President Klaus Iohanis welcomed by Mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi

AGERPRES special corespondent Madalina Cerban reports: President Klaus Iohannis, who is paying a state visit to the Italian Republic, was welcomed on Thursday by the Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi.

Klaus Iohannis arrived at the seat of Rome City Hall with his wife, Carmen Iohannis, the presidential couple being welcomed by Virginia Raggi.

Several Romanians in Italy waited for the head of state to arrive at the City Hall in Rome, applauding him.

Later on, the president, alongside the Mayor of Rome, will meet with representatives of the Romanian community in Italy.

The meeting will take place in the Esedra di Marco Aurelio Hall of the Capitolini Museum. The hall is one of the most important parts of the Capitolin Museum, having been used for high level ceremonies, with the participation of heads of state or government. The Hall hosts a series of important pieces of art, among which the bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, made around 176 AD.

The state visit to Italy of President Iohannis, October 14 to 17, takes place against the backdrop of the Greater Union's Centennial celebration and of the 10th anniversary since Romanian-Italian relations were upgraded to the level of Consolidated Strategic Partnership.

According to the Presidential Administration, this is the first state visit of a Romanian head of state to Italy in the last 45 years.

The agenda of the visit included official meetings with Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella, with the head of Government, Giuseppe Conte, the President of the Italian Senate, Maria Elisabeta Alberti Casellati, and with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico.