Contract soldiers to be able to have more citizenships in Moldova

Chisinau, 13 July /MOLDPRES/ - The citizens holding of who have acquired the citizenship of another state will be able to be involved in military service under contract, according to legislative amendments adopted by parliament in the final reading today.

Under the document, the persons with permanent legal residence in Moldova, who hold the citizenship of another state, as well as students of the military higher education institutions will enjoy this right as well.

The amendments made to the law on the status of servicemen come from the Decision No 3 from 31 January 2017 of the Constitutional Court (CCM). The Court found out that the interdiction to hold the citizenship of another state than Moldova for the contract soldiers and students of the higher military education institutions is unconstitutional.  

CCM said that these restrictions are not proportional to the goal of ensuring the loyalty to the state, affecting the right to work and education. The Court stressed that the obligation of servicemen’s loyalty to the state is ensured by the constitutional and legal norms and not by this interdiction.  

At the same time, under the Article 17 of the European Convention on Nationality, Moldova is obliged to make sure that the Moldovans holding other citizenships benefit from the same rights and duties, just as the other citizens of the state.  

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor M. Jantovan)