Shaping the Future for a Better Tomorrow

“Shaping the Future for a Better Tomorrow” - Follow up

United States of America, 17 June - 2 July 2022

In the current geostrategic and political context, strengthening security in the region by developing a strategic partnership with the United States of America in many areas of activity, such as the economy, industry, research and development and, last but not least, in the nuclear field, as a complement to the actions aimed at increasing energy independence, is a priority, as frequently mentioned by the Romanian authorities. They stress the need to increase autonomy in terms of infrastructure, resource exploitation and agriculture, which implies action on the part of companies and central and local public institutions.

In the context of such concerns, MediaUno Press Group in partnership with the National Institute of Statistics organised an economic and social mission to the United States of America between 17 June and 2 July 2022, which took place in the framework of the campaign „Shaping the Future for a Better Tomorrow„. The general objectives of the mission were to promote Romanian values and expertise at the international level, to identify models of best practices in areas such as energy, agriculture, research, communications and public administration, to present the interests of Romanian companies and organisations operating in the above-mentioned areas to collaborate with economic and administrative entities in the USA in order to implement joint projects.

The events took place in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York, with the support of the Romanian Embassy in Washington and the Romanian Consulates General, according to the following programme:

1. 17-21 June 2022, Washington D.C.
2. 21-25 June 2022, Los Angeles
3. 25-28 June 2022, Las Vegas
4. 28 June – 2 July 2022, New York

During the 16 meetings with representatives of US companies, organisations and public and private institutions, the topics addressed included ways to improve the performance of Romanian institutions and companies in order to gain a competitive advantage at regional and global level and identifying concrete possibilities for economic and commercial collaboration.

Washington

Working Lunch
Meeting of the delegation with economic and diplomatic representatives of the Romanian Embassy in Washington to discuss the current context and specificities of the US business environment, the relations with public institutions, the US interests in Romania.
Participants:
Cristian Gaginsky, Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Plenipotentiary
Bogdan Lupaș, Minister Counselor
Matei Bălăiță, Secretary I, Head of Office at the Trade and Commercial Office

Reception at the residence of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the U.S., Andrei Muraru – „The U.S. – Romania Trade and Business Partnership”.
Meeting of the delegation with representatives of the US business and institutional environment and of the Romanian-American community.

Meeting at the State Department of Agriculture, with:
Jeremy Wierenga – Trade Officer
Sabina Neumann – USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
Amy Freitas – Director US Department of Agriculture
The topics discussed were related to the plant care/plant protection products market and specificities of the legislative framework, in order to understand the conditions for importing such products from the US.

Participation of the Romanian delegation to the American Energy Summit & International Trade Summit
The Summit was designed as a platform for multilateral collaboration in the field of energy and infrastructure bringing together international trade and commercial interests of public and private stakeholders from the United States, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Georgia and Latvia.
The Eastern European Trade Institute announced the launch of international business development working groups, partnerships and joint ventures that will include ongoing trade collaborations as well as domestic and international trade missions to all the above mentioned countries.
The Summit provided participants with numerous opportunities for accelerated multilateral and multinational business development through direct meetings and one-on-one collaborations between public and private and commercial stakeholders.

The programme included:
• Black Sea Nations Working Groups: Energy and Infrastructure, Critical Infrastructure Technology, Renewable Energy. Carbon Capture Technology and Investment
• Trade missions of the Energy & Infrastructure and Renewable Energy Working Groups to Romania
• US-EU partnerships in the Black Sea region for economic development.
• Resilience, security and strategic priorities of the Romanian energy sector. Participants discussed about the resilience, security and strategic priorities of Romania’s energy sector in the categories of H2 generation, offshore renewables (wind), decarbonisation targets, sustainable security of supply and affordability.
• „Business perspectives in Romania and the Black Sea Region in the strategic energy sector”. Participants discussed about strategic priorities and investment projects (the logistics already in place: the Port of Constanta providing river, sea, rail and highway transport), the Romanian oil and gas market, nuclear energy, the decarbonisation objectives, ensuring security of supply and affordability in a sustainable manner.
• Separate discussion sessions were held with the National Energy Regulatory Authority, ROMGAZ SA, SAPE, HENRO, Depogaz Ploiesti, Goicea Consulting.

The Summit, organised by BPCE Washington DC, was attended by representatives of the following US companies/employers’ associations/consultants/think tanks:
1. CHEVRON (producer in the oil and gas industry)
2. US Oil and Gas Association (employers’ association of oil and gas companies of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Ohio)
3. LAST Energy (producer of nuclear energy – SMR 20 MW)
4. IOREX Global (pipe protection solutions)
5. GeoX Energy (producer of thermal energy)
6. Shale Crescent Region (employers’ association – The Economic Development Zone including the states West Virginia – Ohio – Pennsylvania)
7. ASPIRE – Utah State University (electric vehicle development programme at Utah State University)
8. VALGENESIS (IT company – cyber security for critical infrastructure)
9. DT Midstream (natural gas producer)
10. Shale Rail (industrial logistics)
11. Bertisson-George (consultancy for the oil and gas industry)
12. INFOR (IT company – cloud, ERP for critical infrastructure)
13. Cornerstone Government Affairs (consultancy for the oil and gas industry)
14. WILEY Law (law firm in Washington DC)
15. Ohio Oil and Gas Association (employers’ association of the energy companies in Ohio)
16. PENNCEF.org – Pennsylvania Conservative Energy Forum (employers’ association for the promotion of the oil and gas industry in Pennsylvania)
17. EPRINC – Energy Policy Research Foundation (Think tank in the energy industry)
18. NAIspring – commercial real estate broker
19. AEGIX Global – integrated security solutions

Other participating companies:
1. Kontrolmatick Technologies – project contractor/integrator in the oil and gas industry, Turkey

The diplomatic trade representatives from Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Moldova presented trade and investment opportunities in the energy sector in their countries of origin.

The programme of the delegation in Washington was made possible with the support of the Romanian Embassy in Washington. We would like to thank His Excellency Andrei Muraru, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the United States, and Cristian Gaginsky, Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Plenipotentiary, Bogdan Lupaș, Minister Counsellor, Matei Bălăiță, Secretary I, Head of Office at the Trade and Commercial Office.

Los Angeles

Meeting at UAV-QI, during which representatives of AGRII Romania discussed about opening a cooperation for the application of treatments with organic products.

Meeting with Julian A. Gold, Deputy Mayor, at the Beverly Hills City Hall, with the topics discussed including the implementation mechanisms of urban development projects, financing solutions, best practices in public-private partnerships, quality of public services.

Meeting with representatives of the top management of the US Commercial Service and trade and energy officials such as:
Julie Anne Hennessy, Director, US Commercial Service, US Department of Commerce
Rashid Sayonty, Director at U.S. Commercial Service Los Angeles
Bobby Hines, international trade specialist
Simona Racek, business advisor
Leticia Arias, Senior International Trade Specialist, US Commercial Service, US Department of Commerce (Energy, environmental technology)

Participation of the delegation to the Select LA Investment Summit, the most important spin-off event of the Select USA event of the US Department of Commerce, with the support of the Consulate General of Romania in Los Angeles.

The Select LA Investment Summit presented the seventh annual event designed to help investors, domestic leaders and international companies exchange information about growing opportunities in sustainability across the LA region. In partnership with Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Office of International Affairs and Select USA, the event centered around dozens of large-scale, high-profile trends in electric vehicles, hydrogen as a fuel, the circular economy and climate infrastructure. The event provided a platform to discuss how government policy, sustainability mandates, technology requirements and environmental requirements represent international opportunities for public-private partnerships.

Opening the event, Stephen Cheung, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDEC) and President of the World Trade Center Los Angeles (WTCLA) welcomed the audience and thanked the Romanian delegation for their participation in the Summit.

Steve Olson, partner of O’Melveny & Myers and President, WTCLA Board of Advisors
Jasjit Singh, Executive Director Select USA
Emily Desai, Deputy Director for international affairs and trade, California Governor’s Office for Business and Economic Development
Bill Allen, CEO of Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Robert Garcia, Mayor of the city of Long Beach
Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, District 2
Christine Peterson, Director for international trade and investment for the Mayor of Los Angeles

The opening speeches were followed by:

Morning plenary session:
Setting the stage for a sustainable global economy

As the best test ground for new technologies, Los Angeles is the leading region for a sustainable global climate change economy. There are huge opportunities, trends, and challenges as LA expands its hydrogen grid, develops green infrastructure, grows its electric vehicle ecosystem, and continues to advance circular economies to reduce waste.
Speakers:
Travis Kiyota, SVP and Head of Global Corporate Affairs, East West Bank
Olabisi Boyle, VP Product Planning and Mobility Strategy, Hyundai North America
Maryam Brown, President, Southern California Gas
Terry Tamminen, President and CEO, AltaSea

After this session, the members of the Romanian delegation took part in panel discussions:

Panel I. Electric vehicles

California dominates the electric vehicle field in all aspects. From air to ground vehicles, from personal vehicles to car sharing, from delivery vans to trucks, electric vehicle applications continue to revolutionize a booming industry and a critical societal need. Opportunities arise from the need to build infrastructure and create the new EV future.
This session covered the continued growth of electric transport and freight movement, the increased economic benefits for consumers and businesses, and the generation of hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the region.

Moderator:
Dana Heatherton, Head of Operations, Dense Urban Markets, Waymo

Speakers:
Brook Taylor, VP for Governmental Relations and Strategic Partnerships, VinFast US
Stella Li, president, BYD
George Kivork, Head of U.S. State & Local Policy, Joby Aviation

Panel II. Hydrogen as fuel

Hydrogen is a vital part of California’s work to achieve its aggressive climate change goals, improve air quality and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The recent federal infrastructure bill includes $9.5 billion for the hydrogen industry, another boost for LA’s proliferating hydrogen sector.
Beyond consumer vehicles, the panel covered the large-scale deployment of investment and innovation and the industrial and economic potential in revolutionising manufacturing and production. From heavy trucks to fuelling stations and from buildings to cities, this session explored the economic opportunities of developing a hydrogen pipeline from production to use with readily available hydrogen sources in the region.

Moderator:
Brian Goldstein, Executive Director, Energy Independence Now

Speakers:
Takehito Yokoo, Senior Executive Engineer, Toyota and President of Japan Hydrogen Forum
Christopher Cannon, Director of Environmental Management and Sustainability Director, Port of Los Angeles

This was followed by the midday session, which included the speeches of the keynote speakers. The Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, presented the investment opportunities of the area and thanked the Romanian delegation for the high number of participants to the event.

Keynote Speakers:
US Senator Alex Padilla
Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, State of California
Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles
Alice Neuhauser, CFO Seismic Capital and President of Gramarye Media
Rob Swagger, CEO of TrendEx Group
Presentation of the FDI 2022 report: Dr. Richard Tang, from Loyola Marymount University

Meeting between C.N. Poşta Română S.A. (National Company Romanian Post S.A.) and DHL Express Los Angeles Area
The meeting took place at the DHL Express headquarters at 1900 Sacramento Street, LA, CA 90021, with the following participants:
Simona Steriu – Consul for Economic Affairs & Trade, Consulate-General of Romania in Los Angeles
Silviu Mărgean – Advisor Coordinator for the General Manager, C.N. Poșta Română S.A.
Brett Silvetti – Area Sales Manager, DHL Express.
The working discussions focused on the Romanian Post’s desire to develop the project of Turning Romania into a Regional Logistics Hub, following some successful international models and taking the initiative to adapt the educational structure by creating new occupations in line with the trends in the field of logistics.
The international models followed are the established ones, including the United States of America, based on an analysis of the economies of relevant countries, of their strategic geographical positions, infrastructural developments and customs legislative frameworks.

Romania can become a logistics hub by:
– capitalizing on its geographical potential
– adapting to technological change
– connecting to the supply chain in the region
– strengthening relations with peer operators
– developing new partnerships
– simplifying customs procedures through computerization
– updating the education system.

In this regard, the Romanian party informed the US dialogue partner that important steps had been taken towards the development of the Regional Logistics Hub through the signing of memoranda of cooperation between the Romanian Post and the postal administrations of Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian party also mentioned that similar agreements would be signed in the near future with other countries in the region, so that the Romanian Post could offer integrated logistics solutions throughout the Eastern flank of the European Union.
The dialogue partner DHL Express was invited to establish a commercial connection with the Romanian Post in order to benefit from mutually beneficial solutions, materialized in additional shipment volumes for each economic entity involved.

Meeting with Lourdes Saab, Head of Protocol, Los Angeles City Hall, on topics including the specificities of public administration and concrete ways to cooperate.

Meeting at Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce
The delegation was received by Bryan Starr – CEO, Pepper Russell – Sr. Manager, Economic Development and Laura Perdew – Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Visit to Capstone, where Vice President Don Ayers presented the company’s manufacturing facilities and agreed upon certain possibilities for cooperation with some of the entities that were part of the delegation.

Meeting of the delegation with the Consul General of Romania in Los Angeles, during which Mr. Cosmin Dumitrescu, Consul General in Los Angeles and Ms. Simona Steriu, Economic Counsellor, presented the possibilities for cooperation with US companies and the legal tools that the Embassy and the Consulate can access to facilitate it.
The meeting was also attended by Anastasia Soare – CEO and founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Las Vegas

Meeting of the delegation, accompanied by the Consul General of Romania in Los Angeles, Cosmin Dumitrescu, and the Honorary Consul General of Romania in Las Vegas, Ms. Aurelia Arnold Roberts, with Joe Green, International Business Development Executive, and Kim Daniels, Specialist Mercantile Logistics & International Trade INC, held at the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.
Agritech, energy security, food security, blockchain technology, E-sports, high tech telecom and the energy regulatory system are only some of the topics addressed by the Romanian and American specialists, with a focus on developing bilateral relations and accumulating know-how in sectors of strategic importance for both countries.

Meeting with the Mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, in the presence of the Consul General of Romania in Los Angeles, Cosmin Dumitrescu and the Honorary Consul General of Romania in Las Vegas, Aurelia Arnold Roberts.
The topics discussed included the challenges of managing a large city, with its specific elements of economic and commercial activities. Las Vegas is the 28th largest city in the US in terms of population.

Delegation meeting at Nevada Governor’s Office for Economic Development with Melanie Sheldon, Director of Business Development

The delegation’s programme in California and Nevada was made possible with the support of the Consulate General of Romania in Los Angeles and the Honorary Consulate General of Romania in Las Vegas. We would like to thank Mr. Cosmin Dumitrescu, Consul General of Romania in Los Angeles, Ms. Simona Steriu, Economic Counsellor, and Ms. Aurelia Arnold Roberts, Honorary Consul General of Romania in Las Vegas.

Cosmin Dumitrescu, Consul General of Romania in Los Angeles, said:

„The celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership paints a very encouraging picture of the already vibrant bilateral relationship between Romania and the United States. The US is clearly Romania’s most important partner in the area of security. But the relationship of friendship and partnership between our nations goes far beyond political and defence cooperation. The economic mission to the states of California and Nevada highlighted the strengthening of much broader bilateral relations, where cooperation between Romanian and US central, regional and local authorities is synchronised and harmonised with economic and trade cooperation between companies and organisations in the two countries that are partners and friends.
The warm communication established and the reception enjoyed by the delegation of representatives of Romanian companies and authorities prove that the relations between countries and authorities are motivated and strengthened by the common interest in a concrete direct cooperation between Romanian and US economic and commercial actors, as well as by direct and warm relations between people. I congratulate all those involved in the largest Romanian economic mission organised in the Western half of the USA and I would like to thank, on my behalf and on behalf of the Consulate General of Romania in Los Angeles, each participant for their efficient cooperation and professionalism”.

New York

Meeting at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New Jersey (CIANJ), attended by:
• Anthony Russo, President – Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, CEO/Publisher – COMMERCE Magazine
• Bill Hanson, Chairman, NAI Hanson Realty
• James Kosch, Esq, McCarter & English
• Corethia Oates, EVP, Morgan Stanley
• Jason Pourakis, Partner, Mazars
• Michael Smilovitch, SVP, Valley Bank
• Richard Schnaittacher, AIMS International
• Scott Christie, Esq. McCarter & English
• Lisa Bonsall, Esq. McCarter & English
• Loredana Nadasan Cano, Valley Bank
• Brenda Lepadat, Valley Bank
• Elias Wexler, President and Executive Director of the Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce

Conference at the New York Stock Exchange – NYSE
Brian Lewis, Director, Natural Gas and Power – Intercontinental Exchange, gave an insight of the US natural gas markets and some of the ICE offers in the area.
The important partnership between NYSE-listed NuScale Power and the Government of Romania for the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) was also presented. Ways to work together, to exchange best practices and to cooperate with US companies and institutions were discussed.
Romania’s efforts to become an energy hub for the region and to provide additional supplies to help replace resources once supplied by Russia were presented.

– Visit to the New York Stock Exchange – NYSE, Trading Floor – discussions with stock market specialists about stock market trading, market developments in the current context and the opportunities offered by the capital market.

The delegation’s programme in New York was made possible with the support of the Consulate General of Romania in New York and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CIANJ). We would like to thank Mr. Gabriel Duțu, Minister Counsellor, Office of Trade and Economic Promotion of the Consulate General of Romania in New York, and Mr. Anthony Russo, President of CIANJ.

Media Uno Media Group
July 2022

Shaping the Future for a Better Tomorrow