PM Orban at Constanta Shipyard: Negotiations can begin for signing contract to build corvettes

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said on Thursday that from his point of view negotiations can begin with the Naval Group - Constanta Naval Shipyard consortium for signing of a construction contract for four multirole corvettes belonging to the Romanian Navy, considering that the court rejected by a final decision the appeal filed by those from Damen.

Orban deemed "difficult to accept harassment" the continuation of the dispute in court.

"That seems to me a harassment that is difficult to accept. The main trial, namely the appeal against the decision to award the contract to the Naval Group - Constanta Naval Shipyard was rejected by a final court decision. From my point of view, the final negotiations can begin to sign the construction contract, even if there is still a dispute which, once again, no longer has any basis; as long as the court has ruled by final decision on the main subject, namely the decision to choose the consortium performing the contract, from my point of view there is no longer a legal problem for negotiating and signing the contract," said the prime minister, who was on a visit to the Constanta Shipyard.

Orban also spoke about a serious partnership between the naval industry and the government.

"Throughout the COVID-19 epidemic, the shipyard has been operating continuously and we are on a ship that was built and is about to be launched on August 14. It is, in fact, an extremely modern ship, a ship with a high level of automation, with a remarkable control technology of all systems, a ship that is operated by a navigating crew of 16 and that is part of a set of 40,000-tonne ships that are manufactured by the Constanta Shipyard. At the same time, the Constanta Shipyard, together with Naval Group, have been declared the winners of the tender for the four multirole corvettes. Practically, the four corvettes will be manufactured here as part of this extremely important project. (...) The production and repair industry is an industry of great import to Romania, an industry that is facing questions and that requires a very serious partnership with the government, so that we can ensure the continual development of the industry," said Orban.