RSS
Romania, Slovakia to cooperate in turning Danube into 'a water highway'
Romania and Slovakia agreed to cooperate in the next period to develop the Danube infrastructure, so that the river will become an important waterway in the future for the European traders, Mihai Daraban, head of Romania's Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated on Wednesday.
On Wednesday he met in Bucharest with his Slovakian counterpart, Peter Mihok, who is also the chair of the World Chambers Federation.
The two officials signed the cooperation agreement between Romania's and Slovakia's Commerce Chambers.
'Trade exchanges between the two countries reach up to 2 billion euros. However, there is no room left at this point for more significant growth, unless we jointly develop large-scale infrastructure projects. First of all, we will be focusing on transportation, especially considering Danube as a main route. We agreed thus to work out a common policy to develop this important transportation route, especially in the context that one of the new European Commissioners for Transport seems that it will be Slovakian. I voiced disappointment before with the Danube not looking like Rhine, which is truly like a water highway,' said Daraban.
He added that the Constanta port too should be regarded more as an international port and not just as a national one.
'We must join our efforts to enter the emergent markets, since partnership possibilities are already saturated at European level,' claimed the head of the Romanian Commerce Chamber.
In his turn, Peter Mihok showed that the Slovakian companies want to grow their exports to Romania, especially in the IT&C field, where they have a good international experience.
'Moreover, the small and medium-sized enterprises must also be encouraged to leave the local space, within which they were used to limit their operations, and look more into their international prospects. This is also valid for Romania, not only for Slovakia,' he specified.