Commissioner Alumnia: Recent amelioration of Romania's situation would not have been possible without measures that were taken

European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Alumnia congratulated the Romanian authorities for their efforts and voiced hope that the European Commission would soon give Romania the second tranche, worth one billion euros, of the5 billion euro loan contracted in Bucharest from the European Commission.

He congratulated the Romanian authorities and the Romanian people for the efforts they made during this global crisis in order to limit the deterioration of the budget deficit and preserve the macroeconomic stability, reads s written statement made by the office of Commissioner Alumnia on Wednesday. I am confident that the European Commission will be able soon to transfer the second tranche of the loan, worth one billion euros, a thing that had only been postponed because of the delay in adopting the 2010 budget, also says the Commissioner.

The European Commissioner appreciates that the international assistance package worth almost 20 billion euros, also including the 5 billion euro loan from the European Commission, helped improve the economic circumstances and prospects of Romania and reduced fiscal tensions and the foreign financial pressure. But Alumnia admits that this recent amelioration of the situation would not have been possible without the measures that were taken and accepted by the Romanian society.

Joaquin Alumnia emphasizes the fact that, although the current year is expected to bring a relaunch of the growth in the EU and Romania, efforts must continue, especially as regards the budget deficit, with a view to ensuring a more marked and more intense activity in the future.

On Wednesday, at the end of the evaluation mission in Romania carried out by the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission over January 20-27, Fabienne Ilzkovitz, head of unit of the European Commission, made it clear that Brussels would unblock the next trache of the loan on march.

Agerpres