The British ambassador to Bucharest, Giles Portman, participated on Saturday in the 25th anniversary of the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation, an event held at the Apafi Manor in Malancrav, Sibiu County.

'This is my first time at the Malancrav manor, it is a very beautiful restoration work. And very special and extraordinary in addition to the restoration processes carried out by the foundation is the fact that the residents are also involved, and that the foundation create jobs in the community. This part of Romania has not always had a happy history, there were also difficult moments when Ceausescu had a plan to destroy Romanian villages and also when the Saxon community was forced to leaver and abandon their villages,' said the British ambassador.

Giles Portman wanted to thank the British citizens who got involved in the restoration projects and also sent a message 'direct from Buckingham Palace' from King Charles III.

'I also want to express my gratitude to the British citizens who came here after the Revolution [of 1989 - editor's note] and even before the Revolution, to lay the foundations of non-governmental organizations. I am grateful to the British citizens, those at the embassy, who were involved and supported the Foundation's work, and all those who were involved in these restoration projects. And I also have a direct message to convey from Buckingham Palace on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III: 'All the best, much success and a pleasant 25th anniversary of activity'', Giles Portman added.

Caroline Fernolend, president of the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation, said that in the 25 years of its existence, the foundation has implemented over 1,300 initiatives.

'Each project we have completed has started from a real need and grew organically, based on dialogue with the people. In 25 years of Mihai Eminescu Trust, we have worked with over 115 communities and implemented over 1,300 initiatives,' said Caroline Fernolend.

Among the foundation's projects are the reconstruction of the Apafi Mansion, Malancrav; the revitalisation of the village of Viscri, a UNESCO heritage site; the restoration of the Alma Vii Fortified Church, awarded the Europa Nostra; the reactivation of the Butchers' Tower, Sighisoara; the 'A Forest for Every School' project; We Plant for the Future - afforestation campaign in Transylvanian villages; the restoration of household ensembles in Cris.

Also present at the event were the Dutch ambassador, Willemijn van Haaften, the former British ambassador to Bucharest, Andrew Nobel, the president of the Order of Architects of Romania, Stefan Balici; the president of the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation London, Jessica Douglas-Home, an architect expert in community development from Paris, Leo Orellana, ambassador Emil Hurezeanu. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Petronius Craiu, En - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)