Romania has managed to unite, save and enhance its cultural heritage with the aid of external funds allocated by Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein - EUR 34 million - Romania's Minister of Culture Natalia Intotero said on Wednesday at the news conference marking the closing of the RO-CULTURA Programme.

Under RO-CULTURA, seven calls were released and 67 projects implemented at national level were funded, which contributed to achieving the objectives of the programme: eight projects dealt with the restoring and capitalising on the built cultural heritage; 39 projects to strengthen cultural entrepreneurship; nine projects to mount innovative exhibitions with restored and classified heritage items; ten projects focused on promoting the Romany minority's cultural; a predefined project implemented by the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum.

According to RO-CULTURA coordinator Monica Dragan, as a result of the actions under the programme, eight historical monuments were restored to the public in Timis, Sibiu, Iasi, Hunedoara, Ploiesti, Resita, Targoviste and Bucharest; there were over 1.2 million participants in the cultural events organised; over 660 cultural activities were carried out, over 430 heritage objects were restored; about 290 jobs were created in the cultural field, over 470 professionals in the cultural sector benefited from training, mentoring or exchanges of experience; over 2,800 Roma were directly involved in participatory cultural activities.

Also, under the Fund for Bilateral Relations, four calls for funding were organised with a total budget exceeding EUR 330,000 that supported 46 travel grants and 18 artistic residencies.

Representative of the Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest Kerstin Wahlberg, EEA Grants Coordinator, said that this programme is a powerful example of how cultural cooperation can build lasting links between Romania and the donor state - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

She added that culture opens up spaces for dialogue, inclusion and innovation. The programme showed how culture can lead to both social change and economic development. By investing in cultural heritage, we do more than restore monuments, we restore identity, she said.

We connect the past with the present and create meaning for the future, which is especially strong when it includes voices that have been marginalised, such as the Romany community, Wahlberg said.

She added that at least 10% of the programme was dedicated to improving the situation of the Romany population, not only through conservation, but also through participation, which is very important.

The general objective of the RO-CULTURA programme (AP 14 'Cultural Entrepreneurship, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Exchange') is strengthening economic and social development through cultural cooperation, cultural entrepreneurship and cultural heritage management. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Petronius Craiu; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)