The collaboration between the Romanian and the Kazakh state, through the sale of a small stake of the block of shares which Romania owns in Rompetrol, to KazMunayGaz, the sole shareholder of the Rompetrol oil group, could connect Romania to the South Stream project, according to government sources, which said: "An investment company will be created in which the Romanian government and KazMunayGas are partners. Thus, a "win-win" cooperation would begin. It would seem that part of the game is the intention of Kazakhstan to help us connect to South Stream, considering that this pipeline will go through the Black Sea".
Ionel Blănculescu, honorary advisor to Prime Minister Victor Ponta, considers that an agreement between the Romanian government and KazMunayGaz would be a very good move, which would beneficial for both sides.
Ionel Blănculescu said: "It is a very good thing that the Romanian state is going into business with Kazakhstan, which is going through an energy boom. This country has very big projects, and Romania will be an important player in seeing them achieved. I have long ago proposed treating the Rompetrol claim differently than a debt. Ever since September 2010, I have sent a letter to the Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev, proposing the amicable resolution of the Rompetrol situation and the beginning of cooperation between Romania and Kazakhstan. The world needs to know that the KazMunayGaz group has invested 2 billion dollars since it became a shareholder of Rompetrol and has paid 1.2 billion dollars in taxes each year, and Rompetrol directly employs over 7,000 people".
According to him, the Kazakhs will spend 110 million dollars in the creation of this fund and the Romanian government 30 million dollars, which according to the agreement will also be paid by the Kazakh party.
Ionel Blănculescu said: "We will own 20% of the f