President Sandu's Address following the EPC
President Sandu's Address following the EPC
The President congratulated all Moldovans who participated and discussed the main outcomes of the summit.
EPC Coverage from Moldova Matters: On Thursday June 1st we covered the European Political Community EPC Summit from the event itself at Castel Mimi in the village of Bulboaca Moldova. To read our previous coverages see the pre-Summit Weekly Roundup and our updates one, two, three, four, five, six and seven from the summit itself. Below is printed the full text of President Maia Sandu’s address to the Moldovan people on the completion of the EPC Summit in Moldova. Later today you will receive our final article about the EPC outlining the outcomes and analysis of the event.
Accessed via ZdG in Romanian, translated to English courtesy of Google Translate
"On June 1, dear Moldovans, we wrote history together. The whole of Europe came to our house to confirm that Moldova is important and has a place among the important, strong, free countries of the world. To support us to fulfill the aspirations of our citizens to live in peace and prosperity, to bring the European Union here, at home.
The event of June 1 does not come from luck, it comes from the firmness with which we defended our democracy and freedom and from our belief that Moldova will succeed. I had faith in Moldova and these days all of Europe has shown that it has faith in Moldova.
The summit of the European Political Community, attended by 49 presidents, prime ministers and senior European officials, put the Republic of Moldova at the center of Europe and showed the whole world that we, Moldovans, can do whatever we set our minds to. And that we are proud of our country.
Thank you very much for the honor with which you represented Moldova - wherever you were. I am grateful to all of you – diplomats, security officers, road workers, workers, traffic agents, policemen, carabinieri, train attendants, conductors, doctors, cooks, journalists, photographers, translators, florists, soldiers, accountants, waiters, cleaners and sanitation, technicians, drivers, artists, videographers, directors, communicators, civil servants, Bulbocians, Chisinau residents, Moldovans from everywhere - to all those who have made a European Moldova these days!
We showed the world and we showed ourselves that we have well-trained, hard-working people who know how to do things the right way. A family we are proud of - all of Moldova!
The European Political Community was created at the initiative of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, in 2022, as a result of the start of the war against Ukraine by Russia. The community is a dialogue platform for all countries on our continent. On this platform, once every six months, the leaders of EU and non-EU states come together and discuss major common issues, ways to deal with the consequences of the war that affected us all, avoiding further conflicts on the continent and restoring peace.
Our future is surrounded by uncertainties - we cannot control all events, and the destiny of Moldova depends on the choices we make every day. However, the event that brought all of Europe to Moldova showed us some certainties related to our country:
1. Moldova is a partner respected by all European countries. Moldovans are treated with respect and as equals for what we are - a dignified, humane and free people. Moldova is written about with appreciation in the international press, we are no longer the country that is only written about when something bad happens.
Hosting the summit is a clear signal that Moldova is important to the European Union and to other countries on our continent and that our voice matters.
In a relatively short period of time, we, all together, managed to considerably improve the image of our country in the world. Moldova is no longer seen, as it was a few years ago, as an obscure place where criminal groups share the state's wealth. Moldova is no longer seen as a country that lets itself be mocked by the Kremlin.
Moldova is a country appreciated for the generosity of its people, for their courage and ability to face difficult situations and move forward with their heads held high. Moldova is perceived as a future member of the European Union.
This renewed image of our country will help us bring in more investments, develop trade relations with other countries, increase exports and increase the number of jobs and incomes of our people respectively.
2. Moldova is safe with the friends of our country. Moldova is not alone in facing the difficulties and dangers it faces. We have received strong diplomatic messages of support - European leaders say bluntly that Moldova is not alone, that our future is in the European Union.
During the days of the summit, the launch of the EU Partnership Mission in Chisinau was announced. This mission will help our institutions strengthen their crisis management capabilities and help increase the country's resilience to hybrid threats, including cyber security and countering foreign disinformation.
Also, the European Union will sanction people who want to destabilize Moldova and endanger the stability and security of our country. Persons placed on the sanctions list will have their movement restricted, and their assets and money in EU countries will be blocked. Norway also joined the EU sanctions. And on June 1, sanctions were announced by the Canadian authorities. All these states help us stop those who want to destabilize the country and block our future.
The European Union is helping us increase our defense capacity and modernize our Army. Through the European Instrument for Peace, worth a total of 87 million euros, these days Moldova received the first donation of modern equipment for the defense system.
Additionally, Poland announced a donation of 6 aircraft with protective equipment such as helmets, vests, and state-of-the-art technology to help the Ministry of Internal Affairs ensure public order and security. Also, these days, Hungary joined other donors to the NATO Trust Fund for Moldova with a contribution of 300 thousand dollars, a fund that will be used to strengthen the defense capacity of our country. We are grateful to all the countries that contribute to the tranquility and peace of our country.
These days, our sky has been protected from any danger by the air forces of our partners - this is what it means to have friends, partners, who you can rely on and who will not leave us in need. This is how we see our future - one where all children of Moldova are safe, living their childhood under a protected sky and no one is afraid.
3. Moldova is increasingly connected. A concrete benefit of our close ties with the EU is that Moldovans will be able to be closer to their loved ones and will be able to talk on the phone more cheaply and more often. Roaming tariffs in the European Union will be significantly reduced from January 1, 2024. Also, during the summit, we agreed with the President of Ukraine, Mr. Zelenskyy, that the bilateral agreement on the construction of the Cosăuți-Yampil bridge will be signed as soon as possible.
4. Moldova benefits from concrete support to face the energy crisis. On June 1, the Prime Minister of Norway announced that he is giving us a donation of approximately 50 million euros so that we can buy natural gas. Moldova has already started buying cheaper gas and we should see, in the shortest time, the reduction of the tariff for gas consumers.
5. Moldova stands up and goes on the path of development. The European Union and European partners have reaffirmed their commitment to continue to support us so that we can improve people's lives – to get resources and help to increase well-being at home.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, announced that the Economic Development and Investment Plan for the Republic of Moldova, initiated in June 2021, will increase from 600 million to 1.6 billion euros. Accordingly, our country will be able to participate in several programs aimed at the private sector and investment projects. I remind you that this program is carried out through international financial institutions such as the EBRD and the EIB and involves a wide range of instruments – loans, guarantees, risk coverage and donations. These resources represent opportunities for our companies and will contribute to the development of the economy.
I thank the President of France Macron who proposed organizing the summit of the European Political Community in the Republic of Moldova and the President of the European Council Michel for supporting this proposal. I thank President Iohannis for his enormous help in organizing the summit. I thank the states that ensured the air security of the country. I thank the Czech Republic for the support offered, so that the second Summit will be a success.
The event organized by Moldova on June 1 demonstrated that Moldova's accession to the European Union is getting closer and brings concrete benefits for people. Only in the European family can we be sure of stability and peace in our country. Our voice matters when important decisions are made, and the path we chose - the European path - has the support of the European Union countries.
This is the direction that the nearly 100,000 citizens who participated in the European Moldova Assembly asked for in one voice, and Moldovans, at home and in the diaspora, ask for it every day, through the choices they make and through the values they follow. This is the direction we requested at the Bulboaca summit from all European leaders. This is the direction we will work towards in the coming years.
We must work together, consistently, to succeed in opening accession negotiations with the EU as soon as possible. Let us make all the necessary efforts, everyone where they are, institutions and citizens, to modernize the infrastructure, to improve the quality of health and education services, to improve the quality of the environment in which we live and to raise the standard of living of all.
We have a clear path ahead, we know where we are going - we want to build European Moldova at home. To succeed, we need unity, wise choices and a lot of hard work. We are on the right track and I am convinced that we will succeed - for our parents and for our children.
We have every reason to have faith in our country, in our people, in our ability to build the European Union at home"