Europe Day is celebrated in Chisinau on May 11 and 12 through a series of cultural, artistic and culinary events. Traditionally, a European Town is set up in the center of Chisinau each year on the initiative of the Delegation of the European Union to Moldova. This year as well, the embassies of the EU member states pitched tents where the visitors can familiarize themselves with the traditions, culture, cuisine, music and projects in Moldova of the European countries. National public institutions also put up tents for the visitors to learn about their activity, IPN reports.
In the opening, the Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko said the event is organized with the aim of helping the people to better know what Europe is, which the European values and the prospects of the Moldova – EU cooperation relations are. The year 2019 is full of anniversaries, like the tenth anniversary of Moldova’s membership in the Eastern Partnership and the fifth anniversary of the signature of the Association Agreement that includes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA).
According to Peter Michalko, important economic reforms have been done during these years and they determined a rise in Moldova’s exports to the European market. Owing to the DCFTA, there were created more than 15,000 jobs and over 7 billion lei is to enter the state budget by the end of next year. “The prospects are good and we would like to further see this progress. We also want to see progress in other important areas, such as justice, strengthening of democratic standards and the fight against corruption,” stated the ambassador.
Attending the opening of the European Town, Prime Minister Pavel Filip said for too many years the European values in Moldova had been reduced to pennons carried by some of the politicians. The European messages were initially used to remove some and then against others and now time has come to understand and think about Europe not against someone, but for the people. Europe is for the people and is a development model.
After the inaugural ceremony, the officials, together with EU ambassadors, made a tour of the European Town. Artistic groups from the country will perform on a stage placed in the central park. A concert featuring the Moldovan National Youth Orchestra and the choir “La La Play” will start in the square of the Metropolitan Cathedral at 7pm.
