Soros has got money for Romania, too

SEE investment fund Soros Investment Capital is planning to enter the Romanian market soon, having already set aside some $5 to $30 million, Gavin Ryan, executive manager of Soros Investment Capital Management LLC, the manager of the investment fund said.
“We are already operating in Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria, and the fact that we have not invested in Romania was just an unfortunate coincidence,” Ryan added.
He specified that, although Soros Investment Capital’s investments had targeted telecoms, cable TV or banking so far, this did not necessarily mean that the initiatives in Romania would follow the same path. “We haven’t actually chosen the sectors to invest in, yet. We are looking for opportunities,” the representative of the investment fund added.
Established with sponsorship and management from the Soros Organisation in November 2000, Soros Investment Capital has $200 million in total capital available. It is also supported by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a US Government agency.
The first investment of Soros Investment Capital was made in Macedonia Telecom in January 2001, with the fund’s portfolio currently consisting of seven investments – the cable TV service provider Digital Center Media (Croatia), Eksimbanka (Serbia), Nova Banka (Croatia), cable operator Eurocom Cable (Bulgaria) and KDS Serbia Broadband (cable operator), as well as a regional investment in Efes Breweries Intl. 
The head of Soros Investment Capital Management explained the fund was usually after controlling interests, deeming minority stakes held in SE European companies as more difficult to manage.
On the other hand, Ryan argued the decision to invest in Romania by the good prospects offered by the market. “The new governments in Romania and Bulgaria have got things going, after a time of stagnation. I believe Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia are extremely important markets for this region,” Ryan added.