FM Aurescu: Norwegian grants contributed to economic and social gaps’ decrease

Romanian FM Bogdan Aurescu on Friday met his Norwegian counterpart Børge Brende in Dubrovnik ahead Croatia Forum 2015 international Conference, underlining the importance of the Norwegian funds granted to Romania through the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism to decreasing the economic and social gaps.

“Minister Bogdan Aurescu reiterated the importance of the funds allotted by Norway through those two instruments, which contribute both to decreasing the economic and social gaps and to developing and enhancing long term ties with Romania,” reads a press released issued by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Norway is covering 97 percent of the total amount of EUR 306m allotted to Romania by the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism during the entire cooperation cycle 2009-2014. The eligibility and implementation deadline of the projects’ expenses is April 30, 2016.

The most recent such Norwegian grants project is the one aiming at improving the healthcare system on hematology and pediatric oncology. Thus, the pediatric cancer wards of the hospitals in Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Iasi and Timisoara are benefitting of EUR 5.6m Norwegian funds. The four hospitals will be equipped with the latest facilities, including NMR devices for children. At the same time, 300 doctors and nurses will be trained in the attempt of improving the staff activity.

Another project implemented in Romania with Norwegian funds is related to building restoration. More precisely, locals from Tarnavioara village in Sibiu are trained to rediscover traditional techniques of rehabilitating and painting their houses, and later on, to promote their village as rural travel destination. The project is ongoing by October, with the total sum mounting to RON 1.3m.

Results have already begun to take shape. Five houses in Tarnavioara regaind their lost beauty, as they were plastered and painted in a blue ultramarine shade, a color used some hundreds years ago. The precise pigment is extracted from a stone called lapis lazuli, which was initially used in Afghanistan in the Middle Age and it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that it was brought to Europe and then in Romania. As it was quite a ‘rara avis’, the stone was equally expensive.

bogdan aurescuborge brendecounterpartdubrovnikEEA Financial MechanismFMnorwegiannorwegian funds
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