The protection and integration into society of ethnic minorities of the Republic of Moldova was discussed in a meeting of Prime Minister Pavel Filip and OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier. The foreign official said the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities is ready to further provide assistance to the Moldovan Government in implementing the strategy on national minorities. The investments in education and creation of conditions for representatives of the ethnic minorities to be able to study the official language, which is a key element for the integration of the ethnic minorities into Moldovan society, will be top priorities.
According to the Government’s press service, the Premier appreciated the assistance offered by the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities to promote the intercultural cohesion in Moldova and the policies to support the national minorities. He confirmed the Cabinet’s readiness to property implement the strategy for strengthening the interethnic relations in Moldova for 2017-2027. The document will be put into practice through three action plans that are drafted by the Interethnic Relations Bureau with support from the foreign partners, in particular OSCE.
“The assistance and expertise of the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities is very valuable for us,” said Pavel Filip, noting that the Bureau’s capacities will be strengthened as a result of the Government reform.
The officials also discussed the situation of the ethnic Gagauz people and Bulgarians in Moldova. The Premier said the governor of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia is an ex-officio member of the Cabinet and one of the Cabinet meetings was held in this region. As a result, a plan of priority action was approved to improve the socioeconomic situation in the region. The Cabinet also focuses on the problems faced by the residents of Taraclia district, where ethnic Bulgarians live compactly. The high-level Moldovan-Bulgarian dialogue is on the ascendant and a Consulate of Bulgaria in Moldova was inaugurated in Taraclia on October 31.
