By Rafiq Vayani
ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Romania to Pakistan is proud to announce the first-ever edition of the Romanian Culture Days in Pakistan – Culture Bridges Nations, a celebration of Romanian heritage, art, and cultural diplomacy through a series of events in Islamabad, Karachi, and Peshawar throughout the month of November 2025.
The programme will open in Karachi, with an early celebration of Romania’s National Day and the inauguration of a photo exhibition marking sixty-one years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Pakistan. The exhibition, organized with the valuable support of the Romanian National Archives and the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, presents a visual journey through key historical moments of bilateral friendship. Following its launch in Karachi, the exhibition will travel to Islamabad and Peshawar as part of Romania’s National Day celebrations.
Romanian opera and dance will also feature prominently in this year’s events. On November 4, Romanian soprano Georgiana Costea Glugă will perform at the World Culture Festival in Karachi, followed by an opera workshop and Romanian movie screenings at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi on November 5, offering Pakistani audiences and students a unique insight into Romania’s rich musical tradition and filmmaking. Also, the at the World Culture Festival, Ballet Beyond Borders is bringing a dance performance celebrating cultural exchange and artistic excellence from several countries including Romania.
As part of its commitment to promoting cultural and educational exchange, the Embassy of Romania will donate to the National Library of Pakistan and to the Library of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad a collection of Romanian literature, art, photography, and history books in English, with the generous support of the Romanian Cultural Institute.
During November, NUML University will inaugurate the Romanian Language Lectorate, under the guidance of Professor Dr. Oana Ursache, offering Pakistani students the opportunity to learn the Romanian language and discover Romania’s culture, art, literature, and cinema. The Romanian Lectorate at NUML is fully funded by the Romanian state, through the Romanian Language Institute (Institutul Limbii Române – ILR) and the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research. On this occasion, Professor Ursache will deliver a lecture dedicated to Queen Marie of Romania, highlighting Her Majesty’s personality and diplomatic legacy, on the 150th anniversary of her birth. The lecture will be accompanied by a screening of the acclaimed documentary “Marie – Heart of Romania”, which portrays Queen Marie’s remarkable political influence and captivating personal story.
On November 15, the award-winning Romanian film “The New Year That Never Came” (Anul Nou care n-a fost, 2024), written and directed by Bogdan Mureșanu, will be screened at the Karachi Film School at 7:00 PM, as part of the European Film Festival. The film is a powerful historical tragicomedy set in the final days of 1989 Romania, when six lives intertwine amid protests, hopes, and the fall of the communist regime.
The Romanian Culture Days in Pakistan are organised by the Embassy of Romania in Islamabad in collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Romanian Language Institute, the Romanian National Archives, the Romanian Lectorate at NUML, the National University of Modern Languages, the Pakistan-Romania Business Council, Pakistan-Romania Friendship Association and the Honorary Consulate of Romania in Peshawar. Discover Pakistan serves as the digital media partner, while HUM News is the media partner for the events.
Through these initiatives, the Embassy of Romania reaffirms its commitment to strengthening cultural ties and people-to-people connections between Romania and Pakistan, building on more than six decades of friendship, mutual respect, and cooperation.
