Romania has attracted eight times higher foreign investments since becoming a NATO member, compared with the period before accession. In the five years since it joined NATO, Romania has attracted foreign investments worth 28.1 billion euros, that is 5.6 million euros on average a year. The annual average is eight times higher than in 1991-2002, that is before the entrance into the Organisation, during which period Romania attracted a total of 8.5 billon euros- 708 million euros a year on the average. Analysts say that NATO and EU accession have been a very good factor in attracting foreign investors.
"The NATO membership along with Romania's accession to the European Union, have represented a catalyst for foreign direct investment, as these events have been regarded as a very powerful guarantee for investors. The NATO and EU membership provides geostrategic stability, which induces strong security for foreign investors," comments Ionut Dumitru, head of Raiffeisen Bank's research department.
At the same time, a poll conducted by ZEW (Centre for European Economic Research), published yesterday reveals that Romania is considered the most attractive country in Central and Eastern Europe at the moment, as far as foreign investors are concerned, ahead of countries like Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary.
At the same time, investors see Romania as the most attractive country in terms of mergers and acquisitions.
Investor sentiment towards Central and Eastern European economies has significantly improved over the past few months, ZEW survey reveals, as quoted by Erste Bank. It says that 37% of the investors canvassed believe Romania is the most attractive country in the region, while 61% regard Romania as the most active market for mergers and acquisitions in the region.
On the other hand, statistics show that foreign investments over the la
