Romania marks National Day

Chisinau, Dec. 1 /MOLDPRES/- Today is the national day of Romania. December 1 marks the 104th anniversary of the Union of Transylvania, Banat, Crișana and Maramureș with Romania.

December 1 was proclaimed as Romania's National Day in 1990, being marked for the first time in the same year in Alba Iulia. Since then, every year, both in Bucharest and in most cities throughout the country, military parades take place and numerous ceremonies are organized that include the laying of crowns, as well as other events. In 2020, due to the pandemic, such events were cancelled. In 2021, the military parade took place in a restricted format.

According to the Romanian media, this year, over 1,500 Romanian soldiers will participate in the parade. Also, as every year, the fighter and transport planes of the Romanian Air Force will be present at the event.

More than 150 foreign soldiers, including from the Republic of Moldova, will participate in the parade. This year's premiere is two parade blocks made up of soldiers from the NATO Battle Group from Cincu and fighters from the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army, deployed at Mihail Kogălniceanu. Also for the first time, the planes of the four allied forces present in Romania will also be engaged. Military aircraft will fly over the Arc de Triomphe Square in three stages.

Until 1989, Romania's National Day was on August 23. Then the Anti-Fascist Insurrection Day was celebrated, with reference to the return of arms against Nazi Germany and the arrest of the government led by Ion Antonescu in 1944. And before this date, Romania's National Day was celebrated on May 10, to mark the proclamation of state independence of Romania, but also the transformation of the United Romanian Principalities into the Kingdom of Romania.

The choice of December 1 is linked to the Union of Transylvania, Banat, Crișana and Maramureș with Romania, in 1918, respectively, to the Alba Iulia Proclamation. December 1, 1918 crowns the Transylvanian Romanians' struggle for National Unity and marks the moment of the creation of Greater Romania, following the previous unionist actions in Bessarabia (March 27, 1918) and Bucovina (November 15/28, 1918).

Romania was the first state to recognize the independence of the Republic of Moldova, only a few hours after the proclamation of independence (August 27, 1991). Diplomatic relations, at the embassy level, were established on August 29, 1991. The Embassy of Romania was the first diplomatic representation opened by a state in the capital of the Republic of Moldova (it began its activity on January 20, 1992). The first ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in Bucharest was accredited in January 1992. Currently Ambassador of Romania to Moldova is Cristian-Leon Țurcanu, and Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Bucharest - Victor Chirila.

Since 2014, Romania has been the main commercial partner of the Republic of Moldova. According to official data, the commercial-economic relations between the Republic of Moldova and Romania enjoy robust dynamics. In 2020, Romania ranked first among the main trade partners of the Republic of Moldova, with a share of 16.9% of the total trade volume. Commercial exchanges between the Republic of Moldova and Romania experienced an increase of 24.3% in the period from January to November 2021. The value of the foreign trade of the Republic of Moldova with Romania recorded during the reference period the sum of 1.5 billion USD. The export registered the amount of 751 mln. USD (+ 15.5%). The import of goods from Romania to the Republic of Moldova in the reference period amounted to 756 mln. USD (+ 33.9%). During 2020, Moldovan-Romanian trade amounted to 1.34 billion dollars. Romania ranks 2nd among the main investors of the Republic of Moldova, with the presence of over 1500 Romanian companies in the Republic of Moldova.

In the more than 30 years since the establishment of bilateral relations, with the help of Romania, several large-scale strategic projects have been implemented in the Republic of Moldova, including the construction of the Iasi-Chisinau gas pipeline, the renovation of kindergartens and cultural buildings, the creation of the SMURD program and the offering aid in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2022, Romania granted material aid of 55 tons of strictly necessary and humanitarian products, which were intended for Ukrainian refugees settled on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. In January 2022, the Romanian Executive approved the memorandum for the negotiation and signing of the Agreement between the Government of Romania and that of the Republic of Moldova regarding the implementation of the technical and financial assistance program. The document provides for the granting of non-refundable financial aid to our country in the amount of 100 million euros.

Currently, the Romanian state is providing aid to the Republic of Moldova to overcome the energy crisis our country is facing due to the war started by Russia in Ukraine.