23rd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Adversarial Foreign Investments
Hon. Pavel Popescu discussed the increasing significance of foreign investment screening mechanisms akin to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in safeguarding democratic economies from strategic threats. He cautioned that nations such as China, Russia, and Iran employ opaque investments and economic influence to undermine democratic institutions and exert control over critical sectors. Popescu underscored that numerous regions, including parts of Africa and Latin America, have already become susceptible to such influence, while Europe and the United States retain an opportunity to fortify safeguards.
He exemplified Romania as a case study of adopting a robust investment-screening framework modeled after CFIUS to safeguard national interests. Popescu emphasized that political leaders must prioritize transparency, national security, and long-term economic protection when assessing foreign investments. He further advocated for enhanced collaboration between Europe and the United States to counter strategic economic influence and to support allies that reject non-transparent investments but lack alternative resources.
