First President of Moldova Mircea Snegur paid last respects

Chisinau, 16 September /MOLDPRES/ - The first President of the Republic of Moldova, Mircea Snegur, was paid his last respects today.  
The funerals of the first head of state started today morning with a religious service of commemoration, held at the Birth of God Metropolitan Cathedral. Subsequently, the coffin was set down at the Palace of the Republic, where dozens of people, the state’s top leadership, the government members, representatives of the diplomatic corps, clergy, colleagues and friends came to pay the last respects to Mircea Snegur.    
„We pay the last respects to the one who, being animated by a sincere and deep love for the nation, led his country on the way of sovereignty and independence, on the way of national Revival. Courageous, visionary and patriot, the first president of the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Mircea Snegur assumed, in a complicated context, the mission to make come true the people’s wish to live freely, to assert its identity through language and tricolor,’’ President Maia Sandu said at the mourning rally.      
"Through his passing away, our country loses not only a ‘’founding father,’’ but also a true statesman, who was able to intuit the people’s aspirations in a crucial moment of the History. He fully dedicated himself to the development of the state Republic of Moldova. His memorable words, ‘’Long Live the Independent Moldova,’’ said on 27 August 1991, conveyed to the entire world that the people’s aspiration is to put Moldova on the map of the free world. And our duty is to continue the road opened by our first President,’’ the head of state noted.        
In the end of the ceremony held at the Palace of the Republic, the burial procession passed by the headquarters of Moldova’s Presidency, after which it moved through  the Great National Assembly Square to the Central Cemetery on the Armeneasca Street, where the first Moldovan president was buried.
President Maia Sandu declared the day of 16 September 2023 as national mourning day, as a token of deep grief caused by the death of the first president of the Republic of Moldova, Mircea Snegur, an active supporter of the national revival movement, official who played an essential role in the promotion of the independence, freedom and sovereignty of the country. Today, the State Flag of Moldova was raised half-mast in all settlements of Moldova, as well as at the diplomatic and consular missions of Moldova from abroad. At 12:00, the memory of President Mircea Snegur was honoured by standing silent for one minute.     
The first President of the independent state Republic of Moldova, Mircea Snegur, was born in the Trifanesti village, northern Floresti district, on 17Januiary 1940. He studied at the Agricultural Institute from Chisinau.  
He was lawmaker in the Supreme Soviet of the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic (RSSM) of the 11th and 12th legislative period, MP in the parliament of the Republic of Moldova of the 14th legislative period. He acted as president of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and President of the Supreme Soviet of RSSM.   
For special merits, Mircea Snegur was awarded more state distinctions and honorific titles: the Badge of Honour Order (1966), Medal For Bravery in Labour (1976), Order of the Republic (2000), Diploma of the European Academy of Arts (1995), Honorary Diploma  and the Golden Medal of the European Merit Order (1995), Doctor Honoris Causa of more academic entities, among which the State Agrarian University of Moldova (1996), Ankara University (1996), Free International University of Moldova (2001), Moldova’s Academy of Sciences (2011).