Refugees from the Transnistrian region and veterans of the 1992 armed conflict have not found in the 2024 State Budget whatever allocations for raising the allowances paid to conflict veterans and invalids, to warriors’ widows or to refugees from Transnistria, Anatolie Bizgu, Chairman of the Transnistrian Refugees Movement, stated at a news conference in Infotag on Monday.                           

“We have timed our news conference to the International Human Rights Day marked annually on December 10 [since 1950]. Refugees and veterans are strongly dissatisfied that human rights in general and the rights of war veterans in particular are not respected in the Republic of Moldova,” he said.                       

Veterans and refugees sent appeals to the top leadership of the republic, in which they asked to increase, from January 1, 2024, payments to war invalids, to warriors’ widows, to those decorated with the Order of Stefan cel Mare, as well as to refugees from Transnistria.                       

“But the Government did not provide for additional costs. Prime Minister Dorin Recean refers to the lack of funds, although funds were found for raising salaries paid to ministers and civil servants,” Bizgu stated.

He said that refugees and veterans will take all legal actions to ensure that the State respects their legal rights.

The conference participants proposed that every ministry and department should have an employee dealing with the problems of veterans and refugees of the Transnistrian conflict.              

“In 2023 alone, 810 veterans died, whose families need social support and assistance from the State,” Bizgu said, saying that “they do not need sweet speeches from Prime Minister Dorin Recean, but concrete actions.”             

The press conference participants expressed dissatisfaction with the inaction of trade unions, which, according to them, do not protect people's rights.                 

“Where are our trade unions, why don’t they protect people’s rights, what do they get money for?” asked veteran Nicolae Garbu rhetorically, promising solidarity between veterans and refugees in protecting their rights.