Moldovan president's message at event celebrating activity of Comrat State University

Dear Rector,

Dear professors,

Dear students,

Honored guests,

Congratulations to all those who have contributed to the creation and development of the Comrat State University.

I am happy to be with you today at a moment of celebration for the entire Gagauz community. The Comrat State University is one of the institutions on which the autonomy rests, an institution that has evolved constantly, developed and modernized, providing the country with generations of graduates of whom of Moldova can be proud.

People stand behind this journey. There are the professors who, year after year, have passed on knowledge and kept alive the connection between generations. There are the students who give meaning to this work and who carry forward what they learn here.

Festive moments are also occasions for reflection. They are moments when we can look at what we have built so far and at what we want to leave behind for the future. They are moments when we must speak not only about achievements, but also about responsibilities. Looking to the future, I believe that one of the priorities of the university – and of the entire autonomy – must be the preservation of the Gagauz language and culture.

We cannot ignore the current reality that the Gagauz language is in danger of disappearing. And when a people loses its language, it loses its historical compass, undermines its unity and puts its continuity at risk. In the silence of the language begins, slowly, the silence – and ultimately the disappearance – of the people.

It is natural and legitimate for you to expect support in this direction on behalf of the central authorities – and this openness exists and will continue to exist. But a language is not kept alive through administrative decisions, even the most necessary and useful ones, but by those who use it – in everyday life, on the street, in the shop, in the family, among friends, in church, or at the university.

All the more so as it is only here, at the university, that teachers of the Gagauz language are trained – those who will go into schools and will pass on to children, in addition to vocabulary, spelling and grammar, the feeling of belonging to the community. That is why, first and foremost here, efforts must be made to strengthen the language: to have stronger programmes, well-prepared staff, textbooks and major academic and cultural events. The university can therefore assume, with greater determination, the role of a pillar of the revival of the Gagauz language.

Ladies and gentlemen,

For too long, in the autonomy people have spoken predominantly in a language that is not in danger, while their own language has been heard less and less. Yet, your forebears chose this land precisely with the hope of preserving their identity – of living their traditions and planting them in the souls of their children. Because they understood that only through the mother tongue can a people tell its story; only in and through the mother tongue is the heritage of past generations gathered – their joys and hardships, their faith and hope that what they built will endure.

This is a heritage that must be promoted not only by the university, but also by honest and responsible people in the institutions here, who understand the meaning of autonomy and its true purpose.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Gagauzia is an important region of our country. The Gagauz autonomy cannot develop in isolation, just as the entire country cannot develop without strong regions. When young people from Gagauzia feel needed and appreciated throughout our country, both the autonomy and the state as a whole benefit. But to fully realize their potential, knowledge of the Romanian language is crucial for full participation in society and for professional development we well.

We all have a common goal. We want to live in peace and prosperity here, at home. We live in very complicated and unpredictable times, in which simply promoting democratic values is no longer enough – they require constant defense and sustained efforts. Our future depends on how we manage to build it together.

Soon, the inhabitants of Gagauzia will elect their representatives to the People’s Assembly. These people must bring the long-awaited changes that the voters of Gagauz-Yeri deserve: development, well-being, peace and dialogue.

They must turn Gagauzia into a strong, modern and open community – as envisioned and fought for by the prominent personalities of the Gagauz people. Such as Mihail Ciachir – an enlightener and initiator of printing books in the Gagauz language, who laid the foundations of national consciousness. And Nicolai Arabadji – poet and enlightener, one of the first representatives of the Gagauz intelligentsia, who dedicated his life to the culture and spiritual development of the people.

The future does not appear by itself. It is built through dialogue, cooperation and trust. And it is built on an honest path. Universities are the places where this is learned day by day.

I wish the Comrat State University continued development, the professors – support and respect and the students – self-confidence. I wish you the courage to look more broadly and in depth. To look forward, to the future!

May everything that is created here be a contribution to the development of Gagauzia and of the entire Republic of Moldova!

Much success, and may you serve the Gagauz people even more!