Romanian Ambassador in Washington, George Maior, had a meeting with US Energy Secretary Rick Perry and talks focused on offshore law recently adopted by Parliament as “there are some fears,” according to Romanian Foreign Minister, Teodor Melescanu. Melescanu said the meeting is a common thing for two allied states and the American secretary had to be sure that there is a concordance between the text of the offshore law and the annex on which the calculations for the deduction of operating expenses are made.
“The two interlocutors (George Maior and Rick Perry – e.n.) have highlighted the major impact of Romania’s hydrocarbon resource exploitation on energy security in the region as an important component for the development of the Strategic Partnership between the US and Romania. In this context, US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry reaffirmed interest in developing energy dialogue … “, reads a press release of the Romanian Embassy in the United States.
The Foreign Minister said the meeting is a common thing between two allied states, and consultations are useful and important “when there are fears,” according to News.ro. “It is a common thing for two states that are allied, they are part of a strategic partnership. Formal consultations are very useful and important when there are fears. From this point of view, it is a routine matter that has allowed US authorities , the Secretary of Energy, Mr. Perry, and the Romanian side to understand the importance the US has,” explained Melescanu.
He also said that during the meeting between the two officials, it was discussed the alignment of the text of offshore law and the annex on the basis of which the calculations for the deduction of operating expenses are made.
A week ago, US Ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, said he had repeatedly urged the Romanian Government to be predictable on economic matters and to be transparent about changes that could affect investors. He criticized how Parliament adopted the Offshore Law, which regulates the Black Sea gas exploitation, saying that all the principles of transparency and negotiation were violated and that “it is questionable”.
Later, PSD leader Liviu Dragnea has announced an Emergency Ordinance to bring clarifications to the law.