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Romania is a Romanian island in a Slavic Ocean

It is a well-known statement with which Romania positions itself and thus there is also a direct link to their history. See, for example, Trajan’s Column in Rome.
If we look at contemporary Dacia(was a province in the Roman Empire from 106 to 271 AD (Map:Pixabay).and has developed into a modern state with a stable character. Besides the fact that the Netherlands is one of the largest investors, there is also a growing interest from non-European countries (see elsewhere in this newsletter). So plenty of reason to continue or enter into the opportunities in the economic field our contacts. Of course you will also see that the “ocean” around the Romanian “island” is rather unsettled. However, the country Moldova, historically linked to Romania, has reduced Russian influence to a minimum and even already has the plan to unite the breakaway part Transnistria with itself. Where, by the way, there are about 1,500 Russian military personnel. These troops are part of the “Operational Group of Russian Forces” and are formally present to guard a large Cold War ammunition depot and keep peace. In short, Romania has a solid “breakwater” in the turbulent Slavic Ocean. Due to the reasonably stable situation, more countries have shown interest in investing in Romania. So spoken in this sense, we are confident about d economic contacts for 2026!!!

Romania concludes economic partnerships and joint ventures with United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan

On Sept. 30, 2025, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Romania, in cooperation with the Brașov Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organized the Romania-United Arab Emirates Business Forum, an event aimed at strengthening bilateral economic relations and identifying new opportunities for cooperation between businesses in Romania and the UAE.

The event was a success thanks to the participation of numerous Romanian companies from the real estate, IT & Tech, Hospitality, healthcare, wellness, energy, industry and technology, event organization and municipal infrastructure sectors, as well as foreign investors interested in the Romanian market . Participants had the opportunity to present their projects and cooperation proposals in order to identify business partners and intentions to explore the opportunities the UAE has to offer.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brașov and the guests present sent a clear message about the need to continue these bilateral initiatives. These initiatives are aimed at promoting Romania as an attractive destination for investment and supporting Romanian companies in identifying investment opportunities in the UAE .

The event in Brașov was a concrete example of government-business cooperation. It provided Romanian companies with useful tools and information to expand into international markets and develop sustainable partnerships.
And that certainly applies ALSO to Kazakhstan whose company KazMunayGas. owns the Rom Petrol Group. This shows that our partners in Central Asia have confidence in the potential of this region, said Mihai Daraban, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR).

‘The latter had an official meeting with the governor of the Mangystau region (Kazakhstan), Kilybai Nurdaulet, on October 7 on the occasion of the signing of an economic cooperation agreement between the Constanța district and the Kazakhstan region.

CCIR representatives claim that this partnership represents a significant opportunity to strengthen economic relations between the two states by facilitating access to the Port of Constanta for investors from Kazakhstan and other Central Asian businessmen.

“Constanţa province hosts the largest Kazakh investment in Romania, made by the company KazMunayGas, which demonstrates the confidence that our partners in Central Asia have in the potential of this region. Constanţa represents a model of economic complexity, with diversified activities in all sectors, and logistics routes are currently a strategic priority. The Port of Constanţa has all the conditions to become an important regional hub, with an essential competitive advantage: it is both a seaport and a river port, thanks to its connection with the Danube-Black Sea Canal,” said the CCIR president.

He emphasized that “this unique infrastructure provides direct access to landlocked countries, making Constanta a natural gateway to Europe.”

“The East-West Corridor is key to the development of our relations with Kazakhstan, providing it with fast and efficient access to the Black Sea. In this regard, we have received an extremely important invitation from the representatives of the Mangystau region: they are ready to involve the Romanian side in the negotiations they are conducting with China on the development of port infrastructure in the region.

This opening is a recognition of the high-quality expertise of port operators in Constanta and opens up extraordinary opportunities for trilateral cooperation,” added Mihai Daraban.

Shipping Sector

The Dutch Coast Guard will be reinforced in mid-2026 by the ENFORCER, a DAMEN FCS 5009 type vessel.

This vessel will be deployed in the coming years to ensure the continuity of general coast guard duties in the North Sea. The ENFORCER provides reinforcement until the new generation of coast guard ships enters service.

Modern addition to existing fleet

The Coast Guard’s duties have expanded in recent years. Therefore, the National Coast Guard has ordered the hiring of the ENFORCER. With this modern vessel, the Coast Guard remains well equipped to monitor, provide assistance and contribute to safety in the North Sea.

Property of Multraship

The ENFORCER will be owned by Multraship, which will also be responsible for its nautical crew and maintenance. The vessel will come under operational control of Coast Guard Netherlands.

“We are very proud that Coast Guard Netherlands and Rijkswaterstaat/Rijksrederij have also chosen us for this fleet expansion,” said Leendert Muller, general manager of the internationally operating Zeeland-based family company. “It fits well with our current cooperation and we are happy to make our contribution to safety in the North Sea.”

Thanks in part to the axe bow developed by Damen Shipyards and TU Delft, a top speed of 27 knots (about 50 kilometers per hour) can be achieved. The ENFORCER is also equipped with two fast dinghies for inspections and enforcement at sea. In addition, the ship also has a towing installation and a fire extinguishing unit.

Multraship strengthens position in Black Sea with new tugboat

November 18, 2025

Towing and salvage company Multraship has christened and commissioned the new tug MULTRATUG 30. The 80-ton bollard pull strong tug will be used to increase the company’s capacity for port and offshore towing services in the Black Sea (Photo Pixabay) -region while strengthening its salvage and emergency response capabilities.

Miglena Pendjuroff, wife of Bourgas Tug Services general manager Dimiter Pendjuroff, took the honors and wished the tug and her crew a safe journey. The christening took place in the presence of the local port community at the Passenger Terminal in Bulgarian Bourgas.

Welcome addition

“For us, the MULTRATUG 30 represents a welcome addition to our fleet, giving us many additional opportunities in our region,” said Dimiter Pendjuroff. “This investment underlines the confidence we have in the future of the Black Sea region,” adds Leendert Muller, general manager of Multraship.

) Subsidiary Bourgas Tug Service in Bulgaria, increasing the company’s capacity for port and offshore towing services in the Black Sea region while strengthening its salvage and emergency response capabilities.

The MULTRATUG 30 is a TRAktor-Z 2500SX designed by Robert Allan Ltd. The 25.3-meter vessel was built by Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey and is specially designed for both port and sea towage operations. The vessel is also equipped with a comprehensive fire extinguishing system (FiFi 1), including a foam tank capacity of 4.8 cubic meters.

About Multraship

Multraship is a leading, internationally operating, Dutch towing and salvage company. It is part of the Muller Maritime Group, headquartered in Terneuzen. Its core activities include port towage, salvage and wreck removal, ocean towage and services to the offshore energy and marine construction industries. Multraship operates a large and modern fleet of tugs, salvage vessels and other vessels.

New Multraship headquarters opened: ‘facilitates further growth’

Towage & Salvage has opened its new headquarters on the Middenhavendam in Terneuzen. Located directly on the Scheldt, it provides space for offices, a warehouse, the 24/7 dispatch center and a simulator training center. This with direct access to a private quay and working area, and berths for part of the family company’s fleet. “A milestone in the further development of MULTRASHIP,” according to general manager Leendert Muller. The

Muller said. “Not only in terms of operational efficiency and cooperation. The connection to the New Lock is obviously of great importance and the location gives us the space to continue the growth that Multraship is experiencing with both local and international operations.”

“This growth is partly the result of us being increasingly involved in support work for major offshore wind farm construction and infrastructure projects. Examples include the construction of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Germany and Denmark, the Princess Elisabeth Energy Island off the coast of Belgium and the Oosterweel Tunnel near Antwerp.”

Growth across the board

Also, the number of Emergency Response Towing Vessels deployed by Multraship on behalf of the Coast Guard has expanded to three in recent years. “In addition, towing and salvage activities show an upward trend,” Muller continues. “With these and other maritime services, we are now active in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.”

In addition to the new location on the Middenhavendam, Multraship also has a location in Terneuzen on Goessekade with berths, a shed, offices and waiting locations for affiliates.

Logistics & Transportation Sector

Proposed acquisition of Vos Logistics by Jacky Perrenot

Recently, Jacky Perrenot Group confirmed its intention to acquire Vos Logistics. The proposed acquisition is part of Jack Perrenot’s international growth plan and its ambition to achieve €2 billion in sales by 2027. Completion of the transaction is still subject to customary consultations and approvals. Jacky Perrenot does not have an office in Romania; the company is a French family business that focuses primarily on road transport in France. Vos Logistics, on the other hand, does and is based in Cluj Napoca.

IN June 2025, ArrowXL was acquired in the United Kingdom.

With sales of €1.3 billion, Jacky Perrenot has been a reference in transportation and logistics for decades, recognized for its operational excellence, customer focus and leadership in decarbonization of transportation.

Vos Logistics, a Netherlands-based European logistics service provider with 35 branches in 6 European countries, generates an annual turnover of € 370 million and is known for its expertise in international transport, multi-country distribution.

Together, the two groups will form a pan-European organization that combines strong domestic Networks with enhanced international transportation capabilities.

The combined entity will represent an annual turnover of approximately €1.7 billion, Philippe Givone, Chairman of the Jacky Perrenot Group said, “This proposed acquisition is fully in line with our growth strategy and our ambition to become a European leader in sustainable transport and logistics. By joining forces, we can achieve our goals.

Philippe Cuoc, CEO Jacky Perrenot Group: “Our sector is undergoing a profound operational, technological and environmental transformation. We want to accelerate this transition and position Jacky Perrenot as a long-term partner for our customers throughout Europe.”

Frank Verhoeven, CEO Vos Logistics: “This is a great opportunity to create one of Europe’s most complete transport and logistics networks.

H. Essers introduces the “Hannotrain”

And the DRN congratulates Hanno Reeser as Multi Modal Ambassador 2025!!!

Netherlands From consensus country to conflict country

Netherlands From consensus country to conflict country was a message for our entrepreneurs in the newsletter of VNO-NCW by their president Ingrid Thijssen, but it could equally apply to the new government in the pipeline.She refers to the law Wamca(Wet afwikkeling massaschade in collectieve actie) but we will leave that aside. What is important to us is the impact on the business climate and earning power. Without establishing a legal link, we wonder in what sphere the alleged charges against our member Damen Shipyards take place because other companies and government institutions are also indirectly involved.
If you would like to read Ingrid Thijssen’s message to us as entrepreneurs, please refer to the blue button below.

Agricultural sector

Surprise in Europe: the leader in milk production in the EU comes from Romania.

Company CEO Peter de Boer said, “In the future, manure production may well be more important than milk production.”

Behind the numbers is a strategy that combines dairy with composting, green energy and circular agriculture aimed at turning waste into raw materials.

The DN Agrar Group was founded in 2008 as a family business by Dutchman Jan Gijsbertus de Boer. Since then, the group has grown rapidly and now includes five large farms, over 16,000 head of cattle and an annual production of 70 million liters of milk.

(“Casa Buna” photo G.de Boer DN Agrar)

According to company representatives, this has made DN Agrar the largest private cow’s milk producer in Europe. 75% of production goes to French giant Lactalis. The group’s goals are more ambitious, as the Dutch entrepreneurs developing the company have set the goal of producing between 150 and 200 million liters per year by 2030. All within an integrated business model, with four pillars: milk, vegetable farming, composting and green energy.
DN Agrar reported revenue of about 101 million lei for the first half of 2025, up 22% from the same period in 2024, and net profit of 27 million lei, nearly doubling (+80%). For all of 2024, the company achieved consolidated sales of about 176 million lei and net profit of 32 million lei. On the stock exchange (AeRO), DN Agrar has a market capitalization of nearly 460 million lei (about €90-100 million), with the company’s shares recently trading around the threshold of 2.9 lei/share. Unfortunately, space in this newsletter is too limited to describe the comprehensive activities. It would be worth a book and would rival the well-known book “Hoe God verdween uit Jorwerd “by Geert Mak. As a comparison of a farming family adapting to new surroundings and circumstances.

Sector Investment in Moldova

Moldova attracts Chinese for first electric vehicle charging station plant

The Republic of Moldova attracts 20 million euros in investments for the first electric vehicle charging station plant on its territory. A cooperation agreement was signed between Zener Group (Republic of Moldova), New Energy Technology (China) and Horizon Auto, which provides for the launch of an investment project worth about 20 million euros.

The project will be implemented in Straseni and aims to build the first plant in the Republic of Moldova for the production of components for electric mobility infrastructure. The new unit will develop equipment for charging stations and energy storage systems for electric vehicles, with a strategic focus on exports to the European market. This investment is presented as a major Chinese project in the Republic of Moldova in recent years and exceeds the level of investment capital previously attracted from this country by more than 20 times. Recent data confirms Moldova’s orientation towards high-end technologies and the strengthening of its role in electric mobility supply chains. Imports from China include high-tech products such as smartphones and photovoltaic cells, while Moldovan exports of electric car parts have increased by more than 50 percent over the past five years, with the Netherlands, Ukraine and Romania as key destinations. “We are investing 20 million euros in the construction of a modern, fully automated factory for the European market. Our goal here is to develop a solid production base for energy charging and storage technologies, contributing to both the development of the region and the integration of the Republic of Moldova into European value chains,” said Mu Dayong, representative of the Chinese company. “This investment confirms that the Republic of Moldova is ready to play an active role in global value chains. It is a confirmation of the direction we have chosen: the technologicalization of industry and the development of high value-added sectors. The project not only shows investors’ confidence in our business environment, but also strengthens Moldova’s position as Investment is presented as a major Chinese project in the Republic of Moldova in recent years and exceeds the level of investment capital previously attracted from this country by more than 20 times. Recent data confirm Moldova’s orientation toward high technology and the strengthening of its role in the supply chains for electric mobility. Imports from China include high-tech products such as smartphones and photovoltaic cells, while Moldovan exports of electric car parts have increased by more than 50% over the past five years, with the Netherlands, Ukraine and Romania as the main destinations.

Post Craiova

Silent revolution: Romania surprises and inspires

Anyone walking through Craiova today will see it immediately: Eastern Europe is on the move. Countries like Poland and Romania are quietly but rapidly catching up in prosperity. Poland has already overtaken Greece and Portugal; Romania is closely following and will do the same within a few years. The outlook is clear: over the next five years, this growth will simply continue.

Prosperity, of course, is an elastic concept. A commonly used measure is PPP (Purchasing Power Parity), and a light-hearted variant of that is the well-known Big Mac Index. This hamburger, as we know, is a highly standardized product, on sale in an incredible number of countries, and therefore ideally suited for comparing the real purchasing power of currencies. Anyone who visits Romania will see that the growth is not only visible in numbers, but also in everyday life. Restaurants and construction sites are running at full capacity, with migrant workers from Asia filling the shortage of local workers. Ten years ago, this was unthinkable. Today you order in English at a restaurant in Craiova and see how companies are investing in mechanization and automation to increase productivity.

In my opinion, that dynamic has a lot to do with a young, highly educated population with a strong work ethic. Personally, I have always found the commitment of our NetRom employees to be extraordinary and very pleasant. With commitment comes loyalty and the attitude to go the extra mile – if necessary – that is sometimes needed. With commitment – and this is perhaps the most important thing of all – also comes the dynamism in which academically trained long-term employees apply their expertise and brainpower for the benefit of the NetRom organization and its clients. This creates energy and confidence – not only for us, but also for our clients.

What strikes me again and again: many first-time visitors to Romania are surprised by what they find. The modern NetRom campus, the professionalism of our people, and the dynamism of a country that wants to move forward. My prediction? Within one generation, Romania will be at a similar level of prosperity as the Netherlands.

And how wonderful it is that we – through NetRom and the Dutch Romanian Network (DRN) foundation – are not just spectators, but active participants in this quiet revolution. A minuscule stone, but one that contributes to a bridge between the Netherlands and Romania.

Safe the date

The Dutch Romanian Network newsletter is compiled with great care. The Dutch Romanian Network cannot accept any liability for a possible inaccuracy and/or incompleteness of the information provided herein, nor can any rights be derived from the content of the newsletter. Articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the board.
All images and photos are taken from Pixabay, so are royalty-free.