Draft amendments to the government decree on the organization and functioning of the Agency for Interethnic Relations are under consideration by the cabinet of ministers. The authorities consider the reorganization as a step towards greater efficiency of the agency.
At the meeting of the parliamentary commission on human rights and interethnic relations on December 3, the former director of the Agency, Yelena Belyakova, called the decision alarming.
“Unfortunately, this is the second moment when the status of this state structure is downgraded. The first occurred when the reform was carried out in 2018. Then the main function of the Agency – to develop policies in the field of interethnic relations – was transferred to the Ministry of Education. And, unfortunately, observing the experience – that for several years no body was created within the structure of the Ministry, which would deal with policy in the field of interethnic relations – this is very alarming for us”.
Elena Bialiacova emphasized that it was decided to transfer the agency to the ministry immediately after the Council of Europe presented an Action Plan for Moldova, in which the country was recommended, on the contrary, to strengthen the functional autonomy and financing of the Agency for Interethnic Relations in order to develop state policy in this field.
“We will, of course, observe what will happen after January 1, 2026, when the Agency will be transferred under the control of the Ministry of Education,” Beliacova assured.
PAS deputy Natalia Davidovich expressed the opinion that the subordination of the Agency to the Ministry will increase the efficiency of the agency: “I don’t think it’s about lowering the status, I think it’s about increasing efficiency,” said the deputy. She cited the example of Estonia, where such an agency is subordinated to the Ministry of Culture.
Vitaly Mrug, co-chairman of the Coordination Council of ethno-cultural organizations accredited under the AMO, disagreed with her.
“The fact that this is a good thing in Estonia is good. But look at the latest report and recommendation letter of the Council of Europe – what does it say? Recommendations to strengthen the autonomy and financial support of the Agency for Interethnic Relations! How is that? …If until now the director of the Agency directly addressed the Chancellery of the Government with some issue, now it will be to the minister, deputy minister, head of department. That’s how many steps! We have to talk about it here in Parliament. This is the opinion of the chairpersons of all communities!”, Mrug stated.
The ministry spokesperson assured that nothing will change for the Agency and that all staff will remain in their places.
“You have pulled the Agency up under you and yet you say nothing is changing. But if nothing changes, why did you tighten it?”, asked rhetorically the chairman of the specialized commission, opposition PSRM MP Grigore Novak.
The State Department for National Problems was created in the year of Moldova’s independence under the Moldovan government. The structure was repeatedly renamed: in 1994 it became the Department of National Relations, in 1998 – the Department of National Relations and Language Functioning, in 2001 – the Department of Interethnic Relations, in 2005 and 2010 – the Bureau of Interethnic Relations, and since 2018 it has been called the Agency of Interethnic Relations.
