulted following the official visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Bucharest exceeded 5 billion euros.
'It is about projects with a cumulated value exceeding 5 billion euros. It is a moderate-pessimistic amount and I am trying to be extremely moderated, as I understand that from the documents' signing, from the very clear intentions to the projects achievement an entire series of steps and concrete elements is needed. If we sum up, there are about 8 billion, but I am trying to be cautious,' the Romanian Prime Minister said.
Victor Ponta announced he would personally supervise the implementing of all the initialled projects and pointed out that a first document concerning the construction of a fast railway would be signed by Transports Minister Ramona Manescu in December.
'All memorandums and agreements signed between Romania and China referring to investments in energy, infrastructure, IT will be under my own supervision and that of each minister, vice prime minister, and in January we shall devote a part of the Government meeting to the steps made for implementing these important projects,' Ponta pointed out.
According to Ponta, Romania has a great opportunity in organising the meetings of Bucharest these days.
'It has been an extraordinary regional opportunity, because Romania represented these days the focus centre of all the countries in the region. The Premiers who came (...) saw in Romania a regional leader, a country that can contribute to the development of the entire region form the economic and political point of view. There is a huge potential for our country and for the region, a chance that does not come every year, not even every decade. It is up to us to use this opportunity,' Victor Ponta pointed out.
In this context, the Premier thanked all those who contributed to the organisation of the visit and of the meetings in Bucharest, the media representatives, but also all the parliamentary groups who attended the speech of the Chinese Prime Minister in the Parliament plenum.
Foodstuff export agreement with China signed, promotion campaign needed
The Romanian and Chinese authorities signed the agreements setting the legal framework for the export of foodstuffs to China, but the Romanian firms must move fast in order to have sufficient results and a campaign to promote the Romanian products is needed next year in this respect, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said at the Henri Coanda 'Otopeni' Airport on Thursday, after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang left Bucharest.
'We, in fact, signed the agreements by which the Chinese market, after many years, is unlocked for the food exports. It is about pork, beef and cattle /.../ thank Goodness Romania produces enough! And a market like China's is a market with endless potential. We will never be able to produce so much food as a large city or a region of China can consume. Such documents have been signed. Now, obviously, (the moves rest with) the private firms, because from now on we no longer speak of governmental contracts. But the specialized authorities in our two countries, namely the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority and the Chinese counterpart authority have carried out all the procedures and now our private companies have the market legally opened', the prime minister explained.
He added that the Romanian wine exports to China have increased very much lately.
'We must devise a promotion campaign for our products next year, because everybody wants to sell to China now, you can imagine! But if we do not carry out a promotion of the Romanian products, which in fact are competitive both in terms of quality and price, we might not have sufficient results. The legal framework is now in place, the agreements have been signed and now it rests with the Romanian firms to move as fast as possible', Ponta said.