The relationship between Romania and Israel is strong at the political, economic and human level, President Nicusor Dan said on Monday at a joint news conference with visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

He underlined the historical character of this relationship, emphasising that 'a binder is the community of Israelis who are originally from Romania, who contributed to the construction and development of the State of Israel.'

Dan said that the President of Israel is in Romania for the commemoration of the 85th anniversary of the Pogrom in Iasi.

'I pay tribute to the memory of the victims of those days and I think it is our responsibility, of all of us, not to forget, so that these kinds of events do not happen again in the world and in Romania,' said Dan.

He also drew attention to the rise of hate speech today, saying that it is necessary to act 'firmly and tactfully'.

'We are witnessing an increase in hate speech and we must act firmly and, at the same time, tactfully against these types of manifestations, so that we can achieve a de-escalation, deradicalisation, a communion between people who have different opinions, religions, beliefs. It is our task, all of us,' said Dan.

He added that Romania and Israel have a solid collaboration in several fields - economy, security, defence industry, agriculture and information technology. He mentioned that the two countries have common positions on the war in Ukraine.

'I thanked Mr President for the solidarity of the State of Israel for the events we had, especially drones, following this war,' Dan said.

At the same time, he called for an intensification of diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, underscoring the importance of a lasting solution for regional stability.

'We reiterated our position on the need for diplomatic efforts to restore peace and stability throughout the region. Our hope is that the agreement between the United States and Iran will pave the way for a lasting regional peace, and Romania will continue to support efforts to stabilise the Middle East to the benefit of all inhabitants,' said Dan. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Oana Ghita; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)