logo

In 1918, Bessarabian Romanians showed the world that nothing could separate them from their motherland


https://www.ipn.md/index.php/en/in-1918-bessarabian-romanians-showed-the-world-that-nothing-could-7967_1103569.html

The chairman of the National Liberal Party Nicolae Ciucă, President of the Romanian Senate, said that March 27 marks the first historical moment when the border on the Prut River was removed and Bessarabia united with Romania. According to him, in the troubled year 1918, the Bessarabian Romanians showed the whole world that nothing could separate them from the motherland, and the century of Russian occupation didn’t erase their national identity. The People’s Council in Chisinau then voted for unification, marking the first step of that year’s reunification, which ended on December 1 in Alba-Iulia, IPN reports.

“On the coordinates of today’s world, we find ourselves again in a situation where we lend a hand to the Romanians from the other side of the Prut River. Romania is the Republic of Moldova’s staunchest supporter on its way to joining the European Union. Bucharest is once again the beacon that guides Chisinau in returning to the civilized world and getting out of Moscow’s sphere of influence. I was happy every time when, as Prime Minister, I signed a decision by which Romania helped the Republic of Moldova, in the energy sector, financially or diplomatically. The National Liberal Party will continue to unconditionally support our brothers from across the Prut River on the started European path,” stated Nicolae Ciucă.

Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, also sent a message on the Day of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania. “It is a dear holiday of the Romanians from both banks of the Prut, the Day of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, in which we mark the historical act of March 27, 1918, which fulfilled the Bessarabian Romanians’ will to return to the motherland after a century of tsarist occupation. Our community of language, culture and history cannot be erased, even if the history of the last century once again tailored different destinies for us. Moreover, we now see how our brothers across the Prut River aspire to the values of the democratic world Romania already chose to be part of. Their aspirations began to take shape with the decision of the leaders of the European Union to open accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova,” the Romanian Prime Minister noted.

Marcel Ciolacu specified that Romania is among the firm supporters of Moldova’s European future, as its citizens want. “In addition to bilateral cooperation projects on cross-border energy interconnections and financial assistance, where Romania is actively involved in the development of the Republic of Moldova, we are happy to share during the accession process our own expertise in European integration. We are waiting for you as soon as possible in the space of European democratic values," said the Romanian official.

Prime Minister Dorin Recean is in Bucharest today to participate in the second edition of the Investment Forum “Moldova - Romania: Capital Bridges”. According to him, the event takes place on a truly significant day for both banks of the Prut River – 106 years since the union of Bessarabia with Romania. “We are united by our common past, language and culture and today we are strengthening our bilateral ties, building new bridges between Moldovan businesses and foreign investors and taking the economic opportunities of both countries,” noted the Moldovan Premier.

Attending the forum, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said that this event takes place on a historic day. “It is a historic day – March 27 – when all Romanians on both banks of the Prut River celebrate the 106th anniversary of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania. Today, together with you, we celebrate the growing relationship between the Republic of Moldova and Romania, and the event that brought us together in Bucharest is an additional proo of this,” stated Igor Grosu.

On March 27, 1918, the People’s Council voted for the Union of the Moldavian Democratic Republic (Bessarabia) with the Kingdom of Romania. That historical act triggered the Great Union that ended with the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia on December 1, 1918, when the Romanians from Transylvania, Banat, Maramures and Crișana decided, in their turn, to unite with the country, the event attesting the establishment of the modern Romanian state.

On March 27, 2017, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis signed the decree on the promulgation of the Law to declare March 27 the Day of Union of Bessarabia with Romania as a national holiday.