Moldovan president participates in weekly meeting with parliament speaker, PM

Chisinau, 23 March /MOLDPRES/ - President Igor Dodon today participated in a weekly meeting with Parliament Speaker Zinaida Greceanii and Prime Minister Ion Chicu, the presidential press service has reported.

The officials discussed important issues concerning aspects of settling the crisis triggered by the pandemic. First of all, the sides discussed the providing, without delay, of the pensions, taking into account that the elderly people are part of the group of major risk of infection. ‘’It is necessary that we prevent the agglomeration of pensioners in state institutions, for which reason, we proposed that the pensions be transferred on bank cards, and if the latter are lacking, a schedule should be elaborated, in which elderly people might come and take their pensions and the police would ensure control to prevent the formation of queues at the concerned institutions,’’ the head of state said.   

The second subject was focused on measures of control over the carrying out of the quarantine regime. The president noted that the Moldovan Interior Ministry’s forces coped with the tasks set. At the same time, Dodon found out the good preparation of the National Army’s subdivisions, if the situation worsens.  

The third subject on the agenda was the ensuring of the spring agricultural works. The head of state specified that, on this purpose, decision-makers ruled to resume, starting from 23 March, the activities of shops of agricultural materials and spare parts for agricultural vehicles, as well as of the shops of household chemical products, in order to supply the needs of the citizens and institutions with disinfectant solutions.   

The fourth item deals with the further maintaining of quarantine in education institutions and the increase in the number of schools which switched to the process of distance education. Igor Dodon emphasized that, at present, about 30-35 per cent of Moldova’s teachers were trained in order to be able to work online; this refers, in particular, to the Chisinau city; therefore, the officials set the goal to extend this practice all over Moldova.   

The fifth issue regarded the getting of foreign assistance. ‘’Presently, Moldova continues to regularly receive assistance on behalf of the World Health Organization and in the end of this week, a special aircraft with coronavirus tests, necessary medicines and medical materials will come to Chisinau from China. We are expecting a similar support from Russia too,’’ the Moldovan president said.   

In the end of the news briefing held after the meeting, the head of state stressed that, despite the pandemic, the infrastructure projects would not be frozen; they will be carried out, first of all, from external loans and domestic reserves.