His Excellency Emil Jacotă, the Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the Republic of Bulgaria, together with his wife, his team, and Eng. Veselin Chipev – the Honorary Consul of Moldova in Plovdiv, welcomed several hundred guests – diplomats, members of parliament, and business representatives – at the Marinela Hotel. The occasion was – the 34th anniversary of Moldova’s declaration of independence and 33 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations with Bulgaria.
After the national anthems of Moldova and Bulgaria were played, Ambassador Jacotă delivered a speech in which he reflected on the challenges his country has faced over the past three decades in building its democratic system. He listed а separatist conflict instigated by Russia, economic collapse, energy blackmail, trade embargoes, and even a major bank fraud scandal.
“But democracy has prevailed”, said Ambassador Jacotă, “and we are especially joyful that Bulgaria has always been our closest friend – it was among the first countries that recognized the independence of the Republic of Moldova in 1992 and opened its diplomatic mission in Chișinău the same year.”
He emphasized that Moldova highly values the consistent and meaningful support provided by Bulgaria over the years in helping the country pursue its great dream – its European future.
“Bulgaria and Romania are not just friends, but experienced advocates for our pro-European aspirations, even in times of crisis,” the Ambassador continued. He firmly stated that Moldova and Ukraine are ready to move forward with EU accession negotiations, highlighting that their integration will make the region safer and more stable.
“Moldova is, has always been, and will remain a peace-loving country. We reject aggression and stand for peace. We were among the first to open our hearts and homes to Ukrainian refugees – victims of the horrors of war. I am glad they found a new home in Moldova, allowing them to look to the future with hope,” emphasized H.E. Emil Jacotă.
In his speech, he also noted that this year Moldova has been visited by Vice President Iliana Iotova, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, and members of the National Assembly. On this occasion, he expressed his wish for this practice to continue in the future.
He also emphasized that the Bulgarian minority, which lives in a compact community on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, is a true bridge of friendship and cooperation. He expressed hope that this bridge will develop in the direction of Moldova’s European integration into the large European family, following the example of Bulgaria.
Next, he focused on the dynamic development of economic relations between Bulgaria and Moldova, highlighting that he and his team are working to increase the volume of trade between the two countries.
„Undoubtedly, our most important economic projects in bilateral relations are related to energy„, commented Ambassador Emil Jacotă, expressing great satisfaction with Moldova’s participation in the “Vertical Gas Corridor” project, supported by the EU and involving Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Ukraine.
Last but not least, the ambassador addressed cooperation in the field of education – he recalled that for many years, Bulgaria has been offering Moldovan high school graduates the opportunity to study at Bulgarian universities. He added that many graduates later return to their homeland, thus contributing to Moldova’s European development. In this context, he also noted the opening in 2025 of a branch of Ruse University „Angel Kanchev“ in the town of Taraclia.
According to him, this European university is not just an educational institution, but an investment in the future of Moldovan youth, in strengthening their European identity, and in the development of the region. Ambassador Emil Jacotă expressed hope that the branch will become an educational and cultural center for the Bessarabian Bulgarians in Moldova and Ukraine.
An important highlight in Ambassador Jacotă’s speech was his message to Moldovan citizens living in Bulgaria. The occasion – the parliamentary elections in Moldova scheduled for 28 September 2025.
„Dear friends, I invite you to vote at the polling station located on the premises of our homeland’s embassy in Sofia.
The elections on September 28 are not just a choice for one political party, but a declaration of will about the future of our country – the question is whether we want to firmly move toward integration into the larger European family of democratic nations, or remain dependent on the embrace of the Russian ‘peace’.“
„Europe, as our choice, has no alternative. Without Europe, Moldova will remain stuck in its past. The stability of the Republic of Moldova is the stability of Europe, and peace in the region is peace in Europe,“ emphasized Ambassador Emil Jacotă.
The diplomat warmly thanked the partners for organizing the festive evening – Eng. Veselin Chipev – the Honorary Consul of Moldova in Plovdiv.
He raised a toast to the strengthening of ties between Bulgaria and Moldova and to the European future of his homeland. After his speech, he personally greeted everyone who had attended the festive reception and invited the guests to taste wines produced by Purcari, noting that Moldova ranks among the top 20 wine producers in the world.
