Bessarabia

All official institutions in Moldova lowered the national flag on Friday in a mark of respect for the victims of the second and biggest wave of deportations from Soviet-occupied Bessarabia that Stalin ordered on the night between June 5-6, 1949.

The Romanian foreign ministry expressed concern on Tuesday about the rights of the Romanian community in Ukraine after a raid by the Ukrainian security service the previous day on a Romanian cultural centre in Chernivtsi, Northern Bukovina.

The raid has sparked new tensions between Kiev and Bucharest over Romanian minority rights in the former Soviet state.

Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia-Elena Intotero, who is paying a working visit to the Republic of Moldova, had a series of meetings on Thursday with representatives of the administration, denominations in Chisinau, as well as with members of the local authorities, during which she reconfirmed the support of Romania's Government for the Romanians over the Pruth River, a release sent

Culture and National Identity Minister George Ivascu delivered on Tuesday, one century since the union of Basarabia with Romania, a message of hope for a common European future to all Romanians, on both sides of the Pruth River, underscoring that dreams can become reality.

Romania's Parliament on Tuesday endorsed a Declaration for the celebration of the Union between Bessarabia and the Mother Land, Romania.

Our convergence course is currently named the European path of the Republic of Moldova, on Tuesday said President Klaus Iohannis in a message sent to Parliament's solemn session on the anniversary of a century since Bessarabia united with Romania.

Over 10,000 Moldovans attended the so-called "Great Centennial Assembly"in Chisinau on Sunday, marking 100 years since the union of what was then called Bessarabia with the then kingdom of Romania.

The unification document was signed on March 27, 1918, following the collapse of the Tsarist Empire. The Soviet Union seized Moldova back in World War II.

The National Council of the Cultural Association Pro Bessarabia and Bucovina, the Committee for the Romanian communities abroad of the Deputies Chamber and the Ministry for Romanians Everywhere on Saturday organized, at the Parliament Palace, a festivity in celebration of the Centenary of the Great Union of the Romanians.

Romania is ready for the Union with the Republic of Moldova, a process in which our country should do more and bring "an added concreteness" to its actions, on Sunday said the National Liberal Party (PNL, opposition)'s national leader Ludovic Orban.

Romania says it will issue 14 working and diplomatic passports to clergy of the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, which is canonically subordinate to the Romanian Orthodox Church.

The Orthodox Church in the former Soviet republic is split between the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia and the Metropolitan Church of Moldova, which is subordinate to the Moscow Partriarchate.