The Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection and the National Employment Agency of Moldova on the one hand and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the Employment Agency on behalf of the Government of Bulgaria on the other hand will negotiate and sign an agreement on the regulation of labor migration, IPN reports, with reference to a Government decision.

The long-term goal of the agreement is to diminish illegal labor migration in both of the states by increasing the legal employment opportunities through the agency of the competent institutions of the two countries. The agreement makes it mandatory for the migrant workers to return home when the period of stay on the territory of the other state expires.

The agreement will be signed initially for a period of five years and could be later extended for periods of three years. According to unofficial reports, about 5,000 Moldovan citizens worked in Bulgaria in 2016.

The Republic of Moldova signed similar agreements with seven states.