Romania aims to forge links with Scotland

ROMANIA'S ambassador to the UK has pledged that immigrants from his country will not be a drain on Scotland's social care system - and will instead work to forge trade, tourism and religious links between the two cultures.

On a visit to Edinburgh, Dr Ion Jinga presented Ron Hewitt, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce, with a list of 70 joint venture projects which he hopes will come to fruition between Scotland and Romania.

Dr Jinga, who was in Scotland to open the first Romanian consulate in the UK outside London and hold meetings with key business and tourism officials, said he was in negotiations with two Scottish energy firms over potential renewables projects in Romania and added he was "confident" that a direct air link will be created between the two countries.

"We do not want Romanians to be a burden for the social services of Scotland - that is not the objective," he said. "Romanian people who are in difficulty are in a small minority as everywhere and it is our duty (as Romanians] to help them."

He said he hoped that Scottish firms would launch tie-ups with companies in Romania, which is home to Europe's largest windfarm. "Scottish investment is very welcome to develop such projects," he said.