On October 30, more than 20 Romanian and Armenian academics participated in the international conference dedicated to Romanian-Armenian cultural heritage at the large National Library of Romania in Bucharest along with researchers from France, Germany, Hungary, Moldova and Ukraine. The conference is held on the sidelines of the program devoted to the rich Romanian-Armenian cultural heritage, through the combined efforts of the Armenian and Romanian Ministries of Culture, the Armenian Embassy and the Romanian Academy, as well as with the support of the Union of Armenians of Romania and the Romanian-Armenian Diocese.

The conference was solemnly opened by Minister of Culture of Romania Daniel Barbu and Armenian Ambassador to Romania Hamlet Gasparyan, after which high-ranking Romanian government officials and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prelate of the Romanian-Armenian Diocese, Bishop Tatev Hakobyan and President of the Union of Armenians of Romania Varujan Vosganian delivered their welcoming remarks.

“Romania is one of the special places in Europe with the centuries-old presence and cultural heritage of the Armenians. For centuries, the Armenians have left an indelible trace on Romanian territories, contributed to this country’s formation and advancement and have become brilliant figures in all spheres of life in Romania. A lot has been said and written about this. Today, this topic is an interesting topic for the public at large (follow the presses and the list of events) and circles of scientists and researchers. The hundreds of studies and publications by Romanian and other modern authors are evidence of that,” Ambassador Gasparyan said in his speech.

The Ambassador informed that for the past two decades, the two countries have been taking steps to preserve, study and enhance that heritage, have established a serious legal base and have signed a number of interstate agreements, including the five-year plan for cooperation in culture, education and science signed in Bucharest in September 2011. Agreements on cooperation have also been signed between scientific and educational institutions such as the Romanian and Armenian Academies of Sciences, Yerevan State University and Bucharest State University, and a similar agreement is being drawn up to be signed between the National Archives of the two countries.

The speeches of the conference are devoted to issues related to the history, spiritual and cultural heritage of the Romanian-Armenians and were given by members of the Romanian Academy, the History and Literature Institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, as well as scientific workers and Armenologists of the National Library of Armenia, the Matenadaran of Yerevan, several academies and universities of the Romanian cities of Bucharest, Yash, Kluzh and Galats, as well as the scientific research institutions of Lvov and Kramatorsk (Ukraine), Laiptzig (Germany) and France.

After the two-day sessions in Bucharest, the participants of the conference will head towards Sucaeva where the Episcopal See of the Armenians was established in 1401 and where the remarkable Armenian Hatchkatar and Zamka monasteries and three churches are operating to this day. The participants also visited the Romanian cities of Yash, Botoshan, Roman and Trgu Okna where there is rich Armenian heritage.