“We today bid farewell to the one who, driven by his sincere and profound love for the nation, took the country to the path of sovereignty, independence, national renaissance,” President Maia Sandu stated at the funeral of first President Mircea Snegur, IPN reports.
The official noted that Mircea Snegur, who was a courageous visionary and patriot, in a difficult context assumed the mission of turning into reality the people’s wish to live freely and to affirm their identity through language and the tricolor.
“The last time I talked to Mister President Snegur was several weeks ago, on August 27. I knew he didn’t feel well and was glad to hear his warm voice, as every time, full of energy and to feel the same preoccupation with the country’s fate and the same care for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova,” said Maia Sandu.
The official noted that the country now lost not only a founding parent, but also an authentic politician who knew to intuit the aspirations of his people.
“He devoted himself to the building of the state Republic of Moldova. His memorable words “Long live, independent Moldova!”, uttered on August 27, 1991, transmitted to the whole world the message that the people want Moldova to be on the map of the free world and our duty is to continue on his path opened by our first President,” stated Maia Sandu.
The official also said that during the years and decades that will follow, thinking about President Snegur, we will look through his memoirs, an epoch chronicle, which should be mandatorily read by those who want to see how things developed during the years when the Republic of Moldova was founded as a state.
“We are grateful to the first President, Mister Mircea Snegur, for the inheritance he left to us. In the name of all the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, I want to offer sincere condolences to the relatives, friends, the close persons of Mister Mircea Snegur, all those who knew and praised him,” concluded President Sandu.
Moldova’s first President was 83. He suffered from an incurable disease.
Mircea Snegur was born on January 17, 1940 in Trifănești village of Soroca county. He was an agronomist-scientist, a doctor of agricultural sciences. A former activist of the Communist Party, Mircea Snegur supported the proclaiming of the Republic of Moldova’s independence and acted for the new state to be recognized by the West. Being the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, in the critical moment in August 1989, he accepted to support the law that declared Romanian the official language and restored the tricolor. Such a step earned him Moldovans’ sympathy.
On September 3, 1990, Mircea Snegur was named President by the Supreme Soviet of the former Soviet republic. He held office until December 1, 1996.
