State secretary of Moldova's foreign affairs ministry meets new country representative of International Organization for Migration

Chisinau, 23 July /MOLDPRES/ - The dynamic of Moldova’s cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the national policies in the migration field and the Diaspora’s integration programmes have been the principal subjects of a discussion between the state secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), Sergiu Mihov, and the IOM country representative in Moldova, Ester Ruiz de Azua, who is at the beginning of her mandate.     

At the meeting, the two officials reviewed the present stage of Moldova’s cooperation with IOM and exchanged opinions on priorities of the partnership for the future.

In the context, Sergiu Mihov appreciated the IOM’s active involvement in backing the Moldovan authorities’ efforts in managing the migration flow. At the same time, the MAE’s state secretary highlighted the importance of the support provided by the organization in the protection of the rights of migrants and turning to account the positive impact of the migration on Moldova’s economic development.    

The officials agreed on boosting the cooperation, in order to attenuate the impact of the crisis of refugees through a complex programme of gradual integration of the refugees from Ukraine in the society, given that the temporary mechanism of their protection expires in March 2025.  

Sergiu Mihov assured Ester Ruiz de Azua of the Moldovan authorities’ full openness and willingness to cooperate with IOM, in order to guarantee the protection of migrants and refugees, as well as for turning to good account the positive aspects of these processes.