Moldovan president signs decree concerning new agreement improving social protection of Moldovans from Italy

Chisinau, 30 October /MOLDPRES/ - President Maia Sandu has signed a decree, thereby Labour and Social Protection Minister Alexei Buzu is empowered to sign in Rome, on 31 October, a new agreement which improve the social protection of the Moldovan citizens from Italy and introduces the totalization of the lengths of service.     

„Dear Moldovans from Italy, we have very good news for all citizens who work in the Italian Republic! The citizens who have worked or work in Italy and ask for Italian pension will soon be able to include the periods of work from Moldova in the length of service as well. Also, our citizens who returned to the country will be able to benefit from pension, which will include also the years of work in Italy,’’ Maia Sandu said.    

The official stressed that, in the last 20 years, there had been only two states with which Italy signed such social agreements – Albania and Moldova. ‘’I am grateful to Mr. President Mattarella and Mrs. Prime Minister Meloni for support,’’ Maia Sandu also said.  

„We have done our utmost, in order to manage to sign this agreement as quickly as possible, as it is essential that our Moldovans who left abroad should be protected and benefit from the pension they deserve. The reality is that the risk of not being able to get such agreements with the European countries after the next Sunday elections is pretty high. On Sunday, our decision will be including about this – we continue to have good relations with the European partners and to get concrete benefits for the Moldovans or to lose everything we have,’’ Maia Sandu noted.    

In June 2021, during her visit to Rome, President Maia Sandu, along with Italian Minister of Labour and Social Policies Andrea Orlando, signed the Agreement in the social security sector. Under the document, each state calculates and pays the pension proportionately to the period of insurance and only based on the contributions paid legally.    

In the last 20 years, Italy has ratified only three bilateral agreements in social security. Among them, there is also the Agreement with Moldova, signed in 2021 and which entered into force in 2023.