Having arrived with the stated intention of sealing a series of contracts in Romania, German businesspeople accompanying Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on his visit to Romania already took to work.
After just one day of discussions with their Romanian counterparts, they have left Romania with a series of signed contracts and pre-contracts worth well above one billion euros.
The biggest deal has been sealed by EADS group (European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company), the world’s second largest, and the Romanian Administration and Interior Ministry. The two sides have signed a pre-agreement on securing Romania’s state frontiers, worth about one billion euros.
The contract stipulates the delivery of an integrated solution for the borders’ surveillance and securing and will help Romania meet the standards imposed to new members of the European Union in the field of state security and frontier surveillance. The two sides also agreed that the first stage of the project should be kick-started soon and finalised by the end of 2006, just before the date set for Romania’s European Union accession, namely January 1, 2007.
EADS Defence & Communication Systems is teaming up with Siemens and other partners to the end of setting up, along 3,147 km of Romanian frontier, 184 administrative centres, surveillance systems, communication and IT infrastructure, as well as technical training centres.
EADS will technically co-ordinate the integration of the platform comprising helicopters, sea vessels, patrol vehicles and personal equipment destined to frontier police agents.
Through Eurocopter, held by EADS, the European concern has had ties with Romania for over 30 years. Eurocopter Romania provides services to the clients of certain civil and military users in Romania and the neighbouring states. Eurocopter Romania is a joint venture between the Romanian IAR company and Eurocopter.
EADS is a global leader within the aeronautic, defence and related services industry. In 2003, the company derived turnover standing at over 30 billion euros. The EADS group includes aircraft builder Airbus, the world’s largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and joint venture MBDA, the second-largest producer of missiles in the world.
Beside the EADS contract, another seven contracts or memorandums of understanding have been signed.
adrian.mirsanu@zf.ro