Prime Minister Pavel Filip participated today at the events marking the 27th anniversary of the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Moldova.

Traditionally, Prime Minister Pavel Filip, together with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon and Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu, laid flowers at the Monument of Stephen the Great and the Mourned Mother Monument.

During the official opening ceremony of the National Palace, Pavel Filip sent a congratulatory message to the citizens of the country, noting that the Republic of Moldova is a state that has begun to take an attitude and to express its opinion on a more international level. The prime minister also stressed that if citizens are better with each other, more united, more dedicated to what they are doing, the same will be the Republic of Moldova: better, more beautiful, more united and stronger.

"Dear citizens, 27 years ago, the Republic of Moldova gained its independence Independence from the collapsed Soviet Union At the insistence of hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Chisinau in the Great National Assembly Square, the Parliament then voted the Declaration of Independence It was an act of courage of the intellectual elites, the Republic of Moldova broke from the past and started its own way like most of the countries of the former Union. But independence is not an event but a long-term process was not initially aware, and that's why the expectations were very high immediately, and so were the disappointments - a young, unprofessional state in the transition to democracy, as well as the politicians: people chose new hopes, but they had new disappointments.

In the modern age, however, states are not independent, but rather dependent on each other. Independence is built together, every day, because independence is not an abstract notion. There are concrete things that we can and must do. We could feel financially independent if we had a strong economy. An economy that will make us less dependent on external developments. That's what we're trying to build. We already have higher budget revenues, a more stable business environment, and growing economic indicators.

Being independent means also not depending on a single market, so we have a free trade agreement with the EU and almost 70 percent of exports go to European countries. And our winemakers risk no more hitting the Russian embargo in 2006, when many of them lost everything because they depended on a single market.

It's hard to be independent when the energy system is powered from a single source. We started to reduce energy dependence through interconnection projects with Romania. After the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline, this autumn will start work on the Ungheni-Chisinau pipeline, which will be able to provide the entire country with natural gas.

We already have already secured, interconnected, projects on the electricity market.

And politically, we have demonstrated that we want to be independent. Political independence is hard to obtain and just as difficult to maintain. We regularly take part in attempts of external interference with a desire to influence the political life of the Republic of Moldova.

Republic of Moldova is a state that has been able to take an attitude and express more firmly its opinion on the international level.

Last year we were in the position to say: We will not tolerate pressures and intimidation!

You all know we took the attitude when our citizens were offended. Even if we are a small country, we want to be treated with respect, and for the first time our country has succeeded in imposing itself in this context.

At the same time, the whole rebellion in which we live is confronted with security challenges. This year, I have resolutely and repeatedly asked the UN General Assembly, the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. 64 states have supported our approach, and that gives us the power to believe that we are closer to independence.

We have approved changes to secure our information space by protecting it from foreign propaganda.

I would like to emphasize today something that may not have been sufficiently well-informed, but it is an important element for independence. For the first time since the end of the armed conflict on the Dniester, we can control our own border, including the Transnistrian segment.

All of the things listed above mean for me steps towards independence. The independence we all build together, day by day.

And you, dear citizens, through your work and dedication are part of this process.

My hope is for all of us to understand one day that country and independence are not an abstract notion. The country is us, every single person took part. If we are better with each other, more united, more committed to what we are doing, the same will be the Republic of Moldova: better, more beautiful, more united and stronger.

We can no longer expect someone to come and tell us how we should be and where we should look.

We build this direction together to go along the same road.

They all seems to have read the story of swan, rabbit and pike, but I have the impression that everyone has forgotten her morality. If we pull in different directions, we will not succeed, only together united, we will be able to build a country with strong institutions and free people.

Happy Independence Day, dear citizens, for many years the Republic of Moldova, a prosperous state, with people who believe in me tomorrow", said Pavel Filip, Prime Minister of Republic of Moldova.