Senate's Ciuca: Trade between Romania and Italy is at record level

Senate President Nicolae Ciuca said on Tuesday that trade between Romania and Italy is at a record level, but there is room for growth created by Romania's economic development, which has an increased regional relevance in the energy and food sectors, told Agerpres.

"Today I had a working meeting with the Ambassador of the Republic of Italy in Bucharest, His Excellency Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni. The topics discussed were the strengthening of economic relations between our countries, cooperation in the diplomatic and European affairs areas, as well as the strengthening of judicial cooperation between the two countries. Trade between Romania and Italy is at a record level, but there is room for growth created by the economic development of our country, which has an increased regional relevance in the energy and food sectors, as a result of the measures I have taken as Prime Minister," Ciuca wrote on Facebook.

He added that Romania needs both to increase exports to Italy and to attract new Italian investment in these areas.

"I thanked His Excellency for the unconditional support that Italy gives to Romania in the process of admission to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), but especially in the integration into the Schengen Area. The presence of more than one million Romanians in Italy is a strong cultural link between the two countries, so the freedom of movement that our admission to the Schengen Area would benefit those who travel between Italy and Romania. We have also reconfirmed the support that our states give to Ukraine in the face of the unjustified and unprovoked Russian aggression. His Excellency told me that Italy appreciates Romania for the fact that it manages to contribute substantially to supporting Ukrainian exports," Nicolae Ciuca mentioned.

The President of the Senate also said that he appreciated Italy's support for the European perspective of the countries in the Eastern Neighbourhood, which is why he supported the Republic of Moldova being granted the status of candidate for accession to the European Union.

"At the same time, we reaffirmed our unconditional support for the Republic of Moldova in its European path, but also for the economic development and welfare of all its citizens," Ciuca said.