March 18 (SeeNews) - A high-level delegation of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) arrived in Romania on Monday for talks aimed at ramping up investment in the country, the bank said.
The three-day visit includes meetings with prime minister Viorica Dancila, finance minister Eugen Teodorovici and central bank governor Mugur Isarescu, the EBRD said in a statement. The delegation will also hold talks with representatives of the business community.
Discussions will focus on the investment climate, ways to finance local companies, support the development of infrastructure and increase the flow of foreign investment to Romania.
The delegation, led by EBRD first vice president Jurgen Rigterink and vice president Alain Pilloux, is joined by the managing director for CEE and SEE Charlotte Ruhe and by the managing director for Eastern Europe Matteo Patrone, who also led EBRD operations in Romania and Bulgaria between 2015 and 2018. The visit will provide an opportunity to introduce Mark Davis, who will start his new position as regional director for Romania and Bulgaria on April 1.
"The Bank stands ready to further ramp up investment, including through corporate finance, public-private partnerships, infrastructure project finance, privatisation of state-owned enterprises and support for small businesses. I am looking forward to discussing business environment reforms with the government to unlock Romania’s investment potential," Jurgen Rigterink said in the statement.
The EBRD has invested over 8.3 billion euro in Romania to date, including over 400 million euro committed across various sectors of the country's economy in 2018 alone.
($= 0.8836 euro)