The 'Ovid Densusianu' Hunedoara-Deva County Library has become a full member of the Silk Road International Library Alliance, a professional association bringing together similar cultural institutions from China and 41 countries and regions around the world.

The invitation to join was extended by the National Library of the People's Republic of China, against the backdrop of cultural relations developed over the past 13 years between the Hunedoara-Deva County Library and the Shaanxi Provincial Library in China.

'We are the only library in Romania to be a member of this Alliance, which brings together 56 libraries from countries with rich cultural traditions. These include ten libraries from China and 46 from other countries and regions, among them the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, as well as libraries in Armenia, Turkey and Hungary, to give just a few examples. This represents an enormous responsibility for us. As part of the Alliance, we will work together and take part in various activities, including forums, conferences and professional training courses,' Sebastian Bara, manager of the Hunedoara-Deva County Library, told AGERPRES on Wednesday.

He explained that the institution he heads began working on this project in 2013, when the first free Chinese language and culture courses were launched in Deva, in partnership with the Confucius Institute in Sibiu. This was followed by the establishment of the County Library's first branch featuring books in Chinese, with both projects enjoying considerable public interest.

In 2023, the 'Ovid Densusianu' County Library signed a partnership agreement with China's Shaanxi Provincial Library. As a result, in October this year, the cultural institution in Deva established a Romanian Corner at its Chinese partners' premises. It features reference works about Romania and Hunedoara County, covering their history, literature, culture and national heritage.

Against this background, at the end of October, the National Library of the People's Republic of China invited the Hunedoara-Deva County Library to join the Silk Road International Library Alliance. The document was signed and accepted in early November.

'The Silk Road stretches for more than 10,000 kilometres across countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. It is a historic symbol of the convergence of civilisations, the establishment of trade links and the promotion of mutual cultural development and strong ties between the countries involved. Beyond their shared economic interests, the Silk Road can also foster a strong cultural community in which libraries from the countries belonging to this Alliance can play an extremely important role, under the motto: united we are strong; divided we are weak,' said the manager of the Hunedoara-Deva County Library.

The Silk Road International Library Alliance was established in May 2018 in Chengdu by the National Library of China. The cultural organisation currently comprises 56 libraries, most of them national institutions, including ten from China and 46 from 40 other countries and regions around the world, among them Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Hungary, Türkiye, Singapore, Laos, Morocco, Bulgaria, Qatar and Russia. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Sorin Blada; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)