Moldova has two new citizens

Two persons native of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan swore an oath of allegiance to Moldova in the presence of the Chisinau Mayor General Dorin Chirtoaca, Info-Prim Neo reports. Before the official ceremony, the mayor discussed with the two women and asked them why they chose Moldova. The discussion was held in Russian because the future citizens of Moldova do not know Romanian very well. The women told the mayor that they have lived in Moldova since 1993 and remained in our country because they have families here. “I hope that after becoming citizens of Moldova, we will together overcome the obstacles we face and will some day be free to move throughout the world,” Dorin Chirtoaca said. The new citizens took the oath in Romanian. They said that obtaining Moldovan citizenship means renunciation of the nationality of their homeland. Initially, it was planned that the oath would be sworn by five persons, while one person was to regain the citizenship. For different reasons, the other four persons could not get to the ceremony. According to the head of the Chisinau City Hall’s Social-Humanitarian and Interethnic Relations Division, Nina Stratulat, those that want to obtain Moldovan citizenship must have lived for five years in Moldova before filing the necessary documents. A special commission under the Government of Moldova tests candidates’ knowledge of the official language. “It is compulsory for all candidates to know Romanian,” Nina Stratulat said.