Ambassador Giungi: Romania - Italy trade ties further growing, as concrete sign of trust

Trade ties between Romania and Italy are further growing, which is "a concrete sign of trust," ambassador Marco Giungi said on Wednesday at the reception honoring Italian National Day. 

Figures are less important than growth. I don't want yet to boast figures and rankings, no matter how great they are. I prefer to emphasize that our trade ties are further growing, as a concrete sign of the trust evoked by President [Sergio] Mattarella, the diplomat said. 

Investments bring wealth, despite the old-fashioned nationalist rhetoric that depicts the malevolent multinationals that come to exploit the country. Our economies are increasingly integrated, and this happens even more since Romania joined the EU, added ambassador Giungi. 

In the opening of Italy's National Day reception, four planes - two Eurofighters used by the Italian forces for air policing in Romania, and two MIG 21 jets - performed a flypast over the Embassy. 

Our participation in the South-East Multinational Brigade and now in the NATO air policing operations is a concrete proof of our commitment to ensuring the defence of Europe and the Alliance, said Marco Giungi. 

The diplomat also referred to President Iohannis's state visit to Italy in October last year, the first visit by a democratically elected Romanian President after the 1989 Revolution. 

In this context, ambassador Giungi cited in Romanian from the speech given by President Mattarella at the dinner offered back then in honor of President Klaus Iohannis: "Romania passionately wanted to be European because it has Latin roots, ever since it asserted itself as a state. The long and painful experience of the communist regime has prevented for nearly half a century this natural inclination that was fully accomplished only after the Revolution, following the opening of the path that has led Romania into the North Atlantic and the European family." 

In his turn, Minister Delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba spoke about the relationship between the two countries, expressing gratitude "for the support Italy has given us with joining the European Union" and for the two states' military cooperation. 

Professors Otilia Doroteea Borcea and Stefan Damian were presented at the reception with the Order of the Star of Italy.