Moldovan culture, nature reserve to be developed based on memorandum signed in Chisinau today

Chisinau, 21 April /MOLDPRES/ - An official ceremony on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Culture Ministry, Tourism Agency  and the Competitiveness Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was signed in Chisinau today. The Memorandum regards the assistance provided to back the development of the culture and nature reserve Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei) and promote it as tourism destination in 2016-2017.   

The document was signed by Culture Minister Monica Babuc, Director General of the Tourism Agency Iurie Carp and project manager Doina Nistor, in the presence of USAID Moldova Director Thomas Rhodes.    

At the event, Culture Minister Monica Babuc stressed the importance of developing and turning to account the culture and nature reserve Orheiul Vechi, in the context of actions undertaken by the ministry over the last years to promote the archaeological site into the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List. The official thanked the partners for involvement and cooperation in working out a joint project, due to be at the basis of a string of actions, which will help strengthen the integrity and authenticity of the Orheiul Vechi archaeological landscape.        

For his part, USAID Moldova Director Thomas Rhodes said that the actions taken jointly with the partners would contribute to developing the region as a sustainable tourist attraction, which will place Moldova on the map of the world tourism destinations and will have positive effects on the country’s economy. Tourism Agency Director Iurie Carp noted that the culture and nature reserve Orheiul Vechi represented a priority tourist attraction for Moldova, and was one of the places visited by any tourist coming to Moldova.  

The memorandum provides for the development of a plan on arranging the territory of the culture and nature reserve Orheiul Vechi, working out a strategy on development of tourism in the culture and nature reserve Orheiul Vechi for 2016-2025, as well as for improving the promotion of Orheiul Vechi as tourism destination.

The Orheiul Vechi culture and nature reserve, set up under the law No 251 from 4 December 2009 and subordinated to the Culture Ministry, represents the patrimonial attraction with the highest tourism weight in Moldova.  

A strategy of developing culture, Cultura-2020 (Culture-2020) was approved in 2014. The strategy sets the priority goals in the sector of culture development, conservation and making cultural heritage attractive to tourists, including the culture and nature reserve Orheiul Vechi. According to the goals established in the strategy, in 2015, the Culture Ministry worked out and submitted a file on the nomination of the Orheiul Vechi Archaeological Landscape in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The concerned decision by this international organisation is scheduled for 2017.        

(Reporter N. Roibu, editor M. Jantovan)