OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Christophe Kamp concludes first official visit to Moldova

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Christophe Kamp visited Moldova, including Gagauzia and Taraclia, from 24 to 28 March 2025. This was Kamp’s first official country visit since assuming office in December 2024, underscoring his commitment to supporting Moldova’s efforts to foster inclusive policies and strengthen social cohesion.

During his visit, the High Commissioner was able to gain a first-hand insight into matters related to national minority issues through his meetings with a wide range of interlocutors, at different levels, across the country.

This included President Maia Sandu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihai Popșoi, and Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun, as well as members of Moldova’s Parliament. He also heard from representatives of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, local authorities, civil society organizations, educators and minority communities. Kamp welcomed the continued engagement of the Agency for Inter-Ethnic Relations and appreciated the chance to listen to mayors and minority representatives from several regions.

The High Commissioner noted that the authorities value and work towards safeguarding Moldova’s diversity. In his conversations with minority representatives, Kamp observed numerous positive examples of inter-ethnic collaboration and peaceful coexistence, and he welcomed the country’s resilience to external security challenges and its adherence to OSCE principles and commitments. He said: “In today’s complex international environment, this approach is essential.”

A key focus of the visit was multilingual education (MLE), which the office of the HCNM has long supported in Moldova as a practical tool to support integration. MLE contributes to peaceful inter-ethnic relations by enabling the development of a shared civic identity while preserving minority languages in diverse societies.

For over 30 years, the successive High Commissioners on National Minorities have been providing advice and expertise on integration policy in Moldova, while implementing pilot projects to strengthen the participation of minority representatives in public life, support mother-tongue-based multilingual education and promote knowledge of the State language.

The High Commissioner reaffirmed his readiness to continue supporting Moldova in fostering an inclusive and cohesive society.

The visit was organized with the support of the OSCE Mission to Moldova.