British-Romanian partnerships

The British trade mission to Romania, whose members are meeting with Romanian officials in Bucharest and Constanta these days, has already shown results, as two pre-contracts were signed with Romanian companies, in aerospace and information technology.

“British group BAE Systems has concluded an agreement with Romaero for the upgrade of several aircraft, whereas Hewlett-Packard officials have negotiated a contract with Solectron,” said David White, BAE Systems executive vice-president Europe. He would not disclose the value of the two agreements, saying negotiations had not been completed. White said the Romaero contract was beneficial to the Romanian company, in terms of technology transfer and certification. “We shall promote Romaero, not necessarily in contracts with BAE Systems, but also for other contracts,” White added.

The British defence and aerospace group is the main member of the UK trade mission, which comprises more than 60 senior officials from top British companies in the field.

The British Ambassador to Bucharest, Quinton Quayle, deems the mission as “the most important ever in the history of ties between the two countries and, also, the largest foreign mission in the field of defence.” “This mission is also a vote of confidence for Romania, as the British investors came here convinced they can do business on the Romanian market,” Quayle added. According to the British official, after the mission leaves Romania, both Romanian-British trade and investments are expected to grow faster than before.

At the same time, British group BAE Systems does not rule out participation in the privatisation of Romania’s defence sector, but this kind of involvement must be preceded by in-depth knowledge of the market, David White said. “We are not afraid to invest in other countries, and, judging by the opportunities seen in Romania, we will seriously consider this possibility. But first we need to take big steps, to understand Romania, to get acquainted with the market,” White stated.