On October 10, H. E. Mr. Anatol Cebuc, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to the Republic of Bulgaria, and his wife Mrs. Larisa Cebuc,

gave a reception on the occasion of Moldova's Independence Day at the Marinella Sofia Hotel. The event was attended by the Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria Mrs. Iliana Iotova, ministers, officials, ambassadors, businessmen, journalists, representatives of the Moldovan diaspora in our country, friends. The Honorary Consul of the Republic of Moldova in Plovdiv, Mr. Veselin Chipev, was also present.

In his welcoming speech to the guests H. E. Mr. Anatol Cebuc said:

We are happy to have you today at the celebration of the 32nd anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Moldova.

On August 27, 1991, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova fulfilled the will of the great majority of its citizens and voted the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldova. Thus, our country decided to break ties with the controversial Soviet past and step on the path of democracy, laying the foundation of a new society based on the rule of law and the values of a free and independent society.

Today, with the support of its friends, Moldova is stronger and more resilient than a year ago. We stand firm in our belief in a democratic future - and we stand firm with Ukraine as our neighbor continues to resist Russia's brutal invasion - an attack on its sovereignty and international legal order. Moldova is not facing an imminent military threat, unlike our Ukrainian friends and neighbors, but every day we are countering Russia's hybrid assault.

Against all odds, we preserved peace across all of Moldova, including in the breakaway Transnistrian region, where Russian troops are stationed illegally and where concerns about human rights violations are deeply worrying. Our commitment to a peaceful resolution remains steadfast and we demand the unconditional withdrawal of those Russian forces.

Economic progress, improving security and reinforcing our democracy are part of our journey towards membership of the European Union. Moldova's European aspirations have long been well known. Last May, one hundred thousand Moldovans rallied in Chișinău to reassert their commitment to democracy - and to EU membership. Moldova's EU membership is not just a political choice, it is the only way to protect our liberty, peace and democracy.

The Republic of Moldova is fully engaged in carrying out the necessary reforms for EU accession. In this context, I express gratitude to the Bulgarian authorities for the political support to obtain the status of a candidate country for the EU and we count on full support to start the accession negotiations. We have a constructive dialogue at all levels, at the level of heads of state, prime ministers, ministers and local authorities.

The Republic of Bulgaria has become one of the main commercial partners of the Republic of Moldova. In 2022, the Republic of Bulgaria ranked 9th among the main trading partners of the Republic of Moldova worldwide, compared to 15th in 2021, registering an increase in the volume of bilateral trade by about 85%.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I use this opportunity to thank the Bulgarian authorities for the support given during these years to the Republic of Moldova, for its open position in relation to the European course of our country, as well as the contribution brought to the implementation of various socio-cultural projects in the Bulgarian communities in Moldova.

Happy Independence Day, Republic of Moldova!

Long live the friendship between the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of Bulgaria!

After the official part, the guests had the opportunity to see the exhibition presented by the Embassy, dedicated to the 31st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries.

And at the exquisite cocktail, the guests had the opportunity to taste the wonderful Moldovan wines presented by the Purcari winery. The reception was realized with the support of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Moldova in Plovdiv - Mr. Vesselin Chipev and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Moldova in Burgas - Mrs. Zhenya Atanasova.

The pictures are provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Bulgaria.

Above: H. E. Mr. Anatol Cebuc, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to the Republic of Bulgaria