Prince Radu: AGERPRES, a distinctive institution of Romania, closely linked to the royal generations until today

One of the most distinctive institutions of the Romanian state, AGERPRES, has a professional backstory closely related to the royal generations to this day, Prince Radu said on Thursday at an event dedicated to the 130th anniversary of Romania's oldest news agency held in the dining hall of the Bucharest Royal Palace. "Her Majesty has entrusted me a very honored mission to convey to you today many returns of the day on the 130th anniversary yesterday of one of the most distinctive institutions of the Romanian state (...) If we are here today, in this hall of significance to the Romanian statehood, is because you, this very large family, almost entirely with us today, just like your younger brother, the National Radio Corporation, have a life, a professional story so closely connected with the royal generations to this day, I dare say without interruption, because the sovereign that had to put up with the Cold War and wait for the Iron Curtain to melt had had the chance to get to know you well until 1948 and then to know you even better after 1990. Many returns of the day and many beautiful achievements from here on that you may bequeath to the generations that will come after you!," said Radu. He mentioned the vision, courage and patriotism of the rulers of the Romanian people in the process of creating, in 1889, a "state news organisation." "If we turn back 130 years, all of us here in this room know enough about our country to understand how visionary, how bold, and how patriotic the Romanian people and their rulers were back then in 1889 to succeed in a period of much conservatism in society, with very little democracy, with little freedom for the citizens of their country, (...) how much vision they had to first impose on Romania a constitution that far exceeded the reality of the country, the Liberal Constitution of 1866, and then to win the independence of the country, only 11 years apart, in 1877, to declare the Romanian sovereign state as a kingdom in 1881, and only eight years apart to create something so unusual for those times, that is, a state news organisation," added the prince. AGERPRES Director General Claudia Nicolae extended "full gratitude and sincere thanks to the Royal Family of Romania, which has constantly proved through facts, attachment to and involvement in the life of the community, in the life of the Romanians" and pointed out that "AGERPRES has been Romanians' for 130 years." "On March 26, 2014, AGERPRES received the Nihil Sine Deo royal decoration for accurate, unbiased and timely information of Romanians about the world and the world about Romania. We are proud to find out every day the confidence our readers give us, because in the end they are the final standard against which our entire existence runs. We have had many names over the years: the Radio Orient Romanian Agency, RADOR, ROMPRES, AGERPRES, but we have always had only one goal to inform correctly, unbiasedly and in real time. This is the role of the media, and in our capacity as a national agency, we always serve the truest interest of the citizens in a pure and unadulterated form," said Nicolae. She noted that "the merit for longevity and performance belongs to the AGERPRES team." "The merit for longevity and performance belongs to the AGERPRES team both at the central level and at the level of the correspondents across the country, which have brought the role that we have in the media architecture and acted as such. In a world where evolution can be a double-edged sword, it is important to have the ability to choose the right path, to distinguish between true and false information, to maintain verticality and dignity. For all this, I want to thank all my colleagues once again. I appreciate them and urge them to remain loyal to the values that have guaranteed our 130 years of institutional existence. (...) We also thank our collaborators - public bodies, customers, partners, who have understood in time that information has to be fair and unbiased. We would not have succeeded alone. Professionalism is a team achievement. Individual performance is valuable only when it serves the common good. I'm bowing down to you and I assure you that AGERPRES will continue to write history," Nicolae added. She also mentioned the inauguration of the AGERPRES Museum for the same anniversary "as a sign of appreciation" of the tradition of the national news agency. "We have an important archival pool that reflects the evolution of the Romanian state: photographs, documents and valuable information. It would be a shame for them to stay in the shadows when they actually belong to the Romanians," the AGERPRES director added. Attending the event alongside Custodian of the Romanian Crown Margareta were former AGERPRES directors general Neagu Udroiu and Alexandru Giboi and many employees of the National News Agency. *** The history of the AGERPRES National News Agency starts on 27 March 1889, when P.P. Carp, the then Foreign Minister, signs the birth certificate of the Telegraphic Agency of Romania, which broadcast nationwide "an accurate and fast service of all news items of general or special interest." In less than a month, the Telegraphic Agency of Romania started its actual activity by sending the first 'telegram' on 11 April. Since 1921, the National News Agency has been broadcasting news items and information without interruption. In its 130 years of activity, AGERPRES has maintained its role of being the main information source for citizens and institutions in Romania, as well as the most important source of news about Romania, for those abroad. The National News Agency continues to update the world and provide balanced, unbiased information. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Popescu, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)