Maia Sandu urged the Moldovan Diaspora to invest in Moldova's economy and preserve our country's culture, traditions and language.
The head of state addressed the 10th Congress of the Diaspora, which took place on August 18 in Chisinau, within the Diaspora Days in Moldova. In her address, the head of state commended the Diaspora's great contribution to Moldova's development and spoke about the decisions and actions taken by the Moldovan authorities to support the Moldovan Diaspora. Thus, from January 1, 2023, consular fees were reduced by 50 per cent, while the fee for the re-issuance of a passport of a minor citizen was abolished. Citizens are offered several tools to pay the consular fees and the delivery of produced documents. At the same time, the mobile offices of the Public Services Agency conduct periodic missions to foreign countries to process documents of Moldovan citizens locally (USA, Canada, Russia, Italy). The Diaspora can now obtain an electronic signature at the consulate without paying consular fees, which expands the range of opportunities for Moldovan citizens abroad: from filing tax reports to opening a company. Sandu said important steps have been taken to conclude bilateral agreements on social protection with countries where the Moldovan Diaspora is widely represented. Negotiations with Latvia have already been finalized, negotiations with Switzerland are underway, and consultations have begun with France and Canada. "It is important for us that the periods of work of Moldovan citizens abroad be taken into account, and that the pension received in Moldova reflect the entire period of legal employment abroad, and vice versa - that the length of service in Moldova be taken into account when retiring in another country," Sandu said. Another achievement refers to the new agreement with the EU on the liberalization of roaming, and from 1 January 2024, the tariffs will start decreasing. In her speech, Maia Sandu touched upon electoral processes and changes in this field, such as the possibility to hold voting within two days, granting the right to vote to citizens with expired passports, etc. Also, the discussion on the mechanism of electronic voting is ongoing. The Moldovan President expressed gratitude to the representatives of the Diaspora for supporting the country's villages and districts by participating in the DAR1+3 program. She also highlighted the potential of the PARE 1+2 program of state support for business for migrants who returned home and decided to open a business, spoke about the new 373 program, etc. Maia Sandu stressed that the authorities plan to speed up the process of signing agreements on social protection, conversion of driving licenses, avoidance of double taxation and recognition of educational diplomas, especially in countries with a large number of Moldovan citizens, settlement of the problem of passenger flights to/from the Chisinau International Airport, etc. The President also urged the Diaspora to preserve the Moldovan traditions, culture and language in their families, noting that she would like all the citizens who went abroad to return home. // 18.08.2023 - InfoMarket.
