THE DIPLOMAT - BUCHAREST

September - 2005

Feature

Duty Calls - Leaders give bottom line on telecom future

Dynamic. Massive growth. Vast potential. Huge investment. Not words that are often associated with a Romanian industry - unless it's IT & Communications, as Minister Zsolt Nagy tells ‘The Diplomat’

Romania is the most dynamic IT and the telecommunications market in this part of Europe, with the largest growth in the field, assures Zsolt Nagy, Romania's Minister of IT & Communications (IT&C).
Over the last few years the Ministry has dodged the heavy criticism and corruption that has plagued some Government departments.
While the authorities presided over an industry that has seen rapid growth and strong competition, Government interference has been minimal, leaving the market to get on with its own business.

 

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Reports

Reports

Fair game

With multinationals fined for alleged price-fixing and millions of Euro in state aid still in the hands of inefficient business, Michael Bird and Ana-Maria Smadeanu ask: does this country believe in fair competition? The laws are in place. The potential is promising. The Government is supportive. Everything would be perfect, if it was not for the fact that implementation was almost non-existent.

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Cash out of thin air

Romania has cleaned up its act on carbon dioxide emissions, which means it can trade CO2 credits under the principle of the Kyoto protocol. But not for long. Romania can take advantage of trading its credits in gas emissions on the global market, while it still has the status of a developing country.
Under the Kyoto protocol, Romania has not fulfilled its quota for gas emissions that contribute towards global warming.

Reports>

National Day - China

National Day - South Korea

Made in China

As Romania prepares to join China's largest trade partner in 2007, Ana-Maria Smadeanu asks Ambassador Xu Jian about relations between the Asian and Dacian tigers
Over the last 50 years and despite political changes, Chinese trade has managed to stay strong in most western economies and Romania is no exception to this trend. With 56 years since its own revolution, the far eastern nation has retained a tight bond with Romania, the third nation with which it set up bilateral relations, following the USSR and Bulgaria.

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Prime mover

Among the first nations to take a risk on massive investment in Romania, South Korea then saw a lull in its own nation's fortunes, but is now looking to resume its status as a major investor, Ambassador Kim Dae-Sik tells Ana-Maria Smadeanu.
One of the best years for South Korea in Romania was 1994.
It became the largest investor in the country when it bought out the Automobile Craiova car plant, helping at that time to strike confidence in local industry for foreign investment.