Romania is more resistant to the global financial crisis than western Europe and the United States, experts have stated.

According to market analyst Frost and Sullivan, the slowdown in the worldwide economy should have a lesser impact on Romania than on many other countries.

Malavika Tohani, a researcher at the organisation, said this is partly because the country recently became a member of the European Union.

As a result, it has benefited from accelerated improvements in infrastructure, extra finance and reforms to weed out bureaucracy and corruption.

Ms Tohani commented: "The medium to long term scenario looks bright for this emerging economy."

However, she said short-term growth may slow down slightly, as the financial crisis is likely to lead to a drop in foreign direct investment and the purchasing power of consumers.

This comes after Romania's economy minister Varujan Vosganian told the Xinhua news agency that the country's gross domestic product is likely to expand by about six per cent next year.