The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse 'Ia' and the cultural ties between Romania and Cyprus were celebrated Friday evening in Nicosia through a cultural- and economic-diplomacy event in which the Romanian 'ie' - listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage - was used as a symbol of dialogue and cooperation between the two EU member states.

The event, titled 'Threads of Friendship - Impletirea Prieteniei', was organised by the Romanian Embassy in the Republic of Cyprus in partnership with Flori de Ie, the National Confederation for Women's Entrepreneurship (CONAF), the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Cypriot designer Michalis Pantelidis. Attendees included representatives of the Cypriot Government and Parliament, Romania's Presidential Administration, the diplomatic corps, the business and academic communities, as well as members of the Romanian and Cypriot communities.

A highlight of the evening was the launch of the Romanian-Cypriot scarf 'Embroidered Dialogues', created by Flori de Ie and Michalis Pantelidis, inspired by traditional Romanian and Cypriot motifs as an expression of the cultural links between the two countries.

Traditional Romanian blouses and costumes from the Flori de Ie collection - some of them more than 150 years old, restored and preserved in a private archive - were presented on the runway. The collection was showcased as a form of 'cultural diplomacy' through fashion and textile heritage.

Flori de Ie founder and CONAF president Cristina Chiriac emphasized the role of culture in building trust between states. 'Peace is also built through culture. Trust is sometimes born in spaces where people discover they have different roots but shared values,' she said, according to a press release from Flori de Ie, the brand she founded to promote and preserve Romania's textile heritage.

Lavinia Ochea, Romania's Chargé d'affaires in Cyprus, said the event was dedicated to the identity and friendship between the two countries. 'By presenting the Flori de Ie collection and launching the Romanian-Cypriot Friendship Scarf, we reaffirm our belief that cultural heritage and art can create lasting bridges between peoples,' she said.

Ana Maria Geana, state adviser for the Diaspora to the President of Romania, highlighted the importance of the Romanian 'ia' as a symbol of cultural identity and resilience, as well as the role of women entrepreneurs in the economy and in strengthening diaspora communities.

Representatives of the Cypriot Government and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry delivered messages emphasising bilateral cooperation, shared European values and the contribution of women to economic and social development.

Marina Hadjimanolis, Cyprus's Shipping Deputy Minister, said ties between the two countries have been built 'through friendship, mutual respect and shared European values', while Philokypros Roussounides, Secretary-General of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the role of women in the economy and the importance of cooperation between the business communities of the two states. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mariana Ionescu; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)