Thousands of people, including veterans of World War II, laid flowers at the Memorial Complex “Eternity” in Chisinau in memory of those killed in battle in the morning of May 9. This year it is 69 years of that war that claimed millions of lives. The event was attended by Moldovan leaders, who gave speeches before the crowd, IPN reports.
Head of Parliament Igor Corman said the injuries caused by the war will be never cured, while the politicians must make everything possible to avoid the mistakes of the past. Peace and unity should be the values of all the contemporary politicians.
“Today we remember the made sacrifices and thank all those who fought. May 9 is a day that reminds of the darkness and horrors of the war and of the sustained losses. It is a day to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the peace that we today value so much. We kneel before the war veterans,” said the Speaker.
He added that Europe Day, which is also marked on May 9, is the day of peace and unity and this day must unite us all.
In his speech, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said that May 9 is the Victory Day and the day of the heroes who died for justice and peace. “I want this day to be a reason for hope. We should realize a simple truth. The real winners are those who keep peace, who have courage and patients, faith and devotion to the motherland,” he stated.
For his part, President Nicolae Timofti said he considers that national and foreign political forces tend to use this day to disseminate propagandistic clichés from the Soviet totalitarian period, but these vestiges no longer have a place in the epoch we live. He noted that Europe Day, which is a holiday of peace, unity and tolerance, is also celebrated on May 9. “We also share these values,” he stated.
According to the Ministry of Defense, in Moldova there are about 2,000 World War II veterans. Under a Government decision, all the veterans will receive lumps sums of 1,000 lei on May 9, while the about 900 widows will get by 800 lei. The Government allocated about 4 million lei for this and other related purposes.
