BUCHAREST, June 24. /TASS/. Trade and economic interaction between Russia and Romania has decreased dramatically in recent years, said Russian envoy to Romania Vladimir Lipaev in an interview with TASS.

"The volume of trade and economic ties between our countries in the last two years has indeed decreased sharply, one could say, manifold," he said."This did not happen on the initiative of the Russian side. The main reason is Romania's joining the illegal sanctions of the United States and the European Union against Russia, which hardly benefited it, just like other European countries."

"If Romania no longer views Russia as attractive in terms of mutual trade, so be it," the diplomat emphasized. "This does not hurt our feelings. Russia is an economically self-sufficient country and it has enough trade partners."

Valery Kuzmin, the former head of the Russian diplomatic mission in Romania, told a press conference in February this year that mutual trade turnover between Russia and Romania will be five times lower than in 2023. This year’s number will be less than $1 billion, compared to around $4.6-4.7 billion last year.