Central Romania: Cluj-Napoca mayor decorated with highest distinction given by Moldovan Parliament

The mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc, was decorated on Saturday, August 29, by the president of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Grosu, with the “Medal of Democracy,” the highest distinction handed by the legislature in Chisinau.

The medal was awarded in recognition of Boc’s constant support and investments carried out in the infrastructure of the Moldovan city of Ungheni, according to Igor Grosu. The support has already enabled several major urban infrastructure projects in the city, including the renovation of two municipal parks and the modernization of public transport.

Cluj-Napoca and Ungheni were twinned in 2016, and over the past ten years, Cluj-Napoca City Hall has allocated more than RON 17 million to support urban development initiatives in Ungheni, according to Mediafax.

The partnership between the two cities is ongoing through the works to arrange and modernize, for the first time, the promenade along Lake Delia, according to the same source.

"For me, this medal bears a name that says it all: Democracy. Democracy means the freedom to choose your own path. It means respect for people, for their dignity and for the right of each generation to build its own future. And the Republic of Moldova has demonstrated that, no matter how difficult the path may be, freedom and democracy are worth defending every day," mayor Boc said upon receiving the medal.

Since 2023, Emil Boc has also been an honorary citizen of the municipality of Ungheni, a title awarded for his “impressive contribution to the development of the municipality of Ungheni and to the development of truly friendly relations between Ungheni and Cluj-Napoca.”

(Photo source: Inquam Photos|Sabin Cirstoveanu)