The Personal Representative of the Austrian OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, Rabbi Andrew Baker, concluded his first official visit to Moldova, where he met with government and Jewish community representatives to discuss measures to strengthen the commemoration and study of the Holocaust in Moldova and to combat anti-Semitism, intolerance and hate crimes, IPN reports.

Prime Minister Pavel Filip said the Republic of Moldova is a multiethnic country, noting that tolerance is the most valuable quality. “We must further educate society in this spirit. The representatives of the Jewish community should feel well and safe in our country,” he stated.

For his part, Rabbi Baker hailed the fact that Moldova recently became the 34th OSCE participating State to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day as a milestone. He welcomed the government’s adoption of the Elie Wiesel international commission report, and the adoption of an action plan of concrete measures to promote Holocaust commemoration and education in Moldova.

Rabbi Baker was encouraged by the Parliament Speaker’s plans to hold a special session on Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2018. He also welcomed an initiative by the Ministry of Culture to develop a museum of Jewish history in Chisinau. “All these activities constitute vital steps to insure against a repeat of the terrible events that took place right here in Moldova and to guarantee the long-term stability of the country’s Jewish community,” said Rabbi Baker.

Rabbi Baker’s visit follows on from ongoing efforts by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to assist the authorities in increasing awareness and understanding of the Holocaust in Moldova. To this end, in October 2016 the OSCE brought together government and civil society representatives to develop measures to strengthen Holocaust remembrance and education in Moldova.