Romania will host an economic forum bringing together officials and businessmen from the oil-rich Gulf countries, hoping to become an investment hub in the region, a senior diplomat said.
"The Gulf countries want to set up a bridgehead in Central and Eastern Europe. Romania must strive to become an investment hub for them in the region," ambassador-at-large Vasile Sofineti told AFP. "Our aim is to place Romania on the map of the Gulf countries' economic interests," he stressed. The two-day forum organised jointly by the Romanian foreign ministry and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) will start Tuesday and focus on investment opportunities in energy, banking, agriculture, construction and tourism.