Radu Miruță pulls out a 33-year-old debt to the USA from under the rug: “Some people pulled spikes and got rich, and the state defaulted”
Radu Miruță declared that, as the Minister of Economy, this week he regulated the payment of a historic debt that Romania has towards the United States of America, worth 10 million dollars, for cotton fiber imported in the 90s.
Miruta states what the two measures have in common. PHOTO: Facebook/Radu Miruta
Miruta claims that he took out “under the rug” a financial obligation over three decades old, which the Romanian state can now pay “correctly, transparently and with dignity”, considering the approach an important step for Romania's credibility as an international economic partner.
“In 1992, a big cannon was fired in Romania: the so-called Cotton Business. Some took the bait and got rich, and the Romanian state remained insolvent, and with a long-term diplomatic shame. For 33 years, the decision-makers pushed this mess under the rug. Today, we brought it to light.” stated Radu Miruță in a post on social networks.
According to him, at the beginning of the 90s, the Romanian Government contracted a cotton loan from the United States, intended to support selected Romanian companies. The cotton was delivered, the companies closed, and the debt was not repaid.
“Romania was left with the unpaid obligation. Beyond history and the guilty, Romania is the same country, with the same tricolor and with millions of honest people. And our external image is not a detail: it is something that must be defended. As Minister of the Economy, in this week's Government meeting, I made a natural gesture for a Romania that wants to be respected: I brought an important piece of legislation to the level of 2025 and pulled out from under the rug a historical debt”, Miruta pointed out.
The Minister specified that the measure adopted in the Government meeting has a wider meaning than a strictly technical one.
“First of all, we regulated the payment of a historic debt to the United States of America, for cotton fiber imported in the 90s. A debt that is over 30 years old, assumed by the Romanian state in 1992, which today we can pay correctly, transparently and with dignity. It is a necessary step for Romania's credibility as an international economic partner”. he explained.
At the same time, Miruță announced the introduction into the legislation of a clarification regarding the definition of optical fiber, which he says was “difficult to explain” because it was missing in 2025.
“Why does it matter? Because optical fiber is the backbone of modern communications, including critical infrastructure, such as energy networks. Whoever uses it must make it responsible and pay the due royalties to the state, i.e. to all citizens”, he added.
Radu Miruță states that the two measures have in common the correction of some old legislative negligence, which allowed abuses and losses for the state, and claims that his actions are aimed at strengthening a responsible state.
Radu Miruță is proposed for the position of Minister of Defense, he will also hold the position of Deputy Prime Minister. For the Economy portfolio, USR proposes Senator Irineu Darău.
