Gitanas Nausėda receives the Order of the Republic. Maia Sandu: “Moldova follows Lithuania’s path toward the EU”
Moldova contributes to European security and reaffirms support for Ukraine, President Maia Sandu said in Vilnius during a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. She stressed that the country’s European integration would guarantee security for Chișinău and strengthen the eastern flank of the European Union. Maia Sandu also said that Moldova follows Lithuania’s path toward the European Union.
“A Moldova anchored in the European Union means more than a safer Moldova. It also strengthens Europe’s eastern flank, and a stronger Europe offers the best guarantee for Ukraine’s future. Maia Sandu stated that the two are interdependent.
The president also spoke about Moldova’s concrete contribution to regional security, citing the country’s support for Ukraine and cooperation with Western partners.
“We support European security by deploying peacekeepers and firefighters alongside our partners and by securing more than 1,200 kilometers of border with Ukraine,” Maia Sandu said.
In the context of the war in the region, the president reaffirmed firm support for Kyiv and stressed the need for continued international assistance for Ukraine.
“Ukraine must win. Not only endure, but win. The courage Ukrainians have shown while defending their country, and with it the security of the entire continent, deserves our unwavering support in the form of weapons, resources, and political will. We must remain consistent,” Maia Sandu said.
According to the president, Moldova also joins international initiatives that support Ukraine, including the demining coalition led by Lithuania.
“Moldova fully commits to this effort, and we take pride in joining the demining coalition for Ukraine led by Lithuania, a fitting symbol of our partnership. Moldova’s resources remain modest, but our voice does not. We will continue to stand with Ukraine in every room, at every table, at every meeting, because from our border, our airspace, and the Ukrainian families we welcomed, we know this war does not belong to someone else,” the president said.
During the official visit to Vilnius, Maia Sandu awarded Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda the Order of the Republic, the highest distinction of the Republic of Moldova. The award recognized his contribution to the development of Moldovan Lithuanian relations and his support for Moldova’s European path.
“This gesture recognizes your personal dedication to our friendship and all that Lithuania, under your leadership, has done to stand with us. We are grateful,” Maia Sandu said.
The president also noted that Lithuania’s experience offers a model for Moldova’s European path.
“Moldova follows Lithuania’s path toward the European Union. You chose freedom in 1990 and joined the EU in 2004 after years of hard work and steady support from friends. We travel the same road, but the world around us has changed. Lithuania moved forward in peacetime, in an era when many believed democracy had triumphed in Europe. We move forward in the shadow of war, in more dangerous and urgent times, and our citizens know this and ask us to move quickly,” Maia Sandu said.
President Maia Sandu will pay an official visit to Vilnius on March 10 and 11 at the invitation of Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. The visit marks the 36th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union, proclaimed on March 11, 1990.
Moldova became the first country to recognize Lithuania’s independence. During the visit, the president will also deliver a speech in the plenary session of the Parliament in Vilnius.
