Governmental agency for protecting Moldovans abroad provokes dissension within AEI

The bill to found a governmental agency that will protect the Moldovan citizens who work abroad was removed from the agenda of the Parliament's sitting of July 1 at the suggestion of the Democratic Party, Info-Prim Neo reports. The initiative aroused the dissatisfaction of the Liberal-Democrat lawmakers. Mihai Godea, the leader of the parliamentary group of the PLDM, said he does not understand why his colleagues from the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) excluded this bill that is very important for the Moldovans working abroad. “We have Government, Parliament, administration and all that is needed for about 2 million citizens and we have nothing for 1 million people who cover 60% of Moldova's necessities. I hope this subject will be re-included in the agenda,” Godea said. For his part, the leader of the Democratic Party Marian Lupu said the creation of this agency is a superficial idea as the range of matters with which the diaspora is to deal is too varied. “The social protection is ensured by a ministry, while the cultural services are coordinated by another ministry. We consider this is a formal matter that will not produce practical results,” Marian Lupu said. The initiative to create the governmental agency for protecting the Moldovans who work abroad was put forward by the Ministry of Justice and approved by the executive. The MPs may return to this bill after it is discussed inside the AEI, but the Democrat leader is skeptical that this will happen.