Moldovan head of state says only real chance for Gagauz language to endure profound change of paradigm, mentality

President Moldova Maia Sandu today took part in the international conference titled, Preservation, Development and Promotion of the Gagauz Language in the Multilingual Space of Moldova, organized by the Education and Research Ministry (MEC). The event aimed to create a platform for dialogue between the educational, institutional and scientific environments and civil society, in order to identify concrete and sustainable solutions for revitalizing the Gagauz language.

In her speech, the head of state emphasized the responsibility of the current generation in preserving the language: “The current generation has the responsibility to do everything in its power, so that the Gagauz language does not disappear,” the president noted. At the same time, the head of state stressed that institutional efforts were not sufficient without the direct involvement of speakers, underlining that “no strategy, no plan, no platform can replace the essential condition for a language to survive: that it be spoken in everyday life, in as many contexts and fields of activity as possible.”

The Moldovan president also underlined the need for a change of mentality regarding the use of the Gagauz language. In the context, the head of state evoked the role of the family and education: “Everything starts at home. The mother tongue is learned from parents, from the very first words. Then we must continue this at kindergarten and later at school, placing real emphasis on its study.”

The president also pointed out that preserving the Gagauz language and learning the Romanian language were complementary objectives, that must be promoted in parallel, so that the Gagauz autonomy and its citizens can fully benefit from the opportunities provided by the European path of Moldova.

In conclusion, the head of state expressed confidence that efforts to restore the Gagauz language to the place it deserves in society and in the cultural heritage of Moldova would yield concrete results: “I dare to hope that, one day, through our joint work and through the mobilization of its speakers, UNESCO will be able to remove Gagauz from the list of languages at risk of extinction.”

The full speech of the head of state can be accessed on the official website of Moldova’s Presidency.