President Igor Dodon announced that each mayor’s office of the country starting with April 24 will receive by a state flag and by a historical flag of Stephan the Great and Holy. The first flags will be distributed to the 300 communities that signed statements in support of Moldova’s statehood and independence. Later the historical flag will be taken to other communities in the country, IPN reports.

Igor Dodon said last week the National Heraldry Commission working under the President approved the decision to confer the legal status of national symbol of the Republic of Moldova on the flag carried by Stephan the Great on September 12, 1485. He filed a legislative initiative to supplement the Law on the State Flag of the Republic of Moldova in this regard.

“I want to note that the historical flags, as national symbols, are regulated in the legislation of such states as Lithuania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Latvia and others. I reiterate that this initiative envisions not the change of the state flag of the Republic of Moldova, but the recognition of the historical flag as this forms part of Moldova’s history that does not allow us to forget Moldovans’ roots,” Igor Dodon said in a posting on Facebook.

He underlined that by this legislative initiative he wants to increase the society’s interest in the history and culture of Moldova, to contribute to cultivating the patriotic spirit of the citizens and to consolidate Moldova’s statehood.