PM Emil Boc in Budapest: Energy solidarity is indispensable

The global economic crisis has seriously affected the energy sector, causing cuts in the investments in the field, and in order to ensure their energy security, the states have to act in a convergent manner and benefit from the European Union's support, PM Emil Boc said during the Visegrad countries' Summit on Energy Security, in Budapest, on Wednesday.

'Given these challenges, we have to identify new opportunities, profitable for everybody, in the energy sector, and to co-work and make them fruitful. We also must have in view the employment, a key objective,' PM Boc pointed out.

The Romanian Government's head admitted that each state is, above all, responsible for its own security, but he stressed that in the current economic and geo-political context, the solidarity among the neighboring countries is essential for the energy policies.

'It is only this way that we can ensure the security at the regional level. For historical and economic reasons the Central and the Southeastern European counties must coordinate better among them, but they also need more support on the EU's behalf,' PM Boc stressed.

He also mentioned that within the energy strategy for 2007-2020, Romania has three goals in view, namely the sustainable diversification and development and the energy efficiency, the development of the renewable energy sources along with boosting energy market's competitiveness and deregulation.

'In the field of crude and methane, Romania's outlook for a safer future focuses on the diversification of the energy sources and routes,' said PM Boc underlining that the Nabucco project is a priority for Romania.

'Likewise, Romania strengthened its cooperation in the energy field with the countries of the Caucasus area, and signed two inter-ministerial accords with Georgia and Azerbaijan,' PM Boc stressed.
'Pragmatism and the viable joint projects, as well as the mutual support based on trust and solidarity should be our guiding principles. We have to coordinate our actions better, so that our interests should materialize,' PM Boc concluded.
Political step taken at Energy Security Summit has to be followed by concrete actions
Interconnection of the national systems with those of the neighboring states in the field of natural gas and electricity represents an extremely important measure set to contribute to the energy security of the Central and Southeastern European countries, as well as of the European Union in general, underlined Premier Emil Boc in a press statement given at the end of the Visegrad Countries Summit on Energy Security, organized in Budapest.

'Last year energy crisis proved how vulnerable we are at individual level, as EU member countries but, especially those from the Central and Eastern Europe, as a collective entity, therefore we need efficient and pragmatic measures. Every pragmatic and efficient measure must start with a political decision', said Emil Boc, referring to the declaration adopted by the meeting in Budapest.

He underlined that the political step, the Summit's Declaration, must be followed by concrete political actions, namely the funding of some projects aimed at energy security. The top level official voiced Romania's standpoint, which stakes, on one hand, on the policy of diversification of the routes and energy sources and, on the other, on the backing up some important projects both for Romania and for the EU. 'We speak about Nabucco mainly, a project expressly mentioned by the Declaration, to which the introduction of the project on liquefied Gas Terminal in Constanta is added, as a priority objective earmarked for financing', detailed Emil Boc, quoted by Agerpres correspondent.