PRESIDENT DODON REMINDS THAT A PART OF ROMANIA USED TO BELONG TO PRINCIPALITY OF MOLDOVA

Moldovan President Igor Dodon has reminded that a part of the present-day Romania used to be "Moldovan land" in the 19th century. The head of state wrote this on his Facebook page after he and his advisers had laid flowers to the bust to outstanding poet Mihai Eminescu in the Alley of the Classics in the Central Public Garden of Chisinau on Thursday morning. The poet passed away 128 years ago today.

"The great poet was born on the Moldovan land in Botosani [town in northeastern Romania now]. I think every citizen of the Republic of Moldova knows Eminescu and his creations that are remaining topical in the present time as well", said Igor Dodon.

The President stressed: "We are proud of such a fellow-countryman of ours so highly reputed in the world. Each nation has personalities the people are proud of, no matter how many years have passed since their death. We, the Moldovan people, are proud of Mihai Eminescu - a genius of the Moldovan literature".

Meanwhile, in comments to this post on the President's page, a user reminded that "Mihai Eminescu is considered to be a national poet of Romania". The user published on the presidential page some abstracts from Eminescu's writings, where the author lauds Romania and states: "Suntem romani si punctum!" ["We are Romanians, full stop!"].

In the course of Dodon's first overseas presidential visit to Moscow in January 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a present to his guest - a map of the Principality of Moldavia of the 18th century. On that map, compiled and drawn by outstanding Italian cartographer Bartholomeo Borghi after Russia-Turkey wars, the Principality of Moldavia includes a part of the territories of the present-day Romania and Ukraine, but does not include the Transnistrian region.