Bucharest, June 2 /Agerpres/ - King Charles III said Friday at Cotroceni Presidential Palace that he has "always" felt "at home" in Romania, which he called, in Romanian, "tara de glorii, tara de dor" (land of glory, land of longing), quoting from Mihai Eminescu's poem "Ce-ti doresc eu tie, dulce Romanie" (What I truly wish you, sweet Romania).

I have come to love Romania, its culture and art, heritage, history, landscapes and biodiversity, said the British monarch and continued in Romanian: "tara de glorii, tara de dor".

He evoked Romania's untouched forests and rural landscapes and sustainable farming models. He also spoke warmly of his Romanian friends and how Ukrainian refugees were welcomed here.

King Charles II voiced his pleasure in visiting Romania once again and recalled that his first visit "to this remarkable country" took place a quarter of a century ago.

When I came here and even before, I felt a deep connection with Romania, said the British monarch, recalling his family's ties with the Romanian royal family.

My father was King Mihai's cousin and they had memories of their childhood together spent here. So, I can say that I have always felt at home in Romania. In all these years I had the joy of travelling all over the country and I met Romanians from all walks of life. I have thus had the opportunity to witness firsthand the extraordinary development that has taken place, which is, I must say, a testament to your energy, innovation and resilience, said the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

King Charles III said he was inspired by those he met and recalled the efforts of volunteers from non-governmental organisations.

Romania has preserved its forests, rural landscapes and sustainable farming models. There are still many species here that have disappeared in other parts of Europe and the world, so this country is all the more precious, but I especially value my Romanian friends here. I am very grateful for the many people, who are also here in the hall, who have supported me and in projects that do good for communities all over the country, added the British sovereign.

He also recalled his previous visit to our country when he was Prince of Wales and saw "particularly generous support for friends from Ukraine in Romania".

The monarch spoke of the importance of the Romanian community in the UK and the "stronger than ever" ties between the two countries.

I came to Romania for so many years because I felt close to the Romanian people, for the suffering of the Second World War. I especially wanted to remind the world of all the things that made Romania such a special country. Today, there is no need to remind people, because more and more British people come to Romania every year and millions of Romanians are an important part of life in the UK. Our bonds of friendship are stronger today than at any time in history and I look forward to playing my part in making them even stronger in the future, said King Charles III.

The reception at Cotroceni on Friday is the only official event in King Charles III's programme in Romania, as he is on a private visit to our country for a few days.AGERPRES(RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Florin Marin; EN - editor: Simona Iacob)