Natalia-Elena Intotero was born in 1976 in the city of Brad Hunedoara County (Romania). She graduated the universities in Timioara (2002) and Bucharest (2006). She served as a deputy to the Romanian Parliament (in 2012-2016 and 2016-2020) deputy minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in 2009 and 2012) and minister at the Ministry for Romanians Abroad established in January 2017 (in 2018-2019).
On October 17 2018 she attended The 100th Century Gala organized in Washington DC by the Embassy of Romania in the United States of America an occasion during which I asked for a brief interview.
In 2019 she ran for the European Parliament.
The Romanian Diaspora counts about 5 million people of which 3.93 million in Europe 860 thousand in America (North Central and South) 280 thousand in Asia 25 thousand in Australia and Oceania and 5 thousand in Africa.
1. Madam Secretary what is the purpose of your visit to the United States now and whom are you going to meet with?
First of all it is a great emotion and great joy whenever I have the opportunity to meet our Romanians everywhere honest people hardworking people extraordinary people.
This time I am in the United States to award 10 Romanians from the 100 successful Romanians in the 10 largest communities on the occasion of the Centenary Year 2018 after the Great Union in 1918 - our note.
Of course it was not easy to select 10 successful Romanians among so many successful Romanians here in the United States. I take this opportunity to thank the Ambassador the diplomatic mission team and colleagues in the consulates general for all the work done in selecting our valuable Romanians.
2. What projects of its own does the Romanian Diaspora Department run and what is the stage of projects for Romanians abroad?
We run a lot of projects among which I would like to mention a few and I would be delighted to have Romanian participants in the United States in the next year because they are continuity projects.
First of all I am thinking about the ARC" camps through which for one week children - young people students teenagers - can come to the country and connect more with what the country of origin means and also to meet other young people of their age from all over the world.
This year 2018 our note we have had 3000 seats in camps in Sulina (Tulcea county) Oglinzi (Neamţ county) Hunedoara county in Căprioara our note and Gorj county in Săcelu our note. For the coming year we intend to increase the number of these participants. Of course these camps are open each year in July and August.
Also this year we have 100 libraries everywhere in the world with books in Romanian. We have received requests from here in the United States and we will honor these requests.
Equally being aware of the importance of maintaining our linguistic identity and knowing that here in the United States as anywhere in the world teaching aids are needed we have started a project to acquire over 10000 teaching aids for studying Romanian language.
But more precisely for the United States we have also brought 100 DVDs with textbooks that I hope will reach all those interested.
Last but not least in November 2018 our note - a soul project like all others in fact is bringing home Romanian journalists from the diaspora. They will be able to participate at the end of The 100th Century Gala they will be able to participate in networking and exchange of experience with journalists from the Romanian Television Agerpres Romanian Press Agency our note but also Radio Romania News and last but not least they will join many other Romanians present on December 1st National Day in Romania our note in the city of Alba Iulia.
This is a small part of our projects which I have listed. Of course all those interested can discover our entire activity by visiting the Ministry of Romanians Abroad website.
And I would like to appeal to all Romanians through you. We launched the Museum of Romanians Abroad platform. This platform is dedicated to all our countrymen everywhere in the world. Of course it can be richer by the contribution of every Romanian.
Therefore all those who can help to develop this platform for reflecting the existence of Romanians over the years everywhere in the world we expect them to send us electronic material to the Ministry of Romanians Abroad and we thank them in advance .
3. What legislative initiatives has the Department brought to support Romanians abroad?
First of all the amendment to Law 299 of November 13 2007 republished and updated on support for Romanians abroad our note through which we will be able to send a diaspora attach to diplomatic missions.
Equally we will be able to set up the Diaspora Agency like the Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi" Institute that is currently subordinated to the Department but also to create the legal framework to grant scholarships and financial incentives for those communities where studying in Romanian becomes difficult.
4. Is there any Department non-reimbursable funding and who is the beneficiary?
There is its the funding we give to the associative environment in the fields of education culture and media in Romanian language and also in the fields of spirituality tradition and religious denominations.
5. Finally what is the priority on the agenda of your Department?
Education is our main concern and it is our main concern because we have received many requests from Romanians everywhere.
Practically speaking by conducting all the educational projects we promote all the most beautiful things: Romania and the Romanians.
6. Thank you so much Madam Secretary.
And I thank you too.
NOTE - A version of the article was published in MEDIUM.
TIBERIU DIANU has published several books and a host of articles in law politics and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington DC and can be followed on MEDIUM.
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Natalia-Elena Intotero was born in 1976 in the city of Brad Hunedoara County (Romania). She graduated the universities in Timioara (2002) and Bucharest (2006). She served as a deputy to the Romanian Parliament (in 2012-2016 and 2016-2020) deputy minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in 2009 and 2012) and minister at the Ministry for Romanians Abroad established in January 2017 (in 2018-2019).
On October 17 2018 she attended The 100th Century Gala organized in Washington DC by the Embassy of Romania in the United States of America an occasion during which I asked for a brief interview.
In 2019 she ran for the European Parliament.
The Romanian Diaspora counts about 5 million people of which 3.93 million in Europe 860 thousand in America (North Central and South) 280 thousand in Asia 25 thousand in Australia and Oceania and 5 thousand in Africa.
1. Madam Secretary what is the purpose of your visit to the United States now and whom are you going to meet with?
First of all it is a great emotion and great joy whenever I have the opportunity to meet our Romanians everywhere honest people hardworking people extraordinary people.
This time I am in the United States to award 10 Romanians from the 100 successful Romanians in the 10 largest communities on the occasion of the Centenary Year 2018 after the Great Union in 1918 - our note.
Of course it was not easy to select 10 successful Romanians among so many successful Romanians here in the United States. I take this opportunity to thank the Ambassador the diplomatic mission team and colleagues in the consulates general for all the work done in selecting our valuable Romanians.
2. What projects of its own does the Romanian Diaspora Department run and what is the stage of projects for Romanians abroad?
We run a lot of projects among which I would like to mention a few and I would be delighted to have Romanian participants in the United States in the next year because they are continuity projects.
First of all I am thinking about the ARC" camps through which for one week children - young people students teenagers - can come to the country and connect more with what the country of origin means and also to meet other young people of their age from all over the world.
This year 2018 our note we have had 3000 seats in camps in Sulina (Tulcea county) Oglinzi (Neamţ county) Hunedoara county in Căprioara our note and Gorj county in Săcelu our note. For the coming year we intend to increase the number of these participants. Of course these camps are open each year in July and August.
Also this year we have 100 libraries everywhere in the world with books in Romanian. We have received requests from here in the United States and we will honor these requests.
Equally being aware of the importance of maintaining our linguistic identity and knowing that here in the United States as anywhere in the world teaching aids are needed we have started a project to acquire over 10000 teaching aids for studying Romanian language.
But more precisely for the United States we have also brought 100 DVDs with textbooks that I hope will reach all those interested.
Last but not least in November 2018 our note - a soul project like all others in fact is bringing home Romanian journalists from the diaspora. They will be able to participate at the end of The 100th Century Gala they will be able to participate in networking and exchange of experience with journalists from the Romanian Television Agerpres Romanian Press Agency our note but also Radio Romania News and last but not least they will join many other Romanians present on December 1st National Day in Romania our note in the city of Alba Iulia.
This is a small part of our projects which I have listed. Of course all those interested can discover our entire activity by visiting the Ministry of Romanians Abroad website.
And I would like to appeal to all Romanians through you. We launched the Museum of Romanians Abroad platform. This platform is dedicated to all our countrymen everywhere in the world. Of course it can be richer by the contribution of every Romanian.
Therefore all those who can help to develop this platform for reflecting the existence of Romanians over the years everywhere in the world we expect them to send us electronic material to the Ministry of Romanians Abroad and we thank them in advance .
3. What legislative initiatives has the Department brought to support Romanians abroad?
First of all the amendment to Law 299 of November 13 2007 republished and updated on support for Romanians abroad our note through which we will be able to send a diaspora attach to diplomatic missions.
Equally we will be able to set up the Diaspora Agency like the Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi" Institute that is currently subordinated to the Department but also to create the legal framework to grant scholarships and financial incentives for those communities where studying in Romanian becomes difficult.
4. Is there any Department non-reimbursable funding and who is the beneficiary?
There is its the funding we give to the associative environment in the fields of education culture and media in Romanian language and also in the fields of spirituality tradition and religious denominations.
5. Finally what is the priority on the agenda of your Department?
Education is our main concern and it is our main concern because we have received many requests from Romanians everywhere.
Practically speaking by conducting all the educational projects we promote all the most beautiful things: Romania and the Romanians.
6. Thank you so much Madam Secretary.
And I thank you too.
NOTE - A version of the article was published in MEDIUM.
TIBERIU DIANU has published several books and a host of articles in law politics and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington DC and can be followed on MEDIUM.
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