June 2, 2016, Updated June 1, 2016

During a business seminar led by the Israeli commercial attaché’s office in Bucharest, Romania’s largest water utility, Raja Constanta, signed cooperation agreements with Jerusalem’s Hagihon water utility and with Israeli water-management company Utilis on May 30, 2016.

According to the agreement with Hagihon, professional bilateral delegations will travel to both countries and Hagihon will help Raja Constanta prepare for various challenges – above all, the reduction of water loss. Utilis will help Raja Constanta identify underground leaks by using its specialized satellite technology.

Hagihon CEO Zohar Yinon signing the agreeements in Bucharest. Photo by Andrei Mainea
Hagihon CEO Zohar Yinon signing the agreeements in Bucharest. Photo by Andrei Mainea

The seminar in Constanza, held on the shores of the Black Sea, culminated six months of meetings and bilateral visits during which the Israeli commercial office in Bucharest, Israel NewTech at the Division for Foreign Investment and Industrial Cooperation at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, and the Israel Export Institute worked to identify Israeli technologies that could meet the various Romanian water utilities’ needs for treating drinking water, identifying and managing leaks, conserving energy and increasing efficiency.

“About half of Romania’s population is not connected to central drinking water and sewage treatment networks,” said Matan Safran, the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry’s trade representative in Romania.

Israeli Ambassador to Romania Tamar Samash speaking in Bucharest. To her left are RAJA Constanta President Felix Stroe and Matan Safran, commercial attaché and head of Israel’s Economic & Trade Mission to Romania. Photo by Cristi Cimpoes
Israeli Ambassador to Romania Tamar Samash speaking in Bucharest. To her left are RAJA Constanta President Felix Stroe and Matan Safran, commercial attaché and head of Israel’s Economic & Trade Mission to Romania. Photo by Cristi Cimpoes

“As a result, the EU has earmarked €4 billion for the issue through 2020. €400 million was budgeted to Raja Constanta alone, Romania’s leading water utility operator. Exposing Israeli water technologies to the Romanian market through this company is the entry point to a market with unlimited potential. The massive presence of major local players at the event will help leverage, I believe, the Israeli companies’ technologies for other water utility operators as well.”

Safran said the agreements “will create a permanent bridge for sharing information, knowledge and technology between both countries. I am certain that we can help more Israeli companies enter the Romanian market, which is in need of new technologies.”

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