Romania eager to enhance ties with Pakistan: envoy

Ambassador Goia enumerates rising economic and cultural ties

ISLAMABAD: Romanian Ambassador Nicolae Goia has said Romania is eager to work with friendly Pakistan for taking forward the bilateral agenda, as well the cooperation within the EU-Pakistan framework and in multilateral formats, especially in the UN.

“I warmly welcome the spirit of Romania-Pakistan relations, characterized by friendship and collaboration and the new dynamism witnessed in the recent years with a result-driven political dialogue reflecting a clear desire of both states for developing a pragmatic relationship in fields of mutual interests”.

The Romanian ambassador expressed these views while speaking on the occasion of 101 anniversary of National Day of Romania.

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar attended the event as chief guest.

It was Asad Qaisar’s first diplomatic event after assuming charge of the Speaker of the National Assembly. Minister Sheharyar Afridi attended the event as guest of honour while a number of other Federal and State Ministers, Senators and ex Ministers also attended the Romanian national day reception.

The ambassador further said, he will not go into details of the numerous projects they have initiated in cooperation with Pakistan but would certainly mention the two patrol boats built in Damen Galati, a Romanian shipyard, for the Pakistani navy with very good prospects that a contract for two more boats would be signed very soon.

The year 2019 marks the celebration of 55 years of the bilateral relations between Romania and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, characterised by friendship, mutual interest and collaboration.

In recent years, the relations witnessed new dynamics, with a result-oriented driven political dialogue and positive developments in the economic/commercial, educational and cultural fields.

“In the economic realm, we praise the recent dynamics of bilateral economic cooperation with Pakistan, which has significantly diversified, in fields like shipbuilding, aeronautics and transport, and increased up to 13,74% as compared to 2017.

Over a five-year period, 2013-2018, the bilateral trade balance was positive for Romania with a steady increase in percentage terms, a bilateral format we share interest to further enhance and diversify.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2019.