Bucharest mayor hopeful Nicusor Dan thanks PNL leader, pledges support to business environment

Independent deputy Nicusor Dan, who is backed for Bucharest mayor by the Save Romania Union (USR), thanked Liberal leader Ludovic Orban for supporting his bid and announced that if he wins a term as mayor, he will support the business environment. "I thank Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban for supporting my candidacy for the City Hall. This is a gesture of utmost political responsibility, given that the PNL itself has highly competent people for this position. Through this gesture of responsibility, the Bucharesters' desire to have a single candidate of the opposition running against the Firea - Social Democrat administration is very close to being fulfilled," Nicusor Dan said in a statement. He assured the business environment that they will have a reliable partner in him. "The city needs development, and the private sector is the driver of development. We will simplify the interaction with the authority, we will issue all the permits within the legal term. We will be an interface between the local business environment and the local education system. We will have a fair and predictable policy. We will provide financial and logistic support to technology, creative industry and research start-ups. We will build, in public-private partnership, conference centers that will put Bucharest on the global business map," he said. PNL Chairman Ludovic Orban announced on Thursday that he supports Nicusor Dan's run for Bucharest mayor in this year's elections, but mentioned that this proposal still requires the approval of the party's leading bodies. AGERPRES (RO - author: Irinela Visan, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)