The Romanian Large Retailers Association (AMRCR) announces in a press release that it remains committed to its mission of being a reliable partner for Romania by facilitating dialogue between retail companies and the public sector, as well as supporting local communities.

Large stores are present nationwide, often being the only or main employer in certain rural communities, and continue to act as a development factor, integrating the latest innovations in technology, and constantly creating new collaboration opportunities with local entrepreneurs and producers.

The Romanian Large Retailers Association acknowledges the importance of partnerships and mutually beneficial relationships with local communities and considers it a priority to strengthen their resilience against any potentially disruptive events.

This necessity is heightened in the current context, marked by geopolitical developments both in neighboring areas and other regions, with global inflammatory potential. These factors maintain pressure on the normal functioning of supply chains, resulting in a state of alert regarding collateral effects on food security and the stability of operational and financial parameters.

In this context, AMRCR has developed a partnership with the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center (E-ARC), a research, analysis, and training entity within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Among the priorities of this collaboration is strengthening the resilience of local communities, materialized by E-ARC through the creation of the Crisis Situations Guide (https://e-arc.ro/2023/03/01/ghid-pentru-situatii-de-criza/).

This relevant and novel endeavor, supported by AMRCR at the national level, involves informing citizens through electronic and printed materials, distributed to target audiences identified by E-ARC.

The goal is to raise public awareness about the importance of early preparation for any situation or scenario and to familiarize them with response methods in case potential sources of instability evolve into major crises that could affect the normal course of citizens' lives or the optimal functioning of the institutional system.

The Guide, developed by E-ARC, also had contributions from the National Cyber Security Directorate, the Department for Emergency Situations, and the Ministry of National Defense. The Guide is available in printed format and electronically on the E-ARC website and several public institutions' websites. Currently, the Guide is available only in Romanian, but versions in regional and international languages are being prepared.

"AMRCR assumes the role of a loyal and faithful partner in projects that contribute to strengthening local communities, as well as any institutional effort aimed at establishing useful mechanisms to prevent potentially unstable, confusing, or ambiguous situations regarding food security," said George Bădescu, executive director of AMRCR. (Photo: Freepik)