he Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, on Tuesday received Marco Giungi, the Ambassador of the Italian Republic, in a farewell visit, the two officials appreciating the fact that, despite the multiple challenges and restrictions caused by the pandemic, bilateral economic and sectoral cooperation remained at "remarkable levels."
According to a press release of the MAE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Minister Aurescu and the Italian ambassador evoked the very good level of the bilateral relationship, defined by the Consolidated Strategic Partnership between Romania and Italy.
The head of the Romanian diplomacy voiced his appreciation for the very good collaboration he had with the Italian ambassador during his term in Bucharest, as well as for the significant contribution that the Italian diplomat had to the development of the bilateral relationship, Agerpres informs.
Both sides welcomed the fact that, despite the multiple challenges and restrictions caused by the pandemic, bilateral economic and sectoral cooperation remained at "remarkable levels."
"The head of the Romanian diplomacy welcomed the level of bilateral exchanges, which in 2020 amounted to 13.85 billion euros, as well as the substantial volume of mutual investments. Minister Bogdan Aurescu also evoked the significant development of bilateral sectoral cooperation in areas such as the economy, defence, home affairs, justice, labour and social affairs," the statement said.
At the same time, Minister Aurescu voiced Romania's interest in resuming bilateral inter-governmental meetings, an interest also confirmed by the Italian side.
"He also mentioned the opportunity to update the Consolidated Strategic Partnership Declaration, to reflect the current priorities and realities of the bilateral, European and global agenda. In this context, they mentioned the very good results of Minister Bogdan Aurescu's visit to Rome on April 7, 2021, following the invitation addressed by his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio, the consultations between the two officials giving a significant new impetus to the bilateral cooperation," according to the same source.
During the discussions, the head of Romanian Diplomacy underscored the importance of the presence on the territory of Italy of the largest Romanian community abroad, which represents a special, positive aspect of the bilateral relationship and a foundation of the Consolidated Strategic Partnership.
Both sides noted that Romanians in Italy "are very well integrated into Italian society, valued in the communities in which they live and make an important contribution to the Italian economy, including through the development of their entrepreneurship spirit."
In the same context, Minister Aurescu and Ambassador Giungi mentioned the importance of close coordination at the level of the European Union and within NATO, given the common interest of Romania and Italy in strengthening the role of the EU and NATO globally.
The high Romanaian official said that, in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe, as well as the NATO Summit in June, the two states can contribute, including through joint efforts, to promoting their visions on the most important issues on the European agenda.
Ambassador Giungi also thanked Romania for its solidarity during the pandemic, including by sending a medical team to Italy in 2020.
Last but not least, the head of the Romanian diplomacy used this occasion to express his condolences as a result of the collapse of a cable car, in the recent days, in northern Italy, an accident in which 14 people lost their lives.
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