On July 2-3, in Cahul, the "Cahul4Culture" National Forum was held, which brought together representatives of cultural institutions, national and international experts, government officials and community leaders, to discuss and share ideas about the importance of cultural policies in promoting European values. The event was organized in the context of the 522nd anniversary of the town of Cahul.

On Tuesday, July 2, the official opening of the forum began with the congratulatory message of the mayor of Cahul, Mr. Nicolae Dandiș, addressed to all residents and guests of the municipality, as well as with the messages of the guests of the event: the program officer of the European Union delegation in the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Giuseppe Paglione; deputy in the parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Mrs. Marcela Nistor; the state secretary of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Andrei Chistol; the national manager of the EU4Culture project, Mr. Constantin Vlas; The Vice-President of the Cahul District Council, Mrs. Tatiana Seredenco and His Excellency, Mr. Nicola Gabriel, the Consul General of the Consulate General of Romania in Cahul  

The first day of the "Cahul4Culture" National Forum had several discussion panels that were held at the "BP Hasdeu" State University and the "Nicolae Botgros" Palace of Culture in Cahul. The first panel, entitled "Agenda for European integration in the field of culture", was moderated by the mayor of the municipality of Cahul, Mr. Nicolae Dandiș, and included the contributions of renowned personalities, such as Mrs. Monica Urian from the European Commission, Mrs. Marcela Nistor, deputy in the parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Andrei Chistol, secretary of state, Mr. Veaceslav Reabcinschi, researcher, and the project manager, Mrs. Silvia Strelciuc. Discussions focused on the importance of collaboration and European integration strategies in the cultural sector.

The second panel "Practices for the development and digitization of culture at the local level", was moderated by Mr. Constantin Vlas, EU4Culture Country Manager. The panelists, including the deputy mayor of Cahul, Ms. Tatiana Romaniuc, the director of the Cahul County Museum, Ms. Marina Prepelita, the CahulActiv project coordinator, Ms. Nadejda Cudobețchi and the head of the Orhei Local and Regional Development Center, Mr. Mihail Gandrabura, discussed the implementation of modern technologies and solutions digital tools to improve access and participation in cultural life in local communities.

The third panel, held at the "Nicolae Botgros" Palace of Culture, addressed the topic of creative industries in the Republic of Moldova, offering a perspective on policies and opportunities for development and internationalization. Under the moderation of Mrs. Marina Lița, representing GEN Moldova, the panelists: Mr. Thomas Alveteg, Deputy Director of the Department of Development and Cooperation, First Secretary of the Swedish Embassy in the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Andrei Chistol, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Mr. Ashot Tserunyan, officer of economic development from Armenia, Mrs. Carolina Tulgara, executive director of ZIPHOUSE Fashion Hub, Mr. Nicolae Mocanu, administrator of the Inotek Center and Mrs. Olesea Fortuna, president of Gen Moldova highlighted Sweden's successes in supporting the creative sector, the presentation of the "Creative Moldova" National Program and the international experiences of success.

The last discussion panel was dedicated to the theme "Cultural management and the regulatory framework" and brought together experts and practitioners to analyze the functioning of cultural institutions. The discussions were moderated by Mrs. Lilian Danilov, national expert, and included the contributions of the mayor of the village Slobozia Mare , Mrs. Valentina Carastan, the manager of the Palace of Culture, Mrs. Rodica Panașescu and Mrs. Marina Iurcu, museographer from the Călărași Museum of History and Ethnography.

On Wednesday, July 3, the second and last day of the "Cahul4Culture" Cultural Forum ended. The discussions focused on the development of cultural tourism in the Cahul region and examples of good practices of European cultural capitals.

The moderator of the first panel "Development of cultural tourism in the Cahul region" was Mrs. Elena Stepanov, director of ANTRIM. Among the participants were Mrs. Tatiana Seredenco, the vice-president of Cahul district, Mrs. Silvia Știrbeț, mayor of Văleni village, Mrs. Eugenia Negru-Stoica, manager of OMD "Lunca Prutului", Mrs. Silvia Strelciuc, VIA Cahul tourism cluster consultant, and Mrs. Elena Bălățel , representative of the National Tourism Office.

The panelists laid the foundations for initiatives aimed at promoting this area with a rich cultural heritage.

The second panel of the forum was dedicated to the theme "European cultural capital - model of local and inclusive development" and was moderated by Mrs. Romaniuc Tatiana, deputy mayor of the municipality of Cahul. This discussion was attended by Ms. Simona Neimann, national expert from Timișoara, Romania (European Capital of Culture in 2023), Ms. Silvia Strelciuc, EU4Culture Cahul project manager and Mr. Constantin Vlas, EU4Culture country manager. The panel highlighted the importance of cultural initiatives for local development and social inclusion, inspiring the local community of Cahul to adopt successful models from other European cultural capitals.

Discussions focused on strategies for the development and promotion of cultural tourism, capitalizing on local resources and inter-institutional collaboration to attract visitors and stimulate the local economy. The Cahul4Culture Forum was an excellent opportunity for the exchange of ideas and best practices, confirming the commitment of all parties involved in the sustainable development and prosperity of the Cahul region.

The forum was organized by the City Hall of Cahul in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova, the "Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu" State University of Cahul and the Cahul District Council, with the financial support of the European Union within the project "Cahul - the Cultural-Creative Capital of the Republic Moldova". This project is implemented within the European Union project EU4Culture by the Goethe Institute (implementation leader), the French Georgia Institute, the Danish Institute and the Czech Centers.