The experience gained by Romanians in the diaspora in competitive markets must be transformed into investment, jobs and exports, believes Mihai Daraban, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR).

According to a press release from the organisation sent to AGERPRES, the institution is strengthening its partnership with ROUNIT - Reunited Communities, the organisation that brings together the international network of ambassadors representing Romanian communities abroad. As part of this partnership, two economic forums are scheduled to take place in Italy this autumn, in Turin on 23 October and in Rome on 30 November.

'The diaspora is not a sentimental issue but a chapter in the national economy. We are talking about millions of people who have learned, in markets that are much more competitive than ours, the discipline of work, quality standards and access to business networks. Our task, as institutions, is to turn this experience into investment, jobs and exports,' said the CCIR president.

According to him, the test of the relationship between the Romanian state and Romanians abroad is not the volume of remittances but the ability to convert them into productive capital.

'Money sent home has supported household consumption and that was a good thing. But consumption does not build an economy. We have a trade deficit that cannot be closed with statements but with production and exports. A Romanian entrepreneur returning from Italy who opens a factory and employs thirty people does more for the trade balance than ten debates about economic patriotism,' Mihai Daraban said.

Italy is hosting two of the events in the ROUNIT programme this autumn.

'Where there is a large Romanian community, there is also a market, a network of suppliers and people who understand both business environments. An economic forum in Turin or Rome is not a protocol meeting but a working tool. CCIR does not come with speeches but with what it has: the network of county chambers of commerce, commercial arbitration, economic information services and foreign trade missions. Anyone who wants to invest in Romania must find an institutional gateway, not a labyrinth,' the CCIR president said.

The Romania-Italy Economic Forum & ROUNIT - Piedmont 2026 Conference is scheduled to take place in Turin on 23 October.

The event will be organised together with CCIRO Italy, the Consulate General of Romania in Turin and the Turin Chamber of Commerce and aims to bring together Romanian and Italian businesspeople from the Piedmont region and facilitate the identification of concrete investment opportunities. Discussions will focus on tax incentives, European funding programmes and state aid schemes.

The partnership between CCIR and ROUNIT included the 'Diaspora, Romanian Capital' conference this spring, held in Bucharest on 30 April.

The ROUNIT programme for the final quarter of the year includes events in Romania, Italy, the Republic of Moldova, Greece and the Vatican. On 30 November, the ROUNIT Economic Forum & Extraordinary Conference is scheduled to take place in Rome, organised in partnership with CCIR and CCIRO Italy. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Nicoleta Banciulea; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)