What is the purpose of the 'finally' block in a 'try-except' statement?

The `finally` block in a `try-except` statement is always executed, regardless of whether an exception was raised or not, and regardless of whether the exception was caught or not. It's typically used to clean up resources, such as closing files or releasing network connections, ensuring that these actions are performed even if an error occurs. This is crucial for preventing resource leaks and maintaining program stability.