Prime Minister Victor Ponta had on Wednesday, January 30 in Vienna, a meeting with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann. The two dignitaries welcomed the excellent state of bilateral relations, with a focus on identifying concrete areas of cooperation and economic projects between the two countries.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta expressed interest in terms of maintaining a high level of interest on the part Austrian companies and banks in the Romanian economy and has presented recent decisions taken by the Government in terms of economic reform and providing an attractive environment for foreign investors.

There was reaffirmed the importance of using the framework provided by the EU Strategy for the Danube Region to promote projects of common interest for the region. The agenda also comprised topical issues on the European agenda, as well as negotiations for a new EU multiannual financial framework 2014-2020 (MFF), economic governance and expansion of the Schengen area. Regarding MFF, both dignitaries argued the importance of an agreement, at the next European Council in February, taking into account both the need to bridge development gaps among Member States and also to ensure economic growth and create new jobs throughout the European Union. There was welcomed the progress in terms of strengthening economic and monetary union, focusing on the single supervision mechanism. Romanian Prime Minister has thanked the Austrian counterpart for the support extended to Romania's accession to Schengen.