Romania must become energy producer in Black Sea region

Romania has extraordinary local energy resources and that is why it is very important that it should no longer remain merely a transit country in the Black Sea region, but it should also become an energy producer, the Energy Department director general Elena Popescu told an international specialised conference on Thursday.

'Romania has very privileged geographical location in South-Eastern Europe, in the Black Sea region. I can see this privilege from two perspectives, namely that we can have a role in this region and we have huge opportunities... I see Romania's position as an opportunity to become even stronger and strengthen its potential for stability and economic development. Romania has different economic development from other Western countries and it is important that we should not remain merely a transit country for the Black Sea region,' Popescu said.

Addressing the international conference on Energy Security in the Enlarged Black Sea Area, a Contributor to the European Energy Security, the Romanian official said, 'On the other hand, we have extraordinary potential, we have local energy resources, diversified resources by hydro-power, hydro-carbons, renewables, coal, nuclear. I think we must take advantage of this energy mixture. Of course, being located at the Black Sea and benefiting from potential resources we should know how to negotiate with our partners and thus become a producer too'.

The Energy Department official underscored that beyond such territorial advantages of Romania, one must not overlook the weaknesses on Europe's Eastern border.

The Conflict Prevention&Early Warning Centre is organising the international conference at the Palace of Parliament, on Nov. 20-21.AGERPRES