BUCHAREST, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Britain is determined to promote free trade and create new relations with its partners after Brexit, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said here on Friday.
Hunt made the remarks in the official opening of the first office in Romania of the London Stock Exchange Group.
Britain's prosperity was entirely built on free economic exchange, said the British official, adding that "after we leave the European Union (EU), we are determined not only to keep this tradition, but to consolidate it, encouraging and promoting free trade worldwide. And trade with Europe is fundamental for our economic success."
Speaking about the post-Brexit prospects, the British foreign secretary pointed out that in the context in which Britain repositions itself on the global stage, they plan to build new relations with their partners, Romania included.
According to him, the volume of economic exchanges between the two countries stands at 4 billion euro (4.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018, up 9 percent from the previous year.
At the same time, over 5,000 British companies invested almost 1.5 billion euros in Romania, he mentioned.
Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Ana Birchall sent the message of the prime minister, describing the event as "an extra confirmation of the attention granted to Romania both as trustworthy partner in business and as strategic partner of the UK."
"(Romanian)Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and the government believe that each new investment is a good opportunity to prove to the international business community that Romania is a trustworthy business partner, strongly connected to development and growth," Birchall said at the opening ceremony.
In his turn, London Stock Exchange Group CEO David Schwimmer mentioned that the office has been operating since November last year and the event on Friday marked the official opening.
