Romania sends 80,000 books to Moldova in major cultural donation
A shipment of approximately 80,000 books from Romania arrived in Chișinău, the Moldovan capital, on Thursday. The books will be distributed over the coming weeks to libraries looking to update their collections.
The project is funded for the second consecutive year by the Romanian Government's Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova (DRRM). Constantin-Valentin Răducanu, a state secretary at the DRRM, said at the donation ceremony that similar events will continue in the years to come.
"This year, we have brought approximately 80,000 volumes, including works by established authors, classics, self-development books, fiction, and children's books that readers will certainly appreciate," Răducanu said.
The project aims to strengthen the common identity of Romania and the Republic of Moldova through language, culture, and shared history, said Cătălina Galer, a state advisor at the Presidential Administration in Bucharest.
"Books offer us real space for reflection, meeting, knowledge, and dialogue. The Romanian language has been and continues to be an expression of cultural resistance against ideological pressure, manipulation, and disinformation," stated Galer. "In a context where language guarantees freedom and dignity, the book becomes a testament to living memory, shared roots, and the ties that unite the two countries."
Moldova's Minister of Culture, Sergiu Prodan, also underlined the initiative as an "investment in the future, in the younger generation."
He added that "books are, in essence, the sustenance for the soul, mind, and heart." Prodan also noted that this is the second time Romania has sent trucks loaded with books to Moldova. "It is extremely important to encourage children to start reading. The presence of Romanian-language books in every community and library in Moldovan towns is extremely important. You can read books your whole life, but there are some that if you don't read them at the right age, it’s too late later on."
The director of the National Library, Elena Pintilei, reiterated at the same event, noting that "these books will reach where they are needed, where new services for the community will be created, and where the user needs a book in Romanian."
The director added that "the renewal rate of public library collections increased" following the 2024 edition, and that she's confident it will "double for 2025." She called this "one of the best indicators in the last 30 years."
The value of the books donated today is approximately 700,000 euros. In 2024, another 100,000 physical and digital books were offered by Romania to over 300 libraries in the Republic of Moldova.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
