Maia Sandu honors defenders of Moldova’s independence
President of Moldova Maia Sandu attended today the national scientific conference titled “Culture of Memory and Gratitude: Heritage, Present, Future,” organized as part of the “Decade of Memory and Gratitude” by the Ministry of Education and Research of Moldova, CE Report quotes MOLDPRES.
The president highlighted the significance of March 2 — a date of profound historical importance dedicated to commemorating those who, in 1992, defended the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. She stressed that in a democratic society, memory is not imposed but built through research, documentation, education and public responsibility.
“In the case of the Republic of Moldova, the memory of the war on the Nistru is a lesson about the fragility of peace. It shows us how easily the constitutional order of a state can be attacked and how quickly a country’s democratic path can be disrupted,” the head of state said.
President Sandu paid tribute to those who defended the country, as well as to the victims of deportations, repression and famine during the Soviet regime, emphasizing the importance of gratitude and the responsibility of educational and cultural institutions, as well as the historical community, in promoting historical truth.
“Schools and universities play an essential role: to teach young people to read documents, compare sources, understand context, distinguish facts from interpretations and recognize manipulation. Archives, museums, research institutes and the community of historians must guarantee that memory is based on evidence, not myths,” she underlined.
At the end of the conference, participants adopted a resolution firmly condemning the denial, justification, minimization or distortion of the War for the Defense of the Independence and Territorial Integrity of the Republic of Moldova, as well as the repression, deportations and famine of 1946–1947.
The document reaffirmed respect for the memory of the victims and human dignity, while expressing full support for Moldova’s European integration path and calling on citizens to remain responsible and civically engaged in preserving this objective.
