President of the Romanian Academy Ioan-Aurel Pop on Monday called for a return to cultivating 'values and virtues,' stressing that there was a time when intellectual elites were respected at the highest level and the country functioned better.

'There was a time when the Romanian Academy gave the country prime ministers and ministers: (...) Mihail Kogalniceanu, Dimitrie Sturdza, Titu Maiorescu, Ion Ghica, Alexandru Marghiloman and Nicolae Iorga, prime ministers. And among ministers, many, I will mention just a few: Alexandru Odobescu, Spiru Haret, Dimitrie Gusti, Simion Mehedinti. There was a time when this country valued its intellectual elites at the highest level and when the country was doing well. President Emil Constantinescu often reminds us of the human and intellectual quality of the ministers in those governments of the past. It would be good to return to values and virtues. Because this country will move forward through them, not through false values and false virtues,' Pop said during the festive session marking 160 years since the founding of the Romanian Academy.

In his speech, Ioan-Aurel Pop reviewed the history of the institution, underlining its fundamental role: 'For 160 years, the Romanian Academy has remained the fundamental institution for cultural and intellectual recognition and for research in Romania.'

He reiterated the idea that 'we are obliged both by history and by our contemporaries to cultivate Romanian identity.'

The President of the Academy also spoke about the close cooperation with the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova.

'In recent years, the Romanian Academy has acted in unison with the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova. We have a duty in this world to manifest ourselves as Romanians, holders of Romanian identity and bearers of Romanian messages, despite globalisation. The world was understood by the founding fathers of the European Union as a concert of nations. They never dreamed of dissolving nations into a single one, as the communist regime sought to create a single working people speaking one language, the language of the proletariat everywhere, namely Russian. We achieve nothing if we replace Russian with another language. We are obliged both by history and by our contemporaries to cultivate Romanian identity,' the historian said.

He added that nations will not dissolve any time soon: 'Until nations dissolve, much water will flow on the Danube and the Rhine,' Ioan-Aurel Pop said.

He also evoked the contributions of major Romanian personalities to the universal heritage.

'The world is or should be a concert of nations, within which the Romanian nation has contributed Titu Maiorescu and Mihai Eminescu, Hasdeu, Iorga, Aurel Vlaicu, Henry Coanda, Enescu and Brancusi, Mircea Eliade, Cioran and Eugen Ionescu and many others. They illustrated our Romanian world and through it became universal. The Romanian Academy is the repository of these immense values, which resonate both nationally and universally, which flow from our souls towards Europe and the entire world and which do not hinder life on this earth in any way. I will conclude, again with Lucian Blaga, whom I have mentioned before: the Romanian Academy does not crush the corolla of the world's wonders, but completes it and continues to illuminate it,' the President of the Academy added.

President of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova Ion Tighineanu praised the vocation for unity shown by Romanian academies.

'Cooperation between the Romanian Academy and the Academy of Sciences of Moldova has seen unprecedented development. We have moved from sporadic contacts to lasting partnerships and a shared vision. The joint action plan, the marking of identity-related celebrations, initiatives dedicated to Mihai Eminescu, joint conferences, summer schools and so on all express a coherent and irreversible process. We no longer speak of cooperation, we speak of convergence. A defining moment is the creation of the Romanian Academic Council on 26 March at the headquarters of the Romanian Academy. For the first time in recent history, academic institutions in the Romanian space are brought together in a common framework of strategic cooperation. This initiative reflects the existence of an academic community united by values, tradition and responsibility towards the present and the future. In today's world, science has a universal language. The major challenges of the 21st century can only be addressed through cooperation. In this context, strengthening the Romanian academic space is not only a symbolic gesture, but a strategic necessity,' Tighineanu said.

In this context, Ioan-Aurel Pop recalled moments from a visit to the Republic of Moldova in 1990.

At the event, speeches were also delivered by Justice Minister Radu Marinescu, Romanian Academy vice-presidents Nicolae-Victor Zamfir and Marius Andruh, Secretary-General Ioan Dumitrache and Dr Emanuel Petac, coordinator of the Numismatics Cabinet.

On this occasion, the postal item 'The Romanian Academy, 160 years' was launched, presented by Romfilatelia Director General Gabriel Bulumac, and the documentary film 'The Romanian Academy - 160 years since its founding,' produced by the institution's Communication Department, was screened.

In the 'Theodor Pallady' Hall, the exhibition 'The Romanian Academy at 160 years' was opened, while at the Romanian Academy Publishing House, at the House of Scientists, in the main hall, the exhibition 'Beautiful book, honour to the one who wrote you! 160 years since the founding of the Romanian Academy' was presented.

The Romanian Academy was founded on 1 April 1866, initially under the name the Romanian Literary Society, becoming a year later the Romanian Academic Society and transformed in 1879, under a special law, into a national institute under its current name. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)