CHISINAU -- Moldovan President Maia Sandu marked her country’s Independence Day by recalling the effort of Moldovans to "win freedom" 32 years ago and by saying that Moldovan authorities now "have the chance and the duty" to take the country into the European Union.
"Moldova's future is in the European Union. We all know it. We understand that it is our chance to develop the country and give [our] children a future at home, next to their parents," she said, speaking at a ceremony in the Great National Assembly Square in Chisinau.
Sandu also paid tribute to the generation that proclaimed independence from the Soviet Union on August 27, 1991, saying that, thanks to it, Moldovans today are “free to speak Romanian, not to be humiliated at home, free to think and speak out loud, free to support people and ideas we believe in.”
Attending her third Independence Day ceremony as president, she concluded her speech by saying that EU accession cannot be achieved only through the efforts of the authorities.
"It takes a whole village to grow a child, it takes every man to raise a country," she said.
Prime Minister Dorin Recean urged his fellow citizens to be "more consolidated and more united" in order to fulfill "the dream of bringing Moldova to the European Union."
Moldova received candidate status for EU membership on June 23, 2022, against the background of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. It currently awaits a decision on whether it can start accession negotiations.
Moldova received several congratulatory messages, including from the EU, Romania, and the United States.
EU Ambassador to Moldova Janis Mazeiks said Moldova has made "significant progress" on the road to "true independence" from an economic, social, and territorial point of view, and the EU has supported the decisions of Moldovans.
Romania’s government sent a message saying Bucharest “is and will remain fully committed to supporting the citizens of the Republic of Moldova" and that everything being done now in Chisinau “can and must be crowned with success!"
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also congratulated Moldova as it marked 32 years of independence from the Soviet Union.
“The United States values Moldova’s shared commitment to strengthen democratic institutions and judicial reforms, foster economic growth, enhance its security, and promote respect for human rights,” Blinken said in a statement.
The United States also is grateful for Moldova’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine in addressing the impacts of Russia’s war and commends the Moldovan people for their efforts to welcome hundreds of thousands of refugees.