Vlad Biletski, chairman of the organization “Unirea-ODIP”, said the NGO he represents has all the resources needed to restore the Romanian Heroes Cemetery in Chisinau that was left to go to ruin. The authorities should be cooperative and should not place obstacles to them in doing this, which is they should issue the permissive document they need to start the works.
In a news conference at IPN, Vlad Biletski said in time they made a number of approaches to the Government and the Chisinau City Hall, asking to see what happened to the cemetery and why it reached such a state. Half of the cemetery was illegally sold and cannot be found on the list of state monuments and the list of state cemeteries.
“Even if Moldova is a party to a bilateral treaty with Romania that envisions the caring for, restoration and prevention of the destruction of such facilities, the country does not honor its obligations,” stated Vlad Biletski, noting it is not only about Romanian soldiers, but also about soldiers of other ethnic groups and these cannot rest in peace.
The chairman of “Unirea-ODIP” noted the Republic of Moldova should and can recover the part of the cemetery that became private property if the sale and purchase contract is annulled or if another plot of land in the same region and of the same cadastral value is offered instead.
Veaceslav Verlan, one of the leaders of the Committee for the Salvation of the Romanian Heroes Cemetery – an association that committed itself to take part in the cleanup of the cemetery – said that in 2007, when that part of the creamery was privatized, the Law on Cemeteries that bans this was in force already.
Pavel Vintilă, the leader of the national-Christian movement “New Right”, called on civil society to become involved in the approaches to restore the Romanian Heroes Cemetery. “The dead soldiers deserve appropriate respect on the part of the Republic of Moldova,” he stated.
On the occasion of the Romanian Army Day, the Committee for the Salvation of the Romanian Heroes Cemetery plans to stage a cleanup campaign at the cemetery on October 20, starting at 10:30am. All those who want are invited to take part.
