July 8, 2025, Chișinău – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the official ceremony dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the Council of Europe. During the event, the commemorative stamp “30 years since the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the Council of Europe” was signed and launched by Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chișinău Falk Lange, and Acting Administrator of the State Enterprise Poșta Moldovei, Violeta Cojocaru.
The event gathered high-ranking officials, ambassadors, diplomats, former and current state dignitaries. The program included the screening of an anniversary documentary, speeches by Minister Mihai Popșoi and former Prime Minister Andrei Sangheli, as well as a video message from the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset.
In his speech, Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi emphasized the importance of the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the Council of Europe on July 13, 1995, as a crucial first step towards European integration.
“This cooperation has had a major impact not only on human rights and legal institutions, but also on the political culture and on the understanding and respect of the law. It has been a school of democracy and responsibility for officials, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, journalists, and citizens alike. Moreover, the support provided by the Council of Europe was and remains a key element in our path towards European Union accession,” said Minister Popșoi.
Andrei Sangheli, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova at the time of the country’s accession to the Council of Europe, underlined the historical and emotional significance of that moment:
“The Republic of Moldova was a young state, at the beginning of the journey to consolidate its institutions as a sovereign and independent state. Becoming the 36th member of the Council of Europe and raising our flag in Strasbourg represented historic moments, filled with deep emotional significance, resonating strongly in the media across Europe as well as in the CIS space.”
Acting Administrator of the State Enterprise Poșta Moldovei, Violeta Cojocaru, highlighted the good cooperation between state institutions and Poșta Moldovei in promoting symbolic moments of Moldova’s European integration, including through philatelic commemorations.
“Over time, Poșta Moldovei has marked key milestones of European integration through its postal issues. To date, we have released four postal issues dedicated to anniversaries of the Council of Europe and two stamped envelopes dedicated to the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the Council of Europe,” said Violeta Cojocaru.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses gratitude to the Council of Europe for the support provided over these three decades and reaffirms the Republic of Moldova’s commitment to continue this valuable partnership in the spirit of a common European future.
