Dozens of people came together at the Memorial Complex “Eternity” in Chisinau on March 2 to commemorate the heroes killed in the war for defending Moldova’s integrity and independence and the victims of this conflict. Those attending observed a minute’s silence, IPN reports.
Moldova’s first President Mircea Snegur said that 23 years ago, enjoying massive political, logistic and military support from Russia, the separatists from the left side of the Nistru River provoked a war. “We didn’t want that war. On the contrary, we made colossal effort to remove the misunderstandings and disagreements with the leaders from Tiraspol in a peaceful way. God and history are our witnesses. Regretfully, they didn’t understand us and chose the war. We could not only monitor the wrongdoings committed by local and Russian bandits. You, dear combatants, did it right when you rose to defend Moldova’s integrity and sovereignty,” he stated.
Current President Nicolae Timofti expressed his regret at the fact that the Moldovan constitutional authorities do not yet control that territory for which they struggled in 1990-1992. “We know that we did our duty and fought out of patriotism. It was an unequal battle for the territory that belongs to us lawfully. In these conditions, an important thing we can do it to transmit the information about those events to our children,” he said.
Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici said he has separate respect for the heroes killed in battle. “We cannot forget them because they are those who struggled for Moldova’s independence, territorial integrity and for democracy. I bend in front of all those who took part in that war,” he stated.
On Memory Day, a service was held at the Cathedral “Saint Teodora of Sihla” in Chisinau. Afterward, flowers were laid at the monument to Ruler Stephan the Great and Holy. Commemoration meals were held in all the districts of Chisinau. Commemoration events were also staged in settlements that had been battlefields.
The Nistru armed conflict began on March 2, 1992. The ceasefire agreement between Moldova and Russia was signed on July 21, 1992. According to the Moldovan authorities, 287 persons were killed and about 3,500 were injured in this conflict. Another 40 persons were listed as missing.
