Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on Wednesday welcomed a delegation of the European Investment Bank (EIB), on a visit to Romania to sign a financing contract worth EUR 500 million, the first tranche of a total package of EUR 1 billion for the construction of the A1 Sibiu-Pitesti motorway.

According to the government, Bolojan underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation with the EIB and other European financial institutions, in close partnership with the European Commission.

He highlighted the fact that, amidst the tax and budgetary commitments, the EIB’s support is important for the co-financing of projects already included in the national budget planning, thus ensuring the continuation and completion of investments.

„A priority area of cooperation is energy, where Romania aims to become a regional hub. That requires investment in smart grids, storage technologies and the modernisation of transport and distribution infrastructure. Strengthening energy security and integration with European grids require efficient interconnections, cross-border projects and alignment with common standards.”

The Prime Minister also proposed to extend collaboration to include support for projects carried out by local administrations that need co-financing to complete the investments under implementation.

The EIB representatives expressed their readiness to identify additional support instruments, including for the defence industry, and to continue providing technical assistance to public bodiess, businesses and universities.

Also attending the meeting was Mihai Jurca, head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery. AGERPRES