The Diaspora Relations Bureau team recently hosted the visit of Diana Băbălău, journalist, representative of the Moldovan community in the Czech Republic, an active young woman involved in promoting Moldovan traditions and culture in the diaspora.

Diana Băbălău, who has been away from the Republic of Moldova for five years, shared her experiences and challenges in the host country, referring to the importance of strengthening the cultural and social ties of community members. An important aspect of the discussion was the beautiful events organised by our compatriot, with the aim of promoting Moldovan traditions and customs. Diana Băbălău also enthusiastically referred to the initiatives supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the Czech Republic, which on the one hand highlight the richness and splendour of the heritage of the Republic of Moldova, and on the other hand build bridges between people with the same origins and ideas who are far from home.

In the same vein, Diana Băbălău expressed her willingness to organize Romanian language lessons for children from the Moldovan diaspora in the host country. Support measures that could be offered for this purpose were discussed. Some of these are training courses for teachers, as well as A1 and A2 level Romanian language learning-teaching manuals, based on a curriculum developed by the National Association of European Trainers, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Research.

The dialogue was constructive and provided an opportunity to initiate new projects and collaborations between diaspora members and BRD.  We thank Diana Băbălău for the emotions she relived and the plans she is working on, and wish her success, inspiration and frequent returns to her homeland.

Stimați conaționali,

Sărbătorile de iarnă se apropie cu pași grăbiți, iar atmosfera acestora deja domină în țările și orașele în care sunteți stabiliți.

Pregătirile pentru evenimentele care vor avea loc cu acest prilej sunt la ordinea zilei și asta pentru că veți organiza tradiționalele spectacole cu colinde și urături, păstrând și promovând tradițiile neamului, la mii de km distanță.

În această ordine de idei, vă informăm că Guvernul Republicii Moldova a lansat campania națională „Hai acasă de Crăciun".

Cu această ocazie, primăriile și comunitățile se vor implica organizând activități festive în localități, așa precum târguri, expoziții de artizanat, sau ateliere interactive pentru a promova tradițiile noastre.

Totodată, Ministerul Culturii va organiza concerte și spectacole pentru copii în casele de cultură din întreaga țară 

Astfel, vă încurajăm pe fiecare dintre dvs. și pe toți membrii diasporei să împărtășiți prin fotografii și videoclipuri modul în care ați petrecut aceste sărbători magice, în țările gazdă. Materialele ilustrative pot fi expediate la adresa de email acasadecraciun@gov.md.

În cazul în care unii dintre dvs. veți onora îndemnul campaniei „Hai acasă de Crăciun" și veți reveni la baștină, vă rugăm să ne anunțați la adresa de email brd@gov.md,  pentru a identifica o posibilitate de a ne revedea la Biroul relații cu diaspora pentru a face o totalizare a activităților și a trasa planuri de viitor.

On November 25th, Latvian Center of Moldovan Culture "Dacia" celebrated 35 years of activity dedicated to promoting Moldovan traditions and culture in Latvia. Over the years, the "Dacia" Centre has become a cultural ambassador of the Republic of Moldova, highlighting the beauty and diversity of our traditions.

The anniversary was marked by a festive event held in Riga, where the public was delighted by the authenticity and splendor of the national cultural heritage. More than 200 spectators admired the traditional folklore of both the "Doina" song and dance collective, as well as various artistic ensembles from Latvia. The present audience enjoyed Moldovan traditional songs, dances, and dishes. A special moment of the evening was the participation of the guests in a Moldovan folk dance, where regardless of age or ethnicity, they joined in a great dance.

The anniversary provided an opportunity to celebrate common traditions and strengthen cultural ties between the Republic of Moldova and Latvia.

On this occasion, the Diaspora Relations Bureau presents sincere congratulations to the Cultural Center "Dacia" and its Chairman, Gheorghe Tofan. At the same time, the BRD team expresses gratitude for the efforts made by our fellow citizens who continue to be a cultural bridge between the Republic of Moldova and Latvia, organizing and conducting major events in which they present the authenticity and values of Moldovan people in this European country.

On November 24th, the event "Moldova’s Progress in Implementing European Commission Recommendations" was successfully held. The aim of this event was to highlight the remarkable progress of the Republic of Moldova in implementing European Commission recommendations since June 2022 to present. The results and progress in key areas such as democracy, good governance, policy convergence with the European Union and sustainable development were presented.

The event provided a sustainable platform for dialogue and interaction among representatives of Austrian public institutions, European diplomats, international organizations, development agencies, as well as representatives of public institutions from the Republic of Moldova, civil society, and members of the diaspora.

One of the key topics of the discussion was the improvement of relations between the Republic of Moldova and Austrian and international partners. This underscores the importance of broad-based commitment and mutual support in our journey towards European integration.

We deeply appreciate the valuable contribution of our diaspora in promoting collaboration and support, which strengthens Moldova’s aspirations for European integration and creates a solid basis for future developments in this area.

The event was organized with dedication and involvement by Moldova4EU Diaspora Task Force (Innovating Governance Association Austria), with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the Republic of Austria and the Slovak Republic, Institute for European Policy and Reforms, Expert-Grup, Legal Resources Center from Moldova, and the Diaspora Relations Bureau within the State Chancellery. 

We thank all those involved for their support and contribution to strengthening our path towards a European future!

We were privileged to host a special presentation by the Executive Director of REPAT Armenia, Vartan Marashlyan, who brought to our attention the inspirational example of Armenia in stimulating the return and reintegration of their citizens.

Together with the Diaspora Relations Bureau team, we discussed the importance of adopting and adapting best practices to facilitate the return process of those who have left the country. This is a topic of utmost importance, considering that one-third of our fellow citizens are living outside the borders of the country.

We are committed to implementing effective policies that encourage and facilitate their return home. The State Secretary of the Government, Ana Calinici, underlined this and highlighted continued efforts to create a conducive environment for returning to the country.

We also presented our policy documents - the National Programme "Diaspora" 2024-2028 and the National Programme for stimulating returns and facilitating the (re)integration of Moldovan citizens involved in the migration process for the years 2023-2027. These initiatives pursue clear objectives and concrete actions to support our communities abroad in their return and reintegration process.

We were pleased to have representatives from various institutions such as the Ministry of Education and Research, the National Employment Agency, the Organisation for the Development of Entrepreneurship, the Invest Moldova Agency, the Customs Service, the National Office of Social Insurance and the Alliance of Native Associations. They also emphasized the importance of joint efforts and presented the opportunities offered to support the return and reintegration process. 

During this meeting, we shared and learned from Armenia's experience in stimulating the return and reintegration of their citizens. We discussed about the development of relationships between the country of origin and communities abroad, effective communication strategies and methods for monitoring and evaluating policies in this area.

We are determined to continue this collaboration and bring positive changes that encourage and facilitate the return and reintegration of our fellow citizens.

The event took place with the support of the projects "Support for diaspora governance, migration and development by improving policy and institutional frameworks" under the Programme "Harnessing the potential of migration in the Republic of Moldova", phase III, funded by the Swiss Cooperation Office, as well as the "Policy Advice Fund", funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Moldova.

On November 17, the Diaspora Relations Bureau organised a meeting with citizens who have returned from the diaspora, with the participation of Ana Calinici, State Secretary of the Government. The purpose of the meeting was to identify challenges and difficulties and to propose solutions to citizens in the process of return and reintegration.

The meeting was attended by people who have returned from Poland, Spain, USA, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Russian Federation, Germany and launched small businesses in various fields at home. Some of them had already benefited from institutional support in this regard.  The discussions highlighted several aspects of the return and reintegration process. Participants shared their own experiences of the challenges they faced or continue to face during the process. In this context, transparent communication between citizens and state institutions, simplification of bureaucratic procedures, improvement of the implementation and enforcement of legal provisions were identified as important pillars that facilitate the creation of a conducive environment for returning and reintegrating. Last but not least, the necessity and importance of the support from local public authorities were confirmed.

Additionally, the Guide for the reintegration of Moldovan citizens returning from abroad was presented, aiming to provide support and necessary information about the services offered by the state. The document also refers to employment opportunities, access to training, vocational training and career guidance services, access to state funds for starting a business and consultancy services in business management. The guide also provides essential details about social integration services, such as enrolling children in the education system, social and medical insurance, and facilitating access to housing.

In conclusion, emphasis was placed on the need to set up information and support centres for citizens returning from abroad, as well as the targeted orientation of efforts to promote initiatives in this field, based on the specific needs of the different groups of returnees.