Reception held in Chisinau on occasion of Azerbaijan's Independence Day

A reception was organized in the capital of Moldova, Chisinau, on the occasion of Azerbaijan's Independence Day.

According to Report, the event, organized by the Azerbaijani embassy in Chisinau, was attended by Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament Igor Grossu, embassies of foreign countries, public and political figures, diplomats, veterans of the Second Karabakh War, and diaspora activists.

The reception began with the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Moldova.

Later on, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Moldova Ulvi Bakhshaliyev made a speech. The diplomat said that May 28 is a day inscribed in golden letters in the history of the Azerbaijani people's struggle for freedom and independence:

"May 28, 1918, is the day when the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first democratic republic in the Muslim East, was established. But unfortunately, twenty-three months after its establishment, the republic collapsed. This once again shows that maintaining independence is more difficult than achieving it. The flag raised in 1918 was lowered in 1920. After that, the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev officially raised and established this flag for the first time at the session of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Practically, the path to independence began from this historical moment."

"In the early years after regaining independence, Azerbaijan faced great difficulties, including the occupation of a certain part of its territories by the Armenian armed forces. However, under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani Army was able to liberate most of our territories from occupation during the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020. We also fully regained our territories in September 2023. Unfortunately, during years of the occupation, Armenia planted more than a million mines in those territories, which in turn complicates the restoration of our territories and poses a serious threat to people's lives. To date, about 400 of our citizens have died or been seriously injured as a result of mine explosions in our liberated territories," Bakhshaliyev said.

Then, the Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grossu, said it was a great honor for him to participate in the reception organized on the occasion of Azerbaijan's Independence Day:

"This year, we celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Moldova and Azerbaijan, and the dynamics of these relations are positive," he said, adding that over the years, the two countries have supported each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders.

"On behalf of the Moldovan Parliament, I extend my most sincere congratulations to the people of Azerbaijan, wishing them peace, development and continued prosperity," he said.

At the end of the event, Azerbaijani national dances, especially the performances by students of the weekend Azerbaijani language school operating in Moldova, aroused the interest of the guests.