Voronin becomes first holder of Moldovan biometric passport

Chairing a meeting on Moldova’s biometric passport system on February 1, President Vladimir Voronin has become the first holder of such a passport. Minister of Information Development Vladimir Molojen stated at the meeting that the introduction of biometric passports is a logical upgrade step for the identity and travel documents issued by the Ministry of Information Development. The minister explained that the biometric passports are not compulsory and do not replace the travel papers currently hold by the Moldovan citizens. The way these passports will be adopted into general use in Moldova largely depends on the development of the domestic laws that regulate the movement of people. The introduction of electronic passports with higher security levels aims to contribute to improving activities in combating terrorism and human trafficking, as well as in coordinating migration processes. The President saluted the fact that Moldova has joined the 20 countries that adopted a biometric passport system, adding that the event is an extra proof of Moldova’s achievements in implementing advanced information technology, as well as in adopting European standards in fighting terrorism and illegal migration. Biometric passports contain a chip which, besides standard details, stocks digital information, such as the bearer’s e-signature. The standardised biometrics used for such type of identification are facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, and iris recognition.