SPEECH AS HOST OF EPC SUMMIT
Dear Presidents and Prime Ministers, Dear colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen, It is a pleasure and an honour to be hosting so many of you here today in Moldova amidst the serene surroundings of Castel Mimi.
Dear Presidents and Prime Ministers, Dear colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen, It is a pleasure and an honour to be hosting so many of you here today in Moldova amidst the serene surroundings of Castel Mimi.
Dear President von der Leyen, dear Ursula, I am glad to see you again in Chisinau! Tomorrow, 1 June, is an important day for the Republic of Moldova and for our country's friends and partners who are coming to Moldova. Tomorrow we will proudly say: Welcome, Europe, to our home! The whole of Europe is gathering in Bulboaca - a beautiful village in our country - to discuss security, energy and a better connected and more prosperous Europe.
Since gaining independence, the Republic of Moldova has been under constant threat. For more than 30 years, our country has been subject to blackmail, embargoes, economic blockades, thefts, money laundering schemes, hybrid threats, with the aim of blocking the country's development and preventing the growth of people's welfare.
We, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, gathered on 21 May 2023 on the Great National Assembly Square, at a decisive moment for the country's fate, in order to affirm the Republic of Moldova's aspiration to become a full member of the European Union and to contribute to this objective taking in consideration that we are European, both historically, geographically, culturally, as well as through the fundamental values we share.
Dear Moldovans – those who gathered in the Great National Assembly Square and those who came together in other capitals of the world – I'm glad that there are so many of us here today. Let me warmly greet everyone, those in the centre of the country, those in the North of Moldova all the way to the South, those from Ocnita to Cahul.
Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Democracy is in decline in every region of the world, but not in my country, the Republic of Moldova. Over the past two years, we have worked tirelessly to cut the influence of oligarchs in politics, on the economy, media, and political parties. We started cleaning up a corrupt justice system.
Dear citizens, Moldova is currently at a crossroads. What will happen to our country and our children's future now depends on the strength of our people to tell the world clearly what we want. It is crucial to stick together on the same path and say it without equivocation - Moldova will succeed!