U.S. Ambassador to Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec said Thursday that she is in favor of fair treatment for companies and investors from Romania, noting that 960 U.S. companies are active there, employing nearly 110,000 people, and before taking the post , in Bucharest held meetings with representatives of dozens of American companies to find out what problems they face when they want to enter the Romanian market. She added that the reforms, including in the PNRR, help Romania develop and have the support of the US, News.ro reports.

“My priority is to strengthen our commercial and investment ties. Before coming to Romania, I met with dozens of American companies to better understand the opportunities and challenges they face when expanding their business or entering the Romanian market. Now that I’m here, I intend to continue these discussions in as many forums as possible,” Ambassador Kathleen Kavalek said in a speech delivered Thursday in the presence of Nicolae Chuke and Marcel Cholak at the American Chamber of Commerce General Assembly. from Romania (AmCham).

“The strength of our economic ties is a key priority of our bilateral relations,” Ambassador Kavalec emphasized.

“I intend to make efforts to expand the presence of American companies and investments in Romania,” said the diplomatic representative of Washington.

“I will advocate for fair treatment of companies and investors, and my team will continue to support Romania’s efforts to fight corruption and strengthen the rule of law,” said Kathleen Kavalec. “I will continue to deliver this message in my discussions with ministers and parliamentarians from across the political spectrum,” the ambassador added.

According to her, 960 American companies are currently operating in Romania, employing almost 110,000 people. “However, I know there is still a lot of room for growth. And AmCham Romania is our most valuable partner in accelerating this growth,” said the US ambassador.

Kathleen Kavalec announced that the upcoming summit of the Investment Fund of the Three Seas Initiative will focus on energy security, infrastructure development and digitalization, while US officials believe that the countries of the Black Sea region must reach their “full potential as a strategic link between Europe and the Central Asia”, in the conditions of Russian aggression in Ukraine.

“Last week, we made efforts to expand cooperation, bilateral trade and investment at the eighth round of the US-Romania Strategic Dialogue. High-ranking representatives of the State Department, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Defense, who participated in the event, emphasized the importance of transatlantic unity in deterring aggression. They emphasized the need for the Black Sea countries to fully develop their potential as a strategic link between Europe and Central Asia,” said Kathleen Kavalek.

Reforms for a competitive economy

The diplomat insisted on the need for Romania to continue reforms, including those provided for in the PNRR, stressing that it is important to be economically competitive as it faces a geopolitical crisis in the neighborhood. In this regard, she mentioned the opportunities that Romania has in the field of green energy, health care and information technology, and promised the support of the USA in this regard.