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M. Timofti: Towards a New Paradigm for Peace and Human Development
Written by Mme. Margareta Timofti, First Lady, Moldova
Monday, February 10, 2014
Address to the International Leadership Conference
Seoul, Korea, February 9-13, 2014
I am here to greet you from behalf of the people of the Republic of Moldova and myself. Please allow me to wish you abundant health, wealth, peace and many achievements in 2014.
I am sure that all of us are aware of the restless and unstable life in the world. We are rushing to do more, have more, be richer and offer more to our children. There are countries fighting with each other. There are people fighting with each other, and this is not good at all.
On the other hand, we forget about being kinder and more thankful for what we have, for being healthy and having the ones we love next to us. We should be more receptive and help those in need. It is true that we should focus on our family first; however, we should help our fellow human beings when they are in need.
I would like to bring you a recent example of being supportive. Mr. Yoon and Mr. Mihai Calestru, from the Universal Peace Federation, heard about the needs of children with autism in my country. They did their best and in quite a short period of time identified possibilities to provide these children with five iPads and a laptop with boxes. The iPads, which might seem like luxury items, are very useful for the development of their learning and communication skills. Therefore, please allow me to convey my gratitude to Mr. Yoon and Mr. Calestru for their kindness. Thank you also on behalf of the Moldovan children with autism.
Now, if you don’t have any objection, I would like to tell you a few things about the Republic of Moldova. It is a former Soviet Socialist Republic. Moldova is quite a young state, which gained its sovereignty in 1991. The largest share in our economy is held by agriculture. Our main products are fruits, vegetables, wine and tobacco. Moldova imports oil, coal and natural gas, mainly from Russia.
Moldova is a small landlocked country situated in Eastern Europe between Romania and Ukraine. Its geographical position allows it to aspire to become part of the European Union family.
Nowadays, we live significant times for the assertion of the Republic of Moldova internationally. For those who don’t know, the Republic of Moldova is involved in a major project – integration into the European Union. Internally, we are focusing on significant institutional changes.
Although there is still a lot to be achieved, I am confident that things will change for the better in the nearest future, because Moldovans are kind, hardworking and patient people.
In every country, people are the most important asset. It is the same for us, too. In general, Moldovans are people with a good spiritual culture with rich traditions and customs which they love and respect. The institution of the family is something we care about very much. Children and young people are the future of our country; therefore, we need to invest as much as possible in their education and development.
I hope that everyone with enjoy the conference and the organizers will achieve the desired results.