PM Ponta in Chisinau: Support for culture on either side of Prut is crucial

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta and the accompanying official delegation paying a visit to the neighbouring Republic of Moldova on the occasion of Moldova's Independence Day celebrated on Aug. 27 laid bunches of flowers at the monument of medieval ruler Stephen the Great and Holy in the Moldovan capital on Wednesday.

Also laying wreaths were Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti, the Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Corman and Prime Minister Iurie Leanca.

Ponta visited the Chisinau-based National Art Museum of Moldova, on which occasion he announced that the Government of Romania, via the foreign ministry donates one million euros to continue the restoration of the building.

'It is a special day for Moldova, the Independence Day, but beyond this we must do things for culture, education, art. The restoration works will need a little bit of support and this comes from Romania, with all its heart. /.../ The support for culture on either side of the Prut river is crucial to the preservation of the national identity. Any Romanian or Moldovan leu that we spend for culture is a well-invested leu', Ponta said at the Museum.

The Romanian delegation then visited Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu Municipal Library, where the Romanian prime minister took part in a book donation consisting of 25,000 volumes aimed at the Chisinau library as well as at several libraries and schools in the Republic of Moldova.

Afterwards, the Romanian head of government and his Moldovan counterpart, also accompanied by the other members of the official delegations visited a traditional crafts fair, where Ponta talked to several craftsmen who were making traditional embroidered sheepskin coats, pottery and wood objects.

Ponta went to the Grand...