Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu received by British counterpart Keir Starmer in London
The head of Romania’s executive, Marcel Ciolacu, was welcomed by British counterpart Keir Starmer on Wednesday, November 13, in London. The officials talked and announced that they have decided to enhance economic cooperation and the defense partnership.
The visit was the first that a Romanian prime minister conducted in the United Kingdom in more than 17 years.
Ciolacu and Starmerdiscussed deepening cooperation in defense and public procurement and emphasized the importance of supporting allies in the region in the face of Russia's continued aggression. An official press release put out by the British prime minister’s office notes that “across defense, security, trade and investment, the relationship between the two countries was full of opportunity and potential, the leaders agreed.”
During the meeting, the latest defense cooperation agreement between Romania and the UK was signed by defense minister Angel Tîlvăr and the UK secretary of state for defence, John Healey.
The two prime ministers also talked about the importance of the Black Sea region and the ways in which the UK could further support Romania's critical national infrastructure through investments and expertise, including in the field of clean energy.
“The beginning of a strong friendship with prime minister Keir Starmer, for our peoples, our countries, our democratic values, and global peace,” Ciolacu wrote in a post on the X platform. “The strong Romanian diaspora in the United Kingdom inspires us to do more to strengthen our strategic partnership at all levels. We have decided to bolster our economic cooperation and defense partnership."
"United Kingdom and Romania are working closely to strengthen trade relations and security," commented prime minister Starmer.
During his visit to the UK, Marcel Ciolacu also attended, alongside the lord mayor of London, Alastair King, the opening of the Romanian-British Economic Forum. During his speech, he emphasized that the excellent bilateral dialogue at all levels is founded on the long-standing and profound Romanian-British friendship, built over time and strengthened through ongoing dialogue.
"These are solid historical ties, but I believe that today the most important connection is undoubtedly represented by the large Romanian community here. Over 1.2 million Romanians have chosen to live, study, or work in the United Kingdom," stated Ciolacu.
On the other hand, Marcel Ciolacu said that Romania aims to convince people to stay and work at home.
“And for this, I hope that today we can convince more and more leaders of major British companies that Romania is a very good country for investment. This way, we have a win-win relationship: you find new development opportunities in Romania, while we keep our workforce at home and grow the local economy," he argued, cited by Agerpres.
The head of the Romanian executive said that engineers in Romania have reached salaries of EUR 2,000-3,000, and that the country is building highways, hospitals, and schools.
He also commended British businesses active in Romania, and named Rezolv Energy as one of them.
“We are the second most energy-independent country in the EU, with only 28% imports, compared to the EU average of 57%. Additionally, Romania is the second largest producer of natural gas in the EU, and our goal is to become energy independent by 2030. This is a substantial advantage for any investor. So - my message to you is simple and clear: Romania is a safe destination to bring your money and make a profit!" declared Ciolacu.
(Photo source: Gov.ro)
