Representatives of the national minorities of the Republic of Moldova do not agree that the Agency for Interethnic Relations should be transferred from the subordination of the Government to the Ministry of Education and Research. In a press briefing, held together with socialist MPs, they said that following this transfer the agency will have limited competences, only in the educational field, which is insufficient to ensure the protection of the interests of ethnic minorities, IPN reports.

The deputy of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, Grigore Novac, said that a few days ago, the parliamentary commission for human rights and interethnic relations, which he heads, received a letter from the leaders of national minority organizations, in which they raised several problems related to the transfer of the agency to the Ministry of Education.

Vitalii Mrug, president of the Community of Ukrainians of the Republic of Moldova, said that the leaders of national minority organizations in Moldova do not agree with the proposed changes.

"We believe that the transfer of the agency to the MEC will lead to a further downgrading of its status and deterioration of its activities in the field of protection of ethnic minorities' interests. The agency will, in fact, become a structural subdivision of the ministry and will have limited competences, only in the educational system, which is clearly insufficient for it to carry out its activities with full rights," Vitalii Mrug said.

BCS MP Elena Beleacova emphasized that the Agency for Interethnic Relations is a central administrative body that implements state policy in the field of strengthening interethnic relations and the functioning of languages on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. "This area is extremely important for our country, which is inhabited by a population that is distinct by its ethnic composition, intercultural and linguistic relations," the MEP noted.

According to her, the transfer of the agency to the Ministry of Education would deprive it of the institutional levers necessary for the integration of national minorities, emphasizing exclusively on educational policies. At the same time, the Council of Europe's Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2025-2028 envisages strengthening the institutional and financial independence of the Agency for Interethnic Relations.