On Thursday, February 15, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolak was received by Pope Francis and expressed his gratitude for the support provided to the Romanian community.
During a two-day working visit to Italy, the Romanian Prime Minister also met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, other Italian officials, and members of the Romanian community.
“Today I had the special opportunity to speak with Pope Francis at the Vatican and express my gratitude for the support provided to the Romanian community in Italy and throughout Europe,” Ciolak said on Facebook.
The meeting between the two sides lasted about 25 minutes. The Pope presented Romanian officials with a bronze bas-relief and several books. According to News.ro, Marcel Ciolak gave Pope Francis in 2019 a painting depicting seven martyred bishops who were beatified by Pope Francis (meaning confirmation of the deceased’s admission to heaven). Marcel Ciolak also gifted some specific Romanian products.
The Prime Minister of Romania was on an official visit to Italy from February 14th to 15th, accompanied by several members of his cabinet. He also met with Italian Giorgia Meloni and representatives of the Italian business community.
“I came here to send a strong message to Italian companies: come to Romania and invest, because you will only get profits!” Ciolak said.
“The Italian business environment that already exists in Romania contributes to the economic development of our country. Just a few days ago I visited an Italian-owned shipyard where 4,000 people work and I was impressed by the way things are done and the working conditions. I received it.” […] At the same time, we are happy that Romanians here come in second place in the ranking of foreigners opening their businesses in Italy, with tens of thousands of companies and private companies. Moreover, in recent years, several important Romanian companies have invested in Italy: Transylvanian Bank, Digi, Bitdefender or UiPass, all leaders in their fields of activity,” he added.
During his visit to Italy, the Prime Minister also met with members of the local Romanian community and other Italian officials.
“A year ago, we met for the first time. I was Speaker of the House of Commons, and it is unacceptable that for many years there has not been a joint meeting of our two governments, especially an economic forum. We have recognized together that this is the case for many years. Meanwhile, Italy is Romania’s second largest partner within the European Union. Last year, trade relations exceeded 20 billion euros. And Italy As representatives of Romanian exiles in Italy, you rank second in terms of the number of companies founded in Italy. “There are more than one million Romanians in the diaspora in Italy,” quoted in the official press release. Mr. Cholak said.
The Romanian Prime Minister also received a welcome from Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri during his visit to Italy.
radu@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Facebook/Marcel Ciolacu)