Romania can become a hub for Israeli goods to the European Community

 Israeli officials have voiced interest in making a series of investment in the development of sea and inland transportation around the Port of Constanta and on the waterway of the Danube corridor, according to Chairman of the Romania Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIR), Mihai Daraban. According to him, Romania can thus become a hub for Israeli goods to the European Community. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR) hosted on Wednesday, June 9, a business to business (B2B) meetings within the Romania-Israel Business Forum, an event organised on the sidelines of an official visit to Romania by Israel's President Reuven Rivlin. Part of its endeavour to sustain and internationalise Romanian business, CCIR organised inside the Business Forum, three simultaneous panels with important themes to drawing foreign investment to Romania: Cyber and homeland security - Smart cities, Digital health, as well as Agriculture and water management. More than 130 Romanian and Israeli companies participated in more than 220 B2B meetings within the panels, as well as more than 70 officials from the two countries. According to CCIR, concurrently with the forum, Daraban had working meetings with officials of the Israeli Export Institute, the Manufacturers Association of Israel, and the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, which reflected a common interest in boosting bilateral economic relations. "The Romania-Israel Business Forum provided the perfect opportunity for the business community of the two countries to have a direct dialogue, face to face, and to get involved, in this way, in joint projects. At my meetings with officials of the Israeli Export Institute, the Manufacturers Association of Israel, and the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce a number of areas of work for short- and medium-term co-operation were identified. The Israeli voiced interest in conducting investment in the development of sea and inland transportation around the Port of Constanta and on the navigable waterways of the Danube corridor, and Romania can thus become a hub for Israeli goods to the European Community. CCIR will sign a memorandum of understanding with these three important economic entities and in furtherance of the efforts to promote and internationalise the Romanian business, we will organise at the end of this year a trade mission to Israel," said CCIR Daraban. At the same time, during the Romania-Israel Business Forum, CCIR facilitated a government to government (G2G) meeting, chaired by Israeli Trade Commissioner Ohad Cohen, ambassador Yael Ravia -Zadok, Deputy Director General, Economic Affairs the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Amir Sagron, Deputy Head of the Embassy of Israel in Bucharest, and jointly with top official with the Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalisation Alexandru Bologan. Also in attendance were officials of Romania's Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Agriculture. Data with the National Companies Registry Office (ONRC) show the total volume of Romania-Israel trade amounted to 570.15 million euros at the end of 2020. As of March 2021, there were 8,298 Israeli companies doing business in Romania with a total value of the subscribed share capital of 64.04 million euros. AGERPRES (RO - author: Nicoleta Banciulea, editor: Nicoleta Gherasi; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Cristina Zaharia)