EXCLUSIVE Romania has blocked Budapest’s investment programme in Transylvania / Ministry of Foreign Affairs: „There is no consent to carry out such programmes in Romania”

Romania has not given its consent at any level for Hungary to carry out investment programs in Transylvania, as it has done in recent years, the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told G4Media.

The response came after Mónika Kozma, head of the Pro Economica Foundation, which oversees the Hungarian government’s investment program in Transylvania, said in February that Hungary wants to start such a program in north-western Romania.

„No bilateral agreement has been concluded at any level between Romania and Hungary for the Hungarian state to carry out financing programs on Romanian territory. Without such an agreement, there is no consent from the Romanian side for the Hungarian side to run such programs in Romania,” Foreign Ministry representatives told G4Media.

Monika Kozma told Kronika that „a Romanian-Hungarian agreement is still needed to launch the program. Negotiations are underway in this regard”.

Negotiations on the continuation of the economic development program for Transylvania began with the previous government in Bucharest, which imposed different conditions for Hungarian economic investment in Transylvania.

„Since then, the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis have become new problems. Further funding of Hungarian economic support has become questionable, but the good news is that, despite the economic problems, the Hungarian government has included this program in this year’s state budget. The Hungarian side could therefore launch the new tender if the long-awaited agreement with Romania can be finalized. We will update the data at any time with the help of partner farmers’ organizations. If we get the green light, we can launch the tenders in a short time”, explained the head of the Pro Economica Foundation.