Very important projects for Romania, such as Via Transilvania and the development of slow tourism in the Danube Delta, will be financed through Norwegian grants, Minister of European Investment and Projects Dragos Pislaru said this week.

“We announced that the memorandum will be signed with Norway and with the states of the European Economic Area. (…) What was not highlighted yesterday — and I would like it to be understood — is that this support through Norwegian funds covers several projects of major importance for Romania. First of all, it is the first time the Romanian government commits to using this type of financing to support Via Transilvania. It is a project built from the ground up, which has grown into something we can genuinely be proud of, both culturally and in terms of tourism, internationally, not only at European level,” Pislaru said.

He added that another initiative — the development of slow tourism in the Danube Delta — is also being considered for financing from Norwegian funds.

“Secondly, the development of slow tourism in the Danube Delta — a long-standing idea and a project dear to rower Ivan Patzaichin — is another initiative we discussed with our Norwegian partners. His vision, nurtured for more than 20 years, was that tourism in the Delta should follow the model of national parks and nature reserves worldwide: routes that allow visitors to truly understand this extraordinary natural heritage. Identifying a funding source so the project can move forward is, in my view, a tribute to Ivan Patzaichin and an important step toward a Delta that can be visited sustainably,” the minister said.

He noted that many other initiatives are also targeted, including measures to counter disinformation — “an area in which we will work bilaterally with Norway” — as well as projects related to cultural and social heritage, biodiversity, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Romania will receive more than EUR 596 million in the new financing period of the EEA and Norwegian Grants, following the signing of the Memoranda of Understanding with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The funds will support programmes in areas such as green transition, innovation, social cohesion, strengthening democratic institutions and bilateral cooperation.