Statement by the President of , Mr. , made at the international seminar "Bridges of Tolerance"

"Mr. President Aurel Vainer, Mr. President of B’nai B’rith Europe, Mr. President of B’nai B’rith Romania, Minister, Esteemed representatives of the diplomatic corps, Esteemed secretaries of state, Ladies and gentlemen,

I gladly welcome you at Palace, at this event which stands under the sign of partnership and tolerance, of memories of the past and appreciation for the present. The High Patronage I have bestowed is the symbolic expression of the importance we give to intercultural dialogue, respect for diversity and commitment to combating intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia.

This event takes on extra relevance in the particular context we are experiencing at this time.

If we look around us in Europe and in the world, the challenges we face require us once again to rediscover and cultivate tolerance. The threat of radicalism and extremism should make us stronger and more united than ever in defending the values that define a democratic society today - freedom, tolerance and pluralism.

Romania has been blessed by the historical presence of many ethnic, cultural and religious minorities on its territory. Centuries of coexistence with the Romanian population, which formed the majority, were marked by complex, human and social relationships which are now part of our cultural heritage and collective memory.

There have been hard times and tragic moments that you will probably discuss during this event. Hard times and tragic moments must be accepted as such as it is the only way that we can draw lessons from the past in order to promote the profoundly human values that bring us closer.

A strong Romania in Europe and in the world, as we all want this country to be, means accepting the past and including it in the project of recovering and enhancing all identities, the identity of the Romanian majority and the identities of national minorities. In protecting and guaranteeing the unhindered exercise of cultural rights and religious freedom I see a fundamental component of the democratic exercise in a state governed by the rule of law.

Today we can certainly appreciate that one of the important factors in modernizing our state was the consensus between the majority and the national minorities - without exception - regarding Romania's major projects, including European integration and membership in the North Atlantic security area.

Therefore, developing the bridges of tolerance through inter-ethnic dialogue is a goal not only for one minority or another; it is a strategic interest for our nation as a whole. The tolerance that we speak of is not simply passive and indifferent acceptance of the existence of "the other"; it is an active acceptance of diversity seen as social value and resource for the sustainable development of the community.

This reality does not impose itself automatically; it requires continuous effort and the bridges of tolerance must be built by every one of us, day after day. For these reasons, I support the project of the Federation of the Jewish Communities and of B'nai Brith in Romania to organize annually, through an event with international participation, an active acceptance of inter-ethnic dialogue and the fight against intolerance.

Not by chance, this year when Romania holds the of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, the event we inaugurate today pays special tribute to the tragic fate of the Jewish and Roma communities during the Second World War.

Dear Sirs and Madams,

I would have liked to go on saying that people have learned absolutely everything there was to know from past experiences. Unfortunately, recent history has shown us that we can easily repeat some mistakes.

Our relationship with the actual expressions of cultural and ethnic diversity sometimes takes the shape of walls, not just bridges, and the danger of intolerance may revive alongside the anti-European discourse. Earlier this year, I declared in , Jerusalem and Washington that Romania is determined to counter all anti-Semitic, racist and xenophobic manifestations and to become a regional example in promoting the memory of the Holocaust.

Beyond legislative measures and institutional frameworks, there is a need for an educational system through which young people can get to know and understand the past, as part of their training as citizens. This is how we will be able to cultivate pluralism and freedom and to counteract intolerance and extremism.

That is why I am pleased to see in this hall, symbolically called Union Hall, students and young people who will have the opportunity today and tomorrow to learn about the contribution of three national minorities to Romania's development.

But they will also learn that there have been anti-Semitic laws and death trains; they will learn about Ilioaiei Bridge, slavery and the concentration camps in Transnistria. And, most of all, I hope that young people today find out how we can prevent those tragic events of the past from ever happening again.

Thank you!"