Bucharest, Nov 7 /Rompres/ - Italian authorities will not resort to mass expulsions and will act by enforcing the law and by guaranteeing all citizens' rights, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said on Wednesday, after meeting visiting Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu in Rome.

'We have no intention to make mass expulsions and our authorities will act by the full respect of the law, as natural in a state of law', Prodi stressed.

The Italian premier gave assurances that the author of a crime is not being taken for the entire people. 'As political and institutional leaders we are very responsible and we shouldn't substantiate ignorance, prejudice and suspicion. Delinquents shouldn't be mistaken for the honest workers and we shouldn't deny the opportunities to those who look for a better life elsewhere. We, Italians, should know this, because many years we emigrated for a better life', Prodi said.

At the same press conference, President of the Italian Council of Ministers Romano Prodi said the Italian Government did not plan to introduce restrictions to the Romanian workers.

'We'll change no legislation whatsoever on this topic. The Romanians' contribution to the Italian economy is very important, let us not forget this. (...) We have no intention to discriminate the Romanian community from (the communities of - editor's note) other countries', Prodi said.

The Romanian prime minister, in turn, repeated that there can be no tolerance for crime. 'As the prime minister of Romania, I cannot condone the law breaking by the Romanian citizens, either in Romania or in another state. The Romanian citizens, when in other states, must observe the laws of the host-state. Therefore, I can have no tolerance whatsoever for those involved in criminal acts. They must bear the legal consequences', he insisted.

Tariceanu underscored that the set of measures adopted by the Italian Government does not target those Romanians working and living honestly in Italy. 'It is not fair to equal the Romanian community, overwhelmingly made up of correct and honest people, praised by those they work with or work for, to a small number of individuals who perpetrate crimes', he said.

Freedom of movement is a common right of the European Union citizens and the migration flows are no European novelty, Tariceanu stressed.