PRESIDENT MAIA SANDU: MOLDOVA CHOOSES PEACE AND THUS THE EUROPEAN UNION

“Moldova chooses peace and thus the European Union,” President Maia Sandu stated, speaking at a solemn ceremony dedicated to the Europe Day. The celebrations take place on Thursday in the central square of Chisinau, under the slogan "Freedom, peace, prosperity: Freedom is you!".

"The Day of Victory over Nazism and Europe Day are not contradictory, on the contrary, Europe Day is the continuation of the victory of the Allied forces, which made peace possible. Victory Day means a Day of Peace on the European continent.... No matter how some politicians try to divide us, to divide us into 'winners' and 'losers', to show that we are different, we know that the wounds of the war are the same for the whole Moldova," the president emphasized.

She recalled that more than 260,000 Moldovans fought against Nazi Germany.

"All those 56,000 people who did not come home from the war are our pain, the pain of Moldova. And the memory of the dead is not an occasion for celebration, but a lesson that should be reflected in the soul. Especially since war has broken out again in Europe today. And we can no longer enjoy the guarantee of peace, as we have for seven decades. The war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine is an insult to those who gave their lives for peace among the peoples of Europe," Maia Sandu said.

According to her, "peace is not an ideological concept".

"We want peace because we love our home and our family. And because peace is our priority, Moldova chooses the European Union. Joining the EU puts Moldova on a development path that will give our citizens a peaceful and secure future at home. And a European Moldova is a Moldova with strong, reliable friends with whom we can be safe...," the head of state recalled.

She added that Moldova is well aware of the advantages of joining the EU.

"Now it depends on us whether Moldova will become an EU country by 2030. Nobody can stop us if we walk together with determination. In October, Moldovans will vote for the future of the country in a referendum to support Moldova's EU membership. Come to the referendum - as many as possible, from villages and towns, from the diaspora. Let's build our future together. Let's not let others decide our fate for us. And let's show the world how strong we are together. Until then, let us work side by side to build a European Moldova at home, a country where there is room for all its citizens. Where institutions and laws work in the interests of the people. Where everyone can realize their potential, where people are equal and free, regardless of ethnicity, language, political or religious preferences," the official concluded.