The Moldovans working in Italy will be able to apply for old-age pensions, disability pensions and other social guarantees. The Cabinet approved the ratification of the Agreement with Italy in the field of social security, concluded in Rome on October 31. According to the authorities, this is a historic agreement that will provide multiple benefits to the citizens, IPN reports.
The social security agreement between Moldova and Italy provides citizens with two basic benefits. It goes to combining contribution periods to establish pension eligibility. Moldovan citizens who worked in both countries will have their periods of work cumulated in order to qualify for retirement. This is a key change from previous rules, which required workers to meet minimum contribution periods separately in each country. After the ratification of the new agreement, Moldovan citizens with at least 15 years of total contributions in both countries will be able to benefit from a pension.
Also, the process of applying for benefits becomes more accessible and less expensive for Moldovan citizens entitled to Italian pensions, who reside in Moldova. They will no longer have to travel to Italy to apply. Applications for pensions and other social benefits can be submitted in both Italy and Moldova. Thanks to the agreement, the citizens will be entitled to the following types of social benefits: old-age pension, disability pension, pension and allowance for work-related accidents or diseases, survivors' pensions.
"Since 2018, Moldova has been actively seeking to negotiate such an agreement. It is a historic agreement. In the last 20 years, only two countries managed to sign such an agreement with Italy. These are Albania and the Republic of Moldova. The counterparts in Italy approved the agreement in the Government last week. The document is to be ratified by Parliament and we hope that it will enter into force, and our citizens will be able to benefit from these provisions as soon as possible," Minister of Labor and Social Protection Alexei Buzu said at the Cabinet’s meeting.
The Republic of Moldova has signed 16 bilateral agreements with European Union member states. Currently, the Moldovan Government is negotiating similar agreements with Canada and France and is holding talks with Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Albania, and Ukraine.
