When determining the pension or other benefits, the years worked in Moldova and Italy could be recognized and aggregated, regardless of the country in which the person worked. Thus, the citizens could benefit from old-age pensions, disability pensions, disability allowances and survivors’ pensions, taking into account the periods worked in both states. The responsible ministers of the two states discussed the extension of the Social Security Agreement, IPN reports.

Minister of Labor and Social Protection Alexei Buzu and his Italian counterpart Marina Elvira Calderone signed a declaration of intent that paves the way for the extension of the bilateral Social Security Agreement between the two countries so as to complement it with an essential provision – aggregation of contribution periods.

“For the largest community of our diaspora in the European Union, the renegotiation of the Agreement will mean the full recognition of the years worked both in Moldova and Italy. We will make every effort to advance this commitment together with our counterparts in Italy. The protection of workers’ rights is essential, especially in the context of Moldova’s advancement towards integration into the European Union,” said Alexei Buzu.

“This rapprochement agreement is important for us to express our concrete support for the European path of the Republic of Moldova. We actively support this process and recognize the importance of the Agreement in the social security sector. We express our commitment to cooperate, but also to assess the possibilities of extending the Social Security Agreement, which must guarantee the improvement of the quality of life of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova living and working in Italy, at all stages of life,” said Minister Marina Elvira Calderone.

The declaration of intent follows the recommendations of the Italian Parliamentary Committee on Foreign and Community Affairs, which in July 2024 proposed including a provision on the aggregation of contribution periods for Moldovan workers.

“The new commitment points to the intensification of the bilateral relations, for the benefit of citizens. In the last two decades, Italy has ratified only three bilateral Social Security Agreements. Among them is the Agreement with the Republic of Moldova, which was signed in 2021 and entered into force in 2023,” said the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.