President Maia Sandu said the Republic of Moldova firmly stands with Ukraine and supports its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. At the General Debate of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly, the official said it is the moral duty of the international community to continue supporting Ukraine. “Ukraine is fighting today to keep all of us safe, to keep Europe safe. It needs our support. Europe, all of us, we must help Ukraine,” stated Maia Sandu, being quoted by IPN.
“As I stand at this tribune, I represent a country that wants peace. I represent the citizens of Moldova who, irrespective of the language that we speak - Romanian, Ukrainian, Russian, Gagauz, or Bulgarian -, regardless of our ethnicity, or political preferences, whether we live on the right bank of river Nistru, or in the breakaway region of Transnistria, we all want peace!,” said President Sandu.
The official noted that she was proudly representing the Republic of Moldova, a future member of the European Union. “A successful peace project, the European Union - through cooperation and integration - was forged to stop the cycle of wars that tormented our continent for centuries. This is another watershed moment in our history, and the EU has to do it again. By applying to join the European Union, we want the world to know: we choose democracy over autocracy, liberty over oppression, peace over war, and prosperity over poverty. The EU candidate status gives us hope, a clear sense of direction, a unifying goal, an anchor, and a strong sense of belonging. Belonging to the free world,” said Maia Sandu.
The official also said that one year ago, nobody would have imagined a major war in Europe. “Russia’s unprovoked war against another sovereign state, Ukraine, has shaken the world to the core, has put to test the fundamental principles of the UN, has shattered global security, triggered a European energy crisis, global food shortages, and an economic downturn. Seven months of bombings have killed thousands of innocent people and pushed millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes.”
According to President Sandu, Moldova knows what it is to be a country divided by conflict. In 1992 it faced a brief but tragic war in its Transnistrian region. The illegal presence of the Russian military troops in the Transnistrian region infringes the country’s neutrality and increases the security risks for the Republic of Moldova. “We call for the complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops. We call for the disposal of ammunition from the Cobasna stockpiles, which pose a security and environmental threat to the region as a whole.”
In another development, President Sandu said the authorities have done their best to ensure that all citizens of Moldova, including those residing in the breakaway region, continue to enjoy peace. “As we strive to maintain peace, our economy and society are bearing the brunt of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Our resources are strained, investments have slowed down, trade and transport routes are disrupted, inflation is nearing 35 percent. In addition, we are facing a wide spectrum of hybrid threats, from disinformation and propaganda to cyber-attacks and energy pressures. The abnormally high prices for natural gas and Russia’s attempts to weaponize gas and oil supplies to Europe have triggered an unprecedented energy crisis. We are one of the most vulnerable countries in the face of this crisis. But this only makes us more determined to diversify our energy resources and decrease dependence on fossil fuels. We plan to increase the share of renewable electricity supplies from 3 to 30 percent in the next 3 years. This will make our country stronger, and our environment healthier and safer,” stated Maia Sandu.
