It has been 35 years since the withdrawal of the Soviet military troops from Afghanistan. Over 12,000 Moldovans took part in that war. As many as 301 soldiers died on the ballfield. Another 700 were wounded. Senior officials, representatives of the local administration and of political parties laid flowers and delivered messages commemorating the fallen ones. The Parliament’s sitting began with a moment of silence, IPN reports.

“We commemorate our compatriots who lost their lives in the war in Afghanistan and pray, alongside their grieving families and veterans, for peace and for no one to ever experience the horrors of war again. Unfortunately, even today, while we remember the Moldovans who died in Afghanistan, entire localities are destroyed in Ukraine and peaceful people, including children, are killed in cold blood,” said President Maia.

 “Today, we remember their sacrifice with pain and respect. They fulfilled with honor a war mission thousands of kilometers away from home, which forever marked their lives,” said Prime Minister Dorin Recean, who started his program in Nisporeni, where he is on a working visit, with the laying of flowers. “On this day, with an unjust war being waged by Russia against Ukraine close to our borders, we must remember again the damage caused by unjust military conflicts and how important peace that gives us stability and prosperity is,” stated Premier Recean.

In Chisinau, MPs observed a moment of silence at the beginning of the plenary sitting of Parliament. “Today, we stand with all those who survived this war and returned home and started families. We also stand with the families of all those who participated in this ruthless war. We bow down to you for your courage and thank you for the support you give to society every day. Together we will do everything possible to defend our country and live in safety,” said Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, who earlier laid flowers at the monument to Ruler Stephen the Great and Holy.

Laying of flowers at the monument to Ruler Stephen the Great and Holy was also organized by the Chisinau City Hall. “I wish health to all those who remained alive and peace all over the world,” said mayor general Ion Ceban.



MPs of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, municipal councilors and activists of the Party of Socialists laid flowers at the Memorial Complex “Holy Memory to Sons of of the Fatherland”. PSRM leader Igor Dodon said that the Day of Commemoration of those who died in the war in Afghanistan “gives us the opportunity to reflect on the consequences of any war and to realize that every military conflict brings with it not only material losses, but also deep suffering, an echo of pain that persists long after the sound of cannons fades away.”