The human rights and their observance must be a priority in the European integration process in Moldova, said invitees to a press club meeting organized the Independent Journalism Center in partnership with the Slovak Atlantic Commission, IPN reports.

Slovak Ambassador to Moldova Robert Kirnag said the respect for the human rights is a topical issue in his country. In Slovakia, the national minorities are represented in Parliament. The Romanies in Slovakia do not have elites among the politicians to represent them, unlike the Hungarian national minorities that hold 10% of the seats in Parliament.

Robert Kirnag could not say exactly how many Romanies are there in Slovakia as some of them speak the Slovak language and declare themselves Slovaks. The integration of the minorities can be difficult and long-lasting, especially in terms of the spoken language, the level of education and culture.

Ion Duminica, expert of the Coalition “Voice of the Roma”, said the Romani people prefer Russia as a destination rather than the EU. “In the European Union, one must work and earn money legally. The Romani people from Moldova tolerate more Russia than the EU in this respect,” he stated.

Interethnic relations researcher Andrei Iovu said the observance of the rights of the national minorities ensures safety and stability. Permanent communication should be maintained with the minorities. The official language is nothing but a technical problem and Russian in Moldova should not be marginalized.

Head of the Bureau for Diaspora Relations Victor Lutenco said that Portugal has the most relevant experience in integrating the national minorities, while France has the largest number of deficiencies in this respect.