The Office for Relations with the Diaspora signed a cooperation agreement with the Christian Workers Movement of Rome, which provides a series of concessions for the members of the Moldovan diaspora in Italy, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the Office’s head Victor Lutenko, the agreement allows dealing with a challenge that the associations of the Moldovan diaspora often meet, namely the lack of offices for carrying out activities. The agreement enables the associations to use the over 300 operational offices of the Christian Workers Movement all over Italy whenever they want, free of charge. The agreement also allows the Moldovan citizens to use gratis social assistance services for persons in need, legal assistance on labor and migration when applying for the permit of stay and on the right to pension, in Italy as well as in Moldova. “The fact that I went on my first trip in the new post to Rome, where there is one of the largest diasporas, after Russia, is symbolic. But the diaspora there experiences most of the challenges and difficulties,” said Victor Lutenko, who signed the accord on behalf of Moldova. “We are ready to contact directly with the Moldovan associations and citizens so that we offer our services that are extremely necessary now, in the height of the economic crisis. I would like to note again that all our services are absolutely free,” said Antonio Di Mateo, national vice president of the Christian Workers Movement, which is a nonprofit organization with 191 regional offices. During her visit to Italy, Victor Lutenko had a meeting with about 20 leaders of associations and members of the diaspora at the Embassy of Moldova in Rome. The sides discussed the serious situation of the carriers of passengers and parcels following the fines imposed by the Italian authorities and of the teachers who work in other areas in Italy, loosing thus their qualifications. A series of proposals were formulated during the discussions, including creating a teachers’ league in Rome, opening a common cultural center, and authorizing a lawyer to represent the interests of the members. The Office for Relations with the Diaspora was founded on October 18, 2012 under the State Chancellery. Victor Lutenko was named head of the Office on November 28.