President Iohannis: Close connection between Saxons, Romanians - an example of peaceful coexistence

The close connection between the Saxons and Romanians, built over time, is an example of peaceful coexistence based on respect for the culture and traditions specific to both parties and has contributed to the development and consolidation of the bilateral relationship between Romania and Germany, President Klaus Iohannis said on Sunday, at the "Haferland Week" Festival. "Nice to see you again here in the heart of Transylvania. It is a great joy to be here today and I also agree with the high patronage of this year's edition as a sign of appreciation for the generosity, dedication, and efforts of the organizers and participants to further the tradition. I would like to congratulate the organizers for the way in which they understood to carry on and highlight the traditions of the Transylvanian villages," said Iohannis, on the occasion of the "Haferland Week" Festival, the 9th edition, organized in Crit Brasov county. He said the organization of the festival was "an important step on the road to normalcy." "After more than a year since the pandemic forced us to find alternatives in maintaining strong ties between ourselves but also with the public, with art and culture, the organization of this year's festival is an important step on the road to return to normalcy. We all look forward to it, but also to the authentic traditions and values of the people of the Saxon villages. Even though we are in an unusual context generated by the COVIT-19 pandemic, the Haferland Festival gives us hope that we will be able to overcome the difficulties and, at the same time, we will be able to maintain uninterrupted contact with traditions and culture," the head of state added. The president mentioned that the activities that take place within the festival "are not simple artistic acts," but are the premises for the revitalization of the area. "The festival, which has already become a tradition, has an essential contribution to preserving the identity of the Saxons in Romania, promoting the specific culture of this community. Lastly, through the hospitality and creativity of the people who live here, the handicraft workshops, exhibitions, traditional dances, Saxon songs, but also all the other activities that take place these days in Haferland are not just simple works of art, they are the premises for revitalizing the area," Iohannis added. According to the head of state, the conservation of the heritage and the promotion of the potential that Romania has must be desideratum assumed by the local communities and, at the same time, to benefit from sustained investments. He stated that the close connection between the Saxons and the Romanians contributed to the development and consolidation of the bilateral relationship between Romania and Germany. "The close connection between the Saxons and the Romanians, built over time, an example of peaceful coexistence based on respect for the culture and traditions specific to both parties, contributed to the development and consolidation of the bilateral relationship between Romania and Germany. Beyond economic cooperation and political partnership, development mechanisms strengthened the connections between the two states. As a state deeply attached to the ideals of diversity and European unity, Romania is the place where ethnic, religious and cultural diversity is respected and represents a model of tolerance, openness and solidarity," he added. AGERPRES (RO - author: Alina Novaceanu, editor: Marius Fratila, EN - author: Cristina Zaharia, editor: Adina Panaitescu)