Cristian Popa, NBR: S&P's decision, difficult to anticipate

Standard & Poor's decision to downgrade Romania's rating was difficult to anticipate, as the economy in its entirety is no more vulnerable than the economies of comparable countries, the vice-governor of the National Bank of Romania, Cristian Popa said yesterday.

The financial rating agency on Monday lowered Romania's rating for long-term foreign currency sovereign loans to BB plus from BBB minus and the short-term credit rating to B from A minus; the rating outlook in both cases was negative, as a result of the risks arising from the high need for financing from international credit markets.

Ziarul Financiar