Six of the nine contracts for highway sections financed from SAFE have been signed, and the other three will follow in a fairly short period of time, declared on Friday interim Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Radu Miruta, in a press conference.

'On SAFE, there were nine projects, nine highway sections financed from this famous SAFE. Six of them have signed contracts. As of May 30, the remaining three were under appeal at the CNSC and could not be signed. In the meantime, two of them have been resolved in these days and we are in discussions to conclude the agreement with Ukraine and Moldova, because there are the ends from Ukraine and Moldova where an agreement must be concluded with these two countries. One is still in legal clarifications,' Miruta explained.

He rejected claims that money from SAFE in the transport sector 'goes to Ukrainian companies', stating that seven out of nine companies involved in these contracts are Romanian.

'I heard the situation that the money from SAFE not only goes to I don't know which countries for defense, but also for transportation, all the money from SAFE goes to companies from Ukraine. It's a lie and it's an intoxication, I don't necessarily know for what purpose, but I can guess. I checked which companies won the construction of the nine highway lots and seven out of the nine companies are Romanian. The other two, one is Spanish and one is Italian. On three of the sections won by a Romanian company from Bistrita, I understood, the respective company made a subcontracting agreement for the three works and for part of the three works with a company from Ukraine, but the ministry concluded a contract with the Romanian company on a competitive procedure, by auction, with the lowest price. So, seven out of the nine companies are Romanian and the share of the money from SAFE that is being carried out with Romanian companies, compared to 60% in Defense, is increasing today, bringing into this share also the money spent on the road infrastructure area,' explained the interim head of Transport.

Radu Mirută concluded that 'on SAFE (transportation - editor's note) we are doing well, six out of nine contracts have been signed and the other three will be signed in a fairly short period of time.' AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Tilica, editing by: Nicoleta Gherasi; EN - writing by: Catalin Cristian Trandafir)