Romanian Interior Minister Cristian David on Thursday said the problem of Roma gypsy camps in Italy was a reality ''that must be faced'' but urged the Italian government to use ''just and adequate'' measures.
Speaking to Rome-based lay Catholic organisation Community of St Egidio, David said an ongoing census of Italy's gypsy camps should not only involve policing but should ''promote integration and not increase marginalisation''.
''Fingerprinting and the census of people living in Roma camps in Italy cannot resolve the problem if these measures are not accompanied by social measures,'' he said.
But David added that while Romania would not accept compromises on human rights, it was also not prepared to turn a blind eye to criminality among Italy's 140,000 gypsies, the majority of whom are of Romanian origin.
''Romania entered in the European Union, acquiring rights but also duties. Romanians must respect the law of the countries in which they live and work,'' he said.
The minister also said that Italy had ''a political and moral obligation to correct the existing perception of Romanians'', of whom only 2.5% are Roma or gypsy.
David said around 1.6 million Romanians had work ties with Italy, whether here or in Romania, and that imports and exports between the two countries were worth 14 billion euros in 2007.
Around 4% of the Romanian GDP relies on business conducted with Italy and 1% of the Italian GDP is generated by Romanians working in Italy, he added.
''For that reason we need a new approach to the relationship between the two countries that doesn't focus only on criminal matters but extends to political, economic, social and cultural affairs''.
Italian foreign ministry spokesman Pasquale Ferrara said David's address was ''greatly appreciated''.
''The minister clearly said that there can be no compromises in the face of criminality, and this is precisely one of the objectives the government measures are aimed at,'' he said.
On Wednesday the ministry issued a statement saying that the ''vast majority'' of Romanians in Italy were ''appreciated'', but that it was ''well known'' that a minority were responsible for high-profile crimes that had negative effects on Italian public opinion.
Italy's census of nomad camps - where more than half of the gypsies are minors - has been widely criticised by human rights groups and the European parliament.
Critics claim that taking fingerprints from Roma gypsies in particular is discriminatory.
The daughter of Romanian President Traian Basescu, Elena Basescu, affixed pieces of paper with her own fingerprints, and those of fellow Romanian MEP Monica Iacob Ridzi, to the pigeon holes of Italian MEPs in Brussels on Wednesday in protest over the measures.
The government, which says of its aims is to get gypsy children into school, has been asked to supply details of the census to the European Commission for evaluation by the end of July.
Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini meanwhile sent a letter to his Romanian counterpart Lazar Comanescu on Thursday assuring him that Italy ''will act in full agreement with EU law, both in the fight against discrimination and in the protection of personal data''.
