In order to improve social guarantees for persons working in Latvia and Moldova, on Thursday, 21 March, the Saeima in the second and final reading supported a draft law ratifying the Latvia-Moldova Social Security Agreement.
The Agreement will ensure mutually transparently regulated co-operation in the field of social security and state social insurance contributions, legal certainty in the provision of social rights at transnational level, and compliance with social security guarantee requirements. For example, it will facilitate the process of claiming a pension for the length of employment accumulated in the other country and will ensure payment of the pension, previously explained representatives of the Ministry of Welfare, answering questions from Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima responsible for the progress of the draft law.
Currently, there is no bilateral legal framework in the field of social security between Latvia and Moldova. Consequently, there is also no right to determine social security services (pensions, benefits) and to count a period of insurance acquired in the other country. There is also no uniform approach to the allocation and disbursement of services. The authors of the draft law at the Ministry of Welfare indicate that, therefore, unjustified disbursement of state budget funds could not be excluded in certain situations, just like non-provision of services by both countries.
The Agreement covers old-age, general illness-related disability or disability pensions, as well as compensation for accidents at work and occupational diseases, survivors’ pensions and death grants.
On 23 June 2022, the European Council granted Moldova the status of candidate country for accession to the European Union. Moldova is committed to bringing its legislation closer to European Union law, including in the areas of employment, social policy and mobility. The agreement between Latvia and Moldova in the field of social security at government level was signed on 11 December last year.
Saeima Press Service