PRESS RELEASE

On November 23-24, 1999, in Paris, the reunion of the General Assembly of the UIC (Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer) elected a new leadership with a two-year mandate, between 2000-2001. Miguel Corsini, president of the Spanish railways (RENFE) was elected UIC chairman, and Viorel Simut, director general of the CFR - SA National Railways Company, will have the position of deputy chairman of the UIC.
During this period, the new chairman will coordinate the following activities:
- UIC relations with the European railway industry;
- coordination of Central and East European railways in view of European integration;
- East-West relations for technical and legislative harmonization within the European Union; development of projects for pan-European railway corridors;
- research, development, reliability and interoperability studies for harmonized railway technology.
For the first time in history, the national railway system is represented at the summit of world specialized forums.
The choice recognizes the European configuration of railway administration in Romania, which on April 23, 2000 will celebrate 120 years of existence.
Another contender for the deputy chairman position was the director general of the Polish railways, Krzysztof Celinski.
The Romanian candidate was preferred in a vote by more than 100 railway administrations in the world.
Romania is the initiator, and the Romanian Railways Company is one of the founders of the International Railways Union. In October 1921, at the Portorose, Italy conference, Alexandru Perieteanu, then director general of the CFR, proposed and justified the establishment of this international railways forum.
The new UIC deputy chairman, Viorel Simut, was born on July 7, 1959, in the Alesd locality, Bihor county. A graduate of the Timisoara Polytechnic, in 1996 he earned the scientific title of Ph.D. in the engineering of locomotives and carriages, obtained the title of university professor and was elected an active member of the Russian Transport Academy in 1999. For 1998 through 2000, Ph.D. eng. Viorel Simut will hold the chair of the Conference of OCCF Member Directors General.
An author of three books and more than 70 research papers and studies published in Romania and abroad, in 1998, as president of the SNCFR, he was among those who assumed responsibility for the reform of railways in Romania.
This is another proof that Romanian specialists in numerous sectors enjoy international recognition.