AGERPRES and MOLDPRES, partners of event organized in Bucharest

The Committee for Culture and Media of the Romanian Senate organized on Tuesday at the Madrigal Galleries of the Parliament Palace a cultural diplomacy event - From the Bridge of Flowers to the Press Museum - Pages of History.

The event was organized in partnership with the National News Agency of Romania - AGERPRES and the State News Agency of the Republic of Moldova - MOLDPRES.

The event was attended by members of the Romanian and Moldovan Parliaments, members of the Royal House, ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic staff, academics, historians, journalists, artists, representatives of civil society and heritage institutions.

It is an event with multiple meanings for the relationship between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, a path of 'our common recognition and harnessing our cultural heritage', Acting President of the Senate Mircea Abrudean said.

'We are here to pay homage to a moment of great symbolic resonance - the Bridge of Flowers over the Prut. At the same time, we apply responsibly to an initiative that concerns the future of our collective memory, the establishment of the Museum of the Press. The Bridge of Flowers represents one of the most emotional chapters in our recent history. It was the moment when artificial borders were shattered by the power of authentic feelings. At that time, Romanians from both banks of the Prut joined hands in a gesture that embodied the aspiration for freedom and unity. The Bridge of Flowers was not only a political gesture; it was a moment of truth, a living testimony that between Romania and the Republic of Moldova there is a connection that cannot be erased by borders or regimes. A connection of language, culture and soul. That moment was perhaps the purest form of cultural diplomacy, a bridge of national consciousness and human solidarity. Because it is culture that truly unites us, not borders, not treaties, but common language, memory, and sentiment,' Abrudean said.

The photo exhibition by AGERPRES and MOLDPRES, evoking the symbolism of the Bridge of Flowers was accompanied by musical moments, high-level interventions, and a segment dedicated to the signing of a Joint Declaration on cultural and parliamentary cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

The event also marks the debut of a series of cultural initiatives intended to highlight the role of the press in strengthening democracy and culture in defining a common European identity.

'This solemn manifestation is a reverence to a defining moment in Romanian-Moldovan relations - the Bridge of Flowers - and also opens a modern perspective on a national-scale endeavor: the establishment of the Museum of the Press, a legislative project initiated under the aegis of the Committee for Culture and Media. (...) In the year when the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates the centenary of its elevation to the rank of Patriarchate, and European nations are seeking common answers to contemporary challenges, this manifestation aims to be a bridge between memory and the future, between identity and solidarity,' President of the Committee Cristian Niculescu-Țâgârlaș said.

The interim president of the Senate also welcomed the launch of the legislative project regarding the Museum of the Press.

'In the same spirit, I welcome the launch of the legislative project regarding the Museum of the Press, a necessary, natural, and I would even say urgent institution. In a period when truth is often overshadowed by informational noise, the press remains a benchmark of memory and a foundation of democracy. It is our duty to conserve this heritage, to archive it, to make it accessible to the general public and future generations. The connection between the Bridge of Flowers and this museum is profound. Both are expressions of a belief that lived history must be told, preserved, and transmitted. That between the two banks of the Prut, beyond all challenges, a solid cultural bridge endures. The perspective offered by the Museum of the Press on how journalism has reflected and influenced our common history will be a testimony of the role the press plays in promoting freedom of expression, democracy, and European values,' said Abrudean.

The documentary photo exhibition MOLDPRES – AGERPRES Flowers on the Prut: 35 years since first Bridge of Flowers was also inaugurated on Tuesday, May 6, at the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. The exhibition symbolically reconstructs the Bridge of Flowers from 35 years ago and the emotions experienced by tens of thousands of people from both banks of the Prut. The 28 archival photos were taken by well-known photographers from the Republic of Moldova and Romania, including Mihai Potîrniche, Codruța Dragoescu, and others. The photographers captured thousands of people holding flowers at the border crossings of Sculeni and Oancea-Cahul.