Germany ranks first both in terms of trade exchanges with Romania and foreign investments, Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu said on Tuesday after a meeting with her German counterpart, Johann David Wadephul, who is visiting Bucharest.

'Germany is Romania's leading trading partner and top investor. We have over 18 billion euros invested across many key sectors. Together, we are creating and supporting well-paid jobs and competitive businesses that generate value not only for our countries but for the entire EU market,' she emphasised during a joint press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) headquarters.

According to Oana Toiu, the German minister's visit marks 145 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. She also recalled that more than three decades ago, Romania and Germany signed a bilateral treaty on friendly cooperation and partnership in Europe.

Recently, during President Nicusor Dan's visit to Berlin, a joint action plan was signed to further deepen bilateral cooperation, the Romanian foreign minister added.

'A vital link between our countries and societies is represented both by the Romanian community in Germany - a strong community, well integrated into the labour market, from which we are increasingly seeing entrepreneurial initiatives - and by the German minority in Romania, which holds a special and very important place for us,' Minister Toiu said.

The discussions also focused on boosting cooperation in the field of tourism, where demand is growing on both sides.

Oana Toiu thanked Germany for its support regarding Romania's accession to the OECD.

'I would like to thank you now, as I did during our phone call, for the support Germany has provided in ensuring the safety of our airspace and the protection of our borders, and especially for the joint projects we are carrying out and the strong friendship between our countries,' she highlighted. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Irinela Visan; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)