The Foreign Policy Association (APE) suggests working out a strategy for supporting the Moldovan diaspora, which would set out the principles, objectives and the main course of action and would complexly and integrally tackle the problems faced by the Moldovans living abroad.

“Given the shortcomings of the legal and institutional framework designed to support the diaspora, we think it is now opportune to make the following recommendations: to work out the strategy; to involve civil society, especially representatives of the diaspora, in designing the regulations that would govern the activity of the future Agency for the Diaspora that was recently created by the Government of Moldova; to allocate budgetary resources for initiatives aimed at supporting the Moldovans residing abroad,” APE projects coordinator Victoria Boian said in a meeting of the Association’s Press Club.

Victoria Boian stressed a national foundation should be set up to support the diaspora. It would attract financial resources from the private sector, international organizations and charities to organize training courses on communication and cooperation with the diaspora for diplomats and other activities.

There is a wide range of activities and the 150,000 lei allotted by the Government cannot cover them. A separate division should be included in the budget, intended for the activities that will be carried out by the future Agency for the Diaspora, said Victoria Boian.

In the relations with the diaspora, the embassies only hold sporadic meetings on the occasion of the national holidays and provide consular assistance. “Regretfully, our embassies did not manage to become factors coagulating the diaspora. They should more actively involve in supporting and encouraging the processes aimed at institutionalizing the diaspora, multiplying thus its capacity to defend Moldovans’ interests and rights in the host countries,” said Victoria Boian.

For his part, APE executive director Victor Chirila said the diaspora mainly consists of citizens who are dissatisfied with the national authorities. Measures should be taken to increase the diaspora’s confidence in the Moldovan authorities. “The strategy must be a complex document because the problems faced by the diaspora derive not only from the problems faced by the host countries. These citizens leave Moldova principally under the influence of social and economic factors,” said Victor Chirila. He also said that the strategy must promote the rights of the citizens in the host countries and target the problems encountered by them and their families in the native country.

The Foreign Policy Association is an organization centering on foreign policy that aims to support the Europeanization process, the integration into the EU and the resolution of the Transnistrian dispute.