Lazea, NBR: If a country sees economic growth in Europe, it will be Romania

The Romanian economy should see growth this year, because it is less dependent on exports and bank loans than other economies in the region, says Valentin Lazea, chief economist of the National Bank. "We will be able to record economic growth this year, and there are four arguments for saying that Romania is in a better position than other countries in the region: it doesn't have a currency board, it is relatively independent of energy imports, its exports account for a very small share of the GDP, at around 25%, while loans account for 40% of the GDP, the lowest ratio in the region," Lazea explained. He believes that if Romania does not see economic growth this year, neither will any other EU state. Last year the Gross Domestic Product recorded a real increase by 7.9%, according to estimates of the National Forecasting Commission, which expects a 2.5% growth for this year.