India, Romania agree to double trade over next three years

• President Droupadi Murmu reached Bucharest, Romania on the last leg of her State Visit on July 23. 

• This is the first State Visit by an Indian President to Romania in nearly three decades. 

• The President visited Cotroceni Palace, the official residence and office of the President of Romania. 

• President Murmu held delegation-level talks with her Romanian counterpart Nicusor Dan. 

• The two leaders held productive and forward-looking discussions covering all major dimensions of India-Romania bilateral partnership. 

• They agreed to further deepen cooperation across areas of priority for the two countries.

• The two leaders agreed to promote trade and investment, strengthen resilient supply chains, and encourage closer collaboration between the business communities of our two countries. 

• They also agreed to work towards doubling our bilateral trade over the next three years.

• As India and Romania prepare to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2028, the two sides agreed to commemorate the occasion as the ‘India-Romania Year of Innovation’.

• President Murmu also held discussions with Ilie Bolojan, Prime Minister of Romania, at Victoria Palace in Bucharest.

• Victoria Palace (Palatul Victoria) is the seat of the government of Romania and the official office of the Romanian Prime Minister.

India-Romania Bilateral Relations

• Romania is the largest country (spread over an area of 2,38,397 sq km) in South-Eastern Europe and occupies a strategically important position on the western coast of the Black Sea, bordering Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria.

• India and Romania established diplomatic relations in 1948.

• Indian investments in Romania are estimated to be in the range of $1-1.5 billion, making India one of the significant Asian investors in the country.

• India and Romania bilateral trade reached $1.4 billion in 2024-25.

• Main export items to Romania include petroleum products; engineering goods; drugs and pharmaceuticals; ceramic products and glassware; man-made yarns and fabrics; ready-made garments and textiles; organic and inorganic chemicals; plastics and linoleum products; electronic goods; mica, coal and other ores.

• India’s imports from Romania mainly consist of industrial and intermediate goods required for manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. These include machinery and boilers; electrical and electronic equipment; optical and precision instruments; mineral fuels, oils and distillation products; animal or vegetable fats and oils and their derivatives; cereals; rubber products; iron and steel.

• There are around 13,500 Indians in Romania, including approximately 10,000 workers.