January 20, 2009 is the day that an agreement between the Institute of National Remembrance and the Romanian National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives (“CNSAS”) was signed. The agreement regulates the principles of cooperation between the two institutions in the area of archival, educational, publishing and scientific research activity. It was signed by the IPN’s President – prof. Janusz Kurtyka and the President of the CNSAS Council, dr Ladislau Antoniu Csendes.

The archival cooperation will focus primarily on the exchange of experiences concerning the identification, processing and making available of the documents in possession of the archives of both institutions, as well as in the area of preservation and protection, and finally the exchange of information concerning the various types of documents in possession of the IPN and CNSAS.

The scientific research cooperation and the publishing of documentation sources as well as historical education will mainly rely on common programs and the mutual support with popularization of the results of research, organization of exhibitions, seminars and conferences, scientific visits, scholarships and training programs, common book publications and of historical documents, educational activities and publication exchange.

Moreover, both sides agreed to simplify the procedures for the access to archival tools, which concern political repressions of totalitarian regimes directed at the citizens of Poland and/or Romania, and which are located either at the territory of Poland and/or Romania, concerning mainly the period of 1939 – 1989, all based on the rules deriving from the acts establishing the IPN in Poland and CNSAS in Romania.

The signing of the agreement was accompanied by the presentation of the exhibition and publication of the IPN entitled: “Solidary with Romania” (“Solidari cu Romania”).